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  • Business growth made easier: The Samsung Knox Suite – Essentials Plan 

    Running a small to mid-sized business is no small feat. You’re constantly juggling multiple roles, wearing different hats, and striving to do more with less. You need technology that simplifies your life, not complicates it. Effective device management is crucial for success, and the Knox Suite – Essentials Plan provides the solutions you need.  

    We’ve designed this plan specifically for businesses like yours, providing the expertise and tools you need to manage your Samsung devices efficiently and effectively, offering comprehensive mobile device management for small businesses without the enterprise-level price tag. 

    We understand the unique challenges you face. Your devices are secured and deployed, but managing mobile devices is becoming increasingly complex. You need a solution that’s easy to use, scalable, and doesn’t require a dedicated IT team to manage. This plan provides powerful cross-platform device management and remote support capabilities for comprehensive control and troubleshooting. You need a partner who understands that your business solutions need to grow with you. 

    The Knox Suite – Essentials Plan builds upon the secure device deployment of the Base Plan, adding key features designed to streamline device management and empower your team. 

    Added key features: 

    Cross-platform device unified endpoint management (UEM): This provides a powerful, yet flexible cross-platform solution optimized for Samsung devices and services enabling you to manage all your devices, regardless of operating system, from a single, intuitive console. (Compatible with Android, Windows, iOS, macOS, Chrome OS, iPadOS, and Wear OS.) Our UEM solution simplifies device deployment, configuration, and security management, freeing up your time and resources. 

    Remote device management capabilities: Resolve device issues quickly and efficiently, even when your team is on the go. Remotely access and control devices to troubleshoot problems, install updates, and provide support, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity. This feature offers invaluable mobile device remote support. 

    Samsung Knox Suite Plans are designed with a tiered approach, allowing you to choose the level of support that best fits your needs. Find out more about the full catalog of Knox Suite Plans.

    Ready to unlock the full potential of your Samsung devices and empower your team? The Essentials Plan provides the perfect balance of power and simplicity for growing businesses. When you’re ready to maximize and unleash the full potential of Galaxy devices for business, you can check the Knox Suite – Enterprise Plan – our all-in-one solution designed to manage and secure work devices, from setup to usage.

    Want to learn more about the Knox Suite – Essentials Plan and how it can help your business thrive? Visit here or contact a Samsung sales representative today. We’re here to help you achieve your business goals every step of the way. 

  • OPG Mobility’s vision and creating a distinct identity for EV business • EVreporter

    Okaya EV recently re-branded itself to OPG Mobility. Anshul Gupta, Managing Director of OPG Mobility, shares the company’s vision for its EV business, which includes e-2Ws, 3Ws, battery packs, powertrain components and EV chargers. We also discuss the recent rebranding to create a distinct identity for the EV business, separate from the battery-centric Okaya brand.

    What was the thought behind the recent rebranding from Okaya EV to OPG Mobility?

    Over the years, as we built our EV business and its ecosystem, we realized that the brand needed to connect with end consumers in the automotive segment while also distinguishing itself from our parent brand, Okaya, which is well-known for batteries and has a strong presence in the industry.

    While Okaya’s reputation helped attract customers, positioning an independent automotive brand under the same name proved challenging.

    To address this, we strategically created two distinct brands under the OPG flagship – Ferrato as a dedicated 2W brand and OPGOTTO for 3Ws. These brands have separate distribution networks, unique product lines, and a well-defined roadmap.

    Okaya, as a battery brand, will continue its independent journey.

    When you first entered the EV space, what kind of synergies from your legacy businesses helped drive your progress?

    As a group, we have been in the electronics industry for a long time—Microtek is now a 38-year-old company. Along with electronics, we have also been involved in various IT ventures and are well known for our battery business, particularly lead-acid batteries. We started the lithium battery business back in 2016-17, even before the EV revolution had truly begun.

    Microtek dealt with AC-to-DC conversion—just like inverters for lead-acid batteries—and it was the right time for us to explore the EV charging station space. From there, we moved toward the transition from lead-acid to lithium-ion batteries, which was happening gradually. Our experience in batteries proved invaluable.

    EVs are primarily about batteries, with electronics and software playing significant roles and mechanical components making up the rest. Since our group had expertise in all these areas—IT, batteries, mechanical, and electronics—venturing into EVs in 2019 made perfect sense.

    It also helped that we had in-house talent from our existing businesses, which we combined with market expertise to develop a product line after two years of research and development. Our commitment to LFP chemistry defined our scooter strategy, making us one of the first companies to introduce LFP battery based scooters with dual-battery options and multiple kilowatt-hour variants within the same model.

    You offer charging solutions and EV batteries, along with your vehicles in the 2W and 3W segment. What is your overall vision for the e-mobility business as a group?

    We aim to leverage our ecosystem to lower the TCO for Indian consumers and the markets we are targeting, ensuring sustainable growth and greater market penetration.

    • Our e-mobility business is structured into five key areas: two-wheelers, three-wheelers, EV components, EV charging, and energy storage.
    • The two-wheeler, three-wheeler, and component businesses naturally complement each other.
    • The EV charging products also cater to the four-wheeler, truck, and bus sectors—areas where we have no plans to manufacture vehicles. Our focus is on highway EV chargers. Additionally, we are working with stakeholders to deploy AC chargers for home and community charging. There is increasing demand from North America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, and we plan to capitalize on exports in the coming years.
    • We are concentrating on battery-based energy storage systems, including battery-plus-UPS and battery-plus-inverter solutions for commercial, industrial, and residential applications. Since 2018, we have been deploying and testing energy storage solutions. Now, the priority is to scale these businesses aggressively.

