A DELOITTE survey of 100 of the world’s largest financial-services companies indicates that these companies expect to transfer an estimated $356 billion of their operations and two million jobs offshore over the next five years to reduce costs, and the most likely beneficiary of this move is India.

Falling in line with such a trend is Prudential Process Management Services (India) Pvt Ltd (PPMS), the fully-owned subsidiary of Prudential plc, UK. The company opened a $10-million centre in the suburb of Powai in Mumbai last May and is poised to boost its employee strength in three months to 850 from 628. It has been necessitated by a number of projects that the company has taken up for the parent company. In a chat with eWorld, R.K. Rangan, Managing Director, PPMS, talks of the company’s present and future plans. Excerpts:

Rangan says Prudential’s decision to outsource its back-office operations was opposed by the unions. However, despite protests, the company has set up business process outsourcing (BPO) operations in Ireland, Scotland and London, besides the Mumbai facility.

The Indian subsidiary was set up in an effort to cut costs and adopt customer-friendly solutions, as the financial services business transformed itself from one based on personal interaction to the online mode. Says Rangan: “We do not call it outsourcing to India. The unions have been kept in the picture from the start. There is a struggle, but we have assured our staff that they will be helped with jobs.” He clarifies that not all the jobs have been lost, as staff are being redeployed wherever possible.

Besides, quite apart from the cost advantage, outsourcing was also necessitated by a real shortage of skilled workers in the UK and the US, he says. Prudential plc is just one of the global brands that is outsourcing operations. Other multinational corporations such as GE and American Express have also set up large service centres in the country. There are a number of reasons for the trend among MNCs to set up subsidiaries, the most important being the need to maintain confidentiality. A fully-owned subsidiary also allows for flexibility of operations. Further, companies setting up bases in the country train staff for their specific requirements.

The article No holy terror by Mythili Rajkumar (eWorld dated September 13, 2004) on the use of technology for crowd management at the Mahamaham in Kumbakonam was really good. It should be an eye-opener for many others. It is such a pity that several children perished in a school fire in the same city. Can technology help in averting such incidents? I wish S. George, the police officer in charge of the crowd control operation, and his team the very best in all their efforts to add a human touch to policing.

Kesavan K.,

Coimbatore.

I enjoyed reading the article, ‘No holy terror’. I intend discussing it with my students at the Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, where I teach Behavioural Finance and Business Valuation. I believe in the use of multidisciplinary thinking in solving complex human problems. It was interesting to read how the police officer, S. George, used simple ideas from physics, mathematics, psychology, and statistics to solve a complex human problem of crowd management.

IF technology can be used to provide efficient services and the delivery of health wants a little action. And the two governments and the private sector are pitching and health, in order to react more.

EWorld looks at the software developed by companies and how they try to do things better for health care providers.

Medinous Health Systems, a subsidiary of the company, we Info Systems, Medinous has developed a hospital management system can be used as well as small multi-specialty clinics and hospitals. The company works with more than 100 companies around the world, especially in the health, education and retail.

Mathew Abraham, Regional Sales Manager, Asia-Pacific, we Info Systems, said: “Medinous has been developed and refined over the years into a user point of view. Originally, we started to focus on hospitals in the Near East. with the health sector a priority in India today, we have begun to focus on the Indian market.

The Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, is one of the first hospitals in our system. ”

Medinous is available in three versions - Medinous Enterprise, Medinous Basic and Medinous Lite. They can be used on a large platform - small or large clinics multi-super-special clinics and related economic crime.

High-tech laboratory and radiology devices can also be integrated into the system.

Medinous company consists of 19 modules. He is the most suitable for medium and large multi-speciality hospitals. It is possible that the function of registration, financial accounting, accounting salaries, stationary and outpatient pharmacy management, radiology, nuclear medicine and other services.

The simple Medinous Basic consists of six modules designed for small and large hospitals, medical centres or clinics, while Medinous Lite is a stand-alone application suitable for small hospitals and medical centres.

Vijay Anand, Director, Administration, Vydehi Institute, said: “HMS Medinous was our first implementation of information technology. Therefore, we will begin the patients-billing module.

Since we have a large number of outpatient care, which were instrumental in helping to ensure that we have a complete picture of patients regarding the profile and history, payment details, dates and the number of visits. ”

On the road to tele-medicine

The poor are often of crucial importance that carry time-consuming and costly, but his visit to the city for improved treatment opportunities simply because they can not afford. The tele-medicine will help fight. It offers healing by specialists at a fraction of the cost and comfort of being familiar with the environment of confidence doctor speak the language of the country.

Polycom PVX software as developed by Polycom Inc, tele-medicine can help.

Polycom is a provider of unified communications Collaborative - converging voice, video, Web and data solutions for new broadband networks. Its functions of the tele-medicine network Apollo Foundation bring into force the SP and MP 384 (versions of the station interview), as well as video and Via FX.

“The software has no major economies in terms of cost and time or human resources since tele-medicine is not a fileur quality.

But it is a great way to reach the masses, and given the fact that 80% of the specialists are in cities, tele-medicine undeniable health needs, “says D. Lavanian, Business Manager - telemedicine, tele-medicine network Apollo Foundation.

“We try to the learning curve flatter possible and demonstrates that telemedicine as a tool for the doctor, as a stethoscope. It is also easy to use, doctors or rather friendly as possible. Some doctors now want to setup, service tele-medicine Casero.

We are working to reduce costs, “says Yugal Sharma, Country Manager, Polycom, India.

The tele-medicine equipment could vary, he said. It could be a small office with a large screen.

There are several packages that Polycom offers, and banks offer loans, the doctors want these agencies. The cost of the plant is again in a very short time.

Apollo is very center of the first tele-medicine was Polycom software, which is now installed in more than 60 centres.

Escort, Hryudayalaya Narayana is another hospital with Polycom’s VC-solutions.

In 2003, Apollo 6000 patients treated with Polycom’s solution and VC-Lavanian believes, in time to increase that number.