Over the past few decades the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development have been weaving their way into the fabric of various branches of engineering. Advocates declare that being sustainable should, in fact, be the guiding light of all engineering endeavors.

Yet some proponents in the field contend that sustainability remains a largely ambiguous idea. They say it lacks distinct frameworks for defining precisely what it means in utilitarian terms, and thus hinders the development of consistent guidelines for implementation. An upcoming webinar The Overlooked Role of Technology in the Sustainability Movement: A Pedagogical Framework for Engineering Education will focus on the need for engineering educators to emphasize the importance of technology in shaping the design and construction of sustainable systems. Graphic by Rhonda Hitchcock-Mast/ASU, courtesy of Shutterstock Download Full Image

Those calling for more specificity in defining the role of engineers include T. Agami Reddy and Brad Allenby, professors in theIra A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. They assert that the general perception of sustainability has not sufficiently evolved beyond its origins in environmental and social movements to encompass todays technological advances.

A major impediment to remedying that drawback, as Allenby and Reddy see it, is a failure to properly integrate an understanding of technology and technological development into the core precepts of what constitutes sustainability.

Technological advances are shaping society more quickly and in more fundamental ways than ever, the professors say. So, in their view, sustainable engineering cant fully transition from a broad philosophy into a deep-rooted industry practice without clearly detailing how sustainability can be achieved in rigorously technical ways.

That progress is hampered not only by a lack of understanding of the importance of assimilating technological considerations into what constitutes sustainability, they say, but also an inability to translate the vague assertions about sustainability by its advocates into the concrete design objectives and constraints familiar to engineers.

Reddy and Allenby will present their views on this challenge during an Aug. 11 webinar presented by the Metis Center for Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering at ASU and moderated by the centers director, Fulton Schools Associate Professor Mikhail Chester. The Metis Center is involved in research, teaching, outreach and public service to provide a basis for understanding, designing and managing complex integrated built, human and natural systems.

The Zoom webcast The Overlooked Role of Technology in the Sustainability Movement: A Pedagogical Framework for Engineering Education will focus on the close association between sustainability and engineering, and suggest a quantitative framework based on a short list of metrics for engineers to evaluate their progress toward sustainability goals.

Another focus will be the subject of developing the metrics necessary to ensure technological progress is integrated into the aspirations of the sustainability enterprise. There will also be discussion on developing approaches to preparing students for the changes that would emerge from such a refocusing of sustainable engineering.

We have to figure out what sustainability means when you translate it into the actual technical practice of engineering, Allenby said. But after you decide what that is, then you need the masterplan for how you are going to teach this type of thinking to students and industry professionals or the change in practice is not going to happen in the real world.

Reddy hopes the webinar will foster dialog and provide a pathway for engineers to become more fundamentally involved with social and environmental scientists in both defining sustainability goals and implementing sustainable solutions.

The idea for the webinar came from Professor Ram Pendyala, director of one of the six Fulton Schools, the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. Allenby and Reddy teach in the school. Reddy also teaches in The Design School in ASUs Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Pendyala was motivated by reading a research paper in the Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities authored by the two professors, as well as a paper in the same journal authored by Reddy on the concept of resilience in engineering pursuits. Both papers examine issues that are subjects of the webinar.

We have done a lot of research in sustainable engineering, and many of us have integrated sustainable engineering concepts and thoughts into our research in some fashion, Pendyala said. But we havent necessarily done the same in our teaching enterprise, and I am not convinced that we are sufficiently preparing our students to think about sustainability-related implications of rapidly emerging technologies, designs, energy systems and so on.

Pendyala encouraged Professor Matthew Fraser, associate director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, to work with Reddy and Allenby to organize a webinar advancing new paradigms in engineering education.

We hope the event will help faculty from ASU and other universities use insights from the latest research to improve education for the next generation of sustainability and technology leaders, Fraser said.

Allenbys career-long work has contributed to defining sustainability as an academic discipline and promoting it as a vital industry practice.

