66% of Active Job Seekers will Increase their Time Spent on Job Search: LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, today announced the findings of the seventh edition of the Workforce Confidence Index, a fortnightly pulse on the confidence of the Indian workforce. Based on the survey responses of 1,303 professionals in India, findings from June 15-28 reveal India’s rising optimism towards job security as businesses slowly reopened last month.

The seventh edition of the Workforce Confidence Index shows a modest increase in India’s overall workforce confidence, which reflects in this fortnight’s composite score of +50 (up from +48 in June 1-14). This growing confidence comes at a time when the economy continues to reboot, thus sparking hiring prospects across varied industries such as ecommerce, IT services, insurance and gaming. In fact, the economic repercussions of the pandemic have also urged businesses to innovate their offerings to lead through change, thereby stimulating job creation across sectors. Backing this up, Arvind Mediratta, MD & CEO of Metro Cash & Carry India says, “There is going to be a lot of demand for new products and services which, maybe, we’re not even able to envisage right now.”

Active job seekers confident about career progression as economy reboots

The lifting of the lockdown in several states and the continued adversities caused by COVID-19 have instituted a new set of workforce demands, thus creating new economic opportunities across the country’s industrial landscape. This uptick in hiring has fuelled the confidence of active job seekers towards career progression as findings show that about 2 in 3 professionals will increase their time spent searching for (66%) and applying to (64%) jobs in the next 2 weeks. Findings also highlight the active job seekers’ clear intent to upskill today for a safer tomorrow as 68% say they will increase their time spent on online learning to harbor long-term job security and career progression.

Decision makers more confident about job security than junior workers

To understand how this optimism towards job security differs across seniority levels, the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index also captured responses from professionals with varied work experience levels. Findings state that decision makers appear to be more confident about their job security when compared to their junior workers. Only 1 in 4 senior professionals said they would increase their time spent on searching for jobs in comparison to almost half (45%) of the junior workforce. Further reinforcing the confidence of senior executives towards job security, findings showed that only 16% of Director+ professionals (decision makers) would increase the number of jobs they apply to, when compared to 48% of the junior workforce.

Commenting on this growing optimism, HR expert Prabir Jha explains why India’s rising hope towards job security comes with slight trepidation - “It must be understood that retaining a job in the present times is in itself a strong confidence booster. Many people are also willing to take up to 50% cut in their salaries for an assured job. This means that whoever retains a job today, clearly knows that his/her role matters to the organization even in the new reality.”

He also added, “More experienced workers may have savings to support them in the long run,” to explain why senior professionals are not as inclined towards increasing their time spent on searching for jobs.

Job-seekers can signal that they are #OpenToWork, with LinkedIn’s new feature

To help job seekers land a job in an uncertain environment, LinkedIn is providing free tools and resources for effective job search and placement. One such profile feature that was recently launched is #OpenToWork, which helps job seekers maximize their visibility on the LinkedIn platform. The feature, which frames the profile picture on LinkedIn, helps members signal to recruiters that they are immediately available to take up in-market opportunities. The feature also helps them specify the types of jobs they are interested in, and what their preferred start date and location is. So far, more than 30 million job seekers have used the #OpenToWork tool to find their next job on the platform.

Here are a few member stories that show how this tool is assisting them to connect with the right opportunities during such testing times -

●     Shilpisweta asked for advice, or opportunities from her network as she embarked on finding a new role in a LinkedIn post.

●     Yash moved back to India and decided to post on LinkedIn to find opportunities in the Social Media Management and Branded Content Strategy fields.

●     Vijay lost his job due to the COVID-19 situation and asked his LinkedIn network to refer him to new opportunities in a LinkedIn post.

●     Gopinath thanked his previous employer- Uber for the learnings in a LinkedIn post and asked his connections for leads to another exciting job opportunity.

Other free tools that help job seekers prepare for interviews and gain the right guidance include ‘Interview Prep’ and ‘Offer Help’. While ‘Offer Help’ makes it easier for our members to share that they are willing and able to extend a helping hand to their connections who are actively looking for opportunities, ‘Interview Prep’ offers free tools, including a new Microsoft-AI powered feature, to help members demonstrate their skills through effective interviewing and real-time feedback.

Ameyo Reaches Turnover of Rs. 90 Cr in FY 2020 with 27% EBITDA

Ameyo, a leading provider of Omnichannel Customer Engagement Technology today revealed business results from FY 19-20, a year during which the company grew at 30% with 27% EBITDA to reach a turnover of Rs. 90 crores.

