When it is a Rooney or Messi on the ball, everything around is a blur. Yet it is hard to miss the white-on-red logos of Mahindra Satyam in the soccer stadia of South Africa. The Hyderabad-based company, which took a knocking when founder B Ramalinga Raju quit after admitting to corporate fraud and cheating shareholders of their life savings, has bounced back since its takeover by Tech Mahindra -- Mahindra Satyam is the official IT solutions partner, executing a contract from FIFA to provide information technology services and event management solutions at the most watched event in the world.
The Rs-90 crore contract, part of which is value in kind, also allows Mahindra Satyam to be one of the eight sponsors of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the only one from India.
So when the Brazilians, among the first teams to land for the Cup, looked for training and practice facilities, they turned to a software called Team Service developed by Mahindra Satyam. The software helps the 32 teams plan and request logistics for training and practice games.
FIFA turns to another Satyam software when it wants to know whether the $1-billion assets of Soccer City are being made available at the right place, and at the right time. Software applications developed for FIFA enabled 3.14 million tickets to be available online for the 64 games.
FIFA turns to another Satyam software when it wants to know whether the $1-billion assets of Soccer City are being made available at the right place, and at the right time. Software applications developed for FIFA enabled 3.14 million tickets to be available online for the 64 games.
Thousands of officials involved with FIFA and the event are using the company's software for different purposes -- from space management to transportation. Sridhar Maturi, Head, Sports Marketing, said: "Our team of over 150 associates is working round-the-clock on the FIFA engagement onsite to enhance the experience of all fans across 64 matches and ensure seamless movement of all delegates, staff and volunteers.
"Across $1-billion worth of technology assets, 1 million-odd hours of development work, 3 million tickets, 250,000 accreditations, 130,000 volunteers, 1,000 vehicles, 64 matches, 10 stadia in South Africa, Mahindra Satyam is seamlessly integrating IT systems for the world to enjoy the game."
At least 150 Satyam engineers based in Chennai, Bangalore and Zurich were involved in developing the applications. All are now based in South Africa, providing round-the-clock support. Mahindra Satyam is working with FIFA on two tracks: servicing FIFA's planned IT needs, and offering FIFA solutions that enhance the World Cup experience from the end-user perspective.
Satyam developed an Event Management Solution system with 20 software modules. This includes creating the first multilingual (eight languages) ticketing contact centre for the World Cup.
One of the most appreciated applications is the extranet/intranet which is a platform where different departments of FIFA can communicate with not only its stakeholders but also among each other for day-to-day activities.
The former Satyam Computers first engaged FIFA in 2007 to develop applications to manage the event. Founder and former chairman B Ramalinga Raju, who is in jail but admitted to a hospital for Hepatitis C treatment, signed the deal with FIFA at its headquarters in Zurich in June 2007.
"We beat several competitors in the bidding. Though the company found itself in trouble in January 2009, they had faith in us that we would be able to develop and deliver on time. At the height of the crisis in the company, we successfully tested our applications at several venues during the FIFA Confederations Cup held in South Africa last June," an official said.
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