VARINDIA IT MAGAZINE

Pega buys Qurious.io for AI-powered Speech Analytics:  Pegasystems Inc.   announced its acquisition of   Qurious.io, Inc ., a cloud-based real-time speech analytics solution powered by artificial intelligence (AI) for customer service teams. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed.   Qurious.io’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering uses speech-to-text, natural language processing (NLP), and emotion detection capabilities to analyze the dialog within each customer service call as it happens. The software then provides agents with real-time insights and coaching so they can improve customer interactions, make better recommendations, and boost customer loyalty and sales. The company was founded in 2016 in San Francisco by recent Forbes 30-Under-30 winners  Sabrina Atienza, CEO , and  George Ramonov, CTO .   “With its deep customer service and AI pedigree, Pega will enable us to bring our intelligent speech analytics software to hundreds of the most im...

9 flights fly carrying 6.5 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine:  Nine flights will transport 56.5 lakh doses of   COVID-19 vaccine   from Pune to 13 cities across the country on Tuesday. Four airlines will take charge of the operations, says   Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.   Vaccine movement has started, he said on Twitter, adding that the first two flights operated by "SpiceJet and GoAir from Pune to Delhi and Chennai have taken off".   "Today  @airindiain   @flyspicejet   @goairlinesindia  &  @IndiGo6E  will operate 9 flights from Pune with 56.5 lakh doses to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow & Chandigarh," he said on Twitter. The Central government on Monday placed firm orders in advanced commitments for over six crore doses of workers in the first phase of the nationwide vaccination drive beginning January 16.   The fir...

Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk discloses funding FB rival app Signal:  After the attack on the United States Capitol by the supporters of outgoing   President Trump ,   Elon Musk   had taken to twitter and made a thinly veiled attack on social networks, specifically Facebook Inc and its   CEO Mark Zuckerberg , without directly naming any individual or entity.   Facebook  - the owner of the rival messaging app  WhatsApp  - is also mired in controversy after it unveiled a new privacy policy for the latter, which comes into effect in February, reported the Verge.   The privacy policy reportedly no longer provides users the option to opt-out of data sharing with Facebook but instead outlines how WhatsApp will share data with its social networking parent.   Data to be shared includes “battery level, signal strength, app version, browser information, mobile network and connection information (including phone number, mobile operator or ...

Savex Technologies signs a distribution agreement with Fortinet: S Savex Technologies, one of India’s largest Information and Communication Technology Distributor , today announced that   Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions , has appointed Savex Technologies as a value-added distributor to further expand its business and security market footprint in India. The appointment builds on the strong demand for new solution requirements to secure the edges that make up the new network including the data center, WAN, local-area network (LAN), remote workers and cloud access.   Savex Technologies Pvt Ltd, which was selected for its long history of ICT distribution in India and its representation of many major IT brands, will work with Fortinet to target all market segments, including large enterprise, telecom and SMB. The new distributor will appoint technical resources to support Fortinet's business, including a dedicated team to handle...

LG invests in TV Data and Measurement firm Alphonso, acquires controlling stake:  LG Electronics   has announced an investment of almost USD 80 million in the TV data and measurement firm   Alphonso . With this investment LG will become Alphonso’s largest investor with a controlling stake of more than 50 percent.   LG will utilize Alphonso software and services which includes data analytics, media planning and activation, and Video AI capabilities with its wide portfolio of home entertainment products. Alphonso’s combined offerings will enrich consumer services including content recommendations and LG’s own streaming service, LG Channels, to create a robust owned and operated first-screen, cross-device advertising platform with integrated analytics platform for LG TVs and the smart TV marketplace as a whole.   “Our investment in Alphonso is a key component of our digital transformation strategy focusing on AI, big data and cloud to fundamentally change how consu...

Fake GST invoice scam; 215 people arrested, ₹700 cr recovered:  The   Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI)   has recovered more than ₹700 crore from the arrested 215 people and in the last two months. The individuals who have been arrested for   GST fake invoice frauds   and are fly-by-night operators who fraudulently avail, pass on and utilize input tax credit (ITC) in multi-layered scams. The GST intelligence authorities have also registered over 2,200 cases and have unearthed more than 6,600 fake   GSTIN   entities. “Out of the 215 arrests so far there are 71 masterminds, 81 proprietors, 36 director/managing directors, 15 partners, 3 CEOs, 6 chartered accountants and one each of company secretary, broker, and GST practitioner,” the statement said.   The recent usage of data analytics, data-sharing and AI along with BAFTA tools has helped the agency to detect fraudsters with precise inputs. The DGGI in its statement also said that th...

