AI Technologies Will Be in Almost Every New Software Product by 2020

Market hype and growing interest in artificial intelligence (AI) are pushing established software vendors to introduce AI into their product strategy, creating considerable confusion in the process, according to Gartner, Inc. Analysts predict that by 2020, AI technologies will be virtually pervasive in almost every new software product and service.

 In January 2016, the term artificial intelligence was not in the top 100 search terms on gartner.com. By May 2017, the term ranked at No. 7, indicating the popularity of the topic and interest from Gartner clients in understanding how AI can and should be used as part of their digital business strategy. Gartner predicts that by 2020, AI will be a top five investment priority for more than 30 percent of CIOs.

 "As AI accelerates up the Hype Cycle, many software providers are looking to stake their claim in the biggest gold rush in recent years," said Jim Hare, research vice president at Gartner. "AI offers exciting possibilities, but unfortunately, most vendors are focused on the goal of simply building and marketing an AI-based product rather than first identifying needs, potential uses and the business value to customers."

 AI refers to systems that change behaviors without being explicitly programmed, based on data collected, usage analysis and other observations. While there is a widely held fear that AI will replace humans, the reality is that today's AI and machine learning technologies can and do greatly augment human capabilities. Machines can actually do some things better and faster than humans, once trained; the combination of machines and humans can accomplish more together than separately.

 To successfully exploit the AI opportunity, technology providers need to understand how to respond to three key issues:

 1)      Lack of differentiation is creating confusion and delaying purchase decisions

The huge increase in startups and established vendors all claiming to offer AI products without any real differentiation is confusing buyers. More than 1,000 vendors with applications and platforms describe themselves as AI vendors, or say they employ AI in their products.

Similar to greenwashing, in which companies exaggerate the environmental-friendliness of their products or practices for business benefit, many technology vendors are now "AI washing" by applying the AI label a little too indiscriminately, according to Gartner. This widespread use of "AI washing" is already having real consequences for investment in the technology.

 To build trust with end-user organizations vendors should focus on building a collection of case studies with quantifiable results achieved using AI.

 "Use the term 'AI' wisely in your sales and marketing materials," Hare said. "Be clear what differentiates your AI offering and what problem it solves."

 2)      Proven, less complex machine-learning capabilities can address many end-user needs

Advancements in AI, such as deep learning, are getting a lot of buzz but are obfuscating the value of more straightforward, proven approaches. Gartner recommends that vendors use the simplest approach that can do the job over cutting-edge AI techniques.

3)      Organizations lack the skills to evaluate, build and deploy AI solutions

More than half the respondents to Gartner's 2017 AI development strategies survey* indicated that the lack of necessary staff skills was the top challenge to adopting AI in their organization.

The survey found organizations are currently seeking AI solutions that can improve decision making and process automation. If they had a choice, most organizations would prefer to buy embedded or packaged AI solutions rather than trying to build a custom solution.

"Software vendors need to focus on offering solutions to business problems rather than just cutting-edge technology," said Mr. Hare. "Highlight how your AI solution helps address the skills shortage and how it can deliver value faster than trying to build a custom AI solution in-house."

Infosys Strengthens Environmental Sustainability Initiatives at its Chandigarh Campus

Infosys recently launched its 10^th Sustainability Report highlighting the various responsible business practices undertaken by the company across economic, social and environmental parameters, in accordance with the Global Reporting initiative G4 (comprehensive) guidelines. In line with its sustainability policy, Infosys has focused its efforts on enhancing environmental performance by improving energy efficiency, becoming water sustainable, minimizing waste-to-landfills, increasing the use of renewable energy, reducing carbon footprint and contribution to biodiversity.

Some of the key initiatives that were undertaken at its Chandigarh campus are as follows:

·         Energy: Infosys has implemented smart parking management in its Chandigarh campus to reduce the numbers of cars congesting the streets and the emission caused.

·         Renewable Energy: In order to reduce carbon footprint, Infosys has invested in various energy efficiency measures including lighting, UPS, building management systems, smart retrofit programs across various campuses, including Chandigarh. The company also installed 15.2 MW solar capacity (rooftop + ground-mount) across India since 2009. Chandigarh contributes 202 (kW) of installed capacity.

