Bentley Systems Announces Seequent’s Acquisition Of Aarhus GeoSoftware

* Enriching Subsurface Digital Twins through Electromagnetic Remote Sensing for Water, Environmental, and Infrastructure Resilience

Bentley Systems, Incorporated (Nasdaq: BSY), the infrastructure engineering software company, today announcedthat its Seequent business unit has acquiredDanish companyAarhusGeoSoftware, a developer of geophysical software. The acquisition extends Seequent’s solutions for operational ground water management, and forsustainability projects involving exploration, contaminants, and infrastructure resilience. 

Aarhus GeoSoftware,aspinoff company fromAarhus Universityin Denmark, develops the software packages AGS Workbench,SPIA, Res2DInv, and Res3DInv for the processing, inversion, and visualizationof geophysical data from ground-based and airborne electromagnetic (EM),electrical resistivity tomography (ERT)remote sensing, and other sources.AGS software enables users to create 2D and 3D images of subsurface electrical resistivity. The outputs of the softwarecan be used to distinguish and differentiate subsurface materials and can subsequently be modeled in Seequent’s Leapfrog to aid in various subsurface investigations.

Thesoftware useselectric field measurements, collected at ground level orwithairborne sensors, to map the subsurface distribution of certain materials such as water, mineral deposits, and clays.Electrical resistivity allows a better understanding of the distribution of materials such as water, mineral deposits, and clays, and when the water contains other compounds such as salt, researchers and industry professionals can infer the distribution.

Thegenesis ofAGS software wasto ensure clean drinking water for future generations by mapping groundwater across Denmark. It is now used in many different areas,including locating subsurface faults and cavities to mitigate construction risk, in mining for investigatingorebodiesand waste rock and tailing processes, monitoring movements of groundwater and contaminants to help understand environmental impacts, modeling dam and tunnel stability, andassessing landslide risk to gauge asset resilience or construction plan impacts.Seequent will continue its tradition of collaborating withuniversities and research organizations worldwide  through ongoing engagement with Aarhus University for the development of AGS geophysical solutions.

Graham Grant, chief executive officer of Seequent, said,“The acquisitionwill add new geophysical data processing capabilitiesto our workflows to help advance subsurface investigation and modeling. AGS software, coupled with Seequent’sadvanced geologic modeling and analysis software, creates a key tool in helping understand and manage groundwater and assessing risk in infrastructure such as dams and canals.We’re excited about the new possibilities this opens up for our collective users worldwide, improving life-time digital twins.”

Toke Højbjerg Søltoft, chief executive officer ofAarhusGeoSoftware, said, “Seequent’s global reach will allow AGS software to positivelyimpact more projects worldwide.As we continue to develop solutions, ourusers will benefit from our tools being in Seequent’s ecosystem and workflow. We’re excited to join Seequent and to work together on oursharedvisionofhelping organizations make more informed andsustainable decisionsthrough abetter understanding of the subsurface.”

Samsung India Grants Scholarships To 544 Navodaya Vidyalaya Students Attending IITs & NITs; 150 New Students Added This Year

 ·         Samsung Star Scholar program has so far benefitted 800 JNV students

·         Program offers scholarship of up to 2 lakh for expenses related to tuition, examination, hostel and mess for one academic year, renewable every year up to 5 years

Samsung, India’s most trusted brand, has given scholarships to 544 meritorious students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) schools who have qualified for the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and National Institute of Technology (NIT), as part of its Samsung Star Scholar program, fulfilling its vision of #PoweringDigitalIndia by empowering the next generation of Young India.

In its sixth year, Samsung Star Scholar program has so far benefitted 800 JNV students. Under this program, Samsung offers scholarships every year to meritorious JNV students pursuing full-term B. Tech/Dual Degree (B.Tech + M.Tech) course at any IIT or NIT.

The program offers a scholarship of up to 2 lakh for expenses related to tuition, examination, hostel and mess for one academic year and it can be renewed every year up to 5 years, seeking to financially support less privileged students from JNV schools who qualify to these prestigious engineering colleges.

“Samsung helps young people around the world gain access to better educational and learning opportunities as part of its citizenship vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’. The Samsung Star Scholar program is an embodiment of our vision of #PoweringDigitalIndia that seeks to empower the next generation of young India. As we enter the sixth year of the Star Scholar program, we are excited to have supported these bright young talent who we wish to see as future leaders transforming the nation,” Partha Ghosh, Vice President & Head, Corporate Citizenship, Samsung India, said.

This year the program has granted 150 scholarships to new applicants from JNVs, of which 87 will begin their journey across different IITs and 63 at different NITs across India this year. In addition, scholarships have been renewed for the next year for 394 existing students. Recipients of renewed scholarships include 139 second year students, 171 third year students, 82 fourth year students and two fifth year students.

