Newsletter July2008

SEM 25 & 26 Family Meet

‘Sun-n-Sand Fun’ - Microsoft Team

‘Red & Ready for fun ’ - Findlaw Team

‘Say Cheese’- Testing Team

‘Water Babies’ - Microsoft Team

‘Rapt Attention’ - Java Team

Issue : July 2008

Bouquet 5, Blossom 2

Blossoms The Quarterly Newsletter of HTC Global Services Detailed Version Available online at Blossoms Website

Director’s Message

Editorial Message

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to this issue of Blossoms, which is a window to all the events, news and achievements during this quarter. The response to Blossoms was spontaneous and very encouraging. We’ve had numerous contributions and therefore, have not been able to accommodate all of them. You can read them in the online version.

Preparation to the 100% is the key for success in any field. Especially in the field of IT and IT Enabled Services, we need to be in

Towards a better vocabulary!

a continued state of preparedness to win and deliver business. This

Do you get frustrated when you're not able to recall the right word when you're speaking or writing or find yourself at a loss when you come across words whose meanings elude you? Well, it's only a matter of time before you build a vocabulary that's enough for your reading and self expression. It's important too, because after all, language is power! Go ahead and try the vocabulary matching quiz below and check your lexical quotient! On the left are fifteen words whose meanings you'll have to match correctly with the list given on the opposite side.

implies that we, at all levels in the company, need to be involved “We wish all the newly weds a happy married life.” Archana wed Ganesh Kumar C on 9th March 2008 Gowrinath L wed Banumathy on11th April 2008 Thyagarajan N wed Tharani T on 11th April 2008 Velmurugan wed Hemalatha G on 23rd April 2008 Sivasankary V wed Dinesh Kumar P on 23rd April 2008

15 - 9

2. subjugate

- overlook, permit

14 - 5

- soothe

13 - 2

Sumathi B wed Manikandan S on 21st May 2008

4. abstemious

- brutal, aggressive

12 - 7

Murali Krishna wed Dhaarini on 23rd May 2008

5. vilify

- inherent, inborn

11 - 6

Bajulal Hak wed M Jareena Begam on 25th May 2008

6. scrupulous

- to send away

10 - 1

Senthil Kumar S wed Senbagavalli on 6th June 2008

7. auspicious

- irrelevant, beside the point

9 - 15

8. assuage

- to be indecisive

8 - 13

9. cryptic

- defame

4-3 3-8

S

2 - 14

N

1-4

A

- mystifying, puzzling

5 - 10

15. disparage

E

- defame

W

14. condone

6 - 12

- favorable, promising - belittle

7 - 11

12. relegate 13. vacillate

S

- harsh jumble of words - strictly careful

R Kamesh wed B Pavithra on 23rd June 2008

R

10. innate

Online Version Articles: http://storagesvr/blossoms/ Awareness - Renal Disorder (Avinash A - Quality) Easy Painting (Chitra - Quality) Interesting Facts (Venkat Kumar S - Microsoft) Hobby for the kids (Venkata Krishnan G - Testing) Puzzle - Facts about Olympics (Sivaguru - Finance) - Places to Ponder (Nachinarkiniasivam - Quality) - Quality Our Page (Anto praveen, Sathish kumar, Venkatesh - Quality)

addition of years, which does not add the desired value to neither the individual nor the organization. I would invite each and everyone to participate in this glorious mandatory activity of preparation which a developed and matured organization.

3. truculent

11. extraneous

expertise alone is meaningful. Experience otherwise is a mere

leads to self development and self maturity first and then inevitably to

Senthil wed Sunitha on 18th May 2008

- very moderate in eating & drinking

we grow and stay at the peak of the expertise level in the respective skill areas. Experience gained by operating at high levels of

Balaji Rajamani wed Kavitha on 25th April 2008 Biju KM wed Stiniya on 3rd May 2008

1. cacophony

continuously in a never ceasing activity of preparation, ensuring that

“Our best wishes to the proud parents.” Kamakshi P & Ramachandran blessed with a baby girl Hakshitha on 11th May 2008 Padmaja B & Santhosh J blessed with a baby boy Aaryan Jami on 17th May 2008 Sowmia Lakshmanan & Ravi Ganesh B blessed with a baby Girl Rakshana on 1st June 2008 Praveena U & Aravind blessed with a baby girl on 16th June 2008 BalaMurugan S P & Vasantha Lakshmi B blessed with a baby boy on 18th June 2008 Fabiola Joy & Karthick blessed with a baby boy on 22nd June 2008

World Headquarters: 3270 West Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48084, USA. Phone: 248.786.2500 Fax: 248.786.2515 Global Delivery Center: SDF II, Phase II, MEPZ, Tambaram, Chennai - 600 045. India. Phone: (044) 2262 3522Fax: (044) 2262 7713 www.htcinc.com

‘Our Page’ this time, is from the Quality Department. As usual, there is a lot of interesting reading lined up for you. The Microsoft and Java teams decided to take a break from their routine and had a blast! There was great camaraderie and joy during these events, which have helped to strengthen ties with one another. See them for yourself in the snapshots we’ve published. ‘Reflections’ the Newsletter of our US office, the young sister of Blossoms, was born last month. We wish the editorial committee all the very best and success in their forthcoming issues.

- Chary Mudumby

-Editorial Committee

Success with every dawn

Binoj - Sales Operations

If you want to be successful in life, stay in touch with your emotions and be conscious of what you are doing.

! WHAT: What are you doing? What it is that you are

Where is your "sweet spot"? What are the circumstances that lead up to you being "in the groove"? Can you answer the who, what, why, when, and where questions about the times in your life when you are truly on track, happy, and headed for success?

! WHY: Once you know what it is that you are doing, now it is time

actually working towards? to ask yourself why you are doing it to begin with.

! WHEN: This is Goal Setting! When do you want to accomplish your goal by?

