From correspondents in Kerala, India, 08:31 PM IST

IT services provider UST Global announced Thursday that it has entered into a five-year contract with Ohio-based Dana Holding Corp to provide IT solutions.

The California-headquartered UST Global, which has a major presence in Kerala's IT industry, in a statement here said the tie-up would help Dana improve its operational efficiencies and lower total cost of ownership.

'Dana had been seeking to move to a global sourcing and delivery model in order to lower its operating costs, while also providing shorter time-to-market for its e-business applications,' said Bill Umberger, director of IT corporate services for Dana.

'In addition, it needed a stable resource support structure to provide a global delivery framework that could quickly ramp-up, when needed, to handle emerging e-business development requirements,' he added.

Dana is a world leader in the supply of axles, drive shafts, structural, sealing, and thermal-management products.

Of the 5,500 employees of UST Global, more than 3,000 are employed in Kerala at the Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram and its Kochi office.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)