Sify

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Sify Limited (formerly known as Satyam Infoway Limited ) (NASDAQ: SIFY) is a major ISP company based in Chennai, India. It is a large internet network provider in India, with a wide array of internet based services including (a) Internet based Virutal private net works for business/other enterprises (b) Hosting services for business/other enterprises (c) Broadband internet access for businesses and homes (d) Dial up internet access for homes (e) Public internet access points through a chain of franchised cybercafes (f) www.sify.com a web portal that includes popular sites such as www.samachar.com

Sify'portal www.sify.com includes popular sites acquired from Indiaworld.

1 Management
2 Company Profile
3 Nasdaq Listing
4 Buy-Outs
5 India Presence
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Management

The Chairman is US based technology entrepreneur Mr Raju Vegesna bought controlling interest in Sify in 2005 and took over as the CEO of Sify in July 2006.^[1]. Sify's professional management team led by R Ramaraj, George Zacharias and T R Santhanakrishnan left at various stages after Satyam divested its equity in stages.

[edit] Company Profile

Sify is one of the most popular Internet service providers in India. It was rated as one of "The ten top technology companies world-wide recommended for investment" by Fortune in 1999^[2].

Sify was an early pioneer in India in setting up internet portals (then www.satyam-infoway.com; now www.sify.com). When internet access was opened to private sector (until then the state run VSNL had a monopoly in providing internet access), Sify became the first private sector player to offer internet access. Sify's business model was interesting. It leased international bandwidth from global vendors, domestic connectivity from telecom players and set up last mile connectivity by multiple methods: wi-fi connections using roof top antennae, copper connections using phone lines or cable tv connections. Sify also started providing internet network connectivity for business enterprises in India. Sify took internet to the masses in India by setting up a chain of franchised internet cafes (today a network of over 3,000 cybercafes) becoming the largest chain of cybercafes in India.

[edit] Nasdaq Listing

In 1999 Sify got listed in Nadaq national market in US (the second company out of India to get listed in Nasdaq, after Infosys) and raised $240 million in two successive offerings.

[edit] Buy-Outs

Sify acquired a competitor portal www.indiaworld.com for $115 million (ranked second in valuation of a portal in India after investment by venture capital firms in Rediff a few months prior to the deal).