E magazine, april 2017

1www.varindia.com April 2017
VOLUME XVIII ISSUE 08 APRIL 2017 PRICE Rs. 50
McAfee now a standalone company Ricoh launches two models of Color MFP
Digitisation and Role of IoT for
Next Generation Enterprise
Thursday, 25th May 2017, New Delhi

2 April 2017 www.varindia.com
Huawei SD-DC² Distributed Cloud Data Center Solution
meets dynamic data demands
For business enquiries, e-mail us at web-ebg@huawei.com

Flipkart acquires
eBay India
Tencent, eBay and Microsoft have
made investments aggregating
to $1.4 billion in Flipkart to acquire eBay
India. The latest funding round from the
three global technology giants, at a post-
transaction valuation of $11.6 billion, adds
to an existing group of marquee investors
that include Tiger Global Management,
Naspers Group, Accel Partners and DST
Global.
“We are
delighted that
Tencent, eBay
and Microsoft
— all innovation
powerhouses — have chosen to partner
with us on their India journey. We have
chosen these partners based on their long
histories of pioneering industries, and the
unique expertise and insights each of them
bring to Flipkart,” Sachin Bansal and Binny
Bansal, founders of Flipkart.
The investment by eBay is accompanied
by a strategic commercial agreement with
Flipkart.
Keysight to acquire
Ixia for $1.6 Billion
Keysight Technologies has decided
to buy U.S. data technology
company Ixia for about $1.6 billion in cash
in a bid to increase its software and security
portfolio. The deal comes as the increasing
volumeof data
traffic flowing
t h r o u g h
social media,
smartphones and cloud computing tests the
resilience and integrity of networks, making
Ixia's equipment and applications more
popular with its clients and coveted by its
peers.
Ixia's customers include Cisco Systems
Inc., Santa Rosa, California-based Keysight
spun off from life sciences manufacturer
Agilent Technologies in 2014. Ixia would
be its largest acquisition since it bought
Britain's Anite Plc.
IBM partners with Red Hat Infosys wins Cloud Elite Status in OPN
SUBSCRIPTION COPY NOT FOR SALEVOLUME XVIII ISSUE 08 APRIL 2017 PRICE Rs. 50
40pg
GST–Abiggame-changerfortheeconomy
CSR Summit &
Awards 2017
Thursday, 25th May 2017, New Delhi
Topic:
CSR @ Inclusive Development

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India’s internet economy is expected
to double by 2020
…….. but information security is at risk
HELLO INDIA
Innovation is what leads to sustainability, and sustainable growth in the current entrepreneurship ecosystem
will enable India to chart its own success story. In the present scenario, India is the second-highest country
in terms of Mobile Internet users with ~391 million users. This is expected to grow rapidly to ~650 million
Mobile Internet users by 2020. At the same time, data consumption by 2020 could potentially increase 10–14
times, resulting in a clear roadmap for $250-billion Digital Volcano by 2020.
E-commerce and financial services are projected to lead this growth. Resultantly, digital economy will have
a much broader influence beyond the direct economic impact. Digital adoption has started delivering several
citizen-centric social benefits like enhancing ease of doing business, improving access to services and products
and transforming governance. As the new digital paradigm emerges, adapting to change will become critical, but
at the same time dynamic changes in the technology landscape, led by digitization, are creating opportunities for
cybercriminals.
It is an absolute fact that digitization is happening everywhere, virtually to every business in every industry.
When we talk about the security aspect, we always say it is not a matter of ‘if’, rather ‘when’ you will be hacked. Well… when
it comes to Digital, it too is not a matter of it will happen. Cybersecurity threats have become more complex, targeted and
persistent, modern cyber defences require proactive security operations run by highly trained staff with the experience and
expertise to detect and disrupt sophisticated threats.
In the result, digitization brings new risks for cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity in the Digital Economy is the bridge that
connects Digital Innovation to business growth enablement. This opens a new door for cybersecurity experts that has grown
three times faster than any other IT job role, and training a cybersecurity workforce is a priority for many organizations. This
has created a situation of constant risk for organizations not seen at any point in our lifetime. As we increase our connectivity
and create new services, we dramatically expand the attack surface. The question is over recorded 50,300 cybersecurity
incidents like phishing, website intrusions and defacements, virus and DDOS attacks which were observed in the country during 2016. Lack of strong
cybersecurity strategy can impact organization’s innovation and growth because it hinders development of digital offerings and business models.
Lastly, security is in top of mind for the enterprises today, and increasingly, at their board level. Cybersecurity in the Digital Economy is the bridge
that connects Digital Innovation to Business growth enablement and security for the Digital Economy must take a top-down strategic approach, heavily
influenced at the board level and driven by the C-suite.

Website: www.varindia.com
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40pg
VAR CORPORATE
28| Cisco India: Will Five Pronged
Cybersecurity Strategy Work?
53| Lenovo partners Govt. of
Maharashtra for Village Social
Transformation Mission
TECHNOMANIA
38| Israel ready to be the Cyber
Security partner to India
TAIWAN EXCELLENCE
26| Asus – the quest for excellence
and innovation continues
COVER STORY
40| GST – A big game-changer for
the economy
LEAD STORY
30| Securitygoingbeyondtraditional
parameters
VAR SPECIAL
24| Digital Payment: Making BHIM a
Mass Movement
FACE TO FACE
27| F5intendstoaddressbottlenecks
in an app-centric world
39| Canon keen to promote photo
culture in India
46| GST to help government run a
legitimate economy
REGULARS
Round About 10
Hot Bytes 12, 14
On the Ramp 16, 18
Voice N Data 20
Channel Buzz 22
Movers & Shakers 54
Product of the month 25 | 45
51| Konnect Insights helps build brand
image in digital media
VAR MOBILITY
48| Samsung ties up with Amazon
India over C7 Pro
49| 4G connections to reach 41% by
2020
VAR SECURITY
52| NetworkAccessControlinMobility
Era

ROUND ABOUT
Data Mining & Analytics – DoThey
Rewrite the IT Landscape?
There are two phraseologies which you may be hearing more
frequently these days in meetings and seminars directly or remotely
connected with information technology. Why I said more often because in
earlier times, these jargons were seldom used.
Let me explain the context in which I hear such jargons. In a serious
discussion on healthcare, I heard from a college professor from an Ivy
League University in the U.S. talk how data mining and analytics are used
to find the trend of diseases in certain countries specific to that area. The
professor elaborated that in a country like Finland, where type 1 diabetes
is very common, particularly among the juveniles. There was a concerted
effort to data mine to find out the possible reasons. One conclusive
correlation between juvenile diabetes and lack of vitamin D, which is
grossly insufficient in a cold country like Finland, was established.
Hardly is there any segment revolutionized by technology as healthcare
is. It may be in a relative sense since the perception is that healthcare is
something that revolves around doctors, hospitals, diagnostics and the
patients’ interfaces with them individually or collectively. That concept has
gone for a toss. For instance, medical experts are of the view that for cases
that can be treated at the primary healthcare centres need not have to be
through the hospital and the patient need not have to meet the doctors in
person. The interface or consultations with the doctor and patient can take
place in the virtual medium, wherein the doctors can attend to patients
through the virtual medium with the help of a trained nurse, even if the
doctors sit hundreds of miles away. Technology platforms now available
can make healthcare both affordable and accessible. Moreover, the patients
need not have to travel huge distances to get the consultations done. Yes,
technology has made steady strides.
Data analytics is finding acceptability in every sphere of life, even in
criminology. Research is being done to find out the genes that make people
more prone to criminal activity. If the exact reasons are found out, it may
become possible for the clinicians and genetic engineers to reverse such
trends. Does it mean that the world is moving towards a state that can nip
the faulty genes in the bud itself and that way moving towards an orderly
society free from all vices. It may sound Utopian now. But who knows it
may be a possibility in the near future. Through data mining, experts are of
the view that the DNA that causes ageing can be found out. Should it mean
youthfulness and agility become disengaged with the process of ageing?
Not many know that data mining and analytics in the genome are
emerging as frontier businesses for many IT firms. There are some
factors that helped such enterprises to come up in India. Foremost is the
US Supreme Court decision which was pronounced in 2013 in the case
of Myriad Genetics Inc., wherein the court has maintained that natural
human genes cannot be patented since it is a product of nature. It said
that genome is a basic tool of scientific and technological work and it is
beyond the domain of patent protection. But the court also maintained that
synthetic genetic material, such as clones, can be patented, since billions of
dollars are involved in the research and it should be recouped. Also, the
process through which the genome has been discovered can be patented as
a process patent.
There are many genome research outfits coming up in India also, while
in countries like the U.S. and the U.K. they occupy an important position
in the corporate ladder. Some of them have listed in the stock exchange
in anticipation of huge surge in their fortunes once they struck with some
landmark discoveries. More than commercial connotations, the research
findings of these companies will unravel several mysteries about genetics,
causes for mutation and even prevention of such mutations, saving the
humanity from the double whammy of pain and financial loses.
There is scope for using data analytics in fields like economics,
sociology, and law. For instance, the central bank of a country can easily
evolve a solution to an economic ill by looking at the trends, as obtained
earlier. With the help of huge data stored, the trends of the inflation can
be found over the years and what measures that helped in bringing down
the prices. The policy-makers also can scan through the data stored for
other countries. It can also instruct the central banks to pursue differing
monetary policies suitable to each situation. In the fiscal administration, a
country can gauge the impact of a fiscal levy before it is being imposed by
going through data collated for other countries. What I am trying to drive
home is that it is possible to find trends that can be extrapolated to arrive
at specific conclusions.
Have we given enough focus to data mining and analytics in our overhaul
of IT policy? I suspect not. There are reasons to believe. Just to imagine that
this is an area where start-ups can proliferate is a simplistic inference. Data
mining and analytics fall under the purview of R&D. It is a capital-intensive
venture, where huge investments are required. A start-up entrepreneur
seldom finds such resources. There should be government funding and
support for such efforts. Also, there should be greater government, industry
and academia tie-ups to foster such costly research. There can be a high
financial risk involved. Even after years of research, breakthrough results
may elude. There can be many alternative proposals that can be thought of
in this regard, such as joint research where there can be an investor from
outside for meeting the initial cost with an understanding that the outcome
can be jointly patented. The other alternative is selling the R&D efforts to
an industry, after it has reached a certain degree of maturity and certainty.
While we move towards a system that connects with digital economy,
from birth to death, what system we have to protect the data and prevent
others peeping into our private life. This is a question, which everyone is
asking. In India, we have heard about Aadhaar data being compromised
by the vested interests. There are sporadic complaints being raised by
the politicians and others about the electronic voting equipment being
compromised or which can be tampered with human interventions, so
much so that the Supreme Court of India has made it mandatory to have
a parallel system of digital voting and the conventional method of voting,
wherein the ballot paper generated by the machine has to be dropped in
the ballot box. In the U.S., we hear about how Russians had influenced
the recent election and that scandal is refusing to die down. How do we
face this challenge? The way out is embellishing the cybersecurity systems,
wherein there should be foolproof devices that can prevent hacking or
manipulation. Happily, this is also a multibillon industry, where India can
have its legitimate pie. n

