DELPHI AUTOMOTIVE PLC LISTED ON NYSE

Delphi Automotive PLC (NYSE: DLPH) today announced that its shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol “DLPH”. Delphi is one of the world’s largest vehicle components and technology suppliers serving global automotive and commercial vehicle manufacturers.


“Today is an important milestone for Delphi,” said Rodney O’Neal, Delphi president and chief executive officer. “The Delphi team has created a business with outstanding technology and industry leading performance. We are well positioned to expand both top and bottom line growth.”

Delphi continues to drive technology leadership with over 16,000 scientists, engineers, technicians and technical professionals dedicated to providing innovative product solutions for global customers.


“Our portfolio of safe, green and connected technologies is driving growth through enhancing the safety of drivers and their passengers, addressing regulatory matters that call for environmentally-friendly solutions, as well as addressing customer needs for fuel efficiency and connectivity to their daily lives while in the vehicle,” added O’Neal. “We continue to execute our plan to deliver a pipe-line full of high tech, market- relevant product offerings.”


Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BofA Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as joint bookrunners of the offering.

About Delphi

Delphi is a leading global vehicle components manufacturer and provides electrical and electronic, powertrain, safety and thermal technology solutions to the global automotive and commercial vehicle markets. Delphi is one of the largest vehicle component manufacturers, and its customers include the largest automotive original equipment manufacturers in the world.

Tata Consultancy Services, in Cooperation with SAP, Launches AURA Dealer Business Management Service for Automotive Retailers

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions firm, in cooperation with SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), today launched AURA Dealer Business Management (DBM) Golden Template, a new predefined service based on an innovative, business-ready and “lean” model built for the auto retail sector.


AURA DBM Golden Template is a result of co-innovation and joint development efforts between TCS and SAP. The new AURA service has been built on the SAP® ERP and SAP Dealer Business Management applications. The service is offered in the form of a packaged implementation service that can help jump start business operations of auto retailers, and contains standard baseline functionality, best practices and end-to-end process scenarios for sales, service, parts business, finance, human resources and their related reports. As a fixed-cost service provided in a ready-to-deploy and out-of-the-box format, AURA reduces implementation time, provides an increased return on investment, and facilitates gradual, stage-wise customization and change management.







“The last few years have seen the automotive retail ecosystem under intense pressure,” said Milind Lakkad, head of the Manufacturing Industry Unit, TCS. “This service will provide dealers a new path to profitability and help the OEMs and channel providers differentiate their offerings and services in the market space. AURA weaves new business models built on a cutting-edge technology platform. Today there are over 100,000 automotive dealers worldwide, and the AURA solution, integrated with SAP solutions, will enable dealers and automotive OEMs to rapidly upgrade their business operating systems with contemporary best practices.”







TCS has established a Center of Excellence for dealer business management that will further drive the process of collaboration between TCS and SAP, to support and develop further innovations to this service to auto dealers and retailers.







“SAP Dealer Business Management leverages the power of the SAP Business Suite to increase value for automotive dealers by providing real-time visibility into the entire range of business operations – from customers to vehicles – at a lower, fixed cost,” said Holger Masser, head, Automotive Industry Business Unit, SAP. “Automotive retail customers will benefit from the co-innovation between SAP and TCS that has resulted in the AURA DBM Golden Template built on SAP ERP and SAP Dealer Business Management. The use of this predefined service will help automotive retail dealers get up to speed quicker with a DBM that supports their end-to-end business process needs.”


About TCS Manufacturing Industry Solutions Unit



TCS Manufacturing Industry Solutions Unit offers customers solutions that enhance competitiveness, be it through operations excellence or product and service value additions. One out of every three Fortune 500 manufacturing companies has picked TCS as a partner in their drive to implement next-generation, IT-enabled business solutions and services. TCS manufacturing solutions address all business needs from manufacturing and technology consulting to BPO, engineering to infrastructure solutions, and application development and maintenance, to system and application integration solutions. TCS Automotive Center of Excellence has a vast pool of skilled automotive consultants and offers a unique combination of intimate industry knowledge, thought leadership, skills, resources and a global presence catering to leading automotive organizations.


About Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that delivers real results to global business, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. TCS offers a consulting-led, integrated portfolio of IT, BPO, infrastructure, engineering and assurance services. This is delivered through its unique Global Network Delivery Model™ (GNDM), recognized as the benchmark of excellence in software development. A part of the Tata group, India’s largest industrial conglomerate, TCS has over 214,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 42 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $8.2 billion for year ended March 31, 2011 and is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in India. For more information, visit us at www.tcs.com

ZYNGA SHOWS ITS DARK SIDE WITH LAUNCH OF MAFIA WARS 2

Zynga, the world’s leading social game developer, today announced the global launch of Mafia Wars 2, an experience that lives on the wrong side of the social gaming tracks. Debuting in 16 languages, the most for any Zynga game at launch, Mafia Wars 2 is Zynga’s first official sequel, taking one of the company’s oldest and most successful franchises to a new level of wicked fun. Mafia Wars 2 introduces an immersive world with ruthless characters and blends the photo realistic world of Mafia Wars with a modern graphic novel style.



Built by the veteran team that created the original Mafia Wars game, Mafia Wars 2 draws inspiration from the dark side of the original and incorporates the best components of other Zynga games. Mafia Wars 2 is a story-driven, social experience where players must rise up, get revenge, and build the largest crime empire the world has ever seen. Fresh out of prison, players are welcomed back with open arms by their crime boss and handed a new turf to own and run. After getting back on their feet, players are soon betrayed and must embark on a mission of revenge to seize control of what’s rightfully theirs.


Mafia Wars 2 places a core emphasis on player vs. player combat. Familiar to Mafia Wars fans, players build their crew to help them on missions, fight rivals, take on crime bosses, and visit friends’ turfs to enhance their criminal empire and character abilities.


“Our goal with Mafia Wars 2 was to build on the Mafia Wars franchise in a way that feels familiar to our loyal players, yet provides a brand new world of criminal mischief to explore,” said Erik Bethke, general manager, Mafia Wars 2. “The game makes fighting a visceral, social experience and wraps it in a story and art style that we think our players will love. Believe us when we say that Mafia Wars 2 is unlike anything Zynga has released before. We can’t wait to let our players in on the social mayhem.”

Players progress in Mafia Wars 2 in three ways:


· Lock Your Land: Players build their turf to collect cash and keep their hands clean by hiring in-game workers to do the dirty work. Mafia Wars 2 features over 100 decorations for players to personalize their home turf. Players can build casinos, knock-off DVD stores, banks and (ahem) “grow houses.”



· Savage Saga: Players travel across seven worlds - Casino Row, Granite Square, Neon Strip, Downtown, Bluebird Meadows, Boxer Island and Westside Wharf - to seek revenge, take on crime bosses and build their empire.



