The Hindu Business Line : TCS bags IT, engg services deal from Ferrari

TCS today announced that it has bagged a "multi-million dollar" deal from Ferrari for providing IT and engineering services for development of Formula 1 racing car for the next racing season beginning March 2005.

"The deal makes TCS the first Indian company to enter the F1 stadium alongside the most famous occupant of this global arena. It is a multi-year multi-million dollar contract, but we cannot reveal the exact size of the deal. TCS will be involved in design elements of the engine, which powers Ferrari. We will also provide a number of IT services," said Mr N. Chandrasekharan, Executive Vice-President, at a news conference.

In addition, TCS solutions will also be part of the racing car's popular cousin, the Ferrari sports car.

"We have identified a core team of over 20 people who will work on the project. We cannot divulge specific numbers as the project will be growing," he added.

The F1 car is among the most complex and advanced car platforms in the market, packing research in aerodynamics, engine technology, brakes, tyres and modelling, to name just a few.

A Formula 1 entry, as part of Ferrari's technology team, is a feather in the cap for TCS.

It shows that the Indian industry leader is now part of an elite group that is driving the future of technology worldwide. Collection and processing of millions of data elements with speed and accuracy is daily business at Scuderia Ferrari, the Maranello, Italy-based home of the car manufacturer.

In a written statement, Mr Antonio Calabrese, Chief Information Officer, Ferrari, said: "We have great expectations from our relationship with TCS, and we look forward to working with them in the years ahead."

Terming the current market sentiments as "positive", TCS said that there was good deal flow in the pipeline from US, Europe and other markets.

He also said that the sentiments were positive both for the overall IT market, as well as specific verticals that the company addressed, including financial services, telecom, utility segments, and also healthcare and life sciences.

Our Mumbai Bureau adds: TCS would not disclose the size of the three-year contract, but Mr S. Ramadorai, CEO and Managing Direcor, told newspersons: "This is no ordinary achievement. A multiyear contract is a very sizeable contract. Any contract which is for more than one year is a strategic one."

TCS's experience in real-time information services and end-to-end engineering and IT services stood it in good stead in getting the deal, said company officials.

This is the first time that Ferrari is awarding a contract to a global Indian systems integration company, said Mr Ramadorai.