Housing.com, part of Elara Technologies Pte Ltd. which also owns PropTiger.com and Makaan.com, today announced the launch of first-of-its-kind ‘Housing Partner Assist‘ app to help the sellers manage listings, home seekers and much more with a single tap on their phones. This new intuitive app will enable sellers to list properties at their convenience and receive instant alerts on home seekers for the property and contact the buyers immediately with a single click on the mobile screen. Moreover, the expert filter options of the app will enable sellers focus on priority home seekers and close deals faster.
With the help of this new cutting-edge app, the sellers can list the properties in simple steps and click on the property to get a detailed view. Additionally, sellers can edit, add more details and photos of the promoted properties to improve the quality score and boost the rankings in the search results page. Using the app, the sellers can refer to the potential customer’s requirement summary to shortlist relevant properties before scheduling a meeting.
Commenting on the development, Ravi Bhushan, Group CPTO – Housing.com, PropTiger.com and Makaan.com said
Within the real estate classifieds industry, Housing.com has always differentiated itself on the basis of superior product usability and consumer experience. With our new app ‘Housing Partner Assist’ app, sellers can avoid the conventional and cumbersome lead generation process and get off to a speedier start in this fiercely competitive industry. We are confident that the new app will create additional value for the sellers in improving business revenue and provide more control to build trust with buyers.
As the app will enable sellers to be more engaged, buyers will receive timely response from sellers and will be able to find the best-suited homes in a shorter period. For instance, the expert filter option of the app makes it possible to manage one’s property portfolio on a single screen and with its help one can navigate through the properties and find the right one for home seekers very quickly.
The app provides the option of real-time promotion of properties to sellers that can help them better manage day-to-day business activities with less investment of time to ensure improved productivity, better customer service and more satisfied clients.
Elara Technologies Pte Ltd is a Singapore-based technology services company and is the owner of Housing.com, PropTiger.com and Makaan.com. The company provides digital real estate marketing and transactions services. PropTiger.com and Housing.com merged in January 2017 to create India’s largest full service Online-to-Offline [O2O] real estate platform.
A very famous quote on investing says – ‘Risk & Rewards are two sides of the same coin’. This means that in most of the cases, higher the amount of risk involved chances of maximizing the returns are also very high! The investment portfolio of every person would differ since it is dependent on various factors like risk appetite, assets, liabilities, dependencies, etc. and hence, it becomes virtually impossible for any investment firm to cater to varied investment requirements of such a large audience.
This is where emerging technologies like Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence can play a vital role in creating a tailor-made investment plan based on your long-term and short financial requirements. Machine Learning has already the paved way into the Fintech market, be it approving loans, documentation, managing assets, etc. Many Fintech startups are leveraging machine learning, AI, Chatbots and helping banking institutions to either enhance the existing banking experience or creating kick-ass products in the areas of wealth management, personal finance, customer service, etc.
When it comes to investing, there are different types of investors – Novice and seasoned investors. There are options for investing in FD, RD, Gold, etc. that are used for many years, are less risky and yield lesser returns. On the other hand, there are options like investing in stocks, equity markets, Gold bonds, etc that yield higher returns but the investor needs to have at least basic know-how about the markets. According to a report by Bloomberg, less than 1.5% of the Indian population invested in equity markets and only 2% of India’s household savings were exposed to equity.
Most of the investment firms reserved their advisory services for HNI’s, with none of them catering to the expanding retail investors and middle-income groups. This is where founders of Fintech startup WealthApp saw an opportunity and created WealthApp with a single aim to make goal-based investing easier by combining their wealth management expertise with the power of Machine Learning. In simple terms, WealthApp is an algorithm based, tech-driven investment platform created by seasoned finance professionals that help you create your ‘Perfect’ investment portfolio as per your requirements and risk appetite. We had earlier interviewed Gaurav Dhawan, Co-Founder of WealthApp and today we do a detailed review of the app w.r.t features, enhancements, competition, etc.
Note – Since it is an app related to finance, we have blurred out certain things that might be personal or related to my investment portfolio.
