Introducing Mr. Leslie Frank by Janet Pinto (Edit 3 Sept-Oct 2007)

Leslie Frank, visionary technocrat-entrepreneur, exemplifies the very spirit and mission of Dimensions, an initiative that seeks to ignite the entrepreneurial drive within the Christian Community. In this brief encounter with one of its founding Directors, you are likely to discover a resonance with your own fondest entrepreneurial achievements and dreams. It is with great joy that we present to you the Founder -Partner of Lancomp Networking Solutions -- Mr. Leslie Frank. Would you take us along the path that led to your Entrepreneurial adventure and the founding of 'Lancomp Networking Solutions'? My passion for Engineering led me to St. Xavier's Engineering Institute, from where I graduated as an Electronics Engineer in 1979. I then spent about 12 years in Organizations like The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Patni Computer Systems Ltd. --- places that were exciting environments for Learning and even Inspiration, considering that the legendary Mr. Narayan Murthy and his team of Infosys fame started their careers at PCS. At heart though, I've always been an Entrepreneur, it is this spirit that I inevitably brought to my work and it made my stint as an 'employee' both meaningful and enjoyable. Taking ownership of my work also kept alive my dream of having my own business. How did you conceive of Lancomp Neworking Solutions? As I said, I've had the Mind of an Engineer and the Heart of an Entrepreneur. And I had made a career in Digital Electronics. So it was only a matter of the right time. And it came about the time of the Gulf War, when the country's Foreign Reserves had dwindled and industrial growth had plummeted. Even large Business houses had to reign in their Capital Expense Budgets. Clearly, this was the time for the advent of 'Services' as a major thrust area, and IP Networking capacities were emerging as a decisive factor in corporate competitiveness. This was clearly the time to take the plunge --- but not alone! I sensed that the game would turn out to be too big for a single 'bright spark'. The immensity of the opportunity and challenge needed a team of like-minded technocrat-entrepreneurs. Selecting the right Team was a crucial choice. They say, once you've taken a stand, the whole Universe moves in to help you. This is what happened when, one by one, I met the right people and together, we formed 'Lancomp Networking Solutions .' We've grown ever since and are now established as reputed providers of Networking Solutions. What do you find most exciting about managing and growing your very own company? What's most exciting is keeping up with the accelerated developments in the Digital Technology space. We, at Lancomp, are committed to meeting the needs of our customers proactively. This means we must constantly look ahead and predict how emerging technological developments will shape our customers' demands and be ready to meet these needs in a way that is viable and competitive. This involves constant customer involvement and unrelenting technological innovation. What could be more exciting! Could you throw some light on the challenges you face, considering the tough environment in which you operate? Being an entrepreneur in these times of globalization and digitization, has enormous challenges. I must, however, add that these challenges can be most rewarding. They build you – in mind, heart and spirit. In our business we are compelled to stay on the cutting- edge of developments in every domain – technology, business, economy, political and social, with a perspective that is global. One is called to interface and deal with a wide spectrum of people, some with agendas that may challenge your value system. Every moment is one of decision –making. As a business owner, you juggle so many balls –it's a feat that hones your skills and builds your self-confidence like nothing else. What do you feel most proud of when you consider your achievements? I am proud that we have succeeded in staying on top of the grueling pressures of our business. We've been fast to innovate and adapt to changing circumstances, always maintaining high standards in customer service. We are also proud of our employees, who are highly motivated and self driven as they constantly go beyond the call of duty. In the Service Support arm of our business, for example, we have very successfully followed a policy of delegation that has proved to be highly productive and rewarding. I hear you are among the foremost network integration players to offer Internet–based solutions in Remote Video Surveillance! Could you explain how this surveillance system works? This is our most recent foray. We have harnessed the power of the Internet to provide solutions in remote video surveillance and automation. This is a tremendous boon to Business as well as to domestic households or families. This is how it works: you could be anywhere in the world and you could keep a hawk's eye on all that's going on at your Factory, your Office or even your Home – all clearly visible on your video screen. And it's all recorded, available for later viewing. The amazing thing is that you can review an hour's footage in just about 30 seconds! This is just an example of the many automation marvels of this system. I'd be happy to give your readers a demonstration should they be interested. For now, though, just imagine you've installed the System in your home and taken off on a family holiday. An intruder breaks into your house. At the very moment of the break-in, the System sets off an alarm and activates flashing lights and a hooter in the Security Cabin of the premises. Simultaneously, it sends you an SMS and an email with a photograph of the intruder! What is your vision for the future of your business? Going forward I see Lancomp Networking Solutions becoming one of the most sought after and reputed IT Solutions companies in India. Lancomp will be known as much for its Technological Innovation, as it is for its Customer- Orientation and its Value – Based Character. More specifically, I see the company developing a robust Marketing and Sales set- up that will take our Products and Services to the right places and accelerate our growth. Here is an open invitation to all Diamonds and readers of 'Dimensionally Your's.. If anyone feels nudged to come and join hands with us as our Marketing and Sales associates, we would be happy to meet up and explore possibilities. And boy … we really have a set of very innovative products to offer! What advice would you give to our young Christian professionals who feel drawn to start a business but are afraid of the risks? I wouldn't hesitate to say 'take the plunge'. You have support in DIMENSIONS. Come to our monthly meetings and network with like-minded professionals. You will find the guidance and the encouragement you need. Being an entrepreneur can be exciting and exhilarating. There are risks for sure, but believe me, the risks are worth taking!

