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by Rajen Kumar

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Running a magazine concentrating on issues of small and medium enterprises and managing with limited resources is a like living life on the edge. In this rush of meeting deadlines,...

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Apr 2012

EMRC, Brussels Associates with SME WORLD as its New Media Partner

EMRC has promoted business partnerships with the developing world and has organised dozens of business forums in key decision-making cities, such as Amsterdam, Rome,...

Technology

We Will Educate Indian SMEs About the Power of the Internet

Dec 2009

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SMEs in India have a potential of great magnitude in the export segment which is largely untapped and unexplored. However, technology shift and lack of knowledge about web services are the principal impediments facing the sector, says Brian A. Wong, Senior Director, Strategic Business Development Division, Alibaba.com, the world's largest B2B portal, in a conversation with SME WORLD in Delhi recently.

Brian is responsible for the identification and establishment of long-term strategic initiatives which contribute to the organization's global expansion across key international markets.

“The big global market is ready to buy Indian goods but the export mechanism is not developed to the desired standards. The buyers overseas are looking for Indian handicrafts produced by micro entrepreneurs through the vast rural belts of India but it is hard to find the sellers as internet services and knowledge is lacking. We are making efforts to educate the Indian SMEs about the power of internet.”

Prior to managing the SBD division, Brian was responsible for the International Business Development and Marketing (IBDM) department which included regional teams in US, EU and Asia and has held senior management positions in the International TrustPass (iTP) sales and Japan website departments. In the early days of the company he also held the position of chief product developer for the international website operations.

Before has had his stint with the McGraw-Hill Companies in New York, as an executive in corporate strategy and business development roles in their B2B media, education and corporate divisions. Brian, with a formidable experience in assisting international corporations in formulating market entry strategies and feasibility studies as a management consultant in the US and Asia, was in local US government where he served.

Alibaba.com is the global leader in business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce and the flagship company of Alibaba Group. Founded in 1999, Alibaba.com makes it easy for millions of buyers and suppliers around the world to do business online through three marketplaces: a global trade marketplace (www.alibaba.com) for importers and exporters, a Chinese marketplace (www.alibaba.com.cn) for domestic trade in China, and, through an associated company, a Japanese marketplace (www.alibaba.co.jp) facilitating trade to and from Japan.

Together, its marketplaces form a community of more than 42 million registered users from more than 240 countries and regions. The company also offers business management software solutions targeting small businesses across China under the "Alisoft" brand. Founded in Hangzhou, China, Alibaba.com has offices in more than 40 cities across Greater China as well as in Europe and the United States.

Brian A. Wong in conversation with SME WORLD.

Alibaba.com is a straight success story especially when its existence is not too old. A decade is hardly enough to achieve success as Alibaba.com did. Secrets to share?

Alibaba.com provides an efficient, trusted platform connecting small and medium buyers and suppliers from around the world. It makes global sourcing available 24/7/365 and removes barriers of geographies and time zones. Increasingly, buyers and sellers have recognized the potential of ecommerce and the base of 45 million registered users at Alibaba.com is testimony to this fact.

At Alibaba.com, it has always been our endeavour to provide our customers ease in trading. We have kept a close tab on the changing needs of our users and evolved our services to suit these needs. This we believe is a simple but important reason for our success. To give you an example, we recognized that trust is a very important issue when it comes to doing business online and we introduced “TrustPass” ranking for suppliers, which is a paid membership service requiring an authentication and verification process, helps many buyers feel more secure when sourcing products on Alibaba.com. The TrustPass membership has now been converted into what we call a 'Gold Supplier' program. The rationale, however, remains the same; helping build a reliable platform for genuine buyers and suppliers.

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