Mumbai: HCL Technologies (www.hcltech.com), a leading global IT services company, has announced a strategic alliance with Sento Corporation (www.sento.com), a US-based customer contact solutions company. As a result of this alliance, both companies will be able to offer joint solutions to Global 2000 companies.

The partnership will pioneer the effective delivery of blended-shore contact services to joint clients, utilising Sentos domestic workforce and HCL Techs workforce in India and Northern Ireland. As part of the agreement, HCL Tech and Sento Corp will pool their competencies to jointly address opportunities in the customer relations management (CRM) solutions space.

Sento brings tested and proven proprietary technology, backed by a history of cost-effective superior customer support capabilities and several noteworthy client relationships to the joint initiative. The partnership will provide clients in the US access to the extensive offshore capabilities of HCL Tech from its delivery centres both in India and Northern Ireland.

Thus leveraging the quality, cost-efficiency and breadth-of-technology advantages that HCL Tech brings by virtue of its financial strength, global footprint and vast offshore infrastructure. Under the terms of this agreement, Sento will become a preferred CRM services partner for the alliances business, dramatically expanding the sales and marketing abilities in the US.

In fact, Sento and HCL Tech America have already been working together to provide customer support services to US clients for almost a year now. The blended-shore approach of the alliance has been tested and proven and now formalised through this alliance.

Sento is extremely pleased that this alliance has come to fruition, says Sento Corporation president and CEO Pat ONeal. This agreement puts us in the company of some of the worlds most dynamic companies like Perot Systems, British Telecom, Deutsche Bank and Jones Apparel Group, who are also strategic and alliance partners with HCL Tech.

He adds: As part of the agreement, any domestic contact centre business generated by the alliance will be provided by Sento, who will utilise HCL Techs offshore infrastructure and resources, both in India and Ireland. HCL Tech provides Sento with an established, proven and talented workforce overseas, backed by a globally established reputation and strong balance sheet.

The CRM services market is reaching a level of maturity that demands innovative service models. By leveraging Sentos expertise, we will be able to provide effective CRM solutions and deliver high-value services to our global clients, HCL Tech America president and CEO Raj Sirohi.

HCL Tech strongly believes in building competitive advantage and increasing market access through strategic partnerships. We see this alliance as a strategic step towards achieving leadership in the CRM services marketplace, he adds.

The partnership is innovatively structured to ensure the ongoing commitment and interest of both parties in working together for the success of the initiative. While the partnership will benefit from the management and leadership experience of both organisations, Sento will be responsible for the planning, execution and ongoing management of all identified initiatives.

HCL Tech is one of Indias leading global IT services and product engineering companies, providing value-added, software-led IT solutions and services to large and medium-scale organisations.

Founded in 1991, HCL Tech focuses on technology as well as R&D outsourcing, with the objective of working with clients in areas at the core of their business. HCL Tech delivers these services through an extensive offshore software development infrastructure and a vast global marketing network that enables scalable, flexible and cost-effective delivery.

As of 31 March 2002, HCL Tech, along with its subsidiaries, had 5,945 employees. The HCL Tech team today has operations spanning 25 locations in 14 countries covering over 80 per cent of the worlds IT market. Together with its knowledge of embedded systems, core technologies and applications development expertise, HCL Tech is positioned as a composite solutions provider equipped to cater to the entire gamut of IT needs.

Sento Corporation provides the latest in Web-enabled CRM solutions for a diversified portfolio of organisations. These services include self-help, live chat, Web collaboration, email, and telephone. Utilising a tested and proven technology set, Sento provides an enhanced customer experience at a significant cost reduction when compared to traditional models. Sento deploys a distributed workforce strategy and customer-centric applications to provide the best in customer care and support.