TechnoFIRST May Issue

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IT destination delhi

www.technofirstonline.com 2010 will be a landmark year for Indian IT hub Manu Balachandran Global Head- Customer Operations, SunTech Business Solutions

Technology Career & Entrepreneurship Magazine Vol. 6

Issue. 5

May 2010

career in

telecom top stories 12

How to face the interviewers

32

Start small, think big!

21

Facing an employment Gap?

22

2010 landmark year for IT hub

49

earn while studying abroad

26

placement experience

network partner

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Technology Career & Entrepreneurship Magazine

Hon. Chief Editor Prof. Jyothy John Managing Editor Ajay Lal Editor in charge Abraham Tharakan Associate Editor Jayakrishnan.G.Pillai Senior Editor Suchithra Pillai Art Director M U Prajeesh Campus coordinator Nasaf siraj Circulation Prijo Jose Web Coordination Anitha Reghunathan Event Coordination Vimal Administration Nileena Thomas Subscriptions - 09388833888 subscription@technofirstonline.com Advertisement (+91) 9633277714 Corp. Office mediafirst Publication A-44, Road No-2, NH-8, Mahipalpur New Delhi - 110037 Ph +91-9388833888 Admin Office mediafirst Publications C1, Alfa Towers, I.S. Press Road, Cochin-18 Ph - (+91 484) 2397533 Printed at S. T. Reddiar Press, Kochi

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The views expressed in the articles by contributors. Great care has been taken in the preparation of this journal and the information contained therein has been compiled using sources believed to the reliable and accurate. Readers are however advised, in their own interest, to reconfirm the data before acting up on the same. TechnoFIRST does not accept any liability for errors or redundancies of any nature whatsoever. All disputes subject to Ernakulam Jurisdiction only

4 TF May 2010

editorial A

lmost 30 years ago an ITD call from Delhi to US became the turning point for Indian Telecom. It was a doting call of a husband to his wife in Chicago. Unclear words and irregular voice traffic of the telephone connectivity made his communication difficult. His gloom has changed a nation’s destiny in technology; it had been starving since a summer day wonder of the first telephone connection in Calcutta on 1881. The dream of a migrant Gujarati peasant’s son, who taught his primary level education at a remote village of Orissa where even an electric bulb was beyond their wildest fantasy, has lead billions of people to start thinking about a world of GSM, CDMA and the latest in the group 3G. It was the resurrection of a country which had just 321 telephone exchanges with the teledensity of just about 0.25 phones in an area which covers 3.1 million square kilometers after the independence to achieve a delighted subscriber base of 564 million,the third largest telecommunication network and the second largest in terms of wireless connections in the world, as of now. This man initially targeted the Indian villages, to craft the new ‘RURAL ENTREPRENEURS’ by introducing telephone with small meters (PCO’s) with an attractive commission to live with a life far better than the days they have had with two raw ‘chapattis and an onion’.

Preciously, he believed telecom is one area where momentous changes have happened. This man met two prime ministers of India in 80s, who had greater visions about utilization of technology; they truly recognized his visualization on telecom and that support paved the way to start C-DOT in India. After that, the developments that occurred were merely the seasonal harvest of his resolve to a lone country that could survive even the recent economic recession. Indian telecom was one sector which safely sailed the Bermuda triangle of profit erosion. This editorial is an honoring to the futurist of Indian Telecom Sector, SATHYANARAN GANGARAM PITRODA, fondly called ‘SAM’ Truly, it is a great matter of pleasure that Indian telecom industry continued to grow even when the most other sectors struggled with the slow down. Indian Telecom market is one of the fastest growing sector in the world, with lowest tariff of per minute billing to per second billing. Through the information available in the market, we could get a forecast that the mobile telecom market would grow at a rate of 16.5% between 2011-14 fueled by INTERNET protocol television and 3G. With the rise of our telecom industry, jobs in this sector have also increased. The industry is always in a search of professionals at every functional level with right blend of skills and innovative thoughts. Our cover story rings the bell for our readers this time to get information about an area where opportunities lies buried and to unearth it.

AJAYLAL

editor@technofirstonline.com

letters to editor DBA the sought career A review about DBA( DATA BASE ADMINISTRATOR ) was a very catching one which made me come into aware about the increasing opportunities available as a DBA. The increasing opportunities in the data base industry were unknown to me and this piece of writing helped me in knowing more about the industry.

The career as a DBA and the future in the industry was well perceived and told in the story.

Sujata Roy

The Attire speaks for itself

Adapt to E-learning Your informative cover story on e-learning has brought in a world of knowledge about the new age of learning. It is true that the old method of learning gave us a lot of picture perfect memories and good material for autobiographies.

But, in a practical world, it is better to adapt to practical methods.

With the advent of new e-learning methods, it is so much easier for students to study in their own way.

Moreover, with cries of saving the planet from global warming rising up, it is a wise idea to switch to online class rooms and study materials. This alone could save 40% of fuel usage and reduce destruction of trees for paper production. I think, given a chance, the concept of e-learning will thrive in today’s world.

Anupama raj

The article on ‘your attire for a successful interview’ was really very helpful. Through this article it helped us a lot on knowing on how to present ourselves in the best possible way. What to wear and what not to wear tips were simply superb. The first thing anyone notices is the attire when we enter an organisation; I was really very tensed thinking on the same. But the article was of real help to me.

Renitha Jacob

Bangalore- the garden city I was very keen on moving to Bangalore for my career growth, but used to wonder on the further prospects. Though the city is known as the best IT destination in South India, going to a new place needs full research. The article helped me in knowing about the lively culture, food and accommodation and the work culture in the city.

The existence of such a huge base of companies was of great information.

Girish Chandran

Inspiring experience The interview “Buzzling to success, buzz in town” was truly a wonderful piece of writing. The feel of starting a new business and the difficulties faced by the company to attain a position in the market; perfectly tells on the life an entrepreneur. The energy and life of an entrepreneur is well brought in the startup story. The spirit of the CEO is commendable to develop a common platform for entertainment with just a click.

Radhika Thilak

TF May 2010 5

it destination

the expert talk

the joib hunt

cover story

14 Telecommunications Booming high, its raining jobs Surging ahead with the technologies, telecommunications is the new booming sector. It has grown beyond boundaries in this 21st century opening up bagful of opportunities for the future.

special stories 12

How to face the interviewers

20

Facing an employment Gap?

49

Do you want to earn while studying abroad

The way you perform in an interview is the final step which makes you eligible for a job

Taking a break would be a good change but stay in touch with your industry to avoid a huge employment gap

The funding for study abroad programs always makes one rethink, TF comes with right solutions for you

job track

exclusives 22 28

2010 landmark year for IT hub Says Manu Balachandran, Global Head- Customer Operations, SunTech Business Solutions. In conversation with TF, he speaks on the industry, career prospects and future.

secure a career in security With the recent bomb blasts and terrorist activities being on a high in the country, career in security is gaining boom and utmost priority.

entrepreneurship

study abroad

24

Capital city still remains the prime destination

32

Start small, think big!

44

ROMANCING TECHNOLOGY

The city that promises an unparalleled choices in every aspect of living, becoming one of the most prefered proffessional destination

Before venturing into a business one must ask yourself a question on whether you are ready for it

Human beings through millenniums have thought that the greatest tool for change is religion, philosophy, ideology, social factors etc. But the last century proved them all wrong

regulars Letter

to the editor 5 Group Discussion 36 Beta Q 26 Career Guru 20 Review 49 Gadgets 31 Smart techie 34 Hot jobs 47 Website Review 19 Placement experience 26 Book

Its raining jobs again in Q4 In the January- March quarter, the IT giants Infosys, TCS and Wipro hired over 20,000 employees improving the business conditions propelling their recruitment plans. According to human resources experts, IT and IT-enabled services are expected to see a huge jump in hiring this year and major companies in the sector have already set the pace.

According to financial statement of IT giant Infosys, it hired as many as 9,313 employees in the quarter, but the net addition after taking into account attrition was 3,914. The hiring increased the total workforce of the company and its subsidiaries to 1,13,796 employees at the end of March this year. In case of Tata Consultancy Services, it took a net 10,775 employees in the last quarter of 2009-10 fiscal. The total employee strength soared to 1,60,429 at the end of the last fiscal. The hiring momentum picked up from the third quarter of the last fiscal, when TCS had made 7,692 net additions, compared with just 320 recruitments in the previous quarter.

Altogether, the three IT companies have made net additions of 20,014 employees (taking into account attrition) in the January-March quarter.

Wipro is promising big The third largest software exporter, Wipro is promising big for its employees. The salary hike is taking place after a span of 18 months.

Not just salary hike, the company has its hiring plans on line with volume and demand and was expecting a quarter or two for attrition levels to settle.

According to Prathik Kumar, Exectuive Vice president, Human Resources, hiring will be in line with demand scenario. Hiring will tilt towards inclusion of fresh engineers and non-engineers.

It will be a blend of both, he said. Setting the right pace, the company cliam to have visited campuses last quarter and are midway in the process.

With the demand environment changing, the attrition for the quarter had been 17 per cent on an annualised basis for the company. According to resources, the changing scenario had also helped the company to plan career opportunities for its employees which was constrained due to the recession.

8 TF May 2010

HCL Tech to focus on hiring freshers

India’s fifth largest software exporter, HCL Technologies announced a 78 per cent rise in its net income at USD 77 million on a yearly basis backed by 13 new deals, recently. The company is planning to hire more freshers in future and eyes increasing revenue from non-linear growth.

With the rupee appreciation and a loss-making BPO unit posing challenges to the IT company, it is expected to effect a wage hike in July and hire 5,000 freshers this year adding to costs.

According to HCL Tech CFO Anil Chanana, they have taken up non-linear growth model for

some of their projects and this has fetched 12 per cent of their revenue. This is the first time they are announcing this expecting it to rise over a period of time.

Exchange rate volatility, wage hike, hiring are continued processes in IT business and one has to live with such issues, he added. The company has taken various steps to achieve growth even when companies were struggling under recession.

Non linear growth is the latest buzzword in the Indian software sector, aimed at pruning down manpower-related HR costs. Under such a model, IT companies don’t get paid based on the number of people used on a project but depending on the output.

In the March quarter, the company had a net debt position of USD 104 million as on March 2010.

It generated USD 250 million cash in the first nine months of 200910 against USD 200 million in the previous year. Aiming much higher, Chanana claims that they have been doing more of lateral hiring than just freshers even when the lateral hiring is costly. Going forward, they have decided to rely more on freshers, train them and use them.

corporate news Apple iPad available in Indian grey market With the global launch of Apple gadget- Apple-iPad getting postponed by a month to May end, those who were waiting to lay their hands on it must be really dissapointed. But if you are among those who want to grab it the first then you can buy the 16 GB WiFi version for about Rs 42,000 from some shops in Kolkata and Delhi. The 32 GB version costs Rs 52,000.

But that would make you give up on the warranty which otherwise is guaranteed and also the possibility of an exchange in case of manufacturing defects. Also, there won’t be any after-sales support till the iPad is officially launched in the country.

According to market sources, there are just few pieces left. All the rest have disappeared with the iPads selling like hot cakes.

In the US, the price tag reads $499 (Rs 22,113) for 16GB and $599 (Rs 26,544) for the 32GB model. With the WiFI versions not being locked, they do not require any cracking when they are being sold in a country where it has not been officially launched. This makes the sales mushroom to a great extent.

Infinite computer to hire more in the coming months As part the strategic alliance with global on-demand services company iYogi, Infinite Computer Solutions plans to hire 500 to 1000 employees in the next six to nine months.