Over the last few years, Ameyo has been pivoting its revenue model from licenses to a subscription business with 50% recurring revenue of Rs. 45 crores in FY 19-20.

The firm has a presence in 60+ countries with international business contributing to almost 43% of the turnover at Rs. 38.4 crore

Commenting on this growth, Bishal Lachhiramka, Co-founder & CEO, Ameyo, mentions, “Ameyo has continued to grow at a steady pace with profitability, thanks to our focus on creating products & solutions that provide value to our customers. With COVID-19 and the focus on digital transformation, our growth has been accelerated. We will continue to focus on creating solutions for the unique problems of emerging geographies.”

During Q1, 2020, Ameyo grew its customer base by over 100 percent, adding HDFC ERGO General Insurance, Sridhar Insurance, Apollo Health and Lifestyle, Zolo, BYJU’S, D.Light, STC Channels, LR Data, SP Madrid, Toppr, Jubilant FoodWorks, Spice Money, Rebel Foods (Faasos), The Muthoot Group, Vistaprint, and many more.

Ameyo recently launched the RBI compliant Video KYC engagement platform with omnichannel capabilities that allow the Regulated Entities (REs) to reduce onboarding drop-offs by 20% and reduce the cost of KYC by 90%. The solution is built for scale and operates even at low internet bandwidth and a variety of devices to target the masses.

Sachin Bhatia, Co-founder and Global Sales & Marketing Head at Ameyo, adds, “Contact centers are going to play a pivotal role in the post-COVID-19 times, as they provide the last line of human to human interaction between brands and consumers. We are very bullish about the next wave of growth with our new product launches that enable brands with remote solutions for Sales, Onboarding, Customer Service, and Collection use cases.

In the near future, Ameyo plans to launch a series of solutions in the AI space using their own IP as well as by partnering with market leaders in the space. The firm has invested in AI to use sentiment analysis in the routing of interactions and is planning to use it for three main purposes i.e. Intelligent Routing, Assisted Service, and Quality Monitoring.

Geographically they will continue to expand into newer markets in Southeast Asia, ME, and Africa and have recently also entered the markets of South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Bahrain, and Vietnam.

The 400+ employees strength company initially started off with solutions for contact center channels like voice and email but today they are catering to all social media and chat platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Google Play Store, Instagram, Twitter, and Viber.

About Ameyo

Ameyo is an Omnichannel customer engagement platform that helps businesses go remote with its 3 Unique Remote Contact Center Solutions and help them streamline their customer service, customer support, and collection processes.

Ameyo's robust platform is available for on-cloud and on-premise implementation with private, public, as well as hybrid instances. It has pre-built integrations with all significant industry-grade CRMs. Ameyo provides strong omnichannel capabilities of Voice, IVR, ACD, Dialers, Email, Chat, and Social Media such as Instagram, Google Play, Twitter, Facebook & WhatsApp. 

Microsoft Kicks Off - Microsoft Inspire 2020: Empowering Partners to Make More Possible Via Digital Platform

Microsoft has kicked off its annual global partner conference, Microsoft Inspire, via an all-digital experience. In its 17th year, the event on July 21 and 22 (PDT) unites partners in new and exciting ways and encompasses a wider community than ever before, allowing partners to develop increasingly valuable business relationships. Along with industry leaders and motivated partners from around the world, this is a unique platform to strengthen partnerships, learn from experts and help one another thrive in unprecedented times.

Here's a quick snapshot of the top announcements from Microsoft Inspire:

Enhancements to Azure Lighthouse bring Multi-Factor Authentication and Privileged Identity Management support

Two new playbooks help partners build an effective cloud practice to last: the Microsoft Azure Center of Excellence playbook guides partners on how to scale an Azure-focused practice, and the App Innovation Practice Development playbook outlines how partners can be successful using Microsoft’s cloud-based applications

New Power Platform solutions enable customers with Location Readiness, Employee Health and Safety Management, Workplace Care Management, and Location Management tools, which will help bring employees back to the workplace safely. Innovation across Dynamics 365 applications including Customer Voice, Connected Store, and Fraud Protection are focused on making sure we’re helping customers weather the current crisis while also setting them up for future agility and resilience

Azure Stack HCI, the latest in Microsoft’s hybrid portfolio and now in public preview, brings hybrid capabilities to customers’ datacenters while enabling them to leverage existing skills and investments

New capabilities in Teams help Firstline Workers connect and engage with information, apps, and coworkers, while enabling organizational agility. New public preview of Microsoft Endpoint Data Loss Prevention in Microsoft 365 helps customers identify and protect information on endpoints. New enhancements to the Power Platform experience within Teams make Teams an even more powerful hub for teamwork and business process.