Leslie Frank can be contacted at leslie@lancomp.net

Janet Pinto is the Founder – Director of Kairos Integral Consulting, a Human Resource and OrganizationDevelopment Organization with a focus on Leadership Coaching, Training, and Facilitation.

Dimension Trade And Commerce Ltd. Commences Activities by Vianney D'Gama (Edit 3 Sep-Oct 2007)

Dimensions is a movement which is aimed at harnessing the resources of the community and channelling it for the benefit of the community again aimed at creating wealth and using the same for community development. The members of Dimensions consist of businessmen and professionals from various walks of life like legal, medicine, investment, education etc to name a few. Apart from social objectives, the members of Dimension were of the view that floating a commercial venture by pooling the resources of the members would appear as an excellent vehicle for generation of wealth. The idea was mooted by driving force behind the movement – Freddy Mendonca- After a brain storming session the idea resulted in the birth of Dimension Trade and Commerce Ltd. a corporate where the objective is to maximise wealth for its stake holders Dimension Trade and Commerce boasts of an excellent Board, consisting of personalities, who have excelled in their respective fields and are burning with a passion to make this venture a roaring success. Dimension Trade and Commerce commenced operations recently and to finance its business activities it issued shares to its members at the rate of Rs. 10/- per share and the response was overwhelming. In the first phase, the company decided to focus on two growth areas for deployment of funds- the stock market and the real estate markets and what is gratifying is that the funds deployed in these two segments have generated excellent returns. Going forward the company is planning to increase the outlay in these two growth segments. The management is now in the process of expanding its activities in these two high growth areas. To increase its fund base to undertake the expansion plans the company is planning to issue shares to its members who could not be accommodated in the initial phase. The Directors are now seized with the thought of further diversifying the income streams of the company so as to not only enhance the income streams, but to have a stable and diversified income portfolio. With the Indian economy poised for accelerated growth in the years ahead, Dimension Trade and Commerce is all set to bask in the glory of a growing economy.

Vianney D'Gama is a Freelance Writer

The Time Has Come Part 2 By Veronica Paul (Edit 3 Oct 2007)

