VARINDIA IT MAGAZINE

HSBC is working with IBM to develop a cognitive intelligence solution combining optical character recognition with advanced robotics to make global trade safer and more efficient for thousands of businesses.  HSBC’s Global Trade and Receivables Finance (GTRF) team facilitates over US$500 billion of documentary trade for customers every year, and in doing so must manually review and process up to 100 million pages of documents, ranging from invoices to packing lists and insurance certificates.... Read More

It’s a little over a month that GST has come into effect and under normal circumstances businesses would be hurrying to file their GST returns. The government with a view to calm the nerves among business owners has provided some relief with the regular filing norms being relaxed for the first 2 months. As a substitute to this, all businesses are expected to submit a consolidated summary of their sales and purchases through a form called 3B. However, this still needs to be a submitted in the GSTN portal like a regular return. Tally Solutions, the premier Indian software company, has announced the release of Tally.ERP 9 Release 6.0.3 which will allow users to generate Form 3B. Given how critical precision of data is in the GST regime, Tally.ERP 9 Release 6.0.3 promises easy generation of accurate Form 3B through its powerful error handling experience which intuitively prompts the user on gaps in transactions and helps correct them. In addition, the release supports vehicle, ...

In a recent announcement, Ziox Mobiles has announced Rs.300-crore investment for FY 2017-18 along with another announcement of Sushant Singh Rajput as its new Brand endorser.  According to the company, the Brand aims to establish a stronger foothold in the Indian market, with the total investment of over Rs.200 crore which shall span for a year. The Brand has announced its plan to set up two new manufacturing units (in Sikkim and Noida) and R&D facilities, apart from the existing New Delhi unit, with a holding capacity of around 1 million units per month. With the induction of Sushant Singh Rajput as its brand endorser along with the total investment of Rs.100 crore this FY 2017-2018, Ziox aims to achieve an estimated revenue of Rs.1,000 crore and a sale of 10 million product units.... Read More

According to latest reports, Vivek Zhang, Chief Marketing Officer, Vivo India, has stepped down from his role. It was also suggested in earlier reports that Vivo India is planning a major reshuffle of its India management. The latest move of the company has now finally been announced officially.  In his latest statement to a media channel, Zhang said, “I will not be able to comment on this development at this moment.” His next move is yet to be known. Sources reveal that he might get a new role in Vivo India.... Read More

itel Mobile has announced a new offering from its PowerPro smartphone series and introduced P41.  Priced at Rs.5,999, the smartphone is available in the colour variants of Graphite, Silver Grey and Champagne.  With a 5” FWVGA IPS display, the device PowerPro P41 is equipped with 1GB RAM. Powered by the latest Android 7.0 Nougat, P41 features a 5,000mAh Li-Polymer battery, 1.3GHz Quad-Core processor and complemented with the power bank support. Enabled with VoLTE/ViLTE, the smartphone features an 8GB storage space, expandable to 32 GB. The device employs a 5MP rear camera which has features like autofocus, face detection, dual LED flash, and beauty mode, while its 2MP front camera has beauty mode and face detection features for a better user .... Read More

Panasonic India has launched the power-packed Eluga A3 and A3Pro with the appointment of Bollywood celebrity Taapsee Pannu as a new face of its smartphone business. The company has also unveiled its latest brand campaign “so much to do” for the new Eluga product series, allowing the user to do so much.  The launched happened in the presence of Manish Sharma, President & CEO, Panasonic, India & South Asia, Vice-President, Appliances Company and Executive Officer Panasonic Corporation; Pankaj Rana, Business Head – Mobility Division, Panasonic India; .... Read More

Lenovo India has announced the launch of K8 Note, a new edition to its K Note series. The 3GB+32 GB variant of K8 Note is priced at Rs.12,999, while the 4GB+64 GB variant will be available at Rs.13,999 exclusively on Amazon.  Being the first of its series to run on stock Android and offer dual cameras, the K8 Note comes in colour variants of Venom Black and Fine Gold. The smartphone packs a 4,000mAh battery and comes with a 15W Turbo Charger. The device runs on Android 7.1.1, powered with a 10-core processor and offers a dedicated memory card slot, Dolby(R) Atmos(R) sound. The K8 smartphone features a 13.0-megapixel selfie camera with a full light LED flash and a dual camera set-up comprises of a 13.0-megapixel primary and 5.0-megapixel secondary depth sensor.... Read More

