Category: Technology

Categories
Technology

Microsoft to End Its 20-Year-Old Open License Programme for SMBs From January 1, 2022

Microsoft (Photo Credits: Pixabay)

New Delhi, October 2: In a bid to help small and medium-sized  businesses (SMBs), Microsoft has announced to end its 20-year-old Open License programme from January 1, 2022. The SMBs organisations can continue to renew and purchase new software licenses, software assurance and online services through the Open License programme until December 31, 2021. In an update on Friday, the tech giant said, “As of January 1, 2022, commercial customers won’t be able to buy new or renew software licenses or online services through the Microsoft Open License programme”.

Microsoft added that new license-only purchases should be transacted through partners in the Cloud Solution Provider programme. The Microsoft Open License programme was created over 20 years ago for small and midsized customers to buy multiple perpetual software licenses at a volume price. According to a report by IANS, Microsoft said it is taking a significant step to simplify licensing by introducing perpetual software license purchases through the new commerce experience, as part of its Cloud Solution Provider programme for partners, with a target availability date of January 2021.

“Small and midsize customers will benefit from a simplified approach and greater flexibility in how you purchase software licenses in a way that’s easy to understand, that directly improves licensing asset management, and with predictable costs,” the company said. Some companies may have purchased “tokens” to use Microsoft’s online services. Those tokens will remain “active for five years from the purchase date,” Microsoft said. The firm added that it is committed to support every organisation wherever they are in their digital transformation journey.

Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners will offer perpetual licenses after the end of the Open License programme. Perpetual licenses are pay-once, non-subscription licenses that don’t expire.

Categories
Technology

Google India to Launch ‘Namaste Digital’ Show on Doordarshan to Empower SMBs by Helping Them to Use Internet to Grow Their Business

Google (Photo Credits: Pexels)

New Delhi, October 1: As a part of its new multi-pronged effort to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Google India said that it will launch a new show in partnership with Doordarshan called ‘Namaste Digital’ to navigate the challenging economic environment. The ‘Namaste Digital’ show aims to serve as a mass media programme for SMBs to learn about the Internet and help them grow their business. According to a report by IANS, the tech giant’s the new initiative will focus on accelerating the efforts to help businesses build digital presence in partnership with software development company Zoho and payment gateway Instamojo.

Building on its effort to help consumers discover small businesses on Google search and maps and keeping the needs of different businesses in mind, Google has also partnered with delivery services providers Dunzo and Swiggy to fast track the on-boarding process. Both partners have committed to provide additional support to small businesses to start accepting orders online and enable delivery logistics. Under the new initiative, small businesses will be able to create business websites using Zoho inventory and sell online through Zoho Commerce for free till March 31, 2021. Instamojo on the other hand is offering a six-month free subscription to its “Premium Online Store Solution.”

SMBs can also avail Dunzo’s 24×7 merchant support for free with zero sign-up fees and instant registration and can make use of Swiggy’s seven days “Fast track Onboarding”. All these will be available for SMBs on “Grow with Google Small Business” hub in India which was launched in July this year.

Shalini Girish, Customer Solutions Director at Google India, said in a statement that today, the need to go digital is a necessity and SMBs are hard-pressed to digitise fast. “We need to do everything we can to handhold millions of small businesses in their digital-transformation journey and support business recovery during the current crisis”, she added. Adding further, she said that the needs of small businesses differ across the country and we are partnering with the industry leaders to offer more support to help small businesses go digital.

The ‘Namaste Digital’ Initiative:

  1. The new initiative builds on the “Grow with Google Small Business hub” effort. It is in direct response to the feedback received from small medium businesses captured in the Google-Kantar small business tracker research conducted in July.
  2. According to the report, customer related challenges tops the list for small businesses, with 92 per cent businesses facing customer related challenges, revenue loss due to low demand and payment of fixed costs are the other most severe challenges among businesses.
  3. The report also highlights that businesses are seeing the benefits of going digital, and today 5 out of 10 businesses are using digital channels to engage their customers compared to just 4 in 10 in April.
  4. In addition to providing support to go digital, Google India is also investing in efforts to scale its outreach to help small businesses learn to use digital tools in local Indian languages.

