OVHcloud Expands the India Operations and Its Infrastructure

* OVHcloud has invested in the expansion of the workforce across Business and Enterprise support levels

* Over the last 6 months, OVHcloud has expanded its Bangalore office, with experts like Customer Success Engineers, Cloud Engineer and Developers

OVHcloud, a global player and the leading European cloud provider is expanding India operations through strategic investments in infrastructure and skilled workforce. OVHcloud is responding to India’s rapidly growing digital economy through localized solutions and investments across India's core operations and support functions to further its commitment to partners and resellers competing in the cloud solutions and web hosting market.

“India is a strategic market for OVHcloud and in line with its global strategy, OVHcloud aims to become a leading cloud provider, allowing customers to retain control over their data, by using a mix of public and private clouds. OVHcloud is expanding India operations through strategic investments by strengthening the local workforce and enhancing infrastructure framework for India,” said Lionel Legros, General Manager, Asia Pacific, OVHcloud

The company is strengthening its India infrastructure to reduce latency between India and Europe (where OVHcloud has 20 Datacenters) and also between India and Singapore where OVHcloud operates a Datacenter since 2017.

“The decision to expand our presence in India was a logical step in our business growth strategy. The country is rich with diverse talent from well-known prestigious colleges and universities and we have the opportunity to further expand staffing and capabilities in various functions to service current and future requirements” further added Lionel Legros.

OVHcloud invested in India through building R&D competencies followed by the sales team with the launch of its Partner Program. It also later launched a Support and Competency center to manage the support locally. As the next critical step, OVHcloud is focusing on the deployment of its infrastructure via a first Point of Presence.

A key USP is OVHcloud's ability to provide competitive pricing, owing to its self-established end to end value chain, from building servers to delivering services, and hence providing the flexibility and faster route to market. OVHcloud has registered buoyant demand from existing customers with India operations and is committed to remain transparent on where it hosts the customer's data.

Key Programs Driving OVHcloud India Market:

Partner Program: Launched 12 months ago, the Global Partner Program aims at organisations that support their end customers in migrating to OVHcloud solutions, both as resellers and service providers in fields such as integration, facility management, and consulting. They bring their own added value to cloud infrastructure solutions designed and marketed by OVHcloud.

Since the inception of the program, OVH has registered great success and collaborated with partners of different scale and size to cater to a wide spectrum of projects and use cases. It has onboarded global partners including leading brands such as Accenture and Capgemini, and hosting services and solutions providers such as IBNCloud, Zolute Consulting, Netsol Technologies, and Hosting Blue.

Growing India Focus and Talent Acquisition: A local infrastructure will be deployed later this year*, in Mumbai. This PoP (Point of Presence) will complete a network of 48 PoPs already deployed and aims to reduce the latency between India and Europe and also between India and Singapore where OVHcloud operates a Datacenter since 2017. The infrastructure investment will be instrumental in polishing the customer experience with better performance for local businesses.

The Mumbai PoP will also allow local customers to use the OVHcloud Connect, a solution allowing isolated and secured Interconnection between the local business network and OVHcloud Datacenters. It opens a new range of use-cases like Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud projects.

Always on Customer Support: To ensure undisrupted customer growth and refined support, the OVHcloud Bangalore support office has a team with skilled profiles such as agents, engineers, and Cloud architects. The team is committed to deliver and support to Asia-Pacific based customers, for the following levels, Standard, Premium, and Premium for Partners. The team of Cloud architects also manage migration assessments, pre-sales consultation, Community workshops (Vmug), and architecture review.

Despite the challenging situation because of the COVID-19, OVHcloud is committed to the Indian market has continued to deploy recruitment plans in the Bangalore office. Over the last 6 months, OVHcloud has expanded its Bangalore office, with experts like Customer Success Engineers, Cloud Engineer and Developers. Reaching now more than 60 collaborators, the Bangalore office has enough expertise to provide sales and technical support to Indian businesses looking for Cloud solutions and Web hosting services.

OVHcloud will also invest in the expansion of the workforce in the next months across Business and Enterprise support levels.

