UST Global unveils new campus plan

UST Global unveiled its plan for the proposed campus in Trivandrum. It is expected to be operational by 2010. The campus will be marked by its unique architectural style, ambient work space and eco-friendly operations. The Campus has been designed by CPG Consultants, a Singapore-based architectural firm who are world-renowned for their work on projects such as Singapore’s Changi Airport and National University of Singapore (NUS).

Read More : http://blog.technoparktoday.com/2008/08/ust-global-unveiled-new-campus-plan/

SeaView celebrates its 10th anniversary

The Technopark IT Giant, SeaView( seaview.svw.com ) is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week. SeaView is the pioneering IT Enabled Services Company in India . Its is mainly involved in Medical Transcription , Business transcription and Legal Transcription. Seaview caters to the needs of industry leaders in the US and the UK.

The company started its operations in 1995 in Technopark and now has a staff strength of 180 and is fast expanding. Seaview also develops software for the Transcription Industry . Products include digital sound tools for file conversions and playing, tools that facilitate automatic ftp and data transfer, Scheduling and Monitoring software that takes care of the entire needs of the global online teletranscription industry . They now operate from their own building, Padmanabham, near the main entrance of Technopark.

TechnoparkToday wishes SeaView all the best on this glorious occasion and wishes them success in their future engagements.

Technopark bags national award for best technology incubator

Technology Business Incubator (TBI) at Technopark here has bagged the prestigious national award for the best technology business incubator in the country for 2007.The award, instituted by the department of science and technology of the central government, was for encouraging and recognizing the business incubation activity, which plays a key role in promoting the entrepreneurial culture in the country.

Former Hon.president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presented the award at a ceremony held in New Delhi Sunday last as part of the Technology Day 2008 celebrations.

Technology business incubation aims to identify potential entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and nurture them through different phases of growth until the business takes off to a maturity level where it becomes a financially sustainable venture. in that respect Technopark is doing a good job.At this moment technoparkLive! feel proud to be part of this great technopark, and wishing all the best for the future endeavors of Technopark!

More About Technopark's T-BIC

The Technopark Business Incubation Centre (T-BIC) was established in 2002. Following the success of this initiative, Technopark started the Technopark-Technology Business Incubator (T-TBI) in 2006 with funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DST). TBI was aimed at providing budding entrepreneurs in the “knowledge driven” industry all facilities and support to tide over their teething problems and establish their company in a short time.

T-BIC shall provide ready to move in, plug and play facilities at Technopark. The following modules are available at T-BIC.

8 Seat Modules
4 Seat Modules

Essential operational support services such as security, reception service, telephone operator service, photo-copying, etc. shall be provided by Technopark as part of the package, with nominal charges being levied extra in some cases while the rest being included in the package.

In addition, essential business support services including business consulting and advisory services applicable right from the stage of company formation shall be provided. Again, a service charge may be levied as appropriate for different services. Technopark's endeavour in any case shall be to minimize costs for the incubated company

A partial list of companies incubated from T-TBI

Acco Bizware Pvt Ltd
Adion Road Links Pvt Ltd
Auto India.com
Bigpond Technologies India Pvt Ltd
Cepios
Cell Technologies Pvt Ltd
Digitera
Digitella
Dundas Software
eZe Care Systems Pvt Ltd
Geotrans Technologies Pvt Ltd
Hages B Solutions Pvt Ltd
I- Manager Learning Solutions Pvt Ltd
Intergrated Dynamic Solutions Pvt Ltd
Itraitz IT Solutions Pvt Ltd
Kerala Next.com
Kreara Solutions Pvt Ltd
MDI Datanet India Pvt Ltd
Morning Paper Web Service Pvt Ltd
Optibiz Software Technologies Pvt Ltd
Optiwise Solutions Pvt Ltd
Paragon Biomedical India Pvt Ltd
Pivot Systems Pvt Ltd
RNC BPOI
RWDI Consulting Engineers & Scientists India Pvt Ltd
Saturn Systemwares Pvt Ltd
Spazio Tech
Speridian Technologies Pvt Ltd
SRC Software Pvt Limited
Standout IT Solutions Pvt Ltd
Synthite Technologies
Travancore Software Solutions Pvt Ltd
Vinirma Consultancy
Wins Infotek Pvt Ltd
YSC Engineering Services Pvt Ltd

