Leading Travel Management Platform Deem to Invest USD 10M on India Expansion

Deem, a leading mobile and cloud technology provider for the corporate travel industry, today announced its plans to invest USD 10 Million in India. The capital will be utilized to bolster the company’s R&D capabilities in the country towards enhancing the corporate travel management experience for more than 50,000 corporate customers around the world. The investment will position Deem’s India centre as an R&D hub for Deem’s product development worldwide. Deem’s personalized and intuitive business travel management platform, uses advanced technologies to provide optimized solutions for travelers, corporate travel managers and travel management companies. The company currently has 100 employees in Bengaluru, India, focused primarily on Research & Development (R&D).

Experiencing hyper-growth, Asia’s travel market is expected to more than double by 2025 (as per Amadeus) with corporate travel spending expected to account for the world’s total. India will contribute significantly to this share of the pie and is projected to crack the top 5 by 2022, according to a recent report by GBTA. Despite the potential, business travelers, particularly millennial business travelers in India and the APAC region face many challenges, owing to the lack of smart, digital solutions in corporate travel management.

“To maintain our position as a front runner in the dynamic space of corporate travel management, India will have a significant role to play, from an R&D as well sales perspective. We will optimize our presence in APAC using India as a strong foothold. Corporate Travel Management in India is at a ripe stage and this is an opportune time for us to develop a strong talent pool that can support our business growth in this geography,” said Neil Markey, SVP Product & Chief Information Officer, Deem Inc.

Deem’s travel management platform addresses the pain points of business travelers globally and the company plans to double its India headcount in the next two years to create a Centre of Excellence  (COE) on Quality Assurance (QA) Automation as well as the development of the next generation travel platform by working closely with the Ireland and San Francisco centres. Deem is also developing a COE on Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) that is focused on creating an enhanced user experience along with business intelligence to enable quicker and better decision making for their customers.

Outlining the strategy for India, Ramesh Kalanje, VP & GM, Deem Inc. said, “Deem has nurtured and invested in a highly driven team in India with the technological prowess to disrupt the corporate travel industry. Therefore, India has become a testing ground for Deem to offer solutions that are focused on consumer experience and improving the lives of business travelers, globally. In India, Bengaluru has some of the brightest tech talent and we look forward to driving innovation through our Centre of Excellence to disrupt the corporate travel industry.”

Deem is wholly owned by Enterprise Holdings, the world’s largest car rental provider, and an industry leader in mobility and technology. Deem’s global customer portfolio includes Pepsi, McKinsey and Company, eBay, Bank of America, NBA, Merck and Bose amongst others. It helps save over USD 33 million for its clients, each year, on airfare. Its Automatic ticket exchange feature automatically recalculates fares and reissues tickets without agent intervention. Deem’s platform is faster - time tests show travelers can book air, hotel and rental car almost two minutes faster per booking with 6 less clicks than the leading competitor.

Samsung Mobiles Ranked as India’s Most Consumer-Focused Brand: TRA Research

South Korean tech giant Samsung Mobile Phones achieves a commendable feat of featuring in TRA’s Most Consumer-Focused Brands Report 2019 (CFB 2019), the third edition in the series. Laptop-maker Dell, Apple iPhone and LG (Televisions) secure 2nd, 3rd and 4th rank respectively. Of the top 100 Most Consumer-Focused Brands, 56 are of Indian and LIC, Tata Motors and Amul (Milk) lead the India list.

Commenting on the launch of the report N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research, said "Consumers are speaking, and Samsung is listening. Focused on consumer-centric innovations, Samsung in the Mobile Phone Category has pushed the technology limits and set impeccable standards thus creating deeper, stronger and resilient consumer bonds."

Pond’s and Honda, at 5th and 6th ranks respectively, are first time entrants in the top 20 list. LIC slips one rank to occupy 7th followed by Sony Televisions at 8th. Tata Motors enters at the 9th rank, followed by Amul which is 10th Most Consumer-Focused Brand in India and also leads in the Milk Category.

