MUMBAI: ICICI Infotech, a leading provider of
end-to-end IT solutions and Gerber Technology signed an agreement to make ICICI
Infotech an exclusive distributor of Gerber's WebPDM product lifecycle solution
in India. Under the agreement, ICICI Infotech will market WebPDM along with its
existing range of technology solutions for the apparel industry.
With the impending 2005 lifting of trade quotas,
more Indian companies are seeking to improve their competitive position in the
global arena. WebPDM enables manufacturers to communicate flawlessly with
retailers, factories and the entire product development team to keep track of
all the details related to a product, thus reducing product development time,
improving quality and saving money.
With the addition of WebPDM, ICICI Infotech now
provides a complete solution for all product data management and supply chain
management needs. Other ICICI offerings in the apparel product suite include:
- Product Tracking - a secure web-based
event management solution offering real-time information on every step in
the global supply chain; - Line Planning - an image-based tool to
help visually plan a line in the concept or design stage; - Quality Audit - a web-based data
management solution that facilitates the QA data collection process and
provides comprehensive product quality data analysis
According to Mr. Manoj Kunkalienkar, Executive
Director and President, ICICI Infotech, "India is fast gaining leverage as
a global player in the apparel industry. For any burgeoning industry to maintain
and grow its advantage, one player needs to find a competitive edge over others.
ICICI Infotech understands that if Indian manufacturers are to compete on an
international platform, their future is reliant on technology."
 "We have developed this suite of
products using industry best practices and quality standards; they deliver a
faster return on investment through a guaranteed rapid implementation process
uniquely developed by us", he added.
"Gerber's distributor agreement with
ICICI Infotech is the product of two leaders coming together for the advancement
of the industry", said Bob Vallender, Gerber Technology's Regional
Director, Southwest Asia and Africa. "WebPDM, the world's leading product
data management system and ICICI Infotech, a prominent technology leader in
India, means Indian manufacturers now have the best of product and service
available in the country", he added.
From the largest global retailers, like The
Limited, JCPenney, Carrefour and Littlewoods to smaller-scale regional
manufacturers, more companies in the apparel industry rely on WebPDM than on any
other PLM solution to manage their product data and development process. Today,
more than 1,000 companies in over sixty countries now rely on Gerber's WebPDM.
With more than 12,000 seats installed, the software supports over 20,000
individual users.
Gerber also announced this month an agreement
with ICICI Infotech to provide offshore development services for the WebPDM
product line, complementing its sizeable software development team in Dallas,
Texas. This follows on a successful two-year relationship with ICICI Infotech as
a preferred provider of integration and customization services for WebPDM in the
United States.