A lot of people spend time in a state of mind that is far from conducive ! WHERE: Your work environment-your space! If you do not enjoy to their own success, and then they sit around wondering why they being in your work environment, it will be very difficult for you to aren't successful. There is a common misconception that simply remain mentally sharp, affecting productivity. working harder will allow you to achieve more results. You will The bottom line to maximizing your productivity is remaining in an accomplish far more in an hour of hard work when you are "in the environment and a state of mind that you actually enjoy being in - your groove" than that same hour of hard work when you are unable to own personal circle of Light. enjoy your work or stay focused on your tasks. Ask yourself who, what, why, when, and where questions about your Ask yourself who, what, why, when, and where questions about your working circumstances, and find answers that resonate with you. If environment, finding answers to these questions can create an you fail to do so, you'll just keep swimming upstream, fighting the environment that allows you to work easily and effortlessly. current rather than letting it carry you easily along. Proceed my dear ! WHO: Who are you doing the work for? friends, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path to success.

Editorial Committee

Editorial Coordinators

Mullai Manavalan Rangachary M C

Arun Srinivasan R | Ashish Mohta | Balaji TR | Geetha Mohandass | Gigy Skaria | Jansi Rani S | Kanchana Vasudevan | Satish Natarajan | Suresh T | Thomas Komban | Designed by: Gowrinath L

Our Page - Quality Team

Corporate Environment Management --A Key to Sustainable Development Public awareness of environmental issues due to economic activities is increasing. The corporate sector can no longer remain indifferent. De-linking environment issues from business strategies can be perilous. The only option for sustained growth is to pursue socially and environmentally responsible practices along with economic interests. The wealth accumulation and economic power of corporates has grown enormously after the World Wars. More than half of the one hundred largest economies in the world are not countries but corporations. The total sales of GM, Wal-mart and Exxon exceed India's GDP. Corporate logos are internationally more powerful symbols than national flags. Although the corporates assume a major role in the civilization progress due to economic development, the damage and destruction to the vitality of the environment is phenomenal. Natural resources are depleting fast causing large-scale environmental issues. As an American proverb says, 'People will realize that they cannot do anything with money only when the last tree is cut, only when the last river is polluted, only when the last fish is caught. Until then they will continue to do the same thing they do now.' Environmental degradation is one of the greatest threats to human kind. It is high time that corporates realized the truth about staying in business and maintaining goodwill without ignoring environmental

Madhavan - Finance

concerns. Thanks to the vigilant media and environmentalists for spreading environmental realization. Now, the key issue is how to make profits by moving along with the environment and how internal performance drivers contribute to the development of environmental strategies. We should realize that environmental management and economic development do not conflict each other but are complementary and should be managed in an integrated manner. Corporates should be made to realize that more profits in the short term by ignoring environmental issues will certainly invoke penal and compliance costs in the long run making process and product cost to go up. Business Managers should realize that with increased environment consciousness, the corporate environmental performance would emerge as a key to sustainable development. Pursuit of economic interests should also focus more attention towards management and measurement of environmental performance. Economic prosperity and environmental management are two major links in the value chain. All corporates should pursue this as it supports sustainable development. This is the new theory of sustainable development - Environmental management cost will not reduce profit but will increase it in the long run. The corporates have to realize the long term benefits of this new theory - the sooner the better.

Cricket Vs Examination

Employee speak

--A Knockout Comparison

Gnanadesikan V - ITES

Shoba Rani P - ITES

Pitch

-

Examination Hall

Batsman

-

Candidate appearing for examination

Bowler

-

Question Paper

Fielder

-

Invigilator

Spin Bowling

-

Tough Paper

Run Out Catch

-

Vinoth Sales Operation

HTC has given me the chance to enhance my knowledge during my 5½ years journey towards this successful and rewarding career. The trust that the company has reposed on me and the healthy work culture make HTC a great place to work. I take this opportunity to thank everyone in HTC and look forward to have more exciting days.

Failed in Language subjects Caught while copying

LBW

-

Failed unexpectedly

Clean Bowled

-

Failed in all subjects

Century

-

Got 80% in all subjects

Wide

-

Out of syllabus

Protect our Environment

Bye Runner

-

Questions

- The value of a tree

Maiden Over

-

Could not answer any questions

Caption for the cartoon - Just Say It!

Prabhakaran - Tech Doc

A tree that lives for 50 years generates Rs. 5.3 lakhs worth of oxygen, recycles Rs. 6.4 lakhs worth of soil fertility, facilitates Rs. 6.6 lakhs worth of soil erosion control,

“Rainwater HarvestingUmbrella Style” The latest buzz tool among people to harvest rainwater. Cartoonist - RK Laxman. - Avinash A (Quality)

creates Rs. 10.5 lakhs worth of air pollution control and provides Rs. 5.7 lakhs worth of shelter for birds and beasts. Besides, it provides flowers and fruits. So, when one tree falls or is felled, the city's net loss is worth more than Rs. 33 lakhs. Please think before you cut a tree......!

Control Charts

Chitra S

Control charts provide the basis for making process decisions and predicting process behavior. This is achieved by collecting random data samples from groups or sub-groups of product, at various stages of the product's manufacturing using inspection methods. The demand for increased efficiency and effectiveness of software processes place measurement demands on the software engineering community. Statistical and process thinking principles lead to the use of statistical process control methods to determine the consistency and capability of the many processes used to develop software. Control chart example: A typical control chart has control limits set at values such that if the process is in control, nearly all points will lie within the upper control limit (UCL) and the lower control limit (LCL). The process is said to be out of control when 1) Single point plot outside of Zone C 2) Two out of three beyond Zone B 3) Eight successive points plot on same side of the center line 4) Four out of five points in zone B (Details in Online Version)

