GUEST TALK

SANDEEP MUKHERJEE

Director Fluent Commerce India

PROFILE Dynamic Business leader with 26+ years of experience and proven track record in IT industry, Sandeep has demonstrated his strong capabilities in driving Product & Service Lines Business Strategy and Sales (SaaS, Cloud and On Premise) as well as Sales & Consulting for Digital Transformation (CxM, InforEx & OPEX) solutions across industry segments including Retail & CPG, Public Sector, Automotive, Travel & Hospitality, Tele-Communication, Life Science & Healthcare, ERU and BFSI. Apart from expertise in LoB P&L management, encompassing Goal, Strategy, Operations & Sustained Growth, he has proficiency in driving Global SI Partnership Management to achieve substantial YoY growth around Influential, Non-Linear and Re-Sell Revenue model.

HOW SAAS CAN TACKLE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES

As businesses are busy outsourcing various functions to the cloud, SaaS, or software as a service, has emerged as a game-changer in the logistics and supply chain management industries

SaaS, or software as a service, has recently been a game-changer in the logistics and supply chain management industries. Because of recent technological advancements, businesses can now outsource various functions to the cloud, opening up new possibilities for how these functions can be used. This shift is especially noticeable in the fashion business, where supply chains have many moving pieces and the potential for errors is far larger.

In today's world of global, interconnected organizations, SaaS has proven essential in streamlining firms and enabling transparent supply chains, which are more crucial than ever. This creates a challenge for companies with global supply chains because most companies employ suppliers and contractors all over the world – and sell their products in a variety of nations. It's no surprise that providing SaaS to support these emerging global supply chains has shown to be a lucrative business opportunity.

According to Allied Market Research, the global SaaS-based supply chain market earned $7.3 billion in 2020 and is predicted to reach $26.0 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 13.4% between 2021 and 2030.

The SaaS model makes it possible to reap the benefits of automated order management. Integration of end-to-end automation with pre-existing processes is made possible by SaaS, which covers the entire document lifecycle from initial capture and storage to workflow, maintenance, and retrieval. Instead of hosting an order management automation system in-house or outsourcing a revenuegenerating activity, a SaaS approach automates sales order processing without the risks of outsourcing, increased IT complexity, or associated expenses, allowing businesses to save funds better.

Driving technology adoption in the industry with MACH Alliance

Modern technology has progressed rapidly, paving the way for business operations. Fluent Commerce, which is an OMS company, has taken the MACH Alliance way to enable businesses to take advantage of the most innovative and adaptable enterprise technologies and accelerate the workflow. MACH stands for Microservices based, API-first, Cloudnative SaaS, and Headless, which facilitates businesses in adopting seamless interactions.

MACH is an industry-standard that governs modern technologies. It is a non-profit industry organization that promotes innovative, high-quality technology ecosystems. The objective of the Alliance is to future-proof enterprise technology and enrich present and future digital experiences with open and connected enterprise technology.

Fluent Commerce is one of the founding members of the MACH Alliance and has undertaken this endeavor to increase global awareness of MACH technology. The company’s MACH Certification provides businesses with the assurance that they are selecting best-in-class providers capable of delivering future-proof technology. When the MACH Alliance certifies a platform, it means that the platform is not only cloud-ready but also cloud burn. A SaaS platform with MACH certification assists organizations in improving their product cycle times, reducing order fulfillment issues and implementing better inventory management strategies.

How does SaaS help Supply Chain Management?

SaaS products are far more accessible, allowing professionals at all levels of the supply chain to access vital data from a broader range of locations and devices. Whereas more traditional systems would have required expensive, specialized hardware for remote access, can access SaaS apps via almost any connected device.

It is also more cost-effective and stable over time. Storing data on the cloud eliminates the need for onsite infrastructure, as well as the security and upkeep that comes with it. Software and technology advance quickly these days, with new programs appearing to be obsolete in the time it takes to install them. With SaaS, your program receives continuous support and upgrades, allowing it to adapt to changing technology as it develops.

The benefits of SaaS solutions in Supply Chain are described below.