You can get to know more about these announcements from the blog post by Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft. News and highlights from Microsoft Inspire will be available at https://partner.microsoft.com/en-us/inspire.

Amazon Prime Video Drops the Trailer for the Highly Anticipated Amazon Original Series Bandish Bandits from August, 4, 2020

Amazon Prime Video has released the trailer of the highly awaited all-new Amazon Original Series Bandish Bandits which will be available to stream from 4th August, 2020. Produced and created by Amritpal Singh Bindra and directed by Anand Tiwari, the all-new Amazon Original Series is set in Jodhpur and tells the story of two young musicians, hailing from contrasting backgrounds. Bandish Bandits also features an exciting original soundtrack, composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who are also making their digital debut with this show.

Talent quotes:

Ritwik Bhowmik, lead actor: “Bandish Bandits has been a dream in the making. Working with stalwarts such as Naseeruddin Shah, Rajesh Tailang, Sheeba Chaddha and Atul Kulkarni for my debut was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Bandish Bandits is a blend of Indian traditions seeped in music that beautifully describes young love, ambition, passion and family values in a simple, yet powerful manner.”

Shreya Chaudhry, lead actress: “Working with Anand Tiwari has always been something I had wanted to do, so being part of Bandish Bandits is nothing short of serendipitous. I could not have asked for a better setting to work and learn more about acting, that too from some of the most talented and respected actors in India! I believe the show is a heart-warming journey of music and love and think it is something the audience would very much enjoy watching.“

Synopsis:

Bandish Bandits follows the story of Radhe and Tamanna. Radhe is a singing prodigy determined to follow in the classical footsteps of his grandfather. Tamanna is a rising pop sensation desperate to become India's first international popstar. Radhe's world is turned upside down when he falls in love with Tamanna. Torn between helping her achieve superstardom and staying true to his own music and his family’s legacy, will he succeed in juggling both at the risk of losing everything he has?

Yes Bank Set for Major Comeback with Additional Fund Raising Through the FPO Offer from July 15

Yes Bank's Rs 15,000 crore follow-on public offer (FPO) is set to hit the markets on 15 July. The bank has announced the floor price to be Rs 12 with a cap of Rs 13 per share, which is half of Friday's closing price of Rs 25.50. The pricing is attractive for new investors but there's more to understand before one invests in it.

Details on FPO The issue price is placed at Rs 12-13 per equity share. The FPO will open for anchor investors on 14 July and for all other categories of investors, the offer period will be July 15-17, 2020. Yes Bank's Capital Raising Committee (CRC) of the Board of Directors will meet on 14 July to allot shares to successful anchor investors who have pursued the offer and also determine an allocation price. A discount of one rupee per equity share will be given to the eligible employees of Yes Bank bidding in employee reservation portion. 

A maximum of Rs 200 crore worth of shares has been reserved for the employees of the bank. Interested investors can place bids in lots of 1,000 equity shares. The FPO is by the issue of fresh equity. State Bank of India (SBI), the largest stakeholder in Yes Bank, said last week that its central board has given approval for a maximum investment of up to Rs 1,760 crore in the FPO of Yes Bank. Background on Yes Bank and the FPO Amid rising debt and management issues, the government had approved RBI's (Reserve Bank of India) bailout plan for Yes Bank on 13 March 2020. 

Under the plan, Yes Bank received around Rs 10,000 crore from eight Indian financial institutions, including SBI, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC, Axis Bank, Bandhan Bank, Federal Bank and IDFC First Bank, via the equity route. Back in March, the reconstructed bank's board had approved plan to raise funds up to Rs 15,000 crore, by way of issuance of securities.   To boost capital levels in line with regulatory norms, Yes Bank's board is going to launch the FPO. The attractive discount given in the FPO will attract more market investors and reduce the burden on the consortium of banks that are the stakeholders. 

Further, experts say that Yes Bank chose the FPO route as it allows freedom in pricing the issue when compared to a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) route which requires pricing around recent market prices as per a formula set by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India). Due to a rise in NPAs (non-performing assets) and subsequent provisioning for the same, Yes Bank could not meet RBI's capital adequacy requirements. 

