Paytm’s O2O Reach with Same Day Delivery for an Unmatched user Experience

Taking its pioneering Online to Offline program steps ahead, Paytm, the largest mobile commerce and payment platform has announced to offer same day delivery on products in 20 cities. The company has begun with the deliveries with locally based commerce and will further add more categories to it. Currently, the same day delivery is available on large appliances, mobiles and is already active on the platform. Over Rs 20 crore worth of orders in a month are shipped the same day to the customers. 

Sellers themselves provide the delivery and installation service while Paytm enables them by training on how to manage online customer expectations and experience.

Paytm has over 1.2 lakh sellers on their platform out of which over 3000 are sellers who specialize in shipping large appliances locally. Paytm is aiming to add 10,000 more sellers in 50 top cities to spread the reach of O2O commerce further.

Sudhanshu Gupta, Vice President - Paytm, said, “Paytm is the pioneer of O2O and with same day delivery and installation managed by sellers being added to the arsenal we are able to cover a critical category of large appliances which cannot be shipped by traditional warehousing models.”

Paytm enables consumers to check whether products are available to from nearby sellers who can ship and service the orders. The consumers have to pay a nominal amount to avail the same day shipping and installation services.

iScholar Partners with Anand Kumar of Super30; Targets High Percentage Into IITs by 2017

iScholar, a start-up that provides online courses, has partnered with Anand Kumar of Super30 fame, in an effort to bring down costs of IIT-JEE entrance exam coaching by 90 per cent. Now the start up is hoping to get about 30 per cent of the students into various IITs in 2017 academic year.

Anand Kumar, who became well known in the media and academic circle is the brain behind Bihar-based Super30, which yearly selects 30 meritorious students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds aspiring to get into IITs.

“We know that students coached by Kumar have a 100 per cent success rate when it comes to IIT entrance. We want to replicate this for more students who are unable to afford coaching,” said Rajendra Prasad Nadella, Chief Managing Director, iScholar.

A typical IIT-JEE preparation course runs for a whole year and costs ₹80,000 to Rs 1 lakh and upwards. The annual fees for the iScholar courses works out to ₹6,000, which includes features such as access to content, computer-based training coaching in real-time and interaction with faculty.

Reports indicate that each year over 2.5 lakh students appear for IIT JEE entrance exams and about 1.5 lakh take the test but only 10,000 students or so get in while another 10,000 odd students opt for the Regional Engineering Colleges spread all over the country. What's interesting is that, 80 per cent of these students are from urban India . Now we attempt to get more students from the rural areas into these esteemed university, says Nadella.

For students who do not have access to internet, the start-up will provide downloadable courses. “The courseware will help more aspiring students to get into IIT,” said Kumar. iScholar students will get access to professors such as Aniruddh Sinha, Ravi Ahlawat, Kashish Mathur and Akhil Narayan.

Further, to avoid instances of course material being illegally shared, the start-up has encrypted the courseware, which can be accessed only through its learning management software.

The website has been created by professionals from top IT companies using C++, Java and open source platforms for live streaming and along with video tagging to enable to watch particular videos. The content can be accessed even on a 256 kbps dongle. "Today we have over 450 hours of video and since every one should get access to high quality education, we have developed it as a low-cost two way audio, video and interactive platform targeting the BPL families in India," adds Nadella.

Liquid Telecom & RBH Neotel Acquisition will Create the First Pan-African Fibre Player

Today, Liquid Telecom, a privately owned, pan-African telecoms group, majority owned by Econet Wireless Global, announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire South African communications network operator Neotel. The shareholders of Neotel – Tata Communications of India and minority shareholders led by Nexus Connexion – have agreed for Liquid Telecom to acquire Neotel for ZAR6.55 billion. Liquid Telecom is partnering with Royal Bafokeng Holdings (RBH), a South African empowerment investment group, which has committed to take a 30% equity stake in Neotel.

The transaction, which is subject to obtaining all affirmative approvals and other corporate approvals that may be required by the shareholders of Neotel and other regulatory approvals, is transformative and will create the largest pan-African broadband network and B2B telecoms provider. Through a single access point, businesses across Africa will be able to access Liquid Africa’s 24,000km of cross-border, metro and access fibre networks. These currently span 12 countries from South Africa to Kenya, with further expansion planned.

Commenting on the transaction, Nic Rudnick, Liquid Telecom CEO, said, “We are excited about this transaction. Leveraging the strengths of RBH, Neotel and Liquid Telecom will offer an unprecedented fibre network with a unique set of services and international connectivity for telecom operators and enterprises across sub-Saharan Africa. For the first time, African companies will be able to connect with each other in a cost effective and reliable way, all on a single fibre network. We will also be increasing investments into Neotel to cater for rapidly accelerating mobile and enterprise traffic, enabling us to launch exciting new products and services.”