Pure Storage appoints Ajay Singh as CPO:  Pure Storage   has assigned Ajay Singh in the position of Chief Product Officer (CPO) with immediate effect.   In this position, Singh will take ahead the company’s focus of creating an unrivalled product portfolio that delivers a great customer experience, contributes to Pure's growth, and extends industry leadership in data and storage management.   He will report to Charles Giancarlo, Chairman and CEO.   "Pure continues to lead the storage industry in innovation, reliability and flexibility, and now delivering our technology as-a-service – increasing our relevance to both those who build infrastructure and those who build applications," said  Charles Giancarlo, Chairman and CEO, Pure Storage . "In Ajay, we have exceptional talent to lead the continued expansion of Pure's portfolio and I look forward to seeing his expertise in action."   As CPO, Singh will have direct responsibility for all of Pure's business...

Aditya Puri, Ex-HDFC Bank MD joins Strides Group:  Former HDFC Bank managing director Aditya Puri   has joined   global pharma major Strides Group   as an Advisor and will also serve as a director of its associate company   Stelis Biopharma .   Strides Pharma Science Ltd said in a regulatory filing, "Eminent corporate doyen Aditya Puri joins the Strides Group as an advisor and also will be a director of its associate company, Stelis Biopharma".   Strides Pharma Science said Puri's appointment to the Stelis board comes at an exciting juncture for the company as it transitions from its incubation phase to a consolidation and growth phase to establish itself as a partner of choice globally with the aim of bringing world-class treatments at affordable costs to patients in both emerging and developed markets.   Puri said the Stride Group's established parentage, global success and head start in terms of basic infrastructure gives him the opportunity to...

Superstar Yash & Sanjay Dutt are all set to give maha entertainment in KGF Chapter 2:  KGF Chapter 2’s   much-awaited teaser is out now and if it is said it promises Entertainment then it will be an understatement. The teaser which has just been released by the makers promises Maha Entertainment for the audience and it seems all the fans are in for a huge treat.   While Superstar Yash is sure to set the screens on fire with his larger than life personality, new entries in the franchise like  Sanjay Dutt  and  Raveena Tandon  are also here for something gigantic.   Meanwhile, Sanjay Dutt recently spoke about his character Adheera in KGF Chapter 2 and said that it is one of the craziest he has ever played.   “Adheera is one of the craziest characters I have played so far. He is fearless, powerful and ruthless. There was a lot of physical prep required to become Adheera, about one and a half hours to do the make-up to get the look and a lot ...

Trump banned on Facebook & Instagram for at least next two weeks:  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg   has via his platform made an announcement that   Donald Trump   will be blocked from using both Facebook and Instagram “for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete.” The step taken, temporarily on Wednesday was following Trump’s posting of content that incited his followers to violence, but now Zuckerberg says the ban is extended “indefinitely,” extending at least until Biden takes over as President.   Trump’s video post on both Facebook and Instagram were removed yesterday, in which the president called for rioters who laid siege to the Capitol building in Washington to go home - but in which he also said “we love you” to the same violent terrorists. They followed that action with a 24-hour account lock, preventing Trump from posting via his Facebook and Instagram accounts during that period.   Zuckerberg acknowl...

HFCL completes shipping of one lakh units of wireless networking products to customers:  The telecom equipment manufacturer,   HFCL   has successfully completed shipping of one lakh units of a wireless networking portfolio to the customers. The shipment comprises access points and point-to-point unlicensed band radios.   As per the company, in less than a year after starting the production it has been able to achieve the milestone.   "There is a huge demand for higher bandwidths, seamless connectivity and devices becoming lifeline of consumers to remain digitally connected with their workspaces and families," said  Managing Director Mahendra Nahata.   "We plan to expand our global footprint to cover international terrains with our Made in India products and continue to play an active role in the  Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan ," he said in a statement on Wednesday.   The company also said that its objective is to showcase India as the next-gene...

Ritu Phogat Entry Into Atomweight World Grand Prix in 2021:  After a troubling year for practically everyone in the world, the turn of the new year represents rekindled hope. Despite the circumstances,   ONE Championship women’s atomweight   contender and rising star   Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat   had a respectable past 12 months, as she experienced growing success in her budding mixed martial arts career.   That being said, the Indian wrestling champion is also looking forward to an even better outcome in 2021.   “I know that I will be against the top-level fighters in 2021. I want to get ready for it by working on my striking and ground game. Whenever I face these top-level athletes, I want to be ready,” Phogat told ONE Championship in a recent interview.   Phogat recorded three victories last year, with each performance better than the next.   “The year 2020 was really good for me. I fought three back-to-back matches, and I think I i...