WealthApp: Changing the Investment Habit for ‘Better Financial Planning’
As mentioned earlier, investment in the equity markets is not very popular option amongst investors in India but that scene is changing rapidly! 60,000 new investors are investing in Mutual Funds and this is where fin-tech startups like WealthApp are acting as a change agent. WealthApp is using Machine Learning, AI and proprietary algorithms to invest, track, redeem, etc. in Mutual Funds owned by different AMC’s [Asset Management Company].
Apart from in-depth know-how about the Mutual Fund [MF] industry, another problem faced by investors is that in order to keep a track of their MF investment, they have to log on to the website of each AMC for checking the performance, invest in other MF’s from the same AMC, etc. WealthApp has tied-up with different AMC’s due to which investors can track their investments from AMC’s, invest in Mutual Funds from other popular AMC’s in a single window. As an investor, you have to create a profile on WealthApp, allow WealthApp to access your portfolio information from the corresponding AMC & you are done 🙂
With WealthApp, there is an end to the long winding process, paper work and emergence of proper guidance in investment methods by a team that has extensive experience in managing individual investment portfolios.
WealthApp: Goal-based investing, dedicated fund manager and more
Each one of us has short-term as well as long-term goals and ambitions like going for an overseas vacation, buying a house, overseas education, etc. and this is where ‘Goal-Based Investing’ plays a very crucial role. Goal-based investing aims to get around the drawback of the traditional investment approach, which generally focuses on outperforming the market while staying within the investor’s threshold for risk. Instead, it uses individual asset pools with an investment strategy that is tailored to the client’s specific goals [Source].
Goal-based investing: Once you create your profile on WealthApp, you would be recommended with relevant and personalized investment options based on your risk profile, goal & aspirations set by you. There is an automated and continuous monitoring, re-balancing of your portfolio according to changing market conditions so that you can maximize the returns on your investments!
Dedicated fund manager: Couple of months back when we interviewed Gaurav Dhawan, he raised a very valid point ‘Investors are interested to invest in Mutual Funds but most of them feel that MFs are difficult to understand’. This is where WealthApp wants to create a dent in order to drive investor’s interest in MFs. This is one of the primary reasons why every investor on WealthApp has a dedicated fund manager assigned to him/her. The fund manager would hand-hold you in the on-boarding process, efficiently managing your portfolio, guiding you to maximize returns and more…
Frictionless on-boarding process: The KYC is done in a paperless manner, you no longer to submit multiple paper documents for the on-boarding process 🙂 Since the platform runs on high-end machine learning algorithms, the entire advisory process is automated so that investors can get timely investment tips and latest updates on their investments.
Investment tips & Detailed reports: Once you have your account setup and records of your MF investments are imported on WealthApp, you start receiving personalized e-mailer based on your investment profile, goals and other important criteria that might impact your long-term & short-term investment goals!
Also if you want to make further investments, you need not go to the AMC’s website but can continue investing in MFs via WealthApp. At any point in time, you can download the performance reports of your investments.
The design of the app is very simple since there is a possibility that the app could be used by someone who is not well versed with mobile/technology but has good knowledge about MF’s, equity markets, etc.
WealthApp: Improvements, Competition…
WealthApp amalgamates technology [AI, Machine Learning] with finance/investing and makes lives of MF investors easy since now they no longer have to log-in to each & every AMC’s website where they have invested their funds! However, in many cases investing is a long-term strategy and hence, it becomes important that reports are very detailed. The reports should highlight the performance of any particular fund in a graphical representation so that that data dishes out much more information. As seen in the screenshot below, the reports of funds that an investor has invested in are not detailed and the overall format also needs some improvement.
There has been a meteoric rise in the fintech startup landscape in H1, H2 of 2017 with e-commerce, FinTech startups top Funding Charts in H1 2017 [Source]. Many of the fintech companies are leveraging Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Social Data Intelligence, Blockchain, etc. in order to solve critical business problems, including the one being solved by WealthApp. A fintech startup UpWardly is also leveraging Machine Learning to Upwardly, which facilitate goal-based investments in mutual funds.