Albertinah Kekana, Royal Bafokeng Holdings CEO, said, “This transaction is part of our divestment strategy and in line with objectives to invest in high growth infrastructure sectors. As a long term investor, we are pleased to be partnering with Liquid Telecom who has a very credible track record in rolling out fibre in challenging and diverse markets. This deal represents our long-term investment approach and our commitment to the African growth story.”

Speaking on behalf of Tata Communications, Neotel’s majority shareholder, Vinod Kumar, Managing Director and CEO, said,“Liquid Telecom is the right partner for the next phase of Neotel’s evolution. Convergence of technologies and services will be the key driver of growth across the globe and this transaction will encourage inclusion and support the growth aspirations of the African continent. We believe that Liquid Telecom will deliver on the vision of a well-connected Africa, which will augur well for the South African telecom industry and Neotel’s customers.”

Nexus Connection, Neotel’s minority shareholder, also welcomed the transaction.  Speaking on behalf of Nexus, Kennedy Memani, said, “We welcome this transaction with Liquid Telecom. It will see the sale of Neotel to new shareholders who have the vision, expertise and funding to continue to grow the company and to allow it to reach its full potential in South Africa and across the African Continent. We are confident that customers and employees will benefit from the transaction and from the resulting stability and business expansion.”

The transaction is subject to approval by South African regulatory authorities and is expected to be completed later this financial year.

Corporate Data Theft & Malware Infections Among Biggest Threat to Digital Business in 2016

Insider data theft and malware attacks top the list of the most significant concerns for enterprise security executives, a new report from Accenture and HfS Research reveals. Of those surveyed, a majority (69 percent) of respondents experienced an attempted or successful theft or corruption of data by insiders during the prior 12 months, with media and technology organizations reporting the highest rate (77 percent). This insider risk will continue to be an issue, with security professionals’ concerns over insider theft of corporate information alone rising by nearly two-thirds over the coming 12 to 18 months. Additionally, the research shows that a budget shortage for hiring cybersecurity talent and well-trained employees is hindering the ability of organizations to properly defend themselves against these attacks.
 
The survey, “The State of Cybersecurity and Digital Trust 2016’”, was conducted by HfS Research on behalf of Accenture. More than 200 C-level security executives and other IT professionals were polled across a range of geographies and vertical industry sectors. The survey examined the current and future state of cybersecurity within the enterprise and the recommended steps to enable digital trust throughout the extended ecosystem. The findings indicate that there are significant gaps between talent supply and demand, a disconnect between security teams and management expectations, and considerable disparity between budget needs and actual budget realities.
 
“Our research paints a sobering picture. Security leaders believe threats are not going away, in fact they expect them to increase and hinder their ability to safeguard critical data and establish digital trust,” said Kelly Bissell, senior managing director, Accenture Security. “At the same time, while organizations want to invest in advanced cyber technologies, they simply don’t have enough budget to recruit or train skilled people to use that technology effectively. To better manage this security problem, businesses will need to work in tandem with the extended enterprise ecosystem – business units, partners, providers and end users – to create an environment of digital trust.”
 
Despite having advanced technology solutions, nearly half of all respondents (48 percent) indicate they are either strongly or critically concerned about insider data theft and malware infections (42 percent) in the next 12 to 18 months. When asked about current funding and staffing levels some 42 percent of respondents said they need more budget for hiring cybersecurity professionals and for training. More than half (54 percent) of respondents also indicated that their current employees are underprepared to prevent security breaches and the numbers are only slightly better when it comes to detecting (47 percent) and responding (45 percent) to incidents.
 

The report identified five significant gaps disrupting the ability of enterprises to effectively prevent or mitigate well-organized and targeted cyber-attacks, including:

• Talent: Thirty-one percent list either lack of training or staffing budget as their single biggest inhibitor to combating attacks
• Technology: Firewalls and encryption top the list of the most important technologies to combat cyber threats, but the largest increase in deployments anticipated in the next 12 to 18 months are in the areas of cognitive computing and AI (31 percent) and data anonymization (25)
• Parity: An enterprise is only as secure as its least secure partner, yet only 35-57 percent of all enterprises said they assess ecosystem partners for cyber integrity and preparedness, with BPO partners being the least vetted and credit partners being the most vetted
• Budget: Seventy percent cite a lack of, or inadequate, funding for either cybersecurity technology or security talent, including training
• Management: While 54 percent of respondents agree or strongly agree that cybersecurity is an enabler of digital trust for consumers, 36 percent believe that their executive management considers cybersecurity an unnecessary cost

 “While the gaps we identified can be overcome, they do collectively underscore the need for an inherently different approach, one that includes more robust risk management measures and the development of digital trust,” said Fred McClimans, research vice president, Digital Trust and Cybersecurity, HfS Research. “There is an important opportunity to address these gaps by rethinking how digital trust and security can be holistically woven into the enterprise fabric through the integration of automation and AI solutions as well as through business partnerships and processes.”

GoAir’s Offers Monsoon Air Package Across India Starting Rs 849

GoAir, one of India’s leading airlines, has announced their limited period Monsoon and more offer across its network. Base fare during the offer period starts at Rs 849 (excluding taxes) for travelers that book flights between June 29 to July 2 for the travel period between July 1 to September 30, 2016..