In the last part (part 1), Ms. Paul referred to the three Power factors, i.e. Economic Power, Intellectual Power and the Power of Conviction, In that issue she focused on Economic Power. In this issue, she elaborates on Intellectual Power Intellectual Power: Intellectual Power is important because it influences thought and action. If you observe a group of people in conversation, you will often find that the person who appears the most knowledgeable, and can quote facts and statistics to substantiate his statements, automatically leads the conversation, holds everyone's attention and exerts a certain power over others. This power comes from Knowledge, and Knowledge comes from education and experience. For our youth, both male and female, education is the cornerstone of intellectual power, leading to economic wellbeing. Unfortunately, very few of us reach the level where we can make a real difference in the political, corporate and business world. A vast majority of our Christians have little education, hold low-end jobs and seem to be satisfied with the crumbs that fall off the table of India's economy. This is a pitiable state of affairs especially considering that we have had access to superior education in Christian schools and colleges. We have failed to capitalize on this asset and to grow intellectually. We call ourselves an educated community but this merely means that we have a basic education, which has limited use in today's scenario. Someone recently spoke of a classmate who was a consistent topper in school and college, yet did not pursue further studies and today holds a mediocre job in a BPO. What a waste of brainpower. Many of our youth today have taken the line of least resistance and have fallen prey to dead-end jobs in BPO's and Call Centers because of short-term returns. Even parents, dazzled by the handsome salaries, are encouraging this trend. This is sad because we are slowing down our own progress. As a community, we have several vertical skills such as knowledge of written and spoken English, interpersonal skills, culture, team playing abilities, integrity, basic values, etc. Instead of capitalizing on these advantages for our own long-term benefit, we happily allow these assets to be exploited by others, but to our own detriment. BPO's and Call Centers, being a 24/7 industry (i.e. 24 hours a day, seven days a week), involve shift timings and monotonous work. The burnout rate, thus, is very high, and many young men and women quickly learn that there is no future in these jobs. By then, however, they not only find it difficult to get mainstream jobs due to lack of qualifications, but also find it impossible to continue their college education. Thus, they find themselves between a rock and a hard place, and frustration sets in. What is more alarming is the fact that even undergraduates are being targeted because of the ever-increasing demand. Christian Career Counselors should be aware of this trend and advise our youth accordingly. In some cases, BPO'S may be a good starting point for a person who has completed his/her full education and needs an initial break. But not for a student who would have otherwise gone in for higher studies and branched out into a more meaningful profession. We need to raise the bar in terms of academic achievement. How many of our youth aspire to the IAS, IPS, Chartered Accountancy, or to B-schools like the IIM's, XLRI, TISS, etc., or to the top engineering schools such as the IITs? How many have entered top medical schools? Today, we have a wide choice of professions like Media, Entertainment, IT, Fashion Designing, etc. to choose from. However, even these are very competitive and we need to set our goals much higher to qualify for admission into the best professional institutions in the respective fields. A good education necessitates the investment of time, energy and finance. While students should endeavor to excel in their chosen streams and not take for granted the facilities offered by Christian schools, colleges, and professional colleges, these Christian institutions too can help by focusing on our youth and encouraging them to excel. Giving them a head start by way of preferential admission would also help. In this context, it may be useful to remember that charity begins at home, and we need to ensure that our Christian youth get access to these facilities first. Since superior education is expensive, Christian corporate houses could sponsor the coaching of high-potential students for further studies at the best institutes both in India and abroad. Coaching that is strategic and goal-oriented has to start early. This is not to imply that only a spectacular academic background guarantees success. Many have achieved significant success without fancy qualifications. Indeed, some have reached dizzy heights with very little formal education. However, few of us have the genius or business acumen of a Bill Gates or a Dhirubhai Ambani. For the rest, a top-notch education is the gateway to success and aspiration. Intellectual power also means using our native intelligence to the optimum. We need to be on the cutting edge of developments and knowledge in our areas of interest. We need to be aware of our rights, privileges, opportunities and threats, and think laterally. The antithesis of intellectual power is ignorance. In property matters particularly, many of our Catholics, through fear and ignorance, are intimidated by unscrupulous builders and other elements. Here, dedicated Legal Cells can be of great help. Christian lawyers and builders should access areas like Gaothans which have a large Christian population and offer services and guidance to those who need them. Christian housing societies should also spread awareness among their members in this regard. Having the requisite intellectual skills will empower us immeasurably. No longer then, will we be considered an ignorant, easy-going and naive community that is virtually begging to be exploited. Veronica Paul is a Placement Consultant and Proprietor of C. S. Paul & Associates.