About OVHcloud

OVHcloud is a global player and the leading European cloud provider operating 400,000 servers within its own 31 data centres across 4 continents. For 20 years, the Group has been leveraging an integrated model that provides full control of our value chain, from designing our servers to managing our data centres through to orchestrating our fibre-optic network. This unique approach enables OVHcloud to cover, independently, the full spectrum of use cases for our 1.5 million customers in more than 130 countries. OVHcloud now offers customers latest-generation solutions that combine high performance, predictable pricing, and full data sovereignty to support their unfettered growth.

* OVHcloud’s fiscal year cycle is from September to August.

FIWARE Foundation, IUDX Program Collaborate on Open Source to Provide a Standard Smart City Platform for Indian Cities

FIWARE Foundation, a non-profit organization that encourages the adoption of open standards — implemented using Open Source technologies — for the development of smart solutions on a global basis, announces today a joint collaboration with the India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX) Program toward building an Open Source platform that facilitates secure, authenticated and managed exchange of data amongst various data sources and consumers.

The IUDX platform is capable of harvesting data from many sub-systems enabling application developers to build new applications and services to help citizens. With the IUDX platform, citizens will benefit from the availability of more innovative and cost-effective applications and services. The cities themselves will also benefit from reduced development cost and faster development time frames enabled by a standard platform, together with the ability to choose vendors freely and thereby, avoid vendor lock-in. IUDX is being used by Indian cities to harness the full potential of the enormous data being generated across the country.

The power of collaboration

This partnership will pave the way for the development of a sustainable ecosystem around Open Source, standards-based, innovation-driven technologies to be used in India and globally. Following the collaboration, both organizations will jointly work on the following areas:

●       Joint adoption and contribution to standards: FIWARE and the IUDX Program will collaborate on joint adoption and contribution to standards. IUDX Program will adopt ETSI’s NGSI-LD Application Programming Interfaces (API) specifications for its resource server, which is the same standard adopted by the FIWARE Context Broker. The FIWARE Context Broker enables organisations — from public administrations to private companies — to collect, manage and share context of information. It is a dynamic system able to inform in real-time time what is currently happening in a given city, from traffic status to air quality data. The Context Broker technology was developed as the core component of the FIWARE platform.

This will allow FIWARE and the IUDX Program to benefit from a broad worldwide developer community as well as the large number of FIWARE compatible projects. FIWARE and the IUDX Program will collaborate on future contributions and enhancements to the NGSI-LD specifications. They will also collaborate on data models suitable for use in smart city applications. This work will be done in conjunction with the ongoing joint activity between TM Forum — an alliance of 850+ global companies working together to break down technology and cultural barriers between digital service providers, technology suppliers, consultancies and systems integrators — and FIWARE.

●       Creation of global application developer community: FIWARE and the IUDX Program will collaborate on the creation of a common global application developer community for smart city applications. The intent is that an application written for either FIWARE or IUDX runs on either platform with minimal modification. Applications developed on the IUDX 2.0 Platform — the deployment/ready to use version of the platform — will be compatible with FIWARE’s APIs and Generic Enablers, allowing such applications to be adapted and used by the FIWARE ecosystem on a global basis.

●       Use of common components and shared Open Source code: FIWARE and the IUDX Program will collaborate on the use of common components and shared Open Source code. As a first step, after the adoption of NGSI-LD APIs, the IUDX resource server will be listed on the FIWARE Catalogue as one of its Context Brokers. FIWARE will also adapt and integrate the IUDX Security Framework and offer it as one of its Generic Enablers. These steps will widen the choices for FIWARE’s partners and its growing community. The joint goal is to create a common Open Source repository for all smart city platform components and generic enablers, allowing cities around the world to build their own data sharing platforms using components best suited for their environments.

Common standards for APIs and data models are at the heart of platforms and digital infrastructures, enabling interoperability and portability of solutions. In order to successfully make it into the market today, new smart services and solutions must be able to securely communicate with other services and devices, traversing a multitude of infrastructures and systems. This way, solution providers benefit from knowing that their solutions can be connected with other applications or pieces of software — already developed and widely available — or that they can replicate them for multiple customers with rather low adaptation costs.

