Acer Expands Chromebook to the Enterprise with Two New Durable, Premium Models

Acer has introduced two new premium Acer Chromebook lines, the Acer Chromebook 715 and Acer Chromebook 714, designed to help employees work in the cloud more securely and efficiently. Both new Acer Chromebooks have a premium all-aluminum chassis that delivers military-grade (U.S. MIL-STD 810G[i]) durability, as well as an integrated fingerprint reader, and Citrix Ready Certification.

In addition, both new Acer Chromebooks give cloud workers the productivity-boosting features that will help them work more efficiently, including Full HD displays and up to 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processors for exceptional mobile performance, and up to 12 hours of battery life[ii].

“The addition of a premium durable chassis and integrated fingerprint reader onto the latest Acer Chromebooks enhances the security and reliability of these devices,” said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Product Business, Acer Inc. “Employees of all types — whether in a corporate office, small business, or an educational setting — need reliable, powerful PCs that help protect their data, perform well, and look great. These new Acer Chromebooks fit that bill.”

Premium Protection: Durable Aluminum Design, Fingerprint Reader

The new Acer Chromebook 715 and Acer Chromebook 714 both feature a durable, all-aluminum, impact-resistant chassis that looks great on a front desk for customer-facing settings, as well as on the road with employees making client visits or sales calls. The reinforced design delivers military-grade protection (U.S. MIL-STD 810G compliant1) so it can handle drops from up to 48 inches (122 cm) and can withstand up to 132 pounds (60 kg) of downward force. The anodized aluminum chassis stands up to daily wear and tear, resists dents and bending, and wards off dings, chips and corrosion to maintain the high-end look and feel.

The Corning Gorilla Glass touchpad allows smooth navigation through apps, websites and projects. Plus, the touchpad features click-anywhere functionality and is also scratch- and moisture-resistant.

For further protection, the Acer Chromebook 715 and Acer Chromebook 714 feature an integrated fingerprint reader conveniently placed next to the keyboard. Ideal for shared environments, the fingerprint reader gives employees a quick and secure way to unlock the device and share with co-workers.

Citrix Ready certified, the new Acer Chromebooks are fully compatible with Citrix solutions that enhance business mobility, networking, and cloud platforms.

Acer Chromebook 715 – The First Chromebook with a Numeric Keypad for Easy Input

The new Acer Chromebook 715 is the first Acer Chromebook on the market to include a dedicated numeric keypad. The large display provides ample room for the keypad, which gives cloud workers in retail, finance, and service fields — as well as in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) — an efficient way to input data. In addition, the Acer Chromebook 715 has a backlit keyboard so productivity can continue in low-light conditions.

The 15.6-inch IPS[iii] display allows viewing of multiple apps and tabs in vibrant Full HD 1920x1080 resolution. The Acer Chromebook 715 comes in both touch-screen and standard display options.

Acer Chromebook 714 Features 14-inch Narrow-Bezel Display

Employees working remotely will appreciate the Acer Chromebook 714’s compact design and immersive 14-inch Full HD display. The slim bezels measure as little as 6.18 mm (0.24 inches) to reduce the overall footprint and keep the focus on the clear and vibrant visuals. Like the Acer Chromebook 715, the Acer Chromebook 714 has IPS3 technology and comes in touch-screen and standard non-touch options.

All-Day Battery Life and Enhanced Performance

The new Acer Chromebook 715 and Acer Chromebook 714 deliver industry-leading battery2 life of up to 12 hours, so they can be used for a full day of productivity on the road or in customer-facing environments. Both can be powered by a range of processors, including the 8th Gen Intel Core i5 and Core i3 processors as well as Intel® Celeron® and Intel® Pentium® Gold options.

Staying Connected

The new Acer Chromebooks have a USB 3.1 Type-C port on each side so they can be connected to devices and charged from the side that’s most convenient. The ports can be used for quick data transfers, connecting to an external display, and for charging other devices. Both new Acer Chromebooks also have a USB 3.0 port and a MicroSD card reader.

The Acer Chromebook 715 and Acer Chromebook 714 provide fast and reliable Dual Band Wireless-AC 802.11ac/a/b/g/n 2x2, while Bluetooth 4.2 delivers a convenient connection to peripherals.

