 IANS PhotoNew Delhi, (IANS): Investment banking and financial service company Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) on Tuesday announced the launch of HSBC Digital Merchant Services in India, a comprehensive digital payment management solution designed to streamline payment processes for e-commerce merchants. According to the company, the service enables merchants to accept a broad range of payment methods through a single contract and interface, simplifying the complexity of managing multiple payment method providers for the merchants. It will support card transactions (Mastercard, Visa and RuPay), as well as Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and net banking and others in a phased manner. "The launch of HSBC Digital Merchant Services represents a pivotal step in our journey towards creating a comprehensive and resilient payments infrastructure. Our focus on digital transformation continues to unlock new business value for clients by providing more secure, efficient, and customer-centric payment solutions," HSBC India Head of Banking, Ajay Sharma, said. This comprehensive service further simplifies payment management by eliminating the need for multiple relationships with different payment service providers, while improving reconciliation and reporting. The Indian e-commerce market, the second largest in Asia, is expected to experience tremendous growth, quadrupling to $550 billion by 2035. In this dynamic e-commerce landscape, digital payments play a vital role in almost every transaction. HSBC India's Head of Global Payments Solutions, Manasi Pandey, said: "We are excited to introduce HSBC Digital Merchant Services, a simple, comprehensive, and secure digital payment management solution designed to help merchants reach a wider customer base, facilitating a smoother checkout experience." Merchants using the platform gain access to faster settlement times and the flexibility to integrate with their existing systems, delivering a seamless customer experience while reducing operational costs and providing richer insights into transaction flowsMahanagar Gas Limited is among the early adopters of the integrated payment solution, which aims to enhance the efficiency of its online bill payments, HSBC said. HSBC launches 'Digital Merchant Services' in India for e-commerce merchants | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com |
HSBC launches 'Digital Merchant Services' in India for e-commerce merchants (2025-10-15T13:27:00+05:30)
Do you know what part of your marketing spend is actually working? (2025-07-14T12:11:00+05:30)
 Image: Willie Lawless/ Networld Media Group A panel at the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit in Myrtle Beach will look at how brands are wasting their marketing money and how to get the most out of their ad spend. By Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Managing Editor, Networld Media Group Restaurant franchises are still struggling with a century-old marketing dilemma: knowing which half of their advertising spend is actually working. A session at the upcoming Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit, titled "Stop Wasting Marketing Dollars: Optimizing Media Spend for Restaurant Franchises," aims to tackle this challenge by exploring data-driven strategies to maximize ROI and customer engagement across all levels of a franchise organization. The Summit is being held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, March 11-13 and brings together restaurant operators and owners for a two-and-a-half-day workshop designed for education and fellowship. Session speakers include Samantha Hebel, director of marketing for Hungry Howie's Pizza and Subs; Erin Levzow, growth advisor for Batch & Box, Andy Linke, senior director of marketing for Ziggi's Coffee and Frank Solis, senior director of marketing for Taco Cabana. Corbett Guest, president and chief strategy officer for Imaginuity, serves as moderator. Imaginuity is sponsoring the session. Linke said in an email interview that restaurants tend to spend excess money on tech that doesn't talk to each other. With advancements in technology come more tools and new tools, Linke said. "Often [new tools] they are to make one task or one person's job easier. But with each new tool comes a larger and larger tech stack which creates the need for more resources to manage it and find the single truth from all the data." Levzow said restaurants often spend excessively by not tracking results effectively and failing to evaluate the ROI on the various platforms, services and management tools in use. "I recently was speaking to a brand that had 10 to 12 different platforms and all the systems were not even speaking to each other let alone tracking results without cannibalizing the other one. Tech consolidation could lead to significant savings by streamlining these resources, ensuring better investment returns, and creating more efficient operations," Levzow said. To harness customer data for improving targeting and conversion rates at the brand, regional and individual franchise level, Levzow recommends restaurants have all customer data set up in a customer data platform/data warehouse and parsed out for appropriate targeting. "If you can get 80% of your customer data in a usable format, you can target efficiently and cost-effectively at every level, from the brand to individual franchises, maximizing conversion rates and enhancing customer engagement." Linke said marketing is never a one-size-fits-all and restaurants need to measure and work with what's best for the organization. "Having a reliable loyalty/ customer capture program is important," he said. "It's always easier and cheaper to retain customers than it is to acquire but you need the right data and insight to do so effectively."The summit will be held at the Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort and Spa at Grand Dunes. Register here for the event. It is a Networld Media Group event, which also owns the Fast Casual Executive Summit and the Pizza Leadership Virtual Summit. Do you know what part of your marketing spend is actually working? |
Team Telecom Armenia and Ericsson sign a MoU regarding strategic cooperation (2025-06-18T11:57:00+05:30)