HOT BYTES
MSDE partners with BYST to boost
skill-based entrepreneurship
Tableau presents New
Subscription Pricing
Silicon Power aims at building a
strong brand in Indian market
Intel announces initiatives to
accelerate AI in the country
D-Link to amplify SI engagement
through its partner portal
McAfee now a standalone company
Tableau has
a n n o u n c e d
subscription pricing for all
of its products, including
Tableau Desktop, Tableau
Server and Tableau Online.
The pricing model reduces
the initial expense to deploy
best-in-class business
intelligence, enabling
customers to access the full
value of Tableau’s award-
winning platform and
frequent product updates
without purchasing a
perpetual software licence.
With Tableau’s subscription
offerings, organizations
of all sizes have the
predictability and flexibility
SP/ Silicon Power
has welcomed Ajay
Kogta to its international
sales team. With its latest
hire, the Taiwan-based
company aims at building
sustainable sales and service
operations in India and is
excited to have Kogta on
board. As part of its long-
term commitment towards
the Indian market, Silicon
Power has plans to set up
two RMA centers in India
– the first one in Bangalore,
followed by Delhi.
“For our mission to
be successful, it is crucial
that we can offer an in-
country solution for RMA.
The Ministry of
Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship
(MSDE) has signed an
MoU with Bhartiya Yuva
Shakti Trust (BYST). The
MoU will help nurture the
underprivileged residing
in the rural hinterlands,
and assist them to become
entrepreneurs through
effective mentorship.
The collaboration
seeks to provide mentor
development services to
the officials suggested by
the ministry for promoting
and setting up micro and
rural businesses. At BYST,
the mentors share the
experience in an advisory
capacity and suggest
potential areas of market.
Mentoring in a way opens
wider vistas to the budding
businessman.
they need to budget and
plan deployments.
“Many customers
have told us they prefer to
purchasesoftwarethrougha
subscription model to more
easily access the products
they want, reduce upfront
expenses and increase
flexibility,” said Adam
Selipsky, President & CEO,
Tableau. “We have always
been driven by the success
of our customers, and
with subscription pricing
we’ll be even more aligned
with our customer’s needs
and further committed to
earning their business every
year.”
We are very excited about
the Government’s ‘Make-
in-India’ initiative and
would like to be a part of
it. Starting from USB flash
drives and power banks,
we will gradually increase
our local manufacturing of
other products,” explains
Kogta. “By the end of 2018,
SP intends to have a local
Indian team of 8–10 head
counts,” added Kogta.
Intel India has hosted
its first AI Day
where the government, the
industry, and the academia
congregated to discuss the
potential of accelerating
the AI revolution in the
country. The company
deep dived into
its global AI
strategy, and
alsohighlighted
how it is
working with
the ecosystem
in India to improve solution
performances on Intel’s AI
platforms.
Intel India
has announced a
comprehensive developer
community initiative – the
AI Developer Education
Program, targeted
at educating 15,000
scientists, developers,
analysts, and engineers
on key AI technologies,
including Deep Learning
and Machine Learning.
Through 60 programs
across the year,
ranging from
w o r k s h o p s ,
roadshows, user
groupandsenior
t e c h n o l o g y
l e a d e r
roundtables, the initiative
aims at empowering this
community with the know-
how for adoption of AI via
technicalsessionsinvolving
the use of ready-to-deploy
platforms and tools for
solution development.
McAfee has
announced that
it has begun operating as a
standalone company. As a
standalone business, it will
expand upon its leading
security solutions platform
to better enable customers
to effectively identify and
orchestrate responses to
cyber-threats.
The launch of McAfee
marks the closing of the
previously announced
investment by TPG and
Intel Corporation (INTC)
to establish a pure-play
cybersecurity company with
access to significant capital,
D-Link has
continued to
enhance its focus on
enterprise business segment
for the year 2017 with
renewed business strategy.
D-Link plans to amplify its
engagement with System
Integrators (SI) through
D-Link partner portal.
The core objective of
D-Link partner portal is to
empowerSystemIntegrators
on the latest advancements
in networking domain
via Webinars & training
programs. The company
has also introduced an
exclusive D-Link Partner
Program for its registered
users on the website. In
addition to partner program,
D-Link will be announcing
schemes/ offers for its
system integrators at regular
interval along with a host
of other benefits. D-Link
at present has 3000 plus
registeredSystemIntegrators
on its partner portal and is
looking at strengthening its
user base this year.
operational and technology
resources. With the help
of its new investment
partners, McAfee will apply
greater market focus, build
its platform and target new
financial, operational and
technology investments
to better address the
cybersecurity market’s
significant global growth
opportunity. Intel Senior
Vice- President and General
Manager Chris Young will
lead the new McAfee as
Chief Executive Officer.
TPG Partner Bryan Taylor
has been named Chairman
of the Board.
Snapdeal ties
up with AP
Government
Snapdeal has entered
intopartnershipwith
University of California,
Berkeley for the Andhra
Pradesh Government’s
Smart Village Project.
With the objective of
discovering economical
and infrastructural barriers
faced by artisans in these
villages, UC Berkeley and
Snapdeal are aiming to
create viable solutions
through digitization and
new-age services.
Vishal Chadha, SVP,
Business Team, said, “We
are proud to partner with
the Government of Andhra
Pradesh and UC Berkeley,
enabling digital access
and generating a world of
commercial opportunities
for small artisans. Working
with a vibrant base of
3 lakh sellers of various
sizes, we continue to drive
inclusive growth and in-
sync development."
Pune Police
adopts
WorkApps Chat
Pune Police has
become the first
government body to join
the wave of organizations
moving to Dedicated and
Secure Chat Applications
for better, faster and secure
communication between
internal teams. With
mobile devices becoming
the primary source of
communication, Public
Chat Applications pose
a threat for government
bodies as they are neither in
control of the government,
nor is their data hosted in
India.
Rashmi Shulka, IPS,
Commissioner of Police,
Pune, said, “Speed of
information and its security
are emerging as the key
factors of efficient policing.
Information needs to
be communicated on a
real-time basis and to the
right officers for prompt
action."

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HOT BYTES
Google and MEITY to
empower citizens
Infosys wins Cloud Elite
Status in OPN
VMware works towards enabling
emerging businesses in India
A2B Internet acquires Juniper
Networks' vMXVirtual Routers
IBM partners with Red Hat
CATechnologies buys
Veracode for $614 million
Google India and
the Ministry
of Electronics and
Information Technology
(MEITY) have announced
a set of initiatives aimed
at empowering citizens
and creating abundant
opportunities for all.
Some key areas outlined
as part of this initiative
include enabling a safe and
secure digital payments
experience, imparting
digital skills for artisans and
Android skills training for
students and developers.
The announcements were
made in New Delhi by
Aruna Sundarajan, MEITY
Juniper Networks
and A2B Internet
have announced that A2B
InternethasselectedJuniper
Networks vMX Virtual
Routers as the first Virtual
Network Function (VNF)
for its next-generation
network platform. This
architecture will enable
A2B Internet to deliver
new agile and automated
services for its customers.
A2B Internet also
improved monitoring and
management capabilities by
deploying vMX.
A2B Internet provides
connectivity solutions to
Secretary, and Rajan
Anandan, VP, SEA and
India, Google.
Aruna Sundarajan,
Secretary, MEITY, said,
“MEITY intends to give
impetus to the Hon’ble
Prime Minister’s recent
call for a 'New India'.
Collaboration with Google
will be hugely beneficial in
harnessing the capabilities
for the ‘India growth’
story.”
Infosys has achieved
Cloud Elite status in
the Oracle PartnerNetwork
(OPN). With this
designation, Infosys is
well positioned to help
customers achieve cloud
transformation,andprovide
sophisticated capabilities
and next-generation
services on Oracle Cloud.
With strategic specialization
and training programs,
innovative joint solutions,
and a clearly defined
solutions roadmap, Infosys’
Cloud Elite status will
help clients derive better
business value.
With multiple solutions
on the Oracle Cloud
Marketplace, dedicated
centers of excellence
(COE), industry-specific
solutions, co-development
initiatives, and RapidStart
Methodology that delivered
as much as 30-per cent
reduction in effort and
cost, Infosys has a very
strong value proposition to
give clients an unparalleled
competitive advantage.
This new dimension of the
partnership gives an added
impetus to the commitment
and engagement for
next-generation services
on Oracle Cloud and
provides greater value
to our clients through
higher specialization and
innovative co-developed
solutions.
VMware is expanding
its reach to emerging
businesses in cities in
India. With the expansion
rollout, VMware will also
focus on the cities like
Jaipur, Vizag, Nagpur,
Goa, Bhubaneswar,
Guwahati, Cochin,
Coimbatore, Ludhiana
and Chandigarh to enable
emerging businesses to
overcome IT challenges.
With businesses facing
major challenges of
accessing IT resources
and applications while
managing complex work
environments, VMware’s
tailor-made solutions will
empower them to protect
their IT infrastructure as
they evolve to support
their business initiatives.
“At VMware, we work
towards enabling emerging
businesses by empowering
them to optimize their
businesses through their
limited resources and
enabling them to evolve
the infrastructure from
within,” said Sundar
Balasubramanian, senior
director, General Business
(Commercial Sales &
Partners), VMware on the
expansion plans.
internet service providers,
web, cloud, hosting and
enterprise companies.
The previous solution
was no longer able to
meet the growing scale
of A2B Internet's data
connections. Convergence
time was also critical for
the provider. When a link
fails or changes, each router
must rapidly recompute
and update its routing
tables. Juniper Networks
vMX was selected for its
fast convergence times
and its rich set of routing
features and automation
capabilities.
IBM and Red Hat
have announced
a strategic collaboration
designed to help
enterprises benefit from
the OpenStack platform’s
speed and economics
while more easily
extending their existing
Red Hat virtualized and
cloud workloads to the
IBM Private Cloud.
IBM has become a Red
Hat Certified Cloud and
Service Provider, giving
clients greater confidence
that they can use Red Hat
OpenStack Platform and
Red Hat Ceph Storage on
IBM Private Cloud when
the offering launches
for general availability at
the end of March 2017.
Red Hat Cloud Access
will be available for IBM
Cloud by the end of Q2
2017, allowing Red Hat
customerstomoveeligible,
unused Red Hat Enterprise
Linux subscriptions from
their data center to a
public, virtualized cloud
environmentinIBMCloud
Data Centers worldwide.
CA Technologies
has announced
that it has completed the
acquisition of Veracode.
The acquisition establishes
CA Technologies as a leader
in the Secure DevOps
market, bridges its Security
business with its broad
DevOps portfolio and
adds to its growing SaaS
business.
With the completion
of the transaction, Bob
Brennan, former Chief
Executive Officer, is now
general manager of the
Veracode business in
the company’s product
development organization
reporting to Ayman Sayed,
CA President and Chief
Product Officer.
Under the terms of the
agreement, the transaction
is valued at approximately
$614 million in cash.
HCL signs
MoU with
Government
of AP
Shri Chandrababu
Naidu, Hon’ble
Chief Minister of Andhra
Pradesh, and Shiv Nadar,
Founder & Chairman, HCL
& Shiv Nadar Foundation,
signed an MoU to open a
state-of-the-art Global IT
Development and Training
Centre at Vijayawada. The
ceremony was attended by
senior government officials
and the leadership team of
HCL.
HCL aims to hire,
employ and train 5,000
local residents in the region
with a plan to leverage a
gender equal workforce.
The selected candidates will
undergo a rigorous training
program by industry
experts on skills required
for working for global
customers of HCL. The
centre will also work on
developing innovative high-
end technologies.
Spice Digital to
become a GST
Suvidha Provider
Spice Digital has
become one of the
GST Suvidha Providers
(GSPs) and soon to provide
comprehensive tax-related
services to taxpayers. After
signing the agreement,
Spice Digital will now offer
seamless integration to
ASPs, Corporates, MSME,
TRPs with the GSTN
network to enable the
businesses to be compliant
with the Goods and
Services Tax (GST).
GSTN has selected
Spice Digital to be the GSP.
As the GST constitutional
amendment having been
promulgated by the
Government of India, the
much- awaited GST Bill
will play a very important
and strategic role. Being
able to provide impeccable
fintech services, SDL has
got the expertise to manage
companies which pay big
revenue taxes.