The optional Acer USB-Type-C Dock can be connected via a single cable to the new Acer Chromebook 715 and 714, easily transforming them into powerful workstations that can connect to external displays, printers, and more. This convenient and compact dock enables high-speed video, audio, and data transfers, and keeps the front desk or work area clutter-free.

Chrome OS Speed, Simplicity, and Security

The new Acer Chromebooks work well with Google’s Chrome Enterprise solution that helps businesses manage devices at scale. Ideal for a range of business environments including those where employees share devices and are mobile — such as in health care and retail — Chrome Enterprise helps create a secure and productive environment for cloud-based workers.

IT departments will appreciate the comprehensive, integrated security coverage that is part of Chrome Enterprise. IT administrators will find it easy to control updates, configure apps, utilize extensions and policies, and more with web-based management[iv] that makes the new Acer Chromebooks easy to deploy and manage increasing their uptime and reducing their total cost of ownership (TCO).

Customers will have access to the latest Chrome apps and millions of Android apps for productivity, connectivity, services, and more. Both the new Acer Chromebook 715 and Acer Chromebook 714 fully support Android apps via Google Play.

The new Acer Chromebooks are not only easy to use, but also easy to share among employees, students, and others. Logging onto a Google account allows access to Gmail, Google Docs, apps, extensions, bookmarks, and more. Chromebooks run on Google’s Chrome OS platform, which automatically updates and uses multiple levels of security to guard against ever-changing online threats.

Pricing and Availability

The Acer Chromebook 715 will be available with 8GB or 16GB of DDR4 SDRAM and either 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage. It will be available in North America in July, starting at USD 499; and in EMEA in June in the approved Chrome OS territories, starting at EUR 599.

The Acer Chromebook 714 will be available with 8GB or 16GB of DDR4 SDRAM and either 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage. It will be available in North America in July, starting at USD 499; and in EMEA in June in the approved Chrome OS territories, starting at EUR 549.

Acer Introduces the Predator Helios 700 Notebook with Unique HyperDrift Keyboard for Increased Thermal Performance

Key Highlights

* The all-new Predator Helios 700 features a unique HyperDrift forward-sliding keyboard that helps maximize airflow to keep the system running cool and quiet

* It’s powered by the new 9th Gen Intel Core i9 processors, up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU, and up to 64GB of DDR4 memory

* The redesigned Predator Helios 300 continues to set the bar for midrange gaming notebooks with a bold new look and up to new 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, 2060, or the latest GeForce GTX GPUs.

Acer unveiled two new Predator Helios gaming notebooks today at the next@acer global press conference in New York. Both Windows 10 notebooks offer new technologies and innovative designs to keep gamers ahead of the competition.

The all-new Predator Helios 700 includes a unique HyperDrift keyboard that slides forward, allowing increased airflow directly through the top of the notebook, enabling gamers to push the powerful components to their highest potential. The redesigned Predator Helios 300 includes a sleek modern look and is powered by either up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design, or the latest GeForce GTX GPUs, yet still retains its budget-friendly price tag. It’s well-suited for task-heavy computing, as its high-end hardware provides the performance needed for gaming, streaming, and video and photo editing.

“Continuing to deliver best-in-class performance, gamers can look to Acer’s Predator Helios line for powerful and affordable gaming notebooks,” said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Product Business, Acer Inc. “They are innovative, future-proof and reliable thanks to advanced thermal technologies that keep them cool during intense gaming sessions.”

“With the new 9th Gen Intel Core processors we have taken another big step forward in delivering premium performance and platform features powering the world’s best gaming laptops,” said Steven Long, Vice President, Sales and Marketing Group and General Manager, Client Computing Group sales, Intel. “The new Predator Helios laptops are a great example of the years of close collaboration between Acer and Intel to help raise the bar on the capabilities gamers and creators should expect in a laptop.”

“It’s great to see Acer bring such a wide portfolio of gaming devices designed to meet the needs of so many different types of gamers with their new Predator and Nitro series offerings,” said Mark Linton, General Manager, Consumer and Device Sales, Microsoft Corp. “Acer continues to innovate and bring great gaming experiences to market for consumers.”