To participate in Technopark's incubator program, and for more details,
contact: incubator@technopark.org

Technopark firm Accentia acquires U.S. company

It seems the take over game is repeating in IT industry after the giant take overs by Indian steel and pharmacy companies.

Accentia Technologies, a Technopark- based firm specialising in Healthcare Receivables Cycle Management (HRCM) has taken over the New Jersey (US)-based Oak Technologies and its subsidiary company, Vasant Scribes, operating from Hyderabad.

Accentia Technologies is one of the prime companies in technopark with a huge employee base and revenue.

May 1 - Labour Day

Labor was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased

May-1 is a holiday for Technopark Companies. Happy labour day for all technoparkians. lets work together to build a better world!

Technopark gets Pollution Control Board notice!

The green credentials of the ‘world’s greenest technopolis’ has been put under the scanner.

The Pollution Control Board (PCB), in a sternly-worded notice on Wednesday, has asked the Technopark authorities to clean up their act and urgently put in place scientific anti-pollution systems on the campus.

The PCB has held the Technopark culpable on three major counts. One, for a primitive sewage treatment with inadequate capacity. Two, for the lack of a water treatment facility. Three, for not having an authorised e-waste disposal system.

The KSPCB has also asked Technopark to provide information about the steps taken to contain the sound and air pollution caused by power generators


Read More..

Earthday celebration at Technopark

Technopark Trivandrum: Kerala’s leading IT and BPO services company, UST Global, Tuesday launched a campaign for environmental awareness at the Technopark campus here. The centrepiece of the campaign was an innovative “pookalam” ( floral carpet) with ecology messages, backed by a poster and signature campaign for spreading eco-awareness.

“Earth Day is the latest in the series of an ongoing campaign to create awareness and make a difference in Kerala. According to Business Week, UST Global ranked second in creating a governance programme that orchestrates the environmental goals and needs of clients,” the company said in a statement.

Every year UST organises Green Day! to coincide with World Environment Day, during which housands of saplings are donated to the government for planting.

The centrepiece of the campaign was an innovative 'pookalam' ( floral carpet) with ecology messages, backed by a poster and signature campaign for spreading eco-awareness.

A new political war looms over technopark

Close on the heels of the tall talk by the CPM leaders about the drastic changes in the industrial environment in the State and the significant growth anticipated in the IT sector, the State IT Department and the IT companies at Technopark here are fast moving on a collision course.

According to sources, the CEOs in the Technopark here have been sharing a general feeling that they are no more welcome to the State Government.

Unlike in the past, Technopark authorities and the companies housed at the Park now find no way to settle the differences between them. Neither are the Park Centre authorities and the IT Department able to take up the issue in the right forum, nor have the companies an idea about whom to consult to settle the issues that warrant political will and policy intervention.

The collapsing relations between the IT companies on side and the State IT Department and the Park Centre on the other were in evidence at the recently-held KeralaIT.Com. Majority of the companies at the Park opted to keep out of the unprofessionally-organised IT exhibition.

Adding insult to injury, the IT Department and the Technopark authorities have declined to pay back the advance given by three companies in the Park for rented space in the newly-built block - ‘Thejaswini’. The three companies (two of them are the leading companies in their respective domains and had set up their facilities during the initial days of the Park) had paid three months’ rent in advance to the Park Centre.

However, owing to various reasons, these companies decided not to occupy the built up space allotted to them in Tejaswini. The Park Centre authorities, after consulting the IT Department, informed the companies that the advance given by them could not be refunded. There is no change in their stand, even after the Technopark authorities rented out the same space to some other companies.

