Tata Comm’s White-Label SIP Trunking Solution to Empower Service Providers to Capitalise on UC Demand

Tata Communications announces the launch of its flagship Global SIP Connect service as a white-label solution for service providers. The SIP trunking offering will enable service providers to expand their voice services to customers through Tata Communications’ global network reach and unified communications portfolio without major up-front investment in building their own solution. In turn, their business customers will benefit from a new way to transform their voice network with a potential 55% network cost saving.

Due to the growing demand for unified communications, Infonetics forecasts that 62% of enterprises are expected to use SIP by 2017 for a portion of their voice connectivity requirements. Underpinned by Tata Communications’ global network – with connectivity to over 240 countries and territories – Global SIP Connect white-label solution empowers service providers to meet this demand through faster time to market and a reliable, high quality user experience for their global customers. 

Anthony Bartolo, President of Collaboration and Mobility, Tata Communications, says, “As demand for cloud-based unified communications continues to soar, SIP trunking is becoming a critical tool for businesses looking for best in class voice services. Global SIP deployment can be time consuming and complex to execute due to interoperability and regulatory challenges and our new white-label offering enables service providers to overcome these challenges on a global scale while eliminating the huge cost of building new solutions from scratch.”

Mike Sapien, Principal Analyst, Ovum Research, says, "Our research shows that enterprises of all sizes are expanding globally which increases the difficulty in providing integrated global voice infrastructure to support enterprise communications and applications. Global SIP services are now a critical ingredient in creating an IP platform to enable many enterprise applications including all aspects of enterprise voice and unified communications. There are very few providers who can cover all major regions of the world with their own voice network infrastructure so Tata Communications' Global SIP Connect white-label alternative should be attractive to many providers, integrators, resellers and large enterprise customers who need global reach."

Tata Communications’ unified communications portfolio has a strong roadmap with upcoming additional white labeled services such as Tata Communications with Skype for Business, InstaCC Global, Jamvee and Click2RTC. Global SIP Connect white-label service offers a comprehensive portfolio of services including inbound and outbound international and domestic voice calling, the latest in SIP based full PSTN replacement, along with International toll free and local number service and full compatibility with the Microsoft Skype for Business (formerly Lync) unified communications platform.

Tata Communications’ Global SIP Connect is underpinned by the company’s global network - the world’s largest and most advanced global subsea cable. The company also offers one of the world’s largest international voice networks, integrating with over 1,600 carrier partners, 780 mobile providers and 700 VoIP operators globally. 

Modi’s Start-Up Action Plan Welcomed by Indian Industry

NASSCOM welcomed the Union Government’s focus on creating a culture of entrepreneurship in India with the announcement of the ‘Start-Up India’ action plan. This action plan  will not only foster a conducive ecosystem for start-ups to accelerate their growth but will also provide the much-needed fillip to ease of doing business and encourage development of innovative products and solutions in India.

The Government had been interacting with various stakeholders for inputs and NASSCOM had shared extensive recommendations with various Departments.  NASSCOM is pleased to note that the government has taken into account most of its recommendations for removing bottlenecks while making a comprehensive action plan for start-ups.

R. Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM said, “Startup India is a reflection of young India’s aspirations and we congratulate the government for launching this comprehensive action plan. NASSCOM once again reaffirms its commitment to support 10,000 technology startups and expand its network of Start-up Warehouses across the country that will nurture early stage entrepreneurship. Our ambition is to see India as a startup nation, one that has exponential growth and also enables creation of unique solutions for India’s challenges”.

NASSCOM recommendations which have been considered include:

·         Definition of start-ups: Registered in India within the last five years and has annual turnover not exceeding Rs.25 crore in the preceding year.

·         Self-certification: Corner-stone of NASSCOM’s suggestion aimed at simplifying compliance, making it easier for start-ups to focus on translating their ideas into products and solutions.

·         Single Window for approvals and registrations: The startup India hub will serve as a single point for regulatory clarifications, easy and faster registration and filings.

·         Timelines for company registrations to be reduced – the Government will crash the timelines of registrations to 1 day and also make available a portal for web/mobile based registrations, including automating several steps in name search, providing option of tracking status of registration.

