Simar SinghWhen Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Digital India Mission, there was an outpour of support, particularly, to no surprise, from the IT industry. And Intel too wanted to jump in and help to see this programme materialise. “We have been trying to help digitalize India for a long time now. We understand that there is a gap in terms of knowledge and innovation that needs to be filled,” says Sandeep Aurora, Intel South Asia’s director of marketing and market development. Taking the same forward, Intel announced its ‘Innovate for Digital India Challenge’ in collaboration with MyGov, Department of Science and Technology(DST), Department of Electronics and Information Technology(DEitY) as well as IIM Ahmadabad which is running the programme. “What we realised was that a lot of times there were attempts to solve problems organic and unique to the Indian experience by deploying solutions that have been created abroad. These are often a poor fit because there is actually no understanding of the issue itself,” says Aurora, explaining the thought behind the programme, “This is why we decided to start from the ground-up and let people come up with the solutions itself.” Of course, it is important to understand that the success of programmes like Digital India are essential to the very business of a company like Intel. In the United States and the West, Intel’s revenues have seen a stagnation as PC have declined, directly hitting its main microchip business. India, however, with a progressive increase of digital permeation, has been witnessing an increase in PC sales. The sheer scope of this creates a huge opportunity for Intel. After receiving an overwhelming 1900 responses, the programme narrowed down the selection to 20 teams which are undergoing a “very intensive” accelerator programme in Pune where Intel is helping them connect with mentors, advisors, academicians and people from the industry. “People who are helping them fine-tune their concepts,” says Aurora. The ideas that are being developed span solutions pertaining to everything from agriculture and education to women’s safety and citizens connect. Intel plans to showcase the top 10 of this in Delhi next month. Aurora believes that the programme has been a great success not just in terms of the products coming out but also interns of creating a culture of innovation. This is something that he believes is essential to the success of Digital India. “The idea that innovation is possible is starting to get settled in people’s minds. Innovation can happen here and now and we can do it,” he quips. “India has been innovating for a long time, it’s just that the innovations do not see scale. We have not been very good at making these innovations available for mass use. We need to ensure that a culture of innovation is sustained and the scalability happens,” he explains. Aurora says that the biggest thing for Intel right now is Digital India and making this mission see the light of the day. “This is something that we are very bullish on and very busy in.”
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Traditional organizations are facing challenging times as the new digital economy or D!conomy changes the rules of the game, sending every business across every sector into a wave of digital transformation. Companies that recognised and reacted to this disruption on time, have reaped the benefits of their openness to change, while others have had the change thrust upon them. A prime example is the print news media business, which has gone through significant upheaval in the recent past because the entire industry failed to see the disruptive business changes that were being brought about by rapid digitization. Several of these old and iconic names in the newspaper and magazine industry have since shut down or been taken over and digitized to make them more relevant for present consumption preferences.A new order in business management is being brought about by the prevalence of social media, mobile apps, enterprise mobility devices and services, opening up a brand new world of customer engagement, distribution efficiencies and supply chain management and posing a serious threat to traditional organisations that refuse to change with the times. Digital transformation today is an integral step to be adopted by all enterprises and these digital changes or technological enhancements have to be embraced across all departments within the organization. According to a study conducted by MIT's Center for Digital Business and Capgemini Consulting, digitally equipped enterprises are 26% more profitable than their fellow competitors. Going digital gives enterprises the means to capitalize on the power of their people- employees, partners and customers, to build efficiencies across the organization and expand markets through customer centric measures and enhanced customer reach.In the case of Starbucks, an example of a smooth digital transformation, the globally recognized food retailer successfully went from a traditional coffee house to providing a distinct Starbucks experience. When their sales started stagnating back in 2008, the management decided to bring in a tech savvy workforce to get a fresh perspective on their business in an increasingly digitized world. A host of changes were introduced, from the myStarbucks app for locating the nearest Starbucks store or Starbucks Card Mobile app for mobile payments, Starbucks now ensured a full-fledged digital experience for their customers, and with 54 million Facebook fans, 3.4 million Twitter followers, and 900 thousand followers on Instagram today, Starbucks is regarded one of the most digitally inclined companies.With all this digitization, the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) plays a major part in an organizations future and