Emirates To Becomes Premier Global Airlines To Trial IATA Travel Pass

Emirates has partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to become one of the first airlines in the world to trial IATA Travel Pass – a mobile app to help passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information.

IATA Travel Pass enables Emirates passengers to create a ‘digital passport’ to verify their pre-travel test or vaccination meets the requirements of the destination. They will also be able to share the test and vaccination certificates with authorities and airlines to facilitate travel. The new app will also enable travellers to manage all travel documentation digitally and seamlessly throughout the travel experience.

Prior to a full roll out, Emirates will implement phase 1 in Dubai for the validation of COVID-19 PCR tests before departure. In this initial phase, expected to begin in April, Emirates customers travelling from Dubai will be able to share their COVID-19 test status directly with the airline even before reaching the airport through the app, which will then auto-populate the details on the check-in system.

Adel Al Redha Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said: “While international travel remains as safe as ever, there are new protocols and travel requirements with the current global pandemic. We have worked with IATA on this innovative solution to simplify and digitally transmit the information that is required by countries and governments into our airline systems, in a secure and efficient manner. We are proud to be one of the first airlines in the world to pilot this initiative, which will provide an enhanced customer experience and conveniently facilitate our customers’ travel needs.”

Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President for Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security said: “We’re proud to work with Emirates to make IATA Travel Pass available in the Middle East region. With its global customer base and network traffic, Emirates as a partner will also bring invaluable input and feedback to improve the Travel Pass programme. This is the first step in making international travel during the pandemic as convenient as possible giving people the confidence that they are meeting all COVID-19 entry requirements by governments. As borders re-open, IATA Travel Pass will be further enhanced with more capabilities to meet all governments testing or vaccination verification requirements and Emirates customers will be among the first to have these services.”

Within the IATA Travel Pass app, the integrated registry of travel requirements will also enable passengers to find accurate information on travel and entry requirements for all destinations regardless of where they are travelling from. It will also include a registry of testing and eventually vaccination centres – making it more convenient for passengers to find testing centres and labs at their departure location which meet the standards for testing and vaccination requirements of their destination.

The platform will also enable authorized labs and test centres to securely send test results or vaccination certificates to passengers. The global registry, managed by IATA, will manage and allow the secure flow of necessary information amongst all stakeholders and to provide a seamless passenger experience.

Emirates is committed to providing a seamless customer experience at all touchpoints. In the last few months, it has introduced a smart contactless journey with an integrated biometric path and other services including self-check-in and bag drop kiosks at Dubai International airport for a smoother airport experience.

Tanla Partners With Microsoft To Launch Blockchain-Enabled CPaaS Platform - Wisely

 

* Built on Microsoft Azure, the edge-to-edge global blockchain network for omni-channel communication offers private, secure, and trusted experiences

* Wisely Marketplace enables enterprises to discover suppliers and service providers globally

* Tanla to co-sell with Microsoft globally

* Platform granted three patents in cryptography and blockchain processes by the United States Patents & Trademark Office

Tanla Platforms Limited and Microsoft today announced the launch of Wisely, a blockchain-enabled communications platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) offering built on Microsoft Azure. A unique marketplace for enterprises and suppliers, Wisely offers a global edge-to-edge network that delivers private, secure, and trusted communication experiences. Microsoft is the development partner who architected and built this platform for Tanla.

Uday Reddy, Chairman & CEO of Tanla Platforms Ltd., said, “We’re excited to launch Wisely, our new global platform powered by Microsoft. It is a gamechanger for enterprises, mobile carriers, OTT players, marketers, and industry regulators. With the launch of Wisely, Tanla continues to be a market leader in the domain of commercial communication by enabling trusted customer experiences.”

The Wisely network takes advantage of Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Databricks as well as Azure PostgresSQL Database and other Azure services. Enterprises can access the network with a single API offering omni channel capabilities. Edge-to-edge encryption ensures data security and data privacy for end users. The network built on blockchain provides complete data visibility, enabling a single source of truth for all stakeholders. The AI/ML powered insights help enterprises improve quality of service and reduce costs. The platform ensures compliance with local regulatory practices and data protection laws as well as best-in-class service frameworks.