The selection of first-year applicants is based on their All India Rank (AIR) in JEE Main, however, to get a renewal of the scholarship for the 2nd – 4/5th year, students are required to maintain a Semester Grade Point Average (SGPA) or Cumulative Grade Point Average (CPGA) rating of 5 or above.

The Samsung India and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti partnership for ‘Samsung Smart School’ program, which is aimed at providing digital education to less-privileged students from rural backgrounds, began in 2013.

Samsung is adding smart classes to 80 new JNV schools, taking the total number of JNV schools in which Samsung has set up smart classes to 625, impacting close to 500,000 students. So far, over 8,000 teachers have also been trained on how to use interactive technology to teach effectively, improving the quality of teaching and building capacity at JNV schools.

Every Samsung Smart Class is equipped with an interactive Samsung Smartboards, Samsung tablets, a printer, Wi-Fi connectivity and power backup.

To learn more about the ‘Samsung Star Scholar’ program, please visit Samsung’s website https://www.samsung.com/in/microsite/sapne-hue-bade/star-scholar/

Samsung Newsroom Link: Samsung India Grants Scholarships to 544 Navodaya Vidyalaya Students Attending IITs & NITs; 150 New Students Added this Year Under Samsung Star Scholar CSR Program.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.? 

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the world of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. You can also follow us on Twitter @SamsungNewsIN

Tata Consultancy Services Revenues Miss; Deal Intake Remains Solid

 

¦    Revenue growth missed expectations due to a sharp decline in the India business (-14.1% QoQ due to the second Covid wave). Revenue grew 2.4% QoQ in CC terms in Q1 (ex-regional markets, grew 4.1%). EBITM declined 130bps QoQ to 25.5% due to salary hike.

¦    Revenue growth was broad-based, driven by Life Sciences & Healthcare (7.3% QoQ CC), Technology & Services (5.0%), Manufacturing (4.8%), Retail & CPG (4.4%) and BFSI (3.1%). All geographies, except for India, posted sequential growth.

¦    Management remains confident about the revenue growth trajectory in FY22 on broad-based demand, strong deal intake (USD8.1bn in Q1; 17% YoY), healthy deal pipeline, and traction in cloud, cyber security, analytics and enterprise application services.

¦    We lower our FY22/23/24 EPS estimates by 1.3%/0.1%/0.1%, after factoring in Q1FY22 revenue miss. TCS is well-positioned to benefit from the strong demand environment, acceleration in cloud adoption and digital transformation opportunities. However, revenue miss and rich valuations will weigh on stock performance. Maintain Hold with a TP of Rs3,500 (28x Jun'23E EPS).

Entertainment. Gaming And Music App Usage Peaked During Second Wave Lockdown: InMobi Report

* Social distancing, work from home, and lock-down regulations boosted mobile consumption 

With the second wave of Covid19 and lockdown being implemented across India, people relied more on their phones for entertainment, gaming, music and social networking. As users continued to stay indoors, mobile phone usage saw a spike, said InMobi's Second Wave Lockdown Audience Insights Report. According to the report, 2021's lockdown saw users relying on their smartphones specifically around weekends, compared to weekdays in 2020.   

Students, working professionals, and mothers were among the most engaged during the wave 2 lockdown. However, the audience’s app consumption behavior varied for each group. Students relied more on music, gaming, and OTT, compared to working professionals who consumed news, OTT, productivity, social and shopping, while mothers invested their time on gaming, lifestyle and education apps.  

"We have witnessed a drastic acceleration of the mobile-first consumer economy since the onset of the pandemic. With the second wave, we see that these “new normal” mobile-first consumer habits and preferences have become more mainstream," said Vasuta Agarwal, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, InMobi.  

Varied age groups staying indoors  

With states reporting all-time high Covid cases, the report observed that 25-35 years old stayed indoors the highest during the lockdown, mostly due to the limited vaccination opportunities. Interestingly, people in the 35-44 age groups were seen stepping out the highest. 

Spike in Footfalls 

As per the report, hospitals, clinics and medical stores witnessed a spike of 597% compared to 398% last year. Supermarkets and essential stores saw an 89% spike against 44% last year, as consumers visited local stores to meet their daily needs. While a lot of consumers found cooking as a hobby last year, this year witnessed an increase in footfalls in restaurants from 7% to 23%. This was a result of relaxed lockdowns where takeaways and deliveries were allowed, helping consumers break the monotony of home-cooked meals by occasionally eating out. The footfall at each of the above places of interest during the lockdowns in 2020 & 2021 were indexed against overall footfalls observed across the above-mentioned places of interest and supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, and flea markets. 

