TRW's technology initiative

By P. Vikram Reddy

HYDERABAD, AUG. 18. The U.S. based $17 billion TRW, which is into automotive systems and information technology, aeronautical systems, and space and electronics, has taken up a major technology initiative in ten different areas referred to as `Tech bank', and plans to create separate companies or joint ventures across the globe in the next couple of years in these areas.

The ten areas include advanced technology chip called `Indiumphosphide', high beam laser, information systems and integration. It already has a joint venture with Satyam called the Satyam Manufacturing Technology Inc (SMTI) in information systems, broad software development, engineering and e-business services.

The U.S. slowdown has not affected an approximate $200 million business that TRW intends to channel through the SMTI over a five year period till 2005, according to Dr. Mostafa Mehrabani, Vice- President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of TRW, and Dr. Keshab Panda, CEO of SMTI.

Dr. Mehrabani, who was here on a visit to Satyam Technology Centre (STC), on Friday, also provides strategic inputs to Microsoft and Dell Computers as a member of the executive advisory board of the two companies. In fact, TRW is also the only other company where Mr. Bill Gates has worked.

The SMTI, which at present has about 250 people, is discussing with TRW the possibility of `transfer (not sale)' of TRW's North American data centre for maintenance. However they were not in a position to disclose further details, they said.

Dr. Mehrabani said TRW, which has a presence in 35 countries through 230 locations, was looking at commercialising the ten technology initiatives. In Indiumphosphide, TRW has the fastest chip in the world, he says, and they are now looking at new applications for it. However they were not looking at another company in India. Unlike other tie-ups where it was a customer relationship, in the case of Satyam it was a `partnership relationship', and they were not looking at anything beyond SMTI in India. TRW in fact shares plans and strategies and takes advantage of Satyam's capabilities, he said.

While the automotive segment contributed about 64 per cent of TRW's global business, information systems added was $3 billion. Dr. Mehrabani said there has been an impact of the U.S. slowdown on its automotive segment, but not on aeronautical systems and space and electronics.

TRW's areas of concern includes technology simplification, and its strategic thrust is on information transparency.

With explosion of Internet, there was intense need to make use of `zero latency enterprise', that is, information at fingertips, he pointed out.

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Section  : Business
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