As senior vice-president (VP), telecom services, Sify Technologies, Daniel Alex is responsible for delivering a suite of communication services to enterprises. These services are offered over a domestic network that spans 1,000 towns and cities. Internationally, the services are delivered through points of presence established in the US, the UK, the Middle East, Singapore and Hong Kong. The company has monetised these assets to offer telecom services that include voice, video and data.

From a business perspective, Sify has opted to be a niche player, serving enterprise customers. Says Alex, “As the cost of customer acquisition at the bottom of the pyramid is high, we prefer to serve enterprise customers.”

Alex expects significant growth in the data business, which will ride on telecom infrastructure development in the country. Currently, the company is using MPLS as the leading technology for its network. However, Alex points out that in the near future, MPLS technology will give way to high speed data delivery through the Ethernet. Worldwide, networking companies are adopting this trend and Sify Technologies too is taking the same path for upgrading its network. The biggest challenge before Alex is to run a high investment business profitably while keeping pace with the rapidly changing technologies.

In a career spanning more than two decades, Alex has gained diverse experience. He started by selling computers and then moved on to software and training. Alex has spent a major part of his career with Sify Technologies. He has also worked with organisations like ESCO Audio Visuals and Network Limited.

A graduate in English, Alex always wanted to pursue a career in sales. So, how does he explain the apparent disconnect between his qualification and choice of career? “Everything in life boils down to one’s interest in learning new things,” Alex comments. “If one is keen on learning, one can adapt to any environment.”

In terms of management, Alex favours empowering his team by exercising the necessary controls and monitoring it only periodically. “I also believe in strong team play,” he says.

Alex has varied interests. An extensive traveller, he prefers beaches and historical places. He likes London very much, which he says has an amazing history. He also enjoys listening to music in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and English. One of his favourite pastimes is spending time with his two dogs and parrots. His family comprises his wife, an entrepreneur and interior designer, and a son and a daughter.