NetApp recognises innovation-driven partners at NetApp Xcelerate

Dec 20, 2023 | Uncategorized

NetApp^® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, recently hosted Xcelerate 2023, a summit to celebrate the strength of their channel partner network. Over the course of the three-day event, held in Udaipur between 14^th and 16^th December, NetApp leaders and channel partners converged to discuss strategies for finding opportunities amidst disruption, and driving 2X growth.

During the summit, NetApp leaders shared with the company’s partners and distributors their vision for unlocking scale and agility in the cloud, the importance of value-added distribution in an evolving channel landscape, the critical role of partnerships, and more. In addition, outstanding partners were awarded for their significant contributions in delivering innovative cloud experiences, propelling revenue growth, and unlocking substantial business value for their customers throughout the previous fiscal year. The Partner of the Year award was bagged by Binary Global Ltd., while Ingram Micro India Pvt. Ltd. took home the title of Distribution Excellence.

Speaking at the summit, Ganesan Arumugam, Director, Channel Sales, NetApp India said, “In an ever-evolving tech landscape, our partners play a pivotal role in enabling customers to keep pace with the latest advancements. Xcelerate 2023 provides a platform to celebrate their achievements, while highlighting our vision for their continued growth and success. In a world where intelligent data infrastructure is a key driver of change within organisations, we are confident that our partners will continue to shine and help deliver innovative solutions to customers.”

Speaking about the recognition as Partner of the Year, Mr. Sukhvinder Dhingra, Director, Binary Global Ltd., said, “We’re deeply honored by the recognition at NetApp Xcelerate. We are committed to delivering cutting-edge cloud experiences driving substantial business value and NetApp has been a key enabler. This recognition inspires us to keep innovating.”

Over the past year, NetApp has made several advancements to its partner program- Partner Sphere. This program revolutionises the company’s partner engagement model through innovative enablement programs. In addition, NetApp partners are now equipped with 11 service-certified tracks and 19 solution competencies covering flash, cloud, customer services, and various service models. As a result, their capabilities have expanded beyond merely supplying products, to delivering implementation, deployment, and managed services.

The list of winners include:  

UPI transactions witnesses 118% rise at retail stores in 2023: PayNearby Report

Dec 20, 2023 | Uncategorized

Assisted e-commerce (meta commerce) grows by 91% in semi urban and rural retail counters

• PayNearby releases detailed analysis on ‘assisted digital transactions’ FY23, in its third Pan-India report titled – Retail-O-Nomics
• Insurance policy purchase and insurance premium collection saw a massive 150% growth in transaction and 140% in customer adoption
• PAN Card issuance services have seen a steep growth of 437%
• During PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi fund release, cash withdrawal on an average grew by 36% as compared to the rest of the year
• Amongst credit products, personal loan and gold loan, saw good adoption at the last mile, crossing seven-figure mark in disbursements within few months of launch
• Bill payments service at local stores witnessed an increase of 74% in value and 39% in volume

Bengaluru, 20th December, 2023: PayNearby, India’s largest branchless banking and digital network, today released data report ‘Retail-O-Nomics’. It highlights Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions saw a 118% and 106% increase in volume and value respectively at semi-urban and rural stores, representing the growing adoption of UPI beyond Tier II regions in the country. In addition, mPOS (Mobile Point of Sale) acceptance too witnessed a growth of 5% in value, emphasising the increasing adoption of cutting-edge technology among small merchants.

Insurance policy purchases and premium collections surged by 150% in transaction volume and 140% in new customer adoption, underlining the role of digital retail stores in addressing the challenges of insurance penetration in Bharat, and their gradual evolution into multi-utility centres for citizens.

The insights are part of the third edition of the Pan-India report titled ‘Retail-O-Nomics’ released by PayNearby. The report has been prepared based on transactions conducted across a million-plus PayNearby retail touchpoints, consisting of kirana stores, mobile recharge stores, medical shops, customer service points (CSPs), travel agents, etc. throughout the country. The findings compare business data from January to November 2023 with the same period in the year 2022.

