The Big Bash!

CYBAGETIMESJanuary 2011

News Magazine of Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd.

My Family

The Big Bash!

Chase the sun – Paul Conover

Rendezvous with Rajesh Kurup

Multi-talented CybagiansAdventure Unlimited

Editors’ note

The Desk

Don’t bury your talent in the ground; in fact,

nurture and develop it. This will only help you both professionally and personally. In this age, monotony sets in and becomes very much a part of day-to-day living. Don’t let it control you. Energize yourself by indulging in various activities – extra-circular activities – or for that matter, even a simple routine at the gym would work wonders. These perfect stress busters come as rescue in your regimental lives. Here’s another stress buster – CybageTimes – dressed in a different avatar each time. We try to compile an interesting collection of articles featuring your colleagues and share with you inspirational insights on the families of Cybagians. In every issue, we try and incorporate your suggestions to make the magazine more interesting. So, help us help you and let your creative thoughts flow.

Conten

ts

Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd.An SEI-CMMI Level 5 assessed & ISO 27001 company

HQ: Cybage Towers, Wadgoan Sheri (Kalyani Nagar), Pune 411014, India. Tel: 91 20 6604 4700, Fax: 91 20 6604 1701

www.cybage.com

Pune | Hyderabad | Gandhinagar | Seattle | New Jersey | San Francisco | London

CybageTimes | Jan 2011 | 2

Interviews6 Rendezvous with Rajesh Kurup 9 Me & Harley11 Paul Conover 30 My Family

Events & Activities 12 The Big Bash!

18 Happenings 24X7

21 CybageAsha

28 Adventure Unlimited

Comments & Opinion 3 Readers’ Feedback

14 My Cybage

25 Just Chill!

31 Success & You

Talent & Creativity10 Multi-talented Cybagians

16 My work of Art

-The CybageTimes Editorial team

Designed by Vilas Ghodke and Anusha Gawade, content reviewed by Documentation Team

Tech Talk 22 Cloud Computing

27 Tech Quiz

4 Executive Speak

8 News

20 Leadership summit 2010

24 Gizmos

26 Resolutions

CybageTimes rocks!

Not just me, even my wife Vaishakhi, an ex-Cybagian, looks forward to each upcoming issue of CybageTimes. In my opinion, CybageTimes has a felt presence in the organization; it effectively portrays Cybage’s culture and its people. Indeed, CybageTimes rocks...

I suggest that we also dedicate a section in CybageTimes to people who complete five years in Cybage.

Bhavik Panchmatia | Delivery Manager

Creativity, inspirational stories, achievements

Splendid presentation, marvelous creativity, inspirational stories, and achievements aptly describe the issue of CybageTimes. The issue finely brought out the remarkable journey of Cybage that made me feel proud to be a Cybagian. It is also interesting to know about the happenings across Cybage.

Isha Joshi | QA Analyst

Impression of CybageTimes

I was fascinated reading ‘Journey of Cybage’, which beautifully depicted the journey of our company.

‘Executive Speak’, where our CEO spoke about the initial years at Cybage and the warm spirit of Cybagians, was truly inspiring. I also enjoyed the amazing photography in ‘My Work of Art’.

Mayuri Karanjkar | Sr. Technical Writer

Include sports fever, cultural curry

I appreciate the efforts put in by the CybageTimes team for featuring the organizational initiatives and activities presented in an engaging prose and appealing design.

You can also include a sports and a cultural section. The sections should list the name of winners (with photographs) in various events at Cybage.

Ajay Dewani | QA Engineer

Feature family interview

The July 2010 issue of CybageTimes was quite attractive. It was also an opportunity for me, as a new joinee, to know more about my fellow Cybagians and the happenings from yesteryear. It would be nice if we include a section where along with our CEO, COO, CTO, and VPs, their families are also interviewed.

Prathyusha Karnati | QA Engineer

Readers’ feedback

OpinionExecutive speak

Every CybageTimes issue carries a poignant message from Arun.

In the last edition, he talked about Cybage as a brand. Fifteen years of hard work and persistence that it took to make what Cybage is today shines through in Arun’s message.

J. Ramkrishna Murty | Sr. Project Manager

Please send your feedback to:

[email protected]


CybageTimes connect

CybageTimes acquaints me

with various facets of the organization, be it Cybage clientele, multi-talented Cybagians, or the year-round events and activities. For a newcomer like me, CybageTimes provides an insight into the value system and leadership that has nurtured Cybage, especially Arun’s ‘Executive Speak’ proves to be an instant connect.

Kannan Vanni | Process Head

Executive Speak

Being health conscious has an optional flavor in our country.

In western countries, staying healthy is an integral part of daily living. My first stint in becoming health conscious started during my MS days in USA. Motivation? Everyone around me looked fit, so I decided to get in shape, look and feel good about myself, and merge with the crowd. But I let go of the regime when I settled down with a job. Years later,

I again became health conscious when I got engaged. This time, the driving force was the urge to look good for my fiancée. Then once I got married and relocated to India, I let it go again! Soon the sedentary life style kicked in, and before I realized, I had put on 20 pounds! A few years back, I fell very ill and in the tests that followed, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol. That was a wake-up call for me! What good is any form of

success that is not accompanied by a healthy mind and body?

I decided to hit the gym again with a high degree of cardio workout including treadmill and squash coupled with a stringent diet. Within months, I had shed those extra pounds, but I had also lost a lot of muscle weight in the process. So, I started a weight-training regime and took high-protein diet to build back the lost muscles. Now, exercising and a balanced diet have become an integral part of my lifestyle—just like brushing teeth and bathing. I work out before my breakfast and follow it religiously irrespective of the time I go to bed.

They say “happy” chemicals released during exercise are known to have strong effects on a person’s

temperament, such as reducing anxiety and depression. Experts also concur that exercise disciplines the mind and the body and helps let go of the casual “chalta hai” attitude in life when you are up against tough situations. I agree. I know I am never going to let go of this third spell. Reason? This time I did it for myself and not for others!

What good is any form of success that is not accompanied by a healthy mind and body?

Arun Nathani | CEO & MD

Healthy body. Healthy mind!


Losing weight demands preparation, effort, and commitment. I am yet

to lose some more weight. I once weighed 96 kg; now I am at 75 kg and had gone down to 69 kg during the weight loss regime. Only with diet control, I lost up to 10 kg in 5 months and then I started working out and lost the remaining weight.

I follow three days of cardio and three days of weight training in a week. I am regular at gym except on days when I am travelling or I am too busy, which is about a period of 8–9 weeks in a year.

I am a foodie to the core, but eating right is most important. On weekdays, I eat light and have an early carb-free dinner.

When on vacation, travelling, or on weekends, I don’t exercise control over the choice of food, be it sweets,

chocolates, pastry, or junk food. But the weekdays pull me back into order. It’s important to feel full, otherwise you are not taking the right steps.