Omar Abbosh, Corporate Vice President, Cross-Industry Solutions, Microsoft, said, “Disruption isn’t part of the journey, it is the journey. Leading and thriving requires a commitment to perpetual transformation, and the cloud is where and how this happens. Data security and privacy is an important component, and Wisely leverages the flexibility and reliability of Microsoft Azure to provide another great business communication option for our enterprise customers.”

The Wisely marketplace is built for digital commerce, and enterprises can discover and collaborate with suppliers for their evolving communication needs. Having both enterprises and suppliers verified on Wisely creates a trusted ecosystem among all stakeholders. Enterprises can ‘bring their own supplier’ or choose from an expansive list of available channels and suppliers. The marketplace allows easy onboarding of existing suppliers and contracts so enterprises can discover, try, and expand globally with new partnerships. The blockchain-enabled marketplace generates zero-dispute single-source settlement reports for all stakeholders.

Wisely has been granted three patents in cryptography and blockchain processes by the United States Patents & Trademark Office. Through the co-selling agreement with Microsoft, Wisely can reach new customers worldwide and sell both with Microsoft and other partners.

About Tanla:

Tanla Platforms Limited (NSE: TANLA; BSE 532790) transforms the way the world collaborates and communicates through innovative CPaaS solutions. Founded in 1999, it was the first company to develop and deploy A2P SMSC in India. Today, as one of the world’s largest CPaaS players, Tanla enables communication between enterprises and their customers through multiple channels including SMS, Voice, email, RCS, OTTs such as WhatsApp, FB messenger, and push notifications. Tanla processes more than 800 billion interactions annually and about 70% of India’s A2P SMS traffic is processed through its distributed ledger platform-Trubloq, making it the world’s largest Blockchain use case. Tanla touches over a billion lives carrying mission critical messages meeting the needs of the world’s largest enterprises in telecom, retail, BFSI and media by adopting cutting-edge technologies like blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning to name a few. Tanla Platforms Limited is headquartered in Hyderabad, India and is expanding its presence globally. Tanla shares are traded on the Bombay Stock Exchange & National Stock Exchange.

About Microsoft India:

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft set up its India operations in 1990. Today, Microsoft entities in India have over 11,000 employees, engaged in sales and marketing, research, development and customer services and support, across 11 Indian cities – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. Microsoft offers its global cloud services from local data centres to accelerate digital transformation across Indian start-ups, businesses, and government organizations.

Coolpad Announces Its Republic Day Sale, Exciting Offers On Cool Bass Buds And Cool 6 Smartphone On Amazon

Coolpad, a leading Indian smartphone brand established by Coolpad Technologies India Pvt. Ltd., has announced an exciting Amazon sale to mark the occasion of India 72nd Republic Day. The brand is offering huge discounts on its most-recently launched products. The sale will be live between 20th and 23rd Midnight January 2021.

During the sale period, customers can buy the newly-launched, sleek, and ultra-portable wireless earphones, the Coolpad Cool Bass Buds, originally priced at INR 1,199, at a reduced price of INR 999. Additionally, the Coolpad Cool 6, launched in October 2020, will be available at FLAT INR 500 discount. The deal prices for the smartphone are6GB- INR 12,499 and 4GB- INR 10,499.Additionally, users will also get extra 10% off by paying with SBI credit cards.

Speaking on the sale, Mr. Harsh Sharma, Online Marketing Manager,Coolpad India, said, “We are thrilled to announce the big Coolpad Republic Day Sale on Amazon. For this celebration, we are offering discounts on two of our most popular and current offerings – the Coolpad Cool Bass Buds and the Coolpad Cool 6. At Coolpad, our overarching goal is revolutionizing consumer technology by offering feature-rich products at cost-efficient price points. This sale is an extension of this goal, and we hope that customers enjoy discounts. A Happy Republic Day to all!”

Coolpad has made a successful run in the Indian smartphone market with the help of its innovative and value-driven offerings. With technology at the heart of all its products, the brand has already filed over 800 patents in the name of 5G. With its entry into the accessories market and launch of cutting-edge wireless earbuds, the brand has cemented its stance as the market leader in terms of continuous innovation.

