Bangalore: Microsoft has merged its interactive selfservice assets with 24/7 Inc (formerly 24/7 Customer) and in return has taken an undisclosed stake in the latter . 24/7 started as a BPO company, with focus on call centre operations, but has increasingly moved towards larger technology solutions, which explains the rechristening . The company, founded by P V Kannan and S Nagarajan , is headquartered in the US but has the bulk of its operations in Bangalore.
Microsoft's assets being merged are a part of its natural user interface initiative, assets that it got when it acquired voice service provider Tellme Networks some four years ago. It allows people to use speech when dealing with interactive voice response (IVR) systems. These assets, combined with 24/7's data and analytics capabilities , are expected to predict what callers to IVR systems want, so that they can be served better. P V Kannan, CEO of 24/7, said, "By combining the technologies into one unified cloud platform, we will deliver solutions and services that truly enable businesses to differentiate through customer service."
With the merger, 24/7 will have about 100 people in the division, and also acquire Microsoft's clients in this space, including Avis Budget Group and United Airlines . Nagarajan said that after the integration, 24/7 would become a $250 million revenue company. It has over 10,000 people globally.
The combined technology called predictive experience (PX) platform will span interactive self-service (across mobile, Web and voice channels), big data analytics, and speech and conversational interfaces. If, say, your flight is cancelled , and the airline IVR system calls to inform you about it, the combined technology will now enable the system to offer more precisely the new options you may want and complete a fresh transaction.
Success in my Habit
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Avesthagen inks pact with Japan consortium
Bangalore: Avesthagen, a systems biology biotechnology company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kutlo-Nitt, a Niigata-based consortium of 11 Japanese universities and two technology licensing organisations.
According to Dr Villoo Morawala-Patell, Founder and CMD of Avesthagen, “Through this MoU, we will gain access to a suite of cutting-edge consortium technologies related to bio-pharmaceuticals and biomarkers for use in cancer and heart disease.”
“At later stage both Avesthagen and Kutlo-Nitt will jointly develop and commercialise the technologies,” she added.
The partnership is expected to bring important diagnostics and therapies to patients throughout the world. Avesthagen continues its commitment to deliver the best therapeutic and diagnostics solutions.
The consortium is represented by Mr Yoji Yuki, Senior Vice-President, Tech-Transfer Specialist, Kutlo-Nitt and Dr. Hiroko Sato, Technology Transfer Specialist.
Ms Villoo Patell said the company's convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalised healthcare is progressing well.
“We have partners which include multiple global companies in each of its fields of research. Since its inception we have grown into a leading healthcare biotech companies. Avesthagen has developed clinically validated botanical bioactives and has a strong pipeline of bio-similars,” she added.
According to Dr Villoo Morawala-Patell, Founder and CMD of Avesthagen, “Through this MoU, we will gain access to a suite of cutting-edge consortium technologies related to bio-pharmaceuticals and biomarkers for use in cancer and heart disease.”
“At later stage both Avesthagen and Kutlo-Nitt will jointly develop and commercialise the technologies,” she added.
The partnership is expected to bring important diagnostics and therapies to patients throughout the world. Avesthagen continues its commitment to deliver the best therapeutic and diagnostics solutions.
The consortium is represented by Mr Yoji Yuki, Senior Vice-President, Tech-Transfer Specialist, Kutlo-Nitt and Dr. Hiroko Sato, Technology Transfer Specialist.
Ms Villoo Patell said the company's convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalised healthcare is progressing well.
“We have partners which include multiple global companies in each of its fields of research. Since its inception we have grown into a leading healthcare biotech companies. Avesthagen has developed clinically validated botanical bioactives and has a strong pipeline of bio-similars,” she added.
Karnataka biotech body signs pact with US co
Bangalore: The Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS) and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association (PABio) have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly create and promote biotech opportunities both in the US and Karnataka.
Pennsylvania Bio (PABio) is a 518-member trade association for the life sciences in Pennsylvania and has built strengths in biotech, medical device, diagnostic, pharmaceutical, research, and financial services.