·         Food waste Management: To address waste management in an integrated manner, the company has 3.1 TPD installed capacity of composting plants in different campuses including Chandigarh.

Moving into the new fiscal, the company will continue to innovate and nurture new ideas that has the potential to tackle the environmental challenges of today and the future.

IBM and Automation Anywhere Team Upto Help Businesses Streamline Operations

IBM and Automation Anywhere today announced a collaboration to help companies drive new efficiencies by delivering solutions that assist employees with routine, data-intensive tasks. The collaboration is intended to make it easier for companies to improve processes across their enterprises and free employees to focus their time on more creative and customer-facing aspects of their jobs.

As part of the agreement, the two companies plan to integrate Automation Anywhere’s Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform, used to create software bots to handle repetitive, task-based business processes, with IBM’s portfolio of digital process automation software. The IBM software, which includes IBM Business Process Manager and Operational Decision Manager, is used by organizations to design, run and manage complex business processes.

The new joint solution, planned for the third quarter, will enable clients to use Automation Anywhere’s RPA platform to create software bots that execute tasks within larger business processes managed by IBM’s software. By integrating these technologies, the collaboration aims to provide companies with a comprehensive set of tools to create and use software bots to streamline digital tasks across more of their processes, whether running in the cloud or on-premises systems.

The new offering will be particularly relevant to companies where employees routinely have to manually complete tasks within business processes. These are especially prevalent in the banking, financial services, insurance and healthcare industries which have data-intensive, manual processes, such as filing insurance claims, processing bank loans, paying vendors for services and opening customer accounts.

For example, a bank using IBM Business Process Manager could use Automation Anywhere’s platform to build software bots to streamline the processing of new loans or accounts. The bank could create a bot that helps complete the application by automatically capturing data from different files or even emails submitted by the applicant. Or insurance companies using Automation Anywhere’s RPA solution could use IBM’s BPM solution to improve responsiveness and customer satisfaction. The result in both cases could lead to faster turnaround times for approvals and reduced errors associated with managing business processes manually.

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc., a leading property and casualty insurance provider, uses software from both IBM and Automation Anywhere. The Automation Anywhere RPA platform helps with back-office functions, such as underwriting, billing, and claims. IBM Business Process Manager helps manage larger system-wide processes, such as new business quoting, underwriting, and policy administration.

“IBM and Automation Anywhere’s technologies already are helping The Hanover better manage processes and more quickly complete specific tasks,” said Ian Maher, vice president of strategic sourcing at The Hanover. “The integration of these technologies is another step toward streamlining more tasks across our organization. We also think combining these technologies could be a starting point for adding more advanced cognitive capabilities into our business processes.”

The collaboration brings together two companies ranked as leaders in the field of business process management and improvement. Forrester ranks IBM as a leader in The Forrester Wave: Digital Process Automation Software, Q3 2017 report and Automation Anywhere as a leader in The Forrester Wave: Robotic Process Automation, Q1 2017 report.

“The ability to smartly process and manage data is fast-becoming a competitive advantage,” said Denis Kennelly, general manager of IBM Hybrid Cloud solutions. “The combination of the Automation Anywhere and IBM process management platforms provides a powerful new way for companies to streamline business processes so employees can spend less time filling out forms and more time working with customers.”

The integration of the IBM and Automation Anywhere technologies creates a powerful new option for companies to improve processes.

“This new capability to help companies better manage almost any part of a business process with speed, efficiency and reliability is extraordinary, enabling companies to become digital enterprises,” said Mihir Shukla, CEO and Co-founder of Automation Anywhere. “The collaboration between IBM and Automation Anywhere takes business process management to a new level, liberating employees to focus on the things they do best while bots are focused on what they do best.”

IESA to Host DEFTRONICS 2017 in Hyderabad from August 31

India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), the premier trade body representing the Indian Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) industry has yet again continued its stride to boost the success of the Make in India initiative in the Indian Aerospace & Defence sector by hosting DEFTRONICS 2017. The fourth edition of DEFTRONICS is scheduled on August 31 & September 1 at Park Hyatt in Hyderabad. The theme of DEFTRONICS 2017 is Accelerating Self-reliance in Aerospace, Defence and Internal Security.

