NetApp Powers Ducati’s Data-Driven Team for the 2019 MotoGP Championship

NetApp, the data authority for hybrid cloud, today announced that the company will renew its official sponsorship of the Ducati Team in the 2019 MotoGP World Championship, enabling the digital transformation of motorcycle racing.

The new Ducati MotoGP team was presented officially on Friday, January 18, in Neuchâtel (Switzerland). Data-driven technological developments on the racing bikes will boost the performance of factory riders Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci, supported by test rider Michele Pirro.

Ducati, founded in 1926, is a leading manufacturer of specially designed motorcycles that are characterized by their high-performance Desmodromic engines, innovative design and cutting-edge technology. Ducati’s dynamic range of models aims to provide an exciting sports-riding experience to its customers. In 2012, it became part of Volkswagen Group.

As a data-driven company, Ducati began its partnership with NetApp last year to take advantage of the full potential of data in racing within the Ducati Corse division. It recently expanded the partnership to analyze vast amounts of data throughout its business, including in logistics, marketing and customer relationship management.

Through the partnership, NetApp’s engineers are working closely with Ducati’s IT team to optimize their data fabric and meet the motorcycle manufacturer’s unique, rapidly expanding data storage and data management needs:

With the NetApp cloud-connected AFF solution, Ducati can now easily manage approximately 200 applications and more than 300TB of data to grant reliable real-time access to the world’s fastest enterprise all-flash storage. This storage can be accessed from anywhere in the world, across multiple clouds, with full GDPR compliance, and with the quick implementation of a disaster recovery strategy.

With the NetApp HCI solution, the power of an entire data center is delivered directly to the Ducati MotoGP team at the race track. This enables faster data-driven decisions to create winning strategies for the racing team through the powerful hybrid cloud infrastructure.

New Opportunities for Businesses to Deliver Personalized Realities and Experiences: Accenture Tech Vision 2019

The enterprise is entering a new “post-digital” era, where success will be based on an organization’s ability to master a set of new technologies that can deliver personalized realities and experiences for customers, employees and business partners, according to Accenture Technology Vision 2019, the annual report from Accenture that predicts key technology trends that will redefine businesses over the next three years.

According to this year’s report, “The Post-Digital Era is Upon Us – Are You Ready for What’s Next?,” the enterprise is at a turning point. Digital technologies enable companies to understand their customers with a new depth of granularity; give them more channels with which to reach those consumers; and enable them to expand ecosystems with new potential partners. But digital is no longer a differentiating advantage ― it’s now the price of admission.

In fact, nearly four in five (79 percent) of the more than 6,600 business and IT executives worldwide that Accenture surveyed for the report believe that digital technologies ― specifically social, mobile, analytics and cloud ― have moved beyond adoption silos to become part of the core technology foundation for their organization.

“A post-digital world doesn’t mean that digital is over,” said Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s chief technology & innovation officer. “On the contrary ― we’re posing a new question: As all organizations develop their digital competency, what will set YOU apart?  In this era, simply doing digital isn’t enough. Our Technology Vision highlights the ways in which organizations must use powerful new technologies to innovate in their business models and personalize experiences for their customers. At the same time, leaders must recognize that human values, such as trust and responsibility, are not just buzzwords but critical enablers of their success.”

The Technology Vision identifies five emerging technology trends that companies must address if they are to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving landscape:

·         DARQ Power: Understanding the DNA of DARQ. The technologies of distributed ledgers, artificial intelligence, extended reality and quantum computing (DARQ) are catalysts for change, offering extraordinary new capabilities and enabling businesses to reimagine entire industries. When asked to rank which of these will have the greatest impact on their organization over the next three years, 41 percent of executives ranked AI number one — more than twice the number of any other DARQ technology.