Whereas KBITS is the nodal agency of the Karnataka Government providing incentives and concessions to the biotech sector, under the various schemes and policies of the State Government, including setting up of biotech finishing schools in Karnataka. KBITS is also the implementing agency for the Bangalore Biotech Park and the proposed biotech parks in Tier II cities.
According to Mr Chakravarthi Mohan, Managing Director, KBITS, and Director of Karnataka Department of IT/BT, “Both PABio and KBITS have a mandate to promote biotech activities in their respective regions by creating appropriate opportunities like trade events, conferences, business delegations etc.”
“Both the associations will work together to support the efforts of life sciences companies to establish or grow a presence in the region. And this collaborative project will be known as ‘BioSpan' to reflect the goal of spanning the two regions and the two countries,” he added.
Mr Christopher P. Molineaux, President, Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association, said PABio is the only state-wide trade association for the life sciences in Pennsylvania.
Bio-Venture Fund
Dr V.S. Acharya, Karnataka Minister for IT & BT, said, “The State Government is planning to set up a $10-million Bio-Venture Fund, to cater to certain hi-tech areas with strong social relevance, such as transgenics, stem cell biology, etc.
“The intention of the State Government is quite clear. We would like to see a booming economy led by the knowledge sectors. We believe in realistic, practical and workable policies. Several initiatives announced by us are already under implementation as a result of the practical policies.”
On the issue of shortage of talent in the biotech sector, Dr Acharya said the Government has sanctioned setting-up of 12 Biotech Finishing Schools, recommended by the Selection Committee headed by Prof Padmanaban.
“The one-year course of BT Finishing Schools, started in September last year, is mid-way through and the feedback we have received is to say the least, highly rewarding. All the students undergoing the course at the schools will be absorbed by the industry, in partnership with which the Biotech Finishing School is conducting the course.”
Pennsylvania Bio (PABio) is a 518-member trade association for the life sciences in Pennsylvania and has built strengths in biotech, medical device, diagnostic, pharmaceutical, research, and financial services.
Whereas KBITS is the nodal agency of the Karnataka Government providing incentives and concessions to the biotech sector, under the various schemes and policies of the State Government, including setting up of biotech finishing schools in Karnataka. KBITS is also the implementing agency for the Bangalore Biotech Park and the proposed biotech parks in Tier II cities.
According to Mr Chakravarthi Mohan, Managing Director, KBITS, and Director of Karnataka Department of IT/BT, “Both PABio and KBITS have a mandate to promote biotech activities in their respective regions by creating appropriate opportunities like trade events, conferences, business delegations etc.”
“Both the associations will work together to support the efforts of life sciences companies to establish or grow a presence in the region. And this collaborative project will be known as ‘BioSpan' to reflect the goal of spanning the two regions and the two countries,” he added.
Mr Christopher P. Molineaux, President, Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association, said PABio is the only state-wide trade association for the life sciences in Pennsylvania.
Bio-Venture Fund
Dr V.S. Acharya, Karnataka Minister for IT & BT, said, “The State Government is planning to set up a $10-million Bio-Venture Fund, to cater to certain hi-tech areas with strong social relevance, such as transgenics, stem cell biology, etc.
“The intention of the State Government is quite clear. We would like to see a booming economy led by the knowledge sectors. We believe in realistic, practical and workable policies. Several initiatives announced by us are already under implementation as a result of the practical policies.”
On the issue of shortage of talent in the biotech sector, Dr Acharya said the Government has sanctioned setting-up of 12 Biotech Finishing Schools, recommended by the Selection Committee headed by Prof Padmanaban.
“The one-year course of BT Finishing Schools, started in September last year, is mid-way through and the feedback we have received is to say the least, highly rewarding. All the students undergoing the course at the schools will be absorbed by the industry, in partnership with which the Biotech Finishing School is conducting the course.”
Exports from SEZs rise 17%
New Delhi: Exports from special economic zones grew 17 per cent to Rs 2,60,973 crore during April-December 2011 from Rs 2,23,132 crore during the corresponding period in the previous year, according to a statement by the Export Promotion Council for Export-oriented Units and SEZs (EPCES) on Tuesday.
