By Shweta Dhadiwal Baid
National Instruments (NI) announced its small and medium enterprise (SME) programme about a year and a half ago. Today, as many as 130 small and medium businesses, including startups, are taking advantage of this programme. NI’s initiative aims at providing engineers and technocrats access to technology at an affordable price.
“The SME programme allows us to introduce SMEs and startups to the concept of graphical system design by providing them access to NI tools, which will be made more affordable through flexible payment options, and build competency through training and support,” said Pradeep Nair, business development manager, National Instruments, India, while speaking to Electronics Bazaar during the Labview Conference 2010.
The SME programme is a part of the Planet NI initiative, where NI stands for ‘Nurturing Innovations’. This is a worldwide initiative and the Indian branch sphereheads it. “Today, the world is focusing on India for technology. It is necessary to provide the engineers the best of technologies and to build an innovative product,” Nair added. This programme also allows certification in LabVIEW, which enables engineers to work on LabVIEW-based projects.
There are many ways in which awareness is being generated about the programme. When NI talks about it at conferences and seminars, it leads to enquiries and enrolments from the audience. Individuals who call the technical support centre to discuss a particular requirement, are enlightened about this initiative. NI works proactively with its clients on a case-to-case basis to offer varied prices and services.
Love Diwan, CEO, Puja Controls, reports that he received great service and support for the NI tools that he bought for an unbelievably good price under the SME programme. He was already working with NI on certain other projects when NI offered him this support.
The SME programme is also open to graduates with great ideas. They will receive complete support from the NI team for their project development. “Last year, an IT graduate had the opportunity to work with NI and get completely trained and certified to start his own venture and benefit from the SME programme,” Nair stated.
NI’s programme does not go by the government’s definition of an SME, but looks to support any potential firm that cannot afford technology, yet can benefit from this initiative. Through the SME programmes, NI’s intention is to help industry over a period of time.
