The top six India-based offshore service providers, collectively referred to as the ‘SWITCH’ companies (Satyam, Wipro, Infosys, TCS, Cognizant and HCL Technologies) are now regularly invited to bid for larger and more-complex outsourcing contracts, requiring multiple services, says a Gartner report.
This is sure to expand the portfolio of service offerings and help them tap new regions. As a cascading effect, the second line of companies will follow suit. And medium-sized and niche players will benefit in the long run through access to newer tech, regions and resources.
Up the value chain and win-win!!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
'Call to Action' Communication
Take a look at this green calculator. Impressive!
It puts a number on your contribution to environment decay.
Mileage badhao, paisa bachao
Mileage badhao, climate bachao
It puts a number on your contribution to environment decay.
Mileage badhao, paisa bachao
Mileage badhao, climate bachao
Press Release Or Communications Center
The proposed merger between Delta and Northwest Airlines has already produced one great byproduct: the press release of the future.
Click me
Think of it as a mini-site, or temporary site, almost like a booth at a trade show. It’s a combination of marketing, investor relations, and customer service. The content here is meant to answer all of the questions from any of the merger’s stakeholders.
What works? The content is exhaustive, addressing topics ranging from will current employees lose their jobs to how service will change in each state the airlines fly. Berinato also points to the well designed mutimedia presentation, which includes text, graphics, and video.
Are we ready to change ?
Click me
Think of it as a mini-site, or temporary site, almost like a booth at a trade show. It’s a combination of marketing, investor relations, and customer service. The content here is meant to answer all of the questions from any of the merger’s stakeholders.
What works? The content is exhaustive, addressing topics ranging from will current employees lose their jobs to how service will change in each state the airlines fly. Berinato also points to the well designed mutimedia presentation, which includes text, graphics, and video.
Are we ready to change ?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Software Vendors & Billing Rates
The CLSA survey, done with nine vendors, including the top five Indian IT vendors, says four of the nine respondents expected pricing to be stable and at last year’s levels, while five of them expected pricing to deteriorate slightly, but stay positive. The report says if demand doesn’t pick up soon, pricing may not stand its ground.
Accenture’s third quarter results announced last week, however, belie some of these fears. The multinational consulting and technology services firm posted one of its strongest quarters with a profit growth of 36 percent and announced a higher than estimated fourth quarter guidance.
While Accenture’s business cannot be compared on a like-basis with Indian offshore providers, it indicates that the business environment may perhaps not be as negative.
However, what seems more certain is that software vendors may not be able to manage better billing rates from clients. Last fiscal, software companies were able to get 3-4 percent higher billing rates on new contracts and contracts coming up for renewal.
Source : The Economic Times
Accenture’s third quarter results announced last week, however, belie some of these fears. The multinational consulting and technology services firm posted one of its strongest quarters with a profit growth of 36 percent and announced a higher than estimated fourth quarter guidance.
While Accenture’s business cannot be compared on a like-basis with Indian offshore providers, it indicates that the business environment may perhaps not be as negative.
However, what seems more certain is that software vendors may not be able to manage better billing rates from clients. Last fiscal, software companies were able to get 3-4 percent higher billing rates on new contracts and contracts coming up for renewal.
Source : The Economic Times
Recognition for Indian Animators
The UK Animation Companies are now looking for Indian Partners! After Reverse Outsourcing... it is now Reverse British Trade.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Government forces Liquour brands to innovate!
Deprived of promoting liquour products directly, companies had for long taken recourse to surrogate advertising — commercials on soda, packaged water or playing cards with the same brand names. Of late, the government has tightened the screws on this form of advertising as well.
As a result, companies like United Spirits, Diageo and Bacardi have designed innovative packaging to push sales. United Spirits has decided to roll out 180 ml tetrapacks. The new packs have been designed by packaging major TetraPak of Sweden.
Customer Benefit : A tetrapack is unbreakable and is easy to carry and dispose.
