Alibaba to Power up and Centralize Its Cloud Business: Prominence

Cloud business is being dominated by established giants that include Microsoft and Amazon. To head up shoulder-to-shoulder on a business note, Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba had recently mentioned that they have plans to make their business totally powered by cloud. Also, he is of the point of view that cloud computing would be taken up as the main business for the company in the future. Alibaba is seeing a huge growth with regards to its cloud computing business over the last few quarters which is also attributed towards its international business expansion.

The cloud business of the Chinese e-commerce giant has been expanding at a significant pace and also saw a revenue growth of over $800 million in the quarter ended on Septembver30, a 90% Y-O-Y growth. Cloud accounted for nearly 7% of the total revenues in quarter versus 5% in the same timeframe year before, focusing on indicating how their business is concentrated but still holds considerably more share.

Expansion Strategy of Alibaba

Alibaba has already firmed up on expanding its cloud business across new territories but outside China, which was more than two years ago. The company has opened up new data centers in Europe and Asia along with others. Recently, the company opened up a novel data center in U.K., which is country where Amazon, Alibaba’s rival holds a strong presence. Alibaba is taking up cloud computing in a way that it would help in diversifying their business beyond retail. With the launch of “New Retail” by Alibaba, the company is gearing up to combine its entire online properties with the brick-and-mortar supplies. This also includes the company’s food delivery and logistics network.

CSS Insights’ senior vice president, Martin Garner had mentioned that Alibaba has been making heavy investments at a significant rate for developing its cloud services. The company has firmed up itself in a way that it is considered as one amongst the hyperscale cloud players of the world, making it up for neck-to-neck competition with Google, Microsoft and Amazon. Alibaba is trying to expand its global footprint with innovations and advancements in its portfolio of cloud services, at a notable pace. Also, the company is experiencing a strong push in the field of IoT (Internet of Things). In the long run, the company will also design on its new AI (artificial intelligence) chips.

Cloud-based services are seen as being pervasive for some associations because of which, in today’s modern world, it is hard to envision using applications as well as innovation foundation workings without the cloud. Business world in the long run will be seen significantly increasing the adoption of cloud computing as it helps in enhancing efficiency, improves cash flow and also offers various other benefits such as flexibility, disaster recovery, automatic software update, capital-expenditure free, increased collaboration, work from anywhere, document control, security, competitiveness and most of all, is environment friendly.

Leadless Pacemakers: Help reduce complexities in arrhythmia patients

Pacemaker, an undoubtedly savior for patients suffering from arrhythmia, which is a disorder that causes irregularity in the heart beats. Pacemakers, therefore, help patients to cope up with irregular heartbeats. It is also seen evolving with the enhancement of technology in the healthcare sector. This electrically-charged device regulated the electric system of the body to control the rhythm of the heart. Its unique capabilities of recording the heartbeat help doctors know and understand the condition of the patient better.

Pacemakers are implanted under the skin by the surgeons with wires stretching from the shoulder veins and attached to the heart. Various patients have faced complications due to these wires and the surgical implantations according to the previous study.

Changing technology helps develop a better device

An addition to the family of this clinical medical device are the leadless pacemakers. They are small and require no wires. They are directly placed into the heart. A recent study said that patients found leadless pacemakers better than the conventional pacemakers resulting in overall reduction in the complications faced by patients traditionally. The fusion of technology with medical expertise has resulted in providing better clinical care to the patients in the form of leadless pacemakers. This small, self-contained medical wonder could reduce the complexities of managing arrhythmia.

With technology taking over the traditional methods of medical treatments, pacemakers are also expected to evolve with time. Pacemaking technology with a dynamic approach could be seen implemented for the forthcoming artificial hearts. Various technological advents could support this technology to improve the way arrhythmia would be taken care of. Technology has been allowing enhancements to manage and monitor pacemakers after their implantation inside the body. Pacemakers like microprocessor pacemakers, dual-chamber pacemakers may also witness developments with the changing need and requirements of the new-aged patients.

Researchers are constantly trying to improve the way pacemakers are developed to ensure that they could perform better and help patients as well as the doctors. Pacemaking technology is strategically developing with newer discoveries that is changing the healthcare sector with better ways of diagnosis and treatment.

Leadless pacemakers may not be more effective than the traditional pacemakers but considerably reduce the complications of the patients implanted with them. Researchers are working on addressing the complications with a greater insight in technology. Leadless pacemakers would not completely outgrow the conventional ones but definitely mark the beginning of a transformation for the betterment of the arrhythmia treatment.

