Remember This Name: Tata - Partner or Threat?
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In the United States, according to John
Landau, senior vice president of global managed
services for Tata Communications, the company is targeting the enterprise
market, namely large companies that stand to benefit from Tata's global reach.
Seeing itself as a competitor to the likes of
Verizon and AT&T, Tata Communications also is building a channel program to
resell hosting services through solution providers. Landau says the company
wants to focus on carrier services and has no interest in back-office or
vertical applications.
Unless that changes, Tata Communications may
prove more of a partnering opportunity than a threat to MSPs (managed service
providers).
Another opportunity, or potential threat,
comes in the form of a multipronged partnership between Tata and Cisco Systems.
In September, Tata disclosed that it had won certification as a Cisco MSP,
which Tata plans to leverage in its quest to entrench itself as a global
communications power.
Tata also has partnered with Cisco on Cisco TelePresence.
With Cisco furnishing the videoconferencing technology, Tata opened facilities
for use by corporate clients for long-distance meetings in the Indian cities of
Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, and another in Santa Clara, Calif. These clearly are just the beginning.
Providing TelePresence facilities is a clever
move, one that allows Tata to again capitalize on corporations' growing need to
cut costs. TelePresence allows companies to cut travel expenses they would
otherwise incur by sending people away for training or meetings.
Tata is on a roll for sure. Watch for more acquisitions in
the near future, which will provide an indication of the company's strategy, either
to strengthen its communications and IT infrastructure holdings or open another
front for expansion.
Whatever happens, one thing seems certain: You haven't heard
the last of Tata. Not by a long shot.
Pedro Pereira is editor of eWEEK Strategic Partner and a contributing
editor for Channel Insider. He is at pedro.pereira@ziffdavisenterprise.com.
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