About Coolpad

Born in 2003, Coolpad is a young, innovative leading global smartphone brand that leverages its competitive advantages of R&D and manufacturing to advance in all walks of life. Its parent company YulongCoolpad was established in 1993 in Shenzhen, China. The company is listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2004 (code: 2369). Coolpad’s sales revenue grew at a compound annual rate of 67%. With over 13,000 patents in the field of innovative technology including "Dual-mode and Dual-standby Technology”, Coolpad has also been awarded the top science and technology award in China.TrendForce ranked Coolpad as the 6th largest global smartphone OEM during the 2nd quarter of 2013, beating out stiff competition like LG and Nokia and also being listed in China’s Fortune 500 for the first time ever. 

Kid App Creators From WhiteHat Jr Leave R Madhavan Awestruck As They Share Their Coding Experience

EdTech start-up WhiteHat Jr’s students Manya, Agastya and Yuvraj recently interacted with celebrated actor R Madhavan to share their thoughts and motivation, which led them to create the apps PicKaboo, Pat a Pet and Med Maze, respectively. The actor spent time with the young creators to understand their inspiration, quizzing them about the development process and their experiences of learning to code. Madhavan, a technology enthusiast, was impressed b the sheer display of compassion & intellect, which went way beyond the kids’ age. These interactive sessions were released today by WhiteHat Jr in a three-part video series.

Since its launch in 2018, WhiteHat Jr has continually empowered children to view themselves as creators.

8-year-old Manya Singhal from Haryana has created the PicKaboo app. She loves to teach her little sister everything she knows. With the concepts she learnt with WhiteHat Jr, Manya has developed an application that would help kids of her sister’s age group get information on their own in a fun way.

10-year-old Agastya Singh Yadav from Noida has created Pat a Pet, an app for pet owners to connect with foster families for their pets while they are away. Agastya tapped into his own real-life challenge of finding a loving and caring foster home for his pet when he had to be away from home during his vacations.

11-year-old Yuvraj Shah from Kolkata has created the Med Maze app to help people donate their unused but not expired medicine to people who need them but cannot afford them. Yuvraj hopes to be able to improve healthcare for the underprivileged by helping them access medicines easily.

Here is what R Madhavan has to say of his experience of engaging with these tech-whiz kids, “Kids are our future and every time I connect with these bright, young minds, I am left even more awestruck than before. It is wonderful to see kids this young learning how to code and creating apps. I’ve seen the apps that Manya, Agastya and Yuvraj have created and it takes a lot of skilled guidance and mentoring to be able to mold kids’ minds to think in such a manner. At a young age, the mind is more supple and receptive to new thoughts, ideas and learnings. There are also no inherent inhibitions to curb one’s creativity. All they need is the correct guidance and I am glad to see that WhiteHat Jr is effectively empowering kids.”

Talking about the students’ inspiring work featured in the latest videos, WhiteHat Jr, Founder and CEO, Karan Bajaj said, “The holy grail of edtech is individualized outcomes for each child as each and every one of them is special.  Our 1:1 live online learning aims to deliver on this promise. We are delighted to see that kids such as Manya, Agastya and Yuvraj and so many others look upon themselves as creators and not just passive consumers of technology.”

The videos of Madhavan will be hosted on WhiteHat Jr’s official YouTube channel. Viewers will be able to witness the fun exchange of ideas between Madhavan and the kids and learn more about the apps that Manya, Agastya and Yuvraj have created. 

About WhiteHat Jr

WhiteHat Jr. has been launched with a singular mission of enabling kids to become creators versus consumers of technology. Kids learn logic, structure, sequence and algorithmic thinking to generate creative outcomes like animations and apps.

To date, we have taught more than 175k students across the globe, including countries such as India, the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Our 11,000 strong women-only teacher workforce conducts more than 40,000+ 1:1 LIVE online classes every day on our proprietary platform.

ISBR Business School Partners With State University Of New York, Plattsburgh

ISBR Business School, an AICTE recognized Platinum Grade Institute, today announced its international academic partnership with the State University of New York (SUNY), Plattsburgh (School of Business & Economics – AACSB Accredited). ISBR will be the only academic partner for SUNY Plattsburgh in India.

