Wipro launches IT solutions for aviation sector

Wipro has launched a range of information technology (IT) products for the aviation industry. The aviation IT product portfolio comprises of two categories of solutions: enterprise and mobility solutions. 

Enterprise solutions include products for crew management, route profitability analysis, loyalty management, inflight catering, aircraft maintenance planning and crisis management.Mobility solutions include products for pilots, cabin crew and flight dispatchers. 

The extensive product portfolio aims to address critical airline business functions, which have a direct bearing on service quality, operational efficiency and strategic decision making. These products provide competitive advantage to an airline through comprehensive functional features complimented by open technology platforms. Functionally rich and user-friendly, the innovative and technologically advanced products are expected to fill gaps in the IT applications portfolios of many airlines and provide an edge over competitors. 

In September 2012, Wipro entered into a strategic partnership with Qatar Airways to research and develop the portfolio by bringing together Wipro's expertise in application management and support, and Qatar Airways' aviation systems' expertise, resulting in new software products for the airline industry. 

"These solutions have played a key role in enhancing customer service & operational efficiency of Qatar Airways," said Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways. "Now these already proven solutions can be brought to market and deployed in a variety of means such as licensing or Software as a Service," he added. 

Anand Sankaran, senior VP and business head of global infrastructure services & Wipro Infotech said, "We are developing new IPs with Qatar Airways which will augment our available suite of solutions. This is a very unique partnership with Qatar Airways where we are marketing their existing software products and leveraging the core competencies of both organizations to create tangible value to other airlines. We believe that this portfolio of products will transform the Airline industry and help them do business better."

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LG, Samsung, Panasonic & Sony bet big on B2B space

Consumer electronic giants such as Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic plan to focus heavily on the business-to-business space to insulate their growth from economic slowdown and poor consumer spending. While Samsung and Panasonic are setting up separate divisions for the B2B business, Sony is lining up major plans for the business. 

These companies plan to foray into several newer businesses like healthcare, professional display, automotive technology, education, security and energy solutions. 

"The professional business can become a saving grace in the current economic situation in India," says Sony India managing director Kenichiro Hibi. 

"While the B2B business too tends to slow down during a tough economic scenario like now, but the market is huge and hence we can expect faster growth rate than in consumer business," he said. 

Hibi said Sony India has recently merged the B2B business , which used to work independently in India, with itself to give strategic focus. At present, Sony is present in a small way in segments like medical monitors, printers and projectors, but Hibi said he intends to grow it significantly. 

The Rs 40,000 crore TV and home appliances industry is facing a tough time due to repetitive price hike led by an increase in commodity cost and weakening rupee, and consumers cutting down on aspirational spend. Last week, the companies increased prices by up to 10% for the third time this year. While growth in the home appliances segment comprising washing machine, refrigerators, microwave oven and airconditioners is flat, the television segment is growing at around 8-10 %. 

Panasonic India managing director Manish Sharma said the B2B business will help the company to expand margins and lead to better profitability. 

"The costs are lower as there are no advertisement budgets and distribution expense in this segment," Sharma said. Panasonic plans to foray into product segments like automotive technology, energy solutions , security and surveillance, and IT solutions based on cloud computing. The country's largest consumer technology firm, Samsung, has integrated the B2B team across its various verticals.

"The addressable market for the various product categories in B2B are expected to grow by 17-59 % CAGR for the next 4 years, making it an important growth segment for us," Samsung India senior VP ( enterprise business) Sameer Garde said.

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Nokia, Mercedes-Benz ink digital map deal

 Nokia has said it will cooperate with Daimler's Mercedes-Benz car division to create and develop digital smart maps. 

Finland-based Nokia says its mapping and location services unit, HERE, and Mercedes will initially provide 3D maps for the Mannheim to Pforzheim route in Germany for cars connected to a computing cloud. 

Nokia on Tuesday said at the Frankfurt Auto Show that connecting cars to a cloud is "one of the biggest opportunities for the automotive industry today." 

The HERE mapping unit is one of the three businesses remaining in Nokia's corporate umbrella following last week's deal to sell its mobile phone division to Microsoft.

