"We are exploring 3G for connectivity at our retail outlets"

3G is finally here. Which are some 3G solutions that will help retail outlets like Shopper's Stop?

3G has been around for sometime in other markets, and its adoption has been driven by consumers, not corporates. With higher speeds, content and applications fulfilling an existing need or creating a new aspiration will drive adoption. We are exploring 3G as an alternative connectivity solution at our retail outlets to replace the current ISDN. Other solutions under evaluation include, use of 3G for mobility, connecting with our customers and finally the mobile social networks.

Which are the main IT challenges you faced in the past year, and how are you looking to change that?

Coming out of a slowdown had its advantages and disadvantages. During difficult times, the expectation was to reduce expenses, in some cases to unreasonable levels. These were achieved and everyone acknowledged that. That became the benchmark in the year gone by to sustain operational expenses at those levels, which is fraught with danger when business is experiencing growth. The discussions around such initiatives were difficult, but collectively IT and business understood the implications and moved ahead with enhanced budgets; though not to the level as before.

The benefits of tightened spending are sustainable. Last year, the other challenge was largely to hire new talent and retain the team. Even vendors were struggling to deliver on promises with the upsurge in business, which led to some delays in execution of projects. Scale up requires induction of fresh talent, and when everyone is in the same phase, the staff has the benefit of choice. In the coming year we have factored in some of these tenets, while our partners are also better geared to address the challenge. The focus in on stable and profitable growth, while keeping the cost of technology at a manageable level.

Which one emerging technology you think will be the turning point for enterprise CIOs?

I believe as CIOs adopt new mobile solutions with the advent of high speed connectivity and new devices, the enterprise will change the way it takes decisions. Leveraging the mobile in the hands of the employee as well as the consumer is key towards differentiation. As the number of smartphones increases, it opens up possibilities for the enterprise as well as for the consumer.

What is your current IT spend, and do you have any plans to increase that budget post recession?

Our budget was back to normal in 2010-2011, and in the year 2011-12 we will continue to aggressively control operating costs and invest in new technologies and solutions. Our operating expense has been reducing as a percentage of revenue and now stands at less than 0.5%, whereas the capital investments in new projects and capabilities continues to stay stable with investments driven by business along with the IT team.

What are some of your latest IT infrastructure upgradations and how has this helped your company?

We made use of the availability of hardware at good bargains last year to create new capacity for computing as well as storage. With high growth planned this year, we are able to provide the resources to manage the increased volumes effectively. We have also been working on reducing the daily unavailability created by backups and building resilience in the recovery process.

What are some of the key green initiatives that you have pledged to invest in this fiscal?

Investments will continue in our initiatives to help our customers and associates. Our focus on collaboration across channels and stakeholders will drive some of the key initiatives this year and beyond. These will encompass multiple vendors and technologies.

Some key telecom initiatives that have been useful to you, from an enterprise point of view?

We are completely connected across locations on MPLS networks. 3G has been factored into the solution architecture to take advantage of this new technology. As BWA becomes a reality we will explore how it can fit into our overall networking strategy.

Any suggestions to upcoming enterprises for their IT/telecom needs?

Explore and experiment before finalizing. If you do not take these risks, over a period of time, you will find loss of agility and inability to control costs. Be prepared for some initiatives not to work, these help you understand what does not work within your environment or enterprise. At the same time, keep a watch on what is happening across industries and how you can leverage that learning for your own industry and company. The wait and watch strategy is not always effective.

What are some of the changes in IT and telecom that you would like to see for enterprises implemented by the government?

More and effective citizen solutions that eliminate the bureaucracy and corrupt officials from the process. E-enabled processes are good for the country. Similar to the enterprise where every process can potentially benefit from automation on speed, accuracy and transparency, the same applies to the government too.

Security is a major area of concern in today's age. What security solutions have you implemented for your enterprise?

We use multi-factor authentication as well as multiple layers of solutions to protect the information assets of the company.

Do you believe that wireless will take over wireline for enterprises, especially with new technologies? What cabling solutions would you switch to, in order to keep up with the latest trend?

Wireless is already taking over wireless; the cabling needs vary depending on the location and requirements.

Do you believe that BWA will help in catering to the connectivity needs of your enterprise?

We would be happy to explore BWA once available for pilot or commercially. There are possibilities to explore as technology evolution continues.

Beryl M
berylm@cybermedia.co.in