Indian software giant Infosys technologies, which has had a presence in Australia for over seven years, launched a new Consulting and Systems Integration practice across Australia and New Zealand a couple of months ago.

The practice represents a major evolution in the value Infosys offers its clients and adds a significant new initiative as a consulting partner.

Infosys Australia chief executive Jackie Korhonen visited Auckland last week and hinted at plans of opening an office in Wellington. She also said that an office in Auckland was a possibility down the line.

“New Zealand is well known as an innovative market. Infosys is looking forward to helping New Zealand organisations become more competitive by tapping into the best of the global talent pool along with the wealth of skills available locally,” Ms Korhonen told Indian Weekender.

Over a dozen Infosys Australia consultants are already in the country working on client sites.

Infosys Technologies is India’s second largest software exporter and employs over 100,000 people in its development centres across the world.

The new consulting practice formalises a trend toward more strategic engagements for Infosys Australia, which earlier in the year completed a portfolio analysis project for ING Australia, recommending next steps in the application lifecycle for a number of core applications as part of that company’s two-year technology transformation project.

Infosys has consciously launched the new practice at a time when the global economy is putting pressure on companies to rein in costs, Ms Korhonen said.

"Our new Consulting and Systems Integration practice will allow us to engage with clients earlier in the project lifecycle, by providing the technology and process strategy that supports transformational business goals, as well as the execution of that strategy,

"When times are good, businesses want to focus on growth rather than on transforming underlying processes and strategies. But when the market starts to contract, you can't afford to ignore inefficiencies. You must transform," she added.

Infosys plans to grow the Australian and New Zealand consulting teams to include senior business architects, change management specialists and program directors.