The Sharjah Digital Office (SDO) has revealed today that its Digital Sharjah platform recorded 128,000 visits to its website and smart app and completed 7,271 transactions since its debut in November last year…reports Asian Lite News
The Digital Sharjah website and smart app was launched as a one-stop digital user interface that seamlessly integrates a portfolio of 41 essential public services provided by different government entities and private sector companies across 7 broad categories. More services will continue to be added in the forthcoming phases.
Recently, SDO has launched the ‘Smile… it’s easy’ campaign to introduce and drive awareness of the portfolio of services under the Digital Sharjah platform and mobile application that aims at advancing the quality of life of citizens and residents through an advanced digital infrastructure.
DS Stats Infographic
SDO has revealed that payments for public parking fees, SEWA bills, and Etisalat bills, were amongst the most used services on the platform.
Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director of SDO, said: “The high volume of usage of the app since its launch reflects the trust placed by users in the Digital Sharjah platform and the high quality of digital services it provides in collaboration with entities in the public and private sectors to support Sharjah’s comprehensive developmental strategy.”
Al Qasimi added: “The data usage generated through the Digital Sharjah platform and smart app provides unique insights into the needs of the community. Getting integrated information through data analytics is essential to continuously advance the digital services and enhance user experience, and to make the platform a comprehensive gateway for digital services in the emirate.”
The Digital Sharjah app is rated 4.7/5 on App Store – Apple and registered 12,600 downloads. The app was downloaded 9,440 times on Google Play and received a 4.4/5 rating.
Make time to interact with your child utilising digital devices such as computers, telephones or tablets…writes Dr. Sridhar G
Technology has arguably never had such an impact on government, industry, and society as it has in the previous 20 years. Technological advancements such as the internet and the resulting social networks and media have already altered our daily lives, and AI and automation promise to alter it even further. Even social and cultural organisations have been altered by digital technology.
Because digital media has such a big impact on children’s physical and mental development, parenting in the digital era must obviously take on new aspects. Parents cannot afford to remain passive spectators as the digital world unfolds. They must become an active and alert participant in order for their children to thrive in the new era while being protected from the potential dangers of it.
Here are some tips for parents to optimize the digital engagement of their children:
Teaching children the value of Real-Life Interaction
Humans are social beings, and studies suggest that those who are more socially active, live healthier and longer lives. Youngsters must learn that no amount of digital technology can substitute for face-to-face social engagement.
Limiting screen time
It is important to set limits on when kids use gadgets or any other devices. To begin with, the use of digital devices must be restricted at the following times:1 hour before going to bed, on weeknights, before they finish their schoolwork, when relatives and friends come to visit, whenever you’re having a meal. Setting these limits will help in reducing the harmful consequences of excessive usage of devices.
Considering age factor before introducing technology
Usage of digital gadgets can have both beneficial and negative impacts on the youngsters. Therefore, we should be mindful at what age we introduce our kids to digital devices. Children under the age of 24 months should not be exposed to smart gadgets as frequently as a more mature youngster. It is recommended to wait until your child is in school before allowing him or her to use digital tools. Because many children will be obliged to use technology during their schooling, it’s a good idea to start introducing it to your child before they attend full-time school.
Make time to interact with your child utilising digital devices such as computers, telephones or tablets
There are various applications available for both parents and children to use together that may provide a fantastic bonding experience. You could also try recommending them to download games that you both enjoy.
Inspiring Independence
Encouraging your child to be self-sufficient will pay significant returns as they grow older. You may accomplish this in a variety of ways, including encouraging your child to securely explore the digital world. This can begin by allowing your child to browse the web unsupervised while also teaching them on the hazards of online use.
Have an open conversation
It’s important that you create an environment that encourages your youngster to open up about anything. If your child is having a negative experience while using their digital device, they need to know that they may talk to you about it. This is why you must tell your child that he or she has the right to bring up any topic with which they are uncomfortable.
Have frequent chats with your child
Make it a point to positively connect with your child on a daily basis. This will help them develop a positive attitude and create a much better understanding between the two of you. The interaction can be done using digital gadget or without it.
