ITV

Category: iWorld

  • Amazon business head join Housing.com, to strengthen full-service transactions

    Amazon business head join Housing.com, to strengthen full-service transactions

    MUMBAI: Housing.com has appointed Vivek Jain as chief product and technology officer to focus on strengthening the product and engineering aspects of the business to help steer Housing.com towards its goal of becoming a full-service transaction player.

    Housing.com CEO Jason Kothari said, “Our goal is to become the most trusted and the leading end-to-end real estate transaction platform in the country, and robust product and technology innovation will be important for us to achieve that. Vivek comes with best-in-class product and technology leadership experience, global exposure and an entrepreneurial mind-set, which is a unique mix, and one that blends seamlessly with the thinking and culture at Housing.com. I believe Vivek’s addition to our senior team will greatly benefit us in realizing our vision for the Company.”

    Jain is an industry veteran with over 14 years of experience in the technology and digital domains in India and the US. In his last role at Amazon, he was the business head for the cloud division where he helped define the value proposition, differentiation strategy, pricing and feature roadmap to create a sustainable competitive advantage for the company.

    “As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in our day-to-day lives, Housing.com has managed to bring the benefits of technology to the real-estate segment through path-breaking product innovations. As the company gears-up for the next phase of growth and transformation, product and engineering will define the contours of success, and with an immensely talented team, I believe Housing.com is well-poised to fulfil the potential.” added Jain.

    He started his career as an early member of Texas-based start-up Ashley Laurent and later joined Motorola Mobility, a division of Google. While in the US, Jain was associated with the US Department of Commerce where he reviewed business plans at Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) to help assist President Obama and the Federal Government deliver on the promise of economic recovery (ARRA) through the $7.2 Billion Recovery Act’s BTOP & Broadband Initiatives.

  • Amazon business head join Housing.com, to strengthen full-service transactions

    Amazon business head join Housing.com, to strengthen full-service transactions

    MUMBAI: Housing.com has appointed Vivek Jain as chief product and technology officer to focus on strengthening the product and engineering aspects of the business to help steer Housing.com towards its goal of becoming a full-service transaction player.

    Housing.com CEO Jason Kothari said, “Our goal is to become the most trusted and the leading end-to-end real estate transaction platform in the country, and robust product and technology innovation will be important for us to achieve that. Vivek comes with best-in-class product and technology leadership experience, global exposure and an entrepreneurial mind-set, which is a unique mix, and one that blends seamlessly with the thinking and culture at Housing.com. I believe Vivek’s addition to our senior team will greatly benefit us in realizing our vision for the Company.”

    Jain is an industry veteran with over 14 years of experience in the technology and digital domains in India and the US. In his last role at Amazon, he was the business head for the cloud division where he helped define the value proposition, differentiation strategy, pricing and feature roadmap to create a sustainable competitive advantage for the company.

    “As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in our day-to-day lives, Housing.com has managed to bring the benefits of technology to the real-estate segment through path-breaking product innovations. As the company gears-up for the next phase of growth and transformation, product and engineering will define the contours of success, and with an immensely talented team, I believe Housing.com is well-poised to fulfil the potential.” added Jain.

    He started his career as an early member of Texas-based start-up Ashley Laurent and later joined Motorola Mobility, a division of Google. While in the US, Jain was associated with the US Department of Commerce where he reviewed business plans at Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) to help assist President Obama and the Federal Government deliver on the promise of economic recovery (ARRA) through the $7.2 Billion Recovery Act’s BTOP & Broadband Initiatives.

  • Apollo Munich launches interactive online game ‘Kill the Killer’

    Apollo Munich launches interactive online game ‘Kill the Killer’

    MUMBAI: Swatting mosquitoes is a chore for anyone, especially during the monsoon season, but Apollo Munich Health Insurance makes it fun with an interactive online game – Kill the Killer, combined with a public interest message.

    Kill the Killer game is an innovative customer engagement tool that aims to educate people – “Not all mosquitos can be killed, one needs to stay completely covered rather than just merely using devices to banish them.” Kill the Killer game can be played on Apollo Munich’s homepage (www.apollomunichinsurance.com)anytime, anywhere and as many times as you would like to. All you need to do is swat as many mosquitoes as you can in 20 seconds and check your score thereafter. You can share your score on Facebook and Twitter, and you can even invite your friends to play it.

