N 2007, to centralize its systems and processes, Ambuja Cements Limited (ACL) decided to implement SAP’s ERP solution. Switzerland- based Holchim Group,ACL’s parent company, mandated that its Indian operations standardize their IT platform across the country. “We wanted to implement SAP’s solution in our environment, set up new network infrastructure across 120 cement dumps in remote locations, and upgrade networks at 80 plus branch offices, factories, and regional sales offices,” recalls Bihag Lalaji, Vice President – Special Projects, ACL. “The colossal project of upgrading their entire network had a one-year timeline,” reminisces Ajay Sawant, MD, Orient Technologies. “However, this ‘Connect India’ project was not as simple as it sounds. It was not just another fulfillment order for a national solution provider like us,” admits Sawant. A total of 10 factories, 44 branches and regional sales offices, and 140 dump locations, having a 10/100 Mbps network, were migrated to 1 Gbps. The architecture was connected over WAN networks, through service providers like Tata, Bharti and Tulip, thus avoiding even a single point of failure. The Rs 10 crore project went live on August 1, 2008, across ACL’s 200 plus locations.