The report lists 500 brands that represent the elite 7% brands out of 10,000 that have excelled by increasing their Buying Propensity® or keenness-to-be-bought over two successive years, as measured between October 2017 to March 2019.

"In the new age of brand building, the brands have to shift from being just ‘invested’ to ‘committed’ the brands which make it among the Most Consumer-Focused have crafted meaningful engagements with consumers. Of the 10,000 brands analyzed, only 717 brands increased their propensity to be bought, while the rest saw a falling propensity," added Chandramouli.

Among India's 500 Most Consumer-Focused Brands, there are total 34 Super-Categories and 191 Categories. The categories with the maximum brands are F&B and FMCG contributing to 18% and 16% of the total brands in the listings respectively. Some of the category leaders in the report are Aviva Life Insurance (All India Rank 32) from Private Life Insurance, DTDC (All India Rank 313) from Indian Express Services, Fogg (All India Rank 31) from Deo/Perfume, Kangaroo Kids (All India Rank 31) from Pre-School, Otto (All India Rank 61) from Menswear, Oyo Hotels and Homes (All India Rank 197) from Hotels and Tanishq (All India Rank 29) from Jewellery.

TECNO SPARK 4 Makes it Global Debut in India, Strengthens Budget Segment of Smartphones

Highlights

* With SPARK 4, TECNO brings ‘segment-first’ 6.52” HD+ Dot Notch screen with 20:9 aspect ratio, triple rear camera & massive 4000 mAh battery at just INR 7999
* TECNO’s SPARK portfolio includes three smartphones with bigger screen & advance AI capabilities available in the price range of INR 5499-8999

TECNO, the fastest growing offline smartphone brand of India which has set a benchmark in the mid-range 7K—15K segment through its successful CAMON series has recently added ‘SPARK’ series to the brand portfolio. TECNO SPARK series aims to strengthen the entry level segment in smartphones and target consumers who are aspiring to buy their first smartphone or upgrading from feature phones.

Earlier this month, the brand had launched TECNO SPARK’s two new devices including TECNO SPARK Go and TECNO SPARK 4 Air. Within 15 days of launch, TECNO SPARK Go has become a best-selling most affordable dot notch display smartphone at INR 5499. Adding joy to the festivities, every SPARK Go buyer gets free Bluetooth earpiece worth INR 799.  On top of it, it’s unique ‘111’ promise including 1-time screen replacement, 100 days’ free replacement, and 1-month extended warranty on all the devices.

TECNO is upping the game with India’s first strategy with the launch of TECNO SPARK 4, the brand is offering the 6.52-inch HD+ dot notch display, biggest screen in the segment. The newly launched smartphone will go on sale starting September 20th and will be available across 35,000+ offline retail stores.

Commenting on TECNO SPARK 4 India’s-first launch, Mr. Arijeet Talapatra, CEO TRANSSION India said, “We are committed to our diverse consumer’s base with our expansive product portfolio and the   global debut of TECNO SPARK 4 in India is a testimony of our deep commitment to ‘India-first’ approach. Since the brand entry in India, TECNO’s mantra has been to strengthen the budget to mid-budget smartphone category by introducing the features which are not available at such price points. With SPARK series in our portfolio we are focusing on capturing the 5K to 10K smartphone category of India where the consumer is more willing to experiment with the product. The SPARK series is a perfect blend of style, superior display, camera capabilities with AI integration and performance at affordable price points. We are optimistic that the new range will be well-received by the audience & will add spark to their festivities.”

TECNO SPARK 4 is Available in Two Variants: 3GB + 32GB at INR 7999 and 4GB + 64GB at INR 8999.

