BENGALURU: Top software service exporters are under pressure to drop prices to retain contracts with marquee customers such as American Express and Home Depot that are up for renewal this year, according to executives and experts involved in the contract negotiations.

Rates have fallen by double digits for some of the biggest customer accounts in the past six months, with companies such as Infosys and Wipro sacrificing profit margins to gain market share and incremental revenue from these key accounts, they said. Retaining strategic outsourcing contracts - that generate at least $100 million annually - is crucial to top IT firms such as TCS, Infosys and Wipro for them to be to mine such accounts that could increase in scope over the years.

As Wipro prepares to plunge into the ‘digital’ area, the company is pursuing an active acquisition strategy in this segment to supplement what it is trying to build organically.

The Bengaluru-based multinational, the country's third largest information technology (IT) services company, has launched an independent business unit called Wipro Digital. It is looking at acquiring companies in areas such as 'design competency' and 'process utility' to expand its bouquet of services in the digital space.

Bengaluru: Wipro Ltd has chosen a new leader for its digital business as it looks to make it one of the three largest service lines for the company in three years.

India’s third largest software services exporter has named Rajan Kohli, currently head of banking and financial services business at the company, as the head of Wipro Digital, the year-old business unit, according to two people familiar with the development.

Bengaluru: Ten months. Five candidates. Three countries. That is the journey Wipro Ltd chief executive officer T.K. Kurien and human resources head Saurabh Govil undertook before the company named Abid Ali Neemuchwala as chief operating officer (COO) on 16 March.

Kurien and Govil, who flew to London, Seattle, Dallas and New York between April and November on this mission, had at least a dozen meetings with external candidates.

Bengaluru: Wipro Ltd said that its 10-month long search for a chief operating officer (COO) should not be seen as succession planning for chief executive officer (CEO) T.K. Kurien, who will stay at least until February 2016, when his five-year contract comes up for renewal.

Significantly, the Bengaluru-based company said the next CEO at Wipro will be “someone from within the company” and that all senior leaders have an equal chance for the top job, seeking to end any talk of Abid Ali Neemuchwala being the CEO-in-waiting.

Wipro on Monday confirmed the Bengaluru-based information technology (IT) services company was creating a new service line to deal with all new-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, advanced analytics, and big data. To be known as Wipro Analytics, the new unit will replace the Advanced Technologies & Solutions service line, currently headed by Jeff Heenan-Jalil, senior vice-president.

The line would come into effect from April 1, and would be headed by Heenan-Jalil, the company told the Business Standard.

Wipro, India’s third largest information technology services company, on Monday announced the appointment of a chief operating officer and said it was promoting two internal candidates as presidents.

The Bengaluru-based company named Abid Ali Neemuchwala, former business process outsourcing head at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), as its group president and chief operating officer (COO), a position lying vacant since A L Rao was made an advisor to the company after he retired in September 2009.

Wipro, India’s third largest IT services company, on Monday announced the appointment of Abid Ali Neemuchwala as Group President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), with effect from 1 April, 2015.

In his previous assignment, Neemuchwala headed business process outsourcing (BPO) services for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) where he spent over 23 years of his career.

Wipro, India's third-largest IT services company, plans to incentivise delivery managers to drive growth, managing director and CEO T K Kurien said during a meeting with analysts on Wednesday. When an analyst asked in what way delivery managers, who are responsible for delivery of projects, can drive growth, Kurien said it's easy for a delivery manager to find opportunities around him thanks to his domain knowledge as well as knowledge of many other projects.

After introducing the new structure which is exactly the mirror image of the verticals and service lines of Wipro’s global business, Wipro Infotech, the company’s domestic India and the Middle East business is now planning to introduce newer services and capabilities.

Starting from the current year, Wipro Infotech is planning to formally launch business process outsourcing (BPO) services in the domestic market with major focus on transaction processing works instead of pure voice-based BPO services.

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