Total SEZ exports during 2010-11 had grown 43.1 per cent to Rs 3,15,868 crore, Mr Jatin R. Mehta, Chairman, EPCES, said. As on December 31, 2011, investments into SEZs were Rs 2,49,631 crore, while these zones have given direct employment to 8,15,308 people. So far, 584 proposals for setting up SEZs have received the Government's formal approval.
Of this, 381 SEZs have been notified and 148 SEZs are operational as on December 31, 2011.
Mr Mehta said the EPCES has urged the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, to restore exemption from minimum alternate tax (MAT) for SEZ units and developers.
The imposition of MAT on SEZs has led to a fall in investments, the council said.
The EPCES has also asked the Finance Minister to revamp the EOU scheme by favourably considering the recent recommendations of a Government panel.
The share of EOU/SEZ sector to national exports was 34 per cent during 2010-11.
Total SEZ exports during 2010-11 had grown 43.1 per cent to Rs 3,15,868 crore, Mr Jatin R. Mehta, Chairman, EPCES, said. As on December 31, 2011, investments into SEZs were Rs 2,49,631 crore, while these zones have given direct employment to 8,15,308 people. So far, 584 proposals for setting up SEZs have received the Government's formal approval.
Of this, 381 SEZs have been notified and 148 SEZs are operational as on December 31, 2011.
Mr Mehta said the EPCES has urged the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, to restore exemption from minimum alternate tax (MAT) for SEZ units and developers.
The imposition of MAT on SEZs has led to a fall in investments, the council said.
The EPCES has also asked the Finance Minister to revamp the EOU scheme by favourably considering the recent recommendations of a Government panel.
The share of EOU/SEZ sector to national exports was 34 per cent during 2010-11.
IBM keen on investing in mid-segment storage products
Bangalore: IBM is investing in developing storage products for mid-segment and lower segment clients in Tier-2/ Tier-3 cities in India and is focusing on increasing its presence in smaller cities.
“We are putting a lot of effort into the mid-market clients. We are investing in more products in the low and mid areas, and these organic products that IBM has developed… not just OEM,” Ms Laura Guio, Vice-President for Storage Sales in Growth Markets, toldBusiness Linerecently. “One thing IBM is doing is taking the technology and feature function richness of an enterprise solution and pushing it down the stack. For those who don't have the investment power invest in the enterprise solution but want the bells and whistles. As they invest in this, our solution helps them ride up the continuum,” Ms Guio said.
“What we need to focus on is helping clients understand in the mid-space,” she added.
Products & requirement
According to her, people initially were willing to buy storage space but then saw the other costs that came with buying space. Products such as V7000 were suitable for such small-term requirement, she says.
With India being the fastest growing in IBM's bunch of 149 ‘growth markets', the company is working on developing more products such as IBM Storwize V7000, suitable for small and medium business as it helps manage data flow reduces storage rack space.
In this context, the company is also planning to expand aggressively into smaller cities across the country and leverage the market with the help of business partners.
“We are putting a lot of effort into the mid-market clients. We are investing in more products in the low and mid areas, and these organic products that IBM has developed… not just OEM,” Ms Laura Guio, Vice-President for Storage Sales in Growth Markets, toldBusiness Linerecently. “One thing IBM is doing is taking the technology and feature function richness of an enterprise solution and pushing it down the stack. For those who don't have the investment power invest in the enterprise solution but want the bells and whistles. As they invest in this, our solution helps them ride up the continuum,” Ms Guio said.
“What we need to focus on is helping clients understand in the mid-space,” she added.
Products & requirement
According to her, people initially were willing to buy storage space but then saw the other costs that came with buying space. Products such as V7000 were suitable for such small-term requirement, she says.
With India being the fastest growing in IBM's bunch of 149 ‘growth markets', the company is working on developing more products such as IBM Storwize V7000, suitable for small and medium business as it helps manage data flow reduces storage rack space.
In this context, the company is also planning to expand aggressively into smaller cities across the country and leverage the market with the help of business partners.
Tulip sets up Rs 900-cr data centre
Bangalore: Enterprise data services company Tulip Telecom has established a 9 lakh sq ft data centre ‘Tulip Data City' here, the world's third largest data centre, at a total investment of Rs 900 crore.
