Sukhman Sergey Maratovich

Sergey Sukhman

Quotes, interviews

1. How did the global financial crisis affect your foreign partners?

Zelax both acquires parts abroad and supplies its products abroad. Of course, the current situation has affected the prices of component manufacturers, mainly they have become higher, so far insignificantly. We kept the prices for our foreign buyers the same.

Moreover, we managed to maintain the previous payment system due to the company's 20-year reputation. In its history, Zelax has experienced many crises, and we are able to work in such conditions. All our partners behave pragmatically and reasonably.

2. How did economic instability affect your company?

This crisis is a crisis of selfishness and fear. In fact, there are no objective reasons - earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, floods -. The whole crisis takes place in the head (more precisely, in the predominance of emotions over the mind when making decisions). It is extremely harmful for everyone today to give will to fear - calm and clear consciousness are necessary. The crisis is speculative, it is foolish for those who create real products to fear.

We traditionally have a large number of buyers and this is the company's policy - diversification by customers allows us to be independent of two or three large players.

Due to the fact that production and development are located in Russia, the crisis has led mainly to a delay in payment from large customers, but Zelax products are known and used by many. I consider the policy of cutting staff salaries extremely harmful, we have retained all salaries. The staff of a high-tech company is also very expensive to reduce - restoration will require a lot of time and financial costs.

Understanding the condition of our partners, Zelax focused on 3 points that from our point of view are especially important for the client and which we pay special attention to today.

1 Reduced partner operating costs for equipment operation (reduced or no maintenance time, pre-set in Zelax) 2 Additional revenue from existing equipment (on the customer infrastructure with Zelax equipment you can get and sell additional E1, Ethernet, V.35, phones, etc.). 3 Development of the client within the limits of money allocated for operation (Flexibility of equipment allows to provide new services and services without changing the equipment). Offering solutions according to these requirements allows Zelax to develop, invest in development and increase market share.

3. What has your company done and plans to do to improve customer service during this period?

Traditionally, free consultations and on-line technical support in Russian together with the development of projects by Zelax technical specialists were a distinctive feature of the company. We just leave the best that is on the market and we are working to improve this model.

Also understanding the situation, Zelax, as a manufacturer, provides its partner with the opportunity to defer payment for certain types of equipment.

4. Are your company's promotion methods and positioning changing?

So far, in the promotion policy, we have increased activity on the Internet, emphasizing in the proposals to reduce costs and increase customer efficiency while maintaining the current level of costs.