It has been a great year for the Indian Aerospace & Defence industry (A&D), which has emerged as one of the most significant domestic industries, presenting an ocean of opportunities for manufacturing companies and foreign companies investing in the A&D space. India has been one of the leading spenders in defence for the past few years and continues to have defence imports of USD 5.9 billion, contributing 15% to the total imports of defence products in the world. IESA has recognised this as a great opportunity to continue its effort to build and support the manufacturing ecosystem in the defence space. It recently announced the launch of setting up the Hyderabad chapter with a focus to provide a stronger thrust for the Aerospace & Defence manufacturing. DEFTRONICS 2017 is focused on providing sessions on the various opportunities in the defence, defence manufacturing, skilling, major programs of defence, etc. The summit will again host the IESA DEFTRONICS Awards aiming to recognize the outstanding individuals and role models in innovation and excellence in the electronics & design services ecosystems in A&D industry.

Commenting on the occasion, MN Vidyashankar, President, India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA) said, “India has reached a stage where manufacturing has been successfully established. Even the Indian Aerospace and Defence Ecosystem, which has been historically a leading net importer, has significantly strengthened the self-sustained model in the past few years.  We are motivated to invest more in the industry and bring in more innovation with an increased focus on R&D. We strongly believe that the Indian A&D industry has the full potential to have an independent ecosystem and would provide the maximum support to ensure it becomes significantly more self- sufficient as an industry.”

DEFTRONICS 2017 is expected to host over 300 delegates and over 20 marquee speakers amongst many others. The Summit will focus on Major programs and Opportunities in Aerospace & Defence (DPP, Offset business etc), Defence Manufacturing; Skilling and Capacity building in Defence and Development of new technologies in Aerospace & Defence Additionally, it will also focus on the significance of Internal Security and Cyber security and the scope of Start-ups & SMEs in the industry.

The two-day summit will see exhibits from over 20 companies including start-ups in the A&D space. The objective of the summit is to strengthen the ecosystem and help participating companies reach out to wider network; engage with peers on exchanging ideas and discovering new opportunities. DEFTRONICS 2017 will have the presence of various industry experts, government officials and leaders in the industry. Dignitaries from the Central & State Governments have been invited to grace the occasion along with participation from the Industry such as Xilinx, Moschip etc.

DEFTRONICS 2016 had created a new vision to help in drafting the country’s first Defence Electronics Policy by Ministry of Defence (MOD), India. It had focussed sessions on defence, internal security, aerospace, defence procurement policy, cyber security, design led manufacturing, opportunities arising from large deals, defence clusters, etc. Alongside the Defence Electronics and System Design report - Policy recommendations was released at the summit with the support of Roland Berger. There was participation from the Consulate General of the State Israel, DRDO, TE Connectivity, AXISCADES, Godrej Aerospace, Safran, Maxgrid Securicor, Brahmos Aerospace, Cyient, QUEST, GE Aviation, BEL, Boeing, Tonbo Imaging, Dhruva Space, Astrome Technologies, Saankhya Labs, University of Arizona, Amrita University and many more.

Home Healthcare Services a Viable Solution to Fight Shortage of Beds this Dengue Season

The much-awaited monsoon rains, while bringing immense relief from the oppressive summer heat, also heralds dreaded cases of diseases like dengue, chikungunya, typhoid and malaria. Until May 31 2017, even before the onset of monsoon, a total of 11,402 cases of dengue and 11 deaths due to the virus have been reported throughout the country. Kerala with 4,735 cases, recorded 41.5% of the total dengue cases. In the capital Delhi, while the numbers haven't gone up as much, they are certainly on the rise. The latest data released by the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD) mentions a total of 61 dengue and 131 chikungunya cases in the city and neighboring areas right from January onwards, which is usually considered to be a non-transmission period. On a worrying note, there were 21 cases of dengue and 35 of chikungunya in just one week in June.