As per the report, the nationwide new registered retailer count increased by 9%, underscoring the eagerness of the retail community to participate in India’s growth story by facilitating assisted financial and digital transactions at nearby stores. Overall, transactions grew by 10% both in volume and value. The transactions include not only banking and financial services, but also digital services like utility payment, cash collection, credit, insurance, assisted commerce and more, indicating a significant behavioral shift among consumers in these regions towards assisted digital methods for their banking and lifestyle needs, contributing to their integration into the formal economy.

In 2023, Micro ATM and AePS cash withdrawals, pivotal for rural and semi-urban digital counters (retail stores), fell short of expected growth. However, MATM device demand remained robust, marking a 17% surge in purchases compared to last year. Although transaction volume decreased, the average cash withdrawal per transaction grew slightly from ₹2595 in 2022 to ₹2624 in 2023. Notably, AePS withdrawals surged consistently by 30-40% during DBT releases, notably during PM Kisan Yojana credits, as compared with the rest of the year.

The report also highlights a staggering 65% surge in cash collection at retail counters, reflecting soaring demand for credit and financial solutions nationwide. With an average monthly collection of ₹1,700 crores, the company witnessed heightened demand across various processes, including a remarkable 25% surge in EMI collections for NBFCs, MFIs, and Small Finance Banks. This uptick in EMI collections signifies a rising awareness and interest in credit and financial offerings at the grassroots level. Additionally, positive growth in subscriptions for OTTs, online education, and online gaming underlines a latent demand for digital services, indicating Bharat’s growing affinity towards digital products.

Amongst credit products, business, personal, and gold loans gained rapid traction, surpassing a seven-figure mark in loan disbursement. Impressively, 21% of applicants were new to credit (NTC), reflecting a growing trend. The average age of 28-30 highlights a dynamic, youthful entrepreneurial base. These loans, catering to SMEs’ working capital and individual lifestyle upgrades, underscore the urgent need for scalable, affordable credit solutions for India’s unhindered progress.

The assisted e-commerce segment, meta-commerce emerged as another significant highlight this year, with a network of ~40,000 retailers actively engaged in providing e-commerce services.  Particularly noteworthy is the substantial traction of the Branded Shop category, featuring top brands across consumer electronics, mobile accessories, kitchen appliances and more. Popular categories in the ecommerce portfolio include grocery, grooming, toys, and healthcare products. The average ticket size in the branded shop category was ₹3,184, while for the rest of the ecommerce portfolio, it was ₹1,586.

FY 2023 saw a surge in re-banking at retail counters, opening 175,000 new current and savings accounts. The report highlights a robust 202% growth in account balances compared to last year.

Commenting on the report findings, Anand Kumar Bajaj, Founder, MD & CEO, PayNearby, said, “Embracing rural India’s pulse, Retail-O-Nomics depicts a narrative where hinterlands not only keep pace with urban areas but actively integrate into the formal economy. The surge in GTV results from not only the growth in traditional banking and ATM services but also the adoption of products like UPI and MPOS, NTC credit solutions, insurance, e-commerce and more. Despite this, there’s still a huge untapped market needing the right product, pricing, and distribution for easier adoption. This report aims to catalyse dialogues and implement measures for widespread financial and digital service accessibility, especially in Tier II and beyond. Committed to this vision, we empower retailers and consumers through user-friendly solutions, focusing on technology simplification and democratization via our Distribution-as-a-Service network.

A case in point is the introduction of assisted ecommerce in our network. With this service, rural aspirational customers are getting the choicest products at a nearby store, retailers are seeing enhanced income, and e-commerce partners are not only reaching new markets, but seeing reduced returns rates, optimizing overall business costs. In fact, return rates through meta commerce are nearly 1/3^rd of the standard return rate witnessed by B2C ecommerce platforms, highlighting the significant role played by human interventions at retail counters in the overall consumer experience.”

Bill payments spiked by 74% in value and 39% in volume, while mobile recharge grew by 3%. Assisted Income Tax Return (ITR) services rose by 4%. Travel bookings maintained an 8% growth in flights and 6% in rail bookings during festivals. New PAN Card issuance and corrections skyrocketed by 437%. Notably, 41% of banking transactions occurred from 3.00 pm to 9.00 pm, highlighting retail outlets’ crucial role in meeting banking and digital needs, especially within the PayNearby network.

