CMYK
Mobility Monthly Magazine February 2015
www.mobilityindia.com
Mobility Analysis 20 Online Shopping Trends Will Further Increase in 2015
Mobility Trend Setter
Issue 02
Volume 11
Beyond Technology, Beyond Lifestyle
26
Huesnstrokes.com, India`s first online art portal which provides the platform to showcase the talent of India's unsung artists across India.
Smart Automation 28 Is Car or Driver Intelligence Leading the Future?
Mobility Personality Shalin Shah, Co-GM-India Operations, UTStarcom
32
CMYK
CMYK
2
mobility February 2015
www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
www.mobilityindia.com
mobility February 2015
3 CMYK
CMYK
Editor
:
Swapan Roy
Chief Editor
:
Manoj Jha
Associate Editor (Tech,) :
Jayanta Ghosh
Asst. Editor
:
E.J. Jawahardatham
:
Anit Kumar
:
Sandip Sarkar
Design Desk Art Director Acct. & Finance Finance Marketing & Sales Marketing Manager
:
Tridip Dey
Marketing Executives
:
Sujit Goswami Pratap Biswas S. Dutt Raj Kumar
Circulation Manager
:
P. Biswas
Production
:
Ashish Ghosh Ashok Kumar Paul
System Manager
:
Ajay Biswas
H.O.: Delhi / Editorial Office
Content Mobility News 8-9 Latest industry news Mobility Launchpad 12-13 Latest mobile launches of the month
8
Mobility Event 14 Samsung launches cutting-edge products for India at Samsung South West Asia Forum 2015
12
Mobility Review 16-18 • Alcatel One Touch Flash • Wickedleak Wammy One Analysis 20-21 Online Shopping Trends Will Further Increase in 2015
14 16 18
Roy Mediative A-23, 1st Floor, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Delhi-110020 (INDIA) Mob: 09810380882, 09811346846
Mobility Cover Story 22-25 Industry Expects a Lot From
20
Budget 2015
Ph: 91-11-41602841, 65683896, 40536384-87 Redg.Off.: 38-B / 56 Block, C. R. Park, New Delhi-110019 (India). Branch Office: Mumbai: E-mail: roy@ mobilityindia.com Kolkata: 105/12B, Dum Dum Road, Sil Colony, Kolkata-74
Mobility Trend Setter 26-27 Huesnstrokes.com, India`s first online art portal to provide platform to showcase the talent of India's 22 unsung artists across India.
21
26
Contact: 09330922965; 09903392620 E-mail : roy@ mobilityindia.com Orissa: Krushna Nagar, 5th Lane, Lalji Palli, Berhampur760008 (Orissa) (India) Contact : Raj Kumar-09338410809
Mobility Smart Automation 28 Car or Driver Intelligence– Which will Lead the Future?
Email : info@mobilityindia.com ncn_reporter@yahoo.com Mobility monthly News Paper, Printed, Published & Owned by Swapan Roy at 38-B / 56 Block, C. R. Park, New Delhi-110019 (India).
Mobility Technology Focus 30 Connected phone, connected house, connected car, connected body?
30
28
Printed at Pushpak Printer, C-96, Okhla Industrial Area-I, New Delhi-20. Retail selling price of News Paper Rs. 20/-. Annual subscription Rs. 240. Editor
: edit@mobilityindia.com roy@ mobilityindia.com
Marketing : tridip@mobilityindia.com marketing@mobilityindia.com Info
Mobility Personality 32 Shalin Shah, Co-GM-India Operations, UTStarcom
34 32
Mobility Apps 34 Exciting Cricket Apps To Keep You Updated About World Cup 2015
: info@mobilityindia.com
Subscribe : subscription@ mobilityindia.com
34 34
www.mobilityindia.com 4
mobility February 2015
34 www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
CMYK
CMYK
Editor’S Choice
Lenovo Vibe Shot Lenovo made a tremendous improvement in the Lenovo Vibe Shot smartphone. The rear side of the phone looks like a slim compact camera. It has a 16MP rear camera with backside illuminated sensor for low light photography. There are three LED flash lights to give a more evenly lit flash and the phone comes with optical image stabilisation as well. The smart mode keeps things in the automatic mode whereas the pro mode lets you tweak the ISO, white balance, exposure and more. It also offers an 8MP front-facing camera.
6
mobility February 2015
Will the industry get what it expects from Budget 2015-16? In the last General Elections people overwhelmingly voted for BJP-NDA coalition expecting something big. On the same lines, telecom and IT industry too have their own big expectations. All are waiting with their fingers crossed for the Budget 2015-16. The manufacturing sector, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), hopes that the budget will drive the PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign that aims to promote investment and create jobs. Reforms on issues related to taxation, GAAR and FDI will clearly help the sector to get more long-term investment. Selection of key areas and forming exclusive technology parks for the telecom industry will be a welcome and most necessary initiative. Telecom needs the ecosystem that helps to realize Make in India dream. Government should also provide incentives to ancillary industries to boost the sector. Moreover, there
should be adequate tax rebates to make it more viable for companies to do business in India. The telecom industry needs to be revived with a Realistic 3G spectrum auction. Finalization of a concrete telecom policy will provide clarity and enhance the ease of doing business for the industry. Tax benefits and incentives for VAS companies to energize the VAS ecosystem are much needed. Let us wait and see.
Swapan Roy roymobility@gmail.com
www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
www.mobilityindia.com
mobility February 2015
7 CMYK
CMYK
Mobi li t y N ews
Snapdeal.com introduces unique Scan and Sell feature for sellers Snapdeal.com has launched a unique selleraid feature ‘Scan and Sell’ for its seller mobile app. The Scan and Sell feature will enable the sellers to list their products for sale on the platform in less than 5 minutes with just a scan of the products barcode and keying in the pricing details. Scan and Sell is the first such initiative by any Indian e-commerce platform to simplify and automate the process of listing products for sale. To assist in the creation and maintenance of large volumes of barcode data required to cater to the wide assortment of products available on its platform, Snapdeal has tied up with GS1, a global organization dedicated to the design and implementation of global standards. Commenting on this significant development,
Ankit Khanna, Senior Vice President, Products Management, Snapdeal.com, said, “Technology development and innovation is at the heart of Snapdeal growth story. Introduction of ‘scan and sell’ significantly simplifies the process for sellers to list their products on the platform, thereby enabling them to maximize the impact of reach and scale offered by Snapdeal. We believe that mobile is a key contributor to the growth of ecommerce and we have been continuously working on enhancing the seller and buyer experience on the mobile. The addition of this hassle-free mobile products listing feature for a best-in-class seller experience is keeping in line with our philosophy of creating life changing experiences for our sellers.”
Android is the most vulnerable mobile Operating System
Along with the alarming growth of the user base for Android run handsets around the globe, it has also become the most vulnerable mobile OS. This is evident from the fact that many popular apps such as Dropbox, Snapchat and Uber have been hacked in recent times, said Wegilant, an emerging mobile apps security company. The open nature of Android OS has given rise to Android Security Bugs, Loopholes and Vulnerabilities. Although Android has security features built into the operating system that significantly reduce the frequency and impact of application security issues, it still is a prime target for hackers. It has, today, grown so significant that
Micromax appoints Shubhajit Sen as Chief Marketing Officer India’s leading smartphone player and consumer electronics brand, Micromax Informatics Ltd announced the appointment of Shubhajit Sen as its Chief Marketing Officer. At Micromax, he will be tasked to focus on leading all marketing efforts for the company across markets while strengthening the overall brand communication. Prior to Micromax, he was the Executive Vice President – Marketing of Glaxo Smith Kline Consumer Health Limited for 21 years and served as the key resource to accentuate the successful journey of the company. Commenting on the appointment, Vineet Taneja, CEO of Micromax Informatics Limited, said, “As Micromax opens a new chapter in its growth trajectory, we welcome Shubhajit on board with us as the new CMO. He will prove to be a great asset to the Micromax leadership team. Being one of the best marketing veterans, he has the proven ability to create strategic clarity, drive innovation and growth, ensure disciplined execution, and deliver results. We believe that
his passion for technology will help ensure that Micromax continues to deliver innovations that have a great impact on people’s lives.” The move is a reflection of the company’s constant effort and commitment to make Micromax a brand to reckon with. Commenting on his new role, Shubhajit Sen said, “It is an exciting opportunity for me to lead the marketing efforts for Micromax at a time when the brand is experiencing a phenomenal transformation. As a marketer, I have always believed in consumer centricity and Micromax has consistently understood, anticipated and shaped consumer’s expectations of the category better than competition. I look forward to building the Micromax brand philosophy further in its next phase of growth.” An Economics graduate from SRCC, Delhi University and an MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad, Shubhajit joined GSK in 1992 as a Management Trainee and advanced through the organization to be the Executive Vice President – Marketing, donning various hats through the journey both nationally and globally. He has been the brain behind some of the most successful, award winning consumer initiatives that have delivered superlative business results.
Naveen Chopra to be appointed as Chief Operating Officer, Vodafone India Vodafone India today announced that Naveen Chopra, Director –Vodafone Business Services (VBS), will succeed Sunil Sood as Chief Operating Officer for Vodafone India with effect from April 1, 2015. This follows the earlier announcement of Sunil Sood to succeed Marten Pieters as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with effect from April 1, 2015. Naveen has, over the last five years, ably led the VBS into significant growth and expansion in new customer & product segments, to contribute substantially to Vodafone India’s business success. He has built carefully a strong VBS team across corporate and circles, and leaves the portfolio in a strong shape, to build on further. Naveen joined Vodafone in 2004 as Vice President – Corporate Marketing, and over the last ten years, has done stints as CMO and 8
mobility February 2015
subsequently led successfully Mumbai and Rajasthan Circles as Business Head, before joining the Executive Committee as the Director – VBS. Naveen’s successor as Director –Vodafone Business Services will be announced in due course of time.
