With an expanding online art market in India, we're not just seeing changes to how art is sold, but also changes to what is bought, says Bharat SethiFor artists & designers, the days of having to schlep all their artwork to brick-and-mortar galleries, just to sell a few prints, are long gone. Today they can meet buyers from all across the world in virtual marketplaces to sell their creative work such as digital art, photography, film, animation, comics, anime, stock images and more. They no longer have to invest huge amounts of time and money building their own stores as e-commerce websites have flourished which allow them to reach a wider market and sell their designs in a variety of products. It's mostly free to set up, and the products are produced, shipped, and managed for artists - leaving them with only the designing to do.Online marketplaces for authentic & affordable art are witnessing surging demand due to convenience and flexibility they offer to consumers and businesses alike. These companies are making the process of discovery easier and buying faster as they have taken a digital-first no-inventory approach to selling art. eCommerce is at the heart of this resurgence for domestically produced products in India that for years have had a hard time finding buyers. More importantly, these online players are empowering artists to take charge of their art business, and to not let others dictate whether or not their work is good enough to be sold. A majority of customers buying art online are under 35, looking for fashion and art they can relate to and that cannot be found in stores.Print-on-demand websites are getting popular globally for their ability to put an artist into the manufacturing market so easily and quickly. All they have to do is upload their work and, in some cases, set prices. Everything else is done for them – printing their artwork on a range of lifestyle products, including apparel, home decor, technology accessories, and wall art. Leading-edge print-on-demand technology enables production individually for each consumer.The great news is that thanks to the surge in these online marketplaces combined with the power of social networking, amateur artists can now present their art online, bypass the limitations of search engines and bulk art/artist websites, cultivate their own followings and ultimately make sales. Enterprising artists are regularly attracting hundreds of thousands of followers. Since artists now have to focus only on designing and spreading their collection link online, those who do it well, end up raking anywhere between $800 to $4000 every month. The highest selling artists post regularly, maintain consistent and engaging dialogues, provide insight not only into their art but also into their lives and adventures as an artist, and are good about interacting with their fans.With an expanding online art market in India, we're not just seeing changes to how art is sold, but also changes to what is bought, at what price points it’s bought, why it is bought and by whom. The ability of online art platforms to empower the public as tastemaker & democratize art is an example of one such change, one which has many positive outcomes: for the public, who will be able to decide what makes the cut; for artists, who desire a level playing field; and for culture, which will become far more representative of all society, not just the wealthy classes.The biggest difference between major players in this space is the pricing systems. With some, the artist decides their own price above the base price and they pocket the difference. With others, prices are pre-determined by the site and artists make a fixed percentage of each sale. In almost all cases, the artist retains all rights to the artwork and they grant the online marketplace a non-exclusive license to use the artwork. There are also differences in terms of analytics provided, payment mechanism, quality and product standards, and most importantly traffic on website.The internet is offering the visual art market great potential for growth and change. Globally, online sales make up just 1.6% of total global sales, but this is set to change. In the past couple of years millions of dollars have been invested in online platforms. Sizeable new rounds of outside investment for a number of online art platforms have happened in the last two years. In 2013 Artspace received $8.5m of investment, Paddle8 received $6m of investment, Artsy raised $5.6 million, Society6 & Saatchi Art was acquired by Demand Media. Last month, a major player in the online art space Redbubble raised $15.5m from some of the top notch investors in the Silicon Valley. One thing for sure that globally there's a lot of investor money being poured into online art marketplaces right now. And secondly, the online market for art related products is growing and there's sufficient evidence of its success that brick-and-mortar galleries need to be paying attention.The author is founder and CEO of PosterGully
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This future of a personalised virtual sales representative is being brought to life by marketing automation, says Rajesh JainImagine being able to personalise the shopping experience for every customer – one that collates the digital footprints left by the customer, touches the customer through her preferred channel, is able to take her through a journey for products that she is undecided on and nudge her towards purchase, and is able to anticipate what she will want to buy next. Imagine being able to do this for millions of customers – simultaneously and continuously. Imagine being able to create 100 per cent customers – each customer monetised to the fullest extent possible.This is the promise of marketing automation.Writing is his new book “The Attacker’s Advantage”, Ram Charan wrote: “With companies able to collect and control information on the entire experience of a customer, the math house now can focus on each customer as an individual. In a manner of speaking, we are evolving back to the artisan model, where a market “segment” comprises one individual.”This future of a personalised virtual sales representative is being brought to life by marketing automation.Marketing automation is being made possible by the marriage of marketing and technology. It is perhaps the single most important trend for brands and businesses in their outreach and engagement to present and future customers. This is being driven by three factors: customers have become digital, customers leaving digital footprints for marketers to sift through, and the rapidly plummeting cost of data storage and analytics in the past few years. Taken together, this is creating an inflexion point in how brands and customers interact.Brands and e-tailers can now look at not