.jpg) Team Telecom Armenia has initiated a large-scale modernization of its mobile network by deploying cutting-edge equipment and technologies from Ericsson. As part of this initiative, the two companies have signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation for network development and technology deployment. This year, Team will upgrade its base stations with next-generation equipment, providing wider and more reliable mobile coverage. At the same time, the integration of Ericsson’s advanced network and server solutions will substantially boost mobile internet bandwidth and speed, offering subscribers stable and high-quality connectivity. "This strategic partnership is the result of long-term and productive collaboration, enabling us to bring the latest innovations from a global technology leader to Armenia," said Hayk Yesayan, General Director of Team Telecom Armenia, adding that as a result of the modernization, the company will be ready for the smooth deployment of next-generation technologies, including 5G, shortly. Within the framework of the memorandum, the parties will cooperate in several strategic areas, including the development and implementation of 5G technology and advanced telecommunications solutions, improving network security and efficiency, knowledge exchange and innovation promotion, as well as ensuring compliance with national and international regulations. Andrea Missouri, Head of South East Mediterranean and Eurasia, Ericsson, comments: “We are excited about the strategic collaboration with Team Telecom Armenia. We are convinced that the advantages of the network investments being done within this agreement - leveraging enhanced network security, efficiency and performance - will benefit the Armenian customers and pave the way to a more connected digital society.”In 2025, Team Telecom Armenia will invest over 10 billion AMD in mobile network development. The company will also continue expanding its unique NGN fiber-optic network, a highly reliable underground infrastructure that serves as a strong foundation for mobile communications. Source Article |
Time to position India as creator of global brands: Industry (2024-06-20T13:00:00+05:30)
 New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) Policies of the incumbent government have added significant thrust to economic development as well as fast-tracked infrastructure development, and the time now is to position India as a creator of global brands, industry experts said on Thursday. The last 10 years have ensured Indian companies revitalise themselves and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for ‘Aatmanirbharta’ has been met with much appreciation together with on the ground action. “It is time now to transition and add focus on value-added manufacturing as well as ‘design in India’ products, thereby positioning India as a creator of global brands,” said Dr. Ajai Chowdhry, Co-Founder HCL, Chairman EPIC Foundation and Chairman-Mission Governing Board, National Quantum. “I am sure the government will take decisive steps in taking forward its economic agenda and steer the country to greater heights,” he added. According to industry experts, India’s verdict is one for stability and continuity. “To my mind, the next five years will prove to be pivotal in the way India’s position on the world stage evolves and aids in putting the country on the global map as a product nation in areas of electronics, semiconductors, space-tech, EVs, drones, Medtech,” said Chowdhry. The significant strides that India has made in the field of manufacturing, especially in semiconductor, pharma, electronics, auto, infrastructure engineering, EV, green hydrogen and solar grids, are expected to continue.“The software and back-office decades have given way to an era of manufacturing prowess, with India occupying a key place in China+1 strategy. However, the onus is on the next government to fuel the growth by addressing skill gaps faced by industries and raising the employability of our youth,” said Ramesh Alluri Reddy, CEO of TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship. Time to position India as creator of global brands: Industry | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com |
Benefits Of YouTube Marketing That You Need To Know - HR News (2024-06-19T14:06:00+05:30)
 YouTube marketing entails promoting a brand on YouTube through ads and videos.YouTube growth has more than doubled over the years with the number of active users currently estimated to exceed 2 Billion monthly. Some of the factors that have greatly contributed to the popularity of YouTube is the growth in demand for video content and the high engagement rate. Similar to Instagram, YouTube thrives on visual content. This makes it one of the most attractive platforms across various sectors. With the growing number of users, many brands are now trooping to YouTube to promote their products. Ranging from tutorials, marketing videos, ads, YouTube offers great features that users leverage to engage with their target audience. The good news about YouTube marketing is that it allows users to share videos and engage with the target audience. Whether you want to promote a new product or intend to go live in your new launch or event, YouTube comes with great features that you can leverage to unlock unlimited potential. Today,the content industry is thriving thanks to the advent of YouTube.Content creators can easily showcase their talent and achieve breakthroughs in their careers without having to break the bank.All you need is to create your video, upload, share, and promote it across various platforms. Should the video go viral then you stand a chance to generate impressive income and earn from endorsements. Therefore have you thought about integrating YouTube marketing into your marketing strategy?If not,then it is high time you try out. In this article, we explore some of the key benefits of YouTube marketing. #1. High Traffic YouTube is growing tremendously with the number of videos consumed on the platform exceeding 5 Billion.This signals high traffic that you can leverage to widen the scope of the audience and improve