SeE achieves neoQA certification
SeE Consulting has recently been awarded the neoQA certification with a Level 3 assurance. The neoQA due diligence and assurance programme looks at reducing the risks associated with offshore outsourcing. The programme reviews specific deliverable parameters that are direct indicators as to whether a supplier can deliver on service level agreements (SLAs) required for an outsourcing engagement. Said Sanjeev Shanmugam, CEO, SeE Consulting, “The neoQA certification provides us the quality stamp that will bolster our position in the global IT space. The thorough process that neoQA made us undergo has enhanced our understanding about ourselves, and, at the same time, helped us analyse areas that we should focus on to improve our services delivery capabilities,” Shanmugam added.

Novell delivers One Net solutions
In an effort to make its one Net vision a reality, Novell recently announced a go-to-market focus around three core challenges that according to them have prevented organisations from optimising their business processes in an increasingly Web-enabled business environment. The three areas—newly branded as Novell exteNd, Novell Nsure, and Novell Nterprise—are Web-based application development, secure identity management, and cross-platform networking services. The addition of consulting and services expertise—branded as Novell Ngage—provides customers both the business know-how and the technology to build, secure, and deploy business processes on the Web. Said Jack Messman, chairman and CEO of Novell, “With the company’s resources aligned behind these four areas, we can provide customers a rapid return on investment by leveraging existing systems, while providing new revenue opportunities through innovative ways to interact with customers and partners across the Web.”

UnitedHealthcare ties ups with C&S
UnitedHealthcare India has adopted SalesMIS.net from C&S to provide a robust package of services to Life Insurers under its LifeKonnect brand. The package helps United to manage and execute all pre-enrolment tests and check-ups required as a part of evaluation of its insurance proposals. It also helps with logistics management, customer care, quality and operations control of the network. Towards this end, UnitedHealthcare India has entered into a technology partnership with C&S. According to Ninad Karpe, CEO, C&S, “SalesMIS.net provides a system that tracks transactions at every component level and takes care of MIS requirement and information processing aspects. It is one of the core offerings of C&S that is designed to enable enterprises to future-proof their business.”

Wipro sets up Advanced .NET Lab
Wipro and Microsoft India has announced that the two companies will work together to build on Wipro’s existing competencies on Microsoft’s .NET framework. In addition, Wipro announced that through this initiative the company will have over 100 Software Architects on the .NET framework by the end of the year. To launch this effort, Wipro inaugurated a Microsoft Advanced Competency Centre (MACC) for .NET. The MACC is located at the Floating Learning Centre of Wipro’s Electronic City campus in Bangalore, and will serve as the hub of all .NET related development activities in the company. Said Azim Premji, chairman for Wipro, “We already share a multi-faceted relationship with Microsoft. This initiative will only help strengthen our relationship further and also offer leading-edge technology solutions to our customers across the globe”.

The Microsoft Advanced Competency Centre has six full time .NET ready trainers who will pioneer the development of talent around .NET Architecture with special focus on mobility, workflow, high availability and business intelligence. The centre is equipped with the latest .NET servers, tools and technologies including the pre-release version of the upcoming Windows .NET Server. It is also equipped with e-learning tools to impart the Microsoft Certified Application Developer training to Wipro employees.

Nucleus launches fleet tracking solution
In an effort to provide organisations with the ability to keep a track of their non-stationary assets—fleets, cargo, perishable commodities, containers—Mumbai-based Nucleus Netsoft in conjugation with GIS India recently launched Nucleus Automatic Vehicle Location (NAVL) solution in India. The product, built on geographical positioning system (GPS), GIS and cellular telephony technologies, enables companies to pinpoint the location of a vehicle in a cost-effective manner. The solution includes features like real time tracking of vehicles and remote assets, customisable alerts, secure data protocols and even voice communication. According to Manoj Thakur, president and CEO of Nucleus, the devive will provide tremendous cost benefits to the asset security industry, logistics industry—especially those carrying hazardous or perishable goods, etc. NAVL will also enable fleet owners to reschedule and optimise delivery routes. NAVL comprises of a small box on each vehicle and a central monitoring station with the necessary software, hardware and data.

MicroWorld ties-up with Zoltrix
MicroWorld Technologies has entered into a strategic tie-up with Zoltrix International—a leading manufacturer of modems, to bundle eScan antivirus software with their modems. The alliance will optimise Zoltrix's strengths in PC-to-PC communication and MicroWorld’s strengths in securing communication to target the content security market. MicroWorld expects this alliance to create visibility for their products in the Internet security market and also provide them with greater reach in the retail and home user segment.

Kale Q2 PAT up by 29 percent
Aviation and banking software firm, Kale Consultants has recorded a sharp growth of 29 percent in its profit after tax (PAT) for the quarter ended September 2002. The PAT for the quarter stood at Rs 4.31 million, as against Rs 3.35 million recorded in the second quarter of the last financial year. The company achieved net sales of Rs 121.24 million, registering a growth of 7.8 percent over the corresponding period in the last financial year. For the first half year of the current fiscal, the company has recorded a growth of 7.3 percent in net sales at Rs 233.75 million. The total income increased from Rs 224.38 million in the first half of the last year to Rs 240.13 million in the current year. It posted a PAT of Rs 5.54 million against a net loss of Rs 5.33 million incurred in the first half of the previous fiscal. Kale's airline division registered a 17.9 percent growth during the quarter. The growing BPO business was the key contributor to this growth. BPO revenues at Rs 35.85 million during the quarter witnessed a quantum jump of 144 percent on year-on-year basis.

Amex and Infosys develop trade comparison system
Infosys Technologies has announced that it has built a new intra-day comparison system for equities (IDCE) for the American Stock Exchange (Amex). The comparison system will be a core component of Amex's technology platform and will be crucial for matching and settlement of the day's stock trades. The IDCE system, which provides a browser-based interface on the user's terminal, is used for matching trades, resolving uncompared trades and advisories, and for making corrections to trades and inputting new ones. It also supports special features such as movement of securities positions between firms. The system's is currently being accessed, through browser front-ends and via connectivity supported by IBM's MQ series, by more than 100 securities trading firms across the US.