As part of this effort, Google has worked closely with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) to drive an industry wide skilling program which has already trained 1.2 million individuals.

Categories
Technology

V-Enhance E-Training Programme Launched by Vestige to Empower Hearing and Speech Impaired Entrepreneurs in India

Apart from unique challenges, the COVID-19 brought fresh opportunities for India in the hospitality and allied sectors. Here are few ideas which entrepreneurs in restaurant startups can try to keep their businesses rolling.
Innovative Ideas for Businesses

New Delhi, September 28: In a bid to empower the hearing and speech impaired entrepreneurs in India, Vestige, India’s leading home-grown direct selling company, has launched a custom-built e-training programme called V-Enhance. The special training programme aims to help distributors with hearing and speech impairment to augment their understanding about Vestige Marketing’s health and wellness products and their benefits through sign language.

According to a report by IANS, the aim of the V-Enhance E-Training Programme is to empower and support them to sell products with utmost confidence and build a rewarding and sustainable career with Vestige. This is a unique initiative taken by the firm which will help them realise their own potential to become successful and self-reliant entrepreneurs in the future.

Gautam Bali, the company’s founder and Managing Director said Vestige has provided equal opportunity to a diverse range of people globally and there are thousands of extraordinary success stories that highlight the the same. “For us, each distributor joining the system is a valued partner in our business. So, we feel that it is our duty to provide the differently abled a platform where they can equally grow. V-Enhance has been conceptualised with that very idea of providing equal opportunity to everyone.”

V-Enhance E-Training Programme is a two-month-long training programme. It covers the various health and wellness product categories offered by Vestige. It must be noted that there are multiple trainings every week covering topics like women’s health, immunity, detoxification & rejuvenation, glycemic health, fitness and diet and many more.

Categories
Technology

Lenovo Launches ThinkBook Plus Notebook to Enhance Productivity of Modern Workforce, Targets Indian SMBs and Enterprises

Businesses in India (Photo Credits: Pexels)

With an aim to target Indian Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs)and enterprises, Lenovo on Tuesday launched ThinkBook Plus. The newly launched ThinkBook Plus is a dual screen notebook built for enhancing productivity for the modern workforce, in India. It is priced at a starting price of Rs 99,990. The new gadget roll out by Lenovo, the leading laptop and PC leader, comes as it slowly transitions into an end-to-end services and solutions provider for SMBs and enterprises in India. The design innovation around ThinkBook Plus was based on customer insights and data relating to multitasking work practices.

The SMB industry in India is an extremely agile and dynamic marketplace where the IT requirements for them are ever evolving. The ThinkBook is available in an Iron Grey colour and can now be purchased at Lenovo.com and Amazon.in. It comes with an integrated Precision Pen for enhanced functionality and productivity.

All you need to know about the Lenovo ThinkBook:

  1. Featuring a 13.3-inch FHD (full high definition) main display and a 10.8-inch e-Ink display on the cover, users can sketch and take notes with the integrated Precision Pen and receive essential notifications when the lid is closed, allowing them to stay focused during meetings.
  2. The e-Ink display is made from Corning Gorilla Glass NBT, a glass solution for touch-enabled notebooks that provides enhanced scratch resistance, and reduced scratch visibility.
  3. The latest ThinkBook Plus features an innovative e-Ink cover display designed to help users become more productive when multitasking by improving focus, collaboration and creativity.
  4. This service is device and toolset agnostic, meaning whatever devices the organisation uses, Lenovo can help optimise their IT management.
  5. Similarly, the Lenovo ThinkShield is a custom solution that secures the most critical data and business technologies with comprehensive end-to-end protection, making it an ideal secure service for SMBs.