· Battles & Bloodshed: The game features three fight arenas at launch – Bone yard, Badlands and Area 51 - where players fight asynchronously and attempt to rob random rivals in the game. Players call on friends (crew members) for social support. Friends help defend a player’s turf when it’s under attack and repair it after damage is dealt. After a rival is robbed, they’re added to the attacking player’s rival bar, where they can be targeted again.


Mafia Wars 2 marks one of the highest-levels of customization for a Zynga game at launch, providing players with more than 300 different types of weapons, armor and vehicles. Players outfit distinct fighting classes by amassing weapons, armor and abilities to help them in battle. Players can also generate from over 20 million unique looks for their avatar, including over 600 pieces of clothing.



Mafia Wars 2 is available today on Facebook in 16 languages (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Turkish, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Japanese and Thai).


For more information on Mafia Wars 2, visit: www.mafiawars2.com.



About Zynga Inc.

Zynga Inc. is the world's leading social game developer with more than 232 million monthly active users playing their games which include CityVille, FarmVille, Empires & Allies, The Pioneer Trail, Adventure World, Words With Friends, Mafia Wars, Zynga Poker, Cafe World, and Treasure Isle. Zynga Inc games are available on a number of global platforms including Facebook, Google+, Tencent, MySpace, Yahoo, the iPad, the iPhone and Android devices. Through Zynga.org, Zynga players have raised more than $10 million for world social causes. Zynga Inc. is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.zynga.com/ or http://www.zynga.org/

General Motors India registers 17.35 % growth in sales in September 2011

General Motors India registered a growth of 17.35 % in sales led by the overwhelming response to Chevrolet Beat Diesel in September 2011, compared to the corresponding period last year. It sold 10112 units in September 2011 against 8617 units sold in September 2010.



The September 2011 sales comprised 5261 units of Chevrolet Beat, 1789 units of Chevrolet Tavera, 1603 units of Chevrolet Spark, 814 units of the Chevrolet Cruze, 325 units of Chevrolet Optra, 192 Units of Chevrolet Aveo and 128 units of the Chevrolet Captiva.

Commenting on the performance, Mr. P. Balendran, Vice President, GM India said, “The growth was primarily driven by the recently launched most fuel efficient vehicle Chevrolet Beat Diesel. We remain committed to fully leveraging our resources to offer customers across the country best-in-class products and services that meet their unique needs. But the market continues to be sluggish due to repeated hike in interest rates and rising fuel prices, which is creating tremendous pressure in the automobile market.”


About General Motors India:

General Motors India has completed 16 years of operation in India. It started its journey in 1996 and now offers products under the Chevrolet brand, which was introduced in India in 2003. Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet is celebrating its centennial as a global automotive brand. Last year, about 4.25 million Chevrolets were sold in more than 120 countries, or one every 7.4 seconds. Chevrolet, one of the fastest growing automotive nameplates in India, provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. With a wide range of product portfolio including Chevrolet Captiva, Chevrolet Optra, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Aveo U-VA, Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Beat and Chevrolet Tavera for sale in India, GM India operates state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Halol, Gujarat and in Talegaon, Maharashtra. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at http://www.chevrolet.co.in/

Korean Air renews sponsorship with CNNGo

CNN International announces that Korean Air is continuing its sponsorship around the network’s travel, entertainment and lifestyle brand ‘CNNGo’. This renewal marks the success of a year-long partnership since May 2010 between the world’s leading news network and South Korea’s largest airline, one which launched with on-air advertising around CNN’s monthly travel and lifestyle show ‘CNNGo’.


With the sponsorship now entering into a second year, Korean Air is committed to advertising around the ‘CNNGo’ TV program which is extending from a 15-minute to a 30-minute show starting in May with Hanoi and June with Beijing. The airline’s brand will also be visible when highlights from the show airs within CNN’s other TV programs.

Korean Air’s sponsorship also extends beyond TV to CNN’s online properties. Banner ads will appear on CNNGo’s TV show page at www.cnngo.com/tv in addition to a new city section of CNNGo.com at www.CNNGo.com/Seoul for Seoul.

The sponsorship comprises a TV and online campaign designed to raise awareness of the global carrier’s brand credentials for “Excellence in Flight”. Starting May 11th, the advertisements will play out in front of CNN’s over 275-million-household audience worldwide across Asia Pacific, South Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and North America. There will also be Korean Air banner rotations and CNNGo co-branded banners running across CNN digital properties.

In June, the sponsorship rolls out further to CNNGo’s mobile properties (m.cnngo.com), including banner placements across the CNN App for iPad.

“This renewal reaffirms CNN’s success and leading position to bring strong brand visibility for Korean Air,” said William Hsu, Vice President of News Advertising Sales, CNN Asia-Pacific. “We are thrilled that the tie-up around CNNGo has extended across CNN’s diverse multi-media platforms ensuring the two brands reach an ever-growing group of consumers and travellers around the world.”

Korean Air’s Managing Vice President of Corporate Communications, Emily Cho, said: “'Korean Air is delighted to renew our sponsorship of CNNGo. The high-quality content that this program provides to viewers worldwide fits in perfectly with our brand and our dedication to incomparable service for our customers.”

About CNNGo TV

CNNGo is a monthly 30-minute show featuring a unique take on global destinations, bringing views from genuine insiders on what gives dynamic cities around the world their distinctive buzz. Taking its lead from the digital CNNGo.com, whether you’re a local, a business or leisure visitor, or even just a cultural voyeur, CNNGo delivers the best of each city by those who know it best. More information on the show, extended interviews and additional interactive content is available at www.cnngo.com/tv.



About CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com is the ultimate insider guide to the top travel, entertainment and lifestyle experiences in Asia Pacific. Focusing on Bangkok, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney - CNNGo compiles the best each city has to offer through its vast network of local professional writers and photographers across the region. Visit CNNGo.com or follow us on Twitter @CNNGo or via facebook.com/cnngo.asia to experience a new world outside your door



About CNN

CNN is the world's leading global 24-hour news network and one of the world’s most respected and trusted sources for news and information. The CNN brand is available to two billion people via 18 CNN branded TV, internet and mobile services produced by CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System Inc and a Time Warner company. CNN International is the international directorate of CNN Worldwide and distributes news via 14 services in seven different languages. CNN International can be seen in more than 275 million households and hotel rooms in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, including over 37 million across the Asia Pacific region and online at www.cnn.com/international.



About Korean Air

Korean Air, with a fleet of 134 aircraft, is one of the world's top 20 airlines, and operates almost 400 flights per day to 112 cities in 39 countries. It is a founding member of the Sky Team alliance, together with its 13 members, which offers its 395 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 13,000 daily flights covering 898 destinations in 169 countries.



