The specialist

INTERVIEW

'We are looking at an IPO in a few years time'.

With a banner that says: 'Synergize. Synchronize. Surpass,' Faisal Husain, CEO, Synechron, is looking at setting new benchmarks in the industry.

Explain your highly specialised business?

Synechron is a specialist provider of turnkey, high-end business technology solutions and services for the mortgage banking, capital markets, insurance and Internet media and technology domain. We are an SEI CMMI Level 3 certified entity and our services include development, customisation, integration, maintenance, support, migration, automation, QA Services and KPO.

Can SMEs survive by being price warriors?

SMEs who have based their success on price alone, are finding it extremely difficult to survive in an competitive market. It is, therefore, essential for SMEs to create tangible long-term value for the client. Not just 'deliver a service' but create intellectual value, and develop an innovative turnkey consultative approach.

SMEs also need to develop long-term, strategic partnerships with select clients and not approach service delivery in a piecemeal or project-based fashion.

Given their relatively smaller size, SMEs have the advantage of being extremely flexible, capable of fast reaction and being able to provide highly personalised, customisable and differentiated service.

Attracting and retaining the best talent is another key "� especially as SMEs can afford to be selective given their smaller size requirements. Synechron has utilised the above approaches to ensure a sustainable growth model.

How do you view the issue of branding?

Branding is an extremely important component of our strategy, as it reflects intangible value and is a key non balance sheet asset for a company to develop.

It aids in establishing credibility with new prospects, obtain financing, attract talent and win respect and attention of investors when it goes public. Branding is, therefore, essential for long term success and growth.

Finally, what are your future targets?

Our revenue growth has been a phenomenal 137 per cent for 2005-06 over previous period, placing us among top-three (Dataquest's Survey of India's top 200 IT companies).

Our growth also places us seventh amongst all IT companies. Synechron has developed successful long term relationships with blue chip clients such as Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Wachovia, Washington Mutual and Bank of New York (G-Trade) to name a few.

Recently, we developed a 1000-seat capacity, software development center: 'Synechron, IT Towers,' at Kharadi, Pune. It spans over 65,000 sq feet, has five floors and is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure.

We've developed unique SDCs(strategic development center) for our select partners. With SDCs, our partners now have their own secure enterprise class unit with dedicated team, which works like their 'extended arm' that leverages the strengths of Synechron to provide tremendous time, cost and productivity benefits.

Synechron's growth lies clearly in further expanding domain practice leadership in existing focus areas. Plans include setting up of more dedicated SDCs, expanding locational presence in the US, and development of an additional, global delivery center in India.

Also on the anvil are plans to reinforce its leadership in quality and process competencies with CMMI Level 5 certification. The company has so far grown on its own accrued capital, now we are looking at an IPO in a few years time.