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Writing the code of success: Geetha Sham An out-of-office Customer Meet 2014 CYBAGETIMES News Magazine of Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd. Issue 12 | December 2014 The spirit of excellence ★★★ ★★★ Winning partnerships: JOE ENG CIO, TravelClick

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Page 1: CYBAGETIMES - Digital Solutions...the business front, but also contributes to the overall Happiness Quotient. …And this also manifests in CybageTimes. Happy reading! Tell us what

Writing the code of success: Geetha Sham

An out-of-office Customer Meet 2014

CYBAGETIMESNews Magazine of Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd.Issue 12 | December 2014

The spirit of excellence ★★★★★★

Winning partnerships:

JOE ENGCIO, TravelClick

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 32 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

Managed by Neil Asser, Padma Sahay, and Gunjan Dawani (Corporate Communications Team, Pune)

Articles by Anahita Bhesania and Durga Godbole (Documentation team, Pune)

Designed by Maithili Kulkarni (Visual Communications team, Pune)

Contributors HR teams - Pune, Hyderabad, and Gandhinagar CSR team - Pune

Photo courtesy Abhijit More (Marketing team, Pune), Subhayu Chakraborti (Documentation team, Pune)

Circulation and distribution by Administration team - Pune, Hyderabad, and Gandhinagar

Printed at Vyoma Graphics, Pune

Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd.

An SEI-CMMI Level 5 Ver. 1.3 & ISO 27001 company

HQ: Cybage Towers, Survey No 13A/ 1+2+3/1, Vadgaon Sheri, Pune 411014

Tel: 91 20 6604 4700 | Fax: 91 20 6604 1701

Pune | Hyderabad | Gandhinagar | Redmond | New Jersey | San Francisco |

Austin | London | Frankfurt | Amsterdam | Sydney | Tokyo | Singapore

www.cybage.com

Dear Reader,

Cybage strongly believes in the energizing motto coined by the HR department—‘Bringing life to work’.

Care, empathy, and compassion—the emotions that bind Cybagians—foster a healthy environment at work, energizing Cybagians to give their best professionally, enabling them to fulfill their dreams, and in turn bringing smiles to their faces.

People thrive in a work environment that’s conducive to their talents and aspirations and Cybage goes beyond the boundaries of the cubicles to motivate its employees and ensure their complete contentment. This not only ensures noteworthy achievements on the business front, but also contributes to the overall Happiness Quotient.

…And this also manifests in CybageTimes. Happy reading!

Tell us what you think of this issue. Please write to us at: [email protected]

Editor’s note

Contents

Interviews

Conquering new heights – Joe Eng 6Writing the code of success 10Life by design 18

Corporate

From the CEO’s desk 4Customer Meet 2014 5News & Accolades 8Leadership Summit 2014 9

Features

Talent beyond cubicles 12 Old-timers relive golden memories 13A cherished partnership 17Monday & Beyond 24Homecoming 25Cybagians with an ‘App’titude! 26

Events & Activities

Festive Fun @ Cybage 14Happenings 24x7 16Kudos to our sports champions! 22Rangoli art @ Cybage 27

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6

20

8

CSR

CybageAsha: Desilting initiatives 20Cybage grows… Khushboo glows 21

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 54 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

A little boy brought home a cocoon from a picnic in the woods. He put the cocoon in his garden, and watched it daily in fascination, awaiting it to crack and a beautiful butterfly to emerge! However, the cocoon was too exposed—the urban setting did not protect it from wind, water, and sun. As it struggled to survive, one day a crow scooped down and snatched it ☹.

The boy was heartbroken. The father, who had silently watched the spectacle, wisely counseled his son “You disturbed the cocoon and exposed the larva to much risk, which led to its annihilation. All living beings need a protective environment to blossom and spread their colorful wings”. To further demonstrate the point, the father got his boy another cocoon; only this time, it was nurtured in a safe environment inside the house.

The cocoon grew rapidly. Then one day a small gap appeared in the cocoon, through which the butterfly was to appear. The duo watched how the butterfly was trying to get out of the

cocoon. It took a lot of time, the butterfly was trying very hard, and the gap was as little as before. It seemed that the butterfly would soon lose all its strength. So the father decided to help it. He took a penknife and cut the cocoon. The butterfly was immediately set free.

Then something strange happened. The butterfly’s body was weak and feeble, and the wings were barely moving. The rest of its life the butterfly had to drag a weak body and wings which weren’t fully spread. The father, who wanted to help, did not realize that the effort it takes to pass through the narrow gap of the cocoon is necessary for the life-giving fluid to move from the body to the wings to enable the butterfly to fly. This time, it was the father’s turn to learn.

A healthy ecosystem, be it at work or home, provides the necessary hygiene for the inhabitants to survive. A young professional needs the right projects, managers, and processes to breathe. Similarly, a child needs to be protected from a negative influence in the family,

school, or social environment. However, the problem arises when we fail to distinguish between external adversaries and internal resilience. A junior who is spoon-fed with constant trainings, mentoring, and allocation of simpler tasks is deprived of the opportunity to grow. No different than an overprotected offspring who is ill-prepared to face the challenges of the real world when the time comes.

Perhaps, the business executives and homemakers will do well to remember—eliminating risks is necessary for the survival of our treasured ones, but eliminating obstacles turns that survival into a meaningless existence!

The annual Cybage Customer Meet was marked by trailblazing events spread over four days in four major US cities—New York, Boston, Dallas, and San Francisco.

