HCL launches a platform for CTOs
HCL Technologies has launched its CTO engagement platform CTO Straight Talk, a forum for global CTOs, product technology heads and research and development heads. GH Rao, President Engineering and R&D Services, HCL Technologies shared details of this first-of-its-kind initiative by HCL at a media briefing in Bangalore. The platform includes a magazine that is available in print as well as digital format at Apple and Android app stores. The company has opened this platform to all CTOs across verticals and not just its customers with a line-up of activities on social media via its twitter and linkedin accounts. It will be a multi-channel platform encompassing print, events and social formats. The first issue of the CTO Straight Talk has Internet of Things as its central theme. Its Twitter handle is @CTOStraightTalk. CTO Straight Talk is run and sponsored by the HCL Engineering and R&D Services unit. The company had previously launched a similar CIO focused initiative CIO Straight Talk about four years back.
NASSCOM estimates India Engineering R&D exports to be $12.4 billion in FY14, up 11% over FY13. And the top spenders include telecom, automotive, aerospace and heavy engineering verticals. Telecom vertical itself makes up 30 percent of this engineering R&D services market. Given the CTO focus on external buyers, HCL is looking at engaging more with the chief technology architects (CTOs) across domains. “With the CTO StraightTalk initiative we are looking at giving a platform to enable standardization of at least some technology bits across domains through experience sharing,” said G H Rao, whose brainchild this initiative is.