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Soon, make 3D video calls through Skype

Instant messaging and video-calling service Skype is reportedly working on the prospects of 3D video calling and the current limitations with the 3D technologies stopped the company from launching the feature. 

Microsoft's corporate vice-president for Skype, Mark Gillett said that the lab experimentation has been done to analyse the capability of 3D screens and 3D capture. 

Gillett said that there has been a lot of progress in screens and people have started to buy televisions and computer monitors capable of delivering 3D image, but there is a lack of 3D capture devices and the company has been working on just that, BBC reports. 

According to the report, the vice-president said that Skype is working with the technology where multiple cameras need to be attached to the computer, precisely calibrate them and point them at the right angle and are now aiming at using that technology to make it work in practical with supporting devices. 

Gillet agreed with Hollywood director James Cameron who said that all forms of entertainment will eventually be 3D but warned that 3D video chats will take longer to catch on than other uses. 

He further added that the penetration of 3D technology would be more on televisions and computers before eventually reaching the smartphone market, the report added.

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US-made Moto X‘s labour cost less than Galaxy S4

Motorola's new Moto X phone doesn't cost more to make simply because it's assembled in Texas, research firm IHS. 

The Moto X is the first smartphone to carry the "Made in the USA" designation. Labor costs are higher in the US compared with Asian factories, where phones are typically made. But IHS said the Moto X is about 5 percent cheaper to make than Samsung Electronic's flagship Galaxy S4phone. The firm said the Moto X's overall production cost is just 9 percent more than that of Apple's iPhone 5. 

The findings come as little surprise, as the labor cost of a phone is just a small part of its production cost. IHS estimates that labor and other assembly costs Motorola $12 per phone for the Moto X, bringing the production cost to $226. That compares with $207 for the iPhone 5 and $237 for the Galaxy S4. IHS said Motorola is able to keep the cost of parts low by using standard components that don't break much new ground. 

By assembling the phone in Fort Worth, Texas, Motorola is able to let customers order custom designs online for delivery within four days. Standard black or white models are available immediately at retail stores. 

"With the Moto X, Motorola is reaping the public-relations and customization upsides of producing a smartphone in the United States, while maintaining competitive hardware costs," said Andrew Rassweiler, senior director for cost benchmarking services at IHS. 

IHS said the estimated $12 for assembly is about $3.50 to $4 more than other leading phones. 

"Our initial estimate suggests the additional costs of onshoring the Moto X are relatively low," IHS said. 

The phone went on sale last Friday, starting with AT&T. It's coming to other carriers, including Verizon this week. The Moto X's price is about $200 with a two-year service agreement. 

The Moto X is Motorola's first phone designed from the start under its new owner, Google. The Internet search company bought Motorola Mobility for $12.4 billion last year.

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iGate appoints ex-Infosys exec Ashok Vemuri as CEO

Ashok Vemuri, the head of Infosys' North American operations and a member of its board, has defected from India's second-largest software company to join iGate as its new chief executive officer.

The departure of Vemuri, who was regarded as a potential future CEO of Infosys, is another blow to a company which has been struggling for management stability. For iGate, it brings to an end its months-long search for a leader after the US-based company fired Phaneesh Murthy as CEO in May for not disclosing a sexual relationship with a colleague.

InfosysBSE -0.52 % announced Vemuri's resignation on Wednesday. Vemuri's acceptance of the offer from iGate was confirmed to ET by two people. In June, this newspaper reported that Vemuri was among those in discussions with Russell Reynolds Associates, the headhunting firm with the mandate to help iGate find a new CEO.

NR Narayana Murthy, who made a comeback to the under-performing Infosys as its chairman in June with his son Rohan as his executive assistant, described Vemuri, 45, as an "important player" in the growth of the company. Vemuri, who has been with Infosys for a decade and a half, did not consult him before taking a decision to resign, Murthy said in an email.

"I spoke to him last night to find out if we could do anything to retain him. He said he wanted to be the CEO of a company as early as possible and that he had gotten the opportunity now even though the company is much smaller," wrote Murthy. "On the other hand, he said, the probability of his becoming the CEO at Infosys was at best 33% and at least 18 to 20 months away. Therefore, he felt that he must move on. I agreed with him and wished him the best since he has been a wonderful Infoscion."

