Conrad Hotels Opens Second Property in Bengaluru CBD Area Overlooking Ulsoor Lake

Conrad Hotels & Resorts celebrates further expansion in India with the opening of Conrad Bengaluru. Soaring 24 stories above Bengaluru’s Central Business District, the new luxurious hotel, which is owned by Prestige Group and managed by Hilton, is superbly located in the city providing excellent accessibility to prime business, technology, art and entertainment districts.

“The impressive Conrad Bengaluru is an outstanding addition to our luxury portfolio in Asia Pacific and we are delighted to be partnering with the Prestige Group on this exciting project. The timely arrival of Conrad Bengaluru in India demonstrates Conrad Hotels & Resorts’ commitment to growing the brand's presence in the country, complementing its sister property Conrad Pune," said Daniel Welk, vice president  of operations, luxury and lifestyle, Asia Pacific, Hilton. "This landmark property perfectly complements the vibrant city and will set the benchmark for luxury accommodation in Bengaluru."

Featuring 285 luxurious guestrooms including 21 suites, Conrad Bengaluru offers fivedining and bar experiences, a full-service spa and salon, abundant event space, a 24-hour fitness center and an outdoor temperature–controlled infinity pool overlooking the expanse of the city as well as a dedicated kids’ pool.

“We are delighted to establish Conrad Hotels & Resorts in this vibrant capital city of Karnataka. Conrad Bengaluru enhances our fast growing portfolio of 34 properties and underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional hotels in key gateway locations to meet the growing needs of global luxury travelers,” said John T. A. Vanderslice, global head, Conrad Hotels & Resorts. “An inspiring destination, Conrad Bengaluru will delight guests with intuitive and customized service, as well as provide them access to a world of connections and inspired experiences."

"The Prestige Group is synonymous with innovation and has been lauded for introducing many firsts to the city. In keeping with this vision, it gives us great pleasure to partner with Hilton in bringing the esteemed Conrad brand to Bangalore. Amidst the robust tourism outlook, the much-anticipated opening of Conrad Bengaluru will definitely be a game changer in the already dynamic hotel scene here. Moreover, Bangalore has the distinct advantage of being a preferred destination for both conventions and conferences. Hence, I see the hospitality industry thriving here. We look forward to a long and positive partnership with Hilton in further elevating the hotel industry in India," added Irfan Razack – CMD, Prestige Group.

Guestrooms

Offering spacious and contemporary accommodations bathed in natural light with panoramic views of the city and the Ulsoor Lake through floor-to-ceiling windows, all guestrooms and suites come with intuitive motion sensing technology. Upon sensing motion in the room, the air conditioning switches from energy-saving mode to cool, the curtains in the room  automatically open and ambient lighting turns on to match the time of the day. Guests can also self-calibrate their room temperature and curtain according to their preference. Those staying in Executive rooms or suites will enjoy exclusive access to the Executive Lounge.

Meetings & Events

Conrad Bengaluru has one of largest meetings and events spaces in the city. Poised to be the venue of choice for business, social events, and weddings, the hotel has 17,000 square feet of space including a 7,610-square-feet Grand Ballroom, a junior ballroom, six meeting rooms and a boardroom. The meetings and events spaces feature private conference facility entrance, generous pre-function areas and state-of-the-art technology.

Food & Beverage

Conrad Bengaluru has five food and beverage outlets offering innovative culinary experiences that will make them city hot spots:

-       Caraway Kitchen offers the lively flavors of the world with four open concept kitchens that take culinary inspirations from India, Italy, Americas and East Asia.

-       Tiamo presents robust Mediterranean flavors made with simple quality ingredients in a stylish al fresco atmosphere. The café’s Mediterranean bistro classics are the perfect option for guests who roost at the infinity pool deck on balmy days and cool evenings.

-       Mikusu celebrates the culinary cultures and artistry from Japan, China and Thailand.  The restaurant and bar offers dishes imbued with a strong sense of their heritage, and paired with a curated range of exquisite sake and exotic Asian cocktails. 

