MS seeks SI's support for virtualization

New Delhi

April 8, 2008

Microsoft Corporation is seeking the support of its channel partners and
system integrators to boost and stabilize the technology of virtualization in
the market. The vendor will undertake training sessions and seminars to make
channel adaptive to it so they can recommend and integrate the technology into
the business solution of customers.

“India is now getting ready for virtualization and Microsoft is gearing its
partners to understand the concept and its importance. In order to create the
right environment we are approaching the partner community and helping them to
understand the concept of virtualization so that it generates strong ground in
the market,” shared S Somasegar, Senior VP, Microsoft Corporation.

Currently, the software giant has trained 200 partners and 2,400 IT
professionals in this regard. The company's strategy is to indulge in creating
an ecosystem that provides a strong support to virtualization to grow and
expand. The company is also reaching its customers directly.

The company shared that customers utilize only 15 percent of their servers
and the company aims to create such an ecosystem so that the utilization scale
is elevated by 30 to 40 percent. It is targeting to make the customers realize
the cost benefit of optimum utilization of their data centers.

He further shared that it would take around three to four years for the
country to become a strong platform for virtualization.

However, lack of skilled and potential manpower among the partners is
creating a hurdle for Microsoft to drive the campaign in a smooth fashion.

“It takes time to convince the partners to opt for certain technology that
too which is new and has yet not taken off in a full-fledged manner in India. We
have to make them understand the potential of adopting the emerging technology,
as investment becomes an issue for them. They have enough funds but still they
are apprehensive about spending on technology,” commented Somasegar.

He further shared that the company is aiming to create virtualization as an
integral part of any organization so that access to data becomes much faster and
convenient for the developers who have higher gravity on web technology and they
could get instant reach on the web server.

“We will run a campaign and would go to partners and customers and make
them understand the potential of this product and the dynamic stage it would
develop so that they can manage their organization effectively,” he added.

Somasegar further stated that as the ratio of mergers and acquisitions of
entities at domestic and global level are growing, companies at the local market
need to be agile and hence they look for the support of system integrators to
host an application and to get their ecosystem ready. Therefore, it is very
essential for the partners to get them ready to learn and adopt the new
technology.

According to Springboard Research, the virtualization software and services
market in Asia-Pacific is estimated to reach $1.35 billion with a CAGR of 42
percent by 2010.