ABB Digital Chief Guido Jouret Receives India’s NASSCOM ‘Digital Evangelist’ Award

ABB Chief Digital Officer (CDO) Guido Jouret received the NASSCOM Global Leadership Award on Monday at the WCIT-NASSCOM ILF 2018 conference in Hyderabad, India. With the award the main trade organization of Indian IT-BPM companies recognizes Jouret’s leadership in the IT sector in India.

A technology strategist, Jouret has over 24 years of experience in the IT-sector and is committed to creating high-tech solutions for businesses in digital transformations. Jouret is the driving force behind ABB Ability, the company’s unified, cross-industry digital capability — extending from device to edge to cloud — with devices, systems, solutions, services and a platform, enabling customers to increase productivity and efficiency.

“It has always been my passion and focus to drive innovation and build transformational businesses to benefit customers across sectors. Today, the world faces some of the biggest challenges of providing greener power, transportation, and automation to people and industry,” said Jouret.

“At ABB, we are using our deep domain knowledge and experience of developing software for 40 years with ABB Ability^, our industry leading portfolio of digital solutions, to solve these problems. It is a pleasure to witness and be a part of discussions about the future of work and digital disruption with other prominent leaders across the globe at the NASSCOM India Leadership Summit 2018.”

Jouret has built an extensive experience in Silicon Valley. He was Chief Technology Officer at Nokia Technologies and Cisco. He also ran Cisco’s Emerging Technologies Group, where he became an authority of the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and digitalization.

Simplilearn Launches Digital Transformation Academy for Enterprises

Today, in a venture to help enterprises gain the skills and strategies necessary to become digital-ready, edtech company Simplilearn announced the launch of the Simplilearn Digital Transformation Academy. Through a comprehensive online self-paced and instructor-led curriculum, Simplilearn’s Digital Transformation Academy provides enterprises with the insights and training to guide their digital strategy, identify opportunities and correct skill deficits in emerging technologies, while quickly creating the platform for the entire organization, from employees to executives, to digitally transform themselves.

Digital transformation is the process of “transforming” the mindset of an organization and implementing strategies that use digital technologies in all stages of business. The Simplilearn Digital Transformation Academy covers all aspects of people, process and technology to achieve competency in digital technologies including Design Thinking, Big Data, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and DevOps, Programming and Automation, Digital Marketing and more.  The Digital Transformation Academy is designed to be customizable across a wide variety of industries and for all employee and management levels and roles while delivering on Simplilearn’s outcome-centric, high engagement learning approach.

“Simplilearn began with the goal of helping professionals upskill, become future job-ready and bridge industry skill gaps,” said Krishna Kumar, Founder and & CEO of Simplilearn. “In the last few years, the digital talent shortage has widened, threatening to create a bottleneck for enterprises that are struggling to achieve their digital transformation objectives. Our Digital Transformation Academy promises to bring these organizations’ people, processes and technology skills up to speed for a successful digital shift.”  

Simplilearn’s Digital Transformation Academy offerings include:

·  Up-to-date, in-depth content developed by industry leaders. The learning content are designed and updated by world-class, subject matter experts and industry thought leaders.

·  Comprehensive, outcome-centric curriculum. Offering more than 130 courses in 9 categories specific to topics essential to digital transformation, the Academy’s curriculum focuses on developing proficiency in immediately usable skills. Each course is supplemented with applied learning projects and real-world case studies, with hands-on practice via Simplilearn’s CloudLab online development environment.

·  Flexible learning approach. Simplilearn is the first online training company that provides a global, anytime, anywhere approach to employee training. So people can learn in the way they want to learn, our courses combine self-paced online content and instructor-led live virtual classrooms, backed by 24/7 global teaching assistants to enable learners to quickly resolve questions.

·  Progress tracking and assessments. The learning management system (LMS) is intuitive and has built-in tools for enterprises to track the learning progress of employees, including reports and alerts that help ensure high course completions. All learning programs come with pre- and post-course assessments as well as independent certifications.

