Simplilearn &Tableau Join to Nurture Talent Pool of 200,000 Data Science Professionals by 2020

Simplilearn, the largest provider of professional certification courses, and Tableau, a global leader in self-service business analytics software, today announced their partnership. The aim of this partnership is to strengthen Simplilearn’s vision to build a talent pool of 200,000 skilled Data Scientists by the year 2020. The partnership enables aspiring professionals to get up-skilled in data science and analytics with high quality instructor-led training, e-learning, and industry projects fulfilled on the latest version of Tableau. 

Tableau Software is a global leader in rapid self-service, easy-to-use business intelligence software that systematically helps people access information, perform analytics and get instant results in the office and on-the-go. The software delivers fast analytics and business intelligence through creation of visualizations, reports and dashboards in minutes that can be shared in seconds. The simple development process, intuitive UI and flexibility is prompting leaders in all industries to move to Tableau from traditional reporting formats.

Speaking on the partnership with Tableau, Ankur Arora, Category Head at Simplilearn, says, “The huge demand for data scientists and analytics professionals across all industries has led us to focus on this domain. Our alliance with an industry authority like Tableau provides strong boost to our learners who are keen to build a promising career in the field of analytics. Big Data, Advanced Analytics and Business Intelligence together form the 3 pillars of the analytics industry and Tableau is a leader in the BI domain. Together, we’re confident about setting an ambitious mission of creating a large talent pool of over 200,000 Data Scientists by 2020.”

As per IDC, the global business analytics market generated $37.7 billion in 2013 and is estimated to grow to around $59.2 billion by 2018. Glassdoor has even recognized “data scientist” to be the best job in US with combination of parameters of demand, salary and career opportunities. The future demand for data scientists, proficient in analytics and business intelligence, paves way to over a million jobs for professionals who are aspiring for a promising career in demanding field of analytics.

“Partners like Simplilearn are Tableau’s extended family. They are instrumental to inspiring and empowering more people to see and understand their data. In today’s era of data, everyone needs to be equipped with the right skillset and applications to thrive in a smarter, digital economy, which makes our partnership all the more meaningful”, adds Deepak Ghodke, Country Manager for Tableau in India. 

In line with the mission to create a strong talent pool of Data Science and Business Intelligence practitioners, Simplilearn is adding to its strong suite of Analytics offerings. Simplilearn recommends the Tableau Certification Training (http://goo.gl/igvSmF) where aspirants are provided with high quality on-demand live instructor led classroom training. The course comprises of over 32 hours of thorough training from experienced analytics experts coupled with four industry projects that are designed to provide learners with much needed real life experience. 

New Commodity Procurement Analysis App for Manufacturers

Eka Software Solutions, the leading global provider of Smart Commodity Management software solutions, announced today its new Procurement Analysis app for manufacturing companies that tracks and analyzes both commodities and non-commodities. Eka’s Smart Commodity Management is the first and only solution that integrates commodity management with advanced analytics built specifically for the commodities markets.

“For the first time, manufacturers have an advanced commodity analytics solution that enables them to concentrate on business strategies instead of operational tasks,” said Shobhit Mathur, GM Commodity Analytics Cloud at Eka. “With Eka’s solution, manufacturing companies can effectively manage the price risk of raw materials, energy, and packaging using advanced analytics that simulate market changes to determine the expected impact to coverage and spend.”

Eka's Procurement Analysis app captures, analyzes, and manages demand forecasts, spend, coverage, and hedges while dramatically improving decision making with real-time predictive analytics. The app provides unique, visually-rich, analytics that enable users to cover commodity needs against targeted quantities and price. Eka’s solution delivers real-time scenario and intelligence capabilities so users can see how projected changes in market prices, supplier costs, and demand will affect the bottom line.

Eka’s out-of-the-box analytics platform is pre-integrated with market data. With implementation taking weeks instead of months, manufacturers gain a complete procurement solution with a faster time to value. Advanced algorithms identify outliers and patterns in historical data to enable better decision making.

"To remain competitive in an environment of volatile prices, manufacturing companies need to implement innovative solutions that enable these companies to effectively manage forecasts, coverage, and spend,” said Preeti Ramesh, Senior Director Product Marketing at Eka. “Eka’s Procurement Analysis app brings together large amounts of disparate information from multiple data sources, such as ETRM, CTRM, ERP, CRM, and spreadsheets, providing users with immediate answers and eliminating the laborious effort of collecting data and attempting to analyze multiple scenarios to answer ‘what if’ questions.”

Eka's Procurement Analysis app enables executive decision making that leverages predictive analytics for optimal conclusions. Business users can gain answers to questions directly without delay and without taking weeks to collect the data. By fostering collaboration across the organization and enabling executive decision making, Eka’s solution provides a competitive advantage for manufacturers.

