In an exclusive interview with SME Times, K.R. Naik, Founder & Chairman, DIGISOL Systems said that though the landscape of Indian SMEs has been changing rapidly in the past few years, there are many who aren’t convinced about the return on investment in technology and cost is the biggest obstacle.

Apart from cost, unfamiliarity with technology, understanding about technological business needs are other challenges that are holding back SMEs from adopting technology, he added.

Excerpts of the interview…

Please tell our readers about DIGISOL

K.R. Naik: DIGISOL is India’s leading IT networking brand that offers top-notch end-to-end IT networking products and solutions. DIGISOL’s offering includes Wireless LAN, Broadband Routing, Switching, Structured Cabling and FTTH solutions that cater to SOHO, SMB and SME segments, high volume products by manufacturing in India. We, as SMARTLINK, have been contributing positively to the Indian economy by locally manufacturing IT networking from 25 years. Our subsidiary companies, Synegra and Telesmart, manufacture IT networking products in India while DIGISOL Systems looks after the sales, marketing, service and support of DIGISOL brand. IT networking is in our DNA as we are into this business from more than two decades. We believe in offering solutions that would meet customers’ needs in real time. Our business objective has been to provide the finest products and services to customers and empower them digitally.

How technology is helping SMEs grow

K.R. Naik: Technology drives innovation and innovation leads to success of any business. To remain competitive and stay ahead, SMEs should not just adopt technology, but also should embrace it. Technology has been playing a crucial role in the development of SMEs by making daily business activities and routine tasks easy. Many businesses are already leveraging an array of technologies for different business aspects like communicating with employees, engaging with customers, and increasing productivity at the workplace. While other small and Medium businesses are still staying away from investing in technology due to fear of high investments. Evolving with the industry changes is essential however it is more important to understand your business requirements, and accordingly invest in the technologies that would benefit your business.

Why IT Networking Infrastructure is the backbone of a business?

K.R. Naik: An advanced IT network infrastructure plays an important role in modern business. It is extremely important for SMEs to know that without the right infrastructure, an organization would face various challenges and security issues that can impact the productivity and efficiency of your organization. Today, machines and systems are IP technology based thus, it is important to develop a networking plan that would connect your devices and equipment's seamless without creating downtime.

What are the trends in the IT networking industry and key networking elements SMEs should have knowledge of?

K.R. Naik: Below are key IT networking trends that would have an impact on SMEs in the coming years.

Fiber Optics Network

As enterprises are evolving in the digital era they are looking for better and more efficient methods of handling bandwidth, performance and end-point needs. Many enterprises across the globe are already using Fiber optic transmission, as it offers lightening fast speed and secured data transfer. However, with the increasing adoption of cloud in India, more enterprises will upgrade their infrastructure to fiber as speed and security are the two crucial factors for any business. Thus, I thoroughly believe that fiber optics network is one of the networking trends and hold more opportunities in 2019.

SD-WAN

It has been observed that SD-WANs are moving out from the early-adopter phase to mainstream adoption. A report by a research firm IDC predicts that SD-WAN market will grow at a 40 percent compound annual growth rate and would be reaching $4.5 billion by 2022. As SD-WANs are agile, efficient, and secure, it offers better application performance compared to legacy WAN, thus enterprises would look forward to this upgrade.

Please share your views on IT adoption by Indian SMEs in comparison to their global peers.

K.R. Naik: The landscape of Indian SMEs has been changing rapidly in the past few years with the advancement of technology and government support. SEMs in India have already adopted technology, while there are many who aren’t convinced about the return on investment in technology and cost is the biggest obstacle. Apart from cost, unfamiliarity with technology, understanding about technological business needs are other challenges that are holding back SMEs from adopting technology. Looking at global scenario, I see Indian SMEs adopting digitisation at a bit slower pace, however, I believe with the support of current government Indian SMEs would take the lead in the coming years.

Please share your future plans with our readers

K.R. Naik: Our aim is to offer future ready IT networking products that are cost effective and would digitally empower the enterprises across India. With current government’s focus on Digital India, we see enormous growth opportunities. Besides this, we are focusing on expanding structured cabling and FTTH product folio. We are at forefront of introducing the latest passive products in the Indian market. In fact, we are one of the firsts few IT networking brands that introduced PoE+ and solderless passive products in India. Innovation, best product quality, and customer satisfaction are the words that best define DIGISOL.