BT to Help Panalpina Improve Collaboration and Unlock Value in the Supply Chain

BT has announced a contract with Panalpina, one of the world’s leading freight forwarding and logistics companies, to transform and manage its global communications infrastructure. The transformation will enable Panalpina’s 15,000 employees to better communicate and collaborate internally and with their customers. This supports the company’s vision to work closer with its clients to build smart and efficient end-to-end logistics solutions.

BT will overhaul Panalpina’s network infrastructure, currently sourced from more than a dozen domestic and regional providers, and migrate it into a single integrated platform, connecting 500 offices in more than 75 countries. BT will also provide services from its BT One Voice portfolio, to converge voice and data on a single platform.

The new network will be a hybrid infrastructure, based on BT’s IP Connect and Internet Connect services, combining the reliability and security of IP-based Virtual Private Networks (VPN) with the flexibility of Internet connections. BT’s services will underpin the continued implementation of Panalpina’s new global enterprise resource planning (ERP) and transportation management systems, which require optimal end-to-end control of the infrastructure.

Additional services, such as BT Connect Intelligence, will provide an application-aware network architecture designed to support strategic business applications.

“This agreement with BT is a major milestone on our way to becoming the most customer focused global provider of freight forwarding and logistics solutions,” said Ralf Morawietz, Chief Information Officer at Panalpina. “As our single point of contact for communication services, BT will take away the burden of managing a multitude of different suppliers, and will make it easier for us to implement new services and to support our employees and customers around the globe.”

Corrado Sciolla, President Europe & Global Telecom Markets at BT Global Services, said: “In the new digital world, customers and employees are becoming more demanding, ecosystems are evolving and the established rules are changing. We are very proud that a global leader such as Panalpina has chosen BT to manage their communication services in this changing environment. We will build on our long-standing expertise in serving the needs of the logistics sector to make sure that Panalpina’s employees and customers around the world can collaborate better and more easily. The intelligent features of our network services will also help Panalpina improve the performance of its business-critical applications and constantly adapt the whole communications infrastructure to its rapidly evolving digital needs.”

Adani Enterprises Enters Wind Energy Segment with 50 MW in Andhra Pradesh and 20 MW in Madhya Pradesh

Adani Enterprises, a leading conglomerates, has marked its entry into the wind energy segment by placing the company’s first orders for wind turbine generators with Inox Wind Limited.  Inox Wind, further strengthening its leading position in the Indian wind turbine industry, has inked two contracts for a cumulative capacity of 70 MW with Adani Green Energy Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited and part of the Adani Group.  The orders bagged by Inox Wind represent Adani Group’s maiden foray into the wind energy segment and encompass a 50 MW turnkey project to be set up in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh and a 20 MW turnkey project at Inox Wind’s Lahori site in Madhya Pradesh. 

As part of the two turnkey orders, Inox Wind will deliver, install, and commission 35 units of Inox Wind’s 100 rotor diameter turbines and has also been contracted to undertake operations and maintenance services of the projects for a multi year period, post commissioning.  

Inox Wind provides its clients with end to end solutions including wind resource assessment, acquiring land, developing the entire site infrastructure, building the power evacuation system, supplying the WTGs, erection and commissioning services, long term operations and maintenance services as well as post-commissioning support. 

"Inox Wind is proud to be working with Adani Group, a global conglomerate and one of the country’s leading business houses.  These are the first orders placed by Adani in the wind power space and reaffirm customers’ faith in Inox’s ability to provide world class technological solutions to its clients.  We are delighted to partner with Adani in their endeavour to become leaders in renewable power technologies and in our joint commitment towards providing clean and green energy in India.” said Kailash Tarachandani, Chief Executive Officer of Inox Wind Limited in his statement.  

Reva's New Ajura App Offers International Roaming at 90% Less Cost

A trip overseas usually means penny pinching on communication. It means keeping an eye on the phone’s clock watching how long you talk and who you talk to. Ajura Pte Ltd from Reve Group has launched a mobile app that takes away the financial burden of making expensive calls home and allows the traveler to stay connected and a call away.

