With Sondex Acquisition, Danfoss Emerges Leading Player in Heat Transfer Solutions

Danfoss and Sondex have announced an agreement for Danfoss to acquire full ownership of privately-held Sondex Holding A/S, a global leader in heat transfer technologies. Sondex develops, produces and markets heat exchangers, and the company represents an ideal match to the Danfoss Heating business segment. Thus the acquisition confirms Danfoss’ strategic focus on building leading positions and accelerating profitable growth. 

“Sondex is a well-performing company with a second-to-none heat exchanger expertize, which perfectly fits our ambition to further strengthen our position within heat transfer solutions. By joining forces we are able to offer a broader, even more competitive and innovative product and service portfolio within heat transfer to the benefit of our customers”, says Niels B. Christiansen, President and CEO, Danfoss.

Combining the two businesses, Sondex and the Danfoss Heat Exchanger business, is an important lever to develop the already strong market position in district energy and HVAC, and to increase relevance within industries as marine, food and beverage, off-shore, and industrial refrigeration.

“Sondex and Danfoss both come from positions of strength and we already enjoy a strong and long-standing relationship in key areas. Now, we combine our businesses to make an even bigger impact in the markets we serve. I am very pleased about the opportunity to combine our strengths as I am confident that together we will have a very compelling and unmatched value proposition in the market”, says Aage Søndergaard Nielsen, CEO, Sondex.

Sondex is headquartered in Kolding, Denmark and employs approximately 1,200 employees worldwide. Upon regulatory approval of the transaction, the company becomes part of the Danfoss Heating business.

The parties have not disclosed the purchase price or other conditions of the transaction.

Samsung’s Galaxy On7 Pro & Galaxy On5 Pro Now Available on Amazon.in

Samsung India has announced launch of its Galaxy On Pro series of smartphones, Galaxy On7 Pro and Galaxy On5 Pro, which will be sold online through Amazon.in. Made in India, the new 4G-enabled smartphones are packed with a host of services and features which take the smartphone experience to the next level. Through these new devices, Samsung aims to cater to the growing needs of the users who are ‘always on the go’ and want to remain socially updated at all times.

Galaxy On7 Pro and On5 Pro come loaded with power-packed features such as UDS (Ultra Data Saving) mode, faster 4G booster and S bike mode, which promise to provide a differentiated experience to millennials. Consumers will also be able to enjoy a host of exclusive deals and offers with the pre-loaded My Galaxy app on the Galaxy On7 Pro and Galaxy On5 Pro. The stylish new devices are VOLTE-enabled and will come with enhanced memory, powerful battery and an enhanced selfie experience with palm gesture/ wide angle.

Manu Sharma, Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India Electronics, said, “The new devices represent young India’s need to be always connected on-the-go. Consumers want to be more productive every moment and every day, from excelling in their professional lives to being updated on social media. Both Galaxy On7 Pro and Galaxy On5 Pro are the perfect smartphones with India Innovations like UDS and S bike mode for users who want an optimal mix of style, portability and power.The new devices will enable users to seamlessly integrate their personal and professional lives.”

Noor Patel, Director Category Management, Amazon India, said, “We are happy to partner with Samsung and offer customers an exclusive access to the new Galaxy On7 Pro and Galaxy On5 Pro smartphones. Customers on Amazon.in can now enjoy shopping for these new devices with ease and convenience from across India."

Surf like a ProThe smartphones come with full 4G LTE capability that enables faster browsing and download/ upload speeds, allowing the user to do more. Coupled with the UDS mode, it ensures up to 50% mobile data savings by blocking unnecessary background applications from consuming data. It also has a proprietary data compression technology, which ensures the most cost-efficient 4G experience. The devices come with the large HD 5.5” (Galaxy On7 Pro) and HD 5” (Galaxy On5

Pro) display which are made for crystal clear clarity and comfortable viewing. Users can be assured of an engaging, effortless and enriching viewing experience.

Ride like a Pro

The new device comes with the revolutionary S bike mode, which ensures that the users can ride their two wheelers, tension free on the road while encouraging responsible riding. S bike mode’s urgent call alert system notifies callers through an automated answering machine that the user is riding and is unavailable to take calls. However, callers have the option to press ‘1’ in case the call is urgent. As a safety feature, the in-built motion lock ensures that the rider has to come to a halt before they can answer the call.

