IT/ITES Industry Academia Meet

 13th September 2007 :

The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Kerala Shri V S Achuthanandan, inaugurated the one-day national seminar on IT/ITES Industry Academia organized by National Association of Software & Service Companies (NASSCOM) in association with TECHNOPARK at TECHNOPARK, Trivandrum. The Meet was basically held to come to an understanding on the requirement of human resources by the Industry and the availability by the Academia. The Hon'ble Chief Minister in his inaugural speech informed the gathering that the Government would extend all possible help to be a catalyst for industry-academia convergence. Mr. Kiran Karnik, President of NASSCOM in his keynote address titled "IT Industry and Manpower Challenges" emphasized the need for making available quality human resource to meet the increasing demand by the IT/ITES industry. He also mentioned that Kerala has got the best talent available and the State should initiate action to convert raw talent into high quality IT/ITES professionals.

In participation with the industry, the Government is launching a new job portal - www.keralatalent.in. By this the Government of Kerala aims to bridge the gap between the employers and the job seekers. The objective of this initiative is to create platform for all the job seekers across the state of Kerala irrespective of their qualification, to get registered and the same to be made available to prospective employers. The website address of this job portal will change to www.keralatalent.gov.in in a week's time. KSITM will partner with TMI First for creating awareness among the youth of Kerala about the available and upcoming job opportunities in the IT/ITES Sector.

The State Government has also exchanged MoU on NASSCOM Assessment Competence. This will enable the human resource available in the State to be certified as NASSCOM Assessed Competent Personnel, which will boost the job opportunities.

Dr K Balaveera Reddy, Former Vice Chancellor of Visweswaraya Technological Institute spoke on "India's Academic Scenario-Role of Universities and Colleges". Mr K R Jyothi Lal, IT Secretary welcomed the guests and Mr N Radhakrishnan Nair proposed vote of thanks.

IBS Software Completes 10 Years of Remarkable Growth

 8th September 2007 :

IBS Software Services, a leading provider of new-generation IT solutions to the global Travel, Transportation and Logistics (TTL) industry, celebrated its 10th anniversary. In a short span of ten years, the Company has scripted a remarkable story of growth. Starting from humble beginnings at the Technopark campus here, IBS has grown to a multinational today, doing business from 11 global centers around the world. What is significant is that the Company offers a range of as many as 15 software products and other customized solutions that manage the mission-critical operations of airlines, airports, cruise lines, oil & gas companies, leisure resorts and seaports across the globe. IBS' customer list of over 70 active customers includes the world's best airlines, the busiest international airports, the best cruise lines and the top oil & gas companies.

Steady and sustained growth based on a clear vision have ensured that IBS has posted a CAGR of 47.5% in the last ten years, resulting in a 700 fold increase on capital invested in 1997, as against a 30 fold increase in staff strength over the same period. Three strategic acquisitions have helped IBS become a veritable one-stop shop for new-generation solutions that address the complete requirements of all types of airlines and cruise lines. Recently, General Atlantic LLC invested US Dollars 60 million (Rupees 242 Crores) in the company. Being a global growth investor in the technology sector, General Atlantic will provide the strategic assistance to propel IBS to the next phase of its aggressive growth strategy.

Focus on the niche Travel, Transportation and Logistics industry segments and commitment to developing new-generation technology solutions have been the underlying factors in IBS' growth. IBS has successfully developed a Passenger Services System (aiRES) and a Cargo Management System (iCargo), both built from the ground-up on new-generation technologies that help airlines migrate from decades old legacy systems and redefine their business. IBS has a comprehensive logistics management solution for the oil & gas industry (iLogistics) which addresses aviation, marine and surface transportation needs of upstream exploration and production operations. iLogistics is currently implemented for a number of oil majors. The Company offers solutions in Airline Passenger Services, Airline Cargo & Logistics, Airline & Airport Operations, Oil & Gas Logistics and Travel & Cruise Management.

IBS has also been rated as one of the top 8 IT start-ups in India by Red Herring and one of the top 10 products companies by Business Today.

