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MDC set to spread wings

The Michigan-based MDC Systems, a subsidiary of CRT Medical Systems, provides consulting services to clients in the US.

T O D A Y

• tv.comp • CBS to invest Rs 120m • STPI agenda • MDC to spread wings

MDC Systems Inc President and CEO David C Doyle has been quoted as saying that the company has earmarked between $300,000 and $400,000 for investment in its software development centres and about Rs 40 million for its training division.

As the company is in constant need to staff its clients and project division, the training division's objective would be to provide quality training to professionals to fulfil clients' requirements.

Claiming that the company is selective in the admission process, he said that professionals would be required to go through a certification programme. Those obtaining certification would be considered for employment at MDC Systems Inc, MDC Systems India or with the 400 partners to which MDC provides project consulting and management consultancy services.

The company provides training on a variety of software products and its programme centres around COM, CORBA and Internet-based technologies. "The courses offered will depend on market demand. It will to a great extent depend on how the US market grows,'' he said.

According to Doyle, the course is not facilitator-dependent and the certification-procedure stringent. The fact that only seven of the 60 who have taken the test have been certified is an indication, he said.

Basically, certification is a three-step process comprising computer aptitude test, development skills test and communications skills test.

MDC's training division in India began offering courses from August last year. The company has drawn up a plan to strengthen its training division and is in the process of appointing franchisees in 30 centres.

By this year's end, the 30 franchisees should be in place. To begin with there will be eight, of which three would be in Madras and one each in Madurai and Coimbatore.

"By the second quarter of this year, we should have a presence in Delhi, Bombay and Pune and in the last quarter in Ahmedabad and Calcutta,'' Vice-President Operations, Girish Krishnamurthy has said.

Also, MDC, which has a software development centre in Bangalore, plans to open one more in the city and one in Madras. At present, the company's software development centre in Bangalore is working on 12 projects.

"We have always believed in having a strong presence in India. And the reason is obvious, availability of quality manpower. A particularly remarkable quality with Indian software developers is that they are extremely adaptable to the frequently changing skill sets required for survival in this industry,'' Doyle said.

Interestingly, MDC has developed software for videoconferencing on the Net. The company claims that this software will bring down the cost of videoconferencing significantly. The product is set to be released in the next six months and the company is targeting the Indian market in a big way.

Once all franchisees are in place, the company would be able to accommodate 4,000 students. "Next year onwards, at peak capacity, we should able to take in 5,400 students. It will be our endeavour to develop the appropriate course and deploy the same training methods as are being followed now,'' Doyle said.

- Compiled from the Indian media

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