Apart from the discounted ticket prices, GoAir has also rolled out many exciting offers on bookings. Travelers can avail 60% discount on pre-booking meals through all sales channels. Flyers who opt for using PayTM wallet will get an additional 10% cash back (up to Rs 500). Bookings done through the website, www.GoAir.in become eligible to get Rs 200 Café Coffee Day vouchers. GoAir has launched this unique offer as part of its constant endeavor to make air travel affordable and exciting for customers.

The offer can be availed through the company website, www.GoAir.in or online travel portals, GoAir Call Centre, airport ticketing offices, through travel agents, and the GoAir App that is available on both Apple iOS and Google Android. Passengers will be required to download the latest version of the Apps to be able to make the bookings.

Crayon Software Appointed Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider Program in India

Microsoft has announced the appointment of Crayon Software Experts India Pvt Ltd (Crayon) as a Cloud Distribution Partner under its Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) Program in India. As part of this program, Crayon will help its customers (both - SMBs and Enterprise) in India to adopt Microsoft’s cloud based technology solutions like Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Office 365, Windows Intune and Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) subscriptions. Crayon will also work with Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Telecommunications Providers (Telcos) and Web Hosting firms to deliver these solutions to customers in India.

Cloud Solution Providers are partners who build solutions leveraging Microsoft cloud for customers across the country on a pay-as-you-go model. The CSP Program enables Customers to adopt value-added solutions and offerings supporting their specific requirements on the cloud. Customer’s working with Crayon, can customize their IT requirements by leveraging its deep experience in cloud migration, software asset management and delivery of fully managed services. Crayon will also own the complete customer life cycle, combined and customized solutions, while directly provisioning and supporting Microsoft cloud offerings for their customers.

Vikas Bhonsle, CEO -  Crayon explains “We are thrilled about the opportunity to support the growth of our partners and customer’s, through the adoption of this technology. The combination of Microsoft’s cloud offerings and Crayon’s reach across India, provides customers with enterprise grade cloud solutions while maintaining the flexibility and scalability to suit their business needs. Crayon being a leading CSP player globally, allows our Customer’s to leverage our deep proven expertise.”

Manohar Hotchandani, Director – Business Development, Microsoft India says “We are pleased to welcome Crayon to our list of elite partners in the Microsoft Cloud Services Program in India. Accelerating cloud adoption amongst SMBs, Crayon’s capabilities will offer customers greater technical edge with enterprise-grade technology and fully managed services delivered from the Microsoft Cloud. Crayon’s rich experience in software asset management and associated consulting services will further help build the confidence within customers to choose a single-window IT-partner for all their cloud requirements.”

Microsoft launched the Cloud Solutions Partner program for India in 2015. Some other Microsoft CSPs in India include Redington India and Ingram Micro.

Corsair’s New Range of Magnetic Levitation Technology Fans Offer High Airflow and Low Ultra-Low Friction

Corsair, a leading in high-performance PC hardware, today announced the launch of ML PRO and ML PRO LED 120 and 140mm Fans in India. These fans include an entirely different range of bearings which will change the way PC enthusiast's expectation from a high-performance cooling fan.

"This is one of the most exciting products we've created in recent time. ML PRO fans use magnetic levitation technology to offer low noise, high performance and longer lifespan for PC enthusiasts to build better gaming rigs. Controlled by PWM, these fans that allow precision control of spin rates of over 2,000rpm to maximize airflow and reduce noise according to the situation. Loaded with Anti-vibration rubber dampers, hub-mounted LEDs, unique lighting impeller and color matched corner caps to complete color themes, these RGB LED fans help PC modders to keep their rig alive and running as great as day one." Said M A Mannan, Country Manager at Corsair.

Harnessing the patented Magnetic Levitation bearing technology and custom rotor designs, CORSAIR ML PRO fans offer both high static pressure and high air flow, with an ultra-low friction magnetic bearing that simultaneously generates lower noise and provides higher performance. Offered exclusively with PWM speed control over a huge 2,000 RPM range, CORSAIR ML PRO fans mean users don't have to choose between low-noise and high performance; one fan can deliver both silence and absolute performance. These fans are customizable with swappable color coordinated corners and are available in both 120mm and 140mm models.  The ML PRO LED version, adds an integrated lighting into the fan's hub, radiating light out through the frosted translucent blades for a vivid, striking look.

Price, Warranty and Availability:

ML PRO 120mm comes with the MRP of Rs.1899 and the product is available from Aug 2016 carrying a warranty of 5 years.

ML PRO 140mm comes with the MRP of Rs. 2399 and the product is available from Aug 2016 carrying a warranty of 5 years.

ML PRO LED 120mm comes with the MRP of Rs. 2199 and the product is available from Aug 2016 carrying a warranty of 5 years.

ML PRO LED 140mm comes with the MRP of Rs. 2699 and the product is available from Aug 2016 carrying a warranty of 5 years.