The OneIndia Plan slated to be launched by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) on Republic Day 2006 has finally been launched and will come into effect from the first of March.

This move is with a view to connecting the country at an affordable tariff, and the new plan will enable customers of BSNL and MTNL to call from a landline or a mobile phone to any where in the country for one rupee a minute.

For its post-paid mobile services, BSNL has proposed a rental of Rs 299. Calls to other BSNL subscribers will be at the rate of 40 paise a minute, while calls to any other network across the country will cost one rupee a minute.

Pre-paid subscribers on the other hand are being offered a package of Rs 799, which will include a talk time of Rs 550 for a validity period of 30 days. Under the package, calls made to BSNL subscribers will cost 60 paise a minute while calls made to other networks will be at the rate of one rupee a minute.

Local calls to landlines under this plan will now be at one rupee for three minutes, while STD calls to phones across the country and across the network will cost one rupee.

Sony Pictures has announced pricing for its Gen-Next Blu-ray discs, that is indicative of a 20 percent increase over current prices with respect to new DVDs.

The company has announced that it will charge retail outlets a wholesale price of $23.45 per disc for premium/new titles including "Underworld: Evolution" etc; and $17.95 for catalogue titles such as "Hitch," "The Fifth Element" and "Species". Apparently the $23.45 price represents a 15-20 percent increase over current new-release DVDs.

Analysts express the view that while price hikes are common whilst introducing new standards, Sony's listed wholesale prices for Blu-ray are lower than expected. At a time when Blu-ray has its horns locked with rival HD DVD, analysts see the new pricing as an aggressive move by Sony to help Blu-ray win brownie points over HD DVD.

Camp HD DVD is yet to announce their pricing policy.

Thousands of Muslims took to the streets in Jerusalem and Gaza Friday demanding vengeance for a controversial cartoon that has sparked outrage across the Muslim world.

The cartoon caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad were first published in a Danish newspaper, and were reprinted this week in several other European countries, sparking anger.



Large rallies were held in the Gaza Strip and Iraq, and raucous demonstrations were staged outside the Danish embassies in Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey and Malaysia Friday.



One of the cartoons depicts the Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a burning fuse. In another, an Islamic star and crescent moon are superimposed over his face.

Police were prepared for Friday's demonstrations in Jerusalem, and tussled with angry mobs that spilled out of mosques after Friday prayers, protesting in the streets near Islam's third-holiest site.

In Gaza, an angry crowd screamed "God is great," and an imam told 9,000 worshippers that the hands of those who drew the cartoons should be severed.


Muslims marched in droves through other Palestinian cities on Friday, burning the Danish flag and threatening repercussions for the European countries where the cartoons were published.

In the Palestinian cities of Nablus and Jenin, Danish flags and product imports were burned.

"Bin Laden our beloved, Denmark must be blown up," protestors in Ramallah shouted, Associated Press reported.

The Palestinian legislature was taken over by Hamas gunmen as 10,000 demonstrators chanted "Down, down Denmark," AP reported.

After weekly prayer services in Iraq, about 4,500 people held a rally in Basra while hundreds in Baghdad demonstrated outside of a mosque, AP reported. The protestors burned the Danish flag and threw Danish-made products into the flames.

Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, condemned the cartoon depictions in a posting on his website Jan. 31.

"We strongly denounce and condemn this horrific action," al-Sistani said.



However, the cleric did not encourage any protests and he even placed some responsibility on militant Muslims for the negative way that Islam is depicted, AP reported.

He said some segments of the Muslim community were "misguided and oppressive" and that their actions "projected a distorted and dark image of the faith of justice, love and brotherhood."

At the Danish embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, more than 150 protestors pushed passed security into the building's lobby demanding an apology for the cartoons.

They were unable to get up to the embassy on the 25th floor but they did tear the Danish flag down and set it on fire. They also pelted the embassy with eggs.

"We are not terrorists, we are not anarchists, but we are against those people who blaspheme Islam," one protestor shouted, AP said.

In Islamabad, Pakistan, about 800 people shouted "Death to Denmark" and "Death to France" while around 1,200 people demonstrated in the southern city of Karachi.

The country's parliament condemned the drawings as "vicious" in a unanimous vote.

In Turkey, hundreds protested in Istanbul, with many making their way to the Danish consulate.

"Hands that reach Islam must be broken," a group of Muslims chanted outside of an Istanbul mosque, AP reported.

At Islam's third holiest site, Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque, Israel banned access to Palestinians aged 45 and under.

About 100 men did protest outside Jerusalem's Old City on Friday chanting Islamic slogans and carrying Hamas flags. Israeli police broke up the protest along with another one at Damascus Gate using tear gas and stun grenades, AP reported.

The caricatures of the Prophet were first published by Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, in September. They were republished in papers in France, Norway, Germany, Switzerland and Hungary this week, causing tension that quickly spread around the Muslim world.

On Friday, Belgium, Italy and Spain's leading newspaper, El Pais, became the latest papers to run the images.

