Driving an Open Edge Computing Infrastructure through Wind River Titanium Cloud Code Contributions

Intel and Wind River previously announced our intent to open source components from the Wind River Titanium Cloud portfolio. Today we are pleased to deliver on that commitment with code being up streamed in a new open source project called StarlingX, hosted by the OpenStack Foundation.

Wind River Titanium Cloud was built on open source components, which are then extended and targeted to be hardened to address critical infrastructure requirements: high availability, fault management, and performance management needed for continuous 24/7 operation. Wind River Titanium Cloud also includes the low latency, high performance, scalability, and security needed for edge and IoT workloads.

Through the StarlingX project, we are opening many of these enhancements with the hope others find this a good reference platform upon which to innovate. Intel and Wind River invite the community to contribute code and looks forward to working together to define the infrastructure stack for edge computing and accelerating integration across many existing open source projects including cloud native technologies. By upstreaming these enhancements directly under the OpenStack Foundation, we can work closely with the OpenStack community to minimize technical debt and help speed downstream implementation.

The code available via the StarlingX project will:

Provide service management, REST APIs and process monitoring
Deliver standalone fault management service including extensions to OpenStack Horizon
Provide software repository management, patching, upgrade, backup, and restore services
Include bare metal management, a next-generation Virtual Infrastructure Manager (VIM) along with VIM helper components, the OpenStack Nova API proxy, and guest API infrastructure

Additional code contributions not up streamed to existing projects will deliver capabilities through sub-projects under the StarlingX to provide critical functionality: service management, fault management, software and lifecycle management, bare metal installation and management, and configuration management.

The StarlingX project will work closely with cross-industry edge usages. Beyond networking and enterprise, a prime opportunity is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Historically an area with highly-specialized solutions tailored to specific functions, customers and partners are embracing the value of virtualized edge compute. By addressing common requirements through an open community, StarlingX can enable the innovation to power robust, commercially-supported solutions, and we look forward to working with solution providers and integrators to meet these demands.

We plan to work closely with the Akraino Edge Stack to drive standards and integrate multiple upstream components using a common framework for edge computing. We expect Akraino will play an important midstream integration role for many of these types of upstream and open source components, by building blueprints for a range of industry uses.

We expect businesses will benefit from the capabilities in the StarlingX project through streamlined installation, commissioning, and maintenance of edge compute solutions. The operational complexity of current solutions, combined with the specialized IT knowledge required to deploy them, has been a barrier for Communications Service Providers looking to fully capitalize on the business opportunities of edge applications. Wind River Titanium Cloud technology contributed to the StarlingX project streamlines installation, commissioning, and maintenance of edge compute solutions and simplifies these processes through automation, helping businesses minimize cost, lower risk, and reduce staffing needed for edge deployments.

We invite you to join this exciting, ground-breaking work. Download the StarlingX source code, try it out, and join the discussion at starlingx.io. For those of you at OpenStack Summit in Vancouver BC this week, be sure to stop by the Intel booth to learn more.

T-Hub and Facebook Announce Finalists of ‘India Innovation Hub Accelerator Program’

T-Hub and Facebook have announced the first batch of winning start-ups, selected for their joint program “India Innovation Hub.”  The program which was launched in November last year, aims to help start-ups focused on using emerging technologies by providing support and mentorship to accelerate their businesses in new and innovative ways.  A cohort of nine start-ups focused on VR have been selected and each startup will get access to training, mentors, workshops, research, and Facebook’s VR Innovation lab located at T-Hub as a part of the three-month accelerator program.

Speaking on the occasion, Jay Krishnan, CEO, T-Hub said, “We have witnessed the recent growth of AR and VR and it has the potential to disrupt many areas. Our program with Facebook has discovered startups leveraging AR and VR technologies in such areas like healthcare, HR and enterprises training, enriching customer experience and enterprise analytics. We are excited to help these startups scale up to global markets through our bespoke accelerator program with Facebook.”