Information Technology Infrastructure Library Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a framework of best practices to manage IT operations and services. Government of Commerce, UK defined ITIL in the mid 1980s for business to efficiently manage their IT environment. ITIL's main objective is to align business and Information Technology. ITIL's IT Service Support process helps organizations to efficiently manage software, hardware, and human resource services to ensure continued and uninterrupted business. IT management is all about the efficient and effective use of the four Ps, people, processes, products (tools and technology) and partners (suppliers, vendors and outsourcing organizations). ITIL's main objective is to align business and Information Technology. ITIL's IT Service Support process helps organizations to efficiently manage software, hardware, and human resource services to ensure continued and uninterrupted business. Service Strategy should be based on the strategic assessment factors to meet future requirements in support of the long term business objectives. Service level management (SLM) is a vital process for every IT service provider organization responsible for agreeing, negotiating and documenting service level agreements and service level requirements. SLM monitors and produces reports based on the service provider's ability(SLA) to deliver the agreed level of service. When an issue is raised the service desk is the single point of contact and the incident will be recorded classified diagnosed to know what has Service Strategy

S E R V I C E

Define Strategy

D E L I V E R Y

Personnel and Organization

Policy Statement

Development

A/C management

Service Design

Relationship Management

Service Build and Test

Service planning Security Management

Availability and IT cont. management

Finance Management

Capacity Management

Management

Service Level Management

S E R V I C E

S U P P O R T

Change Management

RFC

Client

Operational Process

Problem Management

User/ Customer

Service Desk Incident Management

Configuration Management

RFC

Release Management

Production

Service

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My Super Hero

Sanjeevi

I am a great fan of “Rajinikanth” and to me he is a super hero. During my school days, I used to have my hairstyle similar to Rajinikanth's. I would see his movies within a week of their release and used to feel very proud of it and consider it a great achievement. I used to spend endless hours discussing a him with my classmates. What ever he did on screen was magic to me, and I used to argue with my friends to emphasize that he was the only “super star”. To think that I even made trips to go and see him in person seems weird now. My super hero was not a mythical figure but who lived in flesh and blood in Poes Garden! A couple of months ago a young North Indian family moved into our neighborhood. The couple introduced themselves along with their cute, little naughty boy. The man sought my help for booking their LPG connection with the nearest LPG distributor, paying the electricity bill, getting general directions around the city, and information on traffic routes to reach his office and so on. Our families met quite often, and it was during one of our meetings that I came to know that the cute little boy was his adopted son. I was shocked to hear that the small boy lost his mother a month after his birth and this wonderful couple had adopted him. What a noble couple they were! Accepting an unconnected and totally unknown infant totally as their child is really a rarity. Now-a-days, I don't go to Poes Garden anymore because my super hero is my neighbour! Sundar

exactly gone wrong. Problem management is responsible for managing the lifecycle of all problems it helps to diagnose the root cause of all problems. 'Problem' is nothing but unknown cause of one or more incidents. Configuration management identifies all the assets as CI's and it is a unique identifier which provides accurate visibility and the CI's are maintained in CMDB (Configuration Management Database). The production management is to create new builds and check the stability of new builds, resolves any issues. Change management responds to business and prioritizes the customer change proposals reducing the service disruption, defects and re-work. The CAB (change advisory Board) is a body to support the authorization of changes. Before the changes get approved the CAB looks on to certain criteria's like Finance management, Security management, Availability management, capacity management. Capacity Management: Up-to-date plan which reflects the current and future needs of the business helps in IT services usage and workloads and ensures the performance of all services, as detailed in service targets within SLA is monitored and measured. It also assists the finance management process by identifying when money needs to be budgeted for IT infrastructure upgrade. Security Management: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability must be considered. Availability Management: Ensures that overall IT infrastructure is mature enough to support the availability needs and availability goals are reflected within appropriate service level agreements both inside and outside the company. Release management is responsible for improving consistency in implementation approach across the business change and service teams, supplier and customers.

Chidhambara Bharath

tWik.. md;W kl;Lk; Vior;rpWtd; tpba tpba gbf;fpwhd; mLj;j ehs; NjHT vd;gjhy; my;y md;W ngsHzkp vd;gjhy;! Quality Team

Awareness - Renal Disorder

Hobby for the kids

Avinash A - Sales Operation

The Bean Shaped Bag "WKD-2nd Thursday of March"

So what's the remedy?

Foods rich in salt, potassium, excess water should be brought down, The latest to be added in the ever growing list of world as our kidneys cannot remove them easily. Don't be surprised if the day's like AIDS day, cancer day, and heart day is doctor says, 'consume only two or three glasses a day'! 'World Kidney Day' or 'WKD' as it is called. It is Medications to reduce phosphorous, hypertension, and to stimulate observed on the second Thursday of every March. red blood cells production as advocated by your medical practitioner. WKD is a joint initiative between the International Society of Renal failure ultimately leads to dialysis and kidney transplantation, Nephrology (ISN) and International Federation of Kidney which will make you cough up most of your saving's and close your Foundations (IFKF) and kicked off from the year 2006. The bank accounts. awareness on chronic kidney disease (CKD) is created on this Prevention - A brief checklist particular day. The old adage "Prevention is better that cure” - so why wait for the what's do they do for us? engine to fail? What preventive maintenance can we can do?. Filter waste from the bloodstream 1 Have a check on your diabetes The kidney filters blood plasma out of the bloodstream and removes its undesirable substances to produce urine. Some common 2 Control blood pressures through proper diet, relaxation techniques undesirable substances in blood plasma include Toxins, Metabolism like meditation, and medications as prescribed by your medical practitioner. wastes, water, excess mineral salts. 3 If it's in your gene, be doubly cautious to keep track of their Regulate acidity of blood They also help check acidity of blood by excreting alkaline salts when functioning. necessary.

4 Keep a close watch on bladder or urinary tract infections.

Hormone production Activate a form of vitamin D which regulates absorption of calcium and phosphorous from foods, promoting strong bone formation. Secrete erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates bone marrow to produce Red Blood Cells (RBC) and Renin, which activates blood volume and blood pressure

5 Alcohol and smoke are a complete no-no!

But why do they fail? The main culprits for CKD are Diabetes and High Blood Pressure (BP) or hypertension. Diabetes increases the pressure inside the kidney's filters, which subsequently damages the filters. Hypertension increases the pressure on the walls of the blood vessels and leads to kidney failure. Apart from these demons, some of the other common causes for kidney failure include kidney infection, cysts in kidney, kidney stones, cancers, HIV, drug abuse, and ageing.