    With component manufacturing facilities, EV assembly lines for three-wheelers and their parts, and an increasingly stable industry framework—especially with government support for CCS2 and AC Type 2 chargers—the foundation is strong. The next phase is about scaling our operations to make a lasting impact.

    When you mention the EV components business, apart from batteries, what other components are you currently offering?

    In the L2 category, we manufacture motors, controllers, TFTs, and speedometers—both TFT-based and analog-segmented versions. Additionally, we produce wire harnesses, frames, and plastic parts. Among these, we have opened up certain components to the market, including batteries, chargers, motors, and controllers. We are also in discussions with strategic partners for plastic molding and painting, as we have our own paint shop, along with frame manufacturing.

    For the L3 segment, we are involved in battery manufacturing, motor, controllers, chargers, and frames. The core powertrain components are available for other OEMs and the aftermarket. While we have yet to fully localize these components at our own facility, we are currently working with third-party manufacturers. As of now, we are focused on battery chargers, but we plan to expand into motor controllers as well.

    Our EV component business is open to supplying to other OEMs. We have batteries for both 2Ws and 3Ws, along with distribution and aftermarket solutions. Initially, our focus was on refining battery designs, leveraging insights from having 60,000 to 70,000 scooters (including low-speed) and over 20,000 lithium-ion batteries for 3Ws on the road. Now that we have successfully optimized our batteries for both 2Ws and 3Ws, we have reopened our offerings to the market.

    For different e-mobility businesses, where are your manufacturing facilities located?

    Our manufacturing operations are spread across 45 acres in Himachal Pradesh.

    • One of our main plants, covering 15 to 18 acres, focuses on components such as powertrain systems, lithium-ion batteries, energy storage batteries, and EV chargers. This facility operates on a ‘plant within a plant’ concept, with dedicated teams and subject matter experts managing different manufacturing zones.
    • Our two-wheeler vehicle assembly unit is about two kilometres away.
    • Around five km from the component plant, we have another facility dedicated to frame manufacturing. This fully robotic plant produces scooter frames and e-rickshaw frames, including coating processes.
    • Our fourth location houses plastic parts manufacturing and the paint shop.
    • We are also in the process of establishing a fifth unit for three-wheeler manufacturing. We are considering shifting this segment from Himachal to locations like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, or Haryana to optimize logistics costs and improve margins. Currently, our three-wheelers are manufactured in Himachal within our main component facility.

    What is the overall team strength for your e-mobility business across all segments?

    We have 489 employees on our payroll. If we include contractual workers as well, our total workforce ranges between 800 to 1,000. We also operate an overseas R&D unit, which is included in this count.

    Could you talk about the level of localization? What are key import dependencies?

    • We have applied for a patent registration for our design for EV chargers. We have supplied nearly 1000 DC chargers to the market. The total count of our chargers in the market is neatly 3,500 units, all designed in-house, including components, control cards, and boards. PCBs are sourced from India, and mounting is done in-house with our assembly line. Some strategic components, such as microcontrollers, are sourced externally. Our localization level exceeds 85%, with the only remaining dependencies being rectifiers and screens as per the PMP guidelines. The charging guns have been localized as well.
    • For the 2W segment, we have achieved over 84% localization, excluding the cells. This is due to the in-house moulding of frames, plastic parts, motors, controllers, and other key components. The entire motor manufacturing process, from winding to assembly, is done in-house for BLDC motors, while mid-drive motor winding is planned for localization as volumes scale up. Controllers are manufactured internally, while some chargers are sourced from Indian partners meeting the PM E-drive scheme qualifications.
    • For the 3W segment, most components are localized. Cells are imported, but chargers, motors, and controllers are either manufactured in-house or sourced from Indian partners. Only for e-rickshaw, certain parts are imported directly, other that than, all parts are domestically sourced.

    How was the year 2024 for you, and what numbers do you expect for this year?

    Last calendar year, 2024, we saw a decline in numbers for the two-wheeler category, both in high-speed and low-speed segments. We have been actively working on identified areas to rebuild and scale our volumes.

    To revive two-wheeler sales, we have made strategic changes in how communication, marketing, and retail operations function and distribution strategies. Strengthening relationships with dealerships is key, so we are engaging with them directly, ensuring their concerns are addressed. We have already started seeing results—our retail numbers for high-speed and low-speed two-wheelers doubled in February compared to the previous month.

    For three-wheelers, we officially began retail operations just two months ago after a trial phase to test dealership viability. Now, dealerships are achieving returns on investment.

    Unlike our rapid expansion in the two-wheeler business—where sales didn’t always meet expectations—we are following a phased approach for three-wheelers. This year’s key focus is ensuring profitability for our distribution partners while maintaining an optimal total cost of ownership for the end consumer.

    In terms of overall numbers, last year was not as encouraging as the previous one. However, our goal for this year is to scale up significantly, attract investments, and onboard a financial partner to infuse capital into the business. We have clear applications for these funds and aim to grow the business towards an IPO route in the future.

    With respect to your plans to scale the distribution network, what kind of on-ground presence are you targeting?

    • In the two-wheeler space, we currently have around 300 network partners, and our goal is to scale this up to approximately 550. When it comes to deeper market penetration, including sub-dealers, the average ratio is about 4 per main dealer. This means the total touchpoints should be between 1,800 to 2,000, including the sub-dealer network. Our first priority remains ensuring the viability of our existing dealerships. Some are already profitable, while others need additional guidance, which we are actively offering.
    • For three-wheelers, we have set a target of establishing around 190 principal dealership partners in the L3 and L5 segments.