"What shame, Europe gives into Islam and apologizes for the satire of Allah," Libero, an Italian right-wing paper, wrote in a Friday headline.

Muslims worldwide are outraged as Islam strictly forbids any depiction of the revered father of the religion. Even positive images of the Prophet Muhammad are not allowed to prevent idolatry in the religion.



Canadian reaction

Syed Soharwardy, of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, appeared on Canada AM Friday saying that Canadian Muslims were upset but that they were dealing with the situation constructively, by emailing and phoning officials.

"The Muslims in Canada, they are outraged," Soharwardy said. "They are expressing their anger through peaceful means… they are protesting against these horrible cartoons that have offended Muslims around the world."

Soharwardy said he received an email from a Danish media watch group, dated Dec. 14, that outlined peaceful ways that the international Muslim community initially tried to deal with the situation.

"They tried very hard to ask them to withdraw the cartoons and apologize, nothing happened," he said. "They contacted us in December and said that we should do something about it."

Globe and Mail cartoon columnist, Brian Gable, said that the debate lies between freedom of expression and the freedom not to be offended. He said that one taboo area is religious faith, but not how people use their faith.

"If someone of any faith chooses to proceed with a violent act, I feel that's fair game," Gable said.



But Soharwardy said there has to some restrictions.

"The freedom of expression has to have some limits," Soharwardy said. "Would they make fun of any ethic group in Canada? Aboriginal people, South Asians, Chinese community?"

Microsoft Corp India today announced the launch of its third IT Academy in the state of Karnataka, as part of the Microsoft Partners in Learning (PIL) initiative. The first two Microsoft IT Academy Centers have been set-up in Gulbarga (June 2005) and Dharwad (July 2005), and are already imparting training to teachers.

This according to Microsoft, is about ensuring technology access and affordability; ushering in economic development and new education models. It is also about public/private partnerships, that bridge the digital divide in a local and meaningful way.

The Microsoft IT Academy, according to the company, is a world-class
facility equipped with a state-of-the-art IT lab, comprehensive IT curriculum and well-trained staff for effective delivery of IT training for school teachers. Twenty desktop PCs are going to be used for the routine training process. A laptop has been provided to the IT Academy Manager, who is required to visit various schools across the state to ensure consistency in the delivery process. The overall infrastructure includes 2 class-rooms, a meeting room, library, cafeteria, and DG power back-up supply.

Additionally, the IT training course-ware has been translated in Kannada for ensuring improved understanding of content by teachers. Microsoft will also run a 12 days training program free-of-cost for participating teachers, to equip them to use technology in teaching students in a class-room environment.

The new Academy is a key part of the MoU signed in November 2004 between Microsoft and the Government of Karnataka, for the implementation of the Microsoft Partners-in-Learning (PIL) program that is aimed at accelerating IT literacy among government school teachers and students in the state. Under the MoU, Microsoft has committed to train over 20,000 teachers and 400,000 students (from class III to class XII) across the state of Karnataka over a period of 5 years. Till date, over 2500 teachers have been trained at the two Academies.

The three Microsoft IT Academy Centers together with the Karnataka government are estimated to train 3000 High School Teachers each year. After 5 years, these three Microsoft Academies will be handed over to the Government of Karnataka. The government welcomes a project of this unique nature, and hopes other MNCs will also join hands with the Government to provide computer training.

Rohit Kumar, country manager - public sector, Microsoft India, said "At Microsoft, we have a long-term vision for the cause of IT education, wherein we are committed to collaborate with Governments across the world to ensure integration of IT in the education process. This, we believe is integral for achieving our mission of creating a digitally inclusive society."

R Ramalinga Reddy, Minister for Primary & Secondary Education, Karnataka, said, "Computer Training is presently being imparted to 1238 High School Teachers and 765 Primary School Teachers in the state of Karnataka. The Central Government has approved imparting Computer Training to 480 more High Schools, and funds have been released for this purpose, and tenders are also being invited. In order to improve the quality of computer training, Government of Karnataka has signed a MOU with Microsoft India to impart computer training to High School teachers."

In a landmark deal, private airlines Jet Airways on Thursday announced acquisition of Sahara Airlines to become the largest domestic carrier in India.

The board of directors of the company at its meeting held January 19, 2006, has considered and approved, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals as maybe required, the acquisition by the company of 100 per cent of the fully paid up equity share capital of Sahara Airlines," Jet Airways said in a communication to stock exchanges.

Jet Airways, however, did not disclose the amount for which the company acquired Sahara Airlines.

According to informed sources, Jet Airways clinched the deal for an estimated amount of over Rs 2,300 crore.

If 2005 is disappearing too fast for you, just hold on for a second, because this year you have an extra second to pause and reflect on the year before the ball drops and the calendar flips New Year's Eve.

Yep, it's a leap second moment, one of those rare occasions when clocks around the world take a stutter step in order to conform with the Earth's wobbly, gradually slowing spin.

But don't count on having many extra moments in the future, because there's a movement in the telecommunications field to do away with leap seconds as early as 2007.