V K Mathews, Chairman and Managing Director, IBS Group, said, "Taking stock a decade since inception, it gives me great pride that we have made significant progress and are on track with the Company's vision, both in terms of growth and direction. At this juncture, I would like to thank all my colleagues and our customers for trusting and growing with IBS. IBS will continue to stay focused on the Travel, Transportation & Logistics sector and remain committed to providing innovative next-generation products and services that will help these industry verticals through aggressive growth phases and fierce competition."

A High Profile Visitor

 7th September 2007 :

Shri. N R Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor, Infosys Technologies visited Technopark on September 7th 2007. "The Technopark in Trivandrum is the best managed IT park" Infosys chief mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy has said. Shri Murthy said this during his visit to the Park Centre at Technopark on Friday. Shri. Narayana Murthy was in Trivandrum to attend a conference organised by the National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM). Welcoming Shri. Narayana Murthy, Technopark CEO Radhakrishnan Nair said the Technopark was delighted to honour Shri. Narayana Murthy, the doyen of Indian IT industry and the icon of Indian pride and self confidence.

Shri Murthy and Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO, Infosys met the Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri V S Achuthanandan earlier on the day.. Shri Narayana Murthy and Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan offered all support to the Hon'ble Chief Minister from Infosys for making Kerala one of the best IT/ITES destinations in the world. They also informed the Hon'ble Chief Minister that work on the Technopark Phase II (Infy Campus) will begin immediately after this rainy season. Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan invited the Hon'ble CM to visit the Infosys Campus in Bangalore.

TATA Elxsi opens its New Office

 7th September 2007 :


Shri Madhukar Dev, CEO of TATA Elxsi opened their new office in the Building constructed by TATA Elxsi at Technopark Campus on September 7, 2007 at a simple function. The formal inauguration of the building is expected once the building is fully ready for operation. Tata Group of which Tata Elxsi (India) Ltd, is a part is a a US $ 10 billion industrial conglomerate. Tata Elxsi is a customer driven IT company offering solutions in the Indian market, and design and development services in the international market. It was incorporated in 1989 with the Tata Group holding 40% of its equity, the rest being held by the public. Based at Bangalore, India, Tata Elxsi has grown over 12 sales and support offices country wide, representative offices in USA and Japan, and three Design & Development Centres in India. The Design & Development Centre in Technopark currently employs nearly 500 professionals.

New facility of R.R. Donnelley & Co launched at Technopark

 3rd September 2007 :

R.R. Donnelley & Co, a premier full service provider of print and related services, formerly known as Office Tiger, has started its expanded facility on September 3, 2007 at Technopark. IT Special Secretary Shri K.R. Jyothilal inaugurated the BPO unit of the company. The new unit of the company will function in a 41,000-sqft facility at the Tejaswini building at Technopark. This will be in addition to the existing 8000-sq ft facility at Pamba on the same campus. The Technopark units will provide transaction processing and financial management services to the clients in Europe and the US.

A High Level delegation from Dubai visits Technopark

 22nd August 2007 :

A high level delegation from the Dubai-based S.S Lootah Group visited Technopark on August 22, 2007. The 11-member delegation was on an exploratory mission to check out on possible opportunities for collaboration with Technopark through material and technological investments. Secretary-IT, Shri. K.R. Jyothilal, IAS, CEO Shri. N. Radhakrishnan Nair and colleagues received the guests and gave them a formal presentation on Technopark. This was followed by discussions with the Secretary, CEO and others on potential avenues of cooperation. S.S. Lootah Group is involved in a wide range of activities like construction & real estate, energy, financial services, applied research, ICT, education & healthcare, media and architecture.

"We are deeply impressed by the ambience, the work culture, the greenery all around the wide open spaces, all making this a great place to park ourselves for business."H.E. Eng. Yahya Bin Saeed Al Lootah, Vice Chairman of the Group, remarked at the close of the visit." We shall send a technical delegation soon to further explore the ways and means for collaboration." Global brands like S.S. Lootah Group are increasingly viewing Technopark, as a choice destination for investment is further proof that Kerala has arrived on the global IT arena as a worthy location.

IBS on Accelerated Growth Path

 25th July 2007 : General Atlantic to invest US$ 60 million

IBS Software Services (IBS), a leading provider of IT solutions to the Travel, Transportation and Logistics industries announced today that General Atlantic LLC (GA) will invest $60 million (Rs. 242 Crores) in the company for a minority stake. General Atlantic is a leading global growth investor and is rated as one of the top 20 Private Equity investment companies in the world. Edelweiss is the exclusive financial advisor to IBS in this transaction.