● Innovative Tech-driven Approach

MANIFOLD BLESSINGS OF SAAS

There are multiple tech solutions around the globe, offering cloud based SaaS software for you to access everything from anywhere instantly, from handling returns to accessing inventory snapshots to reviewing monthly order volume and more. ● Enhanced Workflow Logistics SaaS can assist you in improving your organization's workflow. For example, you can quickly automate repetitive processes like paperwork or documentation. This allows your employees to concentrate on more vital tasks that necessitate human interaction. ● Improved Data Handling Because SaaS solutions are cloud-based, they make it simple to collect, store, use, analyze, and safeguard data. Forecasting features can also be used to reduce inventory losses, ensure proper deliveries, and eliminate last-minute situations.

In addition, there is no physical storage medium for the data. You save money because infrastructure installation and management costs are eliminated. ● Strengthened Data Analysis Previously, data was simply collected and maintained, as in the case of commercial airlines, which keep client information and flight information. However, organizations have gradually realized the value of data analytics. As a result, organizations use data in novel ways to make informed decisions.

Logistics SaaS solutions can help with this. With a dependable SaaS solution in place, you are able to analyze multiple processes and identify and resolve issues as they arise. ● Increased Transparency in the Supply

Chain

Companies must have real-time visibility into various logistics processes and data in order to maintain operations under control. And a solid logistics SaaS solution can assist you in accomplishing this. You can keep a close eye on all procedures and deal with problems as they arise. ● Financial Benefits Companies using an on-premises software solution must invest in licenses, pay for server management, bear per-device costs, and deploy the program across a variety of devices. This equates to a considerable sum of money.

All of this adds to overall efficiency gains, mostly through improved communication between departments and partners, and strengthens your brand and supply chain for the future.

LEXAR’S BATON IN COMPUAGE’S HANDS

With its strong channel presence, Compuage is expected to help expand Lexar’s Pan India reach to cater to the growing demand for storage and memory products

BY SANJAY MOHAPATRA

sanjay@smechannels.com

Lexar has appointed Compuage Infocom as its official Indian distributor. Lexar, which has ranked third among the best global brands for flash memory products, is a leading brand for products with high speed and better durability. Compuage Infocom, with its strong channel presence, is expected to help Lexar expand its Pan India reach to cater to the growing demand for storage and memory products in the country.

Leveraging Compuage’s Channel Presence

A leading value-added distributor that serves system integrators, brand stores, enterprises, retailers, and others, Compuage boasts of a diverse portfolio of IT solutions and customized services across a wide range of technology verticals. The company creates enterprise advancement opportunities for its channel partners through aggressive market development and continuous innovation. Compuage’s deep experience in IT distribution and pan India reach will help Lexar expand its market reach across the country. “The memory solutions market in India is seeing a boom and it is imperative for us to bring just the right set of distributors on board, who are well connected and can help Lexar expand its presence in the Indian market. Compuage Infocom has been one of the leading distributors in the market and we are happy to work with them,” says Darren Lin, Head of APAC, Lexar Co., Limited.

“We at Lexar aims at fulfilling the need and the demands of our customers. By collaborating with Compuage Infocom Ltd. we believe that we will be able to expand our area of distribution to a much wider range. Fluent speed and longer durability are what any tech enthusiast strives for, therefore at Lexar, it is our prime goal to produce the best and we are obliged that with the association of Compuage Infocom now the products will be easily available for every user out there,” Gaurav Mathur, Director of Lexar Co., Limited.

Prime Focus on Storage & Memory Products

Atul H Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of Compuage Infocom Ltd., said, “We are excited to start working with Lexar and help them meet their business objectives, and our top priority is to provide the best experience by working as a family, with the goal of increasing the market share for the accomplishment of the company. Our prime focus will be on distributing storage and memory products.”

Super IT Distributor A leading volume technology products dis-

tributor, Compuage has been a vital link in the technology value chain, creating opportunities for vendors and resellers. The company has been striding ahead of competitors thanks to its creative marketing programs, logistical support, technical support, financial support and product aggregation and distribution.

Starting on in 1980s, Compuage has gone on to become one of India’s top super IT distributors. Addressing both enterprise as well as consumer segments, the company has clocked an impressive Rs 4,500 Crore in revenues in the year 2018-19. The company is one among a handful of IT distributors that boasts such a huge channel presence across the country.

