APU PAVITHRAN, CEO OF HEXNODE UEM - INTERVIEW WITH TOP 100 INNOVATION CEO

APU PAVITHRAN, CEO OF HEXNODE UEM HAS BEEN SELECTED BY THE JUDGES OF WORLD BIZ MAGAZINE'S ANNUAL AWARDS TO BE A RECIPIENT OF THE TOP 100 CEOS IN INNOVATION AWARD 2021. THIS SELECTION FOLLOWS A STRINGENT PROCESS THAT EVALUATED OVER 40,000 NOMINEES TO SELECT THE EXCLUSIVE LIST OF 100 WINNERS.

Apu Pavithran is the founder and CEO of Hexnode UEM, a unified endpoint management solution designed to simplify device management in the workplace.

Hexnode is the culmination of Mr. Pavithran's passion for entrepreneurship coupled with an interest in enterprise security. A firm believer in sharing the wealth of knowledge, he often tries to take a little time off to meet with young entrepreneurs to lend an ear to their queries and give some pointers.

Mr. Pavithran has been recognized in the IT management community as a consultant, speaker, thought leader and a firm advocate of IT governance and Information security management. He has been highlighted by media including Forbes tech council, Entrepreneur India, Security Boulevard, Security Magazine, Vator News, and Your Story.

"Our product, Hexnode, is a Unified Endpoint Management solution (UEM). A UEM solution can secure, manage and monitor the ever-growing fleet of devices and apps in an enterprise."

What is your product and its relevance?

Our product, Hexnode, is a Unified Endpoint Management solution (UEM). A UEM solution can secure, manage and monitor the ever-growing fleet of devices and apps in an enterprise. Hexnode helps in ensuring data security since it can apply restrictions on the devices, blacklist and whitelist apps/websites, provide information of the devices to the IT team, track the devices, push essential corporate policies and configurations. Hexnode is widely employed since it can manage multiple operating systems - Apple, Android, Windows, Fire OS and can be installed in varied endpoints like mobile phones, tablets, PCs, desktops, TVs, etc.

Share with us Hexnode's impact on your industry so far?

Hexnode is an endpoint management solution dealing with enterprise security. With the acceleration of the remote work scenario, endpoint solutions are playing a significant role in maintaining a smooth workflow without compromising data security. And here’s where a UEM comes into play.

Our flagship product, Hexnode UEM, has been mentioned in Gartner Magic Quadrant report for Unified Endpoint Management 2021 and is highlighted as a notable vendor in its Midmarket Context. The company achieved tremendous growth in the past 12 months with a 100% increase in revenue and a 200% growth in customer count since September 2020.

Hexnode has also been recognized as a Mobility Specialist in Forrester’s Now Tech Unified Endpoint Management report for Q2 2021 and is positioned as a Leader/High Performer in G2’s spring, summer and winter reports. Our annual user conference, HexCon21, brought together industry leaders and some of the finest minds in the cybersecurity landscape this year. Around 100 speakers spoke at the event, with more than 3000 attendees in 40+hours of content spread over 3 days. Our monthly webinars shed light on the trending industry subjects and help our folks educate on the newest developments in the market.

How has Hexnode adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Post-pandemic, with remote working being the norm, businesses often succumb to dropping after-sales support. This is an area we’d taken utmost care in. We shifted our critical teams to a safe lodging, conforming to the COVID-19 protocols, for them to work freely and safely. Thereby, we ensured the safety of the employees as well as facilitating a seamless, uninterrupted support experience for the customers.

Also, the pandemic was severe on many businesses – especially SMB’s. I’m glad to say that, considering the unprecedented times, we went a step ahead and gave the customers an opportunity to pause Hexnode services and to resume the services whenever they were ready. I believe that it was only ethical to understand the concerns and financial stringency of our customers in adverse circumstances.

The pandemic is more or less a watershed moment in the mobility management domain, with the industry growing leaps and bounds after the pandemic. In fact, with the rapid adoption of the hybrid model, organizations are looking at management solutions to manage a fleet of endpoints securely and to lessen the burden on the IT department. The change is enduring and irrevocable.

What are the biggest emerging trends in the enterprise security space?

Well, there is a rather disquieting trend pervading the enterprise security market – Cyberattacks. Phishing attacks and ransomware incidents are getting common and are targeting a wide range of businesses. The scenario is so alarming that almost 60 percent of small companies go out of business within 6 months of cybersecurity incidents.

BYOD is another rising trend - the concept of bringing your own devices to work. With a hybrid model being adopted worldwide, the workforce is employing personal devices for office work. While it brings forth convenience, the usage of personal devices without the essential security features like Firewall, Virtual private networks (VPN), Access controls, Intrusion prevention systems can severely compromise data security.

"Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. Fortunately, I’ve always been innately curious and intrigued by the way things work. So, listening to the diverse set of ideas from the vast pool of workforce, cross-pollinating strategies and laying a relevant roadmap are few tricks that I relish."

What drives you as an innovative leader and entrepreneur?

Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. Fortunately, I’ve always been innately curious and intrigued by the way things work. So, listening to the diverse set of ideas from the vast pool of workforce, cross-pollinating strategies and laying a relevant roadmap are few tricks that I relish.

Leadership is often about having an eye for talent and then facilitating the proper work environment for the talent to flourish. Sometimes, leadership means tough calls, and it’s essential to visualize the long-term impact of your decision. Also, having the right people around, deeply passionate about the vision of the enterprise is incredibly inspiring.

What’s next for Hexnode?

We are optimistic about the future and have put in place several plans. We’ve multiple products in the pipeline to serve a wide clientele base and the ever-expanding market. Our SaaSOps product, Hexnode Do, is expected to hit the market by next year. We are also into bringing up several new functionalities in the line of endpoint security and remote management. Scaling up our recruitment strategies is also in the forefront. We have already acquired a second physical office space in India.

What excites you most about your industry?

The industry is dynamic and rapidly evolving. Each day brings forth a fresh challenge. It requires effort and knowledge to analyse the industry in-depth and foresee the domains where there is immense potential for growth. It’s incredibly exciting, albeit challenging. For instance, a decade ago, few anticipated the potential of enterprise mobility, and now it’s at the core of many businesses. I always look forward to constantly updating myself, identifying the opportunities and launching futuristic initiatives.

What technologies do you expect will transform business in the coming years?

Technology has exploded and is evolving at lightning speed, fully transforming the way we live. While there is always an element of uncertainty or complexity, an overall understanding of the technological landscape and analysis might help in identifying the technologies that might eventually transform businesses.

Some of the technologies that can have a wide-reaching impact are-

• Machine Learning

• Artificial Intelligence

• Blockchain Technology

• Subscription as a service model

• Metaverse

What are your thoughts on the current level of diversity in your industry?

The industry embraces the concept of diversity. With considerable women in the workforce, a healthy gender ratio is maintained. The industry conventionally has been more accommodative towards gifted oddballs, bereft of social graces. The innumerable advantages of inclusion and diversity are well- documented with newer concepts like neurodiversity gaining traction.

About Hexnode

Hexnode, the Enterprise software division of Mitsogo Inc. was founded on a mission to build the future of business mobility around intelligent tools that simplify the way people work. Hexnode's award-winning UEM has now empowered organizations in over 100 countries with a centralized platform for enterprise-wide device, app, content, identity and threat management. Hexnode is now fueling the transformation to a seamless ecosystem of connected tools.

www.hexnode.com | www.mitsogo.com