Founded in 1997, IBS is a leading provider of new-generation software products and services for the Travel, Transportation and Logistics industry sectors serving 70+ customers world-wide. They include the world's top airlines, busiest airports, top cruise lines and top oil & gas companies, which use IBS solutions for their mission-critical operations. IBS employs about 1,700 employees globally with two development centers in India.

On the occasion VK Mathews, Chairman & Managing Director, IBS Group said, "We are very excited about this partnership which will enable us to leverage the strengths of our respective organizations. Being a global growth investor in the technology sector, General Atlantic will be able to provide IBS with strategic assistance to propel IBS to the next phase of its aggressive growth strategy."

"IBS is perhaps the only IT Company in the world to have invested over 2,000 man-years developing new generation products for the Travel, Transportation and Logistics sector. GA's investment will be used to further accelerate the organization’s growth through global mergers & acquisitions, and ramping up our sales, business consulting capability and infrastructure," he added.

Abhay Havaldar, Managing Director of General Atlantic, will join the IBS board of directors and will assist the company in evaluating growth opportunities globally. Commenting on General Atlantic’s commitment to IBS, Mr. Havaldar said, "IBS is one of the leading software product companies in India and with its deep technical expertise, high quality client base and strong management team, IBS is extremely well-positioned for continued growth and expansion. We look forward to working closely with the IBS management team as an active long-term investor and strategic partner, with the goal of building IBS into a global market leader."

Light Logics Holography & Optics signs agreement with Technopark

 28th June 2007 :

Light Logics Holography & Optics Pvt.Ltd. signed agreement with Technopark. The agreement was signed by Mr.P T Ajith Kumar of Light Logics Holography & Optics and Mr. N. Radhakrishnan Nair, CEO, Technopark.

Delegates from Kuwait visited Technopark

 11th June 2007 :

A four member delegation from Kuwait Finance House visited Technopark and held discussions with Senior Manager (Business Development) Technopark Mr. M. Vasudevan. The delegates included Mr.Ali O. Al-Ghannaam, Dept Manager-International Real Estate Dept; Mr. Abdul Naser A. Al-Subaih, Deputy Assistant GM-Investment Sector; Mr. Mohammad Jalal Uddin, Senior Investment Manager, International Real Estate Dept; Mr. Mathew Thomas, Investment Risk Manager, Investment Sector. They were highly impressed by Kerala and the Technopark campus and expressed their interest in investing in IT/ITES cos. in Kerala.

KSRTC has started long distance operations from Technopark

 8th June 2007 :

KSRTC has extended a good service to Technopark community by introducing long distance bus service to Aluva and Kottayam from Park Centre every Friday at 530 pm.

Ticket bookings will be done from Nila entrance and Bhavani entrance by KSRTC officials. Return ticket can also be booked in advance.

Delegates from ORNL (USA) visits Technopark

 7th June 2007 :

A three member delegation consisting of Mr. Thomas Zacharia, Mr. Rich Adams and Mr. Shalendra Porwal from the famous Oak Ridge National Laboratory in US visited Technopark and held discussions with the CEO of Technopark Mr. Radhakrishnan Nair. The IT Secretary Mr. K. R. Jyothilal, Senior Manager (Business Development) Technopark Mr. M.Vasudevan and the CEO of IBS Mr. VK Mathews were also present at the occasion.

ORNL(founded in 1943) is recognized for its outstanding environmental compliance record in US. The organization has historic competencies in energy, health and life sciences, defense, homeland security, high performance computing.

The delegates expressed their interest in setting up Research and Development labs in India where they feel lies a growing market. The themes cut out for India includes Nanosonics, Biotechnology, IT and Energy. Attracting and training vast pool of human capital present in this part of the country and creating world-class R&D labs are their main priorities for India.

Vietnamese Ambassador visits Technopark

 28th May 2007 :

H.E. Mr. Vu Quang Diem, Ambassador Extraordinary, Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to India, along with his wife visited Technopark on 28th May 2007. He was received by the Technopark CEO Mr.Radhakrishnan Nair and Mr. M.Vasudevan, Senior Manager (Business Development), at Park Centre. There followed a warm exchange of talks.