conversions. The good news is that even if you are not good at creating videos,you can advertise your business on other channels and platforms and generate sales.All you need is to understand the needs of the target market. That way, you not only stand a chance to build a strong brand portfolio but also reach out to new customers that you may not be able to reach through your channels. Studies now indicate that at least 68% of YouTube users make purchasing decisions based on videos they watch on the social platform.In addition to being accessible in a wide range of languages,it commands high traffic that brands can leverage to promote their business and generate sales. As such, if you have a small business struggling to generate sales,it is high time you try out YouTube marketing.The visual nature of YouTube content and accessibility across over 88 countries makes the platform an ideal option for marketers. With YouTube marketing, you can unlock dozens of opportunities and improve your growth potential. #2. Google Visibility Unlike text content, videos have a high potential of appearing on Google searches.You can grab this opportunity by including video content in your content strategy.For example,you can include video content on your website to create backlinks.As a result,your business is likely to be visible on Google search results on many occasions. Generally, YouTube marketing plays a central role in improving the authority of your business on search engines.The more authority the higher the chances your website page is likely to rank on Google search results. Other tips that you can leverage to increase the authority of your website by using Youtube marketing include;
#3. Build Email List Another key element of YouTube marketing is that it enables you to build an email list through your channel. Besides the ability to embed a signup form on YouTube,a video can be paused so that viewers can insert their email contacts. The approach makes it easy to build an email list while sharing valuable content with the target audience. Some of the effective ways of building an email list include;
#4. High Potential for Generating Sales Compared to text and images, videos have a powerful effect on a marketing strategy. In other words, videos have a higher potential to evoke emotion than any other type of content. Videos bring your brand to life by transforming your messages from text to dynamic and highly engaging content. The visual appeal and entertaining element of video content improve the potential of generating conversions by double digits. The more creative and engaging the YouTube marketing content can be the higher the potential of generating sales. This is attributed to the powerful effect that video content has on the audience compared to other types of content. #5. Different Types of Videos The major benefit of YouTube marketing is that it supports the sharing of different types of videos. For example, users can use explainer videos, social media videos, sales videos or video ads.If you are wondering how to get started with YouTube, here are a few tips;
#6. Big Media Library YouTube has a massive media Library that marketers can leverage to promote their brand. Besides a large user base, the social platform commands high traffic of videos. Today, 300 hrs of videos are uploaded on the social platform every minute. With the massive Library,users can get all types of videos they may need across the globe.To navigate the large Library, YouTube has a powerful search engine that lets users get access to any type of video that they may need. If you are wondering whether your YouTube video will disappear in the noise,all you need is to optimise your video content.That way, people will easily access your video content on google searches and put you ahead of the game in a competitive market environment. Therefore if you are yet to get started with online marketing,you should consider creating a Youtube channel.The important element of YouTube videos is that the link can be shared across various platforms.This makes it easy to populate your brand without having to break the bank.All you need is to invest time and effort to create high-quality videos. Remember there are dozens of marketing videos uploaded on YouTube every minute.As such, the quality of videos shared goes a long way in determining how it will perform on the internet space.The poorer quality videos you share the more unlikely people will find it appealing. Should that happen then you may not get much out of your video marketing strategy. Conclusion YouTube marketing is an effective option that you can leverage to promote your brand and generate conversions. With dozens of videos shared on the internet space each day, the need for creativity in video making goes a long way in grabbing the attention of the target audience. Remember there are millions of brands sharing videos online each day.This means you may not achieve much with YouTube marketing if you share poor-quality videos. In fact, the number of videos you upload on your YouTube channel may not matter. Instead, you should prioritise quality as opposed to quantity. For brands that are sceptical about video marketing,it is high time you leverage YouTube marketing to tell your story to the world and unlock more opportunities.Benefits Of YouTube Marketing That You Need To Know - HR News |
Marketing communications’ role in business success (2024-06-17T11:32:00+05:30)