“Sophos MDR is a Must” and Sophos Intercept X is “A Real Threat for Hackers,” Say Sophos Customers in G2’s Peer-to-Peer Winter 2024 Report

Dec 20, 2023 | Uncategorized

“Sophos MDR is a must.” Sophos Intercept X is “…a real threat for hackers!” This is a sampling of the praise Sophos customers shared in G2’s peer-to-peer Winter 2024 Report, making Sophos the only vendor to earn the coveted Leader position in five key cybersecurity categories. This is the fourth report in a row where Sophos has swept as a Leader. The five categories include:

• Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
• Extended Detection and Response (XDR) Platforms
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
• Endpoint Protection Suites
• Firewall Software

Additionally, Sophos MDR and Sophos Firewall ranked number one overall in their respective categories. The G2 categories include enterprise, mid-market and small business segments, and accolades are based on validated customer reviews.

Fig. 1 Sophos MDR and Sophos Firewall rank number one overall in their categories in G2

“It’s a true honor when our customers confirm that, ‘Sophos MDR is a must,’ and our Sophos Intercept X endpoint solution is ‘a real threat for hackers,’” said Raja Patel, chief product officer at Sophos. “This confidence is the reason Sophos repeatedly sweeps the cybersecurity categories in G2’s customer ratings reports. It also shows how much our customers value the security advantages our MDR experts and our innovative technologies deliver to help them better protect, detect, respond to, and remediate relentless alerts and cyberattacks.”

Select Customer Reviews

• “Sophos MDR is a must. My team is small, and it’s great knowing if we’re all busy putting out IT fires, MDR is ready to take action if my team is unable to respond immediately to suspicious activity. This is much better than relying on alerts that we need to investigate. Of course, we have alerts enabled, but setting the thresholds for the alerts is nearly impossible. The alerts are either not sensitive enough and we’ll miss something important, or the alerts are too sensitive and we receive too many to investigate. Sophos MDR didn’t just solve this problem; it completely removed it,” said a mid-market customer

• “The 24/7 threat-hunting service from Sophos MDR stands out as a feature of utmost importance, providing around-the-clock vigilance and prompt reaction to emerging threats. Its true value lies in the managed remediation process – unlike other solutions that merely notify, Sophos steps in to effectively stop and rectify the issue and then informs us about the incident. This proactive and hands-on approach is what sets Sophos MDR apart and makes it a highly appreciated solution,” said a mid-market customer

• “…a real threat for hackers !!! [Intercept X] is easy to use and has a lot of the world’s best technologies. CryptoGuard feature is the essential feature,” said a mid-market customer

• “[Intercept X] provides a comprehensive solution with AI and machine learning-based detections and prevention” said a mid-market customer

• “Overall, Sophos Firewall is a robust security solution that offers advanced threat protection, easy management, and granular control over your network traffic. Its features help you secure your network, improve network performance, and prevent cyberattacks, making it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes,” said an enterprise customer

Sophos Security Portfolio

Sophos’ portfolio of managed security services and solutions – including Sophos MDR, Sophos Intercept X, Sophos XDR, and Sophos Firewall – are part of the Sophos Adaptive Cybersecurity Ecosystem where they share real-time threat intelligence for faster and more contextual and synchronized protection, detection and response. They’re powered by Sophos X-Ops threat intelligence, a cross-operational task force of more than 500 security experts within SophosLabs, Sophos SecOps and SophosAI.

Solutions are easily managed in the cloud-native Sophos Central platform, where users can oversee installations, respond to alerts and track licenses and upcoming renewal dates via a single, intuitive interface. Organizations can also leverage Sophos MDR as a comprehensive threat hunting and remediation service. Free trials are available at Sophos.com. Any organizations under active attack and needing urgent support, should contact the Sophos Incident Response team. For timely information about threat intelligence and attacker behaviors, follow Sophos X-Ops’ latest research.

