Mirror Review Presents "The 10 Smartest Payment & Card Solution Providers 2019" by Mirror Review

www.mirrorreview.com August 2019

Industry 4.0 updates

Learn How Robots In Logistics Are Reshaping The Industry 4.0 Revolution

Climate Chronicles

Climate Change: Industries Role in Cutting down Carbon Emission

Xiao Li Co-founder

Crafting EfďŹ cient Cross Border Payment Solutions For The UK Merchants

EDITOR’S LETTER

he payments and cards industry is already one of the most dynamic sectors in financial services, continues to evolve, propelled by technological and operational innovations from established industry players and FinTech firms. Not surprisingly, noncash transactions are poised to exceed 1 trillion for the first time in 2023, driven by increased card penetration, wider access to mobile phones, and more access to payments infrastructure.

www.mirrorreview.com August 2019

Industry 4.0 updates

Learn How Robots In Logistics Are Reshaping The Industry 4.0 Revolution

Climate Chronicles

Climate Change: Industries Role in Cutting down Carbon Emission

Denis Gagne CEO & CTO

Crafting Efﬁcient Cross Border Payment Solutions For The UK Merchants

Payments & Cards Industry: A Dynamic Industry Continues To Break New Grounds

Industry players as well as FinTech ﬁrms are leveraging emerging technologies to transform in areas such as digital identity, data protection & privacy, instant cross-border payments, and paymentschannel integration to meet customer expectations and stay competitive as agile newcomers enter the industry. As a result, individuals and business leaders are able to stand on the global front. They are also able to do trade with others without any restrictions and issues. Based on these latest industry activities, our brand new magazine issue “The 10 Smartest Payment & Card Solution Providers of 2019” explores changing payment and card landscape dynamics. In this issue, we will take a closer look into how FusionPay is crafting efﬁcient cross border payment solutions for UK merchants so that they can do more business with Chinese customers. Xiao Li, the Cofounder of FusionPay, is a hard-working leader leveraging technological advancement in favor of his business. This magazine gives insights into how the featured leading companies dealing with different issues of this sector as well as offering ground-breaking payment solutions. You don't want to miss out Cami Zimmer (Executive VP BDM, Glympse) insights on why last mile delivery is the new competitive vanguard for retail and grocery ecommerce Don’t forget to also read our exclusive articles ‘Industry 4.0 updates’, ‘Climate Chronicles’ and ‘Editor’s Choice’ sections respectively. Enjoy the issue!

Deepali Sarwade Editorial Coordinator

CREDIT PAGE Publisher : Archana Ghule Editor-in-Chief : Vikram Suryawanshi Editorial Coordinator : Deepali Sarwade Vidya Joshi Rakesh Mahto Shubham Biradar Balkishan Dalai Project Managers : Roger Johnson Rahul Vishwakarma Joseph Thomas Pandurang Kulkarni Art Director : Vinod Alhat Visualizer : Mark Davis Graphic Designer : Sumit Bonage Aniket Diwane Sakshi Bendre Head of Distribution & Production : Aakash Mahajan Head of Operations : Robert Smith Research Analysts : James Adams Advertising : Maria Smith

Mirror Review Media & Tech C-206, Wisteriaa Fortune, Wakad, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra- 411057

+1 (850) 564-8517

info@mirrorreview.com

www.mirrorreview.com Mirror Review Magazine is published by Pericles Ventures Pvt Ltd. No part of Mirror Review magazine may be reproduced, published or used in any manner without prior written consent from the publisher. The team of Mirror Review Magazine has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the content. The publisher assumes no responsibility of any part of the content of any advertisement in this publication, including any errors and omissions therein.

Expert's Corner

30 Why Last Mile Delivery Is The

New Competitive Vanguard For Retail and Grocery eCommerce Cami Zimmer Executive VP BDM, Glympse

FusionPay Crafting Efď&#x20AC; cient Cross Border Payment Solutions For The UK Merchants

Cover Story

HEDPAY:

Bridging The Gap Between Traditional Banks And The Crypto World

OfnK:

Creating A Sustainable World Through Electronic Payment Transactions System

Puut Wallet:

The World's First Blockchain-Based ‘Leather Wallet’ Replacement Platform

Industry 4.0 updates

Learn How Robots In Logistics Are Reshaping The Industry 4.0 Revolution

Climate Chronicles

Climate Change: Industries Role in Cutting down Carbon Emission

Tech Testing

Got Stuck? Try These Tips To Streamline Your Changing Testing Approach In IoT

Articles 36

Cover Story

Xiao Li Co-founder

Crafting Efď&#x20AC; cient Cross Border Payment Solutions For The UK Merchants

he integration of e-commerce and mobile technology has forever changed the face of the payment market. Earlier, the transition from cash to cashless payments was slow in the emerging markets but now, it has grown exceptionally. This growth can be witnessed in China where the payment industry is heavily dominated by mobile payment methods such as WeChat Pay and AliPay. Similarly, in Europe and America, majority of the population prefer to use cashless payment methods. Other key factors that are contributing to the growth of cashless payments are e-commerce sites such as Shopify and Taobao, to name a few. This has resulted in e-merchants offering consumers numerous options to pay seamlessly for boosting their sales. But, sadly there is no uniform currency or payment platform to help merchants to carry out their business without hassle. From this peculiar dilemma, emerged the rise of digital omni-channel payment solution providers to assist merchants from different countries to conduct businesses in an effortless way. The London, UK-based, FusionPay has taken an initiative by providing payment solution for the UK businesses to engage with more Chinese customers. It also provides the IT system to enable WeChat Pay and Alipay services to the local merchants.

Cover Story Connecting Business with Customers As a Fintech company, FusionPay caters to the needs of the UK merchants who conduct their business with China. For this, the smartest payment solutions providing company has collaborated with China’s most popular payment platforms such as WeChat Pay, Alipay, and Union Pay. These platforms use top-level PCI-DSS security technology to protect each transaction. To make sure that the payment and settlement take place efficiently, FusionPay has partnered with UK FCA to provide T+2 clearing and settlement services to its customers. It also follows the strict guidelines of EU GDPR regulation. Moreover, FusionPay has developed a new integrated mobile payment solution that allows Chinese customers to pay in Yuan directly without currency exchange and then these payments are settled in British Pound into the merchants’ accounts. The company also specializes in promoting UK businesses by raising their brand awareness to the Chinese market. The products of FusionPay include QR Code Solution, Point of Sale Solution and Online Payment Gateway Solution. It also provides payment APIs such as barcode payment, Create Payment QR Code, JSAPI Payment, App Payment, Query Transaction Status, Refund and Query Exchange Rate. Catering to the Diverse Industries Through its digital payment technologies, FusionPay is connecting the potential Chinese customers with the UK merchants. Apart from payment solutions, the company also offers marketing solutions and consulting services to different industries such as retail, education, tourism, hospitality, ecommerce, and food & beverages. Through its consultancy service, it helps financial institutions gain licenses so that they can have their own services for clients. Monitoring Market Trends and Demographic Outlook As the world is gradually moving towards cashless payments, Fintech companies are also crafting their smart payment solution offerings. Therefore, FusionPay is continuously adapting to the current demographic outlook whilst still keeping the clients’ needs as top priority. The expert team of FusionPay is constantly staying in-sync with the latest consumer trends in order to stay ahead of their competitors. They are also personalizing solutions that suit their clients’ business needs. The smart payment solutions provider believes that building a strong, lasting, and mutually beneficial relationship with its clients is the key to long-term success for both the parties. A Hard-Working Leader Aiming to Deliver Smart Payment Methods Xiao Li, the Co-founder of FusionPay, is a hard-working leader leveraging technological advancement in favor of his business. He received Beng (first class) in electronic engineering in ULCAN and MSC in digital communication from the University of BATH in UK. He also conducted research on adaptive, self-feedback algorithms, and Artificial Intelligence. Prior to founding FusionPay, Xiao worked with China Unicom that involved offering value-added services based on user portraits, mobile internet product promotion, and equity exchange based on data analysis and mobile internet.

Cover Story

We are committed to providing more exible and secure payment options.

Presently, as the Co-founder, Xiao believes that his biggest challenge is the expansion of data collection channel and how information can be obtained efficiently. The current acquisition method with WeChat Pay and Alipay is limited, and the data obtained is not sufficiently complete. Therefore, he is aiming to develop efficient and intelligent payment methods in the future. Forecasting New Opportunities for FusionPay The digital wave has influenced every business from diverse industries and the payment industry is not an exception. As an experienced leader, Xiao predicts that there will be an increase in the number of UK merchants who are moving towards accepting alternative payment methods. Xiao with his expert team plans to get in touch with more merchants as they are able to introduce them to various novel markets and payment solutions they require for conducting their business. FusionPay’s skilled team is future-proofing themselves from the expected introduction of disruptive technologies as well as the continued emergence of digital noise in the near future. A Change for Making Better Payment Services According to Xiao, “At the moment, the convoluted regulatory landscape means institutions get licensed by themselves and it is extremely resource-draining for small players. Also, reduce wind-down submission obligations would significantly reduce the resources big banks expend on compliance and reporting, which currently constitute some of their largest expenditures. ” Therefore, the one thing he would like to change is to lower regulatory obstacles. By doing so, Fintech companies will become regulated and get licensed easily. This in return will benefit the Fintech and payment industry to offer payment services like cross-border payment.

