India has ranked number one as the most proactive nation in terms of securing personal devices such as PCs, smartphones and tablets from cyber threats, according to a recent study revealed by ESET Asia Cyber Savviness Report 2015.ESET survey showed that out of 62.6 per cent Indian users knowing about cyber attacks, 60.1 per cent are taking actual steps to prevent it. Measures taken by users include changing their passwords regularly, backing up their data, and installing the latest versions of cyber security software.After India, Indonesia takes the most proactive steps to secure their devices and online activities. At the same time, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, which ranked amongst the top in ESET’s awareness survey measuring knowledgeability about cyber security and overall cyber risk exposure showed the worst results when it came to protecting themselves.ESET study conducted earlier this year polling 1,800 respondents from across Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, aimed to gain insights into the attitudes, knowledge and user behaviors across Asia when it comes to cyber security. The study underlines that 93 percent of online users in Asia worry about cyber security.The results of the survey indicate a lack of basic cyber security knowledge and understanding across all six countries. Overall, the scores were very close, with Malaysia coming in at first place for overall cyber-savviness, with a 29.9 per cent score, ahead of Singapore (27.2 per cent), India (27.3 per cent), Thailand (26.7 per cent), Hong Kong (25.6 per cent), and Indonesia (25.1 per cent).(BW Online Bureau)
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International Data Corporation (IDC) identifies the top 30 IT services providers in the Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) (APEJ) region in revenue terms for CY 2014 in its new report, “Asia/Pacific Leading IT Services Providers 2015 Competitive Profiles and Analysis (AP257546)."The study covers an overview of the IT services market, go-to-market strategy, detailed revenue breakdown and IDC’s view on strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the top 10 IT services providers in the region. The IT services revenue is based on the latest "IDC Asia/Pacific Semiannual IT Services Tracker, 2H 2014 (IDC_P10614)."IDC research indicates that half of the top 10 IT services providers’ revenue declined in 2014 including the top 3 IT services providers, IBM, HP and Samsung SDS — reflecting a structural change in the market. The emergence of 3rd Platform technologies (i.e. cloud, social, analytics and mobility), and particularly cloud services, has increased price pressures on traditional asset intensive markets such as IS outsourcing or hardware support and deployment services market.The study also identified Huawei, Telstra, and Atos as the three fastest growing companies in the top 30 list. In addition, it highlighted the emergence of strong India and China players like TCS, Pactera, and 21Vianet that are looking to expand their reach in the region.“With the emergence of 3rd Platform technologies, it disrupts the way IT services are delivered and consumed. We are seeing a number of top IT services providers experiencing revenue decline over the past two years”, said Cathy Huang, IT Services CIS Program Lead, IDC Asia/ Pacific.Another author of this report, Sherrel Roche, IT Services Senior Market Analyst said,"The APEJ IT services market is at an interesting juncture and is seeing the rise of resilient India and China players looking to build their presence in the region. The challenge hence for global IT services vendors is twofold — one from the emergence of these Asian players but more importantly the need to innovate to keep up with 3rd Platform technologies such as cloud."“Citing from Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution — it's not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one that is most adaptable to change. We believe that only the services providers that acknowledge the changing market dynamics and take actions in responding to those changes will survive and thrive,” Cathy Huang continued.IDC recommends that IT services providers must transform their businesses to enable their customers as they embark on digital transformation journeys of their own. Services providers will need to be equally focused on optimizing the business they can generate in their traditional areas of strengths through aggressive cost management, greater optimization, and increased automation.(BW Online Bureau)
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Lenovo had earlier shown off its camera centric smartphone, Vibe Shot, recently in India and today the Chinese company has officially launched the handset with a price tag of Rs. 25,499. The handset made its first appearance at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year and finally it has landed in the market. The smartphone offers an appealing design with a glass front and back held together with a metal frame in the middle.Lenovo has added a dedicated camera shutter key, a quick switch to toggle between Pro and Smart camera modes, a triple tone flash and an infra-red guided autofocus system for faster focusing. The specifications of the handset include a Snapdragon 615 Octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage which can be further expanded to up to 128GB, a 5-inch full HD 1080p display, a 16MP rear camera, an 8MP front camera, 4G LTE support, dual SIM card slots and a 3000mAh battery.The camera app on the smartphone is worth noting as it comes with manual controls as well as a number of modes that enables you to do some experiments with photography like light painting, slow shutter and more. The camera also comes equipped with optical image stabilization which helps in getting sharper images and stable videos.At its price point, the Vibe Shot will be facing competition from the high-end models of Asus Zenfone 2 series, the OnePlus 2 and the recently announced Moto X Play, all of which are lesser. These smartphones also offer similar or slightly better hardware features, than the Vibe Shot. The only one big reason to get your hands on the Vibe Shot would be its camera features which at its price are commendable.