Tech Trends Reshape the Banking Industry; Innovations Dictate the Future of Banking Operations

Started off with the concept of taking care of finances of people and handle their cash, the banking industry has grown to new heights. The banking industry is valued for giving credits to let people have the opportunities to start new businesses, introduce new innovations in the form of start-ups. Hence, banking sectors are always on the verge of innovating and adapting newer ideas to improve customer experience.

In order to improve how they serve customers, the banking sector is seen adapting to various transformations in technology. This helps them give best-in-class experience to their customers. Banks are getting more tech-savvy which lets them communicate and interact with the customers more easily. There are various technological trends that are taking the banking sector to another level with their convenience, easy deployment and quick approach.

Artificial Intelligence to carve innovations in banking

Similar to other industries, artificial intelligence has played an important role in transforming the financial and banking sectors. The growing need for smart solutions and convenient handling has given rise to this innovation. The growth in the banking sector has also given rise to the amount of data that needs to be managed.
Endless customer query phone conversations, emails, articles and important documents are to be managed on a daily basis. Dealing with such a cluster of data is no simple task, which is where artificial intelligence comes to rescue. Private cloud-based machine learning systems help analyze and manage the data much easily and helping them reduce cost and save time.

Smart payment cards change the way you pay

With banking taking an all new turn, there is a smarter approach to handling money. Powered by fingerprint sensor technology, the new smart cards are sure to revolutionize the way people pay. The Chinese payment network is all set to witness the arrival of dual-interface biometric cards that can be applied for identification access control and faster payments. This card brings the ‘tap to pay’ concept to life along with an added security for their customers.

Mobile: Your digital bank

With compact and portable technologies advancing in the new digital era, there is no doubt about mobiles becoming the new digital banks for customers. The convenience of enjoying banking functionalities all in your palm is quickening the entire banking process for the customers. Mobile banking lets customers carry out basic functionalities within minutes without the need to visit the bank. All thanks to the technologically driven approach adopted by banks today.

With the deployment of these trends in the real world, the banking industry is sure to reach new horizons.

Why Customer Service Matters While Meeting Your Business’s Bottom Line?

When it comes to customer service, the key to every successful business is the proverb – ‘Treat them mean, keep them keen’. For growing and establishing the business’s bottom line, a high-quality customer service is vital, as it drives profits and allows businesses to compete against rivals with more funding and resources in their pocket. The reasons on why customer service matters are listed below.

You’re Evoked

When the customer service you provided, reaches at the end, your standing and customer interaction lives on whether you like it or not. But due to human nature, customers tend to remember their poor customer service experiences more than their positive ones, as it is hard to shift a negative image. According to a study, 12 positive experiences are necessary to requite for one unsolved negative one, hence you need to get it often and right.

A Testimonial of Business

Your entire business is reflected by the customer service you provide. Your customer service whether good or bad is related to your product or service and is assumed rightly or wrongly by the people. A same attitude should be adopted as a business owner by devoting time and money to your support team just as you give it to your products or sales.

Showing Care

It is significant to treat your customers with genuine courtesy and respect as they like if you show some care towards them. By doing this they will be far more likely to invest their faith in your business. For customer service it will not be difficult for you to solicit some genuine appreciation for them.

A Lucrative Marketing Strategy

As word-of-mouth is the divine strategy for marketing in customer service, doing more than the most marketing experts, your customers speak favorably and widely about your business. It is a brilliant trend to start as advertising your business’s customer satisfaction standards is an excellent technique. By using customer testimonials and happiness ratings it will help you to show superior in customer service.

Substitutions are Always Available

The most risky strategy is undervaluing customer service because in this world of competition there is always a competitor who is doing the opposite. According to a survey, it was found that approximately 78% of consumers have backed out of a transaction because of sub-par customer service.

Unswervingly Striking Retention

As retention matters, attracting new customers is a difficult task while keeping hold of current customers costs considerably less. Unless you prioritize customer success, the worth won’t pan out from loyal customers. It is significant to consider the costs such as time money and many more of onboarding new clients, if you are a service based operation.

Impacting the Conversion Rates

It is not only important to drive traffic, but it is also important to generate this traffic into leads and ultimately sales. Eased along with customer service, adapting someone from consideration to commitment is a careful balancing act.

