In an increasingly digital world governed by Moore's law, where computing power doubles approximately every 18 months, innovation is the very essence of success, as well as of survival. Innovation — the successful exploitation of new ideas — incorporates new technologies, design and best practices. It is the key process that enables companies to compete effectively in the global environment.

Innovation is a catalyst that can create and sustain wealth. But it is only a catalyst; without process and other ingredients, even revolutionary innovations cannot create or sustain anything.

CMC's strength lies in both innovation and process. We provide innovative and effective solutions that meet all our customers' needs. Our competitive edge comes from linking innovation with our technology competencies and our understanding of industry and service verticals. We have combined our domain knowledge and technology competencies to engineer innovative solutions, which exactly match the unique requirements of our customers.

A few projects that showcase CMC's innovative streak:

Freight Operations Information System (FOIS)
This remarkable software solution has enabled the Indian Railways to boost efficiency as well as save money. India's 2004 railway budget is the first in 20 years which has raised neither passenger nor freight rates, but still allocated more money for infrastructure and safety.

Fingerprint Analysis and Criminal Tracing System (FACTS)
An advanced automatic fingerprint identification system, indigenously developed by CMC using its proprietary high-speed and high-accuracy unified matcher algorithm (UMA). FACTS offers state-of-the-art digital image processing, neural networks and pattern recognition techniques, as well as automatically extracts fingerprint features for matching,

Marine Container Handling System (MACH)
A comprehensive, integrated, modular container terminal management system with 14 sub-systems, to optimise operations, resource planning, effective communication, co-ordination and control of port container terminals.

Screen-based trading system for stock exchanges
The Stock Exchange, Mumbai (BSE) is India's oldest stock exchange; its 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) is the Indian equivalent of the Dow Jones index. CMC's BOLT system for BSE is one of the few stock trading systems in the world that handles hybrid / mixed modes of trading; both order-driven and quote-driven. In use since 1995 with continuous upgrades, CMC has gone on to develop a derivatives trading system for the BSE.

Commercial tax automation system
India's largest state wants to automate its commercial tax collections, to increase revenue and facilitate better monitoring and control. Enforcing commercial tax laws, checking tax evasion, keeping track and coordinating road check-posts, railway check-posts, mobile squads, special investigation branches and external agencies involved in tax assessment, collection and enforcement, resolving disputes with dealers, transporters, etc, taking appellate forums into account… the job involves designing the software that can handle all these tasks, installing the hardware and maintaining systems and networks across a state as large as France and Germany combined. It's a task only for CMC.

GPS-based vehicle-tracking system
Vehicle tracking through GPS-based devices linked to servers through wireless communication systems (even using low-cost GSM mobile phones) has several applications -- for large transport companies or passenger bus fleets, in defence for armoured vehicles or supply logistics, and in mining for optimum use of expensive machinery. Introduction of embedded systems enables monitoring not just the position, but even the condition of the vehicles' engines and other systems.

India Health Care Solution (IHC)
The auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) is the cornerstone of the Indian rural public health system. ANMs also collect statistics which form the basis for health policy. Personal digital assistants (PDAs) have been designed with suitable icons and the user interface can be developed in any local language, so that semi-literate ANMs can use the PDAs with ease. The PDAs capture information about the health conditions which are used to develop a health status database. The system generates reminders for immunisation, ante- and post-natal care, family planning, etc, as well as reports required by health officials.

Integrated Mine Management System (IMMS)
An ERP-based integrated mine management system, first developed in the early 1990s as an OLTP application covering all the functions of a large open-cast mine. Operating on Unix / RISC servers running Oracle, the product is web-enabled, covers almost all functions and operations and enables mine managements to exercise better control over resources.