Become the pupil
As a parent, you would want to teach your child all you know so that they may grow up to be successful adults. However, it is sometimes necessary to set aside time to allow your children to teach you something new every day. Children are notoriously enthralled by a wide range of subjects. Find something they’re enthusiastic about and invest some time on it. Encouraging them to teach you what they know will help them gain confidence over time, particularly if they are in full-time education.
While technology can be beneficial to your child’s development, especially in terms of access to educational materials, it also has the potential to be dangerous. Before allowing your child to use technology freely, it is vital to educate yourself. It’s also vital to have open communication with and teach your child about technology, including the positive and negative aspects. Regardless matter the circumstances, being a parent can be challenging. Parenting in the digital age presents a new set of issues, requiring you to monitor your child’s online activities while simultaneously maximising their participation with recent innovations in the digital sphere – the requirement of the twenty-first century industry.
Featuring an iconic design, the boat’s world premiere will be held in Dubai, reports Asian Lite News
Swiss based start-up THE JET ZeroEmission announced that it has inked an agreement with Zenith Marine Services LLC, a UAE based company; and DWYN LLC to manufacture and operate ‘THE JET’ – the first clean-energy, hydrogen-powered flying boat.
Featuring an iconic design, the boat’s world premiere will be held in Dubai.
The announcement reflects Dubai’s leading position as a global hub for future industries. Dubai’s robust infrastructure and supportive investment environment has made it an ideal launchpad for innovative companies to reach their global ambitions.
‘THE JET’ features cutting-edge characteristics and technologies, making it capable of flying in silence over the waters at a cruising speed of 40 knots. The luxurious boat has a capacity of 8/12 passengers, and is equipped with two fuel cells and an air conditioner as well as other clean-tech, environmentally friendly technologies that help reduce carbon emissions.
Dubai set to launch world’s first hydrogen-powered flying boat
Commenting on the occasion, Alain Thébault, Founder of THE JET ZeroEmission and a previously world sailing speed record holder in 2009 & electric Seabubbles prototypes inventor in 2016, said: “We are pleased to make this announcement from Dubai, and be able to manufacture and launch ‘THE JET’, which is going to be the world’s first boat to sail without noise, waves, or emissions and have the capability of flying 80cm above the waters.”
“Dubai is an ideal destination for innovators and companies from around the world to develop their innovative projects and reach their desired success, which is why we have announced ‘THE JET’, a project that I had the privilege of conceiving with the team. We look forward to meeting with those interested in this amazing flying boat at the 28th International Climate Summit (COP28 UAE) that will be hosted in the UAE,” said Thébault.
The announcement is a step forward for the clean-tech industry and for the start-up itself. The start-up has also been able to secure part of the required funding of 10 million Euros.
The cooperation agreement between THE JET and UAE business partners is good news for the environment and the future of clean-energy maritime transport. ‘THE JET’s’ cutting-edge fuel cell technology will be delivered in Dubai for a historic inaugural flight, during the next COP28 UAE preparatory meetings, which will be held in November 2023.
Clean and renewable energy is a key requirement to sustainability, and stands at the forefront of Dubai and the UAE’s strategic priorities. Dubai has become an international pioneer in developing the clean and renewable energy sector. The city has also launched the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. Under this Strategy, Dubai aims to produce 75 per cent of its energy requirements from clean sources by 2050.
The Strategy also aims to make Dubai a global centre of clean energy and green economy. It consists of five main pillars: infrastructure, legislation, funding, building capacities and skills, and environment friendly energy mix.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar has announced plans to convert 150 villages around the ‘Centres of Excellence’ into ‘Villages of Excellence’ with technical assistance from Israel…reports Asian Lite News
The Centres of Excellence (CoEs), an example of cooperation between India and Israel, are producing more than 25 million vegetable plants, over 3,87,000 quality fruit plants and can train more than 1.2 lakh farmers per year. The Minister expressed satisfaction at the functioning of 29 Centres of Excellence in 12 states.
“Out of 150, half of them, i.e., 75 villages are being taken up in the first year to commemorate the 75th year of India’s independence, where India and Israel will work together,” Tomar said and expressed happiness on the completion of 30 years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel.
Tomar was speaking when the newly appointed Israel Ambassador to India Naor Gilon called on the Agriculture Minister on Thursday, a release from the Agriculture Ministry said on Friday.
