Mumbai: Covansys Corporation (www.covansys.com), a global consulting and technology services company, has announced that it has been selected to provide application maintenance and development outsourcing (AMD/O) by Encoda Systems, an independent software vendor (ISV) that provides solutions and services to media industries worldwide.

Under the terms of the contract, Covansys will play a key role in expanding Encoda's broadcast software to multiple platforms, enhancing customer service by providing increased product flexibility and quality.

"We selected Covansys because of its proven experience in providing project engineering for product development and because of its commitment to quality," says Gabriel Lawson, senior vice-president of engineering, Encoda Systems.

Covansys offers a seamless onsite, offsite, offshore global delivery model that enables ISV clients to focus internal IT resources on more strategic initiatives, such as new product development, while existing application maintenance and development is efficiently handled offshore.

As a US-based services provider, Covansys has the unique ability to provide onsite project management while its high quality development centres in India execute the AMD work, allowing clients to reap the benefits of speed to market, flexible resource deployment, 24x7 availability and financial savings.

Covansys offers one of the largest offshore capabilities among US-based technology services providers, with two wholly-owned development centres in India that are SEI CMM(R) Level 5 certified. Covansys India is one of the few companies worldwide to have achieved a prestigious PCMM(R) Level 5 rating.

"Covansys understands the unique needs of independent software vendors. Encoda trusts us to provide their customers with multi-platform flexibility, which is a huge responsibility, and one that we take very seriously," says Steve Nicholas, senior vice-president, Covansys. "We view our clients as partners, and are committed to treating our partners' products and clients as if they were our own."

This new development further establishes Covansys' expertise in providing offshore outsourcing services to the ISV market.

In February 2003, Covansys established an offshore development centre in India with JD Edwards to provide application maintenance and development support for its software. On 10 June, JD Edwards also announced an expansion of their offshore partnership with Covansys, launching their new software and services delivery model that offers JD Edwards' customers Covansys' cost-effective, remote partner resources for implementation and ongoing support services.

Covansys possesses a decade-long track record of success in managing outsourcing, and has supported more than four dozen top companies, including SIRVA, Guardian Insurance, Henry Ford Health Systems, and UNUMProvident Corporation.