In 2010, Business Traveler named Korean Air the best Asian airline for the fourth consecutive year and best transpacific business class for the fifth straight year, while Global Traveler awarded the airline with best business class seat design and best airport staff/gate agent. The carrier won the 2010 global travel catering distinction award by Pax International magazine while World Traveler magazine rated it as having the world’s best inflight service. Travel & Leisure magazine readers say it is one of the world’s top 10 international airlines and readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine voted Korean Air one of the world’s top ten global airlines.

More on Korean Air's programs, routes, frequency and partners is available at http://www.koreanair.com/

Affle gears for the next phase of exponential growth

Affle Group of Companies’ board today announced the promotion of its founder, Anuj Khanna Sohum to the position of Chairman. Anuj Kumar, Executive Director for South Asia, has been promoted to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). These changes have been introduced as part of Affle’s plans to expand its business beyond the existing markets and gear the company for the next wave of exponential growth.


As Founder and Chairman of the company, Anuj Khanna Sohum will lead Affle’s product and business expansion strategies as well as future investments and/or IPO plans. Ensuring the company’s continued focus in mobile media; he will scout for fresh product and business innovations and introduce these solutions into Affle’s active line of products and services. He would also spearhead the identification of new partnerships and acquisition opportunities to help create incremental organic and inorganic growth opportunities for Affle.


As CEO, Anuj Kumar will lead the global management of Affle’s business. His focus would be in building a very strong organisation and driving profitability while strengthening Affle's leadership position in mobile product innovation & mobile advertising. Under his leadership Affle South Asia has emerged as a leading mobile media company and he would now work towards creating much greater success for Affle globally.

Anuj Khanna Sohum, Founder and Chairman, Affle Group of Companies, said, “This is a significant development for Affle as we embark on our next phase of growth. One of our biggest achievements has been in building and growing a very strong management team. Interestingly Anuj Kumar and I had known each other for over 20 years before we started Affle five years ago. I have been impressed with his passion and commitment for continued success and I am thus delighted to see him grow into the CEO’s role”.


Going forward we will focus our efforts towards Affle becoming a global leader in mobile media innovations. We have always thrived on creating innovative solutions for consumers and businesses. I believe we are just at the onset of the mobile revolution and that Affle will play a very dominant role as a mobile media innovations company.” Sohum added.



Anuj Kumar, CEO, Affle, said, “Affle has enjoyed great early success in mobile messaging and advertising in key markets. However, our greatest achievement has been in building a very high performance, dedicated and passionate team. We are thus very confident of leading Affle to much greater heights with the continued support of this fantastic team. We are looking forward to working with our partners & shareholders to build successful products & businesses and create greater success momentum for Affle globally.”



Anuj Khanna Sohum and the founding team of Affle started in 2006 with the bold ambition of becoming a global leader in the mobile media space. Affle is his third business venture. He started his first company at the age of 20 when he was in the undergraduate programme in computer engineering, on a Singapore Airlines scholarship, at the National University of Singapore.



Sohum is extremely passionate about mobile technology and the unlimited benefits which can be unlocked from it for commercial and social good. He actively participates in industry forums to further the cause of the mobile media industry and towards improving standards and practices.



He acquired his Bachelor of Engineering degree with Honours and, subsequently, dropped out of the Master’ s programme in Computer Science to focus on his passion for entrepreneurship.



As part of the founding team of Affle, Anuj Kumar has lead Affle’s business in key Asian markets. He has successfully enabled partnerships for Affle across the mobile media eco-system including mobile network operators, content partners, media agencies, advertisers and handset manufacturers, and this has been one the important differentiators between Affle and its competitors. Anuj has also played an important role in developing and expanding business in markets like Australia, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia.



Kumar is an active speaker and participant in industry forums and conferences speaking on a range of topics related to mobile advertising and technology innovation amongst others.



Prior to starting Affle, Kumar worked in the marketing and advertising space with leading brands like ESPN STAR Sports, GroupM Mindshare and JWT. Kumar is an alumnus of the reputed St. Stephen's College Delhi from where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics. He then went on to pursue a Masters in Communications from India’s leading communications management school Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA).



About Affle: Affle is a leading international mobile media company with the headquarters in Singapore. Affle has consistently delivered innovations that enhance the user experience on mobile messaging and make mobile media a reality. Affle currently operates in Singapore, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, UK, US, Australia and China. Affle’s investors include Microsoft Corporation, Itochu Corporation of Japan, Bennett Coleman Company Limited (BCCL), Centurion Private Equity and D2 Communications.

MphasiS partners with Siemens PLM Software to provide Systems Integration for PLM Solutions to Mid-Market Organizations

MphasiS, an HP Company and leading IT services provider, announced that it will partner with Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, to provide systems integration services for PLM solutions to mid-market organizations. Under the terms of this relationship, MphasiS will provide solution integration capabilities for Siemens PLM Software’s Teamcenter® software, the world’s most widely used digital lifecycle management solution. Clients, such as Nuvera Fuel Cells, Inc. (Nuvera), a global leader in the development of fuel cell systems and fuel processors for both end users and OEMs, will benefit from the access to an integrated PLM solution comprising Siemens PLM Software’s market leading products, MphasiS’ systems integration expertise and strength in manufacturing industry knowledge, and HP’s hardware platforms.



In today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, ensuring that products and solutions are evolving to meet customer demand is critical to every organization’s bottom line. PLM is an essential platform for navigating this process, providing the necessary tools for companies to manage the road from product conception to design to manufacture and ultimately go- to-market strategy. PLM software also facilitates innovation and future product updates, improves product quality and reduces costs at numerous levels throughout the enterprise.


MphasiS has a strong team of experts in the PLM industry, with over 300 internal resources dedicated to providing innovative PLM solutions to the marketplace. Additionally, this relationship between Siemens PLM Software and MphasiS will ensure greater market coverage in the Mid-Market segment where adoption of packaged PLM is quickly growing. MphasiS’ proven offshore delivery model, use of existing tools and frameworks will help mitigate risk for the customers and help reduce the overall cost of ownership.


“This is an important partnership for MphasiS and we’re excited to leverage our PLM expertise through our work with Siemens PLM Software,” said Rajesh Makhija, Senior Vice President for Enterprise Market Unit at MphasiS. “Siemens PLM Software’s technology provides users with flexibility and scalability ranging from a single application to a customized suite, and our integration capabilities enable us to support these various platforms. Our homogeneous solutions which integrate hardware, software, services and support will greatly benefit our clients.”


"We are optimistic about extending our relationship with HP by partnering with MphasiS,” said Daniel Flick, Global Alliance Director, Siemens PLM Software. “Working with MphasiS enhances our ability to streamline implementation processes for mid-market companies and help them foster innovation and turn more ideas into successful products.”