    Also read: This interview was first published in EVreporter March 2025 magazine

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  • The ROI of retail digital signage and media solutions for small businesses

    In just a few years, shopping has undergone a revolution. With digital options exploding in number, it’s increasingly important for small businesses to take advantage of technology to keep up in the market. This starts with a full embrace of the digital world — and the features people love about it. Rather than seeing the digital and physical as separate, it’s time to focus on integrating them.

    Retail digital signage is an effective tool to blend the digital world with the brick-and-mortar environment and create a more seamless journey for customers. The latest generations, such as Samsung displays, can do far more than just flash static ads. When matched with loyalty programs, content management systems, geolocation and other digital assets, they can achieve the frictionless, personalized experience that shoppers have come to expect today. This drives engagement, boosts loyalty and increases return on investment (ROI).

    Here’s how digital displays can help small business retailers thrive.

    Personalized shopping experiences that drive sales

    As data-driven marketing becomes more sophisticated, shoppers expect high levels of convenience and personalization. That goes for small businesses, too. Retailers that step up to meet these expectations by supplying data-driven, personalized offers are seeing growth in basket size, upsells and ROI. This requires not just the hardware but also the software. In-store digital signage with a robust and dynamic content management system (CMS) is the key to success.

    How digitizing retail experiences boosts ROI

    Explore customer behavior with and the operational benefits of a complete digital retail ecosystem.
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    Samsung VXT, an innovative, cloud-based CMS, enables small businesses to easily create, schedule, manage and monitor content specifically for digital signage, improving outcomes. For example, with VXT Canvas, retailers can create custom content tailored to specific brands, promotions, events and even weather to drive sales. Software partner Sprinklr offers yet another platform to do the same on Samsung displays. Another feature shows the displays connected to each event and the success or failure of each screen, helping managers assess performance and strategy.

    The graphic element adds more options to make a visual impact and target attention. In addition to thousands of fonts, templates and preloaded images, users can upload their retail media and VXT Art (sold separately) to apply more than 10,000 pieces of content from world-class art museums and galleries — often an ideal pairing for luxury brands.

    Batteries Plus, a consumer electronics chain, offers an example of how digital signage integrated with VXT can enhance ROI. The company uses Samsung 4K UHD LED displays as “silent salespeople” to promote products triggered by real-time weather alerts.

    Self-service capabilities for faster transactions

    In retail, fast, frictionless transactions are the goal, which helps explain why so many consumers prefer self-serve technologies. In fact, Salesforce’s 2024 State of the AI Connected Customer report shows that 61% prefer self-service for simple issues. Its State of Service report shows the impact of self-service on success, with 80% of high-performing service organizations providing a self-service option. These perspectives make digital kiosks a particularly powerful upselling and cross-selling tool.

    Samsung Kiosk allows businesses to implement self-serve technology quickly and easily. The intuitive, interactive kiosk boasts an all-in-one ordering and payment system that accepts cash, credit cards and contactless solutions such as barcodes, QR codes and near-field communication for digital wallets.

    For restaurants in particular, Samsung Kiosk can come preinstalled with GRUBBRR proprietary restaurant management software, or other menu platforms like Bite, PAR or Nanonation. Using AI and machine learning, the system knows how to daypart and feature more popular or profitable items higher on the digital menu board. As at Batteries Plus, restaurants can connect products with weather events, promoting soup or hot chocolate on a cold day and ice cream and slushies on a scorching one. Self-checkouts also never forget to upsell, which increases profit-building activity and ROI. And partners like PopID simplify ordering and make transactions even smoother with easy kiosk login.

    Lucrative loyalty programs

    Another way retailers can increase wallet share is by integrating in-store technologies with lucrative loyalty programs. That pays off quickly. Research from the 2024 Achieving Customer Amazement study noted that 81% of customers prefer companies offering personalized experiences. That perception of improved customer service significantly impacts business, as the same report noted that 85% of customers will go out of their way to go to a company with better customer service.

    The personalization that Samsung digital displays and software enables transfers to loyalty programs. When customers feel like a business knows them and understands their purchasing patterns, they will likely stay loyal to that business. Samsung Kiosk partners with loyalty programs like Punchh to help achieve this through consumer data collection. Using these insights, brands can create and deploy customized, hyper-personalized loyalty campaigns that convert customers and increase basket sizes.

    Fast adaptation to customer and market needs

    Digital signage allows retailers to adapt messaging and promotions in real time to customer behavior, inventory levels, emerging trends, market shifts and other variables. For example, restaurants can quickly add and remove items from menu boards. During the holidays, stores could also customize displays to feature the season’s trending gifts.

    Speed is essential, too, and a key benefit of Samsung displays. Businesses can change content quickly and easily, be it updating pricing, displaying new products or promoting limited-time offers. Additionally, interactive digital displays can provide customers with valuable extra information that just might inspire conversion. This could include product details, reviews and recommendations.

    One novel way retailers can respond to customer and market needs is through traffic analysis. By incorporating solutions like FastSensor, which leverages AI and heat mapping to gather and analyze foot traffic data, retailers can quickly adapt to customer needs by managing queues and determining which in-store marketing messages work — and which don’t.

    Samsung Kiosk models perfectly complement this. The kiosks come in three installation types — floor stand, countertop, and wall-mounting — which allow them to fit into a wider range of spaces within the traffic flow. Their sleek, modular, space-saving design and gray-white color blend in with practically any aesthetic, too.

