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  • Rajan Anandan to lead Google India

    Rajan Anandan to lead Google India

    MUMBAI: Google Inc. has roped in Rajan Anandan as vice president of India sales and operations.

    Anandan will replace Shailesh Rao, who has been covering two roles. Rao will now focus only on his role as full-time Japan and Asia-Pacific managing director, media and platform sales.

    Says Japan and Asia-Pacific operations president Daniel Alegre, “India is an important growth country for Google. With Internet users growing at 50 per cent year-on-year, a strong leadership team will ensure that Google captures this tremendous opportunity.”

    Anandan‘s 18-year career includes key roles at Microsoft, Dell and McKinsey & Company.

    Most recently Anandan was MD of Microsoft India, responsible for all aspects of Microsoft‘s software, OEM and services business in India.

    Prior to joining Microsoft, Anandan was the vice president and country general manager of Dell in India. He also played several leadership roles including being the executive assistant to chairman Michael Dell.

    Before that, Anandan was a Partner with McKinsey & Company in Chicago. He holds an MSc from Stanford and a BSc from MIT.

  • Sony to allow movie, TV downloads on Playstation 3

    Sony to allow movie, TV downloads on Playstation 3

    MUMBAI: Japanese media conglomerate Sony has announced that users of the PlayStation 3 will shortly be able to download Sony movies and television shows on their gaming console.

    Sony made this announcement to hype the launch of the PlayStation 3 in Europe as well as push more sales of the system in the US.

    In creating a movie and music download service for the PlayStation 3, Sony will be putting itself in competition most directly with Microsoft and the Xbox 360 platform. The inclusion of a hard drive in the PlayStation 3 is part of a larger strategy to boost the PlayStation’s presence as an entertainment hardware device, rather than just a game machine.
     

  • Efforts on to make IT available to rural areas: economic survey

    Efforts on to make IT available to rural areas: economic survey

    NEW DELHI: The Government has formulated a proposal to establish 100,000 Common service Centres (CSCs) in rural areas, which will serve not only as the front-end for most government services but also as a means to connect the citizens of rural India to the World Wide Web.

    According to the Economic Survey 2006-07 tabled in Parliament today by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, the scheme will be implemented through Public Private Partnership (PPP). An outlay of Rs. 57.42 billion has been approved of which the share of the Central Government and the State Governments would be Rs 8.56 billion croe and Rs 7.93 billion, respectively. The balance would be invested by the private sector.

    Listing the Policy Initiatives For Electronics and IT Sector, the Survey says that In order to ensure that the benefits of IT reach the common man, the Government has initiated a move to make available tools and fonts in various Indian languages freely to the general public. Tamil, Hindi and Telugu software tools and fonts have already been released. All Indian languages are expected to be covered in the next one year.

    A proposal for Electronics and IT Hardware Manufacturing Policy is also under consideration which aims to rationalize tariff structure on capital goods and inputs, unify manufacturing for domestic market and exports, facilitate registration of international patents, transfer state-of-the-art technology (TOT) and enhance Research and Development.

    The Information Technology Amendment Bill has been introduced in the Parliament on 15 December, 2006 to put in place technology applications, security practices and procedures relating to such applications. Furthermore, it addresses the issue of technological neutrality in IT laws as recommended by UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signature.

    The Survey noted that the Indian IT-enabled Services and Business Process Outsourcing (ITES-BPO) have demonstrated their superiority, sustained cost advantage and fundamentally-powered value proposition in the international market. The software and ITES exports from India grew from $12.9 billion (Rs 582.4 billion) in 2003-04 to $17.7 billion (Rs 782.3 billion) in 2004-05. Software and ITES exports from India estimated at $23.4 billion during 2005-06 was up 32 per cent from the previous year.

    This sector is growing with Indian companies expanding their service offerings, enabling customers to deepen their offshore engagements and shifting from low-end business processes to high-value ones.

    While there have been no spectacular achievements in the hardware segment as in the case of the software segment of the IT sector, there has been a steady progress in production and exports of hardware.

    Contrary to some popular misperceptions, the growth of the IT and ITES sector has had a salutary effect on the employment scenario with total number of professionals employed in this sector growing from an estimated 284,000 in 1999-2000 to
    1,287,000 in 2005-06. The increase in the number of employed person in the sector wasas high as 230,000 in 2005-06 itself. In addition, Indian IT-ITES is estimated to have helped create an additional 3 million job oppurtunities through indirect and induced employment in telecom, power, construction, facility management, IT transportation, catering and other services. Government has taken several steps to further enhance this industry.

