Source: www.business-standard.com

AppLabs, an independent quality management and software testing company’s expansion plans include, setting up a $6-million (Rs. 25-crore) 1000-seater testing facility and training centre in India and a testing facility in the UK. As well, it plans to hire 800-professionals later this year, raising its global headcount to 2,500.

Scouting for acquisitions, the US-based firm is considering an initial public offer (IPO) or the private equity route to raise $40-million over a year to partly fund new acquisitions.

Confirming his company’s plans, Shashi Reddi, the Founder Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AppLabs, says AppLabs is looking to acquire companies operating in pharmaceuticals discovery and game testing. On the lookout for acquisitions valued at around $100-million (Rs. 410-crore) or thereabouts, last year the $70-million firm acquired UK-based IS Integration for $37-million.?

According to Reddi, AppLabs new testing facility with seating capacity for more than 1,000-employees will be open in Hyderabad by October, while its first testing facility in the UK will be ready for its grand opening, some time this month.

UK’s 30-seat facility will be just the beginning of a series of AppLabs testing facilities to be opened in UK and Europe over the next 12-months. Reddi affirms, these facilities are a part of AppLabs global strategy to expand presence in Europe. Each month 100-employees are hired by it, and of the 800 new recruits hired during this financial year, 700-professionals would begin their career with AppLabs from its Hyderabad facilities.

At the launch of AppLabs new brand logo, Adam Ripley, Senior Vice-President (Marketing) informed Forbes 2000 companies would be AppLabs target market.

With the software testing market estimated to be around $13-billion, of which the outsourced half contributes $3-billion, India’s share adds up to $1-billion. Thus, AppLabs’ expansion plans for setting up testing facilities can mean only one thing; it wants a bigger slice of the software testing pie. And, from the look of things, it is bound to succeed only too well. That translates into good news for India’s IT off-shoring / outsourcing industry!