In the insurance business, everyone's headed into the hinterland. But the cost of every new branch can bite deeply. Here's how going Open Source helped ING Life save US$1.7 million and funded its expansion plans.
"Companies that outperform their rivals are the ones which find the circumstances they want, and if they don't, strive to create them." Sitting in his sixth floor office, Ravishankar Subramanian, director IT and corporate services of the US$234 million ING Vysya Life Insurance, recalled the words of his superior at a previous organization. It made a lot more sense now.
Squeezed between a woodworking unit and a grimy garage is a tiny billboard workshop in Bangalore that says: 'We Use Eco-Freindly [sic] Plastics'. Set in its surroundings, it's a somewhat incongruous place to find a green advertisement -- given that until recently 'eco-friendly' was a concept aimed at a more elitist market. If green has found a home in a hole-in-the-wall, it's a testament to the way it's being marketed.