As told to PTI, Managing Director, Upinder Zutshi, Infinite Computer Solutions, “We will be hiring 500-1,000 employees in the next six to nine months months for setting up a services desk to enhance iYogi’s global remote technology support services. We have already set up a separate facility in Bengaluru with 400 seats which would be increased as we hire more people. We have already taken on board around 250 people so far,” Zutshi said.

Infinite, a global service provider of infrastructure management services, got listed on the bourses in February.

It had announced entering into a three-year agreement with Infinite’s infrastructure services group to provide technical support services on iYogi’s global delivery platform, iMantra earlier. The company plans to hire staff between one

to eight years of experience.

Infinite would leverage iMantra, in order to seamlessly extend support to iYogi’s customers. iYogi offers personalized computer support for consumers and small businesses across the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia. The company has also worked previously with large enterprises as a services provider for Remote Infrastructure Management.

Being a global service provider of infrastructure management services, intellectual property (IP) leveraged solutions and IT Services, focused on telecom, media, technology and other industries, it aims this alliance to position them to deliver support to the consumers through a patnership model with iYogi’s, which is experiencing rapid growth and success through a unique direct-to-consumer model that addresses the huge demand for superior technical support services.

Need job-satisfation,try environment friendly companies According to a survey released

by Global HR solutions provider, Kenexa, firms which use environment friendly business practices are more likely to have more engaged and satisfied employees. With recent ‘go-green’ slogan rising high in the industry sector, this comes as a big good news for the employees. As per the report by the research arm of Kenexa, an organisation’s participation in corporate responsibility activities

and adoption of environmentfriendly business practices has a significant influence on employee engagement and business outcomes.

The survey evaluated workers’ opinions of their firms with regard to corporate responsibility initiatives. Almost three of every five employees surveyed in India reported that they are working for a responsible organisation. As per the survey, the employees

with favorable opinions of their organisations’ corporate responsibility activities are more likely to state an intention to stay.

The overall satisfaction and willingness to recommend a place to work has a favourable impact from such corporate responsibility efforts. The report was based on an analysis of data drawn from a representative sample of workers interviewed in Kenexa’s 2010 annual survey.

TF May 2010 9

initiative

Going green the e-way With the e-waste being on a rise in the country, the need to find suitable measures for it is the need of the hour. To spread awareness on the front, a recent EWAC campaign was held at Technopark.

W

ith global warming being one of the major issues faced by the country, any and every measure taken to reduce it a bit is a golden step. Recently, one such attempt was executed

by Artin Dynamics, one of the first companies to work solely on artificial intelligence domain in Technopark.

As part of their second anniversary, the company came up with an unique concept of E-waste awareness campaign (EWAC 2010). To create awareness on the increasing damage of the e-waste on the environment and to spread the message across the community, was the main aim of this initiative. “Unlike a party bash or

10 TF May 2010

celebration, this came to our mind as the best way to celebrate our second birthday of the organisation. Having come up with such an idea, our first step was to find a good recycling company which could help us in this campaign. Earthsense Recycle Private Limited, a company based at Palakkad came forward to support for the cause,� says Deepa Easwar, PR executive, Artin Dynamics, who have arranged for boxes in front of various companies at Technopark for collection of the e-waste as part of this campaign.

The company having the plant at hyderabad takes care of the entire processing of the e-waste.

With e-waste ranging from one

the EWAC campaign is an eye opener to all the companies spread across to come forward and participate in saving our earth

e type to another, each and every waste has its own process for recycling.

E-waste mainly refers to loosely discarded, surplus, obsolete, or broken electrical and electronic devices. It is also called as e-scrap or waste electrical and electronic equipment.

According to environmentalists across the world, these electronic waste creates huge pollution problems and serious health issues. Some electronic scrap components, such as CRTs, contain contaminants such a lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury and brominated flame retardants; which are really harmful to the people and society.

Reports claim that recycling of

such waste is also dangerous if not done in a proper way.

The materials need to be managed with caution and with safety precautions.

“We handle the collection, transpostation and storage of the e-waste. The various metals undergo the size reduction process where they are dismantled and the metals are extracted. In case of hazardous materials like batteries, they are sent to our hyderabad plant for processing. This is our first campaign in Kerala and we really respect the initiative of Artin dynamics to have thought to come up with such a novel idea at Technopark,” says T Jayaraj, manager for Kerala operations, Earthsense Recycle Private

Limited.

Nearly 200 boxes have been placed in the campus of Technopark as part of this twoweek campaign. Started on April 8th , the activity is expected to conclude on April 26th.

“The campaign was at first planned for 2 weeks but with many holidays coming in between, we extended the campaign to the next monday. We had sent mails to almost all companies here at Technopark and the response was really good,” added Deepa.

Having such unique initiatives aiming at the concept of “green company”, the EWAC campaign is an eye opener to all the companies spread across to come forward and participate in saving our earth.

‘i am an entrepreneur’ campaign

O

n to the latter half of March, the campaign was conducted in two more colleges.

The campaign was organized at College of Applied Science on 23 of March,Trissur. We received a warm welcome from the management and students .

The ‘I am an entrepreneur’ video received a good response from the students. We cleared all the doubts of students and got a good response from them. To summarise the campaign was a success.

On 31st of March, the campaign was conducted in Vidya Engineering College. This time our campaign had the CEO Talk session. Mr Deepak from Innoz Solutions and Mr Nelvin Joseph from ArtinDynamics motivated the crowd with their success

stories.

They explained the excellent facilities provided by Technopark-TBI and government for start up companies. Even though the participation was less most of the students were interested with the campaign and they provided with great feedback.

In April, the campaign was conducted at Marian College, Kuttikkanam on the 12th and we got the afternoon session.

Almost 55 students attended the seminar. We got a good response from students. They showed good interest in doing Academic Project. They also asked details regarding Incubation. We also got

good support from Management side and helped very much in organizing the Campaign. They also promised us to conduct a Campaign once again in a large way for 400 students. The campaign was a successful event at Marian College ,Kuttikanam.

The campaign was conducted in CHMM College, Varkala on 26th of April. The campaign consisted of an introductory talk, followed by video session and the PPT session.

Though initially unresponsive, as the session progressed they became more interested. Doubts were raised regarding incubation, academic projects etc. Four were selected from enthusiastic students to be campus ambassadors.

TF May 2010 11

job hunt

How to face

the interviewers The way you perform at an interview is the final step which makes you eligible for a job Rani Vineeta

I

nterview- one of the most feared yet the most anticipated activity in our lives. They are those wonderful moments which we eagerly wait for to land up in the earning community of the country. Just after graduation, one wonders to how to get into the dream job as soon as possible.

The way you perform at an interview is the last and final step which makes you eligible for a job.

Many a time, just a minor black mark from your side may make you lose the job which would have otherwise been yours on the basis of your qualifications. Hence the interviews too play a major role in your future life.

How to prepare You can reduce the stress during an interview by preparing well in advance for it. Most of the interviews have certain common questions. Try to have a ready and well built answer for them.

Do research on the company and get the details of it. You should not go out of words to say when the questions are bounced to you.

Take time to know the history and current scenario of the company.

The domain of the company should also be well studied before you go for the interview. A rough idea about the company should be present with you as you enter into the office of the company

12 TF May 2010

While you face the questions

Be confident Answer smartly Prepare well in advance Don’t hesitate while answering, it may create doubt in their minds Never leave any mysterious doubts in interviewer’s mind and answer all questions completely Your work history should be clear in your mind Decide on your salary package early itself Work history The starting question at every interview is about your work history. Tell us about your role in the previous organizations.

You should be able to give them detailed answers to these questions. If you have to stop and think about previous companies

you’ve worked for, this will create a bad impression.

To avoid such a situation, prepare yourself well in advance.

Note down on the roles and responsibilities you handled at your previous offices. Write them down if needed so that you would never forget. It will help you to give quick and precise answers.

Your preferences, strengths and weaknesses all should be in your mind before in hand.

The salary expectation is another major question asked by the interviewers. This crucial question must be answered with logic. Prior to the interview, you should review the position for which you are applying. The salary given in the market especially depending on the experience on the field should be noted on the basis of which the salary should be asked. One should not ask for something which is very much above the market standards.

Compare your credentials to other people who work in your profession. Later, the salary package will increase depending on your qualifications.

Challenges faced The interviewer will surely ask you about the challenges faced at your previous jobs. This is one of the tricky questions which you must deal with smartly. While you

think on your duties you carried out at your previous jobs, you should also think on the same.

One major question which comes in is why you left your previous job. The answer should be simple, just say that you were looking for better opportunities and more experience.

Even if you were fired from your previous job, it is important that you should not insult your previous employers. The reason could be many and you can put them before the panel in many suitable ways. You could simply

say that the job didn’t work out, and you and your head both agreed that it would be best for you to leave. You could also say that there were things which you could have done better but you could not do it there, but it was surely a learning experience for you. In certain cases, you might have many personal reasons for being fired, which you find to be humiliating, don’t go into details of it in front of the interviewer The work environment and how comfortable you are with it is another major question asked

Is your

resume

during the rounds. If you know that you will be working with other people, you can respond saying that you are motivated being in an environment where you have other people working and sharing their experience with you. And if you are going to work alone, you can say that you are motivated by working in a quiet place which allows you to concentrate and think. Always give answers which are not rude but also do make sure that you can do what you say. Once you are confident, the interviews would be just fun.

GET PROFESSIONAL RESUME FOR SUCCESSFUL

DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR CAREER

impressive

enough?

Contact :

eyecatchyresume@gmail.com

TF May 2010 13

career in

Telecom

Booming high, its raining jobs Telecommunication industry is booming high with many service providers rushing to the market. Not just offers, even on the job front, the impact is evident. Being the most vibrant and fast developing sector, the sector is shinning bright and mushrooming to heights.

SHanu DEvarajan

C

ommunication always remains as an integral part of our life. Without expressions and communication, the development of the society in itself remains under complete darkness. Being a social being, communication plays a very vital role and similarly the modes of communication. The most vibrant and fast developing being telecommunications. Surging ahead with the technologies, telecommunications is the new booming sector. With each and every individual flowing with the waves of telecom and having more than one mobile phone in hand; the telecommunication industry has a surging time ahead with bagful of opportunities of growth and career.

The telecommunication industry has grown beyond boundaries in this 21st century.

Right from technologies, features,

14 TF May

2010

connections, revenue to impact; telecommunications has gone a great way ahead. Not just worldwide, even the Indian telecommunications industry has grown in a much faster pace and it is estimated that it is the second largest telecom market globally.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the number of telecom subscribers in the country increased to 562.21 million in December 2009, an increase of 3.5 per cent from 543.20 million in November 2009. With this the overall teledensity (telephones per 100 people) has touched 47.89. The telecom industry notched up US$ 8.56 billion in revenues during the quarter ended December 31, 2009. “There have been more innovations globally in telecom than in any other field during the last decade. Telecom is the

most commonly used technology that has social and economic impact on the entire society.

Therefore, the boom is more visible in countries like India with a large rural population, where connectivity would not have otherwise been possible had it not been for the emergence of Wireless Technologies. In India, Tele density has touched nearly 50% of the population,� says Saji Joseph, Director & CEO, FAITH INFOTECH India Pvt Ltd. It is estimated that the growth in India is currently very positive with 8-10 million mobile subscribers being added every month. If the pace can be recorded to be true then for sure by mid 2012, around half the country’s population will own a mobile phone. This would translate into 612 million mobile subscribers, accounting for a tele-density of around 51 per cent by 2012.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the number of telecom subscribers in the country increased to 562.21 million in December 2009, an increase of 3.5 per cent from 543.20 million in November 2009. With this the overall teledensity (telephones per 100 people) has touched 47.89. The telecom industry notched up US$ 8.56 billion in revenues during the quarter ended December 31, 2009.