Get Inspired, Stay Updated with all the Business World Buzz with Mirror Review Magazine

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Miss an Issue

SUBSCRIBE NOW @www.mirrorreview.com

Company Name

Company Info

Billpocket Alejandro Founder & CEO

Billpocket is a ﬁnancial company based in Mexico founded by Alejandro Guízar in 2012. billpocket.com

BitPay Stephen Pair CEO

BitPay is a bitcoin payment service provider headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. bitpay.com

Dwolla Ben Milne & Shane Neuerburg Co-Founders

Dwolla is a United States-only e-commerce company that provides an online payment system and mobile payments network dwolla.com

FusionPay Xiao Li Co-founder

The London, UK-based, FusionPay has taken an initiative by providing payment solutions for the UK businesses to engage with more Chinese customers. fusionpay.co.uk

Gravity Payments Dan Price CEO

Gravity Payments is a credit-card processing and ﬁnancial services company. gravitypayments.com

HedPay Vicken Kaprelian President & CEO

HEDPAY is a project aimed at solving the current complications in the global ﬁnancial system by combining the features and services of a modern traditional e-bank, whilst implementing the prospects of a bank for cryptocurrencies. hedpay.com

Lightspeed Dax Dasilva CEO

Lightspeed provides customers with a simple way to build, manage and grow their retail, restaurant or eCommerce business, and create a best-in-class customer experience. lightspeedhq.com

OfnK David Lais Founder & MD

Established in 2017, OfnK is one such ﬁnancial service provider that is addressing the issue of climate change. ofnk.org

Puut Wallet Mark Arthur Founder & CEO

The unique all-in-one mobile wallet called ‘ Puut Wallet ’ is distinct from other e-wallets; it can store cryptocurrencies like any other normal currency. puutwallet.com

Trustly Oscar Berglund CEO

The Sweden-based, Trustly is one such smart payment solution provider that is aiming to become the global leader in online bank payments. trustly.com

HEDPAY: The Future Banking Solution

Vicken Kaprelian President & CEO

ver the past few years, the evolution in banking introduced electronic money institutions to improve the quality of payment services and promote competition in the retail market. This transformation in systems led to the popularity of modern currency such as blockchain, bitcoin, and cryptocurrency. And yet this distributed ledger based technology didn’t seem to be adopted as rapidly as expected to bring significant changes in the payment gateway system, as well as in the security and transparency of transactions. But today, the banking and its payments paradigm are getting updated slowly, due to their bureaucracy to incorporate these new concepts as well as to unleash their full potential. If soon Blockchain technology heads towards mass adoption, then these modern currencies will be able to fully support the users in their payment choices and fees due to their futuristic approach just as few smart payment providers like HEDPAY. HEDPAY is a project aimed at solving the current complications in the global financial system by combining the features and services of a modern traditional e-bank, whilst implementing the prospects of a bank for cryptocurrencies. The leading payment solution provider aims to bridge the gap between traditional e-banks and crypto finance using innovative blockchain technology, to

Bridging The Gap Between Traditional Banks And The Crypto World

become the next gen banking solution offering a complete spectrum of banking and financial services. An Intellectual Torchbearer As it is famously quoted “Necessity is the mother of invention,” the originated challenges and problems give rise to innovative solutions that revolutionise the system. Due to the challenges faced in the payment industry, Vicken Kaprelian (President and CEO of HEDPAY) felt that there was a necessity of an upgraded smart payment system. This led to a unique project that can solve the long lasting frustration and complications in the payments and transfer systems or methods related to commodities business due to changing regulations and changes of AML& KYC. Speaking about background, Vicken belonged to a Diamond & Gold Manufacturing and trade business that ventured into the actual mining of commodities. He created a sizeable company on the Frankfurt stock exchange, during the initial years of the venture however the financial crisis again gave rise to new payment and transfer called “Bitcoin”. Vicken did overlook the modern currency at that time but with increasing complications in the market of the first world countries and the African

“

challenges are the capital funds that major companies inject into their projects or Fintech, which we do not have and that is the main reason also that keeps us ongoing with the challenge, when for them is just a project but for us is our life and future.” Tactics to Survive in the Competition

“

continent, he knew that there was a need for a novel system. As a result, HEDPAY was born out of necessity after 2014 when the ﬁnancial sector was ﬂooding with complications and challenges. He decided to start the project as payments & transfers between developed, and underdeveloped countries.

HEDPAY was the best solution to be decentralized and closest to the required smart payment solution. The Blockchain technology or Bitcoin and crypto itself was gaining popularity by proving its mettle. By making use of them, HEDPAY tarted its journey and aims to be the best solution for the crisis faced by the traditional banking systems.