Meanwhile, another vexed issue regarding the payment of building tax of Technopark buildings to the Corporation is yet to be sorted out. As a result of the efforts taken by a CPM councillor in the City Corporation, the Technopark authorities were asked to pay the building tax arrears since 2000. Under some false notion, the Technopark authorities were not paying building tax. However, when the Corporation sent notice, the IT Department instructed the Park Centre authorities to pay the arrears on their own and collect the same from the companies later.

Following the instruction, Technopark paid around Rs 1.75 crore to the Corporation. But when the Park Centre wanted the companies to pay the building tax arrears, the companies responded in the negative. According to them, the building tax payment is the responsibility of the lessor and lessee need not bother about the same. The Park Centre should have incorporated the building tax in the rent, they said.

According to sources, the Infopark in Kochi has been collecting the building tax from the companies by incorporating the same in the rent.

Without exploring the possibility for an amicable settlement of the issue, the IT Department decided to go by the legal advice. As per the legal advice, Technopark can claim the building tax arrears from the companies. Though the term Building Tax was not written explicitly in the lease agreement, the companies can be made liable for the same.

Moving a step ahead, the IT Department has now told the companies that if they did not pay the building tax arrears, disciplinary steps would be initiated against the companies and their lease wouldn’t be extended.

Though the companies had approached Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, the result was a routine reply along the lines of ‘the matter will be looked into.’

(coutesy : newindpress)

Technopark Assessed CMMI Level 4

Technopark Assessed at Level 4 of the Capability Maturity
Model Integration (CMMI LEVEL 4)




Electronics Technology Parks – Kerala ( Technopark) today announced that it
had been assessed at Level 4 of the Capability Maturity Model Integration
(CMMI) of the Software Engineering Institute ( SEI), Carnegie Mellon University,
Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Quality Point Integrating Systems Private Limited carried out
this assessment for the Capability Maturity Model Integration (SE/SW/IPPD/SS
V1.1 Staged Representation)

CMMI is widely regarded as the best means to measure the quality and maturity
of an organization and is the best process improvement models available for
product, service development and maintenance. The successful Level 4 CMMI
assessment signifies that Technopark has established Quantitative objectives for
quality and process performance, which are used as the criteria in managing
processes.

“ We carried out the assessment strictly in accordance with SEI norms” said Ms.
Geetha Parthasarathy, of Quality Point, who was SEI’s authorized CMMI Lead
Assessor for Technopark’s CMMI Level 4 assessment. This assessment can be
attributed to the Senior Managements vision and leadership as also to the
professional excellence of its team members. Achieving the much coveted CMMI
is just another milestone in Technoparks journey to continue to remain a world
class facility” Ms. Parthasarathy went on to add that Technopark’s inherent
strength is its excellent team spirit and flat organizational structure.
Congratulating the team on its achievement, Mr. N R Mahalingam, CEO of
Technopark said, “ Achieveing CMMI level 4 is one of the most significant
milestone in Technopark’s journey to attain new heights in customer
satisfaction”.

Ms. Aruna Sundararajan, Secy IT, Government of Kerala said, “ Technopark’s
achievement has made the entire IT community and Kerala proud. The park has
been single minded in its pursuit of quality since its inception. I would like to
congratulate the entire team for having achieved this major milestone”

About Software Engineering Institute

The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is a federally funded research and
development center, established in 1984 by the US Department of Defense with
a broad Charter to address the transition of software engineering technology.
The SEI is an integral component of Carnegie Mellon University and is sponsored
by the office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology
(OUSD[A&T].

