Siemens to Acquire HaCon - Leading Software Provider for Public Transportation, Mobility and Logistics

Siemens is planning to acquire HaCon, a company headquartered in Hanover, Germany. The two parties have agreed not to disclose financial details. Pending the approval of antitrust authorities, the deal is expected to be concluded in the first half of calendar year 2017.

HaCon is a leading international provider of planning, scheduling and information systems for public transportation, mobility and logistics. The company has been a successful player in the mobility business for 30 years. Trip planning software from HaCon is used in more than 25 countries and comprises the centerpiece of the travel information systems in operation at more than 100 transport companies and associations.

“The acquisition of HaCon will enable us to enter a completely new business area that complements our current portfolio, expanding it to include timetable scheduling as well as trip planning by passengers,” said Jochen Eickholt, CEO of Siemens’ Mobility Division. “With this move, we’re rigorously implementing our digitalization strategy and opening up new growth opportunities for our company along our customers’ value chain,” he added.

“Together with a strong partner like Siemens AG, we’ll be even better equipped to drive the mobility software business, particularly in the global market,” said Michael Frankenberg, CEO of HaCon.

Siemens is already a leading rail automation provider, offering systems up to and including complete driverless operation. A leader in road mobility solutions as well, Siemens plans to expand its intermodal digital offerings with the acquisition of HaCon. Together with HaCon, Siemens will be able to serve rail infrastructure operators and public transportation companies as a single-source supplier of innovative software solutions for train and route planning, timetable information systems, cutting-edge payment systems and intermodal mobility platforms. In addition, apps for use on passengers’ mobile devices will enhance trip planning, transparency and thus acceptance.

Infosys to Hire 10,000 American Nationals Shortly; Plans to Open 4 Tech and Innovation Hubs in USA

Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services, today announced that it plans to hire 10,000 American workers over the next two years. As part of this initiative, Infosys will open four new Technology and Innovation Hubs across the country focusing on cutting-edge technology areas, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, user experience, emerging digital technologies, cloud, and big data.

These four hubs will not only have technology and innovation focus areas, but will closely serve clients in key industries such as financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, energy and more. The first hub, which will open in Indiana in August 2017, is expected to create 2,000 jobs by 2021 for American workers and will help boost Indiana’s economy.

“Infosys is committed to hiring 10,000 American technology workers over the next two years to help invent and deliver the digital futures for our clients in the United States,” said Vishal Sikka, Chief Executive Officer, Infosys. 

“Learning and education, along with cultivating top local and global talent, have always been the core of what Infosys brings to clients; it is what makes us a leader in times of great change. In helping our clients improve their businesses and pursue new kinds of opportunities, we are really excited to bring innovation and education in a fundamental and massive way to American workers. New advances in technology – artificial intelligence, in particular – are radically transforming our world, and it is within our reach to learn these new technologies and to be the innovators and entrepreneurs who bring solutions based on these technologies to our clients in all industries.”

“It's so good to welcome Infosys to Indiana, and to expand our growing tech ecosystem with the addition of their estimated 2,000 Hoosier jobs,” said Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb.  “Indiana continues to put the tools in place, such as the Next Level Trust Fund and incentivizing direct flights, that allows us to attract and retain great companies like Infosys. In addition, our higher education institutions are producing a world class workforce, establishing Indiana as the innovation hub of the Midwest. I look forward to working with Infosys to elevate Indiana to the next level.”

In filling these jobs, Infosys will hire experienced technology professionals and recent graduates from major universities, and local and community colleges, to create the talent pools for the future. To ensure that American workers are fully equipped to innovate and support clients in the rapid digitization of all industries and consistent with Infosys’ over 35 year-long commitment to the U.S., the company will institute training programs in key competencies such as user experience, cloud, artificial intelligence, big data and digital offerings, as well as core technology and computer science skills.

This development comes as part of Infosys’ continued legacy of a three-decade long investment across the U.S. In just the last 3 years, Infosys has renewed this focus by setting up an innovation hub in Silicon Valley. A unique, open environment that encourages new ways of working, collaborating, thinking and delivering breakthrough next generation project to clients. 

Infosys pursues its mission of inspiring children, young adults and educators to become creators of technology through its charitable foundation, Infosys Foundation USA. Since 2015, more than 134,000 students, over 2,500 teachers and almost 2,500 schools across America have benefited from high quality computer science training and classroom equipment funded by Infosys Foundation USA. The Foundation also partners with organizations such as Code.org, CSTA and others to advance the skills development of millions of students.

