Modi’s Smart City Projects Gets Rs 1,00,000 Cr From Qatar Prince

PM Narendra Modi’s ambitious ‘smart cities’ project is attracting foreign investments. Prince of Qatar Sheikh Dr. Hamad Bin Nasser A A Al-Thani , member of ruling family along with his Indian partner Mitesh Sharma is all set to invest approx Rs. 1,00,000 crores in coming years. This will be the first of its kind project in India.

The focus of this huge investment is on ten smart-city projects in a first phase, whereas, the partners have shown interest in investing in various other areas well – power, solar energy, infrastructure development, healthcare and education. They would be laying the first foundation key stone ceremony in the next three months (most probably in February-March, 2015) and if things go well, they might think of investing more.

Mitesh Sharma, a young Indian entrepreneur is handling all investment proposals in India. He is identifying various project areas and locations to be worked on. He has already met many senior officials in India. However, conclusive decisions over investments will be taken by Sheikh Dr. Hamad.

The partners had met Andhra Pradesh’s CM Chandra Babu Naidu and Uttar Pradesh’s CM Akhilesh Yadav separately while the Excellency was in India last week. On the behalf of NRS, sheikh Dr. Hamad and Mitesh have already signed a MOU in AP for a smart city project. Investments worth Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 60,000 crore will be made in Uttar Pradesh & Andhra Pradesh respectively. 38,000 crores will be diversified in sectors like power and natural gas. Moreover, the team is already working on huge investment plans for various other projects.

“The partnership between Sheikh Dr. Hamad Bin Nasser A A Al-Thani and Mitesh Sharma, is the first of its kind in India. His Excellency Sheikh Hamad is a prince of Qatar. Mitesh is a young entrepreneur who has also partnered with us in Doha. They will be working out together on these plans. Mitesh will be identifying the project areas and Sheikh will be taking decisions over investments. Mitesh is putting constant efforts and developing new ideas about developments in India.” – Qatar Office.

Cisco & IL&FS Collaborate to Develop Indian Smart Cities

Cisco and ILFS Technologies Ltd (ITL), a technology solutions company of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), announced a strategic collaboration to utilize the Internet of Everything to develop digital solutions for India’s infrastructure and smart cities. Prem Saigal, Chairman, ITL, and Dinesh Malkani, President, Cisco India & SAARC, made the announcement along with Anil Menon, Cisco Deputy Chief Globalisation Officer and President, Smart+Connected Communities, and Durga Prasad, CEO, ITL.

The collaboration between Cisco and ITL will focus on bringing together the best-in-class, complementary capabilities of both companies. Cisco's vision of the Internet of Everything, which is the intelligent connection of people, processes, data, and things, is already revolutionizing the way our cities operate, creating a more dynamic digital economy and also bringing new, richer experiences to citizens. IL&FS’s deep expertise in infrastructure development in India along with ITL’s excellent technology services capabilities strongly complements Cisco® IoE architecture and robust vertical solutions.

The Digital India program of the government is focused on the digital empowerment of citizens, where infrastructure would be offered as a utility to every citizen, governance and services would be on demand, and citizens would be digitally empowered. The Digital India program aims to enable broadband in villages, universal phone connectivity, public Internet access points, public Wi-Fi in schools and universities, digital inclusion, electronic delivery of governance and services, and job creation.

Cisco's vision of Smart+Connected Communities, which enables the transformation of physical communities into connected communities, has been embraced by more than 90 global greenfield and brownfield projects and includes the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor in India, where Cisco is developing the ICT master plan for four pilot cities in the US$90 billion flagship public sector infrastructure project.

By 2050 India will add 404 million people to its cities, according to the United Nations, while today at 857 million people, India has the largest rural population in the world. Cisco and ITL will collaborate to enable the delivery of cost-effective and efficient citizen services to urban and rural communities. The collaboration will focus on developing IoE based digital solutions for smart cities, smart villages and the infrastructure sector. Cisco and ITL will pursue joint go-to-market opportunities in India and other countries as required.

The 'Intelligent Urbanization: Roadmap for India' report released by CII and Cisco in 2010 estimated that by 2020, India might have 68 cities with a population greater than 1 million. In 2013, CII and Cisco released a report titled ‘Smart City in Indian Context' which stated that India faced a shortage of 600,000 doctors, 1 million nurses and 1.2 million teachers in government schools.

According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index™, 2013 – 2018, in India by 2018 there will be 1.5 billion networked devices, including 515 million smartphones, 177.1 million connected TVs and 62.1 million tablets. The Internet of Everything collaboration between Cisco and ITL will help the infrastructure sector and smart cities take advantage of the tidal wave of data generated in India and derive more value and greater insights from their existing networks. According to Cisco, the Internet of Everything total value at stake in India is $511 billion over the next 10 years, out of which the public sector value at stake is $116 billion, which includes creating smart cities and citizen services such as health and education.