WealthApp: Conclusion
Overall, WealthApp is a simple yet effective service from seasoned finance professionals that makes ‘goal-based investing’ easier. Even after you have downloaded the WealthApp application, there is still a human-touch to investing via your dedicated fund managers. Barring a few improvement areas, it is an app that a retail investor can use in order to test the waters of Mutual Fund Investing. If you are a seasoned investor, WealthApp solves the major hurdle of logging on-to individual AMC’s website for maintaining your investment portfolio.
You can download WealthApp for Android from here and WealthApp for iOS from here. If you are an existing user of WealthApp, do leave your feedback/experience in the comments section.
The General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR], adopted in April 2016 after four years of deliberations, is now in force. The regulation made headlines around the globe with its stricter data protection standards, substantial fines, and most of all, extensive reach. The GDPR affects any organization that holds an EU citizen’s personal data, no matter the size or location. A company based in Asia is as accountable as a multinational enterprise with offices across Europe – as long as it collects and processes the data of EU citizens.
The regulation also delineated the data protection obligations of affected organizations – from adopting state-of-the-art security methods to providing people more access to and control of their data. Recognizing the sweeping changes required for compliance, the EU authorities granted member states and organizations two years to get ready and prepare. And today, the transition stage is over – the GDPR will now be enforced.
What happens now ?
Enforcement means that organizations should already be processing personal data in accordance with the GDPR – including provisions for data subject rights. Data Protection Authorities [DPAs] of EU member states will also already be able to penalize organizations that are not compliant. Depending on the member state, it is possible that regulators will immediately take action to address any noncompliance. Some regulatory bodies, however, plan on being more lenient with businesses and organizations that have started but not yet completed their compliance efforts.
What is the worst-case scenario? An organization is liable for damages caused by noncompliance and is subject to corresponding administrative fines. The heftiest fine is 20,000,000 euros or up to 4 percent of annual turnover, whichever is higher.
What is the best-case scenario? If an organization is fully compliant with the GDPR, or uses the regulation as a starting-off point and goes beyond the minimum standards, then there are significant advantages. Some benefits would be – secured valuable information, more efficient operations with proper archiving and data management, and increased trust from customers and users.
While the GDPR applies to personal data of EU citizens, the GDPR has sparked a change in privacy regulations across the world. The 2018 enforcement allowed several countries to make their own legislative improvements – the U.K. and Australia are just two of a number of regions that have also updated their data protection laws. This only indicates that GDPR compliance is a good opportunity – not just for multinational enterprises but smaller organizations as well – to keep up with global advances in data privacy and state-of-the-art security.
What should organizations be doing ?
Ideally, all the groundwork for compliance should have been finished by now, and items on the compliance checklist should have been ticked. Organizations should already be able to provide products or services that address their customers’ rights as outlined in the GDPR. Those using third-party applications or suppliers should watch for updates concerning issues like the ‘right to be forgotten’ and stricter user consent standards and make sure they are working properly. Several laws as well as software changes are also expected to be in effect starting today or in the coming months, and organizations should be ready for any necessary changes.
For those not yet fully compliant, some member state DPAs have reassured companies ‘acting in good faith’ or on the way to compliance that they will initially be treated with consideration. It’s crucial to document steps being taken as well as to prioritize addressing potential security risks.
Ready or not, the road to GDPR compliance does not end on enforcement day – assessments and audits should be regular moving forward.
Building better data protection
The GDPR was enforced to set a new standard for data privacy and protection. One key element to this is building in privacy measures from the first stages of development – not patching up problems after they occur. As organizations create new products and applications post-implementation day, privacy by design must be kept in mind.
Through its new rules and standards, the GDPR encourages organizations to rethink existing data management policies and invest in state-of-the-art security for data protection. To reiterate, compliance efforts should be constant after GDPR implementation day; staying up to date with cybersecurity developments plays a major part.
We created an infographic to demonstrate the path well-protected personal data takes – leaving the data subject’s hands and on to an organization for secure processing. It also shows what happens if something goes wrong and what happens if everything goes right.
The Journey of Safe and Secure Personal Data Charting GDPR Compliance
About the Author
Nilesh Jain is the Vice President, South East Asia and India at Trend Micro. For more information, you can visit his profile here.