At the end of March 2020, the Tier 1 capital ratio for the bank was 6.5 percent, much below RBI's requirement of 8.875 percent, calling for the newly formed board to approve a fundraising plan. For the March ended quarter, Yes Bank reported a net profit of Rs 2,629 crore after the private lender wrote down additional tier-1 bonds as part of its reconstruction scheme. If the write-down was excluded, the bank's loss for the quarter was at Rs 3,668 crore, against a loss of Rs 1,507 crore in the same period of last year. 

After reporting a record loss of Rs 18,564 crore for the December-ended quarter, Yes Bank said that it is deemed to be "non-viable or approaching non-viability and accordingly the triggers for a write-down of certain Basel III AT-1 bonds have been triggered". As part of its reconstruction plan, its additional tier (AT-1) bonds worth Rs 8,415 crore of the Rs 8,695 crore issued, were written down in March, affecting mutual funds and other investors who had invested in them for the high-interest rates.

TradeIndia Announces India’s First Virtual B2B Event "COVID 19 Essentials Expo India 2020

B2B Event

* The pioneering virtual tradeshow will be held during August 5-7, 2020

* The event is set to boost trade and commerce between different brands across the country by showcasing their products

As several small and medium industries have been adversely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 contagion in the country, the business community is roping in all efforts to stabilize the situation and rejuvenate the ailing economy. While government-sponsored relief, and financial relaxations are helping industries regain lost ground, inch by inch, there is also a new lease of hope dawning upon the market that every hurdle that is crossed is a step closer to the victory lap.

In a bid to transform the black swan Covid-19 pandemic into a lucrative business opportunity, TradeIndia, India’s largest B2B marketplace offering global buyers and sellers a reliable platform to identify trustworthily business partners shall be organizing the country’s first virtual tradeshow titled, “COVID-19 Essentials Expo India between August 5-7,2020. The trade expo that is targeted will be in the same lines as of a traditional the exhibition, but due to the pandemic concerns will be conducted via the virtual medium.  

The event will be targeted towards reviving the various SMEs and MSMEs of the country whose operations have been affected due to the dire effect of the corona virus crisis and helping them maintain business continuity in such turbulent times. As the pandemic has vehemently increased the demand for essential products, the market is amuck with a plethora of companies selling all kinds of essential wares, but only those companies will triumph who couple their essential product offerings with innovation. Besides revealing and brainstorming on the various innovative guidelines that companies can instill in their product development, the expo will also aim to discover alternate channels of revenue for companies that are suitable for the current market dynamics.

The trade expo will feature a multitude of brands, their products through a virtual exhibition solution that enables exhibitors to showcase their products at a very low cost but with high scalability. The tradeshow will also feature 3D stalls or immersive virtual spaces that enable attendees to sift through the various product lineups, access business catalogues while interacting with exhibitors via chat or video conference.

Featuring more than 60 booths and with an experience spanning over 20 years in online marketing space and event promotion, TradeIndia enjoys the largest industry database in the country that holds countless prospective visitors and investor’s for one’s brand. the essential range products that will be the central to the trade show are Surgical dressing and Disposable; Personal safety equipment; Personal care products; Common medicines and drugs; Temperature instruments; Medical, diagnostic & hospital supplies; Home cleaning appliances, etc.

Commenting on this highly enterprising initiative, the spokesperson for Trade India said, ”While the pandemic has wreaked havoc upon industries and the resultant economy, it has also opened up hitherto unlocked vistas of promising opportunities, As businesses across the world are united in their transition from the offline mode to the online mode of presuming their operations, We, at TradeIndia, endearingly strive to tap into the exuberant potential of the digital business model and also extend a much-needed lift-up to the struggling factions of SMEs and MSMEs and help them shift to the online medium of  commencing business through this first of its kind landmark virtual tradeshow. We welcome everyone to participate and grace this novel event as together we can adapt and thrive in this new normal, no matter how great the challenge.”  

About TradeIndia:

TradeIndia.com is an online Business to Business (B2B) portal for small businesses based in India and around the globe. The portal was started in 1996 by Bikky Khosla and is maintained and promoted under the flagship company, Infocom Network Ltd. The company is headquartered in New Delhi, India, and has branch offices in more than 42 cities across India.

