India-based Software Consulting Services Gain Popularity Worldwide

With a domestic IT services market worth $9.5 billion in 2011, India ranks third in Asia/Pacific region while India-based software consulting services are gaining momentum thanks to growing local market and increasing demand for outsourced IT consulting. IT software consulting, especially outsourcing of those services to reputable consultants based in India and other fast developing markets, is becoming a widespread business practice worldwide, with a growing number of large multinational corporations looking for ways to reduce costs related to IT services and infrastructure.

While India’s domestic market for IT services is highly fragmented, according to a recent report by Gartner. Inc., finding a reputable India software consulting firm is relatively easy thanks to the widespread use of industry specific best practices and growing number of well educated local IT experts. Local companies are now considered able to provide worthwhile software consulting services covering all aspects of the IT service, from software applications, to infrastructure, to core business processes. As a result, a rapidly growing number of enterprises look for IT software consulting provided by India-based consultants, which can also offer extremely competitive prices.

Evolving standards of local tertiary education led to a situation where enterprises look for India-based IT software consulting even if they do not plan to enter the local market but want to reduce their costs through off-shoring and outsourcing. The wage gap between India and the West is still quite wide and local companies are able to provide high quality consultations carried out by well-educated IT professionals. Therefore, the so-called labor arbitrage is working definitely in favor of India-based consultants.

Access to talent plays an important role in the global shift to outsourcing of consulting services of all kinds, and Indian software specialists have a proven record of accomplishment in providing quality software consulting services. Furthermore, local software vendors and consultants are already able to compete on equal terms with leading global companies when the matter in hand is to provide knowledge based approach toward development, implementation, and customization of business software and related processes.

In fact, IT software consulting is one of the fastest developing IT industry segments because of the growing role that software applications play in a wide range of business processes and procedures. On the other hand, the narrowing gap in the sphere of knowledge skills required for software development, assessment, and implementation makes it easier to hire a reliable third party software consultant. In addition, external consultants can provide consultations remotely thanks to standardization of software development and implementation practices across the world. Thus, a medium sized enterprise based in the United States can obtain valuable consultancy service, provided by an India software consulting firm, on implementation of new software that is developed by a Western software vendor, for example.

Globalization has led to a situation where organizations are no longer required to use local software consulting services in implementing new software solutions or configuring and customizing existing applications. In addition, organizations involved in all sectors of the economy are forced to reduce costs, including IT related costs; thus outsourcing software consulting services to providers in India is a wise move for managers looking to reduce costs while not sacrificing the quality of service they get.

Types of Software Covered by Courses Included in IT Training

Corporate training often includes courses in IT training, with many organizations providing technology training courses designed for both beginners and advanced users. Usually, enterprises utilize office software suits that are relatively easy to use and most users are familiar with their basic functionality because similar software applications are also used by most home users. Nevertheless, corporations cannot rely only on office software suits, with most medium and large-sized enterprises using some kind of customer relationship management (CRM) systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, billing and accounting software applications, and various other types of business applications. Thus, corporate training should also include IT training, covering the basics of advanced software solutions used within an enterprise and technology training courses are rapidly gaining popularity.

Modern-day operating systems like Microsoft’s Windows, Apple’s MacOS, and Linux use graphic interface that is easy to use and understanding basic functionality of an operating system is easy these days. However, advanced corporate users are sometimes required to get familiarized with advanced functionality of operating systems to be able to operate with functions like access control, advanced networking, etc. Usually, technology training courses start with an introductory lesson on operating systems, and then cover application software, including widespread business software solutions like CRM and ERP systems.

Day-to-day activities of a typical corporate user would not require knowledge of programming languages, although many enterprises still use spreadsheet solutions where familiarity with the basics of programming is advantageous for creation of various macros and other automated tasks and procedures. Corporate training rarely includes courses in programming languages; but many companies organize courses in programming languages in the framework of broader IT training aimed at business users.

Business software solutions cover all kinds of business activities and industries, thus business applications include virtually all software used by enterprises in their day-to-day operations. Some authors include web browsers on the list of business software; although many IT experts would disagree unless a corporation is using web-based software in its business activities. Very often, corporations deal with huge volumes of data collected into databases, therefore many enterprises have to train their employees how to operate with these databases and benefit from analytical tools incorporated in database management software. Decision making software of all types also deal with huge databases, while a good number of training courses covering the basics of CRM and ERP also cover basic database functionality.

Many enterprises have to organize IT training for their employees when implementation of new business software takes place within an organization. While ready to use solutions require little or no training, complex business systems like CRMs and ERPs usually involve extensive training for company’s personnel to familiarize themselves with advanced functionality of such software. Therefore, virtually all reputable software vendors offer technology training courses as part of the implementation process of ERP and CRM software solutions.

Companies use similar software to deal with similar business procedures like billing and accounting, marketing and sales, customer and technical support, etc. On the other hand, most enterprises apply customized business procedures and accepted business processes might differ from best industry practices. Thus, corporate training may involve technology training courses that cover particular aspects of a customized software solution that is used within an industry or custom-made modules that are designed to be used only within the particular enterprise.

In fact, IT training organized in the form of in-house corporate training may cover all and every software application or operating system because contemporary enterprises use a wide range of software solutions that are highly configurable or customizable.