The Indian equipment market was estimated at US$ 24 billion and according to a study conducted by Nokia, the communications sector is expected to emerge as the single largest component of the country’s

cover story

GDP with 15.4 per cent by 2014. “Wireless Telephony has created a new possibility for connecting the remotest areas of the country.

India is today the fastest growing Telecom market in the world, with

subscriber base expected to touch 1billion (100crores ) by 2013. When we compare this to the subscriber base of mere 2 crores in 2002, we realize the enormous growth that has taken place in this sector in India. Voice connectivity is a reality

TF May 2010 15

Growth of mobile telecom in India Fastest growing telecom market in the world, the telephone services in India begun in a small scale with the commissioning of a 50-line manual telephone exchange in 1882 in Kolkata. Largest telecommunication network in the world. Second largest in terms of number of wireless connections. Projection for 2013: One billion Facts & figures

connections and 551,064 Village Public Telephones (VPT) as on September 2008. Nearly 92 percent of the villages in India are estimated to be covered with the public telephones.

With the government taking favourable steps to boost the growth, the telecommunications industry is on a huge boom. It has taken many proactive initiatives to facilitate rapid growth. 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) is permitted through the automatic route in telecom equipment manufacturing. The FDI ceiling in telecom services has been raised to 74 per cent.

The plan to introduce a unified

Number of telecom (mobile and landlines) subscribers ~601 million (as on 28.2.10) Number of fixed line subscribers 37.0 m (as on 28.2.10) Number of cellular (GSM, CDMA and WLL-Fixed) subscribers ~564 m (as on 28.2.10) Number of broadband subscribers 8.6 m (as on 28.2.10) for every Indian today,” added Joseph.

Growth and initiatives With the development in the telecom sector, each and every industry is on a boom. India’s telecom equipment manufacturing sector is set to become one of the largest globally.

Mobile phone production is estimated to grow to such an extent that it would total up to 107 million handsets by 2010.

Not just urban even the rural population seems to have flown with the waves of the development of telecommunications. Rural India had 76.65 million fixed and Wireless in Local Loop (WLL)

16 TF April 2010

The positive growth of the Indian telecom industry with special initiatives from the government, the competition is on a rise. On one hand we have flow of jobs and even poaching being rampant. During the current year with this kind of growth, it is estimated that the salary levels in this sector would see an increase of minimum 20% with more players entering the market. Companies are being forced to accept lower skill levels especially with the outsourced mode where most of the operational and maintenance task being outsourced to managed service providers.

“Telecommunications has lots

There have been more innovations globally in telecom than in any other field during the last decade. Telecom is the most commonly used technology that has social and economic impact on the entire society. In India, Tele density has touched nearly 50% of the population Saji Joseph

Director & CEO, FAITH INFOTECH India Pvt Ltd

access licensing regime for telecom services on a pan-India basis, program to connect 66,822 uncovered villages under the Bharat Nirman program; all these are among the few initiatives planned to be undertaken by the government.

Opportunities With the telecom sector being on such a big boom, the career opportunities are on an equal rise. Lots of opportunities have emerged in the market with such a trend. Not just engineers even diploma holders have plethora of opportunities available. With huge number of players coming into the field, the jobs are being poured on.

to offer in the market now. One need to restore the knowledge levels, reshape for the global career opportunities and time with the industrial expectations to be in the field. To remain progressive with your telecom career, you need to keep track of information on where the technology is going, where the industry is headed with technology and architecture, what the characteristics of the available jobs are, what skills are needed and how to upgrade, etc.

Precisely, you need to develop a career vision to be able to handle, navigate and demonstrate your expertise in the interview or to your top management. You need to show your flexibility of handling

iNDUSTRIAL SECTORS DEPLOYING TELECOM TECHNOLOGIES AVIATION Communication, Navigation & Surveillance – Air Traffic Management (CNS ATM ) Aeronautical Telecommunications Network ( ATN ) Implement Future Air Navigation Systems ( ICAO FANS Architectures )

various projects which is actually an integrated broadband network with many components,’’ says Sanjeev Goel, Telecom trainer & consultant, Centre for TechnologyTraining, Delhi.

Both public secor and private organisations employ telecom engineers. Public sector organizations like BEL, ISRO, DRDO labs, ITI, CDOT; private organizations like Wipro, Infosys, TCS, Siemens Communication, National Instruments, Oracle, Honeywell, IT solutions, Digital, Tata Elxsi, Intel, etc; all are into this market.

“With the emergence of advance technologies and the high growth rate of the industry, it hold a lot of promise to the jobseekers. In the future, communication sector is going to employ more people than electronics, computer science or common basic sciences,” adds Goel.

Lifeline of IT Information technology has always been a major part of the industrial sector of our country. With each and every sector being connected to IT, it has become an integral part. Without the telecommunications industry, IT would for sure have not grown to such an extent. The well evident growth in the IT sector with the growth in the telecom industry shows the interconnection.

“Connectivity is imperative for

CORPORATES & MANUFACTURING Reduced Transaction times (Electronic Supply Chains), EDI networks, Bar Coding of products PORTS & TERMINALS EDI Based Technologies for Capacity, Productivity & Efficiency, faster turnaround of ships

telemedicine

HEALTH

E- GOVERNANCE PUBLIC, UTILITIES Smart Cards GOVERNMENT E - government

Railways Safety Systems, Computerization & Ticketing, Smart Cards Road Transport Use of GIS based digital maps, Intelligent Transport Systems, electronic road pricing at borders TELEWORKING Using telephones, Fax, E-Mail, bar scanners, computer networks, Kiosks, debit & Credit card authorizations.

Distance learning General Security Systems Remote Surveillance Networks.

POSTAL SERVICES Increasing use of VSATs, sale of tickets at ATMs Demanding high level of project management skills, the telecom industry in on lookout for the right professsionals To develop a career in telecom, one need to have:  Technical, Business, Industry& Marketing skills  Convergence Technologies & industry Convergence  Telecom Project Design to Implementation skills  Test & Measurement

Parameters ( T &

M ) & Quality of Service (

QoS) availability  Tender Document & Vendor Manuals  Decision on Telecom

Investments  Client Requirements for Technology Solutions  Technology Comparisons

TF May 2010 17

BSNL- Faith infotech Telecom Career Program With Telecom emerging as one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy offering immense career opportunities, various career programs have also been formulated for the same. BSNL, one of the most trusted name in Indian telecom industry has also designed and implemented an integrated program for grooming next generation telecom professionals jointly with Faith Infotech, leading player in IT, Management and Leadership training.

The full time program aims at creating well trained professionals in this fast developing field. With core telecom training by BSNL engineers, it also offers handson experience on latest telecom equipments including 3G. The curriculum and the approach for study has been designed and endorsed by veterans in the field of telecom technology and leading telecom companies. Not just usual training it also offers on-site experience and field visits too.

The rise in opportunities have created a huge demand

18 TF May 2010

for the professionals. Not just telecom service providers; the telecom equipment manufacturers, managed service providers, telecom infrastructure installation, maintenance and support providers , value added service providers and IT companies working in telecom domain all are in dire need for new skilled employees in the field.

Students with Bachelors in Engineering- Electronics ( (ECE/AE/E&I), Computer Science, Electrical (EE/EEE) above 60 % marks are eligible for the program provided by BSNL and Faith Infotech. With duration of 16 weeks, the entire program offers an complete package to the students who want to venture into the field of study. Not just apt training, the program also encorporates placement opportunities for the candidates.

Fully equipped with state of art infrastructure, latest equipments for hands-on training; one can rate it as one of the finest telecommunication training centres in India.

delivering the benefits of IT to the masses. There is sufficient reliable data which indicates a correlation between internet connectivity in a country and GDP growth. With new technologies like 3G and Wimax, the puzzle of last mile connectivity has been solved.

Applications of IT would become more universal and pervasive with virtually every device interconnected, transforming our lives completely. This would have far reaching social and economic impact. The impact would be felt in every spectrum of life including travel, entertainment, business, education and healthcare,� says Saji Joseph, Director & CEO,FAITH INFOTECH India Pvt Ltd. The vibrant mode of IT and telecommunications has together made the society develop to higher standards. With communication reaching each and every corner of the country, the technology could be made available everywhere.

With such a vast development of telecom industry, the IT saw a new wave of reach across the country. “The IT industry has seen a positive wave with the development in the telecommunication industry. We

Telecommunications has lots to offer in the market now. One need to restore the knowledge levels, reshape, for the global career opportunities with the industrial expectations in the field.

web review

Sanjeev Goel Telecom trainer & consultant, Centre for TechnologyTraining, Delhi

have lots of projects to handle in the sector now. With the growth in the telecom industry, one could collect the complete database of a region; right from implementation, data collection to activation all are made available with the help of IT industry.

With telecommunication being cheap, it is having a huge boom.

Information technology and telecommunication together is sure to pave a bright future ahead,” says Ashima Chand, Technical analyst, Infosys.

Future With so many players in the market, the future is very bright for the telecom industry. With the availability of the 3G spectrum and new technologies; new avenues are being open to the companies. It is estimated that nearly 275 million Indian subscribers will use 3Genabled services, and the number of 3G-enabled handsets will reach close to 395 million by 2013-end.

If the growth will be on the move in such a way, the telecom industry will have a great time ahead.

Making the growth more viable, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has stated that foreign telecom companies can bid for 3G spectrum without partnering with Indian companies. Only after winning a bid, would they need to apply for unified access service

licence (UASL) and partner with an Indian company in accordance with the FDI regulations.

“With the new initiatives from the government, the players have lot of space to grow. New players like Uninor making their presence strong in the market; the players are now concentrating on the adaptation of technologies as the mode of development. Coming up with new initiatives to match up with the latest technologies, the career opportunities in the sector would also be on a rise for sometime,” says Baiju M V, Facility management service (FMS), PCS/Idea Cellular Ltd. With the number of connections increasing, the demand of connectivity would never end for sure. The technology upgrade from 2G to 3G and 4G has developed major opportunities and challenges in front of the major players across the market.

It is believed that there will be about 27% growth in employment generation for the sector when compared to the projected growth of 10-12% for IT Industry.

With such vibrant players and emerging technologies, the telecommunications industry has a bright future ahead. Flowing with the wave, career in telecom is on a booming phase. With high estimates and sky reaching targets, the industry would sure create huge tremors across the country.

Dare2compete.com

D

are2compete.com helps management students find out about various competitions and events happening across business schools in India and abroad.

They have already tied up with top 42 Schools to share information of various events and competitions on real time basis. A student can also list an event and competition information to this platform.

Dare2compete provides a wide variety of services to management students; it has an online forum where students can discuss and debate on a range of subjects like marketing, finance, politics etc. The platform itself hosts various quizzes and competitions which lets the college students to participate.

The students need a simple registration. The solutions are posted immediately after the quiz and results can be seen online in a couple of hours. Dare2compete also showcase videos related to management that enhances student’s understanding of management subjects. Even the Colleges get the option to conduct their quizzes on this platform; it helps them reach out to students from other colleges across India.

TF May 2010 19

job track Facing an employment Gap? Taking a break would be a good option but stay in touch with the market to avoid creation of a long employment gap

A

gap in anything and everything always creates a distance. Similar is the case when you take a break in the career. If you take a break and are not employed for some time, you may be concerned about how to get back into workforce. Being out of the field for some time, people lose their own self confidence. Even in case of employers, they become ambiguous to hire someone who has had large gap in the work history.

Since the market is highly competitive, the number of professionals passing out is on a high. When highly qualified and skilled ones are ready to plunge into the field, companies may prefer them over you. Planning out the

career guru

right strategies is the perfect way to deal with this. An employment gap is a period of time in which a person is not working for a company.