Tomar also highlighted the various schemes that have been launched by the Government of India for the welfare of farmers. Those included PM-Kisan, Agri-Infrastructure Fund (AIF), formation of 10,000 FPOs, Schemes for promotion of organic farming, natural farming, and soil health cards etc.
The Ambassador appreciated the working of Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) institutes and showed interest in further collaboration with ICAR and making available the latest technologies available with Israel. He proposed the certification of CoEs to further enhance the standards and quality of services being provided to the farmers, the release said.
With the second-biggest network of web users with over 680 million subscribers, India will prove to be extremely friendly to creative and talented founders, provided that we start accepting technological advancements as the new form of evolution, writes Dr Ritesh Malik
The ‘2020 Depression’ was caused not only due to just Covid-19 but also by the world leaders’ inability to contain the virus and a lack of foresight.
While the personal loss suffered by the victims and their loved ones is incalculable, the damage to the global economy has not been anything shy of disastrous either.
Dr Ritesh Malik
During the pandemic, the entire value-chain that is the backbone of an economy was disrupted, the labour force was drastically cut down and as the developed countries faced an economic downturn, a domino effect, combined with a vicious cycle that continuously shrank economic output, led to a global depression.
The tech industry, however, didn’t just endure this affair, but thrived. With an urgent need to maintain distance for consumers and businesses alike, a need to adapt to the network and be a part of the IoT emerged.
For businesses, having to reconsider and invest in technology was nothing short of an ultimatum against their very survival.
The second half of 2021 saw a boom for tech industry entrepreneurs to aid in the movement of conventional businesses to integrate technology into their business in the form of communication, manufacturing and distribution development. These immense opportunities for tech founders and unicorn companies do, however, come with accompanying execution pressure.
In India, profitability is still a far-fetched goal for most startups despite witnessing decent growth in revenue. It is essential not to let the desire for short-term profitability and a quick payout hinder the development of what could prove to be the pioneers of the next industrial revolution.
It is essential during this period that founders and investors look towards long-term profitability. Very few Indian unicorns have touched $100 million revenue and there will be immense pressure on these companies to perform. We have all seen that private markets & public markets treat valuations differently.
IPOs will likely prove to be a truly vital element of investment and long-term growth for private institutions. As the need for capital increases, so too, will the demand for short-term negative cash flow to ensure maximum utilisation of finances.
As 2022 approaches, we are experiencing more and more need for new talent and unorthodox approaches towards development. This will also require the government to alleviate the restrictions for the business industry.
The government holds a responsibility to its citizens to ensure that they opt to create and add value to goods and services in India only, instead of migrating to and working for other countries they believe will recognise their talents better.
With the second-biggest network of web users with over 680 million subscribers, India will prove to be extremely friendly to creative and talented founders, provided that we, as a country, start accepting technological advancements as the new form of evolution, and ethically work as a community to nurture creativity and intelligence.
Also, large businesses will need to be agile and adopt/acquire the DNA of what we call the ‘RESPONSIVE OS’ to ensure they sustain else we’ll have massive loss of value in conventional businesses.
In my opinion, by 2030, 40 per cent of Nifty 50 would be young dynamic technology startups, displacing conventional companies.
(Dr Ritesh Malik is a famous doctor-turned-entrepreneur, investor, storyteller and philanthropist. He can be reached at info@drriteshmalik.com. The views expressed are personal)
The Abu Dhabi Community Cooperative (ADCC), has unveiled the brand identity of its recently launched online cooperative market, ‘Hoot’…reports Asian Lite News
The Abu Dhabi Community Cooperative (ADCC), a first-of-its-kind Emirati entity dedicated to empowering members of the UAE community through innovative solutions to improve their quality of life, has unveiled the brand identity of its recently launched online cooperative market, ‘Hoot’.
Abu Dhabi Community Cooperative launch brand identity of Hoot
All ADCC members, as well as the public, will be able to access the first-of-its-kind e-market in the region and receive cashback on their online purchases. The entity’s unique business model ensures that all proceeds are effectively utilised to fulfil ADCC’s comprehensive socioeconomic objectives.
This was revealed at a special event organised by ADCC at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi where the brand identity of the online cooperative market, Hoot, was unveiled in the presence of its board members, as well as a host of public and private entities’ representatives, online market experts, community development professionals, and media representatives. The e-store’s key characteristics, features, shopping mechanism, purposes and objectives were discussed in detail at the event.
