OUTSOURCING IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

Wipro is one of India’s premier IT company and today is a significant global player in the IT services, solutions and technology services space. With revenues of $1.35 billion, the company's client base includes...

By Staff Reporter

Published: Sun 7 Aug 2005, 11:49 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 5:59 PM

over 140 Fortune 1000 companies, over 100 leading Indian corporates and two retail brands with revenue in excess of Rs.1 billion.

The New York Stock Exchange listed Indian IT major, which employs over 42,000 employees across the world, has build an impressive list of clients in the AGCC region. City Times caught up with Rajat Mathur, Vice President International Operations, Wipro Infotech to know more about the company's activities here

When did your company start operations in the Middle East and which all markets have you expanded to since commencing your operation in Dubai?

Wipro Limited delivers high end IT services and consulting services to its client in the Middle East region through its two regional offices. The company started operations in Middle East region in June 2001. In the subsequent years it expanded its operations in the region to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. Today it has built a strong customer base in Middle East. Some of our customers in the region include-Doha Bank, Gulf Insurance Company, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai Metal and Commodity Center, SPC, Qatar Petroleum, College of North Atlantic-Qatar campus and Dubai Municipality etc. We deliver high end IT services and consulting services to clients in the Middle East region through two of our regional offices. One in Dubai Internet City handling operations in UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, and the second at Al Khobar catering to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

How important is Middle East to your global strategy?

Being a rapidly growing IT services market, Middle East forms a critical component of our global strategy. We are extremely committed to building a strong customer base in the Middle East. We will continue to provide value to our customers through our global experience; understanding of various technology domains and bringing customised solutions to our customers in the region.

How big is the outsourcing market globally?

According to a Gartner Research (December 2004), by the year 2008, external service providers (ESPs) will be able to deliver better IT services and will be more competitive than internally provided IT resources. As a result IT spendings of organisations across the globe on ESPs will grow at a much faster rate than their spending on internal IT budgets. The worldwide spending on External IT services, which stood at $568b in 2003, is expected to touch $762b in 2008; about 59 per cent of total IT spends.

What are your thoughts on the outsourcing market in the Middle East?

Customers across the Middle East Region have been outsourcing projects to External Service providers. They are now accepting the idea of accessing technology rather than owning it. They have established strong methodologies for vendor management for successful execution of these outsourced projects.

What are your tips for companies in various vertical industries on adopting the outsourcing model?

IT has become a critical component in almost all industries be it banking, manufacturing, telecom, utilities or government. As competition in a global environment increases, the need for greater competitiveness, efficiency and productivity will become more urgent. In such situation the option of building these non-core competencies within the organisation is not only time taking but also more costly. Outsourcing is a strategic decision for a company whether it is for a small work or critical business operations. Therefore, outsourcing model ensures better operational efficiency and better quality at a lower cost thereby giving them a competitive edge.