Now ACT Internet Speeds Upto 5x in 6 Months at No Extra Costs

ACT Fibernet, India’s largest non-telco ISP and 3rd largest ISP (internet service provider), has announced upgradation of its existing internet plans for customers in the city of Hyderabad.  

At a similar upgrade in October 2016, ACT Fibernet had increased its entry level plan A-Max 410 from 1 Mbps to 2 mbps and is now taking it to a new level of 5 mbps with an exceptional download and upload limits of 60 GB each, making it the only internet package in the market to be offered at such a phenomenal value.

Likewise, A-Max 650 has been upgraded to 25Mbps versus its previous offerings of 10Mbps with new upload and download FUP of 100 GB at no extra costs. A-Max 1050 is being upgraded to 60 Mbps from speeds of 40Mbps with new upload and download FUP of 200 GB again at no extra costs.

With over 70 per cent market share in Hyderabad, ACT Fibernet is Hyderabad’s largest and favoured internet service provider that bring the best internet plans coupled with incredible speed and reliability to its customers. The new offerings will enable access to high speed and uninterrupted internet services to meet entertainment, business and utility services requirements.

Speaking on the newly introduced plans,  Bala Malladi, CEO, Atria Convergence Technologies Pvt Ltd commented, “In Line with our philosophy of offering exceptional speeds and download limits that empower our customers – we are upgrading our plans to offer the best speeds and FUP limits at exceptional value to our customers. With the ultimate objective of liberating our customers from speed and data inhibitions, our new plans will open a whole new world of possibilities such as HD and 4K movie downloads.“

Ducati Corse Races Ahead of the Pack with Accenture and Machine Learning

Ducati Corse, the racing department of Ducati Motor Holding, a world leader in sports motorcycle manufacturing, is working with Accenture to integrate Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence technologies into the testing of its MotoGP racing bikes.

Ducati Corse wants to make testing its race bikes faster, cheaper and more effective. Accenture Analytics, already Official Digital Partner to the Ducati Team racing in the MotoGP World Championship, has lately been working with them to create an intelligent testing approach with a bespoke analytics engine. Integrated Machine Learning technologies mean that the more data that enters the system, the more configurations are available for testing with increasingly accurate performance predictions. Data visualization tools designed for an intuitive user experience will allow testing engineers to interact with insights, tweaking them at any point to create a new perspective on configurations and race times. This will provide more results from fewer on-track testing sessions, saving the time, money and effort previously required for testing, and creating bikes that become smarter with every test run.

“There are 18 MotoGP tracks, and to make sure our bikes perform to their limit, we need to test as many configurations and scenarios as possible,” said Luigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager. “So far, we’ve seen excellent results in the lab with the Accenture solution. The ability to use existing and new testing data will help us choose the optimal configuration for our bikes. This innovative tool will make our testing a more intelligent process, helping us get the best performance from our bikes, whatever the weather or the track.”

Using data from up to 100 IoT sensors on the bikes and existing testing data, the Accenture solution will allow team engineers to create new perspectives by simulating and assessing bike performance under a range of conditions. By applying advanced analytics and machine learning techniques, simulated results based on data from previous tests run on real-world tracks will allow engineers to learn from and act on the data to optimize bike configurations for any MotoGP race. All of this intelligence is delivered at new speeds through an intuitive dashboard, enabling new dialogues and collaboration across the team. More potential configurations than ever before can then be tested, maximizing the benefits of on-track testing and gaining competitive advantage for race day.

“With this solution, Ducati Corse can operate an intelligent testing program to help deliver better race results,” said Marco Vernocchi, EALA Lead of Accenture Analytics, part of Accenture Digital. “By simulating and monitoring a motorbike’s performance under a vast array of track and weather conditions, we’ve been able to apply machine learning integrated with IoT sensor data, to help minimize the time, expense and effort of traditional on-track testing. Ultimately, we hope this innovative solution will help the Ducati Team stay ahead in every race they compete in.”

To date, around 4,000 sectors of race tracks and more than 30 different racing scenarios have been analysed, with a wider roll-out of the solution expected. In testing, data such as engine running parameters, speed, revs and tyre and brake temperatures are collected, and the Ducati Team will use this to plan, prepare and test for MotoGP races.

Marcello Tamietti, Connected Transport lead in Accenture Digital’s IoT practice, noted: “Early results of this solution are extremely promising. The power of collating data from the bikes and earlier races allows us to compute several potential outcomes per setting, starting a new dialogue about how to get the smartest, fastest bike on the track. Test engineers can use real insight to alter bike configurations according to conditions, which could transform the way the Ducati Team operates its entire testing apparatus, adding new value to on-track, intelligent testing.”