-       Indian Durbar pays homage to time-honored Indian recipes and flavors. Set in an understated yet luxurious ambience, diners can anticipate novel gourmet experiences that are fit for the royalties.

-       The Lobby Brew, the lounge at the lobby, features an extensive beverage menu and have tapas and finger foods throughout the day.

At Conrad Bengaluru, guests may choose to independently explore the city and be inspired by the unique experiences that are reflective of the city. Available at the concierge, the hotel offers a curated collection of 1-, 3-, and 5-hour itineraries that features an inspired view into sights, sounds, flavors and other experiences that are intrinsically Bengaluru.

As part of Hilton, Conrad Bengaluru participates in Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton's 14 distinct hotel brands. Members who book directly have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Points and money to book a stay at an exclusive member discount.

Comprehensive BIM Strategy Helps Long Jian Road & Bridge Co., Ltd. Deliver Amur River Bridge Connecting Russia and China

The Heihe - Blagoveshchensk Heilongjiang River (Amur River) Bridge is a bridge being constructed at a total cost of CNY 2.4 billion. It will connect Heilongjiang Province, China to Amur State, Russia. The Long Jian Road & Bridge Co., Ltd. is responsible for all civil construction for the 19.9-kilometer Armur River Bridge project. Bentley technology helped Long Jian Road & Bridge Co., Ltd. solve engineering challenges it faced in a complex construction environment, enabling high levels of collaboration and increasing project management efficiency by 25 percent on the project.

As the first road bridge over the Heilongjiang River, this project forms an important part of China’s Silk Road economic zone. Construction of the 1,284-meter Amur Bridge, which connects the 6.5-kilometer Chinese section from Changfatun, Heihe City with a 13.4-kilometer Russian section to Canikulgan Village, Blagoveshchensk City, commenced in 2016. The team met quality and cost objectives through the use of Bentley software, leveraging OpenBridge Modeler’s 3D parametric modeling to achieve the required accuracy levels for the bridge’s superstructure and RM Bridge’s finite element analysis to simulate pile foundations and main beam and other structures to optimize structural strength, rigidity, and stability.

Long Jian Road & Bridge Co., Ltd. also created a 5D BIM common modeling and connected data environment based on MicroStation, Bentley’s discipline-specific applications, and ProjectWise, which greatly enhanced collaboration and coordination for the different disciplines involved in the construction of the bridge, roads and culverts, civil works, and frontier inspection area, and related traffic engineering.

“Bentley’s comprehensive software solution provided the management and collaboration capabilities that allowed us to increase efficiency on the project by 25 percent, while coping with the engineering challenges faced in a complex construction environment.”

Xuyuan Liang, Director, Technology R&D Center

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Dassault Systèmes Announces New Executive Committee Evolutions

Dassault Systèmes has announced Executive Committee appointments and changes.

Philippe Forestier, Executive Vice President, Global Affairs & Communities and a founding member of Dassault Systèmes when it was created in 1981 will retire.  Monica Menghini, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, is resigning for family reasons. Both departures are effective as of February 28, 2018. Thibault de Tersant, currently Senior Executive Vice President and CFO, will take the position of General Secretary (Secrétaire Général) and Pascal Daloz, currently Executive Vice President, Brands and Corporate Development, has been named Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Strategy Officer, with the changes effective February 5^th following the release of 2017 fourth quarter and full year financial results scheduled for February 1, 2018. Florence Verzelen has joined as Executive Vice President, Industry Solutions, Marketing, Global Affairs and Communication, effective January 15, 2018.

Bernard Charlès, Vice Chairman and CEO, Dassault Systèmes commented, “These changes in our Executive Committee will support the next phase of development of Dassault Systèmes as the 3DEXPERIENCE company.

“Pascal possesses a wide range of talents that are important ingredients for his new position as Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Strategy Officer, particularly at a company such as Dassault Systèmes. He has had a long involvement in our strategy definition and brings a deep understanding of our Brands and the value they represent, individually and together as part of our industry solution experiences. In combination, he is the right person to lead our holistic, growth-centric strategy at this current juncture.

