Recent IT Layoffs was Sad, Says Infosys Founder Narayana Murthy

Founder Chairman of Infosys N R Narayana Murthy today expressed sadness over the IT companies laying off their employees as part of their cost cutting strategy.

"...It is sad...," Murthy told in an email reply to a PTI query about recent IT layoffs. Murthy, however, did not elaborate on the matter.

Infosys had announced that it could hand out pink slips to hundreds of mid and senior-level employees as it carries out bi-annual performance review amid a challenging business environment.

The development comes at a time when its peers Wipro and Cognizant are taking similar measures to control costs.

The US-based Cognizant had rolled out a voluntary separation programme for directors, associate VPs and senior VPs, offering them 6-9 months of salary.

Wipro, too, is learnt to have asked about 600 employees to leave as part of its annual "performance appraisal" even as speculations were that the number could go as high as 2,000.

According to executive search firm Head Hunters India, the job cuts in IT sector will be between 1.75 lakh and 2 lakh annually for next three years due to under-preparedness in adapting to newer technologies.

A report submitted by McKinsey & Company at the Nasscom India Leadership Forum said, nearly half of the workforce in the IT services firms will be "irrelevant" over the next 3-4 years.

IT companies have been one of the largest recruiters in the country. However, they have warned that increasing automation of processes would lead to reduction in hiring in coming years.

While the outsourcing model has placed India on the global map, increasing scrutiny and rising protectionist sentiment are also posing challenges for the USD 140 billion Indian IT industry.

Companies are now working towards reducing their dependence on work visas and instead hiring more locals to ensure continuity of work for clients, even though it impacts their margins. 

Agencies

NXP India Technical Symposium 2017 Provides Platform for Nurturing Innovation

NXP India; a world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications; recently concluded its technical symposium, with hundreds of enthusiastic attendees across multiple NXP sites in India. The symposium highlighted the key trends which are driving the company’s growth such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Internet of Things (IoT), security, automotive, and payments. The inaugural edition of the event was attended by NXP Global leaders such as Lars Reger, Senior Vice president and Chief Technology Officer for Automotive, Richard House, Vice President, Digital Networking Software, and Chris Collins, Senior Vice President, Product and Technology Enablement.

During the three-day symposium, leaders shared their insights on the automotive industry and emphasized on the importance of innovation. There were different themes on each day, from paper presentations on key innovations to special technical presentations from tech streams to global market insights and trends by the global leaders to name a few. Further, a panel discussion was organized on IoT security that was driven and conducted by NXP global leaders and industry experts across India. The leaders discussed various aspects of IoT and highlighted the importance of secured connectivity for the IoT revolution to grow. Furthermore, Prof. M. Balakrishnan, Deputy Director (Strategy & Planning), Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Delhi, gave the key-note speech on ASSISTECH: Technology Solutions for the Mobility & Education of the Visually Impaired. It highlighted the key role technology plays in improving the life of the differently-abled.

Speaking about the occasion, Sanjay Gupta, Vice President and India Country Manager said: “We were happy to host the Tech Symposium for our talented engineers and grateful to the entire NXP leadership team for their encouragement and immense support. The symposium aimed at providing a platform for our technical community to share knowledge, showcase niche technological developments, mutual learnings and explore avenues for nurturing innovation across multiple levels”.

NXP is a leader in high-performance mixed-signal semiconductor electronics, with innovative products and solutions, and leadership positions in automotive, broad-based microcontrollers, secure identification, network processing and RF power. A top semiconductor solutions supplier to the automotive industry, NXP also has leading positions in automotive infotainment, networking and safety systems. NXP has a broad customer base, serving more than 25,000 customers through its direct sales channel and global network of distribution channel partners.

NXP recently announced its financial results for the first quarter that ended in April 2, 2017, delivering solid seasonal results, with a revenue of $2.21 billion. The first quarter results are a strong step towards the successful integration of Freescale and NXP. With the divestment of NXPs Standard Products group, the overall product portfolio has a sharpened focus on higher growth, desirable margins, and stickier market segments.

Infosys and HP Announce Strategic Alliance to Accelerate Digital Transformation for the Enterprise

Infosys and HP Inc. have launched joint Retail Point of Sale (RPOS) and Enterprise Device as a Service (DaaS) solutions to help businesses accelerate digital transformation as part of the HP Global System Integrator (GSI) Alliance Program. 

The joint RPOS solution offers a digital approach across the supply chain, enabling real-time collaboration between shoppers, retailers and vendors at the point of purchase, providing a true omni-channel experience. The joint Enterprise Device as a Service solution defines and delivers technology-enabled transformations that optimize how organizations acquire, manage and use devices with end-to-end services, enterprise applications, fleet reporting, analytics, insights and more.