 Marketing can make all the difference in how fast a company grows and how well its brand gains recognition. Understanding the basics of marketing communications is a requirement for anyone who wants to gain insight into how the world of business works. Understanding these principles can help create business plans and strategies that save a lot of time and money in the long term. Here are a few of the principles all professionals need to brush up on in the business world of today. Social media in today’s digital age Any business that does not make the most of its social media presence is missing out. To be competitive in any business, you need to maintain some level of social media presence. Posting regular messages and content will keep your audience engaged and make it far more likely that they will reshare your information or recommend your products and services to others. Social media advertising and marketing are extremely effective because if you do it well, customers and potential customers will work to market your product or service to countless others. The use of influencers is another popular approach that uses social media. An influencer is someone who produces content such as blog posts or videos that they share with their followers. An influencer sometimes operates within a niche, but that is not always the case. The advantage of working with an influencer to market your products is that you gain access to their large following that is open to listening to what they have to say and acting on their recommendations. Typically, influencers are given your products or services in exchange for an honest review and an agreed-on commission rate for any business you do as a result of their work. For example, if you make outdoor gear, you would find an influencer that travels and hikes or camps a lot and give them a selection of your products. You might offer them 5% of the revenue they generate for your business. Influencers with more followers and fame may need more enticement than those with smaller followings. Of course, another advantage of using influencers is that you often do not have to pay out a lot to get them to help you. Free products and a commission mean they are incentivized to be as successful as possible. Consumer interaction and customer service It is much easier to communicate than it used to be. As a result, customers have high expectations when it comes to engagement and interaction with the companies they go to for products and services. Responding to questions and comments on social media is important and shows customers you care. Customers are often more outspoken online than they would be in person and their comments reach far more people than if they state them privately to someone at your company. Approaching negative feedback with a comment on how they should contact you so you can make their experience better is a great idea. Thanking those who respond with positive feedback shows that you are paying attention to your customer base and that you value their opinions. Customer service standards must be high. When marketing a product or service, it is important that you are clear on how customers can receive answers to questions or talk to someone if needed. A contact form on the website, live chat during business hours and a thorough frequently asked questions area on your website are all helpful. Fast response times are also important. Do not make response time promises that you cannot keep. It is far better to indicate that inquiries will receive a response within 24 hours and respond much sooner than to promise 12 hours and not respond until the next day. Customers appreciate it when you are faster than the allotted time but slower is never good. During high traffic times, you might want to put out a notice that wait times may be longer just so customers know what to expect. Attending events and selling merchandise is another great way to interact with customers. Conventions, fairs and other large events can be a lot of fun and introduce your brand to many new people. Even those who are aware of your brand may come away with a more positive view after interacting personally with your team. Free trials and samples help engage customers Convincing people to spend their money can be harder than you might think, especially if you make a product or provide a service that is really nice or helpful but may not be 100% essential. Offering free trials or samples can help others learn to trust your business and see for themselves that you have a lot to offer them that can make their life easier or more enjoyable. If trials and samples are not possible, then consider offering a substantial discount on first-time purchases. A discount of 10-20% off is often enough enticement to attract new customers. Adding in a free sample with a first purchase can also be helpful, and offsets the cost somewhat since you are gaining some business regardless of whether the customer returns. Rewards programs Plenty of companies successfully use reward programs to promote customer loyalty. Grocery stores are a great example of businesses that use points that can be used for discounts on groceries or gas. Cosmetic companies sometimes offer free products ranging from trial sizes to full sizes. Other businesses have rewards programs that customers initially pay a fee to join but receive the fee back in savings within a purchase or two. For instance, Barnes and Noble has a program for regular customers that offers a percentage off each purchase and free shipping on all orders on their website. Subscribe and save programs can encourage customers to commit to a regular purchase. Chewy is an online supplier of pet foods that offers 5% off subscribe and save orders. This not only offers savings but is the ultimate convenience for shoppers who sometimes find themselves forgetting to shop for items that they use regularly. Analyzing engagement data You need to determine where you should concentrate your marketing efforts and budget to achieve the best results. Analyzing how much business you are generating via your various marketing channels is important when planning out any future marketing campaigns. Analytics are typically easy to access thanks to online tracking. Facebook ads, Twitter and Google Ads all have analytics that you can easily view to see how your marketing efforts are performing. It is important to consider many factors when analyzing performance. For instance, are you reaching the same demographics? Is your budget for advertising larger for one website or service than another? Sometimes the answer may be that you need to change your marketing materials on a certain platform rather than stop advertising there entirely. This is why it is so important to make sure that you are making an honest comparison when analyzing analytics from different channels. Data analysis and mining Thanks to easy access to electronic records and data along with fast computer processing, it is now