Predator Helios 700 - Extreme Performance and Unconventional Design

Powering the uniquely designed Predator Helios 700 notebook is an army of the latest and greatest technologies ready to battle, including up to an all new 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processor for top of the line overclockable performance, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 or 2070 GPU, up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, and Killer DoubleShot™ Pro with Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX 1650 and E3000 — delivering up to four times more network capacity in dense environments than previous generation wireless AC networks — while plenty of high speed storage keeps load times short. All that power makes games roar to life on the notebook’s 17-inch 144Hz FHD IPS[i] display with 3ms response time and NVIDIA G-SYNC™ technology. Five speakers and a subwoofer keep the games immersive and engaging with full and realistic audio.

Introducing HyperDrift for Enhanced Cooling and Ergonomics

One of the Helios 700’s most interesting features is also incredibly useful. Its HyperDrift keyboard is part of the notebook’s thermal architecture, which consists of two of Acer’s custom-engineered 4th Gen AeroBlade 3D Fans, five copper heat pipes, a vapor chamber and Acer CoolBoost Technology. By simply sliding the keyboard forward, two additional air intakes are uncovered above the keyboard and below the display, giving the powerful heat-generating components extra air flow for maximum cooling and unleashed overclocking. The glass panel also provides a view of the notebook’s heat pipes.

The HyperDrift keyboard improves ergonomics; with the keyboard closer now, gamers can keep a good distance to the 17-inch screen without over extending hands. It provides desktop comfort in a notebook form factor. The keyboard also features per-key RGB lighting, anti-ghosting and MagForce WASD keys. The MagForce Keys use analog-like linear switches that trigger actuation immediately upon the initial press, and increase up to 100 percent to give players more control over precise movements in the game. A Precision Touchpad is outlined with blue lighting and features two discrete mouse buttons below the pad for easy clicking.

A Turbo hotkey quickly engages overclocking while the new PredatorSense hotkey provides immediate access to CPU and GPU temperatures, fan control, RGB lighting, and more. Per-key RGB lighting also enhances online gaming with Predator RGB Assault-League of Legends (LoL) [iii], by tying in the keyboard’s lighting to the action on the screen while battling in LoL.

Predator Helios 300 — Raising the Bar for Midrange Gaming Notebooks

The best-selling Predator Helios 300 gaming notebook just got better with the addition of powerful technologies and features, along with a new sophisticated design. Gamers will be most excited about the combination of up to the newest 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processors for premium performance of with the addition of the latest of a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU with Max-Q Design supported by a Turbo key for one-punch overclocking and Killer DoubleShot™ Pro for fast and lag-free networking. With up to 32GB of DDR4 2666MHz memory and up to two PCIe NVMe SSDs in RAID 0 plus a hard drive, it’s the powerhouse gamers crave for playing today’s AAA games.

But most noticeable is the notebook’s new look. Its metal chassis now rocks the stylish teal blue accents and keyboard backlighting found on other Predator notebooks. A narrow bezel around the display and a redesigned keyboard with contemporary looking Predator fonts give it a hip and edgy look.

Praised for being one of the first notebooks in its class to feature a 144Hz display, the new Helios 300’s bright 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch Full HD IPS1 display is now framed by a narrow border and includes 3ms overdrive response times for a tear-free, seamless gaming experience.

Cooling Technology Inspired by Nature

Keeping the notebook running cool and at peak performance is an advanced and efficient thermal design that unlocks the true potential of the Helios’s powerful hardware. Most critical to keeping temperature low is a dual-fan cooling system that includes one of Acer’s 4th Gen AeroBlade™ 3D Fans. This latest generation fan design was inspired by bionic silent owl flight mechanics that maximize airflow and minimize noise. The new 0.1mm-thin fan blades include a serrated edge, winglets along the top and bottom, as well as a curved fin along the inner portion of each blade. This results in up to a 45 percent improvement in airflow. Coupled with strategically placed intake and exhaust vents and Acer CoolBoost technology, the Helios 300 stays calm under pressure and handles intense overclocked gaming sessions with ease.

Last but not least is a completely new keyboard featuring distinctive Predator fonts and 4-zone RGB lighting. Usability and functionality are improved with new PredatorSense and Turbo hotkeys, an enlarged spacebar, and concave-shaped, highlighted WASD keys, arrow keys, and hotkeys.