With this new PLM Go-to-Market approach, MphasiS has been successful in gaining significant traction in the Mid-market segment. One of MphasiS’ recent PLM wins in the Mid-market space is Nuvera, a Billerica, Mass., U.S. based company that provides clean, safe, and efficient products for industrial vehicles and equipment in addition to furthering the development of power systems for automotive and transportation applications.


“As Nuvera continues to expand in the material handling market, we needed a more robust PLM solution that could run on our HP blade server infrastructure.” said Brian Landry, Senior Information Technology Manager for Nuvera Fuel Cells. “We have a great deal of confidence in our implementation of Teamcenter due to the software’s capability and due to the flexibility of MphasiS and their tight association with Siemens PLM Software.”


About MphasiS

MphasiS is a global service provider with $1B in revenues, delivering technology based solutions to clients across the world. With currently over 41,000 people, MphasiS services clients in Banking and Capital Markets, Insurance, Manufacturing, Communications, Media & Entertainment, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Transportation & Logistics, Retail & Consumer Packaged Goods, Energy & Utilities, and Governments around the world. Our competency lies in our ability to offer integrated service offerings in Applications, Infrastructure Services & Business Process Outsourcing capabilities. To know more about MphasiS, log on to http://www.mphasis.com/







.

SunGard Opens New Global Solutions Center in Pune

SunGard, one of the world's leading software and technology services companies, has opened a new state-of-the-art facility in Pune, at Westend Centre One, located in Aundh in close proximity to city center. The new Global Solutions Center in Pune is in addition to the center in Eon, Kharadi in Pune that was inaugurated last year and the SunGard Global Solutions Centers in Bangalore, Shanghai, and Tunis. SunGard started its operations in Pune and Bangalore in 1993, and has over 3,400 employees in India today. The inauguration of the new Pune facility reflects SunGard’s continued investment in India.



The new SunGard Global Solutions Center in Pune will house 2,000 employees. These employees are focused on developing, deploying and supporting SunGard’s comprehensive portfolio of solutions that help enable mission-critical operations of financial services enterprises worldwide. Designed with energy conservation as a design principle, the facility uses external fabric ducting, intelligent cooling and lighting systems, in addition to use of eco-friendly materials throughout the facility.

Mack Gill, president of SunGard’s Global Technology segment, said, “Our new state-of-the-art facility in Pune is aimed to provide our employees a high quality work environment. The facility has been built in an environmentally responsible way, and is a reflection of our corporate sustainability and conservation beliefs. Through our Global Solutions Centers, SunGard is investing to scale up its worldwide technology and operational backbone, and India is a key part of our strategy, with tremendous potential for growth.”

Akila Krishnakumar, chief operating officer, SunGard’s Global Technology segment and country head, India, emphasized the role India plays for SunGard, and observed, “Our domain- and technology-rich talent base has enabled our Global Solutions Centers in Bangalore and Pune to play significant roles in all aspects of product development and service delivery for SunGard. We continue to hire specialist domain and technology talent in order to scale up our India operations.”.

About SunGard

SunGard is one of the world's leading software and technology services companies. SunGard has more than 20,000 employees and serves 25,000 customers in 70 countries. SunGard provides software and processing solutions for financial services, higher education and the public sector. SunGard also provides disaster recovery services, managed IT services, information availability consulting services and business continuity management software. With annual revenue of about $5 billion, SunGard is ranked 380 on the Fortune 500 and is the largest privately held business software and IT services company. Look for us wherever the mission is critical. For more information, visit http://www.sungard.com/

MphasiS Expands Global Delivery Footprint in Continental Europe

MphasiS, a leading IT services provider, announced their strategic intent to augment their near-shore presence with the inauguration of a new delivery centre in Wroclaw, Poland.


MphasiS Poland will be operational by mid 2011. The company has hired Mr. Slawomir Kiedos as the Centre Head and plans to hire over 100 employees in the first year and double it over the next three years. The core principle of this center is to provide near-shore services to UK as well as Eastern European customers. MphasiS Poland is poised to meet customer needs with like time zone support, European language capabilities and MphasiS’ tenured global expertise.

This center will support existing clients, as well as attract new ones in the region. Wroclaw delivery center will offer clients business process outsourcing capabilities, high end application development and maintenance across all verticals.

“Poland offers ability to service clients in most continental European languages and is well connected with other Western European business centers. The availability of talent, language skills and an established business infrastructure in Poland made it a natural choice for us.” said Gopinathan Padmanabhan, Head Global delivery Unit. He went on to say, “Europe is an important and fast growing geography for us with a mixed portfolio of some large strategic relationships and mid-sized accounts. We are envisioning scaling the value chain for customers and their clients by metamorphosising from a cost effective supporter to a thought leader in Continental Europe. Thus, strengthening our relationship with clients in Banking & Capital Markets, Insurance, Healthcare and Telecom space”.


The center will join MphasiS’ network of Global Delivery centers providing best in class IT/ITes services to clients world-wide. Employees at the Poland center will be part of MphasiS Global Talent Pool and groomed as a part of MphasiS Talent Development Program.

SunGard Higher Education Releases ‘Talent Management Suite’

SunGard Higher Education, one of the world’s largest organizations focused exclusively on helping higher education realize the benefits of technology, today announced the availability of its new Talent Management Suite, a fully integrated solution for managing learning, performance and succession planning across a higher education institution. Delivered as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, it is designed to be easy to deploy and maintain. The Talent Management Suite is a key component of SunGard Higher Education’s Human Capital Management offerings, which includes Banner Human Resources.


According to a recent report released by Ernst and Young, spending on higher education in India is estimated to grow at an average of 18% a year to cross Rs.232,000 crore by 2020. The report also states that higher education institutes will need to improve the quality of education and focus on faculty development.

Conservative estimates show that India needs around 8,000 additional faculty members holding doctoral degrees to meet the growing demand for higher education. In addition to offering competitive packages, incentives such as international exposure, career growth and research opportunities will also need to improve so that higher education institutes can attract and retain talent.


“With higher education being outlined as one of the key priorities for the government, we believe that the sector is set to witness a massive transformation with a number of new institutes being set up and a growing number of students opting to pursue higher education in India. To fuel this transformation, there will be a large demand for high-quality faculty and staff – the greatest assets of a higher education institution,” said Vinod John, senior director sales, SunGard Higher Education. “Our Talent Management Suite is very relevant in the current environment and can help institutions cultivate and retain top talent, enabling institutions to grow and meet their objectives more effectively.”


Having the right people with the right skills, in the right roles, and at the right time can have a positive impact on an institution’s performance and help address the larger issues facing the higher education sector. Delivering on this strategic need can be a challenge for leaders in higher education. As institutions begin to lose faculty to retirement and institutional costs continue to increase, a new set of demands have been placed on higher education leadership to effectively manage talent across the institution. The SunGard Higher Education Talent Management Suite can help institutions identify key performers on campus to help improve an institution’s ability to retain and grow intellectual capital and to manage and grow the organization.