possible for data analysts to analyze vast volumes of data to find answers to questions that are of the utmost value to marketing teams. By analyzing large volumes of data, businesses can gain insight into larger trends that may otherwise have been overlooked. Data can also be used by marketing teams to predict future outcomes if certain decisions are made. Data analysis allows marketing teams to learn as much in-depth information about their target demographic as possible so marketing campaigns can be tailored to form a fast and lasting connection with future customers. Strategy matters A good marketing strategy can make or break a business. It is important that marketing teams are smart about what strategies they use for any segment of the population. This means keeping up with current trends in all areas of life so you have a feel for what is resonating with people at the time. Keeping your marketing strategy up to date helps avoid offense as well. A marketing mistake that is deemed offensive can have a major impact on the company. It is harder to repair a reputation after a misstep than it is to cause offense if marketing teams are not careful. Planning out strategies step by step well in advance is important as it allows adequate time for review and improvement. One marketing strategy for general use is a great idea but it is important that you approach each demographic you are trying to reach with a customized strategy for some marketing campaigns. Striking a personal note with potential customers increases the odds that they will form a lasting connection with your company or recommend you to others. Empathy and ethics Mutual empathy is important when it comes to marketing communications. Businesses need to empathize with what their target demographics are dealing with in their lives. This allows for relatable marketing messages that resonate well with the customer and create a lasting impact. Ethical business practices matter a lot to customers in today’s world. You must show that your company operates ethically. Charitable contributions and certifications such as being Free Trade Certified or Organic can all be used to market your brand and attract customers who want to feel good about the companies they are giving their business to. Communications is an in-demand profession There are more businesses and start-ups every day. Of course, there are also plenty of businesses that are constantly looking to expand and grow into new areas and niche markets. Earning an online Master of Arts in Communication from a reputable institution such as St. Bonaventure University can help prepare you to create marketing campaigns that lead to wide scale brand recognition and success. The SBU Communications Master online program involves 100% online coursework and can be completed in as little as 22 months. Students learn how to interpret data and create amazing marketing campaigns no matter what industry they find themselves working in. Students can choose to specialize in either content marketing or integrated marketing communications. The principles of successful marketing communications Embrace your unique selling points Being distinctive increases your odds of attracting any customer. This can seem challenging if you are producing a common product and especially so if you are producing a premium version of a common product. When creating a marketing strategy, it is important to ask company stakeholders what makes them unique or what main aspects of their vision they want to highlight to stand out to their customers. Offering premium quality may be one of these principles. A good example of a clothing company that has mastered standing out is the company Universal Standard. They highlight in their marketing that they offer clothing in the widest range of sizes available from a commercial clothing company. Inclusiveness in a premium clothing brand makes them stand out from companies offering limited sizing in all or some of their styles. Increase your reach If your company has been limiting its advertising, then you will likely benefit from advertising in a way that reaches more people. Social media advertising on platforms such as Facebook makes it easy to specify the markets that you want your advertising to target. Of course, the more people you are likely to reach, the higher the cost, but this can be a very good use of your advertising dollars. Whatever you can do to reach out to more people in a positive way is good marketing. Samples and trials are something to consider. Partnering with another company can be helpful as well. If you create a product or service that complements another firm’s offerings, then you may be able to help each other to dramatically increase the reach of both companies. Grab attention as quickly as possible There is a lot of advertising out there. Your ads and content need to catch the eye of potential customers and draw them in. Evaluate if your advertisement would stand out if there were two or three more ads from other companies right beside it. If the answer is yes, then you are on the right path. At the same time, it is essential not to have too much going on in your ads. A busy and cluttered look will detract from your message. No one is going to spend five minutes trying to make sense of an ad or decipher just what you are trying to sell. Be consistent with your overall message and image While ads and content need to be fresh and original, some things need to be the same. Your logo, slogan and overall brand image need to be consistent. If you want your customers to see your company as offering fun products, then all your ads and images need to portray that in some way. There is still a ton of room for creativity and fresh marketing, you just need to be sure that things are not so different that a previous customer couldn’t tell it was the same brand. Familiarity fosters trust and brand loyalty. This is how some companies become household names that practically everyone can recognize just from their logo even if they are not consistent customers. Conclusion Marketing communications are important to the success of any business. Without good marketing, a business can truly struggle. Understanding as much as possible about your customers and engaging them in a meaningful and relatable way is how businesses rise to the top of their market niche.Communications experts are in demand at practically all companies. Now is a great time to earn your degree and get started in an exciting new career helping businesses succeed.Marketing communications’ role in business success |