About Capability Maturity Model Integration

The purpose of CMM Integration is to provide guidance for improving an
organization’s processes and its ability to manage the development, acquisition
and maintenance of products or services. CMM Integration places proven
approaches into a structure that helps an organization appraise its organizational
maturity or process area capability, establish priorities for improvement, and
implement these improvements

About Technopark

Technopark, Trivandrum , an autonomous society promoted by the Government
of Kerala, is India’s first technology park and amoung the two largest IT parks in
India today. Spread over 156 acres, and about 1.5 m. sqft of built up space,
Technopark hosts about 60 IT and ITES companies.
Technopark is the IT hub of the State of Kerala and based in Trivandrum which
can rightfully claim to be the knowledge capital of the region. Technopark
provides world class, robust and failsafe physical, power and datacom
infrastructure, offering a no compromise yet low cost enabling environment for
the IT industry that is leveraged by its occupant companies for a competitive
advantage.

Picture of the day - Green Technopark

Green Technopark - a view from Bhavani

e-governance conclave in Technopark

Technopark will host national e-governance programme (NeGP), in tandem with the event Kerala IT.Com 2008. R Chandrasekhar, additional secretary, ICT, Govt of India will inaugurate the NeGP seminar, according to a release.

The park is envisaged to witness the convergence of all major stakeholders in info business like IT secretaries of various state governments, decision makers from GoI, industry associations, and various other departments of the government during the event.

NeGP seminar will focus on factors like service delivery infrastructure and capacity buiding; success stories and challenges; IT education; infrastructre; best practices; whereas the exhibition will have over 100 major IT Companies showcasing their products and services. Some of the participating Companies are Sun Microsystems, Cisco, Infosys, Wirpro, Intel, NIIT, C-DAC, Sybase, Computer Associates, CMC, IBS, HP, 3i Infotech, DOEACC, K2, Dell, TVS, Core Projects, etc.

The seminar is likely to come up with some firm decisions on the prime concerns facing IT industry, says RK Nair, CEO, Technopark.

"Kerala - The IT Destination Hub" (Cutting edge and viable solutions through use of IT) is the theme for Kerala IT.Com 08. Nair said, "We are extremely happy to be associated with Kerala IT.Com 2008. The exhibition and seminar will bring some of the major decision makers in IT discussing the prime concerns facing the IT industry in Kerala and we hope to take some firm decisions to address the same."

The event is supported by Kerala State IT Mission and organsied by Wisitex Foundation.

GTECH in Technopark

GTECH, Group of Technopark Companies is a strategic association of IT companies in Technopark, a common forum where member companies work together for mutual benefit and progress.

GTECH was setup with a mission and a visionary zeal to:

Promote the interests of the community of IT companies in Technopark.
Grow into a powerful regional forum and contribute to the success of member companies by:

1. Articulating the consensual views of its members to Government, regulatory agencies, media and the general public.
2. Joint market development activities on behalf of member companies.
3. Enhancing organisational maturity through joint initiatives in the areas of process improvement, human resource development, and other best practices.
Promote Technopark Kerala as the preferred IT destination globally.

Over 50 companies including 4 CMM Level 5, 2 CMM Level 3, and a number of ISO 9001 companies operate out of Technopark. The park also houses skilled manpower with varied excellent infrastructure (amidst breathtaking greenery), meeting global IT & ITES industry standards at one-third the cost of comparable facilities.

GTECH caters to a global blue-chip clientele across countries of North America, Japan, Europe, Middle East, Australasia and Singapore. Click here for specific clientele.

If you are looking for Offshore Software Development, Business Process Outsourcing, Onsite Consulting, Joint Ventures/Strategic Alliances and/or Product Marketing, get in touch with GTECH right away.

To Contact GTECH

Mr Sunil Gupta
President
Group of Technopark Companies
Phone: 91-471-2700176
Email: info@gtechindia.org
URL: www.gtechindia.org


the GTEH agreement among the technopark companies ( who signed in GTECH agreement ) is that, no employee in a GTECH Company can join any other GTECH company within the campus without a break of 6 months.that means if you want to join any other GTECH company in technopark, you should work outside the campus at least 6 months.

but interestingly some of the companies in technopark is not signed in this agreement. Infosys is one among them, so anybody can join infosys without any GTECH hazards. and they utilized this when they started operation in trivandurm, they got so many good talents from the campus to join infy that time.