Lenovo thinks that the launch of its ThinkBook Plus notebook will further boost its growth in the Indian market. According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) report, Lenovo replaced Dell in the second position with 27.5 per cent share in the India PC market in the second quarter of this year. The company had a very good quarter mainly supported by growth in the SMB, enterprise, and consumer segments.

Ashish Sikka, Director – SMB, Lenovo India, told IANS in an interview, said, “We are very gung-ho about the India market. We have got the momentum on our side and we are very ambitious and we would like to continue building products and solutions which cater to Indian SMBs and Indian enterprises and consumers”.

 

Categories
Technology

Facebook Unveils Business Suite, an App for Managing Business Accounts Across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger to Help SMBs Grow

Facebook (Photo Credits: Pexels)

San Francisco, September 18: In a bid to help small and medium businesses (SMBs), social networking giant Facebook has launched Facebook Business Suite, an app for managing business accounts across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. This newly rolled out Suite is a new interface which aims to help businesses save time and stay up to date by managing their Pages or profiles across its family of apps. The suite allows them to post to Facebook and Instagram at the same time, and manage and receive messages, notifications and alerts in one place.

Facebook said it has announced a Business Suite for small businesses first, adding that it is a long-term investment to make this the main interface for businesses of all sizes who use Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. The firm added saying that the new facility  is available for small businesses globally starting today, i.e. September 17, and will expand to larger businesses next year.

Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook, in a blog post on Thursday said people can also easily see what’s working and learn what’s resonating with customers with Facebook and Instagram insights. “The last few months have been tough for small businesses everywhere, and while there are reasons to be optimistic there is still much uncertainty ahead. But whatever happens, Facebook will continue to do all we can to help them adapt, survive and thrive online,” Sandberg said.

Facebook had recently conducted a study on the impact of COVID-19 on consumers’ purchasing patterns and their use of digital tools to search for and interact with businesses The study revealed that half of those surveyed said they had spent more money online overall since the outbreak, and 40 percent have increased their use of social media and online messaging for product and business recommendations.

The survey also found encouraging support for local businesses. In the survey, of those who said they had started shopping at new businesses, nearly three-quarters said that at least one was a small business. Nearly 31 percent also said they will increase their spending with small local businesses once the pandemic is over.

Categories
Startup Technology

Humsafar, an App-Based Doorstep Diesel Delivery Service Provider, To Help Startups Become ‘Fuel Enterprises’

Fuel (Photo Credits: Pexels)

New Delhi, September 15: Humsafar, an app-based doorstep diesel delivery service provider has introduced its support services to help aspiring fuel entrepreneurs. This unique opportunity will help the startups to be a part of one of the biggest disruptions in terms of fuel marketing in the Oil industry – Diesel Door Delivery (DDD). According to a report by IANS, Humsafar plans project support from scratch to complete fruition to new start-ups of doorstep diesel delivery. The plan includes setting up a company, fabricating bowsers, (oil dispensing vehicles) and setting up a tech platform for delivery of diesel at doorsteps in various parts of the country.

Sanya Goel, Co-Founder and Director, Humsafar was quoted in the report saying that Humsafar also helps start-ups market the service in the industry by partnering with other dealers and acquiring new customers.The opportunity the Doorstep Diesel industry provides is enormous, offering safe and legal alternatives to fuel procurement.

About Humsafar App:

  1. In less than four months, the Humsafar app, ‘Fuel Humsafar’, has crossed over 10,000 downloads on Google Play Store and has processed 20,000 transactions.
  2. The app has been customised to help clients and vendors manage their orders, drivers, tracking of the bowser, checking fuel capacity, stock management, advanced MIS.
  3. The report informs that Humsafar also offers a dedicated app, just for the Drivers, which allows them to track the user’s location, check orders, review order history, and manage stock, which in turn allows the vendor to view the driver’s performance and delivery status from time-to-time.
  4. Humsafar is currently servicing 24 states across India. The startup has also roped in 50 plus retail partners across 24 states.
  5. Humsafar is also looking to raise its first external investment and plans to launch B2C ordering by the end of 2020.

