Export biz to be given similar push

Bangalore, 13th October 2005, ( Open Press )

Unlike most of its contemporaries in the software industry who look overseas for business, UBICS wants to focus more on the domestic space. Simultaneously, it will also pursue its software export business. In an interview with ET, UBICS global solutions President Sunil Patil said that India offers a big domestic market, which will prove highly significant and profitable for the company.

He further added that UBICS’ novel and innovative products Ventive - a recruiting and resourcing solution, and SeeItFirst- an offering that synchronizes video, data and audio, and works effectively in a low bandwidth environment, have a lot to offer to the upcoming IT industry. Giving his feedback on client response, Mr. Patil said that the initial response from clients where the products have been implemented has been very enriching and encouraging. Increasing spends on Technology Solutions by Indian companies is a promising trend that UBICS wants to capitalize on. “ There is a big domestic market that needs to be explored”, he said. “Selling in the domestic market is tough. Sales cycles tend to be long and most companies look more at the cost of the product rather than the return on investment”, he said.

The silver lining is that many companies are beginning to realize the advantages that accrue to them through appropriate investment in software products and solutions. The Pittsburgh – headquartered UBICS is the InfoTech flagship of the $ 2 billion UB Group. Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman of the company since its inception in 1993, is also its largest shareholder. Beginning as a staff augmentation service provider, the company has over a period morphed into an integrated IT services provider.

Besides product sales, consulting is another area where the company sees significant growth. Under this offering, UBICS, depending on the need of clients, will provide ready and relevant resources for specific projects and work till its completion. Most often software exporters experience the dearth of right skill sets for specific projects they bag. This results in last minute rush to hire the relevant kind of talent, a process that is both time-consuming and expensive. In such a scenario, UBICS offers a ready team of right talent that the project demands and also takes full responsibility of its completion. “We save clients not only the hassles of wading through several resumes to find them the right one, but also help them in completing the project on time and within budget.”, said Mr. Patil. He said Mahindra British Telecom has been signed on as a client for this service, and that many others have shown interest. The company is targeting revenues of $ 55 million by 2008 from a modest $ 22 million now.