“The company has made an immediate investment of Rs 230 crore and has secured loans for Rs 50 crore from leading banks,” Lt Col H.S. Bedi, Chairman and Managing Director of Tulip Telecom, said. The company is planning to raise another Rs 250 crore through debt, Rs 250 crore through equity and will fund the rest using internal accruals, he added.
“We might also look at strategic partners for the business,” he added. With more companies moving to professional data centres for their storage needs, the telecom company expects the entire facility to be occupied in three years.
Rs 600-cr orders
Tulip Data City, the 100 per cent subsidiary data centre of Tulip Telecom, currently has orders worth Rs 600 crore from IBM, NTT and HP.
“About 20 per cent of the data centre has already been booked by three customers and we expect it to be fully contracted in three years,” Lt Col Bedi said. Tulip Data City expects to earn revenues of Rs 1,000 crore once the data centre is fully operational.
The facility was inaugurated by Mr Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications and IT. “The future will be decided based on who owns the data, and currently, a large part of our data is owned outside India… so it is extremely important to have a data centre here,” Mr Pilot said after the inauguration.
Tulip Data City is Tulip Telecom's fifth data centre and Lt Col Bedi said that once this centre takes off, the company could consider bringing other data centres under this. The servers at Tulip Data City consume about 100 MW of power in peak but it is still lower than where the servers were earlier used where they consumer about 130 MW power, Lt Col Bedi said.
The company draws 20 MW from the Bangalore Electricity and Supply and Company and is planning to source the remaining power from other entities, he said.
“The company has made an immediate investment of Rs 230 crore and has secured loans for Rs 50 crore from leading banks,” Lt Col H.S. Bedi, Chairman and Managing Director of Tulip Telecom, said. The company is planning to raise another Rs 250 crore through debt, Rs 250 crore through equity and will fund the rest using internal accruals, he added.
“We might also look at strategic partners for the business,” he added. With more companies moving to professional data centres for their storage needs, the telecom company expects the entire facility to be occupied in three years.
Rs 600-cr orders
Tulip Data City, the 100 per cent subsidiary data centre of Tulip Telecom, currently has orders worth Rs 600 crore from IBM, NTT and HP.
“About 20 per cent of the data centre has already been booked by three customers and we expect it to be fully contracted in three years,” Lt Col Bedi said. Tulip Data City expects to earn revenues of Rs 1,000 crore once the data centre is fully operational.
The facility was inaugurated by Mr Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications and IT. “The future will be decided based on who owns the data, and currently, a large part of our data is owned outside India… so it is extremely important to have a data centre here,” Mr Pilot said after the inauguration.
Tulip Data City is Tulip Telecom's fifth data centre and Lt Col Bedi said that once this centre takes off, the company could consider bringing other data centres under this. The servers at Tulip Data City consume about 100 MW of power in peak but it is still lower than where the servers were earlier used where they consumer about 130 MW power, Lt Col Bedi said.
The company draws 20 MW from the Bangalore Electricity and Supply and Company and is planning to source the remaining power from other entities, he said.
GVK's arm awards Rs 1,937-cr road contract to LandT
Hyderabad: A subsidiary of GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd, and construction major L&T have signed a pact for execution of a Rs 1,937-crore order for a road project in Madhya Pradesh.
The GVK group has awarded the contract to L&T to execute the road project on design, engineering, procurement and construction basis of a four-lane road of Shivapuri-Dewas section of National Highway-43 in Madhya Pradesh spread over a stretch of 235 km. According to the arrangement, the project has to be completed in 27 months.
This road project is part of the phase IV of the National Highway Development Programme. This road project is among three mega projects of NHAI. L&T is associated with all of them.
The project is being implemented by GVK Shivpuri Dewas Expressway Pvt Ltd, a step-down subsidiary of GVK. The concession agreement for the project was signed last month with National Highways Authority of India. The concession period for the project is for 30 years including construction period of 30 months.