COMIO Smartphone, India’s emerging mid-segment brand, recognized as ‘The Most Promising Brand‘ by The Economic Times is all set to conquer the market with the launch of its flagship smartphone, the COMIO X1 Note. Competitively priced at Rs. 9,999, the X1 Note boasts of flawless slim ID design with a stylish mirror finish back cover in two colour variants- royal blue and sunrise gold.
With the COMIO X1 Note, the brand which was initially launched in North & West India now forays into the East & South market. The brand will be launching a total of 5 devices in 5K~10K price segment in East & South market including their existing models C-1, P-1, C-2 lite and S-1 lite.
Karnataka is one of the largest markets in the South region and will be of prime importance to COMIO Smartphones. Being a highly ‘value added’ market, the brand will have a strong offline network of 2000 retailers, 35 distributors, 400 after sales touch points and a deeper penetration through 3-4 large format retail chains. COMIO Smartphone will target sales of 15K units per month from the region with an aim to have a 2~3% market share in this year. Special offers that will be offered to consumers will include – Reliance Jio offer, exhaustive COMIO support including screen breakage warranty.
The device has a dual rear camera with 13MP + 5MP AF with Flash and front camera with 8MP. A photographer’s delight, the handset comes bundled with a set of camera modes like portrait/ bokeh, beauty, panorama, social and night mode. Designed to enjoy high definition to the fullest, the smartphone comes with a 6-inch full view FHD+ 2.5D curved display. The 4G-VoLTE dual SIM smartphone is powered by a 1.45 GHz quad-core processor and has a 2,900 mAh battery.
COMIO X1 Note – Royal Blue [L] and Sunrise Gold [R]
We are excited to announce the launch of COMIO X1 Note as it marks our expansion into a pan-India brand. The response we have received from our consumers, retailers and distributors has been tremendous, encouraging us to deliver a product such as COMIO X1 Note, which is one of the best offerings from the brand in the sub-10,000 price segment.
The COMIO X1 Note provides an integrated solution comprising of advanced camera quality, better speed, security features, stylish design and value-added services all-in-one, ensuring an enhanced user experience.
Some of the other features include
Android O – Android Oreo picture-in-picture [multiple apps], smarter battery, 2x faster interface, over 60 new emojis
A smarter way to unlock your smartphone with Face Unlock feature
Secure your smartphone the smartest way with the Intruder Selfie feature
Explore magic with the Finger Print sensor: pick calls, unlock device in 0.15 seconds, click pictures, access apps
More memory, more space, more fun – 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM, expandable upto 128 GB
Never miss a buzz with a Notification LED, nor your favourite conversations with Auto Call Recording feature and Auto Call Back Reminder
Personalise your smartphone your way with the Dual Account app
Font Application feature with access different stylish fonts and supported with 22 regional languages
Pop-up touch featureallows user to use the apps with less number of clicks
WPS Officeapp to view all kind of documents with ease
COMIO X1 Note Spec Sheet
Further to this,Sumit Sehgal, Chief Marketing Officer, COMIO Smartphone, said on the launch
After capturing the hearts of the youth in North & West India, we are excited to widen our reach to South & East market. South is a strategic region for us and Bangalore d will be one of the most important markets with its high number of technology enthusiasts. We will multiply our efforts in this region and engage with the youth to make Comio a preferred brand through our philosophy of ‘Don’t Listen Kar Daal.’
COMIO support – Specially designed after-sales support comprising of 1 year + 100 days warranty, one-time screen breakage warranty, 30-day replacement, a special buy back and upgrade offer allowing you to upgrade your old smartphone. The COMIO upgrade offer allows you an assured 40% return on your old COMIO phone (not more than 12 months old) which will be given if you want to upgrade you existing COMIO phone. Applicable through COMIO official website only.
Reliance Jio offer – Customers can now enjoy unlimited data and talk time offers using a COMIO smartphone. Jio customers to get Rs. 2200 cashback [44*50 Rs vouchers] at the time of 1st successful recharge of INR 198/299 monthly plans. The offer can be redeemed from the 2nd recharge onwards.
Availability – The COMIO X1 Note will available at all key retail stores Pan-India and online platforms – Snapdeal, Flipkart, Amazon, ShopClues and Paytm.