    The digital future of retail

    As the retail landscape evolves, businesses that embrace small business technology will be able to provide enhanced customer experiences and reap the ROI rewards of digital transformation. The tangible returns on investment in cost savings, revenue growth and customer engagement make a compelling case for retailers to make Samsung displays and end-to-end solutions an integral part of their business strategy.

    Sign up for a VXT free trial. Explore Samsung’s wide selection of digital signage and commercial displays and how they can help drive retail traffic and sales.

  • Lenovo hybrid AI advantage with NVIDIA boosts business productivity and efficiency with new scalable Agentic AI solutions – CRN

    Lenovo hybrid AI advantage with NVIDIA boosts business productivity and efficiency with new scalable Agentic AI solutions – CRN

    At NVIDIA GTC, Lenovo unveiled new Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA solutions designed to accelerate AI adoption and boost business productivity by fast-tracking agentic AI that can reason, plan and take action to reach goals faster. The validated, full-stack AI solutions enable enterprises to quickly build and deploy AI agents for a broad range of high-demand use cases, increasing productivity, agility and trust while accelerating the next wave of AI reasoning for the new era of agentic AI.

    New global IDC research commissioned by Lenovo reveals that ROI remains the greatest AI adoption barrier, despite a three-fold spend increase1. AI agents are revolutionising enterprise workflows and lowering barriers to ROI by supporting employees with complex problem-solving, coding, and multistep planning that drives speed, innovation and productivity. As CIOs and business leaders seek tangible return on AI investment, Lenovo is delivering hybrid AI solutions that unleash and customise agentic AI at every scale.

    The AI solutions combine Lenovo’s full-stack AI portfolio and ready-to-customise use cases with new platform options that will support the latest NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra platform, NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs, and networking innovations to empower organisations everywhere to accelerate applications, such as AI reasoning, agentic AI and real-time video generation.

    “Lenovo continues to drive smarter AI for all, bringing together AI models, data and computing power – running on devices, edge, and cloud, and connected with network- to deliver AI solutions that empower human innovation and enable productivity gains,” said Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang. “Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA integrates cutting-edge services and the next evolution of Blackwell accelerated infrastructure to help enterprises easily scale agentic AI across private and public AI models that deliver substantial benefits in effectiveness, cost, efficiency, security, accessibility and customisation.”

    “Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA combines cutting-edge services with the latest NVIDIA Blackwell platform to deliver end-to-end AI solutions. This empowers Indian enterprises to seamlessly scale agentic AI across private and public models,” said Amit Luthra, Managing Director, Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group, India. “With AI adoption in India set to contribute over $500 billion to the economy by 2025, businesses can now develop and deploy AI agents within weeks—driving productivity, efficiency, and innovation. At Lenovo, we are committed to accelerating this transformation and delivering real ROI at scale.”

    “AI agents that can reason and adapt are redefining how we work,” said NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang. “NVIDIA and Lenovo are providing the essential infrastructure to power AI inference and reasoning at scale—bringing generative and agentic AI from research labs into real-world enterprise applications.”

    Hybrid AI defines the next Era and fuels Agentic AI

    Data exists everywhere – in manufacturing, retail, banking, healthcare business locations, enterprise data centres and in the public domain. Hybrid infrastructure allows data to be collected, stored, processed, and then fed into enterprise AI models for training in the hybrid cloud, and provides inferencing at the edge or on devices with training models.

    The new offerings leverage Lenovo’s leadership in hybrid infrastructure and the recently announced Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA to efficiently scale agentic AI across business locations using a factory-type approach that turns data intelligence from everywhere into transformational outcomes.

    Fully validated and tested Agentic AI use cases

    The Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA framework includes the Lenovo AI Library, which consists of a portfolio of customised, tested and proven use cases empowering teams to be more productive and deliver AI. Agentic AI can be uniquely accessed on personal devices, workstations, and data centres across enterprise locations and enable ROI in key areas, such as:

    • Content Generation – Automating content creation up to 8x faster, enhancing quality, and personalising customer interactions.1
    • Customer Service – Improving customer service efficiency by 50% with reduced response times, automating chatbot interactions, and reducing handling times by 20%2
    • Knowledge Assistants – Breaking down data silos, enhancing enterprise knowledge sharing, and automating workflows, such as faster contract reviews. For legal teams, for example, this has boosted productivity by up to 80% and enhanced accuracy by 45%.3

    At NVIDIA GTC, Lenovo debuted the Lenovo AI Knowledge Assistant, a digital human assistant that engaged in real-time conversation with attendees to transform their event experiences and navigation. Powered by the Lenovo agentic AI platform, the solution enables organisations to rapidly customise Lenovo AI Library use cases and operationalise new AI agents and assistants within weeks. The demo was customised using the digital human NVIDIA AI Blueprint and NVIDIA NIM™ microservices, running on a Lenovo PX ThinkStation.

    Attendees used natural voice and language to interact with the AI assistant about relevant event details, maps, schedules and meeting locations, maximising their time and optimising navigation. The demo brings to life how Lenovo’s tested and proven solutions can help businesses get customised agentic AI up and running faster, connecting and collaborating with customers and employees on a whole new level to improve outcomes and experiences.

