Demand Growing Rapidly for Kronos Management Solutions in India

 Illustrating increasing demand for its workforce management solutions in India, Kronos Incorporated today announced strong growth in India across its targeted vertical markets such as retail, manufacturing, and services and distribution.

 James Thomas, country manager, India, Kronos says, "Kronos experienced exceptional growth in India over the past 12 months. Kronos is firmly committed to continuing expansion of our operations in India. We have a strong local team backed by a global network of Kronos resources; a growing customer base; and a proven workforce management solution that helps organizations control labour costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity. Our opportunity for growth in India has never been greater, particularly in the Kronos Cloud.”

News Facts

* Kronos experienced a 50 percent year-over-year revenue growth in India as more organizations turn to Kronos to control labour costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity.

*  Leading India-based organizations such as Firstsource Solutions, a leading provider of business process outsourcing headquartered in Mumbai; leading automobile manufacturer Mahindra; and SAB Miller India recently selected Kronos workforce management solutions, some of which are deployed in the Kronos Cloud.

* In addition to customer momentum, Kronos is also expanding its partner network by establishing relationships with organizations such as Bluetree and Tech Mahindra, adding to existing relationships with other leading systems integrators in India.

* Kronos currently has more than 500 employees in India located in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Noida (a suburb of Delhi). In March, Kronos will relocate its Noida operation to a new 93,000 square-foot space in the Okaya BlueSilicon Business Park to support its growing software development, Kronos Cloud, professional services, finance, and information technology functions.

Rockwell & Cisco to Help Industry Radically Improve Business Performance

U.S based Rockwell Automation Inc with over $6.62 billion dedicated to Industrial Automation and Information is focussing on further expanding it’s Global footprint on the biggest emerging Markets like India, China & South East Asia. Rockwell Automation employs over 20,000 Professionals globally, with almost a thousand based out of India.

On the backdrop of hosting India’s largest Automation Event, Rockwell Automation today announced its partnership with Microsoft and Cisco for joint solution Development and Integrated Solutions and Services at a conference here today. These collaborative efforts shall result in better asset optimization and broader risk management for Industrial Companies.

Dilip Sawhney, Managing Director, Rockwell Automation India, emphasized, “Increasing awareness of automation benefits in manufacturing shows a lot of scope for automation in manufacturing as the industry is realizing the vast benefits of automation. Also, as the penetration of automation in manufacturing in India is low, this leaves vast potential for industry to adopt automation for increasing productivity, improving decision making, quality, and innovating processes. In the light of “Make in India” vision of Government, manufacturing will be getting a boost thus giving scope to more adoption of automation in manufacturing for industry to remain competitive also.”

Speaking about the Rockwell R&D facility in Bangalore, Sawhney added, “The only R&D Centre of Rockwell is based in Bangalore because of the cross-cultural nature of the city, high performance, quality chip design ability, power electronics, signal detection, easier to wrap up and scale up.”

Rockwell to create ‘Customer Briefing Centers’ for the Manufacturing Industry.

RAOTM (Rockwell Automation On the Move) is an exclusive annual event that brings together the best and brightest thinkers, practitioners, and innovators from business and academia to accelerate the market adoption .The theme of Rockwell Automation on the Move 2015 is “The Connected Enterprise”. The implementation of the Connected Enterprise will drive more change in Industrial Operations in the next 10 years than in the past 50 years. Companies continue to face challenging markets across all Industries. With ever increasing global competition, Manufacturers must find new ways to optimize operations and achieve higher level of productivity. The Connected Enterprise shall transform manufacturing and provide tangible business benefits through Convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT). Today, less than 14% of manufacturers have connected their machines to the Enterprise Network and only a few progressive manufacturers have bridged the IT & OT divide.

“Rockwell Automation on the Move 2015 is a commitment to help manufacturers gain the competitive advantage they need to succeed and grow. Every manufacturer shall enter and progress through the stages of The Connected Enterprise that is most appropriate for it, at a pace determined by its own needs, infrastructure, readiness and resources. It is critically important for Rockwell’s customers (manufacturers) to experience what its offerings are, and hence looking at creating customer briefing centers to take its solutions closer to their hearts,” said Sawhney.

Addressing the Plenary session of the Conference, Dinesh Malkani, President  Cisco India and SAARC, and Dilip Sawhney, Managing Director , Rockwell Automation India said that both the companies are committed to being the most valuable resources in the Industry for helping and guarding Manufacturers to improve Business Performance by bridging the Technical & Cultural gaps between Plant floor and higher level Information systems and Enterprise. This would result in increased profits & job opportunities. It was further emphasized that “Manufacturing is tightly linked to overall business processes for the enterprise. This has manifested itself in a convergence of IT and automation technologies, driving real time decision making from demand fulfillment back through the supply chain. We have seen great gains in productivity as a result- Smart manufacturing is a fundamental need for all manufacturers.”

Modern Automation Technology, from an engineer’s perspective, now broadly encompasses Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering. Electronics Engineering, good amount of Instrumentation, Communication Engineering and Lots of Real Time Software (IT). The revolution in the Enterprise Area, the emergence of IT in manufacturing, Information Systems and MES to connect Automation to Enterprise and finally the role of Social, Media, Mobility, Analytics, Cloud (SMAC) has changed the way the manufacturing and automation companies look at Automation.