Channel Centricity

“We’ve always worked with our channel partners, helping them with the best solutions for their customers,” says Mehta.

The company provides value-added services including technical assistance, marketing support, warehousing and credit financing to the entire channel-customer ecosystem. It has made significant investments in partner training programs too. It always keeps OEMs updated on its policy of deep channel engagement.

DARREN LIN

HEAD OF APAC LEXAR CO., LIMITED

“THE MEMORY

SOLUTIONS MARKET IN INDIA IS SEEING A BOOM AND IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR US TO BRING JUST

THE RIGHT SET OF DISTRIBUTORS ON BOARD.”

ATUL H MEHTA

CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, COMPUAGE INFOCOM LTD.

“WE ARE EXCITED TO

START WORKING WITH LEXAR AND HELP THEM MEET THEIR BUSINESS OBJECTIVES, AND OUR

PRIME FOCUS WILL BE ON DISTRIBUTING STORAGE AND MEMORY PRODUCTS.”

REMUS LIM

VICE PRESIDENT, ASIA PACIFIC AND JAPAN, CLOUDERA

“THROUGH THE TECH DATA COE FACILITY AND OUR

COLLABORATION WITH A BROADER NETWORK OF PARTNERS, BUSINESS PARTNERS WILL BE EMPOWERED WITH CLOUDERA’S SKILLS,PRE-

BUILT END-TO-END SOLUTION ASSETS, POCS AND DEMOS.”

TECH DATA EXPANDS PARTNERSHIP WITH CLOUDERA TO APJ

The partnership supports Tech Data’s strategy of driving hybrid cloud motion, stressing upon the capabilities of the hybrid data platform on the Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) that business partners can look forward to

BY SANJAY MOHAPATRA

sanjay@smechannels.com

Further expanding its longstanding partnership with Cloudera to the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region, Tech Data expects to further deepen collaboration between it and Cloudera. The partnership will equip business partners in the region to be Cloudera-ready with support from Tech Data’s Centre of Excellence (CoE). The partnership supports Tech Data’s strategy of driving hybrid cloud motion. This emphasises the capabilities of the hybrid data platform on the Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) that business partners can look forward to.

Bennett Wong, Vice President, Advanced Solutions for MDC & Analytics at Tech Data

Asia Pacific & Japan, said, “The enterprise cloud landscape is fast evolving where the onus is on providing customers with the highest quality of service on managing IT infrastructures and applications. This partnership will enable us to provide cloud services to clients with efficiency, remoteability, and safety.”

Tech Data’s CoE is a guided approach to enabling growth across next generation technologies. It is an end-to-end approach designed to drive growth through enablement, technology innovation, market ready solutions, and its benefits include:

Partner Enablement - Tech Data Practice Builder Methodology empowers business partners to expand their sales and pre-sales capabilities in data & analytics by leveraging Tech Data CoE’s Practice Builder enablement framework.

Solutions Factory – Tech Data CoE has the capability to design and build solutions capabilities around Cloudera’s offerings, with pre-built assets and materials that allow business partners to jump-start their data journey with Cloudera. Leveraging Tech Data allows them to explore cross-solutions capabilities in this domain.

Sales Acceleration – Tech Data’s CoE can also function as an extended pre-sales support for driving sales opportunities through POCs, demos, or solution design. This empowers business partners to rapidly expand customer reach.

“We are committed to the success of our customers and partners and believe this partnership will allow our partners to service our customers better. Through the Tech Data CoE facility and our collaboration with a broader network of partners, business partners will be empowered with Cloudera’s skills, pre-built end-to-end solution assets, POCs and demos that facilitate solution discovery and formulate the right data driven use cases for our customers. Customers can speed up their access to insights while ensuring control and security over multiple cloud environments and data centers. The wide range of offerings will cater to multiple facets of cloud infrastructure such as data centers, hyper-converged infrastructure, hybrid cloud, and DevOps. This flexibility allows them to unlock more value from their data while working towards being data-first,” said Remus Lim, Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, Cloudera.

