Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, today said it will invest one million dollar in India by the end of this year.
''...overall we are expecting to spend not less than one million dollar (in India) till the end of 2009,'' said Mr Alexander Gnatusin, Director (Channel), South Asia, Kaspersky Labs.
Meanwhile, the company launched its new product -- Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 -- that will protect home users of computers from all types of security threats.
The product protects computers from viruses and worms, spyware and trojans, hijacking and botnets, identity theft, network attacks and spam.
Mr Gnatusin said the company was looking at extending the product line in the country.
He said the company is on an expansion mode in India. ''Soon, we will open our regional office in Hyderabad.''
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Shashi Tharoor on Twitter
Follow Shashi Tharoor @ http://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor
The ministry of external affairs is all a-Twitter. Not because Indian diplomats have become net savvy, but one of the new ministers of state is a frequent user of this social networking web tool.
Shashi Tharoor, a UN diplomat-turned-politician, has been tweeting since March 17 and used it as a communication tool during the poll campaign.
"In Kerala" was his first tentative tweet, which has now graduated to more expansive posts, recounting his tryst from becoming a MP to being a minister.
"And still one more dinner to go, with a section of the diplomatic corps at the splendidly renovated Hyderabad House. A real showcase bldg," he said June 2.
Interestingly, social networking sites are blocked from the ministry's computer network - a result of a cautious policy to prevent foreign intrusions.
Not surprisingly, the majority of the Tharoor posts after taking over as the minister have been sent from his Blackberry, using a mobile client for Twitter.
Though there had been some tweets directly sent from twitter's web interface, but most of them were sent late at night, usually after midnight. "First dinner by EAM for diplomatic corps. back on a beat i thought i'd left when i quit the UN. But better food here! spoke French after yrs," he tweeted at 12.29 a.m. June 2.
Right now, Tharoor has 4,511 people following him on Twitter. But he follows only two - his son, Kanishka and close aide, Jacob Joseph Puthen.
Incidentally, Tharoor had also linked to Rahul Gandhi's official Twitter account - www.twitter.com/rgamethi. But the account has been withdrawn from last week, with only a page displaying "That page doesn't exist!".
Several members of the ministry have also signed up on twitter to follow their minister of state. Though, they can't log on to the website directly from work, they have activated their account to receive the tweets on their mobile phones.
The ministry had issued instructions to its members banning any blogs or using of Facebook or Orkut, as part of its cybersecurity guidelines.
Tharoor's boss, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna also has a twitter account, but the last post was April 17.
His first tweet March 20 was a plea for help - "trying to understand this twitter. so what should i do now?" Krishna's post increased in confidence.
There was a slew of tweets till March 24, before a long hiatus and a last post April 17. "I asked my assistant to book me a nano. when is booking open? i think we can do a karnataka tour in the nano," Krishna noted March 22.
The ministry of external affairs is all a-Twitter. Not because Indian diplomats have become net savvy, but one of the new ministers of state is a frequent user of this social networking web tool.
Shashi Tharoor, a UN diplomat-turned-politician, has been tweeting since March 17 and used it as a communication tool during the poll campaign.
"In Kerala" was his first tentative tweet, which has now graduated to more expansive posts, recounting his tryst from becoming a MP to being a minister.
"And still one more dinner to go, with a section of the diplomatic corps at the splendidly renovated Hyderabad House. A real showcase bldg," he said June 2.
Interestingly, social networking sites are blocked from the ministry's computer network - a result of a cautious policy to prevent foreign intrusions.
Not surprisingly, the majority of the Tharoor posts after taking over as the minister have been sent from his Blackberry, using a mobile client for Twitter.
Though there had been some tweets directly sent from twitter's web interface, but most of them were sent late at night, usually after midnight. "First dinner by EAM for diplomatic corps. back on a beat i thought i'd left when i quit the UN. But better food here! spoke French after yrs," he tweeted at 12.29 a.m. June 2.
Right now, Tharoor has 4,511 people following him on Twitter. But he follows only two - his son, Kanishka and close aide, Jacob Joseph Puthen.
Incidentally, Tharoor had also linked to Rahul Gandhi's official Twitter account - www.twitter.com/rgamethi. But the account has been withdrawn from last week, with only a page displaying "That page doesn't exist!".
Several members of the ministry have also signed up on twitter to follow their minister of state. Though, they can't log on to the website directly from work, they have activated their account to receive the tweets on their mobile phones.