Twenty-five years ago, Allenby and Tom Graedel, now a professor emeritus at the Yale School of the Environment at Yale University, co-authored Industrial Ecology the first textbook on that then-emerging field, which set the stage for the birthing of sustainability engineering.

Several years later Allenby wrote a second textbook, Industrial Ecology: Policy Framework and Implementation, focusing on the social, economic and policy implications of industrial ecology that vigorously thrust the field into the sustainability realm. He and Graedel later merged the two areas in the 2010 textbook Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Engineering.

Two years later, Allenby authored The Theory and Practice of Sustainable Engineering, providing a detailed guide for schools to create courses in the subject.

Reddys research has long focused on solar energy equipment and systems, along with energy efficiency and conservation in buildings and related systems, and more recently on how to model and evaluate energy systems for sustainability and resilience. He holds the title of SRP Professor of Energy and Environment, a position supported by Salt River Project, one of Arizonas largest power and water utilities.

Through his experience, Reddy says he realizes the importance of emphasizing to students the fundamental techno-centric concepts of sustainability relevant to building structures and producing systems in ways that will meet goals related to functionality, resilience and longevity the three primary objectives of sustainability.

Our challenge is to quantify how to accomplish those things in actual on-the-ground engineering work, Reddy said.

At the same time, its critical that the education of todays students keeps pace with any reconceptualizing of sustainable engineering, Allenby said.

That will necessitate equipping aspiring engineers with more knowledge of artificial intelligence, data science and other cutting-edge technologies and methods to produce the algorithms and design strategies that guide todays engineering efforts, Reddy and Allenby say.

The professors note they have geared the webinar presentation to students as well as college faculty members and industry professionals. Reddy and Allenby will present their own perspectives on how to realign education in sustainability and then lead discussion on the topic with the audience.

The webinar will be from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, Aug. 11.Register for the event.

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Webinar to look at putting technology front and center in defining 'sustainable' - ASU Now

Image: DBS

Singapore bank DBS has partnered with the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) to pilot the use of the SingPass face verification technology with the hope of speeding up the digital banking registration process.

Developed by GovTech, the face verification technology enables Singaporean citizens and permanent residents to sign up for DBS' digital banking services and bypass the need to use their ATM, credit, or debit card, and pin to complete the verification process to activate their accounts.

Instead, customers just need to select SingPass Face Verification through the DBS' mobile app when signing up for a digital service before taking a photo of themselves. The technology will then scan the user's face and match it against the Singapore government's national digital identity database. Once the match is successful, DBS will send an SMS to the user's register mobile number for verification.

The bank assured no data submitted through the process would be collected or retained.

"In line with Singapore's Smart Nation agenda, we have been introducing innovative digital solutions over the years that provide easier, more seamless ways to bank," DBS Bank head of consumer banking group Jeremy Soo said.

"Together with GovTech Singapore, we aim to support those who are journeying into digital banking for the first time, and to help foster resilient digital habits that will last for years to come."

The pilot follows a beta trial of the technology with over 100 seniors and students from ITE College West.

Beyond the pilot, DBS said plans are underway to expand the option of using the SingPass face verification technology to sign up for other products and services by the end of the year.

Earlier this month, OCBC Bank tapped into SingPass to offer customers an alternative login option to its banking app.

OCBC customers who have downloaded the SingPass Mobile app can click on the "SingPass Login" button when they launch the bank's mobile app or internet login page, and then scan the QR code to initiate the authentication process.

The new login feature was enabled with the integration of digital banking access with the country's National Digital Identity platform, said OCBC in a statement.

Meanwhile, NEC and Realeyes have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop and distribute emotional analysis products globally.

Under the agreement, the pair will use NEC's biometric and video analytics technologies with Realeye's emotion analysis technology to develop products that can be used across media, entertainment, education, healthcare, and communication verticals.

"NEC has cultivated biometric authentication and video analytics technologies over many years, and we are excited to now be working in collaboration with Realeyes and their pioneering role in the new field of emotion AI," NEC senior vice president Toshifumi Yoshizaki said.

