The industry has responded with a newer class of enetrprise grade messaging entering the market and many industry leaders are beginning to see mobile productivity through the advances of messaging, writes Ram MenonWith almost every employee in an organisation owning a smartphone, the industry is witnessing a major trend where instant messaging apps have a quicker response rate than an email. Business leaders who are embracing the digital route are finding themselves grappling with a new set of demands: learning how to transform business processes around the potential of technology and to address the challenges associated with the evolution of messaging apps in the workplace.According to a recent report by Mary Meeker's Internet Trends 2015 messaging apps are now dominating the industry, with six out of 10 of the most used apps providing messaging services. India being the third-largest Internet market after China and the US, with 232 million users in 2014 is still far behind when it comes to number of Internet users (pegged at 232 million) compared to US and China. However, it was the top country for new user additions at over 63 million users in 2014. There are enough studies to validate why new internet user growth is only going to accelerate from here on.The Gap In EnetrpriseThe enterprise buyer is still wrestling with this change. A new employee portal built at a great expense and rolled out with fanfare stays unused whereas most employee continue to use the consumer message app to communicate instantly with their co-workers. Company emails have a read rate of 1 per cent but a WhatsApp message elicits a response within 90 seconds. This behaviour comes with its own dangers such as complaince, security. A CXO at a bank recently told me he has unearthed over 300 WhatsApp groups exchanging company specific infromation on what is essentially an open messaging network with no verification of identity or complaince with company policy.Instead of clamping down on this as one executive suggested and outlawing consumer messaging on company phones, a business leaders needs to dig deeper. 54 per cent of all emails are replied within 24 hours, 90 per cent of instant messages are replied with 3 minutes. How do we convert this into an effective tool to enhance employee productivity? How do we provide users with a slick messaging interface, which satisfies their needs but at the same time provides the administration, security and compliance?Enterprise Compliance and Security - It's different.Much is made of the current security scenario, or lack of it in consumer messaging apps. However, the enterprise view is broader and more holistic. It goes beyond mere encryption. It needs to include to data retention policies on an export all data into the corporate retention and eDiscovery tool of your choice for compliance. It includes controlling the access, add and delete employees based on time, need, and current employee status, as well as create managed groups to restrict data access.Enterprise Messaging As A Business ToolOn a recent business trip I spent a fair amount of time with a retail company. I was excited with the enthusiasm and commitment to a discussion on omni channel retail, improving Store loyalty, POS information inventory optimization. A few weeks later, I ended up visiting the store and talking to a retail associate who works in women's section of the store and asked her about the technology she uses. The answer: "I use WhatsApp to communicate with other employees for inventory lookup and to talk to my warehouse." This is perhaps indicative to a culture that has moved beyond email, portals, company newsletters and business leaders need to take advantage of this to improve employee productivity.The industry has responded with a newer class of enetrprise grade messaging entering the market and many industry leaders are beginning to see mobile productivity through the advances of messaging. To quote an unnamed BFSI CIO - "Messaging has been already voted by the business user the new enterprise communciations back bonefor instant communication, Our job is deliver on this need with a enetrprise grade platfrom -but make it useful, safe and secure"The author is founder and CEO of Avaamo, enterprise messaging company
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Microsoft announced the rollout for its newest operating system, Windows 10, just yesterday and confirmed that the new upgrade is available free of cost to Windows 7 and Windows 8 users for one year. The new update improves and refines the features of Windows 8 and definitely feels much more organized than the previous version. In case you are wondering how to get your free upgrade, here is a quick and easy way to get the new version.If you are running a Windows 7, 8 or an 8.1 PC or a tablet, you must have got a notification on the bottom right panel asking to reserve a copy of the new update. If you have already done so, just open the notification and it will guide you on how to update. All devices including laptops, desktops and tablets that support Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 are compatible with Windows 10, so make sure you check the system requirements when you reserve a copy from the notification.The new update will be downloaded as a system update, so in case you have turned it off, you will have to enable them and update your current system updates. The new update will download onto your system only after your current system is up to date and will take about an hour or two to download (depending on the internet speed) the 2.7GB update. While the update process doesn’t prompt you to back-up your files, it is recommended that you do in case your update process goes bad. Once the download is complete, the system will automatically process the downloaded update and in about an hour or so the process will be complete. Your files, programs and settings will remain intact so no need of re-installing everything.If you have reserved a copy and the update process doesn’t start, then it might just take a little longer depending on your region, so keep checking daily. If you have an unlicensed copy of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 chances are that you will be able to upgrade as Microsoft mentioned that the upgrade is free for all. However your machine will be marked as non-genuine and you will be constantly notified to opt for a proper license from Microsoft.