The ministry had issued instructions to its members banning any blogs or using of Facebook or Orkut, as part of its cybersecurity guidelines.
Tharoor's boss, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna also has a twitter account, but the last post was April 17.
His first tweet March 20 was a plea for help - "trying to understand this twitter. so what should i do now?" Krishna's post increased in confidence.
There was a slew of tweets till March 24, before a long hiatus and a last post April 17. "I asked my assistant to book me a nano. when is booking open? i think we can do a karnataka tour in the nano," Krishna noted March 22.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Google to sell e-books to challenge Amazon.com
Seeking to find common ground with authors, who have complained about copyright violations through search services, Google plans later this year to begin distributing and selling e-books on behalf of its publishing partners.
"We've consistently maintained that we're committed to helping our partners find more ways to make their books accessible and available for purchase," Google spokesman Gabriel Stricker said Monday confirming the move first reported by the New York Times.
"By end of this year, we hope to give publisher partners an additional way to sell their books by allowing users to purchase access to partner programme books online," he said in an e-mail to InformationWeek, a leading source for information technology news.
"We want to build and support a digital book ecosystem to allow our partner publishers to make their books available for purchase from any Web-enabled device."
Google is anxious to find common ground with authors, who have complained about copyright violations in the past through services like Google Book Search.
Formerly known as Google Print, Google Book Search was introduced in 2004 and targeted by publishers and their lawyers the following year for digitising books without the permission of copyright holders.
A proposed settlement of that lawsuit is currently being reviewed by the courts and the US Department of Justice.
Google's e-book sales service will be made available to participants in the Google Book Service Partner Programme, a marketing programme for promoting books through Google Book Search.
If Google succeeds in making peace with authors and publishers, it may find itself competing more directly against Amazon.com, the publication said.
Amazon gave up competing against Google Search in 2006 when it closed its A9 search engine, but Amazon Web Services, the company's on-demand computing infrastructure service, remains a strong contender against Google App Engine.
With its Kindle e-book reading devices, Amazon has been building the infrastructure and market for electronic texts on portable devices, a transition in reading technology that's been anticipated for a decade, but never fully realised.
Apple too will soon release its iPhone 3.0 operating system, which will bring e-book sales opportunities to the iPhone's many e-book reading apps, InformationWeek said.
Apple is rumoured to be working on tablet computing device, a form factor ideal for reading e-books. Other players, like Sony, see a future in e-books, too.
"We've consistently maintained that we're committed to helping our partners find more ways to make their books accessible and available for purchase," Google spokesman Gabriel Stricker said Monday confirming the move first reported by the New York Times.
"By end of this year, we hope to give publisher partners an additional way to sell their books by allowing users to purchase access to partner programme books online," he said in an e-mail to InformationWeek, a leading source for information technology news.
"We want to build and support a digital book ecosystem to allow our partner publishers to make their books available for purchase from any Web-enabled device."
Google is anxious to find common ground with authors, who have complained about copyright violations in the past through services like Google Book Search.
Formerly known as Google Print, Google Book Search was introduced in 2004 and targeted by publishers and their lawyers the following year for digitising books without the permission of copyright holders.
A proposed settlement of that lawsuit is currently being reviewed by the courts and the US Department of Justice.
Google's e-book sales service will be made available to participants in the Google Book Service Partner Programme, a marketing programme for promoting books through Google Book Search.
If Google succeeds in making peace with authors and publishers, it may find itself competing more directly against Amazon.com, the publication said.
Amazon gave up competing against Google Search in 2006 when it closed its A9 search engine, but Amazon Web Services, the company's on-demand computing infrastructure service, remains a strong contender against Google App Engine.
With its Kindle e-book reading devices, Amazon has been building the infrastructure and market for electronic texts on portable devices, a transition in reading technology that's been anticipated for a decade, but never fully realised.
Apple too will soon release its iPhone 3.0 operating system, which will bring e-book sales opportunities to the iPhone's many e-book reading apps, InformationWeek said.
Apple is rumoured to be working on tablet computing device, a form factor ideal for reading e-books. Other players, like Sony, see a future in e-books, too.
Canada gets 12 percent stake in 'bankrupt' GM
As General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection in New York Monday under pressure from President Barack Obama, Canada acquired 12 percent equity of the failed auto giant by investing $9.5 billion in its bailout.
Under bankruptcy protection, the US government will acquire about 60 percent of the equity of the 'new GM' on an investment of $30 billion in the company, in addition to $20 billion it has already spent to keep the once-mighty auto-maker going.
