HCL ISD Launches 'Zero Touch' Desktop Deployment Solution for Microsoft Windows Vista Operating System

Business Wire, Nov 30, 2006

Solution to reduce cost of deployment by over 40 percent

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- HCL Technologies Infrastructure Services Division (HCL ISD), India's leading IT services company, today announced the launch of its 'Zero Touch' Desktop Deployment Solution for Microsoft Windows Vista. Zero Touch provides a completely automated process to enable enterprises to minimize risk, bring higher visibility and reduce deployment cost by over 40 percent.

HCL's solution launch coincides with the introduction of Microsoft Windows Vista, the 2007 Microsoft Office System and Exchange Server 2007.

The Zero Touch framework offers centralized deployment of the operating system and packaged applications that completely automate the deployment process for extremely low manual intervention. It also promises zero tolerance to loss of data through a robust user state backup and restoration process for user data and settings. The solution enables a Closed Loop Process by aligning Microsoft's Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) framework from Windows Vista with HCL's IT Service Assurance Model based on ITIL/ISO 20000 and CoBIT Processes, hence eliminating manual switchover between phases of Windows Vista BDD.

HCL has also developed a Deployment Dashboard at the core of this solution, which will provide both an overall and in-depth status report for all deployments. This Dashboard gives visibility into the reports on the number of deployments completed, failed deployments and status of opened tickets, status view of current active deployments, time taken for deployments, and upcoming schedule for deployments, etc.

Commenting on this innovative solution, Anant Gupta, COO, HCL ISD said, "The Zero Touch Desktop Deployment Solution is an important milestone for the global Remote Infrastructure Management Industry and HCL's thought leadership in this arena. The solution will add a new dimension to the existing HCL-Microsoft relationship and will play a pivotal role in reiterating our commitment to providing innovative solutions around existing and new Microsoft platforms to enterprises worldwide. HCL currently has a Microsoft Center of Excellence for Infrastructure Management and is currently deploying Microsoft software applications globally."

"At Microsoft we remain committed to establishing new benchmarks in technological innovation that help accelerate business results for customers," said Peter Boit, vice president of Enterprise Partners, Enterprise & Partner Group, Microsoft Corp. "Through the 'Zero Touch' desktop deployment solution, customers can leverage the strengths of both companies' solutions to transform their business. HCL ISD's expertise with Microsoft technologies, combined with a strong commitment to demonstrating compelling business value, will enable a positive customer experience in their migration to Windows Vista."

HCL is widely acknowledged as a pioneer of offshore Remote Infrastructure Management Services. The company was ranked as the No.1 'Specialty Offshore Infrastructure Services Provider' by NeoIT and Managing Offshore magazine, and has also been ranked as the World's No.2 in IT Infrastructure Services in the Global Services 100 Survey.

About HCL ISD

A 100% subsidiary of HCL Technologies, HCL ISD is India's leading IT services company (known and registered as HCL Comnet in the Indian market). A focused player in the IT services arena, HCL ISD seeks to provide simplified infrastructure solutions through delivering high-performance management services for complex, distributed infrastructure environments encompassing the Internet, Client and legacy based infrastructures. HCL ISD addresses the growing demand for the cost-effective management of technology infrastructure across geographically dispersed locations. With a mission to develop innovative solutions for enterprises worldwide, the company has developed a unique model for Remote IT infrastructure management that enables customer organizations to achieve superior infrastructure performance and significantly reduced costs through a global delivery model. For more information, please visit www.hclisd.com

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies/ entities in which we have made strategic investments, withdrawal of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company.