We are now buried in the deep of winter in the US, but our teams are running so hard that we are all overheated. I have received similar reports from Singapore and India. In other words, we are all in the midst of some pretty spectacular growth right now. This is the time when leaders emerge, when companies advance to whole new levels, and when loyalty is ingrained deep in our hearts. Over the next few weeks we will continue to increase our tours of duty programs to offer the top India-based performers that wish to work internationally the chance to realize their dreams. More importantly, our career models will ensure that those professionals who decide to remain in India will experience the same growth that comes from traveling abroad. The world is your oyster, take the time to plan your careers and let ebw help you get there. Also, tell your friends. We are actively seeking additional help to make our team the best in the world. With ebw as a partner, you get exposure to top tier clients, exciting technical challenges and full-lifecycle development opportunities.

The innovation seeds that were planted in December are budding into concrete plans to improve our offerings. I can't wait to see them in full bloom! Please keep the momentum growing. We believe that the enhancement of our internal processes and intellectual property will enable ebusinessware to increase our business prospects in the fast-growing "entrepreneur segment". Recent wins like Strategy Engines, Silver Management, ePromos and Wealth Management are signs that opportunities abound.

In the banking sector, we have recorded substantial wins at two large global banks. With your efforts, we can grow these relationships into multi-year partnerships that offer our teams the ability to advance in skills and professional qualifications.

Finally, we would like to announce that ebw will be sponsoring all candidates that wish to sit for the Chartered Financial Analyst Program. Should you wish to begin the 3 year program, ebw will pay for your registration fees. In addition, we will pay for the books if you pass the examinations. Additional details are available from the HR department. From personal experience, I found the CFA program to be rewarding and challenging.

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My theme for the last few news letters has been "/Growth/". Mantra for this period is no different. As I look back few years ago, we had set up a target for ourselves to take our India Center of Excellence to "/real excellence/" using dozens of criterion. That vision was named [UniRAD]Vision. At that time, meeting those targets looked like distant dream. All of our people got together with full faith in UniRAD and laid the road map as the first step. So many of you followed that road map with clear and unnerved focus. Today, we have achieved more than what we had targeted for. It is the ebusinessware world class teams in all locations who made it happen working with each other.

Learning from this experience, I invite all of you to setup ambitious goals for yourself and your projects, call it your vision. Do not let any external or internal force dissuade you from achieving your goals, do not let any distraction lead to any compromise in quality or quantity of work. Above all, help others in meeting their goals as that is what ebusinessware is all about. ebusinessware doctrine is and has always been to work as team, help each other in their times of need, hold the company image to the highest esteem be it in front of clients or new joinees or your social circle, follow the carefully laid out process discipline and there will be no regrets, ever.

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ebusinessware wrapped up its last quarter of 2004 with several new project initiatives, in partnership with our existing and new client groups. These new projects are based on our perfectly blended offshore and onshore delivery model. Our project teams are located at our client sites in US and at our Center of Excellence (CoE) in India.

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Once again, our Global HR department rose to the occasion to cater to the resultant resource requirements and ensured the smooth kick-offs of these new projects. Several multi-skilled teams, with skill sets spanning the technologies – Java, J2EE, JSP, Struts, Servlets, Oracle, .Net, C++, VB etc., were formed and made functional within the given time bound deadlines of our esteemed clients.

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Pitching for projects in the present competitive environment and winning them is no easy task. However, our Client Relationship Teams, with their perfect understanding of the industry walks an extra mile and ensure that long-term strategic alliances are forged.

Even before the competition for winning projects begins, it is the image building of the company that takes the front stage. And it is here that our sales team makes a world of difference. Our sales team’s success in propelling ebusinessware’s image amongst the leaders in the global financial industry, for more than half a decade, speaks for itself.

Even as each ebusinessware team member renews commitment to each new project launched this quarter, the Global HR Team takes the lead in pausing for a moment to applaud the commendable efforts of the Global Sales Team.

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To thrive in the global arena, ebusinessware is at par with global operating and delivery standards. With operations distributed in four different time zones of the globe - US, UK, India and Singapore, it is imperative for ebusinessware to follow the most stringent standards of 24 * 7 * 365 working. ebusinessware boasts of most advanced and state-of-the-art intra-networking standards – VPNs, VoIP, Firewalls, Intelligent Building Management Systems. The company’s infrastructure is robust and instantly scalable to be in sync with the growing needs of our clients and global operating standards.

During the last quarter of 2004, ebusinessware has upwardly scaled its operating and delivery infrastructure to accommodate latest projects and resource requirements within the stipulated time.
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5). Do you prefer working alone or in groups?

I prefer to work as a team member, to work with others, share ideas, and to help each other in need. I have the flexibility to adapt to any role within a team environment. I am always willing to ask for help and at the same time willing to assist others.

6). Some people have the ability to “step into another’s shoes”. When has this skill been required of you?

I have been in this situation multiple times. I have been at the client site and have to attend meetings with the client where I have to take decisions “on the spot”, before consulting with my superiors.
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We Welcome Aboard...

A day out at Kusu Island

We at EBW Singapore have been gradually shaping up our team into a family. There had been a few dinners and movies together and yet we felt we needed more than an evening out to thaw out completely – we needed a day out. So we decided to take advantage of the beautiful February weather and spend a day ‘stranded’ on a beautiful tropical Island with sun and sand and breeze. The Kusu Island we picked on had a logistics issue – it has none of Singapore’s trademark Kopitiams and Foodcourts. No problems as everyone chipped in with beer, biryani, puris and prathas.

Singapore has so many wonderful places to visit. For a quiet getaway, none comes close to Kusu Island. Legend has it that Kusu Island came into being when a magical giant turtle turned itself into an island to save two shipwrecked sailors - Malay and a Chinese. The grateful sailors returned to the island to give thanks and others continued the tradition. There are three Malay shrines or "keramats" and a Chinese temple on Kusu Island. Nearby, the Tortoise Sanctuary houses hundreds of tortoises.

The team started off from Sentosa Island @ 11AM. The ferry took nearly 40 min to reach the island. Kids were so excited to travel in the ferry n’ the grown ups were enjoying sceneries which surrounds Singapore.‘Sone pe suhaga’, the weather in the Island was very welcoming. We went on a walk and chilled out in the dazzling wind, played football, visited temples and the tortoise sanctuary. Then the interesting game UNO started, most of us were playing UNO for the first time and found it to be very exciting. The ‘pathi vartha patnis’ were all favoring their husbands in the game. It was fun.

It was then the lunchtime. The ladies had overdone themselves with the food – it was simply delectable and besides we were famished after our exertions. After enjoying the lunch the team went out to the beach.

It was grand time for the kids and the couples played ‘How much do you know your partner?’. Thanks to the couples the game generated a lot of melodrama and even some hysteria with some wives threatening the husbands with dire consequences for not knowing their favorite dress/color or best friend. Full marks to organizers Vasant and Anita. The couple of the day was Injoo and Gurpal.

It was time to catch the return ferry. We returned from our tropical paradise a trifle wistful about what we had left behind. Yet our lives had been enriched with some beautiful memories tucked away forever.

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