Shop from Over 1,00,000 Used Online Books Store Now on Amazon.in

Amazon.in, a leading online store has launched a dedicated ‘used’ books store (http://www.amazon.in/used/books) with over 1,00,000 offers  across genres such as literature, romance, biography and textbooks . With the launch of a dedicated used books store, Amazon.in now becomes a one-stop destination for customers to buy new as well as used books at attractive price points and enjoy fast and reliable delivery.

 Over the last 3 years Amazon.in has seen phenomenal growth and with more than 20X books sold per day since their launch in the books category. Amazon is now India’s largest book store with millions of titles and over 9400 sellers on the platform selling books.

 “We are excited to launch a dedicated used books store for customers on Amazon.in. Over the years, we have witnessed a growing demand for books from customers and our constant effort has been to bring them more buying choices. With this launch, reading enthusiasts across the country can now buy used books with the same ease and convenience as buying new books,” says Noor Patel, Director Category Management, Amazon India.

The books on the Amazon Used Books store come from sellers on Amazon who have undertaken to list and sell only genuine products- similar to any other seller on Amazon. Used books are graded by sellers as Used-Like New, Used-Good and Used-Acceptable based on their condition.  This information is visible to every customer at the time of purchase.  As a launch offer, customers who purchase used books for over Rs.399 from the same seller are offered free shipping. This experience is available both on the Amazon.in website and the Amazon mobile shopping app Customers benefit from a safe and secure ordering experience, convenient electronic payments, Cash on Delivery, Amazon’s 24x7 customer service support, and a globally recognized and comprehensive 100% purchase protection. 

Seagate Brings Out Two Flash Products for the Indian Enterprise Sector

Seagate Technology plc has announced at the Flash Memory Summit conference two new flash innovations that extend the limits of storage computing performance in enterprise data centers to unprecedented levels. The new products include a 60 terabyte (TB) Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) solid-state-drive (SSD) — the largest SSD ever demonstrated — and the 8TB Nytro XP7200 NVMe SSD. These two new products represent the high performance end of Seagate’s Enterprise portfolio – a complete ecosystem of HDD, SSD and storage system products designed to help customers manage the deluge of data they face and move the right data where it’s needed fast to meet rapidly evolving business priorities and market demands.

The 60TB SAS SSD and 8TB Nytro XP7200 NVMe SSD are the newest additions to Seagate’s data center portfolio and are designed to help enterprise IT leaders obtain more value from the rapidly expanding amount of data they must contend with, even under the most demanding application requirements. The 60TB SAS SSD features twice the density and four times the capacity of the next highest-capacity SSD available today — equivalent to the capacity needed to accommodate 400 million photos on a typical social media platform, or 12,000 DVD movies. This single controller architecture also delivers the lowest cost per gigabyte for flash available today.

The 60TB SAS SSD also simplifies the configuration process of accommodating “hot” and “cold” data, enabling data centers to use the same enterprise HDD 3.5 inch storage form factor. This eliminates the added step of separating out different types of data for near-term availability versus long-term storage — largely based on estimations or best-guesses of future data usage. Instead, data centers can rely on an SSD that helps address their need to quickly accommodate and ensure accessibility of ever-increasing large amounts of data without having to add additional servers or incorporate additional management steps. And, because of the drive’s flexible architecture, it also provides a pathway for data centers to easily grow from the current 60TB capacity to accommodate 100TB of data or more in the future — and all in the same form factor.

Similarly, the 8TB Nytro XP7200 NVMe SSD can accommodate the hyperscale needs of today’s data centers seeking to easily grow with their data without losing the ability to quickly access and process it — a scenario commonly seen in applications involving high performance computing, scale-out databases and big data analytics, such as scientific research and weather modeling. It features a single PCIe interface for high-speed data transfers and four separate controllers, providing processing power up to four times faster than comparable drives, but without the higher cost, power levels and latency required from a PCIe switch or bridge. Applications can process more transactions faster using the industry’s highest bandwidth through one PCIe slot, and without having to invest in more hardware. Additionally, the technology easily integrates into all-flash system arrays.