What many people don’t understand is that they are constantly either gaining, or losing fat. There is no in-between. The key to losing weight long term is to make gradual lifestyle changes you can stick to forever.

You have to work at being fit and be prepared for those times when you slip, so you can pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on.

I have been a sports enthusiast since childhood and love playing almost

every game. Sports kept me in good shape until my college days. When I

got married and moved to the US in the late 80s, I put on over 40 pounds even before I had realized. This was essentially because of me being a major foodie with a taste for global cuisine. Since then, my struggle to shed those extra pounds started. I exercise regularly and try to follow a diet plan (in vain).

My weekday begins with a one-hour gym session under a personal trainer’s guidance, doing heavy weights and

cardio on alternate days. Saturdays are usually reserved for my new found passion—golf at the Poona Club or the Oxford Golf Course. On Sundays, I try to catch a game of badminton or squash with my wife or son. This is followed by a relaxing massage!

For overall fitness, it is also important to lead a stress-free life. I don’t take work home or home to office because I believe in not mixing work with personal life. This helps me to remain relaxed and enjoy with my family. I love watching sports on TV or catching a comedy serial or a movie on the weekends. Occasionally, I also take a ride on my bicycle. This helps me to de-stress.

Well, this year, I hope to lose at least 10 kg. I plan to achieve this by watching my diet more carefully, specially my dinners.

Deepak Nathani | COO

Jagat Pal Singh | CTO

For overall fitness, it is also important to lead a stress-free life.

I am a foodie to the core, but eating right is most important.


As a youngster, Rajesh Kurup had a burning desire to represent India in sports. However, life had different plans

for him. After graduation, on his father’s advice, he joined NIIT. He did exceedingly well and was offered a job at NIIT. “I had to justify the obscene amount of money that my father spent for the course,” quips Rajesh. “Success is not always goal-driven.” For Rajesh, it is discovery-driven.

Soon, overseas came calling and he was working for Ministry of Defense, UAE. He would be there for six years maneuvering the project from the base up. But, challenges eluded him in the Middle East. US posed that challenge and Rajesh went for it. He says, “In the US, you are trying to convince a client who is probably as knowledgeable as you are. Meeting such clients was scary. As a consultant, you have to justify your recommendations to, sometimes, a 10-member panel of stakeholders. There lies the real challenge.”

How did he manage the huge accomplishments that followed? Rajesh says, “I swear by a combination of smart and hard work. Brilliance is inborn. You either have it or you don’t. But, the effort and the focus on your part can definitely be intensified.”

How did Cybage happen? In 2000, Rajesh came back from the US. He bought an apartment in Kalyani Nagar. He was busy setting up his home and running errands to have the interiors done. One day, he got into his apartment elevator and pressed the second floor button but in vain. That’s when the US-returned Rajesh was offered a desi-advice by a cheerful voice: “It doesn’t work this way. Press ‘4’. And from the fourth floor, it readily takes you to the second.” En route 0-4-2, the

Rendezvous with Rajesh

When asked about his future plans, he replies, “I will retire from Cybage...”

Reflections

In an interview with CybageTimes, Rajesh Kurup, Sr. Vice President – Media & Entertainment Practice, shares his reflections on his personal life and professional career. In so doing, he reveals how success is achieved and how it is passed on to others.

L-R: Marissa, Rajesh, Sanaaya and their pet dog, Shades


gentlemen got introduced to each other. The other gentleman was Deepak Nathani. Rajesh affirms, “Deepak got off on the right foot with me as with everyone he interacts.” Eventually, Rajesh visited the two-bungalow Cybage and was wholly taken up by the environment. “My instincts told me that this is the place where I would be working,” says Rajesh.

Although a man of few words, Rajesh is an unfailing support for his team members. His mantra for success: Focus on the goal, secure the means to achieve it, and go after it with everything you have. He chalks out a very practical strategy for growth. He explains, “It’s pointless to aim for the impractical. One has to set measured goals for oneself, find ways to get there, and bring things into play that others have not thought of. Once the goal is achieved, you move forward to the next goal.”

His approach in life is backed by a strong set of values which he inherited from his parents. Rajesh believes in the basic goodness of people. He says, “Nobody is bad by choice. And, if someone makes a mistake, criticize the action but respect the person. That’s the only way to conduct in life – personal or professional.”

Life was not without its trials for this young achiever. Rajesh, who represented Cybage in various cricket tournaments and

is an avid badminton player, was hospitalized for a coronary condition. Rajesh reminiscences, “I went through a period of denial. Not even ECG reports could convince me that I was overtaken by a debilitating illness. It took four months to

reconcile myself to the reality. The inner strength that was needed was huge.” This was also when Rajesh realized how consoling it is to have your family around. His wife, Marissa, has been his pillar of strength. “No matter how affluent a family

you come from, when it comes to nourishing a vision for life, it is up to the individual. In my case, my wife endowed me with one,” opines Rajesh. Marissa and Rajesh, and their 14-year old daughter, Sanaaya, make one happy family. There is also a pet dog, Shades, who happily slouches in a warm corner when Rajesh leaves home to face the day ahead. Rajesh envies him a lot.

Rajesh’s association with Cybage has been most fulfilling. “The environment here is most conducive for work. People easily fall in line with the Cybage work ethos. I enjoy being here and expect more responsibilities to come my way,” remarks Rajesh.

When asked about his future plans, he replies, “I will retire from Cybage...”

“Success is not always goal- driven.” For Rajesh, it is discovery-driven.


News

Corporate waves

Arun Nathani, CEO & MD Cybage, won the Global HR Excellence Award at the

2010 Times of India Ascent Asia Pacific HRM Congress held in Bangalore recently. The award was presented in the category of “CEO’s with HR orientation”. The award acknowledges individuals or organizations that are outstanding HR practitioners and are judged on parameters such as strategic perspective, business goal management, risk management, team orientation and people management, networking, change agent, customer focus, business acumen, performance management, and achieving excellence.

Arun Nathani is the recipient of the “DCCIA Pune Award for Excellence” in the “Best Industrialist” category. The award for excellence was presented by the Deccan Chamber of Commerce Industries & Agriculture (DCCIA), Pune, at its recently held annual awards ceremony. The purpose of the DCCIA Pune Awards for Excellence is to recognize and appreciate eminent individuals for their business excellence and present them as role models to the society.

Ranked amongst top 10 in the Media and Entertainment space by IAOPCybage has been ranked as one of the 10 Best Leaders in the Media and Entertainment Industry by IAOP in the global outsourcing 100 list. Another feather in the cap for Cybage has been the ranking in the 20 Best Leaders by Industry Specific Services Provided.

