PwC India & Microsoft India Partner to Empower India’s Digital Transformation

PwC India and Microsoft India have formed a strategic alliance that will help industry harness some of the core competencies of both firms. This strategic partnership between Microsoft and PwC will empower the digital transformation of large and mid-sized organizations in India by leveraging Microsoft’s technology expertise and PwC’s strategy capabilities across sectors and competencies, including taxation, smart cities and digital India programs.

PwC has also joined Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) Program which will enable them to provide their advisory and other solutions at scale, securely to all their customers .

Speaking about the association, Deepak Kapoor, Chairman, PwC India network of entities,said, “Our alliance of going to the market together is a step towards helping corporates in their technology enabled strategic transformation. For this, PwC will bring in its global expertise across industries and its strategy through execution capabilities to complement Microsoft's technological capabilities.”

Talking about the association, Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India, said, “We are excited to partner with PwC. They will be the first Advisory company who will be part of the Microsoft Cloud Services Program in India. Organisations and communities in India recognise the transformative power of technology and see it as an enabler to amplify the change that we all seek. The combination of Microsoft’s cloud offerings and PwC’s reach across India, will accelerate cloud adoption in India and enable the digital transformation of businesses.”

To begin with, Microsoft’s productivity, personal computing solutions and intelligent cloud computing platforms would be complemented by PwC’s expertise across Strategy & Management Consulting, Digital Transformation, Technology Consulting, Big Data & Analytics, Cyber Security, Tax solutions and Compliance.

Sudhir Singh Dungarpur, Advisory TICE Leader, PwC India said, “PwC and Microsoft have been working together for several years in various sectors and technology areas. This agreement is natural extension of this partnership, where we join hands to help the industry realise their Digital vision.”

PwC will extend Microsoft’s outreach to organisations of all sizes and across many industries - Financial Services (Banking & Insurance), Government & Public Sector, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods and Durables, Retail / eCommerce, Healthcare and Pharma-  to help start their cloud and digital journey.

PwC India’s New Digital Experience Centre to Accelerate Digital Innovation and Transformation

PwC India has launched its Digital Experience Centre (DEC) in Bengaluru. This experience centre provides a unique ecosystem combining the best of industry knowledge, experience in business transformation and creative imagination fuelled by people with diverse skill sets. The DEC enables rapid and scalable prototyping which can be tested and deployed to clients within a few days versus the standard industry norm of few months. Thereby bringing in efficiency in terms of time, investment and opportunity cost. 

PwC’s Digital Accelerator, DEC brings digital transformation from strategy and innovation through to execution by:

·         Helping organisations innovate, identify and move into whitespaces

·         Maximising business value by developing and executing result oriented strategies

·         Creating superior user experiences by understanding and empathising with their needs

·         Providing technology solutions that are scalable and reliable

·         Analysing, benchmarking and developing realistic future roadmap

·         Optimising marketing channels and identifying new growth opportunities for clients

Recently, PwC’s Seventh Digital IQ Survey 2016 revealed that the Indian companies are shifting their focus towards digital investments. Over 50% of Indian enterprises report spending between 11-20% of their revenues on digital investments. This is higher than the global average of 44% of enterprises . This DEC is a step forward to help organisations be future ready especially at a time when clients are looking at ways to create superior user engagements and take their innovative ideas to the market quickly and in a scalable way.  

Ashootosh Chand, Partner - Digital Change, PwC India said, “Digital technologies are impacting industries and businesses alike, with disruption becoming a norm. Enterprises are looking for solutions that will maximise their business value, help them identify missed opportunities and enhance their marketing efforts with direct impact on their goals. The DEC is aimed at providing clients with a periscope to look beyond the current trends and prepare for the future in a more informed environment.”

Symantec & AirWatch Deliver Integrated Approach to Mobile Threats Defense

Today at Connect 2016, Symantec a global leader in cyber security, and VMware, global leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, announced the development of a strategic partnership to bring together endpoint management and threat security where Symantec joins the VMware Mobile Security Alliance.

Effective cyber security requires understanding and leveraging the latest in information intelligence, machine learning, behavior analysis, zero-day threats and big data. It is crucial to bring this type of intelligence into mobile security as devices and apps have increasingly become the target for cyber attacks ranging from malware to ransomware.

In the 2016 Internet Security Threat Report, Symantec reported that new mobile vulnerabilities increased by 214 percent in 2015. This validates the need to complement threat intelligence with comprehensive endpoint management to achieve end-to-end security from the device to inside the data center.

To address the challenges of increased vulnerabilities, Symantec and VMware plan to integrate their cyber security and endpoint management technologies. Symantec and VMware will be working to enable organizations to have the ability to leverage advanced machine learning techniques through Symantec’s Global Intelligence Network with integrated identity management and unified endpoint management via the VMware AirWatch compliance engine.Symantec and VMware look forward to this unique partnership that will merge cutting edge threat intelligence with industry leading enterprise mobility management.