The Ajura App allows global travellers to make and receive international calls at 5 to 10 per cent of what a roaming call would normally cost. Simple to use, all one needs to do is download the app from the app store after which users need to sign up with their regular mobile number and activate the roaming option before they travel out of the country.

The intelligent App detects if the mobile user is online and routes the calls to the App. When the user has a local mobile number in the visiting country, the call automatically diverts to the visiting country number.

A visiting country SIM is not necessary if the user takes all incoming calls on the App but his or her phone then needs to be hooked on to a wifi or data network. The visiting country SIM card however helps a user get cheaper data and be always available to roaming incoming calls.

The product developed in India has several innovations. A user can have phone numbers and an identity in 54 countries - including Singapore, Hong Kong, the UK, Canada and the US - that ring in her home mobile phone. The app offers the facility to top up or re-charge (or load money) SIMs of over 100 countries.

The app is relevant for millions of NRIs visiting their hometowns as through Ajura App they can stay connected to their family and business even when on a holiday in Indian towns and villages at affordable cost.

Indians travelling abroad can call back home for as low as three cents or two rupees on a wifi network versus using frightfully expensive roaming.

A resident Indian who has a lot of global business contacts too will find the app useful. For instance, exporter of goods or services, a travel agent or a hotel with prospects or customers abroad, or anyone needing a global geographic identity, can get an ‘Ajura global number’, of any of the 54 countries, and share it with their contacts abroad. When they dial this number, it is a local call for the overseas customer facilitating better communication.

What differentiates Ajura from call services of other chat apps is that the phone calls received on the user’s home mobile number are automatically forwarded to the app, when the user is online – and the person calling need not have downloaded Ajura app.

“Roaming users of Ajura App can receive calls made to their regular mobile number on the Ajura app or on a visiting country SIM purchased in the destination country. Similarly, users can also make outbound calls to any country from the Ajura app at much cheaper rates than using mobile roaming or even a local SIM card,” said M Rezaul Hassan, Founder and Group CEO of Reve Group. 

Prior to launching the app, the company did a field survey among foreigners travelling to India , which showed that only 20 per cent of the overseas visitors kept their home country mobile switched on. Seventy per cent had bought a local SIM and most were using chat apps – albeit only at night at locations with wifi to communicate back home. 

“The latest offering from the Reve Group removes a major pain point for business and holiday travellers. As the financial burden of receiving and making a call on a business trip or holiday reduces dramatically, travellers will feel liberated,” explains Sanjit Chatterjee, CEO, Ajura. 

SanDisk Offers Upgraded All-Flash Storage Platform in InfiniFlash IF150 System

SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash storage solutions, has introduced an upgraded all-flash storage platform with the introduction of the InfiniFlash IF150 system, the latest addition to its InfiniFlash family, which is transforming data centers around the world. The new IF150 brings twice the performance via upgraded 12Gbps SAS connectivity, and the same massive capacity to big data and hyperscale workloads as the previous generation of InfiniFlash. This further broadens the potential uses for the next-generation storage platform around a variety of new workloads, including high-performance computing (HPC), big data analytics, media services and other high capacity, extreme performance-demanding applications. Today, SanDisk also introduced new offerings to enhance the experience for InfiniFlash customers.

“Since its launch, the game-changing performance and economic benefits of the InfiniFlash System have been recognized by customers—from data centers in research institutions doing big data analytics to web providers, hyperscalers and video streaming companies who manage data on a massive scale, and more,” said Ravi Swaminathan, vice president and general manager of systems and software solutions at SanDisk. “With our new IF150 system, we have pushed the performance even further, while at the same time delivering massive-scale storage at a price point that makes business sense.”