Price and Availability

The Predator Helios 700 gaming notebooks will be available in North America in April starting at USD 2,699.99; in EMEA in July starting at EUR 2,699.00; and in China in June, starting at RMB 19,999.

The Predator Helios 300 gaming notebooks will be available in North America in April starting at USD 1,199.99; in EMEA in June starting at EUR 1,499.00; and in China in May, starting at RMB 11,999.

Exact specifications, prices and availability will vary by region. To learn more about availability, product specifications and price in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office via www.acer.com.

New Acer TravelMate P6 Series Notebook Provides Long Battery Life in an Ultra-Thin-and-Light and Durable Design

Key Highlights

* Ideal for frequent travelers, it’s ultra-thin at just 0.6 inches (16.6 mm) and lightweight at just 2.4 pounds (1.1 kg)
* Up to 20 hours[i] of battery life supports long, transcontinental flights or two full days of meetings on a single charge
* LTE and NFC mobile connectivity lets professionals easily stay connected wherever they go
* Meets MIL-STD 810G[ii] military standards to withstand the rigors of frequent travel
* Keeps data safe with biometric fingerprint authentication and an IR camera with Windows Hello

Acer has announced its latest addition to its iconic TravelMate P6 series, a thin, light, and durable commercial Windows 10 Pro notebook series built for professionals that travel frequently or work in the field. Robust and powerful with up to 20 hours1 of battery life, it’s built to withstand life on the road and support heavy workloads.

The Acer TravelMate P614-51 sports a premium quality magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis that is stronger and lighter than standard aluminum alloys at the same thickness. It also gives the laptop a sleek and modern aesthetic. Weighing just 2.4 pounds (1.1 kg) and measuring only 0.6 inches (16.6 mm), it’s easy to take on the road. With up to 20 hours1 of battery life, professionals can stay productive on transcontinental flights or work through two full days on the go without having to recharge. This high-performance notebook can also be charged up to 50 percent in less than 45 minutes.

Powerful, the new Windows 10 Pro notebooks are packed with up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, up to 24GB DDR4 memory, up to NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics, and up to 1TB of responsive Gen 3 x4 PCIe SSD using NVMe technology for speeding through editing large spreadsheets, and creating presentations. The TravelMate P614-51 makes sharing and collaborating easy with a 180-degree hinge design, enabling it to lay flat for sharing the display with others.

“We’re excited to bring our professional customers a thinner and lighter version of our popular Acer TravelMate P6 series with an exceptionally long battery life,” said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. “We’re confident they’ll appreciate the ability to work for two days without having to recharge, in addition to the notebook’s even more durable chassis and enhanced security.”

"Acer's new TravelMate is built tough and packed with powerful security features," said Mark Linton, General Manager, Consumer and Device Sales, Microsoft Corp. "The TravelMate also combines durability and portability with its lightweight design, long battery life, and impressive processing power that is sure to appeal to a wide range of customers."

The TravelMate P614-51’s 14-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS[iv] display delivers accurate color with 170-degree wide viewing angles. Full-sized and back-lit, the keyboard provides comfortable typing and enables travelers to work in low-light areas, such as in airplane cabins and on trains. A damage-resistant, ultra-responsive Corning® Gorilla® Glass NBT™ touchpad enables precise gesture controls and swiping. Compared to traditional mylar, Corning® Gorilla® Glass is tougher, more resistant to scratches, and easier to clean.

Skype for Business-certified, the TravelMate P614-51 delivers crystal-clear videoconferencing via a four-mic array that picks up vocals from up to 6.5 feet away. Users can use the Cortana® personal digital assistant to send voice commands for staying organized, playing music and managing the home remotely.

Built Tough

The TravelMate P614-51 is designed to handle the bumps and bangs of airport security checks, accidental drops, and other mishaps. It complies with MIL-STD 810G2, 810F, a set of U.S. military grade standards that define the durability of a wide range of products. The testing follows stringent procedures such as a drop test involving 26 drops from a height of approximately 48 inches (122 cm) on various parts of the frame — landing on 2 inches of plywood placed on concrete. Other tests check the laptop’s resistance to rain, humidity, and extreme temperatures.

