TCS Opens First Drones Research Lab in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

TCS has opened its first Drones Research Lab in the US, at its Seven Hills Park Innovation Centre located in Cincinnati, Ohio, to address the demand for unmanned aerial vehicles and business solutions across industries.

The lab — featuring indoor labs, showcase, warehouse and outdoor terrain footprints — provides a rapid experimentation and co-innovation environment for customers to build solutions for specific industry problems in accelerated 30-60-90-day delivery cycles, the company said in a statement.

FAA Part 107-certified TCS pilots based at the lab fly fully equipped drones to collect data for specific industry use-cases. Advanced computer vision, machine-learning and deep-learning algorithms enable fully automated processing of drone-captured images to reveal precise insights.

“Forward-thinking companies worldwide are at different stages of exploring drone technology to re-imagine existing operational processes and transform the way they do business,” said K Ananth Krishnan, EVP and Chief Technology Officer, TCS. “The Drones Research Lab combines the latest in drone technology with cutting-edge research from our labs, and enables our customers to rapidly build innovative solutions.”

The lab is an extension of the global TCS Research and Innovation ecosystem bringing the combined expertise of its labs, start-ups, academia and technology partners closer to customers. The fully operational lab demonstrates solutions for insurance, manufacturing, logistics and transportation industries, as well as specific environmental applications.

Agencies

PTC India signs Agreements for 1050 Mega Watts Wind Power

PTC India Limited, the leading provider of power trading solutions in India, has announced the execution of Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) with seven (07) state utilities for sale of wind energy for a total quantum of 1049.9 MW. The tariff for wind energy was discovered transparently through competitive bid at a historic low of 3.46 / Unit. PTC’s thrust on renewable energy is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach 175 GW of renewable capacity by 2022.

The Agreements were exchanged between PTC and Discoms in the presence of Hon’ble Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines Piyush Goyal at a Conference of Power, New and Renewable Energy and Mines Ministers of States & UTs held here. Distribution Utilities of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Odisha, Delhi and Noida have signed MoA with PTC. Uttar Pradesh is the largest beneficiary of the Scheme and has signed MoA for 440 MW.

Deepak Amitabh, Chairman and Managing Director said, “We are proud to be associated as a trading partner for renewable resources based power generation, which is the energy for the future. The scheme is very beneficial for power industry as a whole and wind industry in particular. It will attract more investments in the industry and lower tariff through competitive bidding, which will benefit the end consumers. This model will be very helpful for scaling up wind power generation in the overall renewable energy basket in the future. The Scheme is aimed at better utilization of wind resources that are available abundantly in windy states and supply green power to non-windy states, hence helping the nation as a whole in achieving the target. I would like to congratulate developers and Utilities for their contributions towards achieving the target set by Govt. of India.”

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had formulated the Scheme for setting up of 1000 MW ISTS connected wind power in India. In the Scheme, wind projects are to be set up in windy states for supply of power to non-windy states and UTs. PTC is the trading partner responsible for purchase and sale of wind power under the scheme. The government successfully completed the first ever auction of wind power and associated infrastructure for 1,000 MW in last week of February with a provision to increase in upto 1050 MW. Bidders were selected and Letter of Awards were given to successful bidders. PTC India Ltd has successfully tied up entire power with above discoms.

Altimetrik’s Tech Playground in Pune Comprises Design Studio and Innovation Lab

Altimetrik, a technology transformation and solutions partner to global enterprises, has expanded its presence in India through the opening of its newest immersive experience center, Playground, in Pune. Comprising a Design Studio and an Innovation Lab, Playground will lead Altimetrik’s growth strategy and become the ‘global mecca’ for industries like banking, healthcare, fintech and manufacturing. By blending technology and innovation with global talent and capabilities, Altimetrik will be able to reduce time to delivery by upto 30%. This is the second such center after Bangalore and will soon be an integral part of a network of Playgrounds once similar centers are launched in the United States, Uruguay and other strategic locations.

The Playground, an integral part of Altimetrik‘s strategy, will enable technology-led business transformation for clients globally. With Pune becoming one of the fastest growing cities in the area of digital banking, e-payments and modern-day financial services, the city houses immense opportunities for the industry. It forms a critical part of Altrimetrik’s talent acquisition strategy.

