Here’s a look at this week’s top 10 tech news.NEw
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Google’s new servers to make services 30% faster
Google’s new data centres in Asia will make the company’s services upto 30% faster for Indian users. The centres are located in Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and the search giant is reportedly spending about Rs. 1,600 crore for their setup.
“Internet connectivity speed in India is not very high. These data centres will be crucial to this market due to its proximity” said Lalitesh Katragadda, Google.
Geometric Ltd acquires 3Cap Technologies GmbH
Mumbai based software services and consulting company Geometric Ltd announced the acquisition of German electronics engineering company 3Cap Technologies GmbH for 11 million Euros or approximately Rs. 79 crore. About 68.2% of the consideration will be paid in cash while the balance payments will be subject to earn-outs.
“The use of embedded systems is increasing in all our customer products. This acquisition fills a major gap in the solutions we offer to our customers, while at the same time strengthening our presence in Europe” said Manu Parpia, MD & CEO, Geometric Ltd.
Bharti Airtel launches mEducation services
Bharti Airtel launched its mEducation services to give Airtel mobile customers a host of education services on their mobile devices. The platform will offers services that include courses for language skills, entrance exam preparation and career counselling.
“Airtel mEducation service uses technology-enabled platforms to address the challenging issues of education with an endeavor to enrich the lives of our customers. Airtel mEducation has been designed to replicate a classroom experience for a mass market” said K Srinivas, President- Consumer Business, Bharti Airtel.
Facebook testing VoIP calls
Facebook is reportedly testing VoIP calls as experts suggest that the social network is looking for tools to help people communicate in different ways. Currently the feature works only in Canada and only on the iOS app however commentators are looking at a bigger roll out soon.
Servion Global Solutions forays into Thailand call centre market
Chennai based Customer Interaction Management (CIM) solutions provider Servion Global Solutions set up its office in Thailand to foray into its call centre market.
“This move is aimed at establishing a business presence amid high demand for call centre technologies in that market on the back of growing popularity of mobile devices and high Internet penetration” said the company which is reportedly aiming for 25% of its total revenues to be driven from the APAC region.
40% drop in BPO productivity after Delhi rape
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) noted that there was a 40% drop in work productivity among women BPO workers in the fortnight after the Delhi rape. The incident impacted the women workforce in BPO-ITeS across multiple cities including Delhi-NCR region, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune among others.
“Security is one of the major concerns for the women who are working in the BPO, KPO and ITeS sectors. The odd hours of work and the long distances of travel make women quite prone to difficult and often dangerous situations” said D S Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM.
Microsoft acquires id8 Group R2 Studios
Reports emerged claiming that Microsoft had acquired start-up id8 Group R2 Studios Inc. Commentators are looking at the move as Microsoft’s attempt to expand in home and entertainment technology. id8 Group R2 Studios Inc recently launched an android app which allows users to control their homes’ heating and lighting systems from smartphones.
Notorious search engine known for piracy shut down
China shut down Gougou.com, a search engine known to carry pirated content. “Gougou.com has been closed down. Thank you all for your support, and we are sorry for any inconvenience” said an announcement on the website. The closure comes at the back of Gougou being blacklisted in a recent report on major copyright offenders by the US Trade Representative.
Saksoft Ltd acquires US based Electronics Data Professionals
Chennai based Saksoft Ltd through its wholly owned subsidiary Saksoft Inc acquired Electronic Data Professionals, a business intelligence and information management company.
“We have been impressed with the strength of EDP in the Information Management area and we believe for our US geography’s growth, this acquisition is a good fit” said Aditya Krishna, CEO, Saksoft in a press release.
Infosys denies plan to fire 5,000 staff
India’s second largest IT services provider came out with a press release denying newspaper reports that it planned to fire 5,00 staff.
“Infosys is a performance-driven company. And like any performance-driven company, it actively manages underperformance and encourages chronic under-performers to seek other jobs” said a statement by the company. The release comes at the back of reports that the company was on an austerity drive. “For a performance-driven company with more than 150,000 employees this is part of the normal ebb and flow of running a business” said Infosys.