Seclore’s New ERM Solution Release Adds Data-Centric Security Solutions

Seclore, the leader in Enterprise Rights Management (ERM), has announced the latest release of its flagship data-centric security solution. New capabilities offered provide a more seamless experience for both the sender andrecipient.

The most impactful update in the new release is the ability to edit protected documents natively in Mac. Seclore for Mac 2.0 packs in powerful new features which make the enterprise even more secure and compliant – while reducing the burden on both IT and end users. The skyrocketing number of enterprise Mac users are now empowered with the same level of data-centric security as their Windows counterparts.

“Existing Seclore users that use the Mac platform will now be empowered to do much more than just apply rights and view protected files. They can now open, edit, save, and print protected Office documents in their native Office 2016 apps running on Mac,” statedAbhijit Tannu, CTO at Seclore. “Our goal with this release is to decrease end user friction and increase adoption by enabling users to leverage the entire universe of features provided by Office when working with their protected files on Mac devices.

Additional features in the latest version of Seclore Enterprise Rights Management, include:

·         Enhanced user on-boarding - With innovative password free file access, Seclore’s pioneering user on-boarding process isnow even faster and easier. Users can open protected files immediately after a one-step email verification – no password required.

·         Upgraded user interface - Seclore’s award-winning secure browser-based viewer now allows viewing of multiple files simultaneously. Combined with additional enhanced viewing options, agentless access is an effortless process.

·         Gain access through Google account - Further expanding on Seclore’s identity federation, users can now login into Seclore automatically through their Google account making access to protected documents even faster

·         Auto-discovery of permissions - Email auto-forwarding capabilities enable the ‘auto- discovery’ of those who need access to protected content, eliminating the need to manually grant permissions to users. Forwarding a protected email automatically transfers access permissions to all new recipients, making ad hoc use of rights management while emailing a breeze. Through this feature, unregistered recipients are registered automatically, eliminating the need for manual registration.

“Our newest features form an integral part of Seclore’s vision of providing easily adoptable data-centric security solutions to organizations,” said Vishal Gupta, CEO at Seclore. “With a relentless focus on reducing friction at both the sender and receipt stages of the rights management process, Seclore is leading the way in closing the remaining security gaps in organizations’ IT ecosystems.”

Persistent Systems Granted Development Rights by USAA Services

Persistent Systems has announced an agreement with USAA for development rights to a number of patented innovations currently in use by USAA related to security in financial services.

 USAA, a FORTUNE 500 financial services provider that serves members of the military and their families, has been an innovator in securing authentication and financial transactions through a process that extends beyond user passwords and security questions. The development and intellectual property rights granted to Persistent stem from innovations that USAA uses to identify and verify members, while also protecting their privacy. 

Through this agreement, Persistent will extend these technologies and address a growing market opportunity for digital security products and solutions in the financial services industry. Persistent will focus on authentication and security solutions based on concepts such as micro-trust, risk-aware, contextual, and personalization in conjunction with technologies related to biometrics, risk modeling, and dynamic proofing.

Sudhir Kulkarni, President Digital at Persistent Systems says, “Digital transactions in financial services are growing at a rapid pace. This agreement is at the intersection of security and digital transformation in financial services, and it brings together USAA’s patented security technologies with our product engineering DNA to strengthen our focus on the how of digital.”

Gary McAlum, USAA’s Chief Security Officer says, “The financial services industry is highly connected, and we want every link in the chain to be strong from a security perspective. That’s why we’re excited to work with Persistent Systems to see patented innovations we use today developed into products that can benefit others in the financial sector. Just like we say to our members, we are stronger together than we are apart.” 

Eminent Architects, Designers Win WB Honours at Gnosis Sixth Edition of Design and Dialogues

Gnosis Services Pvt Ltd held the Sixth edition of Design and Dialogues and WB Honours at the JW Marriott – Bangalore on February 28,^, 2017.

 Sheital Shetty – Founder and editor of Design Dialogues and Washrooms and Beyond  welcomed all the guests . The session started with Benjamin Beller of Bao Architects, Beijing talking about Luxury Washrooms and Technology in Washrooms. He was joined by Lipika Sud of Lipika Sud Interiors,  Ponni Concessao – Principal Architect – OCI Architects,  Smitha Zachariah of SZ Designs and Behzad Kharas – BNK Realty Limited.