The gaming industry has changed globally at an exponential rate over the past five years that the face of gaming has transformed before our eyes, both literally and figuratively. The Indian digital gaming industry is growing rapidly, according to a recent KPMG report Indian online gaming industry will add 190 million gamers and become a USD one billion opportunity by 2021, from USD 290 million today [Source].
Similarly, with PC gaming’s explosion of popularity have come many new hardware and software entrants, introducing innovation and developing an opportune industry, which has lured even more intrigued spectators into the gaming world.
As the figurative face of gaming has changed, so have people who think themselves as a ‘gamer’. Looking to set the record straight on the profile of today’s players, Dell partnered with a third-party research firm, Researchscape, to conduct an extensive online survey of 5,763 video game players from 11 countries [Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, New Zealand, UK and U.S.] on today’s gaming habits, attitudes and the wider gaming community. To qualify for the study, respondents had to play video-games on desktops or laptops for at least one hour, a week. In India, 587 respondents participated and here are the findings:
Who is today’s gamer ?
The survey results confirm today’s gamer is not the stereotypical teen loner playing in his parents’ basement. He’s a coworker with two kids, the woman at the gym, a fellow volunteer – and most commonly, a spouse, sibling or friend. But they all have in common that they proudly call themselves a ‘gamer’. Gone are the days that being called a ‘gamer’ is derogatory.
According to those surveyed, very few respondents feel either ‘judged’ [12%], ‘childish’ [18%] or ’embarrassed’ [7%] on being called a ‘gamer’. Instead, they consider ‘gamer’ a positive label and feel ‘smart’ [55%], ‘cool’ [55%], or ‘excited’ [51%] as a result.
Through online platforms and social media, fueled by the popularity of e-sports and innovations in PC gaming rigs, the gaming community is growing in size, diversity and inclusiveness. Gamers are not shy about sharing their love of gaming with others and inviting others to share in the enjoyment.
39% have introduced three to four friends or family members to gaming, and 40% have introduced five or more. With the accelerated pace at which gaming is going mainstream, it’s safe to bet those unfamiliar with gaming will start to see it pop up in their daily lives before they know it.
Why do people say they game ?
People are increasingly turning to video games for relaxation [58%] and playing with friends [58%] as well as relieving stress [51%]. About 28% of gamers are not concerned with their skill level, yet ironically, no one likes to be identified as a ‘noob’ [gamer code for the new kid on the block].
Just under 6% identified as noobs, while 13% consider themselves to be just beyond noob level; 28% identify as casual gamers, 37% as ‘pretty darn good’, and 17% feel they can compete with pro gamers.
A diverse community
Once the dominion of young men, gaming has become a welcoming community, accepting of whomever is behind the computer.
When it comes to being matched with rival gamers, culture/ethnicity [19%], political views [13%], and sexual orientation [15%] are for the most part inconsequential to a player. What matters most is the other gamer’s skill level [45%].
More than 80% of gamers said they do not care about the gender of the rivals they are matched with online, which could explain the sharp increase in female gamers in recent years. One in two players [52%] has a female friend who plays video games.
Almost [48%] have a sister who plays, and 18% said their daughter does. Female gamers tend to breed other female gamers and are far more likely to have other women in their lives who also game than male gamers. [58%] women have women friends who are gamers while [46%] men have women friends who are gamers.
Debunked- Gamers do not have lives
Contrary to outdated stereotypes about the reclusive gamer, many lead busy lives with many outside interests.
When not gaming, their attention is spent on music [68%] and spending time with family [57%] or friends [57%]. Traveling [56%] and reading and writing [40%] were also popular.
Gamers in Brazil [46%], China [46%], and India [41%] enjoy breaking a sweat to stay fit, while their American neighbors are almost as sports-mad as the PC gamers from India are [46% vs. 58%].
Gaming isn’t just playtime – it can also hone beneficial skills
50% Indian gamers feel that gaming makes them a strategic thinker. They top the list when it comes to their counterparts in other countries like Brazil [43%], Australia and USA [42%]. The consensus among the respondents was that gaming helped improve one’s cognitive abilities and skill development.