In a 24/7 world, leap seconds that adjust the timekeeping of atomic clocks to the time based on the rising and setting of the sun are viewed by many technocrats as a nuisance.

Atomic time, based on the radiation frequency of the cesium-133 atom, has been around since the 1950s. Timekeeping based on the Earth's rotation goes back thousands of years.

The trouble is, atomic clocks are so accurate that they can go for 3 million years without losing a second. Earth's rotation, it turns out, is somewhat less reliable.

When international agreement was reached on Co-coordinated Universal Time in 1972, scientists figured that regular leap seconds would need to be added every 18 months to keep the two systems in sync.

Instead, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service in Frankfurt, Germany, has had to request only 22 leap seconds, coming on either June 30 or Dec. 31, since 1972. Scientists expect the slowing of the rotation will increase over thousands of years, requiring even more frequent corrections to atomic time.

This is all too random for software programmers and others in electronics industries where a 61-second minute doesn't compute.

The U.S. government two years ago proposed that leap seconds be abolished.

Pope Benedict XVI in Rome has made a plea for peace in the Middle East, as he celebrated his first Christmas Eve mass since becoming pontiff.

He spoke to thousands of people packed into St Peter's Basilica and watching on screens in the square outside. The mass was broadcast live to 46 nations.

Calling on Roman Catholics to think of those in Bethlehem, he said: "We wish to pray for peace in the Holy Land."

At noon on Sunday he will deliver his Christmas message to the world.

The BBC's David Willey says the Pope made an impassioned plea for peace in his homily on Christmas Eve.

The Pope appears very conscious that this glittering ceremony is viewed by millions of people all over the world, our correspondent says.

'Let it know peace'

In his homily, the pontiff stressed the traditional meaning of Christmas.

He went on: "On this night, when we look towards Bethlehem, let us pray in a special way for the birthplace of our redeemer and for the men and women who live and suffer there.

"We wish to pray for peace in the Holy Land. Look O Lord, upon this corner of the earth, your homeland, which is so very dear to you. Let your light shine upon it! Let it know peace!"

St Peter's Square was dominated by a 30m (100ft) decorated fir tree and a larger than normal Nativity scene - the latter designed to show people more clearly the lowliness of Jesus' birth, a cardinal said.

Earlier the Pope appeared at the study window of his Vatican apartment, overlooking the square, and lit a candle for world peace.

He will return to give the traditional Christmas message, Urbi et Orbi, to the pilgrims, tourists and the world's estimated 1.1 billion Catholics on Sunday.

The pontiff is scheduled to lead an evening service on New Year's Eve and celebrate mass the next day in St Peter's Basilica to mark the Catholic Church's World Peace Day.

It's Christmas time and Bill and Joe decided to go look for a Christmas Tree. They gathered their axe, a sled, and a broom to brush the trees off so they can get a good look at them. When they finally reach a fine stand of trees, Joe brushes off the first tree, and stands back with Bill to look at it.

"Well, Bill, What do you think?"

"Sorry, Joe, this tree won't do. Let's try another one."

They come upon another nice tree, Joe brushes it off, and they both look at it.

"How about this one, Bill?"

"Not quite, Joe. Let's keep looking". This goes on until nightfall. Both Bill and Joe are cold, tired, and hungry. "Well, Bill, what do we do now?"

"Joe, I think we should take home the next tree we find, whether it has lights on it or not..."

SAN FRANCISCO: US holiday shoppers spent $25 billion online through the week ending December 16, with electronics and apparel representing the biggest categories, according to a survey of 1,000 adults released on Thursday.

The Goldman, Sachs & Co., Nielsen/NetRatings and Harris Interactive's Holiday eSpending Report found that computers and consumer electronics accounted for $3.75 billion and $3.67 billion, respectively, or a combined 28 percent of online spending.

Online spenders shied away from toys and video games, however, with only $1.91 billion, or 7 percent of spending, going toward the category.

Sales of video games, in particular, have been sluggish as customers held off buying game titles until new video game consoles become available.

"The lines are really blurring between toys and gadgets," Nielsen/NetRatings retail analyst Heather Dougherty said in a phone interview.

"There wasn't really a hot toy this year," Dougherty said. "A lot of kids are asking for gadgets. If there is a hot toy this year, it is something like an iPod or a Sidekick."

Apple Computer Inc. makes the iPod music and video player. Closely held Danger Inc. makes the Sidekick e-mail and phone device that is a hit with teenagers.

These estimates are based on a national weekly survey of 1,013 adults through Dec. 16, the seventh and biggest sales week for the holiday shopping season starting Nov. 1. A final survey of online shopping in the week ahead of Christmas will be released next week.

CLOTHING SALES PICK UP

U.S. consumers also appear to have overcome their previous aversion to buying clothing online and had spent $4.68 billion by mid-December.

"Apparel sales are mirroring the spending habits of consumers in the offline world more and more," Dougherty said.

"Most consumers know what sizes they wear. They no longer need to have the tactile experience that once made consumers cautious about buying apparel online," she said.