 “By collaborating with VMware, we will work to deliver integrated solutions that include the best in security from Symantec with the best in management from VMware,” said Sean Doherty, vice president of Technology Partnerships and Alliances at Symantec. “When you combine threat and information protection technologies with a platform that provides access to device and application heath with the ability to remediate threats across a wide range of devices and operating systems, the outcome is incredibly powerful for our mutual customers. This partnership with VMware will be an opportunity for both companies to drive innovation in threat management.”

“Customers moving toward the digital workspace model are increasingly conscious of their device health and posture, and it is crucial that devices accessing corporate data are secure,” said Blake Brannon, vice president, Product Marketing, End-User Computing, VMware. “It is our role in the security and mobility industry to monitor for unusual or risky behavior and take action against those devices, to protect our customers well before a threat ensues. Our partnership with Symantec will be focused on addressing these needs and will offer mutual customers a validated and integrated approach to managing both device security and remediation across their mobile deployments.”

Manufacturing, Automotive & Logistics to Drive U$15 Billion IOT Market in India by 2020

Focusing on the rise and evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) across industries in India, the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has kick-started the 8^thedition of NASSCOM Design and Engineering Summit at The Leela Palace, Bengaluru. The two-day event focusing on the theme of, 'Imagineering for the Digital Future' analyses the role that IoT will play in creating digital utilities especially in the areas of design and engineering that will drive the growth of future technologies in the country. 

Expressing his thoughts on the upturn of applied IoT in India, Kevin Ashton, Inventor of the Internet of Things and Author, mentioned that, “ÏoT has started being incorporated into both consumer and industrial applications being utilized in critical verticals like Healthcare, Automotive and Manufacturing. The ecosystem is rapidly expanding, owing to demand for both Industrial and Consumer IoT applications and is set to be a critical part of the next level of growth for the IT industry.”

On the side-lines of the summit, NASSCOM in collaboration with Deloitte also launched a report on ‘IoT – Revolution in the Making’. The report lays emphasis on the growth of Internet of Things, as not just creating consumer solutions but also adding value in industrial applications. Reiterating the need for innovative solutions, the report states that the IoT segment is expected to grow across industries, with Utilities, Manufacturing, Automotive and Transportation & Logistics providing greater opportunities for development, compared to other sectors.

Speaking of the focus of IoT in the Design and Engineering industry R Chandrasekhar, President, NASSCOM, said,”IoT as a concept has seen vested interests from across industries globally and is set to become a major differentiator in driving the next generation of services and products. In India, while the industry is at a nascent stage industrial applications of IoT primarily in manufacturing, automotive and transportation & logistics are expected to drive IoT revenues by 2020.”

n-gage Messenger Rewards Indian Users with Equity & Loyalty Points

By Manu Sharma

n-gage, a leading private messenger app in India, after having gained more than 8 lakhs of downloads is now launching a program to reward its users. The company is now poised to give away 250 million shares worth of equity to its global users. What’s more, India is the first out of 50 countries to be allocated with equity for its Indian users.

Indian users will get over 60 million shares worth of equity in n-gage.  The first one million founding Indian users to register onto n-gage, will automatically be credited 20 N-Gage Loyalty Points (NLP), equivalent to 20 shares in n-gage, and become partners in a business that they have helped grow.

n-gage has issued 1111 million shares out of which 250 million shares has been reserved for the benefit of its users. These shares are owned by Wemet Loyalty Company, a sister company of n-gage, which is governed by an independent board of directors. n-gage has agreed with Wemet Loyalty Company that n-gage users will be able to exchange their N-gage Loyalty Points, for either n-gage shares, or its value when n-gage is sold, or publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange which it plans to do end of 2020.

n-gage users, or rather the Champions will be able to earn more N-Gage Loyalty Points when they get their friends and family to use the app. Further details can be found in the rewards part of the n-gage app. Each n-gage loyalty point can be exchanged at an appropriate time with either one n-gage share or its cash equivalent.

Speaking on the occasion Ajit Patel, CEO and Founder of n-gage said, “We firmly believe that it is the users who make any app successful. These users normally get no more than the use of the product for their contribution.  With the N-Gage Champions Program, we want our users to partner in our growth and share in the success. The program aims to reward users for their trust and love of n-gage.”

n-gage Messenger Crossed I.4 Million Users

Today, messaging apps are everywhere. According to Harvard Business Review, 6 out of 10 global apps are messaging applications used by 1.4 billion people around the world. What’s more astonishing is that this figure is growing by 12% every year.¹ But where would these messaging applications be without its 1.4 billion users?

We often hear the success of messenger apps such as, WhatsApp, WeChat and Hike gaining a large user base and subsequent popularity. However, the point that is often taken for granted is the users contribution to the success of these messaging apps.  Aside from being able to send messages, what other benefits do these users receive?

