Tuesday 28 January 2020


This content is originally published here

​We envision a future where everything will be connected.

No matter what business case is, technologies are completely remodeling business structures. Every organization is exploring various technologies and combinations of technologies to become one of the trendsetters out there.

Whatever we say, we can’t deny the fact that technology is leading the way. From farms, fields, to the factories and rooms, digitization is everywhere. Technologies and concepts such as IoT, AR/VR, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data have already disrupted the industry with faster and efficient ways of working. If we talk about the current status of IoT and try to predict the future, here is the eye-opening statistics from Statista.

"​According to Statista the installed base of the Internet of Things devices is estimated to grow to almost 31 billion in 2020."




IoT is all set to redefine the way industry works and communicates. Top of this, the tech world is experimenting the never-before scenarios by combining the technologies and innovative concepts, for an instance, IoT and AR, IoT and AI, IoT and DevOps, and so on.​
AR And IoT: Merely Hype OR An Era Of Innovation?

What do you feel?

Are you interested to know what our experts are saying? Let’s explore this combination and dig a little more into this topic.

Does IoT Mean Only Automation? No, It’s More Than That

When it comes to Internet of Things, we believe it is all about automation. That’s correct. But in the underlying model, there is a great potential to remodel the existing enterprise processes structure.

IoT Is Continuous Connectivity And Communication

Today, every industry vertical has plans to invest more in technologies to stay ahead of the competition. Furthermore, concepts like IoT, where there will be more focus on machine-driven and data-driven environments; industries are embracing this shift and willing to become part of the digital revolution.
But those are very less. Let us make it clear.

According to one Deloitte report,

"Only 14 percent of CXOs are highly confident their organizations are ready to fully leverage industry 4.0 changes."

"Also, a quarter of CXOs surveyed are certain they have the right workforce and skills sets needed for the future, while 84 percent saying they are putting every possible effort to create a workforce for Industry 4.0."

​If you are not aware of the term Industry 4.0, read on to know that.

Industry 4.0 is the fourth revolution that talks about the advanced and automated ways to work. This term is broadly recognized as the digital transformation that will impact society, people, and business.
Embrace The Way Future Brings: IoT + Augmented Reality

This is a world where ideas become trends at a fast pace like never before.

"Today is the time where big organizations are betting big on augmented reality."

Augmented reality has already crossed boundaries beyond entertainment. According to this report from Statista, by this year ends, AR devices are estimated to generate 54 billion U.S. dollars in revenue.

Certainly, IoT will change the way industry work, but when combined with AR, the industry will be speaking the language of automation. It is time to explore the possible use cases of AR and IoT.

IoT gives real-time access to data and AR can help blur the line between the physical and digital world.

​Where This Merger Can Be Used? Are You Interested To Become An Early Adopter?

Well, there are endless possibilities.

For an example, the physical IoT devices can provide the real-time data and that data can be visualized more precisely using augmented reality on mobile devices.
Learning Will Be More Accurate, Engaging, And InteractiveMany potential use cases of this merger are under development and one of them is learning.

Learning is a constant, on-demand, and interactive process. At present, a number of apps and tools are offering immersive experiences to the learners. Physical learning spaces are being transformed into more interactive, live, and appealing environments with an aim to enhance learning.

​AR-IoT combination will make learning more powerful with the use of fully-immersive guidelines, tutorials, objects, and communications.

Production And Manufacturing Industries Can See Huge Benefits With AR Visualization And IoT Connectivity

To understand this, you need to understand the following fact.

"IoT generates a large number of data and AR can help visualize that with the help of immersive surroundings"

Augmented Reality and Internet of Things merger in the manufacturing industry can bring competitive advantages. Put it simply, the data gathered by IoT devices can be visualized through AR to maximize its visibility and usability.

As per this source, DHL’s logistic division DHL supply chain has recently announced that it is going to invest $300 million in emerging technologies like RPA(Robotics Process Automation), IoT, and AR.

This investment is about a holistic view of emerging technologies that enable our customers to achieve their growth and profitability goals,” said DHL Supply Chain North America CEO Scott Sureddin when asked for this technology upgrade.

One more example from the manufacturing industry, global manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. uses AR for their engineers to complete maintenance tasks more effectively.