many applications continue to face challenges pertaining to security. Recently, Google also stopped providing security updates for devices running on Android 4.3 Jellybean and earlier. Toshendra Sharma, Founder & CEO, Wegilant, commented, “There are around One billion Android users in the world and Android has targeted to take this figure to 1.5 Billion by the end of this year. Considering the number, it is crucial for Google to push out security updates for the WebView tool within Android on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.” When the Android mobile OS project was launched at the end of 2007, Google’s intention was not to push for its own purposes but to allow developers to experiment with the code and create their own versions of Android. This came as a big advantage for developers as well as hackers. The latter could easily use the Android Open Source Project for understanding the structure of Android and find loopholes in it. The core problem is that Android fails to validate public key infrastructure certificate chains for app digital signatures. Unfortunately, today, when users are spending more time on smartphones for n-number of purposes, most of them are completely unaware of pertaining security issues, keeping their private and corporate data vulnerable to hackers, adds Toshendra. Studies suggest that most of the apps requested more Android permissions than they actually use, as recently was the case with Uber app, which they term as ‘over-privileged.’ This increases the propensity of security issues. Apart from Wegilant, there are others who have validated this issue in the Android operating system. Tod Beardsley, a veteran Rapid7 engineering manager to Forbes with years of experience in the security industry, occasional speaker at security conferences and member of the IEEE has also pointed out similar loopholes and vulnerabilities. Apart from him, various publications including Wall Street Journal and Forbes have raised issues on how Google needs to address the issue of fixing security bugs in Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
www.mobilityindia.com
mobility February 2015
9 CMYK
CMYK
Mobi li t y N ews
Trend Micro Receives Asia Pacific Technical Partner of the Year Award at VMware Partner Exchange 2015
Trend Micro Incorporated announced that it has received the Asia Pacific Region VMware Partner Network Award in the Technical Partner of the Year category. Trend Micro was recognized at VMware Partner Exchange 2015, VMware’s annual partner event, held in San Francisco. “We are pleased to recognize the achievements made in 2014 by our partners,” said Sharat Sinha, vice president, GTM and General Business, APJ, VMware. “VMware is dedicated to educating and equipping our partners with the resources they need to thrive, while providing more agile delivery of IT services – for organizations of all sizes. We congratulate Trend Micro on winning a VMware Partner Network Award and look forward to our continued mutual success in 2015.” “Our partnership with VMware provides our customers with the agility, performance and security to scale and automate their transition to the cloud,” said Partha Panda, vice president, global channel and strategic alliances, Trend Micro. “We are proud of this recognition from VMware that validates the success of our joint commitment to security innovation.” Recipients of VMware Partner Network Award in Asia Pacific were acknowledged in 15 categories for their excellence in performance and distinctive achievements during 2014.
Categories included: • Distributor Partner of the Year • Emerging Markets Distributor Partner of the Year • Enterprise Solution Provider Partner of the Year • End-User Computing Partner of the Year • Innovation OEM Partner of the Year • Marketing Partner of the Year • Renewals Partner of the Year • Rising Star Partner of the Year • Service Provider Partner of the Year • Solution Provider Partner of the Year etc.
MTS announced its entry into home WiFi segment MTS announced its entry into home WiFi segment with the launch of Homespot Instant WiFi solution. This launch marks a strategic shift in focus for MTS from being primarily a dongle-driven data company to a WiFi solutions provider. The specially designed Homespot Instant WiFi solution comes with an MBlaze Ultra dongle which works with a simple plug and play mechanism and can
provide high speed broadband access to 5 users simultaneously including Smartphone customers. The data plans for Homespot Instant Wi-Fi solution have been custom designed for the intended target group: Prepaid users opting for Rs 499 per month plan to get 5GB of data along with FREE WhatsApp and Viber. Prepaid users just need to pay Rs. 1299 to get the device with 10 GB bundled data usage while postpaid users need to pay just Rs. 999.
Videocon Telecom to roll out 4G services in UPE, UPW & Bihar Telecom circles
Videocon Telecom which holds 5 MHz liberalized spectrum in the 1800 MHz band in the circles plans to utilize the entire spectrum for roll out of 4G LTE services in 29 key cities and offer voice on overlay network in these select cities. In remaining coverage area, the telco shall offer 2G voice on own network. The strategy being adapted by the telco is to play low in the cluttered and hyper competitive Voice market and straightway debut in the high potential data market taking the first mover advantage. As per the telco, 4G LTE FDD technology is very efficient on 1800 MHz
and allows greater speeds & accommodates higher subscriber base to provide an unmatched customer experience. This will also give telco the distinction of being the first telco to offer 4G LTT FDD services on 1800 MHz in the country with digital voice. The telco will be making an investment of over Rs 1200 Cr in next 3 years for 4G rollout in 29 cities across these 3 circles. The telco will be rolling out 6 cities in phase 1, 12 cities in phase 2 and another 11 cities on phase 3 covering the key potential cities across these circles. The telco is working closely with Deloitte as their consulting partner and Huawei & NSN as their technology partner, who are also telco’s partners in their existing operations. Among the other opportunities that the telco is foreseeing include ICR arrangement with other telco for 4G data, which could come as an added business line for them or/and barter for voice ICR. The telco which has recently bagged the class A PAN India ISP license plans to prioritize its ISP roll out in these circles to offer Wifi off-loading for its 4G data services. The telco plans to offer 4G data at 2G/3G rates to encourage early adoption, and will be offering bundled devices as well.
LINE and UNICEF sign Global Partnership Agreement LINE and The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) signed a global partnership agreement on February 13, 2015. Jong Nam Oh, Executive Director of The Korean Committee for UNICEF and Jung-ho Shin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LINE Plus Corporation and Chief Globalization Officer (CGO) of LINE Corporation, held ‘UNICEF-LINE Global Partnership Signing Ceremony’ in Seoul on the 13th to agree on sponsorship partnership to support the children of the world. UNICEF-LINE partnership has been strategically led by the UNICEF global headquarters with 11 countries from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, United States, France, Germany, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Spain and India participating simultaneously. The Korean Committee for UNICEF signed the alliance representing all countries 10
mobility February 2015
at the Global Partnership signing ceremony it hosted. Through this strategic partnership, UNICEF and LINE aim to create a brand value with competitive power and raise funds effectively. LINE plans to use character licensing by producing and selling Plush Toy and mugs of its flagship character, Brown, with the UNICEF logo. In addition, LINE will help fundraise by developing and selling digital LINE stickers. LINE’s virtual coin called ‘Free Coin’ will contribute to the fundraising as well. It is anticipated by LINE that various PR and marketing activities will raise the fund of
minimum of Rs. 187 million in 3-years. Jong Nam Oh, the Executive Director of the Korean Committee for UNICEF, said, “It is highly meaningful that Korean Committee participated as a representative for the partnership between UNICEF and LINE, a global corporate and a messenger app used in 230 countries worldwide.” He added that ‘The strategic partnership between UNICEF and LINE is expected to enhance brand value, produce competitive products and, moreover, create synergy to increase sponsoring opportunities for UNICEF using LINE’s digital platform.” Jung-ho Shin, CEO of LINE Plus Corporation and CGO of LINE Corporation, commented, “LINE has been constantly evolving to become the world’s leading mobile life platform. I hope this partnership brings excitement to all LINE users by being able to take on an important role to support the children in developing countries.” The funds raised through global partnership between UNICEF and LINE will be used for children’s relief, especially for the health, nutrition, basic education of children in developing countries. www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
www.mobilityindia.com
mobility February 2015
11 CMYK
CMYK
M o b i l i t y l au n c h pa d
STK Accessories Protection Cases for iPhone 6
For over a decade, Apple has been on the cutting edge of the mobile technology industry,
delivering one revolutionary device after another. STK Accessories has always been there to provide trusted protection for each device and ensure that every time an Apple falls, STK is there to protect it. STK Accessories, a pioneer in a wide range of mobile phones and computing accessories announces a robust lineup of protection cases now exclusively available for iPhone 6. The product line-up includes iphone 6 stand case, ultra thin cases and TPU back cover amongst the brand new cases designed by STK Accessories. STK Accessories has protected several generations of iPhones (and many other devices) and has a reputation for providing solid protection and a good fit. It’s slim enough to not detract from the iPhone 6’s svelte dimensions, while still offering comprehensive protection for the handset’s body, including the buttons. All these cases provide the bulk-free protection for which STK is known and have been carefully designed to complement the new, slimmer profile of the iPhone 6. iPhone 6 Stand case: Priced at Rs. 799/-, this case combines a new, innovative and truly unique engineering approach and is made from faux leather. With the folio design and soft interior lining, it protects the phone from dust, dirt and scratches. The case also becomes a stand for easy viewing of photos or films and has easy access to all phone ports. It is available in Black and White colors. iPhone 6 Ultra Thin Back Cover: This ultra-thin back cover is made from durable polycarbonate material and will provide stylish protection for the iPhone 6. It resists dirt, stains and has an easy access to all phone functions. It features bold, high-resolution and high-style graphics for brilliantly colored cases. This case is made available in Blue, Black, Pink, Yellow, Green and White colors and is priced at Rs. 399/-. iPhone 6 TPU Back Cover: Made of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), this back cover will provide durable protection for the iPhone6. Stiff to touch but remains flexible, shock absorbent and shatterproof, specifically designed for the iPhone 6, this case is the perfect combination of style and strength. It is available in Black and White colors and priced at Rs. 399/-. All the three iPhone 6 Protection cases are now available in a variety of the season’s trendiest colors and patterns at the select retailers in India.
Amkette Announces Super Slim Emergency Power Bank for Your Wallet
Amkette announced the launch of its Super Slim Emergency Power Bank. The extremely thin and portable device fits ideally in your wallet or pocket. The power bank is the perfect gadget which enables a mobile lifestyle amongst its users. So when in emergency, you need not 12
mobility February 2015
worry about charging your devices before an important meeting or for an impromptu fun session with friends. Amkette Super Slim power bank takes care of your phone’s battery so you can take care of things that matter the most to you. Amkette Super Slim comes with a connector which enables sharing your favorite device with everyone else; whether it’s an android phone or all generations of iPhones; from the iPhone 4 to the latestiPhone 6 plus. The Amkette Super Slim power bank is only 6.7 mm in thickness so you can just shove it in your wallet along with your cards and get going. Its super slim card sized design makes it ideal to carry around without feeling the extra baggage. The power bank comes with five layers of protection that are overload protection, overcharge protection, over discharge protection, over voltage protection and short circuit protection. The power bank lasts longer due to its ultimately powerful 2500 mAh power capacity. The device has built in micro USB cable with iPhone 4, 5, 6 connectors. These connectors easily fit into your in-built micro USB connector to charge your iphone instantly. It is compatible with a wide range of devices like smartphones, tablets, cameras, handheld gadgets, etc. The power bank comes with LED indicators. Lights light up red while charging and turn blue when charged fully to give you an easy and convenient status indication. You can charge your portable device and the power bank at the same time without spending time individually on both to make life faster. The device stays charged for several weeks when not used. Amkette Super Slim Power bank retails at Rs. 1395/- across leading retail stores in India and all ecommerce portals.