“Together, HP and Infosys can improve end-customer experience, while forging deeper, more valuable relationships with joint customers across industries, enabling them to embark on their own business reinvention journeys,” said Jon Flaxman, Chief Operating Officer, HP.

“The launch of the RPOS and Enterprise DaaS solutions validates our joint vision with HP for revolutionizing the retail industry through constant innovation, and deep analytics,” said Sandeep Dadlani, President and Head of Americas, Infosys. “Digital transformation is being steadily embraced by businesses and as this transformation evolves further, we will continue our focus to create newer experiences across industry segments.”

About the HP Global System Integrator (GSI) Alliance Program

In today’s world of rapid technological innovation, companies in every industry must take bold measures to stay competitive amidst constant change. Adopting new technologies is simple in theory, but bedeviling in practice. Companies are dealing with challenges greater than just IT considerations, including broader supply chain, manufacturing and transportation hurdles. 

The HP GSI program has enabled HP and select leading Global System Integrators to co-develop breakthrough solutions available in a choice of consumption models, mirroring the migration from purely transactional to everything as-a-service. The program reinforces HP as vendor of choice for the tools of digital transformation and provides customers the expert guidance they need to thrive on their transformation journey.

Trend Micro to Host Third Annual Capture the Flag Competition in Tokyo

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today announced it will host Trend Micro CTF 2017 - Raimund Genes Cup, the third annual Capture the Flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition. Trend Micro CTF targets young professionals in the cybersecurity industry to enhance their practical skills in areas such as cybercrimes, targeted attacks, Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS).

“Our goal is to support and strengthen the skillset of professionals entering the industry to better prepare and protect against today’s most pressing threats,” said Eva Chen, chief executive officer for Trend Micro. “To accomplish our mission of making the digital world safer for everyone, we must support engineers in developing and stretching their cybersecurity knowledge in these specific, relevant areas.”

The competition comprises an online qualifying event and finals held in Tokyo, Japan. The online qualifier is in a “Jeopardy” format, challenging players to solve challenges in various categories, such as SCADA, IoT and targeted attacks. The top ten teams from the online qualifier will advance to compete in the final, which will be played with a combination of “attack and defense” and Jeopardy formats. The final winning team will be awarded JPY 1,000,000 (approximately US$8,700), Zero Day Initiative Rewards Program points, and automatic qualification for HITCON CTF 2017 Final to be held in Taipei, Taiwan.

Trend Micro CTF 2017 - Raimund Genes Cup - Online Qualifier

·  Dates: June 24-25, 2017 (Game starts at 12:00 a.m. ET, June 24, 2017)

·  Requirements: Participants must be at least 20 years old

·  Format: Jeopardy

·  Venue: Online

·  Team registration: May 23-June 25, 2017

Trend Micro CTF 2017 - Raimund Genes Cup - The Final

·  Dates: November 11-12, 2017 (JST)

·  Requirements: The top ten teams from the online event will qualify and receive travel support for attending the finals. Additionally, winners from Egypt National CTF will compete. Each team may have a maximum of four players.

·  Format: A combination of Attack and Defense and Jeopardy

·  Venue: BELLESALLE Nishi Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Prizes:

·  First Place Team:

o    JPY1,000,000 (approximately US$8,700) per team

o    15,000 Zero Day Initiative Rewards Program points per player (these points result in eligibility for benefits, including a one-time bonus of US$2,000)

o    Automatic qualification for HITCON CTF 2017 Final to be held in Taipei, Taiwan

·  Second Place Team:

o    JPY300,000 (approximately US$2,600) per team

·  Third Place Team:

o    JPY200,000 (approximately US$1,700) per team

To register for the online qualifier and for more information about Trend Micro CTF 2017 - Raimund Genes Cup, please visit:www.trendmicro.com/tmctf.

Indiabulls Group Forays Into LED Lighting; Aims for 2-3% Market Share in 2017-18

Indiabulls Group, India’s leading business house with interests in Real Estate, Infrastructure, and Housing Finance has forayed into the LED lighting business.  

Indiabulls Group, continuing with its legacy of constantly reinventing itself, has ventured into the LED lighting business in B2B space, which is currently estimated to be at Rs 6500 Crores market in India. The new venture will be branded as “IB LED” and is getting launched to cater B2B Professional LED Lighting needs in the country.

The new venture would be focusing on LED Professional Lighting for offices, malls, showrooms, factories, industries and housing societies, offering a wide range of LED lighting solutions, with up to 7 years’ warranty.

