Posts Tagged ‘India’

Over the last five years, the online presence for SlickforceStudio’s family of companies has grown dramatically. It has allowed us to connect with our clients and fans in more effective ways and reach a rapidly expanding global audience. And with the creation of those new avenues comes the need for solid servers, bug-free programming and round-the-clock technical support.

In 2008, I hired the newly founded Contus India team to help us code the SlickforceStudio website redesign. I wanted something artistic and clean for the galleries, and they came up with the fluid animated thumbnails that we still use today. (See it in action here.) Six years later, they have the been the programming backbone behind Slickforce.com, NickSaglimbeni.com, the Melanie Iglesias Store, WMB3D.com and many more. So on my recent trip to India, I knew I had to finally meet this amazing team, and personally thank them for helping us stay connected with the world.

When I arrived to the Contus offices in Chennai, I was stunned to see just how large their company has become. In 2008, they were a founding team of five. Today, they boast over 100 employees, and have expanded into app development, 3D interactivity, virtual motion and mobile optimization. The team extended wonderful hospitality to me during my visit, and it was wonderful to be able to finally meet the people we’ve worked so closely with over Skype and email these past six years. I can’t recommend them more highly, and they are an absolute pleasure to work with.

PHOTOS:
1: Managing Director Sriram Manoharan, Programming Supervisor Rajesh Ravichandran and Cheif Operating Officer Bala Murugan
2: Clockwise from bottom right – Sriram Manoharan, Balasubramaniyam Kandaswamy, Thiaghu Radhakrishnan, Amal Raj. U, Bala Murugan, Dinesh kumar Soundararajan, me.
3: The Contus team hard at work.

At the end of January, I had the pleasure of visiting someplace I’ve wanted to go for years—the Indian province of Goa. The once-Portuguese colony has a vibe unlike any other in India, drawing visitors from all over the world for its trance music, beach parties and hippie culture.

Nightlife aside, I found the Goan experience to be serene, particularly in the south in Palolem and Agonda. I spent most of my time wandering the tropical beach villages, and kayaking along the coast. I even accidentally crashed an Indian wedding that I mistook for a rave. Perhaps my favorite experience was sitting on beach with the wild cows, watching the sunset in peace. It was a welcome pace adjustment from the hustle of Los Angeles—one that I will keep with me for as long as I can.