Here’s how to get more women promoted to top jobs in universities (2024-04-29T13:43:00+05:30)
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Virginia Kilborn, Swinburne University of Technology; Birgit Loch, Swinburne University of Technology, and Helana Scheepers, Swinburne University of Technology Women may now outnumber men in the ranks of university students but men still outnumber women in leadership roles in nearly all areas of professional workplaces. This is true within the university system itself: only 30% of professors (Level E) and associate professors (Level D) are women. For women in academia, the glass ceiling is real, and years of equal opportunity policies and procedures have failed to break down this barrier. This gender imbalance has been recognised as a national problem with the recent launch of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot, based on the principles of the UK’s Athena Swan Charter. SAGE aims to address the situation for the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) areas that traditionally have very low participation by women. Make the funding count: Once fully rolled out, universities and research organisations may not be eligible for National Health and Medical Research Council or Australian Research Council funding unless they can show a strong commitment to gender equity at senior levels. Notably, more than half of Australia’s universities and medical institutes signed up for the pilot in September this year. The SAGE pilot promises to provide sufficient incentive for universities to rethink how to support female academics to increase the number of women in senior positions. Apart from appointing new talent, universities will need to look at their current female workforce. They will need to reconsider how to support career development for female academics appointed at lower levels, towards application for promotion. But why are women not transitioning through to higher levels? One reason could be is that female academics may be reticent to push forward as quickly as their male colleagues. This could be due to the low number of female role models or a lack of mentors. Barriers to women’s progression may also include a lack of networks and socialisation. One study found that women start their academic careers at lower levels than men. Close to three quarters of the women surveyed started below the level of lecturer (typically at associate lecturer or research assistant level). The figure was closer to around 50% for men. One good point is that women generally have a higher success rate than men in getting promoted. But the problem is that not enough women are seeking promotion in the first place. That’s not the case for men who are often encouraged to seek promotion. Women encouraging women: At Swinburne University of Technology, data show the percentage of women applying for promotion out of all female academics is equal to the percentage of men. But again the two groups differ by the lower levels of appointment of female academics when they apply for promotion. This results in more women applying for promotion to lecturer and senior lecturer levels while more men apply for the more senior levels of associate professor and professor. So without intervention, the gender imbalance at senior levels will remain unchanged. To address this, we set up a peer-support promotion program which resulted in a record number of female academics applying for promotion. Driven from within the group of female academics at Swinburne, the program included a number of methods to motivate women to apply for promotion. They included information sessions from university leaders and Human Resources combined with regular peer-group meetings. This helped empower female academics to better understand their own strengths and the promotion process. It also resulted in a support structure for women in the process of applying for promotion. All female academics were invited to participate as mentee, mentor or both early in the year. This resulted in around 80 participants in the six month program and included a number of full professors. Emphasis in this program was to create an environment of trust and mutual support. The aim was to build confidence in the mentees’ abilities, and to guide their understanding of their level of readiness for promotion. This was achieved by showing examples, sharing ideas, practice and advice, and by providing mentorship from more senior women. It worked! As a result of this peer-support program, the number of promotion applications from women doubled this year, nearly reaching parity with applications from men for the first time. The promotion process is still ongoing but assuming similar success rates to the past, this will increase the pool of women available for promotion into senior academic positions. Our program shows that when women take their careers into their own hands and support each other, they can build confidence and are empowered to take the leap and apply for promotion. The next step is to establish a more comprehensive career development program for female academics to embed the peer-support structure within the university. If we can improve the promotion prospects for female academics to more senior positions then others can do it too. Given the direction that has been initiated by SAGE which is set to have implications for external funding schemes, we encourage other universities to consider similar internal peer-support programs.  Virginia Kilborn, Associate Professor of Astrophysics, Swinburne University of Technology; Birgit Loch, Associate Professor in Mathematics Education, Swinburne University of Technology, and Helana Scheepers, Associate Professor, Information Systems, Swinburne University of Technology This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. |
