Nokia & Airtel Partner To Offer Android Applications For Its XL Phones

Nokia said here that it has partnered with Airtel to offer six months of free download of Android applications on its newly launched Nokia XL phone. 

"To help our consumers experience these apps, we are offering free downloads on Airtel from the Nokia Store and several popular third-party apps stores," Nokia India Sales Director Marketing Viral Oza, said in a release here today. 

The plan allows up to 500 MB of free usage through which consumers can downloadon Airtel from the Nokia Store and several popular third-party apps stores," Nokia India Sales Director Marketing Viral Oza, said in a release here today. 

The plan allows up to 500 MB of free usage through which consumers can download their favourite apps from the Nokia Store and the 1Mobile store. 

This offer is available to consumers with a fair usage policy of up to 500 MB per month. 

On the Nokia XL, consumers can access and download a wide array of Android apps, which can be side loaded as well as downloaded from Nokia's own store and several popular third- party app stores. 

Exempt SAD On IT Hardware Components, says MAIT

IT hardware industry body MAIT today asked the government on exemption of Special Additional Duty (SAD) on all components used by manufacturers in the sector.

The industry body also suggested extended concessional excise duty, similar to mobile handset manufacturing, to boost production of PCs and tablets, it said in a statement.

“This budget marks the first litmus test propelling the development agenda. The past years have witnessed an economic downturn and a downturn of domestic growth,” said MAIT President Amar Babu.

“The Budget should address issues curtailing investment sentiment and bring renewed optimism for sustained economic growth, he added.

MAIT Executive Director Anwar Shirpurwala said the budget should give boost to local manufacturing, early implementation of goods and service tax (GST) and credible policies to attract investments.

“Plugging lacuna with respect to Inverted Duty Structures would encourage manufacturing in India. The government should exempt SAD on all components used by a manufacturer of IT hardware,” MAIT recommended.

Reducing the rate of duty applicable on indigenous manufacturing of laptops and tablets is a much-needed move to boost computer manufacturing in a country where manufacturing is disproportionate to demand, it said.

“We recommend a clarification to be issued with regard to software licensors involved in sale of pre-packaged software,” it added.

The industry body said inconsistency in VAT rates for same goods in different states is leading to undue hardships for the manufacturer, while calculating different rates for states. This difference in rates causes a diversion of trade discriminating free flow of trade within the country.

“MAIT sought clarity on the date of implementation of GST with uniformity in procedures and documentation across the country. Also, uniformity in GST rate as well as threshold for levy across goods and services and across the centre and state laws may be published at the earliest,” it said.

Buy New Canvas Win W121 & W092 Windows Phones

Micromax, India’s 2^nd Largest Smartphone Manufacturer and World’s 10^th Largest Mobile Manufacturer, today introduced its Canvas Win series with the launch of two Windows-based phones – Canvas Win W121 and Canvas Win W092. With this announcement, Micromax has become the first Indian smartphone player to launch a Windows-based phone.

This partnership marks a milestone in the Indian mobile phone eco-system as it brings together for the first time; Microsoft, Qualcomm and Micromax, the three pioneers who have been leveraging their technology as an enabler for the masses.

Commenting on the launch, Sanjay Kapoor, Chairman, Micromax said, “With our vision to democratize technology and belief in providing consumers with choice of platforms, we are pleased to introduce a new range of Windows-based phones. I am pleased that Micromax is the only Indian mobile phone brand to be present across the two most popular operating platforms in the world.”

He further added, “Micromax’s innovative demeanour and belief in strong partnerships has culminated in today’s launch powered by Microsoft’s UI enriching platform and Qualcomm’s next generation processor. We will continue to introduce products and services that simplify and enhance the data experience of consumers across markets.”

“I congratulate Micromax on the launch of their first Windows Phone today. The Micromax Canvas Win will be available both in India and other emerging markets. Our deep engagement with local OEMs is one of the engines of growth for Windows Phone and we are proud of our partnership with Micromax. With Micromax Canvas Win, Windows Phone is now available to a whole new group of consumers in India, who are looking for innovation and value,” said Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India.