Inspire comes in a high-gloss finish with 5 level UV painting for the whole body and almost feels weightless to the touch. It fits your palm easily giving you absolute comfort while you work. Thanks to uniform ergonomics, the design of the mouse is such that it works no matter whether you are left-handed or right-handed. Inspire works with high-end Laser Sensor technology that makes it more accurate and quick to react to movements. It is more than 20 times faster and accurate than an ordinary optical mouse. Inspire’s laser precision is spot-on and also works well with Apple computers. The sleek design of the mouse makes it a worthy partner for all your laptops which it complements well. Inspire offers ease of operation like the full function touch scroll panel on the mouse equals a scroll mouse wheel and a click on the middle mouse button equals a double click. It is absolutely portable and Super Slim with thickness of just 9mm. Special unique 4 speeds control makes it a great product for Gamers as well as for professionals. Inspire is based on Wireless 2.4G technology and it supports a wireless distance of more than 10 meters. INSPIRE is available with a price of Rs.2499
Portronics Unveils Its Next Generation Wireless Mouse ‘Inspire’
equipped with a 50.6-megapixel 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor with dual DIGIC 6 image processors, the highest resolution in Canon’s extensive range of DSLR cameras to date. With Optical Low-Pass Filter cancellation (LPF), the EOS 5DSR captures incredibly detailed and sharp images, and alternatively the EOS 5DS reduces the moiré effect using the optical LPF. This dynamic duo is well suited for users who take still landscape and studio photos, as well as commercial images. With a 50.6-megapixel 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor, the EOS 5DSR and EOS 5DS have by far the highest resolution in Canon’s history of EOS cameras. At this sensor resolution, images that are dramatically trimmed or cropped will still retain optimum quality and details for print. Both cameras incorporate technologies to enhance image resolution with minimal sideeffects. To maintain excellent image quality, the EOS 5DS features a standard optical low-pass filter to resolve any unwanted visual distortion, otherwise known as moiré effect. Additionally, for utmost and uncompromised image quality and resolution, photographers may opt for the EOS 5DSR. The EOS 5DSR delivers on fine details and offers spectacular image performance, thanks to
Portronics which is dedicated towards providing portable devices and gadgets with an aim to enhance the functionality and productivity of organizations and individuals. Continuing its surge in providing innovative solutions for a better managed lifestyle, Portronics presents
Inspire which is the world’s first 180 degree fully foldable wireless mouse. This unique inflatable design gives it the versatility to be both a full size mouse as well as a notebook mouse – combining two separate functionalities in one product. The mouse also automatically turns off when in a flat position and switches on when folded.
Canon Launched Two Flagship EOS Cameras, EOS 5DSR & EOS 5DS
Canon breaks new ground with the 50.6megapixel EOS 5D range and the 11–24 mm ultra wide-angle zoom lens. Canon launched the EOS 5DSR and EOS 5DS – two flagship EOS cameras
www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
M o b i l i t y l au n c h pa d
the LPF effect cancellation feature that taps on the full prowess of its 50.6 megapixel sensor. Fine Detail is a new Picture Style preset designed to maximize the camera’s resolution to capture minute details, which are essential in professions such as architecture, landscape, fashion and commercial photography. High performance, unrivalled shooting agility and precision powered by the advanced Dual DIGIC 6 image processors, both the EOS 5DSR and EOS 5DS produce a high-speed readout capability and maximum continuous shooting speed of 5 frames per second (fps), despite the large image data size that comes with 50.6-megapixel image quality. The AF system in these cameras is a highprecision 61-point high-density reticular AF on par with that of the EOS 5D Mark III. It responds sensitively to subject distance and adjusts automatically – even with the subtlest changes in composition. With the EOS iTR (Intelligent Tracking and Recognition) system, the cameras ensure moving subjects will be actively kept in sharp focus. Equally nimble, the camera’s AE (automatic exposure) system uses a 150,000-pixel RGB + IR metering sensor that splits the scene into 252 areas. Each of these areas is analyzed for the correct exposure settings, taking into account visible and infrared light, thus achieving far more accurate metering. To meet the varied needs of users, a unique Custom Quick Control feature has been introduced in the EOS 5DSR and EOS 5DS. The Custom Quick Control screen is an easily accessible information screen for the user to customize their preferred settings. Settings such as aperture, shutter speed, shooting mode and focus mode can be toggled on and off for the screen to display only the most important information. The layout of the screen can also be customized for users to adjust the size and placement of the items, according to their preferences. Taking advantage of the ultra-high resolution capability of EOS 5DSR and EOS 5DS, the new Crop Shooting function offers users the option to crop images for a pseudo telescopic effect when a longer lens is not immediately available. With the 1.3x and 1.6x crop modes enabled, users can still capture a stunningly high 30.5-Megapixels and 19.6-Megapixels image respectively. The Canon EOS 5D range of cameras as well as the EF11-24mm lens will be available in stores within the first half of 2015.
LAVA Launches Iris X8 a New Flagship in ‘iris X’ series
LAVA International Limited announced the launch of a new member to its flagship ‘iris X’ series of smartphones with superior technology,
www.mobilityindia.com
design & easy to use features. The newly launched Iris X8 powered by an Octa-Core processor and 2GB RAM, is a phone designed for today’s smart generation who prefer speed and are looking for an ultimate multi-tasking device. The smartphone has 16 GB of memory, operates on Android v4.4 KitKat, FOTA upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop, and it also comes with an intelligent quick window flip cover accessory available separately out of the box. Besides this, the phone also houses a smart swap technology that allows the user to switch SIMs on the go, without the need to restart the handset. The smartphone has a screen resolution of 720X1280 (HD) and an oil coating on the screen has been provided for a smooth touch experience for the user. The LAVA Iris X8 is powered by a 2500 mAh battery. To further help save on the battery life, Iris X8 comes with an Intelligent Flip cover that allows users to access applications like music, calling, camera, messaging and a few other functions directly without the need of switching to the main screen. Additionally for consumers’ ease of use, the phone has a gesture-recognition functionality with Smart Wake-up and Gesture controls which allows consumers to directly jump to applications from the locked screen. LAVA Iris X8 is available in white & black color for INR 8999. It will be available for sale across all national retail stores and multi-brand outlets. Iris X8 has been available online exclusively on Flipkart.com from 9th Feb.
Millennia ME from Celkon, Phone for Selfie Lovers
Celkon Mobiles launched the new Q54 Millennia ME. With this Celkon continues to deliver cutting edge features packed
smartphones accessible to all income groups under the budget range. A 5MP Selfie camera is a wonderful edition to a lower-mid range model that will please the selfie lovers. Q54 Millennia ME is a dual SIM model powered by 1.2 GHz Quad Core processor. The Kitkat model supports WI-FI, Bluetooth A2DP and 3G video calling making it the most convenient and slim budget phone loaded with the latest features. The highlight of Q54 Millennia ME is its 5” capacitive FWVGA, IPS Display with gravity sensors that makes this a delight for gamers and provides better motion controls. The model is backed by a powerful 2000 mAh lithium ion battery. The internal memory of 4GB expandable up to 32GB and with 512MB RAM, the phone enables
seamless multitasking and provides adequate storage space. Elegant & Stylish in design it comes in a White and Silver variant. Besides packing in the delightful features, the WOW factor for Q54 Millennia ME is its 5MP Selfie front Camera, 5MP Rear Camera with Flash which makes the phone an absolute delight for the selfie lovers. At just 150 gms the Q54 is slim and light to hold. The allin-one Q54 Millennia ME is priced affordably at Rs. 5555/- and will be available in all retail stores and leading ecommerce portals.
Quantum Hi-Tech Launches 7800 mAh Smart Power Bank
QHMPL launches its first Power Bank – ‘Smart Power Bank’ with a WHOPPING 7800 mAh lithium ion battery .With its long life battery for up to 300 to 500 charge–discharge cycles, use it to charge your smartphone/tablet/MP3 or any other gadget, when you see the battery meter sinking into the sunset. Priced at Rs. 1490 MRP, the 7800 mAh Power Bank can power up the gadgets and music players. With the latest launch, Quantum intends
to meet the demands of today’s gadgets, which have become more and more powerful and therefore increasingly power hungry. Other than a massive battery capacity, the point in focus is the special RISC Microprocessor {Reduced Instruction Set Computer} for fast charging and enhanced Battery life. The RISC Micro Processor enables seamless integration into a range of different smartphones and gadgets. It auto adjusts charging voltage and current needs patterned to different Mobile phones. Weighing just 178 grams, the Power Bank contains a large capacity and high-quality lithium ion battery that allows for a safer and longer time usage. It is also equipped with an intelligent digital circuit, which provides five layers of protection including overload protection, over charge, over discharge protections, over voltage protection, and short circuit protection. It is easy to use, lightweight so you do not have to worry about the extra space or weight it will occupy. Furthermore with a small controller, you can switch between charging the battery and providing a USB power supply as needed, letting you top up your mobile phone or MP3 with power via USB – wherever and whenever you need. Even more fun: the controller can also turn the device into a mini LED pocket torch by activating a white LED light. Offered in classic mosaic white color, the Smart Power Bank has a warranty of 6 months which also covers the battery. The product is available at all leading retail outlets and e-commerce websites. mobility February 2015
13 CMYK
CMYK
Mobi li t y ev eN t
Samsung will continue to manufacture its products in India reinforcing its commitment to Make for India
Samsung launches cutting-edge products for India at Samsung South West Asia Forum 2015
S
amsung India Electronics strengthens its overall leadership position by launching a range of innovative products in the smartphones, digital appliances, visual devices categories and also for the enterprise business, at Samsung South West Asia Forum 2015. Forum is Samsung’s flagship event which showcases its select partners and customers the technology and solutions which will drive Samsung’s growth in the region. India is one of the key markets for Samsung where it has emerged as the number 1 company across different product categories. The country has also seen launch of its iconic products based on evolving needs and unique customer insights. In the past 20 years of its operation in India, Samsung has set up 2 manufacturing plants and 3 R&D facilities employing close to 45,000 people. “In 2015, we plan to introduce path-breaking technology across different categories of products, which will enhance consumer experience and strengthen our position in the market,” said Mr. HyunChil Hong, President and CEO, Samsung India Electronics. India is a key strategic market for Samsung and the company has done iconic launches of its products like GALAXY E7, E5 and the first Tizen powered smartphone Z1 in the country. The company has recently announced expansion of Samsung India Electronics’ state-of-the-art mobile phone plant in Noida. The new phone "Samsung Z1" will also be manufactured at the Noida facility with most of the phone’s software being developed at the Noida Research Centre. 14
mobility February 2015
Through its broad product range, Samsung demonstrated how it is bringing consumers seamless navigation, intuitive control and smart solutions into the home and workplace.