Vicken believes that his time in the industry has crafted his entrepreneurial skills and hence his experience is helping HEDPAY to row the boat through the mountain of challenges. The company has been through tough times but each time emerges strong by working consistently towards its goals. Explaining about his approach towards the competition in the market, Vicken says, “We don’t have any special approach, we work in a conservative way to get to the goals needed regardless how, just focus on the result that will come out.” Roadmap of HEDPAY for the Coming Years The HEDPAY team believes that the coming years might be more challenging than the past years due to the change in the banking methods and payment systems, which are assumed to be more decentralized. With this pace, HEDPAY hopes that it would become the leading project in the ﬁnance sector to cater to the verticals with its new ways of banking and payments for both sides of the spectrum; banks and consumers. In addition, it also plans to provide a single platform for FIAt and Cryptocurrency.

Challenges Fuelling the Pace of Growth

Key Changes that might improve the Payment Industry Platform

Vicken believes that the current challenge in the industry is the evolution between banks and the crypto world where banks neglect the modern currency by declaring that they do not accept and consider crypto funds or related funds but are secretly developing crypto technologies to keep up with the speed and costs. He is conﬁdent that the small companies like HEDPAY are developing smart technologies at a faster pace as compared to these banks. The capital funds are also a challenge the small companies are facing in general. Furthermore, Vicken asserts, “Our

When asked about what change Vicken would like to see in the payment industry, he replied by saying that nothing could be changed in the industry, as much as its being changed now, but would be great if we could separate governments from the ﬁnancial issuing involvements. Besides, make it as peer-to-peer as it should be, based on the needs and requirements of businesses or individuals, yet in a regulated manner.

Industry 4.0 updates

Learn How Robots In Logistics Are Reshaping The

ndustry 4. Revolution

ears back, Amazon’s logistics robots, Kiva Systems were in high demand mainly from retailers and e-commerce until the company put acquisition over the use of Kiva Systems, now known as Amazon Robotics, for its own operations alone. After then, the market of cobots (assisting robots) picked up pace and started growing. In the boardroom of logistic companies, there always has been a common question to discuss: how can we deliver things faster and more efﬁciently without compromising on the quality of service? Now they have found the answer; take the help of smart machines that not only can save the time but also assist and manage loads of diverse tasks. Future evolution concerning robotics in logistics industry is deeper than one can think. From ﬁrst industrial revolution comprising of mechanization through water and steam power for mass production to assembly lines using electricity in the second, the fourth industrial revolution is supposed to inherit what started in the third i.e. adopting computers and automation and enhancing it with smart machine learning.

Are we industry 4.0 ready, believing robots and cobots at the same time? While the term industry 4.0 is considered as a marketing hype, certain shifts happening in the manufacturing sector deserves our attention. Several graphs represent the development of technology from first industrial revolution to the third suggesting humans have evolved 100 times more than the previous ones. For example, most steam engines used in the 19th century were replaced by the electric trains in the 20th century, making transportation easier and faster, cost friendly, and efficient enough for multiple industries. Also, when computer was introduced in industry 3.0, the continuous contribution of technology made it more concise, quicker, and easier to learn. Today, more than 3 billion people are using internet every day on their PCs, mobile phones, tablets, or IoT. Many innovations have developed platforms for industry 4.0 based on smart robotization. At this moment, they are working on solutions on how to match human capabilities and performance. Smart robot solutions must consist of three key human capabilities to match their performance: First, create the controller like a human brain so that robots can become adaptive, fast, highly flexible, and

intelligent. Second, simulate the human eyes by developing a vision system that is adaptive to colour and light, works fast, and is free to move. Furthermore, the vision system must position each product so that it can lie in an arbitrary position in the tray and exact product position is communicated to the robot for grasping. Third, create the human hands to really feel the task and work collaboratively in a safe way.

includes drones to be launched from a control centre and docked on a special rooftop parcel station loaded via a robot arm. Making sky-deliveries a reality, drones have the potential to enable huge efﬁciencies in weighed deliveries in the coming future. Ÿ

Presently, it seems like the whole can’t stop gushing about the industrial 4.0 revolution which is fast jetting with rapid technology breakthroughs such as IoT, robots, Artiﬁcial Intelligence, and 3D printing. So, how fast robotic technology is developing today? According to Tractica, the global warehousing and logistics robots market will make $21.7 billion by 2021. But where will robots in logistics boom in the future? Ÿ