“Since joining Infosys nearly three years ago, it has been my personal endeavor to help us get much closer to our clients, to co-innovate with them, on their most important business problems,” added Sikka. “Having lived in the U.S. for nearly 30 years, and being a part of the incredible innovation here, I truly believe Infosys can help clients bring innovation more directly into their businesses, as they create and drive their digital transformations. We can achieve this by enhancing our ability to attract and recruit local top talent across the United States, by harnessing the global scale of Infosys, through software and platforms, and by educating and training people in the necessary skills.”

Amazon Will Continue Investing in Technology, Infra in India: Jeff Bezos

Global e-commerce major Amazon will keep investing in the Indian market to strengthen technology and infrastructure as it looks to overtake local rival Flipkart.

The US-based company has already committed investments to the tune of $5 billion in India.

“Our India team is moving fast and delivering for customers and sellers... It’s still day 1 for e-commerce in India, and I assure you that we’ll keep investing in technology and infrastructure,” Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement.

The world’s second richest man also said “Amazon.in is the most visited and the fastest-growing marketplace in India.”

Amazon, which entered India in 2013, has been locked in an intense battle with Tiger Global-backed Flipkart for leadership in the Indian market.

Amazon has been aggressively investing in setting up fulfilment centres across the country to ensure speedy delivery to consumers. It currently has 34 such warehouses across 10 States.

With Flipkart’s recent fund-raise of $1.4 billion from Tencent, Microsoft and eBay, the competition is set to further intensify in the coming days as the Bengaluru-based firm will also pump in money to strengthen operations and woo customers with offers.

Bezos highlighted that Amazon’s team in India has increased Prime (which offers fast shipping and video streaming to members) selection by 75 per cent since launching the programme nine months ago.

Also, fulfilment capacity for sellers has been ramped up by 26 per cent this year and the Fire TV Stick been launched to enhance the experience for customers. Amazon, however, did not break out its investment in India.

The Seattle-based company’s sales jumped 23 per cent to $35.7 billion, while net income rose 41 per cent to $724 million in January-March quarter, from the year-ago period.

Amazon reported an operating loss of $481 million for its international business during the March quarter, compared with an operating loss of $121 million in the year-ago period.

International business accounts for 31 per cent of the sales mix, while 59 per cent is derived from North America and 10 per cent from Amazon Web Services.

Amazon generated an operating income of $596 million from North America operations, while that from AWS was at $890 million in the said quarter.

Agencies

Google, Mercedes-Benz India’s Most Attractive Employer: Randstad

Search engine giant Google India has been named as the country’s most attractive employer brand, followed by Mercedes-Benz India at the second place, a survey says.

The sectoral specific winners for the most attractive employers this year are Amazon India for e-commerce, ITC Ltd for FMCG and Philips India for consumer and healthcare.

According to the Randstad Employer Brand Research 2017, competitive salary and employee benefits continue to be the top priority among the Indian workforce while choosing an employer, followed by good work-life balance and job security.

However, for the IT professionals, good work-life balance emerged as the top priority while choosing an employer. “Employer branding continues to be of strategic importance influencing the talent agenda, particularly so in an economy that’s driven by knowledge workers,” Randstad India MD and CEO Moorthy K Uppaluri said.

According to the survey results, large and multinational corporations emerge as the preferred workplace for employees across all profiles.

However, IT professionals indicated that they would rather work in the dynamic start-up ecosystem over the SME sector. On the other hand, engineering talent prefer working in start-ups over the public sector companies, reveals the survey.

Sectorwise, Indian workforce prefers to work for companies operating in sectors like IT, followed by BFSI and retail & FMCG. “Organisations have come to realise the value of employer branding and the return from such investments, both in terms of attracting new talent and retaining,” Uppaluri added.

The survey further noted that 31 per cent of employees, said they are not loyal to any one industry or sector and are open to shift industries and compensation remains a key driver in determining employee loyalty to a sector.

The Randstad Award, instituted globally by Randstad, is hosted each year to encourage best practices for talent attraction and to identify the best ‘Employer Brand’ in the country based on perceived awareness and attractiveness of a company.

In India this year, the Randstad Employer Brand Research captured the views of around 3,500 respondents, who chose the nation’s most attractive employer brand for 2017.

 Agencies

World Class Sports & Entertainment Arena, Fun Factory Launched in Bengaluru

Fun Factory has launches India’s first World Class Sports & Entertainment Destination Arena and brings its innovative and immersive games to Bengaluru at ETA Mall 1 Hosakare Road, Binnypet, Bengaluru. Fun factory is a venture of ETA.