Samsung’s key products launched at its Southwest Asia Forum include:
Smart Phones Three 4G enabled smartphones – Galaxy Grand Prime 4G, Galaxy Core Prime 4G and Galaxy J1 4G which are best in class smartphones are designed to help Indian consumers unlock the true
potential of 4G and make the 4G experience more affordable and accessible. Samsung now has a full spectrum of 4G devices with strong product portfolio of 9 smartphones in the market offering faster downloads and upload speeds. Stylish Galaxy A7, the slimmest Galaxy smart phone ever measuring 6.3 mm. The smartphone offers an exceptional blend of elegance and power for consumers. Sporting a full Metal unibody design, Galaxy A7 delivers a superior selfie experience and powerful multitasking performance with sophisticated design. Galaxy A7 features a superior 5.5” Full HD Super AMOLED display for a vivid and expansive viewing experience with brilliant colors and clarity. Galaxy A7 with slim design and superior hardware empowers young consumers to quickly and easily capture meaningful moments and share their daily lives. The Dual SIM capability of the phones also adds to the consumer’s convenience. www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
Mobi li t y persoNa li t y
Digital Appliances The new products launched included the World’s First Convertible refrigerator with Digital Inverter Compressor. The world’s first– patented Dual Fan Technology allows independent temperature control of the freezer and fridge with two separate fans. This revolutionary technology is built into every Samsung Smart Convertible Refrigerator. The consumer can convert the freezer into a fridge and back into a freezer with ease. The user gets optimum cooling
and quick, effective circulation of cool air too. NEO series of Digital Inverter split air conditioner designed for higher saving & durability. Continuing the focus on Digital Inverter segment and the preference of Indian consumers towards floral pattern, NEO series is the new introduction and comes out straight from Samsung’s Chennai Plant. Neo is the first digital Inverter AC range manufactured in India bySamsung and pays close attention to Indian consumers preference towards Saving, Durability and Faster cooling. The Digital Inverter Compressor consumes up to 60% less electricity and cools 26 % more quickly than conventional air conditioning systems. The series allows the user to select “Single user mode” a technology exclusive to Samsungwhich minimizes the energy consumption and reduces electricity bill by adjusting the maximum operating capacity of the compressor. ActivWash+ machines which are designed to save precious time & make doing laundry easier. The ActivWash+ has an innovative design which includes a built-in sink and side water-jet system providing a convenient place to pre-treat heavily soiled clothes and hand wash delicate items, all at one place. Taking fast cooking to new level Samsung introduced Hot Blast technology. The MW8000J HotBlast™ Smart Oven incorporates new technology that makes it possible for a convection microwave to cook ‘oven-like’ food in times up to 50% quicker than a traditional convection oven for Indian market. Samsung developed the HotBlast™ Smart Oven, which offers much more www.mobilityindia.com
than a standard convection microwave oven. The HotBlast™ Smart Oven is fast, powerful and stylish, and enhances culinary experiences while saving users time in the kitchen.
Visual Devices the First “S” Branded tV by Samsung: New SUhd tV Samsung reserves the “S” identification for its most premium, flagship products that signify a true leap forward in technology. As the first “S” branded TV, S a m s u n g ’s SUHD TV is designed to excite all senses, with sensational picture, seamless interaction, and stylish design. Samsung SUHD TVs demonstrate groundbreaking advances in contrast, brightness, color reproduction and detail to deliver a superior picture quality experience. They utilize proprietary, eco-friendly nano-crystal technology and include an intelligent SUHD re-mastering picture quality engine. SUHD TV’s nano-crystal semiconductor transmits different colors of light depending on their size to produce the highest color purity and light efficiency available today. This produces
a wider range of more accurate colors with 64 times the color expression of conventional TVs. The SUHD re-mastering engine automatically analyzes the brightness of images to minimize additional power consumption while producing ultimate contrast levels. This ensures much darker blacks and an elevated brightness 2.5 times brighter than conventional TVs.
JoY Smart tVs Samsung has always believed in closely
reading the tastes and preferences of its customers and creating unique and customized products that cater to their requirements. Samsung will continue this tradition in 2015 by launching Joy Smart TVs – a series of televisions made by Indians for Indians. Joy Smart TV comes with built-in wifi which lets you access the internet and browse your favorite websites through its Smart Browser. Smart Share allows you to share content between your Mobile and Pen Drive connected to Joy Smart TV through Wifi Direct. Furthermore, with Joy Smart TV, you can mirror your smartphone content on your television screen through MHL as well as Wifi.
Enterprise Business Galaxy Tab Active, Samsung’s first ever tablet designed specifically for enterprise to boost business productivity. The next step inSamsung’s legacy of innovation in the tablet category, the
Galaxy Tab Active employs the ruggedized, portable design that professionals desire to take on the demands of today’s challenging business environments. Samsung Smart Signage TVs, Samsung Smart Signage TVs, an innovative TV solution is designed for small and medium businesses (SMBs) and small office/home office (SOHO) owners in India. The business solution combines the informational and
promotional benefits of digital display by sharing various customized in-store promotions and business content, along with the entertainment value of live TV for business customers – all at the same time. The new product is ideal for any small business across industries including retail, education and healthcare among others. Samsung also continued to combine its technical expertise and innovation to bring consumers a new range of products designed to enhance and simplify modern living. mobility February 2015
15 CMYK
CMYK
Mobi li t y r ev i ew
Alcatel One Touch Flash Decent performer in sub 10k category
A
lcatel has launched its budget OneTouch Flash for Rs 9999. After officially announcing Alcatel OneTouch Flash in Thailand back in last September, now they bring it in India via Flipkart. As the smartphones with octa core chipsets are coming with tempting price tags, consumers are also attracted to this segment encouraging the makers to launch more such devices. The latest octa core device which has just hit the market is Alcatel OneTouch Flash.
Features & Design: A 1.4 GHz octa-core with chipset of MediaTek MT6592M powers the Alcatel OneTouch Flash. It comes with Android 4.4.2 KitKat and also some little customized tweaks in User Interface. This device contains a removable 3200 mAh battery. Primary storage for Alcatel OneTouch Flash is 8GB (5.1GB is user-accessible) and the device has a Micro SD card slot with 1 GB of RAM. On the camera front, it has a 13 MP, 4160×3120 pixels rear camera and 5 MP front snapper with features like auto focus, Geo-tagging, LED Flash, panoramic, HDR and face/smile detection. The display for Alcatel OneTouch Flash is IPS LCD capacitive touch screen, 16M colors with size of 1080×1920 pixels, 5.5 inches (~364 ppi pixel density). It has no Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. Alcatel OneTouch Flash supports Dual SIM 2G/3G network. Other Features like WLAN, Bluetooth, microUSB v2.0 and USB Host are present. This device weighs 150 g with dimensions of 152.1×76.2×8.1 mm.
Performance: Alcatel is the most recent company to join the club of selfie phone makers. We have seen many premium and mid segment smartphones being introduced with the selfie feature recently. Now smartphone manufacturers are bringing this feature into budget segment phones also. And apart from that we have seen many budget smartphone manufacturers coming up with cheap octa-core devices, the number of such offerings in the Indian market is on the rise. Alcatel is the most recent company to join the club of selfie phone makers. The Alcatel OneTouch Flash’s price at Rs 9999 appears to be pretty reasonable for an octacore smartphone with decent specifications. The handset packs almost all the desired aspects to compete with the other octa-core smartphones in the same price bracket. The Alcatel OneTouch Flash has a 13 MP snapper at the rear with auto
Mobility Ratings Price
Performance
focus and LED flash for enhanced photography and support for recording FHD 1080p videos. The handset also carries a front facing 5 MP selfie snapper onboard for clicking stunning selfies and video conferencing as well to render a decent performance in its class. Keeping things juiced up in the Alcatel OneTouch Flash is a 3200 mAh battery which we think is pretty good for a device in this price range and it should be capable of pumping acceptable backup under moderate usage. The internal storage capacity of the smartphone stands at 8 GB that is standard for the pricing of the device but it supports expandable storage up to 32 GB with the help of a micro SD card.
Feature
Overall
Cons: Hard to run high-end games smoothly
Specifications: Display
5.5 INCH
Processor Front Camera
1.4ghZFront 5 megapixel
Price: Rs 9999/-
Resolution
720 X 1280 pixel
Verdict:
RAM
1 GB
In this price tag, it has got all the desired features a user can ask for. It has a pretty good battery life and good front camera for quality selfie, but if you are a high-end gamer, then this may not suit you.
OS
Android 4.4
Storage
8 GB
Rear Camera
13 mega pixel
Battery capacity
3200mAh
Pros: Decent battery life, good specs for this price bracket, decent front camera
From Mobility we have introduced our new review section, in which we will be doing some in-depth analysis of latest products which will guide you to choose right kind of gadgets that you are looking for. This month we are reviewing 4 different products for you, do let us know what’s your take on this. Send us your feedback to Jayanta Ghosh, Associate Editor Tech. at jayanta@mobilityindia.com
16
mobility February 2015
www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
www.mobilityindia.com
mobility February 2015
17 CMYK
CMYK
Mobi li t y r ev i ew
Wickedleak Wammy One Decent midrange smartphone with good built and features
W
ickedleak which is a brand known for manufacturing competitively priced smartphones and they are in India from now more than two years. To make their price competitive, they sell direct to customers. Recently Wickedleak has introduced a new smartphone called Wammy One at a price of Rs 7990. Running Android 4.4 Kitkat operating system, the Wammy One features a 5-inch IPS OGS capacitive touch screen.
Design and Features: The Wammy One has a premium look and sports a dual-tone exterior. We must say that Wickedleak has improved a lot on the design side. This Wammy One looks very attractive with a good quality finish. Weight with battery is 133 grams and dimensions are 71.07 x 145.81 x 7.83 (mm). The front panel is made of a Dragontrail glass, protecting the OGS display panel below. The front panel features the capacitive buttons for Home, Menu and Back on the bottom, along with the earpiece and front camera on the top. The volume rocker and power button are placed on the left side of the handset, while the microUSB and headphone jack are available on the top. On the rear panel, which is made of ABS plastic, sports a large speaker grill on the bottom and the rear camera and flash are placed towards the top-left. Below the rear panel is the battery housing with the microSD card slot and the two SIM card slots. Under the hood, the Wammy One is powered with Mediatek MT6592 chipset, which features an 8-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz each and supplied with 1GB of RAM. The internal storage provided is 8GB, of which, the user available capacity is 5.68GB. The Wammy One provides a simple 8MP camera with an LED flash on the rear and also a 5MP front-facing camera. Inside the box, you will find the Wammy one handset, 2800 mAh battery, free flip cover, free plastic case, travel charger, data cable, earphone and user guide.
