3G is the game changer for Biz Apps

S. P. Agarwal,
Managing Director, Elan 
Emerging Technologies

Please share a brief history of Elan Emerging Technologies and its business capabilities?

Elan provides Mobile, Cloud and Web Software Apps development along with Web Marketing Services. 

In Mobile, we develop Apps for iOS (Applications that run on iPhone and iPads), Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices. These apps fall in the Enterprise, Education, Business, Games, Productivity, Entertainment, Travel, etc. categories. In Web and Cloud, we develop High Scalable Web-based software that grow with users, Traffic and Volume (imagine Flickr or Facebook unlimited users, unlimited traffic, unlimited Volume) on Cloud computing infrastructure. Consumer Ecommerce, Enterprise CRM, SaaS, E-Learning, etc. are some of the examples.

Under web marketing services, Elan optimizes websites (SEO) for major search engines. This results in websites of our clients ranking on the first page of Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc. for relevant search terms. This is a value-added service to our clients as they are able to get most of their outsourcing needs satisfied under one roof. 

What is the USP of Elan solutions vis-à-vis competition?

We position or differentiate ourselves in the market-based on three major aspects: 

We work on Emerging technologies. Our innovation and research team is always looking out for new ways to solve customers’ problems and develop exciting products for them. Whenever there is a new disruptive technology on the horizon, you can count on Elan to be exploring it.

We have an excellent sense for design which is usually difficult combination to find in the Indian IT companies. We put extra attention to details and have been greatly successful in removing the impression from our customers’ minds that Indian companies are not good at design.

We have strategically based our operations in the second tier city (Ahmedabad) which has allowed us to offer competitive pricing to the customers. Our target customer base is Small, Medium and large sized business and due to their support we have been able to get into Top 50 Fastest-Growing Tech Companies in India and Top 500 in Asia-Pacific for 2011 by Deloitte.

What kind of mobile applications do you come up with?

At Elan, our team of mobile developers is experienced in a variety of mobile application developments. We have expertise in mobile technologies and have developed Custom applications built for large companies to sell their products online and also Games, Market research applications that help companies gather market data for large companies Utilities and Lifestyle applications.

Do you offer any specific applications for Indian consumers?

Due to low 3G and Wi-Fi penetration in India, not many companies and entrepreneurs are looking at developing business applications. And, yes – affordable 3G has a very big impact on penetration of mobile applications. Most of the applications people use on a day-to-day basis (e.g. Twitter, Facebook) lets users connect to the internet on the go. Companies looking to sell their products through mobile channel heavily rely on 3G services in their target geography. 

How big is your R&D team?

Even though most of our programmers are actively involved in R&D on a day-to-day basis, we have a dedicated team of four Senior Engineers and Mobile development experts working on cutting-edge tools and R&D efforts for our clients. At the same time, we maintain great relations with some of the best mobile development companies and UI experts around the world. Innovation, sharing ideas and coming up with the new generation user interface is what keeps Elan ahead in the game.

What kind of expansion plans do you have?

We plan to expand with mobile development industry. We have seen a sustained double-digit growth in our mobile development business – and we are aggressively hiring mobile application developers and architects. Taking into consideration the penetration of iPhone and Android devices in India, introduction of 3G and a large number of mobile users, we see a great opportunity of developing apps for SMBs in India. 

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Suryan reaches Tamil Nadu mobile users

Uninor has announced a first of its kind tie up with Suryan FM powered by Hungama Mobile to bring the Joy of radio in various languages for its customers. The tie-up is said to enable Uninor customers to enjoy a wholesome music experience, in their preferred language from their hometown radio station, accessible on mobile handsets.

Amaresh Kumar, Chief Product Officer, Uninor said "Our current association with Suryan FM in Tamil Nadu is yet another significant step in providing a unique entertainment product to the masses. We are hopeful that these two mediums when bundled together would yield delightful results for all our customers."

Nisha Narayanan, Senior VP Projects & Programming RED FM said, "With the digitalization age at its peak, we are very glad that radio has been included as an integral medium in the telecom sector. Both radio and telecom sector are closely connected with the customers directly, the association comes at a positive note."

The current service would enable Uninor customers to listen the streams through the RED FM stations of Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jamshedpur Chennai (Suryan FM) and Bangalore.

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Monster Mobile App for BlackBerry

MonsterIndia.com has launched the Monster mobile application for BlackBerry smartphones, empowering employers and jobseekers while they are on the move. The free new app is now available for download on BlackBerry App World.

Sanjay Modi, MD, Monster.com (India/ Middle East/ South East Asia), said, "The significant reach and popularity of BlackBerry smartphones in India provides us an ideal platform to reach out to both jobseekers and employers who want access to MonsterIndia.com from their handset. In the backdrop of a dynamic 24X7 lifestyle, this application will provide both seekers and employers using mobile smartphones the valuable convenience of using Monster's offerings on the go."

Annie Mathew, Head of Alliances and Developer Relations in India for RIM, said, "We are pleased to support Monster.com in bringing their app to the BlackBerry platform. The ability to easily integrate the Monster app with RIM's BBM and Universal Search apps allows Monster.com to create a richer and more robust application experience for BlackBerry customers."