Recreational centers and transport hubs on a low 

Despite transport being open to the public in lockdown 2, travel and transport hubs saw an all-time low during the second wave from 9% last year to 4% now. While rail travel had started to pick up until June, the new cases reported in India again forced people to shelter at homes. While footfall at movie theaters was at a decline, visits to lodging reduced further by 15% during lockdown 2, mounting on the already low footfalls due to the fear of the pandemic. 

“Social distancing, work from home, and lock-down regulations have boosted consumer mobile consumption as people rely on mobile entertainment spanning games, social media, and video streaming. With the second wave hitting us, consumers have adopted to the online world already and are well versed with this,” concluded Vasuta. 

Accenture Named An AI Consultancy Leader In Asia Pacific By Independent Research Firm

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) today announced it is recognised as a leader in research firm, Forrester's latest report on AI consultancies, titled "The Forrester Wave™: AI Consultancies In Asia Pacific Q2, 2021". Aimed at evaluating the capabilities of AI providers, the report from the independent research firm saw Accenture scoring higher than any other vendor in the current offering, strategy, and market presence categories amongst 12 other vendors.

The report notes that Accenture's "delivery capabilities are top-notch across the board, and the firm is very good at AI strategy, AI culture, and realising business impact. Client feedback strongly supports this; reference clients noted Accenture's industry expertise, seamless delivery from strategy to execution, and ability to help clients create a data-driven culture."

It also states that "Accenture is the only vendor evaluated that continues to build joint ventures with its largest customers. It's especially good with complex AI reference use cases. This makes Accenture the top choice for large-scale, enterprise-wide transformation driven by AI, in particular for clients in its focus geographies looking for a co-investment partner to drive their transformation." In addition, the report also states: "Accenture's coverage of the Asia Pacific region is extensive; Japan is its strongest market, followed by Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) and Southeast Asia/ASEAN."

Accenture received the highest scores possible in the following criteria: deployment, delivery, and operations within the current offering category, regional roadmap, services strategy, business model, AI for delivery and partner ecosystem within the strategy category; and APAC customers, APAC AI revenue and APAC AI deployments within the market presence category.

"We are thrilled to be recognised as a leader by Forrester.  Our clients in APAC are equally excited about applying AI at the core of their businesses to make informed decisions and solve today and tomorrow's most complex problems. We strive to go above and beyond to make further advances in AI and reinvent what it means to be data-driven," said Senthil Ramani, Growth Markets lead, Accenture Applied Intelligence.

Blaupunkt Launches 4 ‘Made In India’ Android Smart Televisions Starting At Rs 14,999

 

●   The Android TV models will be available in 4 different variants- 32-inch, 42-inch, 43-inch, and 55-inch

●    The products will be available to millions of customers on Flipkart from 10th July onwards

●    The brand is looking to disrupt the Indian television market with their exquisite range of smart televisions

German consumer electronics giant Blaupunkt launched four ‘Made-in-India’ Android TV models today in India. The brand has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with the Indian contract manufacturer Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd (SPPL). As per the licensing contract, Blaupunkt’s manufacturing, branding, designing, packaging, and retailing supply chain will be handled by SPPL, the 30-year-old manufacturer of home-grown brands. The products will be available to customers from July 10th onwards on India’s home-grown e-commerce marketplace, Flipkart.

With pricing starting from INR 14,999, the four Android TV models include a 32-inch HD Ready Cybersound Android TV, a 42-inch FHD Android TV, a 43-inch Cybersound 4K Android TV and 55-inch 4K Android TV. The 32-inch version is available at Rs 14,999, powered by Android 9 is bezel-less which comes with 40W speaker output, Edge-free sound technology, 2 speakers, and 1 GB Ram and 8 GB ROM to offer a smooth viewing experience. The 42-inch FHD Android TV is priced at Rs 21,999, powered by Android 9 and includes a Ultra-Thin Bezel, 40W speaker output, Edge-free sound technology, 2 speakers, 1GB Ram and 8GB ROM. The brand has incorporated a 50W speaker output in the 43-inch 4K TV which is bezel-less and priced at Rs 30,999. It has Dolby Digital Plus, DTS TruSurround certified audio with 4 amazing speakers and has used Dolby MS12 sound technology that can decode and improve Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus powered sound technologies. The model is powered by Android 10 and is inbuilt with a 2GB Ram and 8GB ROM.

