SonicWall Appoints Wias Issa as VP and GM of Asia Pacific, Japan

SonicWall, the trusted security partner protecting more than 1 million customer networks worldwide, announced today that it has appointed Wias Issa to Vice President of Sales and General Manager of its Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) business.

As the latest addition to SonicWall, Issa will be responsible for managing and driving growth and profitability through the definition and execution of business strategies, pursuit of strategic partnerships, and identification and penetration of new markets, while maintaining a relentless focus on securing and defending customer organizations.

“SonicWall has already garnered unprecedented global traction with customers and channel partners since spinning off as an independent cyber security company in November 2016,” said SonicWall Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Steve Pataky. “Wias’ expertise will strengthen the deep partnerships we are building with our customers and channel partners in the next phase of our growth.”

Issa, who will be based in Tokyo and report to Pataky, has nearly two decades of experience in building and leading security businesses across the globe, and is known for his unique blend of international business acumen and technical depth in cyber security.

“I am excited to be joining SonicWall at a time of unprecedented innovation and growth,” said Issa. “As the volume and sophistication of cyber attacks continue to rise, SonicWall is playing a pivotal role in securing and defending customer environments. The value of SonicWall solutions, and the potential to help businesses alleviate their security problems, is incontestable. The growth potential in APJ is nothing short of tremendous.”

Spurred by an ever-evolving and increasingly dangerous threat landscape, the demand for SonicWall’s latest advanced real-time breach detection and prevention solutions has fueled rapid growth in the APJ region. Customers are struggling to mitigate advanced zero-day threats, devastating ransomware attacks, and encrypted threats arising through complex supply chains and distributed networks.

Accenture Brings Coding to Students with ‘Hour of Code’ Activities

Accenture employees across 56 countries have pledged to complete more than 10,000 Hours of Code and lead coding tutorial sessions around the world during Computer Science Education Week, Dec. 4-10, as part of the company’s commitment to helping students around the world build computer and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills.

This year Accenture is leading with the talent and energy of our people, pledging more than 2,000 hours to lead or volunteer at local events in their communities, joining forces with teachers and Code.org to help students learn coding and computer science skills. This follows Accenture’s recently announced pledge of US$10 million to support initiatives to expand STEM and computer science education through Internet Association, a group that represents global internet companies on matters of public policy.

“Technology is creating jobs that didn’t even exist five years ago and learning to code can transform the trajectory of a student’s life and career,” said Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s chief technology & innovation officer and ‘chief coder.’ “As part of our commitment to working with Code.org to prepare young people for the digital economy, Accenture employees last year dedicated more than 10,000 hours to Hour of Code, inspiring more than 100,000 students around the world to learn basic coding skills. We’ve seen the impact that Code.org is having on students and this year we’re doing more to support that — more hours and more classroom sessions to spark an interest in working with the technologies of tomorrow.”

Hour of Code was launched in 2013 by Code.org, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. The program reaches millions of students through a one-hour introduction to coding and computer science. For the third straight year, Accenture is teaming with Code.org on Hour of Code and other STEM-related educational initiatives. New this year, Accenture Technology harnessed its internal expertise to create a coding tutorial that gives students a better understanding of artificial intelligence (AI). Students will discover how various AI techniques can teach a robot to explore a new planet – including recognizing animals and plants, understanding a new language, and conversing with inhabitants. 

“The Hour of Code campaign has already led to more than 450 million hours of code being completed– it’s mind-boggling. To date at least one out of every 10 students worldwide has participated in the Hour of Code program,” said Hadi Partovi, co-founder and CEO of Code.org. “This year, we are asking for people to not only do an hour of code, but go beyond one hour and think about what they can do to ensure that computer science education continues for years to come.”

“We are living in a software-driven world where technology is becoming the core of every industry and will enable every profession. An hour of code can inspire children to a lifetime journey of technology and computer science. We are proud to partner with Code.org to encourage the next-generation talent to start thinking about technology from an early age,” said Mohan Sekhar, senior managing director, Accenture Technology Services.