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 & Galaxy S7 Edge Couple Sleek Design with Powerful Advanced Camera and More...

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd today announced the newest additions to the Galaxy family of products, Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. Created for today's consumer lifestyle, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge lead the industry with a refined design, more advanced camera, streamlined software functionality and unparalleled connectivity to a galaxy of products, services, and experiences.

“We believe in a world that is brighter, sharper, more convenient, and more fun. We strive to deliver on that vision with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge by marrying elegant design with functionality and providing a seamless mobile experience,” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “We empower consumers with technology to help them get more out of life and will continue to push the frontier of what’s possible.”

Advanced Camera: High Quality Images No Matter the Time of Day or Location

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge introduce the first Dual Pixel camera on a smartphone, delivering brighter and sharper images, even in low light. Thanks to the revolutionary Dual Pixel technology, brighter lens with wider aperture, and bigger pixel, the camera has a faster shutter speed and a more accurate autofocus even in low-light conditions. Motion Panorama, a newcamera mode, brings movement to traditional panoramic photos, giving the user a completely immersive visual experience.

                                               

Refined Design and Function

The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 edge are constructed with 3D glass and metal – all in a sleek design with durability and ergonomic curves for a comfortable grip. From work to play, the device’s new Always-On Display, gives users a simplified, zero touch experience where they don’t need to worry about missing a call or important notification.

Without compromising design, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge both have increased utility withIP68 water and dust resistance. Edge UX, the advanced edge experience available on Galaxy S7 edge, provides convenience and increased efficiency by creating easy shortcuts to users’ most loved functions such as email, selfie mode, panorama mode or third party applications.

Enhanced Performance: From Charging to Gaming

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge deliver fast wired and wireless charging technology. Additionally, the hybrid SIM card tray allows users to insert a microSD card for up to 200GB of additional storage and in some select countries, the tray can be used with a dual SIM card.

Samsung also made significant hardware and software updates to optimize gaming performance on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. The powerful processer and bigger battery capacity ensure longer playing time, and the internal cooling system keeps the device from overheating. Game Launcher, a new add-on for gamers, allows users to manage battery consumption and minimize notifications. Additionally, users can record their gaming experience or share their screen to play with others. Paired with Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Vulkan API gives users the ability to play high-performance graphic games with lower battery consumption.

The Galaxy Experience

Samsung continues to push the boundaries of hardware, software and services to create devices that are designed to improve how consumers connect, share, organize and get more out of life. The company is redefining what is possible, beyond the limits of today’s technology, by introducing a constellation of seamless mobile experiences.

Whether it’s the seamless connection between Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge and the new Gear S2 Classic to monitor fitness, or connecting with Gear VR to “travel” the world – Samsung redefines what’s possible for the mobile experience and beyond.

Beyond the phone, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge users can also get the best mobile payment service with Samsung Pay; it’s secure, easy-to-use and accepted almost anywhere. Protected by Samsung KNOX, fingerprint scanning and advanced tokenization, Samsung Pay works with NFC (Near Field Communication), MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) and Barcode technology, making mobile payments available to more merchants and consumers than ever before.

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will be available starting mid-March 2016.

NASSCOM Sets Up Consumer Interest Protection Task Force to Bolster Data Security for BPM Industry

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has announced that it has set up a Consumer Interest Protection Task Force under the BPM Council Chairman, Keshav R Murugesh, to proactively detail an action plan for the BPM industry in India to further strengthen its efforts to protect consumer interests globally from fraudulent acts perpetrated by unscrupulous elements, including those using the internet as a medium. Data Security Council of India (DSCI) will work in close partnership with the BPM Council for the Taskforce deliberations and recommendations.

Currently, BPM companies in India deploy cutting edge safeguards to ensure the highest levels of information security over corporate and end-customer confidential information. These include robust information security programs aligned to leading industry and security standards, and data privacy programs, whose requirements transcend geographical laws and regulations, comprehensive background verification of employees, employee awareness training programs, extensive preventive, detective and monitoring controls across logical and physical security domains and detailed audit trails coupled with data analytics to provide intelligence around organizational security.  BPM companies have and will continue to demonstrate a zero-tolerance approach towards any data security violations by ensuring prompt and stringent action against defaulters.

Keshav Murugesh, Chair, NASSCOM BPM Council said, “The recent instances of illegal activities by a few unscrupulous elements although isolated and sporadic, highlight the need for the industry to be on constant vigil.  The Task Force, working under the leadership of the BPM Council with representatives from major IT-BPM companies in India, has been mandated to pursue a multi-pronged approach to chart out a series of countermeasures aimed at fraud prevention, fraud detection and fraud response.” 