​Here’s the video from Caterpillar Inc. representing the use of IoT and AR:

​AR-IoT technologies make experiences more meaningful and effective by providing smart, real-time, and intelligent insights. It would open door to the new possibilities that can offer predictive maintenance, automation, preventive actions, and overall enhanced experience.
Retail Transactions Will Be More Customer-Focused And EngagingRetail is already thriving with the help of business intelligence, big data, IoT, and AR/VR. In order to offer seamless shopping experience, retailers are capitalizing on next-level technologies.
In addition to that, such a merger of AR and IoT can be leveraged to offer more personalized and interactive shopping experience. Video from Microsoft can help understand that:

Healthcare Industry Will Be Considerably Benefited By This Combination

Augmented reality has already paved the way in the healthcare industry by giving 360-degree, immersive, and the digital environment in the physical world. It gives detailed understanding, transparency, and accuracy to the doctors, patients and also to the medical students in learning.

With the use of various IoT devices and sensors, organizations are able to gather patients’ data and records for better study and diagnosis in the real-time. Patients become more aware of their health situations with the help of the fitness activity trackers.

Healthcare organizations can use these records and visualize with the help of augmented reality to create better healthcare plans.

Designers, Architectures Will Bring More Accuracy To Their Designs And PlansMany of us are already aware of how IKEA is leveraging AR to offer the best customer experience. AR is there, but when merged with IoT, it gives meticulous and real-time insights to designers and architectures to create plans for factories, societies, and cities.

Interior designers also can use the profitable mixture of AR and IoT to observe inner and outer surfaces and then come up with suitable designs. Architectures can use data from IoT enabled devices and get access to the newest possibilities of designs considering the overall structure of building/space. This video shows how virtual elements give superior experience in understanding the process.

​​As we are moving towards the more connected world, the combination of Internet of Things and Augmented Reality is gaining the attention of entrepreneurs, industrialists, industry leaders, and venture capitalists.
What This IoT-AR Blend Will Offer?The fourth industry revolution is here.
These emerging technologies are here to stay and it will have a major impact on how people work and communicate.

The Benefits Of The IoT AR Merger Are:


  • Safety and Efficiency: The enterprises will be ensuring a safe, efficient, and correct way to accomplish transactions.
  • Visualization: Through the use of AR devices, visualization of data or an object can gain the attraction of users.
  • Standardization: At each level, every transaction will be analyzed, examined, and visualized before proceeding further.
  • New Revenue Streams: You will able to take more insightful and real-time decisions that will help your business grow with new revenue channels.
  • Rapidity: All transactions can be completed faster with superior efficiency and quality.
  • Simplified decision-making: Real-time decisions for all complex procedures.
There are some barriers to beat in this AR-enabled IoT implementation.

At present, the following factors can be hurdles if you are thinking to become the first mover:

  • The high-speed networks which are pricey
  • Trained resources and support team
  • Need for suitable hardware equipment at each enterprise level
  • Frequently changes and replacements of technologies
  • No sufficient proof of concepts for better understanding
  • Digital infrastructure needs to be apt, efficient, and ready for the change

Technologies Made Us Think What Our Future Looks Like. 
These types of mergers will recreate the business models. But, before you jump into the implementation of those, you need to analyze every factor and then decide whether your organization is compatible with the technology shift or not.
Enterprises need to adopt such advanced technologies in order to drive business growth. IoT and AR can have boundless use cases if used correctly. If you have any idea in your mind or you wish to be an early adopter, you can take help of IoT experts who not only know these technologies thoroughly but can suggest some potential use cases keeping your requirements at the center.
It’s a time to gain a competitive advantage; take your first step with us!


Thursday 22 November 2018

“Bricks And Clicks” – Omnichannel in Holiday Shopping Season To Multiply Sales

Set a reminder on your phone to shop online or head to your local market, the retail industry’s biggest event is here!

Yes, holiday shopping season is knocking the door and will be offering doorbuster deals! Almost every retailer and shopper is excited about Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Thanksgiving festivities along with the biggest holiday shopping season. The end of November is a time of biggest discounts and deals from biggest retail organizations and brands including Google, Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, and Microsoft.

This post is for every retailer who wants to boost their sales in this festive season. It covers data, trends, consumer behavior, strategies, market insights, and focus on an omnichannel strategy that can help you win the battle of retail.

Let’s get started!

Before going further, several dates you need to consider:


  • Thanks, Giving – November 22
  • Black Friday – November 23 (One of the biggest sale event in the US)
  • Cyber Monday – November 26 (the Biggest retail event of the entire year)
  • Green Monday – December 10 (second-biggest online holiday shopping)
  • Free Shipping Day – December 14 (United States)

Holiday Shopping 2018: Predictions And Market Trends You Need To Pay Attention To

According to eMarketer, 2018 US holiday ecommerce sales are predicted to grow 16.2% to $123.39 billion.