The IF150 system is uniquely suited for both the scale-out and scale-up environments required by today’s enterprise, cloud and hyperscale data centers. Delivering up to two million raw IOPS and consistently low latency, the IF150 system supports demanding workloads by addressing scalability and availability challenges. It works intelligently as an integrated hardware, software and open source system to deliver multiple business benefits to enterprise customers. It offers up to half a petabyte (512 terabytes) of flash storage in one 3-rack-unit (3U) system and can directly connect up to eight off-the-shelf-servers. Like all InfiniFlash systems, the new IF150 offers massive all-flash storage capacity at a $1 per GB price point for raw flash – compression and de-dupe capability in storage software (available from SanDisk InfiniFlash ecosystem partners) can further dramatically reduce the effective price per GB.

“While all-flash arrays continue to exhibit strong double digit growth, the cost of these solutions is undergoing an increasingly downward trend,” said Eric Burgener, research director at IDC. “As these flash alternatives reach price parity with HDD-based systems, we are starting to see more data center customers able to consider them for their storage requirements. The introduction of the InfiniFlash IF150 system brings higher performance at an effective dollar-per-gigabyte price point; in turn allowing a variety of new enterprise workloads to benefit from flash storage performance.” 

IF150 features and specifications include:

• Exceptional Performance: Features an enhanced 12Gbps SAS interface, which can deliver up to two million IOPS, providing new levels of speed and performance in read/write-intensive environments.¹
• Breakthrough Economics and Reduced Opex: Offers up to an 80 percent reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) advantage over HDD-based systems. It is projected that all-flash arrays are 10x more reliable than HDD-based arrays, greatly reducing maintenance and FRU expenses.²
• Incredibly Low Power Consumption: The lowest power consumption – 450 watts average – of any high-capacity flash storage in the industry, significantly reducing data center operating expenses.³
• Downsized Data Center Footprint: IF150 delivers among the highest density – 512TB in 3U – in the industry, saving costly rack space in the data center, making efficient use of available power and floor space.

 In addition to the introduction of IF150, SanDisk is now further broadening its commitment to exceptional customer support for the InfiniFlash systems family with the addition of two new optional offerings:

• FlashStart– A SanDisk Professional Service for all InfiniFlash storage systems and SanDisk ION Accelerator customers that ensures that all hardware and software is optimally installed and configured to give all customers a competitive edge.

FlashAssure – A comprehensive customer support service including warranty coverage, selectable Service Level Agreement (SLA) options and onsite field technicians. 

Indian Cyber Security Delegation Heads to Netherlands & UK from April 11-15, 2016

The first ever NASSCOM-DSCI Cyber Security delegation is set to visit the Hague Security Delta and Malvern Cyber Security Cluster, in Netherlands and UK respectively between 11- 15 April 2016. The delegation will be led by Dr. Gulshan Rai, National Cyber Security Coordinator, Government of India, will comprise of 39 representatives from the Central and State Government, Industry (Security Startups, SMBs & Large IT Services and Consulting), User organizations and Academia.

Setting up of cyber security clusters in India is an important recommendation of NASSCOM-DSCI Cyber Security Task Force (CSTF), which was set up in 2015 on the Honourable Prime Minister’s exhortation, to give a fillip to the budding security entrepreneurship and to foster closer interaction between Govt., Industry and Academia on security industry development. The visit to two of the world’s most active, innovative cyber security clusters, will offer a plethora of opportunities for initiating long-lasting collaborations between the regions, help in understanding the cluster ecosystem and implementing it in Indian cities, exploring avant-garde research, technologies and solutions in cyber security, and most importantly, establishing the Indian brand in global cyber security ecosystem. Equal focus would also be given to developing research capabilities and exploring academic collaboration. More delegation visits to other relevant regions are planned in near future.

While talking about the delegation, Gulshan Rai, National Cyber Security Coordinator, Government of India, said, “Knowledge, intelligence and experience sharing are core to our approach on cyber security. As an increasingly important issue, dealing with cyber security for businesses and the state requires global collaboration. We are looking to strengthen the collaboration with other nations on this important subject, as we align ourselves to secure Digital India revolution.”

R Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM, said, “After Hon’ble PM Modi had asked NASSCOM to form a Task Force and chart out a Roadmap for building cyber security industry, we worked on learning the critical success factors for creating an ecosystem that would help achieve the vision of making India a cybersecurity hub. Lot of our member companies, especially startups, have developed niche capabilities in security space through products, integrated solutions and managed services. The exchange of ideas and knowledge facilitated by this delegation visit would add strength to our industry development and promotion charter.”

Rajendra Pawar, Chairman, NASSCOM-DSCI Cyber Security Task Force, said “Setting up multiple cyber security clusters is one of the prime recommendations to achieve CSTF vision. The success of The Hague Security Delta and Malvern Security Cluster garnered great interest from CSTF members, and it was imperative that we build a deeper engagement. Global learnings will help us chart out our roadmap in a better fashion. We intend to take more such delegations in near future”

Acknowledging the delegation’s engagement potential, Nandkumar Saravade, CEO, DSCI, said, “DSCI has been hosting international security delegations for long. It was about time that we led an Indian delegation. Learning from successful global models and countries is a matter of great opportunity in catalysing the growth of the cyber security product ecosystem, that fosters entrepreneurship in security domain. This initiative will pave the way for organisations in exploring and forging alliances, in studying the ecosystem for research and productization, learnings about the cutting edge technologies, and on top in developing synergies between stakeholders. We are overwhelmed with tremendous response to this initiative. We are thankful to both the countries for agreeing to host the Indian delegation” 

The Hague Security Delta (HSD) is the largest security cluster in Europe. In this Dutch cluster –with important regional hubs in The Hague, Twente, and Brabant– businesses, governments, and knowledge institutions work together on innovations and knowledge in the field of cyber security, national and urban security, protection of critical infrastructure, and forensics. The Malvern Cyber Security Cluster was founded in September 2011 and is run by Key IQ Ltd (Key IQ is a business and technology catalyst, helping businesses to grow and succeed. They run facilities, networks and events to foster creativity and promote entrepreneurship. 

Oracle to Set Up Indian Incubators for Nine Startup & Connect with Cloud Technology

To mentor budding entrepreneurs and help the emerging companies access best technology, IT major Oracle said on Thursday it will set up nine startup incubators across the country. ”Our goal is to make it extremely easy for people to access the Cloud and we want to make it accessible not just to big companies, but also to every person who has an idea for a business that can transform this country,” Oracle President Thomas Kurian said on Thursday.

Mentoring is a key part of the initiative and the incubator will facilitate the companies to learn from venture capital funds and also former chief executives of successful startups, he said at a company event in Mumbai. Even though the company works with the software ecosystem across the world, this is a global first of having dedicated incubators, Kurian added.

First of the ‘Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator’ will be launched in Bengaluru – the “second best funded startup hub in the world outside of USA” – tomorrow, which will be followed up with similar centers across the country over the next 12 months, he said. However, he did not tell the exact amount to be invested for the initiative, but said Oracle has committed “several millions of dollars” for it. The company’s Vice President of Development, Sanket Atal, will be leading the initiative and the other centers have been planned at Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Thiruvanantapuram, and Vijaywada, a company statement said.

The announcement comes after the government launched a high-decibel campaign to promote startups in the country and steps to develop the ecosystem. The accelerator is open to early-stage technology and tech-enabled startups working on creating impactful products and services and the costs of using it will also be low, said Kurian.

Startups will have to apply to be a part of the accelerator and selected ones will undergo a six month accelerator program. The selected startups will be able to access Oracle’s technology, including application and software through the Cloud, and can also connect with its designers and engineers. Oracle, which already operates a venture fund, is not looking at the initiative from a venture investments point of view, he clarified.

Worldwide IT Spending to Decline 0.5 Percent in 2016: Predicts Gartner's Report

Worldwide IT spending is forecast to total $3.49 trillion in 2016, a decline of 0.5 percent over 2015 spending of $3.5 trillion, according to Gartner, Inc. This is down from last quarter's forecast of 0.5 percent growth. The change in the forecast is mainly due to currency fluctuations.