The Taskforce will also discuss and recommend actions that can enable quicker cross border, inter agency co-operation for filing and resolution of consumer complaints that will help to send a strong message globally of our industry’s ability and intent to act against data thefts / frauds and safeguard the interests of consumers globally.  The focus would be to complement consumer protection measures that exist in different industries and countries around the world.

Raman Roy, Executive Council member, NASSCOM said, “The Task Force will recommend institutional arrangements for industry to work very closely with government agencies across the country to ensure that individuals who indulge in or assist with fraudulent activities are prosecuted to the fullest extent under the law, swiftly and firmly.  Additionally, the Task Force will also recommend institutional arrangements for industry to work with both the central and state governments to bring in changes in relevant laws, regulations, policies and processes to address such violations”.

“Safeguarding data and information is today a key priority for businesses and the governments globally. We will continue to work with the central and state governments, regulators and all stakeholders inside and outside India to ensure a secure environment for Indian IT and BPM companies and their customers,” said R Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM.”

Tata Comm’s Data Roaming Boost to Speed Up Teleena Internet Access for Mobile Users

Tata Communications, a leading provider of A New World of Communications, today launches Data Roaming Boost, a global service that enables mobile network operators and service providers to deliver a significantly improved mobile internet experience for their customers, with the potential to halve the time it takes to open a webpage or application on their smart device whilst they are traveling overseas. Teleena, one of the world’s top mobile service and Internet of Things (IoT) enablers, is the first to roll out the industry-first service to enhance the delivery of its mobile and IoT applications globally.

With data roaming, a mobile user’s internet connection is traditionally routed via long distances and through multiple transit parties back to the home operator – resulting in speed and connectivity challenges. This in turn leads to a poor user experience and often results in service abandonment. With Data Roaming Boost, mobile network operators are able to avoid this multi-party hand-off and connect their customers to the Internet using the closest Tata Communications’ globally deployed points-of-presence. This ensures a high-quality browsing experience for roamers, while giving service providers full control of their subscriber traffic.

Initial tests by Tata Communications returned results showing that Data Roaming Boost provides a 130% improvement in connectivity speeds compared with the traditional approach of routing traffic back to the mobile operator’s home network.

Data Roaming Boost also delivers significant efficiencies for international IoT applications when a device is in constant roaming mode. For example, the infotainment device of a car could be built in one country and used in another, which can be costly for the service provider and lead to a slow user experience. Data Roaming Boost reduces connectivity costs for IoT service providers and makes IoT applications more responsive for users.

“As LTE networks bring high-bandwidth applications such as content streaming and video calling to mobile users’ handsets, mobile service providers are under pressure to offer their customers a consistent mobile experience whether at home or abroad,” says Conor Carroll, Senior Vice President, Global Carrier Solutions – Europe, Asia and Americas, Tata Communications. “Data Roaming Boost represents a breakthrough in data roaming performance and enables service providers to offer highly responsive, glitch-free, mobile data connectivity to their customers, whether they are international travellers or IoT businesses.”

“Data Roaming Boost is a game-changer for the delivery of mobile services and IoT applications,” says Timo Smit, Executive Director at Teleena. “By integrating our platform with Tata Communications’ Data Roaming Boost, we are able to offer fully managed data roaming services and IoT solutions for our customers on a global scale, delivering a ubiquitous, seamless user experience regardless of location.”

Ovum’s Monetizing next-generation roaming opportunities report found that 63% of home network operators believe that poor roaming quality of experience can lead to customer churn. Built on Tata Communications’ global network, which is ranked among the top five in five continents and connects 4 out of 5 mobile subscribers globally, Data Roaming Boost creates a virtualised extension of the home operator’s network, reducing delays associated with home routing and enhancing customer retention.

Avaya’s Smart Solutions to Drive Digital Transformation Strategies at Avaya Technology Forum Dubai

Avaya, a global leader in business communications software, systems and services, will showcase its cloud-enabled solutions designed to help public and private-sector organizations achieve their digital transformation objectives at the second annual Avaya Technology Forum 2016 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The three-day event will strip away industry hype and dive into the real challenges facing today’s business and technology leaders.

The Avaya Technology Forum, which will be hosted at the Intercontinental Festival City Hotel, Dubai, on March 15-17, will feature keynote presentations from Avaya’s global leadership team, industry experts, and key technology partners. Customers for the Middle East, Africa, India and China will learn more about Avaya’s development of smart applications, which can be tailored for specific vertical industries and sectors, helping organizations transition to the smart digital world.

