The countrys leading software major Wipro has won a major contract with the University of Canberra to handle its IT and administration functions. In a bid to cut down costs,the university has outsourced its IT,student admission,payroll and finance functions to Wipro,cutting some 50 jobs in the process. The jobs are expected to move to India by this month-end. The work order is estimated to save the university some $8 million over the next five years. The varsity plans to invest this amount for pedagogical purposes,reports Australian media. The decision to outsource these functions was taken by the university as part of administrative reforms measures finalised in 2007 when the varsity had reduced administrative staff by a hundred. Wipro has been selected as the strategic partner to optimise and support the IT landscape and business processes of the university. The value that Wipro hopes to deliver here is to bring about significant improvement in service levels, a Wipro spokesperson told The Indian Express. Wipro has been chosen as a partner based on its proven track record in delivering transformational services for its customers. In Australia,Wipro employs around 350 people and has development centers in Sydney and Melbourne,and is in the process of setting one up in Adelaide, the spokesperson added. The Wipro management refused to divulge the financial details of the deal or how long a term of engagement the varsity would have with it. The varsitys move has attracted considerable criticism in Australia with the National Tertiary Education Union protesting the move.