Performance: The Wickedleak Wammy One is a relatively well built smartphone with a quite a premium look. The Wammy One bundles along a flipcase in the box. The phone features a 5-inch IPS OGS display with a resolution of just 540×960 pixels. It is strange that Wickedleak is moving back to a non-HD display while the rest of the industry 18
mobility February 2015
Mobility Ratings Design
Performance
is heading towards 2K displays and beyond. The OGS display is protected by a Dragontrail glass and comes preinstalled with a screen protector. Wammy One is no different from any regular 8-core Mediatek-powered smartphone. There was no visible lag or sluggishness in the user interface. The stock Android UI adds to the sombre feel and you can use your own choice of an Android home launcher to suit your preference. The high end games like Asphalt 8 were playable and smooth. On the camera side, the 8MP rear camera is quite decent and capable to take quick shots altogether. The front camera has a 5MP sensor, but its performance is average. The smartphone is powered using a 2800 mAh battery, according to the manufacturer, gives an average talk time of 9 hours and around 11 hours of standby time. Price: Rs 8490 Verdict: Priced at Rs 8490, the Wammy One looks a bit
Value for money
Overall
pricy and though it is a improved version of its predecessor, but it will face a tough competition in this segment as it does not with many unique features. Pros: Built quality, decent specs, battery life Cons: Average camera performance
SPECIFICATIONS: • 5-inch IPS OGS display Android 4.4 Kitkat operating system Octa-core processor, • 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal memory expandable up to 32 GB, 8 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera, • 2800 mAh battery www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
CMYK
CMYK
a n a ly s i s
Online Shopping Trends Will Further Increase in 2015
Y
ear 2014 saw online sales leapfrogging making offline retailers feel the heat of the rising competition and urging them to expand their empires to the online market space. Coming to 2015, efficient customer service is going to be the top priority of online retailers. Owing to the escalating tug-of-war between the etailers and retailers and also among the e-commerce firms themselves, it is crucial for online stores to distinguish themselves from other firms and establish their foothold in the market. This is possible only by providing a smooth and hassle-free shopping experience to their patrons, supported strong by customer service. Mobile Technology has gained significant traction in the country, making it essential for e-commerce firms to optimize themselves for the ease and convenience of the shopaholics. The upgradation of mobile technology has resulted
20
mobility February 2015
in more and more consumers using mobile for online shopping instead of Laptop or Desktop. As mobile technology has become more secure and reliable, it has enabled successful shopping experiences for consumers. Today diversification to mobiles and smart phones is no longer going to be a mere option for etailers but a compelling necessity to survive in the fiercely-competitive market. Hence, the e-commerce companies are sure to upgrade and augment their operating systems in conjunction with the needs of their patrons. Online Shopping is poised to get convenient like never before, owing to the escalating influence of social media. The social media platforms have become an effective marketing tool for the online as well as offline firms, making the purchase transactions easier for customers and benefitting etailers in pocketing more profits. Popular social networking site, Twitter has already started the trend with its ‘Buy’ button, to promote in-app purchases. Other social media sites are likely to follow suit. The concept of Express Delivery and Delivery within hours has already gained momentum. If it continues successfully and at the same pace, more and more customers are likely to
Mr. Suresh Sharma, Founder and Director of iSpyPrice. com. As a price comparison site, iSpyPrice.com assists its customers to find the lowest price of products available for sale on various e-commerce websites. The site provides hourly updates for products with fast changing prices like mobile phones, tablets, etc.
www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
a n a ly s i s
get attracted towards online shopping. When the concept of ‘Online Shopping’ was at a rudimentary stage and e-commerce firms were just developing, the inability to deliver fast was one of the major obstacles to attaining success in the industry. The scenario has undergone massive metamorphosis since then, owing to the rising competition and increasing awareness among customers. E-commerce giant Amazon.com, recently announced its plans to develop ‘Delivery Drones’ that will ensure swift and speedy delivery, by shortening the delivery time to around 30 minutes. Besides these, the Price Comparison sites will play a vital role in the year 2015. The elevated competition levels and the thinning line between the brick and click models will bring the price comparison sites into limelight. Hence, the sites are likely to receive enormous www.mobilityindia.com
amount of traffic this year. Online firms are going to clamor for attention often confusing buyers regarding what to buy and from where to buy. It is possible for etailers to take advantage of this
confusion and bombard consumers with offers that imply discounts to cut the competition. In such a situation, it’s always advised to compare the prices of products before taking the final purchase decision. This is where Price Comparison sites come to the fore. Providing hourly updates for products with fast-changing prices, these sites present buyers with the lowest prices available, enabling them to zero in on the product with the right price. Shoppers can gear up for exciting times ahead. E-commerce firms are not going to leave any stone unturned to lure them and the players that will win the race are those that can offer steady innovation, tactical promotions and guarantee customer loyalty and retention in the long run.
mobility February 2015
21 CMYK
CMYK
c ov e r s t o ry
IT TAX
FDI
MSME DIGITAL INDIA
2015
U G T B D E EXPECTATIONS
Industry Expects a Lot From Budget 2015 Will this budget bring “Acche Din” for the Industry?
T
he New Government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative has created a positive spark in the tech industry. Vendor companies, service providers and channel partners expect a slew of reforms in the forthcoming Budget 2015 that would emerge as a boon for the IT industry at large. India Inc is having high expectations from the first yearly Budget of Narendra Modi government. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is expected to give sops to the individual tax payers, unveil initiatives to boost investments by corporate and promote manufacturing as part of the Make In India campaign that aims to make India a global manufacturing hub and create jobs. The manufacturing sector, especially micro, 22
mobility February 2015
small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), has a great deal of expectations from the budget. The sector is hoping to get a boost from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign that aims to promote investment and create jobs. Reforms on issues related to taxation, GAAR and FDI will clearly help the sector to get more longterm investment.
Mr. Debasis Chatterji , CEO, Netxcell Limited "The Economy should start growing again @8% and the interest rates should be reduced to achieve this growth. This budget should take measures to reduce complex and heavy taxation in terms of both personal and corporate income tax. The economy will benefit with more incentives
for the service industry especially tourism. There will be multifold impact of manufacturing in India. Firstly, we will save valuable foreign exchange. Secondly, we will be independent of the erratic supply schedule from the foreign countries. Thirdly and most importantly, our security concerns will be addressed as the entire process will be run in-house. Hence, we will have better www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
c ov e r s t o ry
control on the quality and security aspects. Hence, the 'Make in India' initiative is a welcome move. Moreover further incentives for startups and small scale businesses will help in enhancing employment in the country. The telecom industry needs to be revived with a Realistic 3G spectrum auction. Finalization of a concrete telecom policy will provide clarity and enable ease of doing business for the industry. Tax benefits and incentives for VAS companies to energize the VAS ecosystem are much needed. The government should now look at boosting the telecom sector with the 'Make in India' initiative. Selection of key areas and forming exclusive technology parks for the telecom industry will be a welcome and most necessary initiative. Telecom needs the ecosystem to develop to be able to make in India, hence if government provides incentives to ancillary industries it will boost the sector. Moreover, there should be adequate tax rebates to make it more viable for companies to do business in India."
Mr. Suman Reddy, Managing Director, Pegasystems India "The new government has shown some promise so far in highlighting a few crucial elements for improving the current economic s c e n a r i o , enhancing the investor sentiment thereby leading to country's overall development. As its going to be the first full-fledged budget by the new government, the industry is certainly keen to see some tangible initiatives from the Finance Minister. I believe this budget will set the tone from economic growth path perspective and needs to have strong policy decisions to control inflation and reduce the fiscal deficit. Reduction of oil prices has happened at a good time which will help reduce the deficit. The government should look at giving further boost to entrepreneurship and provide additional support to scale the startups. ITIR was a welcome move; the industry would look forward to more such initiatives. While Make in India is a great initiative announced by the government, the details are yet to be seen and I hope this budget will layout some realistic measures. Telangana state needs a fresh start for certain sectors such as manufacturing and real estate. Any support from the center for these industries with further action from the state government will surely help enhance growth in the state as well. From the IT/ ITES industry perspective, clarity on transfer pricing aspects is much awaited in this budget. Additionally the budget should have www.mobilityindia.com
more support initiatives and mechanisms to boost the startup ecosystem. Initiatives to nurture more engineering talent and boost the skilled manpower in the country with adequate infrastructure assistance should always be in the mix."
On the 'Make in India' initiative The Make in India is a good initiative by the Prime Minister. Several companies in the IT sector have been making in India since a long time including Pega. The industry is in support of the initiative and is shifting from services led to a product led ecosystem which is commendable. Like I mentioned above, ample support from the government's end will be key to nurture this trend. Support for the startup ecosystem with incentives, co-working spaces, trainings and mentoring etc will bring in the desired results on this front. Balancing industry expectations with economy limitations is a tough task; yet it is a wonderful opportunity for government to showcase its vision for the economy and industry. IT manufacturing industries are expecting lower duties on raw materials and growth oriented regime. However, to boost this industry, government needs to focus on import duty and export duty charges. A competitive exchange rate of the rupee and sharper policy focus on sectorspecific issues will help increase the country’s exports.
Ms. Neelam Sharma (Channel Sales Head, ProDot) “We want that new government should make clear business strategies to support ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’ campaigns. A clear roadmap to support ‘Make in India’ will make the country an attractive destination for longterm foreign capital. This will help boost the manufacturing sector which is proving to be a drag on GDP growth rate of the country. Tax reforms in the coming budget are an urgent need. In this direction, push for GST is required. The GST will create a single, unified Indian market to make the economy stronger besides boosting tax collections.” If we import finished ink cartridges then duty payable charges are 16.48%. At the same time, when we are importing refilling ink for same cartridge, then the duty payable charges becomes 28.85% as per applicable rate of taxes. Further due to a notification by custom dept pertaining to valuation of goods, 28.85% duty
gets increased by another 4.6 times to make it around 50-60% on account of loading of prices. Loading as per custom dept is not accepting rates per units, means rejecting commercial invoice made by reporters and banks. As a result, for imaging industries raw material is imported at almost double rate than its actual value which is truly annoying for businessmen. Briefly, the industries have sent a clear message that they are waiting for new government to deliver its good days (Acche Din aane wale hai) promise!
Mr. M A Mannan, Country Manager, Corsair Memory India “The present government of India has been pro-industry since its inception. With more positive vibes from the present government, the right budget would be a necessity to spur the industry growth. The IT industry would look ahead towards drop in CV duty which was recently increased by 2%. Semiconductor industry is totally dependent on China and ’Make in India’ is not possible for these products we expect duty to be dropped to bring positivity in the present slow and dim market.”
Mr. Ramesh Loganathan, Vice President and Managing Director, Progress Software President HYSEA - Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association "I hope something more substantial is set aside towards ITIR and also the Pharma city. We (in Hyderabad) are positioned very well for the Make-in-India initiative given we have a strong defense/aerospace presence and also pharma/life sciences. I believe some incentives to boost these segments and local manufacturing would help the city and state. From the IT Industry perspective the long elusive transfer pricing clarity is one serious expectation from this budget. The various skill development initiatives getting to a mainstream operational mode is another expectation. For the startup ecosystem, clarity in operationalizing the 10K Cr startup fund will be great. The implementation will boost growth thereby enabling startups. More specific policy support that incentivize and support incubators will be a major boost to early stage ecosystem. Moreover, programs/initiatives to encourage the startups and develop prototypes in colleges is necessary. An effective mindsetmobility February 2015
23 CMYK
CMYK
c ov e r s t o ry
altering initiative will be very helpful in getting more graduates to think about starting up and making in India.”