·         Get to Know Me: Unlock unique consumers and unique opportunities. Technology-driven interactions are creating an expanding technology identity for every consumer. This living foundation of knowledge will be key to understanding the next generation of consumers and for delivering rich, individualized, experience-based relationships. More than four in five executives (83 percent) said that digital demographics give their organizations a new way to identify market opportunities for unmet customer needs.

·         Human+ Worker: Change your workplace or hinder your workforce. As workforces become “human+” — with each individual worker empowered by their skillsets and knowledge plus a new, growing set of capabilities made possible through technology — companies must support a new way of working in the post-digital age. More than two-thirds (71 percent) of executives believe that their employees are more digitally mature than their organization, resulting in a workforce “waiting” for the organization to catch up.

·         Secure Us to Secure Me: Enterprises are not victims, they’re vectors. While ecosystem-driven business depends on interconnectedness, those connections increase companies’ exposures to risks. Leading businesses recognize that security must play a key role in their efforts as they collaborate with entire ecosystems to deliver best-in-class products, services and experiences. Only 29 percent of executives said they know their ecosystem partners are working diligently to be compliant and resilient with regard to security.

·         MyMarkets: Meet consumers at the speed of now. Technology is creating a world of intensely customized and on-demand experiences, and companies must reinvent their organizations to find and capture those opportunities. That means viewing each opportunity as if it’s an individual market—a momentary market. Six in seven executives (85 percent) said that the integration of customization and real-time delivery is the next big wave of competitive advantage.

According to the report, innovation for organizations in the post-digital era involves figuring out how to shape the world around people and pick the right time to offer their products and services. They’re taking their first steps in a world that tailors itself to fit every moment — where products, services and even people’s surroundings are customized and where businesses cater to the individual in every aspect of their lives and jobs, shaping their realities.

One company taking individualization and customization to a new level is Zozotown, Japan’s biggest e-commerce company. Its skintight spandex Zozosuits pair with the Zozotown app to take customers’ exact measurements; custom-tailored pieces from the company’s in-house clothing line arrive in as few as 10 days. And it’s not just in the fashion industry where technology is enabling customization previously not possible. U.S. retailer Sam’s Club developed an app that uses machine learning and data about customers’ past purchases to auto-fill their shopping lists; the company plans to add a navigation feature to show optimized routes through the store to each item on that list.

The report notes that companies still completing their digital transformations are looking for a specific edge, whether it’s innovative service, higher efficiency or more personalization. But post-digital companies are out to surpass the competition by combining these forces to change the way the market itself works — from one market to many custom markets — on-demand and in the moment, just as Chinese e-retail platform JD.com is doing with its “Toplife” platform. The service helps third parties sell through JD by setting up customized stores, providing access to its supply chain with cutting-edge robotics and drone delivery. In partnership with Walmart, a physical store in Shenzhen will offer more than 8,000 products available in person or delivered from the store in under 30 minutes. By offering unprecedented customization and speed, JD is empowering other companies while creating a new market for itself.

Simplifying Conference Calls, grptalk will Assist the Revenue Department in Reaching Every Village Jurisdiction

Built for enterprise communication, Telebu deployed its marquee audio conferencing product, “grptalk” for the revenue department of Karnataka in Shivamogga. Deputy Commissioner K A Dayanand kickstarted the first grptalk call in Shivamogga by calling a reporter present at the event and wishing him a “Happy New Year.” This conference call facility, grptalk, is expected to enable the administration to communicate with over 5,000 officers from different departments on a single call, simply through the phone.

Commenting on the launch, K A Dayanand, DC of Shivamogga said, “The enterprises today are innovating and building products that are transforming the way we have worked over the years. To this effect, we are pleased to launch grptalk in Shivamogga. The conference call facility offers a great experience, making it easier for me to connect to my team and oversee daily activities. Furthermore, the application enables us to check member participation, mute or unmute participants easily to streamline and better manage the conference call, collect feedback and understand the pulse of the participants. Along with me, the conference call also features ADC, Tehsildar, Managers, village accountants, helping nearly 400 participants connect easily at a single time, simply with our phones.”