Amazon has come up with Virtual Customer Service (VCS) model. It is an initiative launched with the aim of creating cost-efficient employment prospects for qualified and skilled candidates seeking the more flexible “Work From Home” opportunities.  With this initiative, Amazon is reaching out to a wider talent pool to ensure a high rate of diversity while also roping in talent who might not be able to physically attend regular office due to varied reasons. VCS has currently been launched in Hyderabad, Pune, Coimbatore and Noida and is hiring for entry-level job opportunities along with opportunities for Team Managers and Group Managers in these cities.... Read More

Flipkart Group (“Flipkart”) has announced an investment - a mix of primary and secondary capital - from SoftBank Vision Fund (“Vision Fund”). This is the biggest ever private investment in an Indian technology company, and will make the Vision Fund one of the largest shareholders in Flipkart.  The investment is part of the previously announced financing round, where Flipkart had raised capital from three of the world’s premier technology companies - Tencent, eBay and Microsoft. After this financing round, Flipkart will have in excess of $4 billion of cash on balance sheet.... Read More

IBM and Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) have reached an agreement to explore how the organizations can build technology skills across the telecom sector ecosystem in India. The organizations plan to provide students and young professionals with a program designed to train them in emerging technologies, including big data, cloud, IoT and mobile application development, which are critical for today’s telecom sector.  Under the program, IBM and TSSC plan to develop an innovative curriculum, designed by technology experts from IBM and domain specialists from TSSC. Students will have access to relevant IBM software and platforms, including IBM Cloud, IBM Watson IoT platform, Big Data Solutions as well as mobile application development tools. Upon the successful completion of the program, students and young professionals will be certified by IBM Career Education and TSSC. Currently, TSSC is the only Sector Skill Council offering these IBM courses.... Read More

MobiKwik has made a strategic tie-up Bajaj Finance Ltd(BFL), to launch India’s first debit and credit wallet. Through this association, Bajaj Finance Ltd will extend credit facilities through Mobikwik’s innovative mobile app catering to the wide customer base of both the companies. The partnership will empower consumer to avail credit facility through the wallet enabling them with instant purchases and payment option.  This strategic tie-up, will extensively use “mobile first” technology to offer credit facility to consumers and millennials who are fuelling a growing demand of digital wallet transactions that has grown phenomenally especially after the landmark demonetisation initiative announced by Government of India in November 2016. The Industry estimates that Mobile wallet service will contribute up to 30 per cent share in mobile payment volume transactions in FY 2017.... Read More

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a public-private partnership enterprise under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), took a giant step towards scaling up the mobile developer ecosystem in India along with Google India by creating an Android Skill Development Program.  The two entities will work together to impart mobile development training on the Android and web platform to scale and improve the quality of mobile App development ecosystem in India.  Under the initiative, NSDC will introduce a specific course with a scope to train developers to create applications for the mobile platform that can be used on smartphone and tablets running on Android operating system. The 100-hour duration course is designed to be delivered by NSDC’s partner agencies, outside the formal education system. NSDC and Google India will also work together to focus on upskilling Android trainers under the program.... Read More

Palo Alto Networks is formalizing its cooperation with the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI). Palo Alto Networks is the first cybersecurity company to sign a Data Exchange Agreement (DEA) with INTERPOL.  This agreement aims to combat criminal trends in cyberspace, cyber threats and cybercrime globally through sharing threat information generated by Palo Alto Networks and Unit 42, its threat intelligence team. Palo Alto Networks will be involved in the operational briefings at INTERPOL and vice versa. A threat intelligence expert from Unit 42 will be assigned to collaborate with the IGCI, helping provide a clearer understanding of the current landscape, which can equip law-enforcement officers with powerful information needed to prevent successful .... Read More

