Intel CEO says looks beyond PCs as market matures

Intel Corp rolled out a software developers' platform on Tuesday and stressed it will step up efforts to boost revenue from consumer electronics and other markets beyond its core, maturing personal computer business.

Chief Executive Paul Otellini expects personal computer sales volume this year to ''likely'' at least match 2008's, underscoring growing expectations that consumer spending is driving a mild recovery for the depressed market.

Yahoo to spend $100 mn to promote its brand

Yahoo Inc. said Tuesday it will spend $100 million to promote its brand globally.

"Our vision is to be at the centre of people's online lives - to be at the place where their world meets the larger world," Yahoo said in a statement quoting the company's chief marketing officer Elisa Steele.

Infosys bags award for IT services

Infosys Technologies was named for 2008 'Partner in Progress' award from Sears Holdings Corporation.

In a press release here today the company said Infosys received the award for superior Information Technology services and outstanding client support.

Virtusa ranked among the best IT employers in India

Virtusa Corporation, a global IT services company, which offers a broad spectrum of business consulting and outsourcing services, has announced that it has been ranked in Dataquest (DQ) IDC’s Best Employer Survey 2009.

Wipro expands presence in United Kingdom

IT major Wipro Technologies has expanded its facility in Reading in UK, and opened a new office in London to strengthen its presence in old Blighty.

The facility at Reading was inaugurated by Mayor of Reading Mr Fred Pugh yesterday.

This center was an extension of the existing development center facility, which had been bought by Wipro. It would be used for building centers of excellence, delivering customer projects and training purposes, a company release said here today.

World IT services revenue up by 8.2 %

Worldwide IT services revenue was up by 8.2 per cent in 2008 at USD 806 billion from 2007 revenue of USD 745 billion, according to Gartner, Inc.

''Vendors had six to eight months of 'business as usual' in 2008 and then approximately four months encountering the beginning of the global economic downturn, featuring widespread cost restrictions and cost reductions,'' Gartner's worldwide IT services group research Vice-President Kathryn Hale said in a report released here today.

India-based IT vendors grew 12.9 per cent in US dollars in 2008, down from 39.8 per cent growth in 2007. They were impacted early by the economic downturn. This was expected, as these providers sell especially heavily to the financial sector and typically lead with offshore application development services, which are relatively easy to delay in tough times, the report said.

Across all IT services, IBM continued to be the worldwide market leader with 7.3 per cent share of the market. With its acquisition of EDS, HP moved into the No Two position, but with the difficulties of integrating the EDS business, its revenue grew only 1.9 per cent in 2008, considerably below the overall market growth rate.

While global sourcing makes the location of a provider's headquarters increasingly less relevant, Gartner tracked this information for more than 360 vendors, who collectively account for more than 70 per cent of end-user spending worldwide.

In the platform space, enterprise networks grew slightly below the market average at 6.8 per cent, but carrier networks showed very strong growth at 14.2 per cent.

31 Hotly Contested Titles up for Grabs

Frost & Sullivan to Host Industry Excellence Awards Nite in the Indian Automation & Gensets Market

F
rost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, presents the Industry Excellence Awards (Voice of Customers), which will see India's most illustrious names compete for 31 most coveted titles in the Indian Automation and Gensets Market at Hotel Grand Ashok, Bangalore, on December 5th, 2007.

Held for the first time ever in India, these Voice of Customer (VOC) awards would be presented to companies in recognition of their pioneering efforts with regards to their product lines, innovative distribution strategies, customer service and support par excellence, outstanding contribution to the industry or for achieving a competitive- or customer-based leading position in the Indian Genset and Automation Industry.

Best Practices followed by the leading Automation and Genset companies operating in the Indian market were evaluated for the year 2007, in order to recognize their achievements.

According to Amol Kotwal, Industry Manager, Energy and Power Systems Practice, Frost & Sullivan, "The rapid growth of India's manufacturing and Services (IT/ITES, Retail etc.) sector coupled with Power deficit acts as a major driver for the robust growth of Genset market in India. The Genset market is witnessing considerable change in dynamics with a host of MNC's making efforts to increase their footprint in the Indian market, followed by expansion plans of incumbents who are keen to exploit the growth opportunities. Customer feedback and satisfaction assessment provides insights on how companies are placed in this market as compared to their competitors."

Niju V, Industry Manager, Automation and Electronics Practice, Frost & Sullivan, says, "The Indian Automation and Drives market has been able to choose products from a plethora of makes and models. Automation and Drives companies are finding it difficult to differentiate themselves as technological differences blur and brand loyalty wane. Acceptance and endorsement from the users turn out to be the ultimate recognition for competitors in this market. Voice of Customer award brings out the perception of the users on the different makes and recognizes the best practices being followed by the automation and drives companies."