Featured in 2010 Global Services 100 List Cybage has been featured as a 2010 Global Services 100 provider for the second consecutive year. The GS 100 model is based on four primary pillars: Management Excellence, Customer

Cybage Expands Footprints in UK & EuropeExpanding its global footprints, Cybage has recently set up an office in the UK. This will help Cybage undertake effective near-shore relationship management with existing clients and further explore the markets in the UK and Europe.

Best Industrialist 2010

Global HR Excellence award

Maturity, Global Delivery Maturity and breadth of Services Portfolio.

Featured among Top Specialty Product Engineering VendorsCybage has been featured in the Top Specialty Product Engineering Vendor category list in the Global Services 100 (GS100) study in addition to being featured in the 2010 Global Services 100 list.

Microsoft Certified Gold PartnerIn addition to being MSVP Preferred Vendor, Preferred Vendor for Digital Marketing Platform Service, and Preferred Vendor for BI and Data Analytic, Cybage is also a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner.

While most sections of CybageTimes reflect news & events that are internal to the organization, the ‘News’ section is about key corporate achievements in newsprint


Devdatta Rege | (Vice President - Large Enterprises)

Devdatta, in his role as Vice President - Large Enterprises, holds a strategic position at managing client relations and controlling the overall delivery of strategic large accounts at Cybage. Devdatta holds B.Tech and M.Tech degrees in

Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay and a Graduate Certification in Business Management from Harvard University, USA.

Vroom...

News

SG Murthi | (Vice President - Health IT & Life Sciences)

SG Murthi, in his role as Vice President – Healthcare & Life Sciences (HC & LS) spearheads Cybage’s dedicated service

offerings in the HC & LS space. SG holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunication from Madurai Kamaraj University and an MS degree with specialization in Software Systems from BITS.

Nandan A Dasannacharya | Head_Business Development, Europe

Nandan, a seasoned business development professional with over 15 years of in-depth experience, focuses on two key areas at Cybage—growing our footprint through

acquisition of new clients and building on existing relationships with our strategic accounts across Europe. Nandan holds a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from VJTI, Bombay and a Masters in Marketing.

We welcome you on board

Me & Harley

A few months ago, a neatly sculpted, appealing monster stood imposingly in

the Cybage premises. Day after day the bike would announce its arrival with its

signature vroom. After much flurry that it generated among Cybagians,

there were enquiries about the owner of this Harley—one of the first in

Pune. And... here we have the proud owner relate his Harley experience to you.

Deepak Nathani on his Harley-Davidson’s Dyna Super Glide® Custom

(This 1600 cc model has a six-speed cruise drive gearbox and a torque of 123 Nm @3125 rpm and weighs around 300 kg.)


Since when have you been into bikes?

Believe it or not, Harley is the first bike that I own. My closest experience with a two-wheeler prior to Harley was a Bajaj Chetak that I rode before moving to the US way back in mid 80s. A couple of years ago, for the fun of it, I grabbed my son’s friend’s bike and took it for a spin. And boy! It did make me feel 20 years younger. I then decided to buy one.

Why Harley?

Just when I decided to buy a bike, there was news of Harley hitting the Indian shores.

Harley is an iconic brand with a cult-like following in the US. It has been associated with raw freedom and empowerment, feelings akin to all riders of Harley. Little wonder then that, my dream of owning it someday started when I was in the US.

How was your first Harley experience?

In the month of May last year, Harley dealership was established in Mumbai, and a test ride was arranged in the Fountain area. The first sight of Harley was quite intimidating, and the elegant sprawl of chrome dazzled my eyes. For the first time, I rode pillion. The rider pressed the shifter down to the first gear, released the clutch, and raced the monster slightly... I almost got offloaded because of the G-force. But, when I rode it myself, the fear gave way to a sense of control.

It was like taming an unruly spirit.

As a prestigious owner of Harley, what do you look forward to?

Every time I take a ride on my Harley on Pune roads, I feel like

a celebrity and it is certainly worth every penny. I would love to join a bikers’ club and go on long drives to Lonavala, Lavasa, Mahabaleshwar, and many more places. Some folks have even suggested getting a cool tattoo to complete the picture.

We have a mixed bag of Cybagians who have flair for arts, agility required of sportspersons, and sensitivity towards social

issues. At Cybage, they get a wide playing field to express themselves and fuel their interests further. Here are three exemplary Cybagians who have made us proud by their contributions and achievements.

‘Focus on the journey, not on the destination. Joy is not found in

finishing things, but in doing them. This has guided Ruchi in her life and affected others who came in touch with her. She is fond of cultural events and their promotion, which is evident from the fact that she was a member of the Annual Bash ’09 and ‘10 steering committees and, a member of the Bhangra group during the Annual Bash ’08. She won the ‘best dressed employee’ award on Independence Day ’09 and ’10. Her passion for dance is insatiable. She is an active participant in the ballroom sessions. A lover of adventure, she was one of the most active members of Trek Unlimited. Ruchi has already led various trekking events. This, coupled with her writing abilities, got her the Best Travelogue award from Trek Unlimited. She is attentive to social issues and does her bit for the needy through CybageAsha. Her varied interests include playing guitar, reading, and photography. Multi-talented indeed!

Blend a software professional with a sportsman and an artist, and you get

Shridhar. A Cybagian for more than five years now, being a senior analyst, he is a source of motivation to his co-workers. Having won the singles title once, standing runner-up twice, and winning twice in the doubles and mixed doubles category of the annual Badminton tournaments at Cybage, he justifies the title of ‘Ace Shuttler’ bestowed upon him. His achievements are not limited to only Cybage. He has won Inter-Corporate Badminton tournament twice. He is brilliant in TT as well and reached the Cybage TT quarter-finals in 2007. He excels not only in sports, but also at managing sports events. He’s been a part of the Sports Committee since 2006 and was involved in organizing various sports tournaments. Besides sports, he is active on other fronts too. He loves to dance. In Dandiya nights held each year in Cybage, he is a participant who stands out in the crowd for his enthusiasm. You can see him doing musical skits and dance shows during the VP Bash. Bravo, you made us proud!

Passion

Atul Srivastava | System Analyst

Shridhar Kawley | Sr. QA Analyst

Multi-talented Cybagians

Ruchi Shukla | Software Engineer


Atul possesses talent as well as drive. He is part of the

Cybage Cultural committee and the CybageAsha committee and is an active participant in various events at Cybage, such as sports week, traditional day, and, of course, the Cybage Bash. He has also organized various fund-collecting activities for CybageAsha. Atul is a reservoir of energy and ideas. Be it organizing potluck or initiating activities such as cubicle decoration, puppet-making, celebrating occasions such as Mother’s day, or conducting one-minute games, Atul knows how to delight his colleagues. He is as much at home writing skits as he is when walking the ramp. Atul’s hobbies include driving, music, horse riding, shooting, swimming, and photography. He is truly versatile!

and competitive market, the extra mile is the expected contribution. The challenge we face is to innovate so that we can maintain a balance.