How To Trade In Futures by Clifton DeSilva (Edit 3 Oct 2007)

The futures and options market has been a very vibrant market and the daily turnover on the futures and options market is substantially higher than that of the cash market. Since the futures and options markets became operational in India about 6-7 years back, not many people are conversant with the ways these markets operate. The scope of this article is to explain in simple terms the difference between the cash market and the futures market.

On the National Stock Exchange there are two market segments- the spot or the cash markets and the futures and options market.

The difference between the two markets is as follows. The spot or cash market is a market where you purchase shares, make full payment for the purchase and take delivery of the shares. The trading or market lot in the spot market is one share. In simple terms – the price of Indian Hotels is quoting at Rs. 125 and you are positive about the outlook of the company. You could purchase one share of Indian Hotels by paying Rs.125 and take delivery of the share. Since the shares are in demat form they will be transferred to your demat account.

On the other hand the futures market is a market where the underlying asset is the stock. In the case of Indian Hotels futures, the underlying is the stock of Indian Hotels. Unlike the spot market you do not take delivery of the shares and do not pay the full purchase price, but a small amount of 20% by way of initial margin money. In the futures market each stock has a different market lot. For e.g. the market lot for Indian Hotels is 1750 shares In the futures market every contract commences on the last Friday of the month and ends on the last Thursday of the month. You can carry forward of roll over the contract to the ensuing months till your price objective is met. For e.g. The October contract began on Friday 28th September and will end on Thursday 25th October. The November contract begins on Friday 26th October and will expire on 29h Nov. The current price of Indian Hotels is Rs. 125 and by 29th November, the expiry date of the November futures contract you expect the price to touch Rs 150. You by a November futures contract on Indian Hotels. at the current price of Rs 125. The total investment would amount to Rs. 2,18,750. (1750x125). You pay an initial margin of 20% ie Rs. 43,750. On 29th November, the price of Indian Hotels as per expectations

quotes at Rs. 150 The net result is a profit of Rs 43750 (150-125=25x1750) on an investment of Rs 43,750 in a span of a month. The return works out to 100% per month or 1200% on an annualised basis.. In case the same deal was done on the cash market, the returns would be as follows: Purchase of 1750 Indian Hotels at Rs. 125 would involve an investment of Rs. 2,18,750. The sale of 1750 Indian Hotels a month later at Rs 150 would generate sales proceeds of Rs. 2, 62,500, resulting in a profit of Rs. 43,750 but on higher investment of Rs. 218,750 as against Rs. 43,750 in the futures market. The return works out to 20% or 240% on an annualised basis. The futures market provides you with the power of leveraging. Clifton DeSilva is the Chairman & Managing Director, Altina Securities Pvt. Ltd. Member National Stock Exchange of India

DIMENSIONS. Success is a journey not a destination…………………………………….. Freddy Mendonca (Edit 1 May 2007)