Extensive Real Estate Strategies for Medical Device Companies

All signs point to growth in the year ahead for the medical device companies. More medical device companies are turning to a new source of hidden value to give them an advantage of real estate, as competitive and pricing pressure is intensifying. To extract more value from real estate investments, we anticipate that leading medical device companies will increasingly examine their real estate portfolios with these three perspectives in mind listed below.

Improving Operational Efficiencies Is Imperative

Medical device companies are seeking ways to achieve efficiencies and gain access to new markets and innovations. Some medical device companies are recognizing that the real estate portfolio of the combined company should be a major priority with regard to value creation. Evaluating the real estate portfolio to identify the right places for consolidation must be done with care. Operational costs are only one of numerous factors to weigh.

A big concern for medical device companies right now is optimizing the inventory they have in the field and being able to move it around the country with ease to get as much product turned as possible with as little inventory in the field as possible. The surgical trays are expensive and can be costly to ship, so finding ways to transfer product or restock quickly without incurring significant shipping costs is an increasingly important factor in real estate decisions.

Medical device companies are using the strategy of outsourcing facility management, to become more agile and realize greater efficiencies from their real estate. But the practice of facility management operations is becoming increasingly common as medical device companies are becoming laser-focused on innovation. With deep experience in managing sensitive and complex production, today, several medical device companies are turning to seasoned facility management providers with complex production and R&D environments, as well as office workplaces.

Attracting Talent for Future Growth

There is a high demand in medical device companies for talent pool, which includes researchers, data scientists and engineers. To find them, they are setting up shop near the source. The medical device companies aren’t settling on one location, either. They are placing their bets across multiple markets. Big names are investing in small R&D labs inside several major markets while keeping other employees at less expensive properties. Being in the center of the action can have a significant influence not only on talent and innovation, but also on customer relationships.

Getting More Customer-centric

Real estate strategies are getting a fresh look because medical device companies are pushing to make their business models and innovations more customer-centric. In the race to get to market, being physically close to the customer can make a big difference. Last year in November, Johnson and Johnson’s Medical Device Companies (JJMDC) opened a Center for Device Innovation at Texas Medical Center in Houston. It facilitates collaboration between the JJMDC and a leading medical center. The Center for Device Innovation gives the medical center access to emerging medical technologies and gives JJMDC a place to rapidly prototype and test new developments.

The key for maximizing real estate investments is the tight alignment between the real estate strategy and corporate goals. A well-planned future strategy provides a strong foundation upon which your business can scale appropriately, build a strong customer base and secure the best talent.

IoT Changing the Face of Mobile App Development Realm

It is for the first time that controlling from a central device, individuals and companies can create an interconnected ecosystem of devices. Internet of Things (IoT) is spanning a variety of devices ranging from the wearables and fitness devices to household goods and utilities. Each having their own mobile app development ecosystems, large tech companies such as Apple, Google, and

Amazon serves as a base for third-party developer integration. In order to allow for their system to be used by a large number of people, the mobile app developer is then free to choose an ecosystem to integrate their hardware with or support all ecosystems in mobile app development.

Integrated Services

In mobile app development, the ecosystems in the large companies are based on prebuilt APIs, which allows the developer to integrate with the main central device and this has affected mobile app development. It has shifted the focus of developers from the need to focus on the features developed in an independent mobile app development to utilizing a service to integrate well with a voice assistant or central smart home application. As Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri have already gained popularity, for both control and effective access, the development of hardware like light fixtures and thermostats must be designed with voice assistant integration in mind.

Unified Ecosystem of Devices

In mobile app development industry, a number of appliance companies have already started to create smart appliances that connect to a central app and voice assistant. It provides a unified experience if each of these devices is able to connect with other devices in the mobile app development ecosystem. Many refrigerators have begun to ship with touch panels integrated on the doors. This can enable functionality of being able to display reminders and notes from a phone, display a recipe that you want to bake, or connect to your phone and, through built-in cameras, can show a live view of what’s inside for when a user is at the grocery store. That same company could design an oven that connects with the refrigerator via an internet connection. This will allow the user to maintain full control of the kitchen without being near the oven or fridge by communicating with a mobile device.

Connecting the Virtual World with the Physical

The integration between the software and hardware is an additional way IoT is changing the mobile app development landscape. Wearables and microcontrollers can be programmed and controlled through an application. Similar to what smartphones and tablets allow, the smartwatch industry also allows for third-party mobile app development. The user interface and application designs must be significantly different from applications developed for the phone or tablet due to the size of their displays and their location on the wrist.