ON THE RAMP
Xerox unveilsVersant 3100
andVersant 180 Presses
Trend Micro protects
against Cerber threats
Twitter Lite launched in India
along withVodafone
Honeywell unveils SMX Solution
for secure use of USB Devices
BPE launches GTC Series Level
UPS power supply system
Epson unveils four models
of InkTank Printers
Xerox India has
launched Xerox
Versant 180, Versant 180
Performance Package and
Versant 3100 presses at the
Print Miracle 2017. The
launched mid-production
colour presses consist
of a unique combination
of higher image quality,
greater media latitude
and higher duty cycles for
more productivity and
performances.
Balaji Rajagopalan,
Executive Director,
Technology, Channels &
International Distributor
Operations, Xerox
India, said, “The Xerox
TrendMicrothrough
its multi-layered
approach, will help protect
against the new variants of
Cerber threats, which are
causing disruption across
the gateway, endpoints,
networks, and servers of
enterprises. The Cerber
family of ransomware has
adopted a new technique
to make itself harder to
detect, using a new loader
that is designed to evade
detection by machine
learning solutions.
"Users should avoid
relying on any single
approach to security. We,
at Trend Micro, provide
Twitter has launched
its global Twitter
Lite product from India,
reinforcing its commitment
to the country as a strategic
mobile and social media
market worldwide. Twitter
Lite is a mobile web
experience accessible to
anyone with a smartphone
or tablet with a browser,
optimized for speed with
up to 30% faster launch
times, reduces data usage
up to 70% with data saver
mode turned on, and takes
up less than 1MB on mobile
devices. Of course, Twitter
Lite still provides the key
features of Twitter as well
Honeywell Process
Solutions (HPS)
has announced a new
solution for industrial sites
as they balance productivity
and cyber security demands.
Honeywell’s Secure Media
Exchange (SMX) protects
facilities against current
and emerging USB-borne
threats, without the need
for complex procedures
or restrictions that impact
operations or industrial
personnel.
Honeywell’s SMX
provides hassle-free, multi-
layered protection for
managing USB security,
letting users simply plug
Versant family has already
established a merit in
productivity, automation
and media flexibility. It has
seen a great response in the
market and we are looking
forward to sustaining the
momentum for this year as
well. The newly-launched
presses will achieve a new
standard of image quality
by delivering four times
more pixels than other
presses.”
endpoint security solutions
like Trend Micro Smart
Protection Suites, and
Worry-Free Business
Security to protect users
and businesses from
the threats by detecting
malicious files, spammed
messages and to block all
related malicious URLs.
Trend Micro OfficeScan
with XGen endpoint
security infuses high-
fidelity machine learning
with other detection
technologies and global
threat intelligence,” said
Nilesh Jain, Country
Manager (India and
SAARC), Trend Micro.
as app-like performance
such as a wide range of
push notifications and
offline support.
Maya Hari, Managing
Director, Twitter Asia-
Pacific, said, “India today
is already one of Twitter’s
largest and fastest-growing
audiencemarketsworldwide
and we’ve seen significant
usage around key moments
in the Indian society such as
the recent State Elections,
Union Budget, and the Jio
Film Fare Awards."
in and check devices for
approved use in the facility.
Contractors “check-in”
their USB drive by plugging
it into an SMX Intelligence
Gateway. The ruggedized
industrial device analyzes
files using a variety of
techniques included with
Honeywell’s Advanced
Threat Intelligence
Exchange (ATIX).
BPE has launched
GT challenger
series LEVEL UPS.
It is a modular, three-
phase, double conversion
uninterruptible power
supply system which
provides operating
efficiencies as high as 96.5
percent even at half load.
TheGTCseriesLEVEL
UPS covers power ranges
from 120 kVA to 800 kVA.
"We are always looking
for ways to make our
customers' experience
easy and seamless. Our
product portfolio is proven
Epson has launched
four new models
of InkTank printers with
advanced features. The new
multifunction L361, L380,
L385 and L485 printers
will complement Epson’s
current range of highly
successful InkTank printers
to provide added value for
customers.
The new models offer
ultra-high page yields of
7,500 pages in color or
4,500 pages in black with
each set of inks, delivering
the lowest cost per print
of 7 Paise for black and
to be reliable, efficient,
and scalable. Our latest
addition, GTC series
LEVEL UPS is ideal for
all sizes of industrial power
requirements looking to
achieve lower costs and
savings on operational
ongoing with greater
flexibility and shorter
deployment schedules,"
said SK Mahapatra, AVP
Technical, BPE.
18 Paise for color in the
market. The L380, L385
and L485 InkTank printers
bring superior performance
and reliable quality, at
improved printing speeds
of 10 ipm for black and
white, and 5.0 ipm in color.
All the new printers offer
a warranty of one year or
30,000 prints. The L380
printer provides more value
with an additional two
black bottles on top of the
provided set of bottles.
Ixia extends
delivery of
visibility to
Public Cloud
Ixia has announced
that it has further
extended the reach
delivered by the CloudLens
Platform to the public
cloud. CloudLens Public
provides Visibility-as-a-
Service (VaaS) and is the
first to be implemented
as a pure Software-as-a-
Service (SaaS) solution. It is
designed from the ground
up to retain the benefits
of the cloud – elastic
scale, flexibility, and agility.
CloudLens Public provides
intelligent and automated
visibility as a service that
scales with public cloud
infrastructures.
Access to application
and network data in
cloud environments is
critical for security and
monitoring tools to ensure
the reliability, security, and
performance of mission-
critical applications.
DIGISOL unveils
DG-FS1005PF-
20 Switch
DIGISOL has
launched its
4-port Fast Ethernet PoE
unmanaged switch with
one single mode fiber
port designed to enhance
network performance in a
compact form factor. The
switch has a sturdy and
compact desktop design.
Thus, the DG-FS1005PF-
20 is an ideal solution for
small Ethernet workgroups
and applications requiring
PoE along with long-
distance fiber Connectivity.
The DG-FS1005PF-
20 switch offers 4x10/100
Mbps Fast Ethernet ports
with Power over Ethernet
support. These PoE ports
areIEEE802.3af compliant
and can supply up to 15.4
watt per port. The existing
Ethernet cables can be used
to power up IEEE802.3af
compliant network devices.
This eliminates the need of
an external power source.