    With strong demand over the past few years placing India among the fastest growing IT markets in the Asia-Pacific region, the industry’s contribution to GDP rose from 1.2 per cent in 1999-2000 to an estimated 4.8 per cent in 2005-06. Indian companies are enhancing their global services delivery capabilities through a combination of greenfield initiatives, cross-border mergers & acquisitions, partnerships and alliances with local players. This is enabling them to execute end-to-end delivery of new services. Global software giants such as Microsoft, Oracle and SAP, have established their captive development centres in India.

    A majority of the companies in India have already aligned their internal processes and practices to international standards such as ISO, CMM, and Six Sigma. This has helped establish India as a credible sourcing destination. As of December, 2006, over 400 Indian companies have acquired quality certifications with 82 companies certified at SEI CMM Level 5 – higher than any other country in the world.
     

  • MSN survey reveals softer side of male gamers

    MSN survey reveals softer side of male gamers

    MUMBAI: According to a recent survey commissioned by Microsoft’s MSNGames, a casual gaming site, Americans are feeling more stressed out and starved for time than ever.

    56 per cent of men (age 18 to 34) and 71 per cent of women (age 18 to 34) spend less than an hour on themselves a day engaged in activities that provide downtime or alone time and are pampering or relaxing to them.

    Once considered a simple leisure pursuit, playing casual games – including action and arcade, puzzle, word and trivia, and card and board games — is among the activities men and women said they like to engage in when they have just 20 minutes to ‘recharge’ during the day.

    Although stress reduction and mental dexterity are often cited as reasons people of all ages play casual online games, males in the 18 to 34 age bracket are most likely to list playing games as a daily escape – a chance to indulge in some “me time.” Men are also more likely than their female counterparts to play a game at work, with males age 18 to 34 most likely to sneak in a quick game during their day.

    With many people indicating they have a mere 60 minutes a day to spend on relaxing activities, it is no wonder U.S. men and women are seeking easy, quick stress-reduction techniques. As a result, MSN Games has teamed up with Dr. Kathleen Hall, the founder of the Stress Institute, to urge Americans to resolve to “Take Back Your Time” this year and engage in activities that help reduce stress and give the brain a boost.

    Dr. hall says, “Reclaiming just 10 minutes of ‘me time’ each day can greatly improve your sense of well-being. Stress can have a catastrophic effect on our mental, physical and spiritual health. In today’s harried and hectic world, taking time out for stress-reducing activities is no longer a luxury, but a 21st-century necessity.”

    More than 13 million people each month play ‘brain food’ games on MSN Games, such as the numeric logic game “Sudoku,” virtual aquarium “Fish Tycoon,” gem-swapper “Bejeweled 2” and the family favorite card game “UNO.”

    “There is a growing body of medical research that shows stress can cause the memory to become impaired. But playing online casual games, such as brainteasers, crossword puzzles, trivia titles, and any variety of mentally challenging and fun games, can actually stimulate the brain and stimulate new connections between cells” says Dr. Hall.

    The MSN Games survey found that nearly two-thirds of US adults who have played a quick, fun online game in the past 12 months say that they feel less stressed afterward, indicating that arcade-style games are an excellent destination on the road to wellness.

    “We know that ‘play’ de-stresses the body and actually lowers our blood pressure and heart rate. Taking a break to solve a brain-teasing puzzle or take on a fun vocabulary challenge on MSN Games is a perfect way to clear your mind of the clutter and stress that can pile up during the day,” Dr. Hall adds.

  • Dopod Communication unveils Windows mobile PDA phone – D600 in India

    Dopod Communication unveils Windows mobile PDA phone – D600 in India

    MUMBAI: Dopod Communication (India) Private Limited, PDA phone and Smartphone provider, has launched a new Windows mobile PDA model called the D600 in the Indian market.

    The D600 is powered with the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 and is bundled with applications which includes DirectPush Mail*, Internet Explorer Mobile, Office Mobile, Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, Pictures and Videos, Pocket MSN.

    Additionally, the D600 combines a full featured quad-band mobile phone, with an inbuilt 2 Mega pixel CMOS Camera, a speakerphone with push-based wireless email, SMS, web browser and personal organizer applications – all on a large and high-resolution colour 71.1mm screen.

    The launch follows from a favorable response to the previous three models – the 818Pro, the C800 and the C720W introduced in December 2006 by the company.

    The D600 also offers users the option of a Voice Commander, allowing users to dial and control their music easily with their voice. All in all, the D600 model has been specially developed for active mobile professionals who want to manage their work wherever they are and also keep in touch with family, friends and access the latest news, informs an official release.

    “We are pleased to introduce yet another revolutionary product in India that aims to enhance the mobile experience for the customers. The D600 is the perfect PDA phone for the Indian customers as it combines a stylish design with ease of use, and offers powerful functions, all packaged at a very attractive price point,” says Dopod International Corp. CEO Jack Tong.