Image Courtesy: eMarketer
According to the ‘Customers 2020 study by Walker, a customer intelligence consulting firm:

“Customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator by the year 2020. “
According to Adobe’s 2017 online shopping report, last year Cyber Monday created a record as the largest online sales day in the US with $6.59 billion.

The holiday shopping season (November 1 to 27) drove a total of $50 billion in online revenue in 2017, a 16.8 percent increase than last year, according to this Adobe shopping data.

Adobe report says, Mobile set a new record representing 47.4 percent of visits (39.9 percent smartphones, 7.6 percent tablets) and 33.1 percent of revenue (24.1 percent smartphones, 9.0 percent tablets).

Statistics may continue to amaze and big growth in big markets continue to take over. But, to generate higher revenues in the holiday season, one needs to have groundbreaking strategies and strategic planning to boost holiday shopping season sales.

Recently, Alibaba’s Singles’ Day set a new record of $30.8 billion sales by focusing on an omnichannel strategy of retail that represents the omnipresence of brands – offline and online.

That proves that physical retail isn’t truly faded. In fact, it has started gaining popularity as a key strategy to increase sales.

If you can observe, the whole new class of retailers is emerging who not only shops online but visits physical stores more often. By January 2019, 90 percent of all retail will still be done in Physical stores. [Source].

Until Amazon creates a drone that can cut your hair, there’s a physical and real reason to come to the store. 
– Mary Dillon, CEO, ULTA Beauty

Retail is all about the customer. It’s more than just the transaction, product, and payment, it’s all about the experience. Retailers are reinventing their business by having both, physical and online stores.

“Bricks And Clicks” Model Of Retail: Seamless Integration Of Physical And Digital Experiences

Retailers are paying more attention to consumer spending, habits, satisfaction, and behavior to provide them with the superior shopping experience. To achieve this, leading retailers are leveraging their physical stores to create more powerful strategies online.



I was reading all these reports that were down on retail brick and mortar, saying it’s all about online… I think brick and mortar is an amazing opportunity to use our stores and our store staffs as a vehicle to truly engage with the community in a way no other retailers are doing.
– Jim Brett, President, West Elm

You can also see that the retailers who started with online stores are now moving ahead with opening offline stores to understand their customers. (Example: Amazon Go).



It’s incredibly well-defined strategy to combine real-life shopping experience and digital touchpoints that overall creates a superior customer experience, and that’s the key to win customers’ heart.

Why Omnichannel?

In the age of e-commerce, many retail giants are leveling up their business strategy by opening a physical store that can create a memorable shopping experience.

Also, consider the below scenario:

  • The customer can browse online and can get an in-store coupon to use Online purchase and in-store pickup
  • Purchase later after browsing the product in-store
  • Customer loyalty points can be increased via in-store purchase and online notifications
  • Customer services can be better with the right omnichannel approach

How Retailers Can Create The Perfect Omnichannel Strategy?

Here are some of the factors that can help retailers to improve overall performance and boost sales.

  • Research and locate your target audience
You need to have a clear idea of where your customers are so that you can focus on specific channels. Make a thorough research about the platforms they’re using and know about the channels they generally prefer to shop.

For instance, you may realize that your customers are not using Etsy, you can avoid wasting money on that channel and focus on other profitable channels

The best way to find the popular channels for your business is by using Google Analytics. You will have a better insight into the channels that are the most effective to drive visitors to your website. You will have a proper idea about how the customers are learning about your business.

  • Engage your customers at every touch points
Whether you’re running a small Mom and Pop shop or a part of a large enterprise, you need to make every touchpoint shoppable.

Suppose the customer adds a product to their cart from your website/mobile app. Now they land on Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest, your product must appear on ‘suggested products’ based on that previous product history.

To make this happen, you can use eCommerce management platform to integrate your store directly with social media platforms enabling your customers back to your online store. With such connections between channels and online store, you can run promotional campaigns on social media to drive traffic to your site.


  • Bridge the gap between online and offline store
Today, customers expect a seamless experience from the brand online and in-store as well. Hence, retailers must aim for creating a smooth transition between both the stores.
    For instance: You can opt for “Buy online pick in-store.” You can allow customers to place their orders online and then pick up from a brick-and-mortar store. This will provide enhanced customer experience because your customers can save much of the time.

    Macy’s, for example, introduced a new e-commerce platform, their website not only generated $1billion rise in online sales but also influenced $5 billion worth of in-store sales. Macy’s store distribution centers supplemented the “Buy online Pickup in-store” program to bring customers into the stores.


