Google India has been trying out several partnerships in India for distribution of apps (earlier with Airtel), but the enterprise industry has mostly been left unexplored.
While Microsoft rules the enterprise world (followed by IBM), Google has taken partnership route to target the enterprise industry.
Google has partnered with TCS to provide web-based business connectivity services to companies in India. They plan to jointly provide business tools such as email, instant messaging, calendar functionality, video and office presentations over the internet using the Google Apps software suite.
The portfolio of business tools, powered by Google Apps™, is a significant move by both parties to bring value-added applications to Indian enterprises while offering localized pricing, billing and support.
The service is simple to subscribe, easy to use and streamlines the complexities of IT while allowing businesses to pay for only what they need. Indian organizations, particularly the emerging enterprises, will now have expanded access to Tata Communications’ cloud-based software services, helping them migrate their IT requirements to a pay-as-you-use business model. Building on Tata Communications’ position as a SaaS service provider, the portfolio will help organizations reduce IT cost and complexity and be more productive. It will be particularly beneficial to companies with fast growing teams, offices spread across the country, or staff who travel frequently.
Google Apps Users in India
Worldwide, Google has close to 2 million customers, amd 25 million active users – numbers for India do not look so healthy. 100,000 customers and 1 million userbase. The TCS partnership, I believe will be more focused towards mid sized companies where there is a fair bit of customization/training/integration that needs to be done.
Focus on Reseller Program?
Small businesses would prefer to run on Google Apps and keep the TCO minimal, but right now the biggest challenge is app discovery.
Apps reseller progam needs more boost. Google needs to work with Indian resellers to help them bring moolahs. Take a look at the pic [“Google Business Email at your own Domain”] – essentially, this resellers sees a huge value in selling the apps program, but doesn’t have the necessary infrastructure/support to market it. Putting up this message on one’s car shows his/her desperation to get the word out [I am sure you must have received a few of those spammy emails from companies claiming they are the ‘only’ resellers in India].
Google India, are you listening?
The epiphany here is, either its free or priced ridiculously high for Indian market place (Rs. 2500 per mailbox ), which cuts out the reseller from being interested.
Regards
-Tarun
The above ‘reseller’ might just be selling something that exists for free and charging a fee
without giving Google any cut.
-Tarun
Yes – its the setup cost probably! [heck! I have to make MX entry for you - INR 500/]
These things will happen with resellers and a lesson has to be learnt from Amway – i.e. process/control/
@sinha what is there to learn from Amway? they are crooks… r u an Amway member by any chance?
No I am not and don’t think they are crooks. Know a few IIT profs too who are part of it.
They are just sales guys and we all hate salesmen!
Coming back to the topic, the co. has a tight control over its brand and products – everyone else tried MLM concept in India (godrej etc) and failed..but Amway hasnt. Its a lot about benefit you give to your partners for long term relationship..
Those are the first guys i met in U.S. the very second day when my boss took me for landing-shopping (even before my friends). Their business model and the products are for desperate people who wants to make money by any means…IIT profs are also people right? some of them may be desperate for money.
I know this not a forum to discuss about Amway… but i would like to discourage anything that talks good about Amway.
Okay. I have been thinking of writing about a blog post around this – your comments/experience serves as great i/p.
Hopefully by next week !
I have interacted with them (in U.S. way back in 1997…even in the U.S. the members were mostly Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, blacks, mostly un-educated guys with some top level educated guru’s) .
Even after 3-4 meetings they were explaining the concept of MLM and how i can retire… and never talked about the products. Then i understood what they are up to… i just blasted the guy and he never turned back (regarding your IIT profs…they specifically look for educated guys because that they can use to convince many….look even IIT prof is doing it it the next generation way of making money…normal man thinks…IIT prof cannot be wrong).
I will breifly give u how it works…. I have a tooth-paste for Rs 200 and in market you get tooth paste for Rs 20 (so the actual cost of producing that product should be around Rs10). What i do … make one-fellow bakra and tell him u take this paste for Rs 200 it will cure your cancer (little exaggerated). So i get Rs.190 then i give him Rs 20 to bukra and ask him to find 20-more bukra who can buy the paste for Rs 200…
This is what MLM is all about i know….but seriously … why Rs 200 for a tooth-paste???
Each bakra when he gets 500+ bakra’s under his portfolio he can retire…because each bakra has to buy minimum products to stay in the circle (Each month some 4000-5000)… so the top bakra spends 4000-5000 and gets 80,000 or 90,000 in return…he does not have to work…the bakra’s will work for him.
Simply put “They are CULT than business”.