    Dopod Communication (India), regional sales manager Ajay Sharma said, “The D600 has a highly advanced interface and offers Personal Information Management (PIM) which allows users to easily sync the phone with their computer. It also features a sleek and stylish design, resulting in an innovative yet powerful device that is ideal for mobile phone users looking to upgrade from their existing handsets.”

    The D600 will be available at all leading counters from 10 February at a maximum retail price of Rs. 22,893 (inclusive of all taxes).
     

  • Microsoft bullish on India expansion strategy

    Microsoft bullish on India expansion strategy

    MUMBAI: Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd., has announced aggressive geographical plans to strengthen its presence in India. It is slated to open offices in six additional cities in India, including Ahmedabad, Indore, Nagpur, Chandigarh Cochin, and Coimbatore. This would take its presence to thirteen cities, up from the existing seven cities.

    According to an official statement issued by the firm, the expansion strategy will include establishing a direct sales infrastructure, broadening partner eco-system and market education initiatives and programs.

    With an enhanced presence Microsoft will enable the small and mid market organizations to easily access a comprehensive portfolio of its products and services, faster deployment of customised solutions and increased support from both Microsoft and its partners.

    The expansion plan is in keeping with Microsoft’s vision to empower a broad section of small and mid market organizations understand better, the role which technology can play in driving growth and competitiveness, of the local industry ,in the local and global arena. The direct team in each city will be supported by respective regional branches for functional expertise as per Microsoft’s hub and spoke model. Microsoft will also forge relationships with Industry Associations in each city to understand and address local business challenges.

    Under the geo expansion plan Microsoft will work with broad channel partners to impart information on Microsoft products and licensing to serve IT needs of the business customers in the territory. Microsoft also aims at catalyzing its ISV partners to provide localized solutions for the market.

    Announcing the geo expansion plan Microsoft India MD Neelam Dhawan said, “Small and Medium Businesses are playing a key role in driving India’s growth. We remain committed to help them utilize technology for empowering their people; address consumer needs better and streamline their businesses. Our presence in these cities will achieve this much more effectively”.

    Small and Mid Market Solutions and Partner Group Director Rajeev Mittal said, “Our partners have been providing solutions and services to the customers in a lot of these cities already. We believe that being present there physically will help our partners provide better solutions, services and support and faster turnaround time. Our direct presence will also instill confidence in our existing and potential customers.”

    The channel engagement will be under the Microsoft Partner Programme (MSPP) framework. Microsoft hopes to strengthen as well as invigorate its partner ecosystem in the respective areas so as to help them accelerate the pace of their delivery and thereby their success in meeting the needs of business customers in the area, adds the release.

    Wipro Technologies vice president corporate business unit Anil K. Jain said, “Microsoft’s geo expansion initiative to reach out to local businesses is a step in the right direction to deliver value both to customers as well as the partners in these markets. Microsoft’s direct presence in non metro markets will further strengthen the partner ecosystem as well as inspire greater understanding and trust in its offerings within local business community. We are committed to work together to drive IT as a tool for business advantage among SMEs, along with Microsoft.”
     

  • IBM launches new software service

    IBM launches new software service

    MUMBAI: IBM in collaboration with Lotus unit introduces a set of social networking services that functions like a MySpace for office workers in a renewed challenge to Microsoft Corp.

    The Lotus pioneered software is a service called Connections that features the latest ways for users to share information via the Web, while giving businesses controls over who sees what data.Lotus Connections offers the business equivalent of Web meeting places like MySpace.com or Yahoo’s Facebook’s bookmark sharing site del.icio.us and blog search tools like Technorati.com — stitched together in one package. Burton Group’s collaboration software expert Peter O’Kelly said the new software from IBM Lotus promises to shake up a market dominated by Microsoft.

    “This is going to rekindle the competition between Microsoft and IBM,” said O’Kelly “I think IBM is playing offense here.”
    The new offering could chip away at Microsoft’s lead in the collaboration and e-mail messaging market, where five years ago Microsoft Outlook e-mail and its newer SharePoint collaboration software began to surge past rival IBM products, O’Kelly said.

    While exact numbers are hard to come by, last year IBM said Lotus Notes had 125 million users. Adding in collaboration software, Lotus users number around 150 million, O’Kelly said. Microsoft has 200 million Outlook users and signed up another 80 million licensed users of SharePoint software, he estimated.

    IBM officials see a shift in focus from the quest for personal productivity that characterized computer advances of the 1990s to the “team productivity” which Web-based collaborative tools have begun to enable in recent years.Connections combines five components: member profiles, activities, blogs, communities and “dogear” — IBM’s word for how users identify and share Web bookmarks with colleagues.