Transportation: Automated ships and trucks can help shifting goods from factories to warehouses and distribution centers. Companies have already demonstrated vehicles and ships with cameras, lasers, and GPS systems. The self-driving trucks and automated logistics being part of Waymo’s pilot program are already set to deliver goods to Google’s data centers in Atlanta. These massive transport engines are focused around making the drive more efﬁcient and cost saving. Additionally, humans will no longer be needed on the roads or sailing for weeks at the sea. Rather, robots will drive for 24/7 taking the quickest routes. However, for now they will require safety drivers till the time they can drive alone. Drones: After Amazon’s prime delivery in 30 minutes practiced in the U.S and some handful of countries, Airbus Skyways has designed an aerial vehicle to deliver parcels to customers in urban areas of Singapore. The company’s sky-delivery process

Self-driving robots: Robots stationed outside your door will soon be an everyday occurrence. Autonomous vehicles will be allowed to operate not just on city sidewalks and crosswalks, but on streets and highways as well. Companies like Teleretail are developing small vehicles to make them work in every condition.

Warehousing: Robotic arms and a screen face are the next warehouse workers equipped with complex vision systems, force sensing, and advanced machine-learning software. Working as helping hands for humans, these programmed robots will ‘think’ on tasks. Alibaba warehouses are an example where robots perform 70% of the tasks, making the company the top e-commerce running business in China. Deploying these robots to work with humans will bring efﬁciency with great growth rate as compared to today’s hard hitting works. Their installation will also reduce the risk of injuries and help into thinking about the more rewarding jobs. Ÿ

However, industry 4.0 is considered as a buzz created around industries. There is a fact that targeting robots in logistics can propel the company towards powerful and phenomenal success. Therefore, robotized production will become more affordable, more ﬂexible to different product types, and with high use of capital as the systems are reprogrammable. Now companies can aim to deliver an easy to program, easy to reuse, reliable, and safe robotized platform to accelerate innovation. This is how robots in logistics are reshaping the industry 4.0 revolution.

Creating A Sustainable World Through Electronic Payment Transactions System

Established in 2017, OfnK is one such financial service provider that is addressing the issue of climate change. The organization’s goal is to build an open platform to enable the payment industry to use payment data to help their customers to understand their environmental impact and to guide them to make more responsible and environmental friendly purchase decisions. The Competent Leader Fighting Climate Change using his Knowledge The Founder and Managing Director of OfnK, David Lais is a technical enthusiast and the serial founder, who has been working in the payment sector his entire career life. At the age of 16, the competent leader started his first venture and coincidentally moved into the payment industry not knowing what he actually got himself into. This industry piqued his interest more because everyone pays for something and uses it daily, but they don’t know how everything works. In 2015, David encountered a life-changing event and decided to change his focus and use his payment knowledge to start fighting for climate change. “For me, it was crystal clear that each and every one of us has a direct impact on the environment by choosing what we eat, how we travel, and live our lives,” says the Founder of OfnK. Therefore, he

embarked to ﬁnd a solution and came up with the idea to establish OfnK. Leveraging Data and Technology to Make Customers Understand OfnK is a short form of Organisation fuer nachhaltigen Konsum (Organization for sustainable consumption) and a German non-proﬁt organization which believes that to combat climate change and support the global sustainable development goals, it needs to educate consumers on their consumption habits and its impact on nature. Keeping its goals in mind, the German-based organization has developed a system that can determine the negative effect on the environment through electronic payment transactions. To determine the environmental impact of purchase, different machine learning algorithms categorize

“

he growing frequency of serious climatic occurrences, combined with the imprudent nature of economic development, has the potential to create unsustainable levels of damage for all the organisms living in the world. This is where the ﬁnancial sector comes into the picture, as it is a layer between consumers and dayto-day consumption, providing the fuel and the rails for the modern economy. Thanks to the modern technologies like machine learning and AI, many ﬁnancial services providers are now able to use the vast amount of gathered data (payment transactions) to help and guide consumers to act more environmentally friendly.

goal, it creates a very supportive network of likeminded companies and individuals, less egodriven, and focused on the co-created goal. Additionally, David is a strong defender of the principle “Give-Give-Take”. “Always give more than you take, you never know what impact you create with what you give and the more you give for the sake of giving, the more you get back––from my experience that even works in a highly competitive environment,” says David. Addressing Challenges, Changing the Payment Industry

David Lais

Founder & Managing Director

and analyze through payment transactions by comparing it with sustainability indices and public information. The detailed data along with various information about the merchants and the purchases itself is provided and then, it is processed, prepared and made available to the consumers. As a result, customers are able to understand the social and environmental impacts behind their purchases. OfnK is primarily serving the key verticals such as retail banking and account information service providers. Through them, these people can use data and information to guide their consumers. Moreover, the smart payment solution provider has also ventured into the sustainability sector and is tackling major socio-economic and environmental topics connected to the climate crisis. In the coming days, it is hoping to offer a part of the solution in creating a more sustainable world. Working Towards a Common Goal In this industry, numerous organizations are offering their services and perhaps they are working towards a common goal. According to David, “Is it a competition if we ﬁght for the same goal? I don’t think we actually have competition.” The founder is aware of the others market competitors that are working on the similar lines. But, it doesn’t affect him because he believes, "We all share the same goal and reaching this goal is more important than our individual success.” When everyone is moving towards a common