·         Fast track Exit - The bankruptcy and insolvency code introduced in the Parliament, proposes a 90 day exit for startups with simple debt structure

·         10,000 crore fund:  A Fund of Funds (FoF) by way of SEBI registered venture fund to provide funding support to innovation driven enterprises

·         Support for filing patents: Delays in processing patent application, need for legal  guidance and  financial support for filing patents, registering designs etc has been a key ask and the action plan has articulated a detailed plan to facilitate IPR filing including fast tracking as well as legal advice.

·         Changes in public procurement process: Removal of minimum turnover and experience criteria will provide a great mileage to the start-ups to work on government projects

·         Tax exemptions:

o   Capital gains exemption for reinvestment in startups: Addressing the long pending demand of venture capital investors, this capital gains exemption has been extended to VCs and AIFs for investment in startups. Also, eligible expenses will include expenditure in computer and computer software as new assets which will help the IT and tech driven startups. NASSCOM also looks forward to the Union budget, 2016 to address some of the remaining issues relating to taxation of capital gains in line with the announcements made on 16^th January that capital gains tax rates would be harmonized across various categories of investors.

o   Income tax exemption for startups: Exemption for three years for start-ups.

o   Fair market value: To encourage seed-capital investment, investment by incubators in startup is exempted from FMV evaluation and associate taxation.

Self-Drive Car Rental - Zoomcar - Now Available at Your Doorstep

Taking convenience to a new level, Zoomcar, India’s largest self-drive car rental company today unveiled doorstep services for users across all cities – Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Chandigarh. On this occasion, top management officials and members of the corporate team personally delivered the cars to its customers on January 12 and 13 in Bangalore.

The launch of doorstep delivery services by Zoomcar means that the customers can now get a car delivered and picked-up by Zoomcar executives at a location of their choice, be it office, home or any other place. Zoomcar has completely revamped its booking process and created the required internal capabilities in terms of technology, manpower and product to avoid last mile issues for customers and ensure that seamless delivery can be provided. The new offering is set to change the market dynamics for the emerging self-drive industry in India.

This announcement comes soon after the launch of Zoomcar services in Chandigarh last month. With addition of the new city, Zoomcar now boasts of a presence in 7 cities across India with a fleet of more than 2000 cars. The new initiative will not just enhance customer convenience and experience but will also benefit users from a safety standpoint. It promises to revolutionize the way self-drive and car rental is viewed in India.

Zoomcar has constantly been striving to revolutionize the self-drive car experience for people in India through initiatives like app bookings and keyless entry. The new offering is in line with the vision of the company to constantly innovate and deliver services that push the boundaries of personalized service in self-drive. Zoomcar has also designed specialized packages like Zoom Lite, Zoom Classic and Zoom XL to fulfill different requirements of customers and offer them a value for money self-drive experience.  

Speaking on the occasion, Greg Moran, Co-founder and CEO, Zoomcar said, “Customers are at the forefront of all our technological innovations at Zoomcar. We are constantly upgrading our services to enhance customer comfort and convenience and to leave them with a memorable experience of self-drive time and again.”

Over 50 Cr New Internet Users Across India During Next 5-8 Months

The number of Internet users in the country is expected to go up to 50 crore, from the present over 40 crore, in next 5-8 months, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said recently.

“The number of people using Internet has crossed 40 crore in the country at present. I am expecting this number to go up to 50 crore in next 5-8 months.

“According to our estimate, out of these, 70 per cent people are going to access Internet through mobile phones,” Prasad said here at an Indore Management Association function.

About 100 crore people, out of the population of India of nearly 125 crore, have mobile phones, the minister said, adding that every month, 20-35 lakh mobile users are added.

“The NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is trying to awaken the efficiency and innovation in the public. We are constantly simplifying the government policies and procedures for good governance and development,” he said.

“Former Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government is known for construction of National Highways. The present Prime Minister Narendra Modi government will be known for setting up Information Highways,” Prasad said.

The Telecom and Information Technology Minister also said that there are about 95 crore Aadhar card holders in the country and the government has made the Aadhar card mandatory for reaping the benefits of many schemes to promote good governance.

If the Supreme Court gives nod, then the Aadhar card will be made mandatory for all government schemes, he added.

Prasad also said that the government is working towards connecting 2.50 lakh gram panchayats in the country through optical fibre network.

When all the gram panchayats would be linked through this network, then e-business, e-education, e-health and other projects could be started in villages, he added.