Cisco and ITL recognize the unprecedented value to be created in the way in which many services, such as outdoor lighting, parking, mobility services, beacons, kiosks, location-based services, sensor-based water defences, physical infrastructure monitoring and controls, and smart energy grid services, are digitized. The joint digital solutions will use intelligent networks to transform the way cities and communities are designed, built and renewed as well as enable digitally empowered citizens through the availability of government services in real time, online and on mobile platforms. Cisco and ITL will embrace IoE strategies in existing solutions and radical new solutions to digitize the infrastructure sector, smart cities and smart villages in India.

Some of the solutions that will be jointly developed will focus on urban services and smart city infrastructure solutions such as traffic and transportation, public safety and security, command and control services, e-governance and a broader set of next generation urban services such as parking, lighting, traffic and citizen engagement services built on top of Cisco’s City Infrastructure Management. These solutions will help citizens access, in real time, infrastructure services such as traffic, parking, lighting, and water, as well as city operators to improve city infrastructure operations through sharing information in real time across agencies and systems.

Prem Saigal, Chairman, ITL, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with Cisco on the Internet of Everything to develop world-class solutions for India’s infrastructure sector and smart cities. We believe that ITL’s deep expertise in this space combined with Cisco’s Internet of Everything vision can help digitize India’s infrastructure sector and smart cities. There is a transformational opportunity to create world class infrastructure, build smart cities and digitally empower our citizens.”

Durga Prasad, CEO, ITL said, “In a digital India, there will be a transformation in the delivery of citizen services. Our collaboration with Cisco will bring the power of the Internet of Everything to greenfield and brownfield cities, communities and rural communities in India. Together we can enable digital solutions for the most essential citizen services such as healthcare and education.” 

Karnataka Launches First Unified Mobile Governance Platform for citizens

 
Karnataka has become the first state in India to launch Unified Mobile Governance Platform for citizens. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the mobile governance platform.

Called Mobile One the e-governance project in Karnataka is being labelled as the first of its kind in the country and brings a whole range of government services that are currently spread across hundreds of government websites into one common easily accessible location. The Mobile One service will also bring under one virtual roof some 1000 private services.

A Mobile One app will be the gateway to the government services for mobile phone users while users of ordinary phones will be able access services through SMSes or calls to the toll free 161 number. Services like exam results, train, bus bookings and cab bookings, payments of bills for electricity, telephones, and tax payments will be accessible through the Mobile One service.

The Mobile One e-governance project is being positioned by the Congress government in Karnataka as a flagship achievement of its 18 month tenure. The efforts to provide time bound and online services for government departments called the Sakala scheme had originally been launched by the BJP government during its tenure from 2008-2013.

As many as 600 government services was made time bound under the Sakala scheme and officials were liable for failing to deliver services with the prescribed limit for each service.
 
Launched by Karnataka government's Centre for e-Governance has over 4,500 services.Services include G2C, B2C and G2B.

This anytime, anywhere, anyhow service will be available 24x7x365 days at any location in the State on any mobile device.

The service can be accessed even on simple low end phones through integrated voice response (IVR), SMS or Mobile web.

An ambitious project of the e-governance department of the government of Karnataka to bundle over 600 government services – like application and issuance of birth and death certificates, property registration etc – into one seamless web location, that is accessible over mobile phones is set to be launched here on Monday afternoon by President Pranab Mukherjee.

State Mobile One Service To Be Unveiled By Prez Mukherjee

The state government will facilitate governance at your fingertips from Monday . Around 4,000 services, public and private, can be accessed on your handheld phones with its initiative. Titled Karnataka Mobile One (M-One), the scheme is said to be the first of its kind in the country .

Here, citizens can access 632 government-tocitizen services and over 3,500 business-to-consumer services at their finger tips by downloading an app or dialing 161.The scheme is scheduled to be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday. 

Launched by the e-governance department, a portfolio held by chief minister Siddaramaiah himself, services offered include applying for passport and paying incometax and utility bills. 

Juniper Introduces Junos Powered Open Compute Project Switch

Juniper Networks, the industry leader in network innovation, today introduced Juniper Networks OCX1100, the first switch to combine Open Compute Project (OCP) hardware design with a carrier-class network operating system,Junos OS. The new switch, which will be available the first quarter of 2015, provides customers who build large and massive scale data centers with an open, cost-effective, disaggregated switching platform.

Large cloud builders, such as Web 2.0 and web-hosting companies, are seeking ways to more efficiently build data center networks at scale to support tens to hundreds of thousands of servers. While the largest, massive scale cloud operators have solved this need with solutions created internally, or white box switches, these options are challenging for many companies due to the level of resources required to develop, install and support custom solutions. Combining Junos OS with OCP submitted hardware delivers a unique solution that removes the burden of support, installation and maintenance from cloud providers while delivering on the promise of an open source hardware design.

Highlights:

Juniper Networks OCX1100 will provide large cloud providers with proven software and open source network hardware that is much easier to deploy, integrate and support.