The Customer Meet was programmed to offer a highly personalized experience to Cybage’s clients and provide an opportunity for meaningful networking in an out-of-office environment. The experience was made unique by the thrilling matches between legendry baseball teams New York Yankees and Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Seattle Marinas, and Oakland Athletics and Euston Astros, coupled with on-field experience and stadium tours. The customers in Boston were treated to The Blue Man Show where they got a chance to meet the cast, take autographs, and strike a pose!

Amidst an exchange of warm greetings, the Cybage HR film highlighted how Cybage values its human resources and ‘brings

life to work’. Amit Gajwani outlined what’s existing, what’s new, and what’s getting better at Cybage. The presentation touched on the new verticals and services being launched, ALM, partnerships, the newer modules within ExcelShore, and how they will benefit the customers.

An intellectual connect with the customers, CXO-level executives, was established by Arun Nathani. He emphasized that business leaders, be it CEO or managers, should have a hands-on approach, be pragmatic, and have their feet firmly on the ground at all times. Arun went on to explain how efficient strategizing happens with the help of 3 Ps—Parity, Prosperity, and Peace.

Kudos to our dynamic Cybage Inc. team—Gurvinder Chhatwal, Sanjay Kulkarni, Ashita Shah, Chirag Bindal, Rajarshi Ghosal, and Deepak Gyanani for making this event a mega success.

From the CEO’s desk An out-of-office Customer Meet

Sincerely,

Arun Nathani | CEO & MD www.arunnathaniblog.com

4

1. Customer Meet in New York 2. Clients at the Texas Rangers Stadium

in Dallas 3. Clients at the Oakland Athletics Stadium

in San Francisco4. Yankees Vs. Red Sox at the Yankees

Stadium in New York

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1 2

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 76 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

Joe’s career spanning almost 30 years has been predominated by technology—primarily in the Telecom, Financial Services, and Travel & Hospitality industries. His background in Computer Science and degrees from Rutgers University and New York University built the foundation for his future roles as CIO. Most recently, he served as CIO at SWIFT, a financial services technology company, and JetBlue, an American airline, before taking on his current role at TravelClick.

Being an executive leader, he carries a huge responsibility on his shoulders, and hence, it’s not surprising to see him admit that he’s very intense when it comes to work and his role in executing the business. And, people even call him rather demanding.

His passion for his work is evident when he talks about TravelClick’s wide range of technologies and products—reservations, business intelligence data, media and

web solutions, and guest management. Talking about his approach for TravelClick, he says, “We are not just shipping software, we are running a software as a service platform that is a 24x7x365 mission-critical operation. We are and continue to bring differentiated value to our customers through an integrated package or bundle of customer experience and revenue enhancing products. In some sense, we can call ourselves the Google Docs for Travel and Hospitality. We offer a suite of products that work together to help our customers run and enhance their business.”

He goes on to add, “We have always had an aggressive and organic growth plan. We are seeing many opportunities in new geographical markets and in the types of customers that we can tap into and grow our business.”

And this is where he finds similarities between Cybage and TravelClick. “It is a testament to Cybage, its leadership, and the employees who we interact with. Cybage has made a significant contribution to TravelClick’s successive growth story,” says Joe. He offers plenty of kind words and appreciation. And what has stayed with him is the good work ethics at Cybage. He adds, “The team

members are extremely well-versed in technology, they are committed to produce results that we so desire, and they are always ready to learn.”

And it’s not just praise that’s coming forth from the client. There’s more in store for Cybage from TravelClick as Joe hints at participation in the operations areas of TravelClick. It would not be just developing the software that makes up our products, but to help us ideate and design those capabilities as we look to add new products and even more to integrate the suite of products together into an unparalleled bundle offering to TravelClick’s customers.

Apart from TravelClick, the other institution that Joe works hard for is his family comprising his parents, wife, three children (two daughters, one son) and numerous extended family members. For him, family is just as important as work and it’s necessary to strike a balance between both.

When you mention family, his demeanor visibly softens. Admittedly a New Yorker through and through, Joe has not forgotten his roots. He credits his ‘charmed life’ to his Chinese immigrant parents who endured a lot of hardships to help him reach this junction in his life. He reiterates, throughout our meeting,

that they are the greatest influencers of his life.

Joe was raised by his mother who was a homemaker and self-initiated small business owner, while his father worked as a software executive in Telecom. Who would have known that Joe would follow in his father’s footsteps! He learnt a great deal from his father about what it takes to be successful in business, which is something Joe is striving to replicate for the next generation—his children. For his kids, he has a simple yet meaningful mantra: ‘work hard in whatever you are interested in and set a good example’.

Family is clearly Joe’s mainstay. But what keeps his spirits buoyant is his love for sports, especially American Baseball. He says sports are a great metaphor for what his team is trying to achieve at work. It’s not about an individual, but a team—a team that wants to win.

In fact, Joe has taken his love for sports a step further: he and some of his colleagues are pursuing an ownership group in Minor League baseball. This is essentially something on the lines of IPL in India for cricket, only that the former is on a smaller scale.

However, ask him about cricket, and he comes clean saying that he doesn’t

understand the sport much, but looks forward to seeing how it works on his next visit to India. He recalls fondly his trip of Agra as a tourist while on a business trip to India, where he witnessed the splendor of the Taj Mahal. He also got a chance to satisfy his taste buds by relishing the varied cuisines in Delhi and Bangalore.

Besides sports, charity is something that Joe holds close to his heart. Joe devotes a lot of time towards charities connected with the church in his locality. His area of focus is mostly the youth; helping them with their education, and giving a boost to their spirits.

A spirited thank you is what Joe offers Cybage for being a good part of the wind beneath TravelClick’s wings as we seek to conquer new heights in business. “We win one game, we got to win the next game,” he says, as we say our goodbyes.