Name-brand sites such as Gap and Eddie Bauer and online department stores like Macy's appear to be benefiting from rising demand.

ELECTRONICS ON THE CHEAP

While the electronics category was hot, it also weathered steep price discounting, which could crimp profitability.

"Electronics demand was driven by a lot of aggressive pricing," Dougherty said. "There's a lot of low-cost laptops and PCs available, which are attracting consumers who want to upgrade their computers in order to better use digital cameras," she said.

The survey asked consumers which search or shopping site they used to locate online stores over the week ending Dec. 16.

Almost half of holiday shoppers, or 45.2 percent, said they went directly to an online retailer by typing its Web address.

Other popular means of finding online stores were using search sites such as Google, which drew 40.5 percent, or twice the number of Yahoo, with 20.9 percent. Users seeking multiple stores mentioned Amazon 25.1 percent of the time and eBay was the shopping path for 23.4 percent of Web users surveyed.

BANGALORE: Pratibha's murder raises personal safety issues
Many BPO companies do not have safety checks in place for employees on night shift, despite Factories (Amendment) Act stipulation.

The brutal murder of 24-year-old Pratibha Srikanth Murthy, who worked at the HP GlobalSoft call center here, has exposed the vulnerability and lack of personal safety of BPO employees who work night shifts.

Ironically, Pratibha was murdered in the same year in which the central government amended the Factories Act to enable women work night shifts in special economic zones, textiles and IT sector (especially call centers).

Additionally, the BPO industry, fearing a backlash from its customers abroad, has been beefing up security this year following instances of data theft by its employees.

The Amendment to the Factories Act, which allows women to work between 10 pm and 6 am, in IT among other sectors, clearly states that the employer should ensure the safety of women at workplace and while commuting.

“These timings shall be allowed only if the employer ensures safety of women at the workplace and while commuting,” it said.

Shiv Kumar, the taxi driver, had duped Pratibha into boarding his car. He then took her to an isolated place and murdered her after sexually assaulting her around 2am on December 13.

HP later clarified in a statement that the accused was not one of its authorized drivers. The company has since spruced up the security.

Police Blames HP

However, according to Alok Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bangalore - South, HP had lapsed in providing adequate security to the victim. The company did not provide escort services. The DCP added that the company failed to act even after its regular driver informed it that another driver had picked up Pratibha from her home.

The boom in the IT and BPO industry in Bangalore and other cities has led to a spike in the crime rate in the last couple of years. Instances of robbery and assault on IT and BPO employees returning home late at night have been reported.

The lack of a good public transport system, albeit the fact that many work late, make IT workers to depend on their own transport, taxis or autos to ferry them across various destinations in the city. According to IT industry estimates, Bangalore has over one lakh BPO workers. A prominent English daily today reported quoting police sources that around 2000 vehicles were hired by various BPO firms to ferry its employees.

BPO and call center workers who work night shifts to cater to customers in North America and Europe were often said to be working in adverse conditions.

Earlier, responding to a report, which likened to their conditions to those in “Roman slave ships” and “19th century prisons”, NASSCOM president Kiran Karnik said, “Stress and night shifts are a part of the job. Moreover, IT workers are not prone to dangers like other night workers such as engine drivers.”

Reality Bites

However, his optimism is far from reality. When CyberMedia News spoke to some call center employees of top companies, what emerged was the shocking lack of concern for women employees working on the night shift.

An ex-employee of Accenture who spoke on condition of anonymity said that there were no proper checks in place to ensure the smooth transport of women employees.

“We are at the mercy of the cab drivers who sometimes pick us up late,” she said.

She also added that women who did not opt to work night shifts did not stand much of a chance for promotion in spite of their efficient performance.

There were even cases of drivers misbehaving with women employees. Another girl, who works with a prominent call center pointed towards instances of rash and drunken driving.

Incidentally, the Bangalore police have booked 277 cases of rash and negligent driving against cabbies on Friday night alone. Police have beefed up vigil following Pratibha's murder.

Security Measures

Meanwhile, police authorities said that BPO companies have not acknowledged some of the suggestions on safety of women working on the night shift.

Susant Mahapatra, Inspector General of Police-Economic Offences, Government of Karnataka, said, “ In fact, we had requested the BPO companies to avoid women working on the night shift.

If it is inevitable, we said that they should provide a separate lounge in the office for women, who can spend the night there and then go to their homes in the morning.”

Other suggestions made by the police include the presence of a night guard in the vehicle, remixing the groups, and ensuring that at least seven to eight people travel together in a vehicle.

Mahapatra also opined that safety measures were not mentioned in the IT Act. “We urge the industry forums like NASSCOM to give a proposal to the government to amend the IT Act to include security.”

MK Shankarlinge Gowda, IT secretary of Karnataka, said that he had advised BPO companies to get police help in verifying the backgrounds of its direct and indirect (canteen workers, drivers) employees and also hire BMTC buses to ferry employees on the night shift.

“Some companies in ITPL are already doing this. We are advising the BPO companies to make use of BMTC's Volvo buses for the night shift,” he stated.