ON THE RAMP
Ricoh launches two
models of Color MFP
Western Digital presents
Purple 10TB HDD
F-Secure launches Cloud Protection
on Salesforce AppExchange
Kingston launches DC400 SSD
Reliance Group's Unlimit signs
partnership with Cumulocity
ALE launches Hybrid
Communication Blueprint
Ricoh has launched
two models of
color MFP – MP C2004SP
and MP C2504SP. Powered
by Workstyle
I n n o v a t i o n
Technology, the
ingenious feature
set of the MFPs
redefines the way
users print and
shareinformation
in modern work
environment. A
sound-reducing
design, which
incorporates an
anti-vibration
system and noise-absorbing
materials, makes for quieter
Western Digital
has announced
the WD Purple10TB
HDD hard drive line for
surveillance applications.
According the IHS Markit,
anticipated growth of
4K-compliant and high-
resolution network cameras
over the next few years is
driving higher demand for
surveillance-class storage to
support systems featuring
these technologies. The
WD Purple 10TB HDD is
optimized for 24x7 video
surveillance systems and
up to 64 high-definition
(HD) cameras in home
and small business security
operation.
Enterprises can
customize their work
through iconic automated
shortcuts, user-
specific security
controls and
fingertip access
to critical
i n f o r m a t i o n
that help drive
productivity. This
is combined with
banner printing
capabilities for
h i g h - q u a l i t y
output and a new
Intel processor to
help productivity and speed
up jobs.
environments.
“Advanced imaging
technology advancements
are expanding the value that
video surveillance provides
for applications ranging
from retail and public safety
monitoring to smart-city
infrastructure, all of which
are driving new storage
needs,” said Khalid Wani,
MD for India Sales, Western
Digital Corporation.
F-Secure has
launched Cloud
Protection on the
Salesforce AppExchange,
protecting organizations
against malicious content
shared in the cloud.
F-Secure Cloud
Protection checks links
and files for malicious
content as they are
shared through Salesforce,
ensuring the cloud stays a
safe place for companies
and for users. The solution
combines award-winning
Best Protection with easy
no-middleware installation.
"With F-Secure Cloud
Protection, we enable
a holistic approach to
security in company cloud
environments,” said Mikko
Peltola, Vice-President of
Business Development,
F-Secure. “Sharing content
is a vital part of doing
business, and with our
solution, it remains a strong
enabler to smooth business
operations."
Kingston has
announced Data
Center 400 (DC400) SSD,
the latest solid-state drive
to its range of enterprise
solutions. DC400 SSD is an
entry-level enterprise drive
designed for server use in
data centers, especially for
customers who deploy a
rip-and-replace strategy. It
is ideal for read-intensive
applications such as boot,
web servers and lower data
rate operational databases
and analytics, especially in
data center mixed workload
environments where
endurance and reliability
are important.
DC400 SSD offers
superior quality of
service for data center
customers whose
workload environment
calls for sustained IOPS
and consistent low
latency. A Standard and
user-adjustable over-
provisioning improves
random IOPS performance
and endurance while
enterprise firmware
improves latency.
Reliance Group’s
U n l i m i t h a s
signed partnership with
Cumulocity, the leading
IoT software provider
worldwide.
The partnership will
roll out a suite of new
products and services
on a new platform, titled
‘Enablement’. Enablement
will allow businesses to
connect any device over
any network, and manage
and store asset data, by
controlling them in real-
time by monitoring device
availability and administer
and rectify device faults.
The versatility of
Enablement allows it to
be tailored specifically for
specialized businesses and
provides enterprises with
the ability to compose their
own IoT app in minutes,
with the “smart rules”
wizard used to instantly
spot operationally critical
states.
The newly launched
product line will showcase
off-the-shelf applications
for key verticals such as
industrial automation,
healthcare, financial
services and asset tracking
and/or tailored to suit the
unique demands of the
Indian market.
Al c a t e l - L u c e n t
Enterprise (ALE)
is introducing its hybrid
communications blueprint
to help businesses adopt
Unified Communications-
as-a-Service (UCaaS).
Rainbow Connected
Platform is an overlay
service that connects
ALE and third-party
communications platforms
in a hybrid approach,
enabling businesses to
protectandleverageexisting
systems while accessing
new unified communication
services.
ALE is also introducing
OTEC-S cloud-based offer
aimed at providing small
and mid-sized companies
with benefits of Telephony-
as-a-Service coupled
with Rainbow’s UCaaS
capabilities. This expansion
of the Alcatel-Lucent
OpenTouch Enterprise
Cloud(OTEC)offerfurther
extends the ALE strategy
to deliver connected
platforms by enabling
enterprises of any size to
take advantage of new
subscription-based models.
Large enterprises have
benefited from the OTEC
multi-instance architecture
since its introduction three
years ago.
ADATA launches
External SSD
ADATATechnology
has launched
SD600 external SSD, which
uses high-quality 3D TLC
NAND to offer 256GB and
512GB variants. The drive
reaches speeds of 440MB/s
read and 430MB/s write.
It weighs a mere 90g for
convenient portability,
and works driver-free with
Windows PC, Xbox One,
PS4, and Android. The
SD600 is available in all-
black and red-black colour
schemes.
True to its athletic
look, the SD600 delivers
440MB/s read and
430MB/s write. Even in
the best of circumstances,
internal and external
mechanical hard drives
cannot hope to come close
to that. Approximately
four times faster than spin
drives, the SD600 shortens
load times and results in
smoother-perfor ming
games and applications
whenever quick asset
streaming is essential.
Dell launches
Entry-level
Thin Client
Dell has introduced
its thin client that
offers good performance
and manageability for task
and basic productivity
users. Compatible with
Citrix, Microsoft and
VMware virtual workspace
environments, the Wyse
3040 thin client provides
a cost-effective endpoint
solution that is highly
secure, yet easy to deploy
and manage. It is the
industry entry-level Intel
x86-based quad-core thin
client delivering robust
connectivity options and
a choice of Wyse ThinOS
or ThinLinux operating
systems.
The Wyse 3040 thin
client is an affordable,
efficient and easy to manage
endpoint solution that
allows IT managers to keep
costs low while supporting
basic productivity and light
multitasking.

LEADING IT SOLUTIONS PROVIDER IN INDIA

VOICE-N-DATA
Qualcomm to encash on India's
4G feature phone market
Jio launches All Unlimited
Plan for Jio Prime Members
RailYatri data shows fluctuating
mobile connectivity on long
Ericsson and IIT Delhi to launch
“5G for India”program
Bharti Airtel to acquire
Tikona’4G business
Nokia's 100G deployment supports
Jio's pan-India 4G network
Qualcomm India
has launched
Qualcomm 205 Mobile
Platform to encash on
4G feature phone market
designed to bring 4G
LTE connectivity and 4G
services to entry level 4G
feature phones.
The Qualcomm 205
Mobile Platform includes
the Qualcomm 205 SoC,
“India and the South
East Asia regions present
growth opportunities in
the telecom space with
4G adoption rising and
continued adoption of
feature phones. The launch
of Qualcomm 205 Mobile
Reliance Jio
Infocomm (Jio)
has announced that the Jio
Summer Surprise has been
fully withdrawn, following
the advice of the Telecom
Regulatoryauthority
of India (TRAI).
Jio has
f u r t h e r
a n n o u n c e d
that ALL
UNLIMITED
plans with special
benefits, exclusively
for its Jio Prime members
is aimed at encouraging
Jio subscribers to live
the Digital Life without
restrictions – Jio Dhan
train routes
On a long train
journey, the
mobile phone invariably
becomes the biggest
entertainment and
knowledge source for
passengers. The new
version that was recently
launched displays the
mobile network coverage
for any train. So, travellers
can check and compare the
mobile connectivity across
different routes. To check
the network coverage, just
open the timetable of any
train on the RailYatri app
and a link on the bottom
Ericsson and the
Indian Institute
of Technology Delhi
(IIT Delhi) have signed
a memorandum of
understanding to jointly
roll out a “5G for India”
program. Ericsson will set
up a Center of Excellence
with a 5G test bed and
incubation center at IIT
Delhi and use this facility to
drive the development of
the country’s 5G ecosystem.
This program has been
conceptualized to fast-
track realization of Digital
Platform presents a unique
opportunity for OEMs,
operators and content
providerstoextendsuperior
experiences to users by
enabling data on feature
phones,” said Jim Cathey,
senior vice president and
president, Asia Pacific
and India, Qualcomm
Technologies.
Dhana Dhan! The plans
start with the Rs.309 ALL
UNLIMITED PLAN,
which provides Unlimited
SMS, calling and data (1GB
per day at 4G speed)
for 3 months on
first recharge.
T h e
c o m p a n y
has also
a n n o u n c e d
the Rs.509 ALL
U N L I M I T E D
PLAN for daily
high data users offering
Unlimited SMS, calling and
data (2GB per day at 4G
speed) for 3 months on first
recharge.
of the screen will map
the route along with the
coverage details.
“Internet connectivity
along the rail routes has,
thus, become important to
ensureapleasantexperience
for today's travellers. With
the Network Coverage
feature, passengers now
know what to expect along
their train route. Armed
with this information, they
can make their calls or take
decisionslikedownloadinga
movie or book,” comments
Manish Rathi, CEO & Co-
Founder, RailYatri.in.
India initiatives and aid
application development
for Indian start-ups and
industries.
The first series of tests
under this program are due
to begin in the second half
of 2017 and will place India
on par with other developed
countries in terms of 5G
network and application
deployment. Globally,
limited deployment and
5G trials are expected to
start by mid-2018 while
commercial availability is
slated for 2020.
Bharti Airtel has
entered into a
definitive agreement with
Tikona Digital Networks
to acquire Tikona’s 4G
Business including the
Broadband Wireless Access
(BWA) spectrum and 350
sites, in five telecom circles.
Tikona currently has 20
MHz spectrum in the 2,300
MHz band in Gujarat,
UP (East), UP (West),
Rajasthan and Himachal
Pradesh circles. Airtel
plans to roll-out high speed
4G services on the newly
acquired spectrum
in the five circles
immediately.
The acquisition
of Tikona's
4G business
in Gujarat, UP
(East), UP (West) and
Himachal Pradesh will be
undertaken by Airtel, while
in Rajasthan circle, it will
be accomplished through
Airtel’s subsidiary Bharti
Hexacom.
Nokia has provided
100G solutions
for core and metro solution
for Reliance Jio Infocomm's
pan-India 4G LTE network
to handle the massive
traffic growth fuelled by the
operator's initiative to build
broadband connectivity for
all of India.
Spanning 90,000 km,
Reliance Jio is one of the
biggest 100G deployments
in the world. The Nokia
transport network allows
Jio to offer innovative,
high-capacity services to
underserved regions in
India as well as a nationwide
long-distance service. Jio
has clocked unprecedented
subscribergrowthasa result
of its plan to bring India
into the top ten broadband
countries in the world. Jio
deployed Nokia's high-
capacity transport network
to offer high-bandwidth
services such as video
streaming, multimedia
content distribution and
cloud and business services
to its rapidly increasing
subscriber base.
Lava adopts
Spreadtrum LTE
SoC platform
Sp r e a d t r u m
Communications
has announced that its LTE
SoC platform, SC9820 has
been adopted by Lava for
its Connect M1 phone.
Lava Connect M1 is
powered by Spreadtrum’s
28nm 1.2GHz dual-
core ARM Cortex-A7
LTE platform SC9820,
supportingVoLTEanddual-
SIM function. It features a
512MB RAM/4GB ROM
storage, a MicroSD slot up
to 32GB and comes pre-
installed with Facebook
Lite, providing feature
phone users a perfect smart
experience.
Spreadtrum SC9820
integrates 1.2GHz dual-
core ARM Cortex-A7
processor, ARM Mali-400
MP1 GPU for 3D graphics
acceleration and supports
TDD-LTE, FDD-LTE,
GSM modes and GPRS
connectivity.
RCOM gets
SEBI approval
for proposed
demerger
of wireless
business
Re l i a n c e
Communications
(RCOM) has received
approval of the Securities
and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI), BSE Limited
(BSE) and National Stock
Exchange of India Limited
(NSE) for the proposed
Scheme of Arrangement
for demerger of the wireless
division of the company
into Aircel Limited and
Dishnet Wireless Limited
(the Scheme).
Pursuant to the same,
Reliance Communications
has filed an application with
National Company Law
Tribunal (NCLT), Mumbai
Bench, for approval of the
said Scheme. The proposed
transaction is subject to
other necessary approvals.

