News in Brief: VMWare, QLogic to invest; Symantec interviews own employees; Aar-em lights up villages

VMWare to invest $100 Million in India

VMware Inc. announced today that it plans to invest more than $100 million in India by 2010, partly to double its research and development workforce in that country to more than 1,000 employees. VMWare currently has R&D centers in Bangalore and Pune. While a lion’s share of the new investment will go to Bangalore, some of it will also be used to expand VMWare’s Pune facility.

Source: VMWare Press Release

QLogic announces Development Lab in Pune

QLogic Corp. (Nasdaq:QLGC), a leader in networking for storage and high performance computing (HPC), today announced the opening of the QLogic International Development Lab (QIDL) in the heart of Pune, India. QLogic is hiring engineers now for the QIDL, located in the ICC Trade Towers off Senapati Bapat Road. According to their press release the QIDL development team is expected to help “design the future” of networking for storage and HPC. For details, contact hr-india@qlogic.com.

Source: TechNewsRelease.

Symantec Pune conducts interviews of own employees

It is common practice to conduct exit interviews of employees leaving a company to find out why they are leaving and thus identifying weaknesses of an organization. Symantec, Pune is turning the concept on its head by conducting interviews of employees who have been with the company for a long time, and focusing on the strengths of the organization that made them stay back.

After selecting leaders from this group of Symantec loyalists, their example and achievements were put before the others on the company intranet. “This benefited us. Now these leaders have not only got recognition for their extra-efficiency, it has also encouraged others to see whether they can be incorporated in this list of leaders,” says Abhay Valsangkar, Symantec India’s head of HR.

Source: Sify Business.

Aar-em Electronics Pvt. Ltd. a Pune based firm known for its Champion brand of Uninterruptible Power Supplies now has entered the field of providing Uninterruptible light source for villages after sunset by providing them lights and other utilities powered by solar energy.

“MOHRI” a village situated at 100 kms from Pune City Maharashtra, India having 27 houses and a population of 160 of which 75 are children today boasts of having electricity which has been provided by Aar-em Electronics Pvt. Ltd. Where once life practically came to a standstill at sundown are now abuzz with activities. The solar-based devices have illuminated the villagers’ houses like never before- kerosene lamps are a thing of the past now. Even, infotainment is beamed to them through solar-powered television sets.

Aar-em is offering a system which typically contains a roof-installed solar PV module, storage battery, charge controller, interior wiring, and switches and fixtures with the capacity to power two- low-wattage high power LED modules.

Source: Business Wire India