Features that makes new TECNO SPARK 4 a must buy:

Adorned with beautiful design and biggest display in the segment: Notching up its game, the new SPARK 4 brings in 6.52-inch HD+ dot notch display with 20:9 aspect ratio and 450 nits screen brightness giving an immersive viewing experience making it a perfect smartphone to enjoy seamless content, reading and browsing.  Designed to impress, TECNO Spark 4 is built with 2.5D curved and fluidic edge design, which gives it a premium look. With the width of 75.9mm and 8.2mm thickness the smartphone is light weighted and is easy to hold.  Available in the beautiful colors: 3+ 32 GB variant is available in the colours of Vacation Blue & Royal Purple while 4GB + 64GB is available in Bay Blue and majestic purple. The smartphone looks exquisite and makes an ideal device for consumers who want their brand to reflect their personal style.

Advance triple rear camera in the budget segment: Coming to the optics, the TECNO SPARK 4 sports a triple rear camera setup aligned vertically – with a 13megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture, a 2-megapixel depth camera, and a third low-light camera sensor. TheRear camera features include PDAF, dual LED Flash support, eight scene modes, AR Stickers, Custom Bokeh, AI HDR, AI Beauty, Panorama, and more to enhance overall photography experience.

Be in the Spotlight with AI selfie: While 8MP front camera comes with customizable flash helps make clear video in low light by adjusting brightness as per the environment for best captures and brighter selfies in any lighting condition.  The Beauty Mode enhances your skin tones and other blemishes to present the perfect selfies. Thefront camera features include AI Beauty Mode, Portrait Mode, in-build localized AR Stickers, Wide Selfie Mode for better selfie experience

Seamless performance: Hooked to gaming and hate lags? Well, fret not. TECNO Spark 4 comes with massive 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM which is further expandable upto 128GB variant that lets you reap the benefits of multi-tasking easily. Under the hood is Helio A22 Quad core processor combined with the latest Android 9 pie operating system that will further enhance your smartphone experience.  For gaming lover, based on machine learning technology, the smartphone boosts the gaming performance using ‘game acceleration mode’. It enables you to choose different options like quality, priority, equilibrium mode, smooth mode and so on. It also blocks unwanted notifications for uninterrupted gaming. Games like PUBG Mobile run on High settings easily. The smartphone comes with anti-disturb feature to give users a more immersive experience in the game.

Massive battery: TECNO Spark 4 is bestowed with beefy 4000mAh battery which gives upto 26 hours of calling Time, 6 Hours of Video Playback, 6.9 Hours of Gaming, 110 Hours of audio playback. The AI power management in the smartphone tracks the consumer usage pattern of the smartphone and optimizes the battery life according to the usage. Now experience, multi-tasking, gaming, video viewing, calling, clicking and more without the hassle of battery draining out.

Dual Security features: TECNO Spark 4 comes with category-defining face Unlock that doesn’t unlock when eyes are closed. Another highlight of the phone is its unique localized feature of an anti-oil fingerprint sensor that provides hassle free access to the phone under all Indian lifestyle and weather conditions.

Tata Motors Ranked 31 out of 2000 and 5th Amongst the Global Automobile Manufacturers

Tata Motors, India’s leading automotive brand ranked 31 of the 2000 on Forbes’ World’s Best Regarded Companies 2019 list. The company has also emerged amongst the top five ranked global automobile manufacturers, joining 16 other Indian Companies in this global list.

Tata Motors rank leaped from 70th rank last year to rank 31 this year. The Best Regarded Companies are selected on the evaluations of over 15,000 survey participants from more than 50 countries, who assess global enterprises on parameter such as trustworthiness, social conduct, company as an employer and performance of the product or service.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Guenter Butschek, CEO & MD, Tata Motors Limited said, “We are delighted to have been featured on the Forbes World’s Best Regarded Companies 2019 List. Being in the top 50, from a total of 2000 and raising the India flag high with 5th rank across the global automobile industry is indeed a great feeling. It is a testament to the aspirational work that Tata Motors has been consistently doing on the business front while holding up the Tata Group’s ethos. We are very happy to have our efforts validated and we are further encouraged to keep the momentum going and create new benchmarks.”