This was followed by a session on Joys and Perils of Open Kitchen – moderated by Leena Kumar – Chairperson – The Indian Institute of Archtiects – panellists were Kanan Modi – Principal Architect, ELPLUSD, Kalpak Bhandrai – Principal Architect, Veekas Studio, Sunitha Kondur, Director – Hundred Hands and Dinesh Verma.

Materials and Designs in Washroom – was moderated by Milind Nulkar – panellists for which were Kayur Patel – Founder and Creative Director – SCG for Glass Fusion, Nitin Saolapurkar – President IIID, Dr Sujit Kumar, and Shyamala prabhu.

Waste Water Reuse was moderated by S. Vishwanath – Director – Biome Environmental Solutions Pvt Ltd, Panellist for which were Anil Sharma, Principal Architect, ASA Architectural Consultancy  Amol Prabhu, Co-founder, Shashi Prabhu and Associates, Oscar Concessao, Principal Architect, OCI Architects, Nejeeb Khan, Managing Director, AIA and RIBA

Challenge in Public Washroom Designs was moderated by Gayathri Shetty, Principal Architect, Gayathri & Namith Associates, panellists were Sharukh Mistry, Principal Architect, Mistry Architects and Kavita Sastry, Architect, Interiors and Landscape Design Services.

Dr Chandrashekar Hariharan, Chairperson, Biodiversity Conservation India

Kiran Venkatesh, Co-founder, InFORM Architects and Sandeep Jadhav, Founder, Architecture Paradigm

Designers Wishlist  was moderated by  Sheital Shetty, Editor/Publisher,  Washroooms and Beyond and Kitchen Ideas for which panellists were  Kumar Ravindra, Principal Architect, PRAGRUP - Pratap Jadhav, President, IIIDS. Gopakumar, Managing Partner, Kumar Group Total Designers Vivin Agarwal, Chief Mentor, BIO Design Farm.

The event coverage will be telecasted on NDTV Goodtimes over the next new weeks.

Evening lit up with WB Honours where the following people were honoured in their respective fields –

Ø  Pune Municipal Corporation – Development of Model Public Washrooms by State Government Body

Ø  Agasti – Mumbai – Innovation in Public Washroom design – restroom for women.

Ø  Atmantan Wellness Resort – Light Design in Spa

Ø  Mr BSA Narayan – Special Contribution to Plumbing Design and development.

Ø  JW Marriott – Chandigarh – Technology Driven Washrooms

Ø  Dharampura Haveli, Delhi – Washroom restoration in Heritage Building

Ø  Architect Sarukh Mistry - WB Lifetime Achievement Honour

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Launches Public Sanitation Projects in North Karnataka

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has announced the launch of Public sanitation facilities in North Karnataka at Haliyala and Joida, as a continuation to its active efforts towards “Swacch Bharat Campaign” The event marked the handover of two sanitation facilities to the local administration at Haliyala and Joida in North Karnataka. Under this project, TKM constructs seven public sanitation facilities across Haliyala, Dandeli, Joida and Ramnagara regions in the State of Karnataka, thus contributing towards upliftment of Sanitation facilities in rural Karnataka.

Present at the occasion were dignitaries like  R. V. Deshpande, Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development - Government of Karnataka,  Umesh Bolshetty, President Town - Municipal Corporation along with senior management of TKM including  Akito Tachibana, Managing Director - Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Naveen Soni, Vice President - Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Rajender Hegde, General Manager, Toyota Kirloskar Motor.

Open defecation is a serious social challenge in India. According to UNICEF Reports, one in 10 individuals’ practices open defecation, posing serious threat by making people susceptible to infectious diseases like Cholera, Typhoid, Hepatitis, Ascariasis and other Infections. Around 1,000 children below the age of five die every day in India from diarrhoea, hepatitis-causing pathogens and other sanitation-related diseases, according to the report of United Nations Children’s Fund. According to Unicef, only five of the 30 districts in the state have satisfactory access to toilets while another three are average in the usage programme. The rest are below the minimum stated standards of toilet access and usage.Toyota Kirloskar Motor has pledged its active support under “Swacch Bharat Abhiyan” by building toilets in Schools, household, public places and educating community to use the toilets and not defecate in open. Additionally TKM has also initiated Project ABCD (A Behavioral Change Demonstration) to create awareness on importance of basic hygiene. More than 30,000 school children and 1 lakh village population have been trained on sanitation through this program and motivated to construct household toilets.