The mobile bowsers, popularly known as dispensing vehicles, are expected to supplement petrol pumps, changing the landscape of fuel procurement. Goel added saying that it’s great to see that most of their applications have been from the younger generation which speaks volumes of the entrepreneurial spirt among the youth.

The gross revenues of the startup stood at Rs 22 million in the year 2019-20, and by the end of 2021, Humsafar plans on targeting diesel delivery of 500 million litres. This will translate into a revenue of Rs 100 million.

Categories
Startup Technology

‘Grow With Google’, a New Online Programme Launched by Google to Help SMBs Build Digital Safety Net Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Google (Photo Credits: Unsplash)

Tech giant Google has introduced a new online programme to help business owners learn how to build an online presence, find more customers, sell online or work remotely. This is being done amid the coronavirus pandemic to help business that digital tools can provide a safety net for small businesses. The new ‘Grow with Google’ lessons that have been included in the programme can vary from two-minute tutorial videos to live workshops. It can range from beginner level to advanced, so every business can find what they need to become more prepared.

According to a report by IANS, the programme was announced after a report this week showed how a ‘digital safety net’ can serve as a support system for small businesses and helps to mitigate the negative business effects of COVID-19. A report by non-profit Connected Commerce Council in partnership with Google stated that practically all small businesses in the US were disrupted by the pandemic, facing reduced customer demand and hours of operations as well as employee layoffs. 85% of small businesses said COVID-19 made them rethink their approach to digital tools, allowing them to adapt.

The study further revealed that businesses that had a digital safety net in place and used a variety of digital tools — like digital ads, digital payments, data analytics and customer insights tools — felt better prepared. However, not all small- and medium-sized businesses have a digital safety net. The new ‘Grow with Google’ lessons are designed to serve the interest of these businesses.

Here’s How ‘Grow With Google’ Will help SMBs:

  1. Google has introduced a new programme called ‘Grow With Google’ on the ‘Google for Small Business website’. Click here for direct link.
  2. Grow with Google is partnering with SCORE, a network of volunteer, expert business mentors, and non-profit International Downtown Association (iDA) to complete a series of affordable and easily accessible Grow with Google workshops for 50,000 small businesses across the US.
  3. Business owners can find personalised Google product recommendations for their business, as well as helpful tips and practical guides to help small businesses get the most of these tools
Categories
MSME Technology

IIT Madras Develops Alternatives to Conventional Lithium-Ion Batteries, Institute Claims it Will Help Domestic MSME Sector

IIT Madras. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
IIT Madras. (Photo Credit: Facebook)

Chennai, September 10: The researchers of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) have made significant advances in developing alternatives to conventional lead-acid and lithium-ion for industrial usage. As India is aiming to achieve 40 per cent of its total electricity generation from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, such news is crucial.

Informing about the latest development, Department of Chemical Engineering of IIT Madras’s Prof Sreenivas Jayanti said, “Our team designed, fabricated and executed indigenous kW-scale vanadium redox flow battery for application in energy storage, which can be integrated into renewable sources such as solar and wind energy.”

Adding more, Jayanti said, “We have developed operating protocols and design criteria for flow battery stack of power rating up to 10 kW using the prototype of a practical size that can be directly employed in industrial-scale stacks for grid-level storage.”

IIT Madras researchers claim that the study into vanadium redox flow battery stack development will open up new possibilities for the indigenous fabrication of flow battery stacks by MSME units for domestic applications. The researchers also stated that the energy can be stored indefinitely as the active species are in a liquid state and stored outside the battery.

Study researcher Ravendra Gundlapalli said, “‘Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries’ (VRFB), with their distinct features of independent scale-up of power and energy, long cycling life, low Levelized cost of energy storage and milli-seconds response time, shows great scope in confronting with intermittency in renewable energy sources and load demand.”