VAR SPECIAL
Digital Payment:
Making BHIM a Mass Movement
Initially, the focus was on promoting digital payment but presently the
stress is on making it a mass movement through Cash Back and Referral
Bonus schemes and declaring 75 townships going less-cash
To make digital payment a mass
movement, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi launched the BHIM Aadhaar platform
for merchants, Cash Back and Referral bonus
schemes for BHIM and declared about 75
townships going less-cash on the occasion of
the 126th birth anniversary of Dr Bhim Rao
Ambedkar in Nagpur.
The BHIM Aadhaar is the merchant
interface of the BHIM app and it will pave
the way for making digital payments by using
the Aadhaar platform. Any Indian citizen can
pay digitally using their biometric data (thumb
imprint) on a merchants’ biometric-enabled
device which could be a smartphone having a
biometric reader. Any citizen without access
to smartphones, internet, debit or credit cards
will be able to transact digitally through the
BHIM Aadhaar platform.
Already, 27 major banks are now on board
with 7.15 lakh merchants so that they can start
accepting payments using BHIM Aadhaar.
One can expect more banks onboarding
along with increase in merchant numbers as
government has a strong push to make digital
payment a way of life in the days to come.
Initially, the government's focus was on
promoting digital payments but now the
focus is on creating awareness about digital
payments to the grassroots level through
BHIM Cash Back and Referral Bonus scheme.
The scheme has an overall outlay of Rs.495
crore for a period of six months. Under the
Referral Bonus scheme, both the existing
user who uses BHIM and the new user who
adopts BHIM would get a cash bonus credited
directly to their account. Under the Cash Back
scheme, the merchants will get a cash back on
every transaction using BHIM. Both schemes
are to be administered by the Ministry of IT
& Electronics and would be implemented by
the National Payment Corporation of India
(NPCI).
Niti Aayog focussed on creating awareness
about digital payments through Lucky Grahak
Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana which
have come to an end after a rigorous 100-day
information, education and communication
campaign. The Prime Minister felicitated
the winners of the mega draw of the two
major incentive schemes to promote digital
payments – Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-
Dhan Vyapaar Yojana. 100 days of Digi-Dhan
Melas was led by NITI Aayog in 100 cities
across India for enabling increased usage of
digital payments. As per government numbers,
at least 15,000 institutions have gone cashless
across just these 100 rural and urban cities.
With a turnout of over 15 lakh from cities,
small towns and villages, the melas have
enabled lakhs to open new bank accounts as
well as create new Aadhaar cards.
Under the scheme, Rs.258 crore of prize
money was won by 16 lakh winners, including
customers and merchants belonging to
different corners of the country and from
varied walks of life. 20-year-old Shradha
Mohan Mengshette, a second year student of
Electrical Engineering from Latur district in
Maharashtra, emerged as the winner of Rs.1
crore mega draw for consumers. The second
prize of Rs.50 lakh, under the Lucky Grahak
Yojana for consumers was won by Hardik
Kumar, a 29-year-old primary school teacher
from Khambhat in Gujarat. The third prize

of Rs.25 lakh went to Bharat Singh from the
Sherpur village in Uttarakhand.
Thefirstprizeof Rs.50lakh,undertheDigi-
Dhan Vyapar Yojana category for merchants,
was won by Anand Ananthapadmanabhan of
GRT Jewellers in Tambaram, Tamil Nadu.
The second prize of Rs.25 lakh was won by
Ragini Rajendra Uttekar, owner of a small
beauty parlour in Thane, Maharashtra. The
third prize of Rs.12 lakh was won by 33-year-
old Shaik Rafi who runs a wholesale clothing
store in Ameerpet, Telangana.
BHIM app has already created a new
record by registering 1.9 crore downloads in
just four months since its launch in December
2016. Until November 2016, the volume of
all digital transactions was 280,000 which
amounted to Rs.101 crore in value terms.
In just four months, by March this year, the
volume of payments using various digital
payment modes saw an increase of about
23 times amounting with 6,380,000 digital
transactions for a value of Rs.2,425 crore.
Aadhaar-enabled payments have increased
from 2.5 crore in November 2016 to over 5
crore in March 2017. Immediate Payment
Service (IMPS) transactions have also
increased from 3.6 crore to 6.7 crore during
the same period.
In order to achieve the target of 2,500
crore digital transactions during the current
financial year, the government will also
announce about 75 townships spread all
over India as “less-cash townships”. A less-
cash township is one where the deployment
of payment acceptance infrastructure is
complete, all the families in the township
are covered under the training programmes.
The townships selected for the launch have
been subjected to independent third-party
Digital Payment Statistics
• BHIM App has registered 1.9 crore downloads in just four months
• Digital transactions volume has increased by about 23 times with 6,380,000 digital
transactions in March 2017 to 280,000 transactions in November 2016
• The value of digital transactions has increased from Rs.101 crore in November 2016 to
Rs.2,425 crore in March 2017
• Aadhaar-enabled payments have increased from 2.5 crore in November 2016 to over 5
crore in March 2017
• Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transactions have also increased from 3.6 crore to
6.7 crore during the same period
assessment by PricewaterhouseCoopers
(PwC) and only those townships which have
reported more than 80% of the total number
of transactions in the township being done
through digital modes of payments during the
review period are included in this list. These
townships are likely to generate over 1.5 lakh
digital transactions every day, thereby leading to
about 5.5 crore digital transactions in a year.
The BHIM Cash Back and Referral
Bonus schemes and less-cash townships will
definitely help the government to promote
digital payments modes to the grassroots
level to meet the target of 2,500 crore digital
transactions during the current financial year
from the present 101 crore transactions in the
month of March 2017. n
Pravin Prashant
pravin@varindia.com
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
ZyXEL SBG3500-NB00
The ZyXEL SBG3500-N series Wireless N Fiber WAN Small Business
Gateway is the "multi-WAN gateway" that provides high-speed Internet access
for business users. Featuring not only VDSL2/ADSL2+ functionality but also
one GbE WAN with Small Form Pluggable (SFP) interface, this device offers
flexible multiple-WAN connectivity to adopt various Internet interfaces. It also
enhances network performance for small businesses to pursue the ultimate
success. The ZyXEL SBG3500-N series provides multiple WAN interfaces,
including DSL and Gigabit Ethernet, for load balancing and WAN backup.
Service providers can flexibly offer WAN services of the highest availability in
one single box for small business owners to enjoy non-stop services. Powered
by the load balancing and fail-over mechanisms among multiple WANs, it
maximizes WAN stability for mission- critical Internet applications with
benefits of the integrated bandwidth.The advanced VDSL2/ADSL2+ bonding
and dual-personality Ethernet WAN functionalities enable service providers
to increase bandwidth and extend coverage. With the available copper lines,
service providers can take advantage of VDSL2/ADSL2+ bonding to not
only provide higher speeds for the existing subscribers, but also improve the user experience for those who are far away from the cabinet with stable,
sufficient bandwidth regardless of the distance. Besides, if fiber lines are preferred, the ZyXEL SBG3500-N series can use the Small Form Pluggable
(SFP) interface to connect Fiber Ethernet for distances much longer than Gigabit networks, or simply connect to other Ethernet WAN devices without
additional cost laying new fiber. Based on Access Control List (ACL) rules, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), Denial of Service (Dos) and Distributed
Denial of Service (DDoS) measures, the ZyXEL SBG3500-N Series provides the first-line defense against hackers, network intruders and other harmful
threats. The configurable Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is another benefit that provides more flexible accessibility while preventing external attacks toward
the confidential resources and databases.