“We are excited to collaborate with Microsoft and Micromax, through the Qualcomm Reference Design Program by Qualcomm Technologies, to introduce one of the first Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones by an Indian brand, Canvas Win W121, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor,” said Avneesh Agrawal, President, Qualcomm India and South Asia. “Qualcomm Technologies has a long history of working with Microsoft and we continue to be a leading chipset supplier for Windows Phone. Qualcomm Snapdragon processors are designed to support an exceptional level of integration between hardware, software and services on Windows Phone, which in turn helps Micromax to offer users a comprehensive set of business and entertainment applications with a combination of processing performance, rich multimedia, high-performance graphics, wireless connectivity and power efficiency.” 

 Powered by the new Windows Phone 8.1 operating system and a Snapdragon 200 processor by Qualcomm Technologies, the Canvas Win W121 & Canvas Win W092 assimilate the best of Microsoft, Qualcomm and Micromax, offering great performance, great mobile experience and a multitude of features for work and fun. The new Windows Phone 8.1 focuses on personalising and customizing the phone with features that can be controlled by the user offering a multitude of features for work and fun. One can enjoy a personalized user interface with LiveTiles and find faster ways to connect via the People Hub, which bring together friend updates and social networks into one place. Users can now search swiftly and smartly using the pre-loaded Internet Explorer 11. The Windows Phone App store boasts of over 300,000 apps and also powers a very active developer ecosystem to provide consumers with a delightful app experience. With Microsoft Office and OneDrive, users can fulfil all their business needs on-the-go while entertainment seekers can access an all-in-one music service through Xbox Music. Aptly designed for the discerning consumer, the phone combines the best of software and hardware. Globally the Windows Phone is an aspirational brand as well as the world’s most personal phone, with Live Tiles reflecting the user’s priorities and promising security & reliability at the same time.

Powered by a Snapdragon 200 processor, the Canvas Win smartphones are designed to support powerful processing, efficient multi-tasking, richer graphics and media capability while optimizing battery life. Sporting a 5-inch HD IPS display, the dual-SIM Canvas Win 121 is power-packed with a 2000 mAh battery. Users can capture all their favourite moments with the 8MP rear camera with flash and connect with their friends and family over Skype using the 2MP front camera. Users don’t need to worry about running out of space on the smartphone with the 32GB expandable memory. The Canvas Win W092 sports a 4-inch IPS display and is power-packed with a 1500 mAh battery. Equipped with a 5MP rear camera with flash and 0.3MP front camera, users can click vibrant images lighting up the dull moments. With a 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM, users can store all their music, videos, images and documents. Both smartphones support Bluetooth v4.0 and Wi-Fi, ensuring full time connectivity for the social media buffs. Microsoft’s cloud storage tool OneDrive adds many other capabilities such as Bing, Skype, Xbox Games, Office 365 and more to give consumers added value.

The Canvas Win W121 and Canvas Win W092 priced at Rs. 9,500 and Rs. 6,500 respectively, will be available across retail stores and e-com portals starting early July 2014

DFB & SAP Turn Big Data Into Smart Football Decisions

SAP AG and the German Football Association (DFB) reemphasized their mutual commitment to taking football to the next level by showcasing the SAP Match Insights solution for football, the result of a co-innovation project between SAP and DFB. This solution running on the SAP HANA platform is intended to facilitate the analysis of training, preparation and tournaments. It also intends to enable coaches and scouts to process vast amounts of data to find and assess key situations in each match to improve player and team performance.

The goal of the co-innovation project between SAP and the coaches of the German national football team was to build an innovative solution that enhanced the on-field performance leading up to the World Cup. SAP Match Insights is envisioned to feature a simple user interface that can be used by players and coaches to facilitate a more interactive dialogue to debrief the team and to prepare for future matches.

“SAP’s involvement has transformed the football experience for coaches, players, fans, and the media,” said Oliver Bierhoff SAP brand ambassador and manager of the German national football team.  “Imagine this: In just 10 minutes, 10 players with three balls can produce over seven million data points. SAP HANA can process these in real time.  With SAP, our team can analyze this huge amount of data to customize training and prepare for the next match.”