Since OfnK’s inception, David faced numerous challenges but also successfully overcame them with his knowledge and willpower. However, the founder believes that his biggest challenge was and continues to be the global acceptance of the climate change crisis. It is still very difficult to get banks or payment institutes to allocate funds to such subject-related ventures. Moreover, for most of his clients, the decision is still made on the fact that the developed solution drives sales instead of actually looking for a climate change solution. But, today, the younger generations are asking for climate-friendly solutions in all areas which is the first step towards a sustainable world. The visionary leader believes that if he had the chance to change something within this system, his first choice would be to change the current fundamental monetary system. This system is not designed to support society and needs an urgent upgrade. Wild Ride Ahead for OfnK OfnK is looking towards a brighter future where consumption of sustainable and eco-friendly products will be used. In the next 5 years, the financial service provider aims to scale within the industry, venture out into new countries, integrate more features, and reach to additional partners. The organization is also ready for new opportunities that come with new data, especially if it taps into things like supply chain transparency in combination with AI and machine learning. Commenting on this, David says, "Technological advances and the trend towards a more conscious consumption will make the upcoming years very interesting and for sure bring new opportunities and shape our industry as a whole.”

Climate Chronicles

Climate Change: Industries Role In Preserving The Environment

limate change is the current rapid warming of the Earth’s climate caused by human activity. If left unchecked it poses an unprecedented threat to life on earth and the ecosystems on this planet. Climate change refers to the long-term changes in the climate that occur over decades, centuries or longer. It is caused by rapidly increasing greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere due primarily to burning fossil fuels. These heat-trapping gases are warming the Earth and the Oceans resulting in rising sea levels, changes in storm patterns, altered ocean currents, changes in rainfall, melting snow and ice, more extreme heat events, ﬁres, and drought. These impacts are projected to continue and in some cases, intensify, affecting human health, infrastructure, forests, agriculture, freshwater supplies, coastlines, and marine systems. Power Generation is the major culprit The leading contributor to greenhouse gases around the world is the power generation sector. 40% of all the emission comes from power generation. Because most of the power generation still use non-renewable sources like coal and oil to generate electricity. The electricity is the most essential part of our life and the world will stand still if we stop using electricity. So that option is out of the gate. We already using wind, waves, water power, and solar power to generate electricity but they haven’t reached the stage where they can satisfy the need for electricity for all. Ultra supercritical combustion, Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB), and coal gasiﬁcation is the main focus of power generation companies. These technologies cut down the emission and generate more power for the given amount of coal. The solution to transportation might lie in electric vehicles The transport sector also contributes big to increase air pollution. Most of our vehicle runs on petrol or diesel and there is no economical alternative in the market. Sure researchers are doing their best to come up with solutions like electric car or car that runs on biofuel or solar cells. But these concepts are yet to bear any fruit. There are carbon control guidelines that the entire car manufacturers have to follow which have brought down the emission a few notches but the transport sector has to go a long way to right the wrong in climate change. Manufacturing can adopt a green initiative The manufacturing industry basically depends upon the power and all type of chemicals that are needed to produce a product. It’s not just carbon emission but there are far more dangerous gases that are released in the air by the manufacturing industry. The manufacturing industry already using the concept of recycling but they can use power generated through renewable sources as they have the money to do so. Ikea the Swedish furniture maker source 50% of its wood from a sustainable forester and 100% of its cotton from farms that use less water, energy, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. But these moves are not good enough to bring the emission level considerably down.

Real estate and responsibility to preserve the environment

Agriculture and need to stop the use of harmful chemicals

Building houses required an enormous amount of energy and in the end, the environment suffers. The machinery and the chemicals that are being used are unparalleled to build a structure. The demand for eco-friendly measures comes from the ground and consumer has to force these builders to use techniques that do not harm the natural environment. Because our next generation will live in the house that we are building today and if it is going to cost us our natural surrounding then it’s not worth it. Renewed Material, Liveroof, Bark House, Solar Activated Facade are few companies involved in building houses that are sustainable and do not harm nature.

