The ASP IS DEAD. Long live asp. now in a new and improved formula: on demand. The Big Blue and other brothers of the technology world now promise Nirvana if you sign away your entire IT infrastructure to them. Will this promise bear fruit? I doubt it. Even the VCs are skeptical, though some companies are being funded in this space. The promising star in this “on demand” world is “grid computing,” which is often confused with the on-demand or utility computing. Yes, servers are underutilized and can be made more efficient. And those who can build a grid for the farm will go home rich. We continue to watch this space and invite your opinions.

Bharat Desai is our Leader of this Month. Why, you may ask. Desai is well-known to the servicing industry. What many don’t know is the fact that Syntel has been the fountain from which many have drunk and begun their own startups. They have progressed well. Syntel has progressed even better. As he candidly admits, Desai has driven his company through three evolutions and has been very successful at every turn. This is, no doubt, due to the fact that he has managed to retain every client during the evolutions. The clients believed in his process. Agility and absolute client focus are key to success.

Rahul Roy is a patient man. He has passed up many opportunities to hit the IPO market and is patient to nurture his company to very strong financials. Our Entrepreneur of the Month deserves high praise indeed for his commitment to wait out the fever.

In the recent past, we witnessed some acquisitions in the BPO space in India, a harbinger of the next turn in the markets. The signal has sparked many venture firms to now look at India very keenly and form some quick business decisions about their portfolios. Our VC Summit in India this month is designed to serve exactly that purpose. If you are a VC and have not yet signed up for the visit, email me.

We begin the nominations for the si100 listings. It would be interesting to see the new companies, and the ones who have been through the worst and are now doing well. Good luck!