Taking grptalk to Shivamogga, Satya Kalyan Yerramsetti, CEO of Telebu said, “We are glad to join hands with Deputy Commissioner K A Dayanand and together launch grptalk for the revenue department in Shivamogga. Our audio conferencing solution lets the host talk to a large group of people, often more than 10,000 participants, from any smartphone. The calls are connected via PSTN lines, enabling participants to conference call instantly, without needing to connect to the internet or download grptalk. The app works on a dial-out capability, thus eliminating any delays in starting the conference call. With such superior quality and industry-first capabilities packed into a single product, we are certain that grptalk will help the officials of Shivamogga better oversee the important and everyday activities.”

Commenting on its utility, District Commissioner Karigowda said, “grptalk is going to immensely help the revenue department in effortlessly reaching all village jurisdictions.” Presently, Zilladhikari, Asst. Zilladhikari, Tehsildar, "Shirasthedar" and all officials of the Zilla revenue department are part of the conference calls.

grptalk is going to transform the way in which the officials have been working. The application utilises PSTN or regular phone lines to offer effortless and enhanced connectivity. Other available solutions, such as video calling, are limited in reach due to network strength. Officials needed to travel to urban areas or hotspots with good network strength, in order to communicate. However, utilising PSTN or regular mobile networks, grptalk connects calls even in low network settings, letting people conference call from anywhere, and eliminate travel time.

Post the deployment of grptalk, any queries or concerns for the Tehsildars, Managers, Village accountants (more than 200-300 participants) can be resolved on the call in a matter of minutes. Furthermore, as every accountant will be on the call, it will also eliminate the need to answer the same query multiple times, saving hours that can be invested in more productive activities. Everyday management and weekly calls can also be done via grptalk, thus streamlining work and making operations transparent and effective.

KIA Installs 3.35 MW Rooftop Solar; To Be Power-Sufficient by 2020

In a big energy saving move, the Kempegowda International Airport installed a 3.35 MW rooftop solar power plant  to  cater to its needs on Wednesday. With an annual solar generation of around 4.7 million units, the plant could see the airport  become self- sustaining in power by 2020.

Installed across eight rooftops at Menzies Bobba, Air India SATS, Coolport and several BIAL office buildings, the solar power plant is expected to reduce 3,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The contemporary design of the solar panels ensures that the glare of the sun is not reflected for the safety of aircraft operations. The solar structure is also lightweight, leak-proof, corrosion-free and can withstand high winds.

Commissioned across two phases, the project in its first phase in 2017 saw installation of a 503 KW  rooftop solar structure, a 2.5 MW ground mounted solar panel and a 425 KW car parking solar power installations.

Lakshminarayanan S., vice-president, engineering and maintenance, BIAL, said, “As a role model for sustainable progress, the Bengaluru airport is well on course towards achieving its goal of becoming 100 per cent powered by renewable energy by 2020. To that end, these solar projects will help BIAL reduce  carbon footprint and achieve energy neutrality.”

Speaking at the event, Lakshminarayanan S, vice president, engineering and maintenance, BIAL, said, “As a role model for sustainable progress, the Bengaluru airport is well on course to achieving its goal of becoming 100 per cent powered by renewable energy by 2020. These solar projects will help BIAL reduce  carbon footprint and achieve energy neutrality. The airport’s consumption from solar power stands at 50 million units through on-site and off-site solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) to meet 67 per cent of its annual energy requirements.” 

Rahul Dasari, MD and CEO, Sunshot, which has installed the plant, said the company was proud to be a part of BIAL’s sustainable energy initiative.  The multiple roof types, and high security zone made it a challenging project, but his  team had executed it in line with world class quality, safety standards and within the stipulated timeline, he added. “ We have used high efficiency Mono PERC Modules, which provide around 14 per cent higher electricity generation in the given space. High performance multi- MPPT inverters, quality structures from PVFix and Sunshot’s state-of-the-art, cloud-based energy management (IoT) system for real time performance monitoring of the plant, are some of the salient features,” he said.

