Kingsoft Office Software (business in Russia)

In November, 2015 Kingsoft Office Software signed the agreement with the Russian Aflex Distribution which will become the sole distributor of products of the company and will represent its interests in Russia. The vice president for sales of Kingsoft Office Software Rene Buhay told about it soon after agreement signature of TAdviser.

Key product of the company is the WPS Office office suite. As well as in other markets, in Russia Kingsoft Office Software will be focused, mainly, on sales of the version of this software for the PC based on Windows OS to corporate users. According to Rene Bukheya, the purpose of his company - to make WPS Office "an alternative of Microsoft Office No. 1".

The company intends to sell the product in all segments of the market, including a public sector and education. At the same time in a business environment of the main demand for the solutions it expects from SMB companies.

Aflex Distribution, in addition to deliveries of products to resellers, will perform user support of WPS Office which at the initial stage will be for them free.

"Any user of Microsoft Office – our potential client", - Rene Bukhey says.

According to Rene Bukheya, even before emergence in Kingsoft Office Software of the partner in Russia there was here an essential number of users of mobile version of WPS Office which is available in Russian for a long time. In the middle of 2014 also the version of WPS Office for the PC was Russified, and with its emergence it is possible to develop fully in Russia business, he notes.

Believe in Kingsoft Office Software that significantly lower price of products should promote achievement of their purpose in Russia (the company speaks, approximately three times) in comparison with Microsoft Office. This factor is especially relevant in the economic situation which developed in Russia when business strenuously tries to optimize expenses, Rene Bukhey considers.

In addition to Microsoft and Google Docs one of main competitors of WPS Office in Russia is OpenOffice. Kingsoft Office Software considers that in the full-function version their product has ampler opportunities. Besides, available it has own mobile platform allowing corporate users to work in a unified environment from different devices, Rene Bukhey says.

One more important advantage over OpenOffice in the company call function of synchronization between devices during the work with documents which as of November is already available to the version of WPS Office under Windows and iOS and should become available later also to Android. Having begun to work with the document on the PC, it can be saved in a cloud then work with the document can be continued from other computer or the mobile device.

The top manager of Kingsoft Office Software added that his company also studies normative statutory requirements which will need to be considered in business in Russia. For example, the company discusses possible options of actions now in connection with the register of the Russian software planned since 2016 which will receive preferences on state procurements.

The vice president for sales of Kingsoft Office Software also noted in a conversation with TAdviser that BRICS countries among which and Russia as the growing markets are in special focus for business development of his company now. In one of them – in China – the company conducts direct sales, and in India and Brazil, as well as in Russia, is going to conduct sales through partners. According to Rene Bukheya, as of November in India his company was already defined with whom will sign the distribution agreement, and in Brazil is in search so far.

Representatives of Aflex Distribution told TAdviser that according to the results of the work which is already carried out by their company as of November in Russia at Kingsoft Office Software about 50 potential clients from whom about a third are the organizations of a public sector.

Dmitry Komissarov, the CEO of the Russian developer company of the office software New cloud technologies, considers positive the fact that to replace the monopolist other players seek - "the world changes and rules of the game change".

"From our point of view the full-functionality for the corporate customer - existence of a cloud solution, the solution for e-mail with directories of users and calendars integrated with office and the cloud storage and also support of Linux will be key factors of success", - he believes.

At the time of entry of Kingsoft Office Software into the Russian market the most popular alternative of Microsoft Office it is possible to call Google Docs here, perhaps. Komissarov notes that solutions based on Open Source do not have enough cloud and mobile versions.