Mr. Rajiv Shah, Director, Asia Powercom Pvt Ltd “The upcoming budget 2015-16 is an opportunity for new government to speed up the reform process unveiled over its first eight months in office. The market growth rate has already started improving and the forecast for the next year is even better, we need a blueprint for sustained and sustainable growth over the next decade or two. Income Tax and Companies Act- both have been a major concern to all the businesses. The government also has been postponing the introduction of DTC and GST. Biggest benefit will be that multiple taxes like octroi, central sales tax, state sales tax, entry tax, license fees, turnover tax etc will no longer be present and all that will be brought under the GST. Business now will be easier and more comfortable as various hidden taxation will not be present.”
TiE Hyderabad Fostering Entrepreneurship Globally Mr. Safir Adeni, President - TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) "We would expect government to focus on minimizing indirect taxes and not imposing retrospective taxes. The industry would also certainly like to see a pro-investor tax policy and avoidance of double taxation for foreign i n v e s t o r s to enhance investments in the country. In order to boost the startup ecosystem, we have 4 suggestions for the government. First, it should adopt tax policy framework of countries like Singapore and New Zealand for faster growth of start-ups. It should also avoid 'Angel Tax' which negatively impacts the fund raising activities of start-ups as they have to dilute more stake to cover the tax amount. Third, there should be a structured disbursement of the incubation fund as a streamlined process. Last, government should review Companies Act to make it simpler and less expensive for start-ups to maintain compliances." 24
mobility February 2015
Mr. Alan D Souza, CEO, Vavia Technologies "After Mr. Arun Jaitley’s session with the CEOs of Indian software and hardware companies, it is quite evident that this year the government is definitely focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation. As a start-up, we expect the government to promote investments on IT infrastructure and motivate entrepreneurs to adopt new technologies. Further to this, the sector expects the government to introduce various IT and software parks to promote growth."
Mr. Pramod Saxena, Founder & MD, Oxigen Services "We are hoping that this year government gives infrastructure status to Payments Industry. Additionally, we hope that government would encourage electronic transactions by giving tax concession to merchants a c c e p t i n g electronic transactions instead of cash and payments fee be exempted from Service tax," says Pramod Saxena, founder and CMD, Oxigen services India." Ambika Sharma, Founder, Pulp StrategyAn experiential marketing firm providing Oneto-One marketing technological solutions to Industry Giants. "We hope that this year’s budget will focus on providing growth incentives to entrepreneurs and the IT Sector startups. We expect the government to actively support the development of India’s high potential firms by providing a positive ecosystem for growth. We are Positive that with the new focus on Make in India and the digital growth plans the budget will be inclusive and focused on progressive growth."
Mr. Y Guru, Chairman & Managing Director, Celkon Mobiles "What the Government does to leverage the unique position that India is in today will define if we are going to end up being a super economy or a country that could have been one. The intrinsic strengths of the country on their own cannot be the drivers of growth, the government needs to really create hard and soft business friendly environment to give credence to its intent of driving growth. The need of the moment to showcase the fact that this government means what it says. In the telecom industry context the scope to
leverage the industry to aid the overall growth is tremendous. We are in a new era - hence business investments in current times should not be viewed plainly in terms of Plant & Machinery but investments in terms of technology and infrastructure should be given more weightage when formulating incentives. Incentives on investments are required to accelerate the economic growth and improve the business sentiments and therefore have a positive spinoff all around. Therefore the government should redefine the policies related to investments and provide for rebates/ incentives accordingly. The government has the opportunity to support and encourage with various benefits/ incentives/schemes for those companies which have global aspirations and are taking Indian brands to a global market place. These companies may or may not be manufacturing the products in India - but the resultant impact on the perception of what India can do, could be significant. In order to boost the sector, the government should refund 100% of import duties for all exports made by Indian companies. We believe reduction of import duties with an option to allow businesses to Make in India will be a welcome move. This will give a huge boost to the Make in India initiative and also enable Indian businesses to exponentially grow. Creating a suitable ecosystem for manufacturing in India and more importantly creating a favorable perception of India being business-friendly is extremely necessary at this stage. I believe the government should take this aspect on priority. Reducing Corporate Income Tax to 20% to enhance growth is another aspect the government should consider - as a rider they can create a mechanism that this is linked to the investments being made. "
Mr. Pardeep Jain, Managing Director, Karbonn “As India is going to achieve a 25% share in global mobile phone manufacturing by 2019, the industry expects that the Union Budget will encourage domestic manufacturing with policies like tax holidays and interest www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
c ov e r s t o ry
subsidies and help the Indian telecom sector reach new benchmarks. The mobile segment in India has immense potential and can be looked at as a great platform to create millions of jobs in the country. In Budget 2015, the government should be introducing policies that encourage local manufacturing of mobile phones and help increase mobile phone user base in India. The indigenous handsets will strengthen the Digital India initiative, as mobile players would be able to cater to the masses in large volumes. The demand of mobile devices is increasing and domestic manufacturing has not been able to match up to the ever-changing needs of Indian mobile market. The need of the hour is to boost manufacturing to save money by reducing imports and increase the export of homegrown products. In addition to that, the strong willingness and campaigns around Digital India initiative will help in developing a digital environment in the country and create an eco-system of digital literacy and Indian Information Superhighway. With the favourable policies along with locally manufactured products, we expect to see billion hands using mobile phones for communicating and sharing data in coming years.”
Mr. Sanjay Kapoor, Chairman, Micromax “India is one of the fastest growing mobile phone markets in the world but still it lags behind China as majority of handset makers including the Indian brands manufacture their devices in China. It's very essential that the government provides a filip to the manufacturing sector in the country by making its policies more powerful and competitive too. The government should no more stick to their age-old policies and help in motivating the sector and formulate more supportive rules and regulations to speed up the eco-system in order to promote manufacturing of smart devices in the country. If the government fails to comply with the demands, then it will be difficult for smartphone manufacturers to provide the latest technology at affordable prices, that's an aim of the Digital India initiative. The indigenous products will help the country to realise the vision of programs like Digital India and Make in India, and mobile and Internet will expand their reach to more vast consumers. The government is expected to introduce some friendly policies in Budget 2015 that will include tax holidays and interest subsidies to give a huge boost to domestic handset manufacturing and increase the mobile phone user base in India.”
www.mobilityindia.com
Mr. Jerold Pereira, CEO at Videocon Mobile Phones
Mr. Shravi Kohli, Trikuta Agency
India is already one of the world’s largest mobile phone markets, and is fast becoming one of the world’s largest smartphone markets. The Make In India initiative started by the Government is a great opportunity for the country to focus more and more on building indigenous capabilities both in the hardware and software sides of this technologydriven industry. We are optimistic that the upcoming budget would send the right signals to key players at all levels of the value chain, particularly to those players required to help the country build its own eco-system and infrastructure required to support local manufacturing. The collateral benefits are greater employment opportunities, higher quality standards, better pricing and more.”
Well, waiting with fingers crossed hoping good days for middle class families for whom it has become difficult to survive because of unnecessary tax burdens.
What Local Distributors ExPeCt from this Budget? Mr. Shankar, Vijay Computers & Consultancy VAT charges should be less and tax reformation is an urgent need that should be worked on urgently.
Mr. Jai Prakash Gandhi, Khushi Photoz Government should work on import duty charges and more relaxation should be given on Income tax so that common man can save more.
Mr. Amit Kumar, Cyber Computers We want new government to reduce import duty on raw materials to promote ‘Make in India’ campaign and finished goods should be exported at better rates.
Mr. Prakash Nath Tandon, Tandon & Co. We want more tax rebates and betterment in budget plan that can help us to grow more this year.
Mr. Akhil Sharma, Computer Paradise VAT charges should be reduced and interest rates on home loans should be revised.
Mr. Ajay Bhatt, Jaagnath Stationers and Suppliers We want new government to bring down excise duty on hardware and It products.
Mr. Rajendra Choudhary, Satyam Stationery We expect improvement in VAT and other tax charges. At the same time, import duty should be minimized so that we can purchase more raw materials.
Mr. Prassannem, Vasavi Systems Government should minimize service tax and t e c h n o l o g y implemtation costs should be reduced considerably.
Mr. Matthew, Green Systems We want Indian Government to push GST so that unified Indian market can be created to make the economy stronger. mobility February 2015
25 CMYK
CMYK
trendsetter
Huesnstrokes.com, India`s first online art portal to provide platform to showcase the talent of India's unsung artists across India
O
ver the years the Indian art market has grown substantially achieving its peak in 2007 with a market size of Rs 2,000 crore Based on the latest figures available, the Indian art market is thought to be worth anywhere between Rs 1000-1200 crore* with paintings comprising 99% of the art market. A significant achievement considering the Indian art market was worth only approx. Rs 50crore a decade ago. However, the difficulty with the art market is that so much of the value of art is tied to the ‘judgments’ of commercial art establishments. These establishments have access to privileged information that is not made universally available and so the market is drastically distorted and arbitrary. Thus, it is this niche nature of the market mechanism that makes it difficult to study and access information publically and objectively.
Indian Art market: Global vs. Domestic The Indian art market’s expansion has been lackadaisical, with contemporary Indian art being sold abroad since the 1990’s unlike its international counterparts. China, being the best example, has marked its presence in the global art world before attending to its domestic opportunities. Locally, the market has taken flight since 2000 with the emergence of a handful of auction houses since, still primarily functioning via the Internet primarily targeting domestic buyers. Interest in modern Indian art yet tends to be driven by NRI’S, PIOS and a minority of resident Indians. The domestic market thus appears as a differentiated subsystem of society, which is
Art and artistic works have existed for almost as long as humankind: from early pre-historic art to contemporary. Art plays an important role in the development of any nation and represents a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices. Culture and creativity manifest in almost all economic, social and other activities. A country as diverse as India is symbolized by plurality of culture and
Ms. Anita Wadhwani, Founder, Huesnstrokes.com 26
mobility February 2015
art forms. Today, India has one of the most diverse forms of art and each state has its own unique style of art. www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
trend setter
dominated by the mechanisms of the global art market due to a lack of a corrective domestic museum culture and arts patronage. Artworks are bought and used not only for their intrinsic value or ability to fulfill a material need, but also for the many connotations that they take on in a given cultural environment. Indian art is deeply rooted in recycled notions of a consolidated culture. The singularity of the Indian culture within its heterogenic environment provides fundamental blocks to understanding the complexities of the culture and the art it produces. Thus .the
appreciation (and purchase) of Indian art is predominantly by individuals of Indian decent or those who have a profound understanding of the copious connotations of the culture. Lately economic globalization of the art market has encouraged the cultural globalization of art worlds and led to the decentralization of the universal market.