“The IUDX Program commitment to the development of Open Source technologies strongly complements FIWARE’s vision of building the foundation for a digital single market for smart solutions and further strengthens FIWARE’s recognised role as a driver of relevant standards and Open Source models. FIWARE is pleased to work with a partner that is central to India’s ambitious Smart City vision, with the initial target of impacting 100 Smart Cities. FIWARE has successfully integrated AI, Big Data, IoT, blockchain and robotic technologies into its technical roadmap, bringing support to the development of smart solutions that are radically improving the daily operations of multiple sectors. The collaboration with IUDX will further enrich and develop this vision”, said Ulrich Ahle, CEO, FIWARE Foundation.

Commenting on the collaboration, Dr. Inder Gopal, CEO, IUDX Program, said, “IUDX and FIWARE share a similar technical vision and a common approach to collaborative Open Source development. By setting up this close collaboration, we can speed up the adoption of shared standards and the creation of a global ecosystem of application developers, which Smart City deployments around the world can benefit from. IUDX and FIWARE teams will share code and concepts, undertake joint developments and speed up significantly their respective development efforts.”

This collaborative approach between IUDX and FIWARE is the result of a joint taskforce, supported by FIWARE Platinum members Trigyn Technologies and NEC as well as the IUDX Program’s Application Partners. This collaboration, together with the alignment of standards, will help the IUDX Program and FIWARE Foundation to broaden their offerings globally.

About FIWARE Foundation

Together with its members and partners, FIWARE Foundation drives the definition — and the Open Source implementation — of key open standards that enable the development of portable and interoperable smart solutions in a faster, easier and affordable way, avoiding vendor lock-in scenarios, whilst also nurturing FIWARE as a sustainable and innovation-driven business ecosystem. The Foundation achieves that through the support of a fast-growing global community that shares a common vision and combines their efforts toward making FIWARE the Open Source technology of choice for industries, governments, universities and associations to reach their full potential and scale up their activities, thereby, entering new markets and growing their businesses. Founded in 2016, the foundation has Atos, Engineering, NEC, Red Hat, Telefónica and Trigyn Technologies among its Platinum members. For further information, visit fiware.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Youtube.

About the IUDX Program

The IUDX Program supports India’s Smart Cities Mission within the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and facilitates the use of data to achieve the full potential of technology and innovation within Indian cities. It is set up as a multidisciplinary program within the Society for Innovation and Development in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The IUDX program addresses technical and non-technical issues related to the use of data to create public good. The Open Source platform developed by the program enables higher operational efficiency in city administration by facilitating the data exchange between various civic bodies, municipal departments, application developers and relevant data consumers. It has also received valuable financial support from Omidyar Network India.

Most Companies Continue to Struggle to Realize Full Business Value from their Cloud Initiatives, Accenture Report Finds

 

Despite years of focused effort, many enterprises are still struggling to realize the full value of their cloud investments, a new report from Accenture reveals.

In its latest report, “Sky High Hopes: Navigating the Barriers to Maximizing Cloud Value,” Accenture surveyed 750 senior business and IT professionals at large enterprises across 11 industries and 17 countries. It found that just 37% of companies say they are achieving the full value expected on their cloud investments — a mere 2% increase since Accenture’s original research report in 2018.

While value realization has never been more important, only 45% of business and IT leaders say they are “very satisfied” with their cloud outcomes, just a 1% gain over 2018. Moreover, just 29% are completely confident that their organization’s cloud migration initiatives will deliver the expected value at the expected time.

Accenture’s report highlights that, when businesses have gone more heavily into the cloud, outcomes are significantly better. Forty-six percent of high adopters report fully achieving their expected cloud benefits, compared to 36% of moderate adopters and 28% of low adopters.

Businesses recognize that they need cloud technologies for speed and agility to mitigate the major challenges they are facing and to drive transformational change to create new opportunities and value. According to the report, 80% of business executives now look to cloud as a means of mitigating business uncertainty and lowering risk. In addition, 87% view cloud as a critical component of their strategy for achieving their corporate sustainability goals.