Conquering new heights

For Joe Eng, Chief Information Officer at TravelClick, passion plays a very important role in life—be it work, family, sports, or religion. In conversation with CybageTimes, Joe shares a few insights into his life, vivid experiences, and partnership with Cybage.

With TravelClick’s senior VPs and Sanjay Kulkarni

Joe and team

“The Cybage team is extremely well-versed in technology, they

are committed to produce results that we so desire...”

"I thank Cybage for being the wind beneath TravelClick’s wings as we conquer new

heights in business."

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 98 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

Valued partnerships

VoltDB: As a partner, Cybage will invest extensively in building a comprehensive consulting and implementation expertise on VoltDB. This partnership will also enable Cybage to have direct access to VoltDB product specialists, solution consultants, and platform support teams.

Salesforce.com: This partnership will see Cybage deliver services related to Salesforce.com technologies (Cloud Alliance Partner Program). The partnership offers a mix of resources and benefits designed to drive specialized capabilities, unprecedented collaboration, and profitable business growth.

HighJump: Cybage works as an implementation partner with HighJump to provide Supply Chain Management solutions. Cybage has been honored with the Premier Implementation Collaboration Partners award based on its strong partnership with HighJump, volume of implementation, and quality coverage.

News & Accolades

Cybagians live it up in GoaThe annual Cybage Leadership Summit is always hosted with grace, style, and a lesson to learn. This year, CXOs and senior executives from Cybage’s India and global locations converged at an exotic locale in Goa—for fun and learning in the land of sun ‘n’ sand.

The HR film, ‘Bringing Life to Work’ was the curtain-raiser followed by a powerful message by Deepak Nathani. He put forth his belief with conviction that an organization’s growth is not complete without the wellbeing of its employees. Thereafter, an inspiring session by David Lim—a Singaporean mountaineer and motivational speaker who led the first Singapore Mount Everest Expedition in 1998—followed. David recalled his experiences to stress the importance of overcoming shortcomings to achieve one’s targets. Through gripping, real-life instances, he propounded effective risk management strategies.

Arun Nathani then took over with his gripping management session based on ‘The Hangover’, an American slapstick comedy. Arun

provided the participants with a management perspective on the misadventures of the characters and helped them identify what they could have done better. To fire their competitive spirit, a GK quiz was also organized. The outdoor games and delectable meals were occasions to socialize and unwind. The participants returned home re-oriented and better prepared to steer the long-term strategy of the organization.

Among 20 Most Promising Enterprise Mobility companies

Cybage has been named as one of the ‘20 Most Promising Enterprise Mobility Companies’ in India by CIO Review. This listing by the CIO Review magazine intends to help CIOs find solutions providers who can help build a perfect application tailored around an enterprise’s specific needs.

Ranked 34 in 2014 Global Outsourcing 100® Ranking by IAOP®

Cybage is placed in the ‘Leaders’ category, and has received the recognition of being among top 100 for the sixth year in a row by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals® (IAOP®).

Cybage scales up its operations in GandhinagarCybage's expansion at its Gandhinagar development center, Infocity, forms part of the company's overall global expansion drive. This strategic move will increase Cybage's headcount at its Gandhinagar development center by 50 per cent, taking its employee strength to over 500. The scaling up of operations in Gandhinagar will allow Cybage to expand its core teams to support the growth it is experiencing. It will also help the company to concentrate on infrastructure, strategic location and connectivity, while capitalizing on good skill sets in the region.

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 1110 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

Writing the code of success

Geetha Sham, Vice President & Head – Travel & Hospitality, comes across as offbeat, free-spirited, and a people’s person. Charismatic and vibrant, yet calm and composed, she strikes a chord with her audience. In a freewheeling interview, Geetha opens her heart to CybageTimes and takes us through her childhood, her meteoric rise in the professional realm, the tenets she lives by, and the special bond she shares with her daughter, who means the world to her.

Nostalgic memories

Geetha has fond memories of her childhood. “A large part of my childhood was spent in Bangalore. Being the only girl child in the family, I was extremely protected. Following rules and regulations came naturally. Both my parents were working, and thus a certain level of maturity set in early on. We became rather independent too.”

Dramatic transformation into a mature professional

The conversation gradually moves on to Geetha’s professional journey. “I graduated in Electronics and Telecommunications from Bangalore University in 1992. Pursuing engineering was considered to be a male bastion in those days.”

Besides a stint in Sales, Presales, and Implementation, her job profile involved exposure to areas ranging from ERP to infrastructure. The nature of her work led Geetha to travel widely across the globe during which she was sensitized to various cultures.

“The biggest learning was the art of articulation". Her vast travails transformed her persona from being shy and an introverted greenhorn into a confident professional. “Punctuality, respect for people, their culture, and their time are virtues that have withstood the test of time,” she adds with zest.

A gradual shift

Transitioning from a product company to a service-based company marks a curious departure. Geetha clarifies, “In a

service-based company, your people are your assets. How you conduct yourself, and your interactions with colleagues or clients speak a lot. From security personnel to a CEO, everyone acts as a brand ambassador.” She swears by the virtues of transparency and truthfulness to help an organization gain an edge over its competitors.

Cybage: The real differentiator

The talk veers to Cybage and its USP. “The sheer importance accorded to people and their development is commendable. The various technologies deployed are at par with other evolved service companies in India. I am amazed at the people connect that the executive team exhibits. I feel that the biggest differentiator from the technology standpoint is ExcelShore. I am simply stunned by its profound capabilities,” acknowledges Geetha.

Learning and not leading

Geetha shares some unconventional views on leadership, “It’s a very senior team that I work with, and I don’t lead them; rather, I learn from them. Having had a different set of experiences, I try to see how things can work differently. We collaborate to ensure success.”