    • Mobile Commerce
    If you have been paying attention to the previous year stats, the share of shopping time spent on mobile increased by 5% from 2016 to 2017. According to the Adobe analytics, 45% of the website visits came from smart-phone.

    Retailers can expect a stronger reliance on mobile in 2018.

    Retailers must focus on mobile-optimized website, native apps and must offer push notifications about the latest sales. Make the use of beacon technology to let shoppers know about the deals in the proximity and provide personalized, on-the-go experience for the great customer satisfaction.

    • Same Day delivery
    The undeniable winner of e-commerce technology in the holiday season 2017 was the same-day delivery provider. Apart from the Amazon pioneering in providing the great customer experience, retailers like Nordstrom and Walmart came up with the same day delivery to push their sales.


    To cope up with the competition, retailers must think of providing same-day delivery. Brand’s reputation can be easily damaged due to a failed delivery or poor user experience. While the holiday comes once in a year, retailers must use modern technologies to provide seamless customer experience.

    Use of Modern Technologies That Can Help Increase Sales:

    • Incorporated chatbots that can ensure immediately and 24*7 customer service
    • Use of machine learning algorithm to better serve customers by analyzing the habits, spending, and information
    • Elimination of repetitive tasks by applying RPA( Robotic Process Automation)
    • AI-powered conversations and voice assistance to manage customer service
    • Faster, better, and personalized experience with the help of business intelligence
    • Use of Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality to create immersive, influential experience that can attract customers
    • Authenticity and integrity of brands across all the channels through secure, connected, and fast processes
    • Secure payment gateways and strong social media presence to emboss the brand impact

    Brands That Nailed It In Providing Omni-Channel Experience

    Oasis

    Oasis is a UK fashion retailer who is using their e-commerce site, mobile app, and brick-and-mortar store to provide the great user experience.

    If a customer walks inside a store, they will find the sales associates armed with iPads providing on-the-spot, accurate and up-to-date product information. And the cherry on top, if some products are out of stock, the staff can instantly place an online order and have the item shipped directly to the home.

    Moreover, shoppers can download Oasis app to complement their in-store and online shopping experience.

    Macy’s

    Growing overlap between shopping experience on the mobile application, in-stores; Macy’s is enabling shoppers to use the Macy’s app to sort the items that are available at a nearby store for those who prefer to purchase from the app and pick up in-store. In addition to it, users of the app can stay signed-in for up to 6 hours without re-entering their information.



    “Our goal is to provide our shopper with the best experience in whatever way the customer chooses to interact with us: mobile, desktop, store or all of them together”
    – R.B. Harrison, Chief Omnichannel Officer for Macy’s

    It’s Just Beginning:

    We hope that you’ve got a clear understanding about the insights and trends that can drive a significantly higher ROI.

    What are your strategies for the holiday season 2018? Have you planned strategy that has all the aforementioned factors? Do you use any different strategy to lure your shoppers? You can tell us via the comments below.

    This post was originally published on SPEC INDIA's blog: here

    Monday 30 April 2018

    GDPR – Changing the Face of Data Protection in IT Outsourcing


    This post was originally published on SPEC INDIA's Blog

    Data security and privacy rights have been a burning concern over the years now. With technology booming each day, the significance of having secured data has increased exponentially. There have been laws and policies defined globally to protect the integrity of data as far as possible. There have been initiatives like the data protection drive implemented in the late 1990s, in the European region. But since almost the last two decades, there has been a thriving rush of data-driven technologies that encourage individuals to provide their personal information to a large extent, to external systems.

    Keeping in mind a wider and in-depth outlook, the European Union (EU) is all set to implement a highly stringent set of global rules and regulations to protect and secure the personal data of citizens through General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) standards. This directly implies that any organization that handles data of citizens of the European Union will have to abide strictly by the GDPR norms. About to be implemented in the latter half of May 2018, this data protection act will not only affect European markets but will be globally applicable to all those who are handling personal information of EU citizens. It will offer businesses a transparent legal structure and safeguard personal data against misuse and theft.

    General Data Protection Regulation – A Glimpse of What It Is

    Replacing the existing EU’s data protection directive, the GDPR is a dictate by the EU to guarantee the security of citizens’ personal information, all set to roll on the 25th of May 2018. Organizations will have to strictly follow a certain set of initiatives – technical as well as organizational to protect privacy rights. Not only that, organizations are supposed to keep data security as a prime component while implementing any procedure. In case of a data breach due to non-adherence, there would be financial penalties imposed, up to Euro 20 million or up to 4% of Global annual revenue whichever is higher. Under GDPR, organizations will have to keep security teams in charge, accountable for safeguarding all information connected to people.