63% of HR Managers are Hiring Amid COVID-19 Tension, Most Recruiting for Niche Job Roles Solely: TimesJobs Survey

Survey

* In the TimesJobs survey, 16% of respondents said that their top leaders are seeking ways to collaborate with competitors to ensure business growth

* A majority (42%) of HR managers stated that they are using talent assessment platforms to evaluate candidates 

* Around 21% of HR managers claimed that they conducted hiring audits to ensure they were recruiting a diverse set of talent 

With 63% HR managers at India Inc. buoyed about hiring amid the COVID-19 lockdown, this quarantine period may not be as gloomy as it seems. 

In a recent TimesJobs survey, a majority (63%) of HR managers said that their company had been hiring amid the COVID-19 crisis time. Out of these, nearly 65% of respondents stated that they were hiring for niche positions only. 

TimesJobs survey titled ‘The Indian workplace response to COVID-19’ gathered responses from 1,145+ HR managers working across different industries. The important takeaways from this survey include:

1. Diversity topped the hiring agenda: A majority (61%) of HR managers asserted that hiring diverse talent was their top priority even when compared to other factors as Learning & Development.

2. Leadership response was proactive: Around 34% of respondents said their executive management was working proactively to ensure business survival amid the crisis.

3. Employee well-being gained the centre stage: More than 34% of respondents stated that restructured the employee health initiatives in sync with the public health advisory. 

4. The virtual workplace is here to stay: Nearly, 49% of respondents claimed that companies were investing in preparing for virtual work-ready modules, followed by compulsory upskilling activities.

Explaining the findings of the TimesJobs survey, Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig said, “The last few months have been a roller-coaster ride. However, on the brighter side, it forced companies to adopt virtual operations more seriously. The survey also pointed that most companies were hiring for the niche roles only, and in my sense, these are the organisations which are virtual-ready, and have restructured/are restructuring their products and processes for customers and employees via technology.”

Other notable insights from this survey were - 

‘Business survival’ crucial for top leadership:

Around 34% of professionals stated that their top management was working aggressively to find new solutions for business survival. Nearly, 24% of respondents said that their top brass was working on building a strong and transparent communication network within the organisation to smoothen the processes. While 16% of respondents asserted that their leaders were seeking ways to collaborate with competitors for business growth. 

Companies investing in assessment tools to evaluate skills: 

TimesJobs survey asked how the hiring managers were assessing candidates in the present lockdown. Around 42% of respondents stated that their company used assessment platforms to evaluate skills on candidates, this hints that companies are becoming more cautious of who they bring on board. 

Corporates held hiring audits to uphold D&I agenda while hiring amid COVID-19:

Around 24% of HR managers said that they wrote neutral job posting to encourage diverse hiring during the COVID-19 lockdown. About 21% of professionals said that their company conducted a hiring audit to ensure the Diversity & Inclusion mandate was fulfilled. While 16% of respondents said that they were writing job posting using a tech-based tool to ensure they were hiring a diverse talent pool. 

Acer Launches Enduro Lineup of Rugged Notebooks and Tablets

Editor’s Summary

* The new Enduro series of rugged devices, featuring MIL-810G and up to IP65 certifications, are designed for first responders, field and manufacturing workers

* In addition to physical protection, the devices also include a host of security and management services such as the Acer Enduro Manageability Suite (AEMS)

* The Acer Enduro N7 rugged notebook has been designed to survive even the most chaotic of industrial environments and features a hot-swappable battery

* The Acer Enduro N3 rugged notebook features the latest Intel® Core™ processors and long battery life, offering excellent performance that lasts for the entire workday

* The Acer Enduro T1 tablets are designed for use with gloves and come with a range of optional accessories that allow them to be adapted to a wide variety of scenarios

* The Acer Enduro T5 tablet is designed for industrial and warehouse work and comes with a swappable battery to allow for continuous use while on the job

Acer today launched Enduro, its new line of rugged notebooks and tablets specially designed to provide the durability, portability and performance needed by professionals working in the field. First responders and industrial manufacturing workers will find the Acer Enduro N7 to be a reliable companion, while event producers and outdoor hobbyists will appreciate the thin-and-light yet durable Enduro N3. A series of Enduro tablets are also available for retail, warehouse and manufacturing usage scenarios.

“With an increasingly modern workforce, more and more mobile devices are being deployed in the field where they are subject to harsher handling. Enduro, our new line of rugged notebooks and tablets, was created to provide our customers with the durability and performance that gets the job done,” said Andrew Chuang, General Manager, Rugged Computing, Acer Inc.