6 At least be fit, if not a fitness freak 7 finally let your lips curve :) Facts not so trivial ! Filters 200 hundred liters of blood a day, removing two liters of toxins, wastes and water. ! 500 million persons world wide i.e. about 10% of the world's population have some form of kidney damage. ! Diabetes and hypertension are the leading troublemakers. ! Worldwide 1.5 million people are kept alive through dialysis or transplantation. ! The global cost for dialysis and transplantation will escalate up to US$ 1 Trillion in the coming decade. ! More than 80% of the individuals receiving renal replacement live in developed world. ! In India less than 10% of people who need replacement, receive it.

Any particular clue? Looks like a sure way to decrease population on earth. If we ever ! Frequent urination, especially at nighttime. think, taking care of kidneys are like eating chutney with idli's, we need ! Unexpected weight loss or gain to think again! ! Sleeping difficulty ! Fatigue and weakness due to accumulation of waste products in body. ! Loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. ! Swelling of legs and puffiness around eyes (due to fluid retention) ! Itching and pale skin ! Shortness of breath from fluid in lungs. The above symptoms obviously lead us to the next important question i.e. its detection Diagnosis 1 Blood tests to confirm the build up of waste products in blood. Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and Creatinine level increases above normal indicating a failure. 2 Urine test to measure the amount of protein and concentration of electrolytes. Protein in the urine is not normal and can lead us to the conclusion that kidneys are mal-functioning.

Venkata Krishnan G

First Step in keeping an Aquarium

Water Supply:

STOP wasting time on techniques that no longer work and don't spend money on items you do not really need.

Choose your water supply wisely with water purification filter (optional -RO/DI pre-filtered water), if it is metro water, add stone salt (5 spoon) for 10 liters of water.

It is relatively EASY to learn about keeping a tank of marine fish as long as you have all the relevant information. Know what type of fish and how many your tank can comfortably hold before you go out to buy. Beginners need to know everything from light source choice to aquarium size, how to choose between real or synthetic salt water, compatibility of invertebrates with each other, and a thousand other things need to be answered before any equipment is purchased. Below mentioned are the steps you need to take. Tank Size:

Now you need a salt mix, air pump, tap water filter, and water conditioner (used for chlorinated water). On completing this, set up live rocks and plants and test the completed system. Take your time: Set up and follow a regular maintenance routine to avoid water quality problems and not to put in too much live rock or fish at once. Fish Health & Compatibility: Sick fish usually don't eat and they won't move either.

When choosing an aquarium, its size will depend on the location, but the larger the better. The location in turn will determine to some extent the type of lighting needed. Remember, the larger the tank the least chance for aggression. Filtration: Decide between mechanical, chemical filtration system and deep sand bed or under gravel filters. The filtration system has to be both efficient and effective, if not then the aquarium is destined to be a failure. The diet of many marine fish (Gold Fish, Shark) is coral and sponge so beware.

Interesting Facts

Basic Equipment:

Venkat Kumar S - Microsoft

Some fish are territorial, while others are placid, some are aggressive (such as Flowerhorn, Sharks, Puffer fish, Lionfish, Triggers, Fox face), the grouper series and small Eels. (Avoid fighter fishes) Consider the compatibility of the different species of fishes carefully before introducing them in your aquarium. Always add food slowly to avoid algae growth, and don't overfeed, as this can kill many species of fish. Remove excess food floating in the tank after feeding. With the correct care and maintenance performed on your aquarium will grow into a thing of beauty, which will be the centerpiece of your home.

Facts about Olympics - Puzzle 1. The Emblem for 2008 Olympics.

Hr.:Min.:Sec. :Frac. of Sec.

Event

11:59.50.487 pm

Great Pyramid is Built (2520 BC)

11:59.55.333 pm

Great Wall of China built (215 BC)

11:59.56.785 pm

Roman Empire falls (AD 476)

11:59.58.026 pm

Battle of Hastings (1066)

5. The distance of torch relay.

11:59.58.921 pm

Columbus lands in America (1492)

6. Professionals are restricted in which sport of Olympics.

11:59.59.128 pm

Shakespeare writes his first play(1588-90) 7. First Individual medal won by an Indian.

11:59.59.874 pm

World war II ends (1945)

8. First Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.

11:59.59.891 pm

Mount Everest is climbed (1953)

9. First Silver Medalist from India.

11:59.59.924 pm

Man lands on the moon (1969)

10. The only event in which India has won a gold medal in Olympics.

Midnight

Today

Answers: (Details in Online)

Easy Painting

Chitra S

Wall Painting: This painting is done with easily available items such as kumkum and powdered color chalk. Sketch the picture with a pencil on the wall. Mix the color paints in right proportion to make the picture attractive. For red color, mix equal quantity of k u m k u m with Fevicol. To get other colors, finely powder different colored chalks and mix them with Fevicol separately. Once the color is mixed, apply them on the picture immediately before it dries. Finally, draw a dark outline using black sketch pen. Glass Painting (using water based glass colors): We require glass

2. Mascot for Olympics. 3. Slogan for this Olympics.

Sivaguru - Finance

4. New event in Aquatics.

paints, glass liner and any type of clean glass (preferably Kashmi glass that makes your scribbles as beautiful as a painting). Take any picture you want to paint, place it securely below the glass and trace its outline using glass liner. After the liner dries, use the suitable glass paints to color the picture. The glass painting is ready after the colors dry. Embossed painting on pots: We need a pot for the embossed painting, ceramic powder, Fevicol, Vaseline, and poster colors. First prepare the dough using Vaseline, ceramic powder and Fevicol. Use the dough to make embossed objects of any shape (flowers, leaves,..) and allow it to dry. Stick the embossed objects on the pot using Fevicol and allow it to dry. Color the embossed objects and the pot with suitable poster colors.