The IoT technology is already changing the mobile app development strategy. IoT has made an integrated mobile app development ecosystem to control the devices around a user with third-party apps already serving as extensions to already existing frameworks. As the IoT market is young, there is still quite a lot of innovation yet to come.

Electric Vehicles – Driving Vehicle Businesses to Success Horizons

The growing environmental concern and the awareness towards a sustainable ecosystem have given rise to various innovations in favor of a promising and healthy environment. This has resulted in the revolutionary shift of interest from traditional petrol and diesel powered vehicles to electric and hybrid vehicles ensuring a sustainable future. Electric vehicles are being produced in an increasing fashion to promote the idea of environmentally friendly transport and spread the awareness of the need to take care of the ecosystem making it more energy efficient.

Tesla to grow its electric vehicle market

Specializing in electric vehicles, Tesla is all set to grow its market in order to promote and encourage use of electric vehicles. Along with China, Tesla also plans to grow their business with a manufacturing unit in Europe too. Advancing towards an energy efficient sustainable world, Tesla is constantly working towards building affordable and easily accessible vehicles for their customers. Their vision to develop clean energy-driven vehicles and sustainable transport has brought them this far and will soon drive them even further.

Tesla being one the biggest players in the electric vehicle market redefines how electric vehicles will soon take over the rest in the market.

This smart city in New York is ready to set an example

The Schenectady city of New York is working on the initiative of ‘Electric Vehicle Destination’ of driving electric vehicle growth in the city. They are also working on the idea of expanding the use of electric vehicles in the city, for which they plan to replace old traditional vehicles with plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.

Their efforts allow us to foresee the future of the vehicle businesses as they look forward to spreading awareness of the importance of using electric vehicles for transport in order to create an energy efficient environment in the city.

Future of transport

The increasing use of electric vehicles will mark the future of transport. The evolving smart cities and smart initiatives towards a promising future of transport are altogether linked with energy-efficient hybrid vehicles. Businesses are transforming globally in order to prepare for the depletion of petrol and diesel to ultimately shift the transport on energy-efficient vehicles. This approach will result in reducing production of gasoline vehicles and eventually decline it, marking the beginning of an era of smart transport. Having said that, there can be possible innovations in hybrid vehicles too.

With renewable energy being used to recharge electric vehicles and the incredible zero exhaust emission, electric vehicles will change how we commute. Electric vehicles, therefore, would result in driving the future of vehicle businesses around the globe.

Can Traditional Farming Get a Facelift with Robotic Technology?

Robotics is one of the many intelligent branches of engineering and science that outgrows the traditional machines which have the capabilities of duplicating actions of humans or simply substituting them in certain tasks. With the advancement of technology, robotics is growing rapidly with its successful application in domestic, commercial and military sectors. This potential technology has been utilized in various fields and with prolonged research being carried out, robotics will reach greater heights in the years to come.

One of the most important discoveries in the field of robotics would be the application of robotics in agricultural sector. With the introduction of robots for carrying out complex farming activities could help farmers work efficiently.

Farm robots provide greater efficiency

A recent trends stated the development of farm robots that were designed to work under the covering of the crop. These robots are designed in such a manner that they could research on the condition of the crops. Other uses could be weed control, efficient production and harvesting. They are also planning to develop universal climate-friendly robotic innovations.

With the enhancement in technology, the horizon of innovation keep rising and therefore, it becomes more possible to experiment with what robots could possibly do in the agricultural sector. One such promising innovation would be, the marriage of artificial intelligence and robotics to advance the ability of robots. Small robots or ‘farmbots’ could be used for precision farming and carry out tasks that could be hard to execute for farmers. These intelligent robots could be designed to predict actions that need to be taken to improve the health of the farm and the nutrition quality of crops as well as reduce labor costs.

New age developments are giving researchers the opportunities to think out of the box and develop robotic vehicles for farming, which can be used to sense the data of crops and robotic motors to perform certain activities in the farm. Robotics in agricultural sectors would give rise to automated farms that would be well equipped to perform almost all the significant functions in the farm with timely inspection by the farmers.

Robots bring accuracy, perfection, efficiency and consistency to the farms, which may not be possible by humans all at the same time. The way robots are being designed for farming, will have advancements with respect to the requirements and technical capabilities. This is why the application of robots in farms is an essential approach to revolutionize farming and welcome technological transformations for one the most important and vast sectors round the globe.