Representing the view of end-users, SS Lim, Managing Director for PTC Systems shared “The ability to harness data provides great insights for companies, and Tech Data’s CoE for Cloudera is an excellent value-add for the customers. Through this CoE, we have a platform to conduct idealization workshops and demonstrate value creation as an outcome of Digital Transformation.”

Cloudera has just been named a 2022 Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for Cloud Database Management Systems (Cloud DBMS).

BENNETT WONG

VICE PRESIDENT, ADVANCED SOLUTIONS FOR MDC & ANALYTICS, TECH DATA ASIA PACIFIC & JAPAN

“THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH COUDERA WILL

ENABLE US TO PROVIDE CLOUD SERVICES TO CLIENTS WITH EFFICIENCY,

REMOTE-ABILITY, AND SAFETY.”

CHARLES HENDERSON

GLOBAL HEAD IBM SECURITY X-FORCE

“THE MORE BUSINESSES TRY

TO PERFECT THEIR PERIMETER INSTEAD OF INVESTING IN DETECTION AND RESPONSE, THE

MORE BREACHES CAN FUEL COST OF LIVING INCREASES.”

Data breaches has always been one of the crying issues for businesses as well as individuals. But the recent spate in cyber attacks and consequent data breaches has assumed phenomenal proportions. Whats more worrying is that data breach costs have gone head over the heals accentuating business pains.

Raising the red flag, cybersecurity whistle blower IBM Security has recently released its annual Cost of a Data Breach Report. The findings of the report have been nothing sort of an eye opener. The company reveals that costlier and higher-impact data breaches than ever before, with the global average cost of a data breach reaching an all-time high of $4.35 million for surveyed organizations.

With breach costs increasing nearly 13% over

ACCOUNTING FOR DATA BREACH COSTS

60% of breached businesses raised product prices postbreach while vast majority of critical infrastructure still lags in zero trust adoption

the last two years of the report, the findings suggest these incidents may also be contributing to rising costs of goods and services. In fact, 60% of studied organizations raised their product or services prices due to the breach, when the cost of goods is already soaring worldwide amid inflation and supply chain issues.

Leading from the Front

Offering one of the most advanced and integrated portfolios of enterprise security products and services, IBM Security has been at the forefront in the fight against cyber attacks. The company’s vast portfolio, supported by the proven IBM Security X-Force research, enables organizations to effectively manage risk and defend against emerging threats. IBM operates one of the world's broadest security research, development, and delivery organizations, monitors 150 billion+ security events per day in more than 130 countries, and has been granted more than 10,000 security patents worldwide.

Haunting effect of data breaches

The perpetuality of cyberattacks is also shedding light on the “haunting effect” data breaches are having on businesses, with the IBM report finding 83% of studied organizations have experienced more than one data breach in their lifetime. Another factor rising over time is the after-effects of breaches on these organizations, which linger long after they occur, as nearly 50% of breach costs are incurred more than a year after the breach.

What it Costs

The 2022 Cost of a Data Breach Report is based on in-depth analysis of real-world data breaches experienced by 550 organizations globally between March 2021 and March 2022. The research, which was sponsored and analyzed by IBM Security, was conducted by the Ponemon Institute.

Some of the key findings in the 2022 IBM report include:

• Critical Infrastructure Lags in Zero Trust – Almost 80% of critical infrastructure organizations studied don’t adopt zero trust strategies, seeing average breach costs rise to $5.4 million – a $1.17 million increase compared to those that do. All while 28% breaches amongst these organizations were ransomware or destructive attacks. • It Doesn’t Pay to Pay – Ransomware victims in the study that opted to pay threat actors’ ransom demands saw only $610,000 less in average breach costs compared to those that chose not to pay – not including the cost of the ransom. Factoring in the high cost of ransom payments, the financial toll may rise even higher, suggesting that simply paying the ransom may not be an effective strategy. • Security Immaturity in Clouds – Fortythree percent of studied organizations are in the early stages or have not started applying security practices across their cloud environments, observing over $660,000 on average in higher breach costs than studied organizations with mature security across their cloud environments. • Security AI and Automation Leads as Multi-Million Dollar Cost Saver – Participating organizations fully deploying security AI and automation incurred $3.05 million less on average in breach costs compared to studied organizations that have not deployed the technology – the biggest cost saver observed in the study.

