Save 40—50% on IT services costs

UK manufacturers should expect a 40—50% cost reduction if they outsource their system development and management to Asia. That’s the claim of US-based Sierra Atlantic, which has been building its services from a base in Hyderabad, India since 1993. The firm is now offering services to UK organisations from its base near Gatwick, and sales director Marc Herbert says companies like Message Labs and UK DataPoint are among recent takers. “The UK and Europe are lagging the US by a year or two,” he says. But he believes uptake will come fast. “It’s about doing more with less and doing more IT with the existing budget. IT is such a driver to increasing productivity.” Although Sierra majors on software development around Oracle and other systems, Herbert indicates that most of its clients are in manufacturing, and that services now include implementation support, upgrades, help desk, maintenance support and integration.