The German National Team will use SAP Match Insights in an early adoption phase for preparation and post analyses of the matches during the World Cup in Brazil. Enhancing SAP’s industry product portfolio for sports and entertainment, SAP Match Insights is intended to be offered to other clubs and football federations as well.

“Today each sports team is looking for innovative ways to gain a competitive edge over its rivals,” said Bierhoff. “We are representing one of the most successful teams in the world. The DFB is committed to providing the German national team with the best technology to maximize their performance. SAP meets this demanding criterion,”

The insights are also aimed to be beneficial for the media, enabling them to deliver a better informed commentary. “Big data is an incredible resource for coaches and players to contextualize information and draw well-informed conclusions to optimize training and tactics,” said Fadi Naoum, senior vice president, Application and Innovation Head of Sports and Entertainment, SAP AG. “It’s high time to make this type of information accessible to sports journalism and the fans as well.”

In 2013, SAP and the DFB announced a partnership to improve the business processes of the federation. Recently, this partnership has been extended to also co-innovate on software-based solutions to enhance on-field performance of Germany’s National Team. SAP Match Insights is the first project with this intent. Previously, the DFB had successfully implemented the SAP CRM rapid-deployment solution powered by SAP HANA, as well as the SAP Event Ticketing software, both running in the SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud.

“The world of sports is changing, with technology innovating every area: the fan experience, player performance monitoring, team management, ticketing, and venue operations,” said Stefan Wagner, managing director,  SAP Labs in Brazil. “The DFB is keen to spearhead this industry transformation. With solutions provided by SAP, together we are perfectly poised for this transformation and a successful World Cup.”

3 MW Solar Roof-Top Projects Commissioned In Gujarat

Tata Power Solar, India’s largest specialized solar EPC player, has successfully commissioned 62 sites in Gujarat which includes a 1.2 MW plant for Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA), a 750 kW plant for Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and 1.1 MW of projects across various smaller industries.

 The 1.2 MW solar power project at GEDA was executed at 34 different sites and is expected to generate 1.8 million units of energy. The 750 kW project for SMC which spreads over 14 sites was commissioned in three months with 100% compliance of local regulatory norms.

“Tata Power Solar’s work with GEDA, SMC and the smaller industries is a result of our expertise in handling projects of varied scale, over a range of roofings. All these projects were challenging and we are proud to have executed them in record time”, said Dr. Arul Shanmugasundram, EVP Projects & CTO, Tata Power Solar.

 TATA Power Solar has also recently commissioned a cumulative 1.1 MW of solar roof-top projects for corporates, engineering companies, pharmaceutical units, commercial complexes and the food industry. All these installations have unique features like mounting of solar panels on industrial sheds, RCC roofs and slanting roofs.

Gujarat was the first state in India to have its own solar policy. The state has the highest installation of nearly 1 GW of solar power capacity and is the only power surplus state in the country. GEDA was one of the pioneer nodal agencies to implement rooftop grid connect systems in India. In 2012, SMC commenced production of solar power by installing 100 kW solar panels atop Science Center and, within a span of one year, had produced 1.35 lakh units of power.

Tata Power Solar, India’s largest specialised EPC player, operates 200 MW of solar module manufacturing in Bangalore and has designed and built more than 160 MW of ground-mounted and 40 MW of rooftop projects till date.

Polycom Unveils Personal Virtual Meeting Rooms

Polycom RealPresenceOne is all set to change the dynamics of the video conferencing market in India. The new offering launched early this year and has been popular for industries like manufacturing, healthcare, education, government, financial services and various other verticals, is now available across all the cities in India. It is a comprehensive package for video and content collaboration which is now sold by subscription making it even easier for companies to adopt human collaboration.

According to a recent forecast by Gartner, the top 10 technology trends and drivers that will be strategic for Indian organizations in 2014 include ‘collaboration technologies’ which encompasses voice over IP, file sharing, videoconferencing, content archiving, media streaming, feedback and polling. Real-time collaboration technologies not included in the Web conferencing category include instant messaging and stand-alone audio conferencing. In India where enterprises look for a customized product or service for all their business needs, now with Polycom Real Presence One organisations can choose from the new, flexible video delivery options  available, including hybrid and on-premises video, depending on the option that works best for their business models and budgets. All of the options include the same benefits now what the size of the investment making RealPresence One truly scalable.