NASSCOM chief Karnik, who expressed shock over the crime, said that measures would be taken to ensure the safety of women employees.

"We would like to create further such best practices or anything else we can do to make sure our people are safe and secure in general, " he told reporters.


HP beefs up security for employees

The company has set up a hotline and will now verify the credentials of all drivers

HP today put in place new safety measures for its staff following the gruesome murder of one of its employees by a taxi driver.

The company currently provides a monthly roster to each employee on his or her car numbers and driver's mobile numbers. “The procedure followed is for the car driver to give the employees a missed call. Only then do the employees board the car. The cars have HP stickers and the cab driver has an identity card,” informed HP in a press statement.

Now, the company has adopted some more measures such as ensuring that the first pick up and the last drop will be a male HP employee. Should there be no male HP employee in the car, there will be a security guard from the security company accompanying the woman employee.

The company has also enlisted the help of Bangalore Traffic Commissioner, MN Reddy to arrange for the background checks of all drivers and supervisors. From now on, drivers would be hired only after checking their backgrounds.

In addition, a special hotline number has been set up for replacement cabs, which will be manned by HP employees 24x7. Women employees will now only board a replacement cab once they receive a call from this hotline number.

According to HP, “Any deviation to this can be reported by an employee to an anonymous website and their identity shall be protected. Phone numbers of three senior HP managers have been provided to all employees.”


NEW DELHI: Last Monday, the Nasscom-McKinsey report proudly announced that the Indian ITES sector had ballooned from $4 billion in 2000 to about $17 billion in 2005. Happy figures, but the rape and murder of Pratibha Srikanth Murthy by a cab driver in Bangalore has sent shivers down spines across the nation.

The gruesome episode has conclusively highlighted the risks that young employees face across the country, and triggered loud protests about the lack of security in Bangalore.

On any given night, thousands of cars are careening on the streets of Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh, ferrying men and women, some barely out of college, to and from these temples of modern India. Of course, the women, who comprise some 40% of all BPO employees, are at greater risk, as Pratibha’s gruesome murder showed.

Trade unions have been concerned about women doing night shifts in BPOs. As CITU president M K Pandhe wrote recently, "Despite having a large number of women workers, ITES companies haven’t paid much attention to their safety."

And safety is an issue with many women BPO employees. Neha Mehta, a Gurgaon-based BPO employee, says: "Although the office ensures the same driver picks me up every day, there have been instances when he’s drunk. Sometimes, the other three travellers were men. After the Pratibha incident, I feel unsafe."

Shruti Khanna of another Delhi-based BPO says, "Occasionally, there are three girls and only one man in the cab. This can be unnerving late in the night."

The situation is much the same in other cities. Bina Irani of Pune says, ‘‘Every day, a different driver drops me home. Often I’m alone and I have to remain alert. In fact, once, I was very uncomfortable because the driver kept looking in the rear-view mirror.’’

BANGALORE NOT YET RECOVERED : 'Hang the Rapist', 'He deserves the most severe punishment' were the cries that rent the air as employees of various call centres organised a protest to condemn the gruesome rape and murder of 24-year-old Hewlett Packard BPO employee Prathibha Srikanth Murthy on Saturday.

Waking up to a shock after reading about the incident, some call centre employees took out a protest march demanding safety for women
colleagues.

Not many BPO executives turned up for the protest, though most of them did not know about it till 2 pm on Saturday as they return home late in the night and sleep through till 1 or 2 pm.

''But it's just a beginning. Soon we will come out in thousands and protest till the rapist and murderer is hanged,” said Santosh K J, an employee who works with Siemens BPO.

ISEVA employee Shridhar felt the police and BPOs were equally responsible for the security of employees. ''The police should be patrolling lonely stretches during night. Besides, cab drivers should be scanned by the security department of the organisation to check identity," he said.

Ocwein Financial employee Nawaz Moinuddin, who is a colleague of the victim's husband Pavan, said, ''In the past seven months of my service, I have had four cab drivers. Since we do not know Kannada, we have a tough time communicating with them."

There are some who feel it is the employees themselves who have to be responsible for female colleagues. Vanguard Securities employee Pradeep Kumar, whose shift gets over at 1 am, said since it is impossible for the police to be everywhere, employees should cooperate among themselves. "There are five female colleagues with us in the night shift. We make sure the cab drops them home first. Though we get late by 20 minutes, this is the least we can do for our colleagues."

SECURITY GUARDS IN : Working the graveyard shift is second nature for the nearly 3.5 lakh BPO employees in India. In the comfort of numbers, none can ever imagine what happened to Pratibha could happen to them. ''It's best to be alert while travelling at night with strangers. Often, people sleep on the way back home. That's dangerous,” says Vrushali Gangal, a Wipro employee from Mumbai.

BPO companies naturally insist their security is fool-proof. They say they ensure single women are not the first and last to be picked up or dropped. "We have 50 cabs ferrying 300 employees everyday. But the antecedents of vendors are verified,” says Rajesh Magow, CEO, Technovate.

