America Online has opened a software development centre
in Bangalore.
The AOL Bangalore development centre employs 12 people and will
expand the staff to about 50 workers by the middle of the year,
said company spokesman Jim Whitney.
The software development centre will help handle product
development, maintenance and quality assurance.
AOL already has a customer support subsidiary in Bangalore,
called America Online Member Services India.
The subsidiary employs about 1,600 staff and is increasing to
1,900 employees by July. The operation also offers content
management and content development services for AOL. Part of the
work involves developing technologies in countering spam and
parental control of internet access. The software development
centre operates as a division of the subsidiary.
AOL is the latest among technology and internet companies to set
up a software development centre in India.
Yahoo announced the appointments of two chief technology
officers for its software development subsidiary in Bangalore,
which develops technology and products for data mining, search,
e-commerce, mail, social networking and core technology
platforms.
In the wake of US protests against outsourcing, AOL and other US
companies are typically hesitant to disclose hiring plans in
India.
AOL cut 450 positions, primarily in software development to
reduce costs, but that was unrelated to setting up the software
development centre in Bangalore, Whitney said.
John Ribeiro writes for IDG News Service