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Microsoft had announced earlier that it will be officially rolling out its newest platform for tablets, desktops and laptops on the 29th of July, and well, the company has kept its word. Windows 10 is now official and will be available to consumers from today across 190 nations around the world. The new version will be available as a free update to consumers and will be loaded with an all new look and a bunch of new features.Windows 10 will ditch the tile mode which included all the apps on Windows 8 and 8.1 and will have the desktop mode as default. The Start button will remain and will open a new menu which will include all the app tiles which can be expanded if the user wishes to. Apart from that Microsoft has deeply integrated its own voice assistant ‘Cortana’ into Windows 10 which in simpler terms acts like Google Now. The demo at the launch event showed that Cortana is fast and quite intuitive and will definitely improve the whole user experience. Other features include the Xbox One app which will be a dashboard for all your gaming needs and the brand new internet browser called Microsoft Edge. There have been improvements in security as company claims it’s the most secure Windows version ever thanks to enhancements to Windows Defender and SmartScreen both of which help in protecting against viruses, malware and phishing.Vineet Durani, Director – Windows Business Groups, Microsoft India quickly went through some of the new features of Windows 10 at the launch and gave a quick glimpse of what the user can expect with this new update. He also confirmed that non-genuine or unlicensed copies of Windows will be eligible for the new Windows 10 update, but once a user updates his or her pirated Windows, the machine will be marked as an unlicensed user and will be notified to get a genuine copy.The launch event saw a variety of new and old devices running on the new update and also the new Xbox One. Microsoft also invited gamers with their own gaming desktop PCs, and a special round for a number of selected fans. While this is one of the biggest launches for the computing era, somehow the launch event didn’t have the energy. Hopefully the new update will be more promising than the official announcement.
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Raytheon|Websense (formerly Websense), a global leader in protecting organisations from the latest cyber attacks and data theft, announced its citation as a leader for its Triton AP-Web with Web Cloud Module in global research and advisory firm Forrester Research report."We are pleased to be independently recognized as a leader in the SaaS web content security space," said Raytheon|Websense Vice President of product management, Mike Siegel. "We believe that this recognition further validates our commitment to providing our customers' the most comprehensive protection to stop advanced threats and prevent data theft across the kill chain."Forrester's independent, 26-criteria evaluation ranked Websense among the highest scores for threat detection, automated malware analysis, and endpoint support, as well as the top score among all vendors in the reporting category. Websense also received among the highest scores in the Data loss prevention — discovery and analysis category, authentication and administration categories.According to the report, leaders in this Forrester Wave provide extensive functionality in the cloud, and shine for their broad endpoint support, multiple deployment options, multiple authentication options, and regional coverage. "Each vendor's viability and investment to meet current and emerging customer demands, technical functionality satisfaction, account management satisfaction, and service-level agreements" were also factored into the strategy category criteria.(BW Online Bureau)
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x86 server market in India grew by 7.5 per cent in terms of units, while in terms of revenue the market witnessed a double-digit year on year growth in Q1 2015, according to IDC.HP continued to lead in Q1 2015 with 38 per cent market share in terms of units, followed by Dell with a share of 19 per cent according to International Data Corporation (IDC) APeJ Server Tracker.Lenovo increased its share marginally due to large multi-million dollars deal in central Government vertical. White box players have also witnessed year on year growth as some of the organisations specially cloud providers are preferring them for reducing cost and greater control over their infrastructure.A key highlight of this quarter was the increased uptake