Welcome...
I am delighted once again to pen the welcome note to the NIIT Technologies UK Newsletter. I have so much to update you with since our last edition, so I shall start by telling you what NIIT has been doing to remain competitive and efficient during the current global financial challenge.
We at NIIT, like many businesses, seized the opportunity to cut costs and minimise our overheads by leaving our hunting ground in High Wycombe to take up shared residency with the Room Solutions team (our sister company) based out of Canary Wharf. We are now in a wonderful location and take advantage of the cosmopolitan lifestyle Canary Wharf offers.
Likewise, we have been helping our customers to remain competitive too; analysts and industry leaders tell us that outsourcing managed services and some IT functions has been an obvious path to take for companies to reduce costs and maximise on efficiency. Indeed, Managed Services thrives in tough economic times – it is a crucial tool for firms who plan to emerge from the current economic downturn more successful and competitive than when they entered it.
Since October, we now have our very own Blog site, which has a host of keen followers from the UK and across the globe. The use of blogging and social media tools such as twitter are becoming indispensable, and we plan to use this technology to leverage and take part in industry debates, so please do log on and take a look, I promise to review any comments you put forward here.
In this newsletter, we proudly announce new additions to our customer base, and for the second year running our number 1 ranking in this years’ Black Book of Outsourcing Survey of the Global Travel Industry.
Again, we have successfully co-hosted events where senior analyst Alan Rodger from the Butler Group shared the platform with leading brains from NIIT providing insights and knowledge into Remote Infrastructure Management (RIMS - one of most commonly adopted Managed Services), and Neil Saunders of Verdict who discussed ways of winning the e-retail battle - delivering on the needs of the shopper and latest technological developments in e-commerce. We now conduct all of our CIO forums under the world-famous Chatham House Rules, which states; “When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed". In our experience, this certainly has been a useful rule, enabling participants to be much more open and seeing them share plenty of information.
So as you see, there are many areas where we have been proactive during 2009, and I look forward to updating you with our future developments again soon. In the meantime, we at NIIT would like to wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Ravi Pandey
Sr. VP and Head of UK BU
NB: Remember to read the latest thoughts of our team at http://niittech.wordpress.com/ and share it with everyone and anyone you know.
Marketing Update
Life has been one busy time in the marketing department at NIIT Technologies. As well as the events we have attended, run and co-hosted, our Press Office has outdone themselves with a record number of articles placed in industry publications.
Leading with an article regarding the demand for managed services; a number of sites published the release about how Managed Services thrives in tough economic times – it is in fact a tool crucial for those firms who plan to emerge from the current economic downturn more success and competitive than when they entered it. Full Story....
The signing of one of the UK’s top 3 largest building societies generated much interest too, with the announcement that NIIT Technologies had been chosen by the Yorkshire Building Society to develop it’s Share Plan Website. Full Story....
Banking Times ran a story on how building societies are getting smart and turning to innovative IT solutions to stave off the increasing competitive threat from the big banks and who are suffering from an exodus of saver deposits as customers withdraw funds in response to record low interest rates. Full Story....
Finally, I’d like to invite your input onto the NIIT Technologies Ltd UK Blog that has been live since October 2009. We are seeking your comments and inputs to ensure we continue publishing good material. If you have any comments or suggestions for future blogs, we’d like to hear from you here.
I Look forward to seeing your comments.
Carl Stadler
Marketing Manager UK
Raising money from the “Ashes”
When NIIT Technologies came by two corporate hospitality tickets to The Ashes – England V Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground, it was difficult to know which discerning member of staff to give them to. So we did it the fair, honest and decent thing – we raffled them off at £10 a raffle ticket! Full Story....
Yorkshire Building Society Signs with NIIT Techologies
NIIT Technologies ranked No 1 in the Black Book of Outsourcing
Making a case for Remote Infrastructure Management Services
In July 2009, NIIT Technologies teamed up with leading Analysts the Butler Group to co-host an event that also featured presentations from NIIT’s client, AXA.
NIIT Technologies Signs Up Major UK Clothing Retailer
NIIT has recently signed up a major UK retailer, whose sales generate $650 million from its three main distribution channels of Retail, Wholesale and Licensing. It has a presence in leading department stores as well as a portfolio of their own stores across the UK, the USA, Continental Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
How to win the e-retail battle
In September 2009, NIIT Technologies Ltd co hosted an event with leading UK retail analysts Verdict entitled ‘How to win the e-retail battle’ at the very apt venue – the War Cabinet Museum, London.
Bonding with customers at the ICC World Twenty-20 Semi-Final
It was June 2009 at The Brit Oval; the weather was pleasant; the food was plentiful; and the guests were in good humour. NIIT Technologies invited customers and prospects to enjoy a day of international cricket. 
NIIT a night at the cinema!
When the blockbuster film Slumdog Millionaire hit fever pitch, NIIT Technologies, NIIT SmartServe and Room Solutions invited 150 clients, prospects and VIP guests to a special screening of the film at the Mayfair Hotel, London. The reason for the screening? Well, NIIT has very proud ties with this magnificent film; as Vikas Swarup (the author of the book Q&A on which the film was based) stated in interview with the leading daily Indian Express, that his inspiration came by the Hole-in-the-Wall project. 
We have moved...
Since our last edition of the newsletter, we have moved! Leaving the green hills of High Wycombe Buckinghamshire to the cosmopolitan busy bustle of Canary Wharf in central London made sense in these challenging times. We have seized the opportunity to cut costs and minimise overheads by moving and sharing the same offices as the Room Solutions team based at Canary Wharf.
We are now neighbours with leading international companies including CitiGroup, BP Plc, Barclay Plc, enjoying the highest quality buildings and infrastructure within one of London’s newest business districts.
In design terms, Canary Wharf is one of the most highly specified urban areas in the world. For attention to detail both on buildings and in the streetscape, it is virtually impossible to find a contemporary comparison and NIIT Technologies is extremely proud to be situated in such an area.
NIIT Hosts Focus Group with Leading Insurance Organisations
In July 2009, NIIT Technologies Ltd UK hosted a focus group event with some of the leading UK insurers at the Rhodes 24 Restaurant in the heart of the City of London. The location, central to London’s Insurance and Financial district drew a significant gathering. Ravi Pandey, Goutam Kundu, Ritu Gupta and Nikhil Vaishnavi attended from NIIT and talked about how we could help insurers deal with the current financial crisis and maintain profitability.