Hoot fosters the concept of social economy through its unique community-focused approach that elevates the shopping experience and supports the community while also contributing to the inclusive development process in the UAE. The e-market aims to boost social and economic value by strengthening cohesion and cooperation between community members.
Abu Dhabi Community Cooperative launch brand identity of Hoot
The ADCC remarked that the name ‘Hoot’ was chosen to reflect its ambitions that align with the UAE’s vision and principles of cooperation and empathy, and its focused approach on overcoming the impossible. Accordingly, ADCC was inspired to design and launch a large e-market capable of competing with popular e-commerce apps and platforms.
Hoot offers a unique shopping experience for all customers who will receive cashback on their purchases even if they are not members of ADCC. The benefits will be shared with the community through initiatives and projects in diverse sectors such as healthcare, education, career and social empowerment, thereby contributing to the growth of ADCC and enhancing its services delivered to the public.
HE ALI SALOOM, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ADCC: “Hoot e-market is the outcome of comprehensive planning and strategic research that has taken into consideration both economic viability as well as social impact. By implementing the results of the studies, ADCC aims to build a strong foundation for a unique economic project that contributes to strengthening community cohesion. It will introduce shoppers to a new experience in e-commerce that closely aligns with the concept of socio-economic development. We collaborate with a range of like-minded partners to fulfil the goals of our ambitious project and to encourage productivity and nurture the charitable sector with pioneering ideas. We remain committed to ensure that Hoot e-market’s activities are community-oriented. Through this approach, we seek to promote fair business practices, and incorporate values of charity into our economic activities, while harnessing modern technology to serve community projects and expand the scope of beneficiaries.”
Al Saloom thanked the Ministry of Economy‘s Cooperatives and Strategic Stocks Department and the Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development, for their ongoing support to ADCC since its inception. He pointed out that the unstinting support offered to such initiatives fosters cohesion and boosts partnership at all levels, and helps serve the community and improve quality of life across the UAE.
In its first phase, Hoot offers 100,000 products and will consistently broaden its product portfolio to reach 1,000,000 by the end of 2022. It will offer competitively priced quality products to foster the value of positive, development-oriented consumption.
The online cooperative market has set its sights on becoming the leading electronic cooperative shopping destination in the UAE and the MENA region, the products currently available online include electronics, fashion and beauty goods, home and office appliances, books, grocery items, healthcare, and baby products. Amongst other product offerings are a choice of picnic, camping and sporting products.
MBRSC, Khalifa University to collaborate on lunar mission
The MoU was signed by Salem Humaid Al Marri, Director-General, MBRSC, and Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology…reports Asian Lite News
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Khalifa University of Science and Technology to collaborate on the Emirates Lunar Mission in the field of technological and scientific research activities.
The MoU was signed by Salem Humaid Al Marri, Director-General, MBRSC, and Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology.
MBRSC, Khalifa University to collaborate on lunar mission
The MoU further details other scopes of work including exchange of practical experiences and development of human resources in order to facilitate the implementation of the partnership and cooperation in all fields, activities and systems for data linkage to serve the general interest of the UAE.
On this occasion, Al Marri said, “We are pleased to collaborate with Khalifa University of Science and Technology for the Emirates Lunar Mission. Building a talent pool of the next generation of space engineers is vital to the sustainable growth of the space industry. The knowledge garnered through this collaboration will benefit the scientific community and the signing of this memorandum will provide impetus to explore newer research activities and application possibilities in the field of STEM.”
For his side, Al Hammadi said, “We are delighted to enter into the MoU with Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to collaborate on exchange of data and information regarding ‘Rashid Rover’ of the Emirates Lunar Mission, the first Arab mission to the moon. Khalifa University has the infrastructure, expertise, and human capital needed to support the Emirates Lunar Mission and ensure that the UAE’s space ambitions are achievable, in line with the vision of the country’s leadership. Moreover, Khalifa University’s Space Technology and Innovation Centre and other research centres will assist in the work undertaken for this mission to help ensure its success.”
Indian FM was speaking during a virtual discussion at the Global Technology Summit 2021
Indian FM was speaking during a virtual discussion at the Global Technology Summit 2021…reports Asian Lite News
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that Quad consisting of the US, Japan, Australia, and India is “very much for real” and has moved “very effectively and well” in the past year.