Other dizzy innovations :
Diageo has introduced Red Label in an ice tray pack. Its Black Label VMM pack is inspired by the shape of the MP422 Formula 1 car. Bacardi's high-end premium gin brand, Bombay Sapphire, has been introduced in a giant gemstone -shaped bottle. Named ‘Revelation', it is available as five handmade crystal bottles individually decorated with sapphires and diamonds, priced at $200,000 (Rs 86 lakh) each.
As a result, companies like United Spirits, Diageo and Bacardi have designed innovative packaging to push sales. United Spirits has decided to roll out 180 ml tetrapacks. The new packs have been designed by packaging major TetraPak of Sweden.
Customer Benefit : A tetrapack is unbreakable and is easy to carry and dispose.
Other dizzy innovations :
Diageo has introduced Red Label in an ice tray pack. Its Black Label VMM pack is inspired by the shape of the MP422 Formula 1 car. Bacardi's high-end premium gin brand, Bombay Sapphire, has been introduced in a giant gemstone -shaped bottle. Named ‘Revelation', it is available as five handmade crystal bottles individually decorated with sapphires and diamonds, priced at $200,000 (Rs 86 lakh) each.
Controversial Lovins words can't ring any better now!!
Amory Lovins says:
1) Companies, governments, and consumers around the world are grappling with high energy prices. Amory Lovins, cofounder and chairman of the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit, has spent more than three decades searching for innovative ways to boost energy efficiency and alleviate this pressure.
2)In this interview, he offers suggestions to CEOs who want to plump up the bottom line by getting their organizations to use energy more efficiently.
Miss not his interview:
1) Companies, governments, and consumers around the world are grappling with high energy prices. Amory Lovins, cofounder and chairman of the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit, has spent more than three decades searching for innovative ways to boost energy efficiency and alleviate this pressure.
2)In this interview, he offers suggestions to CEOs who want to plump up the bottom line by getting their organizations to use energy more efficiently.
Miss not his interview:
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Obama's famed Communication Tool
Communicators talk about Barack Obama’s use of the Internet as a means of mobilising voters.
It will be interesting to see how(If Barack is voted president)he will use the new-age medium to drive down the policies, slip out of a crisis or motivate people during challenging times.
One thing is for sure. The Internet has a powerful role to play in the shaping of the future of Democratic Nations.
It will be interesting to see how(If Barack is voted president)he will use the new-age medium to drive down the policies, slip out of a crisis or motivate people during challenging times.
One thing is for sure. The Internet has a powerful role to play in the shaping of the future of Democratic Nations.
Reverse Outsourcing & Infosys
The most comprehensive client satisfaction survey in the outsourcing industry conducted by the US-based consultancy Brown-Wilson Group, based on client experience responses of nearly 24,000 buyer executives, saw Infosys fall out of the top 50 this year to rank 59.
The Black Book of Outsourcing Survey results attribute the decline of Infosys, which was ranked 10th last year, to ‘rising accounts of client discontent’, the report notes, “ over a dozen major customers cited the fact that Infosys has not melded their consulting and service delivery well. US clients cite a lack of American front-office support with an imbalance of too much delivered from offshore.”
On the other hand, the report notes the rise of ‘reverse outsourcing’, the phenomenon of Indian companies opening offices in USA and hiring locally. The report says that 'reverse outsourcing development is too new for Indian companies to point to actual cost savings yet, but moving front office processes closer to the client is fast attracting buyer interest. Major suppliers are responding to the demand for enhanced, locally delivery customer service.'
American front office support & processes? Is it the real cure??
The Black Book of Outsourcing Survey results attribute the decline of Infosys, which was ranked 10th last year, to ‘rising accounts of client discontent’, the report notes, “ over a dozen major customers cited the fact that Infosys has not melded their consulting and service delivery well. US clients cite a lack of American front-office support with an imbalance of too much delivered from offshore.”
