Infosys expands at SkySong

Arizona’s technology sector continues to heat up with new startups and major corporate expansions being executed or planned practically every quarter. The “Silicon Desert,” as it’s been dubbed many times over, keeps welcoming in not only new companies but also new research hubs that represent innovation at the educational level.

One of those new research centers is Infosys Ltd, an IT services company based in Bengaluru, India, which provides software development, maintenance and independent validation services to companies in multiple industries including finance, insurance, and manufacturing. The company announced the inauguration of a Technology and Innovation Center at its temporary location at Arizona State University’s Scottsdale Innovation Center, or SkySong.

Infosys plans to hire 1,000 local professionals by the year 2023, adding to its 10,000-plus roster of American workers throughout the country. The new workers at SkySong will focus on areas such as autonomous technologies, Internet of Things (IoT), data science, cybersecurity, and full-stack engineering.

“The inauguration of our Arizona Technology and Innovation Center is an important milestone in our efforts to help American enterprises accelerate their digital transformations,” said Salil Parekh, chief executive officer Infosys, in a statement. “Today’s inauguration marks our sixth Center opening in the United States, allowing Infosys to seamlessly collaborate with our clients across the country in an agile manner.”

The new center houses a number of labs that boost research in virtual reality, augmented reality, and robotic technologies. The goal for Infosys, besides boosting its employee footprint and becoming a leading company in the tech industry in the state, is to develop cross-functional solutions to what’s fueling the business landscape throughout the world. This includes areas like machine learning, artificial intelligence, and user experience.

Artificial intelligence, for example, is changing the business world and customer relationships altogether. When you apply AI to software, a normal customer relationship management system turns into a self-correcting and -updating system. AI also plays a role in technologies like shipping, supply chain, logistics, and autonomous cars, which have made their mark here in Arizona, taking over our streets and highways with everything from self-driving commercial trucks to passenger vans.

New Arizona employees at the Infosys labs at SkySong will be able to complete degree programs and continuing education courses through ASU in order to bridge the STEM skills gap.

“At SkySong, we look at the future of learning and educational technology. We have a lot of companies that have specialties in that field. They see this as their southwest hub for their customers, like Infosys,” said Grace O’Sullivan, Associate Vice President of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships with ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise. “Their clients will want to be close to them too, which will attract them to come here. They can also make connections with other companies and startups here.”

Operations at SkySong as a whole have pumped a cumulative $403 million in gross state product, and another $272 million in labor income and $36 million in state and local tax revenues. All combined, this comes out to a projected economic output of more than $1 billion by 2022.

“SkySong has always been a place for tech and innovation ecosystem to thrive. It’s the spirit of SkySong to have companies to start their ventures and launch then grow from there, even large global companies can use us the same way a startup can,” said O’Sullivan.

Hiring is underway at the new Infosys location, but its new employees will be heading to the ASU Novus Innovation Corridor next year.