The CEO made a presentation about Technopark. The visiting dignitary talked about the vast similarities he observed between Vietnam and Kerala; the coconut trees, the water bodies, the cool climate made him feel the touch of his own nation state. What more, when the CEO apprised him of the vast opportunities available in Technopark for the IT industry, he was bowled over and showed his keenness to enter into a pact with India especially Kerala. The Ambassador said Vietnam with nearly 85 million population and with a growth rate of 8% is looking forward to play a major role in IT/ ITES industry and wanted to collaborate with India. The Ambassador also mentioned that he would arrange a high level delegation to visit Kerala to study the IT development initiatives. The Ambassador also invited the Technopark officials to visit Vietnam. The Ambassador also went around Bhavani building.

Technopark participates in the International Conference on Business Incubation

 23rd May 2007 :

The International Conference on Business Incubation, a unique event aimed at harnessing the forces of industry and academia towards technopreneurship was conducted here in the Vellore Institute of Technology University during May 21, 22 and 23, 2007.Sponsored by the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, supported by Infodev of the World Bank, convened by VIT Technology Business Incubator and powered by the Centre for Technical Support, VIT University, Vellore, the Conference was divided into several sessions through the three days of the deliberations. The theme of the Conference was Creating a Knowledge Platform Through Partnerships and Alliances Among Incubators.

Kerala and Technopark were represented at the event by Sri. K.C. Chandrasekharan Nair, CFO-Technopark & Programme Co-ordinator, Special Initiatives. The 5th session of the conference on May 23, was addressed by him, with a lucid presentation on Assessing the Needs of Incubatees & Making them Successful. Drawing heavily from his experiences in nurturing incubation through T-TBI and T-BIC, Sri. KCC Nair gave the delegates at the conference a vivid picture of the way in which start up after start-up were incubated into successful ventures with Technopark's care and support. His presentation, aided by graphics and statistics, was widely appreciated and valued by the conference delegates. Also present at the event from Technopark were Sri. Sijo Kuruvilla George (VP-Business Development, Torque) Mr. Rajesh Babu (meCampus) and Dr. Anirudhan (Light Logics), all three representing highly successful start-ups, incubated to graduation and beyond by Technopark Business Incubation Centre.

US Technology plans new campus

 21st May 2007 :

The US Technology on Monday announced its plans for a 36 acre campus near Technopark to house work force to be tripled from the current number of IT professionals of over 4,000 associates, thus making it one of the largest IT hubs for a single company in the state.

The campus will feature a built up area of 16,00,000 sq ft in three phases. The US Technology campus will stand out for its unique architectural style, ambient work spaces and eco-friendly operations round the clock a year. The Campus will be energy efficient and operation will minimize water and electricity use while maximizing water recycling and natural energy. The campus will reflect the US Technology corporate culture, values, transparency and world class standards together with the legacy of the company's late founder-chairman G A Menon, on whose values and philosophy US Technology is built.

" The US Technology campus represents our commitment to making Kerala a hub of IT services excellence" says Sajan Pillai, President and Chief Operating Officer. US Technology has a strong commitment to creating a world class working environment with the use if environmentally sustainable materials and processes at its global facilities.

M-Squared Celebrates 10th Anniversary

 20th May 2007 :

M-Squared Building, a 50,000 sq ft state-of-the art facility was inaugurated by Shri. M. Vijayakumar(Hon. Minister for Law, Sports and Youth Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs). The 10th anniversary function was inaugurated by Shri. Oommen Chandy, Hon. Leader of Opposition.

Infosys Technologies sets up campus in Thiruvanathapuram

 19th May 2007 :

 Infosys Technologies Ltd. today announced its plans to begin the construction of its first campus in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The Honorable Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri V. S. Achuthanandan, today performed the groundbreaking ceremony for this development centre. Mr. K. Dinesh, Co-founder and Member of the Board, Infosys Technologies Ltd. was also present on the occasion. Infosys has already been operating out of a leased facility in Thiruvananthapuram since 2004. With the completion of the new facility, Infosys will have two full-fledged operations in the city.