    The Lenovo agentic AI platform, the industry’s most complete on-prem agentic AI solution, simplifies deployment so customers can scale agentic AI across personal, enterprise, and public environments to automate workflows, boost productivity, and accelerate decision-making. Fully integrated with the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform, it includes essential software toolkits, advanced data tools, pre-trained models, and automated deployment features. Lenovo AI services and experts provide guidance to streamline adoption while ensuring AI delivers real value. The platform also prioritises security and trust with a Responsible AI framework and a GenAIOps dashboard for centralised AI management, performance monitoring, and bias detection.

    Enterprise-ready hybrid AI factory for scalable growth

    As the world transitions to accelerated computing for AI workloads, Lenovo is helping businesses quickly build, scale and operate their own AI factories — high-performance, scalable and protected environments for delivering trusted AI solutions. These new platforms help organisations efficiently build, scale and integrate agentic AI across business locations using validated designs that support multiple workloads with standardised, modular, hybrid deployment options. The factories simplify AI training, inferencing, and deployment—whether on-premises, in the cloud, or at the edge.

    Delivering full-stack data centre infrastructure that includes workstations, servers, networking, storage, partner solutions and services, the hybrid AI factory platforms are built with Lenovo Validated Designs based on NVIDIA Enterprise Reference Architectures and NVIDIA-Certified Lenovo ThinkSystem servers. The factory options include the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675, 680, 685 servers and storage solutions using NVIDIA Hopper GPUs, NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs, NVIDIA Grace™ CPUs, NVIDIA Spectrum-X networking, and NVIDIA BlueField DPUs.

    For data centres, the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675 V3 server, equipped with NVIDIA H200 NVL, NVIDIA Networking and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform delivers exceptional performance for AI and HPC workloads. The platform scales from a single server, with just 4 GPUs as a starter environment, to a rack scalable unit (SU), offering a turnkey infrastructure solution that enables enterprises of all sizes to quickly deploy a hybrid AI factory or extend their existing IT infrastructure.

    Lenovo’s AI factory ecosystem also includes:

    • AI-ready Lenovo ThinkStation PX workstations with NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Workstation Edition and NVIDIA AI Workbench for developers.
    • Lenovo Neptune liquid-cooled AI infrastructure, efficiently powering AI at scale and built with the next generation of NVIDIA accelerated computing for cloud service providers tackling LLM workloads.
    • Lenovo AI fast start services for rapid deployment, integration, and scaling that helps businesses deploy use cases and prove business value in 90 days or less.

    Driving the next AI breakthroughs

    Across industries, Lenovo hybrid AI solutions are already transforming healthcare, finance, manufacturing and retail—from summarising medical research and automating compliance reporting to enhancing customer experiences with intelligent recommendations. Lenovo and NVIDIA are working with leading institutions and enterprises to unlock AI’s potential. In Germany, Lenovo secured the first NVIDIA GB200 project with the Technical University of Darmstadt to advance scientific discoveries. The project will feature the new energy-efficient Lenovo ThinkSystem SC777 V4 Neptune systems, advanced high-performance servers powered by Lenovo’s 6th generation Neptune direct water-cooling platform and services. This collaboration builds on the strong partnership between Lenovo and Technical University of Darmstadt, further enhancing the sustainable and high-performance ‘Lichtenberg NHR-Stage 1’ Supercomputer with a pioneering next-gen Grace-Blackwell partition.

    To optimise the patient experience and medical evaluations in preventive health check-ups, the healthcare software development company, Artificial Intelligence System for Human Analysis (AISHA) trained an AI model to analyse MRI scans using a Lenovo and NVIDIA hybrid AI solution. The AI model can analyse a full-body scan in just 30 minutes—over 99% faster than manual analysis—providing doctors with rapid insight and enhancing the patient check-up experience.

    “Without the power of the Lenovo and NVIDIA solution, the model would simply not be able to exist. Lenovo and NVIDIA are unmatched in the field of AI,” said Dr. Juan Pablo Reyes Gonzalez, Head of AISHA.

    The future of AI is hybrid

    By simplifying AI adoption and scalability, Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA solutions are helping organisations across industries unlock data from anywhere to harness AI for real business value. 

  • 7 ways Samsung Interactive Displays are reinventing digital collaboration tools for businesses

    Group meetings require group communication tools for success. Unfortunately, typical meetings today are disjointed and individual. Some people furiously scribble notes, while others jump up to capture whiteboard notes with their smartphone cameras. Still, others may not even be in the room but are following remotely.

    It’s not just the attendees who have issues. Even presenters may struggle to connect their devices, software and file types to the technology in the room. All of this can fracture group focus and hamper collaboration.

    The good news is that technology has come to the rescue again. Interactive displays and smart boards have not only consigned the old whiteboards and projectors to the dustbin of history, but they’ve grown to incorporate a tremendous suite of collaboration tools for businesses that are designed to facilitate group work and support successful outcomes.

    How to plan and deploy direct view LED signage

    Everything you need to know about choosing your LED displays for optimal viewing indoors and out.
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    The new Samsung WAF Interactive Display Series features the best collaboration tools available today, elevating the meeting space in seven important ways.