Of the gamers who spent anywhere between 10~40 hours gaming, 48% believed that their response to stimulus has increased and 49% agreeing that they were great at problem solving. 31% of gamers who gamed for 20~40 hours agreed to have an enhanced sense of peripheral vision and 51% believed that they had faster hand-eye coordination movements.
Gamers are willing to forego basic needs for the love of gaming
Gamers spend a median of six to nine hours per week playing video games with 23% spending 10~19 hours and 21% gamers spending 20 or more hours per week playing. Players say they know gaming is their priority when they feel like sacrificing sleep [37%] and eating [32%].
Yet today’s gamers are unlikely to skip out on social commitments for gaming, with less than one out of two saying they would bail on holiday celebrations [46%], a friend’s celebration [40%], a family birthday [36%], or a professional sporting event [26%] to game instead.
Indian gamers are willing to give up candy/sweets [34%], their favorite television show [35%] and social media [37%] to play games. As might be expected, younger gamers [39 years and younger] are willing to give more things up than those 40 and up.
While skill level is important, losing is not the end of the world. Only 35% Indian gamers said that losing an intense match is worse than a low battery, 35% that it is worse than traffic jams, and 30% that it is worse than a cold shower.
Hardware preferences/choices of today’s gamers and the virtual future of gaming
Even with the availability of multiple gaming devices, Desktops are the most preferred device by Indian gamers [68%] with Dell being a preferred choice of desktop and laptop for Indian gamers.
With an upward growth in VR and AR gaming in India, VR compatible devices are being readily accessible to people. More and more gamers are opting in for the virtual reality experience. When asked what they think about the future of gaming, nearly half of the Indian gamers said that new hardware and graphics innovation VR [48%] and virtual arcades [31%] excites them.
Survey methodology
Researchscape conducted an online survey of 5,763 video game players, age 14~87, from 11 countries [India, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, UK and U.S.] and in six languages in order to better understand gaming habits, attitudes and the wider gaming community. In India 587 respondents took the survey. To qualify for the study, respondents had to play video games on desktops or laptops and had to play for at least an hour a week. They did not need to identify as gamers, and 7% said they did not. The survey was fielded from Dec. 9, 2017, to Jan. 30, 2018.
Nearly half of respondents were in their 20s [26%] or 30s [22%]; 12% were teenagers [14-17]. Gamers were split nearly evenly male [52%] and female [47%]. Many were married and living with a spouse [42%] or a partner [15%], and half had children or stepchildren [52%].
According to data from Indeed, the world’s No. 1 job site, there has been an upsurge in job postings for cyber security roles by 150% between January 2017 and March 2018, along with a corresponding increase of 129% in job searches for the same in the same period. Between January 2017 and March 2018, there has also been a spike in the number of job postings for Data Protection roles, which have seen an increase of 143%, while the number of job searches for the same have risen by 188%.
The impending implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR] law in Europe has stimulated Indian companies to fortify their databases, leading to an upswing in the search for cyber security and privacy professionals. Further, the unprecedented increase in the number of cyber-crimes in the country has also created a number of job opportunities for data protection and cyber security professionals. According to the Cybersecurity Jobs Report 2018~2021, cyber-crime will more than triple the number of job openings over the next five years [Source].
Given the Information Technology boom in Bengaluru, the city accounts for 36% of all cyber security related jobs in the country; leading by a considerable margin over Mumbai [17%], the NCR region [12%], Pune [9%] and Hyderabad [8%], which make up the top five destinations for work opportunities in the sector in India.
Sashi Kumar, Managing Director, Indeed India, said
Globally, the increasing number of cyber crimes has made it imperative for companies to keep pace in hiring the right talent to combat them. Therefore, companies across the world are gearing up to ensure compliance to General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR] and ePrivacy requirements. While the larger technology giants are more or less equipped to comply, it is the mid-size and smaller firms that are seeking professionals to help them cope with the requirements the new laws entail.
Indeed data also highlights a high level of interest in the field among the age group of 26~30 year olds. Interestingly people between the age group of 41-~45 year olds also show high levels of interest in these profiles, as compared to those between 31~35 years old. This indicates that young technology talent as well as those with some experience in the industry are seeking opportunities in the cyber security space.