“As the startup ecosystem of emerging technologies is taking an optimistic shape in India, we are dedicated towards setting them up for success by providing the mentorship and access to the right tools & technology for scaling their businesses. We are excited to be part of this ecosystem and can’t wait to see how these nine startups scale their innovation.” added Satyajeet Singh, Head - Strategic Product Partnerships, India & South Asia, Facebook said.

Selected from 20 shortlisted applications that presented to a jury comprised of subject matter experts from Facebook, T-Hub, and external industry members, the participants were reviewed based on quality of technology solution, product/solution readiness, possible impact in the vertical etc. amongst others. The nine chosen startups include:

·         Dimension NXG
·         GMETRI Studios
·         Highir Technologies
·         Innov4Sight Health and Biomedical Systems
·         Loop Reality
·         Merxius Software
·         Parallel XR
·         Scapic Innovations
·         VadR

The selected startups have the potential to boost innovation ecosystem and are working on projects in the domains varying from Healthtech to Industrial Manufacturing, Education to Corporate Learning & Development among many others. With an intent to support a new generation of Indian startups, this cohort of startups as part of India Innovation Hub program will get:

*An opportunity to work and scale up under the aegis of Facebook. The startups selected through this program will work with subject matter experts, mentors, and coaches from both Facebook and T-Hub, to collaborate and prioritize the solution. All interventions will happen at T-Hub.
* An invaluable opportunity to seek feedback on the prioritized solution and showcase it to key executives of Facebook and T-Hub during the ‘Demo Day’ at T-Hub.
*If mutual interest established, further collaboration options between cohort startups and Facebook would be discussed.
*Qualified startups will be directly accepted to the FbStart program.
* Access to T-Hub’s network of mentors, industry experts, investors, service providers, and community/ecosystem.

Scan, Digitize and Deliver Business Info with NewgenOmniScan 4.1

Newgen Software, a provider of Business Process Management (BPM), Enterprise Content Management (ECM), and Customer Communication Management (CCM) platforms, today announced the release of OmniScan 4.1.Organizations can now Scan, Digitize and Deliver critical business information to accelerate key business processes and enhance customer experience with this version. It’s effective bulk scanning and distributed capture capabilities help enterprises reduce costs, save time, and optimize resource utilization.

OmniScan 4.1 is an advanced, distributed document scanning solution for a scalable high-volume production environment. It accelerates business processes by capturing data and transforming it into actionable business information.

“This version will help organizations drive enterprise-wide digitization and access relevant information for business use.It provides flexibility to scale operations from hundreds to millions of documents in a day,” said Diwakar Nigam, Chairman and Managing Director, Newgen Software.

Key features include:

·   Auto Face Detection: Enables automatic detection of photos from scanned images and associates them with the document
·   Auto Capture Index Values: Auto captures system field values, such as job number, location and date, reducing manual data entry. Further, allows tracking employee productivity by user name and department
·   Template Management: Maintains consistency and saves time by allowing users to reuse templates defined in OmniProcess
·   MSI Installer: Facilitates remote installation of the software through group policy

OmniScan 4.1can be integrated with SAP and Microsoft SharePoint.It has use cases across verticals such as Banking, BPO, Insurance, Telecom, Healthcare, Legal, and Public sector.

Ather Energy Sets Up 19 Charging Stations in B'lore; Ather EV Bikes Launch Likely in June

Ather Energy has launched their charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), AtherGrid, which is open to all EVs. The company, known for their intelligent, electric scooter S340, has begun installations of the intelligent and connected charging stations across the city of Bangalore. 30 charging points will be set up by the end of May 2018. By the end of the year, 60 charging points will be available in Bangalore. With this, there will be a charging station within 4 km driving distance from any point in the city.  This is the largest charging infrastructure effort in an Indian city. The firm is also plans to roll out its Ather EV bikes in the city by June 2018.