    A digital workspace: 7 ways Samsung WAF Interactive Displays change everything

    The Samsung WAF Interactive Display is changing how digital collaboration happens in the workplace. Here are seven ways they’re transforming the meeting room:

    1. Brainstorming: Presenters can jot down or draw a steady stream of ideas on the Samsung WAF Interactive Display. A friendly user interface allows users to switch colors and input types — from a thin pen to a thick brush — and erase with a simple swipe of their finger or palm. In fact, a dual-sided digital pen allows users to effortlessly switch between two different colors from the front and back sides of the pen without having to change settings or interrupt the meeting’s flow. In addition, old notes from past meetings can be retrieved for review and editing.
    2. Presenting: While you can use the Samsung WAF Interactive Display as a whiteboard, it can do much more for your presentations. The digital display can run through a presentation deck, image galleries and files, show websites and play video in up to 4K resolution. Presenters can split the screen into two windows and share content from multiple applications simultaneously. A similar feature, Split Note Mode, enables the screen to be split into sections, allowing four presenters to write or draw at the same time. They can also annotate — meaning they can write notes or draw on — the displayed content. Integrated videoconferencing extends the presentation to remote participants, too. The WAF Series comes with an AI Assistant tool, which provides voice transcription at the tap of an on-screen button, allowing you to capture and transcribe entire presentations, including notes and questions. You can also use the Circle to Search with Google tool for quick word and image searches directly on the display.

    Furthermore, to allow staff to make presentations more seamlessly, new quick access controls on the front of the display give presenters fast access to frequently used functions. That way, they can operate the display fast and efficiently and not fumble with technology while speaking.

    • Sharing: Up to nine in-person or remote employees can wirelessly connect their computers or smartphones and simultaneously share their screens on the Samsung WAF Interactive Display. The screen mirroring feature supports Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chrome OS devices. Meeting participants can also share files by connecting their devices to the display through USB-C and HDMI ports. So, instead of everyone huddling around a small computer or smartphone screen at the conference room table, you can simply push content to the WAF display so everyone can see more comfortably.
    • Illustrating: With up to 40 simultaneous touchpoints on the WAF’s touchscreen display, multiple employees can write or draw simultaneously, using Samsung’s dual pen or even their fingers as a stylus. The WAF Interactive Display lets you draw in multiple pen colors, styles and thicknesses and insert 3D shapes like squares or circles.
    • Personalizing: Because the Samsung WAF Interactive Display is based on the Android OS, the device operates familiarly and intuitively. It gives users access to widgets and applications, including the Google Workspace productivity suite and YouTube. Through Google Play, users can download any Android apps that they need. Businesses can also turn their WAF display into a Windows device by plugging a Windows PC device into the OPS (Open Pluggable Specification) slot on the display. That way, users will have access to all the features of a Windows-based computer directly on the display.
    • Editing and appending: You can seamlessly connect the Samsung WAF Interactive Display to third-party apps like Microsoft 365 to edit and annotate anything — from layouts and proposals to images and schematics. Once done, they can capture and store the content, which leads to the last benefit.
    • Saving, storing and distributing: Critical content from meetings, such as conversations or illustrations from brainstorming sessions, can be saved easily to the WAF Interactive Display’s 64GB built-in storage or uploaded to cloud storage. Samsung WAF’s AI Assistant tool also allows you to create an instant summary of the presentation, automatically populating headers for each section and timestamps where certain points were made. Presenters can share the content by emailing meeting attendees or making it available in the cloud.

    Collaborate with Samsung WAF Interactive Displays

    Samsung WAF Interactive Displays come in three form factors — 65-inch, 75-inch and 86-inch — that combine the benefits of easel-based paper flip charts, traditional whiteboards and room projectors into one. The result is a super-charged digital collaboration tool for everyone. Furthermore, the user experience is intuitive, too, so initial training takes mere minutes, and meeting setup is minimal. Most users can walk up to the Samsung WAF Interactive Display for the first time and immediately get to work.

    That work will become all the more dynamic and effective thanks to the collaboration technology and software packed inside, whether at the ideation stage of a project or the final presentation. The display unifies the room, putting all technology under one umbrella, aligning platforms and streamlining connections. Samsung WAF Interactive Display also embraces today’s hybrid and remote work world by incorporating powerful videoconferencing technology, ensuring more people have a voice at the table.

    Workplace versatility

    Business success today often depends on versatility — and that takes in technology, too. Samsung WAF Interactive Displays provide that flexibility in the workplace with an impressive set of digital collaboration tools that help transform ideas into reality. Meetings that start as simple discussions become more interactive, lively and productive — just by someone standing up, walking over to the display and getting to work.

    Learn more about incorporating smart conference room technology with this free guide. And discover how digital displays can also lead to cost savings at the office.

  • Dhananjay Datar on Why Instinct is Key to Business Success

    DUBAI: “Like every other field, there is fierce competition in business today. It is easy to step into business, but difficult to survive and succeed for a long time. Business can’t be done for a chance, leisure, or for charity- and profit should be the only goal to run it. Hence entrepreneurs should do every hard work without hesitation and compete with a ‘kill or be killed’ instinct.” This was the advice recently given by Masala King Dr. Dhananjay Datar, CMD, Adil Group of Super Stores, UAE, to the aspiring Maharashtrian entrepreneurs who were on a business tour to Dubai.

    Datar was speaking at an event titled Dubai Business Conclave 2025 organized by Aakar Digi 9 news channel and Trizon corporate services. The event took place at India Club’s Utsav Hall and was attended by many established and renowned businessmen of Dubai. Prabhakar Suryavanshi, the founder of Digi 9, who arranged this tour to acquaint the Marathi entrepreneurs with the opportunities in businesses and markets of Dubai, facilitated a dialogue with Mr. Datar and others during the event.

    Datar said, “When I first stepped into Dubai, 40 years ago, there definitely was competition, but not as fierce as it is today. Nowadays, entrepreneurs across the world are pouring in here to take advantage of the tax-free market and ease-of-doing business policy. In such a highly competitive atmosphere, outshining the competitors is necessary for survival. Any business should be done for profit only. We can survive by keeping the profit margin reasonable and simultaneously retaining our customers. Business means patience. Hence, those who impatiently chase instant profit, hardly make any fortune.”