The GVK group has awarded the contract to L&T to execute the road project on design, engineering, procurement and construction basis of a four-lane road of Shivapuri-Dewas section of National Highway-43 in Madhya Pradesh spread over a stretch of 235 km. According to the arrangement, the project has to be completed in 27 months.
This road project is part of the phase IV of the National Highway Development Programme. This road project is among three mega projects of NHAI. L&T is associated with all of them.
The project is being implemented by GVK Shivpuri Dewas Expressway Pvt Ltd, a step-down subsidiary of GVK. The concession agreement for the project was signed last month with National Highways Authority of India. The concession period for the project is for 30 years including construction period of 30 months.
Cochin Shipyard delivers vessel to Norway
Kochi: The public sector Cochin Shipyard delivered a Platform Supply Vessel —Skandi Hawk— to DOF Rederi II, AS, Norway.
This is the third of the high-tech offshore vessels that have been constructed and delivered by CSL this financial year.
The Protocol documents of the ship were signed by Mr Vinayakumar P, Director (Technical), on behalf of Cochin Shipyard, and Mr Terje Rabben, Project Manager, DOF, on behalf of the owners.
The vessel is of the PSV-09 CD type designed by STX OSV Norway and is classed under the Rules and Regulations of Det Norske Veritas and is flagged under the Norwegian regulations.
The vessel, with Grade II Dynamic Positioning features, has been assigned the ‘CLEAN' design notation by DNV, signifying the highest levels of environmental compliance.
It can accommodate 62 persons meets the requirements of COMF class, signifying high comfort levels due to special arrangements to minimise noise and vibration levels.
This is the third of the high-tech offshore vessels that have been constructed and delivered by CSL this financial year.
The Protocol documents of the ship were signed by Mr Vinayakumar P, Director (Technical), on behalf of Cochin Shipyard, and Mr Terje Rabben, Project Manager, DOF, on behalf of the owners.
The vessel is of the PSV-09 CD type designed by STX OSV Norway and is classed under the Rules and Regulations of Det Norske Veritas and is flagged under the Norwegian regulations.
The vessel, with Grade II Dynamic Positioning features, has been assigned the ‘CLEAN' design notation by DNV, signifying the highest levels of environmental compliance.
It can accommodate 62 persons meets the requirements of COMF class, signifying high comfort levels due to special arrangements to minimise noise and vibration levels.
TCS inks multi-million euro deal with car rental co Europcar
Mumbai: Tata Consultancy Services said it has signed a multi-year, multi-million euro contract with Europcar, a car rental company in Europe.
The European company's IT subsidiary Europcar Information Services has selected TCS to manage IT services development for its French operations, said a statement from the Indian company. TCS did not specify the exact size of the deal.
For TCS, this strengthens its presence in France and marks expansion of its travel, transportation and hospitality industry unit, said the statement. This unit has over 4,000 consultants and works with over 50 customers worldwide.
Mr Kumar Narayanan, Director and Country Head of TCS France, said, “This partnership with Europcar is part of the development of a strategic relationship with industry leading companies in France.”
TCS said it provides services to over 20 French companies, a majority of which are part of the CAC 40 Index. Its stock gained by over 2 per cent on the BSE, to end at Rs 1,191.95 on Monday.
The European company's IT subsidiary Europcar Information Services has selected TCS to manage IT services development for its French operations, said a statement from the Indian company. TCS did not specify the exact size of the deal.
For TCS, this strengthens its presence in France and marks expansion of its travel, transportation and hospitality industry unit, said the statement. This unit has over 4,000 consultants and works with over 50 customers worldwide.
Mr Kumar Narayanan, Director and Country Head of TCS France, said, “This partnership with Europcar is part of the development of a strategic relationship with industry leading companies in France.”
TCS said it provides services to over 20 French companies, a majority of which are part of the CAC 40 Index. Its stock gained by over 2 per cent on the BSE, to end at Rs 1,191.95 on Monday.
Hospitals check into hotels as medical tourism booms
Bangalore/Chennai: The boom in medical tourism is encouraging hospitals and hoteliers to strike alliances with each other.