just prices and unique features, but also at the end-to-end customer experience. By combining cross-channel automation and data-driven personalisation, it now becomes possible to craft unique individual customer journeys.Brands and customers will have a new parallel track – think of it as a hotline – opened between them. So far, there has been a transactional track – businesses provide products and services, and customers pay for these with their money or time. Now, smart marketers will open up a new track – that of a two-way information exchange and interaction. In this, content marketing along with marketing automation will play a key role.It is a world where business knowledge meets data science, where intuition meets analytics, and where ad tech combines with marketing tech. It is a world in which the goal is to maximise 100% customers – building monopolies on customer spend. By starting the journey of knowing, predicting and engaging, brands can get to the future first.At the heart of marketing automation lies the unified customer view. It pulls together all the customer transactions and interactions – using every touch point with the customer to collect data. Based on this unified view, content can then be pushed to customers – automatically and personalised to their interests. E-tailers can lead customers down a content journey, and track their actions, feeding them back into the unified view. Cross-channel automation and data-driven personalisation are the twin building blocks for content marketing. Think of this as the persuasion phase – interesting and relevant content delivered at the right time helps maximise the probability of the next spend of the customer being with the brand.To enable all of this, analytics and algorithms will play a critical path. Customer data is the foundation for this. Transaction data, profile or demographic data and behavioural data all needs to be combined together to search for patterns and answer the question “what next.” Data will increasingly become the bedrock of cultivating the 1:1 relationship and crafting an individualised experience.With marketing automation, e-tailers can focus on improving the effectiveness of their engagement with the customers using tools that simplify many marketing activities that are generally timeconsuming. Two early opportunities come in the form of retargeting and cart abandonment. Over time, this can be expanded to personalised recommendations.This is the new world of marketing automation that is now being built – combining delivery engines, automation platforms, and B2C CRM. By using the emergence of marketing automation as a disruptive innovation, e-tailers have a unique opportunity to reshape the competitive landscape and build 100% customers.The author is founder and managing director of netCORE
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India software market registered a stable year-on-year growth of 10.0 per cent on India Software Tracker for 2H 2014, revealed International Data Corporation (IDC).However, the market is expected to gain a steady momentum starting 2016 and beyond as deals would have closures and implementation would start. Some of the reasons for the stable growth include a steady double digit growth for the top vendors such as SAP, Microsoft, Oracle, IBM and Synopsys cornering more than 60 per cent of the total share. More investments are expected to pour in from sectors such as government, manufacturing and retail among others.“Some of the larger software vendors restructured their organisation in line with the emerging technologies and re-aligned their strategies to capture the mindshare in the growth markets such as SMB, cloud, analytics and mobility. This has worked quite well for them and they have managed to grow inspite of the uncertainty in the market," says Shweta Baidya, Senior Market Analyst, Software, IDC India.The Indian IT Software market is segregated into three primary markets which include Application Development Deployment (AD&D), Applications and System Infrastructure Software (SIS). The total AD&D market grew by 9.5 per cent year on year while applications market pegged a growth of 10.8 per cent year-on-year and SIS market grew by 8.5 per cent yyear-on-year during the second half of calendar year 2014.Some of the major transformational projects kick-started by the Government, including Digital India, Make in India, Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana etc. have already pushed the adoption in other sectors too. Further, Small & Medium Enterprises (SME) segment is the new sweet spot for most of the vendors who are trying to push their Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings among SMEs through their various partnerships.IDC expects the software market to grow at a healthy pace in the next five years (2015-2019) with a CAGR of 10.6 per cent. Some of the software categories that will trigger the uptake include mobile applications, in-memory analytics, database security and privacy, open source applications, DLP, encryption, application security among others.Operating System (OS) upgrades by customers along with bundled Office offerings and Office 365 uptake contributed to Microsoft growth during the review period. Oracle gained steady foothold across verticals which adopted cloud solutions to manage their workforce, and integrate their CRM applications with ERP to get a holistic view of their customers. SAP registered a robust growth owing to migration of its existing customers to SAP Cloud powered by its in-memory platform, SAP HANAManufacturing, Banking, Finance, Securities and Investment Services (BFSI), IT/ITeS and Communication & Media were the top verticals which invested in next generation solutions to gain a competitive edge in the market. Some other sectors that have shown strong inclination towards IT adoption includes retail, government, entertainment and hospitality sector.The Union Government has a clear focus on leveraging technology for transformational projects and help improve infrastructure, build smart cities, address urbanization, revive manufacturing sector among others.Manufacturing companies are making an effort to integrate social media platform with the back end systems to implement feedback during the production stage itself and enhance customer offerings. Telematics and Robotics are some of the other areas where the Manufacturing sector is beginning to display interest and discussions have started with the vendors for long term gains.Use of big data analytics in the retail industry has helped companies to track information generated across multiple platforms such as CRM, Supply Chain Systems, Sensor Data, e-mails, Adsense Analytics and the likes to identify the latest trends and buyer sentiments and re-align their inventory levels accordingly.