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Singapore's DBS and GovTech pilot Singpass face verification technology - ZDNet

Today, Western Power Distribution (WPD) in partnership with Ricardo Energy and Environment, confirmed the site for its innovative DC Share project, trialling a new method which will help deliver an estimated 217,000 electric vehicle (EV) chargers in urban spaces across its licence area by 2023. The technology will help to get over 3 million EVs moving across the Midlands, South Wales and South West by 2023.

If expanded across other electricity networks in the UK, DC Shares technology could save customers across the UK an estimated 162 million in network reinforcement costs by 2050. These savings will be made as a result of network providers not needing to invest millions into new infrastructure, as they harness existing substations and capacity.

The DC Share project, which has received over 4.7 million in funding through Ofgems Network Innovation Competition will test a new method of pooling extra network capacity from several local substations. This will enable low carbon infrastructure, such as EV charge points or battery energy storage, to be quickly connected without the need for expensive network reinforcement.

DC Shares approach will be particularly useful in dense urban communities, where the adoption of low carbon technologies can be slowed by constraints and a lack of available space for building a larger network of substations.

DC (Direct current) is a constant electrical electric charge similar to the output of a battery and is used by nearly all Low Carbon Technologies. Using DC technology rather than the more commonly used AC (alternating current) means that the use of electricity is more efficient as it does not have to go through the conversion process, which results in a loss of energy. DC charge also means that there is the flexibility to move power to where there is a high load, something which is more difficult to achieve with AC.

The trial in Taunton, Somerset, which will be led by project partners Ricardo Energy and Environment, will use smart DC meshing technology to link four local substations from across the town centre, sharing their unused capacity to power 15 EV chargers. This will include five 100kW rapid chargers able to fully recharge the average electric vehicle in around 30 minutes. Taunton was selected due to site suitability and the proactive engagement of the council.

Following todays site confirmation, work will now begin preparing the local plans for the EV charge stations in central Taunton. With building work scheduled throughout 2021, the charge points are due to open late next year. Throughout the trial, local residents will enjoy 12 months of free charging. Following the conclusion of the DC Share project, the EV charge stations will be passed onto a local service provider so that visitors and residents can continue to reap the benefits of this increasingly essential low carbon infrastructure.

If successful, DC Share technology will be rolled out across WPDs network to enable rapid installation of EV charging in towns and cities. With a high proportion of WPDs 7.8 million customers living in highly built-up towns and cities, this technology will ensure that network constraints will not limit or delay customers access to ultra-low emission transport, renewable generation, and local energy storage.

By reducing the need for costly network reinforcement, the DC Share approach will also help keep customer bills down, with initial savings from implementing the technology rising from 50 million in 2030 to an estimated 162 million a year in 2050, across the UK.

Ricky Duke, WPD Innovation & Low Carbon Network Engineer and DC Share project lead, commented: Todays confirmation of Taunton as DC Share project site is an important step to securing the massive savings and decarbonisation benefits that DC meshing technology could bring to the UK.

As we look beyond COVID-19 towards the UKs goal of Net Zero by 2050, innovative, low carbon technologies will be at the heart of the UKs green recovery. Insights from DC Share will have a key role in helping us to build a stronger and cleaner UK economy.

DC Share is a win-win: this technology will allow us to rapidly decarbonise transport by making smarter use of existing infrastructure. That means less carbon emissions, while reducing the need for expensive infrastructure and network reinforcements in urban communities.

Ricardos Sarah Carter, manager of power planning and solutions, added: The identification of the Taunton test site for DC Share is a significant milestone for this important project. By installing a local DC equalization network to support the existing infrastructure, the project aims to demonstrate that the increased demands of rapid EV charging can be accommodated in urban environments without the need for more costly traditional network reinforcement measures. Ricardo is pleased to be bringing our smart grid expertise to this important UK project and look forward to working with WPD on the trial installation of the DC Share system at Taunton.

SOURCE: Ricardo

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Test site confirmed for advanced EV charging technology trial - Automotive World

Avanci has announced the launch of its 5G automotive licensing programme, which promises to help the auto industry to develop the next generation of connected vehicles by ensuring that this technology can be shared efficiently and affordably.

