Clash Of TheTitans

But apparently the channel community of India does not see the need for
constant change. This is why most of the winners across the various categories
of the Channel Satisfaction Survey have retained their titles.

The main objective of the Channel Satisfaction Survey, Commissioned by DQ
Channels and conducted by IDC India, is to identify the vendors that partners
are most satisfied with across various product categories. Besides this, it also
finds out the attributes that the channel community reckons as the most
important determinants of satisfaction and how satisfied are partners with
vendors they deal with on these parameters.

For each product within a category, respondents were asked to name the
vendor, who in their opinion was the best. Further, the respondents were asked
to substantiate their opinion by choosing the strongest reason from a list of
five generic reasons. Given the broad spectrum of products and services covered
under the survey, the choice of reasons was kept generic deliberately so as not
to make them product-specific.

A total of 898 partners were questioned across 19 cities. 33 percent of these
were from West and South while 23 percent were from North and the rest from
East. These included distributors, retailers, corporate resellers, systems
integrators, value-added resellers and traditional resellers.

Key findings

The key macro attributes evaluated were product quality, marketing support,
after-sales support, commercial terms, online support, relationship management
and brand image. Channel partners perceive product quality with a vendor as the
top most criteria for satisfaction, which was revealed in the survey conducted
in 2007 as well. Emphasis on brand image has increased this year as compared to
after-sales support, the year before. As after-sales support becomes a 'must
be', brand image turns out to be a major differentiator, after product quality.

The other top rated macros in a descending order are marketing support,
commercial terms, relationship management and online support. This is again
similar to the survey findings of 2007 as well.

In product quality, the survey touched upon the technological leadership of
the product and its user-friendliness, diversity of the range and its price
versus performance ratio. Brand image dwelt on how well it was positioned in the
market, the prestige the partner feels being associated to that brand and the
respectability that the brand commands from the target market.

After-sales support found out the availability and competence of account
managers and helpdesk services, the vendor's ability to provide satisfactory
repair and replacement services as well as turnaround time and the company's
presence in various cities. Marketing support had to do with the advertising and
point of sale material provided, the innovativeness of the market development
funds provided and how this was allocated.

Commercial terms comprised product pricing and profit margins, transparencies
in terms and policies as well as back-end incentives and its settlements.
Relationship management involved consistency and effectiveness of communication
with the channel besides reward programs and training and certification courses
offered. The richness of online resources, its turnaround time and overall
effectives made up online support.

Who scored, who lost

The overall satisfaction of the channel with respect to the various
attributes attached to vendors was 75.7 percent. HP, IBM, Lenovo and Acer scored
a bit above this average with HP leading the pack at 78.5 percent and IBM at
78.1 percent. Lenovo and Acer were neck to neck at 76.2 and 76.1 percent
respectively. (See Figure 1)

The channel seemed happy with the quality of products offered by vendors with
an average of 84.4 percent.

Again HP, IBM, Lenovo and Acer were the quartet in the vendors who performed
above average with HCL joining them. HP led again at 86.9 percent with IBM
coming a close second at 86.7 percent. Lenovo and HCL were at 85.4 and 85.1
percent respectively while Acer stood at 84.6 percent. (See Figure 2)

The average channel satisfaction when it came to after-sales support was 76.3
percent and once more HP, IBM, HCL and Acer scored above this with Seagate
giving them a company. HP and IBM were almost together, but HP surged ahead with
79.3 percent while IBM was really close at 79.2 percent. Seagate's score was
77.6 percent while HCL and Acer shared the average of 77.2 percent each. (See
Figure 3) In Brand Image, the channel registered a satisfaction quotient of 82
percent and IBM was on top at 84.7 percent. HP stood at 84 percent while HCL was
at 83.2 percent. Acer, Lenovo and Canon posted scores of 82.9, 82.2 and 82
respectively. (See Figure 4) Five vendors topped the average of channel
satisfaction for marketing support, which stood at 76.6 percent. HP ruled again
at 79.9 percent while Lenovo came second at 78.5 percent.

Acer and Intel shared the averages of 77.1 percent each, while Canon came
close at 77 percent.

 It was evident that vendors need to take commercial terms more
seriously because the average partner registered only 72.6 percent satisfaction
with vendors on this attribute. Surprisingly, seven vendors could match this
average though. Intel finally came on top with 76.1 percent while Acer and IBM
registered 75.5 percent each. HP, Lenovo and HCL posted 74.6, 73.6 and 73.2
percent while LG matched the national average of 72.6 percent. (See Figure 6).