Welcome to the world of Dimensions. We live in a competitive world so full of challenges at every step. It is very essential that as a community we Christians who are so accomplished in fields like Education and Healthcare, do justice to ourselves and the society we live in by sharpening our skills in areas like Business and Public life where we are found to be wanting. Ironically, it turns out that the teachings of our Lord and saviour make for excellent Business men and in public life we find that in very own India, the Mahatma won us freedom using Biblical principles!! We realize that as a community, we lack support systems or any other means that will help our young professionals with a spirit of enterprise venture out on their own and build and nurture them so that we have a few more Glenmarks to show, in our ranks. When we look around and see the Kutchis or the Gurjars or several successful mercantile communities on the Indian business scene, we realize that the unity and support systems that each of these success stories represent and nurture differentiates them from the “others” . As Christians the need was felt to move us out from the “others” category and build a vibrant self sustaining self financing edifice that will help incubate entrepreneur talent. This vision was given shape and form thanks to a simple and unassuming person in the form of Mr Freddy Mendonca whose simplicity combined with vision makes for a formidable combination, thus DIMENSIONS was born. Dimensions as we all call it is a group of Christian Entrepreneurs who meet once a month and share their experience on their path to success. At the same time a common goal evolved as such that the comfort level among these community members grew leaps and bounds.The idea is to grow business within the community, in order to achieve that fellow Christian Business men will first have to meet and network with their peers, automatically a rapport and relationship is established and business relations among fellow Diamonds (as Dimension members are called) sprouts in the well watered fields that Dimensions offers. The vision was very concrete to see that every person in the community grows in terms of work and wealth. This in turn would make the entire community a strong community economically as well as socially. Businessmen, Bankers, Investors, Consultants, Professionals, Newspaper editors were all invited to this forum. The first meeting commenced on 24th June 2006 at Hotel Suncity Residency, at Andheri Mumbai, in less than a year, members have started business relations within the hitherto “unknown” probably unheard of fellow “Christian Brothers” in business. The idea is so simple and so workable that one wonders why it had not been implemented earlier!! There is no membership, no running costs, in fact the overheads are yes you guessed right: zilch. There is no compulsion to attend, but the group discussions, the networking that the system affords draws numbers to these monthly meetings. Would it not be great to have Dimensions as a large “umbrella” under which scores of our businesses are hosted on the internet: networking with Christian business groups (pan India) / world wide a virtually free marketing platform in an era where the world particularly in the services space is just a mouse click away!! And the best part of it all … the foundation has already been laid our website is up and running and evolving by the day. The road ahead is already being paved, “Dimensions Trade and Commerce LTD”(DTCL) has already been registered and the Commencement certificate obtained. Two investment areas viz stock market as well as real estate have been earmarked and investment has already been committed from the share capital contributed by interested members. Any person from the community is welcome to these forum meetings of DIMENSIONS which holds no membership fees and is absolutely self contributory for every meeting. S/He is most welcome for these meetings and is not bound by any rule of membership. He or she can come and introduce/share during these meetings of Dimensions and is always welcome for further meetings at their convenience. It is not at all obligatory for any person attending these dimensions meetings to be a part of DTCL. No person present at this forum will be forced or requested to invest in DTCL. It is entirely upto the individuals comfort level to decide whether to invest in DTCL or not. He or she can still be proud to be a part of Dimensions. This has been confirmed and endorsed by all diamonds who attend these meetings. It's the beginning of a long journey…………… Requesting all Christian Businessmen, Entrepreneurs, Professionals to attend our meetings and be part of the Dimension Movement for your growth and the growth of our community. COME JOIN US AND LET US ALL TOGETHER MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE. — The Dimensions fraternity. Visit: www.dimensionsdirect.com Mr. Freddy Mendonca is the Executiv Director of Protocol Marine Services P Ltd And one of the Founding Fathers of Dimensions

PASSING THE BATON by Marshal Sequeira (Edit 1 May 2007)

