'From ad-hoc solutions, we have moved to customised offerings'

Cloud-based technology is becoming mainstream and there's lot of potential for growth, Ambarish Gupta tells Sangeeta Tanwar
 
In what ways has the cloud-based communications industry evolved since Knowlarity’s inception in 2009?
 
The cloud-based communications industry is maturing. Earlier, people who bought cloud-based services were seen as early adopters of a nascent technology. But now all that is changing. Today, majority of the businesses are moving their processes to cloud. Now, the government too is adopting cloud led solutions on a large scale. With greater adoptions, cloud-based solutions have become more streamlined. A few years back, there were limited cloud-based offerings. That has also changed. Businesses can now opt for different solutions while putting up banners or advertisements on Google or other media vehicles. Investment on each business number and medium of advertisement can be tracked and analysed to see the return on investment. From ad-hoc solutions the industry has moved to customised and specialised offerings.

 

Are small and medium enterprises (SMBs) coming forward in large numbers to leverage cloud-led technology to smarten up strategy?
 
Yes, with the evolution of technology and the availability of better products and services, chances are that a larger number of SMBs have heard of cloud-led solutions and know the potential that such solutions hold for their businesses. Service providers are constantly investing and focusing on vesting more control in the hands of clients, enabling them to better control the end consumer experience. People today are much more open to embracing technology. However, the industry has a long way to go. For instance, India has about 50 million SMBs. Out of that three to five million are reasonably sized and have the potential to scale up. Of this, we just have 50,000 SMBs on-board. So there is a lot of potential for growth.

 
What's the biggest challenge that the companies face as they try to keep pace with the fast evolving technology landscape?
 
Reaching out to the right clients and selling them the right solution continues to be a big challenge. There is a lack of trained manpower and product pricing too is low. Clients at large need hand-holding and therefore the cost of selling becomes a bit of a deterrent. Also, a large number of organisations are reluctant to recognise the benefits to be accrued from new products and services. They are keen on having more of the same tried and tested solutions. However, once organisations migrate from an old system to a new, they enthusiastically adopt platforms like customer resource management and enterprise resource management.

 
Which are the key industry segments driving the adoption of cloud-based communication?
 
Cloud-based solutions are being adopted by service sector where the focus is clearly on delivering enhanced consumer experience. For example, tours and travels, real estate, and education are the key growth drivers of cloud-based communication services. These sectors face huge competitive pressure and are more open to leveraging technology to upgrade solutions on offer for their customers.
 
Where does India stand in all this?
 
We have a good talent base compared with, say, South Asia. Our strength lies in application development — user interface and user experience design. However, we lack domain expertise in technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). We have people in India working on AI for the last 15 years. However, if you are looking for a distribution system for AI, that sort of experience is missing in India. In the long-run, such lack of expertise impacts business growth.