India's first mission to moon -- Chandrayan-I -- is tentatively scheduled to be launched on September 19 this year, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman Madhavan Nair told newsmen in Hyderabad on Friday.
He said that all the preparations have been nearly completed and the exact date of the launch will be decided within a month. He described September 19 as the 'earliest opportunity' for the historic launch.
He was speaking on 'Indian Space Programme - Future Perspectives', during the National Technology Day lecture in Hyderabad, organised by the Andhra Pradesh Academy of Science and National Geophysical Research Institute.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Wipro Launches Initiative On Ecological Sustainability
4 Jun, 2008
BANGALORE: Wipro Limited has launched Eco Eye, a corporation-wide initiative on ecological sustainability.
"Eco Eye is Wipro's comprehensive programme that drives increasing ecological sustainability in all its operations, as also areas of its influence", a Wipro release said on Wednesday.
The initiative attempts to engage with increasing levels of intensity with all stakeholders - Wipro's own employees, partners, suppliers, customers and immediate communities, it said.
Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Limited, said, "We firmly believe business cannot be built at the cost of ecology. It is not sustainable. Ecological sustainability will increasingly be the defining force for society and business globally. Wipro believes ecological sustainability is the right thing to do - in fact is the only way forward".
BANGALORE: Wipro Limited has launched Eco Eye, a corporation-wide initiative on ecological sustainability.
"Eco Eye is Wipro's comprehensive programme that drives increasing ecological sustainability in all its operations, as also areas of its influence", a Wipro release said on Wednesday.
The initiative attempts to engage with increasing levels of intensity with all stakeholders - Wipro's own employees, partners, suppliers, customers and immediate communities, it said.
Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Limited, said, "We firmly believe business cannot be built at the cost of ecology. It is not sustainable. Ecological sustainability will increasingly be the defining force for society and business globally. Wipro believes ecological sustainability is the right thing to do - in fact is the only way forward".
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Majority of Engineering Graduates Not Employable: Experts
MUMBAI: India awarded 2.3 Lakh Engineering Degrees in 2006, but only a small fraction of these engineers are actually employable by industry, leading education experts and industry executives said.
A majority of these graduates come from tier-III and tier-IV colleges, which have very poor infrastructure, they added. On the other hand, tier-I and tier-II colleges, namely the IITs, IISc and the NITs produce , less than 1% of engineering graduates, 20% M.Techs and 40% PhD in India, said Prof Rangan Banerjee of IIT Bombay at a panel discussion on 'India's leadership in manufacturing role of engineering education' in Mumbai.
A majority of these graduates come from tier-III and tier-IV colleges, which have very poor infrastructure, they added. On the other hand, tier-I and tier-II colleges, namely the IITs, IISc and the NITs produce , less than 1% of engineering graduates, 20% M.Techs and 40% PhD in India, said Prof Rangan Banerjee of IIT Bombay at a panel discussion on 'India's leadership in manufacturing role of engineering education' in Mumbai.
Wipro Launches Fit for Life For Its Employees
BANGALORE: Wipro Limted launched Fit for Life, a comprehensive well-being programme for its employees, today.
"The objective of the programme is to evaluate and improve well-being,both physical and mental, quotient of employees as well as integrate all current well-being initiatives under the umbrella to strengthen it further", a Wipro release said.
Commenting on the initiative, Girish Paranjpe, joint CEO and Executive Director, Wipro Limited, said, "Employee well-being is of paramount importance to us. Fit for Life is yet another initiative in this direction. Companies need to have such initiatives as they will become hygiene factors in choice of employers in the future."
"The objective of the programme is to evaluate and improve well-being,both physical and mental, quotient of employees as well as integrate all current well-being initiatives under the umbrella to strengthen it further", a Wipro release said.
Commenting on the initiative, Girish Paranjpe, joint CEO and Executive Director, Wipro Limited, said, "Employee well-being is of paramount importance to us. Fit for Life is yet another initiative in this direction. Companies need to have such initiatives as they will become hygiene factors in choice of employers in the future."
Bill Gates Signals End of Computer Mouse Era
LONDON: Microsoft is developing a system that could spell the end the use of computer mouse, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has said.