“I am pleased to announce that Florence Verzelen has joined Dassault Systèmes as Executive Vice President, Industry Solutions, Marketing, Global Affairs and Communication effective January 15, 2018.  Florence will extensively exploit the Industry approach to increase value to clients and sharpen our strategy by further connecting Industry / Marketing / Workforce of the Future and public affairs.

“In Thibault’s new role, his knowledge, developed during thirty years of being our CFO, will be instrumental to shape the corporate structure of tomorrow, reflecting our evolution to a platform company to serve both People in Business and Business by People. In addition he will work on our business model strategy, Ethics & Compliance, and La Fondation Dassault Systèmes.

“Finally, I would like to recognize Philippe Forestier, Executive Vice President, Global Affairs & Communities, who is retiring, and Monica Menghini, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, who is resigning for family reasons. As a founding member of Dassault Systèmes, Philippe has played a key role in the decisive moves that enabled the Company to transition from start-up to global leader. He has been a passionate ambassador of Dassault Systèmes and contributed to the Company’s influence in the industrial, corporate, scientific, educational and cultural spheres. Monica, working together with me, has guided the translation of Dassault Systèmes’ vision into a unique value proposition as the 3DEXPERIENCE company.”

Thibault de Tersant in his new role as Senior Executive Vice President, General Secretary (Secrétaire Général) will be involved in a wide range of strategic, legal, governance and business initiatives. He will continue as a Director of Dassault Systèmes and as a member of the Executive Committee. Mr. de Tersant has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Dassault Systèmes for thirty years, commencing in 1988. He has implemented a framework enabling the Company to be long-term driven while delivering growth in revenues and earnings for 21 of its 22 years as a public company, accompanied by sector-leading profitability and cash flow generation leveraging a long-standing, highly recurrent financial model.

Pascal Daloz brings more than 17 years of experience in executive positions at Dassault Systèmes to his new position as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Strategy Officer. He has been Executive Vice President, Brands and Corporate Development since 2014 and member of the Executive Committee. With the support of the CEOs of each of Dassault Systèmes’ brands, he has been responsible for overall brand strategy with the mission to build world-class brands by creating a unique portfolio of applications, inspiring users’ experiences and vibrant user communities. Daloz joined Dassault Systèmes in 2001 and was promoted to Vice President, Strategy and Business Development in 2003. He became Executive Vice President, Strategy & Marketing in 2007, and was named Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Market Development in 2010. Daloz began his career in 1992 as a technology consultant and as a sell-side technology analyst at Credit Suisse from 1997 until he joined Dassault Systèmes in 2001. Pascal Daloz is a graduate of the École des Mines de Paris.

Pascal Daloz has contributed to several books on innovation: Strategic Management of Innovation and Design, La métamorphose numérique and Les bureaux d’études. In 2010, he was awarded the Hermès de l’Innovation prize for human relations in the workplace.

Florence Verzelen brings nearly two decades of international business and global affairs experience and leadership to her position as Executive Vice President, Industry Solutions, Marketing, Global Affairs and Communication, and member of the Executive Committee. After beginning her career in project financing at the Société Générale Investment Bank in New York in 2002, she worked at the European Commission from 2004 to 2007, first in the Trade division and then in the Competition division. Florence Verzelen then joined the office of the Secretary of State for European Affairs, as an Advisor, in charge of industrial and commercial matters. She then joined the Engie group (GDF Suez), where she was Director of Group Acquisition activities between 2008 and 2010, and then became Manager of the subsidiary GDF Suez Qatar BV between 2010 and 2013. Between 2013 and 2015, she held the position of President of the Purchase Performance Plan. Since 2015, she has been Deputy Director of Engie Europe, in charge of Operations, Business Development and Innovation and Managing Director of Engie Russia.

Florence Verzelen is currently an independent director on the Board of Directors of Air France.  She was nominated Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2013. Florence Verzelen is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique (specializing in Economics and Finance) and the Ecole des Mines. She is fluent in French, English and German, with additional knowledge of Arabic, Chinese and Russian.