The Talent Management Suite helps institutions manage the complete employee lifecycle, from onboarding, learning, and performance management, through organizational and succession planning. It is designed to help institutions:


· Align employee training and performance with institutional goals


· Deliver institution-wide training initiatives on-demand and with measurable results


· Meet compliance and governance requirements


· Complete transparency around all processes: learning activities, readiness gaps, performance, goal management and succession planning


The Talent Management Suite is available as a full suite or as modularized components in the cloud, to give institutions more flexibility to shape how technology meets their evolving needs. It is another example of SunGard Higher Education delivering on its Open Digital Campus vision and technology strategy.

About SunGard Higher Education



SunGard Higher Education serves colleges, universities and foundations in 40 countries worldwide. Through its Open Digital Campus strategy, SunGard collaborates with the higher education community and provides software and services to help institutions find better ways to teach, learn, manage and connect. To learn more, please visit http://www.sungardhe.com/

About SunGard

SunGard is one of the world's leading software and technology services companies. SunGard has more than 20,000 employees and serves 25,000 customers in 70 countries. SunGard provides software and processing solutions for financial services, higher education and the public sector. SunGard also provides disaster recovery services, managed IT services, information availability consulting services and business continuity management software. With annual revenue about $5 billion, SunGard is ranked 380 on the Fortune 500 and is the largest privately held business software and IT services company. Look for us wherever the mission is critical. For more information, visit http://www.sungard.com/

MphasiS Q1, 2011 results

MphasiS, a leading IT and BPO Services Company, announced its financial results for the first quarter ended 31 January 2011 today. MphasiS’ consolidated revenues grew by 3.5% to 1,233.5 crores for the quarter ended 31 January 2011 from ` 1,191.6 crores for the corresponding quarter in the previous year. The net profit and EPS for the current quarter were ` 226.7 crores and ` 10.80 respectively.

The consolidated revenue for the current quarter was ` 1,233.5 crores, compared to ` 1,345.4 crores for the quarter ended 31 October 2010. The operating profit stood at ` 221.5 crores with a margin of 18.0% and the net profit stood at ` 226.7 crores with a margin of 18.4%.



“We have just completed 100 days of our transformation journey, we are very happy with our client additions for the quarter and the progress that we have made in our transformation” said Ganesh Ayyar, Chief Executive Officer of MphasiS. 18 new clients were added by MphasiS during the quarter ended 31 January 2011. The net headcount addition by the Group during the quarter was 1,097 and the total number of employees as on 31 January 2011 was 41,059.
Cash and bank balances including short-term investments in debt mutual fund
(FMP) stood at ` 1,785.5 crores as of 31 January 2011, representing an increas
the quarter.



Revenue breakdown by vertical:

Banking & Capital Markets:



• BCM business reported total revenue of ` 313.7 crores and contributed

revenue.

• During the quarter ended 31 January 2011, it added 1 new client.



Insurance:

• Insurance business reported total revenue of ` 115.6 crores. The vertica

total group revenue.

• During the quarter ended 31 January 2011, it added 2 new clients.





Information Technology, Communication & Entertainment:



• Information Technology, Communication & Entertainment vertical r

` 339.7 crores. It contributed to 28% of the total group revenue.

• During the quarter ended 31 January 2011, it added 4 new clients.





Emerging Industries:



• Emerging Industries vertical reported total revenue of ` 447.4 crores

total group revenue.

• During the quarter ended 31 January 2011, it added 11 new clients.





About MphasiS

MphasiS is a $1 billion global service provider, delivering technology based

the world. With currently over 41,000 employees, MphasiS services clien

Markets, Insurance, Manufacturing, Communications, Media & Entertain

Sciences, Transportation & Logistics, Retail & Consumer Packaged Good

Governments around the world. Our competency lies in our ability to offer i

in Applications, Infrastructure Services, and Business Process Outsourc

uniquely positioned to offer our clients the highest level of expertise and c

more about MphasiS, log on to http://www.mphasis.com/

India and Hong Kong Governments together to create more business opportunities

Head of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Mr. Donald Tsang successfully completes his four day visit to India - two days in the capital city of New Delhi and two days in the commercial hub of Mumbai. During his first official trip to India, Mr. Tsang, met senior government officials and notable members of the Indian business community to promote the advantages of Hong Kong as a regional base and a fund-raising platform for Indian firms, and highlight new opportunities arising from the growth of Renminbi** business in Hong Kong.


The latest global financial crisis has transformed the international economic landscape. The centre of economic gravity has shifted from traditional markets in the West towards Asia – and particularly toward India and China. Now the two nations are widely predicted to provide a twin-engine for global economic growth in the next decade. Speaking on this at a function Mr. Tsang said, “You don’t have to be Albert Einstein to understand how closer links between us will give both of our economies a turbo boost. Hong Kong not only enjoys a reputation as an international business and financial centre, our city is also China’s most important centre for global finance. Under the principle of “One Country, Two Systems” Hong Kong nurtures all the key ingredients for a successful banking and financial hub.”

Hong Kong has a free flow of information, ideas and capital as well as a highly transparent regulatory regime. There low and simple tax systems mean that companies pay no more than 16.5 per cent profits tax and salaries tax is just 15 per cent. There is no VAT, no GST, no capital gains tax and no death duties in Hong Kong; all of this provides the most favorable environment to the Indian companies wishing to set up operations in the region.

During Mr. Donald Tsang meeting with the Mr. Pranab Mukhejee, Indian finance minister, Mr. Tsang remarked that the government is keen to explore opportunities that will help ‘business move forward’. Key topics under discussion included suggestions towards increasing the frequencies of flights between the two places, a comprehensive Avoidance of Double taxation agreement, visa free treatment for Hong Kong visitors and Indian recognition of Hong Kong’s arbitral awards. “We are working towards creating a conducive environment for greater bilateral trade. This partnership with India will help bring mainland investors into this important market, added Mr. Tsang.”

In an another conference, Mr Tsang encouraged Indian businesses to join the 1,500 Indian companies already operating in Hong Kong, and highlighted Hong Kong's strong appeal to growing numbers of international companies as a platform to reach Guangdong, the rest of the Mainland and the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr Tsang said, “India and Hong Kong have always shared very promising bilateral relations; both have benefited each other immensely in trade and other areas. The total trade between Hong Kong and India in the first eight months of 2010 amounted to HK$94 billion (approx. US$12 billion), an increase of 43% over the same period last year. We welcome the opportunity to partner with Indian enterprises to expand their presence in Hong Kong and the Mainland Chinese markets, riding on Hong Kong’s sound legal, economic and communications infrastructure.”

