Atos Unveils 100% Software-Based High Availability Solution for Cloud Apps

Atos a global leader in digital transformation, today launches its new Evidian SafeKit 100% software solution to ensure high availability of enterprise business-critical services hosted in the Cloud. It is fully comprehensive and includes real-time replication, load balancing and failover all within the same one software product.

In recent years, organizations have been moving their business-critical services and infrastructure to Cloud solutions, which are cost efficient, flexible and scalable. However, for critical services, a Service Level Agreement (SLA) of 99,99%, may be not high enough.

In this context, Atos offers Evidian SafeKit, a 100% software-based solution that enables enterprises to implement business continuity for their critical services hosted in the Cloud. SafeKit provides templates for Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform that enables customers to create their first application cluster on two virtual machines in less than 10 minutes. This cluster manages computer failure issues and ensures fast application recovery.

The Evidian SafeKit ‘in the Cloud’ solution is:

* Easy to use (plug & play) – does not require any particular expertise in the domain of high-availability
* Flexible and can be deployed in any Cloud

Gurgaon-Based Coloured-Lenses Startup Lensico Looking for Funding

Lensico is an innovative startup that allows customers to buy prescription or coloured lenses online. Its innovative model which is completely unique in India has allowed it to capture a significant market share. The Gurgaon based company now expects to expand pan India and is seeking additional funds to allow it to do so.

The company is dedicated to helping people see better without compromising on their physical appearance. It is for the fulfillment of this vision that Lensico is seeking funding of $500,000. The funds being sought will be used for technology led expansion to help customers get the most out of the newest technology. The company’s leadership expects to use the funds for marketing which will allow lakhs from around India to learn about Lensico’s unique offering.  Using the funds, Lensico expects to expand across India and to allow lakhs of Indians to benefit from technology that imparts them crystal clear vision.

Lensico’s founders also expect to use the funds to perform eye checkups in people’s homes. Doing so will greatly increase its reach across India and increase its base of customers. The company’s founders aspire for Lensico to be the only brand in India that aggregates contact lenses.

Speaking about the need for additional funding  Shashwat Kedia, CEO and Founder, Lensico said “We are in a business that improves people’s quality of life. Among Indians, there is a shift in preference towards wearing contact lenses as opposed to spectacles. This trend is most visible among the young and is as potent in smaller towns and cities in India as in larger metropolitan areas. We believe that we are poised to serve this market and offer the gift of good eyesight to millions without compromising on their physical appearance. Nearly 50% of Indians suffer from poor eyesight, we expect to serve this huge market and as a result to improve the lives of millions”.

Industrial Automation & AI Must to Transform India into a $1 Trillion Manufacturing Economy by 2025: RAOTM

Industry leaders gathered at India’s largest industrial automation event ‘Rockwell Automation on the Move’ 2019 (RAOTM) conference emphasized on the need for a major shift towards Industry 4.0 technologies if India aims to triple its combined factory output in gross value added (GVA) terms to $1 trillion by 2025.

Noting that the ambitious target needs a concerted effort from across the industry, Rockwell Automation is taking the lead by further expanding its Partner Network in India to allow local manufacturers access to a collaborative network of companies mutually focused on developing, implementing and supporting best-in-class manufacturing solutions across industry verticals.

The announcement was made at Rockwell Automation’s RAOTM 2019 Annual User Group Conference in which industry partners and customers are invited to showcase and discuss latest digital transformation solutions and business opportunities. This year the conference hosted over 25 exhibits and 50 technology sessions.

Dilip Sawhney, Managing Director, Rockwell Automation India said, “We want to take the lead in building India’s first industry 4.0 ecosystem of partner companies that will create solutions for The Connected Enterprise that can analyze machine conditions in advance to avoid breakdowns and enhance productivity but also improve on quality and compliance parameters.”

Rockwell Automation has in the past partnered with L&T, Cisco, Microsoft, Endress+Hauser, and Wipro Infrastructure Engineering to develop smart manufacturing solutions in India.

John Watts, Regional Marketing Director, Asia Pacific at Rockwell Automation added, “Globally, digital-induced disruption is inevitable. To maintain and improve global competitiveness, Indian manufacturers need to accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0. While India has a lot of catching up to do in this respect, it can accelerate digital transformation by leveraging its strengths in the IT services sector and tapping the entrepreneurial spirit seen in the start-up sector.”

Throughout the event, Rockwell Automation and its partner companies showcased new products and solutions support:

The Connected Enterprise: New analytics and digital solutions that can help transform data into understandable information, empowering users to confidently make more informed decisions – from the plant floor to the enterprise.

Data Analytics and Augmented Reality: How Rockwell Automation is expanding its portfolio and tapping into its partnership with PTC to help customers increase productivity and plant efficiency, reduce operational risk and provide better system interoperability.

Innovation: Customers will get an early look at how new technologies will change manufacturing and production, including artificial intelligence, augmented reality, wearables and other disruptive technologies.

Rockwell Automation is bringing RAOTM to 3 more cities this year –

Bangkok, Thailand (Mar 5)
Tianjin, China (May 15 & 16)
Jakarta, Indonesia (Apr 30)

NetApp India Wins Coveted CIO CHOICE 2019 Honour & Recognition in Enterprise Flash Storage

NetApp India, the data management leader in the hybrid cloud domain has been conferred the CIO CHOICE 2019 Honour and Recognition as the most preferred brand in Enterprise Flash Storage. This prestigious recognition was presented at the exclusive red-carpet night, a celebration of innovation and excellence in the ICT ecosystem, produced by CORE Media.