"There is an undercurrent of economic uncertainty that is driving organizations to tighten their belts, and IT spending is one of the casualties," said John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner. "Concurrently, the need to invest in IT to support digital business is more urgent than ever. Business leaders know that they need to become digital businesses or face irrelevance in a digital world. To make that happen, leaders are engaging in tough cost optimization efforts in some areas to fund digital business in others."

 "As an example, the savings from legacy system optimization and enhancementsare being redirected to fund digital initiatives. It's about doing more with the same funds," said Mr. Lovelock. "Typically, less than 10 percent of organizations are in cost optimization or cost cutting mode. However, the need to spend on digital business initiatives in a time when revenue growth does not support runaway IT budgets is forcing more organizations to optimize as a first step. Business processes, as well as IT, are undergoing optimization — digital business requires both. However, many CIOs are reluctant to raise this possibility, given the cultural and political barriers to optimizing business costs."

The most evident results of these optimization efforts are in the switches in spending between assets and services. "Most traditional IT now has a 'digital service twin' — license software has cloud software, servers have Infrastructure as a Service, and cellular voice has VoLTE," Mr. Lovelock said. "Things that once had to be purchased as an asset can now be delivered as a service. Most digital service twin offerings change the spending pattern from a large upfront payment to a smaller reoccurring monthly amount. This means that the same level of activity has a very different annual spend."

The Gartner Worldwide IT Spending Forecast is the leading indicator of major technology trends across the hardware, software, IT services and telecom markets. For more than a decade, global IT and business executives have been using these highly anticipated quarterly reports to recognize market opportunities and challenges, and base their critical business decisions on proven methodologies rather than guesswork.

The device market (PCs, ultramobiles, mobile phones, tablets and printers) is forecast to decline 3.7 percent in 2016. The smartphone market is approaching global saturation, slowing growth. The PC and ultramobile markets are expected to decline. The underlying reasons are a combination of factors and are geography-specific, and the worsening economic conditions in many countries only serve to amplify the impact of these factors.

Data center systems' spending is projected to reach $175 billion in 2016, a 2.1 percent increase from 2015. This top-level relative stability masks some changes within the segments; enterprise network equipment had a stronger-than-anticipated 2015 as a result of network upgrades, and this is expected to carry on into 2016. The external-controller-based storage segment continues to suffer from ongoing challenges. In the server segment, demand from hyperscale buyers is expected to reduce in 2016, particularly in regions that are suffering from economic challenges, such as Eurasia. The mainframe refresh, which benefited the market in 2015, is expected to abate in 2016, also inhibiting the overall growth figures.

Global enterprise software spending is on pace to total $321 billion, a 4.2 percent increase from 2015. The operating system forecast has been downgraded, reflecting Gartner's expectation for further delays in the adoption of Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016. However, it is the key emerging markets, particularly Latin America, which face escalating political and economic challenges that are responsible for the slow growth. Organizations in those regions must balance cost cutting with growth opportunities during times of economic concern.

Spending in the IT services market is expected to return to growth in 2016, totaling $929 billion, up 2.1 percent from 2015. A stronger outlook for Japan and India is nearly balanced by a weaker outlook in Brazil, China and South Korea, based on challenging economic and political conditions in Brazil; and government actions and weakening economic conditions in China and South Korea.

Telecom service spending is projected to decline 2.0 percent in 2016, with spending reaching $1.4 trillion. Continuing economic downturns in major markets such as Russia and Brazil are dampening spending in both fixed and mobile voice, and a slight slowdown in China's growth is affecting consumer confidence and eroding spend in fixed voice services. In enterprise services, conditions in these same three major markets are leading to consolidation among businesses (reducing connections and spend), however, mobile data spending is a bright spot with accelerating growth driven by improved pricing on bandwidth, mobile app and 4G/LTE network availability.