The technology has improved the production of the crop but also increased the pollutants that are degrading air water and soil and ultimately causing climate change. The agriculture sector is responsible for producing grains, vegetables, and fruits for the consumption of the population. The agriculture sector needs to adopt methods that are sustainable and keep nature and our food healthy. The techniques like permaculture, aqua phonics & hydroponics, crop rotation, and poly-cultures can help in attaining sustainability and decrease biodegradation. Households and small businesses are also not far behind All the sectors mentioned above are just the medium put in place by the man. And it makes us the biggest culprit for climate change. The quest of man for power burned a hole in the ozone layer which is melting arctic ice at the rapid pace and changing climate and making life difficult as time passes by. Governments around the world trying to reach a deal that will benefit all. But they are not able to do so as many countries are refusing to sign the deal. Just try little things like cut down the use of AC, carpool to the office, save electricity or anything that makes little bit of difference. It might look like a drop in the ocean but can bring the change in due time if followed properly. To conclude, industries are doing their part to cut down the carbon emission but individuals need to contribute equally. The way to change the world is through individual responsibility and taking action in your own community. Using public transport or cycles for transportation can cut out the carbon emission on a drastic change. Small steps can take us a long way in this ’save earth’ journey.

The World’s First Blockchain-Based ‘Leather Wallet’ Replacement Platform

oday, high-tech gadgets are replacing nearly all traditional systems. Currently, smartphones are the most popular ones among users. No more pocket changes, no more huge wallets, and no more extra cards, just a smart gadget is what you need in this new cashless era! More than half of the global population owns a smartphone, and many consumers are choosing to conduct e-commerce transactions mainly via mobile devices. Mobile wallets can now make your payments at the tap of your finger. Due to its ease of use, people have started accepting payments through mobile wallets and consumers have started seeing the advantage that comes from using e-wallets. The market today is crammed with numerous payment solution providers to assist businesses. These mobile wallets are not just limited to the transaction of cash. The unique all-in-one mobile wallet called ‘Puut Wallet’ is distinct from other e-wallets; it can store cryptocurrencies like any other normal currency. The All-In-One Mobile Wallet Puut A/S is a Danish-based high tech company that offers blockchain-based, biometrics-enabled and AI-ready mobile wallet platform as a service to smartphone users, service providers, merchants and governments alike. Puut A/S is striving to bring the experience of a traditional cloud network to mobile devices and revolutionize the user experience of a simple smartphone. The company’s flagship Puut Wallet is an ‘All-In-One wallet’ that aims at helping consumers get rid of their leather wallets by mobilizing its content in a way that is seamless, secure, and social. Its other unique functionalities include: Ÿ Currency Wallets Ÿ Personal Wallets Ÿ Citizen Wallets Ÿ Business wallets Ÿ Institutional wallets Ÿ Marketplace Ÿ Messaging A Wallet Supporting Crypto Currencies This unique e-wallet is an integrated platform that supports both fiat and crypto transactions; users can share money and

bitcoin from the wallet. The highlight of the application is Bitcoin LVX (BVX); a crypto-platform that provides payments, exchanges, and remittances in a distributed fashion. It is user-friendly, scalable, faster, and energy-efﬁcient as compared to existing cryptocurrencies, and can be mined with a regular computer. With the high growth of Puut Wallet’s marketplace, the team is in position to reward its users with an addition of a fee-free p2p crypto-exchange to its offering. The new crypto-exchange will allow users to buy and sell Bitcoin, Bitcoin LVX, and Ethereum directly from each other, without depositing funds on the exchange. “I am excited to see BVX becoming a daily medium of exchange for mobile wallet users. BVX is here to make Bitcoin spendable in a way that is energy efﬁcient, seamless, and social,” says Mark Arthur, Creator of Bitcoin LVX.

“

We are a high tech company that offers blockchain-based, biometrics-enabled and AIready mobile wallet platform as a service to smartphone users, service providers, merchants and governments alike.

“

Business and Institutional Platform

Puut provides Business and Institutional Wallets for service providers, banks, merchants, and governments. The platform includes a powerful set of APIs that lets organizations tokenise and push Interactive Personal Identiﬁcation to both personal and citizen wallets. While the Institutional platform aims at helping governments deliver citizen-centric public services and future proof digitization tools to civil servants, the Business platform leverages OpenWallet Platform and the OpenWallet API to deliver a wide range of personal media to personal wallets. More than Just an “e-Wallet Platform” Puut Mobile Wallet can easily replace the leather wallet, free us from the hassle, and let us enjoy virtual content from the service providers around the world. The services include payment cards, business cards, receipts, bills, loyalty cards, airline tickets, train tickets, event tickets, bus tickets, boarding pass, bus pass, monthly pass, daily pass, access cards ID cards, student cards, driving license, library card, residence permits, visa, social security cards, and the biometric passports. Additional social features allow users to create shopping groups that can collectively purchase items from a local store at a greater discount. The social features are not just limited to shopping, users can create albums, upload and share photos, create and share virtual business cards, and also send and receive messages using Puut messenger. The platform is more than just a wallet, which makes it more exceptional compared with the competition.