The auto industries in Canada and the US are deeply integrated, with Canadian plants of the three auto giants accounting for 20 percent of their overall production.
Canada's share of the cost to save GM is in proportion to its share of GM's total production, which will be maintained under the restructuring agreement. Ottawa will also appoint one independent director on the board of the restructured GM.
Since Canada faced the prospect of losing its auto industry, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told a press conference here Monday: "Today's announcement is a regrettable but necessary step to protect the Canadian economy during the worst global recession in half a century.
"I wish there were an alternative, but the alternative to what we're doing today would be vastly more costly and more risky.''
The prime minister said: "The Canada-US auto sector is heavily integrated and a viable GM will provide long-term security for thousands of Canadians who work for suppliers, research and development institutions, and other supporting industries.
"The Government of Canada thanks our partners, especially President Obama and the United States' government, for their close collaboration with Canada in the restructuring of GM. This cooperation makes possible a brighter future for GM and the auto industry in both of our countries.''
Welcoming the Canadian decision, Presiden Obama said: "I want to thank the governments of Canada and Ontario for making this investment in GM alongside the United States. Our countries share a stake in this company's future, and I look forward to our close partnership through this restructuring period.''
Most of GM's operations in based in Ontario province.
Under bankruptcy protection, the US government will acquire about 60 percent of the equity of the 'new GM' on an investment of $30 billion in the company, in addition to $20 billion it has already spent to keep the once-mighty auto-maker going.
The auto industries in Canada and the US are deeply integrated, with Canadian plants of the three auto giants accounting for 20 percent of their overall production.
Canada's share of the cost to save GM is in proportion to its share of GM's total production, which will be maintained under the restructuring agreement. Ottawa will also appoint one independent director on the board of the restructured GM.
Since Canada faced the prospect of losing its auto industry, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told a press conference here Monday: "Today's announcement is a regrettable but necessary step to protect the Canadian economy during the worst global recession in half a century.
"I wish there were an alternative, but the alternative to what we're doing today would be vastly more costly and more risky.''
The prime minister said: "The Canada-US auto sector is heavily integrated and a viable GM will provide long-term security for thousands of Canadians who work for suppliers, research and development institutions, and other supporting industries.
"The Government of Canada thanks our partners, especially President Obama and the United States' government, for their close collaboration with Canada in the restructuring of GM. This cooperation makes possible a brighter future for GM and the auto industry in both of our countries.''
Welcoming the Canadian decision, Presiden Obama said: "I want to thank the governments of Canada and Ontario for making this investment in GM alongside the United States. Our countries share a stake in this company's future, and I look forward to our close partnership through this restructuring period.''
Most of GM's operations in based in Ontario province.
Court summons HSBC CEO for terminating employee
A city court Tuesday summoned the chief executive officer (CEO) of HSBC India and others to appear before it after finding that the multi national company (MNC) bank had forged documents to wriggle out of a case relating to termination of an employee.
Metropolitan Magistrate Jitendra Mishra, while hearing a petition of Manju Saxena challenging her termination from service, observed that there was prima facie a case for summoning the bank's CEO, HR head and manager north India to appear before the court July 28.
Saxena had contended that she was summarily terminated from service with immediate effect in 2005 and the intimation of this was sent through an e-mail.
"It is clear that in the present case a prima facie case for summoning has been made out against (CEO, HR Head and Manager North) persons under section 420 (cheating), 463 (forgery), 464 (making a false document), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) R/W 120 (B) Indian Penal Code," the judge said.
Metropolitan Magistrate Jitendra Mishra, while hearing a petition of Manju Saxena challenging her termination from service, observed that there was prima facie a case for summoning the bank's CEO, HR head and manager north India to appear before the court July 28.
Saxena had contended that she was summarily terminated from service with immediate effect in 2005 and the intimation of this was sent through an e-mail.
"It is clear that in the present case a prima facie case for summoning has been made out against (CEO, HR Head and Manager North) persons under section 420 (cheating), 463 (forgery), 464 (making a false document), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) R/W 120 (B) Indian Penal Code," the judge said.
Hrithik Roshan – RCom brand ambassador
The bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan is the new brand ambassador of Reliance Communications, the telecommunications company of the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. Hrithik Roshan, who is very choosy about commercial endorsements, will shortly be seen featured in the Reliance Mobile advertisements.