The reasons for the gap may be many like wanting to focus more on your personal life. To continue with some study program, taking time off from work to raise their children, health reasons are few among those reasons for which people prefer taking a gap.

Depending on the type of career you’re pursuing, having a gap which is longer than two years can severely hurt you.

In the worst cases, finding a job in itself may become tough with no companies hiring. The other main thing is that even if you find work,

you will probably get a salary which is greatly reduced.

Part- time work To avoid the gap to deepen, try to find any part time job. If the company you are currently working has some projects for which you can freelance then take the opportunity.

Try to arrange for the alternative before you leave your current job.

Catching up a job which requires only a few hours and you can spent rest of your time with your loved ones, is the most preferred option by all. You can perform the temporary assignments during this time. For example, if you work in human resources, you may be able to teach a class.

Mail your queries: careerQ@technofirstonline.com

Q Iam pursuing my second year of Bsc Computer Science at Chennai. Iam interested in a career in S/W development. I have nearly 2 yrs experience in programming, including Java. I always feel dissapointed seeing the advertisements in the job supplements of the newspapers where most of the IT companies are calling for engineers and noone is even looking at Bsc graduates like us. Kindly advice on what course of action should I do- shall I prepare for IIT exams or what course should I pursue after Bsc.

Rakesh shetty, Chennai a What you need to understand is that any qualification is just a mode of entry for a candidate into a company, it is only the persons’ competence in her/his subject

that eventually helps the person get a job, even in case of a career in S/W development. There are plenty of companies that do take in BSc.(Computer Science) freshers and then train them. Wipro even conducts an entrance exam for B.Sc. graduates. This is basically is an aptitude test with the usual logical reasoning, language, GK sections followed by a group discussion.

Hence there is no reason for you to get disheartened.

Then trying for IIT will bring no harm to you. But preparations for it will eat away lot of your time. You would have to devote your full energy and dedication to it. Part time focus on it would not work. So if you are ready for it then you can always go ahead.

Q I have 10 years experience in the IT industry, 6 years in teaching(in a engineering college) and 4 years as

Become a prominent member of these associations which will allow you to thrive during your employment gap. When the industry people know that you are still around they would not hesitate in hiring you. You will also come across the vacancies only when you are in touch with the network. If people know who you are, this would open up a large number of doors in front of you.

Regular updation

If the employer finds you really valuable, then they will always be happy to continue working with you. Doing such initiatives will make you still be in contact with the industry and stay competitive while you take care of personal matters at home.

You won’t feel the gap strongly because you would still be a part of the industry. The network with colleagues will make you still be in the loop. If you maintain a strong

relation, then the company would itself welcome you back after the gap.

Social networking Even if you are not working, do make sure that you are in contact with the people in your industry.

The contact would surely help you get a well deserved job when you come back to work. Try to join professional organizations which are related to your field.

a system administator. I would like to switch my job.

My current skill set include MCSE NT 4.0, ERP (Tetra Implenetation) ,MCDBA. I would like to do CCNA (cisco), Sun Solaris 8.0 Admin or shall I do ORACLE 8.0 DBA. Being settled in Bangalore, it would be really grateful if you could suggest institutions based here.

C Lakshamanan, Bangalore

a It would be better that you take a certification in Sun Solaris from RCS Systems, Bangalore. This Sun-endorsed training institute is at Brigade Road, Bangalore and you can get more details on it from their website www. rcsedu.com.

For CCNA, the best information source is the Cisco site (http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/10/ wwtraining/listAllTP.html). Oracle is available from SQL Star in Bangalore.

If you keep your resume updated, employers will surely be impressed. Even keeping your skills updated is also important.

Especially if you are in technical fields such as programming then the gap would affect you for sure if you have not updated the skills.

Since the aspirants with whom you have to compete to get a job would be well versed with the latest skills, it is needed that even you update your skills. You should be well versed with the change in the industries.

You can also stay fresh by starting a new business. If you are fully successful then no need to go back to your previous job. The employment gap may be a good idea to change your career track as well.

Q I am a mechanical engineer with 9 years of experience in an ERP driven company (SAP). I have good exposure to SAP working environment, C++ programming, Process automation, Robotic application for welding, and production planning and management. I want to relocate for better career prospects. IT has always been an area of interest to me. Kindly advice me on this front?

Varun Menon,Mangalore

a Any day IT is a better choice, but it has its own pitfalls and benefits. You can grow fast and in the same way the work pressure is there as well. One can easily go out of job very soon too. You need to stay contemporary and learn new skills all the time which is demanding. If you are ready to venture into something new and fully confident on it, then go ahead.

Expert talk 2010 will be a landmark

year for Indian IT hub Says Manu Balachandran, Global Head- Customer Operations, SunTech Business Solutions. In conversation with TF, he speaks on the industry, career prospects and future.

How was your journey so far in the industry?

I have been in the IT industry for over 22 years now. It all began at Transmatic Systems Ltd. in 1988.

I started as a software developer, and did systems programming using Assembly and ‘C’ Languages.

TRANSMATIC is a pioneer in Kerala in this industry. It was a product company that developed IT solutions in Telecommunication and Office Automation sector. I was initially in their R&D division.

I got the opportunity to contribute to the design and development of various products with over thousands of installations all over the world. By the time I left (around 14 years later) I was the Head of their R&D division.

In 2002, I moved to UST Global (then US Technology) as the Head of their Quality department. There, I built a Software test team of over 500 people globally, and became a Regional Director of the Test Consulting Group (in charge of North America region). I joined SunTech Business Solutions as Global Head – Customer Operations in 2008.

It has been an incredible journey so far. I am very glad that I joined this industry when it was

22 TF April 2010

still in a nascent stage in India.

How do you look at the growth in the industry and the recent setback it faced?

Over the past few decades, Information Technology has become a powerful enabler for business success. Leading companies in most industries are leveraging the potential of Information Technology to gain significant competitive advantage in the market place. Software development (and maintenance) is an important part of an IT solution. India is a leader in the software development space due to the large-scale availability of technically-capable, Englisheducated graduates here. As long as we keep producing good-quality people (at reasonable costs), the demand for software products and services from India will only increase.

The global economic recession affected all the traditional industries world-wide. IT industry also got affected in the shortrun because the companies that need IT solutions did not have enough money to invest in new Hardware and Software during that time. Doomsday predictors jumped the gun and said that it was the beginning of the end

for IT industry. But critics have been proven wrong. IT industry is back in business, and firing on all cylinders once again.

With the onset of the New Year, most of the sectors are regaining their form. How do you predict the year 2010 in terms of career, industrial and economical growth for IT industry; will it have a boom again?

Year 2010 will be a landmark year for Indian IT companies.

They enjoyed rapid growth in a buoyant market till year 2007. The last two years tested them really hard. The companies that survived this onslaught have become much stronger than they were earlier.

The good companies used the recession period to do internal correction in organizational structure, processes, product-mix, marketing strategy and delivery strategy. They got rid of the poor performers and normalized salaries to realistic figures. Overall they have become leaner, meaner and sharper.

Since beginning of this year, when customers started to purchase IT solutions again, Indian IT companies have struck hard. This time, the growth will be steady and sustainable. We may never see the unreal boom seen during the early part of the

decade. Yet, this industry will grow faster than most other booming industries.

Entrepreneurship is seen as the most challenging and exciting thing to be with by most of the youngsters in this 21st century. What is your point of view on youth entering into entrepreneurship?

As they say, only 5% of people in this world have the ability and mental strength to be leaders.

The other 95% follow them.

Any person who has the vision and risk-appetite to start a new business belongs to the first set.

I have tremendous respect for all youngsters who choose to be entrepreneurs.

However, one needs to be cognizant of the fact that a great idea may not translate to business success. Entrepreneurs should have sufficient business acumen (practical street-smartness for money-making) to make it work.

Additionally, many external factors (like market conditions) need to align favorably to build a successful enterprise. All aspiring entrepreneurs should have this sense of balance, and not get carried away by the lure of instant success, or get dejected by failures.

Working in successful companies for a few years and doing MBA may also help.

What according to you would be the backbone of a company which can make it attain the epitome of success?

Great companies possess a combination of good qualities that make them tick. They are: high ethical standards, peopleindependent execution processes, an exclusive organizational culture that binds people together with a sense of purpose, and a system that promotes innovative thinking.

Needless to say, it should always have visionary leaders who are

If we want to build a great company, we should set very high benchmarks for our ability and performance. We should work hard to be better than the best in the industry, and take pride in our work Manu Balachandran Global Head- Customer Operations, SunTech Business Solutions

good at execution. All these are important.

What are the HR challenges faced by the industry today?

The most important one is the shortage of right people. “Right people” means people with the right attitude and aptitude to perform well in a certain role.

At entry-level, it could be logical thinking ability and enthusiasm to learn new technologies. At midlevel, it could be your expertise in technology and communication skills. At a senior level, it could be business acumen and leadership skills. Today there is a shortage of people at all these levels. That’s the biggest HR challenge faced by IT industry today.

The rising salary cost is another major one. With the imminent threat of China, South Asian countries, Eastern Europe and Latin America providing large number of qualified people at lower costs, companies are under tremendous pressure to cut costs.

Since cutting individual salaries is impractical, companies are responding by improving their per-employee productivity through training, better processes and automation.

What is your advice to the future IT professionals?

IT industry is a highly rewarding

profession. The rewards are not just monetary. It provides tremendous opportunities to learn new technologies and new domains. There are opportunities to travel around the globe and become a consultant to high-level officials in customer companies.

IT professionals grow fast and take up management and leadership positions very early in their lives.

It is certainly very exciting and glamorous.

Needless to say, it is a fiercely competitive industry. One needs to work hard, and for long hours some time. IT professionals are expected to learn new versions of complex technology almost every year. Since it is similar to consulting business you are required to travel and relocate at short notices.

If you are aspiring to be an IT professional, you should understand both these sides. A wood-cutter with a strong body and sharp “saw” will be highly productive and effective. An IT professional’s tools are brain power and knowledge. With the industry maturing and competition intensifying, the people who will be successful are those who are willing to invest in developing their biggest assets: skills, knowledge and mental strength to push beyond personal limits. If you are such a person, I welcome you whole-heartedly to the exciting world of IT industry.

TF May 2010 23

IT destination Capital city still remains the prime destination The city that promises an unparalleled choices in every aspect of living, becoming one of the most prefered proffessional destination.

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he capital city of the country, Delhi speaks for itself. With old and new traditions, the metro is well known for its culture. With students and professionals swarming into the city, Delhi has grown to much higher heights since its inception.

It has now turned out into an education destination preferred by most of the students from all parts of the country. With well known universities and schools, the city has emerged as one of the most sought after study destination. Being the capital city, it has the scientific and technical manpower, making it create a perfect environment for learning and working.

Being the capital of such a diverse Indian society, Delhi reflects the vivid varieties of cultures.

While the ancient city still reflects the remnants of the glorious old-age charm and culture, yet it has a very modern and chic lifestyle. The nightlife is interesting and a number of discos beckon the youngsters to sway and dance on enchanting numbers.

On one side, you can hear qawwalis, gurbani from the gurudwaras and on other side the sunday masses from the churches.

With people from different states coming together, almost all festivals are celebrated here.

With night clubs and discotheques, the night life is also very vibrant in the city. The mall culture being prevalent, youngsters

24 TF May 2010

Climate humid subtropical climate Transport Delhi Transport Corporation bus service, autorickshaws and metro rail system.

Languages spoken English,Hindi,Urdu,Punjabi Culture Warm yet lively

are bound to enjoy the maximum in the city. The correct mix of ancient and modern culture makes delhi a perfect place to life and enjoy life.