The sanitation units established by Toyota Kirloskar are located in 7 areas with 89 upscale toilets catering to public use including the physically challenged members of our society. Toyota has partnered with local government authority (Town Municipal Corporation) to construct, operate and maintain these sanitation units. The Karnataka State Government has aided this project by providing land, water & power to these sanitation units. These complexes are manned by trained attendants and have separate enclosures for men and women with necessary sanitary kits.

“Speaking at the event R.V Deshpande, Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development - Government of Karnataka said “We appreciate the consistent efforts by Toyota Kirloskar Motor to enhance the sanitation facilities in Karnataka through their unique CSR initiatives across villages. About 85% of our population in Karnataka have toilet facility and we urge more such corporates to come forward to support this campaign. Proper sanitation facilities are imperative for the health and hygiene of the community.  In addition to the construction of sanitation projects, we also need to work towards changing the mindset of public by educating them on the importance of basics of sanitation and toilet hygiene where community leaders and village groups have a larger role to play. We will extend all required support to corporates for their dedicated and sustained programs to contribute towards Swacch Bharat.”

Speaking at the occasion and about the program Akito Tachibana, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said “Wherever we do business, it is our endeavor to strengthen the community we exist in. Our aim is to enrich the society with our CSR initiatives understanding and catering to the critical needs of the neighboring community. We are happy today to launch the Public sanitation facilities in North Karnataka. Good Sanitation facilities plays a great role in the socio- economic development of the country.  According to Unicef, only five of the 30 district in Karnataka have satisfactory access to toilets.”

As a responsible citizen, Toyota Kirloskar has been contributing to the cause of education, health, hygiene, road safety, environment and skill development across the country.

Till date, TKM has constructed more than 650 units of sanitation facilities in 206 government schools across India, of which 125 units are located in Varanasi, 426 units in Ramnagara district in Karnataka and 125 units in Vaishali in Bihar. In addition, TKM initiated the ABCD project with a focus on bringing in a behavioral change among school children. The project which mainly drives consciousness towards the use of toilets, begins from the grass root level by identifying gaps that exists in the sanitation facilities in rural Karnataka and tries to bridge the gap with a widespread awareness drive. Through unique children to parent approach the project has been able to create demand for household toilets through the children. More than 2300 household toilets constructed through this project. Toyota also installed incinerators (Napkin destroyers) in 15 government High schools in Ramanagara district. The project has also tremendously contributed in reduction of school hour missing cases (earlier condition- adult girl children used to go to their home for toilet usage and miss the classes (1-2 hours). Owing to the TKM’s girl child sanitation initiatives and ABCD project implementation school missing hours have reduced to zero.

By the year 2016-17, TKM has set a target of 40 villages to become open defecation free in Karnataka and has been already successful in ensuring 100% sanitation in 32 villages in Karnataka.

Over 250 Trade Partners Across Aircel Circles Awarded Super Achievers of Lakshya 2.0

Aircel, one of the leading innovative mobile service providers in India, successfully executed 'Lakshya 2.0' program for the year 2016 to reward its top performing trade partners in India. Under this trade partner engagement program, 256 channel partners across circles were flown/taken for a 3 days fully-paid trip to 'land of beaches' Goa. 'Lakshya 2.0 was aimed to acknowledge partners such as Sales Employees, Distributors and FOS, who achieved over 100% target in a period of 3 months.  

The program offers its winners comprehensive line up of benefits including International Travel, Domestic trip, Gold/Silver Coins & Laptops among other things, while maintaining strong relationships with retailers and distributors.

Commenting on the program, Anupam Vasudev, Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel said, “We ensure that we maintain strong bonds with our trade partners by spending considerable time with our retailers and distributors in motivating, educating, training and addressing their queries as they are a vital link between us and the consumers. In order to establish and build relationships with the channel and partner community, we organize a variety of programs and offers, one such initiative is Lakshya2.0”.

He further added that, “We are pleased with the results of Lakshya 2.0 and would like to thank our trade partners for their endless support. We value the relationship we share with them and appreciate their commitment towards the Aircel family. We are happy that the program was welcomed with a lot of enthusiasm by our trade partners”.

Aircel has always strived to engage and bond with its trade partners through different measures. The program was aimed to connect with the trade partners and inspire them to work hard and achieve their targets. It was one of the most appealing initiatives of Aircel which motivated the trade partners to outperform themselves and raise the bar for quality performance. Aircel is committed to the growth of its partners by empowering the trade community to provide customer rich experience.