OPPO’s Entry Level A83 Mobile has AI Beauty Recognition Technology & Priced Only at Rs 13,990 in India

OPPO the Selfie Expert and Leader today unveiled its latest entry-level camera phone – The OPPO A83. The A83 is equipped with a full screen display, a feature rarely seen in products of this price range. Together with OPPO’s A.I. Beauty Recognition Technology, A83 brings a more realistic and natural selfie experience to more young consumers, along with the 4GB RAM and 3180 mAh battery as a whole makes the A83 a versatile product all at a price of Rs. 13,990. The OPPO A83 will be available in two color variants: Black and Gold, which will go on sale on Amazon and Flipkart from January 20, 2018 and our offline stores.

“Our focus has always been on bringing best photography and Selfie experience to the Indian consumers. We have received an immense response for our Selfie Expert A Series and F Series. With the A83 we wish to bring an affordable selfie camera with advance features such as the HD + Full Screen Display and AI Beauty Technology. The A83 truly represents our ambition to continue being the Selfie Expert and Leader in the market" said Will Yang, Brand Director, OPPO India

Create your own exclusive selfies with A.I. smart beauty.

The F-series and A-series products from OPPO, particularly the integrated beauty function, have proved to be especially popular among the young and trendy. By capturing hearts, OPPO has become the "Selfie Expert" for India’s young consumers. As the Selfie Expert series gained popularity among the consumers, OPPO also uncovered a major customer pain point: "photos that are not that realistic". When a guy takes a selfie of himself, he often finds that the person in the photo looks like anybody but himself; either the face contour is not distinct, or his masculine stubble missing. For girls, they realize that everyone looks similar, lacking unique and distinct individual charm. Many people but especially young people, have this desire to express their own personalities in their photos. 

OPPO A83 is the new generation selfie expert. It comes with an 8 MP front lens + 13 MP rear lens, and uses the A.I. Beauty Recognition Technology that effortlessly helps you be at your best in photos. Everybody wants the world to appreciate them as unique and Artificial intelligence (A.I.) is the technology that will satisfy this desire. It can intelligently recognize and bring out your best features and yet retain that distinctive charm that defines every individual. As it preserves more contour details, adding that little extra touch that makes your selfies incredibly stunning. This solution is a perfect fit for anyone who wants to be unique, independent and trendy.

In simple terms, the A.I. Beauty Recognition Technology is like a thinking photographer rather than a rigid software program. OPPO's A.I. Beauty Recognition Technology employs a cloud database from premium suppliers that have sufficient power to support diversified facial recognition in smart terminals. Like a photographer who has accumulated many years of experience in photography, knows the best way to shoot a portrait. The AI can learn automatically once it has amassed enough imaging data. It can classify, recognize and beautify the portrait in three aspects: skin color and texture, gender, and age. Like a photographer who can assess different models, it knows how to make models with different skin colors look their best. Furthermore, the AI captures more than 200 facial points when a photo is taken, and this allows it to refine features and compose the face contour with precision; making a face appear three-dimensional as if the photographer has shot from different angles and capture a 3D image of the face. Finally, the AI will intelligently optimize the scene to cleverly integrate the portrait and background as if the photo has been touched up by a professional. So how does the intelligent Beauty Recognition Technology optimize in different scenarios?

For shots with moving subjects, issues such as structural and face deformation often occur. With more than 200 focus points, facial structure is captured clearly and ensures that the face contour is always intact regardless of the situation. And just like an experienced photographer or makeup artist professional, the A.I. Beauty Recognition Technology constantly updates its library and algorithms.

Flagship full screen, facial recognition feature, and fashionable look

A83 measures 5.7 inches, but the size of the screen is now 5 inches with the bezel ratio of the device being supremely narrow at 18:9, a major improvement over past models. Whether you are looking at a picture, video or playing a game, this offers an incredibly wide visual experience. Currently, full screen configuration is only deployed in flagship models for most brands. With the full screen of A83, anyone can now experience just how awesome this latest technology is. To complement the display effects of the full screen, the A83 resolution is as high as 1440 X 720, making every photo clearer and brighter for an improved photo experience.