With an estimated net state domestic product (FY 2007) of Rs.1,182 billion (US$24.5 billion) in nominal terms, Delhi is the largest commercial center in northern India. Delhi’s workforce constitutes 32.82% of the population showing an increase of 52.52% between 1991 and 2001. Being one of the vital commercial center in India, it has various service industries in the city including manufacturing and agriculture industries .

Information technology is one of the basic industry of the city. .

Since Delhi is the capital, most of the companies try to have their

base in the city. The start ups try to have their office at the city to boost up their activities. Having a base in the capital adds to the value of the company. Each and every established company has an office in Delhi. Getting the contacts in the city is also a worth a try, which is the reason why many of the companies have grown in the city.

Other basic industries including telecommunications,chemical, mechanical companies also have a strong base in the city.

Delhi is a place for foodies, one can taste all varieties of cuisines here. From age-old eateries in the by lanes of the walled city to glitzy, specialty restaurants in five-star hotels. It offers all the varieties in various ambiances preferred by the people.

One can enjoy the best of Mughlai and frontier cuisines here.

Delhi ka Aangan (Hyatt Regency), Darbar (Ashoka Hotel), and Corbetts (Claridges) are among the many options available in the expensive range, while Gulati Restaurant (Pandara Market), Angeethi (Asiad Village) and Degchi (Regal Building) are among those catering to more modest budgets. On the other hand, one can have the most delicious items at the popular roadside eateries around Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin where kababs, rotis and biryani are the order of the day.

A mixture of ancient and modern culture, anyone can easily accept the lifestyle of the city.

Placement experience

What are the various hurdles that you had to face before getting placed with this company?

Since it was the first time, I had to attend something of this kind. It was a little hard to choose the right kind of preparation.

Describe briefly about their recruitment procedures Unlike other recruitment processes, the whole procedure was much simpler. It included a presentation about the company followed by an aptitude test and an interview.

What was the type of questions that were asked in the Written Test?

The written test had mainly two sections. The mathematical section had questions related to logical reasoning. The English section had questions mainly to check one’s knowledge in the language.

What was the type of questions that were asked in the interview?

It was indeed a very comfortable session. They mainly asked questions just to know our attitude, language etc. a very informal session.

What kind of preparation did you put into this (written test, interview, GD)?

For written test, I had prepared mainly from the book Quantitative aptitude by Agarwal and also went through previous Infosys solved papers. For the interview it just needs a little of language and complete confidence.

Were you nervous at all during the entire process? How were you able to manage all these pressures?

Nervousness was a part of the entire session and managing the

26 TF May 2010

My Tips For Written Test Make sure that you prepare well with managing the time.

For Interview (Tech & HR) Be cool, comfortable and always be genuine.

Advice to job seekers Be determined and genuine about what kind of job you are looking for.

Nahana profile Name: NAHANA BARJIS College, branch : SCMS School of Engineering and Technology, B.Tech Electrical and Electronics Engineering Year of pass out: 2010 Nahana is doing her final year engineering in Electrical and Electronics engineering. Getting a placement at Infosys was a dream come true for her.

Looking forward to offer her best to the organisation, she is on set to start a good career ahead in life.

1. Whose smartphone brand is called ‘Pre’?

2. The inventor, founder, & chairman of Twitter is…?

3. According to tagline, which two cyber giants ‘bring the Internet to Television’ with its Widget Channel?

4. David L. Smith has the dubious distinction of writing which famous virus, which debuted on March 26, 1999 and was named after a lap dancer?

5. Name the new decisionmaking site that gets smarter the more it’s used, launched by Caterina Fake, co-founder of Flickr.

6. What is the designation of Robert Bernard in Microsoft?

7. Who makes Pi, being held up as ‘India’s 1st Reading Device’?

8. The co-founder of which iconic cyber giant bid adieu to his company with a recent memo titled “Thanks for a great 28 years” in which he said “…My hat is off to one of the greatest capitalists I have ever met, Larry Ellison”?

9. Name the chip that runs the iPad. 10. Codenamed the LeapFrog, the 950 was the first true …?

Answers

1. Palm 2. Jack Dorsey.

3. Intel and Yahoo!

4. Melissa 5. Hunch.com 6. Chief environmental strategist

pressure was simple. Be confident, determined and complete faith in Almighty.

7. Infibeam 8. Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems.

9. A4 10. BlackBerry

A small description about your placed Company Infosys is one of the leading companies providing IT services.

career track

Secure a career in security With the recent bomb blasts and terrorist activities being on a high in the country, career in security is gaining boom and utmost priority

B

eing insecure still remains the most feared feeling of all. Not just people even for organizations, security is one of the major issues. With the recent bombings in Ahmedabad and Delhi, people are all the more tensed about their security. As the terrorists have started invading into the networks, nothing remains secure these days. A simple insecure wi-fi connection used by the terrorists in the recent blasts caught the attention of the entire country on the secure measures needed to be implemented in that area.

With the documents and proceedings of an organization needing complete security, the opportunities in this sector on a rise.

If major things like attacks could be organized through such connections then how secure are the companies of the 21st century.

The IT Security has become a prime concern for every enterprise. They have to ensure foolproof systems and implement stringent privacy laws to avoid any vulnerability misuse or loss of information.

Information being the most valuable asset for an enterprise, its protection from unscrupulous elements has taken center stage in the IT industry.

28 TF May 2010

The market With all the organizations becoming security conscious, the IT security professionals are on high demand in the market. Even the worldwide regulatory compliances require the organizations to protective sensitive data and mitigate emerging threats. So, the demand of IT security professionals is on a high. As per a recent IDC study, the Indian industry is expected to generate a demand for 1, 22,874 network security professionals by 2009 whereas only 87,562 professionals would be available.

The demand in intself Organizations are relying more on IT security professionals to protect not only their information assets but also their brand reputation, market value and to meet the compliance regulations.

Hence they have become an integral part of an organization’s business model.

According to Smita Dilip Totade, president, ISACA Pune chapter, the information security field is expected to bring many opportunities over the next decade as firms across place a high priority on safeguarding their data and systems. As per the department of Labour, US, the demand for computer security

specialists will grow as busine`sses and government continue to invest heavily in cyber security, protecting vital data and systems from attack.

With the demand on rise, even the professionals have to hone their skills to keep up to the demand. Soft skills in management and communications, as well as understanding of policy, processes and personnel will only add to their advantage. Both those with networking and software development areas can have a secure career as information security experts, engineers and researchers.

The avenues With the technology changing on a rapid pace, one needs to be well versed with the latest technologies to be part of this industry. Since new technologies also open up new avenues of threat, a career in security means you need to be equally updated on the technologies. A security professional needs to be able to detect possible threats and provide solutions to mitigate them and ensure that business productivity doesn’t get hampered.

The IT security industry has various opportunities that can be classified in three distinct

Career in security has grown to become vital for the organization and boon for the unemployed in the industry areas, -security operations, security management and security investigations. In the security operations domain, a security professional will focus on hardware and software part of the security for the organization’s network and information assets.

They will be ensure on whether the organization’s network remains free from any vulnerabilities.

The applications like anti-viruses and unified threat management devices are implemented and managed by them.

According to Abhay Valsangkar, senior director, Human resources, Symantec Corporation, the market is forecasted to reach almost $240.4 million in 2012, an annual growth rate of 9.1 percent from 2007 to 2012. With such an exciting growth in the market, there is sure to have a rise in demand for skilled professionals in the area of software security. These may include those on the engineering side like - software design architects, software testers or for roles like QA, technical writing, sales and marketing and software

management. Issues related to piracy, intellectual property, cyber crimes etc. herald the need for software security solutions all the more. This too, would increase the need for skilled professionals.

Career path While in the security operations domain, the software and hardware part of industry is focused. The professionals in security management domain need to develop and implement security standards and procedures. They will be also be drafting regulatory policies for tackling issues related to information security.

In case of security investigation domain, professionals vary on the basis of their expertise; a penetration tester will be using his hacking skills to detect vulnerabilities in an application or organization’s network. A Cyber Forensic Analysts will use the investigative skills and understanding of cyber laws, legal requirements on evidence and behavioral science to look into the issues related to cyber crimes, piracy and intellectual property

rights. Not just organizational data even the online data need to be secured. With most of the companies having major concern over their online data and websites, they are hiring auditors to report vulnerabilities in their websites through which a hacker can crash their site or leak data. Such a job can only be done better by a hacker himself. Ethical hackers have found recognition in enterprises where they help in plugging the vulnerable zones in a website or a network through which intruders can get access to unauthorized information.

Though there are specialized post graduation courses in engineering for information security, there are also specialized certification exams available. A security professional can opt for these exams depending on the area of specialization.

With such a wide range of opportunities open, career in security is emerging as the most preferred job amongst all. Even those with engineering and nonengineering field are welcoming this trend and plunging into the wave to get jobs. Career in security has grown to become vital for the organization and boon for the unemployed in the industry.

TF May 2010 29

The latest touch in town

Advertorial

I8910 (Omnia HD) As you all know the Omnia HD is Samsung’s first S60 5th edition device and the third touch screen S60 phone to be launched.

Samsung with a good experience in touch screen phones, has for some reason failed to deliver a product that sets it apart from an N97.

Widget Support is another area where the Omnia HD scores really high. The TouchWIZ based widget support means that many of the options and settings are available in the form of shortcuts and you can have them either on the sidebar or on 1 of the 3 screen panes. While it is not as novel a way as N97, this kind of design for the UI makes it possible to do much more on the homescreen, and that is a good thing. I did miss a certain setting found in the Nokia devices about cycling the wallpaper, and I hope it comes to the HD soon.

Another area, where Samsung have worked is in the music player area. The music player is application in the Omnia HD has been executed really well, it is clear Samsung did not want the standard Nokiaesque music player application to ruin the music experience. So all that can be made easily accessible to the listener in terms of settings was put up front in the form of buttons onscreen.

What this allowed me as a listener was to play with the music settings and choose on the go how I wanted my music to sound without having to dig deep into the menu. The landscape mode in this application revealed an iPhone sort of browsing of the tracks on the phone. The visualizations also were absolutely wonderful. Samsung’s

30 TF May 2010

UI designer have really worked on this part of the UI and delivered a superior experience when compared to N97.

B5310 The QWERTY keypad is just freakin awesome. I mean, what was I doing with all those non-qwerty phones earlier. The keypad is so convenient and within minutes I was typing away long messages with words in their original form that were, previously abbreviated beyond recognition.

Connects effortlessly to my laptop and I didnt find anything that was annoying or problematic while transferring pictures or videos from phone to laptop. The Samsung Kites program that comes with the phone is laughable. Use it to configure your phone for the first time and then forget about it.The widgets are awesome though. The FB, YT widgets are just godsend and work seamlessly.In terms of multimedia performance, the Samsung’s performance looked like one from a phone that costs at least Rs. 5,000 more. The Samsung’s audio playback is very good and almost as good as some of the more expensive phones.

C6112 Mobile phone with dual sim capability definitely has an edge over the other mobile phones and Samsung C6112 aims to capture that aspect. This dual Sim

equipped handset is from the line up of DuoS handsets. The basic highlights of Samsung C6112 are 2.4-inch QVGA screen, 960 mAh battery, and a microSD expansion slot, Bluetooth, 2-Megapixel camera, music player, and FM radio with RDS. Lithium-Ion 960 mAh battery generates power in the Samsung C6112 and this battery is capable of providing backup up to 385 hours in the standby mode and up to 9 hours in the talk time mode. As it is a dual Sim phone, Samsung C6112 allows the users to carry two separate numbers that use a single terminal. It supports the quad band GSM 850, 900, 1 800 and 1900 MHz for Sim 1 and also dual band GSM 900 / 1800 for the second Sim. In addition to that, the handset is compatible GPRS and EDGE with no WLAN and 3G.

i5700(Galaxy) Samsung I5700 Galaxy Comes with Google Android operating system, re-loaded with social networking features with many Google services, Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar and Google Talk applications.