success. Here is CeBIT India's perspective on the role of the CDO:Openness to ChangeThe CDO keeps traditional enterprises open to change. Most large corporates react to tiny start-ups with a David-Goliath like attitude, they tend to resist the idea that an old business model may not work anymore, or will soon become obsolete. There is also some amount of denial and disbelief that a small enterprise could compete with a business behemoth. This denial is dangerous as it often prevents them from identifying the disruption as a threat, sometimes compelling large companies to acquire small, would-be disruptors just to weed out potential competition. BPL Consumer Electronics, a onetime market leader with its Cathodray Tube Televisions, failed to see that the new technology of LED TV technology had the potential to steal their market leadership. As a result, competition like LG, Sony and Samsung were quick to enter the market, eventually leaving BPL far behind in market share.The CDO's primary job is in helping corporations avoid such situations by keeping them aware of the disruptions in the market place and opening them up to the threats of inaction. In a way, the Digital Officer paves the way for to an agile enterprise that is ready to face market change.Planning for the FutureMost companies get so caught up in day-to-day functioning that they do not dedicate enough thought towards what the future holds for their industry. A CDO, with his or her extensive knowledge about new technology and new market trends, has the ability to identify future trends and growth areas and turn the organizations attention towards these indicators. This gives the enterprise the first mover advantage in the industry. The acute digital acumen possessed by the CDO along with the capability of influencing and encouraging the colleagues to adopt and adapt to the changing trends in the market.Changing the Mind-set of the OrganizationThe CDO works towards bridging the gap between business and technology as he quantifies the value of data available and accordingly monetizes it for greater return on investment by determining which is more valuable for the business. It might not be possible to transform a traditional company into a digital in a day, the process has to begin from scratch, right from creating awareness about the need for digital business, and encouraging the employees to embrace the change. The CDO has to emphasise the fact that it isn't just for the benefit of the enterprise but also for the employees as well.Making the Corporate More AccessibleAccording to a 2012 Digital Survey, almost 89% of consumers turn to search engines to find information on products and services prior to making any purchase. And 79% consumers religiously follow brands on social networking sites for product updates. With the ever rising number of smart phone users and mobile apps, the boundaries of social networking are continually expanding. This helps a consumers retrieve any information ranging from the price of the product to a comparison between brands and available deals, at any point of time.In simple terms, the CDO leads an enterprise towards digital transformation. Entrusted with the responsibility of modifying the traditional IT policies and business processes of an enterprise, she/he brings them up to date with present trends in technology whilst making full use of it and reaping maximum benefits.Globally, there is emerging a rise in the number of enterprises looking for a CDO. The foremost reason why an enterprise needs a CDO is because s/he understands the opportunities awaiting to be grabbed in the digital and has a fair idea as to how to successfully achieve that goal. It is imperative that the CDO has a good working relationship with all the departments because it facilitates in breaking the isolation between the departments and successful application of the digital measures.D!conomy is the lead theme this year at CeBIT India and the show will focus upon the industry trends driving Digital Transformation.The author, Mehul Lanvers Shah, is managing director at Hannover Milano Fairs India
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By Simar SinghVerizon Enterprise Solutions has announced plans to expand the footprint of it Secure Cloud Interconnect service by extending its availability to Latin America, as well as additional sites in home ground America and Europe. The New Jersey-based division of American broadband and telecommunication company Verizon Solutions focuses on servicing the company’s business and government clientele around the world. The Secure Cloud Interconnect service offers secure private connections to six cloud service providers—Amazon Web Services, Google, HP, Verizon Cloud, salesforce.com and Microsoft Azure Express Route. The service is also used by data centre providers Equinix, CoreSite and Verison at more that 30 locations across the Americas, Latin America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The service essentially provides a secure high-performance environment for cloud computing. It is a software defined network offering that helps enterprises seamlessly connect, manage and secure their cloud environments which often extend across multiple clouds and data centres across the globe. “Verizon’s Secure Cloud Interconnect allows users to connect to applications simply, securely and reliably,” said Shawn Hakl, vice president of enterprise networking and innovation for Verizon. “SCI customers will find our solution delivers an unbeatable combination of performance, security and efficiency to help enable their digital transformation while reducing the complexity often associated with cloud computing.” The company claims that future expansion plans include a significant buildout in the Asia-Pacific region which is slated to be completed this fall.
