Sify Ties up with BillDesk for Utility Bill Payments Through Sify I-Ways

Sify Limited (Nasdaq:SIFY), a leader in Consumer Internet and Enterprise Services in India with global delivery capabilities, today, announced their tie up with BillDesk to provide bill payment services at Sify I-Ways. This service will enable consumers to pay utility bills such as landline phone bills, mobile bills, electricity bills, water taxes, gas, insurance, internet, subscription to books & periodicals, donations, etc. The advantage of this special service is that consumers can make use of the online BillDesk facility from iWays morning to late evening, including Sundays. This initiative will first be launched in the top 7 metros -- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad & Pune and later in other cities across India. The Process: Once the customer receives his bill he will have to go to a Sify I-Way with his bill. The café host at the Sify I-Way will then input the bill and payment details and give the customer an instant receipt confirming the bill payment. Then the Café host will collect money for the bills payment plus minimal service charges. Commenting on the tie-up, Mr Ajay Kaushal, Director, BillDesk said, "We are delighted to partner with Sify towards making bill payments easier and more convenient for consumers across the country. The reach and network of Sify’s I-Ways, combined with BillDesk’s domain expertise, is sure to make bill payments less of a chore for people.” Speaking on this special initiative, Mr. Pijush Kanti Das, President, Access media, Sify Ltd. said, "We are very pleased to be able to make utility payments easier and more convenient for consumers across the country. They no longer need to worry about standing in long queues or using credit cards. This initiative is a step further towards making Sify iWays complete e-stores.” At present the average Indian household in the top 10 cities pays about 42 bills annually, most of it to finance, insurance, telecommunications and utilities companies. But offline bill payment is a tedious and time-consuming process. While online bill payment services have been available in India for over a decade, their use is still limited by lack of awareness of the "online payment” option, reluctance to use credit cards online or divulge bank information. The tie-up with BillDesk will make these services available to the average Indian in a trouble free manner against cash payments. About Bill Desk A flagship brand of IndiaIdeas.com Ltd., BillDesk is India’s leading Payments Service Provider. It operates as a neutral service bureau aggregating multiple banks, billing companies and other corporations onto a common standards-based platform for delivering electronic payments and collection services across multiple electronic channels. It delivers and manages specialized electronic payments solutions of various vertical markets such as banking, telecom, insurance, utilities and financial services. Built on a versatile platform, BillDesk makes the payments experience faster, more convenient, more reliable and more secure for both the consumer and the banks. The Company has one of the strongest electronic payments management infrastructures in the country with operations across 55 cities across the country. In 2006 BillDesk was also recognized by Red Herring as one of the 100 hottest technology startups in Asia that are playing a leading role in innovating in the technology business. About Sify Limited Sify is among the largest Internet, network and e-Commerce services companies in India, offering end-to-end solutions with a comprehensive range of products delivered over a common Internet backbone infrastructure. This Internet backbone reaches 186 cities and towns in India. A significant part of the company's revenue is derived from Corporate Services, which include corporate connectivity, network and communications solutions, security, network management services and hosting. A host of blue chip customers use Sify's corporate service offerings. Consumer services include broadband home access, dial up connectivity and the iWay cyber café chain across 158 cities and towns. The company's network services, Data Center operations and customer relationship management are accredited ISO 9001:2000. For more information about Sify, visit www.sifycorp.com.