During a discussion at the Global Technology Summit 2021, the EAM said, “Quad is very much for real. It has moved very effectively, well precisely because it’s a very contemporary arrangement. The subjects Quad is looking at are practical subjects that will make a difference.”
Indian FM was speaking during a virtual discussion at the Global Technology Summit 2021
He also said that the new grouping between India, Israel, the UAE and US, would be focusing on technology, including green tech, digital and start-ups.
On the activities of the new grouping of India, the US, Israel and the UAE, he said, “that some part of it will be tech-focused, whether in green tech, or digital, or start-ups, as in these areas all four have great strengths.”
Asked by C Raja Mohan, Director at ISAS, National University of Singapore, whether the Quad was an aspirational grouping between India, the US, Australia and Japan, or if it was real, the EAM said that Quad has moved “very effectively and well” in the past year.
“Last year has shown it is very much for real. I think it has moved very, very effectively, and moved well, precisely because it is a very contemporary arrangement. It is loose, it’s a new way of working, not just for us, even for the other three Quad partners; they too were used to a more cumbersome way of working, and if you see the outcomes, these are very practical subjects, whether on vaccines, student’s mobility, looking at start-ups. We have taken a very sensible view of problems of the landscape and how do we find a practical solution,” said Jaishankar.
On the Quad countries’ interdependence with China, with regard to trade, EAM Jaishankar said, “Decoupling is a fashionable word. Anyone with serious business experience would challenge it. Decoupling is much easier said than done. What you are going to see is hedging and de-risking… multiple supply chains, shorter supply chains, and more transparent options.”
He said that countries in smaller groups are discussing the need for smaller resilient supply chains.
On Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking about global norms for technology such as social media and cryptocurrencies so that they are used to empower democracy and not undermine it, the EAM said: “A point he made forcefully. Technology today is a critical tool to deliver on democratic governance, and it is important not to be cynical of democracy or governance.”
On India’s tech diaspora, and Indian engineers and scientific diaspora shaping the global tech scene, he said that there is a growing demand for technology talent in the world and on the need to put technology at the centre of growth.
“With the passage of time, the importance of the global marketplace has grown,” he said adding that India’s position is unique – as a “major stakeholder in the global workplace”.
Earlier, in his remarks, welcoming UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to deliver the opening remarks, the EAM said that the summit is the outcome of a productive partnership between the Ministry of External Affairs and Carnegie.
“In human history, technology is a double-edged sword, it has opened up new vistas of progress and new threats. The aim is to find a new balance,” he said.
He said that in a world that is globalized and tech-driven, mastery of key domains is a symbol of mastery.
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“In society, the implications of technology are significant and transformational. It is a key governance tool and communications medium,” he said.
Welcoming PM Johnson, he said that the UK PM Johnson has brought new energy to the India-UK partnership, and the 2030 Roadmap in the bilateral strategic relations.
India’s int’l branding gone up
Emphasising that initiating a new set of dialogues democratised foreign policy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the dialogues fulfilled many objectives and the bonus of all of this is that India’s international branding has also gone up.
“We are today seen as a country which has serious events, where a different set of people come and talk and I think that helped us enormously in terms of our international reputations,” Jaishankar said.
S. Jaishankar
Referring to the new set of dialogues that were started by him years back when he served as Foreign Secretary, Jaishankar said: “One of the objectives of initiating a set of new dialogues was to sort of to democratises foreign policy.”
“I did it at a time when there was also a sense in the country itself that many of the changes we saw in 2014 and 2019 were reflective of a larger conversation, broadening out of political conversations and I certainly feel that should be the case with foreign policy,” he added.
The Minister also emphasised that foreign policy is a much more complicated business. “Certainly, when I started it involved many more issues and specialisation,” he added.
Underlining that enough attention was not paid towards the technology, he said: “We viewed technology in a limited way. Either promotional way or overcoming denial issue.”
“By doing particularly the technology summit we were reaching to the people who were not the traditional foreign policy people,” the Minister said.
“People who knew a lot, whose inputs we will benefit from,” he added.