Agencies

Coolpad & Videocon Partner for Handsets Manufacturing in India

Chinese handset maker Coolpad said it has partnered Videocon to assemble its handsets in India, a move aimed at helping the company garner larger share in the strongly contested Indian smartphone market.

Coolpad, which forayed into India last year, is also looking at setting up its research and development (R&D) operations here to cater to the SAARC region.

"We have partnered Videocon to assemble our handsets in India. This will help us bring our products faster to our consumers... The plant in Aurangabad has a monthly capacity of 3 lakh units," Coolpad India CEO Syed Tajuddin told the media.

He added that it will at least be another 1-2 years before full-fledged manufacturing will be done in India.

"The target is to produce one million Made in India phones by H1 of 2016. Initially, around 15,000-20,000 devices will be imported from China and rest will be manufactured from India," he said.

Interestingly, Videocon also has its own line of smartphones selling in the Indian market.

Asked about the cost benefits of manufacturing in India, Tajuddin said the scale of operations in the country is still not comparable to China.

"However, the costs of manufacturing in China are going up and people are looking at India as the next big destination... Manufacturing in India is giving us about 5-6 per cent benefit which we will pass on to the consumers," he said.

Recently, many international players like Xiaomi, Gionee and Asus have set up assembly units in India. Handset makers are looking to tap the multi-billion dollar opportunity in India, which is one of the fastest growing markets globally.

According to research firm IDC, shipments in India grew 21.4 per cent year-on-year to 28.3 million units in the July- September 2015 quarter.

Samsung led the tally with 24 per cent share, followed by Micromax (16.7 per cent), Intex (10.8 per cent), Lenovo Group -- Lenovo and Motorola (9.5 per cent) and Lava (4.7 per cent).

Tajuddin said the company is eyeing five per cent share of the smartphone market in India.

Coolpad is also exploring plans of setting up a R&D unit in India.

"The discussions are on (within the company). India will cater to the entire SAARC region, this is a very important market for us. The centre would provide employment to 200-300 people at least," he said.

Coolpad today launched 'Note 3 Lite', which is being assembled in India.

Priced at Rs. 6,999, the handset will be available on e-commerce portal, Amazon.in through a flash model from January 28.

Equipped with a fingerprint sensor, the 4G-enabled Note 3 Lite has a 5-inch screen, 3GB RAM, 16GB storage (expandable up to 64 GB), 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras and 2,500 mAh battery.

Agencies

Now Book Mahindra KUV100 Through Flipkart Online Booking

Flipkart, India’s largest marketplace, has announced a first of its kind tie-up in the automobile industry with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), India’s leading SUV manufacturer, to open online bookings for Mahindra’s much awaited SUV - KUV100, exclusively through Flipkart. The online bookings for the compact SUV will be open from mid-night of January 18^th, 2016. 

Anil Goteti, Vice President - Business, Flipkart said, "Online today is a must have strategy for all players to respond to the growing demand of their customers who are spread across different cities and towns in the country. First time in the automobile category, this exclusive tie-up will allow Mahindra access Flipkart’s extensive reach and network to connect with their customers and provide them the ease to book Mahindra KUV100 online.”

Flipkart launched Automobiles as a category last month with a vision to change the way vehicles are bought in India. The association with Mahindra is another step in that direction. The two entities have come together to deliver superior customer experience with assured in-a-month delivery. Flipkart currently also offers a wide range of automotive accessories as part of its endeavor to become a destination for all automotive needs.

Mahindra's much awaited compact SUV KUV100 (pronounced as KUV '1 double Oh'), has been conceptualized and developed with the aim of creating an entirely new category. The KUV100 is a compact SUV where 'K' stands for the 'kool' & trendy generation of youth, while UV represents an SUV. The numeric '100' represents the pecking order of the series which comes in below TUV300 and XUV500. With its aggressive styling and dominating SUV stance, the KUV100 remains true to the tough and rugged Mahindra DNA.

