U.S.-Based IT Services Firm Ciber Expands in Bangalore, Chennai

Submitted by jcherian on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 16:00

U.S.-based IT firm, Ciber is giving the go ahead to double its headcount in India. The $1.2 billion IT services firm has made the decision in order to meet higher demand from clients and to leverage the many offshore benefits stemming from the location.

Toward the end of next year, Ciber, which has offices in Chennai and Bangalore and a headcount of 650 staff, is planning to double that figure. The company's executive Vice President, Tony Hadazi, said in a statement that Ciber sees India as a strategic location that helps us with meeting the requirements of the clients more rapidly. This is unlike the growing sentiment where many firms see India as a scale, reports The Economic Times of India Times.

Ciber has a global presence of 8,500 employees and more than 60 centers within the U.S. So, they are close to their customer base. This robust onsite presence combined with India's offices offers the solution of providing clients with support 24/7.

Hadazi added that Ciber is customer-centric in that they are deploying personnel in India.

The service sites in India have been instrumental in concentrating on Ciber's European segment along its U.S. market. In fact, some of Ciber's U.S. clients are serviced completely by its offices in Bangalore.

Reports say that Ciber's customers have been making a push toward outsourcing to India, as they are realizing the advantages of offshoring to India - most clients served by Ciber are in the mid-market fragment.

One official at Ciber said that though most clients have not moved toward offshoring, they are getting more comfortable with the idea as they try it out. Moreover, the number of clients interested in offshoring is on the rise.

Hadazi noted that Ciber has a division working in the Indian market and the team has already grabbed independent clients in India.

Additionally, the firm is making ties in the domestic Indian market, leveraging global relationships with firms like Philips and Ford Motor by establishing centers for these firms in India.