An everlasting memory at Cybage

• Driving with Raju (office driver). He would be wealthy driving in the US NASCAR circuit

• I was part of some fantastic team and cultural activities.

Your passion My family is my greatest passion. This drives every other passion I have in life. Work, technology, outdoors... it all comes back to supporting my family and enriching life at home.

Social cause I’ve served in Boy Scouts of America for 15 years and have given service to youth organizations because I believe our future rests with today’s youth. This belief is founded from my own personal religious beliefs and the value of an individual.

One liner that best describes India Unmatched culture and population.

I believe... I need each person to understand how what they do impacts our customers. I want us to succeed together. I strongly believe we are one team. We have a great and much needed product in the market. As we strive to satisfy these customers with improved quality, we’ll continue to see just how needed our products are in today’s economy.

Chase thesun

Partnership with Cybage Cybage has a great team of leaders and individuals. Our partnership not only allows us to “chase the sun”, but also helps our team be greater than it would otherwise be. Cybage brings years of experience to our partnership and with it, long standing relationships. Cybage is considered part of our team. We cannot succeed without you.

Your views on...• Work-life balance We work to live and not the other way around. We should always strive to keep a healthy life balance in all that we do.

• Team spirit Being able to work as a team is critical to achieve synergies. Being able to

pull together, support each other, and achieve success enriches our work experience. We should celebrate and enjoy our accomplishments as a team. At the same time, we should also recognize our challenges and tackle them together.

• Leadership Natural leaders are hard to find. They should be held on to, and modeled.

• Going the extra mile Going the extra mile is not extra anymore. In today’s tough economy

“Cybage is considered part of our team. We cannot succeed without you,”Paul Conover - Dir, SQA Engineer | Enterprise Management Group, Symantec Corporation – Lindon

Partnership

My family is my greatest passion. This drives every other passion I have in life.

R-L: Paul Conover with Delivery Head, Rajnikant Tripathi


Pune Dabang

Amidst lot of jubilation and excitement, Cybage celebrated its 16th Annual

Bash with zing. It was a spectacular event with Arun Nathani (CEO & MD, Cybage) and Deepak Nathani (COO, Cybage) along with their wives, Ritu and Sheena Nathani, respectively, playing the perfect host to over 3000 Cybagians and their families. The celebration began with an outstanding performance by Santosh Shetty’s troupe who danced to the enthralling tune of Vande Mataram. The musical mood continued with famed singer Mohit Chauhan taking the crowd through a spellbound journey of his melodious numbers from Bollywood.

This was followed by the speech from the CEO, Arun Nathani, where he spoke about achievements of Cybage as it continues to

evolve as a global IT leader; he also touched upon the contribution of IT professionals in making our country scale new heights. What came next was felicitating 20 bright Cybagians who completed their successful journey of 10 years at Cybage. A special event that completely stole the show was the “Cybage Management Dance”. With colorful attires and synchronized steps on tracks from the movies Tees Maar Khan and Dabang, the management truly became the star of the night. The performance was so engaging that it left the crowd with a unanimous cheer for “Once More”. To mark a perfect ending to this joyous mood, Cybagians showcased some of their fine steps while dancing on the foot-tapping music by the DJ.

The Big Bash!

Jagat Pal Singh

Amit Gajwani

Rajesh Kurup

Jaikrishnan

Amit Mulay

Raghava Reddy

Sai Balaji

Chirag Bindal

Sunita Pawar

Meera Menon

Rajnikant Tripathi

Sanju Desai

Shamshu Hirani

Shreerang Mahajan

Vinay Joshi

Ketan Parekh

Yogesh Kshatriya

Abhijit Kulkarni

Bhupendra Tope

Anshuman Deshmukh

Congrats on 10 years

A splendid performance!

Flavors of the evening


The much-awaited Cybage Gandhinagar Annual Bash was celebrated with much zeal and fervor at The Grand Bhagwati Hotel. The graceful presence of Arun and Ritu Nathani along with Devdatta Rege (Vice President - Large Enterprises) made the event memorable. An inspirational speech from our CEO, Arun Nathani, gripped the audience. Devdatta appended

his thoughts on the big bash, and Ritu walked down the lane of reminiscences of her youthful days in Gujarat.

The foot-tapping songs from Bollywood, performed by Rajesh Awasthi, rocked the crowd. The special performance by our DMs and Managers on the title track of the movie Dabang left hands applauding and echoing ‘Once More’!

Hyderabad DumThe Cybage Hyderabad Annual Bash was celebrated at The Westin. The event was graced by our CEO, Arun Nathani and his wife Ritu. The Management and Senior Managers took the center stage on the title track from Dabang, leaving the crowd mesmerized by their performance. Two of our clients, Naveen Arcot from Purusharta and Radhika from SendWordNow, also honored us with their presence. Other events included a musical band performance by Guru Enterprises and a trendy ramp walk and dance by Cybagians.

Gandhinagar Tadka

Mohit Chauhan enthralling Cybagians

Strike a pose

GNR team rocks!

Sai Balaji takes center stage


My Cybage

Growing and Glowing

G&G is the most creative and wonderful training program

I have ever attended. It is very well researched and logically organized. The sessions are aimed at sharpening your leadership skills and improving your self-

esteem. The program is based on have-fun-while-you-learn theme. Besides, it helps us realize the importance of work-life balance.

G&G gave me an opportunity to introspect and foresee my career path. The program proved to be a turning point in my life. Participating in G&G and being honored as the best participant was my rare fortune.

Hats off to the G&G training team! Thanks a ton to Cybage for all the good things.

Ashish Mahale | Associate PM

Growth is the biggest reward

I have completed close to five years in Cybage.

In retrospect, I feel that my journey at Cybage has been extremely fruitful and enriching. Opportunities in

the form of challenges and responsibilities came my way from time to time. Opportunities led to growth and career advancement.

What more can I ask for? I have no second thoughts about referring my friends to Cybage.

K Vidya Sagar Reddy | Sr. System Analyst

Learning all the way

At Cybage, I took up the manager’s role as a beginner,

and I can boast of being the first documentation manager hired by Cybage directly at that level. On my journey, I discovered new avenues where I could have more

meaningful exchanges with people around. From being an event manager to a soft skills trainer, I did everything to which I could bring my skills and understanding. I learnt the art of multi-tasking. New challenges kept coming and I found myself growing with each passing day. It’s here that I got opportunities to work with some excellent leaders and I was exposed to new perspectives on leadership and management. It makes me feel good that my organization is doing its bit for the society through CybageAsha.

M. Qais Mujeeb | Sr. Manager – Documentation

Cybage - the place for me

The culture in Cybage and the kind support I received

from every individual and department made me find my zeal for work. What impresses me is the interest that the

management shows in the personal growth of the employees and building their career path.

If you put in your best, have job satisfaction, and align yourself to the organization’s expectations, you are assured of an overwhelming success ahead. I witnessed this in Cybage.

