Patni Sets up India’s First Green BPO
NWC News Network
Green is the new favorite color with computing fraternity – and BPO centers are no exception.
Software services firm Patni Computer has set up its new five-acre BPO facility in Noida near Delhi as what it calls “the first green IT-BPO knowledge center.” Set up with an investment of Rs 175 crore, the new 3,500-seat facility flaunts design as per the guidelines of several green-certifying bodies.
Called Patni Knowledge Center, the facility is said to have been constructed as per the guidelines of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) India Green Building Rating System for New Construction. It is currently under certification process and is jointly audited by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and US Green Building Council (USGBC).
“We are confident that Patni’s initiative will inspire other companies to wake up to the benefits of going green and pledge their commitment toward environment conservation,” said PC Jain, Chairman, IGBC.
The new center aims to use less energy, water and natural resources as well as creates less waste. Among the highlights of the building are climate responsive architecture, over 50% green area, 75% of the area receiving natural daylight, 95% of the occupants getting access to outside views, 100% recycling of sewage, drip water irrigation and solar water heating, use of interior materials with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, and CO2 sensors for adding fresh air on demand.
BSE Joins TSN Network
By Dave Valiante
Major companies outside of India now have access to BSE trading market.
The Bombay Stock Exchange has appointed financial connectivity provider Transaction Network Services to provide trading functionality and market data information through its Secure Trading Extranet. Connection to TNS' Secure Trading Extranet will provide managed connectivity for major financial organizations in India and outside the country. Previously, access to BSE for trading and market data was limited to participants who have set up their offices within India. The Bombay Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange in Asia and lists more than 4,800 companies. Fully electronic since 1995, the BSE considers the improvement of electronic trading an essential part of its growth strategy. Kalyan S. Bose, head of corporate affairs at the Bombay Stock Exchange, said, "The Asia Pacific region's trading capability is expanding rapidly and we're committed to establishing an efficient environment for trading.”
IBM to acquire Software Maker ILOG For $340 Million
By Paul McDougall
IBM has reached an agreement to acquire ILOG, a French developer of software that helps businesses manage logistics and back-office operations.
Under the deal, IBM will pay about $340 million to buy ILOG. The amount represents a 37% premium over the Nasdaq-listed company's closing share price Friday. ILOG's board of directors said it expects to formally approve the transaction prior to Sept. 15.
The deal also requires a nod from antitrust authorities in the United States and Europe.
IBM said the acquisition will strengthen its portfolio of business process management software. BPM tools allow companies to knit together discrete processes, such as order taking and shipping, to create automated supply and fulfillment chains.
"Companies across all industries are looking for technologies to help them manage their processes with more flexibility so they can keep up with changing business conditions," said Tom Rosamilia, general manager for IBM's WebSphere group, in a statement.
ILOG's customers include blue chippers like American Express, Samsung, GlaxoSmithKline, and MetLife. It maintains operations in Europe, the United States, and Asia.
IBM has partnered with ILOG for the past decade. Increasingly, however, Big Blue is looking to acquire key software partners in order to hasten their product development cycles and time to market.
Absorbing mid-tier players also lets IBM combine their products with its own in ways that are more seamless than what can be achieved through partnering, said Buell Duncan, General Manager for IBM's ISV and developer relations, speaking earlier this year about the company's $5 billion acquisition of Canadian business intelligence software vendor Cognos.
"We can share technology road maps and work more closely day to day to build on each other's strengths," Duncan said. "You can do that if you're one company much more quickly and capably."
IBM has announced 12 acquisitions so far this year.
Sify to deploy WiMAX in Metros
NWC News Network
Sify Technologies has selected RedMAX products from the Redline Communication Group for its multi-city WiMAX network deployment in India with an aim to provide business-class internet services to enterprise users. The company having deployed the products in Delhi and Mumbai plans to expand its deployments across Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai.
Redline’s proven WiMAX technologies and reliable high-speed connections has the ability to support hundreds of users per base station and will ensure the delivery of reliable, standards-driven, managed last mile solutions to enterprise customers.
The products were selected after a three-month evaluation process, that included other wireless network solutions based on a criteria that included WiMAX Forum Certification, high subscriber capacity and support for Service Level Agreements, security, ease of installation and cost-effectiveness.
GDCM Collaborates with APW President Systems
NWC News Network
Global DataCenter Management (GDCM), provider of data centre management solutions has announced a strategic partnership with APW President Systems, a provider of data centre infrastructure, to distribute its nlyte solution across India. The data centre infrastructure provider will be solely responsible for engaging new customers in the region, managing local implementation and providing ongoing support.
The solution is aimed at helping organizations achieve a complete view of their data centers, allowing them to intelligently manage power consumption, reduce greenhouse emissions and increase the lifetime of assets, among other benefits.
Pramod Agashe, Chief Operating Officer, APW President Systems said, “We see our partnership with GDCM as an opportunity to offer our customers the next generation of data centre management systems to take their planning and green IT strategies to the next level. As an established leader in the data centre infrastructure management space, APW President Systems has been innovating for over 26 years to help customers in planning and maintaining high energy efficiency levels, optimizing space for their equipment, and monitoring and supporting them in managing their data centre assets.”
nlyte is a data centre management tool which provides an intelligent and automated view of all physical and virtual assets and virtual workgroups within the data centre, using a web-based graphical user interface. Designed to help data centre managers make the most of their IT investments while minimizing complexity and costs, it allows companies to model and manage their hardware, capacity, power, cooling, networking and space, reduce redundancy, enhance optimization and pro-actively forecast and plan the deployment of their assets.
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