CIO'S SHOPPING LIST

COMPANY

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M)

CURRENT
INFRASTRUCTURE

M&M has over 4,000 PCs, 1,000 printers, 400 CAD workstations along with
170 servers for SAP, domain controllers, exchange and payroll management. The
company has six data centers, of which two are in Mumbai. There are eight major
LANs for connecting 200 to 1,000 PCs and 40 smaller LANs which network eight to
15 PCs, across India. It also has a 2Mbps VSNL Internet gateway with security
measures and web servers to host B2B portals and websites. Remote connectivity
is offered through VPN, by OWAccess, RAS and Citrix.

PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE

FOR 2005-06

Some major initiatives on the anvil include a centralized architecture with
co-location of SAP R/3 servers at one of the Mumbai data center instead of six
locations. A single server architecture with SAN implementation for SAP
Enterprise has also been recommended. The company will also invest in fresh
implementation of SAP Enterprise with IS-Auto as well as SRM rollout and
strategic sourcing. M&M is also working on a dealer management system,
enterprise-wide implementation of best practices in information security,
optimization of network performance and wireless mobility.

CURRENT SYSTEMS SUPPLIER

M&M deals directly with vendors like SAP, Microsoft, IBM, HP, Dell,
Cisco, VSNL, Veritas, Symantec, HCL Comnet and HCL Infosystems, though these
orders are routed through the vendor's channel partners. Allied Digital is the
solution provider catering to this company.

QUALIFICATIONS OF SUPPLIER

While selecting a supplier or solution provider, M&M pays great emphasis
on the product or service features and its relevance to the company's
requirements. Costs associated at various stages such as acquisition,
development, deployment, maintenance, service and support also play a key role.
Its previous experiences with the supplier also makes a difference. The
corporate house also studies ratings given by independent agencies besides
considering long-term vision and current market standing of the supplier.