Geetha adds philosophically, “A plant cannot grow under a banyan tree. It is important to give individuals their space to let them develop and mature. Allow teams opportunities to express themselves freely and witness how they can flourish.”

The future roadmap

Geetha spells out the plans for the vertical, “We plan to create a level of customer confidence that will translate into long-term and profitable engagements to propel us to the next level. We repose trust in our clients. I also want our team to imbibe the service culture and become a true partner to our clients. Celebrating success together is a cherished dream, which would be realized as we achieve the first two goals.”

Charity begins at home

“I take care of my domestic help’s children’s education, stand by my drivers, and set aside some money for the people who have made our lives easier, so that it can be of use in their old age. They have become an extended part of the family—it’s a reciprocal relationship.”

Ties that bind

Speaking fondly of her family, Geetha gushes, “What forms the nucleus is my daughter.” Deekshita, all of 19, is currently pursuing Engineering from Bangalore University.

“Deekshita is vivacious, fiercely independent, and extremely curious. Her resilience is remarkable. In fact, there is a great deal that I have learnt from her and I relive life through her. Letting go and moving on are huge learnings, even in business,” adds Geetha, admiringly.

Rapid fireFavorite movie: Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro

Favorite actor: Shah Rukh Khan

Favorite singer: Kishore Kumar

Favorite cuisine: Indian

Favorite escapade: Edinburgh

Favorite gadget: Vacuum cleaner

Favorite book: Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

Favorite musical instrument: Flute

Her take on bringing life to work:

“Empowering people at all times.”

Leadership:

“Risk appetite and humility to accept failure are two very important qualities

of a leader.”

Motivation mantra:

“Always work with hope and not in fear.”

Geetha with her core team members

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 1312 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

Old-timers relive golden memories

Janardan Gupta Delivery Manager, Pune Joined on 6 August 2001

Starting as a front-end developer and playing multiple roles over the years, I have worked on various technologies and platforms.

To sustain growth, a talent pool is a company’s biggest asset. Cybage has always rewarded people on the basis of merit and provided a fairly transparent work environment. This is reflected in the outstanding deliveries and an ever-growing happy clientele.

It is very important to keep ourselves motivated. My motivation is taken care of by Cybage in the form of challenges and opportunities that are a part of my work and that help me grow as a professional.

Nutan Patil Sr. Project Manager, Pune Joined on 14 February 2002

My journey with Cybage began as a fresher and I gradually grew up to a managerial position.

Throughout its rise from a small startup to an established IT organization, Cybage has preserved its core values. It has graduated from the role of an executor to that of a confident consultant offering a better vision to its clients. It has expanded its range of services and technical expertise through focused CoEs.

Team meetings held under umbrellas in Clover Cascade lawns and samosa parties for birthdays are some of the sweet memories from my initial days at Cybage.

Prem Prakash Delivery Manager, Pune Joined on 21 October 2002

I started off as a Software Engineer before leading key projects. My tenure here provided me with ample opportunities to grow.

During our early days at the Kalyani Nagar bungalows, inadequate Internet bandwidth and limited number of conference rooms used to be major bottlenecks for deliverables and team calls. We used to have dedicated staff just for code check-ins and check-outs in the client repository. Despite all odds, our team would bond over late night bashes. Cybage overcame all the glitches and now has its own place in the IT sector.

Thank you, Cybage for treating us like family!

Manisha Wadkar Sr. QA Manager, Pune Joined on 22 July 2002

To me, Cybage is family. Even after 12 years, I feel like a newcomer! My journey with Cybage has been challenging, evolving, and gratifying. Cybage has molded me as a professional and an individual.

Cybage has grown from being a person-dependent organization to a process-dependent one. Its maturity is visible from its delivery models on the one end to its internal policies on the other. Its data-driven approach is one vital change that I have observed over the years.

The work culture remains its USP. Those who contact me after leaving the organization mention that they miss the Cybage work culture.

During its 19 years of existence, Cybage has been a sought-after workplace for many employees; with some employees even returning for a second tenure. CybageTimes talks to a few who were with Cybage when it was taking its initial steps.

Talent beyond cubicles

Vijayendra’s stunning solo dance performances at inter-school level and college-level competitions, district-level youth festivals, and inter-IT corporate competitions in Pune have won him acclaim. The most recent being a captivating dance recital at the Cybage Khushboo event, 'Cybage grows... Khushboo glows' held at Cybage HQ.

A self-made versatile dancer from birth, Vijayendra can dance to just about any style—breakdancing, hip-hop, popping, locking, freestyle, Bollywood, folk dances, salsa, and contemporary.

He draws inspiration and to this day, dedicates his success entirely to his parents for their unflinching support. He is also grateful to his school teacher from whom he got his first appreciation.

Vijayendra adds, “Watching the king of pop, Michael Jackson, dance boosts my confidence. MJ is my greatest motivation.” Vijayendra considers the Internet as his ‘guru’ because he trains himself by watching online videos.

Today, Vijayendra enjoys being the lead dancer in a group of 35 that’s steered by a professional choreographer. “Always be passionate in what you do and never worry about the results. Those who believe in this motto can conquer the world,” says Vijayendra with a smile.

Dance certainly takes center stage in Vijayendra’s life, but as we explore deeper, we discover that he possesses a winning streak in other forms of talent—roller skating, yoga, painting, basketball, and cricket.

For Gagan, photography is much more than a mere hobby. Talking about his accidental initiation into the art four years ago, Gagan recalls that he was a hardcore

blogger with more than 150 articles to his credit. But it dawned on him that successful bloggers had one thing in common—beautiful photographs. So, what started as an inspiration to enrich his blog turned into his raison d’être.

