Mindtree Meets With Corporate Information Systems

Started in 1999, Mindtree is a global IT solutions company, with just under 8,000 employees in 20 countries. As a practice, the company gathers its best minds every year in Bangalore to participate in the company's annual planning exercise. With the slowdown, that seemed like a luxury.

Highlights

-- The corporate information systems (CIS) team included video, IM, and presentation sharing capabilities.

-- The initiative, which cost Rs 14.25 lakh (US$30,360) saved the company just under a crore.

"The unprecedented turmoil required MindTree to scrutinize every expenditure item," recalls Sudhir K. Reddy, CIO, MindTree. "One day, I received a call from our chief strategy officer asking me if there was anyway to minimize travel for the annual plan meeting using technology."

Reddy examined telepresence-on-rent and HD video conferencing. But given the size of the meeting - 120 people from up to 14 cities around the world - and the duration of the meeting - six full days - Reddy and his team quickly zeroed in on video collaboration.

The solution Reddy and the corporate information systems (CIS) team deployed included video, IM, and presentation sharing capabilities. An audio bridge was kept as back up.

Reddy's team then evaluated the voice and video quality over different conditions. An optimal configuration was demonstrated to two top management representatives and when they got the go-ahead, the team asked for the meeting's timetable. The list of participants was broken down into those from the local MindTree campus and those from elsewhere. Cameras were shipped to all participants at remote locations. Test conferences were scheduled by CIS teams in all time-zones.

"We had carefully reserved about 384 kbps per external participant and all conference rooms (about 15Mbps in total) to ensure that the video did not freeze or break-up," says Reddy.

But the solution wasn't all technology. The senior management team, which was not used to conducting such important meetings over video conferencing let alone desktop video conferencing, needed convincing. To ensure the technology did not let them down, 10 CIS members babysat the meetings. "If we had to attribute our success to one factor, it would be the meticulous planning and orchestration of the event by the CIS team," says Reddy.

The initiative, which cost Rs 14.25 lakh saved the company just under a crore.

Official: IBM US headcount down to 105,000. Down by 10,000 in 1 year

IBM's United States work force has been in decline for years, but it has recently shrunk more quickly.

News that IBM's American jobs were down to 105,000 came in a presentation to a congressional subcommittee by Maria Ferris, IBM's director of diversity, compliance and employee experience.

That means a decrease of 10,000 IBMers since the end of 2008, when it was 115,000.

Ferris' remarks were reported Nov. 16 as part of a pitch to relax some Fair Labor Standards Act provisions, which she said would increase workplace and time flexibility.

IBM has been cutting costs and raising profits. One way is "work force rebalancing," which involves shifting work around, often overseas, and U.S. downsizing.

"We've been saying that the offshoring of U.S. jobs would bring the IBM employee population down significantly, and I think we're seeing that now," said Lee Conrad, national organizer for Alliance@IBM, a workers' group based in Johnson City.

The Hudson Valley got a dose of downsizing this year. At IBM's East Fishkill plant, 340 jobs were cut, according to IBM documents filed with the state Department of Labor.

IBM cut about 100 to 120 jobs at its Endicott plant this year, Conrad has said, citing information from local employees.

Before the reporting act was toughened, other jobs at IBM plants were cut, however the company won't say how many.

No IBM spokesman in a position to comment could be reached. IBM has previously said it remains a major U.S. high-tech employer.

At the end of 2008, IBM had 398,455 employees globally, with the U.S. portion forming 28.9 percent of that.

Satyam to Hire 1,000 College Graduates by Mid-December

MUMBAI -- India's Satyam Computer Services Ltd., now operating under the Mahindra Satyam brand, will recruit around 1,000 college graduates by mid-December, a senior company executive said Friday.

"The need to hire some entry-level people is being felt because of attrition and to prepare for the future," Hari T, chief people officer, told Dow Jones Newswires.

Fraud-hit Satyam was acquired by Tech Mahindra Ltd. in April via a government-led auction after Satyam's founder and then chairman confessed in January to cooking the company's books.

These recruits will be among the 7,000 who received offers from Satyam before the scam came to light, Mr. Hari said.

Satyam was doubly hit by the global economic meltdown as clients canceled projects and sought price cuts as they faced pressure on profits.

In a bid to cut costs, Mahindra Satyam also cut salaries and placed staff who were not working on billable projects on forced leave.

However, the company is now recovering from the fraud and the impact of the global meltdown.

Mr. Hari said the company has already recalled about 1,500 people from the original 8,000 placed on forced leave.