As part of this year’s Hour of Code collaboration, Accenture executives will lead Hour of Code activities around the world. Among the executives participating are:

• Yves Bernaert, a senior managing director with Accenture Technology, will host students at Station F, a start-up incubator in Paris.
• Jo Deblaere, Accenture’s chief operating officer, will host students for an Hour of Code event at the Accenture office in Amsterdam.
• Ambe Tierro, a senior managing director in the Philippines, will host students at the Accenture Liquid Studio in Manila.
• Mohan Sekhar, a senior managing director in the Accenture Technology Centers in India, will host students at an Accenture office in Bangalore.
• Christy Sovereign, Minneapolis office senior managing director, will be participating in a special Hour of Code event working with Robbinsdale Cooper High School student athletes to learn about the future of technology and sports, including a special session on how to build and fly a drone.

Amazon, HAX and Kickstarter Partner for Startup C-Cube Challenge for Indian Startups

Amazon Launchpad, the one-year-old global startup initiative of US-based

Amazon.com Inc, has joined hands with hardware accelerator HAX and crowdfunding community Kickstarter to launch a startup challenge in India.

The winner of the Startup C-Cube challenge will get support from the three organisations in different phases of its growth, Amazon executives said at an event in Bangalore.

“This is an opportunity for Indian startups to get access to big consumer markets nationally and internationally,” Sateesh Srinivasan, director and global head of Amazon Launchpad, said at the event where Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s minister for information technology, biotechnology and tourism, was the chief guest.

The winning startup will get help to grow from a concept to a customer-ready stage, besides assistance in launching the product in India, Europe and the US, depending on the scalability of the idea. Additionally, the winner will receive a set of benefits valued at $500,000, which includes capital infusion and free services, to support product development.

In the first phase, HAX will take the winning startup for a three-month acceleration programme in its work space in Shenzhen, China where the startup will get mentoring from a pool of over 50 international mentors. After the programme, the startups will undergo a six-week ‘go-to-market’ boot camp in San Francisco and receive an investment support of $375,000.

In the second phase, Kickstarter will help the startup set up a campaign on the crowdfunding platform. It will provide a campaign strategist to assist the startup on campaign messaging, promotion, public relations, marketing and fulfilment, along with access to its community of 13 million backers.

Finally, Amazon Launchpad will help the startup gain visibility with marketing exposure and account management and support the winner for launch in multiple markets, depending on the scalability of the idea.

“We expect this unique collaboration will dramatically increase the chances for more startup teams to do well,” said Alan Clayton, head of entrepreneur development at HAX.

Applicants to the challenge must have a software-enabled hardware product that can address existing needs for a large customer base. Also, the startup should at least have a “looks-like and works-like” prototype and, at the very latest, got pre-Series A funding.

A panel consisting of representatives from Amazon Launchpad, HAX and Kickstarter will select and announce the winner of the challenge on 31 January 2018. The last date for application is 15 January 2018.

Swiggy Charters Appoints Vishal Bhatia, Rahul Bothra in New Management Team

Swiggy, India’s largest food ordering and delivery platform has announced the appointment of Vishal Bhatia as its CEO for New Supply. While the company continues to add restaurants on its platform at a rapid pace, Bhatia’s appointment has been made in keeping with Swiggy’s vision of ‘changing the way India eats’ by solving for potential long-term gaps in supply.

The ‘New Supply’ business line will be focused on Swiggy’s strategy of giving consumers a greater assortment by addressing existing supply gaps in the marketplace, including enabling partner restaurants to expand their businesses. The company had announced its first New Supply initiative, Swiggy Access last month. Through Access, Swiggy brings a variety of food to consumers by enabling plug-and-play expansion for restaurant partners in different areas.

Bhatia comes with 19 years of experience in blue chip organizations like Reckitt Benckiser (RB), PepsiCo and Britannia. In his most recent stint at RB’s headquarters in the UK, Bhatia led the global growth strategy and the related innovation agenda on the Dettol personal hygiene portfolio, creating one of the fastest growing segments for the business.

Further strengthening its leadership, Swiggy has also recently hired Rahul Bothra as the company’s first Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In his role, Bothra will be responsible for building on the company’s growth, delivering greater efficiency and value to Swiggy and its ecosystem of partners, and taking the company to greater financial excellence at scale.

With over 16 years of experience, Bothra joined Swiggy from OLAM International, where, as the Divisional CFO he provided functional leadership to their global cotton operations across 16 countries. Prior to OLAM International, Bothra has held senior finance roles in Britannia Industries and Wipro Limited.