The entertainment zone in ETA Mall is spread over 20,000 square feet in  2 levels and has 3 unique zones, Fun Factory, Playmon and Ghost.

Fun Factory the Next GEN Entertainment Zone, Constitutes of various First of its kind virtual reality games including VR Car Simulator, VR Flight Simulator, VR Climb, VR Shooter, VR Air Rider, VR Flying Simulator and VR Extreme Rider. Fun factory also has State of Art 4 Bowling  lanes and 2 cricket lanes. 

Fun Factory is ideal for all ages above 6 years. Teenagers, Couples and Entire Family are sure to have great fun in Fun factory as well as Fun factory will be a good destination for Corporate Get together, Team Outing, Team Building, Birthday Parties etc. With special packages, it’s a great option for celebrations with a difference.

Whether you want to improve your sports skills, spend an active weekend with friends or just unwind with the family, Fun Factory is a place that has it all.

Playmon is a beautifully designed Children Play Zone located in the 3rd Level of ETA Mall. Playmon constitutes of various gaming arcade machines, interactive children slides, softball shooting, floating softball, redemption ticket machines, indoor softplay etc. Playmon is sure to be a great fun zone for Children between 1.5 years till about 12 years and above. Playmon is ideal to celebrate Children’s birthdays. 

Ghost is the first of its kind completely automated Walk through Scary House located in 3rd Level of ETA Mall. Ghost is the next generation attraction in which you will witness REAL GHOST with naked eye; achieved through holographic projections. You will witness ghosts coming out of the grave, skeletons suddenly appearing in front of you, screaming ghost jumping on you and more. Ghost is completely automated and sensor based and there are no human operators. Ghost is ideal for ages above 6 years.

Anil Rai Gupta CMD of Havells India Conferred "Emerging Business Leader" Award 2017 by AIMA

Anil Rai Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of Havells India Limited was conferred the prestigious ‘Emerging Business Leader’ award at The AIMA (All India Management Association) Managing India awards 2017. The award was presented at a glittering ceremony at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi.

Commenting on the Award, Gupta said, “I am delighted and honoured that I have been conferred this prestigious award by AIMA, which is a recognition of our continued effort to provide wide range of unmatched and superior quality products to customers across the world while raising benchmark year after year. The award is also an acknowledgement of the spirit of our entrepreneurship as we remain young, energetic and firmly focused on research, innovation and development with an unflinching commitment to Make in India. We will continue to create value for our stakeholders, make meaningful contribution to the communities we serve and develop new products as part of our endeavour to address the changing preferences of our customers across the globe”.

He further added, “ I would also like to advice the budding entrepreneurs to open their vistas, have a clear vision and take risk because success comes to those who are willing to try and risk and fail and stand up to do it all over again”.

A neutral jury chaired by Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group selected the awardees under different categories. Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Railways, Government of India was the Chief Guest, and Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India was the Guest of Honour who handed over the awards to the awardees.

The AIMA Managing India Awards was established with an aim to recognize the achievers who have made a fundamental difference, creating an edge above peers for others to emulate.  Since its inception in 2010, these Awards have been conferred on leading icons from the Indian industry, media, sport and entertainment. Every year, to recognize excellence in Management, Entrepreneurship and Leadership, AIMA confers Awards.

Syntech Technology Ltd Renamed as Gionee India

Syntech Technology Pvt. Ltd., the Indian partner to Gionee’s overseas arm, has announced its official corporate name change to Gionee India, for increased synergy between the corporate and the brand name. Gionee India will henceforth be manufacturing and marketing Gionee smartphones in India. Apart from the name, there will be no changes in the overall corporate and financial structure which was being followed by the erstwhile Syntech Technology Pvt. Ltd.

Arvind R Vohra, CEO and Managing Director, Gionee India, says, “Gionee today is amongst the most prominent smartphones brands in India, with over 1.25 crore loyal customers. Therefore, transitioning to Gionee India was the most apt decision for us, and reinforces our ever increasing commitment to the Indian market. As Gionee India, we plan to double our sales this year to reach the 10,000 crore mark, and garner 10 per cent market share in the smartphone segment in India.”

Gionee has been present in India since 2012, and was one of the earliest Chinese players in the market. Gionee prides itself in launching smartphones that are intuitive, future ready, stylish, durable and stress free. Today, Gionee India is a $1.42 billion firm with over 1.25 crore happy customers. Gionee is credited with bringing in the world’s slimmest phone, the biggest battery phone, the best android camera and many more to India.