The Awards program is expected to draw attendance from Business Leaders, Strategy Heads and other Senior Executives from the industry as well as companies in key end-user sectors such as IT/ITES, Manufacturing, Telecom, Pharma, Chemicals, F&B, Hospitality, Construction and Realty, etc.

The eminent corporate personalities gracing the occasion are P. Swaminathan, ED - Bharti Airtel; V S Rawat, CTO - Bharti Airtel; Amit Kumar, VP - Cummins Sales & Service; Rampraveen Swaminathan, VP & Business Head - Cummins India Ltd.; Vijay Varma, Sr VP - Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd.; N A Joshi, Sr. VP and SBU Head - Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd.; Sanjiv Chanchodia, COO - Essar Telecom Infrastructure; P. Palaniappan, VP - Mahindra Powerol; Salil Kumar, Head (Sales & Mktng) - Honeywell; Mr. Verma, VP - Automation & Drives, Siemens Ltd.; N K Duggar, Exec VP - United Breweries.



The 31 award categories to be contested include:



Genset Industry Excellence Award:



1. Voice of Customer Award - Corporate Image/Reputation Leadership

2. Voice of Customer Award - Customer Service Leadership

3. Voice of Customer Award - Best Bang for the Buck

Voice of Customer Award - Most preferred Brand in Telecom (cell-

4. site) segment

Voice of Customer Award - Most preferred Brand in Construction and

5. Infrastructure segment

Voice of Customer Award - Most preferred Brand in Commercial and

6. Small Business segment (less than 5 KVA)

Voice of Customer Award - Most preferred Brand in Commercial and

7. Medium Business segment (greater than 10 KVA upto 100 KVA)

Voice of Customer Award - Most preferred Brand in the

8. Manufacturing and Process Industry segment (upto 250 KVA)

Voice of Customer Award - Most preferred Brand in the

9. Manufacturing and Process Industry segment (more than 250 KVA)

Voice of Customer Award - Most preferred Brand in the IT, Realty

10. and Hospitality segment



Automation Industry Excellence Award



1. Product Leadership in the Indian PLC Market

2. Service Support Leadership in the Indian PLC Market

3. Channel Support Leadership in the Indian PLC Market

4. Brand Leadership in the Indian PLC Market

5. Product Leadership in the Indian HMI Market

6. Service Support Leadership in the Indian HMI Market

7. Channel Support Leadership in the Indian HMI Market

8. Brand Leadership in the Indian HMI Market

9. Product Leadership in the Indian SCADA Market

10. Service Support Leadership in the Indian SCADA Market

11. Brand Leadership in the Indian SCADA Market

12. Product Leadership in the Indian AC Drives Market

13. Service Support Leadership in the Indian AC Drives Market

14. Channel Support Leadership in the Indian AC Drives Market

15. Brand Leadership in the Indian AC Drives Market

16. Product Leadership in the Indian DC Drives Market

17. Service Support Leadership in the Indian DC Drives Market

18. Brand Leadership in the Indian DC Drives Market

19. Product Leadership in the Indian DCS Market

20. Service Support Leadership in the Indian DCS Market

21. Brand Leadership in the Indian DCS Market


About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Consulting Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's Growth Partnership Services, Growth Consulting and Career Best Practices empower clients to create a growth focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.

The Stage is Set Yet Again! Honoring the Best in Manufacturing Excellence

Frost & Sullivan to Host the Fourth Annual India Manufacturing Excellence Awards and Manufacturing Summit 2007

T
he benchmark in Manufacturing will be set once again, at the 2007 edition of Frost & Sullivan's most awaited 'India Manufacturing Excellence Awards (IMEA),' which aims to recognize and applaud efforts of Indian manufacturing companies towards achieving excellent-to-world-class manufacturing status.

With Mr. Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Limited and Chairman & Managing Director, Kirloskar Systems Ltd, Bangalore, honoring the awards ceremony as the Chief Guest, this high-profiled awards night will see CEOs, CXOs of leading business houses all under one roof, to celebrate the spirit of manufacturing excellence in India.

Frost & Sullivan received an overwhelming 140 requests for assessment for IMEA 2007. Applicants were asked to assess themselves on a 30-point checklist and send 50 key matrices, which define their business performance. Based on the self-assessed checklist and matrices, facilities were short-listed for site visits. During these site-visits, facilities were assessed on 14 factors such as Layout and MHS, Focus on Customers, Safety and Environment, Supply Chain, Quality Systems, Operational Flexibility, amongst others. These factors are globally known to reflect facilities' progress towards flexibility and leanness and are associated with manufacturing excellence. They are scored on maximum of 1200 points. A stringent evaluation process based on the above model was followed to select the award recipients.