OIS-AT Launches Four Locally Developed Hi-Tech Radar Systems

By Manu Sharma

Amidst the bustling action unfolding at the Aero India 2015, union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju flagged off the global launch of OIS-AT's four hi-tech dual use radar systems at an impressive function at the company's pavilion.

This launch marks a milestone in OIS-AT's Make in India initiative, signaling its arrival on the world market place, a company statement said.

"I am pleased that an Indian defence and aerospace company from the MSME sector has taken the initiative to develop these radars. I wish them all success and hope we will see more such innovations from Indian MSME organisations," Raju said.

Welcoming the minister, OIS-AT chairman & managing director Sanjy Bhandari said: "I am also pleased that OIS-AT through this launch has been able to successfully showcase its R&D and manufacturing capabilities."

A breakthrough for the Indian Aerospace and Defence sector, these advanced radar systems are designed, developed and manufactured entirely by OIS-AT. The four systems leverage advanced technology developments that are under patent filings and have been under development and manufacture for a number of years, the statement said.

Validating this achievement, OIS-AT was also awarded for "Excellence in Indigenous Product Development" at a glittering function in the city held on the eve of Aero India 2015. The other awardees in various other categories included BEL, Bharat Forge, Dynamatic Aerospace, L&T amongst others.

Designed for domestic and global market requirements and as the owner of the Intellectual Property, OIS-AT is now recognized as an advanced radar system house. "Each of these radar systems is a combination of functionality and performance and is representative of a breakthrough in technology uniqueness, or its advanced technology availability outside traditional radar providers in the west," Bhandari said.

OIS-AT has used an underlying user-focused design philosophy recognizing that different customers have differing needs worldwide. OIS-AT's four radars are specifically designed to offer a combined 34 configuration options to provide the global user flexibility to pick the configuration which most suits its application, be it military or non-military. 

BEL to Invest Rs 500 crore for Greenfield Weapon System at Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh

By Manu Sharma

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has decided to set up a green field project in the defence sector in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh with an investment of about Rs.500 crore.  The new project to come up at Lepakshi will be used for weapon systems.

Speaking to the media, SK Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director of Bharat Electronics Ltd said, “We are on the verge of acquiring land of about 1,000 acres and currently are in advanced talks with the Andhra Pradesh government. We choose this location as it would be ideal and closer to our headquarters in Bangalore.”

The new facility will focus on design, development and production of all kinds of weapon systems such as fire control, missile systems and other weapon upgrade programmes. The facility will be ready in the next two years, he said.

“The facility is expected to be ready in two years and we plan to develop weapon systems keeping in mind future contracts from Army, Navy and Air Force,” he added.

The PSU sought 900 to 1,000 acres of land at Penukonda for the unit which they said would provide employment to 500 local people. Besides, the plant would spur growth of ancillary industries in automobile and transport sectors.

The new facility will be a specialized plant being set up for to manufacture all kinds of weapon systems such as fire control, missile systems and weapon upgrade programme among others.

The Bangalore-based PSU, is set to commence mass production of Akash Missile System (AMS) for the Indian Army.

Sharma also indicated that there could be more orders from the Indian Air Force for additional squadrons. However, nothing is finalized yet, he added.

"We are already supplying this missile system to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and recently completed trials for the Indian Army. We are already manufacturing the system for IAF, while the production for the Army will commence very soon and will be delivered to them over the next two to four years,” adds Sharma.

Modi Makes Pitch For Make In India at Aero India 2015

Making a strong pitch to end India’s dependence on defence imports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today promised a conducive environment for manufacturers, including a discrimination-free tax system, and asked foreign firms not to be just “sellers” but “strategic partners”.

Inaugurating the 10th ‘Aero India’ show here, the Prime Minister said while the country needs to increase its defence preparedness and modernise its forces due to security challenges that were well known, it should aim to manufacture 70 per cent of military hardware domestically in next five years and remove the tag of being number one importer of defence equipment.

Stressing that developing domestic defence industry “is at the heart of the ‘Make in India’ programme”, he said, “We will build an industry that will have room for everyone – public sector, private sector and foreign firms”.

“From sellers, foreign firms must turn into strategic partners. We need their technology, skills, systems integration and manufacturing strength,” he said.

He said the foreign players can use India as part of their global supply chain and India’s frugal but sophisticated manufacturing and engineering services sectors can help reduce costs.

Also India can be a base for export to third countries, especially because of its growing defence partnerships in Asia and beyond, he said.

He said the government was reforming defence procurement policies and procedures.

“There would be a clear preference for equipment manufactured in India. Our procurement procedures will ensure simplicity, accountability and speedy decision making,” he said.

Modi noted that his government has raised the permitted level of Foreign Direct Investment to 49 per cent and this can go higher, if the project brings state-of-the art technology. Aero india 2015, Aero India, Narendra Modi, Narendra Modi news, Make in India campaign, Indian defence market, Air Force Station Yelahanka, H D Deve Gowda, Indian Institute of Sciences

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar watching the flying past display during the inauguration of the Aero India 2015, Asia’s Premier Air Show at Yelhanka Air Base in Bengaluru on Wednesday. 

