Microsoft taps into industry & trade bodies to boost its SME presence

In a bid to further boost its presence in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) segment, Microsoft is working with industry and trade bodies to tap into their member companies. A Microsoft executive said that since this initiative was started in 2015, the company had managed to reach out to 85,000 SMEs through trade bodies in six states such as UP, […]

In a bid to further boost its presence in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) segment, Microsoft is working with industry and trade bodies to tap into their member companies.

A Microsoft executive said that since this initiative was started in 2015, the company had managed to reach out to 85,000 SMEs through trade bodies in six states such as UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.

Amit Kumar, General Manager, small and mid-market solutions and partners, Microsoft, said, “Out of 1,50,000 SMB customer base in India, nearly 25-30% are already on cloud. Over 3,500 ISVs have joined to operate their businesses on Microsoft cloud platform in the past three years. Currently, over 40% of Azure’s revenue comes from ISVs and startups,”

Microsoft has always had a strong partner led strategy, and currently works with 10,000 partners across India. With digital transformation and spending on cloud increasing, Microsoft expects medium enterprises and tech startups to drive a significant portion of its growth.

Trade bodies like Surat Diamond Association, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries & Agriculture and Indian Industries Association have been proactive in helping SMEs access to the right technology resources that can help them grow.

For Microsoft and its partner companies, these bodies present an easy way to access potential customers, especially in Tier II and III cities. The Federation of Small and Medium Industries along with Microsoft has helped SMBs become more efficient, helping them grow their revenue by 12.5% every year, said Kumar.

Cloud computing is a big area of collaboration, with one of the partners, Genie InfoTech reporting a 150% increase in business in the segment, particularly in Office 365. Other solutions that are popular with this segment include tools to help in customer relationship management, finance and accounting.

The public cloud market in India is currently valued at $1.1 billion and is expected to grow to $3.9 billion by 2020 and cloud spending in India will exceed $10 billion by 2020. It is this opportunity that is driving digital transformation across industries and businesses of all sizes.

Source: ET Tech