An exquisite 55-inch model priced at Rs 40,999 is bezel-less and has a 60W speaker output with Dolby Digital Plus, DTS TruSurround certified audio, Dolby MS12 sound technology that can decode and improve Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus powered sound technologies, Android 10, 2GB Ram, 8GB Rom and 4 speakers just like the 43-inch version. Interestingly, all the models have 5.0 Bluetooth, 2 USB ports, 3 HDMI ports along with voice-enabled remote and ARM Cortex A53 Processor.

Millions of customers across the country will be able to access the latest ‘Made in India’ TVs at their doorsteps through Flipkart in an affordable, safe and hygienic manner.

Excited about getting the exclusive brand license of Blaupunkt in India, Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO, Super Plastronics PVT LTD (SPPL) said “We are extremely delighted to onboard a well-loved and well-recognized Germany based consumer electronics giant Blaupunkt. With Blaupunkt’s footprint and launch of the Android TV models in India, we would continue being committed to embracing our ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ or Self-reliant India momentum. Our existing partnership with Flipkart will play a key role in taking the new generation of smart TVs to millions of its customers across the country. With this launch, we expect to gain our market share by 15% in the next 3 years.”

Vibrant Industry Founded On Level Playing Field And Can Lead The Economy To Higher Growth Trajectory: Chairman CCI

* Disruptive events not only test resilience & adaptive capacity but can also unleash innovations

Mr Ashok Kumar Gupta, Chairman, Competition Commission of India (CCI) today said that dialogue with stakeholders can be effective in preventing violation of law and can help mitigate a range of competition concerns without burdening the industry with compliance and litigation cost. “CCI is committed to support the industry in being competition law compliant. A vibrant industry founded on a level playing field and characterized by healthy competition could pave the way for Indian economy to come out of the setback caused by the pandemic and move on to a higher long-term growth trajectory,” he asserted.

Addressing the webinar ‘Competition Law: Revolutionizing Corporate & Legal Strategies’, organized by FICCI Karnataka State Council, Mr Gupta said that as we move ahead it is imperative that the principles of good corporate governance and fair competition are adhered to and complied with. “These are the key aspects of the recovery process that need to be observed diligently,” he added.

Mr Gupta also stated that Karnataka, being the fourth largest global technology cluster, has emerged as a leading destination for investments and a hub for Start-ups. FICCI Karnataka State Council has a critical role to play as the economy strives to recover from COVID-19. “As we emerge out of the devastating second wave, an immediate concern is how to boost the economy and investment sentiments. Disruptive events not only test the resilience and adaptive capacity but can also unleash forces of innovation and creativity towards shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future,” he emphasized.

Mr Gupta said that in recent years the digital markets have been the major focus area of the CCI. Digital markets are bringing in innovation on one hand and are also giving rise to various competition concerns on the other. “Given the very fast evolution of the digital markets the focus has been to act swiftly and craft remedies to address these issues. In a young jurisdiction like India where legacy issues have not yet faded completely, stakeholders not fully aware of the benefits of competition and pro-market reforms still an ongoing agenda, enforcement cannot be the only route to market corrections,” he added.

Highlighting the measures taken by the Commission, Mr Gupta said that CCI has come out with a Competition Compliance Manual for the benefit of the corporates. He further said that Commission is in the process of introducing a confidentiality regime in line with the best global practices in consultation with all stakeholders. “The idea behind these initiatives has been to engage with the industry not only for prompt detection and rectification of competition problems but also to make them realize that all stand to gain from fair and competitive markets,” he said.

Speaking on the process of mergers and acquisitions, Mr Gupta that CCI has been working to streamline the procedures and promote ease of doing business by ensuring speedy clearance to reduce procedural burden. “A green channel has been introduced recently for automatic approval and this is first of its kind, a trust-based system in the world, where notifiable transaction with no overlaps between the parties is being approved on its filing,” he added.

Competition, he said promotes overall welfare by enhancing efficiency, promoting innovation leading to wider product choice and better quality. Strengthening competitive pressures in the economy acts to lower entry barriers which enables the creation and expansion of small businesses which in turn facilitates the introduction of new technologies, added Mr Gupta.

Mr K Ullas Kamath, Chairman, FICCI Karnataka State Council and Joint MD, Jyothy Labs Ltd said that competition and transparency are the two important pillars of corporate governance. “The collaborative approach of the legal fraternity, corporate and govt officials will help us to meet the global standards the best practices,” he added.

Mr Manish Mohan Govil, Adviser (Combination), Competition Commission of India; Mr Kaizad Adi Hazari, General Counsel & Head-Legal, Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India; Mr Kanaiya Thakker, Joint President & Head- Legal, Ambuja Cements; Mr Amit Bhasin, Executive Vice President & Head Legal, Marico Ltd and Mr Prashanth Shivadass, Advocate & Founder, Shivadass & Shivadass Law Chambers also shared their perspective on the competition law.