"The way you interact with the system will change dramatically," the billionaire said at a conference in Canada, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph today.
He said that computer users of the future will control their machines by voice and pen as well as touch.
Users of Windows 7 will issue commands by touching the screen rather than by the traditional keyboard and mouse combination that has dominated since the 1970s.
Windows 7 is due to be released in 2010 and is Microsoft's attempt to catch up with Apple, whose touch screen iPhone has proved popular.
Touch screens are appearing on a host of other devices, including sat-navs, mobile phones and remote controls. A touch screen BlackBerry is expected shortly.
"The way you interact with the system will change dramatically," the billionaire said at a conference in Canada, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph today.
He said that computer users of the future will control their machines by voice and pen as well as touch.
Users of Windows 7 will issue commands by touching the screen rather than by the traditional keyboard and mouse combination that has dominated since the 1970s.
Windows 7 is due to be released in 2010 and is Microsoft's attempt to catch up with Apple, whose touch screen iPhone has proved popular.
Touch screens are appearing on a host of other devices, including sat-navs, mobile phones and remote controls. A touch screen BlackBerry is expected shortly.
New Microsoft Operating System to Have Touch-Screen Feature
CARLSBAD(CALIFORNIA): Microsoft Corp has said that its next operating system will be made for touch-screen applications, an alternative to the computer mouse.
Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer unveiled the iPhone-like touch-screen feature at The Wall Street Journal's "D: All Things Digital" conference, calling it "just the smallest snippet" of the Windows 7 operating system slated for release in late 2009.
A Microsoft employee showed possible applications like enlarging and shrinking photos and navigating a map of San Diego by stroking the screen.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates framed the new feature as an evolution away from the mouse.
Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer unveiled the iPhone-like touch-screen feature at The Wall Street Journal's "D: All Things Digital" conference, calling it "just the smallest snippet" of the Windows 7 operating system slated for release in late 2009.
A Microsoft employee showed possible applications like enlarging and shrinking photos and navigating a map of San Diego by stroking the screen.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates framed the new feature as an evolution away from the mouse.
K Raheja to set up Mindspace IT park in Bhubaneswar
(250 Crore Will be Invested in the First Phase)
The Orissa government today entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the K Raheja Corporation for setting up a IT park in Bhubaneswar with 'Mindspace' branding. Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, commissioner-secretary, IT department, Government of Orissa and Ravi C Raheja, director, K Raheja Corporation signed the documents.
The proposed IT park will be implemented through a joint venture company to be formed between the state owned Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) and K Raheja group. It is expected to be completed in about 3 years and an estimated Rs 250 crore will be invested in the first phase.
Proposed to be built over 30 acres of land, the IT park is expected to generate employment opportunities for more than 12,000 persons in next 3-4 years.
The Orissa government today entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the K Raheja Corporation for setting up a IT park in Bhubaneswar with 'Mindspace' branding. Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, commissioner-secretary, IT department, Government of Orissa and Ravi C Raheja, director, K Raheja Corporation signed the documents.
The proposed IT park will be implemented through a joint venture company to be formed between the state owned Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) and K Raheja group. It is expected to be completed in about 3 years and an estimated Rs 250 crore will be invested in the first phase.
Proposed to be built over 30 acres of land, the IT park is expected to generate employment opportunities for more than 12,000 persons in next 3-4 years.
Microsoft Sees Higher Windows Mobile Unit Sales
TAIPEI: Microsoft said on Tuesday it expects global unit sales of its Windows Mobile software for cellphones to grow at least 50 per cent per year in fiscal years 2008 and 2009.
US Slowdown Worries Satyam
MUMBAI: Satyam Computers services today said it is worried about the impending slowdown in the US, however it has factored it in when issued the guidance last month for this year. So, there is no change in guidance based on the impending slowdown.
"The US market is worrisome. Any slowdown there would impact us directly. The banking and financial services industry have been impacted and it is in deterioration mode," Satyam Chief Financial Officer V Srinivas told reporters. "We are adopting a wait and watch approach towards the US market," he said. The banking and financial services industry contribute 24 per cent to the total Satyam revenues.