“AccelStor’s core focus is on providing all-flash arrays that offer tremendous performance and reliability to meet the demands of the fast-growing cloud and enterprise markets. Critical to achieving this, though, is having the right building blocks — including exacting solid-state engineering and software innovation,” said Dr. Charles Tsai, president of AccelStor, Inc. “AccelStor works with Seagate Technology to seamlessly integrate our state-of-the-art FlexiRemap software technology with Seagate Nytro NVMe SSDs. The result: we’re able to translate SSD performance into complete all-flash arrays that help data centers extract the most value from their data.”

The 8TB Nytro XP7200 NVMe SSD will be available through channel partners in calendar Q4, 2016. Future availability of the 60TB SAS SSD, currently a demonstration technology, is anticipated for some time in 2017.

“The explosion of data can translate into more value for enterprises, if they have the right means to accommodate that data,” said Brett Pemble, Seagate’s general manager and vice president of SSD products. “If anything is certain, it’s the fact that across industries, the limits of data growth are boundless. Seagate is committed to staying on top of this growth and, in turn, ever-changing customer needs, and providing new and varied technologies to help customers stay ahead of the data management curve. New products like the 8TB Nytro XP7200 NVMe SSD and 60TB SAS SSD are testament to that.”

“Given the demands on today’s data centers, optimal technologies are those that can accommodate an immense amount of data as needed—and without taking up too much space. As such, we are constantly seeking new ways to provide the highest density possible in our all-flash data center configurations,” said Mike Vildibill, vice president, Advanced Technologies and Big Data, Hewlett Packard Enterprise. “Seagate’s new 60TB SAS SSD offers an exciting possibility for customers to achieve higher server storage performance and capacity configurations never seen before.”

Flash Memory Summit - Product Demos and Keynote Presentation

Seagate will demonstrate the 8TB Nytro XP7200 NVMe SSD and 60TB SAS SSD — in addition to the recently announced enterprise products including the 2TB Nytro XM1440 M.2, the Nytro 7102 PCIe AIC and the Nytro 1230 SATA SSD — in booth #505 at the Flash Memory Summit 2016conference.

Phil Brace, president of Seagate Cloud Systems and Silicon Group, will present the FMS keynote address, “Design Efficient Storage Systems with Both Flash and HDDs,” on Wednesday, Aug. 10, at 2:40 p.m. Pacific. The presentation will address the role of flash memory and hard drives in meeting the data storage and management needs of today’s data centers.  

Bentley’s Structural CONNECT Edition Applications are Now Available

Bentley Systems is pleased to announce the availability of the CONNECT Editions of the RAM and STAAD applications, providing access to CONNECT Edition cloud services and other CONNECT Edition innovations. The CONNECT Edition provides a common environment for comprehensive project delivery and connects users, projects, and enterprises.

Key new capabilities include:

 ·         Share i-models and PDF files from the desktop with others, or to stage them for easy access from a Bentley mobile app, with the Personal Sharing, a CONNECT Edition Cloud Service.

*         Enable structural field activities, including issue resolution and analytical result visualization, with the new the Structural Navigator App for the iPad and iPhone

·         Gain greater insight into project performance through Scenario Services, a CONNECT Edition Cloud Service, to allow fast and easy trade-off analysis of structural design alternatives (scenarios)

·         Comply with the latest guidelines with new design code updates and additions including new codes for Canada, South Africa, Japan, China and U.S. among others.

 Raoul Karp, Bentley vice president, Structural and Bridge Analysis, said, “Our users are asking us how they can deliver more options, innovation, and value to their clients. Our CONNECT Edition users will gain visibility into project performance and can leverage new CONNECT Edition Cloud Services that enable optioneering and collaboration. I encourage all Bentley users to ‘Get Connected’. By taking advantage of a common environment to connect users, projects, and enterprises and by leveraging cloud services, engineers can complete more complex and economical building configurations and designs faster than ever.”

Baidu Selects Qlik Sense to Drive Faster Data Collection and Analysis

Qlik, a leader in visual analytics has announced that Baidu, the world's largest Chinese search engine is using Qlik Sense to improve its cloud services platform and provide an enhanced data analytics experience to its customers. Qlik Sense will be integrated into Baidu Palo to enable self-serving visualization analytics on the Palo OLAP engine, giving Chinese enterprises the ability to achieve greater agility in aggregating data from various sources to make data driven business intelligence decisions.