Commenting on the occasion, Shri. V. S. Achuthanandan said, "Kerala is emerging as a key IT destination in south India. Infosys ramping up its presence in our state is a reaffirmation of this fact. The magnitude of Infosys investment in its development centre demonstrates its long-term commitment towards Kerala and speaks volumes about the world-class facilities on offer here for its employees."

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. K. Dinesh said,"We are very happy to announce expansion plans in the state. I take this opportunity to thank the government of Kerala for the support extended to Infosys. We have plans to invest Rs. 306 crore and set up a state-of-the-art campus, which would include facilities for work and recreation for our employees. We expect to create 8000 seats at this center over the next few years."

Over the next year, in the first unit, Infosys plans to create a capacity to seat 1,500 employees. The existing facility at the Technopark campus in Thiruvananthapuram has a capacity of 1,100 seats and has seen an investment of Rs. 30 crore, as of March 31, 2007. This development centre has a world-class work environment designed to enhance productivity and efficiency. Infosys has also leased 40,000 sq. ft. of space in the Thejaswini Block at Technopark for expansion.

Allianz Cornhill Information Services is now SEI CMMi Level 5

 11th May 2007 :

The Systems Development Division of Allianz Cornhill Information Services, the Offshore Captive centre of Allianz Insurance plc, UK, operating from the Technopark campus in Trivandrum, was certified at SEI CMMi Level 5, the highest maturity level in the Capability Maturity Model - Integrated (CMMi). With this, Allianz Cornhill, India joins the small but elite group of IT Service Providers in the world to have achieved this remarkable feat.

ACIS was certified with a CMMi - Level 3 in 2005.

The assessment was conducted by a team of auditors led by Mr. Stephen Fletcher of MIJ Consulting, UK.

Receiving the certificate from Stephen Fletcher, Chief Operating Officer Rakesh Kumar Gupta said " The CMMI Level 5 rating reiterates our focus and commitment to develop and deliver the highest quality software services .It helps the business reap the qualitative benefit of ingraining process rigour and improvement into the culture. Delivery excellence has become a way of life with us and helps our parent company to be the most successful competitor in our chosen markets".

Gary Mason, Head of Systems Development, Allianz Insurance UK remarked, "We are already seeing significant benefits from ACIS Systems Development (SD) achieving level 5, including the predictability of delivery, the outstanding quality and the speed at which projects are delivered. Everyday ACIS SD is helping us to drive competitive advantage; they are a real 'jewel in our crown'"

Vail Resorts selects IBS' Tour Partner

 7th May 2007 :

Vail Resorts, Inc. (VRI), owners and operators of five major ski areas in the US, has chosen IBS Tour PartnerTM system as the key component in their plan to integrate and upgrade the Company's mission-critical reservations systems. Currently, half a dozen systems are used to accommodate the diverse types of products sold by VRI - from Lift Tickets to Air Inclusive Vacation Packages.

Scott Gustlin, Director of Marketing Technology, VRI, said, "We found Tour PartnerTM after an extensive search for a single reservations application with which to integrate our many inventory systems. With this application, our plans to streamline operations across many of our diverse business units will be addressed."

According to Mr. V K Mathews, Chairman and Managing Director, the IBS Group, " Vail Resort Inc.'s selection of IBS' TourPartner product, for managing their central reservations and booking process indicates the confidence that customers have in our ability to provide state-of-the-art IT solutions to the travel & transportation industries. Recognition by a Corporation of such eminence is a major achievement for the IBS Group, and we are committed to making this relationship a rewarding one for both the companies."

Riding on several successful seasons, Vail Resorts is eagerly anticipating the efficiencies and productivity that will result from the new Central Reservations System. Susan Rubin-Stewart, Director of Reservations VRI, is particularly enthusiastic about the many benefits to her reservation departments. "After many years of mergers and acquisitions, we have a very fragmented reservations environment with many legacy systems. We are very excited to streamline our operations with a single system that supports both our customer and employee needs."

The architecture of the enterprise solution involves real-time integration between Tour Partner and a number of key inventory, financial and customer systems. Within the architecture, Tour PartnerTM, becomes the focal point for the majority of Vail Resort's reservations staff, and enables them to book multiple products in a single, web-enabled interface. The new Vail Resorts Central Reservations System is scheduled to go live in time for next winter's ski season.

Shashi Tharoor, Kerala's IT Ambassador

 3rd May 2007 :