"The US market is worrisome. Any slowdown there would impact us directly. The banking and financial services industry have been impacted and it is in deterioration mode," Satyam Chief Financial Officer V Srinivas told reporters. "We are adopting a wait and watch approach towards the US market," he said. The banking and financial services industry contribute 24 per cent to the total Satyam revenues.
TCS Among Top Companies Selected For Corporate Responsibility
LONDON: India's largest software exporter Tata Consultancy Services was today named as one of the top 100 companies chosen for helping people globally through its corporate responsibility programme.
TCS has been chosen by The Sunday Times in its list of "Companies that Count in 2008' for extending support to people globally through outreach programmes, community education and health initiatives.
The TCS is the world's leading information technology consulting, services, business process outsourcing and engineering services organisation, the report said.
The company that heads the list is Accenture, an accountants and consultants giant. BAA, the British Airport Authority has bagged the second position.
TCS has been chosen by The Sunday Times in its list of "Companies that Count in 2008' for extending support to people globally through outreach programmes, community education and health initiatives.
The TCS is the world's leading information technology consulting, services, business process outsourcing and engineering services organisation, the report said.
The company that heads the list is Accenture, an accountants and consultants giant. BAA, the British Airport Authority has bagged the second position.
Infosys Employees to Undergo Certification for Promotion
In what will be the first such comprehensive exercise in the IT industry, all the 91,000-odd employees of India's second-largest IT services provider, Infosys Technologies, will now have to pass certification programmes to get promoted.
The certification programme, conducted every March, is now being extended across the board and will test the employees' domain expertise, and grade them accordingly to be eligible for promotion.
Nandita Gurjar, V-P and group head (HRD), Infosys, said: "We took a re-look at our performance structure, and decided that this year onwards, we will have various training certifications for our employees. Those who qualify for these certification benchmarks will be considered for higher and complex jobs."
The Bangalore-based IT firm also has a bottom performance plan, according to which the poor performers are given a chance to improve their skills. But if we see no improvement, despite all measures, we will let go of the employees, Said Gurjar.
She confirmed that some employees were asked to leave on these grounds, but declined to put a figure to it. Incidentally, this calendar year, there were reports of IBM laying off 500 to 600 freshers, and working on ways to certify the skill levels of its employees.
Besides, 500 people were asked to resign from India's largest IT services provider, TCS . Yahoo! India, too, reportedly told 45 full-time employees across all levels to quit on these grounds.
The certification programme, conducted every March, is now being extended across the board and will test the employees' domain expertise, and grade them accordingly to be eligible for promotion.
Nandita Gurjar, V-P and group head (HRD), Infosys, said: "We took a re-look at our performance structure, and decided that this year onwards, we will have various training certifications for our employees. Those who qualify for these certification benchmarks will be considered for higher and complex jobs."
The Bangalore-based IT firm also has a bottom performance plan, according to which the poor performers are given a chance to improve their skills. But if we see no improvement, despite all measures, we will let go of the employees, Said Gurjar.
She confirmed that some employees were asked to leave on these grounds, but declined to put a figure to it. Incidentally, this calendar year, there were reports of IBM laying off 500 to 600 freshers, and working on ways to certify the skill levels of its employees.
Besides, 500 people were asked to resign from India's largest IT services provider, TCS . Yahoo! India, too, reportedly told 45 full-time employees across all levels to quit on these grounds.
Infosys Sees Higher Wages to Keep Staff
MUMBAI: Infosys Technologies Ltd, India's No 2 software services exporter, is seeing greater competition for talent, and expects higher salaries to help prevent attrition, a top company official said on Wednesday.
Infosys, which plans to add 25,000 employees in 2008/09, has made 18,000 offers to students at engineering colleges, and will also hire about 330 business school graduates, Nandita Gurjar, group head of human resources, told reporters.
"At business schools, we are competing with financial services firms -- they are the 'in thing' now," she said. "But at engineering colleges, where we compete with other software firms, we get in at Day Zero or Day One."
The Bangalore-based firm, which trails leader Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has said wage increases of 11-13 per cent will impact margins by 2.3 per cent in the June quarter.