    He further said, “No doubt, Dubai is an attractive global business hub, but you have to adhere to the laws and customs here. New aspirants in business have to imbibe perseverance. A new business is just like a newborn baby. An infant takes at least 3 years to walk, talk, and eat on their own. Likewise, a business also starts earning on its own, if you patiently maintain and feed it for the first 1000 days. Maharashtrian youth should discard their traditional mentality to shy away from businesses and daringly reach their products and services to the global market. They will surely succeed if they provide quality products and innovative services at competitive rates.”

    Rahul Tulpule, Vice President, Gof ulf Maharashtra Business Forum, said, “Entrepreneurs should take into account the needs of the customers first before starting the venture. In recent years, Dubai has witnessed a huge inflow of businessmen. It shows that there is an opportunity in every sector.”

    Vivek Kolhatkar, MD, BCW Insurance Consultancy, guided the audience on risk management. He advised the entrepreneurs to first study the market and trends in overseas countries before entering there. Dr. Sanjay Paithankar, who has been providing healthcare for many years in Dubai shared his experiences and Omkar Shenolikar from Quick Heal gave useful information about businesses associated with technology. The event was coordinated by Ms. Shweta Ghalwadkar.

  • Unlocking Business Success: Ashmin Swain’s Pioneering Approach to Data Engineering

    Ashmin Swain

    Photo courtesy of Ashmin Swain

    Today’s organizations are always seeking ways to gain a competitive edge and make informed decisions that drive growth and innovation. In this environment, data engineering plays a crucial role, using data to unlock valuable insights and drive business success.

    Data engineer Ashmin Swain has emerged as one of the people making efforts to utilize their expertise to create inventive practices that improve how organizations approach decision-making, allowing them to keep up with the trend. Swain has an impressive track record spanning over a decade and brings a wealth of expertise to the field of data engineering.

    Unlocking Insights through Resilient Data Architectures

    Swain’s hands-on experience in architecting advanced solutions is rooted in his insights into how ingenious data engineering can transform business decisions.

    “The key to unlocking the true potential of data lies in designing robust and scalable data architectures,” Swain explains. “Optimizing data ingestion processes and standardizing analytics reporting can enable organizations to make data-driven decisions confidently.”

    His work demonstrates his ability to design data infrastructures that enable efficient analysis across diverse categories and geographies. Through pioneering techniques for streamlining data pipelines and building efficient data warehouses, Swain has helped organizations unlock valuable insights and drive business growth.

    “Innovative data architectures lay the foundation for transformative business intelligence,” Swain adds. “When we can harness the power of data at scale, we open up new possibilities for deviation and competitive advantage.”

    Swain extends his expertise beyond the technical aspects of data engineering. He is known for his ability to align data strategies with business objectives, ensuring that the insights generated from data are accurate and actionable. “Data engineering is not just about building pipelines; it’s about creating a bridge between raw data and business value,” Swain emphasizes.

    Bridging the Gap between Data and Business Strategy

    One key area where Swain’s thought leadership shines is his approach to maximizing data engineering to solve complex business problems. “Data engineering is turning that data into actionable intelligence,” Swain emphasizes. Partnering with business stakeholders and understanding their unique challenges can help us develop tailored solutions that align with overarching strategic goals.”

    Swain recognizes that the true value of data lies not just in its collection and storage, but in the insights and permutations it can drive. He empowers organizations to harness the full potential of their data assets by facilitating self-service analytics and creating data products that serve analytical and operational use cases.

    “When we democratize access to data and provide the right tools for analysis, we enable decision-makers at all levels to make informed and timely choices. This is where data engineering truly becomes a game-changer for businesses,” Swain explains.

    Swain’s deep understanding of organizations’ challenges in the digital age is rooted in his methodology for bridging the gap between data and business strategy. He recognizes that data silos, inconsistent data quality, and lack of data literacy are common barriers to effective decision-making.

    “We can unlock the full potential of data-driven decision-making by breaking down silos and empowering teams with the right skills and tools,” Swain suggests.

    Shaping the Future of Data-Driven Decision Making

    Swain sees immense potential in integrating advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI into data engineering practices. “The future of data engineering lies in taking advantage of groundbreaking technologies to navigate market shifts, identify emerging trends, and stay ahead of the competition,” Swain predicts. “We can unlock new frontiers in business decision-making by combining the power of data with the intelligence of AI.”

    Swain’s forward-thinking vision makes him a guiding force in shaping the future of data-driven decision-making. Through his leadership and hands-on experience, Swain has demonstrated how data engineering can enable businesses to make faster, more informed decisions.

    Swain’s innovative approaches have empowered organizations to stay ahead in today’s progressing digital age, ultimately driving growth, innovation, and competitive advantage.

  • 6 Reasons Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore CRM in Your Contracting Business

    Best Business Ideas for Diwali

    In contracting businesses, standing out isn’t just about delivering stellar services; it’s about how you manage relationships and streamline operations. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems have transformed from a nice-to-have into an absolute necessity. Why? Because they provide a scaffold that supports not just customer management but also project efficiency and financial clarity. This guide delves into why integrating a CRM into your contracting business isn’t just a wise choice—it’s a crucial strategy for success.

