Overseas IT clients scrap B’lore visits

BANGALORE: The terror strike in Mumbai has resulted in cancellation of planned visits by clients to offices of some of India���s top technology companies here and organisers of upcoming IT events say that they have been receiving anxious enquires from potential participants about the security situation in India���s tech capital.

Infosys Technologies, the country���s second-largest software exporter, said planned trips by its staff to India���s financial hub have been scrapped for now. Infy HR director Mohandas Pai said security has been stepped up at the company���s premises and that all employees are safe.

Bangalore is home to around six lakh IT and BPO professionals, a fair sprinkling of them expatriates. Many of them are anxious about the unfolding situation, but see no need for panic.

���All our employees are safe and as a precautionary measure, all employees in Mumbai have been requested to work from home, today,��� a Cisco representative said. Wipro CIO Laxman Badiga said company���s employees and clients in Mumbai are safe.

���We continue to monitor the situation closely and have increased our security arrangements and vigilance across facilities in India. There is minimal disruption to our Mumbai operations.���

Most large IT companies in Bangalore have stringent security measures in place, including armed security guards and electric fences around their campuses.

Some of them, such as Wipro, are planning new measures: the company will install screening machines to check all baggage entering its offices. However, tech firms are aware of their limitations and are of the view that near fool-proof security can only be provided by state authorities.