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By Haider Ali KhanMicromax has announced its newest affordable 3G smartphone, the Canvas Spark 2, priced at just Rs. 3,999. The smartphone is yet another attempt to break price barriers for driving smartphone adoption in India especially the tier-2 and tier markets and to empower the average Indian consumer with smartphone and mobile internet access, said the company.Commenting on the launch, Vineet Taneja, CEO, Micromax said, “With the Canvas Spark 2, we are yet again reaffirming our commitment to massify the smartphone and Internet usage in the country.Our association with Snapdeal has been long standing, and we expect sales of Canvas Spark 2 to touch newer heights in the coming weeks, which will further strengthen our leadership position in India” The Canvas Spark 2 is Google certified, runs on Android Lollipop that allows the users to access full suite of Google apps. The 3G powered, dual SIM, Canvas Spark 2 comes with a 1.3 GHz quad core processor with a 4GB of internal storage (expandable up to 32GB) and the latest Android Lollipop 5.1. Spark 2 has 1800 mAh battery which gives you up to 324 hours of backup on standby mode. The smartphone has a 5-inch FWVGA 854x480 IPS display with a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. It will also feature Firstouch language solution which will basically help users to click pictures, search their contacts and access their music playlist directly from the home screen in the language of their choice from 10 supporting languages. The Canvas Spark 2 will be available in black colour option at Rs 3,999, exclusively on Snapdeal. Buyers have to register on Snapdeal, starting 10am on 23rd September 2015 to get a chance to buy the smartphone from its first flash sale on the 30th of September at 12 noon.
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The digital universe is transforming various verticals in India and worldwide, including consumer behaviour, writes Samir KapurEver since digital initiatives began making their presence felt in multiple spheres from advertising and marketing to publishing and public relations, besides others, its impact is being felt in various domains, including changing consumer behaviour. In every domain, professionals are now faced with unique challenges and unforeseen opportunities as they struggle to comprehend the fast-evolving dynamics of the digital universe.In the early days of its inception, many professionals were sceptical about the scope and benefits of digital, particularly for consumers. The initial scepticism has however given way to universal awe and admiration as an increasingly larger number of consumers keep spending progressively more time in examining diverse digital platforms.Mesmerising MediumTo understand the mesmerising sway of digital, one simply needs to consider the smart phone revolution that has captivated customers globally, particularly the younger generation. There is hardly any youngster with a smart phone who is not engrossed online virtually 24x7. Where the older generation exercised their legs to get things done, youngsters deftly deploy their fingers for bookings, purchases, reviews and what-not, by simply going online. In the process, not only are the youth saving energy but also ensuring greater savings on all online purchases.Not surprisingly, the virtual world is posing a serious challenge to the real world via Google, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogs, vBlogs and other digital avenues. Faced with the omnipresent online reality, most national and international brands have begun the inevitable march to making their presence felt in the digital firmament. Given the inexorable march of brands as well as customers, advertising, publishing and public relations gurus have begun moving increasingly larger amounts of their budgets to the virtual world.Considering the predominance of the digital world in daily life, public relations veterans have been forced to acknowledge the changing dynamics in the real world thanks to the online medium and digital marketing. Marketers find that traditional target audiences can be reached much faster at a fraction of the old-world marketing outlays. Not only that, the efficacy of specific campaigns can be gauged through online marketing tools. This helps marketers pinpoint the best means to maximise marketing spends more effectively - advantages that were non-existent in traditional marketing.As stiff headwinds buffet almost all global markets and sales stagnate in many sectors, clients have been imposing cost-cutting measures in order to ascertain that each campaign ensures additional value for money. This is where digital marketing makes its presence felt through cost-efficient tools such as Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimisation and Social Media Analytics, among others. But to take effective advantage of digital, agencies should first understand the complexities of the digital world and the pitfalls of using the medium without a thorough understanding. Proper understanding and meaningful strategies can ensure clients receive full value via digital marketing initiatives.While the present-day Worldwide Web is called Web 2.0, the earlier avatar was termed Web 1.0. Whereas the latter was a read-only version, Web 2.0 being a read-write medium is immensely popular.Significantly, despite digital