TCS launches software to tackle hackers

MUMBAI, AUG 1: Tata Sons division Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has floated a new business called Computer Security Consultancy Practice...

MUMBAI, AUG 1: Tata Sons division Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has floated a new business called Computer Security Consultancy Practice, that will design, develop and implement customised end-to-end computer security solutions.

Addressing a news conference here today, TCS chief executive officer S Ramadorai said the new business was targetted at banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, government, stock exchanges and existing clients of TCS. The software would be initially be launched from India and would be branched out into other countries after three months.

Explaining the rationale for setting up the new practise, Sanjay Pandey, head of computer security consultancy practise at TCS and a former IPS official said: “The new business unit will address the concern arising out of rapid development in IT sector, especially in the e-commerce area, by developing and implementing customised end-to-end solutions to tackle security lapses in application, operating systems, network design and the internet areas.”

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Last year computer security consultancy practise field had generated a revenue of US$ 679 million across the world, he said. TCS was looking at `Linux’ as a platform to be used as the operating system.

The CEO said TCS is expecting about 25 per cent of its turnover, equivalent to Rs 700 crore, to come in from e-commerce area by the end of the current fiscal even as TCS is targetting to rake in a turnover of Rs 2,800 crore during the current fiscal.

The contribution of e-commerce to the overall topline of the company had grown from nine per cent in 1998-99 to 16 per cent in 1999-2000. He pointed out that almost 85 per cent of the company’s revenues were from exports/overseas projects and only 15 per cent was contributed by the domestic operations.

TCS is also expected to continue its investments in the research and development (R&D) activities. “We have been spending about six per cent of our total revenue on the R&D front,” Ramadorai said.

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The company, which employs 14,000 professionals, has a research centre in Hyderabad which has a manpower of 400 employees currently. TCS is also in talks with several foreign universities to conduct research on IT projects.