A83 is also equipped with face unlock. Just align the phone with your face to unlock the phone quickly. You no longer have to worry about aligning your finger or wet hands anymore. All it takes to unlock the phone is to look at it, making it easy for the elderly and children too. This is the convenience of advanced technology that OPPO brings to all consumers.

The look of the A83 is inspired by UFOs (UFO Curve Design Philosophy). The streamlined design of the flying saucer is incorporated for a more solid edge, with subtle yet sturdy arcs that make the phone look more dynamic. Its homogeneous look, along with its pearlescent and sparkling finish is a perfect blend of technology and fashion. This plus the full screen configuration of the mobile phone makes A83 an extremely cool and elegant device with a premium feel that appeals to the sense of aesthetics of young people.

Fluid operations with more ergonomic handling experience

OPPO A83 is tailored for outstanding performance and to where it matters most for young consumers. The super-large 4GB operating memory allows young people to enjoy their favorite games while three independent card slots (Double Nano-SIM cards with the TF slot) enable users to have 2 mobile numbers for phone calls, and also to extend the phone memory to 256GB. The new Color OS 3.2 operating system and O-share for file-sharing can transmit 6 to 7 ordinary photos in just a second.

Dun & Bradstreet Business Optimism Index at a 14-Quarter High in 2018 Across India

Dun & Bradstreet, which grows the most valuable relationships in business by uncovering truth and meaning from data, today announced that its Composite Business Optimism Index stands at 91.0 during Q1 2018, an increase of 18.6% as compared to Q4 2017. All key (six) optimism indices have registered an increase as compared to Q4 2017 as well as Q1 2017.

“Business Optimism has surged during the quarter ended March 2018 and is at its highest across the past 14 quarters,” said Manish Sinha, Managing Director – India, Dun & Bradstreet. He continued, “The upcoming Union Budget and assembly elections during 2018 might have generated optimism about government sops that could push revival in consumption. Besides, demand condition is likely to improve given the waning of the impact of demonetisation and stability returning after GST implementation. Optimism levels are building up on net profits, selling prices and hiring of employees which indicates healthy sign for revival.”

He further added that as the global economy is expected to pick up steam during the year, India should stand to gain. “Favourable interest rate differential and continued reforms for improving ease of doing business provide favourable ground for domestic and foreign investors. For business confidence to get a sharp boost from here on, government measures on reviving investments and demand should result in further acceleration. The upcoming Union Budget should be pragmatic and growth oriented rather than fiscally stringent,” he said.

The D&B Business Optimism Index is widely recognized as an indicator, which measures the pulse of the business community and serves as a reliable benchmark for investors. The index is arrived at on the basis of a quarterly survey of business expectations.

The key survey findings are: 78% of the respondents expect volume of sales to increase in Q1 2018  compared to 59% in Q1 2017, an increase of 19 percentage points. While around 16% expect it to remain unchanged, 6%  expect the volume of sales to decline.

67% of the respondents expect an increase in net profits in Q1 2018, compared to 52% in Q1 2017, an increase of 15 percentage points. Around 26% expect net profits to remain unchanged, while 7% expect it to decrease.

Around 49% of the respondents expect no change in the selling price of their products for Q1 2018. 46% of the respondents expect the selling price of their products to increase during Q1 2018, while 5% expect a decline.

74% of the respondents expect their order book position to improve in Q1 2018, compared to around 60% in Q1 2017. While around 22% of the respondents expect new orders to remain unchanged, 4% anticipate new orders to decrease.

38% of the respondents expect an increase in the size of their workforce employed during Q1 2018, as compared to 27% in Q1 2017. While around 54% anticipate no change in the number of employees, the remaining 8% expect their workforce size to decline.

