In July 2008, Wipro began providing U.S. Patent and Trademark filing and docketing services to Microsoft’s Intellectual Property & Licensing group. Microsoft previously had used a mix of in house resources, outside law firms and offshore vendors to perform these IP services. Moving to Wipro, with its extensive BPO experience, international reach and global delivery capabilities, ensured not only efficiency but also consistency in the way Microsoft does business.

Microsoft facilitated the transition of processes to Wipro by leading domain training for Wipro’s team. Wipro correspondingly developed the LPO framework, tools, trainings, controls and metrics required to drive high productivity and reduced costs for Microsoft. Wipro’s operational rigor, application of tools and various quality improvement methodologies has led to significant gains in both quality and efficiency of the transferred processes. These results have led Microsoft to add international docketing and filing processes to the original US-only processes at Wipro.

Over the past two years, Wipro has developed an impressive IP domain expertise and ability to work on a scale required for Microsoft’s vast IP portfolio. Wipro and Microsoft continue to jointly develop improved domain expertise, processes and case management and work allocation tools to further streamline IP processes.

“The dedicated Microsoft team at Wipro has become a fundamental component of our global Patent operations function,” said Martin Shively, GM of Patent Operations at Microsoft. “The Wipro team works closely with our in-house team to manage one of the world’s largest and most valuable patent portfolios.”

“The success of this partnership is testament to the innovation and dedication demonstrated by Microsoft’s IP team and Wipro’s LPO solutions professionals,” said Saju A. Joseph, General Manager KPO & LPO solutions, Wipro Technologies. “Wipro will continue to integrate legal expertise with process and technology to reduce overall legal cost for its clients”, he added.

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It looks like the global economic turmoil and the dramatic Wall Street meltdown is beginning to hit Bangalore.

The collapse of top US financial firms will cause a dramatic slowdown in hiring among outsourcing companies. The banking, financial services and insurance sectors account for 40 per cent of revenues for India’s $52 billion outsourcing industry (as of 2007-2008).

Firms such as now-bankrupt Lehman Brothers and bought-out Merrill Lynch were big customers and provided millions of dollars worth of lucrative contracts to Indian technology services companies.

Consequently, in the past home-grown Indian outsourcing companies grew by impressive numbers. Infosys and Wipro, the big two employers in Bangalore, were each hiring 10,000 employees or more during recent years. Such spectacular ramp-ups are unlikely to recur any time soon.

For tech employees, jobs no longer come with a lifetime guarantee. Companies are shedding people in small numbers and keeping their actions under the radar. The dreaded pink slips have arrived in Bangalore.

The biggest indicator of the slowdown is the salaries and raises. It used to be acceptable to have lateral hires ask and get 30 per cent increases on their previous salaries. Annual hikes have varied between 15 to 40 per cent in the good years. All that is now a thing of the past. Wage increases are now down to more realistic, single-digit numbers.

At Wipro, legend has it that chairman Azim Premji would ask that toilet paper be rationed, and insist employees switch off lights and air conditioners when leaving a room.

Still, the day may not be far off when outsourcing companies offer their employees reflective yoga instead of salsa dancing. And then the Bangalore workforce will go back to feeling like average tech workers instead of modern-day Maharajas.

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