of higher priced density and rack optimised servers that led to an increase in the ASP of the servers in Q1 2015 and in-turn resulted in a higher growth percentage in terms of revenue rather than units.Professional Services, Communications and Media, Banking and Manufacturing verticals continued to be the major contributors in Q1 2015.Gaurav Sharma, Research Manager, Enterprise Computing, IDC India, "Digitisation, refresh and upgrade opportunities, government backed e-governance and other state level initiatives and new implementations are collectively driving the growth for server market in India. There is a visible shift in purchase pattern for Indian organizations where strategic initiatives and involvement from LoBs (in purchase decisions) are increasingly becoming the deciding factors against the earlier transactional approach."The non x86 server market marginally grew by 7% year on year in terms of revenue. Both PSU and Private banks contributed to this growth by investing in technology refresh deals. Refresh and upgrade deals are expected from all verticals especially from the telecom organizations in CY 2015.White box players are gaining traction among e-commerce and cloud providers and starting to figure in the consideration set of some of the traditional customers as well. The primary reason for this is cost and increased control over their infrastructure. Traditional vendors need to revisit their mitigation plans to nullify the impact from white-box players.Hybrid cloud is fast becoming the need of the hour and this in turn is increasing the penetration of Software defined solutions. Software defined solutions are expected to help organizations access applications from different cloud providers seamlessly and simplify management while migrating some of the on-premise applications to various cloud platforms.Huge demand for compute from e-tailing and cloud providers supported by the traditional spending is expected to take the market to a new high in 2015. Technology refresh and upgradation deals from Banking and Telecom verticals are expected in the next few quarters. In addition to this, recent government initiatives are also expected to add to the demand in CY 2015.
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Nishant Batra, Head of Engagement Practice, Ericsson India spoke to BW|Businessworld about Satellite broadcast, media services and future plan of Ericsson IndiaWhat is your play in Broadcast and Media services?Ericsson's Broadcast and Media services spans across the entire media value chain of content acquisition, creation, management, exchange and delivery to consumers. Ericsson has been a leader globally in advanced video compression technology solutions for 20 years. Today, we are the worldwide leaders in the broadcast satellite, contribution and distribution markets. In India, four out of the seven DTH operators are based on Ericsson's video compression technology. We are investing significantly across our TV platform and video-network areas to extend our market leadership position. By combining our technology & services we help media service providers enhance their ARPUs by better utilization of resources, content or network. Our deep portfolio of managed services enables broadcasters to make significant operational and capital savings by assuming responsibility for technical platforms, while speeding time-to-market and minimizing business continuity risks.Have you partnered with any Indian operator? What deals are there in the pipeline?As discussed above, Ericsson is the leading provider of video compression solutions in the Satellite broadcast and DTH arena with 4 out of the 7 DTH operators in India using Ericsson's video compression technology.We have recently announced our tie up with Tata Sky and Sun TV for the deployment of AVP 4000 video compression platform that will enhance the TV Viewing experience of customers. The new technology from Ericsson will power all 33 Sun TV channels broadcast in India. Tata Sky has also upgraded and expanded its entire DTH platform to Ericsson's industry leading AVP 4000 video compression system, which enables Tata Sky to substantially increase the bouquet of channels offered to their end subscribers while maintaining the highest quality of viewing experience.Earlier, in March this Year, Ericsson enabled Tata Sky to launch the first commercial 4K video service in the subcontinent. Customers subscribing to the 4K service could watch video up to four times the resolution of the standard high definition (HD) video currently available.Going forward, we plan to strengthen our TV & Media business in India with