Speaking about the new venture, Partha Banik, President of IB LED business, said “Indiabulls Group is one of the most dynamic and aggressive business houses in the country and has generated significant shareholder value since inception. The LED lighting business is a natural extension of what we are currently doing. We aim to be amongst the top three LED lighting companies in the country in B2B space with innovative products, solution and creating best lighting experience for our customers. IB LED will be present across all major geographies in India.

We see LED Lighting business as a Service business. With an aim to ease the ‘SWITCH’ from conventional Lighting to LED Lighting, we are offering LED lighting fixtures at Zero upfront cost and pay from the savings of electricity bill over the next 2 years.

IB LED will offer great value proposition for the institutional customers in Office Lighting, Retail Lighting, Industrial Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, City Beautification and Consumer Lighting. The products are designed by in house Product Design and Development Team and manufactured in India, under strict quality assurance to deliver high performance, energy efficient, aesthetically good looking, reliable products to ensure best and zero defect quality products that will be long lasting. IB LED solutions can also be integrated with digital and iot platforms.”

Dun & Bradstreet India- People Leaders’ Summit, 2017 Successfully Held in Bangalore

Dun & Bradstreet, the world’s leading provider of global business information, knowledge and insights, in association with SAP and Skylark, successfully organized “Dun & Bradstreet India- People Leaders’ Summit, 2017” in Bangalore. The Summit was attended by esteemed mid and senior level HR Professionals and corporate leaders from Indian as well as International organizations. The summit sought to draw insights and share views of HR professionals on ‘Building a Culture to Win’.

Speaking on the occasion, Jayashree Ramaswamy, Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary, Dun n Bradstreet India, said “No company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees, who believe in the mission of the organization and how to achieve it, hence the importance of building culture to win for achieving business excellence.”

Elaborating on building the right organization culture, Moushumee Basu Roy, Head- SuccessFactors, SAP India Pvt Ltd. said “A winning culture in the digital era is about engaged employees through modern performance technologies and actionable insights, using ‘simple-to-use, simple-to-run and simple-to-succeed’ HR solutions platforms.”

Further throwing light on the Talent Management, Pavan Kumar, Managing Director, Altair Engineering India said “My talk is a simplistic take on a complex subject. I call them the 5 commandments—articulate your vision well and repeat it often; remember that today’s generation is built on immediate gratification; criticism to be in private and praises to be in public; wide and open communication; and open door policy—of running the company. It starts with a clear understanding of the vision of the company and progresses towards the actual running of the company.”

Chandru Kalro, Managing Director, TTK Prestige Limited also expressed his views and provided insights on how to build a culture within an organization to achieve desired goals.

The Summit concluded with the panel discussion. The eminent panel comprised of Richa Dubey, Director- HR, Schneider India Private Limited; Rituparna Chakraborty, Co-Founder and EVP, TeamLease Services Limited; Sumathi Sampath, Head- Talent Acquisition, Infosys BPO Limited; Amit Kumar, Head – Total Rewards, 3M India Limited and Sujitesh Das, Head- Human Resource, Microland Limited.

IT Sector will Create 25 Lakh Jobs in Next 5 Years: IT Minister

Dismissing reports of a downturn in employment in the country’s IT industry, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday said that in the coming four to five years, almost 20 to 25 lakh additional jobs will be created in the sector.

“I completely deny and refute that there is any downturn in the employment in the IT sector. It is robust. Once the digital economy is here, you will see how much it will progress,” the minister said in a press conference convened to highlight the ministry’s achievements in the past three years. 

“Indian IT companies are spread across 200 cities and 80 countries around the world, which provide direct employment to 40 lakh people and indirect employment to almost 1.3 crore people. As the industry is moving forward, it is Nasscom’s assessment that in the coming four to five years, almost 20-25 lakh additional jobs will be created,” he added.

The government is also creating new jobs in the IT sector by setting up more Common Service Centres, launching new schemes under the Digital India programme and opening rural BPOs in semi-urban areas, he said. 

The minister said that in the next five to seven years, India’s digital economy will be worth an estimated $1 trillion, which is almost Rs 600 lakh crore.

In 2016-17, the IT industry added 1.7 lakh new jobs. In the last three years, almost six lakh people have been employed in our IT sector,” he said, adding that the Nasscom said 25 to 30 lakh new jobs will be created by 2025 in the sector. 

Indian IT companies currently serve two-thirds of the Fortune 500 companies and have created 40 lakh direct jobs in India, the ministry said in a statement.

India’s total software production market grew at 9.5% in 2016-17, to reach $ 7 billion, and exports grew 7.8% to reach $2.3 billion. India’s overall domestic IT/BPO sector is expected to grow at 8.5% from 35 billion in 2016, to an anticipated $37 billion in 2017.

Agencies