marketing largely representing Internet-based marketing, it could include non-Internet avenues such as cell phones (SMS and MMS), call-back, on-hold mobile ring tones, display advertising, social media marketing, e-books, e-games and other forms of digital media too. Among the wide range of options, the importance of mobile phones should be noted. Mobile searches, mobile conversations and mobile optimization are some primary avenues through which customers procure information about products they seek to purchase. Indeed, modern consumers are addicted to mobile phones due to which digital marketers and PR strategists should accord pride of place to mobile marketing strategies.Where the term 'social media' is concerned, many people mistake 'media' as the important element but it is the 'social' that deserves that distinction, since it is the social aspect that encourages people to interact without hindrance with one another. Given this fact, content has an importance of its own. Backed by the ability to connect at any time of the day or night, most customers are happy to share their honest opinions about numerous products and services.Changing Consumer BehaviourFundamental changes in consumer behaviour and direct interactions with brands would not have happened without Web 2.0. Although this is a good thing in many ways, companies should be wary about the manner in which they handle online relationships with different stakeholders, including consumers who are now empowered but can also be brash.With the advent of Web 2.0, consumer behaviour patterns have undergone a change. Accordingly, new strategies and more focussed messages need to be devised by brand marketers that work faster, even if their effectiveness is not as long-lasting as traditional marketing messages once were.Due to the changing patterns of customer behaviour globally, there is rising pressure on companies to come up with new ways to stay abreast of their varying inclinations and expectations. Moreover, clients also have higher expectations from PR consultancies and expect digital marketing strategies to be part of the core deliverables at no extra fee. Consequently, PR firms and their teams are rushing to come up to speed on digital in order to devise robust digital marketing strategies that meet client expectations.In taking to digital, it is imperative that PR strategists comprehend the difference in consumer behaviour in today's age of the social media, unlike that of the pre-Internet era. Whereas earlier customers were wary of unsolicited advice, social media enthusiasts are more trusting of advice from online acquaintances or even perfect strangers who are vocal on the Net. Since much of their shopping is online, and more often than offline shopping ever was, today's consumer is more willing to share feedback about any product or service.It may be noted that in the pre-Internet era marketing was largely one-dimensional and the message merely delivered. With digital marketing being two-dimensional, social media marketers need to initiate conversations with clients and build relationships. This two-way process helps brands communicate with target audiences regularly, while also disseminating messages and understanding customer perceptions and preferences. Mass assimilation of this data assists brands in improving offerings and being aware of changing customer tastes and trends.Thanks to Web 2.0, content creators now have more opportunities to display their skills. But the downside for brand marketers is that with the advent of blogs and vlogs (video logs), customers also have more opportunities to emblazon their dislikes (or likes) to the discomfiture of targeted brands.Backed by social media's universal reach, unsavoury customer comments can go viral and spark a crisis overnight. In such a situation, the role of good content creators is all the more crucial. But hiring great content creators has been an age-old problem, particularly because just good writing skills may not pull the chestnuts out of the fire during a digital marketing crisis. To tackle an online crisis, content creators need to possess ample domain knowledge, particularly experiential, which can help save the day and prevent the brand from being taken to the cleaners. This is how good content writers win half the battle for brands when a crisis explodes.Segmentation and TargetingApart from content, another 'C' holds specific importance - CRO or conversion rate optimization. This denotes the process of increasing the number of site visitors who end up making a purchase or are converted. For higher conversions, it becomes necessary to comprehend users thoroughly and split-test changes on a portal. In this way, digital marketers could better understand the type of website or landing page that leads to more conversions. Although this seems cumbersome, it pays finally through higher sales.Segmentation is another factor to consider seriously. This is achieved by targeting select markets, both in business-to-business and business-to-consumer segments.Another crucial concept in digital targeting is influencer marketing wherein crucial nodes are identified within related communities that are termed 'influencers'. These could be reached via paid advertising (which may include Facebook Advertising), or through complex sCRM (social customer relationship management) software. In such cases, one could devise