Categories
Technology

GST Network Starts Providing Auto-Drafted ITC Statement GSTR-2B to Assist Taxpayers in Determining ITC Liability

Documentation of tax | Representational Image (Photo Credits: Pexels)

The GST Network (GSTN) on Saturday started providing auto-drafted input tax credit (ITC) statement GSTR-2B to taxpayers. The newly launched initiative would assist the taxpayers in determining their ITC liability. GSTR-2B will be generated on GST portal for every registered person on the basis of the information furnished by his suppliers. It will be made available for each month, on the 12th day of the succeeding month, GSTN said in a statement. Moreover, it is expected that GSTR-2B will help in reduction in time taken for preparing return, minimising errors, assist reconciliation & simplify compliance relating to filing of returns.

The GST Network handles the IT backbone of Goods and Services Tax (GST). “It is expected that GSTR-2B will help in reduction in time taken for preparing return, minimising errors, assisting reconciliation and simplify compliance relating to filing of returns,” it said.

Key features in GSTR-2B which would assist taxpayers in return filing are as under:

  1. It contains information on import of goods from the ICEGATE system including inward supplies of goods received from Special Economic Zones Units / Developers. This is not available with the release of GSTR-2B for the month of July and will be made available shortly.
  2. A summary statement which shows all the ITC available and non-available under each section. The advisory given against each section clarifies the action to be taken by the taxpayers in their respective section of GSTR-3B;
  3. Document level details of all invoices, credit notes, debit notes etc. is also provided both for viewing and download.
  4. GSTR-2B for the month of July 2020 has been made available on the common portal on trial basis.

Since, this is the first time that the statement is being introduced, taxpayers are advised to refer to GSTR-2B for the month of July, 2020 only for feedback purposes. All taxpayers are requested to go through their GSTR-2B for July 2020 and after comparing the same with the credit availed by them in July 2020, provide feedback (if any) on any aspect of GSTR-2B by raising a ticket on the self-service portal (https://selfservice.gstsystem.in/). All taxpayers are advised to view the detailed advisory relating to GSTR-2B on the common portal before using the statement.

The GST Council, in its 39th meeting held on March 14, 2020, had recommended to adopt and implement the incremental approach of linking the present system of filing of GSTR-3B and GSTR-1 and other significant changes like enhancements in GSTR-2A and its linking to GSTR-3B. One such enhancement that the Council recommended was introduction of an auto-drafted input tax credit (ITC) statement which would aid in assisting / determining the input tax credit that is available for every taxpayer.

Categories
Technology

Aadhaar Authentication to Help Businesses Get GST Registration Within 3 Days

Aadhaar For All (Photo Credits: Facebook)

In what is believed to be a major boost for businesses in India, the businesses that provide Aadhaar number while applying for registration under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will get the approval in three working days. Last week, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) had notified Aadhaar authentication for GST registration with effect from August 21, 2020. The notification also provides that in case businesses do not provide Aadhaar number, then GST registration would be granted only after physical verification of the place of business.

Sources believe that the Aadhaar authentication is expected to facilitate genuine and honest taxpayers while at the same time keeping fake and fraudulent entities away from GST.

Two important things to know:

  1. For a person opting for Aadhaar authentication for new GST registration would get it within just three working days, if no notice is issued and would not need to wait for physical verification.
  2. While applicants not opting for Aadhaar authentication for GST registration would be granted it only after physical verification of the place of business or documentary verification which may take up to 21 working days or more if notice is issued, sources said.

According to a report by PTI, sources of the Finance Ministry said the GST Council in its 39th meeting held on March 14, 2020, had approved operationalisation of Aadhaar authentication for new taxpayers. However, its implementation was postponed due to the lockdown on account of COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources further said that keeping the COVID-19 pandemic in view, it has been provided that the officer may, if the circumstances warrant, opt for asking for additional documents in lieu of the pre-registration for physical verification of the premises.