    The Heartbeat of Every Contracting Business: Customer Management

    At its core, CRM systems are all about nurturing customer relationships for contracting businesses; where transactions are not just one-off deals but potentially long-term engagements, maintaining robust relationships is paramount. A CRM system ensures that every client interaction is tracked and optimized for maximum satisfaction. Whether it’s scheduling appointments, following up on service queries, or ensuring project updates are communicated effectively, a CRM system handles them all. This not only boosts client satisfaction but also increases the likelihood of repeat business and referrals—key growth drivers in the contracting industry.

    Unlocking Operational Excellence with Construction CRM

    From the initial client consultation to the final project handover, every phase in contracting demands meticulous attention to detail. Here is where specialized construction CRM becomes an essential. These systems are tailored to handle the unique challenges of the construction sector, including project management, resource allocation, and compliance tracking. By centralizing all operational data—from materials procurement to manpower scheduling—a construction CRM eliminates the common pitfalls of project management, such as delays, cost overruns, and communication breakdowns. This centralization not only streamlines processes but also provides actionable insights that can lead to improved efficiency and profitability.

    Financial Clarity and Streamlined Accounting

    One of the less talked about but critically important benefits of CRM systems in contracting is financial management. Integrating financial data with customer and project information allows businesses to gain a holistic view of their financial health. This integration enables contractors to track expenses, monitor budgets, and ensure invoices are issued and paid on time. With comprehensive financial reporting at their fingertips, business owners can make informed decisions that drive company growth and ensure financial stability, even in fluctuating market conditions.

    Leveraging Technology

    As contracting businesses evolve, so does the technology that supports them. A key feature of modern CRM systems is their ability to integrate with other technological advancements—like 3D printing. This integration can significantly enhance operational efficiencies in construction. The phrase “advancements in 3D printing” captures a revolution in creating detailed, cost-effective models for construction projects directly from the CRM system. These models help in visualizing finished projects for clients and planning with greater accuracy, reducing the time and cost associated with traditional methods. This technology synergy not only streamlines project planning but also offers a competitive edge in bidding processes, where precision and innovation stand out.

    Enhancing Team Collaboration and Communication

    Beyond managing external client relationships, CRM systems are invaluable in bolstering internal team collaboration and communication. With features like shared calendars, task management tools, and real-time updates, teams can stay connected and informed regardless of their physical location. This is particularly beneficial for contracting businesses where teams often work remotely or on-site. Effective communication facilitated by CRM ensures that all employees are aligned with project goals, timelines, and changes, leading to increased productivity and fewer errors or delays.

    Data Security and Compliance in Contracting

    In the contracting business, handling sensitive client and project data comes with the territory. CRM systems help in managing this data securely, adhering to legal and regulatory requirements. With robust encryption and user-access controls, CRMs make sure that critical information is protected from unauthorized access and breaches. What’s more, they can help businesses stay compliant with industry standards and regulations by providing frameworks and tools to manage documentation, certification, and reporting processes efficiently. This not only safeguards the business and its clients but also builds trust, which is fundamental in client relationships.

    CRM systems are no longer optional for contracting businesses aiming for long-term success. By adopting a CRM, contracting businesses can navigate the complexities of the industry more smoothly, making sure they not only survive but in fact thrive in today’s market. Embracing CRM is not just about keeping up with technology—it’s about setting a foundation for sustained growth and success.


    Neel Achary

  • Practus Is Helping Business Owners Unlock Value in Their Busi

    Mumbai, 07th May, 2024: Practus Advisors, India’s premier Performance Improvement and Business Transformation options suppliers, helps enterprise house owners construct worth in their companies by scaling and professionalising it.

    Many enterprise house owners spend the higher a part of their lives (in some instances generations) making an attempt to determine and develop their enterprise. When the time involves scaling and unlocking enterprise’ worth, they battle to institutionalise the enterprise and professionalise it. In nearly all instances, their private wealth is commonly tied up in firm steadiness sheets making it difficult for them to exit the enterprise and pursue different pursuits.

    Practus assists in institutionalizing processes and professionalising companies to cut back dependency on owner-managers, thereby supporting scalability and sustaining operational excellence. Using knowledge insights and know-how, it implements interventions to boost productiveness and enhance worth to earnings a number of and cashflows for greater enterprise valuations. Better valuations, in flip, allow the house owners to unlock their private worth in the enterprise and exit the enterprise, in a worthwhile and predictable method. Promoters of a speciality chemical compounds enterprise, for example, had been in a position to develop their revenues from ~$40m to $95m, enhance EBITDA margins from 13% to 16%, increase two rounds of Private Equity and ultimately listing in public markets, delivering a 10x enchancment in Enterprise Valuation in ~4 years.

    SVenkat, Founder of Practus, explains the corporate’s worth proposition, “We actively companion with enterprise house owners to create the gentle infrastructure, the methods, processes and the individuals, that can assist them to scale their enterprise. Practus intervenes each at a strategic and on the working stage, handholding passionate, bold and moral Business Owners at each step of their progress journey. Our options are extremely tailor-made, preserving in thoughts the distinctive alternatives, cultural DNA and stage of evolution of every firm.  Our ecosystem of inside groups, know-how instruments and companions delivers measurable and tangible productiveness enhancements, operational excellence and valuation enhancements for our purchasers. Practus permits Business Owners to grow to be exit prepared with the reassurance that their lifetime’s endeavour can develop to the subsequent stage. For instance, at a $50m know-how companies firm, share of pocket evaluation, higher cross-sell/ upsell technique and mission stage costing helped enhance realisations by a median of ~18%.  Better time monitoring and dynamic manpower useful resource allocation, led to improved worker productiveness, resulting in margin enlargement from 17% to 24% ”


    Mansi Praharaj