Infotech Enterprises Ltd., a Hyderabad - based company engaged in computer-aided design ( CAD ), drafting, manufacturing and geographical information system (GIS) conversion technologies, has aligned with a German company, Eibit, for executing conversion projects.

According to the CEO of InfoTech, a memorandum of understanding has been signed for doing GIS conversion for the Germany company.

The company won the contract by bidding a global tender announced by Eibit, one among the three GIS majors in Germany known for quality consciousness in the whole of Europe.

In a bid to further consolidate its overseas market presence, the Delhi-based software exporter - IIS Infotech, has taken under its fold yet another overseas outfit- Sweden-based IFS Industrial and Financial Systems, to emerge as a leading software multinational from India.

The tie-up comes close on the heels of the diversified information technology company’s recent acquisition of a fifty per cent stake in the Singapore-based software company - ECICS Information Technology Ltd., which is backed by the government of Singapore.

The latest tie-up would increase the presence of IIS Infotech in some of the major software market, around the world. Amongst the other overseas markets where the company has already established its foothold are: Singapore, South Africa, Israel, Holland, UK, Mexico as well as the USA.

Initially, the tie-up between the two entities is to be solely a marketing venture wherein the two companies will enjoy a symbiotic business relationship. This will also enable the two partners to push each other's products and services in their respective markets.

Bangalore-based Proland Software, a company engaged in developing anti-virus software, is forging a number of tie-ups to spread its Internet packages in Europe.

Proland, whose anti-virus solution ‘Protector Plus’ for Netware has been certified by Novell to use the ‘Yes’ logo, plans to capitalise on this label.

Proland has tied up with Adaptive Activity Network BV of the Netherlands, to make inroads into the European market for its Protector Plus series of anti-virus software packages. The company is also looking out for a partner in the United Kingdom, according to Proland Software Managing Director.

It plans to shortly release Protector Plus for Netware 3, its latest version of anti-virus packages for server-based networking computers.

Novell’s approval has resulted in decreasing the acceptance barriers for our product in the western European market, claims the company.

Eldyne Electro Systems, the Calcutta-based manufacturer of railway safety signalling systems, is planning to form a joint venture company with the French major, Alcatel.

It will be a 50:50 joint venture and the new company will be called either Eldyne Alcatel or the other way round., i.e. Alcatel Eldyne. The agreement is expected to be signed within a year.

The Eldyne group consists of five companies. They are Radio and Accessories, Eldyne Macro Systems, Eldyne Electronics and Tarit Appliances and Equipment, apart from the flagship company Eldyne Electro Systems.

The joint venture company will be operating in the train signalling sector. The technology is the most modern one and the railway authorities have agreed to implement it only after a series of discussions on the problem of train accidents.

Eldyne will be developing the software package for Alcatel and the unit will be based in Calcutta.

Seacom Solutions India, a Pune-based information technology company, and Data Nova of Norway have announced setting up of a joint venture to market ‘POS’ (Point of Sales) solutions.

Data Nova would hold 60 per cent in the new venture and the balance would be held by Seacom. The joint venture would be managed independently by Seacom Solutions with all software technologies being provided by Data Nova.

Data Nova is a leader in POS solutions with over 1700 installations in Scandinavia and the UK.

Tata Sons and US-based General Electric Company (GE) have received government clearance for their proposed joint venture for electronic commerce and related software operations.

The joint venture company, to be headquartered in New Delhi, will develop, market and maintain a range of specialised software.

GE has picked up 55 per cent equity stake in the new company through group arm, GE Information Services, while Tata Sons, which has entered into this alliance through its software arm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), will hold 45 per cent stake.

Lucent Technologies, a former AT&T equipments manufacturing company and Tatas have joined hands together for all operational purposes in India. According to the sources, the agreement will honour existing joint ventures of the $21.4 billion company with companies other than the Tatas, but in all its future activities in the country, Tatas will be the sole partner.

A Lucent spokesman confirmed the development, but added that "the agreement in principle" had been arrived with the Tatas for a "joint venture" to pursue the development of the telecommunications market in India and to provide the country with the full range of end-to-end communications solutions and equipment. The US telecom major and the big industrial house of India however are yet to finalise the modalities of the joint venture and approach the authorities concerned for the necessary clearance.

US-based National Semiconductor Corporation (NSC) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centre for the Development of Telematics (C-DoT), Bangalore for the development of digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT)-based wireless local loop system (WLL).

Under the MoU, NSC will supply semiconductors and technology details which will be used by C-DoT to build a DECT system especially suited for Indian conditions. The MoU was signed by C-DoT Executive Director and NSC Vice-President in Bangalore.

The Indian research and development organisation will retain all intellectual property rights to the technology in India. C-DoT will license the technology to one of its vendors on a royalty basis to mass produce the DECT-based system.

The system can be used for both voice and data applications.

Oracle Software has decided to set up a centre to help out telecom operators in areas such as inter-operator related services, information systems and software solutions. The National Telecom Information Services (NATIS) will be set up in association with Satyam Enterprise Solutions.

The NATIS centre is the first initiative to be undertaken by the two companies under a memorandum of understanding and teaming agreement signed by the Oracle CMD and the Managing Director of Satyam Solutions, Hyderabad.

Satyam Enterprise Solutions is an independent business unit of Satyam Computers providing software development services in the US, Europe and Japan, while Oracle is the world’s largest supplier of software for information management.