Today, his creativity knows no bounds. Seemingly mundane events such as sunset or sunrise are special for him. He tries to find beauty in his surroundings.

Gagan started learning Adobe Photoshop in 2011 and realized the importance of having a DSLR camera. By the end of 2011, he

could save ` 38,000 to buy a basic kit to kick-start this wonderful journey.

Gagan considers himself to be an amateur, but his speciality

lies in outdoor portrait shoots and concert photography. Always on the lookout to hone his skills, he attends many paid e-sessions and photography camps. He also participates in free tutorials on the Internet whenever he is not shooting. He follows a lot of blogs and meticulously examines the work of the best photographers in the world.

His current gear comprises a Canon 550D camera, Canon EF-S 18-55 mm, Canon EF-S 55-250 mm f/4-5.6 IS lenses, Hoya 58 mm UV multi-coated glass filter, Henweit 58mm CPL circular polarizing filter, and Vanguard Espod Plus 233 AP tripod.

Born to dance Vijayendra Shende - Sr. QA Engineer, Pune

Life through the lens

Gagan Kalra - Software Engineer, Pune

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 1514 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

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1. Musical Night @ Cybage (MNC) in action, Pune2. Pre-Diwali flea market, Pune3. Dandiya Night, Gandhinagar4. Dandiya Night, Pune5. Diwali Exhibition and Fun Fair, Hyderabad 6. Fun Fair, Pune7. Toran-making competition, Gandhinagar8. Cubicle decoration, Gandhinagar 9. Game zone at Fun Fair, Pune10. Art Exhibition at the Flea Market, Pune11. Talent Mania, Hyderabad 12. Traditional day, Gandhinagar

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3 4 5 6

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Festive Fun @ Cybage

7 78 9

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 1716 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

A cherished partnership

The Cybage-GroupM association goes way back to 2007, with a humble beginning in the form of a five member core team. Today, the account is 100-strong and flourishing.

Laurent Colard, Global Managing Partner, GroupM says, “Our relationship with Cybage is very successful and mature. The Cybage team represents nearly half of our entire organization; and nearly 70% of our Engineering functions. In fact, some of the key members of the team have been with us since the beginning of this

relationship. We could not have wished to find a better partner, and are very excited about our opportunities to grow and innovate over the next few years.”

GroupM treats Cybage team as an extension of its own. This is manifested through annual client visits to the Cybage HQ, Pune, invitations to visit the client’s office at global locations on rotation, and annual team excursions. The Cybage team recalls the excitement of their recent interactive expedition to entertainment theme park Adlabs Imagica!. A total of 61 Cybagians experienced the

unforgettable journey through the uniquely themed adventure rides, which brought out each one’s favorite stories, strengthening the team’s bond like never before.

Cybage is proud of its association with such esteemed clients and would like to thank the client team comprising John Donnarumma, Laurent Colard, David Kaganovsky, Robin Wong, Shai Ziv, and Rimon Erez for their continued co-operation and support with the hope that this association crosses many fruitful milestones in the years to come.

Happenings 24X7

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1. Family Day, Gandhinagar 2. Face painting competition, Hyderabad 3. Food competition, Gandhinagar4. Zumba workshop, Pune 5. Anniversary celebrations, Hyderabad 6. Cook-a-bite workshop, Pune7. Desktop Yoga workshop, Pune 8. Trek Unlimited completes half century with Sandhan Valley trek, Pune

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1. and 2. Laurent Colard, Global Managing Partner and Robin Wong, Global Head of Operations, GroupM with Cybage’s GroupM project team during the sixth project anniversary celebrations at Cybage HQ, Pune

3. Robin Wong felicitating a GroupM project team member at Cybage

4. Cybage’s GroupM project team at Adlabs Imagica!

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GroupM and Cybage are all set to touch new highs in business. CybageTimes takes a look at this cherished partnership.

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 1918 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

The team size grew spectacularly from 20 to more than 250 in a span of seven years and we positioned ourselves as one of the largest UX groups in the Pune IT industry.

SK: My stint at Cybage has entailed learning myriad new things. The work culture at Cybage is very conducive; the teams work in a close-knit fashion here. The management’s thought process is mature and strikingly different from its contemporaries. The organization is structured and data driven, with ExcelShore® offering an objectivity diagnosis of project health. All this makes Cybage a stimulating place to work in.

Q: Achieving synergy within the team

PB: Winning the team’s confidence was of prime importance to me. It wasn’t difficult as they all wanted to contribute towards a positive change and build their careers at Cybage.

We have celebrated every milestone. It’s a vibrant group known for its zest for life and whole-hearted participation.

SK: My meetings are not humorless. Project and people management skills aided by well-defined and continuously improving processes help one sail through the most demanding situations in the IT industry.

Q: Recipe for successful project execution

PB: Working in related areas of branding, visual design, usability, and web development calls for an integrated approach. It is vital to pay continual

attention across all areas and provide the required support, trainings, and review of the work.

The workflow should be process-driven rather than being person-dependent.

SK: I maintain open lines of communication with internal and external stakeholders. I delegate the tasks stipulating timelines and monitor the progress intelligently. A judicious blend of hard work, perseverance, and purpose can stand you in good stead.

Q: On work-life balance

PB: I enjoy photography—a hobby that I set aside for the weekend. I also love to drive, which can happen on any day.

SK: I do some light exercises in the mornings and take a late evening stroll to soak in a bit of Pune’s weather. Over the weekends, I spend time with my children playing outdoors and engage in some reading.

At the helm of affairs in their respective fields, Prachi Bhruguwar, UI Head, and Sudhir Kalra, Delivery Head, offer a slice-of-life view of their formative years, Cybage, work-life balance, and their teams.