Jasihankar emphasised that “we have succeeded in many ways in each of these objectives and by the way, the bonus of all of this is our international branding has also gone up.” (ANI)
Last fiscal, manufacturing constituted around 17.5 per cent of India’s GDP versus 15.3 per cent two decades ago…reports Asian Lite News
Over the next decade, this share may move significantly higher with policymaking focusing on ‘Make in India’ and Indian enterprises embracing digital technologies to achieve the target of becoming a global manufacturing hub.
New technologies are profoundly changing industrial production, giving rise to “the factory of the future”.
Factory of the Future
IANS spoke to Anand Vaitheeswaran, CIO at L&T Technology Services Limited (LTTS), to understand how Indian manufacturing is evolving given the increasingly rapid adoption of intelligent automation, data analytics and IoT as well as LTTS’s six big bets which will shape the industry of tomorrow.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q: The Indian IT industry is riding high on a digital transformation wave as businesses look to get more agile and resilient. Can you tell us about the trends you are seeing in what your customers will demand over the next 2-3 years?
When we discuss digital transformation, we need to understand that it is not a commodity but a customer-sentiment driven change. Digital transformation implies tectonic shifts in the way organisations build and utilise resources and modify its operations. Keeping up with these customer demands has become more crucial than ever for every industry around the world. Since 2020, the world has marked the rapid shift in customer demand, with more client focus on digitisation of “experiences”.
We believe that these 6 big bets — Electric Autonomous Connected Vehicles (EACV), 5G, Digital Products and AI, Digital Manufacturing, Med Tech and Sustainability — will shape the industry of tomorrow, help us to scale and enable our engineers to stay ahead of the curve.
Our various businesses also have a mandate to improve LTTS’ technology quotient and build reusable assets that can be our differentiator in the marketplace.
Q: How did Covid play the role of a catalyst in accelerating your digital transformation journey?
After the pandemic hit, with the majority of our workforce operating remotely, our focus shifted to the safety of employees while maintaining the highest levels of productivity.
We devised ways and means to make the employees productive from wherever they connected through collaboration platforms that enabled them to connect with their teams and the organisations, chatbots to help with certain repetitive actions or simple applications that enabled our employees to be effective in delivering our commitments towards customers. We also invested in cybersecurity tools and processes that ensured us to tackle malicious threats.
During this lockdown, we also developed and launched the ‘WFX App’ that helped with hotdesking and social distancing at the workplace. We deployed technology such as thermal scanning & ‘Care App’ to ensure those who were entering office buildings were healthy and safe.
Q: Are Indian businesses prepared for the Factory of the Future? How do you see the manufacturing landscape in 5 years from now given increasing adoption of intelligent automation, data analytics and IoT?
At a global level, many large Indian businesses are well prepared to align with the ‘Factory of the Future’, while many others are still planning to do so.
However, the adoption of advanced digital manufacturing solutions has not been uniform across sectors, such as in food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, mining and water & waste water, where investments in automation solutions have not kept pace with global norms. On the other hand, pharma and healthcare segments have been able to achieve a good level of automation, with the oil & gas and automotive industries being at par with global trends.
In this scenario, companies who are aligned to reap the benefits of being ‘Factory of the Future’ will have smarter machines, closed loop controls, significant unmanned operations, network of reliable systems on cloud, heavy use of Robots/Cobots/Drones/AGVs, IoT platforms.
Q: What are the must have qualities of a successful CIO/CTO today?
With the digital overtaking the physical platforms as the primary communication and collaboration platforms, IT has taken the centre-stage. The role of a CIO has crystallised during the pandemic – from being a technology leader to a cross-functional business leader.
To be on the top of a rapidly changing technology landscape, a CIO must have an agile and growth-centric mindset – continuously learning the latest technologies not just in the enterprise landscape, but across the spectrum.
One of the key qualities of a CIO is to operate in a product model of work, instead of a project-based model, while considering the revenue generation from IT towards the organisation. The ability to experiment and demonstrate quick decision making are important skill sets for a CIO.
Q: What did cloud technology enable you to do that you couldn’t do before?
Owing to the pandemic which got us to rethink on WFX (Work from Anywhere), it would not be possible to sustain if we did not have cloud technologies. Under our umbrella business process transformation programme, all teams could work from anywhere to ensure timely deliveries. Critical workloads were secured, scaled up and were accessible from anywhere.