The Benefits of Virtual Conferences (2024-04-23T15:22:00+05:30)
 The entire world is walking on the path of becoming digitised, right from the way we interact with our friends and colleagues to how we play our favourite casino games. People no more flock the land-based casinos to have a go at their fav card game or table games. Instead, they can just log in to https://www.fortunemobilecasino.co.uk/ right from the living room of their home and play the games of their choice without even having to get up from the couch. This right here is the power of the virtual world. The world of conferences is no exception, and many event organisers have been experimenting with innovative technologies to improve the conference experience. Meeting virtually is a great alternative when a face to face conference is not possible. Virtual conferencing utilises technology to deliver an immersive and engaging conference experience in an online environment, offering the same learning, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities as a traditional face-to-face conference. There are several benefits to hosting your conference online that you may not have considered: They are cost-effective: Hosting your conference online removes costs associated with the venue, catering, travel and accommodation, as well as offering a potential reduction in AV costs. There are no capacity constraints: Not bound by the physical limits of a venue, your virtual conference can accept any number of attendees and create space and opportunities for a larger number of exhibitors and sponsors. Virtual conferences have capacity constraints as users are immediately transported to the conference without having to physically travel there. Reduced costs for delegates: The ability to connect online ensures that there is no need to drive and less time out of the office for the participants. This can result in increased admissions, combined with relatively lower ticket rates compared with a conventional meeting. Provides Flexibility and Convenience: Virtual conferences are often shorter than a traditional conference with a reduced number of live sessions and offer attendees the flexibility to access pre-recorded content at their own pace, allowing attendees to more easily balance commitments such as work, study or child care. Reduces Environmental Footprint: Travel for staff, speakers and delegates, food waste, single-use exhibition builds, freight, satchel inserts, hard-copy programs, name badges and lanyards add up quickly to leave a large environmental footprint at a traditional conference, none of which are needed when you meet online. Inclusivity: Digital conferencing allows engaging with geographically scattered delegates, many of whom would otherwise not be able to participate. Digital technology can improve accessibility and inclusivity through options such as translation or captioning. Analytics: Many virtual conference platforms provide advanced data collection and reporting, and can easily monitor the number of attendees in each session, monitor sponsor leads, and show who interacted with what content and for how long, often in real-time and potentially many more depending on your particular conference goals and delegates cohort. Networking made easy: The online environment also allows delegates to use a few mouse clicks to communicate with speakers, exhibitors and other attendants. No more racing through packed exhibition halls only to miss the person you would like to see the most. 3D world technology offers an immersive solution: A conference organised in a 3D virtual environment can provide a truly immersive experience and represents the closest thing to recreating the traditional conference experience. 3D avatars and 3D VOIP technology allow attendees to interact with one another naturally, being able to talk, react and move around as they would in the physical world. Conclusion These virtual conferences could serve as a ground for testing. Although virtual and hybrid meetings have increased in popularity over the past few years, COVID-19 has left many organizations with no choice but to host them. Although it may have happened sooner than you expected and you may think like you didn’t have enough time to build the perfect experience, celebrate it as a success and consider it an opportunity to try out new waters.The Benefits of Virtual Conferences |
ATNI and HarvestPlus partner to improve access to fortified food (2024-04-08T12:35:00+05:30)
 04 Apr 2024 --- Access to Nutrition Initiatives (ATNI) and HarvestPlus are partnering to increase the micronutrient content of staple food commodities, linking smallholder farmers and food businesses to improve consumer access to nutritious foods. The organizations advocate for the food industry and public procurement to include micronutrient targets in their sourcing criteria to stimulate change in seed development and farming. Businesses have specific requirements on microbiology, food safety, grain size or protein content for staple foods such as wheat, rice, maize, millets, beans and cassava, but these rarely consider micronutrient content. “Transforming food systems is essential to fight malnutrition and climate change. Our joint efforts will increase food businesses’ adoption of micronutrient targets,” says Jenny Walton, head of commercialization and scaling at HarvestPlus — an organization that develops and promotes biofortified food crops rich in vitamins and minerals. “This smart approach will impact systems at multiple levels. Farmers will grow more nutritious produce, benefiting everyone from the smallholder farmers who consume food at home to the consumers purchasing food in markets.” Biofortified foods: ATNI and HarvestPlus underscore that food businesses have the potential to “systematically improve the micronutrient content of the entire food system.” The partnership will promote Publicly Available Specifications for biofortified foods and national fortification legislation, helping businesses adapt their procurement specifications. Moreover, starting in India, the partners will record and monitor biofortification practices with ATNI questionnaires. “ATNI is striving to transform markets to deliver healthy