Q: Chronicling the journey of a professional

Prachi Bhruguwar (PB): Besides specializing in Sanskrit and History of Art while pursuing B.A., I graduated in Fine Arts from Banaras University. The initial days were full of struggle. I undertook a course in photography from the prestigious J.J. School of Arts and acquired certifications from IDC-IIT and HFI (Human Factors International, Mumbai, which offers a course in usability).

After spending 11 years in Mumbai, I moved to Pune. The defining moment struck when I was hired at Cybage within a year’s time!

Sudhir Kalra (SK): Having graduated in engineering, I started my career as a Microsoft developer. Every stage in my career has posed a fresh set of challenges in the form of managing teams, technology, and people. Handling domestic and international clients for a multitude of large and complex projects provided me with ample opportunities to learn, execute, and lead. I have experience in engagement mapping, mining, target setting and achievement, identification of growth opportunities along the value chain, and relationship management.

Q: Scripting their Cybage narrative

PB: Cybage provided me with a clean canvas and freedom to paint. I got to head the UI team that was receptive, enthusiastic, and positive towards exploring, learning, and performing. With strong backing from all the verticals and the management, we successfully established usability, branding, and web development skills along with visual design as our forte.

Life by design

1. Prachi Bhruguwar and team 2. Sudhir Kalra and team

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“With strong backing from the management and support of all the verticals, we successfully established usability, branding, and web development skills along with visual design as our forte.”

- Prachi Bhruguwar

“The work culture at Cybage is conducive, the management’s thought process is mature, and the organization is structured and data driven… all this makes Cybage a stimulating place to work in.”

- Sudhir Kalra

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 2120 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

CybageAsha: Desilting initiatives

As a pilot project, CybageAsha brought relief to the inhabitants of the drought-stricken Mawdi Pimpri village near Saswad-Supa Road. The village is fed by water from a nearby rivulet. However, the rivulet had dried up and layers of silt had saturated it, thus affecting its water storage capacity. CybageAsha embarked on an ambitious desilting project. The silt was dug out to deepen the rivulet and the soil was used to build a small check dam, thus creating a reservoir. Each year, desilting work is carried out in the rivulet to ensure better water

storage. This worthy effort has multiple benefits—water harvesting during the monsoon, prevention of a drought-like situation, increased water levels of wells in the vicinity, revival of agriculture, and renewed drinking water supply for the villagers.

The success of this pilot project was replicated in two more villages. Dahiwadi, in Shirur taluka, faced acute water shortage each year due to deficient rainfall. CybageAsha created a small reservoir in Dhamdhere vasti in the

village by desilting an 800-meter area near the agricultural fields. Today, the wells in the vicinity are full due to increased groundwater levels.

At Navali village, desilting work at a strategic spot has been carried out resulting in rainwater storage and higher ground water levels. The inhabitants are extremely happy with the outcome and are now ready to replicate this activity in other holding areas too.

CybageAsha has been engaged in desilting projects in three drought-stricken villages around Pune—Mawdi, Dahiwadi, and Navali.

Cybage grows… Khushboo glows

Cybage Khushboo (a self-sustained NGO and philanthropic arm of Cybage) is relentlessly engaged in scalable educational projects to shape up promising careers of deserving but underprivileged students pursuing professional courses.

Cybage Khushboo organized ‘Cybage grows… Khushboo glows’—an evening of celebration for more than 250 student beneficiaries along with their parents, to commemorate the 19th anniversary of Cybage.

Gracing the occasion were the Principals of Manghanmal Udharam College of Commerce (MUCC), MKSSS’s Smt. Bakul Tambat Institute of Nursing Education, Cummins College of Engineering for Women, and Pune Vidyarthi Griha along with the Cybage Khushboo trustees.

This significant event was made complete with variety entertainment, motivational speeches and rounds of appreciation. Cybage Khushboo felicitated three students—Vipin Nair, Nikhil Mahale, and Apoorva Jetha—with an ‘All-round excellence award’. Cash prizes were given to each of them for performing exceedingly well in extracurricular activities held at their respective colleges.

Happy beneficiaries were invited on stage to share their experiences about the transformation Cybage Khushboo brought to their lives and families. Arun Nathani, CEO and MD of Cybage and trustee Cybage Khushboo added more meaning to the event by taking the audience through the milestones of his professional journey while focusing on what it takes to be a true professional. Ritu Nathani, trustee of Cybage

Khushboo, added, “We keep calling our sponsored students in smaller groups for ongoing training programs on HR skills, soft skills, and IT trends. However, this is our first ever attempt to have all our kids under one roof. It’s wonderful to see how our Khushboo family has grown to over 350 students.”

An enthralling performance by Cybage’s in-house band, MNC, and a splendid dance performance by Vijayendra Shende, a Cybagian, were the other highlights of the evening. As a fitting culmination of the event, the trust continued inviting applications from meritorious students for its Annual Scholarship Program for 2014-2015.

Cybage Khushboo is happy to announce that it has given scholarships to the tune of over ` 1 cr. in the year 2014.

1. Desilting at Dahiwadi 3. Desilting in progress at Navali 2. Desilted rivulet at Dahiwadi 4. Reinstated water reservoir at Navali

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1. MNC regales the crowd 2. Ritu Nathani addresses the audience 3. Ritu Nathani presents ‘All-round excellence' award to Nikhil Mahale 4. Rendezvous with Arun Nathani 5. Happy beneficiary Abhijit Shingte expresses his gratitude to Cybage Khushboo

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You will always be remembered!