“As Swiggy prepares for the next phase in our growth, the new leaders will spearhead strategic initiatives that will create sustainable long-term value for our consumers and the marketplace. This requires concerted efforts and a very strong understanding of the consumer, coupled with the execution excellence that they bring onboard,” said Sriharsha Majety, CEO, Swiggy.

Swiggy has become a loved consumer brand by bringing convenience, choice, reliability and a great experience to food ordering. The company is currently working on various initiatives to set the pace for industry-wide innovations, and support Swiggy’s next phase of growth. 

BIG FM, Benadryl Announces the 5th Season of On-Air Singing Talent Show ‘Big Golden Voice’ in Bangalore

BIG FM, one of the India’s largest radio networks is back with the 5^th season of the biggest and most successful running on-air singing talent hunt ‘Benadryl BIG Golden Voice’ presented by Benadryl Cough Syrup, powered by LIC Housing Finance and online talent partner Songdew.com. With a commendable show put forth each season, this year will be even bigger and better with the property’s extended presence across digital platforms and an altogether new theme - Folk Recreated. Fortifying this essence with the tagline ‘YehMittike Sur Koi RoknaPaaye’, BIG FM will unearth hidden talent across the country and give all the finalist an opportunity to record their original songs and videos. The participants will be judged by ace Bollywood composer, Anu Malik and the winner will get a mega opportunity to sing an original song specially composed by him. 

Unlike other talent hunts which promise stardom and song release option to only the final winner, this show will give the opportunity to all the Top 10 finalists to record their original song and video. The opportunity is presented at the outset itself thereby making Benadryl Big Golden Voice a ‘Show of Talent’ than a Talent Hunt.  Based on this year’s theme, the Top 10 finalists will use folk music of India to re-create their original songs and perform it for the listeners. Bringing in an element of renewed engagement and delivering on the radio network’s promise of providing more music, the singers will also reinvent the classic songs with contemporary compositions. 

Entries will be invited through digital platforms of the radio network and a dedicated micro-site. 30 singers will be shortlisted from offline and online auditions. Listeners will then get the opportunity to select top 10 finalists among these singers through online/sms voting. Celebrity judge Anu Malik will help contestants groom their skills and become perfectionists to compete in the finale for the title. The video of the song featuring the Top 10 finalists will be released through Big FMs social media handles and will be amplified on digital. 

Speaking about the association, Dimple Sidhar, Vice President – Marketing, Consumer Products Division at Johnson & Johnson Pvt. Ltd. said, “Benadryl is proud of the association with Big Golden Voice for the 5^th year With more than 50 years of Doctor’s trust and being the Number 1 OTC cough syrup brand in India, Benadryl understands the chaos a cough creates in a consumer’s life. This chaos can rattle a singer’s performance. Benadryl’s promise is to provide efficacious solutions to stop this chaos so that you perform at your best. Benadryl BIG Golden Voice is a celebration of this promise.”

Speaking about the launch of the new season, spokesperson of BIG FM said, “Each year, Benadryl BIG Golden Voice has raised the bar among on-air singing talent hunts with its credible celebrity judges and brilliant winners going on to win recognition in the music industry. We feel proud to witness our long-standing association with Benadryl enter the 5^th year. This edition will be carried out on a whole new level with a novel theme and a massive digital outreach. In our search for the next singing sensation with the theme - Folk recreated, we intend to capture the attention of different sets of audience. Also, having activated our digital platforms for auditions and voting, we will be further raising our engagement across demographics and making this an effective platform providing extensive visibility to our partners”. 

Since its inception, Benadryl BIG Golden Voice has created benchmarks in the radio singing talent hunt space. The property has witnessed various highlights across seasons, such as winners marking their debut in the music industry, inviting entries from international talent and having renowned celebrity singers as the judges. Artists such as Abhijeet Bhattacharya (Season 1), Shankar Mahadevan (Season 2 & 3) and, Malik Brothers - Armaan and Amaal Malik (Season 4) have added to the credibility of the activity and contributed in scouting the best talent for Indian music industry.