Raj Sundaresan, Chief Operating Officer, Altimetrik, said, “As the country is headed towards a digital economy, Pune has the potential to spearhead this movement. We believe that the disruptive combinations that the Playground offers will enable us to achieve non-linear growth in our deeper clientele strategy globally. Innovation has always been an intrinsic part of Altimetrik’s solution engineering to clients. Our simple 4-step engineering approach – Envision, Engineer, Assemble and Deploy – is anchored through the Design studio and iInnovation lab. Through the Playground we want to empower the tech-savvy workforce to meaningfully use technology with an engineering and business-outcome mindset.”

The Playground – in both its digital and physical manifestations – is a disruptive combination of 3 key elements:

1.     The Design-led Engineering Methodology

2.     Platforms & advanced technology Capabilities

3.     Full-stack talent empowered with end-to-end ownership.

A differentiated experiential zone – with a dedicated Design Studio, and centers for each Capability to house Altimetrik’s components, solutions, frameworks and platforms, this area is where one can simply walk in, ideate and start building solutions with agility, velocity and precision. 

The elements of the Playground – Approach, Platforms and Full-stack Talent will accelerate faster delivery through component engineering while augmenting a profound customer experience. A globally scalable business innovation that fosters hyper-collaboration, unified teams, and an idea driven, open innovation ecosystem; it helps Altimetrik develop a differentiated and unique value proposition for Industry, Customers and Employees.

Missouri State University Announces Scholarships and Tailor-Made Courses for Indian Students

Missouri State University has announced special scholarships for Indian students. During his visit to India Colonel Stephen Robinette Associate Vice President, International Studies, MSU, USA, made a number of important announcements for Indian Students. Colonel Robinette also discussed some issues viz. US Immigration rules, safety and security of Indian students in Missouri State University.

The University has announced “International Excellence Scholarship” of $5000 each, per year for Indian Students. Students with animating skills and disciplined approach towards learning can avail this scholarship throughout their duration of study in Missouri State University. The “International Excellence Scholarship” will help students to overcome the financial strain while studying in the US. Explaining the same Col. Robinette, Associate Vice President, International Students, MSU said, “MSU has notlimited ‘International Excellence Scholarship’ to any numbers and offers the same scheme to all eligible candidates. We believe that it will be unjustified to restrict scholars in numbers. One, who has merit and is eligible, will keep getting it like earlier.”

Colonel Robinette while addressing the immigration issues of Indian students said, “We have welcomed Indian students for over ten years and will continue to do so with the same zeal and enthusiasm.” Our Sub continent office, based out of the National Capital Region, is continuously in touch with all aspiring students and their parents to give proper and thorough counselling, direct or via the approved education agents. The office provides guidance support in terms of applying for a visa and the interview, thereafter.

Missouri State University is a diverse university which has maintained a global focus for more than 25 years. Missouri State University is predominantly announcing courses which are tailor-made for Indian Students. For instance, MSU has introduced a new course, Master of Science in Computer Science for Indian Students. Post the paper of New Immigration Rule was signed by President Trump Indian students are apprehensive to study in US universities. Thus, the university has announced Computer Science course to ease out situation for Indian Students. Degree in Computer Science and STEM from US University allows students to work 3 years without work Visa in the USA. 

Talking about the safety and security of Indian Students Col. Robinette said,“Our campuses are patrolled 24/7 and there are support groups for students that require extra attention. In view of the recent unfortunate events, we have tightened our security even further. We have a zero tolerance policy for any sort of racism or discrimination. Our students can freely approach the International student services for any sort of support they may require.”

About Missouri State University: Missouri State University, Missouri, USA established in the year 1905, is the second-largest university in Missouri with over 23,000 students currently studying out of which 1,800 are international students representing over 85 countries. The Princeton University reviewed it as ‘The Best in the Midwest distinction’. MSU has a world-class faculty with over 90% faculty holding a terminal degree in their field of study. The university comprises a school of agriculture, a graduate college and six academic colleges namely, College of Arts & Letters, College of Business, College of Health & Human Services, College of Humanities & Public Affair, College of Natural and  Applied Sciences and College of Education. MSU provides state-of-the-art facility for its students which include on-campus residence halls and dining centres, a student union, a world-class library, a brand new recreational centre and dedicated academic facilities. Both on-campus and off-campus housing facilities are available at MSU.

Golden Handshake for Non-Performing Cognizant Employees

Cognizant, a leading software services company with most of its operations in Chennai, may fire 6,000-10,000 people, to reduce redundant and non-performing employees.

The reduction in employee base will be a part of the appraisal process, according to reports, as digitisation and automation are becoming the new normal with Indian IT firms, and Cognizant is not different from Infosys, Wipro and TCS.