Along with Vemuri, Europe head B G Srinivas and India business head V Balakrishnan have been regarded as the internal candidates most likely to succeed SD Shibulal as CEO of the $7-billion (Rs 45,000 crore) company in 2015.

iGate declined to comment on what it called "speculation".

Vemuri will be replaced as head the manufacturing vertical by his deputy Sanjay Jolona. In 2011, Vemuri and Srinivas swapped roles, with the former taking on responsibility for manufacturing and the latter for financial services.

Since returning to the company he cofounded, Murthy has been ringing in several changes to transform Infosys into a "desirable" company once again. He unexpectedly raised salaries for staff in June, while at the same time warning that under-performance by employees would not be tolerated. He has said he will increase focus on winning high-volume deals for software application development and management of computer networks. To offset the expected drop in margins, he is cutting costs at expensive overseas locations.

One of the areas thought to be affected by the cost-cutting efforts is the so-called Strategic Sourcing Group for large contracts which was managed by Vemuri.

After Murthy's return, Infosys has seen its sales head Basab Pradhan resign. The North America head for financial services Sudhir Chaturvedi recently resigned to join NIIT Technologies. Before that, Shaji Farooq and Balaji Yellavalli from the financial services unit jumped to cross-town rivalWipro.

"From a market perspective, it's already factored in that from now it's going to be Murthy's show," said Sonam Udhasi, head of research at IDBI Capital.

The Infosys stock opened 1.5% lower on the New York Stock Exchange. On the National Stock Exchange, the shares closed 2.1% higher at Rs 3,121.

Any consequence of the departure of Vemuri (he will serve his notice until September 12) could be felt in the financial services vertical and North America, both key revenue-earners for the company. North America accounts for over 60% of Infosys' sales. But since iGate is much smaller - its revenue was $1 billion in 2012 - the impact will be limited. iGate is aiming for revenue of $3 billion in 2017.

Ankur Rudra of Ambit Capital, however, said that the departure would have a ripple effect in both the manufacturing and financial services verticals as well as the North American operations because of the deep relationships that Vemuri has built within the company and among clients.

"After Murthy returned there have been a few senior executive departures and it is worryingly beginning to look like a trend at Infosys."

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Smartwatches: Casio’s plan to take on Samsung, Apple

Clunky? Perhaps. Geeky? Absolutely. But for three decades Casio Computer's G-Shock line of digital watches has dominated a small, yet lucrative, market. 

The geeky-watch niche is drawing interest from some of the biggest names in technology. Appletrademarked 'iWatch' in several countries this year, which has fueled speculation that it is working on a wristwatch that would link with a smartphone. 

Samsung Electronics is expected to unveil a watch in early September that can make phone calls, play video games and send emails. Last month, Sony revamped its Smartwatch , which communicates with smartphones and lets users play games or check Facebook by tapping their wrists. 

"Suddenly, everyone's discovered the wrist," Kazuo Kashio, Casio's 84-year-old chief executive, said. "We've known for a long time it's prime real estate. We're prepared." The spike in interest in wearable computing devices is shaking up the digital watch industry, catapulting a sleepy business to the cutting edge of personal technology. 

In the process, established digital watchmakers like Casio are finding that they must contend with new competitors. But that is nothing new for Casio, a company with $3.06 billion in annual revenue that also makes compact cameras, musical instruments and calculators. 

Sales of digital watches account for 85% of Casio's operating profit of approximately $206 million. But in a report earlier this year, analysts for Credit Suisse said the advantage would increasingly tilt toward companies that focus on connectivity, apps and user interfaces. 

But in real life, success in smartwatch design has been more elusive. Citizen, Casio and other Japanese manufacturers developed calculator watches in the late 1970s, but they never took off. Casio soon emerged as a leading digital watchmaker, adding dictionaries, blood pressure sensors, a touchscreen and gesture control by the late 1980s. 

But after disappointing sales of many of those models — Kashio said the company was ahead of its time — Casio instead turned its attention to making the weatherproof, shatterproof G-Shock watches. Casio continues to aggressively market new products. Last year, it introduced a watch that uses Bluetooth to let wearers see incoming calls and messages. 

And it is working on a host of models, including one that will let joggers post details of their runs online, Kashio said.

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