What sets Hong Kong apart in the region is its ability to converge the unique “China advantages” and “global advantages” and generate an ever changing range of new products and services that has benefited not only Hong Kong and the Mainland of China, but also the rest of the world. This reinforces Hong Kong’s status as the preferred platform to carry out both China-related activities in the global financial arena, and also global operations in the Greater China market.

Mr. Tsang said, “The two nations, India and China, are the world’s most populous nations and home to about 40 per cent of the human race. Most economists predict that the economies will provide a twin-engine for global economic growth in the 21st Century. At the same time, Hong Kong cherishes its business relationship here in India. Fuelled by a nation of youthful consumers, India is now among the world’s largest destinations for retail investment. Hong Kong is also eyeing India’s middle class that is expanding rapidly, which brings about strong demand for new and exciting products”.







The Chief Executive has led a business delegation comprising some 30 leaders of Hong Kong’s biggest businesses, banks and financial institutions. Delegates provided the latest intelligence on business opportunities in Hong Kong and the rest of China. They are also shared the insight on what makes Hong Kong the world’s freest economy and one of the most business-friendly cities on earth.







Key Facts about Hong Kong:

•HK No. 1 investor in Mainland China – the top investor in every province in China – has the widest business network in China

•HK boasts of the largest IPO in the world - US$31 billion in 2009, even higher than New York and London

•360,000 Indian visitors from HK last year

•HK India bilateral trade worth $16 billion, even more than India-Japan trade which comes to around $10 billion

•Main differentiator is HK market having huge liquidity – around 4 trillion HK dollars floating around in the market

•A lot of Indian banks coming in, maximum Indian banks present in HK after India

•A prime capital raising centre in the Asian time zones. Asian firms would find it easier and faster trading in the HK stock exchange

•27, 000 Indians living in HK

•69 flights every week, looking to increase and encourage competition from Air India, Kingfisher and Jet Airways – growth of affluence in India resulting in more people wanting to travel

•In Hong Kong universities, the percentage of foreign students allowed has been increased to 20% at the same fee structure

•Good for young Indian travelers – fun city, 2 major theme parks – Disneyland and Ocean Park, one of the safest cities in the world, and very welcoming towards visitors

MphasiS establishes Near Shore Development and Delivery Center at the University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia

MphasiS will tomorrow open its first ‘near shore’ integrated development and delivery center in Australia at the University of Wollongong. The strategic location of the center will enable MphasiS to work closely with the University of Wollongong on a range of initiatives including training, recruitment, and research and development in the ICT space.


Headquartered in India, MphasiS is an HP company which employs over 38,000 people and provides applications services, remote management services, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services to customers around the world.

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The MphasiS Near Shore Center, referring to its regional location and proximity to customers in Australian capital cities and in New Zealand, will provide local employment opportunities with plans to create at least 265 jobs over five years. The center will focus exclusively on customers in Australia and New Zealand and will offer a specialised resource pool for the telecommunications industry as well as a Center of Excellence for testing. MphasiS plans to offer specialised automated testing services from the test lab being set up in Wollongong.


Initially located on the main campus of the University of Wollongong, in 2011 the MphasiS Near Shore Center will relocate to the University’s research and commercial precinct, Innovation Campus (IC). MphasiS has secured 1288sqm of A Grade commercial space in the IC Enterprise 1 building, due for completion in mid-2011. The Innovation Campus will help facilitate a healthy work-life balance for MphasiS employees given its close proximity to public transport, the University of Wollongong, the Wollongong CBD and beachfront, as well as on-site facilities including a health club and cafe. MphasiS will join BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal as tenants of IC Enterprise 1.

Both MphasiS and the University of Wollongong wish to acknowledge the strong and positive support received from the NSW Government in ensuring the establishment of the Center in Wollongong.


“Australia and New Zealand are very important markets for us,” said Sudhir Mathur, MphasiS Regional Director, ANZ. “The MphasiS Near Shore Development and Delivery Center is a key investment that we are making to cater specifically to clients in this region. Furthermore, our partnership with University of Wollongong will work towards the development of local talent and create exciting employment opportunities in the region. At MphasiS, we service Australian clients ranging from the world’s number one retail bank to the leading communications service provider. This is yet another milestone in strengthening our collaboration and service-oriented approach,” Mr Mathur added.


“The University of Wollongong is delighted MphasiS has selected the Innovation Campus to house its Near Shore Development and Delivery Center. This center will put the Innovation Campus on the map as a global ICT hub and will create long-term benefits for both the University of Wollongong and the Illawarra region,” said Professor Gerard Sutton, the University of Wollongong’s Vice-Chancellor.


“The agreement with MphasiS represents a significant win for the Australian ICT sector. It supports the NSW Government’s Knowledge Services Strategy for the Illawarra region and will establish Wollongong as an ideal near shoring location. I would like to acknowledge the University of Wollongong’s Ambassador to India, Adam Gilchrist, for his role in helping to secure this agreement, as well the support of Austrade and Industry and Investment NSW,” said Craig Peden, the University of Wollongong’s Director of Corporate Relations.

Vertex Expands Indian Footprint by Launching Joint Venture with Domestic Major Shell Transource

Vertex, a leading global Customer Management Outsourcing (CMO) and Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) company operating across a wide range of market sectors and geographies, has today announced a joint venture with Shell Transource Ltd, one of India’s largest integrated domestic BPO.


The Vertex majority-owned joint venture will emerge as a significant CMO/BPO in India to deliver integrated services across voice, non-voice and fulfillment solutions to customers in over 350 locations in India.

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Vertex will strengthen Shell Transource Ltd’s offering by integrating world-class CMO capabilities underpinned by bespoke technology and applications. This joint venture will supplement Vertex’s capabilities delivered via its four service lines comprising CMO; IT Applications and Services; Consulting and Transformation; and Decision Sciences. The focus will be on Public Sector, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), Telecom, Utilities and Retail. The combined strength will now be approximately 5,000 employees.

Paul Sweeny, CEO, Vertex Group, said, “India is one of the world's most attractive and rapidly growing markets. Today’s announcement shows our commitment to investing in this market and is part of our global strategy of broadening and deepening our CMO capabilities. We recognise a huge untapped opportunity within Shell Transource and their unique business model and have identified a valuable way of extending our CMO/BPO business in India. Our respective strengths are a natural fit and will address the fast evolving needs of the local market.”



Keshav C Gaur, CEO, Vertex India, said, “This joint venture creates one of India’s largest integrated end-to-end solution providers in the customer management outsourcing industry. We are now able to cater to the dynamic market needs of clients, especially in rural India and within Tier II and Tier III cities. We also have the advantage of multi-lingual capabilities and the understanding of these markets. Together, we will deliver strategic, integrated and optimized solutions to our customers. We also expect to recruit at a faster pace and will aim for a headcount of 20,000.”

