Worksoft, ECMi to jointly develop products

Testing automation software developer, Worksoft Inc, has firmed up its relationship with Pune-based ECMi Software for a long-term partnership for development of new products primarily in the testing automation space.

"We have been associated with Worksoft ever since they decided to completely overhaul their testing automation product, Certify. We plan to keep working with them on newer versions of Certify as well as on future products," Nitin Ahuja, chief executive officer of ECMi, told mediapersons on Thursday.

The company has a 25-strong team dedicated for Worksoft's development work, and this number will double by the middle of the year, Ahuja said.

"We are not in the services business and work only for players who are developing software products as their own intellectual property," he added.

ECMi has a team of 100 software professionals and works for half a dozen global clients such as Worksoft, Servigistics, etc. The company's clients are product developers in the field of supply chain delivery, supply chain management, customer relationship management and medical systems.

"We are growing in all these spaces and would double the staff strength during the year," Ahuja said, adding that the company would soon look for or build its own campus to accommodate the increasing numbers.

In addition to participating in core product development contracts, the company is also planning to enter the value-added reseller activity by offering support to domestic firms using products developed by global software developers, Ahuja said.

"We will focus on the country's manufacturing sector for this business, and will do the business under a separately formed Indian company," he explained.

Curtis Hill, vice-president of engineering at Worksoft, said his company will further integrate ECMi team by adding an interface development team and support team in addition to creating a new management layer.

Hill said the company expects to come out with two more releases of Certify, afterwards it will move to developing a fresh product.

"As the relationship with ECMi is ongoing, they will be a part of the new product development as well," he stressed.

Hill said the company is now in an expansion mode as it has planned to open offices in Europe and Asia.

The European centre will open soon and the one for Asia will follow later in the year, he elaborated. He disclosed that Worksoft will work with Indian universities and technology institutions to familiarise engineers with testing automation software.

He also pointed out that the movement of India's software industry from services to product development will mean a great opportunity for Worksoft. Hill said Worksoft's revenues for 2005 stood at $7 million and the company will go profitable this year.