New Oroville: A High-tech City of Monolithic Domes in India

New Oroville

In 2000, Catalytic Software, a global enterprise, began the construction of a massive, self-sustaining complex of domes, that would include attractive, safe areas for living, working and socializing.

Located on 50 acres in Hyderabad, India’s hi-tech hub, this city of 4000 domes, mostly EcoShells, is called New Oroville.

In this high-tech society, every employee will live in a one-, two-, or three-story dome home that has the ability to withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters and is equipped with lightning speed Internet access.

New Oroville is designed to provide all the extras American suburban life offers, such as parks, gardens, swimming pools, clean water and more.

Constructing a city

To make the construction process more efficient, local labor crews were divided into four categories: Mixer Crew, Spray Crew, Steel Crew and Form Crew.

Out of necessity, different construction techniques evolved. Instead of a crane, they used the U.S.-style scaffolding when spraying. Concrete beams and columns support interior floors. They also created a unique blend of vermiculite and polystyrene foam for insulation.

“The biggest single difference is the amount of work we are able to do by hand, given the low cost of labor and shortage of sophisticated construction machinery,” said Swain Porter, CEO Catalytic Software, Inc.

As of December 2011, over two-hundred 32-foot diameter domes and three smaller domes are complete (using the same Airform). Six domes are occupied and the remaining nine have interiors at various stages of completion.

“The project as a whole continues to be well received both here in India and abroad. A large portion of our website inquiries from all around the world focus on the domes, showing their broad appeal and interest factor,” said Porter.

The New Oroville campus has been featured prominently in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times because of its cool looking domes and their ability to attract and retain top Indian developer talent.

Committed to protecting clients’ IP assets

New Oroville was designed for superior protection. The unique domes act as information silos, physically separating teams and isolating data. The domes act as independent operating units with independent security systems, power and UPS.

Supplying an international standard of living and streamlined lifestyle, New Oroville successfully blends two very different cultures into one. That makes it easy for international companies to do business.

A safe and pleasant environment

While the cost of a developer in India is inarguably lower on a per hour basis, costs can quickly bloat as companies incur the downstream costs of congested roads, substandard sanitation and insufficient housing in the form of low productivity, inflated absenteeism and high attrition of employees. New Oroville provides a world-class standard of living for developers within walking distance from their place of work, effectively removing these hidden cost drivers.

Featuring beautifully maintained amenities and recreation facilities, Catalytic is an exceptional facility that can host visiting client representatives on-site in India conveniently and inexpensively in a comfortable, friendly, company-owned setting. Through New Oroville, Catalytic effectively reduces the cost of visiting offshore teams in India.

Privately owned and managed, New Oroville’s size, location and modular design offers a stable and rapidly scalable solution to seamlessly support short and long term growth requirements.

New Oroville is strategically located just minutes drive from the new international airport currently under construction, and is close to all of Hyderabad’s major tourist attractions.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad is vibrant and clean, well known for its friendly people, and is one of the fastest growing cities in India. Steadily growing its reputation over the past 10 years as a breeding ground for software professionals, it has emerged as an IT hotspot where successful global and domestic companies are rushing to build R&D facilities, call centers, and regional headquarters. Twenty-three percent of India’s software professionals originate from Hyderabad and 30% of all Indian software professionals in the U.S. are from the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Situated in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad is today the most favored investment destination in India. According to India’s apex IT industry association, NASSCOM, Andhra Pradesh attracted approximately $US100 million in foreign direct investment in 2003. Microsoft and Oracle are just two examples of global R&D centers located in Hyderabad.

In addition to IT, Hyderabad is also attracting investment in education, telecommunications, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, making the city one of India’s leading knowledge centers.

A custom bonded facility

New Oroville is a custom bonded facility, meaning all imported business-related goods such as prototypes, test equipment, computers, monitors etc. remain import duty exempt while in New Oroville. Clients may therefore import special equipment to New Oroville without attracting import duties.

Security

New Oroville is built from the ground up to facilitate secure operations and provide peace of mind for its customers. Set amid fenced, company-owned property, New Oroville and its free standing, independently secure buildings are a vital component of a comprehensive overall Secure Operations Plan. Catalytic addresses security in four areas: Physical security, Network security, Organizational security, Data and project segregation.

Catalytic maintains fully secured and gated access 24/7. The campus is not shared with any other company, and visitors are first required to pass through a security checkpoint and register at administration. All employees wear compulsory Catalytic photo ID, and visitors are required to carry guest IDs at all times.

Catalytic has experienced professionals based in India to conduct thorough screening, background checks and reference checks on prospective personnel.

Catalytic has a comprehensive business continuity and disaster preparedness plan in place that takes advantage of its large campus, and its U.S. offices.

To guard against productivity loss from interrupted power supply, Catalytic has diesel generator backup 24/7 that is capable of supplying the entire campus, and has installed exclusive UPS for all critical systems. Its communication links are via landlines, fiber-optic cable, and cellular network within India, and both cable and satellite connectivity between India and the U.S.

In line with Catalytic’s total quality commitment, the white domes offer superb, modern accommodation that combine quality and affordability with an impressive attention to detail.

Accommodations

Catalytic believes there is a direct link between environment and productivity. The domes offer world-class living and working conditions, ensuring that its customers benefit not only from consistent, secure software development but also from healthy, motivated, focused teams.

Residential domes are 32’ in diameter, stand 26’ high and have up to 3 floors. At a total floor space of 2250 square feet, New Oroville’s residential domes are more spacious than the average home.

The domes use U.S. technology from Monolithic Dome Institute, and because of their seamless design and reinforced concrete shell, are disaster proof against earthquake, hurricane and fire.

Catalytic has incorporated environmental considerations in the design of New Oroville’s buildings and landscaping. The eco-friendly domes are durable and energy efficient, in addition to being great to look at and work in.

Its beautifully presented park-like surroundings underpin the overall healthy, vibrant setting of New Oroville. Catalytic takes its role as a good corporate citizen seriously, and will continue to manage its land with a clear set of environmental values and objectives.

View PDF of Catalytic’s Offshore Development Center

^{Note: This article is a composite of information previously published by Monolithic and Catalytic Software.}