“Cloud-based transformation offers companies the most powerful way to reinvent their businesses, unleash the expertise and creativity of their people, enhance their sustainability efforts and create new stakeholder value,” said Karthik Narain, global lead, Accenture Cloud First. “But the reality is that not every company is unlocking the full potential value of the cloud. In fact, our newest report shows a surprisingly small two-year improvement in returns on corporate cloud initiatives, suggesting that a more thoughtful and holistic approach is needed. Competing in the age of COVID-19 and beyond requires that companies implement a cloud-first strategy, in which every element of their business leverages the power of the cloud, right now.”

The research also examines what may be holding businesses back when it comes to driving their cloud agendas and achieving their goals. “Lack of skills” was most frequently included in CEOs’ top three perceived barriers (54%). “Security and compliance risk” was predominant among all respondents (46%), followed by “legacy infrastructure & application sprawl” and “misalignment between IT and the business” (both at 40%).

The findings also show that CEOs have markedly different impressions of cloud results and concerns than fellow C-suite leaders and high-ranking company officials: 54% of CEOs are completely confident in their organizations’ ability to deliver cloud initiatives with the expected value at the expected time, versus 34% of CIOs and only 28% of CFOs. 

“Our research findings point to the complexities involved in successfully executing cloud migrations that produce the anticipated business value. The good news is that by taking a rigorous, outcomes-centric approach to devising a customized cloud strategy, partnering with the right experts and addressing challenges outside of the technology itself, such as upskilling their people to be more productive, businesses can achieve the results and return on investment they’re seeking,” Narain added.

 

To extract the full business value of cloud technologies, Accenture recommends that organizations adopt fundamentally new ways of working, shifting to new operating models and developing new roles and skills. Four key areas for companies to address include:

Business value focus: develop an optimal cloud strategy anchored to comprehensive economic business cases to identify revenue upside and cost efficiency opportunities while aligning goals and putting company leaders on the same page.

People and culture change management: implement new upskilling and talent readiness programs, along with new operating models, to help transform and enhance how people work so they can better meet rapidly changing needs.

Data and AI: unlock industry- and function-specific data insights and intelligence trapped in legacy systems with the power of cloud data models.

Partnering for success: leverage the skills and experience of strategic partners to expand and enhance the organization’s existing capabilities. Cloud-managed services are often an option for companies looking to access the right skills while maintaining cost efficiency.  

Accenture’s new research follows the formation of Accenture Cloud First, which provides the full stack of cloud services to help clients across every industry become "cloud-first" businesses so they can accelerate their digital transformation, innovate faster, and create differentiated, sustainable value. Powered by 70,000 cloud professionals, and a $3 billion investment over the next three years, we bring together an unmatched depth and breadth of cloud experience and skills, industry cloud solutions, ecosystem partner capabilities and assets that help clients realize greater value from cloud at speed and scale. Visit us at www.accenture.com/cloud.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services—all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 506,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities.

Talent Executives to Double their Efforts in the Next Two Years to Skill their HR Teams in New Capabilities: Reveals IBM HR 3.0 Study

A new IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) study, “Accelerating the Journey to HR 3.0,” reveals that 7 out of 10 human resources (HR) executives report the global HR function is ripe for disruption. CHROs overwhelmingly agree that HR must be radically redefined. Guiding principles of personalization, skills at the core, data-driven decision-making, transparency and agility are all central to the journey to HR 3.0.

HR 3.0, which only 10 percent of companies have achieved globally, turns HR into an agile consulting organization; one that not only delivers efficient services, but also practices design thinking to push innovative solutions, cognitive tools, and transparency into the organization. Right now amid global disruption, employee skill development is key for organizations looking to stay competitive.

Skills have emerged as the new currency across businesses. 41% of companies in India make skills growth a key part of their performance management approach and close to 30% of Indian organizations have skills and capabilities in AI within the HR function.

Organizations are embedding AI and digital technology throughout the entire employee lifecycle. According to IBM, 25% of organizations in India are leveraging AI and analytics to make better decisions about their talent – such as skilling programs and compensation decisions.

