Man of a perfect vision

Shoaib Khalil, the Marketing Lead at Microsoft Pakistan, has a rich experience in both marketing and sales execution. He is an avid reader and has keen interest in political history and philosophy. Shoaib shares insights on IT industry with Technology Times

Where did you get your education?

Shoaib Khalil: My early education was in Lahore, I did O ’Levels from St. Anthony’s High School. After passing A ‘Level’s exam I was fortunate to be admitted at Institute of Business Administration in Karachi from where I received BBA (Hons.) and later MBA degrees. Recently I also received Marketing certification from Kellogg Business School through an interactive online program (thanks to improved technology!).

How you started your career?

My first job was in Reckitt Benckiser as Area Sales Manager, and later as Assistant Brand Manager in the same company. I joined IT industry back in 2004 when I moved to Microsoft in Sales function.

Brief us about your journey with Microsoft.

I’m associated with Microsoft Pakistan since 2005 in multiple roles. I joined Microsoft as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) PAM (Partner Account Manager) and later served as PAM for Dynamics Business Solutions. During this role as OEM PAM I worked on launching national PC initiatives and later as Dynamics PAM I was instrumental in rolling out Dynamics ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) business is Pakistani market in close collaboration with EPG, PS and SMSP teams. Currently I’m the Marketing Lead for Microsoft Pakistan.

What motivated you to start a career in Marketing?

Having spent many years of my career in sales roles, and directly interacting with customers and partners made me aware of the gap that something exists between sales and organization’s marketing strategy. Marketing provided me with an opportunity to apply filed knowledge to bridge that gap. In retrospect I also feel that marketing allows me to think strategically and take view of the world that goes beyond the months or quarters or years.

Where technology is taking us?

During the past few decades’ incredible advancements in technology have revolutionized the way people around the world communicate, run business, find information and much more. In years to come (which it is not far away), information technology will continue to transform business productivity and will have a profound positive impact on our day-to-day lives. It will also help us to address important global challenges related to education, healthcare, energy, and other issues.

How do you see the potential and challenges to do business in Pakistan?

We see a tremendous opportunity and potential in Pakistan and the real challenge is to utilize this incredible potential. Pakistan is the seventh largest country in the world in terms of population and we have more than 100 million cell phone users and approximately 25 million internet users. The question is how do you convert this potential into viable business venture. This generates sustainable revenue not only for us but also creates employment and growth opportunities for our customers and partners.

How difficult is it to sell and market IT product in local markets?

Given high piracy rates in Pakistan, we have faced many hurdles in the past but the situation is improving over time. There is increased awareness and realization among private and public stake holders who respect intellectual property and believe that this is the right thing to do because it creates new business opportunities and promotes an environment where foreign investment grows. Having said this, there is still lot of work that needs to be done in this regard.

Are you satisfied with the achievements of Microsoft in Pakistan has made so far?

Microsoft has been in Pakistan for last 10 years and I think we have come a long way. We have expanded our workforce and partner eco system in Pakistan along with our business. What makes us really proud is our contribution towards Pakistan’s economy and society.

Microsoft was one of the largest donors in the flood relief effort; we contributed around 5 million USD in cash and software grants. Under our Partners in Learning Initiatives over 3 million students now have access to latest technology in the public schools in Punjab province only.

Microsoft Innovation Centre in Karachi is helping thousands of students and start-up companies to build successful careers and business for the last four years. Microsoft has made consistent and significant contributions towards bridging the digital divide in Pakistan and has helped many businesses through its innovative solutions and programs.

What is the future of online activities in Pakistan?

If I stretch your question a little bit; I would like to look at what happened and that is still happening in online world in response to the most devastating floods that have hit Pakistan. Companies like Microsoft, Google and Yahoo put up disaster response portals (using their online properties) immediately and they were able to link general public with disaster relief operation and NGOs in the field, and people were able to donate online. Today most organizations have some kindly of flood relief information on their websites, and this is the topic which Pakistanis are concerned about.

What are your recent campaigns and new initiatives at Microsoft Pakistan?

Microsoft offers an amazing array of products and services to a broad spectrum of customers. Most recently we launched a campaign around upcoming internet explorer9 for students and general Internet users, to help them have a richer and better experience browsing the web. Our Open Door event in Karachi brought around 1200 stake holders from the ICT industry across the Pakistan. Beginning FY11 we will be launching a new campaign to educate general public about the benefits of using genuine software, we plan to utilize social and digital media to have a dialogue with our customers in this regard. Last but not the least we will continue to engage customers across Pakistan on cloud computing and coming shifts in the technology industry.

How do you see the role of Technology Times to promote awareness of technology and its applications in Pakistan?

As we all know, Media is the fourth pillar due to its important role in shaping public opinion and creating awareness. Technology Times has done a great job in terms of promoting not only the ICT industry but overall science and technology at large in Pakistan. While at the same time Technology Times has provided a forum to industry where we can share opinions, experiences, and the challenges we are facing and we can highlight them. And they achieved this success in just one year, this is really remarkable.

Pakistan is the seventh largest country in the world in terms of population. We have more than 100 million cell phone users and approximately 25 million internet users. The question is how do you convert this potential into a viable business venture.