By N.Venugopal

Hyderbad, April9:Boston Software Consultants India Pvt Ltd, the Hyderabad-based arm of global IT consulting, services and products company The Boston Group (TBG), is all set to provide an e-learning solution for Indian banks, based on the successful implementation of its similiar solution at Bank Mandiri, Indonesia. The e-learning project at the largest Indonesian bank consisted of delivering content to 17,000 employees of the bank spread across 700 locations.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Subu M Kota, Chairman, The Boston Group, said the company has acquired a great deal of domain expertise in banking and financial sectors, by offering its distance and e-learning solutions to Citibank in Singapore and Hong Kong Visa and DBS Bank besides Bannk Mandiri.

"The e-learning solution for Bank Mandiri is architected around our knowledge platform Intralearn Learning Management System(LMS). The content development was on the local language Bahasa. We also take care of implementation, hosting, training, change management and setting up help desks with the help of our local partner. We secured the $11 Million project in a competitive bid and completed the first phase. The second phase consists of 600 hours of e-learning content," he said.

Based on the expertise gained throught the project, both on technology and content development fronts. The Boston Group now wants to offer the solution to Indian banks. "Banking operations here are similiar and with the rapid growth in banking sector, teaching requirements are also growing. E-learning is the only vialbel alternative and we are ready to offer the same," he said.

"We are now trying to make a case leveraging on the quality of our content and capability. We hope risk-taking and progressive CEOs of banks will try our solution." he said.

Boston Software has also undertaken an "experiment" in using distance learning mode to impart training in insurance sector. "We have developed material for the mandatory 100 hour training of the Insurance Regulatory and Developemtn Authority (IRDA) in seven Indian languages. Our concept was to make the content deliverable and accessible even to a housewife. Te initiative is underway and not closed the loop yet," he said.

The company has also developed a sales module to sell insurance products and it would be launch in a cou;e of weeks.

"We also run a protal, www.financialcampusindia.com with a goal of delivering all our content online. We believe we have 300 courses relevant to Indian financial sector and we are in the process of localisation." Subu said.

Boston Software is also very active in implementing its HRMS and LMS solutions to government sector. It has won a prestigious project of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, competing with 17 companies. The solutions have been implemented in five departments, out of which three have gone live. The projects ultimate objective is to provide access to 1.2 million government employees. "This project fills the gaps in effective functionality of various positions. In association with partners like Ramco, Hewitt Associates and PricewaterhouseCoopers, we developed the solution. It was vetted by the functional heads in the government. Now AP can offer it to other States." he said.