Leveraging Big Data to Improve Healthcare

The advancement of concepts like big data are not new to the world of digitization. The importance and application of data analytics to break down complex tasks has been the researcher’s prime goal. It is no surprise that big data has now rooted its presence even in the healthcare sector. With the growing complexities, healthcare has evolved in terms of the facilities provided to the patients as well as the various possibilities of improving intensive care.

With the growing need to be able to ensure quicker treatments and enhanced therapies to heal patients, various steps are being taken. With the implementation of predictive analytics, complex data processing of biomedical data can simplify the process of treating patients.

What the data scientists and clinicians have to say?

Modern day data scientist and clinicians talk about the importance of big data in health and intensive care. Next-generation big data -enabled electronic systems that record medical data in ICUs and the entire hospital help the clinicians on proving better patient care and also assist in decision making for their treatment. These systems allow development of machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms that simplify tasks for medical professionals.

Countries such as Australia and Singapore have adapted to this advancement by implementing use of such clinical big data systems in their intensive care units. Health care units are now more advanced and developed with the installation of these data systems.

Big data for cancer care

Doctors have always wished for an intelligent data-system that could integrate the patient data and help comprehend predictive decision making to treat the cancer patients. Recent trends saw the grant received by University of Cambridge for addressing this problem. Their aim is to implement the concepts of machine learning and artificial intelligence into a system that would be capable of transforming the insights received from cancer patient data into approaches that help in clinical decision making. This revolutionary idea would simplify the process of treatment with the help of predictive analytics, help doctors to solve complex cases in the future by studying each patient thoroughly with the help of iterative analysis and enhance healthcare.

How big data can cater to ICU complexities?

The intensive care units are responsible for providing accurate, timely, precise and specialized treatments to the patients suffering from life threatening illnesses. However, doctors are often entangled in the complex strings of biomedical data that is generated by the equipment.  Therefore, with the rightly implementation of big data analytics, achieving an integrated setup of the entire data in a comprehensive manner will add into the accuracy and efficiency of medical procedures.

By combining the intelligence of medical expertise and efficiency and the big data analytics technology, medical professionals can achieve considerable improved outcomes that could help provide better treatments for patients.

Accelerating Cash Movements from Clients through ‘Invoice Discounting’

Invoice Discounting, to simplify, is a practice of using company’s due accounts received as collateral for loan purpose. We can consider this unpaid amount to be distributed by a finance company. This mode known as invoice discounting is a very short-term approach of borrowing because the finance company can change the value of debt unsettled. The debt amount given by the finance company is low than the amount of outstanding receivables.

Invoice discounting is a method which essentially speeds up cash movement from clients and there is no need to wait for the clients, to pay within their credit terms. The cash is obtained instantly when the invoice is issued. Due to credit crisis, invoice discounting is a main source of working capital finance as the limit of bank financing. Relying on the invoice security from the debtor, invoice finance is more attractive to a bank. As invoice discounting allow businesses to recover cash flow, recompense employees and suppliers, plus reinvest in processes, we can also refer invoice discounting as an approach for business to borrow money based on sums.

So What’s the Difference between Invoice Discounting and Invoice Factoring?

The financial facilities, Invoice Discounting and Invoice Factoring has the capability to release the capitals in your unpaid invoices. Invoice discounting is taken into account by larger and more reputable firms and on the other hand, small businesses and small firms apply invoice factoring.

With Invoice Factoring, supposing the responsibility of managing the sales ledger, other responsibilities of the provider are credit control as well as chasing customers for their invoices settlement.

With using Invoice Discounting, your business holds control of its personal sales ledger and a normal payment method is followed.

Another difference between invoice discounting and invoice factoring is in the range of confidentiality. Through factoring, the invoices of the customers are directly resolved by the Factoring Company. While through Invoice Discounting, customers still identify that a third party is engaged in this.

Is Invoice Discounting Superior?

Choosing the appropriate method whether to go for Invoice Factoring or an Invoice Discounting totally depends upon the business size and also on your sales ledger management capitals.

The benefit of invoice discounting is that it licenses a financer to run business without funds, which is no different procedure than bank overdraft. In invoice discounting, the interest amount is paid by the debtor only on the sum of money used. As there is a tough competition prevailing in the market to range such credit, therefore, there are numerous different products to fulfill the requirements of the client. If you want your own business to contract with debt, then also invoice discounting can be used.

  • The service managed is confidential and you remain in interaction with your customers with them unaware of the capital agreement.
  • A large number of human resources are succeeded by Invoice Discounting.