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Micro Focus sets up education centre in Bangalore

The centre will help software programmers gain expertise in MFG products and develop and maintain mainframe software for overseas customers on

T O D A Y

• VSNL's swadeshi bid • HCL results • Micro Focus centre • Aptech, IGNOU tie up

PCs and workstation platforms without actually investing in the expensive mainframe platforms themselves.

Micro Focus' tools 'emulate' a mainframe environment on PCs and help in resolving the Y2K (the millennium bug) problem.

Scott Pearson from Micro Focus' international operations said: "About 86 per cent of business logic in Fortune 1000 companies is estimated to be in COBOL on IBM mainframes. So our tools help customers leverage their existing investments."

Even in India, all branch automation software are in COBOL. Software can be developed for mainframes using a Windows NT-based local area network here in India. All major software companies, including Infosys, Tata Infotech, HCL Consulting and Birla Horizon, use Micro Focus' tools.

Micro Focus Group's latest product meets competitive business objectives, stays within the budget, delivers Y2K compliance and helps in leveraging existing investment.

This version makes the emulating software easier to install and reduces the requirement for knowledge of the mainframe environment to configure the emulation software.

The software automatically reads the host mainframe's configuration and configures the PC terminal by itself. This reduces the time required by a professional to start working on a business application running on a mainframe.

The company intends to open many more such centres across the country if the first is a success. It has invested Rs 10 million in the centre at Bangalore.

Micro Focus' tools make it easier for Indian software exports companies and their sub-contractors to execute their development and maintenance contract and increases the speed at which the year 2000 contract can be completed.

This is critical because about a trillion dollars worth of investment has already been made by the advanced countries in these business applications, Pearson points out.

There are several opportunities for Indian companies to exploit the mainframe market. All European programmes will need to be changed to accommodate the euro, If the Dow hits 10,000, many related applications may have to be changed and increasingly global companies may want their reports to be available on-line in multiple currencies.

- Compiled from the Indian media

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