Thanks to AWS, we could focus more on agility and deliver both to employees and customers. For example, we had provisioned the AMD processor but we realised during the cyclic load that we needed a better processor. With great support from AWS, we changed the same without downtime. Not just that, we were able to increase IOPS on the fly leading to effective use of resources.
If not for such features, we would not have been able to design during peak load without burdening other resources. Availability of business-critical applications, one click addition or resources were made possible. Additionally, in terms of management efficiency – the way we could use resources, on demand scaling based on workloads meant we were on track to effectively use the investment. With the geographical selection of the workload, LTTS reduced latency for its US Operations to access storage from AWS.
All business-critical workloads at LTTS are currently functioning on AWS. Key among them include ERP, Project & Quality Management platform, Data Lake and analytics platform. We also have some of our customer projects running on AWS. Additionally, proof of concepts using GovCloud for specific projects are in the pipeline and will be unveiled soon.
Our entire procurement cycle and wait lead time for arrival of hardware was eliminated, thus reducing our ‘time to deploy’.
Lastly, instead of blocking capital expenses we were able to leverage the Pay as you go Model and remained agile to the business needs leveraging cloud.
Q: How did cloud help you in terms of risk and compliance?
Risks can be related to availability of workloads and can effectively be managed by placing workloads in two different availability zones. Similarly, compliance needs related to data privacy like restriction of data movements, can be planned and adopted better.
On cyber security, AWS provided the Trust Advisor report which helped in managing all security aspects.
Q: How is technology enabling your business to drive societal impact?
LTTS has a vision to help build a more sustainable world. We leverage our deep engineering DNA and innovation-mindset and support customers to expand the use of renewable energy, drive water conservation measures, reduce carbon emissions, and develop Net Zero products.
To that effect, we are also using cloud services, with multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments as part of our ongoing digital transformations. Cloud-based data management helps support ESG programmes by automating processes and standardising data — which in turn improves transparency within the organisation as leaders try to understand the diverse social and environmental risks.
The ESG data not only helps to know about greenhouse gas emissions and waste management but also manage resources, identify potential risks and maintain compliance.
193 countries adopts the first global agreement on the Ethics of AI
All the nations members of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted on Thursday a historical text that defines the common values and principles needed to ensure the healthy development of AI…reports Asian Lite News
Artificial intelligence is present in everyday life, from booking flights and applying for loans to steering driverless cars. It is also used in specialized fields such as cancer screening or to help create inclusive environments for the disabled.
According to UNESCO, AI is also supporting the decision-making of governments and the private sector, as well as helping combat global problems such as climate change and world hunger.
193 countries adopts the first global agreement on the Ethics of AI
However, the agency warns that the technology ‘is bringing unprecedented challenges’.
“We see increased gender and ethnic bias, significant threats to privacy, dignity and agency, dangers of mass surveillance, and increased use of unreliable AI technologies in law enforcement, to name a few. Until now, there were no universal standards to provide an answer to these issues,” UNESCO explained in a statement.
Considering this, the adopted text aims to guide the construction of the necessary legal infrastructure to ensure the ethical development of this technology.
AUDREY AZOULAY, CHIEF, UNESCO: “The world needs rules for artificial intelligence to benefit humanity. The Recommendation on the ethics of AI is a major answer. It sets the first global normative framework while giving States the responsibility to apply it at their level. UNESCO will support its 193 Member States in its implementation and ask them to report regularly on their progress and practices.”
The text aims to highlight the advantages of AI, while reducing the risks it also entails. According to the agency, it provides a guide to ensure that digital transformations promote human rights and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, addressing issues around transparency, accountability and privacy, with action-oriented policy chapters on data governance, education, culture, labour, healthcare and the economy.
One of its main calls is to protect data, going beyond what tech firms and governments are doing to guarantee individuals more protection by ensuring transparency, agency and control over their personal data. The Recommendation also explicitly bans the use of AI systems for social scoring and mass surveillance.
The text also emphasises that AI actors should favour data, energy and resource-efficient methods that will help ensure that AI becomes a more prominent tool in the fight against climate change and in tackling environmental issues.
“Decisions impacting millions of people should be fair, transparent and contestable. These new technologies must help us address the major challenges in our world today, such as increased inequalities and the environmental crisis, and not deepening them,” said Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO’s Assistant Director General for Social and Human Sciences.
