JOE ENG - Cybage

CYBAGETIMES
★★★
Issue 12 | December 2014
★★★
News Magazine of Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd.
Writing the
code of
success:
Geetha Sham
An out-of-office Customer Meet 2014
Winning
partnerships:
JOE
ENG
The spirit of excellence
CIO, TravelClick
Contents
Editor’s note
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)
Dear Reader,
Cybage strongly believes in the energizing motto
coined by the HR department—‘Bringing life to work’.
Interviews
8
6
…And this also manifests in CybageTimes.
Happy reading!
Tell us what you think of this issue.
Please write to us at: cybagetimes@cybage.com
Writing the code of success
10
Life by design 18
Corporate
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.
Conquering new heights – Joe Eng 6
5
14
From the CEO’s desk
4
Customer Meet 2014
5
News & Accolades
8
Leadership Summit 2014
9
Features
Talent beyond cubicles 12
Old-timers relive golden memories 13
Events & Activities
A cherished partnership 17
Monday & Beyond
24
Homecoming25
Festive Fun @ Cybage
14
Cybagians with an ‘App’titude!
26
Happenings 24x716
Circulation and distribution by
Administration team - Pune,
Hyderabad, and Gandhinagar
Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd.
Kudos to our sports champions!
22
Rangoli art @ Cybage
27
An SEI-CMMI Level 5 Ver. 1.3 & ISO 27001 company
Printed at
Vyoma Graphics, Pune
HQ: Cybage Towers, Survey No 13A/ 1+2+3/1, Vadgaon Sheri, Pune 411014
Tel: 91 20 6604 4700 | Fax: 91 20 6604 1701
Austin | London | Frankfurt | Amsterdam | Sydney | Tokyo | Singapore
www.cybage.com
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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
CSR
Pune | Hyderabad | Gandhinagar | Redmond | New Jersey | San Francisco |
20
CybageAsha: Desilting initiatives
20
Cybage grows… Khushboo glows 21
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
3
From the CEO’s desk
An out-of-office Customer Meet
1
2
3
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
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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
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!
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 Francisco
4. Yankees Vs. Red Sox at the Yankees
Stadium in New York
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.
Sincerely,
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!
Arun Nathani | CEO & MD
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.
www.arunnathaniblog.com
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
5
Conquering new heights
"I thank Cybage for being the
wind beneath TravelClick’s
wings as we conquer new
heights in business."
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.
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.
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
CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
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
With TravelClick’s senior VPs and Sanjay Kulkarni
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.
Joe and team
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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.”
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.
“The Cybage team is extremely
well-versed in technology, they
are committed to produce
results that we so desire...”
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
7
News & Accolades
Cybage scales up its operations
in Gandhinagar
Cybage'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.
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®).
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.
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.
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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
Cybagians live it up in Goa
The 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 curtainraiser 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 reoriented and better prepared
to steer the long-term strategy
of the organization.
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
9
Writing the code of success
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.”
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.
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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
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.
Geetha with her core team members
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.
Leadership:
“Risk appetite and humility
to accept failure are two
very important qualities
of a leader.”
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.”
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.”
Motivation mantra:
“Always work with
hope and not in fear.”
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.”
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 fire
Favorite 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
Her take on bringing life to work:
“Empowering people at all times.”
instrument:
Flute
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
11
Talent beyond cubicles
Old-timers relive golden memories
Life through the lens
Born to dance
Gagan Kalra - Software Engineer, Pune
Vijayendra Shende - Sr. QA Engineer, Pune
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
Vijayendra’s stunning solo
dance performances at interschool 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.
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
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.
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
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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
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.
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.
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.
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.
Prem Prakash
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.
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!
Nutan Patil
Manisha Wadkar
Sr. Project Manager, Pune
Joined on 14 February 2002
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 processdependent 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.
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.
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
13
Festive Fun @ Cybage
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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
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1. Musical Night @ Cybage (MNC) in action, Pune
2. Pre-Diwali flea market, Pune
3. Dandiya Night, Gandhinagar
4. Dandiya Night, Pune
5. Diwali Exhibition and Fun Fair, Hyderabad
6. Fun Fair, Pune
7. Toran-making competition, Gandhinagar
8. Cubicle decoration, Gandhinagar
9. Game zone at Fun Fair, Pune
10. Art Exhibition at the Flea Market, Pune
11. Talent Mania, Hyderabad
12. Traditional day, Gandhinagar
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
15
Happenings 24X7
A cherished partnership
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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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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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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%
1. Family Day, Gandhinagar
2. Face painting competition, Hyderabad
3. Food competition, Gandhinagar
4. Zumba workshop, Pune
5. Anniversary celebrations, Hyderabad
6. Cook-a-bite workshop, Pune
7. Desktop Yoga workshop, Pune
8. Trek Unlimited completes half century with Sandhan Valley trek, Pune
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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
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.