Acer Enduro N7 Rugged Notebook

The Acer Enduro N7 is a rugged notebook constructed with shock-absorbent materials to offer the reliability needed by first responders, field and industrial manufacturing workers while on the job. MIL-810G and IP65 certified[i], the device has been engineered to withstand drops onto the hardest flooring and to resist the ingress of dust and water. This durability makes the device suitable for work, hot or cold, and its 700-nit, 14-inch FHD screen offers excellent visibility whether inside or outside. For those working long days, the Enduro N7 comes with dual batteries: one hot-swappable battery with a long 10-hour[ii] life and another built-in bridge battery. 

In addition to being able to physically survive chaotic work environments, the Enduro N7 is equipped with the technology necessary to thrive in a modern work place. A quad-core 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5 CPU offers enough power to smoothly navigate between several different applications and work on multiple tasks at the same time. The Enduro N7 is also very secure: hardware-level Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 checks for any signs of intrusion during startup and the Acer Enduro Manageability Suite (AEMS) serves to help protect the device while also making it easy to deploy services or system configurations across many devices. A fingerprint sensor supports more secure logins through Windows Hello.

Acer Enduro N3 Rugged Notebook

The Acer Enduro N3 is a powerful notebook that strikes a balance between durability and portability, making it ideal for users who rotate between several worksites such as architects, project inspectors, event managers, agricultural plant personnel or even lovers of the outdoors who want to record their adventures. The Enduro N3 was specially engineered to be resistant to drops and water, achieving MIL-STD 810G and IP53[iii] certifications, while maintaining a thin-and-light frame of just 24.85 mm (0.98 in) at 1.985 kg (4.37 lb). Some of these features include reinforced corners for drops, Corning® Gorilla® Glass to protect the display from water and the unique water-resistant Aquafan™.

This physical protection comes on top of premium levels of protection against cyber threats thanks to technology like Discrete Trusted Platform Module, AEMS, and password-protected HDDs. This host of security and management tools ensures that all work done over the device’s 13-hour battery life2 is safe, and this safety does not come at the expense of performance. The Enduro N3 boasts a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, giving it reliable performance, with an optional NVIDIA® GeForce® MX230 discrete GPU and 512 GB PCle Gen3 NVMe SSD for those with exceptionally heavy workloads.

Acer Enduro Management Suite (AEMS)

The Acer Enduro Management Suite (AEMS) is a system designed to streamline the management of large quantities of devices, helping to keep existing devices more secure and speed up the process of rolling new ones out. The AEMS console enables a manager to remotely interact with AEMS-enabled devices in the following ways:

Programmable physical keys: AEMS-enabled tablets and notebook computers include physical keys, located next to the power button, which will automatically launch a designated application upon keypress.

I/O Control: The ability to remotely enable/disable access to I/O ports[iv]. Cameras and barcode scanners may also be enabled or disabled.

Device Monitor: Lists and exports information for all devices being managed, including information about each individual device’s system, hardware, software and any applied hotfixes.

Remote Deployment: Any necessary applications, BIOS changes or Windows updates can be pushed out and deployed remotely.

Acer Enduro T5 Rugged Tablet

The Acer Enduro T5 (ET510-51W) is a durable and rugged 10-inch Windows tablet designed for long periods of work in extreme environments. Its 10 hour2 battery can be swapped out, enabling continuous usage, and a 7th Gen Intel Core m3 processor lends it the power needed by logistics and manufacturing workers. All on top of MIL-STD 810G and IP65 certifications and AEMS. Accessories such as docking stations, hand grips, shoulder straps, 4-point shoulder straps, car chargers and car holders are available to expand the functionality and mobility of the Enduro T5.

Acer Enduro T1 Rugged Tablets

The Acer Enduro T1 (ET110-31W) is a flexible and rugged 10-inch Windows tablet that can double as a 10.1-inch notebook via an optional portfolio keyboard. The device’s MIL-STD 810G4 and IP54 certifications, combined with an Intel Celeron processor and 64 GB of eMMC storage space, make it a reliable and convenient option for quick work on the go. The Enduro T1 can also be used while wearing gloves.

The Acer Enduro T1 (ET108-11A) is a compact and durable 8-inch Android tablet designed especially for smart retail, warehouse and factory workers. MIL-STD 810G[v] and IP54 certified, the device also features a range of optional accessories and programmable keys that enable it to be adapted to a variety of unique environments. The Enduro T1 can also be used while wearing gloves.    

