D-Link Corporation supports regional SMBs to grow their operations in the current virtual business environment. In MENA, 90% of the overall registered companies are SMBs. In UAE itself, SMBs make up for almost 94% of the total companies operating in the country according to official reports. The COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown measures and social distancing restrictions did have a serious impact on these companies. That being said, most of them are now upbeat on continuing operations. A recent global study by Visa indicated that most SMBs in the UAE have evolved to keep their businesses on track since the outbreak. According to the Back to Business study by Visa, UAE SMBs demonstrated “an incredible willingness to evolve in the face of change”.
Sakkeer Hussain, Director, Sales and Marketing, D-Link Middle East, said, “SMBs are an integral and large part of the economy. Today SMBs are seeking cost-effective ways to deploy innovative enterprise-level digital solutions that will help empower their businesses in the new normal. In today’s virtual era, they are looking to build strong cybersecurity postures, avail the benefits of cloud and automation technologies as well as use data and analytics solutions to enrich their operations and ensure business continuity.”
According to Hussain, the SMB sector continues to be a vertical that channel partners must focus on. Resellers and solutions providers can capitalize on the digital requirements these companies have today to operate in remote working models.
“Now more than ever, partners must cater to the SMB space and help these companies overcome the challenges when making the transition to the digital era. By leveraging on technologies such as cloud, IoT, automation, AI and analytics, channel partners can assist SMB customers to not only sustain but also grow their businesses,” added Hussain.
Besides having dedicated programs to motivate partners to earn higher margins in the SMB space, D-Link’s extensive portfolio also houses end-to-end offerings around innovative technologies, right from smart solutions, cloud-based offerings, storage, switching, wireless and smart tech to IP surveillance, advanced security and networking solutions and state-of-the art devices. D-Link offers in-depth training and other resources to help channel partners be proactive trusted advisors for SMBs, especially during this time.
Hussain said, “We continue to aim to be partners’ one-stop-shop when it comes to the SMB segment. As SMBs increasingly adopt cloud and IoT technologies, put in place secure networks and embrace digital solutions to help them be productive and efficient in the new normal, they will also experience the freedom and innovation these technologies offer to expand and future proof their operations.”
