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15th February 2008

Bronze IITT Award for Tata Interactive Systems

The global learning provider, Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), won a bronze award in the eLearning Project of the Year category at the Institute of IT Training (IITT) Awards, announced at the Dorchester, Park Lane, London, in February. The IITT Awards recognise outstanding examples of high standards, best practice, innovation and excellence within the IT training sector.

TIS won its award for a game - using its Game-based Learning Objects (GamBLs™) model - which it developed for ICICI Bank in India. The game casts players - drawn from ICICI Bank's Process Managers - as airport managers and involves optimising the airport's revenue by managing the throughput of travellers.

This helped the managers to learn the principles behind the bank's Dynamic Queue Management (DQM) system. TIS's Reg Agyeman, explained: "A key factor in improving bank customer satisfaction levels is minimising waiting time - which is what the ICICI Bank's DQM system addresses, automatically assigning incoming customers to relevant counters.

"The DQM software also enables the branch managers to get a real-time view of the situation on the branch floor and to make adjustments to the service mix across the counters. Ideally, this should reduce bottlenecks at any particular counter, reduce customer wait time and improve customer satisfaction.

"However, DQM reports gathered for analysis showed unexpected queues building up, which meant that the managers were not using the system to manage footfall efficiently," he said.

TIS's solution - deliberately placing the learners in a non-financial services context to help them focus on the learning rather than the industry setting - means that players study the pattern of incoming aircraft, both in terms of numbers and required services. Players can then set up specific services at the different airport hangars and watch the airport in action.

Agyeman commented: "ICICI Bank Process Managers were impressed with the game's graphical richness and innovative instructional design strategy. They found that the DQM GamBLs™ provided an innovative, immersive environment where they could practise their skills at queue management, while enjoying a ‘fun experience'.

"Since the game only lasted 15 minutes or so, managers were receptive to trying it out during the course of a normally busy day. Finally, the competitive nature of the game also helped acceptance among the target audience."

Based on this feedback from the users, ICICI Bank is rolling out the DQM GamBLs™ across its vast network of branches.

"We're delighted that this slightly unusual approach to a learning need in the financial service sector, which ensures that the right customers get the right service at the right time, has been recognised by winning a prestigious IITT Award," said Alan Samuel, head of TIS in the UK.

Now in their 12th year, the Awards are firmly established as the benchmark for excellence throughout the IT training industry. They recognise and celebrate outstanding examples of high standards, best practice, innovation and excellence across the IT Training industry.

All completed entries were assessed by an independent panel of judges, followed by a 30-minute presentation to a separate judging panel for each award. These presentations took place during November/December last year.

End

Notes for editors

About ICICI Bank ( www.icicibank.com )

ICICI Bank is India's second-largest bank with total assets of about US$79bn at 31st March 2007. ICICI Bank has a presence in 17 countries, with India alone having a network of some 950 branches and extension counters and over 3,300 ATMs.

The bank offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and specialised subsidiaries. Their services cover investment banking, life and non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management.

ICICI Bank has its branches and subsidiaries spread all over the globe and have several International Finance Centers in the USA, United Arab Emirates, China, South Africa, and Bangladesh. In India, ICICI Bank is the most valuable bank in terms of market capitalisation. The bank's equity shares are listed in India on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited.

About the Institute of IT Training (IITT)

The Institute of IT Training (IITT) is a professional body that helps to prepare classroom trainers, courseware designers and developers, online tutors, training managers and consultants to equip UK business for success in the new global economy. It aims to develop and promote the prestige, professionalism, integrity and raise the standards of the IT training profession in the corporate, IT vendor and IT training provider sectors.

About Tata Interactive Systems (TIS)

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a global leader in e-learning, is a part of the $22bn Tata Group. Truly international, TIS has a presence across the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Japan, India, and mainland Europe. TIS offers corporations, universities, schools, publishers, and government institutions a diversified and innovative bouquet of learning and training solutions including Simulation-based Learning Objects (SimBLs), Story-based Learning Objects (StoBLs), courseware and curriculum design, special needs education, assessments, electronic performance support systems (EPSS), mobile learning, along with other corporate training and consultancy services. Our multi-disciplinary expertise and 16 years' experience across domains helps us design e-learning programmes that are unique to clients' requirements and specifically crafted to boost knowledge retention and application.

Apart from holding ISO 9001 certification, TIS is the only e-learning organisation in the world to be assessed at Level 5 in both the SEI-CMM and P-CMM frameworks. TIS's quest for excellence is reflected in numerous prestigious industry awards, including a Silver Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Award 2005 and 2004, APEX Award of Excellence in 2005 and 2006, BETT Awards in 2004 and 2006, and two Business World-NID Design Excellence awards.

For more information log on to http://www.tatainteractive.com

Further information from:

Alan Samuel, Tata Interactive Systems, 020 7905 0156, www.tatainteractive.com

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 01727 860405, www.boblittlepr.com