Spice Money: Industry Monitoring 02 July 2019
- Priyanka Kanodia
- Jul 8, 2019
- 6 min read
Spice Money
Spice Money Launches Smartphone-Enabled ”Micro-ATMs”
Publication- Express Computer
Edition- Online
Date- 02 July, 2019
Payment services provider Spice Money has launched smartphone-enabled ”Micro-ATMs”, similar to Point-of-Sale (PoS) card machines across its existing 2l lakh customer touchpoints. The company has already been rolling out the cash withdrawal facility across its merchant points through Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS).
“The enterprise”s AEPS systems enable thumb-print driven transactions, while its Micro-ATMs allow users carrying debit cards to do essential financial transactions,” said the DiGiSPICE Group company said in statement. Both AEPS and Micro-ATMs allow cash withdrawal and balance enquiry, it said.
Please click on the link below:
Competitors
Industry News
Benefits of new blockchain tech for curbing pesky calls to be visible in a month: Trai chief
Publication- Business Standard
Edition- Online
Date- 02 July, 2019
Mobile operators are in final stages of operationalising Trai-prescribed new system for curbing pesky telemarketing calls, and consumers will begin to experience benefits of the new 'blockchain' framework in a month, Trai Chairman R S Sharma said Monday. Sharma said that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will review the progress made by operators in this regard in the first week of July.
"We will review in the first week of July, as to what was the progress of each entity, but the last I reviewed - I was informed that everybody is ready or in the final stages of operationalising it," Sharma told PTI. Last year, the regulator had tightened the rules to curb pesky telemarketing calls and messages, asking telecom operators to leverage the blockchain technology to reduce such unwanted communications.
The overhaul of the unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) system aimed to ensure that telemarketing messages are sent only to those who have subscribed to them, and that too by authorized entities. Operators who fail to check pesky calls and SMS menace or do not adhere to the guidelines will face a stiff penalty.
Please click on the link below:
Leveraging Blockchain technology to help administration stressed
Publication- The Hans India
Edition- Online
Date- 02 July, 2019
National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) organised the first in the series of seminars on the usage of Blockchain Technologies in government applications. According to the NIRDPR officials, the first session began on Saturday with " 'Introduction to Blockchain Technologies and Government Applications' for the Central and State government employees.
Underlining the importance of the initiative, W R Reddy, Director General, NIRDPR said the seminar was part of the institute's continuous efforts to innovation and leadership in the capacity building at NIRDPR. In her inaugural address, Radhika Rastogi, IAS, Deputy Director General, NIRDPR, highlighted the importance of leveraging Blockchain Technology to improve implementation of government-run programs as it has tremendous potential in rural development schemes such as MGNREGA and Social Audit. Samir Goswami, Director (Management Information System), NIRDPR, said NIRDPR is always keen to explore and leverage technology to support our major objective of rural development. The Seminar was one such step in that direction.
Please click on the link below:
Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore died after long battle with cancer
Publication- Telecom Lead
Edition- Online
Date- 02 July, 2019
Collymore, who took the top job with the Kenyan company in 2010, oversaw an increase of nearly 500 percent in its share value thanks to the popular mobile money transfer service M-Pesa and a growing customer base. Collymore, who was 61, had agreed in May to serve another year in the role after the Kenyan government, which owns 35 percent of the company, insisted that a local was picked to succeed him, complicating the hiring process, Reuters reported.
The Safaricom board will meet on Monday to discuss his succession, Chairman Nicholas Ng’ang’a said. “The board was aware that sooner or later we needed to organize succession for Bob,” he told a news conference. “We will be giving a way forward hopefully later today or in the next 24 hours.” Collymore had traveled to Britain in October 2017 and received treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a cancer of the blood. He had been undergoing treatment locally, the company said.
Please click on the link below:
Accelerate your business impact with big data, assisted intelligence and analytics
Publication- CIOL
Edition- Online
Date- 02 July, 2019
Harnessing meaningful insights out of data using artificial intelligence was once considered to be a prowess possessed by large enterprises alone. In order to outperform and connect with the right audience at the right time, becoming data-driven is the new normal for success. But how to turn your data into actionable insights and stay ahead in the Business 4.0 revolution?