The talk-time of the phone is Up to 11 h 30 minutes. i5700 Galaxy has a display size of 320 X 480 px with 3.2 inches, TFT capacitive touchscreen, 65K colors.This model comes with Camera of , 3.2 Mega Pixels Camera with autofocus with , 4 X Digital zoom.

gadgets B5310 Hybrid design (Full touch + Full QWERTY) Google TALK Messenger 3 MP Camera Free 2 GB memory card Expandable upto 16 MB

i5700(Galaxy) Android OS + Inbuilt Google Mobile Services 3MP Camera with auto focus Expandable upto 32 GB

C6112 Dual Sim, Slider 2MP Camera With Video recording Expandable upto 8GB

I8910 (Omnia HD) 3.7’’ Full touch AMOLED Screen HD video recording Symbian OS v9.4, 8MP Camera MP3 & FM, WiFi, DLNA 16 GB Internal memory & Expandable upto 32 GB

TF May 2010 31

entrepreneurship

Start small, think big!

Before venturing into a business one must ask yourself a question on whether you are ready for it

H

aving a business for your own is not an easy task.

Entrepreneurship in itself is all about having the guts to move ahead with your dreams. Do you want to plunge into the sea of entrepreneurship?

Want to start your own business?

Smooth sailing is never possible for one.

The entrepreneurial journey is altogether a different journey and lifestyle. Before venturing into a business one must ask yourself a question on whether you are ready for it Complete dedication and full commitment is a vital need for an entrepreneur. The success of the business entirely lies on the shoulder of the entrepreneur.

There are both pros and cons on the path of an entrepreneur.

One must be fully confident before making a proper decision.

You may have less time for your family. Even for your personal needs there would be limited time.

You’ll probably be using much of what you own as a security to raise money for your business. If you are ready to make these concessions then you are ready to move ahead.

Being an entrepreneur You are the boss The first and foremost thing which attracts everyone to entrepreneurship is that you will be your boss. You have no one to command above and you take the decisions.

32 TF April 2010

done as you decide, it adds to your burden too. The challenges you have to face increase in number as well. As you start it from the scratch, everything has to be handled by you alone.

Challenges

More money You might earn more money than what you could earn working under someone else. Job security The best part no one can sack you from the job. You have the authority to take all the decisions Learn your own Its always said you learn well when you experience it.

Entrepreneurship gives you the opportunity to learn on your own. Self satisfaction What many people lack in their job is self satisfaction. Having your own business will make you happy as you are doing what you wanted to do. Lack of restriction Well, it’s your own office so you set your own rules. No specific restrictions and uncomfortable settings.

On one side when all would be

Financial risks The vital part feared by most of the entrepreneurs is the financial risks.

Since you are developing on it from the start and taking it further, the money flow should be carefully looked on. Timeless work Start up always means you have to slog a lot. One need to work without caring about the number of hours Unsteady income The money may not come pouring in at the first stage or all the time.

Being your own business you might have to streach the rupee to its limit Unpleasant situations Taking some firm decisions and unpleasant talks like firing someone or refusing to hire will also add to your kitty, since you are the boss. No time for family or friends Personal time gets mixed up with your professional time. Since it is your own venture you will have to switch the times.

But once you attain a level, the journey would be much easier.

p

smart techie

Dreaming high Explain your Career progress I always believe, “dreams can often become challenging, but challenges are what we live for !!”.

Though I chose to be a graduate in Mechanical Engineering, computers always fascinated me.

The technichal aspects, the vast repository of knowledge, various methods of data collection; all influenced me towards the field.

Chasing my dreams on this path, I thought to move ahead and become a software engineer.

The year 2004 bought my dream to reality; I got selected to work with Sherston Educational Software Private Limited, Technopark, Trivandrum, a software company, based in United Kingdom, having major clients like Oxford, BBC, etc. It acted as the right platform for me to uplift my career.

After working as a Multimedia Developer in Sherston for 2 years, I joined Infosys Technologies Limited as a Software engineer. , I worked in various platforms like J2EE, Dot Net, PHP/Perl, etc.

Initial Job Multimedia Developer, Sherston Educational Software Pvt Ltd. Current designation Technology Analyst, Infosys Technologies Private Limited.

Role

What’s the best way a fresh-out-ofcollege employee can impress you during the first week on the job?

Varun S Nair Technology Analyst Infosys Technologies Limited Telecom is my work domain.

Infosys delivers various software solutions for different clients in Telecom Domain. My nature of work is to design such solutions.

And to track the software life cycle to ensure that the software is delivered to the client within the timelines. My role also demands client communication, various tools support and knowledge management within the Infosys team.

Best aspect of your job Designing software solutions gives lot of exposure in the Technical arena of Software Industry.

Any onsite Experiences?

1.5 years at client location in Australia.

Work environment/timing Business hours is 8-5. Work Environment is very supportive and also quite competitive.

Design End to End Software Solutions, Technical Lead, and Client Management.

What’s more important: salary or job satisfaction?

Explain about your work Domain

Job satisfaction

34 TF May 2010

First week on the job will be more of knowledge transfer. They should be very attentive in the sessions and should take notes.

They should talk to the point than trying to impress seniors. Just blabbering thoughts won’t be of any benefit when it comes to actual work. One need to show their skills in the work done by offering full dedication and pure hard work. Delivering assigned work at the right time is the best way to impress me.

What one thing do you know now that you wish you could have known in your campus days?

More Information on the immense opportunities in the software industry. It would have helped me in knowing more about the field before pulnging into it.

What’s the worst career advice you’ve ever received?

To join a consultancy in United States in the earlier days of my career.

Your future plans?

I want to work in more technologies and I want to see my name in the credit section of a highly successful software product.

Your Tips to current Job seekers?

I want to tell all of you of the same on what I believe, “dreams can often become challenging, but challenges are what we live for !!”.

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DISCUSS discuss it

How has the boom in telecommunication sector influenced you?

With the telecommunications industry being on a boom, it is raining jobs and offers. TF brings this hot topic of the impact of the boom on the individuals through its discussion forum this month.

“The boom in telecommunication sector has really paved way to lot of job opportunities. I have many friends who could grab good jobs with such a trend.

Even we find it more easier and flexible when we have so many service providers around. Anyone can be contacted anywhere at any moment, how much we have advanced is well evident from this development” Pooja Ambulkar “Its really great to see such a boom in the telecommunication sector. We have so many service providers in our country now. It feels great pride to know the economy growth we have attained this sector. It is not far when even we will have Rs 100 for unlimited broadband connection like other developed countries,”

“The rise in telecom sector has created a huge boom in the IT sector as well. Its been raining of opportunities and projects.

I have many friends who are getting new projects, onsites in the telecom sector. With new avenues opening up in the sector, the service providers are coming up with new technologies and softwares to support the same. The regular updation with technology would only help them in surviving in the market, which makes the opportunities rise for the people as well. Not just in the IT sector, even the sales and marketing segment has opened up with new vacancies with such a boom in the telecommunication sector, which is really welcoming” Shanu Devarajan

“As the service providers are trying the maximum to get the biggest chunk in the market, it is raining offers for us.

Earlier it was difficult to communicate with people around the world due to the lack of proper connections and the cost. But now even the seconds have become invaluable with new offers claiming 10 secs /1 paise rates. Even the rural areas have been connected with the towers by the providers. People can call anyone sitting anwhere and even talk for hours without any tension of money. I find it really great to see such a huge development in the sector, it makes us realise on how India has Sneha Shah

“Each time I find a new service provider emerging in the market, I wonder on what next can happen more than this. But the new offers and technologies really surprises me on how much more needs to be still explored.

Right from the first piece of mobile to the latest touchscreens, the telecom sector has grown a big way with technology. It still feels great to think on what all new features still remains to be discovered,’ Sujith S

Rani Vineeta “The rise in telecom can be described as a big boon for us. Even rural areas could be connected easily with the network. The world as a whole seems under an umbrella with so many providers on the run. With the offers being so cheap and available, even the lower middle

36 TF May 2010

class people can access it which makes the development worth its boom. The fast pace development in this sector is really commendable and of great benefit for the society.

Prijo jose

What is that?

Ad Hoc Network “Ad Hoc” is actually a Latin phrase that means “for this purpose.” It is often used to describe solutions that are developed on-the-fly for a specific purpose. In computer networking, an ad hoc network refers to a network connection established for a single session and does not require a router or a wireless base station.

For example, if you need to transfer a file to your friend’s laptop, you might create an ad hoc network between your computer and his laptop to transfer the file. This may be done using an Ethernet crossover cable, or the computers’ wireless cards to communicate with each other. If you need to share files with more than one computer, you could set up a mutli-hop ad hoc network, which can transfer data over multiple nodes.Basically, an ad hoc network is a temporary network connection created for a specific purpose (such as transferring data from one computer to another).

sudoku

Puzzle rating: Easy A mind game and a puzzle that you solve with reasoning and logic. Fill in the grid with digits in such a manner that every row,every column and every 3X3 box accommodates the digits 1 to 9, without repeating any. The solution to the sudoku is on page no:

t-bi news IEDC launched in SCMS - Cochin & SSET

T

wo Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centres (IEDC) were inaugurated at SCMS Business School- Cochin and SCMS School of Engineering and Technology(SSET), Vidya Nagar, Karukutty, Thrissur on April 6, 2010. Dr. GPC Nair,

Chairman, SCMS launched the centre at SCMS-Cochin and Prof. AK Nair, Vice Chairman, SCMS launched the centre at SSET with the support of Technopark TBI. The chief guest for the functions was Mr. KC Chandrasekharan Nair, CFO and Program Coordinator New initiatives, Technopark. Prof. M.Madhavan, Director- SSET and Prof. R.Sahadevan were present for the function at SSET and Dr.V.Raman Nair, Director, SCMS-COCHIN , Prof AK Nair, VC, Mr. Sreejith.

S, Technical Officer, Technopark TBI and Mr.Arun Balachandran, CEO-Innovation Lab, Kochi were present for the function at SCMS- Cochin.

A student team from the PGDM batch won the BEST BUSINESS PLAN AWARD in the Business Plan2010 Competition organised by the Kerala University EDC and supported by Technopark TBI. They discussed their future plans with the TBI team to start their company in the college IEDC.

IC2 Institute, University of Texas & FICCI Officials visits Technopark

M

r. Jim Booth from IC2 Institute, Texas and Ms. Swapna Das, Assistant Director, FICII, New Delhi visited Technopark for evaluating the Innovations of Light logics Holography & Optics P Ltd , the incubatee of Technopark TBI who is shortlisted for the DST-Lockheed Martin India Innovation Growth Program.

38 TF May 2010

The delegates held discussions with Mr.Mervin Alexander, CEO, Technopark along with MR.KCC Nair, CFOTechnopark, Mr.M.Vasudevan, Sr Manager -BD, Technopark and Dr.Ajithkumar, CEO, Light Logics. Earlier they visited the production facility of Light logics at Tiruvallam and also their office inside Technopark TBI.

Technopark TUC participated in VHSE Expo 2010

T

echnopark TUC participated in the State Level Vocational Expo 2010 conducted at Govt VHSS, Kollam from April 5-7, 2010. The Expo was inaugurated by Shri.

M.A.Baby, Hon Minister for Education, Kerala State.

The products developed by the students in the Production cum Training were exhibited in the EXPO. Technopark TePP Outreach Centre (T-TUC) stalls were the centre of attraction in the 3day exhibition, displayed the details of the TePP Programme of DSIR and the support offered by T- TUC to the Innovators.

T-TUC Officials Ms. Surya and Mr. Sreejith held one to one discussions with the prospective innovators.

