Bangalore, January 21, 2008:
Saudi Arabian Airlines announced today that it has awarded a long term next generation IT infrastructure transformation contract to Wipro Arabia Ltd. Wipro Arabia, a joint venture between Wipro Ltd. and Dar Al Riyadh Group, provides IT Solutions & Services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The 5 years agreement, which is valued at over $100 Million, was signed in a gala ceremony today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
As a part of its privatization program, Saudi Arabian Airlines has undertaken an extensive business transformation exercise, which will create an organization designed around innovation, agility and customer centricity. An IT Master Plan aimed at overhauling central IT was developed for supporting this transformation. By leveraging cutting edge Information Technology, Saudi Arabian Airlines will effectively transform into a world-class service provider to maintain its position as the leading airline in the region.
To enable Saudi Arabian Airlines realize its vision, Wipro Arabia will deliver a futuristic, scalable & efficient managed infrastructure platform based on industry standards and best of breed technology choices. This will become the bedrock for driving all operations and business transformation at Saudi Arabian Airlines. The scope for Wipro Arabia includes data centre consolidation & management, integration and management of a highly secure converged network and comprehensive enterprise wide Managed Infrastructure & Security Services.
Speaking on the occasion, HE Khalid Almolhem, Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines said "Building a customer centric organization culture and systems is a key priority area for us. This is what will differentiate Saudi Airlines from its competitors and ensure market leadership for us. It is highly reassuring to have Wipro as our partner in this transformational journey. We will extensively leverage Wipro's innovations in technology lifecycle management and service delivery to create an agile and empowered organization"
Suresh Vaswani, President - Wipro Infotech & Global IT Practices said "We are delighted to be partnering Saudi Airlines at the cusp of their transformation. Wipro will combine its service delivery excellence & deep technology expertise to deliver a seamless experience for the customers of Saudi Airlines. We value the partnership with Saudi Airlines and are committed to making this initiative a success"
Mowafaq Jelaidan, VP - Information Technology, Saudi Arabian Airlines said "We required a strong technology partner to architect an effective and efficient managed IT infrastructure, enabling enterprise wide customer-centric services. We selected Wipro because of their strong service delivery processes & frameworks, breadth of technology talent, immense credibility with technology principals and customers, and industry leadership in Managed Infrastructure Services."
About Wipro Infotech
Wipro Infotech, a division of the US$ 3.47 billion Wipro Limited, provides enterprise customers with high value Information Technology Products, Services, Solutions and Consulting Services in India, and provides Technology & Software Services and Consulting Services in the Middle East and ASEAN. It is the world's first Products, Services and Solutions Company to be certified, Enterprise wide at Level 5, Version 2.0 of PCMM. Headquartered at Bangalore, Wipro Infotech serves customers in India through a network of 22 offices and 170 service locations across the country. It has business offices in the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Wipro Infotech is ranked No. 2 in Indian Domestic IT Services Market in 2005, according to IDC's report Indian IT Services Market Analysis 2005-10.
About Wipro Limited
Wipro provides comprehensive IT solutions and services, including systems integration, information systems outsourcing, IT enabled services, package implementation, software application development and maintenance, and research and development services to corporations globally. Wipro Limited is the first PCMM Level 5 and SEI CMM Level 5 certified IT Services Company globally. In the Indian market, Wipro is a leader in providing IT solutions and services for the corporate segment in India offering system integration, network integration, software solutions and IT services. In the Asia Pacific and Middle East markets, Wipro provides IT solutions and services for global corporations. Wipro also has profitable presence in niche market segments of consumer products and lighting. Wipro's ADSs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and its equity shares are listed in India on the Stock Exchange - Mumbai, and the National Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit our websites at
www.wipro.com,
www.wiprocorporate.com , and
www.wipro.in
Wipro's forward looking and cautionary statements
Forward-looking and cautionary statements Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects and our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions are forward looking statements, which involve a number of risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding our ability to integrate and manageacquired IT professionals, our ability to integrate acquired assets in a cost effective and timely manner, fluctuations in earnings, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Wipro has made strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Wipro may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. Wipro does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company.