The BIAL authorities say they aims to ensure that the airport environment is fed by sustainable energy. Already, the street lights, perimeter lighting and airfield lights have been converted to LEDs, thereby reducing dependency on non-renewable energy,they note. Also, the projected energy generation from the solid waste management plant (to be launched in 2019) at BLR Airport has the potential to power 5,000 households / year and produce 1.5 million kgs of compost annually. BIAL has achieved 3+ Carbon Neutrality - the highest level of environmental impact achievement for airports.

With a clearly-defined Sustainability Policy in place, BIAL is focused on making substantial contributions to sustainable development, asserts Hari Marar, its MD and CEO.

 “Being responsible in our actions and ensuring sustainability of the BLR Airport as we grow and expand is right at the heart of our mission and we consider ourselves pioneers in this area. At BIAL we are committed to achieving excellence in environment sustainability,” Marar added. 

Tesco Collaborates with NASSCOM Foundation to Set Up its First Nook in Bengaluru

Tesco Bengaluru in partnership with NASSCOM Foundation inaugurated its first Nook, a self-learning centre at St. Joseph’s Convent School, Whitefield today as a part of its commitment to enhance the learning opportunities for the underprivileged. The Centre was inaugurated today by Dr. Sumit Mitra, CEO – Tesco Business Services & Tesco Bengaluru along with his leadership team and Mr. Ashok Pamidi – CEO, NASSCOM Foundation.

Tesco’s Nook aims to benefit people from disadvantaged communities and across age groups. Unlike the curriculum based programmes, the centre will offer a unique learning environment where learners design their own programmes based on their personal interest by using internet. The programmes vary from learning of computers or a language to acquiring skills or any talent based knowledge that can help them achieve their personal objectives. The learners work with centre managers to create goals every quarter and build projects in order to achieve those goals.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sumit Mitra, CEO – Tesco Business Services & Tesco Bengaluru said, “At Tesco, our CSR strategy focuses on making a significant social impact for communities we serve, by investing in initiatives that make a lasting impact. Education is one of the focus areas for us and our endeavour is to create programmes that support young students and people from disadvantaged communities. With this commitment, we are proud to have partnered with NASSCOM Foundation and are happy to launch Nooks, one of its kind programme that encourages communities to learn without teachers by using internet. As part of this partnership, in January 2019, we also launched a Career Development Centre in the city that aims to enhance opportunities for employability of youth from underprivileged background.”

“We look forward to launch more initiatives to expand the impact of our efforts in the years to come, he added. Mr. Ashok Pamidi, CEO – NASSCOM Foundation said, "We are thankful to Tesco for their collaboration. Tesco Nook Centre is an innovative platform to self-learn and builds stronger local communities. It is an initiative to promote science, creativity and design thinking. We are looking forward to at least 30% of female enrolment in the centre. This is our pilot with Tesco on the Nook project and we are looking forward to more such collaborations to encourage out of the box, creative and innovative forms of learning”.

Nooks are self-learning spaces created within marginalized communities where learners design their own education through internet and experimentation without teachers. The centres are equipped with computers, internet and tools in order to build projects based on the learners’ needs and interests.

Project Defy (Design Education yourself) has established more than 10 Nooks since 2014 across Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and a refugee camp in Uganda. NASSCOM Foundation will ensure the smooth running of the Tesco Nook centre by monitoring and evaluating the growth and development of the individuals and the programme, and its effect on the community.

AISATS Partners with National Skill Development Corporation for Recognition of Prior Learning

Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt. Ltd (AISATS), India’s premier airport services company today in partnership with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC) launched Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) certification program for its employees.