Around 29% of the respondents expect their inventory level to increase during Q1 2018, as compared to 28% in Q1 2017. While around 54% anticipate no change in inventory level, 17% expect inventory level to decline.

Corporate Networks are Vulnerable to Cyberattacks - Hidden Threats and Careless Employee Behavior with Apps

The role of IT in defending against cyber attacks is more difficult than ever, with more sophisticated attacks on the rise – and in some cases, attackers have infiltrated corporate networks without IT knowing. But even more concerning to IT departments in defending against attacks is the lack of willingness by employees to take precautionary steps against them, according to the latest results from the A10 Networks Application Intelligence Report (AIR).

The A10 AIR report examines the interaction with applications and the growing security implications that result personally and for businesses and their IT organizations. AIR previously examined the rise in use of apps in our “blended lives,” blurring lines between work and personal business through use of apps at home and in the office.

In contrast to the previous report that looked at the consumer impact of apps in the workforce, today’s announcement addresses the challenges of IT decision makers who are faced with the rise and complexity of cyber attacks, and the sometimes careless attitudes of employees who unwittingly introduce new threats to their businesses. This data is even more disturbing with metrics that found almost half (48 percent) of IT leaders say they agree their employees do not care about following security practices.

Frequency of Known – and Unknown – Cybersecurity Attacks

The report also interviewed IT decision makers about their efforts to defend their corporate networks, users and applications against cybersecurity attacks, finding that half (47 percent) said their company has suffered a data breach at least once.

When it comes to DDoS attacks, more than one third (38 percent) say their company has suffered an attack at least once over the past 12 months, with another 9 percent not aware if they’ve been attacked or not. When projected across the entire industry, this presents an ominous trend, as nearly half of IT professionals have either been a victim of a DDoS attack or don’t know yet if they have been.

As IT defenders are faced with the increasing sophistication of adversaries who are responsible for the size and frequency of these attacks, 44 percent of the IT professionals surveyed in the report expect DDoS attacks to increase over the next year – and 70 percent expect overall cyberattacks to increase or remain the same.

However, one out of three (37 percent) employees surveyed say they aren’t familiar with what a DDoS attack is – with 11 percent not knowing if they’ve been victimized themselves – which makes it hard to protect someone when they aren’t familiar with the dangers or how to prevent attacks in the first place.

The diverse variety of cyberattacks is also cause for concern. On the topic of ransomware, almost one quarter (22 percent) of IT decision-makers say their company has been the victim at least once, and an additional quarter (26 percent) believe it is probable – but ultimately unknown – that their company has been a victim. This equates to nearly half of the industry either having been victimized by ransomware, or not aware if they are already vulnerable to a looming attack.

Help for IT Professionals is On the Way

Perhaps as a direct correlation to the rise of these attacks, the survey revealed that 63 percent of IT professionals believe their overall IT and security budget to increase. Additionally, one third (36 percent) of IT departments are looking to grow their security teams, as security is the top hiring focus, followed by the applications team, which participants expected to see a 17 percent increase in head count.

Who’s Responsible for App Security?

More than half (55 percent) of employees expect the use of business apps to increase, increasing the odds these devices may become part of a larger DDoS attack, which can bring entire businesses to a screeching halt.

But who is ultimately responsible to protect employees who used non-sanctioned apps at work? App developers, IT departments and end users are at odds over who is responsible for application security and best practices regarding the many apps on the phones of employees. With employees, responsibility is low: only two out of five (41 percent) claim ownership for the security and protection of non-business apps they use.

And who is that “someone else” who should be protecting users’ apps in the workplace? Employees think security should be provided by the app developers (20 percent), service providers (17 percent) and their IT department (16 percent).

But if you ask IT decision-makers who is internally responsible, one third say the security team is most responsible for protecting employee’s identity and personal information, followed by the CIO or VP (17 percent) of the company, and 15 percent state “the whole IT department.”

Additional AIR findings include:

Employee Behavior toward the Use of Banned Apps or Sites at Work

·  It’s an accepted fact that companies can block apps and websites at work – 85 percent of employees find this practice acceptable, and 85 percent would accept a job that does so.