Coders Turn COVID-19 Fighters at TechGig Code Gladiators 2020 Coding Contest

Hackathons

* TechGig Code Gladiators has 15,617+ registrations at two hackathons focussed on limiting COVID-19 pandemic impact

* Guinness book record holder event, Code Gladiators is hosting its seventh edition this year with more than 2lakh+ registrations 

* Code Gladiators 2020 is hosting five hackathons in total, all focussed on new-age technologies like Machine Learning, RPA, Cloud 

Will a computer programme ease the COVID-19 crisis? Going by the heaps of ideas suggested at TechGig Code Gladiators 2020, the answer could very well be - a ‘yes’. 

With the world gripped in the COVID-19 crisis for more than 100 days now, it’s the right time for the coders to join hands with the frontline health staff and pharma researchers to keep the indomitable Coronavirus at bay. 

TechGig Code Gladiators 2020 has recorded more than 15,617+ registrations in two hackathons focussed on finding tech-based solutions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. They are IBM- 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge and Microsoft HackOnAzure. Microsoft HackOnAzure is solely focussed on finding COVID-19 solutions, while IBM- 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge has two tracks – COVID-19 & Climate Change. The other hackathons at Code Gladiators 2020 include UiPath RPA Hackathon, Automated Multi-Label Classification by Times Internet and the Open Coding Round where the participants can submit codes in any of the 50 programming languages offered.

Participation is free at https://www.techgig.com/codegladiators 

Code Gladiators - the Guinness world record holder programming event - is hosting its seventh edition this year. Code Gladiators 2020 edition kicked off on March 23, 2020, and has recorded 2,35,375+ registrations till now. This edition is particularly interesting because the COVID-19 lockdown has forced most professionals to work from home, giving them more time to participate in this globally acclaimed hackathon.  

TechGig surveyed to understand the participants’ experience at the present hackathon, where more than 68% coders affirmed that they could concentrate well on the hackathons owing to the lockdown. About 62% of participants also said that they were excited about the event’s upcoming online mega grand finale since this is the first time that the event will conclude with a virtual finale. 

 

Elaborating on the Code Gladiators 2020 hackathons, Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig said, “Every year TechGig Code Gladiators resolves to find solutions to the real-world business problems posed by the participating IT companies. This year, we found an opportunity amid the despair. Presently when most countries are battling the COVID-19 outbreak, Code Gladiators presents a unique opportunity to coders to find a tech-based solution to limit the virus impact. The other hackathons at the contest are equally interesting where coders are challenged to solve complex business problems using a trending technology such as RPA (Robotic Process Automation).”

Citing some of the solutions as ‘very promising’, Sanjay Goyal added that TechGig’s team and the entire IT industry is keenly waiting for some of these solutions to take shape. The first round of registrations at Code Gladiators 2020 is presently on and will conclude on June 22, 2020.

69% of Indian Consumers Believe their Data is Valuable to Businesses Says Experian 2020 Global Identity & Fraud Report

Report

* Globally, two thirds of consumers said security is still the most important factor when deciding to engage a business, followed closely by ease of access to their accounts

* Fraud poses significant challenge for businesses worldwide, with 57% of businesses seeing rising year-on-year fraud losses linked to account opening and account takeover fraud

Experian, one of the leading credit bureaus and data analytics and decisioning companies today released the Experian 2020 Global Identity & Fraud Report. One of the key findings is that consumers seem to have a heightened awareness about the value of their information with about 69% of Indian consumers saying they like the changes being made to the customer experience as a result of their data being used.

Another significant finding is that the key factors to meaningful online customer engagement are identifying and recognizing consumers periodically. While Indian businesses ranked the highest at 100% in being confident in their ability to identify customers, 35% customers felt unrecognised by businesses. Additionally, about 54% of businesses in India currently use advanced analytics (a hybrid of supervised/unsupervised machine learning + business rules) for identity authentication and fraud prevention. More sophisticated authentication strategies and advanced fraud detection tools will allow businesses to accurately identify and continually re-recognise their customers, reducing their exposure to risk and ultimately leading to increased trust in such organisations.

“Experian’s 2020 Global Identity and Fraud Report shows that while the challenge of identity is a large part of every customer decision, the desire for a better experience, and concerns around security still form the core of the digital relationship between customers and businesses. Businesses today need to deliver more than personalised products and offers; they also need to deliver on customer expectations for security and convenience at every step of the digital journey,” said Sathya Kalyanasundaram, Country Head and Managing Director, Experian India.

