Staying at the forefront of data management, Synology innovates and adapts to ever-evolving technologies, and continues bringing new possibilities to the table, including but not limited to solutions for data storage and backup, file collaboration, video management, and network infrastructure – all designed with one goal in mind – presenting a centralized platform to simplify IT administration while driving digital transformation for businesses worldwide. Synology experienced 20% market growth last year, driven mainly by the increasing demand from SMBs and enterprises.
During an exclusive interaction with Electronics Maker, Mr. Russell Chen, Country Manager at Synology SAARC region shares insights into Synology’s versatile solutions, product innovations and rapid growth in India.
1. What is NAS? Is it relevant in today’s cloud era?
Despite the prevalence of cloud storage solutions, Network-Attached Storage (NAS) maintains relevance for various reasons. Users in sectors such as military, healthcare, legal, finance, government, and public sectors prioritize local data control, preferring to store sensitive information on-site rather than in the cloud. Also, NAS provides enhanced privacy and security, offering protection against unauthorized access and data breaches. Additionally, NAS devices offer cost efficiency compared to cloud storage, with users making a one-time investment without recurring subscription fees.
By leveraging NAS solutions, individuals and organizations can maintain autonomy over their data, enhance security measures, and realize long-term cost savings—crucial factors in today’s data-driven landscape. Synology’s NAS devices stand out for their user-friendly interface and intuitive setup process, making them accessible to both tech-savvy users and beginners. They offer a diverse range of features beyond basic file storage, including data backup and recovery functionalities, media server capabilities, surveillance camera integration, and the ability to host websites, applications and virtual machines. Additionally, Synology NAS systems are designed to scale according to users’ needs, with options for expanding storage capacity and adding additional features through software packages and hardware upgrades. Synology is also recognized for the reliability and performance of its NAS devices, ensuring consistent business continuity and providing regular software updates and customer support.
2. Please tell us about your journey and achievements so far?
Synology has cemented its presence in India over the past 15 years, notably within the SMB sector, spanning industries like manufacturing, public sectors, media and entertainment, and education. Offering reliable data management and backup solutions, Synology has been instrumental in facilitating digital transformation journenies for SMBs by effectively managing data and ensuring its protection.
After the COVID pandemic, we have witnessed significant growth in India, particularly in terms of business expansion and increased data requirements. From 2021 to 2023, Synology achieved significant revenue growth, doubling our earnings in India. Building on our success in the SMB market, we are now expanding into the enterprise sector, aiming to provide comprehensive data management solutions for consumers across all levels in India.
3. Can Synology be trusted as a long-time provider of data storage?
Yes, absolutely. Established in the year 2000, Synology has nearly 25 years of experience in the data storage industry, establishing itself as a trusted provider of data storage solutions. There are 3 major features that support Synology in holding its dominance in the SMB markert: Security, scalability and easy deployment. We prioritize not only delivering robust storage solutions but also ensuring the utmost security of our systems. At Synology, we have a dedicated cybersecurity team known as PSIRT (Product Security Incident Response Team). Whenever we receive reports of attacks, our PSIRT team swiftly investigates and resolves vulnerabilities within 24 hours—a remarkable accomplishment compared to the industry average of 60 days.
4. What’s the secret behind your growth and your total sales?
Synology distinguishes itself by offering NAS solutions with two pivotal advantages: seamless hardware and software integration, coupled with an unparalleled user experience. This cohesive integration ensures that users can effortlessly unlock the full potential of our solutions, including useful software such as data protection, multimedia, and virtualization, immediately upon deploying the hardware. Moreover, Synology emphasizes user experience by designing a user-friendly interface. This intuitive UI empowers SMBs, including those lacking an in-house IT department, to deploy the solutions they require without dealing with complex technical hurdles. By synergizing hardware and software integration with a user-centric design philosophy, Synology empowers businesses to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of their data storage solutions.
5. What are some of the key features people should look for when choosing NAS?
For businesses and individuals seeking a NAS, it’s not just about acquiring storage space; they are looking for a comprehensive solution to address their unique pain points. Synology acknowledges this need and surpasses basic storage offerings. As an example, for Synology’s business users, we offer Synology Drive, a robust file server solution that allows users to effortlessly share and synchronize data across multiple platforms, anytime and anywhere. Additionally, our array of data protection solutions ensures that users can easily back up and restore their data without encountering the complexities typically associated with setup processes, ensuring the resilience of their business data. At Synology, we are committed to providing comprehensive solutions that not only meet but exceed the expectations of our users, empowering them to streamline their data management processes with ease and efficiency.
