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Mumbai Retailers Get Lessons on Software Piracy

Software Piracy

Mumbai, Sept 26: The Association of System Integrators and Retailers in Technology (ASIRT) brought to fore the menace of software piracy and shared information on ways to improve revenues through software and services at a day-long conclave held in the city recently.

The association called Manish Lahoti, OEM and Retail Sales Head of Microsft and Satish Pokhriyal, the Head of Legal (Microsoft) to discuss issues raised by channel partners vis-a-vis software piracy and how industry can actually benefit by using licensed software.

The Microsoft team outlined the fact that they are here to help members through their education and engagement initiatives to combat piracy. Microsoft’s key strategies revolve around helping partners scale their businesses in the genuine software.

While answering to wide range of questions from members. Lahoti indicated that his team is willing to work with partners even for small cases and help them with their attach rate for windows and office OEM offerings. He has offered to run educational sessions on licensing for ASIRT members and offering schemes to benefit them.

In a panel discussion, titled ‘Cracking the Software Chakravyuha in India – A 360 degree Perspective’, moderated by Kshitij Kotak of ASIRT, the Microsoft officials said small and large organizations alike have realized the value of buying genuine software and this fueled big opportunity for partners.

On the other hand piracy levels still remain quite high and selling software in India has its set of challenges, changing customer mindsets remain a big one along with double taxation that makes things even more difficult, he said.

While Microsoft focussed on the need for a change in attitude among resellers of software, they were ready to accept that some of the changes sought by the channel partners were fair and promised to look into them and bring about some improvements in the short to medium term.

Some of the participants shared their experiences of how they built software and services as their key revenue earner along with the challenges along the way.

On its part, the ASIRT underscored the growing opportunities for genuine software sales, welcoming the efforts of vendors such as Microsoft, Tally and others for walking that extra mile to support the partners to sell more and make incremental revenues even on training, deployment and services.

The association also brought to fore the fact that Indian customers, who had gotten used to freebies on the software front, were now waking up to the legal and usage pitfalls of using pirated software and thus understood the value of acquiring legal stuff when the system integrators made a case.

Some ASIRT members have already made software as one of their key offerings along with other solutions. “This talk was a big wake up call to ASIRT members who have realized the need to focus all energies on software sales that will not only change track but also change mindsets to re-adapt their businesses towards profitability,” Kotak said.

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