Network Associates to set up lab in South India

Ranjeet Rayen

BANGALORE: Developers of popular network security solutions brands like

McAfee, Sniffer PGP and Magic, Network Associates Inc (NAI), are betting big

time in India. As part of their expansion plans in the sub continent, the

company is seriously contemplating of setting up a "large" lab in

either Bangalore, Chennai or Hyderabad.

The development center will be the third in the world and only one outside

USA and UK. According to the company's channel account manager for SAARC region

Anil Zuitshi said, " the company has forseen its presence here in the form

of a lab. I have also aggresively pushed the need of setting up a development

center in the country and short listed the three cities in South India for the

housing it. Only the present economic condition has with-held the decision of

the company to set up its development center in India. But will be made

soon."

The lab is expected to house about 100 engineers in India while the combined

strength of the US and UK operations is roughly about 350 developers. It will

engage itself in research and development work for the company. However the

investment on the same was not disclosed by the official. The company has

Anti-Virus Emergency Response Team (AVERT) labs across 18 locations all over the

world and has about 250 engineers working on developing anti virus solutions.

Acquiring a liaison office status, after applying for it two years back, NAI

will be leveraging its presence in the country by pushing its brands even more

aggressively. Enjoying a domestic market share of 60 per cent, the company will

continue to focus on three segments of the market, retail, SMEs and corporates.

With Ingram Mirco India and Tech Pacific as its distributors in the country, the

market reach of all the three segments is adhered to. It also has appointed

Texport Tech which completes the tier I of their distribution network, while

there are about 150 channel partners for its products in the country forming the

tier II of their network. Incidentally NAI is the only security solutions

company to offer anti virus solutions for wireless devices with `virus scan

wireless'. With a recent report suggesting that PDAs are prone to hackers, NAI

could be the only available answer.