Other Tata companies, which were also featured on the prestigious list, include Tata Consulting Services and Tata Steel.

Global Indian International School, Whitefield Wins CBSE Karnataka U-19 Boys Football Tournament

Students of Global Indian International School, Whitefield (Bengaluru) emerged as winners at the recently concluded 3-day CBSE Cluster 8 (Karnataka U-19 Boys) Football Championship hosted at Delhi Public School, Mysore. A pulsating semi-final against Sindhi School, where GIIS were one goal down, was eventually converted into a comeback victory with 2 winning goals. The tournament final win with 2-0 against Brigade PSBB School showcased the results of their rigorous practice and on-ground team work.

Commenting on the achievement, Mr. Rajiv Bansal, Director Operations, GIIS India said, “Our emphasis has always been on creating well-rounded individuals and future leaders. We encourage students to pay equal attention to sports and other extra-curricular activities through our NINE Gems framework for holistic development of students. Platforms like the CBSE cluster tournaments are extremely important for shaping and honing sports spirit in students and providing them relevant opportunities to excel in the field of their choice. We are happy that our student’s hard work and the school’s commitment has paid off and we have won the Championship trophy.”

Filled with excitement, Dr. Shivananda C S, Principal GIIS Whitefield added, “I am extremely happy to see my student’s hard work and dedication getting recognised through this win. Our players never looked tired though they played series of matches in a row and yet raised to the top like a phoenix bird in its debut, which is commendable. A team of 16 players were enrolled in our unique Gold Squad Programme after passing a tough fitness and skill test. Rigorous training regime after school hours along with a curated diet plan helped these players become dedicated, disciplined and focused.”

The CBSE Cluster Championships are a way to identify talents at the State Level and mould them to be a part of the National Team.

Harshit Khandelwal Captain, Team GIIS Whitefield, Bengaluru said, “It is easy to win playing in the home ground without pressure. However, for us everything worked against us. We had to come out of our own self-imposed beliefs to play against our opponents. Our opponents had national players and we had to tackle them in every move. Finally, my teammates did it. I am proud of my school team.”

Neelakantan was announced best player of the tournament for his meticulous strategy and game plan during the tournament. A passionate and skilful footballer, Neel found a great platform to showcase his football skills.

During the first half of the final, GIIS’ opposition was heavy raiding but the goalkeeper Mandar Mude managed to save three critical goals. In the second half, GIIS player Vihat Bandlamudi scored the first goal followed by the second one from Neelakantan that took GIIS to a leading position with score 2-0. The tournament win was symbolic of the planned practice that had been implemented by the coach and the superb execution of skills and teamwork.

McAfee Report Demonstrates Cloud-Native Breaches Differ Greatly from Malware Attacks of the Past

Key Findings:

* Cloud-Native Breaches are not like the typical malware-based attacks of the past, instead capitalizing on misconfigured, native features of the cloud
* Only one percent of misconfiguration incidents in IaaS are known companies claim they average 37 per month, when in reality they experience 3,500
* Data loss prevention incidents in IaaS increased 248 percent YoY

McAfee, the device-to-cloud cybersecurity company, released Cloud-Native: The Infrastructure-as-a-Service Adoption and Risk Report, covering new research on Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) incidents in the cloud. According to industry analysts, IaaS is now the fastest growing area of the cloud due to the speed, cost and reliability with which organizations can create and deploy applications.  The results of the survey demonstrate that 99 percent of IaaS misconfigurations go unnoticed—indicating awareness around the most common entry point to new “Cloud-Native Breaches” (CNB) is extremely low.

“In the rush toward IaaS adoption, many organizations overlook the shared responsibility model for the cloud and assume that security is taken care of completely by the cloud provider,” said Rajiv Gupta, senior vice president of Cloud Security, McAfee. “However, the security of what customers put in the cloud, most importantly sensitive data, is their responsibility. To defend against the new era of Cloud-Native Breaches, organizations need to use security tools that are cloud-native, purpose-built for cloud security and address their portion of the shared responsibility model.”