Organizations, whatever may the character and purpose, are essentially formed as a means to primarily serve others never for self. It is not necessary that the beneficiaries have to be the whole wide world but a group of people, community, business entities or whatever. The aim is always noble and more often than not, the purpose is well served in line with the aims and objects. Some people take the lead and give the requisite dimension to the organization or association. They have a philanthropic bent of mind and this single attribute ensures that the members or the community stands to benefit. Such people believe that a fulfilling and meaningful life is created through service to others. They are busy individuals and not idle but their inner call makes them devote their time so that others can benefit. Undoubtedly, this is a thankless job because people who devote their time, energy and even money to advance the objectives, find themselves at the receiving end when it comes to criticism. Adverse comments and unwanted criticism are more pronounced during the teething period which is generally lengthy. Founder members / Conveners who are generally committed take such remarks in their stride and continue with their mission because they want to ensure that what they have conceived and started is placed on a sound footing for the benefit of the future generations. A man who plants a peepal sapling does not live to enjoy its shade but does it all the same for posterity. We have inherited a good many organizations / associations which were established by men of vision and dedication. They are not longer on the scene but their contribution is always felt. We are enjoying the fruits today. Similarly those organizations, formed now, will impact the future generations. Contributions by the well meaning founders will be appreciated by those who benefit from them in the long run even if they are no longer at the helm of affairs. Therefore keeping long term perspective in mind and in the larger interests of the beneficiaries and the organizations, they prefer to step aside and withdraw from the forefront, making way for the younger members to hold the reins. They sincerely believe that others can do a better job of it with modern and innovative ideas. Narayan Murthy, the man behind the success of Infosys, voluntarily stepped aside to give others a chance to show their caliber and take it on a higher plane. He stepped aside when people asked “why” instead of waiting for “when”. That is the stuff great men are made of. Every leader must be able to build a new set of leaders to take over in the long run as he honestly believes that his place is transitory. This attitude shows his magnanimity and selflessness because he has the larger interest of the organization dear to his heart. This process ensures continuity and there is no scope for sudden vacuum at the helm. We have many associations and groups and it may be nice thing to have a look at the state of affairs. No doubt most of them are operating on very sound and healthy lines but all the same a little self appraisal is not a bad thing after all. Some people may unwittingly, not realize how important it is to look at the succession plan in the interest of the organization, industry or Government. British PM is being literally forced out and the same thing would have happened in the USA if their constitution did not insulate the President. Leaders of substance must read the writing on the wall. “Only I can do it” is a very dangerous attitude. Transparency is the key word for any organization. Once this is ensured, democratic functioning follows. Members and others hold such association in high esteem. They like to be associated with it but if they have any reservations people prefer to stay aloof and indifferent. The organization then does not grow and remains stagnant. This is not a healthy situation and the people at the helm must sit up and take notice unless of course they feel it does not really matter so long as they continue to rule the roost.

Marshall Sequeira is a “ Free lance writer”

DIMENSIONS and DIAMONDS - A Personal Experience Janet Pinto (Edit 1 May 2007)

I first encountered 'Dimensions' when I co-facilitated a Vision Workshop for the newly founded Organization. I was struck by the multidimensional stature of those who were present - involved as deeply in successful business ventures as in challenging social concerns. It was no wonder that people such as these had read the signs of the times and heard a call to foster an entrepreneurial spirit among the Christian community. And now they were gathered to discern their shared Vision. It was truly a 'gathering unto Him'. The 'gathering' continues in monthly Breakfast meetings, that bring together enterprising men and women from diverse areas, such as Real Estate, Share Broking and Investments, IT and Telecommunications; Travel and Shipping, Recruitment and HR, Engineering and Automobiles, to name a few. These Meetings are an opportunity as much for fellowship and networking as for promoting one's ventures and sharing experiences of marketplace realities. The last meeting in April left us enlightened and better equipped to succeed in the market place. Clifton D'Silva founder of 'Altina Securities' led an expert exploration of the merits of investing in Equities. Agnelo Athaide, founder of St. Angelo's Computer Education' drew us into an animated reflection on Negotiation strategies that stand the test of time. Drawing on their rich experience, both Clifton and Agnelo spoke from the wisdom of their hearts and became our role models and sources of inspiration. The March meeting showcased two examples of an unstoppable entrepreneurial drive one that led to the invention of a unique 'mosquito menace solution' and the other of a 'far - sighted real estate enterprise stories of first generation business ventures. Not surprisingly these meetings are beginning to draw the younger generation. The management students who attended the April said they were happy they came even though they had to skip breakfast to be in time for class. 'Dimensions' has a couple of other valuable dimensions: 1. The Dimensions Website www.dimensionsdirect.com that offers opportunities to network with the Christian business fraternity as well as the benefit of publicizing one's business ventures. 2. 'Dimensions Trade and Commerce Ltd.' offers a unique investment opportunity, one that promises to generate both economic returns and social wealth. DIAMONDS: Diamond' is the word used to refer to a member of Dimensions. Why so? The answer is really a matter of discovery, as it was for me. I found its meaning in the priceless support I've received from the members of Dimensions. DIAMONDS indeed! Janet Pinto founder of 'Kairos Integral Consulting' is a Corporate Trainer, HR Consultant & Executive Coach