Since its inception in 2002, Riverbed Technology has helped the world’s largest organizations empower the digital experience and drive enterprise performance. At the core of their operations lies a strong emphasis on innovation. This commitment to innovation permeates every aspect of their business. From continuously introducing innovative products and solutions to the customers, to incorporating customer feedback for re-engineering and enhancing their offerings, they prioritize innovation.
“Moreover, we strive to innovate in the way we structure our services, moving towards outcome-based approaches rather than fixed scopes. This allows us to align with and adapt to our customers’ evolving business and operational needs. Innovation permeates every level of our organization, driving us to constantly improve and deliver exceptional value to our customers,” explains Alex George, Country Director – India & SAARC.
Making His Way to the Top
Alex’s professional journey has been shaped by many global and external events making it a diverse one. After graduating in Engineering in 1997, Alex experienced the boom-to-bust phase of the technology era, characterized by a surge in the IT technology arena. During this time, both Indian and Global companies were actively recruiting skilled professionals in software development and IT services. Like many others who aspired for the “American dream,” he enthusiastically joined the wave as a software developer, shortly before the significant downturn in 2000.
Interestingly, the Y2K phenomenon, often seen as a challenging time, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Alex. It marked the start of his journey as a contract consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and eventually led him to engage in product development in the United States for a company named SmartStorage. As the company underwent acquisitions by OTG Software and later by Legato Systems, Alex’s role evolved, encompassing diverse responsibilities such as quality testing, writing technical manuals, conducting product and solutions training, and serving as a technology evangelist. This transformative period became a turning point in his career, shifting his focus from desk-bound work to actively engaging with customers and partners. It was during this time that Alex realized his true calling lay in customer-facing roles.
“Throughout my journey, I have encountered numerous challenges, and I firmly adhere to the belief that “you either win or you learn.” This mindset guides my approach to every obstacle I face. One particular challenge taught me a valuable lesson: “You can’t win them all.” This lesson applies to both personal interactions and business endeavors. Once you accept this reality, it becomes easier to transition to the next challenge with a renewed focus and determination” shares Alex.
Upon returning to India, he transitioned into presales consulting and eventually found his true passion in sales. Alex embarked on an exciting journey as a sales professional, representing esteemed brands such as Wipro, Sun Microsystems, and Hitachi Data Systems. These experiences paved the way for his current position as the Country Sales Director for Riverbed Technology.
Bringing his Expertise to Board
Interacting with people, establishing connections, and comprehending their perspectives effortlessly define Alex’s working nature. Prioritizing relationships over the business has been ingrained in him, and the bonds he has formed over the past two decades have played a pivotal role in his business achievements.“In the realm of personal branding, it is essential for your own identity to make a stronger impact than the brand you represent. The trust that has been established over the years serves as a steadfast anchor during both favorable and challenging circumstances,” he says.
The valuable experience and diverse roles, Alex had the privilege to undertake in his previous organizations, have propelled him to his current position. In addition to driving business growth in the region, he is responsible for managing the Channel ecosystem and facilitating business development through a team of highly motivated professionals across Sales, Solutions Engineering, Professional Services, and Technical Support.
Among various innovative ideas under his guidance, the team has implemented, one particularly noteworthy homegrown concept which is the practice of the 4Ps of Sales, similar to the 4Ps of Marketing. “This framework revolves around setting a target date for closing a sale and then working backward to address the four essential elements known as the 4Ps: Product, Process, People, and Price. This approach fosters critical thinking and enhances predictability, contributing to our overall success,” explains Alex.
Keeping Solutions Scalable
Alex believes that in today’s rapidly evolving IT landscape, the adoption of technology is also quite dynamic. Therefore, it is crucial to align one’s offerings in a way that allows for scalability and flexibility. It becomes essential to offer solutions that can start small if required and seamlessly scale in accordance with actual business growth. Additionally, maximizing return on investment (ROI) is vital by ensuring that the solutions can coexist and integrate with the client’s existing investments.
“Moreover, it is of utmost importance to ensure that your solutions are adaptable and scalable within the hybrid environments that clients are embracing. These environments encompass a combination of on-premises systems, multi-cloud setups, hosting platforms, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. By catering to these diverse environments, you can provide clients with the necessary tools and flexibility to navigate their IT landscape effectively,” he adds.