Some insist if only one woman employee has to be picked up, a security guard is sent. "We also choose only those vendors who have a proven track record in the business,” says Deepak Malik, senior VP, Infovision, a Delhi-based BPO.



But the reality is that just as these companies handle outsourced business, they outsource much of their logistics, including transport. ''We don't have control on screening drivers because we outsource transport,” says Sri Myneni, president, Knoah Solutions, a Hyderabad-based BPO. In February 2005, a Pune-based BPO employee had acid flung on her face because she ticked off her love-lorn cab driver. The accused, Kailash Adagale, had been professing his love to her for a long time.

Fresh attempts are again being made to rouse authorities. The Call Centre Association of India had an emergency on Saturday. ''We have decided to come out with a set of guidelines on security aspects for the industry. It will clearly state the do's and don'ts and help them make the system more stringent,” said Sam Chopra, its President.

Companies in places like Bangalore and Pune are gearing up too. "We'll call our female employees next week and ask them to immediately inform the administration if they have the slightest suspicion about any driver or male colleague," said Pradeep Phadke, senior VP, GTL.

Male employees will also be asked to help. Some are also thinking of keeping security guards in the cab.

NEW DELHI: India's offshore IT and BPO industries are on track to achieve $60 billion in export revenue by 2010, according to the NASSCOM-McKinsey Report 2005.

NASSCOM-McKinsey report says India's offshore IT, BPO industry are on track for a significant growth, but it requires more graduates Export growth can further be accelerated through innovation and such extensive innovation could generate an additional $15-20 billion in revenues over the next five-ten years.

The offshore IT and BPO industries are expected to grow at a CAGR of 28 percent over the next five years, with IT growing at 25 percent CAGR and BPO at 37 percent.

The report states that India's offshore IT and BPO industries have tapped only 10 percent of the total addressable market for global offshoring, which is above $300 billion. Hence, a lot of potential for growth still exists.

The report also said that significant growth will come from emerging service lines and sectors.

Offshore IT and BPO industries can spur India's economic future and according to McKinsey & Company partner Noshir Kaka, it can contribute to seven percent of India's GDP by 2010.

He added, “The offshore IT and BPO industries can account for over 44 percent of export growth over the next five years and the growth in the industries is expected to create 2.3 million direct jobs and over 6.5 million indirect jobs by 2010.”

McKinsey & Company partner Jayant Sinha said, “India has 28 percent of the world's labor pool of knowledge workers. To achieve the goal of $60 billion revenue by 2010, an additional 5,00,000 suitable graduates beyond projected supply are needed in the next five years.”

To achieve this end, the report suggested the government to set up focused-education-zones to improve quality of higher education, pilot “industry-owned” and government facilitated integrated skill development and certification program for BPO and decentralize higher education in stages and shift to a largely demand-based funding system.

For India's offshore IT and BPO industries to grow at the projected rate, massive urban infrastructure build-outs are imperative. The report suggests that 10-12 integrated towns should be developed with associated urban infrastructure including international airports, roads and land development.

For the trade development, government should accelerate efforts to ensure free trade in services through Mode 4 negotiations at the WTO and through trade agreements with select countries.

The report also suggests four winning approaches that are likely to emerge for companies. The first is global champions, whose revenues are likely to exceed $10 billion and would offer multiple service lines and integrated solutions. These would focus on global 500 companies and would employ around 100,000 people.

The IT Specialist, with global revenues likely to exceed $2 billion and would focus on three-four industry specific application or horizontal application. Delivery centers may span in India and one or two other low-cost locations.

The third winning approach likely to emerge would be ADM (Applications Development & Maintenance) factory, which will probably employ over 50,000 developers in India and China and generate revenue in excess of $2-3 billion. This would be one of the top three global low-cost providers of ADM services through a 'lean' operating environment.

The fourth approach is that of a Specialist BPO. Three types of specialized BPO providers appear possible under this. These include platform-based service providers, process automation and process reengineering companies and vertical contractors.

According to the report, these four winning approaches will emerge over the next three to five years requiring companies to make deliberate choice about their business approach.

MUMBAI: The best-selling book that management guru C K Prahalad authored was about the 'Bottom of the Pyramid', but he himself is in a much more exalted position.

As far as leading global management thinkers go, CKP, as he is popularly known, is in the top league-and so are three other leading India-born, US-based management experts.

Apart from Prahalad, Vijay Govindarajan, Ram Charan and Rakesh Khurana have made it to the 'Thinkers 50' rankings released in London on Thursday by Suntop Media in association with the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD).

The Thinkers 50 ranking is a prestigious biannual online survey, based on the votes of 1,200 businesspersons, consultants, academics, MBA students and visitors to the project's website.

The candidates are judged on parameters such as originality of ideas, their practical application, rigour of research, the impact of their ideas, global outlook and loyalty of followers.

In this year's ranking, Prahalad is up nine places from no. 12 to no. 3, after strategy guru Michael Porter and Microsoft founder Bill Gates (no. 20 last year).