    Speaking about the idea behind the game, Apollo Munich CEO Antony Jacob said, “Gamification has undoubtedly become a very strong communication tool and the whole world talking about Pokémon Go corroborates it. The Internet offers a world of activities that people can indulge in and through this gamification means, we are hoping to raise awareness for dengue, educate consumers about the disease, and thereby infuse an interest in people to banish dengue fear from their lives. At Apollo Munich, we have always focused on innovation and this time around we are moving innovation from products to customer engagement.”

    The much awaited monsoon season in India not only brings respite to the summer and farmlands, but it also brings with it a slew of healthcare frights, as stagnant water provides breeding grounds for many infection borne mosquitos. Dengue, leptospirosis, malaria, etc. all arrive within a month of the rains. Although these diseases can be treated, dengue has become the largest vector borne disease and sometimes proves fatal, if left untreated.

    “Around 35% of the dengue cases in the world occur in India, and there were approximately a lakh cases reported in India in 2015. Apollo Munich’s Dengue Care, India’s first over the counter health insurance policy provides Indians with financial support in battling the dreaded dengue disease, with no underwriting. Available at a very affordable premium of Rs.1.2 per day, Dengue Care has found immense favour with people across the country who want to reduce the burden of medical expenses for themselves and their loved ones, especially during the monsoon season.”, he added.

    Known for its innovative products, Apollo Munich has been active in its social media initiatives and with gamification, the company is taking its customer engagement initiatives to the next level. People can share the game through social media and hence effect a larger understanding amongst the population. The company is embracing the online medium to further uncomplicate insurance and make it easy to understand for people. Moreover, such initiatives also help solve purchase related concerns and complete the purchase, as well as the renewal processes.

  • Apollo Munich launches interactive online game ‘Kill the Killer’

    Apollo Munich launches interactive online game ‘Kill the Killer’

    MUMBAI: Swatting mosquitoes is a chore for anyone, especially during the monsoon season, but Apollo Munich Health Insurance makes it fun with an interactive online game – Kill the Killer, combined with a public interest message.

    Kill the Killer game is an innovative customer engagement tool that aims to educate people – “Not all mosquitos can be killed, one needs to stay completely covered rather than just merely using devices to banish them.” Kill the Killer game can be played on Apollo Munich’s homepage (www.apollomunichinsurance.com)anytime, anywhere and as many times as you would like to. All you need to do is swat as many mosquitoes as you can in 20 seconds and check your score thereafter. You can share your score on Facebook and Twitter, and you can even invite your friends to play it.

    Speaking about the idea behind the game, Apollo Munich CEO Antony Jacob said, “Gamification has undoubtedly become a very strong communication tool and the whole world talking about Pokémon Go corroborates it. The Internet offers a world of activities that people can indulge in and through this gamification means, we are hoping to raise awareness for dengue, educate consumers about the disease, and thereby infuse an interest in people to banish dengue fear from their lives. At Apollo Munich, we have always focused on innovation and this time around we are moving innovation from products to customer engagement.”

    The much awaited monsoon season in India not only brings respite to the summer and farmlands, but it also brings with it a slew of healthcare frights, as stagnant water provides breeding grounds for many infection borne mosquitos. Dengue, leptospirosis, malaria, etc. all arrive within a month of the rains. Although these diseases can be treated, dengue has become the largest vector borne disease and sometimes proves fatal, if left untreated.

    “Around 35% of the dengue cases in the world occur in India, and there were approximately a lakh cases reported in India in 2015. Apollo Munich’s Dengue Care, India’s first over the counter health insurance policy provides Indians with financial support in battling the dreaded dengue disease, with no underwriting. Available at a very affordable premium of Rs.1.2 per day, Dengue Care has found immense favour with people across the country who want to reduce the burden of medical expenses for themselves and their loved ones, especially during the monsoon season.”, he added.

    Known for its innovative products, Apollo Munich has been active in its social media initiatives and with gamification, the company is taking its customer engagement initiatives to the next level. People can share the game through social media and hence effect a larger understanding amongst the population. The company is embracing the online medium to further uncomplicate insurance and make it easy to understand for people. Moreover, such initiatives also help solve purchase related concerns and complete the purchase, as well as the renewal processes.

  • VEQTA brings Manchester City Football Club action to India

    VEQTA brings Manchester City Football Club action to India

    New Delhi: Manchester City Football Club, one of the oldest and most successful football clubs in the English Premier League (EPL), will be seen in action on VEQTA, India’s only digital broadcast network (OTT) dedicated to sports.