Asus – the quest for excellence
and innovation continues Founded : April, 1989
Type : Public listed company
Traded as : TWSE: 2357/ LSE: ASKD
(Secondary)
Headquarters : Taipei, Taiwan
Industry : Computer hardware and
electronics company
No of Offices : 58
Employees : About 17,000+ (R&D =
5,500)
AsusTek (or simply Asus) is the #1
international brand from Taiwan and
it has been enjoying this position for the last 4
years. The company has been named the most
admired company for 2 consecutive years, and
has retained the position of the #1 motherboard
and graphics card makers in the world. It is
passionate about technology and is driven by
innovation. The company is always in search of
incredible ideas and experiences and aspires to
be incredible in everything it does.
Obsessed about innovation, Asus has in its
offerings a number of interesting and innovative
products. In the smartphone category, the
Zenfone series has been quite great which was
founded in 2014. In fact it is one of the top
selling smartphone brands in South-East Asia,
Japan and Taiwan. Asus sees itself well prepared
for the computing era, where in the next 5 - 10
years the company’s leadership sees covering
personal computing, mobile computing, IoT
computing and robotic computing on a large
scale. And this would not be possible without
the great leadership at Asus.
Apart from hardware, Asus has got a very
big investment in the area of software. Asus
Cloud is one of its subsidiaries; users around the
world know them for the web storage service
on the Asus devices. Taipei city government also
has a very close collaboration with Asus Cloud
to provide free web storage to all the citizens
from the city.
A Big Focus on Gaming...
We all understand that in spite of the PC
industry slowing down worldwide, the gaming
industry has grown into a billion dollar business.
There is a lot of potential to earn profits – both in
the segments of gaming hardware and software.
The gaming hardware market in 2016 alone had
hit $30 billion globally; the growth has been
however in the higher segment. The high-end
purpose built PCs is where PC gaming vendors
are putting their focus on for profitability. This
drives home the point that gaming devices might
be niche but gamers are not.
Additionally, apps are driving the
gaming industry at a faster pace than what
was envisaged a few years back. The E-Sports
phenomenon is also gaining momentum, if
not in all the markets, but in a few of the
markets globally. In 2016 alone, there were
alone 148M viewers for e-sports, which
will go up to 215 million in 2019. In terms
of revenues, we are seeing a huge potential
evolving around e-sports as it proves to be
an ideal platform to reach out to young
millennials who are active in the social
space and are technology conscious. In 2016,
e-sports was a $493 Million business, and is
projected to go up to $1.1 billion business by
2019.
ROG (Republic of Gamers) is a gaming
sub-brand of Asus that has been around for
10 years. Founded in 2006, it tries to give the
best experience to the customers and build the
future gaming landscape. Asus launched its first
ROG products in 2006. The idea is to deliver the
most innovative hardcore gaming hardware and
solutions to offer an ultimate gaming experience
to truly dedicated gamers worldwide. Since it saw
this segment as something unique, Asus decided
to operate it separately as a sub-brand. Today it
has the most complete portfolio to cater to the
gaming segment. Under the sub-brand, Asus has
a huge product line-up of gaming products like
gaming motherboards, gaming graphic cards,
gaming monitor, gaming laptop and so on.
It plans to incorporate more products to this
portfolio.
ROG plays an active part in the global gaming
community, helping develop the industry by
sponsoring events such as PAX, BlizzCon and
Dreamhack. ROG has also been recognized as a
leader in PC gaming, winning many awards.
In India, the latest product to be launched
in the market is the ROG Strix GL553 compact
ultra-light gaming laptop. With its new ROG
series launch, Asus has tried its best to cater
to the demands of all the gaming segments i.e.
from entry and mainstream levels to professional
gaming.
It has always been Asus’s endeavour to
provide the best gaming experience to the users
and ultimately help the gaming industry in India
and the worldwide to thrive. n
Samrita Baruah
samrita@varindia.com
TAIWAN EXCELLENCE

FACE TO FACE
F5 intends to address bottlenecks
in an app-centric world
Keeping application security into focus, F5 is adding to the company’s comprehensive security solutions that will provide visibility of gaps
within one’s defence system as well as provide a hybrid strategy to mitigate any cyberattacks.
Parag Khurana, Managing Director - F5 Networks throws more light on this to discuss how F5 today looks at application security -
Hybrid cloud is a reality today. F5 recently did a study for 2000
of its top enterprise customers worldwide; almost 75% said
that hybrid cloud is a reality, while another 20% said that they will move
half of their applications to the Cloud. There are three important things
happening at present – digital economy, ecommerce and digital banking.
And with this cyber security threats have increased.
The study also indicated that 5-7% of investment is on security
spending nowadays.
“From F5 perspective, we still continue to be a leader in the ADC
(Application Delivery Network) area worldwide; we enjoy a 50% market
share. In India, we enjoy a market share of 35%. We are still focusing on
application delivery but security has taken a bigger picture,” says Parag
Khurana, Managing Director - F5 Networks.
Business leaders across different sectors are increasingly cognizant
of how powerful applications and data assets can be in the journey to
achieving agility demanded from the shift to the digital economy. More
than ever, organizations need to rethink traditional security architectures,
to focus on areas of greatest vulnerabilities – their applications and users.
“Apps have become mobile and they can be accessed on mobile
phones. If we talk to a CIO or a CSO today, they say that 75-80% of their
applications are web enabled. The next level for them will be to move
these apps on cloud. But again their biggest concern is security. Earlier
their environment was within a physical parameter, let’s say a datacenter. So
even if you place your firewall within your parameter, you are ensured safe.
But now it’s not the case because apps have moved out of the datacenter.
Again for instance, a company provides infrastructure as a service; the
concern for them will be that when a customer builds, configure and
deploy an app on it, he should be able to deploy and secure it properly.
Security concerns have indeed risen,” reiterates Parag.
The mission statement of F5 has been to deliver applications to users
in a fast, secured and a reliable manner. For last 10 years the company has
been protecting applications through its platform called web application
firewall, but now it has brought in purpose-built hardware for that. “CSOs
• Herculon DDoS Hybrid Defender gives customers a multilayered
defense against volumetric and pervasive DDoS attacks by
integrating high-performance hardware with the intelligence of
offsite cloud scrubbing via F5 Silverline. This hybrid approach
improves time to mitigation in scenarios where website and
application availability are crucial to customer interactions and
profitability. The product can be deployed in-line or in out-of-
band mode, and provides comprehensive DDoS coverage through
behavioral analytics, sub-second attack mitigation, and visibility
into sophisticated application layer attacks.
• Herculon SSL Orchestrator provides improved insight for the
visibility gaps created by the growing use of encryption for
application data. With purpose-built hardware for SSL/TLS, this
product provides leading cryptographic capabilities, context-aware
dynamic service chaining, and native integrations. A ‘defense in-
depth’ strategy is employed to enhance detection, enforcement,
and orchestration with support from a rich ecosystem of security
vendors.
• Cloud-based application security as a service with Silverline®
WAF Express: F5 is introducing a pre-configured, self-service
offering that takes advantage of its cloud-based Silverline platform.
Customers can easily select which applications WAF services are
applied to, while F5 manages security policies behind the scenes
to protect apps from a wide range of threats including OWASP
attacks, parameter tampering, and bots. In this model, F5’s Security
Operations Center experts engage and maintain policies, including
monitoring, app attack mitigation, and analytics for applications
hosted in the public or private cloud, as well as the data center.
need purpose-built solutions and so we are launching now a new series of
products called Herculon. They are into 2 areas – the first product is in the
DDoS area (Herculon DDoS Hybrid Defender) and the 2nd in the area of
encryption (Herculon SSL Orchestrator),” says Parag.
While focusing on cyber security, F5 has partnered with other security
elements, for instance for Herculon SSL Orchestrator it has partnered
with ATP vendors.
F5seesmassiveopportunitiesforprotectingapplications.Thecompany
is present across verticals, but those companies that are app-savvy or are
adopting business apps happen to come to F5 for its solutions. “Like the
banking sector for their internet banking, IT-ITeS, Telecom are some of
the verticals where adoption of application security is deeper and stronger.
Even Pharma and Manufacturing verticals are moving to application
security in a big way,” says Parag.
He further continues, “We are in a kind of business where if
infrastructure grows, then we are surely to leapfrog. Indian customers have
been investing to protect the traditional parameters of physical security,
but what is changing drastically is the shift to application security. Security
is a market where threats are evolving and protection has to evolve along
with that. There is a catch-up game happening. The challenge before a
CSO today is how fast they can convince their management to invest
more,” sums up Parag. n
Samrita Baruah
samrita@varindia.com

Cisco India:
Will Five Pronged Cybersecurity StrategyWork?
opportunity, Cisco India is focussing on a five-
prongedstrategylayingfocusonacompletesuite
of cybersecurity innovations, launch of Cyber
Range Lab in Gurgaon, Security Operations
Centre to be launched in Pune, Security &
Trust Organization and security companies
acquisition. This 360-degree approach by Cisco
will definitely help government organizations
and corporates to secure digital transactions in
a seamless manner.
For security, Cisco has invested $5 billion in
the last 36 months – be it in terms of acquiring
cutting-edge security companies or making
foolproof security products for its customers.
Innovations in Security Product and
Solutions: For conducting innovations in the
cybersecurity space, Cisco has around 5,000
engineers globally and around 1,000 engineers
in India. All these engineers focus on different
aspects of security – be it infrastructure
According to NASSCOM and DSCI
Cyber Security Roadmap, the Indian
IT industry has charted out Vision 2025 to
grow the Indian cybersecurity products and
services market to reach $35 billion and create
one million cybersecurity experts and 1,000
cybersecurity start-ups by 2025. On the other
hand, the global security market is expected to
reach approximately $190 billion by 2025 from
$85 billion today and will be driven primarily
by increasing digitization and smartphone
penetration.
According to industry experts, India is
among the Top 5 countries in the world to
be attacked by ransomware and malware. All
this creates a big opportunity for companies
like Cisco in the cybersecurity space, thanks
to the government's Digital India programme
and corporate digitization programme which
is moving at a brisk pace. To encash on the
security, endpoint security, application security,
messaging security, web security, IoT security,
transaction security, security operations and
incident response, risk & compliance and
threat intelligence and specialist threat analysis
and protection.
Cyber Range Lab in Gurgaon: Deepening
its commitment to enhancing cybersecurity,
Cisco recently inaugurated its Cyber Range
Lab in Gurgaon, India. The Cyber Range Lab
aims to provide highly specialized technical
training workshops to help security staff build
the skills and experience necessary to combat
new-age threats.
The lab was recently inaugurated by
Dr Gulshan Rai, National Cyber Security
Coordinator, Government of India, in the
presence of Dinesh Malkani, President, Cisco
India and SAARC, at the Cisco India Summit
2017.
Speaking on the launch of Cyber Range
Lab in India, Dr Gulshan Rai said, "With
this launch, Cisco has taken a leadership
step to enhance the security of India’s digital
infrastructure and speed up digitalization of
India.”
"With the launch of Cisco Cyber Range,
we are helping our customers to be prepared
to identify and mitigate a threat before it
becomes a crisis. The Cisco Cyber Range Lab
is now a reality for customers looking to find
an advantage against the growing legions of
cybercriminals and next-generation threats.
The Cyber Range Lab in India underlines our
commitment to secure and partner with India
in its digital transformation,” commented
Dinesh Malkani.
Cisco Cyber Range Lab will use 200-500
different types of malware, ransomware and
To meet the objectives of Digital India, the company is focussing on a complete suite of cybersecurity solutions such as innovations in
security products and solutions, Cyber Range Lab in Gurgaon, Security Operations Centre in Pune, Security & Trust Organization in Gurgaon
and acquisition of security companies
Company Acquisition Year Specialisation
Network Translation 1995 Firewall
Ironport 2007 Email and Web Security
ScanSafe 2009 Cloud Based Web Security
Sourcefire 2013 Intelligent Cyber Security
Neohpasis 2015 Security Advisory
Lancope 2015 Security Analytics
OpenDNS 2015 Threat Protection
CloudLOCK 2016 Cloud Security
ThreatGrid 2016 Dynamic Malware Analysis
and Threat Intelligence
Source: VARINDIA
Security Companies Acquisition by Cisco
VAR CORPORATE

