Akshay Shah, Co founder and COO, iWeb Technology Solutions Pvt.Ltd

Top Rated Entreprener of MPEC 2009

The Global Economy has done many things, apart from uniting the world in a monetary tangle; it has also resulted in the competition becoming as cut-throat as possible with the stakes higher than ever. For too long, the Indian IT industry has concentrated on providing services for leading products of the world instead of creating world class Products on which the world will provide services. So whom and where do our "desi" brands turn to when the competitive edge becomes a bit too edgy and the need for cost-effective IT solutions necessary to provide the boost to leave the competition behind in the dust becomes very acute?

Leading this change towards world-class technological solutions through innovative products is the passionate dream of a two-man team; Akshay Shah and Ketan Trivedi both entrepreneurs and promoters who have created "iWeb Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd" in 2005 to bring the advantage home so to speak.

The company presents a fine balanced mix of the exuberance and dynamism of youth represented by Akshay Shah tempered by the pragmatism, experience and maturity of Ketan Trivedi. "iWeb" is a software products and services company engaged in development and deployment of various business applications using unique tools and internationally accepted methodology. Its products and solutions enable enterprises to totally integrate and automate their operations through a unique web-based architecture which reduces the total cost of ownership of the IT software infrastructure by using a combination of onsite and virtual services on the SOA – Service Oriented Architecture.

So who exactly can make use of this new approach to business and what exactly will, it do for them? Akshay answers "iWeb has a global approach offering a wide range of software solutions for a company's Enterprise Management System. The company's main strength is in the ERP domain with different modules and verticals to address the specific needs of clients and customers in the domestic as well as the international market. It offers a variety of products & solutions with compelling and assured services accompanied with consultancy. Through focused innovation, speedy implementation and customization iWeb remains true to its slogan "Empowering Agility" to all its valued customers." "iWeb facilitates clients to seamlessly integrate their changing business environment imperatives thereby enabling maximized benefits and returns. With proven excellence in operations management, high quality people, world-class managerial capabilities, sound technology, iWeb provides a proven and reliable application platform for the global customer." So with a 'come one come all' approach to clientele "iWeb" is the solution to seek for any and every technological advantage.

However with so many companies offering the very same deal what makes "iWeb" different and how diverse are its capabilities?

To answer this query both Akshay and Ketan emphatically state that "iWeb" is head and shoulders above what other market competitors have to offer. The main differentiator lies not in "what is delivered" but "the manner in which it is delivered". It is a known fact that any customer implementing an ERP undergoes a traumatic experience in the actual implementation. It is in this area that iWeb has ensured that its main product called iWEB ENTERPRISE SUITE™ and its various modules are created under its own application framework AgileWiz^TM – which is a Business Process Management Suite (B P M S) having its own Rule Engine or Business Rules Management System (BRMS). This ensures that implementers do not have to repeatedly rely on software principals for critical but necessary customisation of the product.

In order to understand what iWeb can do for you it is imperative to understand the AgileWiz^TM - Business Process Development Suite as it is the main differentiator of their offerings vis-à-vis the competition. When managing and improving business processes, the complexity of information systems can quickly begin to limit rather than enable business operations. The AgileWiz^TM busines process management suite (BPMS) with the in-built Business Rules Engine, breaks this cycle by allowing you to create IT solutions based on your business processes & business rules, rather than on your IT systems.

Using AgileWiz^TM - BPMS, both technical and non-technical professionals can model business processes using the same simple, accessible tools. You can rapidly create and change IT applications, while focusing on the tasks and activities critical to your business, free of any restrictions from underlying information systems. So with a little training on the system any ordinary person can use the software.

AgileWiz^TM – BPMS helps software developers to Analyze, Prototype, Develop, Test and Implement Business Application Solutions in an easy, fast & low cost manner.

AgileWiz^TM- BPMS is thus as fast as you need it to be, taking the shortest time from design to implementation stage for any business requirement for any vertical. It also provides performance that improves in a near-linear way as new resources are added to the equation. Providing the highest availability for the lowest T.C.O, It's the best bang for your buck in these troubled times.

It is no wonder then, that with such innovative and marketable software on their hands that they are partnered with giants like Intel, Microsoft & IBM.

Their Business offerings are centred around three major categories:

• On premise-licence Sales: of iWeb Enterprise Suite™consists of solutions with the following modules:Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Supply Relationship Management (SRM)
• Manufacturing Resource Management (MRM)
• People Relationship Management (PRM)
• Finance Management (FM)
• Quality Management(QM)
• Enterprise Information System(EIS)
• External Device Interface(XDI)
• Enterprise Business Intelligence(EBI)
• Document Management System(DMS)
• Knowledge Management (KM)

The above solutions are offered individually as well as collectively depending on customer needs

2. Software as a Service (SAAS) Model – This covers Accounting, Payroll, HRMS, Production, IT, and Help Desk solutions. This revenue stream is being activated with the help of a very large and reputed organisation in the coming months. This service model is the current hot project and is finding increased acceptance from a large number of customers.

3. Joint Product or Solution marketing via iWeb Worldwide Dealers

This involves providing solutions built around the Software Framework -AgileWiz^TM

Yourstory asked Akshay what drove him to turn his dreams into such a successful venture, turning down office jobs and the like in its pursuit. He replied that he wanted to replicate the success of Google and was fuelled by this passion. Akshay also confesses with all honesty to being born an entrepreneur. Nominated and ranked at 139 in the "Tata NEN Hottest Startups Awards 2008 from 700 plus start-ups across INDIA is living proof to the skills that this man possesses.

He is a mere mortal however and finds scaling up, managing customers, and ensuring deliveries to be an everyday challenge. By defining proper processes and empowering people the right way, he has found his solution to these trials. Working in an open tension free environment and being friendly with one and all is how Akshay handles his problems.

The only regret he has is not setting proper middle management from day 1.However one can be forgiven in light of the revelation that "iWeb" was launched with seed capital from his & Ketan's personal savings and loans against property. Akshay and his dreams of competing against the world's best like SAP, JD Edwards, Peoplesoft, Microsoft Dynamics and also the new biggies like Salesforce.com, Oracle etc seems achievable and sustainable.

With passion that propels him to Live and die for his company, Akshay has also found the time to write a book on Entrepreneurship for the MCIE (Middle Class Indian Entrepreneur!) no doubt taking his life as an example for which he is seeking publishers & distributors.

Akshay believes that success comes from being focused. To the upcoming entrepreneur reading Yourstory he advises "Be passionate about your work and do what you love doing". We at Yourstory hope to see Akshay, Ketan and "Team-iWeb" taking on the world with the same passion and zeal in the years to come.

An Update on Akshay's Entrepreneurial Journey

The 3rd International India Innovation Summit 2010 is going to confer Akshay with Star Entrepreneurship Award.