an expanded product portfolio to meet the needs of a fast expanding and dynamic TV& Media industry in India.Who are the customers you are targeting with your solutions?Uptil earlier this year , we had predominantly focused on our Compression portfolio and Media Delivery Network (MDN) Services for the India market. We now plan to partner with all key stakeholders including Service providers, DTH Players, Content providers, and broadcasters to deliver next generation TV viewing experience to consumers. We plan to strengthen our TV & Media business with an expanded product portfolio to meet the needs of a fast expanding and dynamic TV& Media industry. We foresee a strong growth in this space and expect to achieve a 15% market share in India by the year 2017.How are your solutions different from other players?Ericsson, along with its partners is taking the lead in driving the transformation in the TV and media landscape in India. Our global scale, our services offering, cutting-edge portfolio, and industry knowledge position us as a leading enablement partner for our customers globally.With ultimate network control and efficiency from content to consumer, we also help Fixed, Mobile, and Converged Network Operators within the media value chain for fast time-to-market innovation and monetization. Ericsson's Media Delivery Network solution redefines the traditional concept with a unique, single-platform approach to the delivery of managed and unmanaged content. By combining our technology &services ,we help media service providers enhance their ARPUs by better utilization of resources, content or network.Our success across global markets is reinforced by the fact that over 50 per cent of video on demand content around the world is now processed by our technology.What are the current trends in TV and Entertainment space?The TV and media industry is witnessing continuous evolution, driven by the rapid upswing of mobile broadband subscriptions and increasing demand for greater consumer experience. Consumers have already started demanding for and consuming Video content on mobile devices anytime, anywhere and this trend will continue in the future. Our extensive research indicates that in just six years, there will be 9 billion people in the world contributing to more than 8 billion mobile broadband subscriptions and 1.5 billion homes with digital television - furthermore, IP will become the globally dominant media transmission method. These predictions foreshadow a new era of entertainment and connectivity - one that will deliver on the promise of more choices, better quality, and greater personalization for consumers and where content providers and operators will engage in new monetization models.What opportunities and challenges do you see in the Connected TV Space in India?The connected TV space in India holds huge potential for Ericsson. The TV & broadcast industry is undergoing dramatic changes with the transition to multi-platform, on-demand television and Ericsson is taking the lead in driving this transformation together with our partners.Service providers in India are ready to make investments to cater to the consumers' demands for increased convenience and enhanced experience. We have recently enabled Tata Sky to launch India's first commercial 4K video service- customers subscribing to this service can watch video up to four times the resolution of the standard high definition (HD) video currently available. We have also tied up with Tata Sky and Sun TV for the deployment of our video compression platform. Further the government's decision to digitise the cable platforms across India also presents huge potential for players like us to offer next generation services.In terms of challenges, bandwidth is a key challenge currently in enabling a seamless experience to consumers across different platforms. Further the proposed digitization plan of the Indian government is yet to be implemented across the country.What will be your future strategy?Ericsson has set out a clear long-term strategic framework for becoming an industry leader, driving transformation through mobility and becoming a trusted ICT transformation partner for our customers. This framework includes excelling in our core business - radio, core and transmission, and telecom services and focusing on new targeted areas like Cloud, IP networks, TV and media, OSS and BSS, as well as in Industry &Society .Ericsson's strategy builds directly into our vision of a connected world in which broadband, mobility and cloud combine to create a Networked Society- where everything that can gain from a connection will be connected.