Solid Security

In addition to keeping data safe, companies want devices that are easy to deploy and manage remotely. Outfitted with Windows 10 Pro, the TravelMate P614-51 offers powerful security features to safeguard data. Customers can log in using Windows Hello with the fingerprint reader via the power button, or through the IR webcam that leverages biometric facial recognition. Both methods eliminate having to remember and use a password. When the webcam isn’t in use, the camera shutter can be closed for additional security. An integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip delivers hardware-based protection for passwords and encryption keys. The pre-loaded Acer ProShield includes a suite of security and management tools that help safeguard sensitive data, while Acer Office Management lets IT professionals deploy security policies and monitor assets from one interface. Available as an option on select models, Intel® vPro™ tightens security with another layer of protection, while saving time and money with efficient remote management capabilities.

Full Coverage Connectivity

Professionals can maintain a reliable, high-speed wireless connection with eSim-enabled[v] 4G LTE and 802.11ac 2x2 MU-MIMO technology. Intel Thunderbolt 3 delivers blazing-fast data transfers up to 40Gbs to USB Type-C-connected devices. Customers can connect a cable from the USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port to a Thunderbolt 3-enabled device and get four times the data and twice the video bandwidth of any other port type while also supplying power and support for up to 8K displays. Other ports include MicroSD card and smart card readers[vi], and NFC4 (Near Field Communication) for sharing content or making mobile payments.

An optional Acer USB Type-C Dock II expands workspace via a USB Type-C port and meets productivity needs for 4K UHD video, data, and wired network while delivering stable power to the notebook. This dock also provides USB 3.1 Type A and Type C, DisplayPort, HDMI, audio in/out options and support for up to three 4K displays.

Pricing and Availability

The Acer TravelMate P614-51 will be available in North America in June, starting at USD 1,149.99, in EMEA in June, starting at EUR 1,249.00; and in China in May, starting at RMB 9,999.

The new Acer TravelMate P6 notebook was unveiled today at the next@acer press event held in New York, where the company announced a range of new devices and solutions for gamers, creators, families, students, and professionals. For more information, visit www.acer.com/nextatacer. 

CarDekho’s Gaadi Forays into Southern Market with “12 New Stores in Bengaluru”

Gaadi by CarDekho, a retail auction model for pre-owned cars, has announced its foray in southern India with launch of twelve stores in Bengaluru. Better known as the silicon valley of India, Bengaluru is a magnet for the millennials as well as the urban population, creating the perfect opportunity for Gaadi to expand its market.

The brand has already witnessed phenomenal success within its first quarter with sale of over 900 cars across the 15 stores in Delhi – NCR. The brand is steadily building its trust with the audience as a dependable, hassle-free medium to sell their cars. The intend of the team is to scale the entire country with nearly 200 stores in markets including Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai etc. The USP of Gaadi is to provide effortless vehicle selling experience to the customers with optimum resale value for their cars along with Free RC transfer, Loan closure assistance, Instant money transfer, and scientific car inspection at their outlets.

According to a research by McKinsey, there is continued growth in the used-car segment with India projected to be the 3rd largest market for used-cars by 2021. To add on to it, escalating concerns about the life term of cars, a paradigm shift in emissions and safety norms has also influenced consumers to waver from purchasing new cars. Cementing this trend, industry organization, SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers), states that market growth is anticipated to be driven by rising penetration of online platforms such as Gaadi, that enables used car dealers to boost their reach to a larger audience and considering that on an average there are 7,000-8,000 cars being sold each month in Bangalore makes it the perfect market to tap.

Commenting on the move, Vibhor Sahare, CEO, and Co-founder at Gaadi mentioned, “It gives me immense pleasure to venture into a new market. This step is indicative of our growth and we are confident that the stores in Bengaluru will witness incredible success and encourage expansion to other cities. Bengaluru has the ideal combination of perfect target audience and market opportunity for us and we expect great customer response from the city”.

Collaborative Design and Advanced Construction Mgt Results in Significant Savings on Large-Scale Expressway Project

The CNY 23.6 billion Lipu-Yulin Expressway will run through Guilin, Guigang, and Yulin in Guangxi province and is an important section of G59, China’s national expressway network. Guangxi Transportation Design Group Co., Ltd., is responsible for the overall design and coordination of the project, as well as providing technical support for the construction unit. The large-scale project, which requires complex and comprehensive management, faces many challenges including long distances, large amounts of land requisition and demolition, and citizen-control factors that need to be considered in the planning phase. The main line of the project is 263.1 kilometers long and requires exceptional communication and coordination among teams, multiple disciplines, and public entities.