5G connectivity will deliver significant value to the automotive sector, building on the use of previous standards in connected vehicles. This program, part of Avancis new 5G IoT platform, will enable patent owners and IoT and automotive companies to share 5G standard essential wireless patents in a single licence.

The 5G platform builds on the success of the Avanci marketplace, which transformed the licensing landscape by licencing the vast majority of the 2G, 3G, and 4G cellular essential patents in a single agreement at fixed, fair and transparent rates. Avanci is now the go-to global licencing platform for connected vehicles and other IoT devices, spanning 38 patent owners and with 14 automotive brands as licensees.

The 5G automotive program was reviewed by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) Antitrust Division. In its Business Review Letter, published on 28 July 2020, Makan Delrahim, assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division of the DoJ, said: In sum, the proposed 5G Platform has the potential to yield efficiencies by reducing transaction costs and streamlining licensing for connected vehicles. Together these efficiencies may allow cellular standards-essential patent owners and vehicle manufacturers to focus resources elsewhere, such as investment in further research and development in emerging 5G technologies and applications. This possibility could enhance competition in these technologies, improve safety, and benefit American consumers.

Kasim Alfalahi, founder and CEO of Avanci, says: Through our one-stop Avanci marketplace we have licensed the vast majority of cellular standard-essential patents to millions of connected vehicles. 5G will power the IoT to expand to many new categories of connected products. As we begin operating our first 5G licensing program for connected vehicles, we will continue to transform how patent licensing is done.

Avanci will now begin discussions with IoT device manufacturers, the auto industry and patent owners about streamlining the patent licensing process for 5G connected devices, as it has done for the previous technologies.

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New licensing platform for 5G IoT technology promises to streamline roll out of connected vehicles - Traffic Technology Today

Face shield produced on 3D Systems technology to help address the PPE shortage

The coronavirus threw a wet blanket on economic growth the world over, and at least temporarily slammed the brakes on a manufacturing sector that had already been slowing for months. But a silver lining was the remarkable response by manufacturers to the supply chain breakdowns and shortages in the medical products market. Thousands of producers quickly revamped their factories in order to help make critically-needed medical supplies. And if theres a single technology that was the star of those efforts, it was 3-D printing.

Even before things started getting serious here in the U.S., 3-D printing (also known as additive manufacturing, or AM) was already in use to help deal with the medical crisis brought on by Covid-19. We saw very early on in northern Italy the lack of medical capacity to deal with the effects, said Ben Johnson, Director of Product Development, Healthcare, for 3D Systems. We had our partner there printing valves and splitters to allow the use of a single ventilator for multiple patients.

Once the crisis reached our shores, use of 3-D printers to respond really took off. 3-D printers were directly involved in so many ways, Johnson said. They were used to make complete face shields, face masks, swabs, and ventilator componentsand they drove innovative developments of complete new ventilator designs as well. The common response around face shields became a great opportunity for everyone, including hobbyists.

That immediate response by individual players in every corner of the 3-D printing field was remarkable. So, too, was the cooperation in response to the crisis. We collaborated with our competitors to ensure understanding of the regulations, validations of materials and products, and exactly what could and couldnt be printed, said Johnson. We worked with them on tech support and materials consulting as well. And we partnered with different consortiumsthe National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and America Makes [a 3-D printing development public-private partnership], for example.

Companies that have considered and planned for additive manufacturing can pivot quickly and ... [+] effectively in the face of supply chain disruptions

Now as the world emerges from medical crises and lockdowns, a lot of people are seeing 3-D printing in a whole new light. There are a few different threads to the trends going into the crisis and coming out of it, said Ferdie Bruijnen, VP, Supply Chain Operations at 3D Systems. An Ernst & Young study showed attitudes toward AM had already shifted between 2016 and 2019, with the percentage of companies using AM strategically doubling over that time, from 4% to 8%, and the percentage with no experience with it all falling by more than half, from 76% to 35%. Then Covid highlighted some important benefits of AM, like the fact that it requires no tooling, that it can handle complex geometries, and that it provides a naturally distributed manufacturing base.