Mahindra Electric Hands Over eVeritos to NGO Wheels of Change

Mahindra Electric, part of the diversified US$19 billion Mahindra Group and a pioneer in the development and production of electric vehicles in India, today handed over three eVeritos to Wheels of Change, a non-profit organization that works towards making the world accessible for the differently abled individuals. Hemantha Kumara, Additional Commissioner for Transport along with Mahesh Babu, CEO Mahindra Electric, handed over the vehicles to Ritheesh Shetty, Trustee, Wheels of Change, at the Mahindra Electric corporate office today.

These eVeritos will be used under the NGO’s initiative KickStart cabs and will be specially customized to suit the needs of the differently abled. One of the major modifications will include a swivel out mechanism on the front co-passenger seat of the eVerito. This is aligned with Mahindra Electric’s endeavour to provide mobility solutions for all and comes under the company’s CSR initiative. As a part of this handover, the company will also hand over one fast charging unit to facilitate the movement of these three eVeritos.

Set up in 2013 as a non-profit that works towards making the world accessible for persons with disabilities. The organisation also works to promote inclusion of other marginalised communities like sexual minorities.

WoC has so far worked as the research and design partner for Kickstart Services Private Limited, in promoting transportation for persons with disabilities and seniors. Through this, designs for vehicle modification have been made that are appropriate for different types of disabilities (wheelchair users, crutch walkers etc.). WoC also has expertise in making public spaces like parks, toilets and public spaces accessible. The approach is to understand a place holistically and make it accessible rather than in isolation.

Calm India Unveils Web-Series to Address Declining Mental Risk in India!

Calm India, a health tech start-up launched an initiative to spread awareness about depression and declining mental risk in India. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) course, has been launched to gain control of mind and build resilience to stress, anxiety and depression. The course will be conducted through a web series comprising of fourteen episodes of curated therapeutic content of approximately 15 minutes each. It’s a 4 week online self-help course on Building Mental Resilience Tailored for everyone across the country.   

Calm India’s 4-week course is a complete package which includes 13 episodes narrated by a young psychologist and a volunteer at Teach for India, Faraz Khan. He teaches the art of acceptance, the evolutionary and the biological basis for emotions, the actual science behind meditation, deep breathing, exposure therapy, flooding, thought spirals, tackling skewed thinking patterns, retraining your sleeping habits, the value of different components of your diet, the medications that are often prescribed including their side effects, an interactive assessment of where you lie on the spectrum of anxiety, depression and insomnia; etc. The course is being conducted online to reach out to as many people as possible in the country.

In addition, this extensive solution includes a set of 23 compact audio books that help in building healthy thought patterns. The soothing voice of Gaana Srinivas guides you into the course in audio form and also helps unwind the after effects of a stressful day with audio cognitive behavioural therapy. It also includes a Reference deck which is a beautiful graphical representation of the course content in a concise format. The objective of Calm India is to provide self-help online access to mental health solution that is very affordable to all. The entire course costs INR 399 only.

On announcing the launch Shashank Udupa, Founder of Calm India says “In India, 93% of the population suffers from chronic stress and well over 1/4 th of the country suffers from depression. As a business, if we were hiring therapists (or aggregating them), we’d still run into the issue of the imbalance between number of therapists versus number of mental health sufferers, so we’ve come up with a more scalable solution at a price that makes it really affordable for all the people in remote areas of India that neither have access nor have the purchasing power to spend on a therapist. Our next step is to regionalize the content and have it dubbed into most of the popular Indian Language.”

Shashank further focuses on the awareness of mental health issues that is almost negligible in India. He says, “A general session of a therapist costs a good amount of money and it takes a minimum of 15 sessions to have an effect. Not all teenagers or working professionals going through anxiety or depression can possibly afford the money or the time to go to a therapist regularly. Housewives undergoing similar issues also may not be as comfortable due to our society’s outlook. They can easily buy our calm India course and regain their mental health without having to heading out for help and it’s also easy on their pocket. This platform being priced at 399 rupees makes it affordable and private to seek out better thinking patterns. We want to give the masses a better alternative solution that uses real science. We also have the links to our research on our website for every point we’ve presented, if the viewer wants to dig deeper at any point during or prior to the course.”

Enrolling for this course is quick and seamless - visit www.calmindia.com, register yourself and you’re good to go!