“Businesses need to put their security defenses on the offense and beat attackers to the punch. It’s time to stop the adversary from achieving their objectives and start to minimize the impact of attacks. The more businesses try to perfect their perimeter instead of investing in detection and response, the more breaches can fuel cost of living increases.” said Charles Henderson, Global Head of IBM Security X-Force.

“This report shows that the right strategies coupled with the right technologies can help make all the difference when businesses are attacked,” Charles further added.

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MATRIX COSEC PATH ACCESS CONTROL DEVICE

BY MANAS RANJAN

info@smechannels.com

MATRIX COSEC PATH is a state-of-the-art door controller from Matrix’s stable. This Contactless and Secure Access Control Device based on Fingerprint and Card, has been specifically engineered for rugged use and to weather rough conditions. Its inbuilt innovative controller technology helps to make access control and timeattendance easy and foolproof. The Matrix COSEC PATH comes with Multiple Credentials, including Fingerprint, BLE, and Card, and has Multiple Connectivity Options, such as PoE, Ethernet, and in-built Wi-fi. The device can store up to 1,00,000 Finger templates and 50,000 User data. It has a capacity to store 1,00,000 Card data and 50,000 User data. The door controller has an Event Buffer up to 5,00,000. Its compact build makes the device suitable for use in indoor as well as outdoor applications. Equipped with advanced features like Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connectivity, PoE, IP65, and multi-credentials support of fingerprint and RFID card options have made it a good candidate for use in various conditions in different organizations. The new AV Line of M4250 switches maintains the same thorough functionality found on the M4300 and M4500 switches for almost all AV-over-IP encoders and decoders. Pre-configured with NETGEAR IGMP Plus, the M4250 switches can simply be plugged in and turned on, making multicast setups a breeze. This reduces setup and installation time, allowing the installer to focus on other parts of the project.

ASUS VIVOBOOK PRO 14 OLED

ASUS’S LATEST MID-RANGE OFFERING IN INDIA THE ASUS VIVOBOOK PRO 14 OLED, WHICH WAS LAUNCHED ALONG WITH THE ZENBOOK S 13 OLED, IS A FEATURE-PACKED DEVICE. THE TOP-END VARIANT COMES WITH RYZEN 7 5800H CHIPSET, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB PCIE 3.0 SSD AND AMD RADEON GRAPHICS. THE MAIN HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DEVICE INCLUDE ITS 2.8K OLED DISPLAY AND ITS LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN. THE ASUS VIVOBOOK PRO 14 OLED FEATURES A MINIMALISTIC DESIGN AND COMES WITH AN ALUMINUM LID. IT FEATURES A SLEEK DESIGN, WEIGHS 1.4 KG AND IS 18.9MM THICK CAN BE CARRIED IN 14-INCH LAPTOP BAG. NINE VENTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DEVICE ENSURE PROPER AIRFLOW, KEEPING THE TEMPERATURES UNDER CONTROL. THIS MAKES THE LAPTOP TEMPERATURE STAY WITHIN CONTROL, EVEN DURING GAMING. THE MATTE FINISH AT THE BACK PREVENTS FINGERPRINT SMUDGES. THE DEVICE PROUDLY FEATURES HARMON KARDON SPEAKERS. IT HAS STRONG ALUMINUM-BUILT CHASSIS. DISPLAY THE DISPLAY IS EASILY THE BOAST OF THE DEVICE. THE ASUS VIVOBOOK PRO 14 OLED FEATURES A 14-INCH 2.8K OLED DISPLAY WITH A 90HZ REFRESH RATE, 16:10 ASPECT RATIO AND HDR SUPPORT. IT COMES WITH SLIM BEZELS ON THE SIDE AND OFFERS AN 85% SCREEN-TOBODY RATIO.

AVAILABILITY:

Listed at ₹59,990 for the Ryzen 5 5600H variant and ₹69,990 for the Ryzen 7 5800H variant, the Asus VivoBook Pro 14 OLED comes in two colors: Solar Silver and Cosmos Blue. It is available from Asus India, and its authorized retail stores as well as online retailers across the country.