Cybage extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family of Shashikant Atalkar. We pray that the departed soul rests in peace. “As you rest with the angels above, we pray that you shine always as one of the brightest stars.”

Shashikant Atalkar | QA department, Cybage Pune. (May 1979 – September 2014)

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 2322 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

FootballReach Out to Life Foundation: The Cybage football team scripted a spectacular win in the Reach Out to Life Foundation–Carnival De Football (5-a-side) beating BNY Mellon in a 6-4 penalty shoot-out. Our team did us proud by participating in this tournament aimed at spreading awareness about Reach Out to Life Foundation, which is a pro-life suicide prevention NGO working for the development of the youth.

GreenBox Football Tournament: Our team did an encore by winning the GreenBox Football Tournament against its opponent, Cognizant, with an enviable 5-1 score line.

Volleyball Our volleyball teams participated in the CAC Spikefest Volleyball tourney. The men’s team secured the second position. Close on the heels was the Women’s team that secured the third position.

We won three individual titles in this tournament, which are as follows:

Rucha Ballal: Fittest player of the tournament. Ranjeet Yadav: Best defender of the tournament. Govind Bisht: Most committed player of the tournament.

Ankur Joglekar Cricket TournamentThe Cybage cricket team participated in the Ankur Joglekar Memorial Inter IT T-20 Cricket Championship Cup 2014, organized by IdeaS, a SAS Company. Shrikant Kharabe emerged as the Best Bowler of the Tournament. Pratik Pandit and Shrikant Kharabe were also awarded the ‘Man of the Match’ in separate matches.

SwimmingWe would like to congratulate Ashish Doke for bagging a Gold Medal at the prestigious Poona Parsi Gymkhana swimming competition in the 200 meters freestyle in the Open category.

Table TennisPreeti Pujari won the Table Tennis Women’s Singles Championship organized by Front Foot, beating her opponent 3-1.

Kudos to our sports champions!Corporate Indoors ArenaThere has been a thumping victory of sorts for Cybagians as they revved up their performance in multiple categories. We recently participated in the Corporate Indoors Arena (CIA) - 2014 held at YMCA, Ahmedabad, and Cybage was conferred second position among more than 30 companies that participated.

Chess: Men’s Singles - Mandeep Shah (Silver medal)

Pool: Men’s Doubles - Ravindra Rao and Ashvin Patel (Gold medal); Shibu

Subhanandan and Shreekant Malde (Silver medal); Pradip Patel and Chetan Visodiya (Bronze medal)

Badminton: Men’s Singles: Saurabh Kamble (Gold medal) Women’s Singles: Ankita Tripathi (Bronze medal)

Table Tennis: Women’s Singles: Hema Bharadva (Silver medal)

Over and above these stupendous achievements, we also won the Pool Tournament Champion and Badminton Tournament Champion trophies.

Carom Titles 2014Category and winners:

Men’s Singles: Srikanth V

Men’s Doubles: A Durga Prasad

/Ravikanth D

Mixed Doubles: Syed Taj/Anupama M

Women’s Singles: Sujatha T

Women’s Doubles: Ambika/Rajeshwari

Pune

ACI TournamentThere was a resounding victory run at the ACI Tournament with Cybage winning the match by 7 wickets. Nitin Parage was conferred the ‘Man of the Match’ title.

Reach Out to Life Foundation GreenBox Football Tournament

Ankur Joglekar Cricket Tournament

CAC Spikefest Volleyball Tournament

Gandhinagar

HyderabadNot to be left behind, sports enthusiasts at Hyderabad ensured that the scoreboards kept ticking, repeating their successful streak at the satellite center. Indoor Sports Competition held at Cybage cafeteria in May 2014 had various competitions lined up and the following Cybgians emerged as winners.

Darts Title 2014 Category and winners: Men’s Singles: Amit Kumar

Chess Title 2014 Category and winners: Singles: Amit Kumar

Foosball Title 2014 Category and winners: Doubles: Shiva Palusa/Vidya Sagar K

Indoor Titans 2014Cybage has won the ‘Overall Championship’ title at the Indoor Titans 2014 organized by Sportz DNA held at YMCA, Ahmedabad.

Tournaments played and their results are as follows:

Chess: Winner: Ravindra Rao; Runner-up: Mandeep Shah

Badminton: (Women’s Singles) Runner-up: Vishwa Marvania

Foosball Title 2014

Chess Title 2014

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 2524 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

The year was 2004, my 2nd onsite assignment and the 1st long-term assignment in Japan.

I had my task cut out, I had to work as a Java developer and impress the client ensuring added and continuous business for my organization. My mentor from client side was Tamagaki-san who was a developer and POC for me reporting to the client manager.

Tamagaki-san was a cheerful Japanese lad in his late twenties, similar to my age. Soon my work onsite was going well and it seemed that I had made progress in impressing my clients with my technical skills.

One day, I had to prepare a report in Excel sheet; it was related to technical specifications. In a jiffy, I created something, did some copy-paste job and without bothering about formatting sent it across to Tamagaki-san. After receiving my report, Tamagaki-san came rushing to my seat and explained that although the report was factually correct, the formatting was not proper and did not look nice. Tamagaki-san further stated that whoever saw the report will think that if the formatting itself is so bad, then content will also be incorrect and surely the person who has prepared it must not be up to the mark.

Tamagaki-san’s words hit me like an iceberg and I immediately corrected the report, formatted it correctly and sent it back to him.

His talk has left deep impression in my mind and till date I remember it and practice it. Whenever I have to send any report, or an email to the client or for that matter anybody, I always take care that not only the content is correct but it is well formatted and pleasant to read.

Sometimes I also come across team members who make similar mistakes, I invariably end up telling them my story and pass on to them the advice I had received from Tamagaki-san.