But higher wages were essential to retain talent in an industry where attrition levels are at 14-16 per cent, she said. "Our attrition rate is 13.4 percent, and we'd like to get it back to single digits -- the level we were at in 2004.
Infosys, which plans to add 25,000 employees in 2008/09, has made 18,000 offers to students at engineering colleges, and will also hire about 330 business school graduates, Nandita Gurjar, group head of human resources, told reporters.
"At business schools, we are competing with financial services firms -- they are the 'in thing' now," she said. "But at engineering colleges, where we compete with other software firms, we get in at Day Zero or Day One."
The Bangalore-based firm, which trails leader Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has said wage increases of 11-13 per cent will impact margins by 2.3 per cent in the June quarter.
But higher wages were essential to retain talent in an industry where attrition levels are at 14-16 per cent, she said. "Our attrition rate is 13.4 percent, and we'd like to get it back to single digits -- the level we were at in 2004.
Infosys Brand Value Reports Slowest Growth in FY08
BANGALORE: Infosys Technologies saw its brand value report the slowest growth in absolute numbers during FY08. Infosys brand value, according to the latest annual report, stood at Rs 31,863 crore compared to Rs 31,617 crore in the preceding year, showing a paltry 0.77% jump. This is in stark contrast with the 37.97% vault in FY07 and a whopping 61% rise in FY06. Infosys brand value was pegged at Rs 14,153 crore in FY05, reflecting the robust growth it reported running into FY08.
India's Top IT Companies Hire Less
CHENNAI: Last year something unprecedented happened in the top Indian software companies. As a bunch, they hired less number of people in 2007-08 than they did the previous year.
For years, the burden on the recruiters in India's top six IT companies - TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, Satyam and HCL Tech - has been going only up and up. If they hired 100 people one year, they could safely assume that they will have to hire anywhere between 125 to 150 people the next.
But, last year they had to hire only 97. These six companies made addition of 89,868 people in 2007-08, about 2500 less than 92,412 people they hired dur-ing the previous year.
Going by early indications, this year could be as bad. In the earnings call, none of the companies have been very enthusiastic on the hiring front. Engineering colleges, traditionally the recruitment bastion for IT companies, are feeling the pinch already and they expect the campus intake to come down by at least 15-20% this year.
There is no single reason, industry players say. A combination of drivers including temporary hiccups such as thinner margins, long term trends such as movement towards fixed bid pricing, desired goals such as higher productivity has made top companies relatively less greedy for its most important resource.
For years, the burden on the recruiters in India's top six IT companies - TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, Satyam and HCL Tech - has been going only up and up. If they hired 100 people one year, they could safely assume that they will have to hire anywhere between 125 to 150 people the next.
But, last year they had to hire only 97. These six companies made addition of 89,868 people in 2007-08, about 2500 less than 92,412 people they hired dur-ing the previous year.
Going by early indications, this year could be as bad. In the earnings call, none of the companies have been very enthusiastic on the hiring front. Engineering colleges, traditionally the recruitment bastion for IT companies, are feeling the pinch already and they expect the campus intake to come down by at least 15-20% this year.
There is no single reason, industry players say. A combination of drivers including temporary hiccups such as thinner margins, long term trends such as movement towards fixed bid pricing, desired goals such as higher productivity has made top companies relatively less greedy for its most important resource.
49 Million Indians Log on to Internet in '08
NEW DELHI: Call it the democratisation of internet in India. Every one in 10 urban Indians (12%) is now net connected. Over two-thirds (70%) of all internet users reside outside metros. And across urban and rural India, internet using population is evenly spread across all socio-economic classes (SEC). What's more, over 70% internet users prefer to access the net in Indian languages, with English users at just 28%, down from 41% in 2007.
There are over 49-million internet users in the country. Urban users account for a bulk of it, 40 million, with rural net users numbering 9 million. Regular net users, defined as anyone accessing the net at least once a month, number around 35 million (30-million urban and 5-million rural).
There are over 49-million internet users in the country. Urban users account for a bulk of it, 40 million, with rural net users numbering 9 million. Regular net users, defined as anyone accessing the net at least once a month, number around 35 million (30-million urban and 5-million rural).
