IT services company Cognizant Technology Solutions and global consulting firm Ernst & Young Global Shared Services have taken up space in Athulya, the recently opened IT block at Infopark Kochi campus. For E&Y, this would be its second centre in Kerala, with the first located at Thiruvananthapuram-based Technopark.

The agreement to this effect was signed with both companies in the presence of chief minister of Kerala, VS Achuthanandan. Binu Pazhoor signed the agreement on behalf of Infoparks Kerala while E&Y Global Shared Services was represented by their Kerala leader, Binu Koshy and Cognizant was represented by its vice president Vishnu Potty.

Chief minister Achutha-nandan said the recent investments by TCS, Infosys, Oracle, HCL, Cognizant and Ernst & Young in Kerala are a testimony to the fact that Kerala is now positioned as a hot IT destination.

The state has been rightfully included in the global IT map as well. With the space taken by Cognizant and E&Y, the Inforparks latest state-of-the-art building Athulya which was inaugurated in 2010, has been fully allotted.

Cognizant is signing up for approximately 100,000 sft and E&Y is taking up about 25,000 sft space, according to a press release. Athulya is also home to several startups too. Both the companies are seeing Kochi as a strategic location for their future operations.

"We have over 1,100 associates working from our existing facility in Kochi. The additional space at Infopark, when fully occupied, can accommodate 1,100 associates," said  Vishnu Potty, vice president, Cognizant.

Tim Eddy, global vice chairman, E&Y Global Services, said the expansion is aligned to Ernst & Youngs strategy. "The new space substantially increases the size of our facilities, allowing us to respond to growing demands for our shared services from our customers worldwide," he said.