Here is an app that is about to add another first to its name. n-gage, the most private messenger, which was launched in January this year has already gained more than 8 lakhs of downloads and is now launching a program to reward its users. n-gage is now poised to give away 250 million shares worth of Equity* to its global users. What’s more, India is the first out of 50 countries to be allocated with Equity for its Indian users.

In addition to benefitting from this exciting reward, users will be able to safeguard their messages and content from being abused by receivers or prying eyes.  With more than 15 unique privacy features dedicated to helping them keep their messages private, they will be able to take back messages they have sent by accident from the receiver’s end with Extract. For complete control, Stop Screenshot or Stop Copy/Share/Forward, prevents users’ contacts from taking screenshots of conversations, or stops them from copying, sharing or forwarding certain messages to other people. As all messages are end to end encrypted, users will now be able to understand the benefit of seeing encryption live on their device with Scramble, a feature that pixelates images, and jumble text.

As each privacy feature has been developed to suit the individual’s needs, even when the user loses his/ her phone, they will be able to erase all their n-gage data remotely with Burn. What’s more, users will be able to transfer their important media images and documents into Safe Gallery, a hidden area which is password protected.

With messaging apps remaining on trend because of its users, now is the chance to grab the opportunity and become a partner and share in its success. n-gage, the most Private and Rewarding messenger is available to download now on Android and iOS across the globe. 

Jacqueline White New Chief Customer Officer at Persistent Systems

Persistent Systems has announced that Jacqueline White has joined the company as Chief Customer Officer. In this newly created role, White is responsible for all aspects of customer satisfaction and success. She will strengthen the company’s partner ecosystem to focus on the “how” of digital for customers, and spearhead new offerings and market-facing strategies that position Persistent as their strategic partner for digital transformation.

White brings over 25 years of experience of consulting services, and enterprise software experience.  Most recently she served as SAP’s SVP of Global Financial Services Consulting and was a Managing Director at Accenture leading a national team across 17 sub-industries.

Persistent Systems Founder and CEO, Anand Deshpande says “Jacque brings success from a broad spectrum of organizations and roles that ideally mapsto our vision for our future. The Persistent brand is strengthening. The value of our product development and technology DNA completely distinguishes us in this new software-driven world. Jacque and her strong experience will lead our customers in their transformation into a software-driven business, and strengthen our partner ecosystem to support our growth strategies.”

Jacqueline White, Chief Customer Officer at Persistent Systems says, “We are at an inflection point in business and technology that we often only recognize in retrospect. This is an opportunity to lead it, to forge a new way of doing things that is fundamentally changing both technology and business. As the world becomes software-driven, it’s clear that Persistent combines the vision, products, alliances and services required to be the leader in the how of digital transformation.”

Big Data Is Up but Fewer Organizations Plan to Invest, Gartner Report

Big data investments continue to rise but are showing signs of contracting, according to a recent survey by Gartner, Inc. The survey revealed that 48 percent of companies have invested in big data in 2016, up 3 percent from 2015. However, those who plan to invest in big data within the next two years fell from 31 to 25 percent in 2016.

The online survey was conducted in June 2016 among Gartner Research Circle members. In total, 199 members participated and shared their investment plans.

"Investment in big data is up, but the survey is showing signs of slowing growth with fewer companies having a future intent to invest," said Nick Heudecker, research director at Gartner. "The big issue is not so much big data itself, but rather how it is used. While organizations have understood that big data is not just about a specific technology, they need to avoid thinking about big data as a separate effort."

Big data is a collection of different data management technologies and practices that support multiple analytics use cases. Organizations are moving from vague notions of data and analytics to specific business problems that data can address. "Its success depends on a holistic strategy around business outcomes, skilled personnel, data and infrastructure," added Mr. Heudecker.

Getting Big Data Projects to Production Is a Challenge

While nearly three quarters of respondents said that their organisation has invested or is planning to invest in big data, many remain stuck at the pilot stage. Only 15 percent of businesses reported deploying their big data project to production, effectively unchanged from last year (14 percent).

"One explanation for this is that big data projects appear to be receiving less spending priority than competing IT initiatives," said Heudecker. Only 11 percent of respondents from organisations that have already invested in big data reported that their big data investments were as important, or more important, than other IT initiatives, while 46 percent stated that they were less important.

 "This could be due to the fact that many big data projects don't have a tangible return on investment (ROI) that can be determined upfront," added Heudecker. "Another reason could be that the big data initiative is a part of a larger funded initiative. This will become more common as the term "big data" fades away, and dealing with larger datasets and multiple data types continues to be the norm."

 A further factor to consider is the lack of effective business leadership or involvement in data initiatives. Too often, pilots and experiments are built with ad-hoc technologies and infrastructure that are not created with production-level reliability in mind.

 "When it comes to big data, many organisations are still finding themselves at the crafting stage," said Jim Hare, research director at Gartner. "Industrialization — and the performance and stability guarantees that come with it — have yet to penetrate big data thinking."