With over 300 ICT leaders in attendance, CIO CHOICE, held at The Lalit, Mumbai, had some of the country’s most high-profile CIOs taking to the stage to confer the recognitions and applaud the brands voted as the most trusted ICT partners. Now in its 7th year, the annual CIO CHOICE recognition focuses on ICT brands who showcase a continuous demand for excellence and form the bedrock of industry success. The recognition is bestowed on the basis of pan-India independent voting by CIOs.

CIO CHOICE is the largest online voting platform, where CIOs determine and choose the products that have earned their vote of confidence. When an ICT brand wins the CIO Choice recognition, it means that their product, service or solution has been endorsed by CIOs. There is a distinguished Advisory Panel, comprising of CIOs from across verticals, that guides the entire process, with KPMG as the Knowledge Partner.

Anoop Mathur, Founder and President, CORE Media, said, “Congratulations NetApp for being honoured with the CIO CHOICE 2019 trust seal. CIO CHOICE is the ultimate testimony as it is a poll done with CIOs pan-India and that’s what finally matters as far as any brand or product goes, as it is the Voice of the Customer. The CIO CHOICE trust seal gives the assurance to enterprise CIOs to confidently engage with the recognised brand for the first time, helping both—ICT brands and CIOs.”

“We are elated to be voted as the most preferred Enterprise Flash Storage Vendor. Being recognised by a highly qualified panel including imminent CIOs and other ICT decision-makers validates our vision and recognises our ability to offer superior support to customers as they modernise their IT architecture with cloud-connected flash. NetApp will continue to empower customers with the industry’s leading flash solutions, designed to scale from edge to core to cloud,” said Anil Valluri, President, NetApp India and SAARC.

Indian Businesses Better Prepared for Industry of Future: Deloitte

Businesses in India are making better progress than others in dealing with the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution on key aspects of society, strategy, technology and talent, a survey said Monday.

In its annual ‘Readiness Report’ released on the first day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in this Swiss ski resort town, global consultancy giant Deloitte said global leaders are facing the pressures of preparing their businesses and workforces for this new era, with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) re-shaping how the world lives and works.

However, Indian businesses are taking a proactive approach to training their workforces for the future and they have the most clearly defined decision-making process of all executives. The Indian executives also demonstrate the ability to generate profit from the purpose and they are most concerned about the ethical use of Industry 4.0 technologies, the Deloitte survey found.

The five-day WEF summit, being attended by over 3,000 global leaders including more than 100 from India, has the main theme of ‘Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution’.

According to the Deloitte report titled ‘Leadership in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Faces of progress’, certain geographies, especially businesses in India, have demonstrated the right aptitude for success in Industry 4.0.

Omega Healthcare, IIIT-Bangalore Sign MoU to Boost AI Research

Omega Healthcare Management Services has signed an MoU with International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) to boost research in the field of Data Science, a field of AI.

The agreement will comprise of research programmes in AI and Data Science, aiming to focus on specific business-related processes along with expected outcomes.

Gopi Natarajan, co-founder and CEO, Omega Healthcare said, “The collaboration will augment our position as an active adopter of technology and solutions in the healthcare space.”

The Bengaluru-based company is also pursuing the UAE market actively. “We can make a huge difference if they outsource work to us because the market is still very nascent,” said Natarajan.

With seven delivery locations, 12 facilities and over 100 clients, the healthcare outsourcing company employs over 13,000 people (including 1,000 people in the Philippines), and it has been growing with a CAGR of 25%.

The company recently opened its new 250-seater centre in the Philippines.

Natarajan said the company will witness over 20% growth this year.

Skill India to Train 2.82 Lakh Farmers in Maharashtra: Center and State Govt Join Hands for the Initiative

In a bid to raise farmers’ income and enhance their skills in getting best yield for their fields, the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has committed support to Maharashtra State Skill Development Society’s (MSSDS) project to train farmers with small landholdings to create Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in Maharashtra. The project, being implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the Ministry’s flagship program, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana’s (PMKVY), initiates Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) of farmers in the state.

To be covered in a period of 16 months, the project will target to train about 2.82 lakh farmers in a newly created job role, termed as ‘Group Farming Practitioner’.  Under PMKVY’s RPL program, the farmers with prior practical knowledge and experience, will undergo a bridge course of 68 hours in the said job role. The orientation and assessment program will help farmers with small landholdings to improve their work skills and will benefit small scale farmers, young entrepreneurs and job seekers.  Targeting 3-5 select markets, the project also includes identifying and implementing unique interventions (such as supporting skill-development and self-employment of aspiring entrepreneurs, identification and reinforcement of key agricultural value chains, and facilitation of enhanced market access to the farmers), which will foster investments and enhance the existing ecosystem.

Commenting on the initiative, Rajesh Agrawal, Joint Secretary & CVO, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship said, “Our Ministry’s collaboration with the Maharashtra State Skill Development Society aims to fulfil the immediate need of creating Farmer Producer Organizations in Maharashtra. It is imperative that we bring convergence and coordination across all skill development initiatives ensuring common standards in training and development of our workforce. The intent of this Recognition of Prior Learning program is to increase performance potential of the farmers, thereby supporting their sustainable growth.  The program ensures high standards in training relevant for current market demand, increased efficiency and productivity, which will contribute to the growth of the most important sector of the country.”

Training in this select job role will nurture and strengthen FPOs by ensuring active participation and involvement of community members. This will be done through participatory agriculture management projects. The training will help farmers in effectively generating, allocating and using human, material and financial resources. It will also benefit those trained in attaining knowledge and skills on modern farming practices, teaching them in better yielding, output and demand for their produce.

In line with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision, the Government of Maharashtra has prioritized the Skill Development Mission and has set its target on training 45 million people with employable skills by 2022. The MSSDS RPL project is a significant step towards formal certification of the farmers that will help in increasing farmers’ income and achieve Government’s ambition of inclusive growth.