Challenges in Applying Emerging Technologies
From Alex’s perspective, the “slow adoption” of emerging technologies is a prevalent issue, particularly among certain businesses. Businesses must embrace a mindset of “Fail Fast – Learn Fast” instead of lagging behind and risking their competitive advantage. With the growing number of security breaches, it becomes imperative for businesses to secure their IT ecosystems for both employees and customers. Additionally, in today’s Work-From-Anywhere (WFA) environment, enhancing efficiency and productivity through the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities can provide significant benefits. These areas present a wide range of solutions offered by emerging technologies that require immediate implementation to stay ahead of the curve.
Sustainable Solutions
The adage “time saved is time earned” holds true, and Riverbed’s portfolio currently offers two primary solutions: Alluvio and Acceleration. Alluvio delivers unified observability across complex and scalable IT ecosystems worldwide. Collecting full-fidelity, full-spectrum data, it provides a holistic observability solution that helps identify, isolate, and auto-remediate issues, thereby saving valuable time spent in war room meetings to find timely resolutions. This solution enhances IT system efficiency, reduces downtimes, and saves time and money associated with repairs, returns, and logistical costs involving both manpower and infrastructure.
The second component of Riverbed’s portfolio focuses on improving employee productivity and accelerating application performance across various environments, including on-premises, cloud, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), catering to all users whether in-office or mobile. These solutions also contribute to customers’ sustainability goals by reducing logistics, travel time, power consumption, and more.
Riverbed places great emphasis on ensuring that all products are legally secured, sustainably manufactured, and free from the use of illegal or forced labor. The company actively works towards sustainability goals, striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to electricity, natural gas, water usage, and building emissions. Riverbed promotes remote work and telecommuting, encouraging the adoption of remote collaboration tools to decrease energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with commuting and travel. Through comprehensive reuse and recycling programs, Riverbed minimizes the environmental impact of its products by providing end-of-life services for the hardware equipment. Customers can also participate in the Trade Up and Trade In programs to return Riverbed equipment for credit and recycle products at no cost.
Riverbed’s commitment to sustainability extends to compliance with regulations such as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) to improve the protection of human health and the environment. Riverbed ensures that its hardware product lines comply with REACH restrictions against harmful chemicals and continually reviews the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern for Authorization to maintain compliance. Additionally, Riverbed adheres to RoHS directives and WEEE compliance, furthering its sustainability initiatives.
Drawing Inspiration
One quote that Alex finds particularly helpful and inspiring is by Albert Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” This quote resonates with him because it emphasizes the value of creativity, curiosity, and thinking beyond what is already known. It encourages him to embrace his imagination and explore new possibilities, reminding him that innovation and progress often stem from the power of imagination rather than solely relying on existing knowledge. “It serves as a reminder to continuously seek new ideas and think outside the box in both personal and professional endeavors,” he insists.
Encouraging Young Leaders
When it comes to advising young entrepreneurs, Alex emphasizes, “If the path is too silent, then you are mostly alone on it.” He explains that this situation can have two possible interpretations. Firstly, it could mean that you have come up with a brilliant idea or solution that no one else has discovered yet, positioning you in a unique position. Alternatively, it could indicate that your products and solutions are not currently relevant in the market, or you are unable to effectively communicate your vision to your intended audience.
To succeed, he insists it is crucial to identify the underlying cause early on and continuously seek improvements. If it is the former scenario, it is important not to lose the head start, while in the latter case, it is necessary to acknowledge the situation and course correct immediately.
“Moreover, it is important to remember that attempting to accomplish everything on your own can be limiting. Your strength is only as robust as your individual capabilities, and likewise, your weaknesses can hinder progress. However, by working as a team, you can achieve balance and complement each other’s skills. Therefore, it is vital to actively search for talented individuals and delegate responsibilities accordingly,” he advises.
The Path Ahead
Riverbed holds a remarkably unique and captivating position in today’s industry landscape. The relevance of its solutions is evident in their adoption by 95% of the Fortune 100 companies globally, with a customer base exceeding 50,000 worldwide. Furthermore, being recognized as an industry leader for its solution offerings on more than 15 occasions provides both Alex and his team with the motivation to dive deeper, expand their reach, and establish a substantial presence before competitors can catch up.
“We have experienced tremendous growth in recent years, and with an expanding team, we are determined to maintain the momentum. Our goal is to continue acquiring prestigious clients while nurturing the brand loyalty we have diligently cultivated over the years. This commitment will ensure the sustainability of our success for the foreseeable future,” concludes Alex.