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Mobile payment gateway MobiKwik, has come rolled out updates for its app for iPhones includes iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The latest release of the iOS app - version 5.6 launched on October 11 - with its presses, peeks, and pops, will support the 3D Force Touch feature and iOS 9 users in India. With this, accessing features and offers on MobiKwik becomes Kwik and Easy, as extra taps and clicks are eliminated.Apple has chosen the MobiKwik iOS app for demonstrating 3D Force Touch feature on iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus to customers at Apple Shops and Apple Premium resellers. It is among few apps who support 3D force touch, some others being Instagram, Pinterest, Dropbox,Facebook and Evernote.The 3D Force Touch feature in the newly launched iPhones enables different actions to be triggered depending on the pressure of the touch applied to the screen. Following the update to the MobiKwik app for iOS, this enhancement will be exploited to let users recharge their devices, transfer money, and shop online more kwikly and directly from homescreen of their iPhone 6S and 6S Plus using Quick Actions.Peek And Pop At Features & OffersThe 3D force touch feature enables users to Peek and Pop app screens. So, once the user taps the MobiKwik app, Peek and Pop is activated, which lets users 3D touch shallow press the screen to launch a pop-up window that offers a glimpse of features and offers. By deep press on it, users can either open it, or release it to return to the list.Spotlight SearchOn iOS 9, users can now search for features or offers without even opening the Mobikwik app. They can open Spotlight Search by swiping down on the home screen and typing “recharge” or “offer” and matching MobiKwik titles will appear among the results.Apple watchOS 2 update, changes the way you pay through your wearableThe update via a companion app brings with it support for the Apple Watch. On the wearable, users can now recharge their mobile phones with a tap, as well as browse through top offers, shop and much more. The app for the wearable also brings support for the latest Apple watchOS 2.(BW Online Bureau)
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Android devices are more vulnerable than they should be and the mobile threat landscape has just got a lot more worrisome.Until relatively recently, mobile malware wasn't that different from early PC malware - It was annoying, it probably invaded your privacy, and it took a toll on system resources but it wasn't especially dangerous or costly in the way that modern weaponized malware used to attack PCs, servers, and point-of-sale systems was. And just as early malware primarily targeted a single OS (Windows), mobile malware remains almost exclusively a problem for Android. However, it appears that Stagefright has served as something of a wakeup call for the industry - Android devices are more vulnerable than they should be and the mobile threat landscape has just got a lot more worrisome.Stagefright, though, is actually an Android library that is deeply integrated into the OS. Any unpatched device running Android Version 2.2 or above is potentially vulnerable to exploits that require no user intervention to run. Users simply need to receive a crafted multimedia message which can enable transparent remote code execution.Well, folks, the landscape has started to shift. Mobile devices are ubiquitous on corporate networks and, by their very nature, come and go between highly vulnerable and relatively safe environments. More importantly, though, because most mobile devices are at the mercy of carriers and vendors for their updates, administrators and users often aren't able to provide security patches in a timely manner. As Stagefright in particular has highlighted, fragmentation in the Android market is especially concerning. Google has committed to updating their flagship Nexus devices on a monthly basis now, but these represent only a small fraction of Android devices on the market. Samsung and LG are also prioritizing security updates but the process for packaging updates to their Android devices and then distributing the updates through the major carriers has always been long and complicated. Unpatched security holes are the norm, unfortunately, rather than the exception and the heterogeneity of user devices further complicates management in BYOD and corporate deployments.Android has become a viable vector for a variety of attacks against both end users and organizational targets. But if neither users nor administrators can count on timely security updates in the way they can with desktop operating systems, what's the solution? Only use Nexus devices? Stick with iOS? Abandon BYOD? None of these are especially attractive options, but organizations need to give much more careful thought to mobile security as the threat landscape continues to evolve.At the same time, layers of security remain the name of the game. This doesn't just mean the use of endpoint security or firewalls (although those are critical components). Setting policy about the types of allowed devices, for example, can increase security