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Despite several warnings from governments, enterprises and IT experts, the entire IT world is devising strategies to handle the Heartbleed bug - an OpenSSL vulnerability, says Shibu PaulJust over a year ago, the tech industry was jolted by a very serious vulnerability in OpenSSL. The vulnerability Heartbleed makes it possible for anyone to steal and read encrypted information - including usernames and passwords - from servers that are considered secure. The impact of Heartbleed has extended far beyond websites using SSL encryption, affecting wireless networks and internal networks of enterprises. The security bug affects certain versions of OpenSSL that do not properly handle heartbeat extension packets. This allows attackers to craft packets that trigger a buffer over-read, resulting in the exposure of sensitive information from clients and servers.Enterprises that deployed Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs) and secure access gateways (AG Series) also incorporated proprietary SSL stack, and thus were not affected by Heartbleed. However, many competing products are based on OpenSSL, and their respective manufacturers raced to implement patches and fix to protect their customers. Despite several warnings from governments, enterprises and IT experts, the entire IT world is devising strategies to handle the Heartbleed bug - an OpenSSL vulnerability. Instead, customers that are vulnerable to this issue need to implement proprietary SSL, which offers significant advantages over open source solutions.With the 20-20 hindsight afforded by a year’s distance from the Heartbleed announcement, what has changed and what have we learned?Heartbleed was neither the first, nor the last: OpenSSL had multiple vulnerability announcements prior to Heartbleed and even over the last year. With regard to attacks like Man-in-the-Middle and ClientHello, neither AG Series SSL VPNs nor APV Series ADCs were vulnerable due to our proprietary SSL stack. The FREAK vulnerability affected very few products, i.e. end-of-sale ADCs and SSL VPNs, as well as some functions of WAN optimization controllers. New software versions for these products are available to mitigate these vulnerabilities.Security is a mindset, not a feature: There were vulnerability announcements about SSL/TLS and other components of application delivery networking last year. However, all SSL companies focusing on security need to terminate SSL traffic on ADCs to safeguard vulnerable applications and avoid similar vulnerabilities. From the beginning, companies have to be fanatical about removing unnecessary features and loopholes in the software to improve both security and performance. This security mindset paid off with the Bash vulnerability because APV and AG Series do not expose Bash for remote access.Web and application servers may still be vulnerable to Heartbleed: Security industry firm Venafi recently issued a report stating that nearly three quarters of Global 2000 firms have public-facing systems that remain vulnerable. The primary reason cited by the report was incomplete remediation, typically by failing to replace SSL keys and certificates. Note that adding a Heartbleed-proof ADC (shameless plug) like APV Series can provide an additional layer of defense while providing load balancing, SSL offloading and other functions that improve server and application performance.The nature of malicious attacks has changed: At the dawn of the Internet, it was mostly kiddie scripters and other idle minds responsible for attacks. Now, headline-grabbing malicious attacks are perpetrated by organized criminals and even nations with a goal of compromising personal financial information, sensitive corporate and government information, and even a nation’s infrastructure. The damage is about money and national security - the stakes are very high.While OpenSSL is but one potential attack vector, Heartbleed and other OpenSSL vulnerabilities point out the new reality for IT professionals; they must remain ever mindful, ever vigilant, and ever diligent to protect the networks they manage against malicious attacks.The author is Regional Sales Director – India, ME and SEA, Array Networks
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Symantec has confirmed the existence of a new zero-day vulnerability in Adobe Flash which could allow attackers to remotely execute code on a targeted computer. Since details of the vulnerability are now publicly available, it is likely attackers will move quickly to exploit it before a patch is issued.Details of the vulnerability surfaced following a cyberattack against the controversial Italian hackers-for-hire firm Hacking Team. Proof-of-concept code for exploit of the vulnerability was part of a large cache of internal information leaked by the attackers. Given the source of the proof-of-concept code, it is possible that this vulnerability has already been exploited in the wild. Following its disclosure, it can be expected that groups of attackers will rush to incorporate it into exploit kits before a patch is published by Adobe.Analysis by Symantec has confirmed the existence of this vulnerability by replicating the proof-of-concept exploit on the most recent, fully patched version of Adobe Flash (18.0.0.194) with Internet Explorer. Successful exploitation could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected computer.Symantec regards this vulnerability as critical since it could allow attackers to remotely run code on an affected computer, effectively allowing them to take control of it.Adobe has issued a security advisory to address this critical vulnerability (CVE-2015-5119), and confirmed it has been identified in Adobe Flash Player 18.0.0.194 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux. Adobe added it is aware of reports that an exploit targeting this vulnerability has been published publicly. Adobe expects to make updates available on 8 July 2015.
