Satyam pulls out of $75 mn Australian project

September 11th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Mahindra Satyam has pulled out of a 75 million dollars software development project at Deakin University that was set to create 2000 jobs in Geelong, Victoria. The company's president of corporate affairs, Sujit Baksi, informed the state government of its intention in a letter to IT minister John Lenders.

July 1st, 2009 MELBOURNE - Tech Mahindra, the new owner of troubled Indian IT services firm Satyam, has for the first time confirmed its continued commitment to a 75 million dollars software development project in Geelong, Australia. There were grave concerns that the project would be axed after Satyam Computer Services founder and chairman, B.

August 3rd, 2009 GEELONG - The Silicon Valley dream for the Australian city of Geelong were shattered when the massive accounting fraud with its potential partner, Indian IT giant Satyam surfaced in January this year. ollowing job losses in the car manufacturing sector, Geelong could not have asked for more when the plan was proposed for a massive 75 million dollar IT hub at Deakin University.

June 25th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Tech Mahindra, which took over scandal hit Satyam Computer Services, will hold high-level talks with key Australian corporate clients of the troubled IT firm in a bid to salvage the reputation of the company. National Australia Bank is one of the key customers Tech Mahindra executive vice-chairman Vineet Nayyar will be meeting next week.

March 17th, 2009 Telstra cancels 32 m dollar deal with Satyam MELBOURNE - Australian software major Telstra has dumped scandal-ridden outsourcing partner Satyam from an applications support contract believed to be worth 32 million dollars a year. EDS will pick up the embattled Indian outsourcing firm's IT contracts with Telstra, sources told The Australian.

January 6th, 2009 MUMBAI - Indian equities markets tumbled Wednesday after Satyam Computers chairman B. Ramalinga Raju admitted to having juggled with the firm's balance sheet to the tune of Rs.40 billion ($823 million).

January 18th, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - The Gujarat government is waiting for a decision by the new board of the beleaguered Satyam Computer Services, which had committed to set up a Rs.600 million (Rs.60 crore) IT park in this state capital, an official said Monday. 'Since Satyam Computer Services has already invested Rs.11 crore (Rs.110 million) for purchasing land for the IT park in Gandhinagar, we would like to await the decision of the new board,' the IT department official said.

April 7th, 2009 On what is to be called an aggressive technical decision, The Australian Govt. has announced that they don't want to completely redesign the internet service of the whole country.

September 15th, 2009 MELBOURNE - The Government of Victoria's decision to give a grant to Indian software giant Satyam Computers now Mahindra Satyam despite failing a federal government litmus test for funding is shrouded in mystery. The grant by Victoria controversially enabled the original firm to embark on the 75 million dollar Geelong IT project.

September 2nd, 2009 MELBOURNE - Qantas has praised outsourcing partner Mahindra Satyam's performance despite the latter being embroiled in a much-publicised billion-dollar accounting scandal. According to Australian IT, Qantas corporate services and technology executive manager David Hall said despite the fraud saga, Satyam continues to service the Flying Kangaroo.

January 7th, 2009 HYDERABAD - Mendu Rammohan Rao, dean of the prestigious International School of Business (ISB) here, Thursday resigned from his position in the wake of the financial fraud at Satyam Computers. He was a member of the Satyam board when the irregularities were committed.

March 24th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Bangalore-based software giant Infosys will pick up most of IBM Global Services' multi-million dollar applications support contract with Australian software giant Telstra, after the latter's deal with the former was scrapped following TELCO reducing its outsourcing partners from four to two. According to The Australian, the decision to shift from IBM to Infosys could result in hundreds of job losses locally and in Bangalore, where IBM operates outsourcing centres.

June 11th, 2009 MUMBAI - Between 7,000 to 10,000 Satyam employees have been put in a virtual pool, continuing their association with the company but with reduced pay, the IT firm said in a regulatory statement Thursday. The virtual pool programme is an innovative way of retaining the excellent human assets of Satyam despite the difficult economic situation, chairman Kiran Karnik said in the statement.

January 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Infrastructure development company Maytas Infra, which was embroiled in a major controversy last month over its acquisition by Satyam Computer, has bagged a Rs.1.1-billion (Rs.110-crore) contract from Southern Railway, the company said Tuesday. As per the contract, Maytas will double the broad gauge track between Chengalpattu and Villupuram, two districts in Tamil Nadu, the company said in a statement.

January 8th, 2009 HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI - The government Friday evening superseded the Satyam board and dismissed three remaining directors, including two independent ones, of the tainted IT major. The government has cancelled a Satyam board meeting scheduled for Saturday in Hyderabad.