“The rapid pace of technological change has triggered businesses to embrace evolving digital technologies or risk becoming obsolete,” said Anand Narayanan, Chief Product Officer at Simplilearn. “We look forward to embarking on our Digital Transformation Academy to support organizations with our advanced learning approach , to create better outcomes  in achieving a digital savvy workforce.”

Simplilearn has partnered with leading Global System Integrators, FMCG, Banking and Telecom companies to support their digital transformation journeys.  With integrated learning programs across key technology and business domains, Simplilearn continues to be the preferred training company for individuals, working professionals, and higher institutions of higher education.

Communitech Forms Indo-Canada Innovation Bridge with India’s T-Hub

Communitech has signed a memorandum of understanding with T-Hub of India today, announcing the intent to partner in support of global commercialization of each other’s technology companies. 

The memorandum of understanding was signed during a ceremony in Mumbai, India by Lisa Cashmore, Communitech’s Director of International Strategy and Jay Krishnan, T-Hub CEO in the presence of the Bardish Chagger, Leader of the Government in the Canadian House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism.

The partnership forms an Indo-Canada Innovation Bridge anchored by Communitech, an industry-led innovation center that supports, fosters and celebrates a community of more than 1400 tech companies in Waterloo Region, Canada and T-Hub, India’s largest startup incubator.

Communitech and T-Hub will share office space, programming and mentorship as well as create a program where companies of both countries will join to resolve corporate innovation challenges. The partnership presents three goals:

• A co-innovation program with joint development between Canadian and Indian innovators and entrepreneurs,

• Market access for Communitech entrepreneurs through T-Hub’s India Market Access Program based on product-market fit, and

• Indian and Canadian startups and researchers working together on solutions to innovation challenges corporate businesses face in both countries.

“Our government is committed to making Canada a world leader in innovation. In order to truly achieve this objective, we also understand that in a globally connected world, we need to partner with like-minded countries, like India, to build strong connections and help our entrepreneurs create world-class companies,” said Minister Chagger.

“These partnerships also help to encourage investment and forward thinking, giving our best and brightest a stage on which they can shine. Today’s agreement between Communitech and T-Hub will help to enable this important work. I congratulate both organizations on this agreement, and wish them, and the many great companies they will work with, the best of success for many years to come.” “Forming a partnership to support Canadian and Indian innovation in tech companies is a huge opportunity. India is in the top five most requested markets through the Canadian Digital Media Network (CDMN) Soft

Landing program, so we know it is a market that is of interest and importance to the companies we work with,” said Cashmore. “This partnership will help Canadian startups and technology firms have direct access to Indian markets and support on the ground.” “T-Hub and Communitech share a common philosophy to make our corresponding ecosystems vibrant, technology-driven, and also driven by international aspirations. With the signing of this MOU, we will be providing a platform and opportunity for startups and corporates from both countries to access each other with support provided on the ground in a structured, programmatic way,” said Krishnan.

Accenture Launches New Artificial Intelligence Dual Testing Services

Accenture has launched new services for testing artificial intelligence (AI) systems, powered by a unique “Teach and Test” methodology designed to help companies build, monitor and measure reliable AI systems within their own infrastructure or in the cloud.

Accenture’s “Teach and Test” methodology ensures that AI systems are producing the right decisions in two phases. The “Teach” phase focuses on the choice of data, models and algorithms that are used to train machine learning. This phase experiments and statistically evaluates different models to select the best performing model to be deployed into production, while avoiding gender, ethnic and other biases, as well as ethical and compliance risks.

During the “Test” phase, AI system outputs are compared to key performance indicators, and assessed for whether the system can explain how a decision or outcome was determined. It uses innovative techniques and cloud-based tools to monitor the system on an ongoing basis for sustained performance. For instance, a patent-pending normalization technique uses a unique algorithm to test object recognition more quickly.
 
“The adoption of AI is accelerating as businesses see it’s transformational value to power new innovations and growth,” said Bhaskar Ghosh, group chief executive, Accenture Technology Services. “As organizations embrace AI, it is critical to find better ways to train and sustain these systems – securely and with quality – to avoid adverse effects on business performance, brand reputation, compliance and humans.”
 