The distributed nature of 3-D printing is a huge advantage as many companies look at alternative sourcing for both parts and products whose availability was hampered by supply chain breakdowns. AM has an on-demand base, and that lowers the barrier to entry, Bruijnen said. The distributed nature of its manufacturing was a big plus during the crisis Covid really highlighted the value of that.

Those advantages have put 3-D printing into a strong position as manufacturing recovers. Bridge manufacturing is a big opportunity, said Bruijnen. Rather than a manufacturer having a tool to cover 110% of normal demand, they can have one to cover 95% and use AM to handle flex capacity. AM showed in the pandemic how it offers quick turnaround and flexibility.

With capabilities such as stacked printing, additive manufacturing enables direct digital production ... [+] of end-use parts

The demonstrations of end-use product manufacturing that 3-D printing exhibited over the past few months have changed a lot of minds about the nature of the technology. AM showed itself to be much more than a prototyping technology, Bruijnen explained. In 2009, the market became enamored with AM, with people saying it would replace injection molding. Well, we know thats never going to be the case. But we also know that it has a proper place in the manufacturing tool set.

The coronavirus situation brought to light the capacity of 3-D printing to do rapid response, said Johnson. The ventilator splitter is a good example we saw a 24-hour turnaround on that response. The technology is going to be viewed now as having that kind of potential. It will help democratize production.

Bruijnen agrees. The technology has really emerged, he said. It was already seen as mature in particular areas dental, medical, and jewelry, for example, where it had already shown a great match between the technical capabilities and the business needs. But thats just scratching the surface of its potential. A good example is in cosmetics, where theres a company thats printing an advanced-geometry lipstick holder. That better-looking packaging sets it apart from all its competitors. And in general manufacturing, there are a number of areas where its imminent that well see the balance tip toward AM taking a chunk of final production.

AM wont replace injection molding, he concluded. But it doesnt have to. That never should have been the measure of success.

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The Big Technology Winner From The Covid Crisis Is 3-D Printing - Forbes

PORTLAND, Ore.ATSC 3.0, the next-generation television standard, has planted its flag in Portland, as seven local TV stations have begun broadcasting NextGen TV.

The Portland stations that are broadcasting ATSC 3.0 are the Meredith-owned KPTV (Fox) and KPDX (MyNet), Nextsars KOIN (CBS) and KRCW-TV (CW), Sinclair Broadcast Groups KATU (ABC), Tegnas KGW (NBC) and KOPB-TV (PBS). With the new technology, these stations will be able to support new developments like immersive audio and video, advanced emergency alerts with rich media, broadcasting to mobile devices and personalized viewing tools.

All participating stations are cooperating to ensure that current programming remains available to all viewers. For antenna viewers, they can rescan their TV sets to ensure full service. Cable and satellite subscribers do not need to take any action.

BitPath, a wireless network provider, led the planning process and coordinated efforts across the TV stations. The company said the Portland launch is its largest ATSC 3.0 deployment to date.

PLUS: ATSC 3.0: Deployments: Where and When Will NextGen TV be Available?

The future of television in Portland begins today, as the launch of NextGen TV opens the door for innovations that offer a more enriching experience for viewers across platforms, said Kurt Rao, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Tegna.

This deployment of NextGen TV in a key top-25 market not only continues the momentum we have built over the last several weeks with the roll-out of this advanced technology in markets such as Las Vegas, Nashville and Salt Lake City, it further enhances the value of Nexstars spectrum by enabling us to deliver the highest-quality viewing experience in tandem with internet-based information and hyper-targeted advertising, said Brett Jenkins, executive vice president and CTO for Nexstar. The day is rapidly approaching when we will be able to provide the full suite of benefits of NextGen TV to all of the communities served by Nexstar television stations across the country.

The rollout of NextGen TV began in earnest in 2020, with the goal of reaching the top 40 markets by the end of the year. However, the ATSC organization does acknowledge that there could be some impact from COVID-19 on the deployment of the standard.