The company has not issued any statement on the reduction of the headcount, but sources said that “it is a regular process for IT companies to go through this process, but the number of people are on the higher side.” The source did not want his name to be disclosed.

Cognizant was once the fastest growing IT company, and had overtaken Wipro in 2011. It was known for customer-centricity and would often undercut competition on client pricing, even if it was on the back of lower operating margins. As a result, it added more clients that its competition.

When Infosys had operating margins of 26%, Cognizant was happy with 20%.

That was also because of Cognizant’s upbringing. Cognizant started as a captive of ratings data giant Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), which was spun off in 1996, and got listed on the American bourses in two years later. In a meeting with this journalist a few years ago, Lakshmi Narayanan, then Cognizant’s vice chairman had said that since it had only one client (as a captive) it focussed on technology and providing impeccable service.

But, the way IT services are being delivered is changing. Add to that, America’s growing protectionism is making offshore business difficult. Clients want a higher degree of automation, and digital services have already started contributing to 20% of IT services’ revenue.

Cognizant is buying companies to build it digital business and consulting capabilities. In November it bought Mirabeau BV, a digital marketing and customer experience agency, and Japan’s Brilliant Service, which specialises in Android and iOS apps. Earlier, it had bought TriZetto, Frontica Business Solutions and Adaptra.

The decision to fire employees comes at a time, when Cognizant has announced that it will return $3 billion to its shareholders through buy back, and has said that it will focus on improving margins -- up from its traditional 20% to 22%.

Agencies

BitcoinGrowthFund Raises $ 2.5 Million in a Week; Targets $32 Million

BitcoinGrowthFund (BGF) world’s first blockchain based start-up fund for Venture Capital Industry has been successful in raising more than USD 2.5 million as a part of its initial Coin Offering (ICO).

BGF launched the ICO on April 27, 2017 in Bangkok and within 24 hours had received 1.6 million dollars of investment from retail investors globally. ICO is like an ‘IPO’ where investors get coins/tokens instead of shares in a company or fund.

BGF is a blockchain based venture capital fund where regular/small investors invest into the fund by buying tokens named “MCAPS” and the fund collected are invested in the mining of various cryptocurrencies like DASH, Ethereum, Monero, Litecoin, Z-cash, Bitcoin and others. Also, part of the fund is further invested in upcoming ICO’s of interesting blockchain projects based on analysis. Mcap owners are paid dividends monthly based on returns earned from investment in these activities.

Arvind Sehmay, Director – Communications, BitcoinGrowthFund says, “We received an overwhelming response to our ICO and we were able to raise 1.6 million dollars in the first 24 hours itself. BGF is a liquid fund targeting investments in Crypto-currency mining and startup ecosystem. We provide investors (regular/small) opportunity to invest in Crypto currency ecosystem through purchase of our Mcap tokens. Mcap owners are entitled to monthly payouts based on fund’s performance. Token owners can also trade and exchange these token amongst themselves and other users anytime.”

OPPO Unveils Selfie Expert F3 for Mid-Range Market

The camera phone brand OPPO, strengthened the ‘Group Selfie’ trend today by launching another Selfie Expert F3, priced at Rs 19,990 for the mid-range market. The F3 is the second in line dual front camera Selfie Expert targeted towards the Group Selfie generation after the recently launched F3 Plus.

The F3 features a dual front camera - a 16-megapixel Selfie camera for individual selfies and a wide-angle lens for group selfie.

The F3 First Sale begins from May 13^th in 25 cities across India. The pre-order starts from today till May12^th 2017. It will be available online on Flipkart exclusively. Consumers can also pre-order offline through OPPO stores.

On this occasion, OPPO also revealed the Team India jersey in the presence of OPPO India President and BCCI CEO. The brand has always focused on cricket as a platform in its endeavor to connect with the consumers especially the youth. While it is the official partner of ICC starting 2016, it has strengthened the relationship further with the sport by associating with BCCI and becoming the official sponsor of Team India.

“Cricket is a sport full of vigor and passion enjoyed by the youth of India. We believe that we share the same passion and spirit of pursuit of perfection as cricket that makes this association a perfect fit.” Said Mr. Sky Li, OPPO’s Global Vice President and President of OPPO India. “By partnering with the team, OPPO will not only further enhance its connection with the young consumers, but also engage with the country’s youth in its endeavor of providing them with the outstanding selfie-led photography experience.” He added.

Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Rahul Johri, CEO-BCCI said, “We are excited to have OPPO join the BCCI family. OPPO Mobiles is pursuing perfect photography technology and it shares a common vision with BCCI. I am confident that we will work together to further grow Indian cricket!”

Dual Selfie Camera

“One for Selfie, One for Group selfie “The Double View Group Selfie Camera gives a larger field-of-view, twice larger view than a normal selfie camera. The 6P lens maintains a high-level of professional image quality with minimal image distortion. This ensures that you click perfect Group Selfies!

For your individual selfies, switch to the other front camera which utilizes 16 MP resolution, 1/3-inch sensor and a large f/2.0 aperture. It sports high dynamic range, vivid depth and minimized noise. Comparing to previous F1s, OPPO made further improvements and optimization to its performance. Under a strongly-lit background, the selfie will not be over-exposed, and the overall image is more real. When shooting in a poorly-lit place or at night, the noise granularity is also significantly reduced to make the selfie more vivid and clearer.

With the built-in Smart Facial Recognition, the F3 will notify users to switch to ‘Group Selfie’ mode if there are more than three people in the frame. Users can snap their Group Selfie at ease, without compromising image stability when taking selfie with one hand.

The OPPO F3 is also equipped with a 13 MP rear camera that has a 1/3-inch sensor. It is able to maximize light sensitivity, making for wonderful night time performance. PDAF technology makes for a snappy and fluid shooting experience. Even with moving subjects, the F3 focuses without a hitch. Capturing great shots at key moments has never been easier.

“One for Selfie, One for Group selfie “The Double View Group Selfie Camera gives a larger field-of-view, twice larger view than a normal selfie camera. The 6P lens maintains a high-level of professional image quality with minimal image distortion. This ensures that you click perfect Group Selfies!

For your individual selfies, switch to the other front camera which utilizes 16 MP resolution, 1/3-inch sensor and a large f/2.0 aperture. It sports high dynamic range, vivid depth and minimized noise. Comparing to previous F1s, OPPO made further improvements and optimization to its performance. Under a strongly-lit background, the selfie will not be over-exposed, and the overall image is more real. When shooting in a poorly-lit place or at night, the noise granularity is also significantly reduced to make the selfie more vivid and clearer.

With the built-in Smart Facial Recognition, the F3 will notify users to switch to ‘Group Selfie’ mode if there are more than three people in the frame. Users can snap their Group Selfie at ease, without compromising image stability when taking selfie with one hand.

OPPO’s pioneering beautification editing software, Beautify 4.0 is available for both - two selfie front cameras and rear camera. It will allow users to choose from various beautification modes, ensuring images are captured with favorable effects.

There are several other fun features to make your Selfie taking experience enhanced like Palm shutter allows you to take shake free photos by activating an automatic selfie countdown when you wave your hand in front of the camera.

Perfect for All the Functionality You Need

The F3 is equipped with an octa-core processor, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB ROM backed by the ColorOS 3.0, assuring a seamless and snappy performance. The embedded triple-slot card tray allows two nano-SIM cards and a microSD card to work simultaneously.

The F3 gets a higher energy density 3200mAh battery which gives your even longer endurance. In our real use simulation test, it lasted for more than 15 hours! That means, it can save you the inconvenience of bringing the heavy power-bank or look for chargers again and again on your trip. 

Privacy protection and security is also a top priority. The F3 uses an advanced solid-state fingerprint reader, so that only a slight touch is enough to unlock the device. Equipped with a hydrophobic membrane the fingerprint reader has an enhanced success rate even when a user’s fingers are moist. 

Stunning Design and Exquisite Craftsmanship

With a lighter and thinner 5.5-inch body, the F3 contributes to a matchlessly comfortable grip. The smooth texture of the lustrous metal back panel repels dust and is a pleasure to hold. Every detail of the F3 comes together to give an impression of mercurial grace and beauty. Equipped with in-cell technology, the FHD in-cell display of F3 decreases 1/4 of the normal screen thickness, thus giving the whole screen a high rate of penetration and a bright image. So, what you see will be noticeably more brilliant and vibrant even in the sunlight.

Amazing Colors & Competitive Pricing

The F3 comes in Gold and Rose Gold. Priced at Rs 19,990, the Gold variant of the F3 will be available from May 13^, 2017 both online and offline. The pre-order of F3 Gold version starts from today till May 12^, 2017. It will be available online on Flipkart exclusively. Consumers can also pre-order offline through OPPO stores. The brand will also have a lucky draw through the pre-order entries, and three lucky winners will get a chance to see the ICC finals live in London.