The Indian handset market has recorded over 350 million shipments in the year 2017 as compared to 280 million in 2016, a surge in revenue from Rs.1,11,000 crore in 2015 to Rs.1,35,000 crore in 2016, according to an ASSOCHAM–KPMG joint study.  Smartphones have also gained immense popularity in India in the last four years and constituted 43 per cent of the total handset shipments in 2016. Robust growths of the handset market coupled with enhanced connectivity of telecom services have been pivotal in the growth of various industries such as retail, manufacturing, IT, e-commerce, etc, noted the ASSOCHAM–KPMG study titled “Accelerating growth and ease-of-doing businesses”.  Indian handset exports flourished during 2008 to 2012 going up to Rs.12,000 crore, but were interrupted by a decline of almost 30 per cent in the two subsequent years. Accompanied by a parallel fall in handset manufacturing, downfall of handset manufacturing industry became a major area of concern f...

SAP SE has reiterated its commitment towards customers and partner ecosystem by pledging to help ramp up workforce in the country to take forward the digital transformation agenda.  In the wake of GST rollout and Digital India initiative, the 51+ million SMEs in the country will eventually have to onboard or scale their technology infrastructure. It will, therefore, give rise to an industry-wide requirement of digital experts who will have the capability to enable enterprises transition to a digital platform. SAP understands the urgency to fulfil this necessity.  SAP India commits to skill, reskill and upskill 1.5 million SAP consultants to plug this digital gap within the next three years.... Read More

Avaya has released a statement on August 7, 2017, announcing that it has filed an amended plan of reorganization and disclosure statement, with the support of major stakeholders, representing an important milestone in the company’s restructuring process and giving a “clear and viable path to emerge from Chapter 11 in the near term”.  Vishal Agrawal, Managing Director, India and SAARC, Avaya, said that while Avaya Inc. has been working through the Chapter 11 process in the US, India business has progressed strongly. “This agreement provides a clear and viable path to exit Chapter 11 in line with our strategy. This is an important milestone as we work to emerge as a strong and competitive company in the coming weeks.” Read More

Following the overwhelming response to OnePlus 3/3T Soft Gold variants last year, OnePlus has decided to launch a limited-edition Soft Gold OnePlus 5. By further developing the sandblasting process, the finish of the Soft Gold OnePlus 5 is 30% finer than that of the previous OnePlus Soft Gold devices. Speaking on the new launch, Vikas Agarwal, General Manager, OnePlus India, said, “As a maker of the most beautifully designed smartphones, it gives us immense joy to introduce the latest OnePlus 5 with even more refined and elegant Soft Gold finish this festival season. The latest OnePlus 5 Soft Gold will appeal to those who are looking for the perfect balance of beautiful design and powerful features." Read More

Post demonitisation, there is big impact in the Tax collection and the number of I-T returns filed for the year 2016-17 grew by 25 per cent to 2.82 crore, as increased number of individuals filed their tax returns post demonitisation, the finance ministry said. The growth in ITRs filed by individuals is 25.3 per cent with over 2.79 crore returns having been received up to August 5 as against over 2.22 crore returns filed in the corresponding period last fiscal. The total number of returns filed as on August 5 stands at over 2.82 crore as against over 2.26 crore filed during the corresponding period of 2016-17. This was an increase of 24.7 per cent compared to growth rate of 9.9 per cent in the previous year.... Read More

Netflix buys comic book publisher Millarworld it is company’s first acquisition. According to Netflix’s press release, the purchase is part of the company’s efforts to “acquire intellectual property and ownership of stories featuring compelling characters,” for upcoming Netflix Originals, which are increasingly becoming a critical part of the streaming service’s offerings.  The company will be looking to adapt both existing Millarworld franchises, along with new stories developed by Mark Millar and the Millarworld creative team going forward. Ted Sarandos, chief content officer, Netflix said..... Read More

Just a couple of month left for I phone to arrive with it’s newer version of iphone 8, could have with the most expected wireless charging. Wireless charging coil, giving fuel to the rumours of wireless charging. Apple has a major iPhone redesign planned for 2017, with a glass body and edge-to-edge OLED display that does away with the Home button and perhaps replaces Touch ID with a new facial recognition system. The new iPhone may be sold alongside upgraded (but standard) 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhones.... Read More