"Once regarded as the business equivalent of a James Bond villain, Gates' elevation to the number 2 slot suggests that he has successfully reinvented himself through a judicious combination of vacating the Microsoft hot seat and philanthropic giving," noted Des Dearlove and Stuart Crainer, the management writers who have been compiling the rankings since 2001.


They added, "Also benefiting from a generosity of spirit is another strategy guru, Professor C K Prahalad of the University of Michigan who challenges conventional thinking about the world's poor, rising an impressive nine places to number 3."

While the previous ranking in 2003 had only two Indians-Sumantra Ghoshal (no. 11) and Prahalad (no. 12)-this year's ranking has four.

Besides Prahalad, the other three have made it to the list for the first time (Ghoshal died in 2004). These include CEO coach and business advisor Ram Charan (no. 24), Tuck Business School professor Vijay Govindarajan (no. 30) and Harvard Business School professor Rakesh Khurana (no. 33), who Dearlove and Crainer describe as a "rising star".

While acknowledging the presence of so many Indians in the list, the duo said, "(The rankings) would also have included London Business School's Sumantra Ghoshal, who tragically died in 2004." They go on to add, "As yet, no Chinese guru has emerged."


Peter F Drucker, the father of modern management, who died a few weeks ago, had topped the bi-annual rankings since 2001. Despite the fact that Porter's "progress is no flash in the pan", Drucker's influence hasn't waned at all.

"Had we published the results just two weeks ago, the answer would have been different. Peter Drucker would almost certainly have topped the ranking for the third time in a row," said Dearlove and Crainer. As for Porter, "in the new economy meltdown, Porter on strategy is suddenly fashionable again".

There are only four women on the list. INSEAD's Renee Mauborgne (co-author of the bestseller 'Blue Ocean Strategy') is the highest placed at No 15, a position she shares with her colleague and co-author W Chan Kim.

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Former Manchester United and Northern Ireland soccer great George Best -- hailed as the world's first football superstar -- has died aged 59.

Best, who had been in hospital since the beginning of October, had an alcohol problem for much of his adult life and underwent a liver transplant in 2002 after years of heavy drinking.

He was put on a life support machine at London's Cromwell Hospital last week after he picked up a lung infection. He then suffered multiple organ failure.

"My father has passed away," Best's tearful son Calum told reporters on the hospital steps on Friday. "Not only have I lost my dad but we've all lost a wonderful man."

Best died at 1255 GMT, according to a hospital statement.

The former Northern Ireland international is regarded by many as the greatest player ever to come from the British Isles.

Beloved by millions of soccer fans, especially during the 1960s, Best played in 1968 for Manchester United when it won the European Cup, the first English club to achieve that goal. That same season, he was named European Footballer of the Year.

Best scored 180 goals in 465 appearances over 12 years for Manchester United. He also played in the North American Soccer League, scoring 54 goals in 139 games for the Los Angeles Aztecs, Fort Lauderdale Strikers and San Jose Earthquakes.

With his good looks, agility on the pitch and an engaging personality, he was adored by millions in the 1960s and held in great affection in subsequent decades despite his descent into alcoholism, allegations of violence and a tortured personal life.

He once quipped: "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, attending a summit in Malta, described Best as "probably the most naturally gifted footballer of his generation and one of the best footballers our country has produced."

A statement from Manchester United read: "George Best was one of the greatest footballers of all time.

"Naturally athletic, tough, confident and blessed with genius, his career was one of the brightest stars of its generation. His gifts were legendary.

"For the goals, the audacious dribbles and all the wonderful memories, Manchester United and its legions of fans worldwide will always be grateful. We feel a deep sense of loss but his spirit and his talent will live on forever."

The Irish Football Association led the mourning in Best's native Northern Ireland, for whom he made 37 appearances and scored nine goals.

IFA chief executive Howard Wells said: "This is a sad day for football. George was a complete one-off with a natural talent rarely seen since."

Most of Friday's British newspapers led with tributes to the player, who at the height of his fame in the 1960s, he was dubbed the "fifth Beatle."

The Delhi High Court Thursday decided to watch the film "Mangal Pandey - The Rising" to consider allegations by kin of the freedom fighter that he had been depicted in a unflattering manner in the movie.

Judge A.K. Sikri decided to watch the film following a request by counsel for the petitioners and the producer and director of the movie. It was decided that Sikri would watch the film Nov 27 at 4 p.m. at a theatre to be chosen Friday.

On a request by a reporter covering the court proceedings, Sikri also allowed the scribe to watch the movie along with the judge and counsel.

The court has been hearing a petition filed by descendents of the freedom fighter Mangal Pandey, accusing the producer and the director of the film of denigrating the historic role of Mangal Pandey in the First War of Independence in 1857.

Pandey is widely described as the man who had triggered a mutiny by Indian soldiers serving in the British army, but some historians have questioned such accounts.

“If Mr Gowda claims that the crow is white, I cannot help it,” says Murthy


BANGALORE: Infosys chairman and chief mentor, N R Narayana Murthy today denied the charges levelled against him by HD Deve Gowda that he was meddling with the state politics and his company was involved in real estate business.

