Set up over a decade ago, Star Systems boasts of 12years of experience in software technology and solutions, excelling in Cloud app development, AI/ML, DevOps automation, and Hybrid Cloud Management. Operating from its head quarters in Chennai, with offices in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Singapore, and the USA, the company has a robust team of over 120 experts possessing DevOps and multi-cloud skills who focus on Education, ISV, Gaming, and SME Cloud Business verticals. Their forte lies in aiding businesses in the transformation of software-driven operations through Emerging Technologies and Innovative Processes. The company also specializes in Product Development, AI/ML Solutions, DevOPS, and Testing Services, with a specific emphasis on ISV, Field Services, Manufacturing, and Cloud-Enabled Business sectors. Let’s dive into this interaction to know more about the firm.

Tell us about your portfolio of IT services and solutions that makes Star Systems a reliable choice for customers, particularly for MSMEs. Enlighten us about the technology framework within the solutions.

Star Systems operates across three main verticals, each offering distinct solutions catering to diverse industry needs. The first vertical, Cloud Solutions, primarily focuses on SaaS products such as Digilabs, CloudPlay, Sangli, and Starva. Digilabs, powered by IBM Cloud, targets educational institutions, aiming to bridge the gap between academia and industry by providing advanced technology learning opportunities to students. Through a partnership with IBM, Star Systems enhances course curriculums and develops labs for students, incorporating cutting-edge technology solutions like Container orchestration and PaaS services. This platform delivers virtual lab environments, offering hands-on experience in various fields, including science, technology, and engineering, supplementing theoretical knowledge with practical learning experiences.

Moreover, Digilabs pioneers innovation through its utilization of technologies like cloud computing, AI, blockchain, and Machine Learning, providing exposure to tools and platforms crucial in today's job market. An innovative

addition, the Digilabs Mental Health Assessment System (DMHAS), addresses mental health concerns among students through AI-powered assessments, aiming to strengthen the foundation of future generations.

Digilabs offers various benefits, including increased accessibility, integration with Learning Management Systems, AI-powered assessments, and significant cost savings compared to physical labs. It promotes a culture of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in educational institutions, offering features like cutting-edge technology, real-time analytics, and live access.

The second vertical, Development Services, presents CloudPlay, a Digital Customer Experience Platform that enables customers to experience AWS and IBM Cloud services through one-click deployment and live demos. This platform streamlines the deployment of IaaS and PaaS services and offers solutions utilizing technologies like Kubernetes, Open Shift, AWS Marketplace, Terraform, and Ansible scripts.

The third vertical, Cloud Managed Services, introduces Sangli, a workflow automation solution catering to various industries. Sangli enhances DevOps implementation by offering customizable workflow solutions, featuring triggers, conditions, actions, and observers. This platform provides end to-end DevOps automation, release orchestration, and supports hybrid solutions for on-premises and cloud environments. Sangli delivers reduced deployment time, increased code quality, faster builds, improved operational productivity, and cost savings.

Lastly, Starva stands as an AI/ML platform specializing in building conversational apps and integrated virtual assistant platforms for Google Dialog Flow and IBM Watson.

Through these three verticals and their offerings, Star Systems delivers comprehensive solutions tailored to specific industry requirements, ranging from educational advancement to digital customer experience platforms and workflow automation across diverse sectors.

Could you share a case study reflecting the positive outcomes drawn from your solutions in solving a problem for one of your clients?

During the pandemic, educational institutions faced the challenge of delivering practical labs to students online. Star Systems collaborated with IBM Cloud to develop Digilabs, a ground breaking platform that revolutionized remote learning. This innovative solution addressed the need for virtual labs in leading Indian universities, facilitating real time collaboration

among students, professors, and industry technical teams.

Digilabs leveraged cutting-edge technology seamlessly integrated with IBM's cloud infrastructure, providing a competitive edge in the market. This student-centric platform ensured anytime, anywhere access to educational resources, breaking barriers of physical infrastructure and enhancing the learning experience, whether on-campus or remote.

The platform offered cost-efficient alternatives to physical labs, optimizing resources and reducing maintenance expenses. It also fostered enhanced collaboration among students through interactive features, encouraging teamwork and knowledge sharing.

To facilitate a smooth transition, Star Systems provided comprehensive support and training, assisting educational institutions in integrating virtual lab solutions into their existing infrastructure. This success story show cased how Digilabs transformed remote learning, providing a robust solution amid unprecedented challenges in the educational sector.

How do you characterize your team and what strategies do you employ to keep them updated and integrate the most recent market trends into solution development?

Our team is dedicated to keeping up with emerging technologies. Under the guidance of an innovative CTO, we prioritize research and development efforts, fostering an environment conducive to experimentation for our engineering team. Substantial investment in training covering IBM, AWS, Azure, GCP, and upcoming technologies guarantees that our team maintains a leading position in market trends. Our CTO and R&D team consistently work on creating new Proof of Concepts (POCs) and Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) to meet evolving market demands.

What does the future hold for Star Systems in the next five years?

Our roadmap for the upcoming half-decade involves the launch of an AI-driven development platform in 2024. We're committed to extending Digilabs' reach to encompass 100 new logos, thereby equipping 100,000 students with skills in AI/ML, DevOps, Cloud Solutions, and Application Development. Moreover, we're strategically forging partnerships with state governments to drive EdTech initiatives and planning international expansion into markets such as South Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. By 2026, our vision is to evolve into a $25 million company with 300 employees, culminating in an IPO. This trajectory aims to firmly establish our position as a prominent EdTech entity and a leading provider of Cloud Solutions.