Brief

Simple rack solutions

Space maximisation and maintenance of hardware are the prime concerns for IT managers. Though servers are getting sleeker their numbers are increasing, same is the case with switches and other hardware. This is where the role of racks becomes crucial. Today it is far simpler and cheaper to move to racks whether it is for servers, networking products or KVM switches. These racks are not only space-saving but also offer simpler installation and easier system management.

Selrack Electronics, manufacturer and supplier of server and network enclosures, supplies 19” euro racks, networking racks, server racks, server racks with KVM switch solutions, technical workstation for standalone servers, LAN/WAN cabinets, general purpose cabinets, standard 19” rack systems, and DP boxes.

Sumeet Patankar, Director, Selrack Electronics feels that since 1993 the racks’ space has undergone a change, “We can see the demand going up drastically. The growth rate is almost 50 percent for our standard range of products viz. networking and server racks.”

The highest contributors to Selrack’s revenues are their standard products NC98FS networking cabinets and NC98SR data centre server racks. The second in line are the telecom racks. The demand for the telecom range has gone up because of the major expansion in the GSM and CDMA businesses. Apart from that, the export requirements are increasing.

Most of the racks available in the market take security as a paramount feature; access controls and combination keys for restricted access. Moreover, AC racks are getting popular due to the heat that is generated by the systems and power stations.

Competing with OEMs

These days OEMs too provide racks along with the products and they are feature-rich. But Patankar claimed that large OEMs selling racks along with their servers charge a premium for their products which was not acceptable to every corporate.

Besides, deciding on a particular rack also needs planning and taking a close look at the systems. “We take all the details of the equipment such as size and dimension and plan a complete layout for the server room along with rack-sizing. And all this is done considering the local parameters and conditions in which we have almost 12 years of experience,” said Patankar. The company has 500-plus customers across India.

Selrack manufactures the racks itself hence organisations have an option of customising their needs. “It gives us a better position to deal with any last minute surprises, if any special customisation is required in a rack for any project,” explained Patankar

Welspun India, a key customer of Selrack for the last six years, has been buying racks and power bars or spike busters from the company.

Yogesh Mehta, Senior VP, IT, Welspun India said, “When we began, Selrack was a small vendor. However, we chose their products because we found them to be sincere about their commitment to delivering value for money. Their growth over the years confirms that their customers have by and large recognised these qualities in them.”

Man Financial, a UK-based company, which is into the business of brokerage for the past 200 years has been using Selrack racks since four years. George Poulose, Manager, Network, Man Financial said, “Pricing is a secondary consideration. Our company wanted good support and after sales service and Selrack fulfilled these requirements.”

The range for Selrack’s products starts from Rs 2,500 and goes up to Rs 1 lakh depending on the features and size of the racks.

“We are competitive in pricing. Although we do not consider this as our USP, our personalised service (post- & pre-sales) added to that the quality of the product is the key to our growth.”

Spreading geographically

Selrack is planning to spread its wings geographically. The company has already set foot in Delhi. It has two business managers placed there for the NCR region, one for standard products and one for telecom and OEMs. “On similar lines we are in the process of setting up a team in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. In Mumbai, we already have a good sales team in place since this is our home pitch”, elaborated Patankar.

Selrack has a C&F agent in Delhi where stocks are placed for catering to immediate needs of the market. The company plans to repeat the same arrangement in other metros to service their customers locally. At present it has two distributors in India based at Hyderabad and Mumbai. Besides this, it has authorised distributors in Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

Selrack is setting up an additional state-of-the-art manufacturing facility near Thane. The company will be focussing on exports by tapping new markets abroad.