    The partnership, which is claimed to be the first of its kind for a Premier League club, will enable football fans in India to enjoy access to an all-new, never before seen content experience.

    VEQTA recently launched its OTT platform through flagship Apps.

    Fans will now be able to experience the full suite of Manchester City Football Club content on the VEQTA platform, including exclusive training sessions, CityTV’s renowned ‘Inside City’ series, episodes of the ever popular ‘Global City Fans’ and behind the scenes interviews and activities with the players and manager.

    The unique alliance will help the Club engage with millions of Manchester City and sports fans in one of the world’s fastest growing football markets, whilst allowing VEQTA to offer a truly global content experience and become the preferred destination for football fans in India.

    VEQTA co-founder & director Vikram Tanwar said, “Football is the second largest and the fastest growing sport in India. We are very excited about partnering with an institution with the kind of history, legacy and success that Manchester City has. Through this partnership, football fans in India will have a truly global sports experience for the very first time. VEQTA is proud to be enabling this experience through its flagship platforms and is another step towards our commitment of offering the best sports content from across the globe.”

    Manchester City Chief Operations Officer Omar Berrada said, “Manchester City’s fan base in India is growing rapidly and it is important for us to connect with all of our supporters across the globe. By partnering with VEQTA, who share our passion for sport and our commitment to digital innovation, we have a unique opportunity to engage fans in the region and to provide them with meaningful content that can bring them closer to the club than ever before.

  • VEQTA brings Manchester City Football Club action to India

    VEQTA brings Manchester City Football Club action to India

    New Delhi: Manchester City Football Club, one of the oldest and most successful football clubs in the English Premier League (EPL), will be seen in action on VEQTA, India’s only digital broadcast network (OTT) dedicated to sports.

    The partnership, which is claimed to be the first of its kind for a Premier League club, will enable football fans in India to enjoy access to an all-new, never before seen content experience.

    VEQTA recently launched its OTT platform through flagship Apps.

    Fans will now be able to experience the full suite of Manchester City Football Club content on the VEQTA platform, including exclusive training sessions, CityTV’s renowned ‘Inside City’ series, episodes of the ever popular ‘Global City Fans’ and behind the scenes interviews and activities with the players and manager.

    The unique alliance will help the Club engage with millions of Manchester City and sports fans in one of the world’s fastest growing football markets, whilst allowing VEQTA to offer a truly global content experience and become the preferred destination for football fans in India.

    VEQTA co-founder & director Vikram Tanwar said, “Football is the second largest and the fastest growing sport in India. We are very excited about partnering with an institution with the kind of history, legacy and success that Manchester City has. Through this partnership, football fans in India will have a truly global sports experience for the very first time. VEQTA is proud to be enabling this experience through its flagship platforms and is another step towards our commitment of offering the best sports content from across the globe.”

    Manchester City Chief Operations Officer Omar Berrada said, “Manchester City’s fan base in India is growing rapidly and it is important for us to connect with all of our supporters across the globe. By partnering with VEQTA, who share our passion for sport and our commitment to digital innovation, we have a unique opportunity to engage fans in the region and to provide them with meaningful content that can bring them closer to the club than ever before.

  • Bharati Airtel to switch off IPTV service?

    Bharati Airtel to switch off IPTV service?

    MUMBAI: It persisted with its service for more than seven years. But now Bharati Airtel, which launched its IPTV offering in 2009, is reportedly shutting it down.

    The company has been sending out notices to its less than 50,000 subscribers that it would be pulling the plug on it by 31 July first and now on31 August, according to news reports.

    The service is available in Bengaluru and Delhi. In Delhi, it has been offering two packs, according to the Airtel website: SD 399 (Rs 399 for 196 SD channels, including 48 time shift channels), and HD599 (Rs 599 for 196 chax fonnels, 48 time shift channels and 12 HD channels). Bengaluru subscribers could avail of only the SD399 pack. A free wifi modem was thrown in when customers bought a set top bor Rs 3,500.

    In both the cities, it appears to be making a sweet offering: IPTV, though running on top of the consumer’s broadband connection, would not consume bytes from his or her existing broadband plan. Additionally, the service allowed users could access seven days of recorded programmes.

    Reports are that Airtel has written to its triple play customers saying that it would be offering an upgrade to its Airtel Digital TV DTH service at zero installation and activation cost (worth Rs 500), complementary HD USB set top box (Rs 1,300), 10 HD channel bouquet free for a month (Rs 111), free three months of recording (Rs 90), and a complimentary 8 GB pendrive (Rs 300).