AISATS is the first ground handling company in India to launch the RPL program, under which, employees will be assessed for their knowledge, skills & aptitude acquired while on the job as AISATS’ employees. On successful completion of the assessment, applicants will receive a certificate from NSDC and AASSC. The RPL platform will facilitate AISATS to provide additional recognition to its employees.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a flagship program under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The scheme plans to impart skill based training to one crore people.

Commenting on the association, Ramanathan Rajamani, CEO, AISATS said, “The airport services business forms the backbone of the aviation industry, ensuring safe and secure travel and delivery of goods. With air passenger traffic in India expected to cross the 1 billion mark by 2040, sustainable and skilled manpower is a key focus for AISATS. We are delighted to have partnered with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Aerospace & Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC) to serve the purpose of recognizing and providing the industry with this much needed expertise. At AISATS, our employees are our most valuable assets and we remain keen to facilitate their professional development.”

Speaking on the partnership, Peter Immanuel, CEO, Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC) said, “Air India SATS is the first company in the aviation sector to launch the RPL program under the Skill India initiative of the Government of India. This program will directly enhance the productivity of the company and increase the motivational level of the employees. Such planned skill development programs will promote a culture of continuous learning in the organization.”

The pilot batch of RPL certification will commence in Bengaluru with an aim to certify 1700 staff. In the next six months, AISATS will roll out this program at its other locations in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Trivandrum and Mangaluru with a target of certifying 4000 employees.

Facebook’s Plans to Merge Messaging Platforms: What this Means for Online Safety

Integration: it seems to be all the rage. As technology becomes more sophisticated, we sprint to incorporate these new innovations into our everyday lives. But as we celebrate Safer Internet Day, one can’t help but wonder, is all integration good when it comes to information shared online? Major privacy concerns have been raised surrounding Facebook’s recent plans to merge Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. This integration will allow cross-messaging between the three platforms (which will all still operate as standalone apps), so users could talk to their Messenger-only friends without leaving WhatsApp.

While Facebook’s plans to merge the messaging platforms are not yet finalized, the company is in the process of rebuilding the underlying infrastructure so that users who might utilize only one of the apps will be able to communicate with others within the company’s ecosystem. Facebook plans to include end-to-end encryption for the apps, ensuring that only the participants of a conversation can view the messages being sent. By allowing each app to speak to one another across platforms, Facebook hopes users become more engaged and use this as their primary messaging service.

But Facebook’s messaging changes have greater implications for online safety as consumers become more protective of their data. For example, WhatsApp only requires a phone number to sign up for the app while Facebook asks users to verify their identities. Will this force more data to be shared with WhatsApp, or will its encryption become less secure? While nothing has been finalized, it’s important for users to think about how the information they share online could be affected by this merge.

Although the internet has paved the way for advancements in social media and technology in general, users need to make sure they’re aware of the potential risks involved. And while this merge hasn’t happened yet, Safer Internet Day helps remind us to make good choices when it comes to browsing online. Following these tips can help keep you and your data safe and secure:

Get selective about what you share. Although social media is a great way to keep your friends and family in the loop on your daily life, be conservative about the information you put on the internet. Additionally, be cautious of what you send through messaging platforms, especially when it comes to your personally identifiable information.
Update your privacy settings. To make sure that you’re sharing your status with just your intended audience, check your privacy settings. Choose which apps you wish to share your location with and turn your profiles to private if you don’t want all users to have access to your information.
Keep your apps up-to-date. Keeping your social media apps updated can prevent exposure to threats brought on by software bugs. Turn on automatic updates so you always have the latest security patches, and make sure that your security software is set to run regular scans.
Click with caution. Cybercriminals can leverage social media messaging to spread phishing links. Don’t interact with users or messages that seem suspicious and keep your guard up by blocking unfamiliar users who try to send you sketchy content.
Stay secure while you browse online. Security solutions like McAfee WebAdvisor can help block malware and phishing sites if you accidentally click on a malicious link. This can help protect you from potential threats when you access your social channels from a desktop or laptop.