According the Accenture Technology Vision 2018, AI systems require addressing many of the same challenges faced in human education and growth: fostering an understanding of right and wrong, and what it means to behave responsibly; imparting knowledge without bias; and building self-reliance while emphasizing the importance of collaborating and communicating with others.
 
“Testing AI systems presents a completely new set of challenges. While traditional application testing is deterministic, with a finite number of scenarios that can be defined in advance, AI systems require a limitless approach to testing,” said Kishore Durg, senior managing director, Growth and Strategy and Global Testing Services Lead for Accenture. “There is also a need for new capabilities for evaluating data and learning models, choosing algorithms, and monitoring for bias and ethical and regulatory compliance. Accenture’s “Teach and Test” methodology takes all of this into consideration to help companies develop and validate AI systems with confidence.”
 
Accenture used its “Teach and Test” methodology to train a conversational virtual agent for a financial services company’s website, so that it could engage in accurate, unbiased conversations and know when to refer conversations to a human. The agent was trained 80 percent faster than previously possible and achieved an 85 percent accuracy rate on customer recommendations.
 
The methodology was also used to teach a sentiment analysis solution to evaluate a brand’s service performance by analyzing social media, news and other sources in real time. Having the right training data enabled the solution to correctly interpret sentiments in different contexts and domains. The training time for models was cut in half, enabling faster analysis and business results.
 
Accenture AI Testing is part of a complete range of testing services that helps quality engineering professionals be a catalyst for speed, agility and business performance while achieving radical productivity. Accenture serves over 1,000 testing clients across more than 40 industries and is recognized as an industry leader in testing innovation. More information on the ”Teach and Test” methodology can be found here.

Priyanka Upendra Unveils Godrej Interio’s Flagship Store in Bengaluru

Godrej Interio, India’s leading furniture and interior solutions brand launched its flagship retail outlet in India’s Garden City, Bengaluru. The 6000 sq. ft, state of the art store was launched by celebrated actress, Priyanka Upendra. Also present at the launch was the National Head of Operations and Business Development, Godrej Interio, Brijesh Verma, who highlighted the reasons for Godrej taking keen interest in the Karnataka market. He shared that currently the Southern region market contributed to 25% of the brand’s overall national home business revenue and this store is a testimony of the brands further expansion plans for the region

Located in Nagarbhavi, the fastest growing residential area of the Garden City, the store lies in close proximity to the outer ring road and link road. This provides customers an easy accessibility to the brand. The store offers specially crafted products in home furniture, mattress and home storage segments with modular storage solutions, the largest selling category in India in different styles and finishing.

As part of the launch celebrations, the store is offering its customers assured discounts on every purchase under the scheme. Customers will also receive a gift of Rs. 999 free on the total value of the purchase on shopping of Rs 50,000 or more.

Emphasizing about the relation between sleep, good health and furniture, Priyanka Upendra said, “I am extremely delighted to be present at the launch of this new store. As an individual who travels excessively, I understand the importance of sleep in today’s fast paced lifestyle. Sleep deprivation leads to multiple health complications and affects a person’s daily routine. It is therefore noteworthy that Godrej Interio has launched new healthcare mattresses at an affordable price to encourage a healthy sleeping pattern amongst people.”

Speaking about the relevance of the launch, Brijesh Verma, National Head of Operations and Business Development, Goderj Interio, said, “Bengaluru is one of the most important markets for us since this vibrant metropolis has always had a penchant for designer and modular home furniture. In recent years, this metropolis has attracted leading interior brands of the world. However, this store provides us an impetus over competition and furthermore offers great opportunity to expand and strengthen our brand in the retail furniture market. The Garden city contributes about 32% of the brand’s southern home business revenues and contributes to Rs 70 Cr annually. We aim to increase this target by 18% through channel expansion and new product launches catering to this promising market.”

