HCL Tech announces partnership with SAP

HCL Technologies on Thursday announced an expanded global services partnership with SAP AG, that underscores SAP’s focus on extending its industry lead in ecosystem innovation. HCL’s new global services partnership with SAP is aimed at enabling companies of all sizes to access the business benefits of enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA ) and draws upon HCL’s strengths in emerging geographies, strong domain experience, risk taking and service innovation capabilities. As part of the agreement, SAP and HCL will now partner to enhance value and accelerate growth for customers in a manner that will reduce implementation costs while providing strong domain-centric solutions to transform their business processes.

Wipro launches global management centre

Wipro Ltd, on Thursday, announced the launch of its global service management centre in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. This centre will cater to the infrastructure and application management services requirements of customers across the ASEAN region through a remote service delivery model, a Wipro release said in Bangalore. The remote service delivery centre will provide seamless integrated services on heterogeneous technology environments.

British Biologicals joins hands with Raisio

Bangalore-based British Biologicals has entered into a business partnership with Raisio Nutrition Ltd, of Finland on Thursday. Under the partnership, it will be launching Raisio’s Plant Stanol Ester – “Benecol” under the brand name COLRED Benecol, a nutritional product, which is said to reduce cholesterol naturally, for the first time in Asia.

Presently, the brands under the fold of British Biologicals include B – Protin; D-Protin (for diabetics); Pulmocare (for lungs) Pro-Pl (for pregnant and lactating mothers) and now ColRed.

Microsoft to launch Windows ’08 on March 4

Microsoft Corporation, on Thursday, said it will launch its Windows Server 2008 in India on March 4 while the worldwide launch will take place on February 27, reports UNI from New Delhi. The clarification comes in the wake of Microsoft Learning General Manager Christopher Pirie’s statement that the company will launch Windows Server 2008 in 800 cities across the globe and 20 cities in India. “Microsoft has invested almost $150 million in the marketing initiatives to make it possible on a single day,’’ he said.

SKS Microfinance to roll out health insurance

Hyderabad-based SKS Microfinance Pvt Ltd, on Thursday, announced that it is all set to roll out health insurance product “Swayam Shakti” for the poor in semi urban and rural areas. SKS Microfinance will cover its members in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Orissa by March 2008 under the health insurance programme. SKS Microfinance has tied up with ICICI Lombard General Insurance for this initiative.

This product is a tailor made for health insurance, which covers the SKS member, member’s spouse and two children against pre-existing illnesses, maternity, more than 24-hour hospitalisation and personal accident for a period of one year. The low-cost insurance cover offers both cashless and reimbursement options.