Despite cyber security jobs having zero percent unemployment, there is a huge dearth of skilled professionals, who can understand the complexities of today’s interconnected world. Cyber security breaches and intricacies have touched all industries and sectors. Hence, it is vital for all organizations to increase their security systems and processes.
About Indeed
More people find jobs on Indeed than anywhere else. Indeed is the #1 job site in the world and allows job seekers to search millions of jobs on the web or mobile in over 60 countries and 28 languages. More than 200 million people each month search for jobs, post resumes, and research companies on Indeed, and Indeed is the #1 source of external hires for thousands of companies [Sources: SilkRoad & iCIMS].
It feels as if we are in a new era, as if there will be a before and an after with smartphones; perhaps it’s too great a comparison, but maybe it’s not dissimilar to the industrial revolution. Already, within the space of a few years, it is ingrained in our lives, changing the way we interact, work and spend our time. Social media came earlier, but with smartphones it has rapidly impacted our lifestyle – the way that younger generations are growing up will probably never be the same again.
There are certainly pros and cons, and as we begin to understand the potential pitfalls of this revolution, one wonders how Mark Zuckerberg will be seen by future generations. But while we are just beginning to understand the ramifications, we are still working out ways in which we use the new technology. Thousands of years on we are still tinkering with the wheel, finding new designs and new things to put it on, while smartphone technology is developing faster than we can find ways to use it. Not only are there new questions, but we have the opportunity to re-examine old problems. It follows that we would do the same with the health sector.
Hypertension, or as it is more commonly known as high blood pressure, is by all accounts the biggest affliction facing the world at the moment- thus it makes sense it would be the first question we try to address. Hypertension may seem like a relatively innocuous ‘condition’, but surprisingly it is the number one risk factor for death around the world and affects over 10 million people around the world. High blood pressure significantly increases the risk of stroke and heart attacks – one of the biggest killers in the world. Despite this, reportedly only half of the hypertensive population are aware they have it.
The International Society of Hypertension [ISH] believes that millions of lives could be saved if people were to simply get their blood pressure tested and then could take steps to manage their blood pressure appropriately. Indeed, in India, the rate of hypertension is estimated to be around 1 in 3 adults, as per Dr. Ramakanta Panda, MD of the Asia Heart Institute. These somewhat scary statistics led the ISH to launch the incredibly successful May Measurement Month campaign, which aims at publicizing the issue and getting people to get their blood screened.
You might be wondering what smartphones have to do with this? Well, they are helping people to stay healthier for longer. The MyTherapy app for example, allows you to track your blood pressure [or any other measurement/symptom] over a long period of time and puts it into easy to read graphs, so people can get a comprehensive, fact-based summary of how their health is. If someone with hypertension, for example, is able to see their blood pressure rising or a change coinciding with other symptoms, they can address the issue sooner, before the situation worsens. The app even allows you to share the information with healthcare professionals, allowing them to diagnose the issue quicker.
Originally launched in 2013 in Germany, the free app is chiefly a medication reminder app, but has expanded to include other functions like the measurements section or the sharing option which is available for family and friends too, for extra support. Taking into account that adherence for chronic diseases is only around 50% [WHO], it obviously represents a potential area of major improvement. Tested and proven to better adherence, millions of lives and billions of pounds, dollars and rupees could be saved if people were able to take their medication consistently and correctly.
The ‘new era’, as referred to earlier, brings with it more uncertainty than anything else. We are yet to properly explore and find out what it means for us in general. But it does present us with many opportunities, like the MyTherapy app and the MMM campaign. The infographic below sheds some light on the importance of knowing your health well.
The MyTherapy app is available for Android as well as iOS and can be downloaded from here & here.
Bengaluru-based Embassy Group has embarked on a new smart lifestyle project with the launch of Embassy Edge, an integral part of Embassy Springs – the city’s biggest and best-planned, self-sustained community. With this, Embassy Group has entered into a new housing segment after making its mark in the luxury category of properties. These smart homes will be Alexa-enabled and come preinstalled with an Amazon Echo device.