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ATSC 3.0 Launches on 7 Portland TV Stations - TV Technology

New York, July 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Thermal Energy Storage Market Research Report by Technology, by Material, by Application, by End User - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05942153/?utm_source=GNW

The Global Thermal Energy Storage Market is expected to grow from USD 4,185.19 Million in 2019 to USD 7,912.12 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.19%.

Market Segmentation & Coverage:This research report categorizes the Thermal Energy Storage to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Based on Technology, the Thermal Energy Storage Market studied across Latent Heat Storage, Sensible Heat Storage, and Thermochemical Storage.

Based on Material , the Thermal Energy Storage Market studied across Molten Salt, Phase Change Material (PCM), and Water.

Based on Application, the Thermal Energy Storage Market studied across District Heating & Cooling, Power Generation, and Process Heating & Cooling.

Based on End User, the Thermal Energy Storage Market studied across Industrial, Residential & Commercial, and Utility.

Based on Geography, the Thermal Energy Storage Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region surveyed across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.

Company Usability Profiles:The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Thermal Energy Storage Market including Abengoa Solar, Baltimore Aircoil Company Inc., Brightsource Energy Inc., Burns & Mcdonnell, Caldwell Energy, Calmac, Chicago Bridge & Iron, DC Pro Engineering Llc., DN Tanks, and Evapco Inc..

FPNV Positioning Matrix:The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Thermal Energy Storage Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.

Competitive Strategic Window:The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.

Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments

The report answers questions such as:1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Thermal Energy Storage Market?2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Thermal Energy Storage Market during the forecast period?3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Thermal Energy Storage Market?4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Thermal Energy Storage Market?5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Thermal Energy Storage Market?6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Thermal Energy Storage Market?Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05942153/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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Thermal Energy Storage Market Research Report by Technology, by Material, by Application, by End User - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of...

By Saritha Rai

Leaders in Indias technology industry are urging the country to go even further to protect the interests of local companies against foreign rivals, or risk ceding the worlds fastest growing internet arena to Chinese and American monopolies.

Narendra Modis administration this month banned 59 Chinese apps in the country, including ByteDance Ltd.s short-video hit TikTok, a dramatic policy shift aimed at improving local control and data security. In separate interviews, Policybazaar co-founder Yashish Dahiya whose company is backed by Tencent Holdings Ltd. and MobiKwik frontman Bipin Preet Singh urged Modi to go further. Emboldened by growing hostility against its giant neighbor, they want regulators to curb their access to Indian markets, establish rules to wrest back control of user data and bankroll local startups.

China has long been the bratty kid who thinks its OK to grab others cake without sharing your own, Dahiya told Bloomberg News last week. India must strategically reduce market access before its neighbor becomes even more powerful. If India doesnt do it now, it can never be done, said Dahiya, whose online insurance service targets a 2021 IPO at a $3.5 billion value.

Dahiya and Singh are breaking with tradition in an Indian startup sector that over the past half-decade has attracted billions from Chinese companies and investment houses from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to Hillhouse Capital. Their stance reflects a shift in sentiment after a mid-June Himalayan border clash left 20 soldiers dead -- but also a wave of techno-nationalism as the coronavirus pummels global economies. It coincides with a surge of interest from American giants like Facebook Inc. and Google as Indias nascent digital economy blossoms.

Its not an easy position to take, said Dahiya, whose Policybazaar is now trying to raise $250 million of pre-IPO financing. A sovereign nation has no parent but someones got to stop China from misbehaving.

Before TikTok overtook YouTube to become Indias most popular social video platform, the dominance of WhatsApp and Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc. in e-commerce had already rankled local businesses. Beijing is now the bigger target, as the world polarizes along U.S.-China lines and American-backed local champions such as Mukesh Ambanis Jio Platforms emerge. The influx of American investment sets up a potential clash with Chinas own internet titans in the future -- provided theyre allowed to operate in the country.

That, along with trade barriers erected in just past weeks, may have fired up the entrepreneurs. The government should identify strategic sectors and nurture local startups, Mobikwiks Singh advocated.

The China versus U.S. battleground is neither China nor the U.S., but India, said Singh, whose Sequoia Capital-backed payments startup competes with both Google Pay and Alibaba-backed Paytm.