Nitin Pangrekar | CSM, Manager – Process

WorkplaceOur workplace is not just the infrastructure that surrounds us.

It is more about people and our interactions with them. When we look closely, we realize that there are many people and incidents that help, teach, inspire, support, and motivate us to aim high and achieve success. Here’s a glimpse into our workplace as some of us see it... Let’s find out what makes it tick!


Life-changing moment

We set for ourselves

goals that drive us. But somewhere down the road, we experience an event that changes the course of our lives. Prashant

Tripathi, Sr. Tech Support Executive, describes how a CHANCE meeting turned out to be a ‘Life-Changing Moment’.

Howard Zinn, a well-known author and historian once said, “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” The saying came true in my case.

I graduated from the elite National Defence Academy in 2002. An injury that persisted since my training period was a big blow to my career. Because I had always aspired to wear the olive green uniform, the dilemma that haunted me after leaving the force was: what will I do next?

One of my acquaintances from Pune suggested that I visit Fergusson College to seek admission, which would save two crucial years of my academic career. I followed his advice. I met Prof. Chakranarayan, the vice principal of the institute at that time. It was my good fortune that I met him. Not only did he counsel me properly, but also gave me admission at a time when the academic year was concluding. He was my savior at that time.

The chance encounter with him boosted my morale that had taken a hit. It also re-affirmed my belief that life has its own plan. I managed to sail through the exams pretty easily thereafter. I also met friends who are still with me. Above all, I met a beautiful girl who became my life partner.

The humane side

CybageAsha invited Nivant, an organization that works for the visually challenged, to organize

an exhibition-cum-sale in the Cybage premises. Seeing the kids from Nivant sell chocolates and handmade roses and draw smiley, I experienced mixed feelings of joy and despair. I can never forget the sight of those kids selling merchandise to the Cybage employees. Their spirit was amazing.

Their attitude towards life was awe-inspiring and has altered the way I look at things.

Sana Asaria | Sr. HR Executive

My team, my family!

It is hard to single out a memorable moment as each day at Cybage is memorable to me. Here

I met people who worship their work. I hear my seniors saying, “Approach work with passion; money has to follow.” Their example is very motivating. The team, of which I am a part, is more like a family. I have friendly and caring team mates. My team empathizes with the problems of

its team members and stands united. This is what I cherish the most about my team at Cybage.

Ameya Marathe | Sr. Executive – Business Development

Milestone of my career

Everyone has a burning desire to excel and looks for an ideal place to manifest his or her

potential. Thus, everyone wants to rise in life. I am no exception. It was on May 13, 2010 that I got a call from Cybage. Thanks to a very good friend Arpita Mehta, who referred me for the position of SQA. It was a milestone of my career. I’m extremely proud to be a member of the ‘Process

Team’. The profile offers interesting prospects and an opportunity to fulfill my dreams that I dreamt since my college days.

“It is not what you have, but how you make the best use of what you have, that makes the difference in your life.”

Anurag Singh | SQA Process

My work of art

Photography

Roopali Katta | UI Designer

Satvashil Jagtap | Design Analyst

An ensemble of fine photography contributed by our talented Cybagians

Hrushikesh Rao | Sr. UI Designer

Awesh Shrivastava | UI Manager

Prachi Bhrugwar | UI HOD

CybageTimes | Dec 2010 | 12

Christmas celebrations at St. Wahlberg’s Old Age Home

Happenings 24X7

Activities

Musical night at Cybage

Drums workshop

Traditional day

Winners of pool tournament

Dandiya night

Cloud Computing team’s boating adventure

Process team outing to Girivan


17

14

UI Flash Flex team outing to Bhandardara

Pune International Marathon

Puppet making competition

Cybage INC Diwali celebrations

Cybage Hyderabad 4 year’s celebrations

Strike a pose - Marketing team

Cybage 15-years celebrations

Winners of badminton and TT tournaments


With grace and style, Cybage hosted the Leadership Summit at The Taj

Exotica, Goa and the Managers’ Meet 2010 at Hotel Westin, Pune.

Amidst rapturous applause, the curtain raiser was a welcome speech by Deepak Nathani, COO Cybage, which set the tone for the event. Amit Gajwani, Sr. Vice President – Business Development, and Jagat Pal Singh, Chief Technology Officer, took center-stage sharing the company’s projections and technology updates, respectively, for the coming year.

Guest speaker Mr. Raghunath Medge, president of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association, took the audience by surprise with his riveting speech on their business model that is globally

recognized and acknowledged by top management institutes in the world. He is also a celebrated six sigma champion.

Arun Nathani, CEO & MD Cybage, left the crowd overwhelmed as he unfolded the ‘Cybage 2020’ vision through his engaging presentation on ‘Growth through Transformation’. He conveyed

his thoughts on his ambitious growth plans to become one of the top software services companies globally. The session was made interactive with games in between of which everyone was a part.

The events concluded with lasting memories and everybody gathering for the ‘Cheese!’ moment.

Leadership Summit & Managers’ Meet 2010

Summit

Two events, two exotic venues, and one central theme “Growth Through Transformation.” The Cybage Leadership Summit and the Managers’ Meet 2010 were truly eventful. From charismatic speeches and presentations to games and attractive prizes, the events left Cybagians with the zeal to achieve more.

Taj Exotica, Goa

Hotel Westin, Pune Fun moments in Goa

Mr Raghunath Medge (fourth from the right) with the Cybage Senior Management team


Arun Nathani, CEO - Cybage, along with his

wife, Ritu Nathani, have initiated a new charitable organization called the ‘Khushboo Charitable Trust’ that focuses on education. The primary objective of this trust is to strengthen society by creating educational opportunities for the under-privileged people.

The trust announced its first

scholarship program to help needy students from Pune to pursue further education after the Xth grade. This program was offered to students who have a strong desire to pursue higher academics, but cannot do so because of financial constraints.

The response to this scholarship program was overwhelming. Under this program, the Khushboo

Charitable trust sponsored 64 children for the academic year 2010–11. The trust shall now offer scholarships to 200 students for the next academic year.

Extending this initiative, the trust also plans to offer scholarships for specialized courses in Medicine and Engineering.

Fulfilling dreams through education

CybageAsha

CybageAsha and Khushboo Charitable Trust have made significant contributions to the Education of the under-privileged. Here’s a brief on why these organizations will be remembered for their noble contributions in this field.

The post matriculate scholorship to 64 underpriviledged students

The Karnawadi primary school inauguration programme Inauguration of classroom at Karnawadi

Karnawadi in Bhor Taluka, Maharashtra, was adopted by CybageAsha a few years ago with the aim to develop the

infrastructure in the village, upgrade the living standards, and raise the literacy level of the villagers.

