Satyam has signed on as one of the first FIFA sponsors. Satyam, a leading global consulting and information technology services provider, has become the first Indian company to sign up as a FIFA World Cup™ Sponsor. This historic agreement awards Satyam global rights for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa, the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil and the two FIFA Confederations Cups which fall within the 2007-2014 period. The partnership, sealed by FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and Satyam chairman and founder B. Ramalinga Raju at a signing ceremony on the eve of the Preliminary Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ in Durban, represents the first major sponsorship deal the IT services company has entered into - a further indication of the enduring appeal of football.

“I am very proud that Satyam has chosen the FIFA World Cup for this historic move. Satyam’s commitment is a testimony to the immense appeal of FIFA as a superior marketing platform for transporting a brand around the world. It is a big advantage for all those involved in the events to have such an experienced IT service partner on board,” said the FIFA President. “We look forward to working with such a dedicated partner who shares our ideals and identifies with our mission to use football as a tool to touch the world and build a better future.”

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BANGALORE, India (AFP) — Indian IT firms used to selling their services to banks and manufacturers are now looking to the world of sport for new business, after a breakthrough deal with football’s governing body FIFA.

Software group Satyam Computer, the country’s fourth-biggest software firm, has blazed the trail, signing a seven-year agreement to be FIFA’s official IT services provider and its first major sponsor from cricket-mad India.

Satyam estimates that the sports industry is a one-trillion-dollar business which spends 40 billion dollars annually on IT services — and is growing at an annual rate of eight percent.

Kiran Karnik, president of the National Association of Software and Service Companies, says Satyam’s deal with FIFA demonstrates the vast potential of the sports market for India’s IT firms.

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DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) — Software group Satyam has become FIFA’s first major sponsor from India after being appointed as their official IT services provider for the next seven years.

Under an agreement signed here on Saturday, Satyam will join global giants such as McDonalds and the US brewer Anheuser-Busch as one of six World Cup sponsors.

The Indian company will provide Information Technology (IT) support for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups to be held in South Africa and Brazil respectively.

“This is a momentous day for Satyam, as we pledge to work much more closely with FIFA than we have in the past in the run up to 2010 and 2014,” the company’s founder and owner B. Ramalinga Raju said after the signing ceremony.

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