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How GPU tech can help public servants serve the community more efficiently and economically, writes Vishal DhuparThe ministry of urban development is in full swing to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for smart cities to reality in 100 locations across India that will be modernized, equipped and administered using adaptive and intelligent technology.While Rs 48,000 crore have already been allocated for the development of these Smart Cities, IDC has predicted that India's ICT sector will get a minimum infusion of Rs. 2000 crore to back the mega project. Research also shows widespread interest in development of smart urban centers, with almost one-fifth of cities in Asia Pacific having started collaborative operations to deal withinfrastructural, managerial and environmental problems.The concept of Smart Cities means different things to different people. Essentially, a smart city is an urban center with intelligent physical, social, and institutional infrastructure that can be sustained in tandem with economic activity and growth. The infrastructure of such a city will typically be equipped with systems aimed at better management of energy resources, water, transport and traffic, safety and security.A report by McKinsey warned that by 2030, about 600 million people will reside in Indian cities. With inadequate planning, the quality of life in urban areas is bound to decline. To deal with rapid urbanization, the master plan for development of smart cities has to account for growth in population, businesses, and therefore, the spurt in public amenities and infrastructure, traffic, carbon footprint, so and so forth. Today’s urban planners need the computing capability to simulate the impact of these gradual changes over time against the assimilated physical data, so that they can tweak their models to allow for growth.The first challenge encountered by urban planners is sifting through large volumes of data to make intelligent, informed, accurate and swifter decisions.Technology is an enabler for planned urbanisation and the development of all sustainable smart cities.From centralised control systems which provide real-time input on availability of water, electricity, healthcare and education to effective management of traffic, weather prediction, pollution control, disaster management and emergency response – everything in a smart city relies on powerful computing.This is where GPUshave taken the driving seat.Graphics processing units (GPUs) are built from ground up to handle tasks in parallel and are optimised for compute-intensive tasks. From oil exploration to cancer research. From Bollywoood Studios to weather modelling. From diamond cutting to helping farmers:GPUs offer superiorcomputing capabilities everywhere. The popular Shazam music-search application uses a GPU to rapidly search and recognise songs from its 27-million track database, in a matter of seconds!The same power of GPUs will play a critical role in building and sustaining smart cities. Take the example of disaster recovery and emergency response. When cyclone Hudhud hit Indian coasts, authorities had to track the weather conditions to get the correct assessment of the impact on-ground. For this they had to rely on satellite images.However, processing these images could take hours, if not days. GPUs can not only condense the time taken but also help in providing a better synopsis of the exact situation. Speed and accuracy in such situations can save millions of lives.Urban Planning:As India’s urban areas become ever more densely populated, reducing energy consumption and mitigating air pollution will be critical. However, understanding the complex interactions among green assets, projects, the environment and urban microclimates on citywide scales is a complicated challenge.Urban planners are using inexpensive and fast modeling tools that run on GPU technology to create life-size simulations of varied demographic environments. These are interactive and immersive simulations that can be mapped against dynamic changes such as energy consumption or pollutant dispersion within an entire landscape. Armed with visual insight into these changes, planners can anticipate the impact of change to design future-ready models or policies for urbanization that minimize the carbon footprint generated by a city, and locate green infrastructure more strategically. Governance: The services of hundreds of individuals in the local governance and municipal bodies keep a city ticking round the clock. How can GPU tech help these public servants serve the community more efficiently and economically?Many workers in departments such as public works, education, healthcare, or fire brigade are constantly on the move or located in remote areas, and it might be difficult to assemble everyone in one place on short notice. Through GPU-aided delivery of optimized graphics and videos over the Cloud to their workstations or smartphones, local governance bodies can remotely and conveniently train employees. By enabling them to share visual information directly to the workstations or smartphones of employees, public departments can cut down training