DELL

NEW DELL LATITUDE LAPTOPS

Recently, the Dell Latitude series laptops got three new members into the family: the Latitude 9430, Dell Latitude 7430, Latitude 7330. Dell Latitude laptops can help create a hybrid workplace that makes use of cloud technology, collaboration and communication platforms, remote monitoring tools, and productivity management systems. Epson’s high end 4K laser home theater projector, the EH-LS12000B promises to redefine the home cinema experience with an immersive big screen experience. This makes the projector ideal for film enthusiasts, and people who enjoy streaming shows and live sports.

The projector offers high brightness, high image quality and flexibility with a range of features, as it features Epson’s laser light source, and a new 4K image processing chip delivering 4K resolution. Strategically priced at INR 599,999, the EH-LS12000B promises larger-than-life cinematic experience from the comforts of one’s home.

The powerful projector’s impressive display is made possible by a combination of high-end technologies. It produces images with a high 2,500,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 4K resolution (8.3mil pixels), HDR10+ support, 3LCD and a laser light-source. With powered lens shift and zoom lens it’s easy to achieve an accurate display.

The use of 3LCD technology ensures vivid colours. HDR10+ support creates extra detail and depth for natural yet richer colours. Detail in the shadows is defined with the high contrast ratio of 2,5000,000:1 delivering deep blacks. Besides it has 4K Frame interpolation, 4K Super Resolution and scene adaptive gamma correction/auto contrast enhancement.

SPECS:

The new Dell Latitude laptops are equipped with the latest 12thgeneration Intel Core processors, paired with NVidia’s GeForce RTX GPUs. The Dell Latitude 7330 comes with a 13.3-inch display and weighs under 1kg. The Dell Latitude 7430 comes with a 2-in-1 design with a 14-inch display. It comes with up to a 12th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, paired with up to 16GB of RAM. The top-end Dell Latitude 9430 comes with a 14-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It has an FHD camera for better video calls. It is suitable for C-Suite, and other such professionals who want to work remotely and so require the best mobile performance, collaboration tools, and connectivity.

n Pricing and Availability: The new Dell products are available for sale in India starting today. The Dell Latitude 7330 starts at a price of Rs 99,990 in the country, the Latitude 7430 starts at a price of Rs 94,990, and the Dell Latitude 9430 is priced at Rs 1,45,990 onwards. n Verdict: Doubtlessly, the EH-LS12000B is a great projector. The device offers laser UHD delivery at a great price point. It also offers full optimisation for those needing full calibration. The powerful projectors truly cinematic images is something which would endear it to its users.

EPSON

EPSON EH-LS12000B 4K LASER PROJECTOR

VIEWSONIC

VIEWSONIC COLORPRO VP2786-4K MONITOR

ViewSonic’s new Fogra-certified professional display ColorPro VP2786-4K is built with 100% Adobe RGB color gamut. The device delivers true-to-life color reproduction on all digital and print mediums. The monitor is tailored for the allnew ColorPro Sense software, which automatically suggests color combinations from Pantone’s color library to best match the creator’s vision. It is also equipped with the intuitive ColorPro Wheel for in-depth color control and management.

The ColorPro VP2786-4K takes another step forward into the realm of true color management with its combination of software and hardware. It has a 100% Adobe RGB color gamut that delivers a larger range of color precision for true-to-life outputs. The cinema-grade 98% DCI-P3 color space offers a vast color spectrum to play with. With a true color depth of 10-bit, creators can expect over a billion colors for stunning and rich visuals.

The monitor is Fogra-certified which guarantees absolute color reproduction. This ensures a consistent color output across all printed materials.

The monitor complements the all-new and exclusive ColorPro Sense for truly unfettered color performance. The software automatically recommends multiple alternative palettes from Pantone’s color library to assist creators in better visualizing and realizing their ideas. Users can also share their palettes with other creatives.

Moreover, the intuitive lens-based color sensor - ColorPro Wheel, also allows creators to calibrate the display and control OSD settings for efficient workflows simply with the turn of the dial, while being compatible with Adobe Creative suite and Capture One editing software. The monitor’s detachable magnetic hood also provides instant shade to eliminate unwanted ambient light for better focus.