2023 records 23 million job applications from women; BFSI, Telecom, E-Commerce lead the wave

Dec 20, 2023 | Uncategorized

In 2023, sectors like BFSI, Telecom, and e-commerce witnessed a remarkable surge in demand among female job seekers, with Apna.co, a leading jobs and professional networking platform, recording an astounding 23 million applications. This translates to an impressive rate of 44 applications every minute. Notably, there was a 40% increase in the number of women with graduate degrees or diplomas registered with the platform to apply for these roles compared to 2022, highlighting the platform’s growing role as a go-to destination for educated female professionals seeking suitable roles. This trend not only underscores the rising demand for jobs in these sectors but also reflects a broader shift towards gender diversity in the workforce.

Tier 2 cities lead in female job aspirations

Of the 13.8 million women on apna’s platform, a remarkable 6.7 million hail from tier 2 cities, marking a growth of over 33% compared to the previous year. This surge is particularly notable in cities like Chandigarh, Patna, Lucknow, Ajmer, and Vadodara, where a significant number of female users are seeking roles in diverse areas such as Business Development, HR, Back Office, Teaching, and Customer Support. This shows both a growing job market in these areas and the expanding career goals of women in tier 2 cities.

Shifting dynamics in women’s job preferences

In 2023, women seeking jobs showed a balanced approach between flexibility and career dedication. While 50% (12 million) of total job applications from women job seekers sought Work From Home opportunities, aiming for convenience without the commute. A significant 80% (18 million) of  total job applications applied for full-time roles, indicating a shift toward prioritizing career success over extra income. Additionally, 1.8 million women embraced night shift roles, showcasing their willingness to tackle challenges head-on with utmost dedication, highlighting their readiness to face challenges with dedication in an evolving job market.

Aspiring for Top-Tier Salaries and Managerial Roles

In a transformative shift within the job market, the year 2023 marked a notable change in the career aspirations of women. On the platform, an impressive 60% of female job applications were for positions with salaries exceeding Rs 30,000. Notably, about 4 million applications from women were for job roles offering salaries above Rs 45,000. This trend not only reflects the growing ambition among women to climb the corporate ladder but also their aspiration to secure top positions within leading companies.

Additionally, the data revealed that a substantial 13.5 million applications were directed towards managerial or higher-level roles. This shift signifies a significant evolution where women are actively shaping their careers towards higher corporate success, changing the workplace landscape.

Nirmit Parikh, Founder & CEO, apna.co commented, “The increasing presence of women in the workforce is more about economic revitalization than just a demographic change. This goes beyond statistics, influencing family well-being and societal progress profoundly. I firmly believe that empowering women doesn’t just promote personal development but also nurtures a stronger and more prosperous future for everyone. It’s a validation to the determination and aspirations of women who are transforming their dreams into reality.”

Leading firms paving the way for women in the workforce

In 2023, leading corporations such as Aditya Birla Capital, Bharti AXA, Reliance Nippon, Flipkart, Zomato, Airtel, Jaguar, and Urban Company played a pivotal role in driving the surge of women in the workforce, especially in dynamic sectors like BFSI, Service, E-commerce, and Telecom. These companies are not just hiring women; they’re actively creating environments that support their growth in traditionally male-dominated sectors such as BFSI, E-commerce, and Telecom.

A report by Barclays underscores the economic imperative of this trend. To reach an 8% GDP growth, India needs more women in the workforce. This year’s surge in female job applications is not just a win for gender equality; it’s a potential game-changer for the nation’s economy.

TBO.COM signs deal to acquire online business of Jumbo Tours Group, Spain

Dec 20, 2023 | Uncategorized

TBO Tek Limited (“TBO”) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Tek Travels DMCC, has acquired 100% shareholding of Jumbonline Accommodations & Services S.L.U., which has been demerged as an online business from Jumbo Tours Group. With this acquisition, TBO intends to further increase its presence in Europe.

Jumbo Tours Group is one of the biggest international tourism operators offering a range of services and products to tourism operators and travel agencies worldwide. The Jumbonline business distributes an extensive range of products for wholesalers and tour operators all on one single platform. The advanced API solution provides access to over 120,000 hotels with 15,000 hotels directly contracted in an unbeatable response time. Complementing this business, there are two other brands, Jumbobeds, the leading online wholesaler for Travel Agencies and Jumbotransfers which offers a wide range of transport services at great prices.