“We have permitted investments up to 24 per cent by Foreign Institutional Investments. And, there is no longer a need to have a single Indian investor with at least a 51 per cent stake. Industrial licensing requirements have been eliminated for a number of items. Where it is needed, the process has been simplified,” he said.

“We have to equip ourselves for the needs of the future, where technology will play a major role. As a nation of one billion people, we also have huge requirements for managing internal security,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that effort is on to expand the role of private sector, even for major platforms.

“Our goal is to provide a level playing field for all. We speak in terms of national capacity, not public sector or private sector,” he said.

Ten Thousand MS Partners Help SMBs Drive Cloud Services

Microsoft India has simplified cloud adoption for small and medium businesses (SMBs) further with the addition of Dynamics CRM Online under the Open Licensing programme.  The availability of Dynamics CRM Online along with Office 365 and Azure through Open Licensing gives SMBs the opportunity to secure the benefits of cloud solutions with the help of a trusted local partner. With this announcement, all three large-scale public cloud offerings from Microsoft are now available under open licensing. This presents India’s SMBs with unmatched accessibility to the benefits of the latest technology while also presenting a significant business opportunity for Microsoft’s Partners.

SMBs will now have the ability to manage their customer relationships better using Microsoft’s enterprise-grade Dynamics CRM Online solution on a pay-per-use model. The solution provides SMBs with simple but powerful customer relationship management tools over the Internet. This helps individuals and teams improve sales, marketing, and customer care operations in their offices and in the field.

Dynamics CRM Online in Open Licensing will create new business models and opportunities for Microsoft’s partners, while helping SMBs build deeper engagement with their customers without the need for large capital expenditures traditionally required for enterprise-grade software. SMBs will be able to access customer insights anytime, anywhere and on any device by leveraging the cloud.

“Our 10,000-strong partner network in India has been instrumental in bringing the benefits of IT to SMBs. Availability of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online under Open Licensing allows our partners to bring a powerful new tool to the market.  In the process, our partners will get an opportunity to improve their top line while raising the profits of their customers through customer insights and management tools” said Meetul Patel, General Manager, Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partners, India.

Earlier customers could purchase CRM Online either directly from www.dynamics.microsoft or as part of an Enterprise Agreement (EA) with Microsoft. While these options would continue, SMBs are likely to leverage their existing partners to procure CRM Online.  This new approach empowers partners with a compelling cloud product portfolio covering the most open Microsoft Azure platform, the world-leading Office 365 productivity service and CRM Online customer relationship management offering.

Next Gen SAP S/4 HANA Software Targets Enterprise & SMB Customers in India

SAP India has announced the launch of SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA (SAP S/4 HANA), heralding a new generation of business suite designed to enable Indian customers run simple in a digital and networked world. SAP S/4 HANA is the new product that is fully built on the advanced in-memory platform, SAP HANA and is designed on the most modern design principles with the SAP Fiori user experience (UX) for mobile devices. The firm intents to target both the enterprise as well as SMB customers in India during the next fiscal.

Designed to drive business innovation with simplicity by connecting people, devices and business networks in real time, SAP S/4 HANA will help Indian enterprises to take better business decisions by accessing the capability for planning, execution, prediction and simulation from within the business application. It will also extend the value of simplicity to all lines of business and industries end-to-end with guided configuration for adoption, a modern user experience for business users of all roles in a company on almost any device, a simplified data model, on-the-fly insight at the highest level of granularity and re-imagined real-time business processes.

“As Indian enterprises aim to enter new markets and engage with their consumers across a variety of channels, SAP S/4 HANA brings unprecedented innovation, combined with more than 40 years of experience across industries”, said Ravi Chauhan, Managing Director, SAP India. “History proves, India to be an early adopter for new generation technology in the last decade. We are confident our customers will derive real-time business opportunities by adopting S/4 HANA the innovation platform designed to drive their growth.” he added.

The development of SAP S/4 HANA was a global collaborative project and leveraged on the talent pool at SAP Labs India. The team from SAP Labs India contributed towards the development of the core architecture, Fiori user experience, Applications and Platform for S/4 HANA which is the key to get rid of all the complexity and redundancies to make the entire IT landscape simple.

“SAP’s vision and strategy is to help customers run simple to drive the perfect enterprise. To deliver on this mission, we are redefining how enterprise software creates value in a digital, networked, yet complex world”, said Dilip Kumar Khandelwal, Managing Director, SAP Labs India & Executive Vice President, Suite Engineering, SAP SE. “SAP S/4 HANA is designed to drive instant value across lines of business and industries with the ultimate sophistication: simplicity”, he added.

Together with an established partner ecosystem that has already undergone enablement workshop, SAP India is ready to resell and provide services for customers along their journey to run simple with SAP S/4 HANA. SAP India, along with SI and partners are committed to work towards providing an easy path for customers to move to SAP S/4 HANA with pre-defined migration and deployment packages for quick time to value.   .