Installed at malls, cafes, restaurants, tech parks, multiplexes and gyms, they have been selected to cater to both, four wheelers and two wheelers. For this, Ather has partnered with host locations, who have installed Points pro-bono at their premises to offer a convenient experience for all EV owners in the city. To improve EV ownership experience and increase adoption, AtherGrid and its accompanying app will be offered for free for the next 6 months to all electric vehicle owners. Using cloud connectivity, consumers can find the nearest Point available and navigate to the charging location using the app. Remotely monitoring charge status and integrated payment options offers EV owners a seamless charging experience.

Commenting on the launch, Tarun Mehta, Co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy said, “Electric vehicles cannot become a viable alternative without making charging infrastructure availability a greater priority. It is critical for us to make public charging convenient and accessible. This is an important step towards increased adoption and acceptance of electric vehicles and in the long run will have a positive effect on the cost of the vehicles themselves. The number of entrepreneurs and businesses that have come aboard to be a part of AtherGrid is also a testament to the future of electric vehicles. As we prepare ourselves for the launch of the Ather S340, Bangalore was a natural choice to be the home city for AtherGrid. Range anxiety and the inconvenience associated with charging will not be a deterrent to adoption, as the industry grows.”

Ather’s Points have been designed and manufactured in India, keeping in mind the needs of the domestic power grid. Safety features ensure that electricity is drawn only when connected to a vehicle and protects vehicles from overcharging with auto power cut off. Electric vehicles will be protected from undervoltage, overvoltage and overcurrent.  And with an IP55 rated body it is safe to use in any weather.

Uber Sets to Launch Auto Rickshaw Service in Gurugram Shortly

Autorickshaw has been a major mobility option for the urban commute (especially shorter route) in metros as well as tier I cities. Despite government regulated meter-based fare system, three wheel drivers often find leeway and dictate their own fare structures.

Solving the pain of exorbitant pricing, indigenous on-demand cab-hailing major Ola added autorickshaw in its native app. Besides cab, autorickshaw has been the most successful category for the SoftBank-backed company.

While Uber tried the segment in early 2015, a year later it halted autorickshaw aggregation citing it as an experimental move. Realising the importance of three-wheel in urban commute, the Dara Khosrowshahi-led company had made a re-debut in the segment in January with operations in Pune and Bengaluru.

Betting further on the segment, Uber is adding three wheel-hailing option to its app in Gurugram from this week. Entrackr has confirmed this with several autorickshaw drivers who are switching to Uber from Ola as the former is offering lucrative incentive structure in the Millenium city.

“Since Uber has aggressively been onboarding auto rickshaws for past one week, it would likely to add the three wheel-hailing service in Gurugram by Wednesday,” says one of the autorickshaw unions comprised of app-based drivers in Gurugram.

Like cabs, Uber AUTO will include all safety features available for its cab rides and will onboard pre-verified driver partners accredited by the authorities, confirm several drivers who joined Uber AUTO.

To poach existing fleet of auto-rickshaws on Ola, the San Francisco-based company is offering incentive up to Rs 5,500 on successful completion of 40 rides in a fortnight. Multiple drivers have confirmed the incentive structure to Entrackr.

“Preliminary drive to bring three wheel service on Uber app is also ongoing in Noida and Delhi. However, Uber would start it from Gurugram,” adds the aforementioned union.

Meanwhile, Ola has been operating Ola Auto for over three years. The company claims to have 1,20,000 auto rickshaws registered on its platform across 73 cities and had completed 2 million rides  in 2017.

While the number of rides happens through Ola Auto isn’t public, it seems to have picked up significantly. Users tend to prefer auto for a shorter distance over cab service.

While the Uber mobile app is yet to get integrated with the AUTO option in Gurugram, the re-entry of Uber in auto vertical ensures a good time for users and drivers as it’s likely to engage in discounting and incentive battles with local competition Ola. Nevertheless, subsidised autorickshaw rides are just beginning for commuters in Gurugram.

