SKS Microfinance, India’s largest microfinance institution, recently chose desktop virtualization software SoftXpand to meet its computing needs. SKS will implement the new software throughout its 1,700 branches.

SoftXpand’s ability to convert 1 computer into 8 fully independent virtual desktops without additional proprietary hardware will help SKS’s efforts to increase computer accessibility throughout its branches, according to a SKS spokesperson.

“The SoftXpand solution has delivered seamless virtualized computing experiences across multiple terminals, ensuring ‘near zero’ performance loss while reducing infrastructure and energy costs. With our aggressive growth underway, this cutting-edge technology perfectly matches our low cost – high value rural network model, improving productivity and efficiency of the field staff while reducing transaction costs, thus adding value to how we deliver financial solutions to our members,” said Pradeep Kalra, Chief Information Officer at SKS Microfinance.

By Jay Kumar, Research Assistant

About SKS Microfinance:
SKS Microfinance was founded in India in 1998. In 2005, it transformed into a for-profit non-banking financial company (NBFC). As of September 2009, SKS had 3.5 million active borrowers and 1,676 branches, compared with 771 in March of 2008. According to the MIX Market, the microfinance information clearinghouse, its total assets as of 2008 were USD 596.2 million, with a return on assets of 3.68 percent and return on equity of 18.72 percent. SKS products include: income generating loans, mid-term loans, individual loans, loan cover insurance and health insurance.

Additional Sources:

1. http://www.free-press-release.com/news-miniframe-provides-thousands-of-softxpand-virtual-desktops-to-the-india-s-largest-microfinance-company-1265209837.html

2. http://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=SKS+Microfinance