In business, as in life, symbolism has its significance. By zipping past the $1 billion (Rs 5,102 crore) mark for revenues in 2003, Tata Consultancy Services has reconfirmed its position as India’s, and indeed Asia’s, leading IT consulting and software services enterprise.

With the goal of becoming one of the world’s top ten consulting companies by 2010 driving it forward, TCS sees the new year as another step in a journey that it expects will culminate in exemplary success. Here we list some of the organisation’s best moments in 2003.

Projects

• Centralised core-banking system for the State Bank of India: This was one of the largest projects of its kind in the world and one without parallel in the history of the Indian IT industry.
• Offshore development centre for AT&T Wireless: TCS set up an offshore development centre for AT&T Wireless (AWS) at its Tidel Park Facility in Chennai. The centre will focus on supporting AWS’s mission-critical applications in customer systems and enterprise support areas.
• IT outsourcing for Toyota Financial Services: TCS signed an agreement to take over the IT system maintenance for Toyota Financial Services (TFS), a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, in the United States.
• Dedicated offshore development centre for Racal Instruments: The relationship with TCS has enabled Racal Instruments to reduce development and support costs and launch new products faster.
• Société Générale chooses QUARTZ®: TCS’s banking software, QUARTZ®, was chosen by the Global Banking Services Division of Société Générale as the core system of the European platform for its international operations.
• CDSX for the Canadian Depository for Securities: CDS selected TCS for the mammoth project of integrating the operating environment for all securities into one platform in order to enable maximum flexibility for clearing, settlement, entitlement and depository services. This solution won ‘The Banker’ Technology Award 2003 last June.
• Unemployment insurance claims system for the New Mexico Department of Labour: TCS delivered an award-winning system that incorporates web and phone functionality to give users a virtual one-stop to services from the New Mexico Department of Labour.
• SmartGov at the Andhra Pradesh secretariat: SmartGov is a TCS-built framework that can automate any government’s administrative functions. It is a unique group-ware solution that combines knowledge management with workflow management, document management and database management.

Global expansion, acquisitions

• As a part of its globalisation strategy, TCS set up new global development centres in Hangzhou, China, and Yokohama, Japan, this year.
• TCS became the sole holding company of Airline Financial Support Services by acquiring Swissair’s stake in the joint venture. AFSL delivers revenue accounting services to international clients in the airline and hospitality industry.

Marketing/strategic alliances
TCS forged relationships with several regional and global players in the course of 2003. As a result, TCS now has alliances with:

• NEC Singapore, to explore collaboration in four key areas: security products and solutions, sale of NEC supercomputers, e-Government solutions, web integration and software development.
• Clarinox Pty Ltd, Australia, to offer comprehensive Bluetooth™ products and services to clients globally.
• GlobalSoft Innovations Inc, to jointly invest in the development of GSI’s flagship convergence product suite iFusion, which includes Participé and Communiqué.
• Novell, for e-Security initiatives.
• JYI Risk Management Services, to develop joint products for the banking and financial services industry.
• Zoom Networks, to deliver world-class IT consulting and system integration services to local and multinational companies operating in China.
• Jardine OneSolution, to provide value-added services and a broad range of industry-specific solutions to customers in Hong Kong, Greater China, Singapore and Malaysia.
• Adobe systems, through which TCS will integrate and resell Adobe products as part of its enterprise solution offerings.

Awards
TCS was recognised for its achievements with several awards this year:

• ‘The Banker’ Technology Award for CDSX, which was developed for the Canadian Depository for Securities.
• Lotus Beacon 2003 Award from IBM for SmartGov solution (Client: Government of Andhra Pradesh).
• Ranked No 1 in DataQuest IDC CSA survey for CIOs’ choice of IT services companies in India.
• TCS’s Shollinganallur centre bagged the Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award.
• Best IT Consultant (Asia Pacific) for the year 2002-03 from Global Finance.

• EX Personal Investment Manager: A personal investment managing solution for small investors.
• RISKSCAN™: A credit-risk product with features relevant to credit approval, administration and portfolio management.
• SmartBox: A cutting-edge, next-generation industrial controller for distributed, collaborative, complex and mission-critical control applications.

Uploaded on January 5, 2004