Aims to 'Elevate America'
Microsoft is announcing on Sunday a job training effort aimed at giving technical skills to as many as 2 million Americans over the next three years.
The most significant part of the program, in which Microsoft is offering free certification and other technical training, is being done in a phased approach, starting with Washington state. The second component of "Elevate America," available online immediately, is a Web site designed to help people with the basics such as creating a resume and send e-mail.
"Millions of individuals don't have the technology skills needed in today's economy. Through Elevate America, we want to help workers get the skills they need to succeed," Pamela Passman, Microsoft's VP for corporate affairs, said in a statement.
Microsoft's move comes as the United States has shed millions of jobs, a small number of which came from Microsoft itself as the company announced its first companywide layoffs last month.
As part of the Elevate America program, Microsoft is working with state and local governments and hopes to offer 1 million vouchers for e-learning and certification classes.
"At the federal, state and local level, leaders are working together to help start the engine of economic growth. The private sector provides much of the spark needed to jump-start that engine," Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said in a statement. "Washington state is pleased to be the first state to partner with Microsoft to provide Elevate America to our residents."
It is not clear just how much the program will cost Microsoft. "The total value of the investments will depend on the number of vouchers that will be utilized, and the mix of courses and certifications taken," a company representative said in an e-mail. "The investment also includes cash grant and software donations to community-based organizations to enhance their technology capacity to deliver these programs."
Monday, February 23, 2009
Cost cutting, Wipro
Wipro goes for cost-cutting measures
Wipro today said it has employed 30 cost-cutting measures, especially in the area of operational efficiency, to tackle the current downturn. Since the third quarter of this financial year, the company has adopted the measures “like any other sane-minded organisation”, said Pratik Kumar, executive vice-president (human resources).
“We had done it (cost cutting) at every opportunity earlier. However, we are now doing it more aggressively given the current scenario ‘in a very innovative way’,” he told mediapersons on the sidelines of a press conference in Hyderabad on Friday, while refusing to spell out further details.
The cost-cutting initiatives include reducing or cancelling executive business trips. Wipro is promoting video conferencing as one of the ways of cutting costs to reduce business travel expenses, a Wipro spokeswomen said, adding that the company's utilisation rate for the third quarter was 79.6 per cent, which will be increased further in the coming months.
Kumar said the company will honour the hiring commitments with “no timeframe and on the basis of requirement”. Wipro had given a hiring guidance of 8,000 for FY10. It had a gross hiring of 1,944 in the third quarter of this year.
“We are not making fresh offers and at the same time are not completely freezing on hiring. We will honour the committed offers by June-July. If that doesn't happen, they will spill over into the next year,” Kumar said. “It is a question of going back on your offer or honouring it. We have communicated to the freshers giving them a broader indication on when it will happen.”
“We had done it (cost cutting) at every opportunity earlier. However, we are now doing it more aggressively given the current scenario ‘in a very innovative way’,” he told mediapersons on the sidelines of a press conference in Hyderabad on Friday, while refusing to spell out further details.
The cost-cutting initiatives include reducing or cancelling executive business trips. Wipro is promoting video conferencing as one of the ways of cutting costs to reduce business travel expenses, a Wipro spokeswomen said, adding that the company's utilisation rate for the third quarter was 79.6 per cent, which will be increased further in the coming months.
Kumar said the company will honour the hiring commitments with “no timeframe and on the basis of requirement”. Wipro had given a hiring guidance of 8,000 for FY10. It had a gross hiring of 1,944 in the third quarter of this year.
“We are not making fresh offers and at the same time are not completely freezing on hiring. We will honour the committed offers by June-July. If that doesn't happen, they will spill over into the next year,” Kumar said. “It is a question of going back on your offer or honouring it. We have communicated to the freshers giving them a broader indication on when it will happen.”
Satyam
Hewitt to take charge of Satyam's HR functions
Satyam board will be appointing Hewitt Associates to take charge of its HR functions. Hewitt will assist the company to form and implement new HR policies that will help in retaining talent and rebuilding the brand of the company.
An announcement to this effect is likely to be made this week. It is learnt that Hewitt’s mandate will also include checking and verifying the existence of 53,000 people. However, this number has declined sharply since news of the fraud broke out. Satyam has seen an exodus of employees at both the senior as well as the mid-management levels.
An announcement to this effect is likely to be made this week. It is learnt that Hewitt’s mandate will also include checking and verifying the existence of 53,000 people. However, this number has declined sharply since news of the fraud broke out. Satyam has seen an exodus of employees at both the senior as well as the mid-management levels.
Wipro
Fresh hiring at Wipro only after demand picks up
Wipro Technologies, the country’s third largest IT services exporter, has decided not to hire fresh recruits till demand picks up. Pratik Kumar, executive VP (human resources), Wipro admitted that there were delays in bringing on board campus recruits for the next fiscal.
“None of the IT services firms is hiring and Wipro is not an exception. We will not be hiring till demand picks up. While we will honour all offers that we have made to campus recruits in 2008-09, there can be some delay in bringing them on board,” he said. The global economic slowdown has forced most IT services firms to go slow on hiring.