Chatterbox Launches Marketing Platform with 150,000+ Influencers – Chtrbox.com

Indian Influencer Marketing company, Chatterbox, has unveiled its latest technology-backed solution with Chtrbox.com. With advanced ML (machine learning), smart-data driven influencer-search, proprietary matching algorithms, gamified mission modules, real-time performance tracking & more, Chtrbox.com now offers complete end-to-end solutions that make Influencer Marketing more automated, intelligent & cost effective for brands & agencies.

Today, brands are shooting in the dark when it comes to knowing which influencers to tap. Influencer marketing is the fastest growing marketing approach being favoured by brands, but a majority of brand budgets for it are not spent efficiently. There is a rising class of new influencers, from which there is very little past performance-data. While the Chatterbox team helps brands craft their influencer strategy, the Chtrbox.com platform now offers brands over 150K mega to micro influencers with deep data to make the right selection, enables push-campaigns and missions to relevant influencers to get their word out & get the biggest bang for their buck.

Speaking on the launch, Pranay Swarup, Co-Founder & CEO @Chatterbox stated "While brands leverage the human intelligence & authentic chatter of social media influencers, Chtrbox.com leverages artificial intelligence at its very best to ensure brands find the right influencers first. With the rise of social media content consumption in India, Chtrbox.com's access to 150,000+ influencers with a cumulative followership of 3.5 billion is all set to further elevate the emerging industry." 

Akhil Mordia, CTO at Chatterbox, adds on “Chtrbox.com’s engine has analysed more than 24 million content pieces by top & emerging influencers, across categories & geographies. For each content piece, our proprietary technology allocates a unique score basis its context & performance, generating every influencer's Social Media Value. This helps identify the relevant influencers with the best RoI.”

Influencer marketing is nothing but Word of Mouth 2.0 in our digitally advanced & ever-so-connected world. Today it's not just a celebrity, but a social media star, your college mates, colleagues & family members that you listen to the most. Chtrbox.com helps brands & agencies construct & optimize this very piece, and let's data validate gut-calls.

Indian Government May Give Rs. 2 Lakhs Subsidy for Buying an Electric Car

The Indian government is making a renewed push for electric vehicle adoption. It has earmarked about Rs. 9,000 crores in the latest set of subsidies for electric vehicles. What this subsidy means is that electric car buyers will get a rebate of up to Rs. 2 lakh from the government, which wants more people to buy electric cars rather than the ones running on petrol or diesel. The Indian government also plans to support electric two-wheelers by offering a rebate of up to Rs. 30,000, on purchase, to buyers. However, these rebates do come with terms and conditions.

The government plans to give 50,000 electric car owners, the Rs. 2 lakh rebate but cars bought under this scheme cannot have a price of more than Rs. 15 lakhs. Similarly, the Rs. 30,000 rebate for high-speed electric two-wheelers is for 1.5 lakh owners, but the two wheelers need to be priced below Rs. 1.5 lakh, to be eligible for this scheme. For low-speed, electric two-wheelers, the government will offer a Rs. 20,000 rebate, but here again, the maximum price of the two-wheeler has been capped to the sub-Rs1 lakh mark.

This scheme will also be offered to three-wheelers, buses, trucks and light commercial vehicles. All in all, the Indian government hopes that such discount schemes/rebates on electric vehicles will entice buyers to opt for these vehicles. Moreover, the government is in the process of reducing GST on batteries for electric vehicles, which is likely to make electric vehicles sold in India cheaper than before. Such rebates are also likely to encourage car and two-wheeler makers to come up with more attractively priced electric vehicles.

For now, the electric car space in India has just two offerings, both from Mahindra Electric. The E20 4-door is one such offering while the other is the eVerito. Tata Motors is likely to introduce the electric variants of the Tiago and Tigor soon. Next year, Hyundai plans to bring in the Kona Electric SUV. Mahindra’s future plans include the electric variants of the KUV100, the XUV Aero and the S201 compact SUV. Maruti also has plans to enter this space in 2020, with a new electric car developed in collaboration with Toyota.