By incorporating Qlik into the Palo OLAP engine, start-ups in China, especially those enterprises on Baidu Cloud now have greater support in driving data analytics among cloud or filed sources.  This enables all individuals within the organization to obtain insights in near real-time from intuitive, easy-to-use personal visual analytics dashboards and applications. In addition, Qlik Sense allows users to quickly visualize and explore data in depth, reveal associations, and derive insights to drive better business decisions.

“We are very excited to implement Qlik Sense into Palo OLAP to provide users in China with innovative self-service visual analytics,” said Yang Liu, General Manager, Baidu Open Cloud. “Qlik Sense has an open API and powerful features, and is suitable for enterprise level applications. The close cooperation and technical integration of the two companies has led to more powerful and flexible business intelligence solutions, which will greatly enhance the user experience.”

At Qonnections 2016 held in May, Qlik announced Qlik Sense Enterprise 3.0. Built on a fully integrated, simple, and intuitive visual analytics platform and powered by the patented QIX Associative Indexing Engine, Qlik Sense Enterprise 3.0 combines enterprise readiness and governance with best-in-class visualization and data preparation capabilities which shows the continuous innovation spirit of Qlik. This breadth and depth allows organizations to meet the broadest range of BI use cases from a single platform.

“With the popularity of big data, cloud computing in BI, social networks, and mobile applications in China these past few years, integrating a powerful visual analytics solution into China’s largest search engine company will only lead to greater value for businesses,” said Toni Adams, senior vice president Partners and Alliances, Qlik. “Businesses of all sizes using Baidu’s Palo OLAP will now have the ability to take their analysis to a deeper level, leading to a better understanding of their business, as well as their customers.”

Roadshow to Scout for India’s Most Energy Efficient Buildings in 7 Cities

Danfoss India, a Danish company that engineers technologies for a better tomorrow has launched a roadshow to create awareness about the need for urban efficiency and sensitise industries to adopt energy efficient practices. The roadshows are planned across 7 cities in a bid to identify and recognise the country’s most efficient commercial building and educate architects, consultants and engineers on the need for energy efficient interventions in commercial buildings. 

The roadshow is also aimed at increasing participation for Hall of Fame 2017 which is a joint initiative with Indian Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE). Hall of Fame is conceptualized to set a new benchmark to recognize excellence achieved in conserving energy by commercial buildings in the country. The coveted recognition aims to encourage energy efficiency among stakeholders and to showcase success stories in the HVAC space which have the potential to be replicated across India.

Previously, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) project received the honour of being the first organisation to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at ACREX 2016, one of India’s largest industry exhibitions.

Based on selection criteria that include Energy Performance Index, Indoor Environment Quality initiatives, Energy Saving Initiatives including Renewable Energy, Building Management System and one-year operational data, the inductee/s will be announced in February at ACREX, New Delhi.

According to reports, increasing dependence on air conditioning upsets the energy balance in Delhi. The highest consumption of electricity during the hottest months can be attributed to air conditioning, which accounts for about 28 per cent of the total monthly electricity consumption in the city. According to an estimate by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), ACs contribute almost 60 per cent of Delhi’s peak electricity demand.

“The technology needed to reduce CO2 emissions, generate savings and leverage the multiple benefits of urban efficiency already exists, but lack of awareness on these solutions in hampering implementation. We believe by using relevant technologies, cities can reduce energy consumption and accelerate low-carbon development. The aim of roadshows for Hall of Fame is to spread awareness about adoption of these technologies in different industries,” said Ravichandran Purushothaman, President, Danfoss India. “ACREX Hall of Fame recognizes cutting edge energy efficient interventions that organizations have adopted to meet their objectives, setting an example for others to replicate the same sustainable solutions,” he added.

“Selecting a benchmark HVAC project will encourage more project proponents, designers, architects and other stakeholders to come forth and utilise efficient technology in buildings. Hall of Fame will identify these technologies, practices and innovation which will lay the foundation for future design of buildings,” said Ashish Rakheja, Chairman, ACREX 2017.

