NetAcross invests half a million dollars in KMT

agencyfaqs! News Bureau

NEW DELHI, November 11

Manish Modi-promoted Internet business solution provider NetAcross has invested about half a million dollars in the implementation of a comprehensive web-based Professional Services Automation (PSA) and Knowledge Management tool. This new marketing strategy is in tune with the manner in which Infotech companies are developing expertise in knowledge management tools (KMT) which may emerge as their new revenue stream.

The scope of knowledge management is to enable reuse of existing knowledge resources, expertise, documents, FAQs, case studies, as well as for the enhancement of the quality and efficiency of employees.

This Knowledge Management initiative is based on a tool acquired from Novient, a US-based company that is recognised as one of the leading players in PSA segment.

The company is hoping that the tool will help it attract more clients. Manish Modi, chief entrepreneur, NetAcross, says, "This will help us consolidate our position as a leading global eBusiness company."

Alok Tayal, chief knowledge officer, NetAcross, who has also been responsible for this initiative, unveiled the company's plans. "With ongoing projects at over 35 locations in seven countries worldwide we needed the tool. Additionally, an onshore implementation and offshore development model makes it a challenge to keep clients updated on an ongoing basis. Therefore we decided to go in for this web-based Professional Services Automation and Knowledge Management tool".

NetAcross has been feeling the pinch of low sentiments in the US for some time now. However, it is upbeat about the new KMT which will give visibility to its global resource pool, and help locate and book resources with the right skill sets for a project.

The company is aiming to increase its operational efficiency, improve project management capabilities and create a common knowledge pool through the use of the PSA. Another idea is to increase the transparency in the delivery of service to NetAcross clients.

Incorporated in September 1996, NetAcross has offices in New York, London, San Francisco, and Dubai with research and development centers in Delhi and Mumbai. The merger of NetAcross Ltd with Online Solutions in April this year, created the country's largest eBusiness consulting firm in India, christened NetAcross Online Solutions. The combined company, had revenues of approximately Rs13 crore last fiscal.

NetAcross Online Solutions provides a host of services including strategy consulting, creative design, technology implementation, online marketing and solutions management to its dotcom, start-up, and enterprise clients. In the past six months, the company has acquired more than 30 new clients worldwide including FastParts, Chaitime, iSyndicate, Silera, Softbank, ECS, and Samsung. In addition to Web design and integration, NetAcross has successfully concluded several web strategy assignments, including that for US-based FastParts, where NetAcross was involved in strategising, designing and developing an on-line market for electronic parts, leading the way for their eBusiness foray.

With the incorporation of the latest technology, NetAcross officials claim that their clients will be totally aware of the exact status of their ongoing projects from any location at any point of time. The tool will also appraise NetAcross employees on the status of global resource availability and access to internal as well as external knowledge pools, enabling them to substantially cut down on time needed to start projects.

NetAcross also plans to get into strategic alliances with companies such as US-based research agency Forrester, Web-based HR consultancy Netpilgrim and the application service provider Exodus, the aim is to empower clients to monitor project status in any part of the world, and also allow collaboration and communication among project teams.

The entire communication channel will, however, be Web-based. Other companies such as Aptech are also working on knowledge management tools. Aptech is focusing on the areas of insurance, banking and finance.

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