Our Page - Quality Team

Corporate Environment Management --A Key to Sustainable Development Public awareness of environmental issues due to economic activities is increasing. The corporate sector can no longer remain indifferent. De-linking environment issues from business strategies can be perilous. The only option for sustained growth is to pursue socially and environmentally responsible practices along with economic interests. The wealth accumulation and economic power of corporates has grown enormously after the World Wars. More than half of the one hundred largest economies in the world are not countries but corporations. The total sales of GM, Wal-mart and Exxon exceed India's GDP. Corporate logos are internationally more powerful symbols than national flags. Although the corporates assume a major role in the civilization progress due to economic development, the damage and destruction to the vitality of the environment is phenomenal. Natural resources are depleting fast causing large-scale environmental issues. As an American proverb says, 'People will realize that they cannot do anything with money only when the last tree is cut, only when the last river is polluted, only when the last fish is caught. Until then they will continue to do the same thing they do now.' Environmental degradation is one of the greatest threats to human kind. It is high time that corporates realized the truth about staying in business and maintaining goodwill without ignoring environmental

Madhavan - Finance

concerns. Thanks to the vigilant media and environmentalists for spreading environmental realization. Now, the key issue is how to make profits by moving along with the environment and how internal performance drivers contribute to the development of environmental strategies. We should realize that environmental management and economic development do not conflict each other but are complementary and should be managed in an integrated manner. Corporates should be made to realize that more profits in the short term by ignoring environmental issues will certainly invoke penal and compliance costs in the long run making process and product cost to go up. Business Managers should realize that with increased environment consciousness, the corporate environmental performance would emerge as a key to sustainable development. Pursuit of economic interests should also focus more attention towards management and measurement of environmental performance. Economic prosperity and environmental management are two major links in the value chain. All corporates should pursue this as it supports sustainable development. This is the new theory of sustainable development - Environmental management cost will not reduce profit but will increase it in the long run. The corporates have to realize the long term benefits of this new theory - the sooner the better.

Cricket Vs Examination

Employee speak

--A Knockout Comparison

Gnanadesikan V - ITES

Shoba Rani P - ITES

Pitch

-

Examination Hall

Batsman

-

Candidate appearing for examination

Bowler

-

Question Paper

Fielder

-

Invigilator

Spin Bowling

-

Tough Paper

Run Out Catch

-

Vinoth Sales Operation

HTC has given me the chance to enhance my knowledge during my 5½ years journey towards this successful and rewarding career. The trust that the company has reposed on me and the healthy work culture make HTC a great place to work. I take this opportunity to thank everyone in HTC and look forward to have more exciting days.

Failed in Language subjects Caught while copying

LBW

-

Failed unexpectedly

Clean Bowled

-

Failed in all subjects

Century

-

Got 80% in all subjects

Wide

-

Out of syllabus

Protect our Environment

Bye Runner

-

Questions

- The value of a tree

Maiden Over

-

Could not answer any questions

Caption for the cartoon - Just Say It!

Prabhakaran - Tech Doc

A tree that lives for 50 years generates Rs. 5.3 lakhs worth of oxygen, recycles Rs. 6.4 lakhs worth of soil fertility, facilitates Rs. 6.6 lakhs worth of soil erosion control,

“Rainwater HarvestingUmbrella Style” The latest buzz tool among people to harvest rainwater. Cartoonist - RK Laxman. - Avinash A (Quality)

creates Rs. 10.5 lakhs worth of air pollution control and provides Rs. 5.7 lakhs worth of shelter for birds and beasts. Besides, it provides flowers and fruits. So, when one tree falls or is felled, the city's net loss is worth more than Rs. 33 lakhs. Please think before you cut a tree......!

Control Charts

Chitra S

Control charts provide the basis for making process decisions and predicting process behavior. This is achieved by collecting random data samples from groups or sub-groups of product, at various stages of the product's manufacturing using inspection methods. The demand for increased efficiency and effectiveness of software processes place measurement demands on the software engineering community. Statistical and process thinking principles lead to the use of statistical process control methods to determine the consistency and capability of the many processes used to develop software. Control chart example: A typical control chart has control limits set at values such that if the process is in control, nearly all points will lie within the upper control limit (UCL) and the lower control limit (LCL). The process is said to be out of control when 1) Single point plot outside of Zone C 2) Two out of three beyond Zone B 3) Eight successive points plot on same side of the center line 4) Four out of five points in zone B (Details in Online Version)

Information Technology Infrastructure Library Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a framework of best practices to manage IT operations and services. Government of Commerce, UK defined ITIL in the mid 1980s for business to efficiently manage their IT environment. ITIL's main objective is to align business and Information Technology. ITIL's IT Service Support process helps organizations to efficiently manage software, hardware, and human resource services to ensure continued and uninterrupted business. IT management is all about the efficient and effective use of the four Ps, people, processes, products (tools and technology) and partners (suppliers, vendors and outsourcing organizations). ITIL's main objective is to align business and Information Technology. ITIL's IT Service Support process helps organizations to efficiently manage software, hardware, and human resource services to ensure continued and uninterrupted business. Service Strategy should be based on the strategic assessment factors to meet future requirements in support of the long term business objectives. Service level management (SLM) is a vital process for every IT service provider organization responsible for agreeing, negotiating and documenting service level agreements and service level requirements. SLM monitors and produces reports based on the service provider's ability(SLA) to deliver the agreed level of service. When an issue is raised the service desk is the single point of contact and the incident will be recorded classified diagnosed to know what has Service Strategy