Speaking on the announcement, Mr. Narayan Bhargava, Chairman, Shell Transource Ltd, said, “We are thrilled by the prospects presented by Vertex, its worldwide infrastructure, matchless professionalism and ground-breaking technologies. Joining forces with Vertex will enable our common vision of providing the best-in-class solutions to our clients. This joint venture will enable us to expand our presence to tap into the greater opportunity that India represents. We are happy to have found a partner like Vertex and our mutual business opportunity in India is huge.”

How ICT can deliver the low carbon economy: new study gives practical tool to assess carbon emission reductions

In an important step toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), an international partnership of information and communications technology (ICT) companies, today unveiled a methodology for evaluating the carbon-reducing potential of new ICT initiatives.


This practical tool, prepared by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on behalf of GeSI, with assistance from WSP Environment & Energy, aims to provide businesses, policy makers and the ICT industry with a common yardstick for assessing carbon emissions savings arising from ICT-based solutions such as smart motors, smart logistics, smart buildings, and smart power grids.

According to GeSI’s ground-breaking SMART 2020 report, published in 2008, ICT solutions have the potential to cut global greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 15% and save up to €600 billion ($750 billion) by 2020. The follow-up methodology announced today, provides specific guidance on how to identify and quantify the potential benefits of an ICT solution. With its focus on simplifying assessment, and a practical online tutorial, the approach aims to promote greater alignment among ICT companies, government officials, planners, and policy makers.

Speaking on the eve of the global report launch, Luis Neves, GeSI Chair, stated, “ICT innovation encourages a low carbon economy, efficiency, and preservation of our environment. This tool will help us to assess emission reductions, and to refine ICT applications so that they can deliver even more net carbon savings.”

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“Having a robust yet simple assessment methodology will allow key constituents to better understand the positive impact of ICT solutions, ultimately driving higher adoption and faster achievement of the 15% reduction potential.” added Philipp Jung, Partner and Managing Director of BCG.

The methodology provided represents close collaboration with industry, the International Telecommunication Union and other experts, and the report includes case-studies showing the assessment tool in action. A key element is the online tutorial, which provides an immediately accessible resource for guidance on using the methodology to calculate the likely climate impact of a new ICT application.

MphasiS Consolidated Results for the Quarter and Nine Months

The MphasiS Group consolidated revenue was at 1,279 crores for the quarter ended 31 July 2010 as compared to 1,106 crores in the same quarter last year displaying growth of 15.7%. During the same period, net profit increased by 18.3% from 229 crores to 271 crores. Operating Profit during the quarter ended 31 July 2010 was 276 crores, a growth of 14.5% over the same quarter last year. Operating margins stood at 21.5% for the quarter. EPS for the quarter was 12.93, an increase of 18% over the same period last year.



For the nine months ended 31 July 2010, the Group recorded revenues of 3,691 crores, a growth of 17.9% compared to 3,132 crores in the corresponding period of last year. During the same period, net profits increased by 21.6% to 807 crores from 664 crores.


Consolidated revenues for the quarter ended 31 July 2010 grew by 4.8% to 1,279 crores compared to 1,221 crores in the previous quarter. The Operating Profits grew by 0.3% sequentially and operating margin stood at 21.5%. Net profit increased to 271 crores for the quarter ended 31 July 2010 as against 267 crores for the quarter ended 30 April 2010, registering a growth of 1.5%. EPS increased to 12.93.


“Now we have crossed over USD 250 million, quarterly revenue for three quarters in a row. As MphasiS, we are now transforming ourselves in preparation for the next lap of growth.” said Ganesh Ayyar, CEO MphasiS.


During the quarter ended 31 July 2010, the Group added 22 new clients, including 16 through HP channel. This includes a Bank, a large Health care provider and clients from the manufacturing vertical. This quarter, American Postal Workers Union (APWU) partnered with MphasiS to successfully implement JavelinaTM- MphasiS’ web based platform for the Healthcare segment. MphasiS has sold 4 JavelinaTM licenses so far.


The Group also added net headcount of 1,156 during the quarter making the headcount 38,275 as at 31 July 2010. Cash and Bank balances including short term investments in mutual funds stood at 1,487 crores as at 31 July 2010, showing an increase of 190 crores during the quarter.

Vertex extends global Customer Management Outsourcing reach by acquiring Australian provider, PCI

Vertex, a leading global Customer Management Outsourcing (CMO) business has announced its acquisition of fast-growing PCI which has operations in Melbourne Australia and in the Philippines.


Following the acquisition, PCI will be rebranded as Vertex to reflect its prominence within the wider global Vertex group. The new business will build on PCI’s track record of delivering innovative inbound and outbound customer contact services linked to multilingual support in nine languages.
The acquisition adds to Vertex’s existing global portfolio in retail, utilities, financial services and the public sector across the UK, US, Canada and India. Vertex Australia with its location, outbound focus, telecommunications and retail banking experience will further bolster Vertex’s global presence. The new business will invest in client relationships and harness the Group’s experience to capitalize on the high-growth potential in the Asia Pacific market.

The company will open a new site in Ballarat, Victoria. The new location will employ 600 people over the next two years. A further site in Australia and additional investment in the Philippines are also planned.

Commenting on the announcement, Paul Sweeny, Vertex chief executive officer said: “This acquisition will allow us to enter markets where we can make a real difference to the way organizations interact with, and manage, their customers’ experiences. It also gives us direct access to a growing regional market that is an important element of our global growth ambitions. I am especially delighted that Vertex Australia will be able to offer increased, added-value solutions to its clients and enhanced opportunities for all our people.”

The business will be Vertex’s first wholly owned Australian operation and will be led by Phil Allan, CEO who was previously CEO of PCI.

Phil Allan added: “We are excited by opportunities unlocked by the wider Vertex Group, its global infrastructure, first-rate people and innovative technologies. There is considerable potential in our market and we are in an excellent position to capitalize on this.”

Spectranet partners nivio to offer 'Hosted Messaging and Collaboration Services'

Spectranet, an Integrated Communication Services Provider, today announced its partnership with nivio, a cloud computing company, to launch its subscription-based messaging and collaboration service offerings. Spectranet will offer its ‘Hosted messaging and collaboration Services’ on a special ‘Pay- As- You- Go’ and ‘Zero Investment’ model thereby helping businesses to become more productive, efficient and competitive.

Spectranet will offer wide range of hosted solutions right from basic email solutions to high end enterprise applications on the robust Microsoft exchange platform. Supported by the Spectranet’s rapid deployment process, the hosted services will help enterprises and SMBs to achieve significant productivity benefits without any up-front costs.


Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Udit Mehrotra, Director, Spectranet, said, “At Spectranet, we believe in enabling our clients to work efficiently and keep pace in a very competitive market environment. We are focusing a lot on offering innovative ‘Voice & Data’ solutions for the enterprise and BPO sector. In this regard, it gives me immense pleasure to announce our offerings in ‘Hosted Messaging and Collaboration Services’ in partnership with nivio. We see tremendous growth in the overall email market in India growing from mere 15% in 2008 to CAGR of 52% by 2012. There is a huge potential of our hosted services from sectors such as IT/ITeS, BFSI, Government, Manufacturing, Telecom, Health, Retail, Trading etc.


Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Matt Colebourne, Chief Operating Officer, nivio, said, “We are delighted to be working with Spectranet to reach out to a much larger audience and offer hosted messaging and collaboration. Hosted services are the future; enterprises reap the benefits of rapid deployment, best of breed solutions and scalability. They are also liberated from the financial headache of capital expense buying hardware and software and, instead, transform this into monthly spends based on usage.”







Built-in proven anti-spam and anti-virus technologies, hosted services will provide a cost effective and easy to use web interface. Companies will get customized packages basis their need and budget and end users can share emails, contacts, calendars, content and manage multiple tasks without a hindrance. This will be further supported by a 24x7 phone based customer support.


Hosted services also bring in a plethora of benefits such as 100% back up of data, regular software upgrades and updates, optimized data security and high availability of infrastructure with SLA. With these services, end users can improve productivity and get more done by having shared contacts, calendars, share files and messages in public folders and also manage projects by assigning & tracking tasks while accessing information anytime, anywhere.

Everest Group reports project growth of 20% and above for finance & accounting and procurement outsourcing in 2010"

Large buyers signed the majority of IT outsourcing deals during 2009, according to Everest Group, a global sourcing consulting and research firm. Based on the Finance & Accounting Outsourcing (FAO)Annual Report 2010, the FAO market in 2010 is expected to resume a growth trajectory more similar to pre-recessionary levels, moving towards 20 percent and reach nearly US$3.7 billion in annual contract volume (ACV). Everest’s Procurement Outsourcing (PO) Annual Report 2010 projects the PO market to grow in excess of 20 percent in 2010 and reach nearly US$1.3 billion in ACV.
The research reports global FAO supplier landscape – leaders major contenders, emerging players, the 2009 star performers and the dynamic PO supplier landscape of evolving end-to-end capabilities. The report which analyzes suppliers of FAO and PO services comprises of supplier evaluations and relative market positions, and draws comparisons between relative market success and capability developments thereby sharing details about the changes in the global supplier landscape in 2009.
“In the FAO and PO markets, we see two stages of evolution, both of which require buyers to have a strong understanding of the evolving dynamics in these markets to make intelligent decisions that fit the strategies of their organizations,” said, Saurabh Gupta, Research Director, Everest Group. “The mature FAO market is getting increasingly competitive with players vying to carve out unique value propositions to differentiate themselves. On the other hand, the nascent PO market is quite dynamic, characterized by new players entering the market, revised value propositions and significant alliance activity”, added Saurabh.
“The studies detail the supplier landscape & preferences to buyer revenue size, industry group, buyer geography, along with information on the supplier trends to give an in-depth analysis of evolving market. As suppliers have sought to establish differentiated competitive positioning, many have built out distinct capabilities along various dimensions. Buyers will increasingly find themselves weighing these supplier strengths against their own business priorities,” said, Mr Gaurav Gupta, Principal & Country Head, India, Everest group.

The FAO market in 2009 saw successful suppliers fine tune capability mixes and position for anticipated growth this year. IBM, Accenture, and Genpact are dominant leaders, but a number of other suppliers are closing the gap. Moving forward, successful suppliers will continue to identify and refine target buyer segments, meet client needs in terms of global delivery capacity & service, bring technology & process solutions that more closely link process operations with business outcomes, and focus on client relationship management

In 2009, the PO supplier market witnessed the emergence of alliances and partnerships between procure-to-pay (P2P) and sourcing-focused suppliers to compete against global end-to-end source-to-pay (S2P) suppliers such as Accenture and IBM. Last year, suppliers engaged in capability investments, primarily focused on enhancing technology and end-to-end S2P capabilities, and willingly took on componentized engagements that allowed buyers to pursue a phased approach to PO.

“FAO buyers should expect business and process impacts beyond labor savings and existing buyers need to be focused on end-of-term strategies to expand value beyond what was gained in existing engagements,” said Saurabh. “With the expansion of PO supplier landscape, buyers of PO services should exercise their right to chose depending on their desired value proposition.” he added.

More than 20 FAO suppliers with multi-process capabilities are included in the FAO supplier study, including Accenture, ACS-Xerox, Capgemini, Cognizant, EXL, Genpact, HCL, HP, IBM, iGate, Infosys BPO, TCS, Wipro, WNS, among others. Suppliers earning Everest recognition as “2009 FAO Market Star Performers” are Genpact, IBM, Infosys, Wipro and WNS.

The PO supplier study includes Everest’s analysis across 15-plus suppliers with multi-process capability, including Accenture, CapGemini, Genpact, HCL, HP, IBM, , Infosys BPO, TCS, Wipro and WNS among others. Everest highlighted Accenture, IBM, ICG Commerce, Infosys BPO and TCS as “2009 PO Market Star Performers.”
Market Star Performers are suppliers that demonstrated the strongest movement across two dimensions last year:

· Market success in 2009 based on ACV growth, number of contract signings, and value of contract signings in 2009

· Capability advancements in 2009 based on expansion of scale, scope, delivery footprint and technology investments

MphasiS to acquire Fortify Infrastructure Services

MphasiS today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Fortify Infrastructure Services, a global provider of offshore based Remote IT Operations and Management (ROM) Services.

Fortify Infrastructure Services is a privately held company with presence in India and the US. The acquisition will give MphasiS access to marquee customers, an experienced management team, a talent pool of highly specialized professionals and a proven platform to provide ROM services. This will be part of a new business unit which focuses on ROM services.

MphasiS is now positioned to take lead in the rapidly emerging market for offshore ROM services. Through this acquisition, MphasiS will be able to provide outcome based services which go beyond technical SLAs. This disruptive approach will be a game changer amongst providers of offshore ROM services.

“This acquisition will catapult us ahead as a provider of offshore based ROM services. Mid Market customers are looking for partners to solve the challenges of operating and managing their IT. We see this as our sweet spot to provide cost effective and outcome based ROM services.” said Ganesh Ayyar, CEO MphasiS.

“Our proven industry track record in providing outcome-based ROM services, coupled with MphasiS’ rich expertise and leading offshore capability will provide Mid Market customers a flexible, high-value operations management platform that is focused on achieving their business objectives,” said Rajkumar Velagapudi, CEO of Fortify.

MphasiS will be acquiring a 100% equity stake in Fortify Infrastructure Services in an all-cash transaction. MphasiS was advised by Avendus Capital in this transaction.