Technopark and Infopark to be expanded

An aerial view of proposed land for technocity, Trivandrum

In line with its plans to develop Trivandrum Kochi as the foremost IT locations in the region, the Kerala government has commenced work on integrated townships, specifically for IT and ITeS industry.

Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan said the Technocity project in the state capital and the Smart City project at Kochi would be of global standards with modern infrastructure.

Pointing out that various internationally reputed companies have made Technopark their home, he added, “We are on the threshold of many new initiatives in this sector and within the next few years Kerala will be one of the leading states in India in IT and ITeS sectors. The Kerala State IT Policy provides attractive incentives for IT industry, enhances infrastructure capacities at our IT parks and offers single window clearance among others.”

Speaking to the media after inaugurating Kerala IT.Com at Technopark, the chief minister said Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi had been ranked as the most attractive IT and ITeS destinations in India.

This apart, the government plans to construct two more buildings at the Thiruvananthapuram Technopark and Infopark campuses soon. Each building would boast of 5,00,000 sft

Unrealistic land price/ rent for Technopark employees, How to prevent it?

This quandary is indeed a matter of serious concern. With the Technocity Project coming up near Pallippuram along with the Technopark Phase-II and Phase-III work which is already on, the land price has touched astronimical rates, and so is the case with house rent rates as well.

Earlier, this was the predicament only faced by IT pros in Bangalore and other Tier-I cities, but of late, it has become contagious and followed by the landlords in and around Kazhakuttom (Trivandrum) in a disingenuous manner.

I think the following point could help to an extent -

Technopark employees being united and stop paying high rents. (big challenge but doable)

this can certainly happen if effort comes in from each individual in Technopark. For that to happen, an awareness has to be created. There has to be a strong wide-spread campaign/movement emanating from the IT fraternity.

So, to start with, I think those of you who have had bitter experiences will have to convey this to HR folks in respective companies. Then a Forum/syndicate has to be created with the help of HRs from at least the big fishes here (UST, Infosys, TCS, IBS, Allianz, SunTec et al). Subsequently, it has to be taken up at the Technopark authorities level. For instance, present a memorandum to CEO R K Nair, IT Secretary Ajaykumar and Special IT Secretary K R Jyotilal addressing the plight of the employees.

With the help of these authorities, put pressure on the Kazhakoottam Panchayat or Local Administration authorities and ensure that the landlords are given a STRICT MANDATE from the authorities that rent must be charged ONLY to a certain amount. This will happen ONLY if there is POLITICAL WILL from Government and Local authorities.

I am sure that renowned bureaucracy (at all levels - State, District, Panchayat) will see it as a serious malversation , and block off. Having said that, to make something happen, we will have to connect and show our strength.

In short, IT pros will have to unite, lead and execute it. The challenge out here is to unite them under an umbrella. We will have to exhort pros who are already tied-up with the routine work to spend sometime and speak to their HRs and urge them to form a consortium (of companies).

Unless and until we do something of this scale - a collective, directed and dedicated effort/campaign, people/landlords will continue doing so (they decide their own rent), and we will end up paying huge amount for rent from our pockets.

Concerted Action will certainly pay dividends!!!

( Information Courtesy : Hari Nair )


Now a days, its a habit of landlords and house owners near and around the technopark, to demand some unrealistic amount for land house or even for rent. it happens even in the local fish market, if they know you are from technopark, the prices will be many fold.