To steer the course of the dwindling education scene in Karnawadi, CybageAsha joined hands with the villagers and encouraged them to approach the local governing bodies for funds. The collections were not sufficient to achieve the desired goal. CybageAsha donated the remaining funds, about 60%, of the total required amount to make this dream a reality. Now, where there was a dilapidated tenement, there stand two

classrooms decorated with informative and visually exciting themes for students. The local governing body was impressed with the new school and agreed to provide playground equipment for kids.

This project is a fine example of Private–Public Partnership. It has brought about a positive change in villagers’ thinking towards education and has motivated the local government authority to provide better school infrastructure. One good idea implemented is better than thousands being merely contemplated.

CybageAsha - Karnawadi


Khushboo Charitable Trust

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing marks a paradigm shift from the on-premises software models. It is a revolutionary approach to selling and

provisioning computing resources at a rapid pace on the Internet. Virtualization technology, which gets over the one-to-one dependence between hardware and software, heralded the cloud computing revolution.

Cloud computing creates uncluttered workplaces-although sounds very naïve, is true for enterprises that place their businesses on cloud. No installation of costly hardware, no maintenance overheads, no undue focus on non-core businesses—cloud computing lets businesses to live up to their USP. Now, even small businesses can ensure that their non-core businesses are handled by someone better prepared to do it, that too, at an affordable cost.

The cloud umbrella has spread to embrace varied computing utilities and services that are broadly divided into:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS): IAAS provides a bare machine with basic fixes.

• Platform as a Service (PAAS): PAAS is technology specific. It provides virtual machines with basic platforms and a cluster of frameworks.

• Software as a Service (SAAS): SAAS targets domain-specific computing utilities such as Leave Management system, ERP, and CRM.

There are other variants such as Data as a Service and Information as a Service—all included under cloud computing. In all the cases, provisioning of computing resources or services can happen at a rapid pace.

BenefitsPlacing your business on cloud has immense advantages.

Lesser upfront cost: Companies interested in using same functionality can hire a space on the application server farm that executes application programs for multiple clients (SAAS model). With one application and multiple tenants, the licensing costs are also shared by the companies. Besides, the system architecture guarantees strong isolation of data. So, data integrity is well maintained.

Reduced overall cost: The responsibility of administering infrastructure

In the IT space, there is no privileged minority that benefits from its technological advancements. By far, IT has been a level playing field. We are all witness to the pace at which IT automation has penetrated processes in the industry. However, processes tend to grow larger and more complex over time. If the same levels of efficiency and effectiveness have to be maintained, the processes need infrastructural support and funding. An unavoidable dilemma faced the IT industry a few years ago. How to cope with implementation of costly computing resources? How to procure them quickly? The question that towered above all—What are the chances of survival for the small-sized and medium-sized businesses as against their rivals who have sophisticated computing resources at their disposal? Cloud computing emerged on the scene, and these fears were put to rest.

Tech Talk


CloudComputing

CloudComputing

and maintenance of data rests with the cloud vendor.

Rapid provisioning and easy scaling: In cloud, deployment of huge infrastructure can be done at a rapid pace. Cloud is quite elastic in scope and can fit in with your fluctuating computing needs.

ChallengesAs with every new development, cloud computing faces a few challenges to become absolutely feasible. The major challenges are:

• Security: The data security at the cloud premise may be at risk. CIOs need to ensure that the data security complies with security standards such as PCI DSS and HIPAA. Whether you own your data or not is a big question mark.

• Cloud transfer: What if the cloud company you are working is taken over by some other company? With no policies in place, data integrity and retrieval can be put to risk.

• Application movement: Application movement and synchronization from one cloud network to another within a short time can be challenging.

• Cloud vendors promise great SLAs (up-time of 99.99%), which are rarely met.

Cloud computing is relatively new developed and is maturing quickly. With a standard body (Cloud Security Alliance) taking the reins of cloud

policy making and implementation into its hands, we can expect the concept to pick up steam.

Future of cloud computingThe importance of cloud computing in today’s world cannot be overemphasized. The economic slowdown has paved way for cloud computing like never before. Even large companies want to optimize their costs and retain their competitive edge. For them too, cloud computing is the way to go. Companies can entrust their non-core businesses to specialist organizations that are cloud providers.

With cloud computing dawns the age of green computing. Reduction in hardware components leads to lesser power consumption, which translates into reduced carbon emissions.

New development in cloud computingWhile cloud promises enormous scalability in terms of applications, the databases couldn’t grow commensurate with the needs of the industry. Relational databases support scale up and not scale out. Cloud can scale out. So, to address the issue of scalability with respect to databases, a new set of databases that departs from the relational database model has emerged, known as NoSQL databases.

For ad hoc and large-scale data processing, cloud is indeed a boon. Companies can hire as many computing resources as required for a parallel execution of tasks. This on-demand resource provisioning follows on the lines of grid computing.

Complementing cloud computing and making it more viable is Service-oriented architecture (SOA). SOA is a services conglomerate that helps in making systems agile by integrating varied services, which could be spread over multiple frameworks/networks. It lends an additional system capability of adopting changes in sync with business changes. Thus, highly inter-operable interfaces can be built that can allow access across various data centers.

Contributed by -

Raghava Reddy | Technical Evangelist


Gizmos Being equipped with gadgets and gizmos is now a way of life, and yet everyday there’s a new invention that stretches it a bit further. Check out these cool things and find out how they set new trends.

Fabric PC

The Fabric PC is completely flexible—it even has a

fabric keyboard. The computer display will be constructed from a cutting-edge technology called e-paper, allowing the display screen to be paper-thin and bendable. The Fabric PC’s

flexible design is such that its individual components will be built into a pliable fabric-like backbone rather than a metal frame. While the components themselves will still be rigid, the device as a whole will have some flexibility if the components are spaced apart within the fabric—somewhat similar to how rigid rhinestones can be sewn into a fancy dress.

Electronic Ink

Imagine a digital book that can typeset itself and that

readers could leaf through just as if it were made of regular paper. Such a book could be programmed to display the text from Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man

and the Sea,” and once you’ve finished that tale, you could automatically replace it by wirelessly downloading the latest “Harry Potter” book from a computer database.

Leisure

Compiled by:

Moiz Nalwalla | Technical Writer

The first computer “bug” was a real bug. In 1947,

engineers found a moth in Panel F, Relay #70 of the Harvard Mark 1 system. The computer was running a test of its multiplier and adder when the engineers noticed something was wrong. The moth was trapped, removed, and taped into the computer’s logbook with the words: “first actual case of a bug being found”.

Did you know that the QWERTY keyboard layout is 129-years old!!?? And, the qwerty keyboard

was present on the very first typewriter called the ‘Shole & Glidden Type Writer’, produced

by gun makers R Remington & Sonsin Illnois, New York.

The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute, less than half the normal rate of 20.

Macquariums are aquariums made from old Macintosh

computers.

Did you know?

