Cisco aims over 20% growth in video conference biz this year

Co says, are striving to make video conferencing top notch at an affordable price so that SMBs can also adopt it

Technology major Cisco expects over 20% growth in Indian video conferencing business this year on the back of "affordable" pricing models to target key small and medium enterprises in the country.
    
"Cisco expects to grow faster or higher than market growth of video conferencing in India which is 20%," Cisco India's Director for Collaboration Sales Minhaj Zia told PTI.
    
"We are making video experience top notch at an affordable price so that SMBs can also adopt it," he said.
     

Cisco hopes to capture the market share of websites which are providing such solutions for free and are used by many small and medium business (SMB) organisations.

 
Zia said that free solutions available through various Internet-based companies have security and service uncertainty issues and Cisco plans to cash in on these weaknesses.
    
He said the company is looking to almost double its revenue share from SMB segment which currently accounts for 20% of its total revenue from video conference business in India.
 
"We are thinking of doing as well is to work on a pay-as-you-go model wherein they don't have to make an initial investment which is very high," Zia said.
    
"We are also exploring options of a premium model where we offer a software-based video conferencing solution to SMBs," he added.

    
The company is looking to provide affordable product to SMB organisations and expands it sales and service network to reach out to them, he said.
    
Cisco is planning to extend its reach to about 100 cities from present 10 cities and double channel partners to 200 in next two years.
     
The company is also in race for BSNL video conferencing project under which the state-run telecom firm has plans to set up 200 video conference centres across country.