India IT News Capsule - Aug 2006, Issue 2

R Systems to increase India headcount: R Systems International Ltd, provider of outsourced product development and customer support services, is now planning to up its India headcount to 2000+ by the end of 2007. The company currently employees a total of 1,350 people in its three centers in Noida, Chennai and Pune. R Systems was also in the news recently for its acquisition of the US based WebConverse, which is in tech support and specializes in mobility applications, for $10.7 million.

HCL turns 30 years old today: Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL), a global technology and IT enterprise, turns 30 today. Another of the "garage IT start ups" in India that had its beginnings in 1976. Today HCL runs Northern Ireland's largest BPO operation, manages the network for Asia's largest stock exchange network; designs zero visibility landing systems for aircrafts. Today it offers R&D and Technology Services, Enterprise and Applications Consulting, Remote Infrastructure Management, BPO services, IT Hardware, Systems Integration and Distribution of technology and telecom products in India.

Wipro eyeing acquisitions in China: India's third-largest software services exporter, Wipro Limited is eyeing more foreign acquisitions to accelerate growth and plans to expand operations in China. With six acquisitions world wide since December 2005, the company has leveraged on these acquisitions ranging between $20 million and $50 million to expand rapidly in Europe. A similar plan might be on the anvil to expand in China.

Indian inventions drawing interest from US UK and Netherlands: Middlemen from Europe and the US are showing up in insular government laboratories and have already sealed the first multi-million-dollar deals -- on a diverse variety of scientific advances -- to sell Indian ideas to global clients. Scientists at Pune's CSIR - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research are facing a barrage of queries form agents in the US, the UK and the Netherlands. This has prompted them to formulate an aggressive patent strategy to be modeled across the 38 laboratories of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) across India.

93% Indian netizens recommend online shopping: A recent study by Internet and Mobile Association of India has revealed that 93 per cent of online shoppers are happy with their experience and recommend that others also join the community. About 52% of the 1240 respondents of the survey however opined that caution must always be exercised including detailed follow up of reviews of the product and seller.

India - Information Technology Pulse