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
17
Life by design
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):
“With strong backing from
“The work culture at
the management and
Cybage is conducive, the
support of all the verticals,
management’s thought
we successfully established
process is mature, and the
usability, branding, and web
organization is structured
development skills along
and data driven… all this
with visual design as
makes Cybage a stimulating
our forte.”
place to work in.”
- Prachi Bhruguwar
- Sudhir Kalra
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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
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.
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.
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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.
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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
1. Prachi Bhruguwar and team
2. Sudhir Kalra and team
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.
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
19
CybageAsha: Desilting initiatives
Cybage grows… Khushboo glows
CybageAsha has been engaged in desilting projects in three drought-stricken villages around
Pune—Mawdi, Dahiwadi, and Navali.
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1. Desilting at Dahiwadi
2. Desilted rivulet at Dahiwadi As a pilot project, CybageAsha brought
relief to the inhabitants of the droughtstricken 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
3. Desilting in progress at Navali
4. Reinstated water reservoir at Navali
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.
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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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
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
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.
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
21
Kudos to our sports champions!
Gandhinagar
Pune
Corporate Indoors
Arena
Football
Reach 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:
Reach Out to Life Foundation
GreenBox Football Tournament
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
Tournament
The 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.
There 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)
Indoor Titans 2014
Badminton: Men’s Singles:
Tournaments played and their results are as follows:
Saurabh Kamble
(Gold medal)
Women’s Singles: Ankita
Tripathi (Bronze medal)
Cybage has won the ‘Overall Championship’ title at the
Indoor Titans 2014 organized by Sportz DNA held at YMCA,
Ahmedabad.
Chess: Winner: Ravindra Rao; Runner-up: Mandeep Shah
Badminton: (Women’s Singles) Runner-up: Vishwa Marvania
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.
CAC Spikefest Volleyball Tournament
Hyderabad
Not 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.
Ankur Joglekar Cricket Tournament
Foosball Title 2014
Table Tennis
Swimming
ACI Tournament
Preeti Pujari won the Table Tennis
Women’s Singles Championship
organized by Front Foot, beating
her opponent 3-1.
We 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.
There 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.
Category and winners:
Doubles: Shiva Palusa/Vidya Sagar K
Carom Titles 2014
Category and winners:
Men’s Singles: Srikanth V
Chess Title 2014
Foosball Title 2014
Category and winners:
Singles: Amit Kumar
Men’s Doubles: A Durga Prasad
/Ravikanth D
Mixed Doubles: Syed Taj/Anupama M
Women’s Singles: Sujatha T
Women’s Doubles: Ambika/Rajeshwari
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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
Darts Title 2014
Category and winners:
Men’s Singles: Amit Kumar
Chess Title 2014
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
23
Looking beyond Monday
For 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.
Homecoming
Mazhar Abbas
QA Manager, Pune
Teachings from Japan
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.
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 Tamagakisan 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.
24
CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
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!
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!
Anuradha Thuse
Sr. QA Engineer, Pune
Saket Kumar
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.
Home is where the heart
is. True to this adage,
it’s been a second
homecoming of sorts for
these three Cybagians!
QA Analyst, 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!
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.
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.
* The content of this article has been published as is, to maintain its originality.
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
25
Cybagians with an ’App’titude!
Festive Fun continues... Rangoli art @ Cybage
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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CYBAGETIMES | December 2014
Chirag Bindal, Associate Vice
Abhijit Vinchurkar, Solution
President, Cybage, Inc.
Architect, Pune
Bevin Dsouza, Sr. Business
Harish Nair, Project Manager,
Development Executive, Pune
Gandhinagar
Gaurav Vatsa,
Kiran Salgala,
Sr. System Analyst, Pune
Sr. QA Analyst, Hyderabad
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 easyto-read format.
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!
December 2014 | CYBAGETIMES
27