With this exciting new partnership, ISBR will offer Dual Degree programs exclusively for Data Science, Business Analytics and Sports Management, which will be delivered by SUNY Plattsburgh faculties. Under this partnership, students of ISBR’s PGDM Global Program and PGDM One Semester Abroad will be able to opt for a year or a semester at SUNY Plattsburgh and get exposure to “Gold Standard of Business Education”. ISBR and SUNY has also signed MOUs to carry out joint research and extend Internship for ISBR’s global program students.

Dr. Lakshman Kumar, Director, ISBR, said “this is a moment of great pride for ISBR, being chosen as the only academic partner in India for SUNY Plattsburgh, a school, committed to a global educational experience that values diversity and promotes an international perspective among students. Through this collaboration, ISBR is ready to deliver an enhanced American education experience to its students. Since 2008, ISBR has collaborated with Double & Triple (AACSB, AMBA, and Equis) crowned business schools in Europe (France, Spain & Germany) for Global Programs, Joint Research, Team Teaching & Faculty Exchange. We are committed to our vision of creating an environment of continuous and experiential learning to build professionally competent and socially responsible global leaders”.

The partnership will also extend online and immersion programs to sensitize students towards international organisational culture and workplace dynamics and an expansive internships program for global program students of ISBR after completion of their study at SUNY Plattsburgh.

For more information on ISBR’s International programs visit: www.isbr.in/international.html

About SUNY Plattsburgh

Since its founding in 1889 as a teaching college, SUNY Plattsburgh has had a strong history of meeting regional and statewide needs for higher education. It is also a major driver of the economic and cultural well-being of the community. SUNY Plattsburgh is home to a vibrant community of renowned teachers and nationally recognized scholars, dedicated to engaging students and helping them to succeed.

SUNY Plattsburgh is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and authorized by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. The campus was reaccredited for ten years in June 2012.

https://www.plattsburgh.edu/

About ISBR Business School

ISBR Business School founded by young entrepreneur, Mr. Manish Kothari, is a leading management institution with collaborations with International universities of Europe, US, and Australia. The first campus of ISBR was set up under the aegis of Bangalore Education Trust established in the year 1990.

The edifice of ISBR is built on three building blocks. The Governing Council, The Academic Advisory board & the board of Studies. These Apex bodies, individually & collectively, contribute towards a high standard of Academic Governance. With the competence & experience of the best minds from Academics & Industry, ISBR is envisioned as an institute of high academic standards. ISBR takes pride in being a place where students and faculty can pursue knowledge without boundaries, a place where theory and practice combine to produce a better understanding of our world and ourselves.

Tata Tele Business Services Launches An Advanced Cloud Communication Suite ‘Smartflo’

 

* communicate smartly anytime, anywhere

* redefine customer experience through a frictionless and integrated flow of communication

* assured enterprise-grade security and reliability

Tata Tele Business Services (TTBS) has introduced Smartflo, a future-ready cloud communication suite that has been innovatively designed to support today’s hybrid work culture. It allows uninterrupted connectivity between all stakeholders, internally within employees and externally with customers and vendors across platforms and touch points.  Smartflo enables businesses to strengthen engagement with customers through seamless communication, anytime and anywhere. It allows business minds to go farther from their cubicles, to work better from anywhere they choose to.The setup is quick with zero installation charges and no capex investment. Smartflo comes with an uptime guarantee of 99.5% backed by TTBS  24X7 managed service capabilities and trust, ensuring uninterrupted business continuity.

Announcing the launch of Smartflo, Mr. Kalidas Ks, Vice-President, Tata Teleservices said, “Smartflo truly defines our vision of product innovation that empowers enterprises to Do Big. Smartflo is an anytime, anywhere, flexible suite of cloud communication solutions. It optimizes connectivity, helps build operational resilience and enables businesses to deliver better customer experiences across channels. With its comprehensive and advance features, it is well equipped to fulfil the emerging needs of enterprises. With increasing number of businesses looking at cloud-based platforms to engage with customers, TTBS is well positioned to seize this large and emerging opportunity.”

