Amid the increasing blare of the pandemic and the spectre of omicron casting its long shadows over the tech landscape, we have ushered into 2022. Channel success which has always been the holy-grail for any business is all set to get a makeover in the new year.
As part of our effort to get the channel community better informed and get an earful of what the leading distributors, who sit at the most critical point of IT business, are thinking, expecting, and planning for the channel community in 2022, we have started this new section to record the channel predictions of the most prominent players of the IT industry.
Here, as part of this special series of Tech Forecasts, Beetel India registers its predictions for 2022.
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“Hybrid mode of working has gained a lot of traction. We forecast this to continue in the coming year as well. Online shopping has also picked up a lot. We foresee a similar trend in B2B wherein E-Commerce will play a very important role in CY22.”
Ms. Sapna Gupta,
Vice President,
Beetel Teletech Limited
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One of the most reputed brand names in the IT Industry, Beetel is a pioneer in the landline phone category. The company is highly focused on manufacturing as well as distributing a wide range of products, starting from mobile devices, mobile accessories, IT peripherals, enterprise solutions and network solutions, to fixed landlines.
The architect behind Beetel’s recent growth story is Ms. Sapna Gupta, Beetel’s dynamic Vice President. Ms Gupta has led the company through the turbulent pandemic times and has successfully forged a dynamic and resilient organization that has sailed through the ever-changing distribution landscape. As a business leader, she has earned a reputation as a healthy interface between vendors and the channel community.
In a special interaction with SME Channels, Ms. Sapna Gupta, Vice President, Beetel Teletech Limited, shares her company’s Channel Predictions for the year 2022. Edited excerpts
Give a brief introduction about your company.
Founded in the year 1987, Beetel is one of the most reputed brand name in the Industry, a pioneer in the landline phone category. Beetel is focused on manufacturing as well as distributing a huge range of products in the form of mobile devices, mobile accessories, IT peripherals, enterprise solutions and network solutions, as well as fixed landlines. Beetel distributes a host of iconic brands like Avaya, Polycom, Samsung, Huawei, Siemens Digital Industries Software, QSC, RADWIN, Ruckus, RAD, and Actelis. Beetel is known for its innovative product solutions and latest technology, which are offered to customers at the most prudent prices. In India, Beetel is spread via 10,000 retailers and 500 distributors.
Beetel also extends Technical Services (Pre & Post Sales, Installations, Cloud, AMC, etc.) helping with designing Solutions to getting them ready followed by System Configurations & Programming. Beetel covers the entire spectrum of services.
Overseas, Beetel’s services are extended to over 35 countries spread across five continents in the world. The company till date has manufactured over 100 million landline phones, a household Indian brand needing no introduction, which has been serving Indian customers since 1987!”
As the pandemic is still there and a new variant is spreading, what are the major market trends you are forecasting for 2022?
After 2 waves of COVID-19, and multiple lockdowns, hybrid mode of working has gained a lot of traction and the lines between Virtual and physical meetings and work environment has blurred. This has become the new normal and we forecast this to continue in the coming year as well. Similar trend has been observed in buying/shopping behaviour wherein online shopping has picked up a lot. We foresee a similar trend in B2B wherein E-Commerce will play a very important role in CY22.
What major trends would you forecast in the channel market?
Channel partners will be prudent in their approach when it comes to expanding their markets or product offerings. The market expansions would happen at random and would be need based, and they will focus more on products that offer services, solution selling would be the key.
As a distributor, do you have any channel expansion plans for 2022? Do you plan any additional investment in terms of skillsets enhancement including technical, sales and marketing for your team?
We are always looking at expanding our reach. We have plans to expand vertically and horizontally to meet the needs of our partners and customers. As we always seek to grow and increase our offerings, investment in skillset enhancement is a constant.
What are your plans for onboarding new brands or addition of new business lines for next year?
We are constantly scouting for new opportunities and partners and are in touch with a lot of them. Given the market trend and the needs, we are seeking software and cloud-oriented brands to partner with.
How would you like to value add to pre-sales, training, post-sales services for your partners and customers?
Improving the “learning with Beetel” concept, including identifying, enabling, and supporting T2 and T3 partners.
What is your geo-spread? What is your plan for enhancing geographies presence from Point of Presence or Sales Points perspective?
We are constantly increasing our footprint when it comes to serviceable areas. Currently, we are strong in Metros and some T2 areas but are constantly expanding with our focus on increasing our coverage in T2 and T3 areas, as well.