Strategically located 9 kms from the Bengaluru International Airport, this newly launched project comprises of 1 BHK, 2 BHK, 2.5 BHK and 3 BHK apartments that range from 607 sq ft. to 1406 sq ft. with price range starting from Rs. 36 Lakhs onwards. Each unit is functionally planned with well-designed layouts that ensure the optimum usage of space and an uninterrupted view of the landscaped gardens. Embassy Edge is targeted towards the first-time home-buyers. Spread across 36 acres, the Phase 1 of Embassy Edge will offer home-buyers 800+ apartments spread across 5 towers in 12 acres.
Futuristic homes
This new launch will be a landmark project that will not only mark the Embassy Group’s foray into a new housing segment, but it will also bring cutting-edge technology to all its homes using Amazon Echo devices. Echo devices are smart speakers powered by the Alexa Voice Service, which can turn living spaces into voice-enabled smart homes. Embassy Edge residents will be able to control smart home appliances, play music, and even order products from Amazon.in by just speaking to Alexa.
Besides the at-home command capabilities, the Alexa voice service can also be accessed via smartphones, making it a perfect control and command centre, even when residents are away. The combination of Amazon Echo and Alexa will enable limitless social integration possibilities for the residents of Embassy Edge. Residents will be able to experience the future of community living where homeowners can interact with each other, set up society meetings in the community, monitor movements, book cabs, order food and buy groceries – using just? th?eir voice. Additionally, Amazon Echo devices can also enable residents to have greener lifestyle by automating their homes to optimize the energy consumption.
Mr. Jitu Virwani, Chairman and Managing Director, Embassy Group, Ms. Reeza Sebastian, Senior Vice-President – Residential Business, Embassy Group and Mr. Puneesh Kumar, Country Manager for Alexa Experience & Devices, Amazon India
Commenting on the group’s entry into the mid-level segment, Jitu Virwani, Chairman and Managing Director, Embassy Group said
Following our success with luxury homes, we were keen to make our brand accessible to everyone. True to its name, Embassy Edge provides the much-needed smart home automation to the well-informed, modern home-buyers. Being the first in real estate to bring this integration of voice-enabled homes in India, we believe that this will revolutionize the residential sector. We will be replicating this concept in our other residential projects across micro markets. We are very happy to provide Amazon Echo experience to residents and better our offerings here at Embassy.
Puneesh Kumar, Country Manager for Alexa Experience & Devices, Amazon India, said
Walking around the home and giving voice commands to control smart home appliances or getting information may seem straight out of a sci-fi movie. That’s where Alexa comes in and makes it extremely easy to automate your home using your voice. We are delighted to see Embassy Group’s initiative to offer Alexa-enabled smart homes to customers.
Customers can experience the magic of Alexa-enabled smartphones at Embassy Springs by walking-in or scheduling an appointment.
Integrated Township – Living in a City within a City
Embassy Edge is an integral part of the 288-acre Embassy Springs, the biggest and the best planned city, in the investment hotbed of North Bengaluru. The Integrated Township property offers 188 acres of plots, 36 acres of apartments, 22 acres of villas and row houses; 20 acres of community facilities like a club and school, 34 acres of commercial and retail space. This Integrated Township is like a mini city within a city providing various amenities within a short radius.
Embassy Springs with its strategic and well planned Integrated Townships offers a sense of oneness and community living that is very essential today. It is a home for like-minded people to invest in homes close to one another so that their social circuit is complete. This will result in a cohesive living experience and better emotional health, which are essential for the present-day lifestyle.
Ms. Reeza Sebastian, Senior Vice-President – Residential Business, Embassy Group said
We are delighted to launch the much-awaited Embassy Edge apartments, which is a part of our large Integrated Township, Embassy Springs. With its futuristic features, strategic location in North Bangalore, large expansive space within a community makes Embassy Edge a sound investment opportunity for the aspirational home buyers and millennials who view technology as an enhancement to daily life. We are offering an experience of our Embassy Edge voice enabled homes, with a walk through of our model apartment on site. It is encouraging to see the already increasing interest received for these future ready homes.