Globally, while 95% of businesses are confident in their ability to identify customers digitally, more than half of consumers across the globe do not feel recognised when engaging with businesses online. Over half of the businesses surveyed are prioritising the creation of targeted products and offers while collecting more personal information to do so. Additionally, 84% of businesses believe if they can better identify customers, then they will more easily spot the fraud.

Over 90% of businesses feel these new identity propositions play an important role in re-recognising their customers but no one approach has broadly taken hold yet. Many businesses are familiar with their emergence and are in ‘wait and watch’ mode as the technology evolves and consumer interest grows. Regardless of which identity proposition is adopted by a business, the need to establish the verifiable claims that constitute a person’s identity is fundamental to doing business digitally.

Experian interviewed 6,500 consumers and more than 650 businesses from across 13 countries including India, Mainland China, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Germany/Austria, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Columbia. Experian’s 2020 Global Identity and Fraud Report explores inconsistencies between businesses’ views of their ability to meet their customers’ needs and customer experiences with those businesses.

Additional findings from Experian’s 2020 Global Identity and Fraud Report include:

57% businesses are seeing higher losses associated with account opening and account takeover fraud, in the past 12 months.

Over half the businesses are prioritising the creation of targeted products and offers.

66% of consumers understand the value of their personal information to businesses.

88% of consumers want more control over the use of their data.

Experian’s 2020 Global Identity and Fraud Report also shows how different regions across the globe view and manage fraud:

In Brazil, 93% of consumers want more sophisticated security in the form of facial recognition, compared to 63% in China.

While 95% of businesses globally claim to have high confidence in their ability to identify and re-recognise their customers at every interaction, the lowest confidence is in the Netherlands with 82%.

Consumers in the U.S. value their data the most, with 74% of consumers seeing value to them personally. Colombian consumers were the lowest with 5% of consumers.

Globally, 88% of consumers like the changes being made to the customer experience as a result of their data being used. Consumers in APAC top the list at 89% and Europe (including UK) follows closely behind at 82%.

Experian’s identity and fraud business comprises of nearly 300 fraud experts around the world working to protect people’s identities and fight fraud for businesses across multiple sectors, including financial services, telecommunications, retail/e-commerce, insurance, government, and healthcare.

Castrol India Announces Second Interim Dividend for FY 2019; Recalls Final Dividend for FY 2019

The Board of Directors of Castrol India Limited, at a meeting held today, declared a second interim dividend of INR 3/- per equity share for the financial year ended 31 December 2019. Simultaneously, the Board recalled the earlier recommended final dividend of INR 3/- per equity share for the same period (2018: final dividend INR 2.75/- per equity share).

The delay of the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the Company from April to July due to the national lockdown on account of the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted many shareholders, small and institutional.

The Board took this decision to pay an interim dividend during these unprecedented times to help release payment earlier to the shareholders.     

“Castrol India has always valued the enduring relationship it has with its investors. These are extraordinary times which require organizations to take extraordinary measures in order to support various stakeholders,” said Mr. R Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Board of Directors after the meeting.  

This second interim dividend, is in addition to the previously declared interim dividend of INR 2.50/- per equity share (2018: interim dividend INR 2.25/- per equity share) for the financial year 2019. 

BRIC will account for 40% of world growth by 2020

BRIC nations - Brazil, Russia, India and China - are likely to contribute 40 per cent of global economic growth in the next 10 years due to a "tectonic shift" in the distribution of global capital over the next decade, global consultancy firm Ernst & Young said.

"Companies and governments in the developed world have to face up to the reality that there will be a further shift in the economic balance of power in the years ahead," Mark Otty, Area Managing Partner (Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa) at Ernst & Young said.

In the latest research note titled 'For Richer, For Poorer Global Patterns of Wealth', Ernst & Young said emerging economies have seen their share of global output and wealth rise significantly over the last few years, driven by faster growth, rising income, high savings ratios, strong investment and export.

In the next decade, the BRIC countries are likely to contribute 40 per cent of global growth, while the US would account for around 14 per cent.

China is set to become the biggest economy in the world in public-private partnership terms by 2019 and by 2020 the BRIC countries would account for almost a third of global GDP - of which China will contribute 18 per cent.

E&Y projects that the BRICs would account for 65 per cent of global basic metals output by 2020 and here also China would account for the lion's share of growth.

According to the report, around 77 per cent of world reserves, totalling almost $ trillion, are held by emerging markets. Besides, cross-border private investment by emerging economies has been increasing as well.

Sources: Agencies