select engagement strategies for influencers.Confronted with an increasingly competitive environment in the global digital marketplace, PR strategists and digital marketing professional should use pull as well as push digital marketing. Pull digital marketing is where consumers seek marketing content, while push denotes marketers sending the same without this being specifically sought by recipients. Note that push and pull marketing can be used in conjunction, if needed.By now, some readers may be wondering why nothing much has been said about Twitter, Blogs and YouTube videos. There's no doubt they are critical cogs in digital marketing. But because these are already popular universally, most digital marketers will be savvy enough to use them.A few smart readers could feel smug since they have already mastered some of the above strategies. But this is no reason to turn complacent. Remember that since digital technologies keep evolving constantly and swiftly, one cannot rest on past laurels. Rather, one should constantly review new marketing strategies in order to stay one step ahead of competitors in the digital landscape.That is the sole mantra to success in today's digital universe.The writer is a visiting faculty with Indian Institute of Mass Communication
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Whether you’re a Samsung fan or an Apple fan or neither, it’s difficult to deny the beauty of the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. Samsung’s brand new 5.7-inch smartphone is outright dazzling, especially if you see the Platinum Gold or Silver Titanium colour variants. Globally, it was launched with the Galaxy Note 5 and in India soon after. Samsung’s Best DesignIt’s interesting that Samsung has gone from a design that everyone decried as being eminently cheesy and plasticky to something that looks akin to jewelery. The S6 Edge Plus looks much like the 5.1-inch S6 Edge, but somehow, perhaps because there’s just more of it to see, it looks more spectacular. Vulnerable To DropsThe S6 Edge Plus is all glass and gloss, skirted by metal and glass on both front and back. No one will fail to notice this piece of gadgetry when you hold it, and it will be a crying shame to have to put it into a case of some kind. Perhaps one could keep it encased on regular days and pull it out in all its glory on a special occasion. But I’d say one has to be careful at all times because the device feels as slippery as an eel in one’s hand. The beautiful edges – or Edges – that flow over the sides adds to this slipperiness. I haven’t dared try a drop-test of any kind, but an online publication that puts out content on Apple, did do multiple drop tests with the iPhone 6 Plus and the S6 Edge Plus. The tester dropped the devices from waist, head and 10-foot height, and continued until both devices were in trouble, but the S6 Edge Plus fared impressively compared with the Apple device that shattered on first drop By the end of the tests, the screen of the S6 Edge Plus was actually still working, though the back and front glass pieces were both shattered. Another person however, dropped the S6 Plus Edge by accident and found that though nothing broke, it stopped working. I suppose it’s difficult to say sure, but the S6 Edge Plus looks and feels very vulnerable and anyone who decides to own it should be a person who’s ultra careful. Knocking the lovely-looking edges surely won’t be something one wants to risk as replacing a broken screen will be both expensive and a frustrating experience. Another thing one has to be careful about is the camera jutting out on the back. One reviewer did manage to crack her lens although the camera still worked ok for the most part, apart from distortions in some conditions. Front And BackYou can’t get at the battery on the S6 Edge Plus because the device is a single or unibody piece The SIM tray is on the top. On the right edge you have a very well made power button and the volume button is on the left edge. On the bottom you have a speaker and the 3.5mm jack for the earphones. On the front, the S6 Edge Plus is as attractive as on the back. The top and bottom bezels are the same as the back of the phone and in the middle is the quad-HD screen tapering on both sides. The edge on the right (or left if you like) has the night clock or glows with beautiful colours that you can set to your key contacts. The Home button, also metallic looking, acts as the fingerprint sensor – and does a wonderful job of it – and when pressed twice springs up the camera at high speed. Work At The SmudgesOne problem with all that glass though is that you’ll leave a few fingerprint smudges every time you touch the device and will end up spending a lot of time wiping them off and making the smartphone you spent so much money on shine again. Who Is The S6 Edge Plus For?The kind of user who opts for this phone will certainly be someone to whom the looks of a device are important. Also important to this person will be the need for a large phone, because the smaller S6 Edge is also, after all, available. This phone must belong to someone who wants to do a lot with the smartphone, not just hold it and look pretty. He or she should also be fond of great phone photography, which this device excels at. And finally, it must be someone willing to pay Rs 57,900. More on the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus in the near future.