without being overly restrictive. For example, versions of Android above 4.0 have some internal mitigation measures that help protect against the Stagefright vulnerability even if the device hasn't been specifically patched to prevent related exploits. It is completely reasonable for employers to require devices running Android 4.0 and above as part of their BYOD policies. The use of robust security appliances can also prevent data exfiltration and communication between mobile malware and C&C servers even if individual devices are vulnerable to attack.When it comes to mobile devices on a network, the best advice is to strive first for visibility and second for control. Visibility enables awareness, which will come in handy when the current landscape starts to shift. Control should put you into a position to react quickly.Mobile devices have clearly demonstrated their ability to be vulnerable. Point-of-sale systems, servers, and applications are routinely compromised and it's time that we add Android devices to our growing attack surface that we protect with the rigor and vigilance of systems that don't fit in our pockets.The author, Rajesh Maurya, Country Manager, India & SAARC, Fortinet
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Nasdaq listed FireEye unveiled its next generation MVX™ architecture, tripling analysis speed to improve time to protection.With this, FireEye brings increased speed, accuracy and coverage for advanced threats, provides richer contextual intelligence, and the automation of front-line intelligence to drive detection. The new release expands FireEye’s ability to inspect encrypted objects, adding visibility into SSL encrypted traffic. FireEye also continues to reduce operational costs faced by security teams by eliminating the noise generated by adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) in a solution that consolidates commodity and advanced threats. The new release will be generally available in November 2015.According to Frost and Sullivan’s Network Security Sandbox Market Analysis: APTs Create a “Must Have” Security Technology, the network sandbox segment was a half billion market in 2014, and this sector is expected to grow to $3.5 billion by 2019, with an average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45.6 per cent from 2014-19. Network security sandbox technologies, which execute and analyze suspicious software in a controlled environment, use sophisticated algorithms to detect and validate previously unseen attacks missed by signature-based detection technologies.“Today’s advanced attackers strike fast and hard, constantly shifting their methods. To succeed in this environment, security teams require an adaptive defense capability architected to be accurate, precise and resilient in a changing threat landscape,” explained Manish Gupta, SVP of products at FireEye. “By innovating the MVX architecture with next generation detection capabilities, FireEye not only raises the bar against the advanced attackers to an unprecedented level. Additionally, our innovations continue to streamline the cost of security operations by expediting their ability to detect and respond to the threats that matter the most.”(BW Online Bureau)
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Any new technology is great, but it’s only as great as the security framework its’ built on. There’s no question that the rise of latest payment methods and technologies have brought convenience for everyone, but it has also raised concerns on security and the risk of usage - from the card holder to the merchants and the businesses that offer these services.Merchants today have multiple payment acceptance channels for their disposal such as online payments, in store card payments, wallets and NFC. It comes as no surprise that the growth of smartphones have led it to become a focal point in today’s payments. In 2014, the number of connected mobile devices surpassed on Earth for the first time with explosive growth from zero to 7.2 billion mobile devices in just three decades.It can be extremely difficult for mobile security to keep pace with such new innovations and use cases that are constantly emerging for these devices. According to a report from LexisNexis Risk Solutions m-commerce merchants saw a 70 per cent spike in the revenue lost to fraud in 2014. Additionally, the report stated that more than one-fifth (21 per cent) of all fraudulent transactions are attributed to the mobile channel.On-Device SecuritySmartphone apps are becoming popular among consumers and merchants to pay and to accept payments. The security of such on device apps should also be at par when it comes to protecting card data and cryptographic keys and functions. Most smartphones can be encrypted which makes them even more secure and inaccessible by other users. Additionally, the app must be robust, free from any outside modifications and hacks. Some service providers make it a point that the app doesn’t work on rooted devices.The Card SwitchIn an effort to improve security and reduce frauds, banks and credit card issuers have switched from magnetic strip-based cards to microchip-based cards. The Chip-and-PIN cards (EMV – Euro, MasterCard and Visa) have computer chips embedded in them making them less vulnerable to fraud for in-person transactions. Because EMV uses better data security, this standard is being adopted by more and more countries to fight cybercrime and their citizens.The EMV cards have already been in use in Latin America, Europe, Canada, Asia Pacific, Africa and Middle East. Surprisingly, the United States has lagged behind many countries including India in adopting this fraud-reducing technology with only 7.5 per cent of cards been EMV so far. A swift adoption expects more than half a billion of these EMV cards to be in use by the end of 2015.Merchant VerificationPayment solution providers must take that extra care to make sure the merchants that are using their solutions are thoroughly checked and verified. Their onboarding process should include a brief compliance process to ensure that both the business and principal are good fits. During the pre-sales merchants must be required to fulfill the checklist given by the solution providers and complete KYC (Know Your Customer) documentation and risk verification has to be undertaken.Once the merchants are on boarded their transactions should also be monitored to understand the transaction flow and nature of merchant business. By validating the first 10 transactions and high value transactions with the end-customer by making calls is a good practice. Moreover, regular merchant monitoring can help identify unusual and abnormal transactions based on the assigned threshold limits for the account.Solution providers should also provide a comprehensive, fraud management system to identify, prevent, and protect against fraudulent transactions before it happens in Card-Present (CP) and Card-Not-Present (CNP) transactions.Merchant ResponsibilitiesMerchants also have an important role in curtailing frauds by taking necessary measures in limiting their exposure to account data compromises and protecting their customer’s information. Merchants should not store any cardholder data that is not needed to run their business. In case of high valued transactions always cross check the cardholder data with the user. They must ensure all printed copies are physically secured for at least a year to handle charge back issues.As the payment landscape changes (introduction of biometrics for payments), it has become even more important for payment companies to mitigate fraud and improve security. As the saying goes – prevention is better than cure, but it’s also a good thing to be alert and follow safe practices for your payments. As days go by, new and improved security measures are being developed to fight frauds, improve security and things should only get better.The author, V. Krishna Kishore, is chief operating officer at Paynear Solutions
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Mobile browser UC Browser, an Alibaba Group Company, has registered over 50 per cent market share (as of September 2015 per StatCounter) in India. The company made the announcement on the side-lines of IAMAI Affiliate Summit 2015 in New Delhi.Kenny Ye, Managing Director of UCWeb India, Alibaba Mobile Business Group said, “India is the world’s fastest growing mobile country and our largest overseas market and we are deeply committed to it. We constantly strive to reach new users through unique customization and localization efforts, across genres. By providing a one-stop platform, UC Browser makes mobile services conveniently accessible, helping improve and reshape the mobile lifestyle of people worldwide. Going forward, we look to aid the Indian government in its ambitious mobile digital literacy campaign.”For long, UCWeb has maintained its numero uno position in populous markets of India, China and Indonesia. UC Browser has also reached 16.82 per cent worldwide market share as of September 2015, becoming the 2nd most popular mobile browser after Chrome. UC Browser hit 100 million daily active users worldwide in December 2014, becoming one of the few apps enjoying such user engagement around the globe.The achievement is aided by the browser’s new launches like the UC Open Platform 2.0, an ecosystem to help Indian mobile internet players to acquire users and monetize traffic. UC Open Platform was announced last year to give a boost to the Indian mobile Internet ecosystem by helping mobile developers, content providers, publishers and advertisers to access across-the-board services for brand promotion, user/traffic acquisition, actionable user metric analysis, IP protection and monetization.UC Open Platform 2.0 aims to covers almost all mobile internet players in India, including content and service providers, affiliates, developers, agencies, ad networks, publishers and advertises - providing a full-suit promotion and monetization platform.Earlier this month, UCWeb announced the launch of UC Browser 10.7 for Android – giving users complete freedom to personalize the way they discover and access web content. UC Browser’s strength lies in its signature cloud-enabled browsing technology and its easy access to all kinds of internet content and services.(BW Online Bureau)
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