A & T Network Systems, an organisation dedicated to provide innovative solutions for usage of Communication and Information Technology to users, was formed in 1996, by Mr.Ashwin Desai, a Professional second generation business man, as a diversification from the existing family business of imports and exports of Textile machineries and textile fabrics with a group turnover exceeding 50 million rupees.
Always with a quest for innovative products, solutions and applications suitable for the Indian environment, A & T has been bringing in such resources to the Indian users with its headquarters at Madurai, generally known for its temples and very traditional lifestyles.
A & T made a modest beginning of developing interactive websites way back in 1996, with tie ups with M/s.Folklore Communications Management Services Ltd., and M/s.India Yellow Pages. With many firsts to its credit, including the first website of any industry association in India, it had its own success in South India.
A & T diversified into sales of post computerization hardware products for internet and intranets for corporate, SME’s and home segments. A & T took up as the Authorised Regional Distributor for M/s.Powertel Boca Ltd., during the internet boom in India to bring in the most reliable data modems. With innovative marketing and support for customers, A & T became a success story as a new model of regional distribution.
A & T segmented itself into software and hardware divisions to focus on niche application areas. Few of the innovative software applications were the First Tri lingual Touch Screen Information Kiosk installed in India at the Madurai Railway Station, a core JAVA based software for Educational Institutions to develop their own website and interactive intranet content, and a customer relation application for Exporters – the Order Tracking System.
A & T soon went into direct Imports and distribution in 1998 by tieing up with for M/s.Asuscom Inc, Taiwan for ISDN products – modems and routers. At one time, A & T held a massive 70 % market share in South India.
A & T also established the first ISDN based internet browsing parlor with very innovative services. A & T has also been instrumental in establishing the first network of internet browsing centres under a common brand CYBERCLUB. It tied up with a US based International network and organised several events including a internet based simultaneous video conferencing programme on the Valentines day, with people in 19 countries, the first and the only city participating in a worldwide internet event.
Following this, A & T went into personal and professional video conferencing solutions in a more focused manner. With a thorough research of different products available in the market, it developed its own PC based ISDN video conferencing kit and priced it at about 60 % of the price of only other manufacturer in the world. A & T recognized early that the market of video conferencing was moving over to equipment based and hence decided to bring in cost effective equipments from an OEM manufacturer and launched the products in India under the brand imeet. At the same time, it launched a full array of new generation IP communications products - IP based phones, Video Phones, IP Faxes and Remote surveillance Systems.
A & T’s involvement with Telemedicine dates back to 1998, when Apollo Hospitals were in the process of initiating their telemedicine project. From then on, telemedicine has become a mission.
With leased lines becoming more popular, A & T tied up with RAD for leased line modems and Motorola and Cisco for Routers.
A & T became the first partner for Banyan Networks Ltd., an IIT Chennai incubated company, manufacturing DSL modems. As always, A & T found use of these modems innovatively over existing BSNL copper pairs. The application soon spread across the country and A & T were the first to supply these modems to the Indian Railways. It is now a popular data connectivity product in the Railways and major banks, public and private sector units.
A & T was appointed as agents by BSNL in 1998 for marketing their Value added services. A & T organised exhibitions along with BSNL in different cities in South India, with live working demonstrations of all the above products and solutions. Following this, BSNL had a golden period of 120 % growth in its ISDN and internet subscriber base in Tamilnadu. Later it held similar promotion campaigns with Bharti Infotel Ltd.
A & T was also appointed agents for VSNL for Internet and Leased Circuits for India in the year 2000.
A & T brought in the Ku band VSAT based internet connectivity solutions, when it tied up with Hughes Escorts Communications Ltd., as their first Business partner in India. The first Direc PC was sold in India by A & T to a leading textile industry of Madurai
A & T tied up with C Com Corporation of Taiwan for bringing in next generation xDSL products to offer better performance and connectivity applications to PSU, educational Institutions, and banks. Today, it competes against branded DSL products and offers a comprehensive solutions on next generation DSL technologies, GSHDSL and VDSL
A & T realized the need for niche segment standard products at highly affordable rates suitable for the Indian market, as the Indian market was ready to accept video conferencing technology. A & T decided to tie up with Aethra to bring in their range of video communication products, which fit right into the Indian market. A & T was appointed as the first Indian Distributor for Aethra in April, 2003. It has completed 5 years of a successful association with Aethra as of April, 2008.
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