Nortel sets up new R and D Centre in Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 22: Leveraging on the strengths of the talent pool and its latest acquisition of Tasman Networks, telecom giant Nortel today announced the setting up of its new Research and Development Centre here.

The centre, aimed at ending the year with 100 highly skilled engineers, including 70 from Tasman Networks, would build on Nortel's existing capabilities in advanced routers, ethernet switching, security and VoIP, Nortel India Managing Director Ravi Chauhan told newspersons here.

The centre was the company's 13th in R and D across the world and second in Asia after Beijing.

Nortel had for the last 15 years outsourced its R and D activities in India, 80 per cent of which was in software. It had developed strong working relationships with software majors Infosys, Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services, besides Sasken Technologies in which it had invested US Dollars ten million to support its focus on Nortel's GSM digital wireless and enterprise communications solutions.

Mr Chauhan said India had long been a technology hub for Nortel, providing a major opportunity for local technology and innovation to be deployed in the global market. The new R and D facility would complement the company's current enterprise infrastructure portfolio by incorporating feedback from customers, he added.

UNI