UK software firm shuts shop in Technopark
By NRM
 
Sherston, a UK based software firm in Trivandrum Technopark, with about 100 professionals closed down earlier this month. It was a rude shock for most of the techies working there as they hardly got a week’s notice. The management informed them about their decision of winding up the operations here in the last week of June. They were given a month’s pay in advance in severance.
 
Sherston is one of UK's leading publishers of educational software ‘by Teachers for Teachers’. Sherston India started in June 2000 with a centre in Chennai. The second was opened in March 2003 as a full-fledged development centre at the Technopark. The 15,000 sq ft development centre was functioning as the company's creative workshop to create multimedia content for its global clients.
 
The company stopped all the operations from July. The company’s website sherston.co.in is also not accessible now. A few of the remaining projects have been transferred to the Chennai ODC. The now jobless (ex) employees of Sherston attribute this tragedy to the internal problems and the mismanagement of projects by the Trivandrum centre. But the management says this was a decision taken in UK based on some new government policies there. As the blame game continues, it’s the laid off techies who are suffering. Sources close to the management say a better compensation package is being worked out for all employees.
 
Most of the employees are now trying for new opportunities in companies in and outside Technopark. Enric*, an IIT Kharagpur graduate who was a project head, has joined a training programme to hone his skills before taking the next assignment. The team at Sherston Trivandrum centre was known for their creative skills and participation in different cultural activities and competitions during Tech-a-Break, Tchnopark’s annual cultural fest.
 
* name changed