Genpact & EdelGive Partner for Social Impact Fellowship

Genpact, a global leader in digitally-powered business process management and services, today announced the launch of the Genpact Social Impact Fellowship (GSIF) in partnership with EdelGive Foundation, the philanthropic division of Edelweiss Group. Designed as a one-year program to work on high-impact projects in India, Genpact has hand-picked seven fellows who will bring all their expertise in process excellence to work with NGOs for generating social impact.

“GSIF is a game-changing initiative. Our objective is to build lasting social organizations that can scale in the communities we are part of globally. Creating sustainable social impact has always been our focus. We bring our areas of strength and our capabilities to these social organizations that have a great vision, mission and passion, and when leveraged with our process expertise and execution experience sets them up to scale up,” said NV ‘Tiger’ Tyagarajan, President and CEO, Genpact.

Working in the area of education with NGOs like Teach for India, Kaivalya Education Foundation and Udayan Care will be seven fellows, including a senior resource with advanced quality certification to improve process capability and help design smarter solutions. They will be deployed on projects ranging from improving instructional hours in government schools to creating blueprints for scaling up a scholarship and mentoring program for meritorious but underprivileged girls.

With mentorship from top leaders all through the journey, fellows will work on the ground to solve for the respective NGOs’ challenges and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their projects. “The ability to make a meaningful impact on the not-for-profit sector without a dent on your corporate career is what is truly special about GSIF. We have many examples at Genpact of process expertise making immense impact on companies. We’re committed to the idea of using our core competencies as an organization to make a real difference to the social sector,” said Sasha Sanyal, SVP – Strategy and Lean Digital Transformation, Genpact.

 Having received over a hundred applications from talented and passionate people belonging to various organizations, the pilot batch was put together as a collaborative exercise between Genpact and EdelGive Foundation. “Traditionally, organizations in the social sector have had to face challenges not only around funding, but also around scaling up and organization development. The Genpact Social Impact Fellowship was conceptualized to provide such much needed support by combining the philanthropic expertise of EdelGive with Genpact’s Lean Six Sigma proficiency,”said Naghma Mulla, COO, EdelGive Foundation.

 The open fellowship program invites applications from interested people from all backgrounds with a demonstrated passion for social impact. Genpact aims to develop GSIF into a successful, scalable program that can serve as a model for many other organizations wanting to make a lasting difference in the social sector.

Sriram Rajamani New MD of Microsoft’s India Research Lab

Microsoft has announced the appointment of Sriram Rajamani as the new managing director of its India lab, effective August 1, 2016. Based in Bangalore, Sriram will spearhead Microsoft India’s continued focus on world-class research, innovation and collaboration with the scientific community.  He replaces Chandu Thekkath, who previously was managing director of the lab for 02 years.

"Sriram is a renowned computer scientist with a proven research and managerial track record spanning the last 17 years in Microsoft’s research organization,” said Jeannette Wing, Corporate Vice-President, Microsoft Research Labs.  “India has one of the fastest growing and most dynamic IT industries, and it’s also a unique place in which to do cutting-edge research.  We’re excited that someone with Sriram’s experience and leadership capabilities can help advance state of the art in computer science, and develop new technologies for emerging markets” she further added.

Sriram Rajamani is a distinguished researcher, whose career has spanned various areas in computer science, ranging from hardware and software verification, and programming language design, to distributed systems, security and privacy, cloud security and probabilistic programming.

He is the co-winner of the CAV (Computer Aided Verification) 2011 award for his research in bringing formal verification of computer programs to industrial practice. The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) named him as an ACM Fellow in 2016 for his contributions to software analysis and defect detection. Previously, Sriram was the assistant managing director of Microsoft’s India research lab, which he joined in 2006.

Prior to joining the India lab, he headed the Software Productivity Tools group within Microsoft’s Redmond research lab.  He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley, a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Virginia, and a bachelor of engineering degree in computer science from Anna University College of Engineering, Guindy, in Chennai.

On assuming his new role, Sriram Rajamani said, “It is an honor to lead Microsoft’s India research lab, with its abundance of top-notch talent. I look forward to leading and expanding Microsoft’s   commitment to world-class research and innovation in India, and deepening our partnerships with our academic partners.”