Computer Software Piracy Costs India $2 Bn
NEW DELHI: The Indian software industry lost about two billion dollars of revenue this year due to use of pirated softwares, a study has said.
A study by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an international association representing the global software industry, showed that though computer software piracy rates in India declined, the country still registered losses to the tune of 2 billion dollars in 2007 in monetary terms, compared to 1.28 billion dollar in 2006.
Piracy of software on personal computers (PC) in India has come down to 69 percentage points for 2007, toeing the global trend in which piracy rates dropped in most countries, the study said.
A study by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an international association representing the global software industry, showed that though computer software piracy rates in India declined, the country still registered losses to the tune of 2 billion dollars in 2007 in monetary terms, compared to 1.28 billion dollar in 2006.
Piracy of software on personal computers (PC) in India has come down to 69 percentage points for 2007, toeing the global trend in which piracy rates dropped in most countries, the study said.
US Slump to Prop Up India as Next Offshoring Hotspot
Belt-tightening by global technology giants—a fallout of US economic slowdown—is likely to reinforce India as the most preferred offshoring destination. Top technology firms are actively moving part of their workforce from the US, UK and European markets to lower-cost destinations.
They cite availability of local talent, better delivery and conducive enviroment as key offshoring reasons. While they may not admit it, firms would be looking at stepping the gas on offshoring to curb bloating costs and to lift margins.
Networking and telecom software major Nortel, for one, has recently decided to move almost 1,000 jobs from the US and the UK to low-cost , high-growth destinations like India, China and Mexico. The move is aimed at both restructuring business and reducing costs, Nortel Networks global services president Dietmar Wendt told.
They cite availability of local talent, better delivery and conducive enviroment as key offshoring reasons. While they may not admit it, firms would be looking at stepping the gas on offshoring to curb bloating costs and to lift margins.
Networking and telecom software major Nortel, for one, has recently decided to move almost 1,000 jobs from the US and the UK to low-cost , high-growth destinations like India, China and Mexico. The move is aimed at both restructuring business and reducing costs, Nortel Networks global services president Dietmar Wendt told.
The Compact Disk or CD
It was on August 7,1982, that the world's first music CD rolled off the assembly line in a factory near Hannover in Germany, owned by Philips, the Dutch company that co-developed the new recording technology with Japan-based Sony.
The technology of the music CD was soon modified to create the CD-ROM (for read only memory) which quickly became the de facto recording and portable storage medium for the personal computer.
Interestingly, the world's second largest maker of optical storage devices such as CDs and DVDs is an Indian undertaking — Moser Baer — which rolls out over 3.2 billion disks a year from its plant in Noida near Delhi.
The company has already moved to the next era of the high density DVD which kicks up the storage capacity of each platter to over 25 gigabytes. It is operating internationally certified production processes for both competing high density DVD standards — HD DVD and Blu ray.
The technology of the music CD was soon modified to create the CD-ROM (for read only memory) which quickly became the de facto recording and portable storage medium for the personal computer.
Interestingly, the world's second largest maker of optical storage devices such as CDs and DVDs is an Indian undertaking — Moser Baer — which rolls out over 3.2 billion disks a year from its plant in Noida near Delhi.
The company has already moved to the next era of the high density DVD which kicks up the storage capacity of each platter to over 25 gigabytes. It is operating internationally certified production processes for both competing high density DVD standards — HD DVD and Blu ray.
Microsoft Launches Video on Messenger
LONDON: Microsoft Corp has launched a new online service in 20 countries which will allow users to watch video clips at the same time as a network of friends and chat via Windows Live Messenger.
The new service called Messenger TV will offer a range of clips on MSN Video including MTV shows and music clips from providers such as Sony BMG. The firm hopes the ability to watch clips with friends on different computers will create a new social experience and attract users who already spend hours on social networks.
The new service called Messenger TV will offer a range of clips on MSN Video including MTV shows and music clips from providers such as Sony BMG. The firm hopes the ability to watch clips with friends on different computers will create a new social experience and attract users who already spend hours on social networks.
Mid-Size IT Companies Likely to be Impacted by US Slowdown
NEW DELHI: Mid-sized IT services and BPO companies are vulnerable to the adverse impact of US slowdown due to exchange rate volatility, slower deal closures, inflation and low billing rates than their bigger counterparts, a study said on Monday.