If Indias entire 1.3 billion population is served only by foreign companies, how can that be a good thing? he said in a telephone interview from his base in New Delhi. Yet India doesnt have a single technology giant, its become a growth engine for global companies. What is India doing wrong?

Indias unprecedented apps ban thwarted the global ambitions of Chinas technology giants just as the spotlight is turning on the worlds largest untapped digital frontier. Indias roaring digital economy, with half a billion users and growing, is witnessing pitched battles in everything from online retail and content streaming to messaging and digital payments but largely between deep-pocketed foreign corporations. Thats coincided with growth tapering off at Infosys Ltd. and Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., which put Indias tech sector on the map but are now grappling with a fundamental shift to the cloud.

While India has attracted over $20 billion in just past months from American giants like Google and Facebook, China has over the years carved out a significant role in Indias tech industry, according to Mumbai-based think-tank Gateway House. Eighteen of Indias 30 unicorns are Chinese-funded, researchers Amit Bhandari, Blaise Fernandes and Aashna Agarwal said in a report. Apart from TikTok, smartphone brands like leader Xiaomi Corp. and Oppo have cornered three-quarters of the market. Firms like GGV Capital and Qiming Venture Partners nearly doubled Chinese investments in Indian startups to $3.9 billion in 2019, according to the Economic Times.

Im not advocating a closed or protectionist environment like Chinas, but India needs local champions and also needs to safeguard its data and security, Singh said. We need competition, we need choices. But we cant have a situation where theres no Indian player in entire segments from search to messaging, social media, ecommerce and payments.

Modis government has already set things in motion. It drafted an e-commerce policy that openly champions aid for local startups and oversight on how foreign companies handle data. A government panel recommended a data regulator to oversee monetization and privacy of user information to ensure maximum social and economic benefits for Indians. Local startups are enjoying something of a renaissance: TikTok-a-like Roposo is signing up half a million new users an hour.

But more is needed, Singh said. The system remains stacked against the hundreds of thousands of would-be entrepreneurs who have to take on global behemoths. The government could limit the influence of foreign capital as it has done in sectors like banking, he added.

Mobikwik has raised $100 million so far and is taking on companies with a collective market value of over $2 trillion, he said. We are doing injustice to our entrepreneurs if we stack them against dollars and yuans in every single segment.

Continued here:

Indian technology moguls want Narendra Modi to be tougher on Chinese rivals - Economic Times

New research by Samsung looks at the benefits of rugged technology in businesses, revealing that nine out of ten employees would like their company to invest in more devices in the future

London, UK, 29th July 2020 Samsung Electronics UK Ltd. has today revealed the results of a multi-industry research study into the use of rugged technology, looking at key benefits such as productivity and cost saving, resulting in nine out of ten who have experienced these first-hand, keen to invest in more.

The results showcased that rugged tech will form a pivotal role in the future of business, with 81% of users believing that tougher devices will be essential in their workplace over the next two years. Feedback from those currently using rugged tech was resoundingly positive, with over four in five (86%) claiming that the devices are beneficial to their job.

The research[1] looked at employees and decision-makers across Construction, Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics, Health, Retail, Emergency Services, Utilities, and Automotive sectors to reveal current attitudes towards rugged technology. Rugged refers to hardware including smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearables designed to operate in extremely harsh environments and conditions, such as the award-winning Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro and the Galaxy Tab Active Pro.

Within the industries highlighted, Samsung uncovered an array of key insights into the benefits and attitudes towards the wider adoption of rugged tech, with those already using or deploying it in their workplace saying the following:

At Samsung, we are committed to listening to the opinions and challenges faced by our customers and it is excellent to see that rugged tech is making a difference for its users and their businesses, says Joe Walsh, Director of B2B at Samsung UK & Ireland.

These results highlight a clear enthusiasm and demands for the growth of the rugged tech market, and it is encouraging to see how many users want to continue to invest in the future. As more businesses adopt this technology, we only anticipate the appreciation for its financial and performance-based benefits to rise. At Samsung, our unyielding passion for excellence ensures we always enable our customers to thrive with innovative devices that balance their needs by being easy to use and hard to break.