“Human Resources has evolved greatly over the past decades to meet the needs of a changing business environment. To bring forth the new era of HR and drive transformation inside organizations - HR itself must be radically redefined. The world’s best companies are taking bold steps to accelerate their HR transformation with speed and purpose. We believe that HR 3.0 is the next evolutionary step, representing a major paradigm shift for CHROs and their teams”, said Mr. Chaitanya N Sreenivas, Vice President & HR Head, IBM, India and South Asia.

The new IBV study, “Accelerating the journey to HR 3.0,”conducted in partnership with global independent analyst Josh Bersin of the Josh Bersin Academy, includes insights from more than 1,500 global HR executives surveyed in 20 countries and 15 industries. Based on those insights, the study provides a roadmap for the journey to the next era of HR, with practical examples of how HR leaders at surveyed “high-performing companies” -meaning those that outpace all others in profitability, revenue growth and innovation -can reinvent their function to build a more sustainable workforce.

Additional highlights from the study include:

·        35% of Indian companies, believe that leaders empower teams to innovate by creating a strong sense of purpose

·        29% organizations in India are using AI to identify behavioral skills like growth mindset and creativity for building diverse adaptable teams and are reinventing their own HR function and technology architecture to make more real-time data-driven decisions

·        25% of Indian companies’ HR unit apply principles in design thinking and agile practices when building employee processes, journeys and solutions.

·        28%  of organizations in India said data-driven decision making powered by AI is critical to the future of HR

·        25% of companies are actively investing to upskill HR in new skills and capabilities

·        41% of outperforming companies in India make skills growth a key part of their performance management approach.

·        60% of HR executives in India agree leveraging data from new sources like financial data, social media data, etc. assist in making better decisions about talent

·        71% of companies in India believe a consistent HR architecture plays a critical role in adopting agile practices to optimize for speed and to respond quickly to change

·        In two years’ time, 53% of organizations in India, plan to adopt a continuous approach to assessing employee performance through regular, transparent career conversations

About the IBM Institute for Business Value  

The IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) delivers trusted business insights from our position at the intersection of technology and business, combining expertise from industry thinkers, leading academics, and subject matter experts with global research and performance data. The IBV thought leadership portfolio includes research deep dives, benchmarking and performance comparisons, and data visualizations that support business decision making across regions, industries and technologies. 

Honda 2Wheelers India, Repsol Lubricants Join to Launch ‘Honda Repsol MOTO BIKER & MOTO SCOOTER’ Engine Oil

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. today announced its strategic alliance with Spain’s largest petroleum company Repsol Lubricants for the launch of ‘Honda Repsol MOTO BIKER & MOTO SCOOTER’ Engine Oil in India.

Tested & recommended by Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Japan, the engine oil which will be marketed as ‘Honda Repsol MOTO’ is exclusively formulated for Honda’s two-wheelers.

Providing longer engine life protection, enhanced fuel efficiency with low maintenance cost, Honda Repsol MOTO BIKER & MOTO SCOOTER engine oil promises a quick start with rapid acceleration along with deposit-free engine components.

The co-branded engine oil comes in 2 exclusive grades - ‘Honda Repsol MOTO BIKER 10W30 MA’ for Honda motorcycles and ‘Honda Repsol MOTO SCOOTER 10W30 MB’ for Honda scooters.

Both the engine oil variants come in 800 ML, 900 ML & 1000 ML packs and are available in the open-market from November 2020.

Speaking on this new synergy, Mr Pradeep Kumar Pandey, Senior Vice President – Customer Service, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Customer satisfaction is at the core of Honda 2Wheelers India. With the aim of providing quality products & services to our customers, we have joined hands with Repsol Lubricants to launch a new product ‘Honda Repsol MOTO’ Engine Oil specially developed & approved by Honda Motor Co. Ltd Japan for the engine of Honda two-wheelers. This strategic step will help us make the engine oil available to customers at all GP Petroleums outlets, thus further enhancing their riding & ownership experience.”

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Clara Velasco- Director Lubricants, Repsol said “Repsol and Honda have been partners in the Repsol Honda MotoGP team for 26 years, and all the experience we have acquired developing lubricants for this demanding level of competition is passed onto our commercial products. We are excited to strengthen this alliance by launching these co-branded lubricants in India which will allow us to extend the range of our products.”

