Back in 2000, Array Networks was founded. Array pioneered the idea of integrated traffic management, delivering critical application delivery and security in a way that simplifies data centre infrastructure and administration. Its cutting-edge technology and capacity to think outside the box made this possible. The array has its footprint in North America, Japan, Europe, Asia, Africa, India and the Middle East, with over 5000 worldwide satisfied customers. Mr Shibu Paul, Vice President of International Sales, shares insight about Array Networks with Hello Entrepreneurs.
Q. Tell us about Array Networks (AN) and the changes it has adopted since you have taken charge as VP.
Making Array India autonomous and growing it as a ‘Make in India’ company have been my key focus since I started as Vice President. The company has shown consistent revenue growth of 30% Yoy since I took over as V-P. We have set up a 24×7 support centre to enhance and expand our services to assist our customers in the Asia-Pacific (A-Pac) region. I was also instrumental in building a strong R&D team here in India, and we plan to export these products to global markets. R&D has also helped us be quick with customization, stay close to customers, and bring about enhancements much faster.
Q. What changes has AN adopted to stand out among competitors?
At Array Networks, we respect local talents and opportunities and invest in them. We offer the best 24×7 local support, too. In addition, we have invested considerably in the engineering space.
We want to go above and beyond to provide the best customer service and offer value to customers. Investing in partners and employees and strengthening our collaboration with our partners to understand the demands of our customers has truly helped us know and serve them better.
Q. What, according to you, is the future of IT in India?
The Indian IT industry has been growing phenomenally, and today, India has become one of the largest digital hubs in the world, with the IT sector as the largest employer. Besides, we are witnessing how digital technology advancements are changing how we communicate.
I believe that Cloud computing, IoT and Artificial Intelligence are some of the major technological advancements that will guide the future of IT in India and the world.
We all know that Bangalore—Asia’s Silicon Valley—is home to countless multinational software companies. These, along with hundreds of start-ups and local tech companies, create and implement the latest technologies and deliver new products to global markets. So, the future is definitely here—and it is in India.
Q. What challenges did you face on this journey? How did you overcome them?
Being a late entrant into the market, we had to face some significant challenges, including customer acceptance, among others. You can call it teething trouble—every order cycle initially took painfully long. Then, offering excellent products and being persistent helped us a great deal, and we quickly picked up more orders. We aim to offer customers our best services and support and try to retain them at all costs once we get a customer.
Q. According to you, what are the paramount qualities of successful entrepreneurs?
The first and most significant one is being honest with all your stakeholders on the positive and negative aspects. Entrepreneurs should always try to have a ‘bird’s eye view’ and ‘worm’s eye view’—basically, the ability to zoom out to see the larger picture that is yet to unfold and zoom in to focus and review the present status.
Having a performance-driven culture and being persistent with your ideas and beliefs are also important. Another essential quality is the capacity to convert every problematic situation into an opportunity, which is very important in the current world scenario.
Q. What are your endeavours in the next 5 years for AN?
My agenda over the next five years is to spur consistent revenue growth upwards of 30% YoY. We also wish to make 100% Indian-made products and export them worldwide. And additionally, we want to focus on developing newer and more innovative products from our India R&D centre.
We have plans to acquire complimenting technologies, enhance talent and, expand to newer regions, invest in channel and marketing activities and R&D. We also want to double our capacity in terms of technology and workforce.