Participation of Buyers Until 2011 the 100top-rated Indian artists generated 97% of their income in the USA and UK, while in 2013 the domestic market has increased their participation with that statistic falling marginally to 94.3%. Christie’s has also reported that 50% of their buyers of Asian Sales are now Indians residing in the sub-continent. This change can be accredited to a strong momentum in the domestic art marketplace, increased international and national appeal of Indian art, expansion of domestic collectors and sounder economic conditions along with a greater local awareness of the arts. Also the categorization of art as a luxury item imparts it when an elasticity of quantity demanded highly correlated with disposable income and substitute goods such as equities, stocks, real estate and gold. Its illiquidity and negative correlation to the financial market makes it locally easily substitutable especially when the country’s GDP has grown only 4.4%in 2013 coupled with increasing inflationary rates and decreasing gross disposable incomes. Yet there is substantial ground to be covered; www.mobilityindia.com
in 2013 only four Indian artists found themselves among the top 500 global contemporary artists, down from 10 in 2011 with four of our PAG masters (Raza, Souza, Husain, Tyeb) making it to the top 500 modern artists at auction. Anish Kapoor, Bharti Kher, Subodh Gupta and Ravinder Reddy are international favorites, generating close to 99% of their annual sales from abroad, achieving record prices at auctions in New York and London. Contemporary artists such as Kapoor are citizens of the world, moving away from the traditional confines of artistic technique and mediums have earned major sales in London and New York, but surprisingly not domestically. Along with PAG masters continuing their influence on the market, locally as well as internationally.
showcase India’s vibrant untapped talent. This portal has been set up by Anita Wadhwani and artist Akshay Verma,who are only instruments in creating awareness about India’s unexplored talent. The portal features artists across India including from Tier II and Tier III cities and has participation from even from smaller towns such as Katni(Madhya Pradesh), Ludhiana (Punjab),Guwahati (Assam), Beed(Bihar) and Nashik(Maharashtra) to name a few. The portal’s endeavor is to bring forth young new talent,especially from smaller cities and economically weakersections. The mission of Huenstrokes.com is to respect and applaud the creativity of artists across India and encourage budding talent.
Size of Indian market is about to explode
“The portal encourages artists with special needs such as Anand S. from Chennai, who despite his congenital disability originating from a spinal malformation follows his passion for art. Undeterred by physical discomforts and mental agony due to his longstanding physical ailments, he continues to paint. Though he cannot use the brush but is adept with the palette knife, with which he brings to life landscapes, which are semi abstract or semi realistic in both oil and acrylics.” Additionally, this art portal also provides customization of art,wherein the customer can choose an artist from the portal and a painting can be specially tailor made as per the requirement of the customer in terms of size, colour, aesthetics and even budget. This one of a kind masterpiece will be specially designed keeping the taste and preference of the customer. The portal features different genre of art and includes abstract, figurative, religious, landscape, charcoal drawings, contemporary, children as well as sculptures and photographs. The portal currently features more than 150 artists with 1500 paintings and plans are to increase this to Every painting/sculpture is an original work of art and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity The paintings in the portal are reasonably priced and commencefrom Rs.2,000 onwards. The portal offers Cash on Deliveryservices and the painting are delivered within 12 days of receiving the order.The shipping of the paintings is Free of Cost.
The Indian market has great potential with first mover advantage still available for investors. The global turnover of the Indian art market is under Rs.1500cr, including primary and secondary sales. The most expensive Indian artwork sold for Rs.23.7 cr with 50 paintings selling above Rs.5cr as compared to the most expensive international painting worth Rs.200cr. Globally one major evening sale of Christie’s (or Sotheby’s) brings in Rs.1500cr equivalent to the global turnover of the Indian market. The Indian collector pool is increasing along with its HNWI’S, targeting a handful of masters working in the last 70 years with extremely limited supply. On analysis, one sees the price structure increasing for masters, easily estimated between Rs1cr to Rs2cr while their international counterparts demand Rs20-100cr ($4million20million) and Chinese averages ranging between $20-40million. While comparing other Indian asset classes to the international segment, the price difference in minimal. Looking at the current trends, the expected market turnover is estimated Rs.1500cr-Rs.2000cr over the next decade, especially a tremendous increase in prices of masters. Over a period of time, the Indian art scene has been dominated by few artists, who are aggressively promoted across India and abroad.There is a plethora of talent in India, unfortunately, many artists are not able reach out and the art world remains monopolized by a few, making it highly expensive and unaffordable. Huesnstrokes.com has been set as a platform to
Ms. Anita Wadhwani, Founder, Huesnstrokes.com
mobility February 2015
27 CMYK
CMYK
s m a rt au tom at i on
Car or Driver Intelligence – Which will Lead the Future? Peter Bolesza,
Vice President, Emerging Markets, NNG
After the last Consumer Electronics Show, we could see more clearly which new technologies will be the priority for car manufacturers in the coming years. It might even be worth a moment to analyze these trends a bit further
Autonomous driving – no drivers, only passengers After attending CES and reading numerous summaries on the show, it is no secret that, in regard to automotive technologies, the focus of the industry is turning to autonomous driving. As car sensors and processors get more powerful and less expensive, the cars of the future will have more capabilities than ever before. Increased power at a lower price also means that the array of developing technologies will be a centerpiece of both luxury automotive categories and affordable automotive categories. The result: selfdriving technology will be available to the wider public sooner than we may think. If the future task of driving is entrusted to sensors and technology, it means that the connection between the driver and the driving experience will be greatly reduced until that connection disappears altogether. When that happens, the role of the driver as we know it today will become obsolete, turning everyone into a passenger. The challenge for automotive manufacturers and suppliers will be to pinpoint and develop the necessary technologies to realize this future while building interiors and infotainment systems that focus more on entertainment and connectivity rather than information transference. The principal focus today is figuring out how to make the driving experience better, but a few years from now, we’ll have to figure out how to make the driving experience more social, connected and enjoyable. This shift is not in the distant future, as systems are already being developed that allow passengers to communicate directly with the driver, whether it is suggesting another waypoint in the navigation system or choosing new music – all by the simple touch of rear seat screens. As such, connectivity and integration are the keywords that drive the development of the in-car experience.
Connecting everything with everything 28
mobility February 2015
Everything is getting connected, and that includes our cars, which are now capable of communicating with smartwatches, wearables, homes, other cars and the environment; but the smartphone is presently the dominant device that is connected to our cars and seems to determine the core driving experience and how we interact with the vehicles around us. Google and Apple serve as the current placeholders for that trend. However, important questions must be raised: were our smartphones designed to provide the best driving experience and do we really need the same experience in the car that we have on our phones? The answers to these questions depend largely on personal preference. I think that the car-smartphone relationship should be the other way around. The smartphone should be a useful companion for driving. This enhances the overall driving experience by providing another platform for communication – one that is integrated into the car and can assist drivers while they are out of the car. However, as more and more cars roll out of the manufacturing line with built-in Internet, we are tasked with figuring out what to do with our smartphones while we drive. In most cases, cars become connected through the driver’s smartphone, and head units are fully integrated with a companion application that can be used when the driver is outside the car. But this trend will change as cars become equipped with Internet.
Navigation and apps
Advances in navigation technology provide a prime example of how increased connectivity affects the driving experience. Drivers can use their smartphones to plan routes while at home, in the office, or spontaneously during a walk, and all that information automatically synchronizes with a car’s ecosystem upon entering the vehicle. Passengers also have the freedom to use their own screen or application to influence the driving experience. This makes the relationship between cars and passengers more interactive
without sacrificing the core online features of navigation, such as up-to-date weather and fuel price information. We at NNG are continuously developing our solution in this category. NavFusion makes the connectivity between driving and navigation more seamless, but still allows car manufacturers to own the branding of the overall driving experience – something that giant smartphone makers fail to do.
Context is the key
Besides safety, context becomes the biggest challenge when integrating smartphones into our infotainment systems. Bringing the smartphone and increased connectivity into the car means that we are also bringing more apps into the driving space. Providing context is the process of selecting and showing the most relevant information at the time when it is most needed. Because we are still drivers – and not only passengers – it is essential to control the ever-increasing information that flows into the driving space. If we fail to do that, we risk becoming overloaded by apps and notifications while we perform driving maneuvers – both routine and advanced. We want to make available only the apps and notifications that help us drive more safely and more efficiently. This can be done by effectively controlling what is displayed –primarily what is necessary for driving – and by running apps in the background to prevent distractions. I am convinced that connectivity is both the present and the future of the driving experience, and in-car connectivity will develop until it reaches a point when the need for a driver is no longer necessary. But we have to remember that we are still drivers, so improving the driving experience is the biggest task for automotive suppliers. This remains the key focus of NNG as we develop the best solutions for the near and distant future. As is the case in many markets, these automotive and technological trends are emerging in India. Winning ‘The Automotive Navigation of the Year 2014’ title with our local partner ANS proves that we are at the forefront of this development. Our goal is to bring these trends and technologies closer to our everyday lives in India, and to make them available – and, more importantly, affordable – for the wider public. www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
www.mobilityindia.com
mobility February 2015
29 CMYK
CMYK
tech nology focus
Connected phone, connected house, connected car, … connected body?
A
s the Internet of Things evolves and becomes the Internet of Us, security expert Kaspersky Lab has teamed up with Swedish bio-hacking community BioNyfiken to uncover the realities of connecting our bodies to the Internet. Once confined to Hollywood blockbusters and sci-fi novels, in 2015, the number of humans upgraded by technological devices is increasing in number. Thanks to the invention and widespread adoption of implantable aids such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, hearing aids and deep brain stimulation systems, the world is filling with humans who could be considered part machine.
But recent media reports describe another breed of upgraded humans, people who to implant technology in their bodies not for medical reasons, but simply because of greater convenience in everyday life; people with smart implants that allow them to control door locks, make purchases and gain access to computer systems with the wave of a hand. The question then arises, when we allow our bodies to contain increasing amounts of personal, hackable data, is there cause for concern? BioNyfiken, a Sweden-based bio-hacking community, is leading the charge in normalizing the chipping phenomenon and bringing it to the masses. Their view is that having a smart sub-dermal 30
mobility February 2015
implant is not so different from wearing an earring or having a tattoo, and that an increasing number of people will choose to have NFC-compatible implants containing an array of information. Patrick Mylund Nielsen, Senior Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab, said, “The trend within the Internet of Things has been to create products and get them to market fast. Security is often an afterthought, if it's even a thought at all. And although bio-augmentation has been the topic of science fiction for as long as we can remember, not many stories dealt with its everyday implications: What happens when our private keys are under our skin? Can somebody become a virtual copy of me by shaking my hand? Who might be following me everywhere I go? ‘Nyfiken’ means curious in Swedish, and when it comes to answering these questions, indeed we are.” “The technology is already happening,” says Hannes Sjoblad, one of the founders of BioNyfiken. “We are seeing a fast-growing community of people experimenting with chip implants, which allow users to quickly and easily perform a variety of everyday tasks, such as allowing access to buildings, unlocking personal devices without PIN codes and enabling read access to various types of stored data. “I consider the take-off of this technology as another important interface-moment in the history of human-computer interaction, similar to the launches of the first Windows desktop or the first touch screen. Identification by touch is innately natural for humans. PIN codes and passwords are not natural. And every additional device that we have to carry around to identify ourselves be it a key fob or a swipe card, is just another item that clutters our lives.”