S E R V I C E

Define Strategy

D E L I V E R Y

Personnel and Organization

Policy Statement

Development

A/C management

Service Design

Relationship Management

Service Build and Test

Service planning Security Management

Availability and IT cont. management

Finance Management

Capacity Management

Management

Service Level Management

S E R V I C E

S U P P O R T

Change Management

RFC

Client

Operational Process

Problem Management

User/ Customer

Service Desk Incident Management

Configuration Management

RFC

Release Management

Production

Service

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My Super Hero

Sanjeevi

I am a great fan of “Rajinikanth” and to me he is a super hero. During my school days, I used to have my hairstyle similar to Rajinikanth's. I would see his movies within a week of their release and used to feel very proud of it and consider it a great achievement. I used to spend endless hours discussing a him with my classmates. What ever he did on screen was magic to me, and I used to argue with my friends to emphasize that he was the only “super star”. To think that I even made trips to go and see him in person seems weird now. My super hero was not a mythical figure but who lived in flesh and blood in Poes Garden! A couple of months ago a young North Indian family moved into our neighborhood. The couple introduced themselves along with their cute, little naughty boy. The man sought my help for booking their LPG connection with the nearest LPG distributor, paying the electricity bill, getting general directions around the city, and information on traffic routes to reach his office and so on. Our families met quite often, and it was during one of our meetings that I came to know that the cute little boy was his adopted son. I was shocked to hear that the small boy lost his mother a month after his birth and this wonderful couple had adopted him. What a noble couple they were! Accepting an unconnected and totally unknown infant totally as their child is really a rarity. Now-a-days, I don't go to Poes Garden anymore because my super hero is my neighbour! Sundar

exactly gone wrong. Problem management is responsible for managing the lifecycle of all problems it helps to diagnose the root cause of all problems. 'Problem' is nothing but unknown cause of one or more incidents. Configuration management identifies all the assets as CI's and it is a unique identifier which provides accurate visibility and the CI's are maintained in CMDB (Configuration Management Database). The production management is to create new builds and check the stability of new builds, resolves any issues. Change management responds to business and prioritizes the customer change proposals reducing the service disruption, defects and re-work. The CAB (change advisory Board) is a body to support the authorization of changes. Before the changes get approved the CAB looks on to certain criteria's like Finance management, Security management, Availability management, capacity management. Capacity Management: Up-to-date plan which reflects the current and future needs of the business helps in IT services usage and workloads and ensures the performance of all services, as detailed in service targets within SLA is monitored and measured. It also assists the finance management process by identifying when money needs to be budgeted for IT infrastructure upgrade. Security Management: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability must be considered. Availability Management: Ensures that overall IT infrastructure is mature enough to support the availability needs and availability goals are reflected within appropriate service level agreements both inside and outside the company. Release management is responsible for improving consistency in implementation approach across the business change and service teams, supplier and customers.

Chidhambara Bharath

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Awareness - Renal Disorder

Hobby for the kids

Avinash A - Sales Operation

The Bean Shaped Bag "WKD-2nd Thursday of March"

So what's the remedy?

Foods rich in salt, potassium, excess water should be brought down, The latest to be added in the ever growing list of world as our kidneys cannot remove them easily. Don't be surprised if the day's like AIDS day, cancer day, and heart day is doctor says, 'consume only two or three glasses a day'! 'World Kidney Day' or 'WKD' as it is called. It is Medications to reduce phosphorous, hypertension, and to stimulate observed on the second Thursday of every March. red blood cells production as advocated by your medical practitioner. WKD is a joint initiative between the International Society of Renal failure ultimately leads to dialysis and kidney transplantation, Nephrology (ISN) and International Federation of Kidney which will make you cough up most of your saving's and close your Foundations (IFKF) and kicked off from the year 2006. The bank accounts. awareness on chronic kidney disease (CKD) is created on this Prevention - A brief checklist particular day. The old adage "Prevention is better that cure” - so why wait for the what's do they do for us? engine to fail? What preventive maintenance can we can do?. Filter waste from the bloodstream 1 Have a check on your diabetes The kidney filters blood plasma out of the bloodstream and removes its undesirable substances to produce urine. Some common 2 Control blood pressures through proper diet, relaxation techniques undesirable substances in blood plasma include Toxins, Metabolism like meditation, and medications as prescribed by your medical practitioner. wastes, water, excess mineral salts. 3 If it's in your gene, be doubly cautious to keep track of their Regulate acidity of blood They also help check acidity of blood by excreting alkaline salts when functioning. necessary.

4 Keep a close watch on bladder or urinary tract infections.

Hormone production Activate a form of vitamin D which regulates absorption of calcium and phosphorous from foods, promoting strong bone formation. Secrete erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates bone marrow to produce Red Blood Cells (RBC) and Renin, which activates blood volume and blood pressure

5 Alcohol and smoke are a complete no-no!

But why do they fail? The main culprits for CKD are Diabetes and High Blood Pressure (BP) or hypertension. Diabetes increases the pressure inside the kidney's filters, which subsequently damages the filters. Hypertension increases the pressure on the walls of the blood vessels and leads to kidney failure. Apart from these demons, some of the other common causes for kidney failure include kidney infection, cysts in kidney, kidney stones, cancers, HIV, drug abuse, and ageing.

6 At least be fit, if not a fitness freak 7 finally let your lips curve :) Facts not so trivial ! Filters 200 hundred liters of blood a day, removing two liters of toxins, wastes and water. ! 500 million persons world wide i.e. about 10% of the world's population have some form of kidney damage. ! Diabetes and hypertension are the leading troublemakers. ! Worldwide 1.5 million people are kept alive through dialysis or transplantation. ! The global cost for dialysis and transplantation will escalate up to US$ 1 Trillion in the coming decade. ! More than 80% of the individuals receiving renal replacement live in developed world. ! In India less than 10% of people who need replacement, receive it.

Any particular clue? Looks like a sure way to decrease population on earth. If we ever ! Frequent urination, especially at nighttime. think, taking care of kidneys are like eating chutney with idli's, we need ! Unexpected weight loss or gain to think again! ! Sleeping difficulty ! Fatigue and weakness due to accumulation of waste products in body. ! Loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. ! Swelling of legs and puffiness around eyes (due to fluid retention) ! Itching and pale skin ! Shortness of breath from fluid in lungs. The above symptoms obviously lead us to the next important question i.e. its detection Diagnosis 1 Blood tests to confirm the build up of waste products in blood. Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and Creatinine level increases above normal indicating a failure. 2 Urine test to measure the amount of protein and concentration of electrolytes. Protein in the urine is not normal and can lead us to the conclusion that kidneys are mal-functioning.