Both, Large Enterprises and Emerging Enterprises (defined as SMEs or with turnover less than INR 100 Crore), will be presented with Platinum and Gold awards across sectors such as Automotive, Automotive Ancillaries, Engineering, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare, Metals and Process. The award recipients will be conferred titles based on the recommendations of the Jury Panel.

This year, the Jury comprised Dr. R A Mashelkar, Jury Chairman; Mr. Shyam Bang, Executive Director, Jubilant Organosys; Mr. K V Shetty, Managing Director, IP Rings and Director, India Pistons; Mr. Pravin Chaudhari, Director (Supply Chain), Kansai Nerolac; Dr. N Ravichandran, President (Operations), Lucas TVS; Mr. V K Magapu, CEO, L&T Infotech and CIO, L&T Mr. Rajeev Srivastava, GM - Enterprise, Microsoft Corporation; Mr. Sourav Majumdar, Bureau Chief, Deputy Executive Editor, Financial Express, Mumbai.

According to Raghavendra Rao, Director, Manufacturing and Process Consulting Group, Frost & Sullivan, "Until last year, Frost & Sullivan presented Platinum, Gold and Silver awards. Each of these had a specific qualifying score serving as a cut-off (on a total score of 1100). Of all the categories, time has come for India Manufacturing to raise its bar for Automotive and Engineering - a thought shared across the board, by all the esteemed Jury members present. Hence, this year, for these two sectors Frost & Sullivan will be felicitating facilities only in the Platinum zone, thereby reflecting its commitment to create a benchmark for the manufacturing fraternity. We hope that in 2008, other sectors will follow suit."

IMEA 2007, scheduled to be held on December 7th, 2007, at Hyatt Regency, Mumbai, would be preceded by the 'India Manufacturing Summit,' which focuses on sharing best practices observed during the assessment of facilities. Covering topics such as Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence, Leveraging Lean Concepts towards Operational Excellence, Safety Practices, Integrating IT to leverage manufacturing systems control, amongst others, this summit will provide an ideal platform for knowledge exchange and business networking.

Microsoft is the partner for this year and Auto Monitor, Chemical Weekly, The Financial Express, Industrial Automation, Industry 2.0, Logistics 2.0, NDTV Profit and Search are the official Media Partners.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Consulting Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's Growth Partnership Services, Growth Consulting and Career Best Practices empower clients to create a growth focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.

Indian Company, AZIMUTH, Offers First Complete Online Course to Become a Medical Transcriptionist in India

T
oday Azimuth Academy (www.azimuthacademy.com) announced its new online course for Medical Transcriptionists. Online workers can get trained from the comfort of their homes at the time and pace of their choice. The duration for online MT Training is about 750 hours or approximately 4 months. Upon positive completion, jobs are guaranteed.

Whether it is for the convenience of the work hours, the independence, the savings of the long commute hours, the only choice to work in a very remote area.for many, online work is the solution.

Azimuth Academy is the training division of Azimuth, a leading BPO - Medical Transcription service provider based in Pondicherry, South India. It has associates that have been working from home for several years from various different locations, including from outside India.

The company has already successfully trained hundreds of medical transcriptionists and opens its training online (in complement to its Pondicherry Campus) to any graduate with good English comprehension skills. The candidate needs to have an Internet connection and a computer and must be reasonably at ease with the Internet in order to browse through the online course materials.

The number of Medical Transcriptionist in India is estimated to be around 20,000. There is a shortage of well-trained and qualified MTs and all graduates from the online or on campus training from Azimuth Academy are placed in the Company or in other reputed MT companies. The demand for high quality services is very strong in the US also.

The enrollment and attending the online Azimuth Academy course is very easy. Terry Leger MD and CEO for Azimuth says "We have put a lot of effort over the past 2 years in the development of an easy to use and efficient training course." The learning management system of Azimuth Academy is based on the world's best e-learning SCORM standards. In fact one can see a demo at www azimuthacademy.com.

"Our candidates come from very different background and all enjoy the convenience of the online training. They are recently graduated freshers, housewives returning to the job market, job seekers looking for a better opportunity etc. The new affordable Internet access from home makes the online training very attractive" adds Mr. Leger.

At their own pace the students get to their home computer and study for a few hours with the multi media online materials. All the necessary techniques are covered. Language of medicine, medical transcription rules etc. Live teachers' assistance is just a click or a phone call away. Technical support and assistance is 24 hours a day.

The average salaries for qualified MTs are quite high and the cost of the training is easily covered by only 2 months income after the training.

Azimuth guarantees placements for the qualified MTs after successful completion of training.

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, CONSULTANCY SERVICES, MARKETING, BUSINESS SERVICES, EDUCATION, IT, TECHNOLOGY