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GNFC: Ready to Serve Telecom

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VoicenData Bureau
New Update

Bharuch-based Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizer Corporation Ltd (GNFC) is

embarking on an aggressive plan to consolidate its position in the

communications market place. A chemical and fertilizer company, GNFC initially

got into communications in 1986 with PCBs and digital switching systems. A

public sector giant, it has historically been slow in its plan implementations.

However, with the going getting tough, AL Vidyasagar, executive, GNFC, has

chalked out an ambitious plan for the company.

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The IT and communication services division will now focus primarily on four

areas–network integration, VSAT, bandwidth, and ISP. In network integration,

GNFC has a tie-up with Enterasys for LAN, WAN, VPN and ATM requirements. On the

VSAT front, which GNFC claims to be its forte, the company has a tie-up with TIW

Systems and NSI Com. A hub station in extended C-band has been set up in Bharuch

for handling large voice, data, video conferencing, and Internet traffic.

Vidyasagar says, "All equipment is provided with 100 percent redundancy for

high reliability." GNFC offers a range of solutions for voice, data, video,

fax, internet, video-conferencing, broadcasting, rural telephony, and VoIP

connectivity applications.

"We are aggressively quoting across the country for VSAT projects",

Vidyasagar points out. The company has already got installations at various

Gujarat government offices including Gujarat State Road Transport Corp, RTO,

ISRO, and Sales Tax offices. Recently, it set up a mobile fiber optic WAN along

with a VSAT network for the National Disaster Management team for connecting 225

talukas in 25 districts.

Not many people know of it, but GNFC also offers ISP services including

Internet-over-cable in select cities of Gujarat. Interestingly, the company is

also getting into software services in the areas of PKI, E-commerce, and GIS. It

also offers bandwidth services, where it has tied-up with Teleglobe. Vidyasagar

claims that it has already booked for an 8-MB capacity. And GNFC is looking at

doing business worth Rs 25 crore in this fiscal. Obviously this does not include

PCB, which is a major chunk under IT.

While the team is all set, the company will need to reduce its

over-dependence on the government and PSUs for business. To be a truly

competitive player, GNFC will have to go after private enterprises too, and

learn to serve their requirements. It is in this light that it will have to

remember the hard lesson that it learnt when it had to finally shut down its

EPABXs business.

Ibrahim Ahmad

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