Gaurav Bhatnagar, [Co-Founder & Director] of Tek Travels DMCC, said: “This acquisition will give us not only access to Jumbo’s clientele but quality content from across prime destinations in Europe right down to the Caribbean. We continue to expand our global footprint by staying true to our commitment to simplifying global travel”.

Commenting on the announcement, Ginés Martinez, CEO, Jumbo Tours Group, said “We are very excited with this partnership and look forward to leveraging TBO’s strengths in travel distribution across the world, specifically Middle East & APAC. Their tech, talent and growth have been very impressive, and we are happy to be a part of the TBO family”.

Gabriele Burgio, President and CEO of Alpitour World has commented “we strongly believe that there is a big potential in this alliance, TBO is a great partner in technology and highly specialised in the online business, while Jumbo Tours Group is a great provider of operations, contracting, local knowledge and representation in the destinations, we are sure both parties will get the most out of this joint project.”.

This development reflects the growth plans that TBO has set globally as it continues to step up investments by constantly looking at similar partnerships to expand, hire and improve customer experience towards its vision of simplifying and empowering the travel ecosystem.

EOGEPL signs MoU with IIT Bombay to collaborate for R&D

Dec 20, 2023 | Uncategorized

Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd (EOGEPL), one of the largest E&P companies in India and a leader in unconventional hydrocarbon space, today announced the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay). The collaboration aims to jointly spearhead research and development initiatives focused on indigenous advancements in various cutting-edge CBM (Coal Bed Methane) technologies.

Coal Bed Methane (CBM) has the potential to meet India’s energy demands, reducing reliance on fossil fuels while storing CO2 in depleted coal seams. EOGEPL’s Raniganj East CBM Block stands as a flagship asset, boasting a substantial volume of CBM gas resources. Acknowledged as a prime example of CBM development in India, it has fostered a dedicated customer base reliant on its CBM gas supply to support their businesses.

IIT Bombay holds global acclaim for its high-quality education and ground-breaking research across diverse domains encompassing science, engineering, design, management, and humanities.

The partnership between EOGEPL and IIT Bombay will delve into research and development, particularly in potential Enhanced Coal Bed Methane (ECBM) recovery techniques and CO2 sequestration. This collaborative effort aims to unravel the complexities of enhanced coal bed methane processes through innovative, experimental and simulation methodologies.

The envisioned research includes advanced reservoir simulation studies using industry-standard software platforms. Additionally, it will explore the development of suitable methodologies for extracting gas from deeper coal seams. The focus extends to screening new enhanced recovery techniques to boost production from existing wells, primarily through CO2 enhanced CBM recovery studies.

As part of the MoU, EOGEPL would propose an initial list of thematic areas of research. The company will provide necessary funding and data support for the Project and grant access to wells for mutually agreed investigations and research experiments. EOGEPL is committed to jointly pursuing collaborative research training and programs with IIT Bombay.

While IIT Bombay will undertake project activities within the agreed thematic areas, offering technology development support, and delivering results to EOGEPL as per the project objectives and schedules. This involves engaging students and faculty with the required expertise and capacity, providing training to EOGEPL officials as mutually agreed upon, and leveraging basic infrastructural facilities to facilitate smooth research operations.

Commenting on the MoU signing, Mr. Pankaj Kalra, CEO, EOGEPL said, “This collaboration highlights Essar’s strong dedication to innovation and knowledge sharing. We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to create pioneering solutions with far-reaching effects. It exemplifies Essar’s firm commitment to technological advancement and its eagerness to work with ivy league educational institutions to further industry practices.”

Mr. Sachin C Patwardhan, Dean (R&D) of IIT Bombay expressed similar enthusiasm.

The company has invested a significant Rs 5,000 crore in the Raniganj block, resulting in the drilling of 348 wells and the daily production of nearly 0.9 million metric standard cubic meters (mmscd) of gas. Furthermore, EOGEPL is set to invest an additional Rs 2,000 crore to drill an additional 200 wells over the next 18 to 24 months in its coal bed methane project in West Bengal’s Raniganj.

The Raniganj block has a resource base of 12 TCF (Trillion Cubic Feet) CBM. The company is contributing significantly to the Nation’s vision of being a gas-based economy.