D-Link continues to lead the networking market in India

Sanket Kulkarni
VP – Channel Sales, India & SAARC - D-Link

D-Link feels that there are opportunities galore in the country at present. Throwing more light on this, Sanket Kulkarni, VP – Channel Sales, India & SAARC - D-Link tells VARINDIA of how D-Link has positioned itself and built up its channel eco-system to leverage the growth opportunities in the country - 

While globally D-Link has been a front-runner in computer networking technology, in India D-Link is synonymous with internet. It was one of the early entrants in the market and continues to lead with its innovative and reliable product offerings. 

“Today D-Link enjoys a lion share in WLAN segment and is known for its end-to-end networking portfolio. Infact D-Link is one of the widely distributed networking brands with strong penetration in even smaller pockets of the country. Also with Internet & mobility devices like Smart phone/ tablets  bringing about a technological revolution in the country, especially smaller cities like C & D class, our focus in these markets will definitely have great impact and opportunity to grow,” says Sanket Kulkarni, VP – Channel Sales, India & SAARC - D-Link.

He continues further, “The business potential in India & SAARC is huge, given the socio-economic conditions and the susceptibility to technological advancements. D-Link has an impressive product range with tremendous back-end business. Over the year D-Link’s revenue has grown by leaps and bounds and it has sustained its market share even during challenging market condition, and strong channel infrastructure.”
For instance, these days connectivity being the key, there has been a huge demand for wireless devices, and uninterrupted wireless connectivity. As a result adoption of 11AC technology – the latest standard in wi-fi, is on a rise. And D-Link being a leader in networking domain has already introduced a host of 11AC products. Similarly, D-Link has also introduced devices that support the latest 4G mobile communication standard thereby allowing users to enjoy wireless Internet access at a much higher speed, and since these are unlocked devices they work with all service providers.  

“As a leader in connectivity & wireless devices, D-Link is highly optimist about the market opportunity and we look forward to working closely with our partners & system integrators and contribute to the nation building process,” says Sanket.

A well developed channel eco system...
D-Link is one of the most preferred networking brands amongst partners & resellers. D-Link today has a strong business network with a healthy mix of National distributor, Business distributor & Channel partner. At present D-Link has 4 National Distributors, 80+ Business Distributors, over 15000+ re-sellers, reaching out to customers present across the length & breadth of the country. 

To complement its growth story, D-Link wants to widen its partner base, engage with its existing channel and continue with its endeavour to educate re-sellers on new trends in networking. In addition to the existing network, D-Link is also looking at building a network of Value Added Distributors (VAD) who can further enhance its market reach. 

“At D-Link we largely attribute our success to our partners/ resellers who have earnestly endorsed D-Link in India for close to 25 years now. Channel continues to be an integral part of our business strategy, with channel engagement & partner profitability being of high precedence. As a result Partner engagement is crucial for D-Link, and we ensure all our strategies are devised keeping channel welfare in mind,” says Sanket.

To ensure a direct interaction with its channel, D-Link conducts seminar/partner engagement program at regular intervals. It organizes such roadshows throughout the year in A, B & C class cities. The objective of these meets is to introduce partners to the latest in networking technology, update them on the product range and address any business concerns. 

To enable partners to sell better, D-Link also conducts training & certification programs. For its Structured Cabling product line, D-Link has rolled out ‘D-Link Certified Cabling Expert (DCCE) program across India. DCCE provides participants with in-depth information on the technical aspect of the subject, evaluates trends for both copper & fibre products and train them to design, install and conduct post-implementation testing of D-Link passive networking components for Infrastructure projects. D-Link also introduces various schemes on regular basis for partners that give them an opportunity to enhance their business value.

D-Link has always believed & maintained that customer experience is crucial to any business. And this is why D-Link has invested in building a support infrastructure for both consumers & enterprises that ensures smooth customer experience. Today D-Link reaches out to its customers in 130+ cities through its own D-Link Service Centers (DSC), which is supported by its wide network of D-Link Service Partners (DSP) and Partner Courier Pickup (PCP). Further D-Link offers ‘Service at your door-step’ for Broadband, Wireless and 3G Lifestyle products with D-Link Direct Service (DDS). “We also have Advance Replacement Next Business Day Warranty (AR-NBD) by D-Link, a premium support program designed exclusively for enterprise customers,” says Sanket. 

Samrita Baruah
samrita@varindia.com