Spending on the 3rd Platform technologies – such as Big Data, analytics, mobility, and Cloud – that form the raw materials of digital transformation will account for over half of IT expenditure within the next two years, according to industry analyst firm IDC, as enterprise CEOs increasingly place digital transformation at the center of their corporate strategies. Through in-depth technical sessions and tailored expert engagement, ATF 2016 is focused on helping organizations make the most informed decisions possible about transitioning to a truly integrated Digital Enterprise.

Through in-depth technical sessions and tailored expert engagement, ATF 2016 provides a unique opportunity for attendees to experience how Avaya’s solutions and services are addressing the challenges facing today’s industry leaders. At ATF 2016, Avaya will share and showcase roadmaps and solutions to help businesses improve operational excellence, enhance customer satisfaction and drive greater competitive differentiation. Smart applications can be customized to suit any sector or industry’s specific need, through the Avaya Engagement Development Platform.

ATF 2016 is sponsored by Axis Communications, Integrated Research Limited, Plantronics, Senetas, Siemon, and Verint. The Official Broadcaster is CNBC, the Business Media Partner is Bloomberg Business week and the Technology Media Partner is CPI Publishing.

Nidal Abou-Ltaif, President, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Asia Pacific, Avaya says, “Digital transformation offers businesses, vendors and channel partners the opportunity to re-define their customer experience and achieve greater levels of enterprise engagement. Avaya’s vision and innovations revolve around helping our customers in the region accelerate digital transformation, make smarter decisions and deliver seamless customer engagement through innovative technologies. ATF 2016 is the perfect platform to showcase how we are helping enterprises of all sizes to create new experiences that deliver value to their customers and drive competitive advantage.”

IT Leaders Need a More Agile Approach to Support Marketing

Most new marketing technology initiatives will require a new IT approach focused on agility and speed rather than security and accuracy, according to Gartner, Inc. However, Gartner predicts that by 2018, only 25 percent of IT application leaders supporting marketing will focus their IT strategy on speed and agility.

"Marketing has always been an area focused on innovation and competitive differentiation, however, new technical forces for social, mobile, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) have opened up a plethora of new ideas and opportunities for marketers," said Kimberly Collins, research vice president at Gartner. "Speed and organizational agility of both business and IT departments are needed to test new ideas and innovations to keep pace with market changes. The pace at which IT delivers new solutions, or supports existing implementations, must be the same at which its partners in marketing operate."

This means that IT leaders supporting marketing need to provide an IT environment where marketers can test and experiment with new ideas and innovations while still providing IT governance, technical assistance and assessment. Marketing leaders will benefit by being able to innovate faster while selecting more technically sound solutions that can scale and better integrate with other marketing applications as their competency in this area matures.

Other predictions from Gartner include:

By 2018, IT will be involved in nearly 50 percent of social marketing application decisions, up from 30 percent today

Historically, social marketing technology and strategy decisions have been managed and budgeted for by marketing. Over the last three years, as marketing has sought to scale its social media operations to the entire enterprise, it has needed to employ IT to create an organizational standard for social marketing technologies and strategies.

"IT's increased involvement in social marketing application advisory and decision making will result in the further contraction of the social marketing application market," said Jenny Sussin, research director at Gartner. "This means the number of independent, social-only vendors will decline and leave customers with two options: social media suite offerings, or multichannel marketing solutions such as those supporting multichannel campaign management or marketing business intelligence. We are already seeing some of this today in the rapid consolidation of the social marketing application space."

Through 2019, 90 percent of large marketing application vendors will lack a fully integrated marketing solution.

As a result of rapidly growing marketing technology investments, large vendors are acquiring midsize and small vendors across a wide variety of marketing application areas including campaign management, marketing resource management (MRM), digital marketing, social marketing, social listening, mobile marketing, analytics, and digital asset management. Many of these larger vendors are now touting their "marketing clouds" — which implies, and is often perceived by clients to be an integrated set of technologies offered on the same platform and code base with a software as a service (SaaS) deployment model. In reality, however, many of these acquisitions remain as silos and separate divisions of the acquired organization, with limited integration and a variety of different deployment and pricing models. Many of these vendors will attempt to bypass IT and sell directly to marketing, which may not be aware of these issues and their impact on pricing, deployment models and integration. It is, therefore, important to get IT leaders involved early in these decisions.

By 2019, more than 50 percent of MRM implementations will include marketing financial management, up from less than 25 percent today.

Social, mobile and big data are having a significant influence on marketing and are generating more opportunities than ever for marketers to engage with their customers. However, marketing budgets are not growing at the same rate as the number of potential ways to communicate with the customer. Therefore, allocating and optimizing marketing budgets based on marketing performance metrics is more important than ever. The agility required to reallocate money in real time, as marketers experiment with new ideas and innovations, makes marketing financial management a key requirement for MRM in the age of the agile marketer.