Business plan competition – T-TBI join hands with Kerala University EDC

T

he ED Cell supported by DST organized a Business plan competition for the Science, Engineering and Management Students of the State . The main objective of this was to initiate an enthusiasm among the students of Universities in Kerala towards entrepreneurship. Last two years, this competition attracted large number of colleges from all over the State. The prize distribution

ceremony was held at Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology (MBCET) on March 8, 2010, and the event was co-ordinated by the college IEDC. Dr. A. Jayakrishnan, Vice Chancellor, Kerala University was the chief guest for the function. Dr. T.M.George, Principal, MBCET, Rev.Fr. John Thundiyath, Bursar, MBCET Mr.K.C.Chandrasekharan Nair, CFO, Technopark and

Programme CoordinatorNew Initiatives, Technopark, Dr.J.Rajan, Co-ordinator, KUEDC, Mr.V.V.Vinod, Secretary, TMA and Mr. G.Sashikumar, Project Advisor, KU-EDC were present for the function.

Technopark TBI instituted the Third Prize worth Rs. 10,000.

Seven teams were selected to the final round from 71 nominations.

The SCMS Student team won the first prize for their project Auto disables Bio syringes, the Certificate and Prize money of Rs. 25,000 were presented to the team

by Dr. A. Jayakrishnan, VC. The Second prize worth Rs.20,000 was won by the students from IMK Varkala for their project Shark Solutions and the Third Prize was for the team from MA College, Kothamangalam for their project Solar aided incubators.

IMK Varkala holds MAGNITUDE 2010

T

he students of Institute of management in Kerala (IMK) Varkala center has organised a MEET THE MANAGERS program “MAGNITUDE” on April 13, 2010 at Technopark.

MAGNITUDE was aimed at helping the budding managers to interact with the experienced professionals from the Industry and gain buoyancy in their career.

The University of Kerala run Institute of Management in Kerala (IMK) is listed among the 50 top B-schools in India.

The program was inaugurated

by Mr. K.C.Chandrasekharan Nair, CFO & Program Coordinator –New Initiatives, Technopark in the presence of Pr.M.M.Safarulla Khan,

Director, IMK- Varkala. There were various interactive sessions

by Ms. Sindhu Thomas from TCS, Mr. Jayan.P, Vice President & Global HR Head, IBS Software Technologies Pvt Ltd, Mr.Anoop

Ambika, CEO, Kreara Solutions Pvt Ltd And Mr.Ajish M.J, Associate Manager HR, Tata Elxsi (I) Ltd. The 2nd Prize winner team of the KU Best Bplan Competition hails from IMK Varkala.

TF May 2010 39

Tepp story

four Keralites grabbed TePP funding

With yet another feather on the cap, four innovators from Kerala proved their worth and grabbed the sanction for TePP phase I funding through the TePP outreach centre at Technopark, Trivandrum

I

nnovation is the key for evolution. Without it the cycle of civilization itself stands still. Adding more precious such creations to the world, the innovative strings are found only among few. Four innovators from Kerala proved their worth and grabbed the sanction for TePP phase I funding through the TePP outreach centre at Technopark, Trivandrum.

In the 97th meeting of the screening committee for TePP held on March 5,2010 at New Delhi, the following projects were sanctioned.

The meeting was chaired by Dr H S Maiti, Former Director, Central Grass and Ceramics Research Institute (CGCRI), Kolkatta.

“The Sanctioning has paved way for the further progress of the research. With such a great cooperation and support from Technopark TBI, it helped a lot in gaining the needed support for the further product development,” says C J Jobichen, who came out with an Electro Mechanical Device for regulating moisture content in closed chamber and the project was sanctioned with Rs 10.62 lakhs on the occassion.

Devoting his entire career for product development and research,

40 TF April 2010

the product is mainly aimed for industrial purposes. For preventing devices like camera from getting infected and damaged due to fungus infection, this innovation helps in creating a secure cabinet for it for the proper protection of Electro Mechanical Device for Regulating Moisture Content in Closed Chamber

A dehumidifier developed for regulating the moisture content in a closed chamber. The device accomplishes a reduced level of moisture from normal to 0%in the chamber effectively with air flow regulating mechanism.

The increased efficiency and reusability of the moisture adsorbent are achieved and the equipment can be operated at any conditions Multi stage reed slivering machine

A bamboo reed slivering machine with single stage reed slivering mechanism. The innovator is developing an improved model of this machine to produce six slivers in one feed of 0.5mm thickness.

such vulnerable devices.

“My earlier invention was for prevention of fungus infection in video cassettes and the survey conducted as part of its research activity made me realise the need for such a product in the society.

Development of First Indian Re-Engineered Stabiliser

A re-engineered stabilizer for Cardiac Surgery for performing beating heart surgery in heart patients. This will be the first reengineered stabilizer in India Six Stroke Engine

A re-engineered stabilizer for Cardiac Surgery for performing beating heart surgery in heart patients. This will be the first reengineered stabilizer in India

Keeping in mind the need of the people, I slowly worked on the development of a device which would prevent the infection in devices like camera,” added Jobichen.

Multi Stage Reed Silvering

Machine developed by Anil Kumar M R, which was sanctioned with Rs 7.65 lakhs, Anil C C who came out with Six Stroke Engine, sanctioned with Rs 12 lakhs, Dr Murali Vettah for Development of First Indian Re-Engineered Stabilizer santioned with Rs 15 lakhs; were among the rest innovators who were granted with the funds on the occasion.

Each and every innovation is focused on the development of the society. The innovators get the spark from the people and with proper research the result is the development of the most needed and viable product for the society. Like the Multi Stage Reed Silvering Machine developed for reducing the pain and work faced by nearly 30,000 women

42 TF May 2010

workers in the Indian Bamboo industy.

“Among the workers in the bamboo industry spread across districts like Ernakulam, Idukki, Trichur, etc; nearly 50 percent are above the age of 50 and 10 percent above the age of 75. Earning just Rs 30-35 per day and working with hands; the time and pressure they put in for the task is very tiring and cumbersome. Interacting with the works and comparing ourselves with the Bamboo industry in China, I realised the need for such a multi stage device suitable for reed (species of bamboo). It not only reduces the effort but only helps in creating nearly 4-5 times more output than the normal method, “ says Anil Kumar M R, who was the former Managing Director of Bamboo Corporation.

With the help of skilled artisan like Joy, he went on to develop the crude model for the same at the gramin workshop of the artisan. “The cooperation from the TePP outreach centre helped in making my dream come true. Unlike other organisations, the politeness and proper response added a lot to the contribution.

With the help of Joy, Industries minister Elamareem Kareem and MLA T Balakrishnan; I could make pave way for my idea. If the invention comes out well, then it will be a great boon for the poor women working in the traditional Bamboo industry. With Bamboo industry having great scope in the future, it would be of great help to the tribals,” added Anil Kumar.

Another major innovation which received the sanctioning was for the Development of First Indian Re-engineered Stabiliser developed by Dr Murali Vettah. The re-engineered stabilizer helps for performing beating heart surgery in heart patients.

Supposed to be the first re-engineered stabilizer in India, it will surely be a great achievement in the field of Cardiac Surgery in India.

The Six Stroke internal combustion engine which can perform at better fuel efficiency and low pollution developed by Anil C C would be a major addition for the automobile industry.

With improved efficiency and low exhaust emission achieved by adding two more stroke in between the exhaust stroke and intake stroke in a four stroke engine; the device is would surely be a worthy addition in this pollution filled world, according to Anil.

With such major innovations getting their credits through Technopark-tbi; it is for sure a feather on the cap for the industry of science and especially for all Keralites.

technology

ROMANCING TECHNOLOGY Human beings through millenniums have thought that the greatest tool for change is religion, philosophy, ideology, social factors etc. But the last century proved them all wrong Deepa Easwar

T

he world has changed far more in the past 100 years than in any other century in history. The reason is not political or economic but technological — technologies that flowed directly from advances in basic science - Stephen Hawking In the last century, a great philosopher said “the only thing without change is change”. But in this century, the modern philosopher says “even change has a change”. The dimension, direction and momentum of ‘change’ are changing. We live in such a fast changing century.

What are the causes of these changes? What is the greatest catalyst and factor for changes that has happened and is happening in the past century? Human beings through millenniums have thought that the greatest tool for change is religion, philosophy, ideology, social factors etc. But the last century proved them all wrong.

We, as a race have changed far more in the past 100 years than in any other century in history.

Every field of human life has drastically changed in the past 100 years – The world witnessed

44 TF

2010

the emergence of a new religion of mankind,” Science & Technology” Many thinkers thought at the dusk of the 19th century that “there is nothing to be discovered in the field of science any more”. But we saw that the discoveries made in the past century are far more in number than the sum total of all discoveries until then.

Man has conquered the moon, learnt to fly, swam miles under the water, and has even acquired the power to destroy the entire solar system. Now we can communicate to anyone anywhere around the globe in just no time…

Who knows ! Probably, in future we may even have facilities of teleportation – transfer of matter from one point to another almost instantaneously !

The fact of history is that till the moment something is invented, society always thought of it as impossible. This is true in the case of all great inventions. If we look at world history impartially, we may always see, that the discoveries made by us have helped us change and evolve. From the discovery of fire and wheel to that of internet, technology has always led the world.

Technology is the soul on which the entire development of a country depends on. Today, the world has reached a situation that can be best described in a famous quote, “I don’t fear technology; I fear the lack of it”. There is no denying the fact that our nation practically runs on technology…technology that leaves you spellbound! yes.. that is what we call “Intelligent technology”.

Technology that thinks and acts beyond machines. Technology that’s just at an arm distance from human beings. Technology that can probably replace human beings in future! The power of technology cannot be explained with just

46 TF May 2010

The whole history of science has been the gradual realization that events do not happen in an arbitrary manner, but that they reflect a certain underlying order, which may or may not be divinely inspired

Stephen Hawking

words.

In spite of the anxious wait for such a scenario, its quite unfortunate that there are very few companies in India concentrating exclusively in this area…and Artin Dynamics is one among them.

Technology that can Think and make others Think is what Artin Dynamics is romancing with. Imagine : you have a habit of listening to music every night before falling asleep. Just while you drift to sleep,(say around 11 or 11.15pm), you switch off the music system by pressing the power button on your remote. (remember, power is still lost) This may continue for say 10 days.

Will you believe me if I say that on the 11th day when you do this the system automatically cuts the entire power? You better believe it..this scenario is just round the corner. Artin Dynamics is working towards it.

Lets say you believed me on that. Still consider the following situation. Now imagine: On the 15th day you plan to quit music for that day and plug in a mosquito coil (which is not to be switched off by 11pm). In that case would you still believe me if I say that the socket to which the coil is plugged in automatically detects that it needn’t cut power by around 11 o clock tonight and continues to keep mosquitoes away all night?

Tougher to believe..but again Artin Dynamics is just working on that. The young and dynamic boys who form a strong R&D team in Artin Dynamics is keeping their focus unchanged on achieving this level of intelligence in their first revolutionary power saving product, SPARA. Their hardwork ultimately proves just one point…they are simply in love with Technology.

When there is a team who simply loves technology, would spend any amount of time and money on it , and never ever think of a break-up, you call it “Romancing Technology”, and it makes me proud to say that Artin Dynamics has been doing just that.

hot jobs

Kerala Public Service Commission Recruitment of Computer Engineer, Overseer (Civil), Sales Assistant and Tracer Name of the post: Computer Engineer Qualification: B.Tech in Computer Science or Engineering/ MCA with a minimum of 60% of marks.

Payscale: Rs.12200-32275 Age limit: 18-37 years Name of the post: Overseer(civil) Qualification: Diploma in Civil Engg pay scale Rs.7990-12930 Age limit: 19-36 Name of the post: Sales Assistant Qualification: Degree.