On the other hand, the report notes the rise of ‘reverse outsourcing’, the phenomenon of Indian companies opening offices in USA and hiring locally. The report says that 'reverse outsourcing development is too new for Indian companies to point to actual cost savings yet, but moving front office processes closer to the client is fast attracting buyer interest. Major suppliers are responding to the demand for enhanced, locally delivery customer service.'
American front office support & processes? Is it the real cure??
Celebrating Tamil Creativity - Interesting
Spark, the annual advertising award show of Ad Club Madras, which was not held for the past couple of years due to lack of entries, is all set to return in a brand new format. According to R Seshadri, Managing Director, Anugrah Madison Advertising, and newly elected President of the Advertising Club Madras, the Club, after a series of brainstorming sessions, had zeroed in on a unique format that would celebrate Tamil creativity across the world.
“Yes, we have plans to re-invent the Ad Club awards this year. After a series of ‘brainstorming’ sessions, the Executive Committee came to the conclusion that the Ad Club Madras awards needs to be unique in order to attract participation from not only local agencies, but also some national and international agencies who have stayed away during the last couple of years. Hence, we felt that the need of the hour was a change in format – a format so unique to Ad Club Madras that it cannot be replicated by other Clubs. Thus, the concept of ‘Tamil Advertising Awards’ was frozen,” Seshadri explained.
“There is a huge body of work created in Tamil, not just by agencies but by radio / TV / Internet and feature film companies that is unique and deserves to be celebrated and awarded. Currently, there is no forum which identifies and recognises this kind of work. The Ad Club Madras, with its roots in Chennai, is in a unique position to implement this concept, which the Club hopes will appeal to even other national and international agencies (especially in Sri Lanka and South East Asia), who target Tamilians,” Seshadri added.
“Yes, we have plans to re-invent the Ad Club awards this year. After a series of ‘brainstorming’ sessions, the Executive Committee came to the conclusion that the Ad Club Madras awards needs to be unique in order to attract participation from not only local agencies, but also some national and international agencies who have stayed away during the last couple of years. Hence, we felt that the need of the hour was a change in format – a format so unique to Ad Club Madras that it cannot be replicated by other Clubs. Thus, the concept of ‘Tamil Advertising Awards’ was frozen,” Seshadri explained.
“There is a huge body of work created in Tamil, not just by agencies but by radio / TV / Internet and feature film companies that is unique and deserves to be celebrated and awarded. Currently, there is no forum which identifies and recognises this kind of work. The Ad Club Madras, with its roots in Chennai, is in a unique position to implement this concept, which the Club hopes will appeal to even other national and international agencies (especially in Sri Lanka and South East Asia), who target Tamilians,” Seshadri added.
Monday, June 30, 2008
'Head-quartered' pressures on Captives
Faced with the reality of mounting 'head-quatered' pressures, Captive Centres / R&D Centres in India are continually searching for ways to decrease their operational cost and increase productivity and profits.
As a means to accomplish these strategic goals some of these captives are analyzing core functions versus peripherial elements of their business and increasingly outsourcing their non-core business processes in order to gain operational efficiencies.
During my sales calls with a few select captives, I get a feeling that some of them recognize the need and the majority of this lot is increasingly moving towards small and medium size outsourcing companies in India to gain superior control.
As a means to accomplish these strategic goals some of these captives are analyzing core functions versus peripherial elements of their business and increasingly outsourcing their non-core business processes in order to gain operational efficiencies.
During my sales calls with a few select captives, I get a feeling that some of them recognize the need and the majority of this lot is increasingly moving towards small and medium size outsourcing companies in India to gain superior control.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Non-intrusive !! Really ??
Engage your customers like never before they say !! I think it is a double edged sword, you could disengage your customers with this intrusive medium. Unlike TV, Mobile is considered very private. And hence doubly intrusive. Do customers see value in SMS advertising? What product categories would fit in here?
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