After planting its U.S. cybersecurity center in Plano a little more than three years ago, Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT) is expanding its local operations.
In a partnership with California software company ServiceNow, the India-based information technology business is launching a new digital transformation studio, called @now Studio from North Texas.
“We are also thrilled to expand our presence in Texas and leverage the ecosystem the state has to offer,” said Plano-based President and Managing Partner of Wipro’s iCORE business Nagendra Bandaru in a statement. “The studio also represents an expansion of our cybersecurity capabilities and leverages the local workforce to accelerate innovation.”
With Wipro’s 45,000 square-foot Plano site already acting as a hub for advanced analytics and cloud technologies, @now Studio will focus on building new competencies and solutions using ServiceNow’s platform, with an emphasis on global risk and compliance and security operations.
In addition to having clients and other offices in the state, Wipro has relationships with Texas universities, including the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of North Texas, the University of Houston, Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin. When the company moved into Plano in 2018, it recruited around 120 graduates from those colleges that year. And it’s looking to hire more graduates from those institutions to staff the @now Studio.
“Our collaboration with local universities will enhance employment opportunities and expand our intellectual property in cybersecurity,” Bandaru said.
The Plano @now Studio is the first. Wipro said it has plans to launch additional studio locations in Europe and elsewhere in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region in the coming months, although it did not disclose specific locations.
Wipro has been expanding since it entered the region. Founded in 1945 as a refined oils manufacturer, the company now focuses on technology and has more than 200,000 employees globally. Last year, it posted a revenue of about $8.7 billion. This year, Wipro acquired British tech consultancy firm Capco for $1.45 billion and Australian cybersecurity company Ampion in a $117 million deal. In 2020, its former, locally-based CEO Abidali Neemuchwala stepped down citing family commitments and was replaced by former Capgemini COO Thierry Delaporte. Neemuchwala now serves as a venture partner at Irving-based VC firm Dallas Venture Partners (formerly Naya Ventures) and as an executive advisor to Texas AI software and services startup Hypergiant.
“We look forward to leveraging the @now Studio to increase our ServiceNow capabilities, build solutions across industries and help our customers simplify processes and automate their workflows,” Bandaru said.