Ability to speak and write Malayalam, Hindi, English Payscale: Rs 4500-7000 Age limit: 18-35 years How to apply: Apply Online, last date is on 19th May 2010.

Center for Development of Advanced Computing (Recruitment of Design Engineers Name of post: Design Engineers) No of post: 2 (SC-1, OBC-1) Qualification: First Class BE/B. Tech or equivalent degree in Electronics/Electrical/Computer Science/Computer Engineering/ Instrumentation OR ME/M.Tech in Electronics/Electrical/Computer Science/Computer Engineering/ Instrumentation/VLSI Design.

Areas of Specialisation: Hardware Development, Board

Level Design, VHDL, EDA design tools, System-n-Chips etc; Software Engineering Design Methodologies, Programming, OOAD, components, UML testing, Product Development; VLSI Design- Digital/Analog/Mixed signal/DSP. Good knowledge of database technologies, MYSQL, MYSQL Server and its administration,Database programming, knowledge of data mining techniques; DotNet Technologies, ASP.NET, XML, Web services and desirable knowledge in web security, Multilayer architecture web programming concepts.

Age Limit: 30 Years Pay Scale: Rs.15600-39100 How to apply: Interested candidates may apply on the prescribed application form along with testimonials and DD for an amount of Rs.100 for each post in favor of Director, C-DAC, Mohali.

Last date: 16th May 2010.

University of Delhi Name of the post : System Analyst/ System Programmer/System Manager Qualification: B.E/B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering (CSE) OR M.Sc. (Computer Science) ORMCA. Desirable:Three years experience in programming and Database management or Network administration in an Educational institute or commercial/service industry Pay scale: Rs. 15600-39100 + GP Rs. 5400 Number of posts: 5 (SC-1)(OBC-1) (UR-3) How to apply: Candidates can

apply in the prescribed form given in the website www.du.ac.in.

Last date: 18 May 2010 Bharat Electronics Ltd (A Govt. of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Defence)

Recruitment of Graduate Engineers & HR Professionals Discipline: Electronics, Mechanical, Computer Science, Civil, Chemical Number of posts: Electronics(80), Mechanical (30), Computer Science ( 38), Civil (04), Chemical (01), Qualification: Engineering Degree Holders in Electronics, Electronics & Communication, Electronics & Telecommunication, Communication, Telecommunication, Mechanical, Computer Science, Computer Science and Engineering/ Civil Engineering/ Chemical Engineering disciplines only from AICTE approved Colleges may only apply. Engineering Degree holders in other disciplines need not apply.

Discipline: Human resource Number of posts: (05) Qualification: MSW/MBA (2 years full-time with specialization in HRM/Personnel Management and Industrial Relations) / Post Graduate Degree / Post Graduate Diploma (2 years fulltime) in HRM / Personnel Management & Industrial Relations from a recognised University / Institute / Post Graduate Degree qualification in Human Resources Management.

Age Limit : The maximum age limit for General candidates as on 01.04.2010 will be 25 years. Upper age limit is relaxable by 5 years for SC/ST candidates and 3 years for OBC candidates.

TF May 2010 47

Pay scale of Rs.16400-3%-40500/- .

Selection Procedure : Selection will be through written test and interview of shortlisted candidates based on performance in the written test. The Written Test will

be held on 27.06.2010 (Sunday).

The written test will consist of Objective type questions from basic Engineering subjects/HR subjects, in the respective disciplines / specialisations and General Aptitude.

How to apply: Candidates can apply online only . All the 158 posts are for BEL units and offices located in different parts of the country.

Apply online from 28.04.2010 to 14.05.2010.

Name of post

Department

Qualification

Sales

Fresh Graduates

Marketing

Fresh Graduates

Recruitment of Management Trainees

Personnel

Fresh Graduates with

Personnel

Fresh Graduates with

specialization in HR and/

Age Limit: 21-28 Yrs How to apply: Applications with full details of age, education and experience, if any should be accompanied by a note in English in the candidates own handwriting on “Reasons why I am interested in this job”. The selection process shall consist of screening of applications, written test and group discussions.

Apply to Chief Executive Personnel, Hawkins Cookers Limited, P.O. Box 16083, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400005.

Information Management

or Industrial Relation.

Hawkins Cookers Limited

Technology Trainees

Fresh Graduates with

as well as IT professionals

with different levels

of experience. Good

practical knowledge of

Visual Basic, java, ASP,

Foxpro is essential.

Technical

Diploma holders/

Engineering graduates

in Mech/ Electrical/ Tool

Design and Manufacture/

Product Design/ Industrial Engg/ Material Science.

now subscribe TF just with an SMS SMS ‘Ask< space> TF’ to 56161

48 TF May 2010

Computer specialization

sudoku answer

study abroad Do you want to earn while studying abroad The most difficult situation what one faces while studying abroad are the expenses. Going by the trend with all opting to study abroad, one may tend to try our own luck as well but when it comes to funds its always a problem.

But that is no matter of worry with many international internships and programs available. You have various options available where one can earn as you study, bearing your own expenses abroad. Once you have opted for the program that fits your research interests, look for funding both in your university and elsewhere

universities have positions available for graduate assistants.

Exchange or work permit programs Some of the universities offer exchange programs in applied fields.

I too had a love story Ravinder Singh

M

Scholarships/internships Check out for the scholarships offered by your own university for study abroad. Many of them have small scholarships for individuals who have never studied in a foreign country, from minority groups or for travel to less commonly visited areas of the world such as Asia and the Middle East. These are commonly available to both undergraduate and graduate students.

The internships will offer financial aid, credit and are available in variety of subjects. You can find the information on such programs from site like- www. transitionsabroad .com, www. iiepassport.org, www.studyabroad. com, etc. Another method is to seek out research opportunities or conferences. You can send papers to conferences abroad. Some of the departments of the universities offer funding for such initiatives. To go abroad as graduate assistants is another viable and preferred method.

Check out the programs in your area of interest and find out whether those

book review

If you find you own internship abroad, these organizations can also assist in obtaining a work permit.

Few examples for such organisations are: AIESEC, a student-run international organization with chapters on many campuses, offers business-related internships open to all majors, BUNAC work abroad program which is available for Britain, Ireland, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand, IAESTE and the American-Scandinavian Foundation, which offer placements in engineering and natural sciences, etc. You can find many such unpaid and paid internships abroad on the internet.

ost of the writings are usually heartfelt experiences of the authors but rarely do we find true stories being communicated. I too had a love story is one such piece of work by first time author Ravinder Singh. The story moves around the life of Ravinder and Khushi, two strangers who meet through a matrimonial site to enter into the life long relationship of marriage. The writer beautifully brings out the depth in their relation, the warmth, and closeness, through the lively and graphic delineation of their conversation, feelings and emotions.

The throbbing curiosity, the irrepressible apprehensions and the overpowering excitement and happiness to meet Khushi in person for the first time takes the story to a crescendo of feelings, emotion and action. But the shocking accident which leaves Khushi battling with death brings the complete twist to the story.

Dedicating the book to his love, the author strongly holds to the belief that love stories seldom die.

TF May 2010 49

Abhishek Dhawan www.askganesha.com Aries (March 21-April 19)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22) This month is going to give you an opportunity to show your creative skill, talent and professional expertise in your workplace. Success at professional front would translate into gains on the financial front as well. Knowing your real skills would enable you to improve them. New opportunities shall be there. Plan for your immediate needs and work towards achieving it step by step. Lucky Color: Red. Lucky Number: 10

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Professional life needs a patient approach to turn tides in your favor especially at the beginning of the month. Financial position shall improve in the first half of the month and there shall be probability of an increase in your saved wealth. Positive indications are more compare to negative ones during the month. Take a tight approach towards your expenditure to maintain a comfortable cash flow. Lucky Color: Yellow. Lucky Number: 7

Gemini (May 21-June 21)

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Your creative ideas and strategic approach is going to help you to further surge ahead. If you are in the thick of a new project, the good phase for its working and completion continues throughout this month. There is good possibility of hearing good news from your foreign connections and you may go for a visit and if you are waiting for visa paper work.

Lucky Color: Silver. Lucky Number: 11

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) The month is going to play a bit supportive role for you in every aspect of life. Though you may face some challenging situations on the professional front but with the help of your colleagues you would be able to come through. Handling finances with utmost care and caution is advised. Some of the natives may get long delayed promotion at the job front.

Lucky Color: Gray. Lucky Number: 9

Financially it shall prove to be an auspicious month for you. You shall be spending money on the resources of material comfort. You now have the opportunity of being on your own and can start implementing your plans that you have nursed and developed for long. You can expect wonderful results in your career. Those doing job need to maintain harmony with their colleagues. Be cautious from your adversaries. Lucky Color: Black. Lucky Number: 5

Financially it shall prove to be an auspicious month for you. You shall be spending money on the resources of material comfort. You now have the opportunity of being on your own and can start implementing your plans that you have nursed and developed for long. You can expect wonderful results in your career.

Those doing job need to maintain harmony with their colleagues. Be cautious from your adversaries. Lucky Color: Black. Lucky Number: 5

This is a positive month and the favorable trends will continue. Your hard work is bound to give you excellent results. There shall be betterment on professional front. You shall develop connections with socially reputed people. Improvement in the monetary status would be there during this month. You should be serious with the work in hand as this has the potential for long-term benefits.

Lucky Color: Orange. Lucky Number: 3

The Month is seen to be full of hectic activities like socializing, entertaining and making plans. Spirits would be high and will help to achieve even better results.

You would get recognition for your work and working efficiency. New friends are likely to be made and the good news is that they appear to offer helpful links far into the future in both career and personal life.Lucky Color: Violet. Lucky Number: 6

Leo ( July 23-Aug. 22) This month shall bring mixed results for you. You shall have to struggle a lot for attaining success in your professional life. There is bound to be subtle changes in you, both within and outside. Sudden and unexpected developments in your career will do you good. This is the right time for you to learn about new people, develop new contacts and new developments.

Lucky Color: Blue. Lucky Number: 4 Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) This is a particularly good period as what you think and put into practical shape, could be the foundation stone for your changed outlook. The financial propositions that are put to you are apt to be more profitable and could lead to increase in earnings. You can expect new avenues of opportunities to open up. Stay away from controversies and be flexible in your behavior.

Lucky Color: Green. Lucky Number: 2 50TF May 2010

Libra

Aquarius ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18) This month would require extra efforts from your side. You need to maximize your self-confidence to succeed in your work. There are indications that you will have to work really hard to gain an edge.

At the same time make sure you delegate work responsibility to others and not to allow colleagues taking your support for granted. Success would enable bringing finances and happiness.

Lucky Color: Copper. Lucky Number: 8 Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) You would get the return for your hard work in the form of favorable appraisals. Good things will happen if you put your time and effort into what really counts. Tough situations will give chances to put innovate ideas into practical use. Believe in yourself and put in the extra effort as by this you are sure to get out of any tricky situation.

Lucky Color: White. Lucky Number: 12

Printed and published by: Arun Balachandran, ErupulamKattil (H), Edakadathy P.O., Edakadathy, Owned by Shine Damodharan, Kollattu (H), Chiyyaram P.O., Thrissur. Printed at ST Raddiar Press, Cochin. Published from Mediafirst Publications, Cochin-21 and the editor is Basil P Varghese, Pokkanathil (H), Pothanikkadu P.O., Ernakulam District, Kerala.

Postal Reg. No. KL/TV(N)/587/2008-10 TechnoFIRST February 2010 RNI Reg. No. KERENG/2004/22131 Licensed to post without prepayment : kl/tv(n/wtt/587/2008-10) Posted from RMS TVM

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