The world’s first computer mouse was made by Douglas Engelbart in 1964. And it was made of wood.

Complied by: Pallav Chedda | Project ManagerAmit Vaidya | Software Engineer Rahul Trivedi | Software Engineer


Weekend

Just Chill!Work and ambition are not the sum and substance of life. There is life beyond work. Read on how some Cybagians choose to spend life after work.

What I do over the

weekends?... enjoy the gift of life: Catch up with friends, taste various cuisines in Pune, experience nature riding on my cycle, ponder over the week gone-by during long drives, listen to gospel music, strum my guitar, and, on Sundays, I pray in church, thanking God for each day of my life.

Radhakrishnan Dass | Manager HRD

During the weekends, I am

running errands to fulfill the wish list of my twins. I have to apportion some time to play with them in the garden in the neighbourhood. On Sundays, I plan an outing with my family and friends who want to join us. It may mean visiting places in the vicinity of Pune or visiting my relatives in and around Pune. The idea is to spend quality time with my family and friends, which helps me to unwind and look forward to the week ahead with energy and enthusiasm.

Sunil Jiwnani | Associate Project Manager

After work, I look forward to a

delectable dinner with my wife. We spend time chatting about the day at work and making plans for the weekend. We enjoy watching TV or catch a movie before we retire to bed. We sometimes visit important landmarks in the city. In the afternoons, we set aside a certain time to play badminton and have lunch with friends.

The evenings during weekends are for a dinner outing followed by a movie or they are spent at home playing cards.

Bhalchandra Tembhurne | DBA Analyst

It’s important to stop brooding over work

after reaching home. Chatting and spending quality time with my family is a great stress reliever. When I am home, my 6-month old son greets me with a cherubic smile. It infuses fresh energy in me. Occasionally, I listen to old melodies and fall into a reverie.

Weekends are for brief outings and socializing. I share trivial fancies as also my dreams for life with my close friends. It helps me stay grounded and focus on my goals. I believe that life is a succession of moments.

Ritesh Gedam | Sr. QA Engg

Switching from one kind of work to

another relaxes me. Reaching home from the office, I cook for my family. I watch TV for a while, chat with the family members, and read books and the newspaper before dozing off. That’s my typical weekday when I am back from work.

On weekends, I finish the tasks piled up over the week in the mornings. I relax at home during the day. Evening, it’s time for friends or relatives or going on a shopping spree. Every alternate Sunday, my family and friends go on a jaunt.

Priyanka Sheth | Sr. UI. Designer

After work, all my time is for my family. Besides the promised wisdom, the dictum ‘early to bed and early to rise...’ also bestows good health and the zeal to work.

Weekend is the time for brief outings, long drives, or shopping. Sometimes, we choose to stay indoors, attending to unfinished chores, watching a movie on television, or preparing a delicacy. There are weekends when we become slothful and we happily abandon all work.

Gayatri Baleri | Sr. Resource Executive (RMG)


My Aim


Resolutions for 2011

The New Year is a time to reflect on the changes we want or need to make. CybageTimes finds out what resolutions Cybagians have made this year.

“I don’t believe in the concept of New Year resolutions. If you are truly determined to achieve something, then any time of the year is the best time to begin.”

Tapas Ranjan Lenka | Head – Ecommerce CoE

“1280 X 768 pixels... Pioneer in ‘optimism’, more time for ‘health is wealth’, and stretching ‘work is adulation’ will be some of the brightest pixels.”

Utkarsh Sharma | Delivery Manager

“I have worked with underprivileged kids attending school for nearly eight years now. This year I want to empower their parents with vocational skills. This way they can remain employed and support their child’s education.”

Kedar Sabne | Finance Controller

“I am hoping to get my six pack abs back! Jokes apart, this year’s resolution is to get into a regular exercise regime which would be possible by maintaining a proper work-life balance.”

Abhijit Lale | Delivery Manager

“I will start or join an ‘eco-club’ and become more environmentally responsible. Humanity must be a participant in ecosystems and not an enemy.”

Neel Kamal Thakur | Documentation Manager

“Keeping up with New Year resolutions has always been a walk on a tightrope. This year I will have no more resolutions until I have accomplished the ones previously made.”

Anamika Thokal | Sr. Content Writer

4 Which of the following options lists all methodologies mentioned on the Cybage website.

a. Waterfall, Agile, Extreme programming

b. Waterfall, Agile, Collaborative software development methodology

c. Waterfall, SCRUM, prototyping

d. SDLC

5 The term Web 2.0 is coined by

a) Microsoft

b) O’Reilly

c) W3C

d) IBM

6 Software as a service is

a) Eliminating the need to install and run the application on the customer’s computer

b) Conceivably reducing the upfront expense of software purchases to customers

c) providing stronger protection of intellectual property and establishing an ongoing revenue stream to vendors

d) All of the above

7 Which of the following is the primary control mechanism in Agile?

a. Planning

b. Feedback

c. User acceptance testing

d. None of the above

8 In the ideal world, while developing applications

a) We should use the same coding standards for all the technologies so as to easily move resources from one technology to another.

b) We should use the community accepted coding standards to enable developers from that community to easily understand

c) We should use the coding standards

d) Every project should come up with own coding standards

9. Scalability by scaling out approach for an application is

a) In most cases, directly proportional to performance

b) In most cases, inversely proportional to performance

c) Has no relationship with performance

d) Completely unpredictable

10 Search Engine Optimization comes under

a) Special algorithm development domain

b) Optimization domain

c) IA domain

d) None

1 Web 2.0 means

a) Creating applications compatible with latest emerging browsers

b) Using latest Java and ASP.NET versions in building Web applications

c) Using the changing trends in the use of WWW technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity and secure information sharing, collaboration, and functionality of the Web.

d) All of the above

2 In Scrum, the prioritized work to be done is referred to as:

a. Standup meetings

b. Sprint retrospective

c. Product backlog

d. Sprint planning

3 SOA means

a) Using SOAP protocol-based Web services to build applications

b) Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)

c) Conceptual business architecture where business functionality, or application logic, is made available to consumers, as shared, reusable services on an IT network

d) None of the above

Answers:1.(c) 2.(c) 3.(c) 4.(b) 5.(b) 6.(d) 7.(b) 8.(b) 9.(b) 10.(c)

Complied by: Raghava Reddy | Technical Evangelist Amit Mulay | Technical Evangelist

Think-tank


Tech Quiz

Visapur: A 45-minute drive from Pune near Malavli, Visapur is famous for its fort and caves. Situated at an altitude of 1084 meters, there are also several temples scattered all over the place.

“This was my first trek with Trek Unlimited. Visapur experience was impressive and enthralling. The long stretch of walking and climbing made us really tired. But the amazing view at the fort and a great bunch of people, along with the helpful coordinators made this a memorable trip.”