    Read more on General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) @ https://www.spec-india.com/blog/gdpr-changing-the-face-of-data-protection-in-it-outsourcing/

    Tuesday 26 December 2017

    Thanks to Enterprise Mobility Solutions Happy Employees Happy Customers Successful Company


    This post was originally published on SPEC INDIA's Blog

    Employees are a company’s greatest asset – They’re your competitive advantage. You want to attract and retain the best; provide them with encouragement, stimulus and make them feel that they are an integral part of the company’s mission.” – Anne Mulcahy

    Any organization, any segment and any geography – any employee who is productively and creatively engaged are sure to work wonders as compared to those who are not. With an enterprise having actively engaged employees, the customer loyalty quotient is much higher and chances of garnering more business are also on a higher ratio.In a similar fashion, a low lying employee engagement ratio may lead to a poor customer retention quotient. Hence, the crux of a successful business lies in, undoubtedly, keeping your employees happy, engaged and empowered. And, when we talk of a technology that not only empowers, it engages, entices and enriches – it is none other than our very own mobile-based technology that has already penetrated deep into our lives, almost stuck to our day and night. A worthy mobile app experience can entice and engage its users. Employees, today, are in search of access to real-time, instant and detailed information, at one go through Enterprise Mobility Solutions.

    Read more @ https://www.spec-india.com/blog/thanks-enterprise-mobility-solutions-happy-employees-happy-customers-successful-company/

    React Native, A New Flavor of Javascripting for Cross platform Mobile App Development


    This post was originally published on SPEC INDIA's Blog

    Javascript evolves and adapts like no other programming language. Designed to be lean & agile, this offshoot of Java though started as a client-side flavor of Java now evolves into a full stack with the ever-growing options like AngularJS, React and Node.js to mention a few.

    And React Native offshoots from React to cater to native,hybrid & cross platform mobile app development!

    React Native is a framework that allows developers & enterprises build Javascript-only mobile applications. The design framework is effectively the same as React, empowering developers reuse declarative components to build beautiful mobile interfaces. React Native is revolutionary in the sense that application design is extremely fast. App reload is pretty much instant, and hot reloading ensures that new code can be deployed without refreshing the application.

    React Native ensures that developers are utilizing ground level user interface foundation blocks similar to normal Android or iOS apps. Application design is reused across the platform as developers need not write different code for iOS & Android. A complete cross platform mobile app development using React Native is almost similar, virtually indistinguishable from an application that is designed in JAVA or Objective-C.

    Read more @ https://www.spec-india.com/blog/react-nativea-new-flavor-javascripting-cross-platform-mobile-app-development/

    Business Analytics Solutions, The Pulse of Intelligent Retailing!!


    This post was originally published on SPEC INDIA's Blog

    Customer expectations & experiences offered to users across the channels remain on the top of the priority list for Retailers across the globe. When strategized methodically with the help of a combination of contemporary technologies like Business Intelligence services& Analytics, IoT, sensor-based solutions like the Beacons, Social Media, Apps, the Cloud and more, Retailers have no looking back.

    Sustainable lifecycles of retail processes for all major players globally, integrate business intelligence &data analytics effectively into the processes.This includes sales forecasting, demand projection with predictive simulation, customer heat-mapping, product placement optimization as well as keeping a tab on the emerging products topping the popularity charts.

    Read more @ https://www.spec-india.com/blog/business-analytics-solutions-pulse-intelligent-retailing/

    Why Is ASP .NET Development Services the Most Favoured Choice of Developers Today?


    This post was originally published in SPEC INDIA's Blog

    Microsoft has always been a pioneer in offering dynamic, flexible and secure technology solutions to the globe. Always bundled with all-inclusive, compliant and integrated products, frameworks, architectures, servers, languages – all put together, Microsoft is for all. Microsoft has strived hard to offer the most modern technology support to the community one of which is, Microsoft’s cloud first, mobile first strategy, which is all about looking forward. And to top the list of Microsoft wonders comes ASP .NET Development Services. The ever-increasing popularity of ASP .NET needs no mention and thanks to its salient features and the powerful giant supporting it, it has been a developer’s delight since years, continues to rule their hearts and brains till date and will continue to do so for years together. ASP .NET Application Development is one technology that has the competence of developing and implementing any sort of complex enterprise app. Microsoft .NET unleashes the true potential of Enterprise App Development and that is why, unquestionably, it has been leading on the top as the perfect choice for software service providers.

    Read more @ https://www.spec-india.com/blog/asp-net-development-services-favoured-choice-developers-today/