Infosys, Microsoft in pact for $8-million IT initiative

Bangalore: Infosys Technologies Ltd and Microsoft Corporation yesterday announced a new information technology transformation initiative designed to help clients improve business performance.

Infosys and Microsoft have provided an initial investment of $8 million together to deliver a portfolio of solutions and services that enable clients to realise a simplified, flexible IT environment, that lowers the total cost of ownership and accommodates rapid changes and innovations, a company release said here.

The solutions combine Infosys' consulting, research, intellectual property and project methods with the latest Microsoft .NET software.

Using Infosys' Modular Global Sourcing model, which allows for a targeted, evolutionary approach to sourcing IT, clients can deploy these Microsoft-based solutions in a rapid, strategic, and cost-effective manner.

The CEOs of Infosys and Microsoft met at the Infosys campus in Bangalore on Monday.

Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corp, said, "Microsoft's long-term focus on delivering an integrated, manageable and reliable platform, combined with Infosys' unique delivery model and deep consulting skills, is designed to help customers grow through increased efficiency, cost savings and business value."

Nandan Nilekani, CEO, president and managing director, Infosys, said, "Using Microsoft technologies we can deliver what clients want most — competitive advantage. Our two companies agree that by bringing together complementary assets and skills our clients will benefit from the combined expertise."

Industry specific offerings for process improvement include an engineering solution for improving product development lifecycle management for automotive and aerospace organisations; a retail solution that enhances the total customer experience by supporting smarter selling habits and leveraging information flow to aid in-store operations; and an RFID solution that enables organisations to seamlessly assess the use of and integrate this emerging technology to meet customer requirements and derive business value.

Consulting services for IT transformation include strategic IT planning, IT portfolio management, business process design or alignment, systems integration and implementation and change management.

Technology infrastructure solutions include accelerated deployment, infrastructure management and operational efficiency services and an identity management solution.