"With this launch, Cisco has taken a
leadership step to enhance the security
of India’s digital infrastructure and speed
up digitalization of India" - Dr. Gulshan
Rai, National Cybersecurity Coordinator,
National Security Council, Prime
Minister’s Office, Government of India
"The Cisco Cyber Range Lab is now a
reality for customers looking to find an
advantage against the growing legions
of cybercriminals and next generation
threats. The Cyber Range Lab in India
underlines our commitment to secure
and partner with India in its digital
transformation" - Dinesh Malkani,
president, Cisco India and SAARC
STO works with public and private-sector
customers to help analyze their infrastructure,
understand cyber risks, identify and mitigate
vulnerabilities, and assist in building networks
on a foundation of secure, resilient, and
trustworthy products. Security & Trust
organization is based in Gurgaon and will help
in identifying, shaping and bridging national
cybersecurity strategy initiatives for the
government.
Acquisition of Security Companies:
Security, cloud and software are critical
components of Cisco's strategy. During the
last 12 years, the company has acquired 9
companies in the security space and is in the
process of providing foolproof security to
corporates and government departments.
Network Translation, a firewall company,
was acquired by Cisco in 1995 and the
company also acquired IronPort in January
2007. IronPort email and web security
gateway and management products, currently
referred as Cisco Email Security and Cisco
Web Security, has now become an integral
part of the Cisco Security vision and strategy.
The security products and technology from
IronPort complement Cisco's threat mitigation,
confidential communications, policy control,
and management solutions.
In December 2009, Cisco acquired ScanSafe
and kept it as a separate business unit, but, in
2012, the service was renamed as Cisco Cloud
Web Security. On October 7, 2013, Cisco
completed the acquisition of Sourcefire, a
leader in intelligent cybersecurity solutions.
With the close of this acquisition, Cisco is
providing industry's most comprehensive
advanced threat protection portfolios. Cisco
is also offering a broad set of enforcement
and remediation options that are integrated,
pervasive, continuous, and open.
On January 9, 2015, Cisco announced the
acquisition of Neohapsis, a privately-held
security advisory company providing security
services to address customers' evolving
information security, risk management, and
compliance challenges. Neohapsis delivers risk
management, compliance, cloud, application,
mobile, and infrastructure security solutions
to Fortune 500 customers. The acquisition of
Neohapsis helps in reducing complexity and
fragmentation while providing advanced threat
protection across the entire attack continuum
– before, during, and after an attack.
Cisco has also acquired Lancope, a privately-
held company headquartered in Alpharetta,
U.S.A. Lancope helps customers monitor,
detect, analyze and respond to modern threats
on enterprise networks through continuous
network visibility and specialized threat analysis
and protection. Lancope's StealthWatch system
provides visibility into suspicious traffic
patterns inside the network to quickly detect
a wide range of attacks. This helps enterprises
reduce time to detection, respond to incidents
faster, improve forensic investigations, and
reduce risks for the company.
Lancope enhances Cisco's Security
Everywhere strategy, enabling the network to
become a security sensor, delivering continuous
visibility, and accelerating incident response
across the extended enterprise.
100 attack cases to deliver realistic cyber-
attack experiences which can be accessed
virtually from any part of the world. As part
of the Cyber Range experience, Cisco has
designed real-world scenarios to help clients
experience, defend against and shut down
cyber-attacks. The scenarios will also help train
organizations with the necessary steps required
to respond quickly in the wake of an incident,
right from addressing a basic threat to a highly
sophisticated one, monitoring and analyzing
malware infections and providing actionable
information and intelligence to customers.
The Cisco Cyber Range Lab will offer a
comprehensive integrated services portfolio,
which includes: Workshops of 3–5 days of
intensive real-life experience reacting to and
defending against rudimentary and complex
cyber-attacks at any location; Cyber Range
subscriptions, which offer advance threat
intelligence reports; Assistance in re-creating
similar cyber range labs at customers’ premises
and provide threat intelligence updates via
subscription.
Thelabwillalsoenablecustomerstotapinto
a pool of resources such as security specialists
and test engineers at Cisco. Cisco security
experts will work closely with organizations to
understand their business goals, and security
challenges and offer test runs on the proposed
cybersecurity solution/infrastructure.
Security Operations Centre (SOC) in
Pune: The company is also planning to launch
Security Operations Centre in Q4 quarter of
Cisco (i.e. May–July 2017) timeframe. The
SOC will provide multiple services and also
provide advance threat analysis (ATA). Security
Operations Centre (SOC) in Pune will provide a
broad range of services – from monitoring and
management to comprehensive threat solutions
and hosted security that can be customized to
meet customer/partner needs. With India as
the fourth location in addition to Poland, the
U.S. and Japan, this structure allows Cisco to
provide a 24-hour service for customers and
partners regardless of time zone.
Security & Trust Organization (STO):
The Cisco India Security & Trust Organization
(STO) was launched in December 2016. The
On August 27, 2015, Cisco announced it
has completed the acquisition of OpenDNS, a
privately-held company that provides advanced
threat protection for any device, anywhere
and anytime. Acquisition of OpenDNS'
threat protection capabilities complement
and enhance Cisco's current cloud security
offerings across Cisco franchise. OpenDNS'
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform is
fast and easy to deploy, accelerating time-to-
value for customers as part of their defence
architecture or incident response strategies.
On August 1, 2016, Cisco completed its
acquisitionof CloudLock,aprivately-heldcloud
security company headquartered in Waltham,
Massachusetts. CloudLock specializes in cloud
access security broker (CASB) technology.
CASB technology understands and monitors
user behaviour and sensitive data in cloud
applications. It helps secure cloud applications
that customers buy – SaaS applications such
as Google Drive, Salesforce, and Box – as well
as the applications that they build like the IaaS
and PaaS platforms.
With these capabilities added to the Cisco
security portfolio, Cisco will be able to provide
customers with greater visibility, compliance
and threat protection regardless of whether
the applications are fully sanctioned by IT or
not.
On June 2016, Cisco completed the
acquisition of ThreatGRID, a New York-
based company that offers dynamic malware
analysis and threat intelligence technology to
enable security teams to proactively defend
against and to quickly respond to advanced
cyber-attacks and malware outbreaks. The
ThreatGRID products complement Cisco's
Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) portfolio
and the private-cloud products expands Cisco's
ability to protect customers with stringent in-
house data retention requirements.
All these strategies will really help Cisco
to position itself as the leader in the security
market across all customer segments – be it
government or corporate. n
Pravin Prashant
pravin@varindia.com

LEAD STORY
Ransomware – Era of Digital Extortion
Ransomware attacks have increased from a few
hundred(s) in 2005 to 2.5 mn in 2016
Ransomware (the hot favourite in the world
of cybercrime) is setting the new era of digital
extortion. Ransomware is a class of malware that
restricts access to the computer system it infects,
and demands a ransom paid to the creator of
the malware for the restriction to be removed
(Wikipedia). It is nothing but a straightforward
extortion software tool designed to encrypt your
data/lock declaring that the system is locked,
followed by a ransom demand. RSA-2048
encryption is used to perform the heinous act.
The year 2015 marked the birth of ransomware.
Since then, it has transformed (matured) from a
fake antivirus tool to a leading tool in the hands
of digital cybercriminals extorting anywhere
between $500 and $20,000 to unlock data/
systems from individuals, businesses and other
organizations.
Ransomware is of two types. Type I is
encryption ransomware which encrypts the
files on the hard disk and one may find it
quite difficult to decrypt without paying the
ransom demanded. Type II is non-encryption
ransomware where there is no encryption but
instead locks up the systems with a message
“Your computer is locked”.
The evolution and prominence of
ransomware can be well imagined with the
growth of ransomware attacks of just a few
hundred(s) in 2005 to 2.5 million-plus in 2016.
Ransomware Attacks
The initial attempts to find an opportunity by
performing a reconnaissance through a phishing
email. Reportedly, 93 per cent of all phishing
emails are said to be containing encryption
ransomware. Phishing emails hit a new high of
6.3 million in the last year. The usual infection
(Ex: CryptoWall) is through email attachments
B. S. Rao
Vice-President, Marketing
CtrlS Datacenters
Cyber security is of much importance when it comes to datacenters, The aim of physical data center security is largely the same worldwide; barring
any local regulatory restrictions - keeping out the people unwanted in the building, and if they do make it in, then identify them as soon as possible
(ideally also keeping them contained to a section of the building). The old adage of network security specialists, that “security is like an onion” applies
just as much for the physical security of a data center.
The data center security market is expected to grow from USD 6.32 Billion in 2016 to USD 12.91 Billion by 2021, at a high Compound Annual
Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.36%. For the purpose of report, 2015 has been considered as the historical year and 2016 as the base year for performing
market estimation and forecasting. The data center security market is witnessing a rapid growth due to the growing need for network virtualization and
cloud computing that bring out higher work efficiency levels within the organization. Data center security solutions help in securing big data transfers
and securing a network from any risk. Additionally, the growing adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) calls for advanced secured network
solutions.
Security going beyond
traditional parameters