·  However, only two thirds (61 percent) of employees cliaim their companies actually block specific sites or apps.                

·  One third (30 percent) of employees surveyed knowingly use non-sanctioned apps.

·  10 percent don’t know if the apps they use at work are banned or not.

·  Of those who use non-sanctioned apps, over half (51 percent) claim “everybody does it,” while one third (36 percent) believe their IT department doesn’t have the right to tell them what apps they can’t use.

·  One third (33 percent) claims IT doesn’t give them the apps needed to get the job done.

Perceived Attitudes of Employees and Thoughts on Best Practices

·  Almost a quarter (23%) of IT decision-makers think there will be no improvement in security behavior at their company, but 75 percent think optimistically that there will be.

·  88 percent of IT heads say employees need better education on best security practices.

·  IT decision makers say their top recommended password policy is updating passwords regularly (76 percent) followed by choosing different passwords for different systems (59 percent), and two-factor or multi-factor authentication (53 percent).

·  Password policies are communicated to employees through email reminders (66 percent) followed by employee orientation (50 percent), internal meetings (48 percent), and communication from a manager (44 percent).

Challenges and Needs of IT

·  When protecting their company, the biggest challenge noted by IT professionals is lack of corporate commitment to policy and enforcement (29 percent).

·  Forty-one percent of IT leaders are only slightly optimistic about their ability to stop threats and protect their company.

This data is consistent with a recent A10 Networks report that found the average company suffers 15 DDoS attacks per year, with average attacks causing at least 17 hours of effective downtime, including slowdowns, denied customer access or crashes. Attacks are also getting harder to defend, with average peak bandwidths of 30 to 40 gigabits per second (Gbps) and many exceeding that mark.

 “A10’s AIR report shows how employees too often unknowingly weaken cybersecurity and the use of unsanctioned apps. With often poor understanding of corporate security policies, this behavior increases the risks that come with a growing reliance on disparate and app-dependent workforces.”

A10 Application Intelligence Report (AIR)

The Application Intelligence Report (AIR) is a global research project that examines the behavior and attitudes of the global workforce toward the use of business and personal apps, and their impact on risk, security, and corporate culture.

AIR was commissioned by A10 Networks and conducted independently by strategic research firm Provoke Insights. It involves more than 2,000 business and IT professionals in 10 countries, with the intent to provide education for employers that can help them reassess corporate policies and ultimately protect their businesses – and their applications – by simply becoming more aware of the behavior of their employees.

The A10 AIR research was conducted in 10 countries, representing some of the world’s largest economies and fastest growing populations of technology adopters: Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.

LTI Paves the Way for Digital Transformation at MPPMCL; Power Portfolio Management Solution Deployed at Power Utility Firm

Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd., a global technology consulting and digital solutions company today announced successful deployment of end-to-end Power Portfolio Management Solution for the Indian power utility firm - Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited (MPPMCL).

Integrated with automated business modules and robust analytical capabilities, this comprehensive Power Portfolio Management solution enables faster and accurate decision-making on the sale and purchase of power. It also ensures shorter turnaround cycle on capturing deal information and processing invoices.

Speaking about the solution, Sanjay Shukla, MD, MPPMCL said, “At MPPMCL, we strive to be ahead of the curve by adopting new-age technologies. This initiative will maximise efficient power portfolio management through a technology-led decision support system. We chose LTI for this stratetic engagement because of it’s global experience with digital transformation initiatives in the utility sector.”

Sudhir Chaturvedi, President and Executive Director, LTI commented, “The possibilities of exponential technologies are immense and promise to transform the energy and utility sector. LTI is committed to leverage global best practices, deep industry expertise, and its Mosaic platform to accelerate digital transformation at MPPMCL.”

Embedded with next-generation technologies, LTI’s Power Portfolio Management Solution enables demand forecasting, tender creation, e-bidding and invoicing for various functions such as Human Resources, Finance, Projects, Procurement and Administration.