If I analyze the advice of Tamagaki-san then the key lesson I learnt was not to underestimate any task and be thorough in whatever we do.

Another lesson is that not only content but presentation also matters. (Japanese adjective which describes ‘being thorough in whatever one does’ is “tetteitekina”). Japanese have perfected “meticulousness in whatever one does” so much that it has become their attitude and part of their genes now. No wonder that I never came across any Japanese individual, be it from any walk of life in my long interaction with them whom I can describe as non-”tetteitekina”!.

Thank you Tamagaki-san for teaching me a valuable lesson which holds true even today and has illuminated my path for the last 10 years!

Anuradha Thuse Sr. QA Engineer, Pune

My journey in Cybage started as a fresher; I worked for 4.2 years here. I shifted base to Bangalore after getting married, worked in Finland for some time, before returning to India. Cybage had given me my first career break. Here, I was groomed on the professional and personal front. I worked for various projects, assumed diverse roles, and was also associated with the Cultural Committee. This was the thought process being played out that led me to consider rejoining Cybage. At Cybage, apart from work, there are numerous recreational activities to keep one’s spirits up. There’s immense scope for meaningful interactions and engagements that instills the feeling of an ‘extended family’.

Cybage derives its organizational strength from its commitment to processes. Quality Assurance for business products is an area of focus for Cybage and also one in which it excels. I have an enhanced zest for life on returning to Cybage’s expansive fold.

Saket Kumar QA Analyst, Pune

I was inducted in Cybage as a fresher and resigned after 5.5 years. The decision to bow out was indeed very difficult for me. I wanted to explore horizons outside Cybage. During my tenure spanning 2.1 years outside Cybage, I realized what sets Cybage apart from other corporates—its conducive work culture. The healthy work environment within Cybage beckoned me and naturally, I could not keep myself away for too long. That’s when I decided to rejoin Cybage.

It’s a great feeling being back on the home turf. There are so many known faces I come across amidst the new ones. And, most of them are friends! I have plans to grow and develop myself further at Cybage and chart a long tenure here.

Homecoming

Mazhar Abbas QA Manager, Pune

I joined Cybage as a fresher and worked for 7.5 years before deciding to move on. Cybage holds a very special place in my life, as I was transformed into a seasoned professional here. However, I wanted to experience the world outside. It was during my tenure in my new organization that I realized that when it comes to core values, transparency, integrity and, most importantly, the people, Cybage’s standing is unmatched. As an organization, Cybage is founded on stronger fundamentals than many other organizations. In fact, I would never miss an opportunity to go through Arun’s blogs, even as I had commenced my new job. As I was contemplating thus, I rejoined Cybage.

Coincidentally, both my joining dates at Cybage are on the same day of the month, 23rd, so this number holds a special value for me! I felt I had returned home after a long vacation, and I see myself playing a long second innings here!

Home is where the heart is. True to this adage, it’s been a second homecoming of sorts for these three Cybagians!

Teachings from Japan

Looking beyond MondayFor a year and a half, every Monday, every Cybagian receives a special gift from a fellow Cybagian—an article that provides food for the thought and, which most often, is an eye-opener. Here’s an award-winning article by Amol Jeurkar, bringing to you the flavor of a Monday morning at Cybage.

Lessons to learn• Perfection pays in every sphere of life • Every person and every situation gives us learning• A stitch in time saves nine!• An ounce of perfection is worth a pound of excellence!

* The content of this article has been published as is, to maintain its originality.

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December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES 27

Abhijit Vinchurkar, Solution Architect, Pune

Harish Nair, Project Manager, Gandhinagar

Kiran Salgala, Sr. QA Analyst, Hyderabad

Gaurav Vatsa, Sr. System Analyst, Pune

Chirag Bindal, Associate Vice President, Cybage, Inc.

Bevin Dsouza, Sr. Business Development Executive, Pune

The tremendous increase in smartphone usage has fuelled demand for the latest mobile applications or apps. Keeping up with the trend are some of our employees who share their experience of using the most sought-after apps!

Cybagians with an ’App’titude! Festive Fun continues... Rangoli art @ Cybage

WorldMate: Being a frequent business traveler, I found it a bit taxing to keep track of my flights, rental cars, shuttle buses, and hotel bookings. Now, I simply forward my travel confirmations to the WorldMate app and it systematically organizes my trips, which I easily access on my smartphone!

Trello: Whether I’m at work or on the go, I like to stay updated about my tasks. With Trello, I maintain my checklists and share them with my friends and family. The app allows them to add comments, and share photos and videos in my lists. Plus, everything I do is synced and saved directly to cloud, and all my devices are always up-to-date.

Adjust Focus: I love photography. When I’ve to click pictures with my phone camera in the absence of my digital camera, the Adjust Focus app comes in handy. With this app, I’m able to edit pictures and achieve a defocused background akin to a DSLR camera quality.

Uber: Hiring a cab has never been this easy for me. I request for a ride using the Uber app and get picked up from any location I desire. As I get fare quotes in the app, I don’t worry about bargaining with the driver. I just pay with my credit card through my secure Uber account and enjoy the ride!

Flipboard: Flipboard app is my personal magazine where I catch up on news, and read blogs and publications from around the world. Besides this, I check my friends’ updates on social networking accounts such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram through this app.

Google Now: I like it when things are planned. Google Now informs me about everything that I’m interested in on the basis of my preferences. From displaying my upcoming appointments to predicting everything I might want or need, such as a preview of my doctor’s route, my friends’ birthdays, or weather information, the app displays everything in an easy-to-read format.

26 CYBAGETIMES | December 2014

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