Loyalty Program Powered By Artificial Intelligence The vast majority of loyalty programs are specifically designed to reward habits and not true loyalty, which has adversely affected some companies as customers are not emotionally attached to brands. This has constrained the loyalty program penetration at very low levels among segments like dining, travel, big-box retail, clothing, and retail banking reaching individually 35%, 49%, 45%, 47% and 31% in 2017 respectively. Recently, Puut A/S launched the Artificial Intelligencepowered Loyalty scheme to help increase loyalty programs penetration. Its loyalty scheme is very customer-centric as it helps reward loyal customers qualitatively. “Puut Wallet is a user-centric wallet that is tailored to create a value continuum for loyalty programs,” concludes Mark. Puut Wallet, Recognized as a Global Technology Innovator Various media outlets have recognized the company for its innovative approach in the finance sector. Last year, Puut Wallet won the prestigious Red Herring Top 100 Global Award for being the world’s leading technology innovator. “We believe Puut A/S embodies the vision, drive, and innovation that define a successful entrepreneurial venture. Puut A/S should be proud of its accomplishment,” said Alex Vieux, Publisher, and CEO of Red Herring. Puut A/S has been working towards its goal of revolutionizing the use of smartphone devices. The team aspires to bring the experience of a traditional cloud network to mobile devices, by delivering a global mobile experience to smartphone users and providing an operator and bank agnostic approach to mobile wallets.

Why Last Mile Delivery Is The New Competitive Vanguard For

Retail & Grocery eCommerce

more and more under their umbrella, introducing faster shipping options and giving customers the ability to see where their driver is on the delivery day.

The eCommerce era has redeﬁned customer expectations

The industry has followed suit, and thankfully you don’t have to have the economies of scale of Amazon (since almost no one does!) in order to incorporate last mile improvements for customers. All you have to do is focus on the opportunities for engagement at every step of the last mile journey.

ccording to a 2018 study, the preceding 18 months saw a 50% increase in last mile interactions, largely due to increased demand in B2C eCommerce. Here’s how your business can prepare itself to excel in this new reality.

The evolution of customer expectations when it comes to home delivery has been discussed frequently in recent years, but in reality it’s more appropriate to say that they have been redeﬁned in the current environment; the term “evolution” doesn’t quite capture just how quickly the standards have changed. For example, in just a short time Amazon went from completely utilizing the major shipping carriers for all of their deliveries to bringing

Consistently excellent last mile service sets you apart In the case of retail delivery, companies are typically competing against other entities that offer similar (or often the same) products at similar prices. This is especially true in the grocery industry, where companies

already compete for razor-thin margins and brands are increasingly turning to home delivery as a part of their core CX. On one hand this seems daunting, but it also represents an important opportunity: if your competitors are also offering home delivery, you can differentiate yourself by making incremental yet important improvements in your last mile experience. Make a commitment to increase visibility whenever possible. Invest in new technology such as AI that automatically optimizes delivery routes. Provide customers with easy options for returns and follow up with instant feedback opportunities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Last mile self-service options make sense for consumers and brands The ultimate goal is to make every aspect of the last mile experience as easy as possible for everyone involved—your customers, your delivery drivers, and your customer service team. Selfservice functionality is a crucial part of this strategy, and innovative technology is now taking things that were impossible just a couple of years ago and turning them into routine interactions.

Cami Zimmer | Executive VP BDM

Customers can get real-time updates on driver location from any mobile device, and even track the driver’s position in an instant, all without having to call to ﬁnd out where they are or when they will be there. For customers who do call during the last mile, integrated Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems keep them in the loop nearly as quickly, all without the need for interaction with a live agent. This is an incredible operational savings to brands! Success in the last mile is built on a foundation of technology and dedication The newest, most user-friendly last mile technology available won’t be very useful unless it’s paired with employees who are willing to execute your CX strategy sale after-sale. And the most dedicated employees in the world won’t be able to save you from falling behind the competition if you don’t provide them with innovative

technological tools that make home delivery more convenient and worry-free for consumers. The new frontier of the last mile for retail and grocery businesses lies at the junction of innovative tech and team members who prioritize the service experience for every customer. Customers expect more from their last mile experience than ever before, but brands also have more affordable tools and feasible strategies at their disposal than ever before. It’s up to you to combine them in a way that delivers sustained value to your buyers each time they click the checkout button on your eCommerce platform.

Sources:

https://www.retaildive.com/news/solving-for-the-last-mile-is-retails-next-big-disruption/514577

https://www.oracle.com/webfolder/s/adv/doc1/RT153-SURV-LastMile-Mar2018.pdf?elqTrackId=8c00d67d9d684a4891ee085b659ef173&elqaid=63288&elqat=2