Game like a Pro

Galaxy On7 Pro and Galaxy On5 Pro is powered by a 2GB RAM and 3,000mAh battery for Galaxy On7 Pro and 2,600mAh for Galaxy On5 Pro which will enable a smooth gaming experience for longer durations. The devices offer storage space of 16GB expandable up to 128GB, to ensure consumers never run out of space.

Shoot like a Pro

Both the phones feature a powerful primary (13MP for Galaxy On7 Pro and 8MP for Galaxy On5 Pro) and secondary camera (5MP for both). The front camera can also recognize palm gestures to click selfies and is capable of clicking 120 degree wide ‘groupfies’. Users can quick-launch the camera with a double-tap for a differentiated experience to capture precious moments instantly. With 128GB expandable memory card slot, the devices will enable users to carry their favourite photos, videos and songs with them wherever they go.

Price and Availability

Galaxy On7 Pro and Galaxy On5 Pro will be available in gold and black colours and the product will go on sale on www.amazon.in from July 12, 2016 at an attractive price of Rs 11,190 and Rs 9,190, respectively.

Leading Quote-to-Cash Software Provider - Apttus - To Set Up Development Centre in Bengaluru

Apttus, the category-defining Quote-to-Cash solution provider on Salesforce1 and Microsoft Azure cloud platforms, today announced the official opening of its Bengaluru centre in India. Due to the brand’s rapid growth of its customer base and solutions offering, the Apttus India team has tripled in size over the last year, adding personnel most notably to its product engineering, sales engineering, support and professional services teams.

Apttus’ new 16,000 square feet technology centre is located at Salarpuria Touchstone Park on Outer Ring Road. The development centre is a combination of sales office and product development spaces that will be home for 200 employees and will leverage the best of HR practices that Apttus is known for.  

“The opening of our second centre in India after office in Ahmedabad, is representative of our commitment to our product and our customers,” said Jesal Mehta, GM - India of Apttus. “We’re growing our team to meet customers’ needs and attract the next generation of Apttus employees. Our Apttus India centres offer our young and dynamic team to work with global customers. Expanding our reach and capabilities in Bengaluru, will allow Apttus to continue its success in this vital market.”

With the opening of Bengaluru centre, Apttus has been also aggressively trying to enter emerging market in India for addressing the need for ‘Quote-to-Cash’ processes. With the India specific launch of Apttus QTC solutions, businesses would be able to take advantage of the world class solutions which are adopted by many of the Fortune 500 companies globally.

Quote-to-Cash connects a customer’s intent to buy with a company’s realization of revenue, and encompasses the entire sales, contract, and customer relationship lifecycles. Because Quote-to-Cash is at the heart of every company’s ability to drive revenue and manage risk, it is arguably the most important process for businesses to master and could be a game changer for the organizations to compete better.

50 MW Order from Atria Power for Inox Wind Scheduled to be Commissioned by March 2017

Inox Wind Limited, India’s leading wind energy solutions provider, has bagged an order for a 50 MW wind power project to be deployed in the state of Gujarat from Atria Wind Power.  Atria Wind Power is a part of the Atria Group which enjoys significant presence across a gamut of industries.  

The project is scheduled to be commissioned by March 2017 and will be executed on turnkey basis.  The order comprises of supply and installation of 25 units of Inox Wind’s pioneering 113 meter rotor diameter turbine combined with the 120 meter hub height tower.  The combination of Inox Wind’s presently most technologically advanced wind turbine variant together with the higher hub height makes it an outstanding choice to maximise wind resources at the site.    

As part of the turnkey order, Inox Wind will provide Atria with end to end solutions from development and construction to commissioning and providing long term operations and maintenance services. 

Inox Wind offers its clients total wind power 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.

    

We are pleased to further build on the success of Inox’s 2 MW platform in India and expand our portfolio of projects in the state of Gujarat. The 113 m rotor dia turbine together with the 120 m hub height tower minimizes the cost of energy and further strengthens the company’s competitive position as the fastest growing wind energy solutions provider in the country.” said Kailash Tarachandani, Chief Executive Officer of Inox Wind Limited in his statement. 

Google Ties up with Universities to Unveil Skills Course for 2 Million Android Developers

Tech giant Google launched Android Skilling and Certification programme in India, aiming to train two million developers in next three years.

Android dominates Indian market, with over 90% phones sold in the country powered by the Google's operating system. Google wants to ensure that enough developers are building apps for millions of Android users in India.