The expressway design includes several technically complex bridges, such as the Xiangsizhou Bridge, with a span of 450 meters and the largest-span, cable-stayed bridge in Guangxi province, and the Pingnansan Bridge, the largest span-arch bridge in the world under construction, with a span of 575 meters. The expressway also includes super-long tunnels, such as the Wenwei Tunnel, which runs 4,705 meters and is located in mountainous regions with rough terrain and poor geological conditions.

The BIM design team was required to determine how to build a full-factor scenario project model quickly and optimize the route plan. The team depended on Bentley software to enable the design, collaboration, and management across all teams while meeting contractual-scheduled requirements. Project goals include saving design time by 20 percent, limiting deviation between target cost and actual cost to 2 percent, and achieving a profit margin of 5 percent.

The BIM team used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in combination with ContextCapture to create large-scale, reality meshes for the project. The models were used to perform 3D analysis to ensure the safety clearance of equipment and structures and conduct site planning and optimize construction site space utilization to reach 95 percent optimization. Using OpenRoads, the team created 3D models for planning construction sites and temporary sites, arranging service areas, and selecting spoil ground to avoid wasting land resources, which saved land use by 5 percent and avoided 4,100 square meters of building demolition.

MicroStation was used to perform 3D parametric modeling, with ProStructures used to accurately model the steel structures; these applications identified problems and reduced design errors design rework to save 15 working days. OpenRoads and OpenBridge were used to perform 3D design of roads, bridges, and tunnels to quickly and accurately locate the structures, perform parametric modeling, and improve design efficiency by more than 200 percent. BIM 5D construction management was achieved using the project’s electronic sandbox system based on MicroStation to manage 3D content while combining the data with a web GIS to provide information browsing and sharing. ProjectWise was used to provide collaborative design across all parties and professions and reduced communication costs by CNY 400,000.

Combining Bentley technology with BIM methodologies, the design team was able to achieve economic savings as well as reduce staff input of design and construction management by 10 percent, which reduced resource hours by 30 percent and greatly improved the quality of construction, laying the foundation for timely and high-quality project completion.

Changhai Wang, BIM center director, Guangxi Communications Design Group Co., Ltd., said, “Using Bentley’s project team collaboration system leveraging ProjectWise, improved information sharing and communication among team members. Having the most updated information at our fingertips helped us reduce the number of meeting by 15 times and communication and collaboration costs by more than CNY 400,000.”

First-Ever Survey on ‘What India Wants’: Shine.com Appraisal 2019

Shine.com, India’s 2nd largest job portal, recently conducted a first-of-its-kind appraisal survey focusing on the expectations of employees instead of a top-down HR or company led perspective. The survey was conducted across working professionals from various industries including IT, Banking and Finance, Industrial products, education/training, FMCG etc.

In a comparison between expectations among employees in metro cities, the leading job search platform found some interesting insights. It was revealed that professionals working in cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Chennai are looking for higher pay hikes, above 20% as compared to their counterparts in other metros like Delhi-NCR and Bangalore, wherein people expect lower hikes in salaries – between 0-10 percent. The Survey found that in the Financial Capital – Mumbai almost 37% of people are expecting increment above 20%, while in Pune and Chennai, the number is 36% and 38% respectively. Bangalore, which is referred to as the Silicon Valley of India, observed that 21% of people expecting appraisals in the range of up to 10% hike, while the country’s capital – Delhi NCR saw the trend of 20% of people expecting increments on the lower side.

Appraisal sentiment in Bangalore: High competition; low expectation

To get a holistic view of the overall employee sentiment in terms of salary hikes, Shine.com also mapped the lowest expectations across sectors and cities. Bangalore emerged as one of the least demanding cities in terms of pay hikes, as one-fifth of all respondents in the city mentioned that they would be satisfied with up to 10% increment. Sectors including BFSI, IT and BPOs, that already offer high packages to employees are the ones driving these low expectations. As there is an abundance of talent in the city, especially in the IT and e-commerce sectors, it is no surprise that professionals are expecting lower appraisals.