Speaking on the product launch, Mr Prashanth Achar, CEO, GP Petroleums Ltd. said “We are delighted to partner with Honda and bring the Repsol-Honda winning formula to India by launching the co-branded pack for the Indian motorcycle and scooter enthusiasts. Honda Repsol Moto is made from premium quality base oil and formulations. This partnership marks our entry into the OEM driven co-branded two-wheeler lubricant segment.”

About Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) - the 100% subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, Japan (World’s No.1 two-wheeler company) started its operations in May 2001. In its 20th year, Honda has grown to become India’s 2nd largest two-wheeler company with over 48 million happy customers in India with a diverse BS-VI product portfolio spanning 4 automatic scooters, 7 motorcycles and 3 premium big bikes.

About Repsol:

Repsol is global multi energy company that is working to facilitate the transition to a lower emissions energy model, and sells lubricants in more than 85 countries. The energy company and the Japanese vehicle manufacturer, Honda, have been partners since 1995 in the world’s premier motorcycling championship, Moto GP. The Repsol Honda Team, with 15 MotoGP Championships, is one of the most successful teams in international motor racing. The lessons learnt and the technology developed at this demanding level of competition are transferred to all the products that the two companies offer their clients.

About GP Petroleums Ltd:

GP Petroleums Ltd., a major player in the lubricants industry, is a listed company in India and ranks among the top 1000 companies in terms of market capitalization. The Company's brand is trusted lubricant solutions provider for over 47 years. It has an exclusive license agreement with REPSOL SA, Spain to manufacture and market REPSOL brand of lubricants in India and South Asia to cater to the premium lubricant segment. The company has presence in more than 12 countries and in India has a strong network of 24 warehouses and 500+ distributors across the B2B & B2C space.

Enterprises Turn Their Attention to Digital Transformation and Cloud Security as Pandemic Drags On

* CLOUDSEC 2020 conference goes completely virtual this year, featuring three days of keynotes, 200 breakout sessions, and eight hands-on labs for security and cloud professionals

In the era of the coronavirus pandemic, digital transformation and cloud security (79%) are the chart-topping topics enterprises want to know more about. They are followed by threat and vulnerability research (62%), and risk and compliance (49%), as shown by a pre-event survey of 2,064 business and IT decision-makers across Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA). The survey is a precursor to Trend Micro’s (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), CLOUDSEC 2020 conference, one of the industry's biggest cybersecurity events, taking place from November 24 to November 26. 

The results are unsurprising to an extent, given how many companies have accelerated their digital transformation projects and migration to the cloud, while the pandemic continues to wield debilitating influence over workplace collaboration, productivity, and the bottom line across many industries. To survive is to innovate and take up new technologies. 

The respondents also identify with each other when it comes to the biggest pain points. The survey shows that they most frequently grapple with the inability to detect and respond to advanced threats (32%), which have seen a sharp increase since the pandemic started in the first quarter of the year; and the perennial shortage of security skills (32%), as cybercrimes become more sophisticated and security operations, more complex. 

Other common challenges include getting cloud security automation and configuration right (31%); asking for more budget for cybersecurity (28%); obtaining complete visibility of threat vectors across the entire organization (26%); and constantly having to justify cybersecurity investment (25%). 

When it comes to acquiring hands-on experiences, respondents are most looking forward to learning about automated security and compliance posture remediation (68%), indicating that many of them are already operating in the cloud environment and are dealing with misconfiguration-led cybersecurity issues. As a matter of fact, misconfigurations in the cloud are the primary cause for cloud-based cyberattacks. 

Respondents are also interested in tackling real-life scenarios that pertain to web application protection and serverless security (63%), a sign that many of them are further along the cloud journey. The third most sought-after hands-on topic revolves around deploying network-based virtual patches and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) (52%), showing that system vulnerabilities continue to be a major headache for security teams across the board. 

