Most multinationals (MNCs) in India are logging on to managed data services (MDS) in search of a convenient and cost-effective means of connecting their computers worldwide for data transfers.
Whirlpool, for one, opted for British Telecom’s Concert services when sharing
critical reports and month-end updates with its offices worldwide
became a constant headache.
“Now 650 employees spread across 25 offices in India are at ease communicating with our Benton Harbor-based headquarters, as well as their counterparts across the
world,” counters Atul Singhal, general manager (IT), Whirlpool (I).
Many more are climbing onto the bandwagon–Essar Steel, Reliance and
Mahindra and Mahindra, to name a few. And they have plenty of choice.
Almost all the international bigwigs offering these services are in India–British Telecom, IBM Global Services, Telemedia International,
Equant and Global One.
Subscribing to a managed data service means
offloading the routine task of building, running, managing and
upgrading the data communications network between various locations of
an organization to a telecom service provider.
The best part, of course, is that they do not have the headache of
running and maintaining the network and can concentrate on their core
business.
Maintenance is also prompt. Almost all operators have a
24-hour help desk service for technical assistance and customer
services.
So, how does one go about choosing the right MDS? For most MNCs, it has
been an extension of their global communications network.
According to Singhal, “BT Concert services is in use by Whirlpool
across the globe so it was a natural choice in India as well.”