As was witnessed in the last few years, the pressure on the resources of hospitals, both private and public, is enormous during this season. The Delhi government has already issued a circular directing hospitals to increase their approved bed strength by 10–20% for a period of six months. Along with existing wards, these extra beds are to be accommodated in corridors and waiting areas as well. News about makeshift beds built using stretchers, sticks and duct tapes isn't uncommon during this period. Such is the toll the outbreak of dengue and chikungunya can take. This is when alternative health delivery services like homecare proves to be most efficient in tackling the emergency.

Dr.Gaurav Thukral, Senior Vice –President and Business Unit Director, HCAH said, “By providing requisite medical services within the patient’s home, homecare provides a viable solution for both hospitals and patients. While the former can widen their reach by freeing beds for new patients during demanding times like the upsurge in dengue cases, the latter does not have to worry about not finding adequate care, as all necessary medical set-up will be made available at their own place of residence. Homecare services cover around 70% of all healthcare requirements of a patient. This includes pathology tests, medical equipment rentals and purchases and medicine delivery. Thus, patients affected with dengue can be effectively treated within the confines of their homes where they can receive personalized care and undergo treatment and recovery in an environment they are most comfortable in”.

Dengue is caused by the bite of an infected female mosquito of the Aedesaegypti species. The mosquito gets infected with the dengue virus when it feeds on an infected person’s blood. Symptoms of denguestart manifesting about four to six days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. A drop in the platelet count is a major characteristic symptom of dengue fever. The other most common symptoms are high body temperature, headache, pain behind the eyes, joints and muscles pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, skin rashes and low blood pressure. In some cases, the disease can develop into a more serious form called Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF). Although the vaccination for dengue fever was approved for use in dengue endemic areas in April 2016, it is yet to be adopted for use. A suspected dengue patient should undergo a few essential lab-tests in order to confirm the disease and subsequently administer appropriate course of treatment. These tests include Dengue Serology test, Dengue NS1 Antigen test and a complete blood (platelet) count test. With home based medical services, patientsnow have the option of getting these tests done in their respective homes. Home healthcare providers like HealthCare atHOME (HCAH) offers lab sample collection facility at home for dengue patients as well as for other diseases. This facility has made it convenient for patients who are already suffering from fever or other illnesses to get the blood tests done within their comfort zone.  This is done by the team of highly trained DMLT certified phlebotomists and NABL accredited labs.

He further added, “In addition to the growing line of patients, the risks of hospital-acquired infections can further affect dengue patients while aggravating the already encumbered hospital infrastructure. Even with the very best of precautions, it isn't possible to eliminate the risk of infection. Especially during an emergency like dengue outbreaks, this can be hard to avoid when many patients are suffering from weak immunity. While dengue itself is a non-communicable disease, there are chances of contracting several other infections. Those with existing medical conditions like diabetes and very young and very old patients face highest risks. The repercussions of hospital-acquired infections are many. While causing added illness, they can result in longer recovery time and longer stay in hospitals. This can be strenuous to both the patients and the hospitals. However, with home based medical care, the risks of such infections are removed since treatment is done within the patient’s home. Therefore, homecare isn't just a convenient healthcare service for patients but is also an extension of the services provided by regular hospitals. By vacating beds, widening the reach of doctors and reducing chances of infections, homecare not only proves to be invaluable but also indispensable for the efficient treatment of dengue and chikungunya”.

Home based healthcare operates in a simple but well-regulated manner. Consulting doctors and physicians advise treatments for patients, which the professionally trained homecare health providers implement accordingly. With the help of advanced communication technology, doctors are kept in the loop about the patient’s condition all the time and real-time data can be shared with them. This allows the doctors to intervene at any point of time, giving them complete control over their patients and making the care dynamic.

Preparations and precautions for the outbreak of dengue and chikungunya need to be carried out well in advance. While the government and the hospitals are doing their part in increasing bed numbers and ensuring medical resources are up to date, homecare can be a part of this preparatory measures by being an extension of the hospital services and work as a distributed hospital itself within the precinct of the patient’s home.