Industry estimates peg the market size of medical tourism in India, which is growing at over 25 per cent annually, at over $2.5 billion. The segment's growing business potential prompted the ITC group to set up the 58-room Fortune Park Lake City business hotel at the Jupiter LifeLine Hospitals complex in Thane, near Mumbai, to serve medical tourists.
Mr Suresh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, ITC's Fortune Park Hotels, says the hotel is a pilot project “to evaluate and explore avenues in medical tourism for the brand.” There are plans to launch similar projects in other cities.
A Bangalore-based hotelier says patients from a nearby hospital, with which there is a tie-up, account for 5 per cent of the hotel's monthly inventory. “There is a steady business from this avenue and we expect it to grow because they come at a higher ARR (average room rate),” says the hotelier, who did not want to be named.
It's a win-win for all. Though hospitals typically do not have any revenue-sharing model with hotels, the arrangement works well for hospitals as they get their rooms freed up for other patients, says Mr Saumyajit Roy, Associate Director – Strategic Consulting (Education, Healthcare and Senior Living), Jones Lang LaSalle India.
For instance, Fortis Hospitals has tie-ups with guest houses which ensure pick-up and drops for patients and their attendants who get special rates and discounts. “These guest houses are located close to the hospitals — they are functional, reliable and supportive of the needs of the patients and their attendants,” says Mr Anas Abdul Wajid, Head, Sales and International Business, Fortis Healthcare, whose revenue and volumes from foreign patients are growing at 40 per cent year-on-year.
Apollo Hospitals, too, explores similar tie-ups with neighbourhood hotels. Mr Jacob Jacob, Chief People Officer, Apollo Hospitals, says the hotel staff is familiar with the needs of patients and their families.
Adds Mr Roy: “It's not only patients from foreign countries. People in India who need long-term treatment also use this wellness eco-system.” Most international patients are from Africa, SAARC and West Asia. Patients requiring higher-end tertiary care are now coming to India for cardiology, orthopaedics, neurology, oncology and organ transplants. Affordability of treatment is a big woo factor — treatment in India costs just 10-20 per cent of what it costs abroad.
Industry estimates peg the market size of medical tourism in India, which is growing at over 25 per cent annually, at over $2.5 billion. The segment's growing business potential prompted the ITC group to set up the 58-room Fortune Park Lake City business hotel at the Jupiter LifeLine Hospitals complex in Thane, near Mumbai, to serve medical tourists.
Mr Suresh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, ITC's Fortune Park Hotels, says the hotel is a pilot project “to evaluate and explore avenues in medical tourism for the brand.” There are plans to launch similar projects in other cities.
A Bangalore-based hotelier says patients from a nearby hospital, with which there is a tie-up, account for 5 per cent of the hotel's monthly inventory. “There is a steady business from this avenue and we expect it to grow because they come at a higher ARR (average room rate),” says the hotelier, who did not want to be named.
It's a win-win for all. Though hospitals typically do not have any revenue-sharing model with hotels, the arrangement works well for hospitals as they get their rooms freed up for other patients, says Mr Saumyajit Roy, Associate Director – Strategic Consulting (Education, Healthcare and Senior Living), Jones Lang LaSalle India.
For instance, Fortis Hospitals has tie-ups with guest houses which ensure pick-up and drops for patients and their attendants who get special rates and discounts. “These guest houses are located close to the hospitals — they are functional, reliable and supportive of the needs of the patients and their attendants,” says Mr Anas Abdul Wajid, Head, Sales and International Business, Fortis Healthcare, whose revenue and volumes from foreign patients are growing at 40 per cent year-on-year.
Apollo Hospitals, too, explores similar tie-ups with neighbourhood hotels. Mr Jacob Jacob, Chief People Officer, Apollo Hospitals, says the hotel staff is familiar with the needs of patients and their families.
Adds Mr Roy: “It's not only patients from foreign countries. People in India who need long-term treatment also use this wellness eco-system.” Most international patients are from Africa, SAARC and West Asia. Patients requiring higher-end tertiary care are now coming to India for cardiology, orthopaedics, neurology, oncology and organ transplants. Affordability of treatment is a big woo factor — treatment in India costs just 10-20 per cent of what it costs abroad.
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