"The mid-size IT services companies are more likely to face the combined pressure of exchange rate risk, lower billing rates, domestic inflation and slower deal closures," the study by the CyberMedia publication for the outsourcing industry said.
The large vendors with multi-shore delivery capabilities like TCS, Wipro, Infosys, Satyam and HCL Technologies would be better equipped to exploit new opportunities in the slowdown period, it added.
However, the study said slowdown in US economy will have moderate impact on the global IT services and BPO industry.
The economic slowdown in the US would impact profitability and revenues in the short term, the study said.
"The mid-size IT services companies are more likely to face the combined pressure of exchange rate risk, lower billing rates, domestic inflation and slower deal closures," the study by the CyberMedia publication for the outsourcing industry said.
The large vendors with multi-shore delivery capabilities like TCS, Wipro, Infosys, Satyam and HCL Technologies would be better equipped to exploit new opportunities in the slowdown period, it added.
However, the study said slowdown in US economy will have moderate impact on the global IT services and BPO industry.
The economic slowdown in the US would impact profitability and revenues in the short term, the study said.
Infosys Offers Free Coaching for SC Engineering Students
NEW DELHI: Software giant Infosys technology has offered to provide free coaching to Scheduled Caste students for pursuing engineering job courses.
The coaching has been offered as part of the Central Sector Scheme of Free Coaching for Scheduled Castes and OBC students, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
The scheme, which has been approved by the Centre, would have its expenses met under the Public-Private Partnership scheme, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Subbulakshmi Jagdeesan said in a written reply.
The Government has agreed to provide an amount of Rs 45,000 per candidate and stipend of Rs 750 per local student per month and Rs 1500 per outstation students per month, she said.
The coaching has been offered as part of the Central Sector Scheme of Free Coaching for Scheduled Castes and OBC students, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
The scheme, which has been approved by the Centre, would have its expenses met under the Public-Private Partnership scheme, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Subbulakshmi Jagdeesan said in a written reply.
The Government has agreed to provide an amount of Rs 45,000 per candidate and stipend of Rs 750 per local student per month and Rs 1500 per outstation students per month, she said.
Microsoft to Build $280 mn China R&D Centre
BEIJING: Microsoft Corp broke ground on Tuesday on a $280 million research centre that is to become the software giant's largest research facility outside of the United States.
Microsoft plans to double the number of full-time Microsoft research employees to 3,000 by 2010, in addition to about 1,500 current project-based researchers in China, and the energy efficient campus will eventually be home to 5,000 employees.
Microsoft plans to double the number of full-time Microsoft research employees to 3,000 by 2010, in addition to about 1,500 current project-based researchers in China, and the energy efficient campus will eventually be home to 5,000 employees.
Infosys, Wipro Commit Rs 500 Cr Each in West Bengal
KOLKATA: IT majors Infosys Technologies Ltd and Wipro on Thursday committed investments of Rs 500 crore each for setting up development centres near this metropolis.
Both the facilities would come up on 90 acres earmarked in the 1,200-acre IT city which would come up at Rajarhat, West Bengal IT minister Debesh Das told reporters here.
While it would be the first development centre for Infosys in the state, Wipro already has a facility - an IT special economic zone at the Salt Lake electronics complex.
Both the facilities would come up on 90 acres earmarked in the 1,200-acre IT city which would come up at Rajarhat, West Bengal IT minister Debesh Das told reporters here.
While it would be the first development centre for Infosys in the state, Wipro already has a facility - an IT special economic zone at the Salt Lake electronics complex.
Wipro's Chandrasekar to be CEO of Hexaware
MUMBAI: Wipro bigwig P R Chandrasekar, who was in the news recently for having resigned from the firm, is set to join mid-size software firm Hexaware Technologies in the position of chief executive, a source with knowledge of the development said. Mr Chandrasekar was part of the core management team at Wipro reporting directly to Azim Premji. He has spent around eight years in Wipro after joining it from General Electric.