Polycom’s new RealPresence Platform options include:

•    Virtualised collaboration through a subscription: Polycom RealPresence One is a new, comprehensive offering including RealPresence Platform software and services for video, voice and content collaboration, available on an annual subscription basis. This is an ideal solution for customers who want to implement voice, video and content collaboration solutions in their organisations for the first time.

•    Virtual editions of individual RealPresence Platform components: Polycom RealPresence Platform, Virtual Editions: individual components of the award-winning RealPresence Platform are now available as virtualised software that runs on industry-standard servers in existing datacenters. Polycom RealPresence, Virtual Editions are ideal for organisations who want to optimise, streamline or expand their existing video networks, and will work alongside hardware appliances, for a seamless, hybrid network.

Polycom Realpresence One has been enhanced to model the way today's users are accessing critical business systems based on the following five premises:

Enjoy simplicity— A comprehensive offering includes all the software and services one needs to ensure success

Low risk—No CAPEX investment, increase video resources anytime, and renew subscription annually

Align with strategic IT policies— One can add video infrastructure to their existing virtualized datacenter

Increase agility— Easily spin-up and spin-down video capacity based on one’s organization’s changing needs

Reduce deployment time—Software is quick and easy to deploy, especially for trials and proof-of-concepts

Reduces total cost of ownership— Virtual appliances and applications use one’s IT resources more efficiently, supporting datacenter consolidation

“This opens up new opportunities for businesses in India to adopt collaboration solutions that would truly enable their teams to benefit from face to face collaboration no matter where they are across India.” said Minhaj Zia, Managing Director, India & SAARC. “These are very exciting times for Indian based businesses as they can strengthen their competitive offerings not just across India but in the global market place as well.  This is an ideal solution for customers who want to implement voice, video and content collaboration solutions in their organisations for the first time.”

Academy Reaches 2000 Under-Served Students In Gujarat

Avaya, a global provider of business communications and collaboration systems and services has today announced that Liberty Career Academy has selected Avaya Scopia videoconferencing capabilities to enhance its video-enabled learning platform – helping more students in remote locations benefit from access to education and delivering operational cost savings in the process.

Liberty Career Academy, one of the leading private coaching institutes in Gujarat, has deployed Avaya’s comprehensive video conferencing solutions across its 12 centers and 60 classrooms. The Academy provides educational facilities to more than 2000 underserved students across remote cities throughout Gujarat. The institute successfully reduced the cost of its operations – including time, travel and administration - by implementing video conferencing solutions. The student learning and engagement experience has been transformed by the provision of remote classroom sessions which enables the Academy to deliver the same rich compelling content, and allows remote students to interact with their classroom-based peers and expert faculty.

Core to the deployment was the installation of the Avaya Scopia Elite 6110 multi-point control unit (MCU) which supports a true HD experience delivered via Avaya Scopia XT 4200 HD video-conference endpoints. This HD multi-party video collaboration solution optimizes bandwidth utilization and the Academy estimates it will deliver up to 30 percent savings in bandwidth costs annually.

Video conferencing has proved itself as an effective tool for distance learning. There are many students living in remote areas of India who are deprived of good quality education due to lack of appropriate faculty and resources. These solutions have been recognized as a powerful learning tool, empowering educational institutes to engage remote students in a video enhanced learning experience. The unique ‘slider’ function in the Avaya solution allows students to solidify their understanding of the content presented during the session by reviewing previously presented content, without interrupting the instructor. A fully blended learning experience allows faculty to reach both in-room and remote students simultaneously with the same content, and remote students can access the sessions from almost any smartphone, table, PC or Mac – with a simple click on a meeting invitation.

The institute has also seen significant cost savings. These have been achieved in particular through reduced classroom time and capacity, lower administrative costs, and reduced faculty travel time. The implementation through Avaya video- enabled learning solutions has freed up the resources of the institute to spend towards trained faculty and an increase in the number of MCU installations.