Venkata Krishnan G

First Step in keeping an Aquarium

Water Supply:

STOP wasting time on techniques that no longer work and don't spend money on items you do not really need.

Choose your water supply wisely with water purification filter (optional -RO/DI pre-filtered water), if it is metro water, add stone salt (5 spoon) for 10 liters of water.

It is relatively EASY to learn about keeping a tank of marine fish as long as you have all the relevant information. Know what type of fish and how many your tank can comfortably hold before you go out to buy. Beginners need to know everything from light source choice to aquarium size, how to choose between real or synthetic salt water, compatibility of invertebrates with each other, and a thousand other things need to be answered before any equipment is purchased. Below mentioned are the steps you need to take. Tank Size:

Now you need a salt mix, air pump, tap water filter, and water conditioner (used for chlorinated water). On completing this, set up live rocks and plants and test the completed system. Take your time: Set up and follow a regular maintenance routine to avoid water quality problems and not to put in too much live rock or fish at once. Fish Health & Compatibility: Sick fish usually don't eat and they won't move either.

When choosing an aquarium, its size will depend on the location, but the larger the better. The location in turn will determine to some extent the type of lighting needed. Remember, the larger the tank the least chance for aggression. Filtration: Decide between mechanical, chemical filtration system and deep sand bed or under gravel filters. The filtration system has to be both efficient and effective, if not then the aquarium is destined to be a failure. The diet of many marine fish (Gold Fish, Shark) is coral and sponge so beware.

Interesting Facts

Basic Equipment:

Venkat Kumar S - Microsoft

Some fish are territorial, while others are placid, some are aggressive (such as Flowerhorn, Sharks, Puffer fish, Lionfish, Triggers, Fox face), the grouper series and small Eels. (Avoid fighter fishes) Consider the compatibility of the different species of fishes carefully before introducing them in your aquarium. Always add food slowly to avoid algae growth, and don't overfeed, as this can kill many species of fish. Remove excess food floating in the tank after feeding. With the correct care and maintenance performed on your aquarium will grow into a thing of beauty, which will be the centerpiece of your home.

Facts about Olympics - Puzzle 1. The Emblem for 2008 Olympics.

Hr.:Min.:Sec. :Frac. of Sec.

Event

11:59.50.487 pm

Great Pyramid is Built (2520 BC)

11:59.55.333 pm

Great Wall of China built (215 BC)

11:59.56.785 pm

Roman Empire falls (AD 476)

11:59.58.026 pm

Battle of Hastings (1066)

5. The distance of torch relay.

11:59.58.921 pm

Columbus lands in America (1492)

6. Professionals are restricted in which sport of Olympics.

11:59.59.128 pm

Shakespeare writes his first play(1588-90) 7. First Individual medal won by an Indian.

11:59.59.874 pm

World war II ends (1945)

8. First Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.

11:59.59.891 pm

Mount Everest is climbed (1953)

9. First Silver Medalist from India.

11:59.59.924 pm

Man lands on the moon (1969)

10. The only event in which India has won a gold medal in Olympics.

Midnight

Today

Answers: (Details in Online)

Easy Painting

Chitra S

Wall Painting: This painting is done with easily available items such as kumkum and powdered color chalk. Sketch the picture with a pencil on the wall. Mix the color paints in right proportion to make the picture attractive. For red color, mix equal quantity of k u m k u m with Fevicol. To get other colors, finely powder different colored chalks and mix them with Fevicol separately. Once the color is mixed, apply them on the picture immediately before it dries. Finally, draw a dark outline using black sketch pen. Glass Painting (using water based glass colors): We require glass

2. Mascot for Olympics. 3. Slogan for this Olympics.

Sivaguru - Finance

4. New event in Aquatics.

paints, glass liner and any type of clean glass (preferably Kashmi glass that makes your scribbles as beautiful as a painting). Take any picture you want to paint, place it securely below the glass and trace its outline using glass liner. After the liner dries, use the suitable glass paints to color the picture. The glass painting is ready after the colors dry. Embossed painting on pots: We need a pot for the embossed painting, ceramic powder, Fevicol, Vaseline, and poster colors. First prepare the dough using Vaseline, ceramic powder and Fevicol. Use the dough to make embossed objects of any shape (flowers, leaves,..) and allow it to dry. Stick the embossed objects on the pot using Fevicol and allow it to dry. Color the embossed objects and the pot with suitable poster colors.

SEM 25 & 26 Family Meet

‘Sun-n-Sand Fun’ - Microsoft Team

‘Red & Ready for fun ’ - Findlaw Team

‘Say Cheese’- Testing Team

‘Water Babies’ - Microsoft Team

‘Rapt Attention’ - Java Team

Issue : July 2008

Bouquet 5, Blossom 2

Blossoms The Quarterly Newsletter of HTC Global Services Detailed Version Available online at Blossoms Website

Director’s Message

Editorial Message

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to this issue of Blossoms, which is a window to all the events, news and achievements during this quarter. The response to Blossoms was spontaneous and very encouraging. We’ve had numerous contributions and therefore, have not been able to accommodate all of them. You can read them in the online version.