Mahindra Electric and Baghirathi Group Jointly Power Karnataka’s EV Dream

Mahindra Electric, part of the diversified US$19 billion Mahindra Group and a pioneer in the development and production of electric vehicles in India and Baghirathi Group, a leading shared mobility service provider based in Bengaluru, today flagged off a fleet of 50 electric vehicles comprising Mahindra’s e-Verito from the Vidhana Soudha or State Assembly. This marks the beginning of the eMobility Awareness Campaign spearheaded by the Government of Karnataka.

The flag-off took place in the presence of  Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah and  R.V. Deshpande, Minister for Medium & Heavy Industries, who also shared their vision of eMobility for Karnataka, at the event.

Mahindra Electric also announced an additional investment of Rs 400 crore over the next 5 years, in the state. The investment will be utilized towards expansion of capacity, setting up of new EV technology innovation centers and expansion of the skilled team working in the EV space.

The Baghirathi Group also announced the launch of its brand rydS which will focus on low carbon, zero emission sustainable mobility solutions for all.  rydS plans to deploy 1000 electric vehicles for its enterprise clients. This deployment augments the recently announced electric vehicle and energy storage policy of the Government of Karnataka which aims to create a conducive environment and necessary infrastructure for electric mobility in the city.

Speaking on the announcement, Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric said, “We are very happy to lead the EV movement in Karnataka and be active participants in the eMobility awareness campaign initiated by the Government of Karnataka. Karnataka is our home ground and we already have three fully functioning facilities in Bengaluru. The role played by Bhagirathi in urban mass mobility is giving an impetus to electric vehicles as well with the recent order of 1000 eVeritos being one of the biggest in Indian corporate mobility. I am sure that together, Mahindra & Bhaghirathi can reshape the dynamics of mass mobility to make it clean and green in keeping with our state government’s objective”.

Speaking about the initiative, Mahesh Hariharan, Founder Chairman of Baghirathi Groupsaid, “rydS marks the next stage of evolution of our organization, building further on our vision of creating shared, connected and sustainable mobility solutions.  We intend to work closely with our customers, and with policy makers to implement the EV policy. Our action plan focuses on developing the infrastructure for manufacturers to support a fleet of electric vehicles across the country, starting with Bengaluru.”

Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Promises to Deliver Best in Class Customer Experience through Technology

Private life insurance company Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance has scaled up their entire technological infrastructure and added significant digital outreach capabilities to meet customers' needs in real time and ensure convenience at all stages. The Company aims to become a complete digital organization in the next three years.

The customer's end to end needs from product offering to the service should be fulfilled at the distribution point & the bank branch has been the focus of the Company. The Company believes in leveraging technology for an enhanced customer experience and has enabled various sales & service solutions which help in increasing operational efficiency at every stage of the life cycle. The Company runs a paperless process from customer contact to policy issuance and the service cycle.

The Company offers a comprehensive customer service platform with various servicing avenues equipped to handle & assist all life insurance policy servicing requests and queries efficiently. The Company has introduced video call service wherein the customers can interact over a video call for resolution of their query/service requests. Apart from this, to increase the engagement levels of the customer and to strengthen long term relationship, the preferences of the customers are captured at various touch points during the customer life cycle so as to give customized and preferred solutions during the life cycle.

In line with the vision, the Company has launched a brand campaign - "Aapke vaade, sar aankhon par" which is all about 'Living the Promises'. The tagline symbolizes the company’s resolve to honor every commitment made to its customers.

Anuj Mathur, Chief Executive Officer, Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Company Limited said, " Aligned to our vision of keeping customer first and our constant endeavor to enhance servicing capabilities, multiple initiatives have been taken to augment customer’s overall servicing experience and create a true 'one stop shop' for the customers. "Treating Customers fairly", "Right sale to the right customer" & a comprehensive "Engagement Strategy" are the tenets of Company's business approach which are driving our work philosophy."

Speaking about the brand campaign Mathur added, "We are in the business of financial protection and “Vaade” or “Promises” aligns perfectly with our line of business. This campaign conveys the strong value system that we as an organization stand for. At the core of our value system has been the essence of "Promise" - the promise to fulfill the promises made by our customers to their loved ones."