INDIA BUSINESS WORLD SEPTEMBER (16th - 30th) 2007
The Month that was ...
WIPRO BAGS $130-M, FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT FROM BRITISH UTILITY THAMES WATER
IN ONE of the big outsourcing deals, Wipro Technologies has bagged a five-year, $130 million contract from British utility Thames Water. As per the agreement, Wipro will provide integrated IT services encompassing applications support, maintenance and infrastructure management services.
Thames Water is an old Wipro client but this is the largest single deal that the company has bagged from the British utility. Wipro has over 1,500 people energy and utility practice with capability in consulting, package implementation, systems integration, application development and maintenance, testing services, business process outsourcing and infrastructure support services. Thames Water is responsible for water supply and waste water treatment in parts of London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Thames Valley in the UK.
The IT services major is also close to an acquisition. According to market sources, Wipro's BPO arm, Wipro BPO is likely to buyout marketRx, a pharma focused market analytics company. This acquisition will bolster Wipro BPO's analytics practice, which at present accounts for less than 10% of its revenues. However, the company declined to comment on the acquisition, citing silent period prior to the upcoming Q2 results.
When marketRx was contacted, the company declined to confirm that it was in talks with specific companies. marketRx president Subinder Khurana said: "We have built something valuable with a team of over 400 worldwide which includes 100 IIT graduates. The analytics space has generated lot of interest and if we get a good offer we will look at it. I can't comment on specific offers."
The New Jersey-headquartered $50-million marketRx has over 25 clients, including Merck, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. It has offices in Gurgaon, Europe and the US. Gurgaon is its largest centre with 250 of its 400 staff working here. The market analytics company provides solutions in sales and marketing tracking, analysis, planning and optimisation as well as market research and interactive marketing services for pharma companies.
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