Internet-Based Apps Contributed Rs 1.4 Lakh Cr to India’s GDP in 2015-16: Study

Internet-based applications have contributed Rs 1.4 lakh crore to the country's GDP in 2015-16, a report by the think-tank organisation, ICRIER. along with the Broadband India Forum said.

As per the study, a 10 per cent increase in India's total Internet traffic, delivers an average increase of 3.3 per cent to India's GDP.  Whereas a 10 per cent increase in mobile Internet traffic delivers an average increase of 1.3 per cent to the country's GDP.

A 17 per cent increase in India's Internet traffic during the period 2015-16, resulted in an absolute increase of $103.9 billion (Rs 10,390 crore) in GDP during the year. Applications contributed a minimum of $20.4 billion (Rs 2,040 crore) in the year 2015-16 to India's GDP. "The Internet economy could contribute up to $537.4 billion to India's GDP in 2020, of which a minimum of $270.9 billion (Rs 27,090 crore) could be attributed to apps," the study said.

Companies covered in the study include Makemytrip, Practo, PayTM, Urbanclap, Netflix, Wynk, Byju's, Truecaller, farMart and MP Mobile. The case studies captured different aspects of impact created, such as the potential for increased income and job creation, government services, lowering costs for buyers and sellers, creating a platform for smaller businesses, popularising the use of vernacular language and enabling women safety among others.

Apps have evolved from being offline, and locked-in to devices, to being connected online and available across different operating system platforms. This disruptive innovation resulted in what is commonly referred to as the 'app economy'.

India now tops the chart in Google Play downloads when compared to Indonesia, Russia, Brazil and USA. The top downloaded apps from Google's Playstore by Indian users are Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger. Indigenous entertainment apps such as Hotstar and Jio TV have also climbed the charts as popular apps among Indians.

The evolution of apps had regulators of legacy services such as telecommunications, cable and broadcast, commercial public transport among others scrambling to manage the disruption.

"We found that the ecosystem's contribution went beyond just economic into social areas such as mainstreaming the differently abled and enabling women safety among others," said Rajat Kathuria, Director and Chief Executive, ICRIER.

The growth of the app economy in India has been impressive. App Annie, an app-analytics company, recently ranked India as the fourth largest app economy in the world, with annual app downloads to touch 7.7 billion by the end of 2017.


"Internet apps and services are disrupting traditional industries. Regulation, globally, is evolving to strike the right balance between protecting consumer/business interests and encouraging the ecosystem to innovate further," said TV Ramachandran, President, Broadband India Forum.

India’s Future Lies in Innovation, Says RV Despande at CII Innovation Summit 2017

Large and Medium Industries Minister R V Deshpande called for more participation of the private sector companies in the Research and Development (R&D) processes. He also stressed that by encouraging startups in the country, India can look forward towards more inventions and innovations.

“Innovation and technical capability are the key drivers of economic growth. India has the potential to become an innovation and technology powerhouse. However, it needs the right environment to reap the benefits,” he said empasising on the need for R&D in the country.

The country’s overall R&D investment is less than 1% of GDP, with private sector accounting for less than 0.33% of GDP versus a desirable 1%, he added.

Speaking at the India Innovation Summit, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Deshpande called on the private sector to partner with the government and invest in R&D, skill development with a focus on job creation. According to him, job creation will be the biggest challenge in the country.

According to various estimates, India will have the youngest population in the world by 2025. “For India’s young generation to be industry ready there is an urgent need to change the curriculum according to the needs of the industry and invest in human capital through education, knowledge and skill development initiatives,” he added.

Terming GST as a game changer, he said it will make the industry more transparent and aid in ease of doing business. He hoped that ultimately there will be only one tax slab for GST, as prevalent in most other countries.

More than 20 companies, including the startups are participating in the two-day summit. India’s start-up ecosystem is developing at a rapid pace. The country has more than 19,000 technology startups and the sector has seen funding up to $3.5 billion in the first half of 2015 alone. According to Tracxn data, India venture capital backed companies received a total funding of $12 billion in the past two years.

Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder of tech-gaint Infosys emphasised on the use of ‘innovation index’ for the futurish outlook about the economy.