Speaking on the association with Flipkart, Veejay Ram Nakra, Senior Vice President, Sales & Customer Care, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, "We are happy to announce this tie-up with Flipkart, one of the pioneers in the e commerce category. Being two young brands, both KUV100 and Flipkart complement each other. This tie-up with Flipkart further reinforces our customer centric initiatives. With the ever increasing population of internet users, this was a step in the right direction for us, especially for brand KUV100 that targets the young and trendy. I am sure that this association will be mutually beneficial for both the companies. "

Designed in-house and engineered at Mahindra's world class research and development facility, the Mahindra Research Valley at Chennai, KUV100 will be powered by the world-class mFALCON, an all-new engine family with options of both petrol (mFALCON, G80) and diesel (mFALCON, D75). The mFALCON is a compact lightweight engine built to deliver peppy and high performance.

Targeted at the youth and first time car buyers, the KUV100 is contemporary to the core and truly stylized with best in class technologies.  An indigenously developed monocoque SUV, the KUV100 will have many firsts to its credit including the first ground up petrol engine offering from Mahindra. In fact, all research & development activities for this compact SUV were aligned with global standards of quality, technology, testing norms, regulations and emissions from the very start.

The KUV100 will be available in 7 exciting colors of Fiery Orange, Flamboyant Red, Dazzling Silver, Aquamarine, Pearl White, Designer Grey and Midnight Black

Idea Expands High-Speed 4G LTE Offering to 7 Telecom Circles

Idea Cellular, one of the largest Indian telecom operators, has announced the launch of its high speed 4G LTE services across four more states in India (three Telecom Circles) – Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. With this launch, the company has expanded its 4G LTE service footprint to 7 telecom service areas, including the 4 telecom circles of South India, namely Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu & Chennai, which were launched on 23^rd December 2015. Idea’s 4G LTE services will be available across 183 towns in these 7 telecom service areas by 31^st January 2016.

Major towns to be covered with Idea’s 4G LTE services at launch include the cities of Indore, Bhopal and Raipur in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (MPCG), Chandigarh, Firozpur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Moga and Pathankot in Punjab, and Ambala, Karnal, Hissar, Panipat, Rohtak and Sonipat in Haryana. Other major towns including Gwalior, Jabalpur, Jalandhar, Muktsar, Patiala, Sangrur, Charkhidadri and Pinjore will follow by 31^st January 2016.

Idea Cellular is the leading mobile telecom service provider in MPCG, providing unmatchable coverage on 2G platform and an extensive network of 3G services across these two states. With this launch, Idea Cellular has become the first mobile telecom operator to offer latest 4G services in MPCG. The company’s world-class 4G services will rapidly expand to cover 84 towns includingAmbikapur, Anuppur, Bhilai, Bilaspur, Chhatarpur, Katni, Kawardha, Korba, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Rajnandgaon, Ratlam, Sagar, Satna, Sehore, Shahdol, Shivpuri, Ujjain and Vidisha by March 2016.

Announcing the expansion of 4G services Mr. Ambrish Jain, Deputy Managing Director, Idea Cellularsaid, “Since last week of December 2015, Idea has rapidly rolled out its high-speed 4G LTE network to cover 7 major markets in India. By March 2016, our services will extend to 3 more key markets namely, Maharashtra & Goa, North East and Orissa, and by June 2016, Idea’s 4G footprint will cover 750 cities across 10 telecom circles.”

Idea Cellular currently holds 1800 MHz 4G spectrum in these 10 Telecom circles which cover 50% of telecom market but over 60% of Idea’s gross revenue. Additionally, Idea has recently signed an agreement with Videocon Telecommunications Limited for acquiring ‘Right to Use’ 1800 MHz spectrum under ‘Spectrum Trading Agreement’ in two of its key telecom leadership markets of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh (West). Post completion of this transaction, 4G services will be extended to 12 service areas, covering 75% of Idea’s revenue base in the country.

According to Mr. Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular, “Idea customers with 4G devices in these 183 towns can now start experiencing superfast speeds by simply upgrading their existing SIM cards to new 4G SIM cards. The company is also offering attractive subscription plans to digital content including a wide range of the latest Music, Movies and Games. Idea has also partnered with leading handset manufacturers and e-commerce retailers for special data bundling offers on new 4G smartphones.”

Idea has 2.7 million 4G devices, nearly 4% of its subscriber base in these 7 telecom service areas, registered on its network. In comparison, on an All India basis, Idea has nearly 49.5 million customers owning 3G devices (approx. 29% of EoP) and over 6 million customers with 4G devices (approx. 4% of EoP).