"2020 is a year of profound challenges for enterprises. But on the bright side, companies are realizing their digital potential," said Dhanya Thakkar, senior vice president, Trend Micro, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. "At this year's CLOUDSEC, we want to celebrate these companies and their successful effort in digitally transforming themselves. The tech industry is one of the few that have not faltered under the weight of the pandemic. It goes to show the importance of technology on business operations." 

This is the tenth anniversary of the CLOUDSEC conference and it goes completely virtual this year. Across three full days, the event will welcome keynote speakers from industry-defining companies including Amazon Web Services (AWS), DXC Technology, Dyson, IAG, IBM, IDC, Infosys, IKEA, LINE, Lotte, Proficio, Snyk, a mysterious ethical hacker, and a prominent UAE bank. 

The three-day cloud security extravaganza will also feature more than 200 breakout tracks; as well as eight hands-on labs, addressing the needs of both the business and technical professionals. 

Over 100 Scientists Join Hands with United Nations to Build Public Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines Through Team Halo

As the world eagerly awaits the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines, the United Nations has collaborated with The Vaccine Confidence Project at the University of London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to undertake Team Halo, an initiative which aims to counter the misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines. As per a recent survey conducted by LocalCircles, 61 per cent respondents from India said that they are sceptical about COVID-19 vaccines and would prefer not to take it immediately even if it is made available by early next year. This is worrying news for scientists working to develop vaccines that will put an end to the pandemic.

Through this initiative, over 100 scientists have joined hands to tackle the issue of misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines and build confidence by busting myths and sharing information on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines on social media. Globally, the initiative is supported by scientists who are involved in the race of coronavirus vaccine development across the world’s top institutes like Imperial College London, Harvard Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, University of Barcelona and many others. In India, over 22 scientists have joined Team Halo from renowned institutes such as Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital, Bhubaneswar; PGIMER, Chandigarh; Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad; IIT Indore; Christian Medical College, Vellore; SRM Research Institute, Chennai; and Deep Children's Hospital and Research Centre, Gandhidham.

Speaking about the initiative, Dr Gagandeep Kang, Professor of Microbiology at Christian Medical College Vellore, Chair of the Immunization Technical Advisory Group for the World Health Organisation South East Asian Region and a Team Halo contributor who works on vaccine development, clinical and laboratory evaluation of vaccines and vaccination policy said “At my institution we are studying how COVID-19 reinfection operates and I am excited about opening up the story of the search for COVID-19 vaccines for the public. People want to know about the science and stories behind the headlines, and I’m delighted to be experimenting with social media to make serious points in creative ways.”

Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications said “Rampant misinformation has undermined public trust in vaccines. Team Halo is about reclaiming that trust. These are incredible people doing exciting science as part of a global collaboration. We should be celebrating them for helping us get to the end of this awful pandemic.”

Team Halo India will also allow scientists to respond to questions from the public and directly counter vaccine misinformation and rumours spreading in parts of the internet. 

Dr Shiv Pillai, Professor of Medicine and Health Sciences & Technology at Harvard Medical School, said “Science is a universal endeavour. We hear a lot about the efforts of individual countries to find a vaccine, but the reality is that this has always been a global effort. Whether it’s the international teams working in any given laboratory or the collaboration across borders since the first days of this crisis, we have been trying to stop this virus together.”

Besides India, Team Halo aims to highlight the work undertaken by scientists in the UK, USA, South Africa, Qatar, UAE, France, Spain, Peru, Canada and Brazil and create a platform for communication between the scientists working on COVID-19 vaccines and the citizens of these countries. Collectively they are producing creative, social media-friendly videos on topics such as COVID-19 vaccine science, personal experiences and reactions to COVID-19 vaccine news items. Scientists participating in Team Halo are keen to emphasise the global nature of their work and recognise the contribution made by thousands around the world.

NOTES:

●        Team Halo is supported by the United Nations Verified Initiative, the Vaccine Confidence Project and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, Luminate, IKEA Foundation, Global Challenges Foundation and UN Foundation.

●        #TeamHaloIndia videos can be found at https://www.instagram.com/teamhalo_in

●        A full list of scientists from around the globe can be found at https://teamhalo.org

●        ‘Halo’ refers to the ring of connected science that spans the globe