OCX1100 runs an optimized version of Junos, based on Linux, which delivers the features required for deployment in L3 networks. Additionally, the OCX1100 includes a range of open software interfaces and automation capabilities such as: 

*  Open, standards-based programmatic interfaces, including Python, which allows custom scripts and applications to interact with Junos.

*  Support for native installation of tools in Junos, including Puppet and Chef, which enables automated programming and provisioning. 

* Real time ephemeral table programming to Junos software development kits (SDK).

* Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) that enables disaggregation and loading of third-party network operating systems, freeing customers from vendor lock in.

* Juniper is working with Alpha Networks, a leading original device manufacturer (ODM), on the hardware design, which has been submitted to the OCP for review. Approval of the design is expected by the time the switch is available for purchase. 

* The OCX1100 provides the added benefit of complete Juniper technical support services for the hardware and software, lowering risk and increasing reliability for customers.

* The new product will be available during the first quarter of 2015, and purchasing options will include volume-based pricing.

 Mike Marcellin, senior vice president, strategy and marketing, Juniper Networks says, "The introduction of the OCX1100 is an example of Juniper Networks not only embracing the disruption brought on by emerging cloud technologies, but also moving the industry forward by providing the largest cloud providers with a viable option to create cost-effective and reliable large scale data centers. We remain committed to constant innovation and building open products that provide our customers with the technology they need today and in the future.”

Indian Companies Transform HR with SAP Cloud

Successful companies recognize that attracting and engaging today’s talent — and ensuring access to tomorrow’s talent — requires robust, fluid, end-to-end human capital management (HCM) solutions. And an increasing number are turning to SuccessFactors, an SAP SE company, to do it. Leveraging the company’s market-leading cloud-based HCM solutions, innovative organizations in India are developing and executing workforce strategies that enable them to drive their business today and gain advantages tomorrow.

United Breweries Limited is India’s largest producer of beer and has been associated with brewing for over 90 years. With UBL employees performing a wide range of job functions in locations around the country, the company’s primary requirement was to standardize processes and data handling across the organization. The company needed a technology platform that was easy to use and able to engage employees beyond the transaction with intelligent analytics. To address these needs, the company moved onto the cloud with SuccessFactors. “With SuccessFactors’ Goals and Performance , we have been able to improve goal-setting in the organization with clear content, metrics and timelines. We now have improved visibility to performance trends at different levels of the organization and across functions” said Suvro Raychaudhuri, General Manager – Human Resources, United Breweries Ltd.

Additionally, many companies such Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Relaxo Footwear, Cipla Limited, Godrej and Tata Communications from across various industries have  recently opted for SAP cloud HCM solutions to achieve process efficiency and better workforce management. With SuccessFactors, SAP offers the most comprehensive, end-to-end HCM portfolio both on premise and in the cloud — from core HR and employee administration to talent management, strategic planning and workforce analytics. With these solutions, companies in India are now empowered to strengthen their people policies to assist in their quest to attract the best industry talent, achieve organizational alignment and improve overall productivity.

“Today, Indian enterprises are increasingly shifting their focus to Cloud to seize unlimited opportunities.  The speed with which Cloud is transforming workforce management in organizations seems to have accelerated over the past few years.” said Rajamani Srinivasan, Head of Cloud, SAP India “With our comprehensive portfolio of cloud solutions, we enable our customers in India to better manage their critical assets, simplify IT architecture and adapt business processes faster than ever before.”

ICC & SAP Team Up for Analytics of the ICC Cricket Worldcup 2015

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has today announced an innovative new partnership with SAP SE, a worldwide leader in enterprise application software services, as its exclusive Analytics and Cloud Partner for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

The partnership, which starts immediately and runs through to the end of the tournament, will see SAP utilize its HANA platform to power numerous live match experiences across the ICC’s network of websites, to enhance the experience for   fans and media with real-time data, statistics and performance analysis that will help them get closer to the action and tell more insightful and informed stories.

In addition, SAP will provision cloud-based services to host the ICC’s historical ICC Cricket World Cup statistics database, incorporating match data for its flagship ODI event. This data will be made publically available over the coming months, offering fans a multitude of ways to analyse previous team and player performances.

Commenting on the announcement, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “SAP is changing the way sports fans interact with data and information. In a sport such as cricket where there is a healthy appetite for information and statistics, especially across digital platforms, the ICC is delighted that SAP’s powerful technology will bring the fans closer to the game.”

Robert  Enslin, member of the Executive Board of SAP SE and President of SAP Global Customer Operations said:  “With one of the largest  fan bases  around  the world, SAP is excited to enhance the real-time  analytics and stats to  cricket  fans during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Finals.

“Our partnership with the ICC  will allow SAP to  continuously develop technology  that  can be adapted for infinite use cases. In this instance, our technology provides the ICC the ability to  engage fans with insightful  and user-friendly  solutions, bring  them closer to the action on the field and keep them informed about their favorite matches. This partnership is another example of how all organizations, including sports leagues, teams, players and events, can run more efficiently and simply in their pursuit of success.”