with enticing subject lines are sent attached with
zip files containing ransomware executables
or even a link to click on. Once the individual
opens the files, the executable file locks up the
system and in case the he/she clicks on the
malicious link, a connection is established to the
malicious website and immediately an exploit is
launched and malware is shipped online – if the
ransomware hacker manages to gain control of
the system, the system is locked and a message
such as “Your system is locked” is displayed.
Browser
When you visit a website a browser, hijacker
locks up your browser with a message that
“Your browser has been locked” – to indicate
that the hijacker has taken over the browser does
not allow the user to close the browser (window)
or switch to another web page and demands a
ransom to gain access to your system again.
World’s Most Dreaded
Ransomwares
Cryptolocker, Cryptoware, Locky, Jigsaw,
Teslacrypt, Fareit, Samsam, Peyta, Fantom,
Crysis,Cerber,Shade,PowerwareandRansom32,
among others are the digital extortionists ruling
the world of cybercriminals.
Ransomware Demands Across
Industry
A hospital in LA, USA was infected with
ransomware and had to pay up ransom in
bitcoin(s) after their system and network was
locked up for more than a week. In some cases,
MRI is locked until the ransom is paid, an X-ray
machine is turned off and files are encrypted
until the ransomware is paid. One other hospital
ended up paying over $10,000 as ransom to
restore its IT systems. Almost 80 per cent
healthcare organizations have been affected by
ransomware. In yet another case, the ransomware
criminals gained control of heating, ventilation,
and air conditioning (HVAC) of a data center
and released only after the ransom was paid.
In a recent case in India, an ERP system of
a multinational was locked by ransomware
criminals and they had to pay up the ransom
in bitcoins. An educational institute too was
hit by ransomware attack and had to cough up
the ransom to restore their systems. India ranks
number one on the ransomware radar, besides
other countries from Europe and Americas.
Ransomware Prevention
To prevent ransomware attacks, it is critical
that every organization deploys latest web and
spamfilters,IDS,antivirus,IP/Cloudreputation
systems, DNS layer security (as per system
deployment). Sandboxing is yet another way to
prevent and secure your systems. This apart, it is
important to take regular data backups, disable
RDPs to thwart any ransomware attacks.
Lastly, it is important to avoid plugging
in the USB sticks (usually received during
trade shows) where information is circulated
for business or academic purposes. It could
contain ransomware (virus) infecting your
initial system where it is inserted and then go
on to infect all other systems on the network
and then lock up the systems and demand
a ransom. To avoid such occurrence, it is
important to scan the USB stick/drive before
using, encrypt data on USB drive. It would be
best to avoid USB sticks in the first place as a
policy in the organization.
Finally, as far as ransomware is concerned,
prevention is better than cure.
DT Act, 2000 Amended DT Act, 2000 will definitely help India
The amendment of 2008 has failed to define
word “Hacking” or “Hacker”, surprisingly the
act of hacking with the very word “hacking”
finds a mention in section 66 of the original
Act.
Section 79 of the amended IT Act, 2000 is
not a penal section under the Act. Penalty under
the Act would arise on any person or a body
corporate. When an incident has occurred on
account of other sections such as Sec 43, 43-A,
65, 66, 66A, 66B, 66C, 66D, 66E, 66F, 67, 67A,
67B, 69, 69A, 69B, 70, 71, 72, 72A, 73, 74, 84B,
84C etc. which can be brought under any of
these sections and the person who is accused is
otherwise an “Intermediary” as defined under
the Act, then the provisions of Section 79 apply.
These provisions give him an opportunity to
escape his liability. To use these provisions he
needs to act such in a manner which can be
considered as “Exercising Due Diligence”.
The amended IT Act, 2000 has not
specifically dealt with the issues pertaining to
Ediscovery. Today, increasingly organizations are
relying upon digital evidence like email etc. and
media as a means of communicating with each
other and conducting business. IT Act, 2000
remains silent on this issue and also leaves scope
for business exploitation of Ediscovery by large
consulting firms at their own interpretation.
The IT Act, 2000 have not dealt with spam
issue in a comprehensive manner. The definitions
section does not define the word spam nor is
even mentioned anywhere in the Act. The
practice of sending unsolicited emails is getting
rampant in India which also amounts to breach
of individuals right to privacy on the net. While
India already features in the top ten nations from
where spam originates, the legislature did not
think of taking exclusive cognizance to this huge
menace, which jams our new national resource
“the bandwidth”.
A Cyber Cafe is also an “Intermediary”
hence the obligations under Section 79 and
the rules framed there in for “Intermediaries”
already apply to Cyber Cafes. The rules for
Cyber Cafes are incomplete rules requiring
further rule making at the State Government
level. The rules also infringe on the powers of
the State Government for maintaining law and
order in the State.
Cyber Squatting which relates to stealing or
assuming a domain name of a established brand
by a new or less known brand or a company or
an individual, is not exclusively covered in the
IT Act.
The crime of pornography by foreign
websites is let loose and is not discussed nor
being penalized. This flaw also makes Indian
cyber criminals to host their pornography
related website’s on foreign shores without being
accounted for in Indian territory.
Taxation of ecommerce transactions
when a transaction is committed from Indian
jurisdiction is not explicitly discussed nor are any
passing references made in a view to bind it with
Indian tax laws.
Jurisdiction of electronic contracts is
not clearly defined in the Act. Cross border
contracts since “Click-Wrap” contracts are
not legally recognized as equivalent to digitally
signed contract, body corporates relying on
“Click-Wrap Contracts” (Where the user clicks
on a button or checkbox I agree”) need to take
such additional measures as may be required to
provide a supplementary evidentiary base for
validating the contracts.
A clear section with regards to Jurisdiction
of courts over parties staying or operating in
different jurisdictions or countries is not covered.
Even though having a complete separate legal
jurisdiction for the cyber world, is not an
expectation but certain clear guidelines necessary
help lower courts and humble netizens.
• Law remains silent for stamp duty on
electroniccontracts.eStampdutyif permitted
can yield lot of revenue to the government.
• Internet hour theft being completely
Lacuna's in India’s Cyber Security
Prashant Mali, Advocate Practicing
lawyer from Bombay High Court.
(Specialist in cyber and electronic
evidence related matters)

intangible and different type of theft other
than theft of tangible items, Internet hours
or bandwidth theft is not taken care of in
The IT Act, 2000.Recourse to section 379 of
The IPC may not result in justice for reasons
of interpretation.
• There is no power given to police for entering
and searching private places .Many cyber
criminals operate from homes where police
cannot search. Also major penal sections
though cognizable are also bailable, this
option allows the accessed to seek and get
anticipatory bail before even action begins.
• Major offences covered under this Act are
bailable. Thus interim reliefs, anticipatory
bails etc. would be in vogue with cyber
criminals.
• The IT Act, 2000 does not explicitly consider
Intellectual Property Rights in the Internet
domain.
• There is no clause under section 43 which
describes cyber/online defamation, thus has
no provision for compensation for cyber/
online defamation.
• The definition of data includes sound stored,
sent or received, that makes even a person
speaking on microphone liable under The IT
Act, 2000 as what he says is a Data.
• This law does not talk explicitly of forming
cyber crime courts for criminal trials. The
law is silent on authorized cyber forensics
tools to be used in investigation.
Mobile networks are inherently secure and data is protected, but the lack of
awareness around risks lurking in the cyberspace is posing new challenges
Internet is undoubtedly one of the greatest
technological blessings of our time but we
cannot overlook the possible threats such as
hacking, cyber stalking, fraud, bullying and
abuse. They are making headlines every day, and
the incidence has only increased in the recent
past. It is easier to identify such harms and
mitigate the risks in real life, but in the virtual
world very few understand how to identify and
resolve these issues.
As service providers, the onus is on telecom
operators to ensure that users not only benefit
from being connected to the information
superhighway, but they are also adequately
equipped to protect themselves from falling
prey to online harms. The emphasis is not
only to bring the new but old mobile users too
within the folds of a connected world and also
educate the next generation of users on safe
Internet practices. As digitization touches every
aspect of our life, it is important for all of us
to acknowledge and understand the nature of
threats we are exposed to and how to avoid
them.
Digital Transformation through
GSK
As users migrate from voice and feature
phones to data and Internet-enabled phones,
the transition should be without fear and
hesitation. To make this happen and to answer
any question on the new way of connected
life, Telenor Grahak Shiksha Kendras (GSK)
or customer education hubs are playing an
important role. There are nearly 400 GSKs
across nine states where trained customer
relation executives are educating customers on
how to use an Internet-enabled mobile device
and telling them about the benefits of being
connected by taking precautions such as strong
passwords and getting the privacy settings
right.
Initiatives like Internet on Wheels, where the
retail store comes to the doorsteps of customers.
These are the first steps towards acquiring
digital skills and also help customers understand
Internet to use it more meaningfully.
Cyber Safety for Children
In 2012, when everyone was discussing
faster Internet speeds and improving customer
experience, a survey commissioned by the
Telenor Group revealed that over 134 million
children will come online by 2017 in India alone.
However, given the pace of Internet growth in
the last five years, this number will be far higher
than any estimate. While this is an indication of
how fast our younger generation is becoming
part of the technology changes happening
across the world, the survey also highlighted
the low resilience among them when it came to
online threats.
Proliferation of affordable mobile devices
and easy access to Internet has exposed our
kids to good as well as harmful content and
practices. The survey indicated that in India
every second child, who is using Internet, has
faced some form of cyberbullying. In fact,
cyberbullying has emerged as one of the major
issues online and often it goes undetected as
children do not discuss the issue with parents
or teachers.
Realizing these vulnerabilities, in 2014
Telenor started a programme called WebWise
in schools. These interactive workshops focus
on creating awareness among students, teachers
as well as parents. The interactive sessions
include case-studies and practical information
on how to surf the Internet safely, minimize
potential harm on social media, be resilient to
cyberbullying and even tips on how to set smart
passwords. Till now, WebWise has reached to
over 55,000 students in 102 schools across 14
cities.
Most of these efforts are voluntary in nature
and not mandated by policy or regulation. If
the industry is talking about an Internet-driven
lifestyle, then we should create an environment
where there is no hesitation or fear in embracing
digitization. For example, as part of a global
initiative, Telenor Group collaborated with
the European Commission’s CEO Coalition
to make Internet a better place for kids and
worked with Interpol to become the first mobile
operator in the world to introduce Child Sexual
Abuse filters for mobile phones. In India too,
Telenor has worked closely with the authorities
to implement CSA filters to block any content
related to child pornography and today these
websites, as per the Interpol’s list, cannot be
accessed on mobile networks in the country.
Telenor has been able to successfully drive
cyber safety awareness amongst various sections
of the society, while ensuring an enriching
customer experience. These are small steps
towards the larger goal that needs support from
all stakeholders in the digital ecosystem.
Realizing these vulnerabilities, in
2014 Telenor started a programme
called WebWise in schools. These
interactive workshops focus on
creating awareness among students,
teachers as well as parents. The
interactive sessions include case-
studies and practical information
on how to surf the Internet safely,
minimize potential harm on social
media, be resilient to cyberbullying
and even tips on how to set smart
passwords.
Create Awareness to Protect CyberThreats
Sharad Mehrotra
CEO
Telenor India Communications
LEAD STORY

E magazine, april 2017

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