His resignation had sparked off rumours that it was related to the recent re-organisation undertaken by Wipro and the elevation of two executives in the management team to the position of joint CEOs. However, sources close to the company said this was not the case and that although the resignation was announced internally only after the re-organisation, it had been given in much earlier.
His resignation had sparked off rumours that it was related to the recent re-organisation undertaken by Wipro and the elevation of two executives in the management team to the position of joint CEOs. However, sources close to the company said this was not the case and that although the resignation was announced internally only after the re-organisation, it had been given in much earlier.
TCS plans Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Oman Centres
DUBAI: India's largest software exporter Tata Consultancy Services will open centres in Egypt, Abu Dhabi and Oman as part of its drive to focus more on Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
At present, TCS centres are based in Dubai, Riyadh, North Africa, Morocco and Bahrain. "The MENA region has been active in the last couple of years as the infrastructure, energy, utility and alternative sources of energy are showing strong growth and there are robust opportunities for further growth," TCS CEO and managing director S Ramadorai was quoted as saying.
At present, TCS centres are based in Dubai, Riyadh, North Africa, Morocco and Bahrain. "The MENA region has been active in the last couple of years as the infrastructure, energy, utility and alternative sources of energy are showing strong growth and there are robust opportunities for further growth," TCS CEO and managing director S Ramadorai was quoted as saying.
Chennai Emerging as India's Silicon Valley
CHENNAI: There are no prizes for guessing which city is the IT capital of India. But interestingly, the build-up in Chennai has all the ingredients to knock Bangalore off centre stage.
Numbers suggests that Chennai will host the maximum number of software professionals in the country in three to five years.
Chennai is already home to either the largest or the second largest development centre of the top six software services exporters in the country. No other Indian city can boast of this. In fact, it's not just the premier league of TCS, Wipro, Infy and Cognizant, which is adding jobs in the city's IT corridor, even emerging contenders like MindTree, Mastek, Polaris, Patni, Hexaware and Tech Mahindra are expanding their base at a hectic pace along the east coast.
As of now, TCS, India's largest software services exporter with headquarters in Mumbai, has its largest development base in Chennai.
Numbers suggests that Chennai will host the maximum number of software professionals in the country in three to five years.
Chennai is already home to either the largest or the second largest development centre of the top six software services exporters in the country. No other Indian city can boast of this. In fact, it's not just the premier league of TCS, Wipro, Infy and Cognizant, which is adding jobs in the city's IT corridor, even emerging contenders like MindTree, Mastek, Polaris, Patni, Hexaware and Tech Mahindra are expanding their base at a hectic pace along the east coast.
As of now, TCS, India's largest software services exporter with headquarters in Mumbai, has its largest development base in Chennai.
Mukesh Ambani's $2 Bn Home World's Most Expensive: Forbes
NEW YORK: The 27-storey skyscraper being built in Mumbai by Mukesh Ambani, the richest person in India, could be the world's largest and costliest home with a price- tag nearing two billion dollar, according to Forbes magazine.
"When the Ambani residence is finished in January, completing a four-year process, it will be 550 feet high with 4,00,000 square feet of interior space," Forbes said in a report on its Website.
"When the Ambani residence is finished in January, completing a four-year process, it will be 550 feet high with 4,00,000 square feet of interior space," Forbes said in a report on its Website.
Wipro, Microsoft Announce Expansion of Tie-Up
BANGALORE: Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited, and Microsoft Corporation on Thursday announced the expansion of their strategic alliance and the opening of two Wipro Centers of Excellence to showcase Microsoft technologies at Wipro's facilities in Bangalore and Mysore.
The state-of-the-art centers will provide customers with an informative and interactive experience where they can envision and evaluate specific business and industry-based scenario solutions.
The companies have made a multi-million dollar investment for customer engagement in sales, marketing and service resources.
The state-of-the-art centers will provide customers with an informative and interactive experience where they can envision and evaluate specific business and industry-based scenario solutions.
The companies have made a multi-million dollar investment for customer engagement in sales, marketing and service resources.
*** i-flex Solutions Limited to Change its name to Oracle Financial Services Limited ***
Mumbai, April 4, 2008 - The Board of Directors of i-flex solutions Ltd. (Reuters: IFLX.BO & IFLEX.NS) at its meeting held today in Mumbai, approved a proposal to change the name of i-flex solutions Ltd. to Oracle Financial Services Limited, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.