The Android Developer Fundamentals course, a specially-designed instructor-led training programme, will be made available across public and private universities and training institutes of the National Skill Development Corporation of India.

"India is expected to have the largest developer population globally, overtaking the US, by 2018, with four million developers. But at present only 25% of developers are building for mobile," Google Vice President Product Management said Caesar Sengupta.

Google Head of Developer Training, Peter Lubbers, said the training is available for both students as well as mid-career developers, he added.

The in-person training module integrated into the course curriculum will be introduced within this calendar year by these partners.

Lubbers said Google has partnered with universities for its initiative. It has also partnered training organisations like Edureka, Koenig, Manipal Global, Simplilearn, Udacity and UpGrad, who will operate as Authorised Android Training Partners in India.

"We are also training the trainers to update their Android courseware to prepare students for the Android Certification and a career in Android development... We expect to train about 4,000 faculty members," said Lubbers.

HDFC Red Platform Help Customers Identify their Real Estate Preferences on Desktops & Smartphones

HDFC RED, a home search and discovery portal by HDFC Ltd, has launched its new platform, both on desktop and smartphones, with an ambition to become the preferred ‘Real Estate Destination’ and transform a home seeker’s online and offline experience. The all new HDFC RED unifies its unparalleled domain expertise, data sciences, other related technology and the home seekers ‘real’ preferences to provide unbiased guidance through the journey of finding their kind of place.

The HDFC RED platform now hosts the ‘Priority Search’, a well-researched and logically crafted tool that compels home seekers to prioritize their preferences. This action leads the users to view properties in an order indicating the extent of relevance, with results personalized to each user. Each property has a relevance score and feedback mechanism, which is tailored as per the priorities identified by the home seeker. The Priority Search thereby helps home seekers to discover their preferred homes faster & with significant ease. The gamified interface and the card design architecture further aid the user in receiving seemingly complex information in a much more simplified way, while offering an immersive and an interactive experience.

Speaking at the launch of the platform on desktop and smartphones, Renu Sud Karnad, Managing Director, HDFC Ltd, said, "Our consumer behavior research of online homebuyers revealed that most of them end up being buried under heaps of information within minutes of their search and despite the large pool of properties presented to them, more often than not, the options do not come close to fulfilling the criteria of a ‘dream’ home, resulting in unsatisfactory experiences. In order to ensure our users an added level of immersion, we elevated our offering by adding meaningful technological innovations and design to the core of our application. 

Innovation is crucial to simplify the complex in real estate, and we believe that progressive technology applications introduced along with streamlined design will ensure a hassle-free experience to our users. With a fresh outlook, HDFC RED aims to give home buyers complete and unbiased guidance that helps them take informed decisions.”     

SYNNEX & Minacs Group to Integrate with Concentrix for IoT Solutions

SYNNEX Corporation and Minacs have announced a definitive agreement in which SYNNEX will acquire Minacs and integrate it into its Concentrix business segment. The purchase price is approximately $420 million subject to closing adjustments.

This transaction is intended to strengthen domain expertise in Concentrix’ automotive industry vertical and accelerate Marketing Optimization and IoT solutions with Minacs’ proprietary technology. The transaction also provides Concentrix more scale and reach to further serve its client base. As a result, Concentrix is expected to strengthen its competitive advantages in the marketplace.

“We believe this acquisition will enhance Concentrix’ position as global leader in business services,” stated Kevin Murai, CEO and President of SYNNEX Corp.  “This strategic investment is expected to create even greater scale and a more compelling value proposition for our clients and shareholders. This transaction is also in line with our stated goals of margin expansion and diversification of our revenue.”

“Minacs has been able to establish itself as a high value unique player in Business Services. Their investments in IoT and Marketing Optimization stand out as solutions with growing market demand, which we believe we will be able to leverage across our combined client base,” said Chris Caldwell, President of Concentrix. “This acquisition is intended to increase our speed to market of these solutions and provide us new opportunities for expansion.”

Anil Bhalla, CEO of Minacs, will stay with the combined company and join Concentrix’ senior executive staff.  “I am confident that the combination of our capabilities will present an even more compelling value proposition to the marketplace,” Bhalla said.  “Across industries, clients can expect our shared vision and strategic scale to help them solve bigger, more complex business challenges.”

It is anticipated that the transaction will close in late Q3 2016, subject to the satisfaction of regulatory requirements and customary closing conditions. Until the transaction is completed, the companies will continue to operate independently.