and sustainable diets for all. Our resources have been developed on the premise that food manufacturers can better contribute to addressing poor nutrition and related diseases,” comments Greg Garrett, executive director at ATNI. “We are proud to work with multinational and national food manufacturers and will encourage them to procure biofortified crops as part of their supply chain and produce nutritious foods for all.” Industry experts also highlight the  ATNI and HarvestPlus aim to add micronutrient targets in sourcing criteria to stimulate food system transformation. potential of fortified foods to address the fiber gap and reduce micronutrient gaps, highlighting the strategy’s cost-effectiveness. Earlier this year, researchers called for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa to diversify their agricultural production toward climate-smart and micronutrient-rich crops, such as soybeans, cassava, millet and sorghum, to improve health outcomes. Relying on fewer crops would likely increase the risk of obesity and associated non-communicable diseases. Food system transformation: According to ATNI and HarvestPlus, over 3.1 billion people worldwide, mainly in Africa, Asia and Latin America, cannot afford a diet of nourishing, diverse food that provides sufficient essential vitamins and minerals. However, if the food industry adds micronutrient targets to its sourcing criteria, seed businesses and farmers will respond to market demand and adopt their customers’ requests. Walton adds: “The track record, reach and expertise of the ATNI team can accelerate the adoption of biofortification in the commercial food sector at a mass scale. This will be a game changer in creating awareness and meaningful change in food production.” The Germany-based Food System Economics Commission also calls for overhauling food system policies, noting that these destroy more value than they create. A recent report by the organization notes this is due to nutrition-related health costs, productivity losses, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, environmental damages and contributions to social inequality. By Jolanda van HalThis feature is provided by Food Ingredients First’s sister website, Nutrition Insight.ATNI and HarvestPlus partner to improve access to fortified food |
US sues Google over dominance of online ad market (2024-03-07T13:54:00+05:30)
 The US Justice Department sued Google on Tuesday for its dominance of the online advertising market, launching a fresh legal battle against the California-based tech giant. WASHINGTON - The US Justice Department sued Google on Tuesday for its dominance of the online advertising market, launching a fresh legal battle against the California-based tech giant. The case was the second federal lawsuit against Google over alleged antitrust violations and the first since US President Joe Biden took office two years ago. The earlier case targeted Google's world-dominating search engine and is expected to go to trial later this year. In this latest suit, prosecutors took aim at Google's extremely profitable advertising business, asking that it be broken up to level the playing field for other companies. Google's ad dealings generated more than $200 billion in sales in 2021 and is parent company Alphabet's biggest moneymaker by a wide margin. The US said the revenue was unlawfully maintained by a monopoly that had "corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry." "Google has used anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful means to eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies," the suit added. The case was launched by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in conjunction with eight US states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia. - 'BE WORRIED' - Central to the case is Google's dominance of the ad tech business, the technology that companies rely on for their online advertising needs. The prosecutors said Google "now controls" both the buy and the sell side of the crucial sector, meaning website creators earn less and advertisers pay more, all while innovation is choked by the lack of rivals. "In pursuit of outsized profits, Google has caused great harm to online publishers and advertisers and American consumers," said Deputy US Attorney General Lisa Monaco in a statement. The federal case follows state lawsuits against Google that have alleged it illegally dominates the markets for online search, advertising technology and apps on the Android mobile platform. "Google should be worried," Insider Intelligence analyst Evelyn Mitchell said. "Advertising accounts for the vast majority of its revenues, and its ads business is as powerful as it is because of its scale and the way its ad products are integrated," she added. Google has denied it is a monopoly, saying rivals in the online ad market include Amazon, Facebook-owner Meta and Microsoft. "Today's lawsuit from the DOJ attempts to pick winners and losers in the highly competitive advertising technology sector," a Google spokesperson said in an email. The lawsuit "is doubling down on a flawed argument that would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow," Google added. The Computer & Communications Industry Association, a big tech lobby, said the lawsuit also failed to take into account offline rivals that include ads in newspapers and on television and radio. "The government's contention that digital ads aren't in competition with print, broadcast, and outdoor advertising defies reason," CCIA said in a statement. Google is also facing a major probe into its ad business in Europe, where the European Commission could press charges against the giant later this year. The United States is home to global tech giants Google, Apple, Amazon and Meta and has largely depended on the courts to curb their power.Earlier this month Biden urged Republican and Democratic lawmakers to break years of political gridlock and pass laws that would set stricter rules for Big Tech.US sues Google over dominance of online ad market |
Reliance Jio announces launch of ‘True 5G’ services across 50 cities (2023-02-02T13:50:00+05:30)
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