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Karbonn has managed to hang around and maintain a decent spot in the Indian smartphone market thanks to some interesting smartphones in the budget segment. The newest member in the portfolio is the Titanium Mach Five which comes with price worthy features especially the inbuilt Infra-red blaster port that is can be used control your TV and Set-top box system.The smartphone comes with a not-so-innovative design and resembles a lot like some of the HTC models, of course without the use of metal. Keeping in mind that it is a budget device, it looks still manages to get some points for aesthetics. The back-panel has a light textured finish and overall the handset feels well balanced. Karbonn has used a flash for the front camera to aid the selfie lovers and the display is sharp offering fair viewing angles with the 720p HD resolution. The specifications include a 5-inch 1280x720 resolution display, 16GB of storage which is expandable by up to 32GB, a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor with 2GB of RAM, an 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, dual SIM card slots and a 2,200mAh battery.The Mach Five runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with close to stock Android experience. This makes the UI smooth but there are some pre-installed apps which do take up some space on the internal storage. There are some useful apps nonetheless like Paytm, SwiftKey Keyboard and Peel Smart Remote Control. Which takes us to the USP of the smartphone which is the ability to use it as a remote control. This is certainly not the first handset to do so as smartphone makers like LG, HTC and Samsung have had smartphones offering the same feature. The app recognizes almost all the set-top boxes and television sets and runs flawlessly. It even shows a guide that offers you a list of movies and shows available on your service provider.Overall the user experience is great although a few personalization option could have made it even better. High-end gaming and 3D intensive tasks aren’t handled very well and take a toll on the performance, but lightweight games and standard videos didn’t give any issues. Both the cameras aren’t anything exceptional but manage to take good pictures in daylight. While there is a tiny LED flash for the front camera, it doesn’t light up the face all that well. Picture get grainy when shooting indoors or in low light. In the battery department, it managed to run almost for a full day, but excessive usage drains the battery fully in about half a day.The Titanium Mach Five might not be a path breaking handset in the sub Rs.6000 category, but at this price you get 16GB of storage, stock-like Android Lollipop experience and with the added IR-blaster port, it goes beyond the functionality of what traditional a smartphone offers.
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Google on Monday (21 September) announced the launch of a programme to offer Android Nanodegrees in India in partnership with Udacity.The Android Nanodegree is an education credential that is designed to help developers learn new skills and advance their careers in a few months from anywhere on any device at their own pace. As a part of the programme Google and Tata Trusts will offer 1,000 scholarships for the Android Nanodegree to deserving students across the country.With India being the second largest developer population in the world with 3 million software developers, India has the potential to become the #1 developer population by 2018, with 4 million developers. By providing easy and affordable access to a world-class skill and educational program to Indian developers, Google aims to help India become a global leader in mobile app development.The Udacity Android Nanodegree programme comprises of courses developed and taught by expert Google instructors from the Google Developer Relations team and will include project reviews, mentorship and career services from Udacity. The curriculum will be updated regularly with new releases and will provide developers with a certificate that will help them to become a more marketable Android developer.Rajan Anandan, VP & Managing Director, Google South East Asia & India said, “While India has millions of software developers, we still lag behind in creating world-class apps. With the launch of this program we want to bridge the gap by providing India’s developer community an easy access to learn and build high quality apps for the world. Today, only 1% of apps built in India feature in the top 1000 apps globally and our goal is to raise this to 10% in next three years. We’re pleased to announce, that Google along with Tata Trusts will offer 500 free scholarships each to developers for Android Developer Nanodegree programme.”The Udacity Android Nanodegree programme is open for enrollment right now. It takes an average of 6-9 months and costs Rs 9,800 per month with Udacity returning 50 per cent of the tuition upon completion.(BW Online Bureau)
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