    Some irate Airtel customers have been clogging consumer complaints websites online expressing their unhappiness about the one-sided decision to shut down its IPTV service and pushing them to subscribe to Airtel Digital TV.

    Airtel is switching ofF its IPTV service at a time when Reliance Jio is working on rolling out its own offering to customers. It imported a consignment of IPTV settop boxes a couple of months ago.

    Attempts to contact Airtel officials were unsuccessful.

  • Bharati Airtel to switch off IPTV service?

    Bharati Airtel to switch off IPTV service?

    MUMBAI: It persisted with its service for more than seven years. But now Bharati Airtel, which launched its IPTV offering in 2009, is reportedly shutting it down.

    The company has been sending out notices to its less than 50,000 subscribers that it would be pulling the plug on it by 31 July first and now on31 August, according to news reports.

    The service is available in Bengaluru and Delhi. In Delhi, it has been offering two packs, according to the Airtel website: SD 399 (Rs 399 for 196 SD channels, including 48 time shift channels), and HD599 (Rs 599 for 196 chax fonnels, 48 time shift channels and 12 HD channels). Bengaluru subscribers could avail of only the SD399 pack. A free wifi modem was thrown in when customers bought a set top bor Rs 3,500.

    In both the cities, it appears to be making a sweet offering: IPTV, though running on top of the consumer’s broadband connection, would not consume bytes from his or her existing broadband plan. Additionally, the service allowed users could access seven days of recorded programmes.

    Reports are that Airtel has written to its triple play customers saying that it would be offering an upgrade to its Airtel Digital TV DTH service at zero installation and activation cost (worth Rs 500), complementary HD USB set top box (Rs 1,300), 10 HD channel bouquet free for a month (Rs 111), free three months of recording (Rs 90), and a complimentary 8 GB pendrive (Rs 300).

    Some irate Airtel customers have been clogging consumer complaints websites online expressing their unhappiness about the one-sided decision to shut down its IPTV service and pushing them to subscribe to Airtel Digital TV.

    Airtel is switching ofF its IPTV service at a time when Reliance Jio is working on rolling out its own offering to customers. It imported a consignment of IPTV settop boxes a couple of months ago.

    Attempts to contact Airtel officials were unsuccessful.

  • Ooyala offers Indian broadcasters a quick OTT build service

    Ooyala offers Indian broadcasters a quick OTT build service

    MUMBAI: Come September and Indian broadcasters will have easy access to a quick OTT build solution. Australian telco Telstra subsidiary Ooyala is all set to roll out its AppStudio at the IBC convention in Amsttersam from 8-13 September 2016.

    Ooyala AppStudio, a press release from the company claims, mitigates the expensive custom development and integration costs typically associated with OTT market entry. An out-of-the-box solution, it ensures customers can deploy premium OTT experiences on time and on budget, with a simple, easy-to-use interface. As such, it does not require highly technical staff to build or manage services. Content providers can automate the build of OTT apps directly within the Ooyala AppStudio console for any device, supporting apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast as well as on iOS, Android and the web. No engineering is required, drastically reducing time-to-market as well as development and personnel-associated costs.

    Developed in partnership with Massive Interactive, Ooyala AppStudio is a comprehensive solution for companies to deploy, manage, track, analyze and monetize all components of a cloud-based OTT service. It supports revenue models including subscription vide-oon-demand (SVOD), advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) or hybrid strategies. It also comes pre-integrated with a comprehensive set of best-in-breed technologies to ensure the experience is simple to use and seamless for the viewer, including:

    ● User registration, offer management, content scheduling as well as advanced user-interfaces (UIs) for device-tailored user experiences, powered by Massive Interactive’s technology, Massive HALO

    ● Video management and delivery, powered by Ooyala

    ● Content recommendation and personalization, powered by Ooyala Discovery

    ● Detailed analytics for video performance and audience engagement to help boost ad revenue or reduce subscriber churn, powered by Ooyala IQ

    ● Payment management, security and subscription billing, powered by Stripe

    ● Quality-of-experience (QoE) analytics, powered by Youbora from Nice People At Work

    ● Page-level behavior analytics in-app or on the web, powered by Google Analytics

    ● Support for any IAB VAST-compatible ad server including Ooyala Pulse

    Ooyala AppStudio, the company says, has an elegant interface for making changes to content layout, promoting high-performing video, adjusting seasonal promotions and content schedules, and optimizing the user experience for higher engagement. Customers can quickly apply offers and calls to action within the app experience, easily linking in¬-app images to promotional content either within the app or on an external website. These changes and updates are applied automatically with no need to rebuild or recertify the apps.