According to the reports, the star of the upcoming film Kites, Hrithik Roshan is shooting some eight advertisements for the Reliance Communications in Bangkok. Roshan will be featured in the advertisements for the promotional campaign for Reliance Products.
The tag line of ad campaign is “Just pick up the phone, don’t wait…go for it”.
Earlier, superstar Amitabh Bachchan has also done advertisements for the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.
The Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group operates Reliance Communications, which runs Reliance CDMA and newly launched GSM network. Reliance Communications also owns the Big TV, the direct to home service. The Group also operates Reliance Financial Services and Reliance Energy.
There is still no information available on how much amount the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group will pay to Hrithik Roshan for their promotional campaign advertisements.
According to the reports, the star of the upcoming film Kites, Hrithik Roshan is shooting some eight advertisements for the Reliance Communications in Bangkok. Roshan will be featured in the advertisements for the promotional campaign for Reliance Products.
The tag line of ad campaign is “Just pick up the phone, don’t wait…go for it”.
Earlier, superstar Amitabh Bachchan has also done advertisements for the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.
The Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group operates Reliance Communications, which runs Reliance CDMA and newly launched GSM network. Reliance Communications also owns the Big TV, the direct to home service. The Group also operates Reliance Financial Services and Reliance Energy.
There is still no information available on how much amount the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group will pay to Hrithik Roshan for their promotional campaign advertisements.
Videocon goes for an image makeover
Consumer durables company Videocon is undertaking an image makeover exercise, as it looks to position itself as a premium brand with focus on eco-friendly and youth oriented products.
The company, which unveiled its new tagline 'Experience Change' on Tuesday at an event promoting the IIFA awards, said the initiative is a part of its strategy to upgrade from the image of mass market brand to a premium one.
The company has already roped in McCann and Zenith Optimedia as its advertising and media agencies for the purpose. It has also tied up with the IIFA awards this year as one of the co-sponsors.
"Our new tagline...talks not only of eco-friendliness but we are also talking of more aspects. We are talking more of youth minded approach," Videocon Chief Marketing Officer Jaideep Rathore told PTI.
He said the idea behind the image change is more to do with the company's need to address the aspirations of consumers.
"To upgrade our customer to buying a premium product is the need of the hour. That is what we are doing... We have not been doing (it) in a big scale in the premium segment," Mr. Rathore said.
He said the company has in the past was focusing more on the mass market products and its attention on the premium segment was minimal.
"We are trying to bridge the gap," he said, adding the company has already started developing new hi-tech products.
Videocon is trying to bring more products in LCD, frost free, automatic washing machines and air conditioners as to address the premium segment.
On choosing the IIFA awards for launching the new brand identity, he said: "The IIFA awards is an ideal platform and we hope getting associated with such an event is one of the steps for building our brand."
He said the company has tied with several agencies to execute its new brand communications exercise.
"We have now got hold of agencies to support in terms of building the kind of the brand that we want. We have now appointed McCann as our ad agency ...plus we are working with a Singapore-based interbrand. They are working on our corporate brand development," he said.
The company, which unveiled its new tagline 'Experience Change' on Tuesday at an event promoting the IIFA awards, said the initiative is a part of its strategy to upgrade from the image of mass market brand to a premium one.
The company has already roped in McCann and Zenith Optimedia as its advertising and media agencies for the purpose. It has also tied up with the IIFA awards this year as one of the co-sponsors.
"Our new tagline...talks not only of eco-friendliness but we are also talking of more aspects. We are talking more of youth minded approach," Videocon Chief Marketing Officer Jaideep Rathore told PTI.
He said the idea behind the image change is more to do with the company's need to address the aspirations of consumers.
"To upgrade our customer to buying a premium product is the need of the hour. That is what we are doing... We have not been doing (it) in a big scale in the premium segment," Mr. Rathore said.
He said the company has in the past was focusing more on the mass market products and its attention on the premium segment was minimal.
"We are trying to bridge the gap," he said, adding the company has already started developing new hi-tech products.
Videocon is trying to bring more products in LCD, frost free, automatic washing machines and air conditioners as to address the premium segment.
On choosing the IIFA awards for launching the new brand identity, he said: "The IIFA awards is an ideal platform and we hope getting associated with such an event is one of the steps for building our brand."
He said the company has tied with several agencies to execute its new brand communications exercise.
"We have now got hold of agencies to support in terms of building the kind of the brand that we want. We have now appointed McCann as our ad agency ...plus we are working with a Singapore-based interbrand. They are working on our corporate brand development," he said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