    Connections uses the popular Web navigation technique of “tagging” to help users track popular discussion topics and figure out who may have expertise on any subject. The software provides a way for individuals to quickly set-up ad hoc groups to collaborate on projects, storing relevant documents, e-mails and Web sites together. Each user can publish blogs to share ideas with colleagues.

    “What Web 2.0 has demonstrated is that self-defining communities often do a better job of locating relevant information,” IBM software chief Steve Mills said. “This helps with the rapid identification of expertise and experts.” Lotus Connections will be available in the first half of 2007 although pricing hasn’t been disclosed. O’Kelly said IBM’s Web software could cause many corporate buyers who stopped considering Lotus Notes a decade ago to reconsider their reliance on Microsoft’s rival software suite.

    Revenue in the Lotus division grew 30 percent during the latest quarter compared with the final quarter of 2005, IBM reported last week. The company will demonstrate the service at its annual Lotusphere customer conference in Orlando, Florida.

  • Bennett Media Worldwide licenses select library programming to Microsoft for Xbox 360

    Bennett Media Worldwide licenses select library programming to Microsoft for Xbox 360

    MUMBAI: Bennett Media Worldwide (BMW) has licensed select productions from its vast library of high-definition programming to Microsoft Corp. for the company’s Xbox 360.

    Included in the programming slate from Bennett are series like Bikini Destinations, The Wild Side, and The Extremists.

    BMW is the latest programming supplier to launch content on the Xbox 360 platform, joining a stellar list of entertainment distributors that includes CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. (TBS Inc.), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

    Together, the content companies are responsible for delivering an initial line-up of more than 1,000 hours to the vast community of Xbox 360 gamers, asserts an official release.

    Bennett Media Worldwide president Paul Rich said, “With Xbox 360, Microsoft is leading the way in integrated game playing with entertainment and at the same time building a unique bridge for producers to connect directly with this extremely important consumer marketplace. We are delighted to be a part of this exciting new entertainment platform.”

  • Cartoon Network crowns video gaming champ at ‘Toonami: Game On’ competition

    Cartoon Network crowns video gaming champ at ‘Toonami: Game On’ competition

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network’s video gaming championship ‘Toonami: Game On,’ in which kids from across Mumbai competed for the state championship title, awarded 13 year old Nimish Parab from St. Francis High School with a Microsoft Xbox 360 console and a Cartoon Network trophy, at an event held in the city on 7 January.

    The championship gained the participation of over 2000 kids who won invites to the championship through on-air contests and school contact programmes.

    Children were invited in three batches at 9 am, 11.30 am and 2 pm. At a given point in time, 100 kids competed against each other across 50 Xbox 360 consoles and tested their skills at PGR, the racing game. Each round was followed by eliminations and winners of each batch competed with the winners of the previous batch., informs an official release.

    ‘Toonami: Game On Video Gaming Championship’ was aimed at taking Cartoon Network’s revamped and rejuvenated franchise – Toonami – beyond the realms of television and hence provided kids with an opportunity to personally experience the shows aired on the action block.

     

  • Piracy dominates online video downloads: Study

    Piracy dominates online video downloads: Study

    MUMBAI: Increased levels of broadband access, powerful and speedy PCs equipped with DVD readers and writers, portable video devices and next generation file sharing services are working in concert to make downloading of video content easier.

    According to The NPD Group, a consumer and retail information company, among US households with members who regularly use the internet, eight per cent (six million households) downloaded at least one digital video file (10MB or larger) from a P2P service for free in the third quarter of 2006. Nearly 60 per cent of video files downloaded from P2P sites were adult-film content, while 20 per cent was TV show content and five per cent was mainstream movie content.

    The NPD Group VP and senior industry analyst Russ Crupnick says, “While video P2P downloading is less pervasive right now than for music, it is a crucial issue for the film industry to keep track of. Even though right now the majority of downloaded video content is adult-film content, the amount of intellectual property stolen from mainstream movie studios, networks, and record labels will continue to rise, unless strong and sustained action is taken to prevent piracy.”

    The offerings in the paid video download arena have also made inroads with consumers. In Q3 2006 two per cent of US households (1.2 million) with Internet access paid for a video download from an online download store. Apple’s iTunes led the market for paid digital video downloads, with nine in 10 downloads occurring on that site, followed by Vongo (five per cent), Movielink (three per cent) and less than one percent for CinemaNow. 62 per cent was TV programme content, 24 per cent was music video content and six per cent was mainstream movie content.

    On a more positive note paid usage could double or triple within the next year as more content comes online, consumers acquire more video-enabled players and movies are offered that consumers can actually burn to DVD.

    The competition between Apple’s iTunes/iPod juggernaut and Microsoft’s Zune platform will whet consumers’ appetites for digital video, though it will be quite a long time before we see consumers completely abandon the DVD in favor of digital downloads.