ITTA elects new team

ITTA Pondicherry recently held election and voted for a new set of office bearers. For the term 2006-07, the elected team is PN Prasad (Microplus Computers) - President; M Magesh (Magnanim Systems) - Vice President; Siva Kumar (Siara Systems) - Secretary; Rajesh Jain (Indica Computers) - Joint Secretary and Sridhar (Sukra Traders) — Treasurer. 

“We give equal opportunity to every team member and the office bearers are elevated to the next post every year, if there are no contestants. The outgoing president will play advisory role for the association. And, the present system allows office bearers to work under various posts and give their best to the association and welfare of the local channel community here,” said Prasad, the newly-elected president.

The past presidents of the association are S Ravikumar (2004-05) of Peripherals Care and Suresh Kummar Soni (2005-06) of Auro Enterprises. ITTA was formed in 2001 and got itself registered before going in for an official election in 2004.

The main objectives of the newly elected third-term include: providing training to the channel partners and their workforce; conducting a mega IT show; setting up a health club and taking members for a foreign trip. “All these were discussed and identified in the recently concluded AGM on June 4. We also organized for a major family get-together on the same day and more than 100 people participated in the program. The event was held at Hotel Annamalai in Pondicherry,” he said. The entertainment evening also had some competition, quiz, puzzles and activities for the resellers' children and wives.

ITTA is talking to several leading vendors to provide hands-on training for the channel partners and their workforce, on various emerging technologies. “Technology is fast-changing in our business and only a well-equipped channel partner can be the best on field. Considering this, we plan to organize regular training programs for our members and provide them certification which will add value to their service offerings,” pointed out Prasad. ITTA is trying to rope in companies such as Samsung, TVSE, Dax, D-Link and WeP Peripherals for the training program.

ITTA is also trying to make its annual IT event into a mega show this time. The fourth edition of Compex, which is slated for January 2007, will be a large property this time, said Prasad. The executive committee is working on the dates and details of the program, which will be announced shortly. 

“Last term, we conducted two IT events as the business was growing phenomenally in the region. However, this year, we will limit it to only one as organizing the event is very time consuming for the members. But, for a change, ITTA will organize more roadshows this year, starting from July,” he explained.

Health is wealth. Subscribing to this view, the association has geared up to set up a health club in the city at a cost of Rs 3-5 lakh. The club is expected to offer all services including sauna and gymnasium. “Presently, we are playing cricket every Sunday at JIPMER grounds and the proposed health club would make fit the team in all aspects,” quipped Prasad.

Finally, ITTA wants to take its members abroad and the association has promised to bear 50 percent of the cost for the trip, while the remaining would be born by resellers themselves. The association has a cash surplus of nearly Rs 5 lakh and a part amount would be used for this program. “It is a long-time plan to take our members abroad and the trip would be both for entertainment and business reasons,” he added.

ITTA currently has nearly 40 channel partners registered with it. The membership drive will continue and it could reach 50 by this year-end. The association has reduced the annual fee from Rs 2,000 to Rs 1,000 this time.