Interview with Narasimhan (Kishore) Mandyam, CEO of PK4 Software Technologies Pvt Ltd
18 August 2010 - We asked Narasimhan (Kishore) Mandyam, CEO of PK4 Software Technologies Pvt Ltd, a few questions about his company and his view of the markets they serve.
Narasimhan (Kishore) Mandyam
CEO
GETAPP.COM: Who are you are and what is your role in the company?
MANDYAM: CEO.
GETAPP.COM: Can you briefly present your management team?
MANDYAM: In a small, cross-functional team like ours, EVERYONE is part of management. But there are a few people focused on specific areas: - Surekha Shetty, Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Support - Partha Dharamarajan, Head, Engineering - Radha Rao, Manager, Sales.
GETAPP.COM: Are you a cloud or a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company?
MANDYAM: Yes.
GETAPP.COM: How do you use and promote usage of cloud computing?
MANDYAM: We are a SaaS CRM provider and we use Amazon EC2 for our own service. We don't sell an in-premise equivalent, so we promote the Cloud by default!
GETAPP.COM: What are the points of difference of your solutions?
MANDYAM: Culture-specific business functionality; Typical CRM solutions focus; Deep integration with phone, SMS, Email and other modes of interaction; Configurability; Customizability.
GETAPP.COM: How would you like to be evaluated by a prospect?
MANDYAM: By applicability to their business. Use the Free 15-day Trial!
GETAPP.COM: Why do your customers buy from you?
MANDYAM: Customers buy from us because they see - before they buy - that Impel CRM fit their needs best. Apart its functionality and the configurability, the fact that Impel reflects the way business is done in this part of the world is clearly visible, both in the solution and in the way we as a Company operate. On the bigger deals, we bring things like mega-tenancy, something that VERY few (if any!) SaaS provides give their customers. That makes some difference.
GETAPP.COM: Can you mention some of your key clients?
MANDYAM: Bausch & Lomb India; ESAB India; Hindustan Sanitaryware; Lifecell International; Modi Tyres - Lots of other companies of various sizes, in a variety of businesses. You can look up some more names on our website.
GETAPP.COM: What do you see as the key trend emerging in the industry?
MANDYAM: In India and parts of the non-Western world, there's significant interest in rolling out technology to enable business. But technical skills are becoming less easily available in non-tech businesses. So line-of-business managers are making decisions in this domain without worrying about what their Tech people will think. That's what will drive SaaS and Cloud Computing - when end-user managers take the call on what works best for them, from a Business perspective and not a Technology perspective.
GETAPP.COM: What’s the is THE most important message you feel you should get across to someone considering buying your solutions?
MANDYAM: Whatever you buy, make sure it works for YOU well. While it is true that SaaS' billing model makes it possible to walk away from a bad decision without losing your shirt, it is also true that MOVING from an existing SaaS solution is as difficult as any other. So decisions to buy are long-term, even if you're paying for them every month or quarter.
GETAPP.COM: Thanks for your time, Mr Mandyam.