Surprisingly, although Bangalore has been India’s IT hub for years, its e-commerce sector is expecting much lower appraisals as compared to Delhi. While over 46%  of e-commerce sector employees in Bangalore are only expecting an average growth of 11-15%, Delhi NCR (Gurgaon) seems to be emerging as a new hub for E-commerce as appraisal sentiment is high with over 1/3rd professionals expecting a bumper hike of over 20%.

Auto and Education bolster appraisal sentiment in Mumbai and Pune

Shine.com further revealed interesting developments in Mumbai and Pune where employees in Education/Training and the Automobile sector are expecting hikes on the higher side. While a whopping 62% of employees in Mumbai are looking for over 20% appraisal in the Education/Training sector, around 56% in Auto are eyeing the same. Further, 48% of employees in the Auto sector and 38% in the Education/Training sector are looking for more than 20% hike in Pune. These two cities, which are witnessing robust growth across most sectors have collectively portrayed the highest appraisal sentiment in the country.

Sector-wise analysis: BFSI and BPO/KPO/ITES expectations witness an uptick

A sector-wise analysis of appraisal expectations revealed that the highest appraisal sentiment is being carried by professionals the BFSI and BPO/KPO/ITES sectors with over 35% of employees in these sectors expecting more than 20% increment. With these sectors witnessing robust growth on the back of the tech advancement and integration, such high expectations come as no surprise.

Speaking on the survey, Zairus Master, CEO, Shine.com said, “It is interesting to note the variance in employee expectations across different metro cities and across sectors. While employee sentiments are high across most sectors, it is a given that not all organizations will be able to meet these expectations. At Shine.com, we are gearing up for an increase in active job seekers on the portal post the appraisal season. As always, we will strive to match them with the perfect job according to their skills and expectations and also offer a chance to upskill and enable long term career growth for them through our Shine Learning platform.

The respondents of the survey were majorly located in leading metro cities including Mumbai (19.49%), Delhi/NCR (20.89%), Bangalore (20.08%), Hyderabad (16.43%), Pune (9.34%) and Chennai (11.64%). The aforementioned findings call for organizations to invest an increased amount of funds towards their human resources in order to retain top talent over the years to come.

The Food Ordering Habits of Emerging India: Zomato Annual Report

India’s favourite food app, Zomato, recently published its Annual Report FY19 highlighting its performance over the last year and its ambitions to craft a future where everyone has easy access to fresh, clean and affordable food outside the home. One of the key drivers of this future is its food delivery business which grew from 15 cities to 213 cities in India within a year. Now that tier II, III and even tier V cities are ordering food online, what’s interesting to notice are the unique food ordering habits across India.

Here are some interesting nibbles on user behaviour from the emerging regions of India-Map

Highlights:

·         A Zomato delivery roved across the Brahmaputra River on a boat, in the city of Guwahati, to deliver Chicken Hakka Noodles. It took around 1.5 hours in total to make the delivery
·         70% of Zomato’s regular users in Kolhapur had never tried food delivery in their life (even over a phone call), and Zomato was the first food delivery experience of their lives
·         Tuni, a small town in Andhra Pradesh is the smallest emerging city in food delivery with the highest number of cashless payments
·         Abohar in Punjab was the first city to cross 1,000 orders on the day of launch and has been clocking 2,000 orders a day since then
·         An order worth a whopping ₹1,84,760 was delivered in 415 boxes in Jaipur, and another massive food order was placed by a user in Lucknow worth ₹16,800.
·         Indore requests more midnight meals than Mumbai
·         Kota is the largest emerging city in food delivery
·         Bhagalpur and Gaya have more delivery partners delivering food on cycles than on bikes.
·         Vijayawada is most likely to get breakfast than any other city

Something interesting brewing in Hyderabad (it is too interesting to miss!)

Over 100 Zomato delivery partners waiting to pick up their assignments at the Bawarchi restaurant in Hyderabad. Bawarchi typically receives ~2,000 orders a day from Zomato.

Zomato currently lists over 1 lakh restaurants in India and has a last mile delivery fleet of 180,000 partners. Globally, the food tech giant is present in over 10,000 cities with over 1.4 million active restaurants on the platform.