Amruta Tripathi | HR Executive

“Visapur is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of city life. A team of 20 members, all extremely

supportive, went exploring Visapur!!! from our very first interaction, all of us got along very well. It seemed as if we had known one another for a long time. I knew it’s going to be great fun and it turned out to be so! Food, transportation... everything was perfectly planned and organized.”

Shrutika Dali | Software engineer

Peb Fort: Nestled in the Karjat range at an altitude of 2100 feet, the journey to Peb fort is filled with stunning views and fascinating waterfalls.

“Crossing the rivulet, the hike in the steady drizzle, the air laden with mist, and the climb atop 25-foot ladder under the waterfall were some of the most

exciting moments of the PEB trek.” Sunil Shukla | Sr. QA Engineer

Rohida Fort: Located in the region of Bhor at an altitude of 3650 feet, Rohida is a perfect destination for the adventure seekers. At a distance of 50 km from Pune, Rohida is known for its fort and the bastion, a mandir and the Darwaja.

“The experience was really fantastic. Well planned and well managed. I came back with a feeling that there is nothing as refreshing as a trek. I wish such treks are organized more frequently.”

Ashwin Nasare | Software engineer

For those who wish to

experience the thrill of

adventure and explore

the unexplored, Trek

Unlimited provides

an opportunity to

undertake gallant

expedition into the

wilderness. Let’s hear

what the enthusiastic

Cybagians have

to say about their

adventures in Pune

and Gandhinagar.

Adventure Unlimited

Trekking

PebVisapur

Peb

Rohida

Pune

Jessore: Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary, covering an area of 180.66 square kilometers, is situated in the Banaskantha district on the Gujarat–Rajasthan border. It is considered to be one of the best protected forests in the country. It is located in the Jessore area of Aravalli hills, to the north of the Thar Desert. It was declared a sanctuary in 1978.

“We are all used to computers and lappies around, headphones, AC cubicles, client calls, and coffee mugs.

At Jessore, we were happily cut off from the routine. I felt peace and joy in the pleasant natural surrounding and had fun with the fellow trekkers. We had a great time bushwalking in the dense forest of Jessore.”

Vrutant Shah | Software Engineer

“This was the best trek of my life. Besides learning about the herbal medicines, it taught me the importance of team spirit.”

Jay Khamgaonkar | QA Engineer

“If you want to spend a day in the lap of nature, be awakened by chirruping birds instead of phony alarms, follow the flight of colorful birds in the sky, and get lost in the spectacular view of the starlit sky, then Jessore is the place to visit.”

Janaki Patel | QA Engineer

“Far away from the clamor of the city, we went out to experience the melodious silence of the woods. The amazing blue sky, the beautiful moon, the constellations, the time we spent, friends we made... you cannot have enough of it.”

Malav Parekh | QA Analyst

Wildlife at JessoreJessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary has identified 406 species of plants, 14 species of amphibians and reptiles, 20 species of mammalian fauna, 105 species of avifauna including migratory birds, and also harbors a rare species of wildlife such as the sloth bear, leopard, sambar, blue bull, wild boar, porcupine, jungle cat, civet, caracal, wolf, and hyena.

Jessore


Compiled by:Amit Dhavale | Information Security AdministratorAnshul Goel | Software Engineer Akash Jaiswal | Software Engineer

Gandhinagar

Here are some Cybagians who speak their hearts out about the bond they share with their dearest families.

United we stand

I have always been proud of the fact that I live in a joint family. My father along

with my two uncles and their families live together under one roof.

Joint families of today are torn asunder because of internal conflicts. But, in our case, our togetherness has stood the test of time, and our affection has grown stronger over the years. Everybody unites in the face of problems and the situation is mitigated to a great extent. It’s like a team working on a project. Everyone has a unique attitude and skill set to tackle a problem. You always have more than one solution to every problem!

I’m the eldest son, but I have elder cousins who are much closer to me than my siblings. I am blessed to be born in such a loving family.

Vinay Kothari | Trainee Software Engineer

My Family,My World

Mom, I want to be you

A mother is verily a manifestation of love

and care. I was just two years old when my father passed away. It was my mother’s decision to relocate from a small town Nipani to Pune to secure a better future for her two daughters. In Pune, she completed her studies and got herself a job as a teacher. She would look after us and also discharge her duties at the school. Among other things that I learnt from her were time-management and striking a work–life balance. At the age of 54, she completed her post-graduation in Marathi and Sanskrit. Her dedication to work was tremendous. She taught me how to overcome failures and move on in life. She made me independent. I can never thank her enough.

Pallavi Alurkar | Documentation Manager

Family that stays together

Life is full of surprises and second chances. How

one handles these moments defines one’s fate and destiny. Born and brought up in Goa, I lived my life like any other Goan – simply ‘susegad’ (Goan term for a relaxed life). It was not a life given to luxury, but one steeped in love and joy.

I was in T. Y. B.Com when an untoward incident occurred in the family. We had to start life all over again. My mom, who had been a homemaker for the last 22 years, had to earn to support us. It was a rigorous life that involved waking up early to sell the homemade snacks, preparing and packing

lunch, or being a sales representative at a garment store. Along with her, my two sisters and I did our bit to sail through the tough times.

My mother has been a pillar of strength and a monument of courage. She is the reason

for what we are today. She says, “Trust in God and fight the odds in life. He will never let you down”.

Rudolf Britto | Associate Manager - Systems (IS)

Family


Success & you

Success means different thing to different people. For some of us, success is a sense of arrival; while for others, it’s a journey. No matter how we see it, all of us aim for success in all that we aspire for. Here are a few ‘takes’ on success from our fellow Cybagians.

Arun Kumar | QA Engineer

“For me, success is fulfillment of my dreams. Doing good, doing it right, and doing it in a way that makes a difference in the lives of people. Material gains are not the yardstick for success.”

Adarsh Mishra | Technical Support Executive

“Your desire to succeed must be greater than your fear of failure. When I meet the expectations that I have set for myself, I consider myself successful.”

Anusha Gawade | Design Analyst

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. I believe in giving my best shot. Success is bound to follow. After all, isn’t success failure turned inside out?”

Maulik Narendrakumar Shah | QA Engineer

“Success is what you make it, there’s no better time to succeed than the present.”

Asma Doni | Technical Writer

“Success may mean different to different people. For me, the courage to undertake an uphill task, no matter how daunting, smacks of success. Success lies hidden in the opportune moments and in the best of our endeavors. Success is celebrating and sharing our achievements.”

Tanmaya Namdeo Thopate | Tech Support Engineer

“I always believed that it’s not failure, but a low aim that is a crime. I always dreamt big. Success eluded me in the beginning, but I never lost sight of my goal. In the bargain, I have improved not only socially but also professionally.”

Pratik Mohadarkar | Software Engineer

“The road to success passes through many obstacles and failures. He alone who is not assailed by troubles and hardships reaches the goal.”

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The Big Bash!

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