costs and ramp up their efficiency.Surveillance & Security: Maintaining law & order is a daunting task for many cities that are often ill-equipped to fight the spiraling crime rate. Authorities mostly rely on intelligence gathering and assessment from CCTV systems, satellites, and better surveillance technologies to monitor sensitive locations on a 24x7 basis. The timeliness and accuracy of this is critical. GPUs can help reduce both, the cost and time taken, to convert raw data collected from surveillance and deliver actionable insight in real time.For instance, the video feed from a surveillance camerais grainy and has to be matched against a visual database of known offenders. In large crowds, probably only part of an object or a person’s face would be captured by cameras. GPUs accelerate the image processing and change detection power of surveillance systems, helping them analyze even moving images at breakneck speed.Implementation of GPU tech is most amenable to the sustainability of smart cities, and many governance and infrastructure related projects can benefit from the technology. Premier research and education institutes such as IITs, top universities, and the Dept. of Space are already using them. The ability of GPUs to transform the vision for urban landscapes is being investigated by engineers and scientists in India, and is likely to attract the attention of top decision makers in government too.The author, Vishal Dhupar is Managing Director, South Asia, NVIDIA
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A digitally connected India will bring "tremendous power" in the hands of citizens by connecting them to the rest of the world, Ratan Tata said on Friday (03 July), lauding the government's 'Digital India' programme. "I'm delighted that the Prime Minister has decided to give so much preference and priority to the fact that India will be a digitised nation," Tata said here at the launch of an initiative to deepen Internet usage among rural women. "Internet will help educate India, will give access to livelihood to many women who do not have a formal livelihood, help reach out commerce to far parts of India," he said. Tata Trusts, chaired by Ratan Tata, has tied up with Google and Intel to help women access the internet in large numbers under this initiative .Called “Internet Saathi”, the programmewill allow rural women and their communities to use the Internet and benefit from it in their daily lives.The initiative will provide basic training on the usage and benefits of Internet for women through specially designed Internet cycle carts which will be used to visit areas in villages where women can easily access and also learn more from the Internet.Built on the back of a cycle, the Cart is modeled on India's traditional distribution system that is used to carry everything from ice-cream to industrial supplies. The initiative will kick off from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Jharkhand and will be rolled out across the country eventually reaching out to over 4500 villages and 5 lakh women and rural communities across rural India over the next eighteen months. The internet Cart would be available in the village for a minimum of two days every week for over a period of four to six months.3-way InitiativeThe initiative will also be supported by Intel who has been a long term partner of Google India’s Helping Women Get Online initiative. “We believe that the vision of Digital India will empower every Indian citizen with equal opportunities irrespective of cast, creed and gender. At Intel we believe that skill development and innovation are imperative for realizing the Digital India vision and we are very proud to collaborate with Google and Tata Trusts on the ‘Helping Women Get Online’ initiative especially as we celebrate the Digital India Week.” said, Debjani Ghosh, Vice President SMG, Managing Director- South Asia, Intel. The three-way initiative comes on the heels of Digital India programme launched on Wednesday by Modi, who pitched for a digital revolution in the country. Modi also exhorted the industry to boost domestic production of electronic devices, which account for second largest imports, under the 'Make in India' programme. Country's top industrial houses have pledged to invest over Rs 4.5 lakh crore under 'Digital India'. Reminiscing how people were forced to wait for up to 10 years to get a phone connection during his childhood, Tata said deeper penetration of the phone has empowered the entire population now. Benefits in terms of finding one's identity, self-respect and access to knowledge because of the phone are "unbelievable", he said. Executives from Google said even though growth in women users is out-pacing that of men in urban areas, women account for only a tenth of the total rural Internet users. Under the "Internet Saathi" programme, 1,000 specially designed bicycles having connected devices will give villagers an experience of Internet over a period of four to six months. The initiative aims to cover 4,500 villages over the next 18 months, starting with Gujarat, Rajasthan and Jharkhand and targets to reach out to about five lakh women.
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