While over two-thirds (68%) of rugged users claim that they cannot imagine work life without rugged technology, the survey also revealed a strong will from non-users to deploy it in the future.

Looking forward, the results suggest that rugged tech will form a pivotal part of digital transformation projects across many industries. Almost two-thirds (60%) of respondents believe that rugged tech will become imperative for their industry in the next two years, with 61% users stating that tougher devices will form a vital part of the 5G revolution.

To find out more about Samsungs Rugged portfolio, including the Galaxy XCover Pro and Galaxy Tab Active Pro, please visit: https://www.samsung.com/uk/rugged-range/.

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About Samsung for Business:

Samsung is committed to developing devices and solutions that are built for the way businesses are evolving today. By understanding the needs of organisations large and small, Samsung for Business provides innovative mobile-first technology that solves their challenges and brings new opportunities.

Backed up by Samsungs unique defence-grade security platform, Knox, businesses can choose from a wide portfolio of devices knowing their company is in safe hands. Ranging from industry-ready and award-winning rugged devices, to top-spec Galaxy Enterprise Edition smartphones with full-service support, Samsung strives to deliver technology that powers business success.

For more information, https://www.samsung.com/uk/business/.

[1]The research was carried out by Ketchum Research and Analytics, on behalf of Samsung. A total of 1,202 people aged 18+ were surveyed in the UK, including 601 employees and 601 decision-makers across the following industries: Construction, Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics, Health, Retail, Emergency Services, Utilities, and Automotive. Fieldwork ran from 18th June 6th July 2020 and was conducted by Vitreous World.

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Rugged Technology Plays Pivotal Role in the Future of Business - Samsung Newsroom UK

A new report by the Commons Justice Select Committee said the pandemic has caused the record backlog of court cases to top 450,000, leaving Crown and Magistrates Courts struggling to keep up.

It includes a backlog of 5,000 cases which were delayed at courts in the West Midlands between March and June. The system was already in crisis before the coronavirus hit, with cases at courts in Stafford and Wolverhampton taking an average of 215 days longer to complete in 2019 than they did in 2011.

Now efforts are being made to clear the backlog. They include the introduction of a Nightingale Court for the West Midlands at Telfords former county court, while the number of cases heard via video link trebled during the early stages of the pandemic.

Those within the judicial system are concerned about the impact of delays.

Paul Birch dealt with about 15,000 cases during a 15-year stint as a Justice of the Peace in the Black Country, and also served as chair of victim and witness support.

He said the system had deteriorated rapidly, with courts such as Sandwell shutting down and the number of magistrates falling by more than 10,000 in just four years.

The system has been run down and tragically it is the victims who have been forgotten. In many cases they have been left to themselves, he said.

The high profile cases to put back include the trial of a police officer accused of the murder of former Villa star Dalian Atkinson. PC Benjamin Monk was due to stand trial in September, but the provisional date is now April 12, 2021.

The delay prompted Judge Melbourne Inman QC to to say that social distancing measures had created significant restrictions for trials.

Last week the Star revealed fewer than one in 10 crimes reported to police forces across the West Midlands result in anyone appearing in court far fewer than five years ago.

Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett of Maldon said jury trial cases were accumulating in the order of 1,000 a month.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service data shows that the number of cases heard each day with the use of audio and video technology increased from fewer than 1,000 in the last week of March to over 3,000 by mid-April.

The chairman of the committee, Sir Robert Neill, said the backlog needed to be addressed while also looking at how technology affects access to justice.

He said: Justice delayed can be justice denied. More and more people are waiting for their day in court. We welcome the Governments attempts to reduce the backlog by thinking beyond simply increasing sitting days.

We also urge it to ensure that access to justice remains at the heart of its proposals.

We are impressed by the way new technology has been used by courts to speed things along in some cases, but more research is needed on how ordinary people defendants and witnesses experience this technology.

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Use of technology to clear courts backlog 'needs to be assessed' - expressandstar.com