TCS opens new lab in Chennai

Chennai: Tata Consultancy Services inaugurated its innovation laboratory for the travel and hospitality sector. The company has invested between US$ 500,000-one million on the lab, which will have a headcount of 1,000 employees for travel and hospitality of which research and development would constitute a strength of 10 to 15 percent. An employee strength of 1,500 is expected for retail, according to Ravi Viswanathan, vice president Chennai operations.

Talking to media persons, Viswanathan said the lab would provide proactive business solutions for clients including airlines, hotels, resorts, and travel companies. The TCS innovation and creativity with a team of domain experts, business process analysts, technology specialists, and an R&D team.

Using wireless and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, the innovation lab is expected to transfer e-ticketing on mobile devices, help with check-ins, in-flight entertainment, e-passports and crew documentation. This will enable airlines to achieve high productivity and significant cost savings from technology investments.

Earlier, talking on the phone from Mumbai, N Chandrasekaran, executive vice president and global head, sales and operations, said it took the company 18 months to conceptualise the laboratory.

“British Airways is spending 240 million pounds on IT per annum and its investment in technology has increased from 60 million pounds in 2001-02 to 90 million pounds per annum at present,” pointed out Paul Coby, CIO, British Airways who inaugurated the lab.

He said the carrier was standardizing technology, leading to savings. Currently BA has achieved 94 percent e-ticketing globally while other airlines have reported 87 percent in pursuance of the International Air Transport Corporation’s guidelines of achieving 100 percent e-ticketing by 2007 end, said Coby. He felt TCS’s new lab would provide appropriate solutions to business problems of air carriers.

TCS opens new lab in Chennai