Please share your views and thoughts in to this

Requests for Land for IT Companies in Technopark, Trivandrum

Requests for Land for IT Companies
Sl No	Date of request	Name of Organisation	Land area requested	Status/ Remarks
1	29/07/2005	eZeCare Systems and Solutions P Ltd	2 Acres	Pending
2	08/11/2005	Indriya Technologies Pvt Ltd	3 acres of land	Pending
3	13/03/2006	US Technology	100 acres	Pending
4	29/03/2006	Softlution Web Technologies	2 Acres	Pending
5	12/04/2006	IVL India	5 acres	Pending
6	12/04/2006	Torque	10 acres	Pending
7	22/05/2006	Q burst	2 Acres	Pending
8	14/07/2006	eSystem Software P Ltd	2 Acres	Pending
9	24/07/2006	SRC	2 acres	Pending
10	16/08/2006	IDS Software Services Pvt Ltd	5 acres	Pending
11	21/08/2006	Assyst International Pvt Ltd	10 Acres	Pending
12	08/09/2006	Palnar Transmedia	1 Acre	Pending
13	18/09/2006	Alamy Images India Pvt Ltd	1 acres	Pending
14	08/10/2006	Accel Transmatics	5 acres	Pending
15	20/10/2006	Zafin Centre of Excellence	2 acres	Pending
16	03/11/2006	Britek India	5 acres	Pending
17	10/11/2006	Hages Business Solutions P Ltd	1 acre	Pending
18	27/12/2006	Patni Computers,Chennai	25+ acres	Pending
19	05/01/2007	Wins Infotek	2 acres	Pending
20	17/01/2007	Seaview Support Systems Pvt Ltd	20 cents	Pending
21	18/01/2007	Indian Oil Corporation Ltd	1 acre	Pending
22	19/01/2007	IIITM-K	10 Acres	Pending
23	07/02/2007	Aryans Infoway	10 Acres in Phase III	Pending
24	15/02/2007	Vinirma Consulting Pvt Ltd	1 Acre	Pending
25	22/02/2007	Palnar Transmedia	50 cents	Pending
26	26/02/2007	IDS Software Services Pvt Ltd	5 Acres	Pending
27	16/03/2007	A R Software Solutions Pvt Ltd	2 acres	Pending
28	26/03/2007	Seaview Support Systems Pvt Ltd	3 acres	Pending
29	27/03/2007	Argent Software	1 acre	Pending
30	29/03/2007	Allianz Cornhill Information Services	10 acres	Pending
31	30/03/2007	B2B Software	2 acres	Pending
32	03/05/2007	Kreara Solutions	Land in Technocity	Pending
33	29/05/2007	SunTec Business Solutions	20 acres	Pending
34	05/06/2007	Digitella Outsourcing P Ltd	5.5 acres	Pending
35	11/06/2007	IBS	25 acres	Pending
36	13/06/2007	Maxartists	2 acres	Pending
37	03/07/2007	McFadyen Consulting	5 acres	Pending
38	09/07/2007	EYME Technologies P Ltd	5 acres	Pending
39	27/07/2007	Accentia Technologies Ltd	10 acres in Phase III	Pending
40	10/08/2007	Travancore Analytics(P) Ltd.	10 acres in new SEZ	Pending
41	13/11/2007	Speridian Technologies P Ltd	10 acres in Technocity	Pending
42	28/12/2007	Datec Systems Pvt Ltd	50 cents in Technocity/Campus	Pending

Requests for Land for IT Infrastructure development
Sl No	Date of request	Name of Organisation	Land area requested	Remarks/Status
1	11/08/2005	Chesterton Mehraj Property Consultants	Land for Devpt	Pending
2	15/09/2005	K Reheja Corporation Pvt Ltd	Land for Devpt	Pending
3	13/02/2006	Leela Scottish lace	10 acres	Pending
4	17/10/2006	Emaar MGF Group		Pending
5	26/12/2006	Euro Emirates	10 acres	Pending
6	24/03/2007	CDI India Ltd	30 acres	Pending
7	28/05/2007	Indo Homgkong Industries P Ltd	4 acres	Pending
8	12/06/2007	L&T	50acres Technocity	Pending
9		Ascendas Group	50 acres	Pending
10		Embassy Group		Pending
11	19/10/2007	Toonz Infrastructure P Ltd	100 acre	Pending
12	23/10/2007	Baba Infrastructures And Developers Limited land	Technocity	Pending