The Goliath called data
A research carried out by IDC predicts a 50.1 percent compounded annual growth rate for global spending on AI, reaching USD 57.6 billion by 2021. Now it must be noted that for AI to work its magic and benefit organizations, both large and small, the key lies in data liquidity. With the enterprise waking up to the enormous potential of social and IoT, we are seeing volume, velocity and variety of data never witnessed before.
Please click on the link below:
Microsoft expands its AI and IOT unit in Taiwan and not China!
Publication- My News Wire
Edition- Online
Date- 02 July, 2019
American Memory Chip designer plans to start its unit of R&D technology of AI and IOT, in Taiwan. Micron Technology has big plans to expand its unit and staff also this year by 1000 people to making it to around 8000, the media reported currently. So why was Taiwan preferred instead of China? Taiwan has the right mix of talent for developing a base for Artificial intelligence and the IOT (internet of things)
The only reason for Microsoft to invest in Taiwan is that, it is a pool of talent and people are extremely skilled and hardworking here. Microsoft also says that there is enough talent pool in Taiwan for now and that it is extremely feasible that we invest in this right now.
The reason why Microsoft surpassed China and the United States is because that there is not much talent pool as compared to Taiwan and also both the economies are well short of the software talent that it needs to possess. So for Microsoft, Taiwan was the best bet.
Please click on the link below:
Rise of Big Data, AI and Analytics; what matters the most for Indian Enterprise
Publication- Everything Experiential
Edition- Online
Date- 02 July, 2019
India is the fastest growing major economy with the second largest population in the world. It has a significant impact on technology globally. Data, AI and Analytics are a few such technologies. AI, in particular, is looked upon as a technology that has a high potential to transform economies. The Indian government is taking strong steps to ensure AI is considered by all enterprises. “Hon’ble Finance Minister, in his budget speech for 2018 – 2019, mandated NITI Aayog to establish the National Program on AI, with a view to guiding research and development in new and emerging technologies” (niti.gov.in)
On the other hand, data is the backbone for research. AI also revolves around the data gathered. Considering the size of the Indian population, one research claims everyday data generated in India is approximately 20TB. This includes phone calls, Internet, Surveillance, IOT, etc. This data needs to be analysed, The Analytics process is continuous and recursive.
Please click on the link below:
Dutch Bank ABN AMRO Bank N.V. Completes Blockchain Technology-based Container Logistics Pilot
Publication- Owlt Market
Edition- Online
Date- 02 July, 2019
ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is a Dutch bank who has completed a blockchain technology-based container logistics pilot. The pilot was carried out from a factory in Asia to the Netherlands. The chief innovation officer at the Dutch bank ABN Amro Bank N.V. Edwin van Bommel said, “We are strongly committed to help our clients in their process to fully automate their trade flows. All parties involved in the trade flow will benefit from more effective controls, greater efficiency, transparency and traceability.”
The Dutch bank ABN Amro N.V. along with a Europe seaport called the Port of Rotterdam Authority and a software solutions and IT services company called Samsung SDS started working on the blockchain technology-based container logistics pilot at the end of 2018.
Please click on the link below:
Rs 15 charge for net banking transactions? Paytm nixes reports
Publication- IBTimes
Edition- Online
Date- 02 July, 2019
Digital wallet Paytm has rebutted the reports that the company is going to levy extra charges on users for digital transactions on its platform. In a statement issued to media, Paytm clarified that the Paytm app/payment gateway owned by One97 Communications Limited "does not charge or levy any convenience/transaction fee from our customers on using any payment method which includes cards, UPI, net-banking, and wallet.
Paytm customers will continue using all the services available on the platform without any fee." According to Economic Times, the company will start passing on the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) that banks and card companies charge for digital transactions. The move would help Paytm reduce cash burn and become profitable.
The report claimed that the company would levy a charge of one percent on payments through credit cards, 0.9 percent for debit cards and up to Rs 12-15 for transactions by net banking and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). But on Monday afternoon, the Noida-headquartered company cleared the air.
Please click on the link below:
Comments