IaaS breaches don’t look like your typical malware incident, instead leveraging native features of cloud infrastructure to land the attack, expand to adjacent cloud instances, and exfiltrate sensitive data. In most cases they “land” by exploiting configuration errors in how the cloud environment was set up. This research sheds light on the need for security tools to keep up with IaaS-native issues, especially the ability to continuously audit IaaS deployments for initial misconfiguration and configuration drift over time.

Cloud-Native: The Infrastructure-as-a-Service Adoption and Risk Report also reveals the following:

Practitioner-Leadership Disconnect: Results showed that 90 percent of companies have experienced some security issue in IaaS, misconfiguration or otherwise. Yet twice as many practitioners think they’ve never experienced an issue compared to their C-Level leadership. Only 26 percent are equipped to audit for misconfigurations in IaaS, which likely accounts for the lack of visibility. It is possible the speed of cloud adoption is putting some security practitioners behind, lacking the tools they need to stop CNBs, even while their leadership perceives greater risk.
Cloud Data Loss in IaaS is on the Rise: Incidents triggered by data loss prevention (DLP) rules in IaaS, such PCI data entering a storage object with public-read access, are up 248 percent year-over-year. Forty-two percent of the storage objects with DLP incidents were misconfigured.
IaaS is the New Shadow IT: Keeping track of security incidents in IaaS is increasingly difficult given the ease with which developers can spin up new infrastructure, and this is made worse when organizations operate in multiple cloud service provider environments. Seventy-six percent of respondents said they use multiple IaaS providers, yet data sourced from actual cloud usage shows 92 percent actually do. Incidents will go under the radar if companies aren’t aware of where their infrastructure lives.

For this report, McAfee surveyed 1,000 enterprise organizations worldwide about security issues in IaaS, with a focus on misconfigurations which in some cases have left millions of customer records and intellectual property open to theft. McAfee also analyzed its own customers’ use of IaaS through anonymized, aggregated event data across millions of cloud users and billions of events.

Trend Micro Named a Leader in Endpoint Security Suites

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, announced that it was cited as a leader with the second-highest score in the current offering category in The Forrester Wave: Endpoint Security Suites, Q3 2019 report.

In reference to Trend Micro, Forrester remarked that: “[Their] endpoint security offerings span the full gamut of threat prevention and detection, with market-leading capabilities in both categories. Extensive services are also offered, including MDR services for network, endpoints, messaging, cloud workloads, and servers.”

Trend Micro received the highest possible score for Corporate Vision and Focus (a criterion under the Strategy category), which Trend Micro believes is a recognition of its stable leadership, innovative technology and high-quality product management and development.

“The bullseye for cyber threats is corporate endpoints, making security solutions in this area a crucial component of any enterprise risk management strategy,” said Wendy Moore, vice president of product marketing for Trend Micro. “That’s why we’re delighted to be recognized as a leader in endpoint security. We believe it’s proof that Trend Micro has the strategy, the resources and the range of market-leading capabilities to suit any organization.”

Modern technology can transform endpoint security. With the future of endpoint security in mind, Trend Micro has enhanced its proposition with the release of Apex One, the evolution of its advanced endpoint security offering. Apex One offers a comprehensive blend of cross-generational threat defense capabilities from a single, easy-to manage agent — available as SaaS or on-premises.

Although critically important, the endpoint is just one piece of the cybersecurity puzzle. That’s why Trend Micro offers these security capabilities as part of a Connected Threat Defense strategy, which ensures each IT layer shares intelligence to enhance visibility and real-time threat protection and response.

In the report, Forrester pointed out that, “Its Connected Threat Defense architecture provides integrated threat intelligence and control over an extensive portfolio of email, endpoint, network, cloud, and security products aimed at enterprise buyers.”

“Trend is well positioned for large or small organizations looking for a complete endpoint security suite, especially those with complex deployment requirements,” it concluded.