Actifio expects to grow by 100% in Middle East

Ash Ashutosh, Founder & CEO at Actifio - CopyThe Founder and CEO for Actifio, Ash Ashutosh in conversation with Channel Post MEA shares his views about the regional market, copy data virtualisation and his company plans for the region.

With consolidation sweeping the storage industry, where is the industry heading?
Given the advances in technology, infrastructure has become a commodity. At the same time companies are realising that data is at the core of their business. The focus on data will continue to scale upwards.

With cloud adoption increasing, companies need to manage their data both flexible and secure. It is essential that duplicate data silos are avoided at the core to support data dynamics, increase the efficiency, productivity and cost effectiveness. This is precisely where copy data virtualisation can play to it’s strength and can bring down considerably the cost to manage data throughout the entire lifecycle and across multiple use cases.

How is the market for copy data management and where do Actifio stand in this market?
According to IDC, the global copy data market is estimated at US$47 billion in 2018. We expect the requirements for data virtualisation to maintain its momentum and grow further. The flexibility of this technology across multiple use cases is key to enable business growth for customers.

Actifio is the world’s first and only company that provides enterprise class copy data virtualisation leading this marketplace. The benefits of Actifio’s platform work across enterprise applications, the full lifecycle of application data, all forms of enterprise storage and any enterprise use case such as backup and disaster recovery, cloud access as well as application test and development.

There has been lot of talks about Actifio’s IPO, can you please elaborate on that?
We are a growing company that has taken the market by storm with a business potential of US$47 billion by 2018. To address such a big market we are considering a possible IPO, which will be one of the next big milestones in our journey.

In your global game plan, where do emerging markets like Middle East & Africa stand?
Every market is important to us, but a territory as big as the Middle East and Africa, with over 60 countries, makes it an attractive business proposition. Especially the Middle East that is home to one of most prosperous economics in the world. With countries like the UAE, that have been at the forefront of technology adoption, we find the region to be inspiring and an important growth market for us worldwide.

What is your channel strategy for Middle East & Africa?
Actifio is 100 % channel oriented, which is why we work closely with our partners to enable, empower and equip them with knowledge, information and skills that are required to consult their customers successfully throughout this industry transition.

Are there any plans to expand your distribution network by adding more distributors in the region?
As of today, we are not looking to add any more distribution companies to our network in Middle East.

What kind of partners is Actifio looking to engage in the region?
Actifio is looking for proactive partners that keep a tab on trends and recognise the changes in the industry to stay in tune with the evolving market. Besides the right customer base they should have basic consultancy competencies and the willingness to engage.

What kind of growth is the company looking to achieve in the region and which industry verticals do you foresee the growth coming from in next one year?
We are a fast growing company and we have been growing exponentially in this region . In the coming year, we are expecting to achieve 100% growth from this territory.

The challenges derived from data being tied to infrastructure is a universal problem found across all industry segments worldwide. Especially the copy data growth from traditional silo infrastructure has increased the need for data virtualisation exponentially. We observe the financial industry, Manufacturing, Telecommunications and Service Providers being early adopters of our technology.

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