Preparation to the 100% is the key for success in any field. Especially in the field of IT and IT Enabled Services, we need to be in

Towards a better vocabulary!

a continued state of preparedness to win and deliver business. This

Do you get frustrated when you're not able to recall the right word when you're speaking or writing or find yourself at a loss when you come across words whose meanings elude you? Well, it's only a matter of time before you build a vocabulary that's enough for your reading and self expression. It's important too, because after all, language is power! Go ahead and try the vocabulary matching quiz below and check your lexical quotient! On the left are fifteen words whose meanings you'll have to match correctly with the list given on the opposite side.

implies that we, at all levels in the company, need to be involved “We wish all the newly weds a happy married life.” Archana wed Ganesh Kumar C on 9th March 2008 Gowrinath L wed Banumathy on11th April 2008 Thyagarajan N wed Tharani T on 11th April 2008 Velmurugan wed Hemalatha G on 23rd April 2008 Sivasankary V wed Dinesh Kumar P on 23rd April 2008

15 - 9

2. subjugate

- overlook, permit

14 - 5

- soothe

13 - 2

Sumathi B wed Manikandan S on 21st May 2008

4. abstemious

- brutal, aggressive

12 - 7

Murali Krishna wed Dhaarini on 23rd May 2008

5. vilify

- inherent, inborn

11 - 6

Bajulal Hak wed M Jareena Begam on 25th May 2008

6. scrupulous

- to send away

10 - 1

Senthil Kumar S wed Senbagavalli on 6th June 2008

7. auspicious

- irrelevant, beside the point

9 - 15

8. assuage

- to be indecisive

8 - 13

9. cryptic

- defame

4-3 3-8

S

2 - 14

N

1-4

A

- mystifying, puzzling

5 - 10

15. disparage

E

- defame

W

14. condone

6 - 12

- favorable, promising - belittle

7 - 11

12. relegate 13. vacillate

S

- harsh jumble of words - strictly careful

R Kamesh wed B Pavithra on 23rd June 2008

R

10. innate

Online Version Articles: http://storagesvr/blossoms/ Awareness - Renal Disorder (Avinash A - Quality) Easy Painting (Chitra - Quality) Interesting Facts (Venkat Kumar S - Microsoft) Hobby for the kids (Venkata Krishnan G - Testing) Puzzle - Facts about Olympics (Sivaguru - Finance) - Places to Ponder (Nachinarkiniasivam - Quality) - Quality Our Page (Anto praveen, Sathish kumar, Venkatesh - Quality)

addition of years, which does not add the desired value to neither the individual nor the organization. I would invite each and everyone to participate in this glorious mandatory activity of preparation which a developed and matured organization.

3. truculent

11. extraneous

expertise alone is meaningful. Experience otherwise is a mere

leads to self development and self maturity first and then inevitably to

Senthil wed Sunitha on 18th May 2008

- very moderate in eating & drinking

we grow and stay at the peak of the expertise level in the respective skill areas. Experience gained by operating at high levels of

Balaji Rajamani wed Kavitha on 25th April 2008 Biju KM wed Stiniya on 3rd May 2008

1. cacophony

continuously in a never ceasing activity of preparation, ensuring that

“Our best wishes to the proud parents.” Kamakshi P & Ramachandran blessed with a baby girl Hakshitha on 11th May 2008 Padmaja B & Santhosh J blessed with a baby boy Aaryan Jami on 17th May 2008 Sowmia Lakshmanan & Ravi Ganesh B blessed with a baby Girl Rakshana on 1st June 2008 Praveena U & Aravind blessed with a baby girl on 16th June 2008 BalaMurugan S P & Vasantha Lakshmi B blessed with a baby boy on 18th June 2008 Fabiola Joy & Karthick blessed with a baby boy on 22nd June 2008

World Headquarters: 3270 West Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48084, USA. Phone: 248.786.2500 Fax: 248.786.2515 Global Delivery Center: SDF II, Phase II, MEPZ, Tambaram, Chennai - 600 045. India. Phone: (044) 2262 3522Fax: (044) 2262 7713 www.htcinc.com

‘Our Page’ this time, is from the Quality Department. As usual, there is a lot of interesting reading lined up for you. The Microsoft and Java teams decided to take a break from their routine and had a blast! There was great camaraderie and joy during these events, which have helped to strengthen ties with one another. See them for yourself in the snapshots we’ve published. ‘Reflections’ the Newsletter of our US office, the young sister of Blossoms, was born last month. We wish the editorial committee all the very best and success in their forthcoming issues.

- Chary Mudumby

-Editorial Committee

Success with every dawn

Binoj - Sales Operations

If you want to be successful in life, stay in touch with your emotions and be conscious of what you are doing.

! WHAT: What are you doing? What it is that you are

Where is your "sweet spot"? What are the circumstances that lead up to you being "in the groove"? Can you answer the who, what, why, when, and where questions about the times in your life when you are truly on track, happy, and headed for success?

! WHY: Once you know what it is that you are doing, now it is time

actually working towards? to ask yourself why you are doing it to begin with.

! WHEN: This is Goal Setting! When do you want to accomplish your goal by?

A lot of people spend time in a state of mind that is far from conducive ! WHERE: Your work environment-your space! If you do not enjoy to their own success, and then they sit around wondering why they being in your work environment, it will be very difficult for you to aren't successful. There is a common misconception that simply remain mentally sharp, affecting productivity. working harder will allow you to achieve more results. You will The bottom line to maximizing your productivity is remaining in an accomplish far more in an hour of hard work when you are "in the environment and a state of mind that you actually enjoy being in - your groove" than that same hour of hard work when you are unable to own personal circle of Light. enjoy your work or stay focused on your tasks. Ask yourself who, what, why, when, and where questions about your Ask yourself who, what, why, when, and where questions about your working circumstances, and find answers that resonate with you. If environment, finding answers to these questions can create an you fail to do so, you'll just keep swimming upstream, fighting the environment that allows you to work easily and effortlessly. current rather than letting it carry you easily along. Proceed my dear ! WHO: Who are you doing the work for? friends, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path to success.

Editorial Committee

Editorial Coordinators

Mullai Manavalan Rangachary M C

Arun Srinivasan R | Ashish Mohta | Balaji TR | Geetha Mohandass | Gigy Skaria | Jansi Rani S | Kanchana Vasudevan | Satish Natarajan | Suresh T | Thomas Komban | Designed by: Gowrinath L