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Lenovo is expanding its smartphone business, not just in India, but globally ever since it acquired Motorola last year. The company, like many other brands, has shifted its focus on making budget smartphones for the Indian market. The newest smartphone that company announced today was the K3 Note. As the name suggests the handset is large device with and comes with a 5.5-inch display.The handset is basically an update for the previously launched Lenovo A7000 with a set of updated hardware. For instance you get a 1080p full HD display compared to the 720p HD display, 16GB of storage rather than 8GB, an upgraded 13MP rear camera along with a 5MP front camera. Lenovo has also added USB OTG that allows you to directly connect external storage to the smartphone, this is actually a good proposition for a smartphone at this price. The looks are exactly like the A7000 with a plastic finish and you also get same Dolby Atmos sound enhancement on the device as well as 4G connectivity.The Lenovo K3 Note is priced at Rs. 9999 and will be available exclusively via flash sales on Flipkart. Registrations for the device start today and the product will be available from next month. The handset will definitely be a disappointment to consumers who have already opted for the A7000 as the K3 Note sounds a much better option for just an extra 1000 bucks.
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Android users now have a properly usable version of Microsoft Office available to them for free. That includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint. There was a preview version earlier but now properly optimised apps are there for the taking. Users of large phones and tablets should find they can comfortably use Word, Excel and PowerPoint as separate apps, making their devices much more work-friendly than before. They're even available on the Web though the proper desktop software is still a paid package. Users must log in With their Microsoft account and connect their favorite cloud service including Dropbox. And they’re ready to go. You can see straightaway that Microsoft has really worked on ease-of-use and vindictiveness. Once you have logged in to one of the apps, the other two will log you in automatically. The apps themselves also function smoothly with everything being quite evident. Old users of Microsoft Office will see the old familiar basic features and menus. For Word, for example, you have the main menu on the left and top to open a new document, save, print, share etc. On the top you have a button to roll out the formatting menu, Save, share, undo and toggle between text wrap view and non-wrapped view. The formatting features include text size and style, font, colour, bullets and numbering, bold, italics etc. This features are good enough for basic work. On opening a new document you also have templates So that you don’t have to start from scratch for a PowerPoint presentation. At all times though users will see the upgrade button which calls for a subscription to Office 365. If one is working without intensive collaboration and doesn’t require high-end features the basic versions will suffice. Microsoft Office being available in a usable format on Android and on iOS will strike quite a blow to all of the workaround apps that people have been using as a substitute. Don't be surprised to see office apps preloaded on your next new phone or tablet.
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Spice Mobiles has launched the X Life series of smartphones targeting first time smartphone buyers in tier ii and tier III cities.This new series includes – XLife 404, XLife 431q, XLife 431qLite and XLife 512 offering superior technology features at price from Rs 3,999 to Rs 5,000 only. The X Life series is specially designed for consumers seeking a combination of innovation and great design.Amandeep Singh, CEO, Spice Mobiles said, “After extensive market research, we observed a product gap and significant market opportunity in the sub Rs 5,000 segment of smartphones offering both technology and design. A large number of Indian consumers still use feature phones, hence there is huge upgrade potential towards smartphones and we are targeting first time users in tier II and tier III cities.”Targeted towards the masses, all the four smartphones boast of easy to use interfaces, superior built quality and offer best in class innovative features. The XLife 431q supports ultrafast processing speeds and enables smooth multitasking. The handset is equipped with 1.2 GHz Quad Core processor and a powerful 1750 mAh battery, 5.0 MP Front camera with Dual LED Flash and 1.3 MP Rear camera, equipped in a vibrant colorful case, bundled with 2 additional rear covers and a flip cover lending a premium finish to the product. The XLife 431q Lite is also powered by a 1.2 GHz Quad Core processor and comes equipped with a powerful 1750 mAh battery, 512 MB RAM and 4GB ROM and 3.2 MP rear camera with 1.3 MP front camera. The XLife 404 is a dual SIM, 3G enabled smartphone equipped with a 1450 mAh battery encased in a sleek brushed metallic finish design available in three colours – Wine red, Champagne Gold and Ivory white. The XLife 512 is powered by 1GHz Dual Core processor, coupled with a 8MP Rear Camera with Dual LED flash and 2 MP front camera encased in an appealing Sandstone finish Back Cover with metal trim and a powerful 2000 mAh battery.Spice Mobiles has aggressive plans to expand its market share in the smartphone segment considering the huge upgrade potential for feature phone users towards smartphones. The X Life series has been conceptualised basis a growing demand for high quality and good looking phones in the sub Rs 5,000 segment. This new series will have a wide range of design and technology offerings, tailor-made for specific needs of first time smartphone users combined with a sleek and stylish design.
