Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is developing solutions to drive scaled adoption of blockchain across industries, using technologies from Microsoft and R3, an enterprise blockchain software firm. As enterprises are gearing up to go beyond experimentation and exploration with blockchain technology, TCS sees the need for horizontal cross-industry platforms on which scalable solutions can be rapidly developed.
TCS plans to scale up hybrid cloud infrastructure with new capabilities and a micro-services architecture which will enable enterprise customers to digitally transform their business while uncovering new business value. The platforms will sit on the Microsoft Azure blockchain cloud while harnessing the potential of R3’s Corda Enterprise blockchain platform, allowing TCS to quickly develop and deliver application layer solutions.
TCS has already identified and is developing five blockchain platforms that include, digital identity, track and trace, assets in common, asset monetisation, and tokenisation. Across these horizontal platforms, TCS has identified numerous solution opportunities and is building them out by leveraging their respective customer and partner networks.
Industry application of blockchain technology is widespread in areas like management of component lifecycle in manufacturing, digital assets rights, electronic health records management, software IP protection, peer-to-peer insurance, and many more. Platforms developed through the alliance will be equipped with complete DevOps kits wherein assets from all three companies would be available for rapid design, building, and deployment.
“By collaboratively identifying the base capabilities needed for disruptive ecosystem use cases and by extracting reusable assets from engagements that we have executed, we are in a strong position to build and test minimum viable platforms for customers. Some of the anchor solutions that we are building on these platforms include skills marketplace, anti-counterfeiting of luxury goods, affordable mobility, shared telecom infrastructure for 5G, and loyalty and rewards programs,” said Lakshminarasimhan Srinivasan, Global Head, Blockchain Services, TCS.
“Microsoft has been in the forefront of helping enterprises adopt blockchain technology with its Azure Blockchain offerings and DevOps kits. This relationship would be valuable in accelerating adoption of these toolkits as well as in identifying future needs for rapid solution development and cloud hosting,” said Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft.
“This alliance is not just about bringing together each company’s products and services. It represents a rare opportunity for us to learn and develop solutions alongside one another so that the partnership is more than the sum of its parts. It also provides a valuable ability to leverage joint networks of customers and partners to rapidly accelerate the adoption of Corda in key focus areas for R3, such as insurance, asset tokenisation and digital identity verification,” said David E Rutter, CEO, R3.
TCS has been successfully deploying its Quartz Blockchain Solutions for enterprises in the financial services value chain, leveraging the technology for its agility and ability to significantly reduce transaction costs.
