VSNL-Microsoft to launch biz msging and collaboration services

New Delhi, Mar 13 (UNI) Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) and Microsoft will jointly launch ReadyAccess Business Messaging and Collaboration Services, as part of the first joint market development initiative for Microsoft India.

Targeted towards the rapidly growing small and medium enterprise (SME) market in India, this service provides secure, enterprise grade messaging capabilities with quick and easy deployment on a pay per use basis, without the need for high up-front capital investments.

The company's Vice-President (Managed Services) Abid Qadiri comments, ''Messaging is the most critical and widely used business application across all customer segments today. VSNL is pleased to be the first global provider to associate with Microsoft to bring this essential service to the emerging SME market in India.'' The service also eliminates ongoing operational, management and administration costs, and safeguards against technology changes and obsolescence.

Customers can securely exchange conventional email and files, as well as share calendars and task lists with this service, and make use of Windows Mobile Access.

Enterprises are facing the increasing challenges of maintaining consistent service levels, reducing costs of ownership, managing stringent compliance requirements and the pressures of consolidation and optimisation of their infrastructure as well as their resources, Mr Qadiri said.

ReadyAccess offers message security and hygiene with an enterprise grade Anti-Spam and Anti-Virus solution, as well as on demand storage services.

The service will provide SMEs in India with a service platform, which will be the foundation for integrated applications such as Share Point, expanded mobility with Hosted Blackberry Enterprise services and Instant Messaging in a phased rollout.

The service will be offered by the Tata Indicom Enterprise Business Unit (TIEBU) sales force, the enterprise business division of the company, which already serves more than 5,000 large and mid-market enterprise customers in the country, offering a comprehensive range of products arid services including IPLC, NPLC, MPLS-VPN, Managed Voice Services, Data Center and hosting services.

It will also be offered globally through VSNL international, the overseas arm of the company as well as by its more than 170 channel partners across all regions and vertical industries of the country.

VSNL will serve SMEs pan-India, pan-Asia, in Europe, West Asia, Africa and the US.

UNI