Vendors also need to focus more on building better relationship with the
channel who showed their displeasure by posting just 70.7 percent satisfaction
when it came to relationship management, the lowest score amongst all the macro
attributes. Six vendors factored on and above the national average and IBM was
the highest at 76.6 percent. Next came Intel and HP at 74.8 and 74.6
respectively while Wipro registered 73.7 percent. Seagate and D-Link posted 72
and 71.5 percent respectively.

It is strange that for an industry, which advocates and promotes an
online universe, only 71.4 percent of channel were happy with the quality of
Online Support vendors offered them. While IBM and HP scored 74.2 and 73.6
percent respectively, Seagate and Lenovo were the only other vendors who could
match the national average at 72.8 and 72 percent, respectively.

(See Figure 8). Channel Choice award winners Amongst the best performing
vendor by product categories saw the inclusion of some new names and change in
the order of the awards given to vendors in different categories.

Branded desktops

There were no surprises in store in this category. Like last year, HP was
the winner while Lenovo was the runner up. HP bagged this award for best product
quality, brand image, being most demanded product, offering the best after-sales
service and good channel support, in this order.

Notebooks

This year too HP took the crown and Lenovo was the runner up. The order for
ranking for best product quality, most demanded product, best brand image, best
channel support and after-sales service.

X86 servers

Predictably again, IBM led while HP followed closely, just like the last
year. The ranking reason ran in this order - best product quality, best brand
image, most demanded product, best after-sales service and channel support.

Inkjet printers

HP was the winner again for virtue of best product quality, best brand
image, most demanded product, best channel support and best after-sales service,
in that order. Canon was the runner up.

Laser printers

Here too, HP led because of its product quality, being the most demanded
product, brand image, channel support and after-sales service, in that order.
Samsung, which was the runner up last year, reserved this position this year as
well.

Dot matrix printers

This category saw a change in the winners with the runner up for the last
year - Epson - emerging as the winner. The channel voted it for its product
quality, most demanded product, best after-sales service, brand image and value
for money, in descending order. TVS-E settled for the runner up position this
year.

Monitors

Samsung led as the winner as it did last year too. The channel felt that it
had best product quality, was most demanded, had good after-sales service, brand
image and value for money, in that order. LG, which was a distant runner up,
managed to close the gap but had to settle for the second position.

Motherboards

Intel toped the chat. This time around the channel voted it for its product
quality, brand image, being the most demanded product, best after-sales service
and value for money attributes. Asus, like last year, was a distant runner up.

Processors

Intel won again for the same attributes that the channel voted for its
motherboard perfor-mance. AMD was the runner up in this category, a race that
has been going on for sometime now in the Channel Choice survey.

Hard drive

In this category, Seagate held on to its leading position for its product
quality, being the most demanded product, brand image, after-sales service and
value for money, in that order. Samsung, like last year, was the runner up.

Secondary storage solutions

HP led the pack on virtue of its product quality, brand image, product
demand, channel support and after-sales service, in this order. Sony displaced
IBM to become the runner up this year.

Wired networking

D-Link won hands down on account of its product quality, product demand,
value for money, brand image and after-sales service, in this order.
Surprisingly Netgear displaced Cisco to bag the runner up position.

Wireless networking

As with the earlier category, D-Link won hands down on account of its
product quality, product demand, brand image, value for money and after-sales
service, in that order. This time too, Netgear bagged the runner up position.

Structured cabling

Tyco pushed D-Link aside to emerge as the winner. It hit a home run because
of its product quality, value for money, demand, brand image and after-ales
service, in this order. Systimax retained its runner up position.

Digital cameras

There was an interchange in the winners for this category. Canon moved ahead
of Kodak to claim the winner's title on grounds of product quality, product
demand, brand image, value for money and after-sales service. Kodak had to be
content with the runner up position.

UPS

APC continued to rule the roost courtesy its product quality, product demand,
brand image, value for money and after-sales service. Microtek was the surprise
element as a runner up in this category.

Security solutions

Symantec remained on top as the channel voted for its product quality,
demand, value for money, brand image and after-sales service, in this order.
Quick Heal displaced McAfee as the runner up.

Enterprise application software

Microsoft held strong to its winner's position because of its product
quality, product demand, value for money, brand image and after-sales service.
Oracle was the runner up.

DQC News Bureau