"It is as good as somebody claiming that the Sun rises in the West. If Mr Gowda claims that the crow is white, I cannot help it," Murthy told reporters.

Meanwhile, Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor, Republic of Singapore, today visited the corporate headquarters of Infosys here.

Murthy welcomed Lee Kuan Yew to Infosys, where he spent three hours interacting with Infoscions and touring the campus.

Welcoming Lee Kuan Yew, Murthy said, "It is a privilege for us to welcome Mr. Lee Kuan Yew to Infosys. Singapore has clearly proved that the only raw materials required for economic progress are leadership, aspiration, imagination, meritocracy, openness to learn from others, focus on benchmarking on a global scale, hard work and discipline. He is a man I respect immensely since he has raised the aspirations of his people and made them courageous to dream the impossible, and work hard and smart to convert that dream into reality."

Srinagar, November 17: Advocating restoration of peace in Jammu and Kashmir, the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference on Thursday said resolution of Kashmir issue was not possible without an end to violence in the state.

“Kashmir issue has soaked a lot of blood and time has come to put an end to the violence, in whatever form or level, so that there would be no hurdles in the way of peaceful resolution of the issue,” a statement issued by the separatist amalgam headed by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said.

However, the statement said restoration of peace and end to violence was not possible till the Kashmir issue is resolved.

Reacting to Wednesday’s car bomb explosion outside the Corporate Headquarters of Jammu and Kashmir Bank that left four people dead and scores others injured, the Hurriyat said the amalgam was against attacks on innocent people.

I really didn’t like it in the beginning but later on I started to Enjoy the Various Characters in South Park. Eric most funniest among all.

South Park is a comedy animated series created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Distributed by and airing on Comedy Central since 1997, it follows the surreal adventures of four young
boys who live in the small town of South Park, Colorado. South Park satirizes many aspects
of American culture and current events, and challenges deep set convictions and taboos,
usually using parody and black humor.


The main characters from South Park from Left - Right.

• Stan Marsh,
• Kyle Broflovski,
• Eric Cartman, and
• Kenny McCormick.
  

There are Several Episoded over 100+, Since I have only the Fifth Season.Here are Few Episoded I like from the Fifth Season.

• Rainforest,
• Spontaneos Combustion,
• Cat Orgy,
• Korn`s groovy pirate ghost mystery,
• Starvin marvin in spacel and
• Jakosaurs.

Free Microsoft Training on SQL Server 2005 and Visual Studio 2005.

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Mr.Dinesh Baliga
New Horizons
N-101, North Block,Manipal
Centre,47 Dickenson Road,Bangalore
Ph: (080)25595380,9845619201

Date : 20th Nov

Susheela N
NIIT
No 28, Above Syndicate Bank, Opp to St.
Patrick's Church, Residency Road, Bangalore-25
Ph: 91-80-25594637

Date : 10th Dec

Smith
IIHT
IIHT Ltd, 15, 4th Floor,
Sri Lakshmi Complex,
St Marks Road, Bangalore
Ph: (080)51367700/7752

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Network Solutions, a Bangalore-based Rs 140 crore IT infrastructure firm founded by Sudhir Sharma, is being acquired by Big Blue. No financial details were disclosed. The acquisition will enable IBM to consolidate its position in the Indian domestic services market by strengthening its capabilities in the area of infrastructure services solutions in the mid-market business segment.

Said Sharma: "We will continue to operate as a separate entity and will continue to fully focus on the Indian market. The integration plan is being put in place and we should have a clear picture in due course."

Network Solutions topline of Rs 140 crore comprises of IT infrastructure hardware sales (55 per cent) and infrastructure management services (45 per cent).
According to industry analysts, IBM has acquired the firm as it is increasingly offshoring its global infrastructure management deals to India and Network Solutions has the required expertise to take care of a part of this.

The announcement of the deal comes just days after IBM chairman Sam Palmisano was on a visit to India.

"IT infrastructure forms the backbone of development and growth of any economic activity. The acquisition of Network Solutions will enable IBM to consolidate in domestic services and leverage its capabilities in building world-class infrastructure for our clients," said Shanker Annaswamy, managing director, IBM Global Services India.
Network Solutions has been a perennial competitor to Pradeep Kar-promoted Microland, another Bangalore-based firm which has seen many high-profile crests and troughs.
Established in 1993, NetSol focusses on implementation of convergence solutions for data, voice and video, security, wireless technology solutions, WAN & LAN implementations, infrastructure management, network design and implementation. Its focus has also been on structured cabling solutions, network management including remote management services and IP telephony services.

"Network Solutions is focussed on using continuous innovation to create value for our clients' business," added Sharma.

"As a combined entity with IBM, we will be able to achieve the mandate more effectively and be in a position to offer clients IBM's portfolio of offerings and expertise, in addition to our solutions, along with our industry and technology expertise."
Intel Capital had invested close to Rs 10 crore in the firm in 2000 which was bought back by NetSol later. In turn, Intel went on to acquire NetSol's consulting and software divisions.