“That’s why we felt it was crucial to work alongside a leading security expert who really understands the technology to help us analyze the risks. Kaspersky Lab is the ideal research partner for BioNyfiken. They are not only highly regarded security experts and thought leaders, but have been at the forefront of emerging technologies and cutting-edge research from their inception.” “We look forward to working alongside Kaspersky Lab experts in an open research project to explore the vulnerabilities of these chips in everyday, human-user situations and if vulnerabilities are found, it will of course be necessary to identify ways to tackle them.” Further to its research with BioNyfiken, Kaspersky Lab will be co-hosting events with the broader bio-hacking community in Sweden and across Europe, aiming to put security and privacy aspects on the agenda. There are already a number of hi-tech buildings in Sweden, such as Epicenter, catering to forward thinking business where NFC implants are regularly used for a range of activities, replacing additional devices. Eugene Kaspersky, Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, remarked, “Personally, I’d rather not be chipped. I do however understand that technological progress cannot be hindered and there will be innovators who are ready to accept the risk and test the limits of technology by experimenting on their own bodies. I’d just rather they did this with their eyes open and with security at the forefront of their minds, instead of as a retrofit after-thought, as so often occurs.” “That’s why I’m pleased that BioNyfiken has chosen us to work with on investigating the security implications of connecting our bodies to the web. It might be that our researchers find no concerns, but if people are going to have NFC chips inside them, I’d want to be sure that the experts had thoroughly investigated all the ramifications.” www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
www.mobilityindia.com
mobility February 2015
31 CMYK
CMYK
mobi li t y persona li t y
In India, UTStarcom witnesses a huge interest among operators to develop Carrier Wi-Fi and SDN/ NFV technologies, which we seek to address with our cutting-edge products
In an interview with Mobility, Shalin Shah, Co-GM-India Operations, UTStarcom shared some of his insights 32
mobility February 2015
www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
APP p e r s o n a l i t y
What are your plans for India? Today, the telecom sector in India is experiencing a transition unlike anything we have seen before. Being one of the fastest growing big economies in the world, India is also experiencing a rapid growth of data consumption which is accelerating year after year. We are focusing on a number of key areas in the Indian market where our technologies can facilitate this growth. One such area that we have been very closely monitoring and looking forward to participating is the NOFN program. We aim to introduce our core competency, which is the packet optical transport where we have recently introduced 100 Gigabit Ethernet services product - TN765 that we think will be the best solution for the program. In India, we see a huge interest from operators in developing the Carrier Wi-Fi market, along with an interest in SDN/NFV (Software Defined Networking and Network Function Virtualization) technologies, which we seek to address with our cutting-edge products. Also with so much talk happening about Smart Cities, we are developing solutions that will help to address the requirements of the smart city network infrastructure.
How UTStarcom is partnering with Gov? The government of India makes significant efforts to improve quality of people’s lives through many initiatives in IT and telecom sectors. UTStarcom, with its long time presence in India and with its focus on the Indian telecom market needs, embarked on the development of an ‘Advanced Indian Digital Highway,’ and looks forward to building close and efficient partnerships in the country within the scope of government initiatives. The company plans to offer cost-effective transport, aggregation and access networking solutions to support Wi-Fi deployment, NOFN and Smart City projects. We are closely following the government’s roadmap and have made our telecom infrastructure solutions portfolio ready to support its vision. We believe that the only way in which we can become a larger infrastructure player is by working closely with the government, developing products and solutions optimized for the needs of government initiatives. We have discussed recently with the government the expansion of broadband services in India, Smart City model and Wi-Fi implementation, and we see them as great breakthroughs for the country.
What new initiatives and innovations do you foresee in this segment? The deployment of modern telecom infrastructure fitting into contemporary telecom market paradigm (including smart city www.mobilityindia.com
deployments etc.) will require smart networks to guarantee reliable and efficient connectivity everywhere, every time and for everybody, providing at the same time a reliable technological platform to operators and service providers to boost their profitability and business growth. We believe that the future of networking will rely more on software, which will accelerate the pace of innovation in the telecom industry as it has done in the computing and storage domains. SDN/NFV technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way our broadband service provider customers operate and meet the evolving needs of their end-users. SDN/NFV technologies help to enhance overall network performance and efficiency and improve customer experience, and are particularly useful in telecom networks for a speedier entry of value added services and business models into the telecom sector. Speaking about India, we have found the Indian market ready for the implementation of a PTN networks that are SDNised. We believe that India can jump directly from a legacy no-PTN infrastructure to an architecture that is fully ready for a SDN function. With explosive data traffic growth and swiftly evolving applications, customer needs as well as business models and requirements to telecom infrastructure, implementation of this technology will give a lot of benefits to the country in terms of networks efficiency, scalability and flexibility. Another important area of innovation is Carrier Wi-Fi. With a number of new technologies facilitating seamless roaming (between hotspots, between Wi-Fi SPs, and even between Wi-Fi SPs and MNOs), improved quality of experience, integration with operator’s core (including mobile network core) and various embedded solutions for value-added services, Wi-Fi becomes the technology that can provide an optimal solution for many markets and verticals, and is going to play increasingly important role in the future telecom industry, being an important part of M2M, Internet of Things and other emerging trends.
As India has a vast area, what kind of challenges and roadblocks are you expecting and prepared to overcome? The telecom industry faces serious challenges today, like growing customer expectations for reliable and efficient connectivity being available everywhere, serious imbalance between the growth of traffic and volume of provided services on one hand, and saturated ARPU and declining profitability on the other hand. These challenges along with growing competition in telecom sector are putting huge pressure on telecom operators and service providers. In order to keep profitable (or even survive), they must stand out in the market with the most advanced and
creative services offering and attractive pricing. They have to hold the consumers’ interest in their services through the ability to adopt swiftly to changing market requirements and to evolving customers’ expectations, and they must use the most efficient, scalable and future-proof telecom technologies to keep their costs in check. UTStarcom helps them to address these needs with its cutting-edge network solutions, which are aimed at increasing the efficiency of telecom infrastructure, reducing related costs and providing the flexibility to implement various business models and swiftly introduce new services. We will be delivering cuttingedge packet optical transport and broadband access solutions coupled with a carrier grade Software Defined Networking platform to give telecommunications carriers the power to efficiently serve the rapidly growing demand for bandwidth from cloud-based services, mobile, streaming and other applications.
What role do you see for yourselves in the Smart City initiative? Smart City is a great initiative aimed at increasing the efficiency of city infrastructure, reducing related costs, optimizing resources consumption, improving quality of life of city residents. With our smart network solutions, we promise to transform today's static networks into flexible, programmable platforms with the intelligence to allocate resources dynamically, bringing lots of benefits to dynamic and adaptive telecom infrastructure of smart cities. We are ready with our transport, aggregation and access networking solutions that can fit into virtually any area of the smart city concept, providing an efficient and reliable access and transport telecom infrastructure for all Smart City applications. Our carrier-grade Wi-Fi solution is extremely well suited for smart city access applications. The solution offers very high reliability and scalability, and provides extreme performance and extended feature set as required for smart city implementations. A single platform can serve up to 2.6 million subscribers through up to 120,000 wireless access points throughout the city. Our end-to-end Wi-Fi product portfolio consists of a full range of indoor and outdoor access points, centralized wireless network control system and services management solution that can efficiently address the needs of smart city related applications. The Wi-Fi network core based on highly efficient integrated all-in-one MSG platform helps to reduce TCO significantly, which may be critical for successful implementation of Smart City projects. On top of that, the solution offers multiple monetization options, which can make the smart city projects much more attractive to commercial service providers. mobility February 2015
33 CMYK
CMYK
Mobi li t y a pps
EXCITING CRICKET APPS TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ABOUT
WORLD CUP 2015
C
ricket, the most followed sport in India. Unlike most of the fast-paced sports like soccer and hockey, it requires patience. Even the shortest version of it takes double the time of a long soccer match. It is also said that patience is a virtue of gentlemen. Perhaps, that is
why the game is often deemed as “the game of gentlemen.” When technology is blended with cricket it becomes even more exciting. A cricket lover wants all time cricket updates when his favorite match is going on, but obviously one cannot
watch it on TV all the time, but Microsoft Devices brings you exciting Cricket Apps to keep you updated about your favorite game, cricket. If you are a die-hard cricket lover, here are some cricket apps on Windows Store which will interest you!
STREET CRICKET The rough play, the dust, the nostalgia of cricket in your own gully; that is what Street Cricket is all about! In this version, the rules are modified to suit the ground situation while the usual excitement of the game remains intact.
CRICBUZZ ESPNCRICINFO
The ESPNcricinfo Windows 8 app provides comprehensive coverage of cricket from around the world from espncricinfo. com. With live ball-by-ball scoring, comprehensive news, features and editorial content, it's the most beautiful way yet to follow cricket.
Get the fastest cricket score updates and ball-by-ball commentary available on the web via CricBuzz directly on to your Windows Phone. If you can't be at the match live, CricBuzz's commentary is definitely the next best thing, with its incredibly high speed ensuring you get to read about the action as it happens on the field. With an intuitive interface that makes browsing easier than it has ever been, find scores
POWER CRICKET T20 Power Cricket T20 lets you play against the 9 best cricket teams from all across the world! Use your cricket bat to smash boundaries! Complete your quest of winning 3 prestigious tournaments against some of the toughest competition in the world! POWER CRICKET T20 FEATURES: • Play against 9 of the top cricket playing nations, including Australia, Pakistan and South Africa! • Choose to hit straight down the ground or play the ball on the off side or leg side.
34
mobility February 2015
www.mobilityindia.com CMYK
CMYK
www.mobilityindia.com
mobility February 2015
35 CMYK
CMYK
Date of Pub: February 2015 | Postal Dt.: 27th & 28th of same Month/ Posted at NDPSO
R.N.I. No. DELENG/2004/14198 Postal Reg. No.: DL(S)-01/3442/2013-15
CMYK