6. Security is becoming integral part of the storage technology? What’s your take on that?
While offering powerful solutions is essential, it becomes meaningless if the system is not secured and susceptible to cyber attacks. Synology recognizes the critical importance of security and invests significant resources into ensuring the safety of our users’ data.
We maintain a robust security infrastructure that includes a dedicated security team, known as PSIRT (Product Security Incident Response Team), tasked with promptly addressing any security issues that may arise. In addition, we employ an in-house red team that continuously evaluates and tests our systems for vulnerabilities, ensuring that we stay ahead of potential threats.
Furthermore, we operate a bounty program to incentivize security researchers to identify and report any potential vulnerabilities in our systems. This proactive approach to security allows us to address any issues swiftly and comprehensively, providing our users with peace of mind when using Synology NAS devices.
By prioritizing security and implementing rigorous measures to safeguard our systems, Synology ensures that our users can utilize our NAS solutions without worrying about security breaches.
7. How will AI play a role in today’s storage technologies and your innovation for this?
In today’s AI-driven era, the growth of storage capacity for vast amounts of data used in training models and for storage and archiving purposes is paramount. Synology’s solutions serve as invaluable data reservoirs, offering a cost-effective alternative compared to other server vendors.
Additionally, AI drives the demand for secure data storage servers, as the data processed in AI-related models is highly sensitive. Synology offers on-premise private archive data storage, backup solutions, and data recovery features, ensuring secure and efficient management of large datasets. In the AI-driven era, Synology’s solutions serve as invaluable data reservoirs for both raw data and output storage pools, providing budget-friendly storage options.
Looking ahead, we anticipate further integration of AI capabilities into our solutions, such as within Synology’s office suite solutions. These advancements will streamline business operations and boost productivity by harnessing AI to automate tasks, analyze data, and derive actionable insights. As AI continues to advance, Synology remains at the forefront, leveraging innovative storage technology to support the growing demands of AI-driven applications and empower businesses to thrive in the digital age.
8. What are the growing concerns in surveillance industry today? How are you addressing it with your innovation?
One major concern lies in the bottleneck of digital transformation in the Indian market. SMBs and Enterprises are increasingly digitizing their operations, leading to a surge in the cost of managing and centralizing digital assets, including their surveillance solutions.
When evaluating surveillance solutions, users often prioritize compatibility across brands and scalability of storage. Synology addresses these concerns by offering a comprehensive, all-in-one surveillance solution.
With Synology, users can seamlessly integrate hardware, software (Network Video Recorder, NVR), storage, and even camera requirements without worrying about compatibility issues. Our solutions are designed to work harmoniously together, ensuring a hassle-free setup and operation.
As a storage expert, Synology also provides secured, cost-effective, and scalable storage solutions to accommodate the growing data generated by surveillance systems. Whether it’s storing footage from multiple cameras or expanding storage capacity as needed, Synology’s storage solutions are equipped to handle the demands of surveillance applications.
9. What’s the latest products in your basket and its features?
For enterprise-level customers, our newly launched flagship high-density storage server, the HD6500, is a game-changer. With an impressive storage capacity of up to 4.8 Petabytes, this model not only serves as a central repository for files but also functions as a backup pool for large enterprise organizations. Particularly well-suited for data volume-intensive industries such as manufacturing, media, entertainment, VFX or even AI-related businesses that require vast amounts of data, the HD6500 offers unparalleled storage capabilities to meet the demands of modern businesses.
On the personal front, Synology introduces its latest personal backup solution, BeeStation. Tailored for easy setup via mobile phones, BeeStation is perfect for students or general audiences without an IT background. Offering a cost-effective alternative to increasingly pricey public cloud services, BeeStation provides seamless data backup and management capabilities, ensuring peace of mind for personal users.
10. What are your marketing and expansion plans for India if any?
We are planning to host solution awareness events in major cities across India, in collaboration with our esteemed local channel partners. These events aim to enhance local penetration and educate audiences about the benefits of our cutting-edge storage solutions. Additionally, we are collaborating closely with our channel partners to establish Synology-dedicated experience centers. These centers allow business users to try out the latest data management and storage solutions tailored to their needs.
In the latter half of this year, Synology will proudly present its annual mega event – Solution Day. This event will cater specifically to the Indian audience, offering a platform to unveil our latest innovations in business data management solutions. Stay tuned for updates on dates and venues, as we look forward to showcasing our commitment to empowering businesses with advanced storage technology.
