Software firms chase specialists to deliver niche products

A diverse range of specialists and people with qualification in basic science are in demand among software companies as they deliver niche and specialised products and solutions.

Medical doctors in software companies work in projects in healthcare sector, including telemedicine, a big revenue earner for many software companies. But with increasing specialisation anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, geologists and geneticists are in demand.

Geologists work in areas like Global Positioning Systems and solutions for petroleum sector. Sociologists are involved in social behaviour to help companies develop software around social media design better work place. Ophthalmologists help in developing imaging solutions and eye management software.

Cognizant Technology Solutions helped a hospital chain digitally transform its Intensive Care Unit and post-surgical care process by leveraging medical professionals. This involved mobile solutions, connected hospital devices and real-time analytics on cloud, according to its Global Delivery Head, Digital Business, Muthu Kumaran. Anthropologists helped in car design and to create a vision for telecom business based on millennial consumers demand, he said. According to Alka Dhingra, General Manager, IT, TeamLease Services, a recruitment company, there is a growth in demand for medical doctors, geologists and geneticists as there is a shift towards specialised products. They are acquiring talent who can help them in R&D of ‘cutting’ edge products and even giving candidates part time to short term contract work options.

There has been a 10-15 per cent growth in demand of medical professionals by companies, she said without giving any number.

BN Thammaiah, Managing Director, Kelly Services India, a recruitment company, said a trend seen in markets like US by product companies and management consulting firms is now visible in India too. “From virtually nothing, we are seeing a demand for specialists in traditional services companies. Companies in clinical research and life sciences space set up their IT global delivery centres in India and this calls for specialised hiring,” he said.

Indian IT services companies traditionally have focussed on telecom, financial services and utilities. Owing to increasing IT spend they have recently started focussing on life sciences, healthcare, clinical research and regulatory domains, he said.

IT services companies are also offering business consulting and data analytics services to enable new business models, operations, foster technology innovation and improve patient care delivery. They need these medical specialists to understand diagnosis and delivery of patient services, he said.

Chennai-based Take Solutions has specialists cardiologists and oncologists, and around 40 doctors in several disciplines. It has over 400 domain experts, including bio-statisticians and bio chemists, whose expertise are used in clinical studies, regulatory submissions and pharmacovigilance, according to the Vice-Chairman and Managing Director HR Srinivasan.

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