CIOL: What is being done to take the product to the market?

SM: An advertisement campaign is running for Platespin, we are also talking to media, are taking up several marketing activities including e-mail campaigns, newsletter campaigns etc. We are also conducting events, demos and proof of concepts.

The company has identified some partners who are specialists in the virtualization space and we have signed them up as specific point focus partners for Platespin. We are conducting events for customers of these partners.

There is a training and certification programme called CPSA (Certification Procedure for Platespin Technology) and these partners are trained here.

CIOL: What are the challenges in this space?

JS: Virtualization technology is a very hot and new technology and it is still going in a stage where there are now at least three or four major players or technology. Worldwide the maturity cycle is little bit ahead, whereas, India is still in the early part of the maturity cycle.

Different geographic markets are in different maturity curve. Thus, virtualization solution providers can only sell either virtualization solution or virtualization management to only those who are already part of virtualization cycle.

As virtualization adoption is at different levels in different parts of the world, we are trying to develop products that meet different people's need. Thus, in a market that is less mature in virtualization, we are seeing a high demand for Forge because though Forge uses virtualization, the user needs no expertise in the technology.

So we made a distinctive choice at Platespin, that is to only capitalize on virtualization market and have products specified for that market. And we are going to make sure that we have solutions for people that work in a mixed physical virtualized environment, with solution that can standalone just in a physical environment.

There is a good uptake in emerging markets and they have their own distinctive features. The more sophisticated a market becomes, more opportunities for us.