Wipro has issued about 8,000 offer letters to campus recruits in 2008-09. Generally, these recruits will be absorbed by the firm in 2009-10. “We may not be able to bring all of them on board in FY10. But we are in constant communication with them on when they can join the firm. Besides, we are looking at providing some avenues to keep them occupied,” he said.
Wipro Technologies has taken up a slew of measures to cut cost. “We have adopted about 30 measures to cut cost and most of them are related to increasing operational efficiency. We believe that we can improve our utilisation levels by a couple of points,” he said.
The utilisation rate at Wipro’s global IT business has been steadily rising and at the end of the third quarter, stood at 79.4%. In the third quarter of current fiscal (FY09), Wipro recorded consolidated revenue of Rs 6,634.3 crore, while the firm’s IT services business revenue were at Rs 5,079 crore. The firm, however, is still high on training students and faculties and skill upgradation. Wipro’s not for profit trust Mission 10X has partnered with Hyderabad-based Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) for conducting faculty enablement programmes.
They will collaborate in developing curriculum, organising workshops and undertaking joint research in creation of educational assets.
“Currently, the programme covers 3,000 faculties in the country. In two years we plan to scale it up to cover 10,000 faculties,” said Pratik Kumar.
“None of the IT services firms is hiring and Wipro is not an exception. We will not be hiring till demand picks up. While we will honour all offers that we have made to campus recruits in 2008-09, there can be some delay in bringing them on board,” he said. The global economic slowdown has forced most IT services firms to go slow on hiring.
Wipro has issued about 8,000 offer letters to campus recruits in 2008-09. Generally, these recruits will be absorbed by the firm in 2009-10. “We may not be able to bring all of them on board in FY10. But we are in constant communication with them on when they can join the firm. Besides, we are looking at providing some avenues to keep them occupied,” he said.
Wipro Technologies has taken up a slew of measures to cut cost. “We have adopted about 30 measures to cut cost and most of them are related to increasing operational efficiency. We believe that we can improve our utilisation levels by a couple of points,” he said.
The utilisation rate at Wipro’s global IT business has been steadily rising and at the end of the third quarter, stood at 79.4%. In the third quarter of current fiscal (FY09), Wipro recorded consolidated revenue of Rs 6,634.3 crore, while the firm’s IT services business revenue were at Rs 5,079 crore. The firm, however, is still high on training students and faculties and skill upgradation. Wipro’s not for profit trust Mission 10X has partnered with Hyderabad-based Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) for conducting faculty enablement programmes.
They will collaborate in developing curriculum, organising workshops and undertaking joint research in creation of educational assets.
“Currently, the programme covers 3,000 faculties in the country. In two years we plan to scale it up to cover 10,000 faculties,” said Pratik Kumar.
Ford India to add 1,000 employees this year, ramp up small car project
Ford India plans to add 1,000 more employees to its India operations this year despite the current auto market slump. The company also said its small car project is well on course and is expected to be launched in 2010.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
IBM
IBM becomes largest vendor in Indian IT services mkt
IBM Global Services, business and technology services provider has emerged as the largest vendor in the IT Services market in India with a market share of 10.8 per cent, according to a research report.
Springboard Research, infotech tracking firm in its report titled 'India IT Services Competing for Tomorrows Market' ranked Wipro and TCS-CMC in the second and third place, with a market share of 8.7 per cent and 6.1 per cent respectively.
The Indian IT services market is estimated to be 4.8 billion dollar.
IBM continues to be the leader as it continued the momentum this year by signing some major contracts in emerging verticals like retail, healthcare and insurance along with further consolidating its position in telecom & government sectors, it said.
Wipro has recorded the highest growth of all established vendors in 2008 with more than 43 per cent growth over it 2007 revenues.
Other players in the top ten are HP-EDS, HCL, Datacraft, Satyam and Siemens Information Systems Limited (SISL).
The overall market showed clear preference for vendors with end-to-end services portfolio, execution capabilities and the ability to combine software, hardware and consultancy, said the firms analyst Sudip Saha.
Springboard Research, infotech tracking firm in its report titled 'India IT Services Competing for Tomorrows Market' ranked Wipro and TCS-CMC in the second and third place, with a market share of 8.7 per cent and 6.1 per cent respectively.
The Indian IT services market is estimated to be 4.8 billion dollar.
IBM continues to be the leader as it continued the momentum this year by signing some major contracts in emerging verticals like retail, healthcare and insurance along with further consolidating its position in telecom & government sectors, it said.
Wipro has recorded the highest growth of all established vendors in 2008 with more than 43 per cent growth over it 2007 revenues.
Other players in the top ten are HP-EDS, HCL, Datacraft, Satyam and Siemens Information Systems Limited (SISL).
The overall market showed clear preference for vendors with end-to-end services portfolio, execution capabilities and the ability to combine software, hardware and consultancy, said the firms analyst Sudip Saha.
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