The proposed new name reflects the company's close strategic and operational alignment with its parent, Oracle Corporation, which owns 81 percent of the company. Oracle is the #1 enterprise software provider and counts 10 of the top 10 banks, insurance companies and securities firms among its more than 8,500 financial services customers across 145 countries.
The proposed new name reflects the company's close strategic and operational alignment with its parent, Oracle Corporation, which owns 81 percent of the company. Oracle is the #1 enterprise software provider and counts 10 of the top 10 banks, insurance companies and securities firms among its more than 8,500 financial services customers across 145 countries.
New Version of Microsoft Windows in 2009: Bill Gates
MIAMI: Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates said on Friday he expected the new version of Windows operating software, code-named Windows 7, to be released "sometime in the next year or so."
The software giant has been aiming to issue more regular updates of the operating system software that powers the majority of the world's personal computers. Nevertheless, Gates' comments suggested that a successor to the Vista program might be released sooner than was generally expected.
Microsoft has said it expected to release a new version of Windows approximately 3 years after the introduction of Vista in January 2007. A company spokeswoman said Gates' comments are in line with a development cycle that usually releases a test version of the software before its official introduction.
The software giant has been aiming to issue more regular updates of the operating system software that powers the majority of the world's personal computers. Nevertheless, Gates' comments suggested that a successor to the Vista program might be released sooner than was generally expected.
Microsoft has said it expected to release a new version of Windows approximately 3 years after the introduction of Vista in January 2007. A company spokeswoman said Gates' comments are in line with a development cycle that usually releases a test version of the software before its official introduction.
Microsoft Warns of New Attack
Opening a Windows document? Be extra careful, especially if it's a Word file. Software giant Microsoft has issued a warning that hackers may take advantage of an unptached flaw in the Windows operating system to install a malicious software on your PC.
The reported attack, under investigation by the Redmond-based company, involves a malicious Word document, but there may be other ways of exploiting the flaw, Microsoft said.
In a security advisory posted on its site, Microsoft said, "Do not open or save Word files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources."
The reported attack, under investigation by the Redmond-based company, involves a malicious Word document, but there may be other ways of exploiting the flaw, Microsoft said.
In a security advisory posted on its site, Microsoft said, "Do not open or save Word files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources."
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES
1. Web Technologies:
Java, J2EE, EJB, JSP, Web Services, SOAP, CORBA, Orbix, VisiBroker,
XML, J2ME, MQSeries, TIBCO, Websphere, NetDynamics, WebLogic.
2. Microsoft Technologies:
VB, ASP, IIS, MTS, Crystal Reports, VC++, .NET, PL/SQL, SQL Server.
3. IBM Mainframes:
COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, IMS, IDMS, Natural, ADABAS, REXX, Assembler,
CLIST, QMF, MVS, OS390, OS/2,VSAM, QSAM, Sysplex.
4. Open Systems:
C, C++, Perl, Solaris, Linux, PRO*C, Unix, Windows.
5. Application Management Tools:
Incident Call Management (e.g Remedy), Rational Suite, J2EE/Windows IDEs
6. Content Management:
Documentum, Vignette, Filenet.
Java, J2EE, EJB, JSP, Web Services, SOAP, CORBA, Orbix, VisiBroker,
XML, J2ME, MQSeries, TIBCO, Websphere, NetDynamics, WebLogic.
2. Microsoft Technologies:
VB, ASP, IIS, MTS, Crystal Reports, VC++, .NET, PL/SQL, SQL Server.
3. IBM Mainframes:
COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, IMS, IDMS, Natural, ADABAS, REXX, Assembler,
CLIST, QMF, MVS, OS390, OS/2,VSAM, QSAM, Sysplex.
4. Open Systems:
C, C++, Perl, Solaris, Linux, PRO*C, Unix, Windows.
5. Application Management Tools:
Incident Call Management (e.g Remedy), Rational Suite, J2EE/Windows IDEs
6. Content Management:
Documentum, Vignette, Filenet.
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