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Web-filtering used to be rather easy-IT departments could block inappropriate categories of websites such as adult, gambling, social media and the job was done. More recently, however, cyber criminals have begun to infect large numbers of users on the web by compromising legitimate sites that you probably don't want to block with strict browsing policies. Web filtering that only blocks dodgy sites won't keep users safe from web-borne threats, warns Sophos Labs in a recently published blog. In fact, Sophos Labs detects 20,000 to 40,000 malicious URLs every day-and 80 per cent of those are compromised legitimate websites.Sophos Global Head of Security Research, James Lyne, explained that cyber criminals can infect web users automatically via a drive-by downloadprocess that takes less than a second. "Most websites that use outdated techniques for web filtering are not able to do much to prevent these threats. Security appliances and policies which treat every website as the same and scrutinize it for the latest attack techniques will keep a staggering volume of malicious code from getting into yoursystems," said, Lyne.So how can you keep your users safe on the web and also allow them to stay productive while doing their jobs? Sophos suggests three tips for better web security.In addition to a URL filtering solution that blocks known malicious sites, make sure you perform deep scanning of web traffic as it's accessed to guard against compromised legitimate websites. Real-time reputation filtering protects you from new malicious websites as soon as they come online.Make sure you're protecting users when they're outside your main office. A UTM can be a cost effective way to provide protection at local sites. For those at-home and traveling workers, use an endpoint security solution that integrates web policy enforcement and web content scanning directly into your laptops.Keep the endpoints and software well-patched to protect against drive-by downloads that exploit vulnerable software and applications. Limit the number of Internet browsers, applications and plugins in organization to a standardized set and enforce their use as policy.
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There is no denying the fact that technology has taken over our lives, be it our homes, offices or even at our favorite eatery. People are getting more indulged into gadgets as they have started penetrating into our daily lifestyle. The same goes when one is travelling. It has become a necessity to pack a bunch of gadgets and accessories before you head out, so here are a few gadgets that you should definitely take along. Portable chargerThis is the most crucial thing to have on your vacation as it helps you charge your smartphone, music player, tablets, and so on. Make sure you get a high capacity charger so that it lasts long. Your best bet will be anything above the 10,000mAH capacity, something which Xiaomi and Asus offer or even the Huawei’s 13,000mAH portable charger is a great companion. KindleIf you love reading, then you know how annoying it can be stuff your books into your suitcase. A Kindle is a great companion as it is really tiny and fits almost anywhere. Plus, you are not limited to just one book; you can carry your whole collection with you. The most affordable version of the Kindle starts at Rs. 5,999 and buying e-books is quite simple. SmartphoneThis is a no brainer, but there are still some people who don’t fancy using a smartphone, but it can actually do wonders. A good feature packed smartphone can be a perfect companion on your vacation as it acts as your camera, your music player as well as your guide as it can provide you with info on the spot. HeadphonesLong flights can get boring and a little annoying with kids around. Carrying a good pair of headphones, or even earphones can help you forget them all. There are a variety of headphone and earphone makers including Sony, Sennheiser, Audio Technica, which are offering some quality products from Rs.1500 to about Rs.20,000. CameraIf you want memories, you need a camera. While smartphones do provide amazing results, a good camera will always be a step ahead. DSLRs can get a heavy on the budget as well as your luggage, so why not go for a mirrorless camera like the Nikon J series or the brilliant Sony Alpha 6000. And if you are the adventurous kind, the Nikon Coolpix AW130 is the best waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof camera that you can get your hands on.
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