Smartflo is suitable for enterprises across industries. It would appeal equally to a startup as to any small and large enterprise that requires a multi-functional, multi-modal, economical yet technologically advanced cloud communication suite. TTBS has seen a strong customer interest for Smartflo solutions across industry verticals like BFSI, IT/ITES, Manufacturing, Education, Fintech, Logistics and E-commerce.

Elaborating further on Smartflo, Mr. Kalidas Ks said, “The world we are living in is constantly aligning and realigning itself. As business models are getting reimagined there is an emerging need for solutions which are flexible and enable operations beyond boundaries. Smartflo suite of solutions combine an uninterrupted flow of business communication with intelligent call routing and monitoring. Not only this, but it also offers on-demand scalability, which allows businesses to adapt quickly to changing business conditions. Smartflo comes with enterprise-grade security and reliability.”

Smartflo comes with host of features like:

· Intelligent routing of customer calls to the best of agents/employees

· Voice to Text conversion with keywork mapping

· Call sentiment analysis to understand your customers better

· API integration with all enterprise applications to get a single customer view

· Quality checks of customer interactions through live call barge-ins

· Analytics and reports to get insights and enhance your business outcomes

· On demand scalability without additional Capex

· Inbuild Enterprise Grade security and reliability

 Digital agility will be a competitive advantage for enterprises in the new normal. The recent disruption has accelerated the adoption of cloud native technologies. As per Gartner, the cloud telephony market is estimated to grow 18% in 2021 as telephony investment priorities shift to cloud.  TTBS has leveraged its deep customer expertise and has taken several initiatives in the recent times to empower enterprises with innovative and reliable solutions that significantly boost their competitiveness. TTBS has strengthened its portfolio of enterprise grade solutions such as Cloud-based solutions, Collaboration solutions, IoT, Data Management and Cybersecurity solutions across industries. These solutions appropriately address the needs arising out of a distributed and remote working environment and enable customers to maintain ‘business as usual’ mode while not compromising on efficiency and productivity.

InterMiles Brings Next-Gen Shopping Experience Home With An All-New Marketplace ‘Digi Stores’

* Aims to become a one-stop online to offline commerce platform, by offering members a wide range of saving and rewards options across 200+ brands~

* Members can avail store-cards, deals, discounts and rewards which will help fund their future aspirations including flight tickets, hotel stays and exclusive dining experiences~

InterMiles, a leading loyalty and rewards programme, recently introduced their e-commerce marketplace – Digi Stores. The marketplace houses rewards, options to save with Miles, vouchers and raffles, along with massive deals and discounts across a broadened partner ecosystem. With the added choice and flexibility, Digi Stores allows for a shopping experience that is seamless, memorable and empowers InterMiles members to do more, earn more and save more.

For the first time in India, deals and discounts on Digi Stores can be availed of in real-time, while shopping at offline or online stores. Members can secure exclusive deals across 80+ partners, get access to vouchers across 100+ brands such as Amazon and Myntra instantly, earn and redeem Miles on brands or stores of their choice, win exciting products every week and enjoy smart savings via Digi Stores. All of this, plus additional, assured savings of 5% on every purchase as members also have the option of choosing Save with Miles as an option while purchasing a voucher.

Commenting on the newly launched platform, Mr. Vikas Chandak, SVP & Head – Strategic Businesses, Financial Products, Partnerships & Alliances, InterMiles said, “This digital marketplace is a leap forward for the program, as we introduce an integrated ‘Earn-Redeem & Save with Miles’ shopping experience, wherein members get to shop at a brand of their choice - online or offline - and pay in a currency of their choice – be it Miles or Cash, thus benefiting from every purchase.

We are also among the first to bridge the O2O (Online to Offline) retail proposition. With Digi Stores, our members can purchase vouchers on the InterMiles app and use them real-time in physical stores. Every purchase becomes beneficial as they either earn miles or use their miles to get great discounts.

We intend for Digi Stores to become the preferred shopping route for the next generation shoppers (within our member base), who actively seek out the best deals and discounts, and look to earn & benefit from every spend,” he added.

As part of the launch of Digi Stores, the programme has rolled out a wide array of digital offerings, including gift vouchers across 100+ partners, daily and weekly raffles to win electronics, merchandise and digital vouchers, and 80+ deals.