HCL Technologies is a global technology company offering next-generation products and services for comprehensive IT infrastructure needs.
With five decades of experience, the enterprise IT channel partner has almost 200,000 employees working in 52 countries to deliver its extensive portfolio of solutions. Though the HCL Group started as HCL Infosystems, today its central business unit is its former R&D division providing operational technology services, digital business solutions, and engineering for products and platforms.
This profile looks at HCL Technologies’ services and solutions, target markets, user opinions, industry recognition, and more for potential clients and partners to evaluate.
HCL Solutions and Specialties
HCL Technologies’ three core business segments are:
- Engineering and R&D Services (ERS)
- IT & Business Services (ITBS)
- Products and Platforms (P&P)
Engineering and R&D Services
As an engineering service provider (ESP), HCL offers over 50 accelerator solutions for automation, platforms, analytics, and more. The Engineering and R&D Services (ERS) segment partners with enterprise clients to accelerate engineering across the product development lifecycle. In the past decade, 330 organizations developed and launched more than 1,000 products with the help of ERS.
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IT & Business Services
The IT & Business Services (ITBS) segment offers end-to-end digital solutions for enterprise organizations managing traditional and emerging IT infrastructure. Beyond the company’s IT partner ecosystem, HCL separates its services into:
- Digital Foundation for infrastructure management services,
- Digital Business for reimagining business and technology architectures, and
- Digital Operations for creating synergy between security, technology, and strategy.
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Products & Platforms
The Products & Platforms segment of HCL consists of five units covering end-to-end IT solutions for clients:
HCL Software: With 20 product families, HCL Software provides clients with cloud-native solutions for customer experience, DevSecOps, and workload automation. The company’s software products serve more than 20,000 customers in 50 countries.
DRYiCE Software: For enterprise automation and artificial intelligence-powered transformation needs, the DRYiCE Software portfolio offers three products for AI operations, service orchestration, business flow observability, and a digital workplace solution. The DRYiCE AI service assurance suite includes products for runbook automation, predictive analytics, lifecycle management, and a cognitive virtual assistant.
Actian: In 2018, HCL acquired a majority stake in Actian, adding an impressive data management software stack to its enterprise-ready portfolio. Actian’s four solution areas cover hybrid cloud data warehouse, enterprise data integration, edge data management, and transaction databases. Actian’s data management products are available as on-premises or cloud software.
Industry Software Division: HCL’s in-house IP and R&D unit develop hardware and software solutions for next-generation technologies across the product life cycle. The Industry Software Division currently holds over 400 patents and offers intelligent enterprise cloud, Industry 4.0, and telecommunications products.
Financial Services Transformation: Through an IP partnership with DXC Technologies, HCL offers financial services organizations a transformation platform for core banking, lending, and payments.
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Target Markets
The enterprise channel partners offer its solution stack to twenty-one specified industries, including:
- Aerospace, Defense, Healthcare, and Public Sector
- Banking, Capital Markets, and Insurance
- Chemical, Process, and Life Science Industries
- Consumer Goods, Manufacturing, and Retail
- Energy, Utilities, Mining, Natural Resources, Oil, and Gas
- Media, Entertainment, and Telecommunications
- Travel, Transport, Logistics, and Hospitality
Channel Partner Ecosystems
HCL’s partner alliances include three separate ecosystems for strategic, start-up, and industry partner relationships.
Strategic Alliance Partners
| Featured Partners | AWS, Cisco, Dell, Google Cloud, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and SAP |
| Other Notable Partners | Adobe, AppDynamics, Appian, Atlassian, Blue Prism, BMC, Broadcom, Check Point, CommVault, Domino, DXC, Dynatrace, Flexera, GE, Hitachi Vantara, HPE, Hyperledger, Infor, McAfee, Micro Focus, MuleSoft, NetApp, NTT, Nutanix, OpenText, Oracle, Pega, Rubrik, ServiceNow, SnapLogic, Software AG, Splunk, Texas Instruments, TIBCO, Trend Micro, UiPath, Virtustream, VMware, and WorkFusion. |
Start-Up Partners
eSTIP by HCL Technologies is the company’s start-up accelerator for interested start-ups, venture capitalists, and trade organizations to partner together through an open innovation model.
Industry Partners
HCL contributes to collaborative IT industry efforts by working with the World Economic Forum (WEF), Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), CloudFoundry Foundation, the OpenGroup, etc.
HCL Competitors
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Industry Recognition and Reviews
The Forrester Wave
| Industry Report | When | What |
| Unified Endpoint Management | Q4 2021 | Contender |
| Application Modernization and Migration Services | Q3 2021 | Leader |
| Low-Code Development Platforms for Developers | Q2 2021 | Strong Performer |
| Digital Business Transformation Services | Q4 2020 | Strong Performer |
| Specialized Insights Service Providers | Q2 2020 | Leader |
Gartner Magic Quadrant and Peer Insights
| Industry Report | When | What |
| Managed Workplace Services, North America and Europe | 2021 | Leader |
| Data Center Outsourcing and Hybrid Infrastructure Managed Services, Global | 2021 | Leader |
| Managed Network Services | 2021 | Leader |
| SAP S/4HANA Application Services, Worldwide | 2021 | Niche Player |
| IT Services for Communications Service Providers | 2020 | Visionary |
HCL holds more than 1,000 client reviews with an average score of 4.5 / 5 stars across three dozen solution categories on Gartner Peer Insights, including:
- Social Software in the Workplace
- Client Management Tools
- Application Security Testing
- Multichannel Marketing Hubs
- Digital Commerce
- Web Content Management
Clients highlight user-friendliness and advanced features for solutions and flexibility deploying within a hybrid IT environment.
IDC MarketScape
| Industry Report | When | What |
| Worldwide Artificial Intelligence Business Services | 2021 | Leader |
| Worldwide Microsoft Implementation Services | 2021 | Major Player |
| Worldwide Cloud Professional Services | 2020 | Major Player |
| Worldwide Cloud Application Management Services | 2020 | Leader |
| Worldwide Digital Workplace Services | 2020 | Leader |
HCL: Company Background
HCL is an acronym for Hindustan Computer Limited. In 1976, six engineers established HCL Infosystems outside of New Delhi, India, at the outset of modern computing. The company’s innovation and growth over almost five decades include:
- 1978: Introduces 8-bit microprocessor-based computer
- 1983: Develops an RDBMS, networking operating system, and client-server architecture
- 1991: Developers multiprocessor Unix for HP via a joint venture with Hewlett Packard
- 1999: Establishes HCL Technologies
- 2014: Establishes HCL Healthcare
In 1991, the enterprise vendor’s R&D division emerged as its core business unit leading to its establishment as a company in 1999. Today, HCL has a global workforce of over 197,000 from 157 nationalities operating in 52 countries. To end 2021, the company earned over $11.18 billion in consolidated revenues.
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