    “Media companies want to tap into the fast-growing opportunity OTT represents, but have been held back by slow pace and high cost of developing apps for the broad array of connected devices in the consumer market. Ooyala AppStudio changes that,” said Ooyala co-founder and senior vice president of roducts and olutions Belsasar Lepe. “There is tremendous growth in OTT demand particularly outside of the U.S., where broadband and 4G connectivity is improving, making offerings accessible to huge new audiences. For local content providers who want to hedge against larger OTT incumbents entering their market, Ooyala AppStudio is a perfect fit.”

    Ooyala has provided OTT solutions to companies such as Star India and Viacom18 in the past in India. And last month Ooyala CEO Ramesh Srinivasan announced that it was setting up an R&D facility in Chennai. “Our new office here will be instrumental in expanding the company’s global presence, providing another local team to support our growing Asia-Pacific customer base, and helping accelerate the rapid pace of innovation within the company,” he had told local media.

  • Ooyala offers Indian broadcasters a quick OTT build service

    Ooyala offers Indian broadcasters a quick OTT build service

    MUMBAI: Come September and Indian broadcasters will have easy access to a quick OTT build solution. Australian telco Telstra subsidiary Ooyala is all set to roll out its AppStudio at the IBC convention in Amsttersam from 8-13 September 2016.

    Ooyala AppStudio, a press release from the company claims, mitigates the expensive custom development and integration costs typically associated with OTT market entry. An out-of-the-box solution, it ensures customers can deploy premium OTT experiences on time and on budget, with a simple, easy-to-use interface. As such, it does not require highly technical staff to build or manage services. Content providers can automate the build of OTT apps directly within the Ooyala AppStudio console for any device, supporting apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast as well as on iOS, Android and the web. No engineering is required, drastically reducing time-to-market as well as development and personnel-associated costs.

    Developed in partnership with Massive Interactive, Ooyala AppStudio is a comprehensive solution for companies to deploy, manage, track, analyze and monetize all components of a cloud-based OTT service. It supports revenue models including subscription vide-oon-demand (SVOD), advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) or hybrid strategies. It also comes pre-integrated with a comprehensive set of best-in-breed technologies to ensure the experience is simple to use and seamless for the viewer, including:

    ● User registration, offer management, content scheduling as well as advanced user-interfaces (UIs) for device-tailored user experiences, powered by Massive Interactive’s technology, Massive HALO

    ● Video management and delivery, powered by Ooyala

    ● Content recommendation and personalization, powered by Ooyala Discovery

    ● Detailed analytics for video performance and audience engagement to help boost ad revenue or reduce subscriber churn, powered by Ooyala IQ

    ● Payment management, security and subscription billing, powered by Stripe

    ● Quality-of-experience (QoE) analytics, powered by Youbora from Nice People At Work

    ● Page-level behavior analytics in-app or on the web, powered by Google Analytics

    ● Support for any IAB VAST-compatible ad server including Ooyala Pulse

    Ooyala AppStudio, the company says, has an elegant interface for making changes to content layout, promoting high-performing video, adjusting seasonal promotions and content schedules, and optimizing the user experience for higher engagement. Customers can quickly apply offers and calls to action within the app experience, easily linking in¬-app images to promotional content either within the app or on an external website. These changes and updates are applied automatically with no need to rebuild or recertify the apps.

    “Media companies want to tap into the fast-growing opportunity OTT represents, but have been held back by slow pace and high cost of developing apps for the broad array of connected devices in the consumer market. Ooyala AppStudio changes that,” said Ooyala co-founder and senior vice president of roducts and olutions Belsasar Lepe. “There is tremendous growth in OTT demand particularly outside of the U.S., where broadband and 4G connectivity is improving, making offerings accessible to huge new audiences. For local content providers who want to hedge against larger OTT incumbents entering their market, Ooyala AppStudio is a perfect fit.”

    Ooyala has provided OTT solutions to companies such as Star India and Viacom18 in the past in India. And last month Ooyala CEO Ramesh Srinivasan announced that it was setting up an R&D facility in Chennai. “Our new office here will be instrumental in expanding the company’s global presence, providing another local team to support our growing Asia-Pacific customer base, and helping accelerate the rapid pace of innovation within the company,” he had told local media.