New Delhi-based NIIT Technologies has announced that it is scaling up its information-technology alliance with global cement-maker Holcim Group, The Nation reports.

Holcim has decided to consolidate its data-centre operations for the entire Asia-Pacific region with NIIT Technologies.

Until recently NIIT Technologies was operating a dedicated data centre for Holcim’s ’business critical’ IT applications in Thailand.

As part of this engagement, NIIT Technologies will use its data-centre and disaster-recovery centre in Bangkok to help Holcim Group companies in the Asia-Pacific region access SAP applications and services around the clock.

Announcing the change in Bangkok last week, NIIT chief executive Arvind Thakur said that Thailand had emerged as a preferred destination for ’managed services’ due to its inherent strengths of excellent IT and telecom infrastructure coupled with adequate availability of skilled manpower.

Moreover the presence of regional Asia-Pacific head offices of various multinationals offers ’tremendous’ potential for technical offerings from NIIT Technologies.

NIIT Technologies’ relationship with Holcim dates back to the year 2000, when it was selected to design and set up a data centre for SAP services for Siam City Cement, Holcim’s Thailand company.

Holcim Services (Asia) chief executive Felix Hoechner said that as part of its strategic direction to remain focused on core competencies, Holcim was seeking a trustworthy partner for its SAP data-centre operations. Holcim chose to expand its existing relationship with NIIT Technologies because of its performance record and its flexibility. "As Holcim will further grow, we together with NIIT Technologies have an excellent platform to move fast, very fast," he said.

In the new scenario, NIIT Technologies will be providing complete end-to-end SAP services to enable Holcim to maintain focussed on running of its core businesses for all of Holcim’s Asia-Pacific operations.

NIIT Technologies’ data centres in Bangkok will have state-of-the-art physical support systems and infrastructure to support "24X7 business critical applications, and Holcim’s SAP services," Hoechner said.

"The data centre infrastructure capability is close to one of the best in the industry, at ’Tier IV’."

NIIT Technologies services customers in the United States, Europe, Japan and India. It offers services in application development and maintenance, enterprise integration and business process management to organisations in the financial services, transportation, manufacturing, government and retail sectors.

Published under Cement News