Now, IRCTC Lets You Book Air Tickets Online

 Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is looking to break free from the Indian railways. Most well-known in the eyes of the public as the company which runs the widely used railways e-ticketing site, the company also acted as caterer for food served on trains.

However, under a new catering policy in 2010,IRCTC was stripped of the licence to provide catering services to railways except for a handful of trains and a minimal number of food units on station premises. Now, the company serves just 33 trains, compared with 285 earlier.

As a result, in the past one and a half years, IRCTC suffered a jolting loss of Rs 270 crore in its catering business . Total revenues fell from Rs 722 crore in 2010 to Rs 554 crore in 2011-12 . As a result, the company is forced to look elsewhere to make up the lost revenue.

Caterer to corporates
To start with, it plans to open 5 automated kitchens all over the country in the next two years to offer catering services to corporates and other institutional customers.

It recently opened one at Noida which has a noteworthy client list - HCL, Samsung, Aditya Birla, and Supertech builders among others.

With an investment of Rs 5.5 crore, this facility has a capacity of 10,000 meals per day, which it plans to scale up to 25,000 meals per day by next year.

Another facility will open in Chennai by the end of this year and in Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata by next year. It is also all set to increase the number of Rail Neer plants from 3 to 9.

The 6 new plants that will come up in Amethi, Ambala, Nasik, Kerela and West Bengal will be based on the PPP model.

The company also began offering air ticket bookings on its site in May this year, thus entering an already fiercely competitive sector.

"There are private players and there is cutthroat competition, but we have ventured into air ticketing with our trustworthy image and a great record of rail ticket booking ," said the spokesperson of IRCTC.

Incumbents in the field of online air ticketing are, unsurprisingly, sceptical. "IRCTC's customer profile is different from air traffic consumers and it will have to invest heavily in brand," says Prateik Mazumdar, head of marketing and strategic alliances at Yatra. com.

"We don't think they'll change competition in the sector. Building a brand takes years and we (online travel agencies) already have a captive customer base of 75%."

Revamping e-ticketing
IRCTC still operates the largest e-commerce site in the whole of the Asia-Pacific region.

The company sold about 12 crore rail tickets in FY 11-12 , amounting to a gross value of Rs 10,000 crore - a growth of 20% over the last financial year.

IRCTC earned a service charge of Rs 160 crore out of the ticket booking business. But Irctc.co.in (the web portal for rail ticket booking) has faced a lot of criticism for congestion, technical glitches and illegal booking by agents.

Most well-known in the eyes of the public as the company which runs the widely used railways e-ticketing site, the company also acted as caterer for food served on trains.

IRCTC says it has a clear plan to do away with touts, and says the online portal is being given a facelift. While there is now a pre-set time decided for tatkal tickets and ARP (advance reservation period) tickets, there are strict guidelines and surveillance of multiple agent ids and multiple bookings from the same IP address. "This has decreased the load and the website is running smoothly. From earlier 8 to 9 lakh hits per day, it has now gone down to half," said the spokesperson.

After facing a lot of heat about its slow and clunky transaction window, it has plans to make payment easy for consumers. The first change was a 'rolling deposit scheme' , which allowed consumers to deposit funds with the web portal for booking tickets, hence doing away with the bank payment gateway route, which not only wasted time but also caused transaction related issues.

IRCTC went paperless last year, by asking passengers to show the e-copy or the booking confirmation text message on mobile phone rather than printed tickets. Now it's also planning to provide a facility under which a customer could book tickets by just sending a text message to IRCTC. The company plans to roll it out next year.

Tourism... Horticulture...
A venture into facilities management is also planned. "We will provide housekeeping, horticulture, and security related services to the institutions where we are already catering and then move on to being a full fledged facility management service provider," said the spokesperson.

From customised tour packages for families , students, and corporates to starting short tour facilities, the company is trying to catch up with all the current trends in the tourism sector as well.

Its 'budget hotel' plan, which reached a dead-end when railways refused to offer land, is also being re-planned . The company is now looking at a joint venture with state governments, who will provide real estate around railway stations to set up budget hotels. IRCTC wants to become a Rs 2500 crore company by 2015.

It aims to reduce the share of catering in overall revenues from 70% currently to about 40%, and double the share of its ticketing and tourism business to 60%. With such ambitious plans, and given the problems it has faced in the past over e-ticketing issues, and the quality of its catering, the onus is very much on the company to prove itself.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/enterprise-it/services-apps/Now-IRCTC-lets-you-book-air-tickets-online/articleshow/16977974.cms

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Why Most people 'not interested' in Windows 8: Poll?

Microsoft bills Windows 8 as a "re-imagining" of the personal computer market's dominant operating system, but the company still has a lot of work to do before the makeover captures the imagination of most consumers, based on the results of a recent poll by The Associated Press and GfK.

The phone survey of nearly 1,200 adults in the US found 52 per cent hadn't even heard of Windows 8 leading up to Friday's release of the redesigned software.

Among the people who knew something about the new operating system, 61 per cent had little or no interest in buying a new laptop or desktop computer running on Windows 8, according to the poll. And only about a third of people who've heard about the new system believe it will be an improvement (35 per cent).

Chris Dionne of Waterbury, falls into that camp. The 43-year-old engineer had already seen Windows 8 and it didn't persuade him to abandon or upgrade his Hewlett-Packard laptop running on Windows 7, the previous version of the operating system released in 2009.

"I am not real thrilled they are changing things around," Dionne said. "Windows 7 does everything I want it to. Where is the return on my investment to learn a new OS?"

Microsoft usually releases a new version of Windows every two or three years, but it's different this time around. Windows 8 is the most radical redesign of the operating system since 1995 and some analysts consider the software to be Microsoft's most important product since co-founderBill Gates won the contract to build an operating system for IBM's first personal computer in 1981. Microsoft is hoping the way Windows 8 looks and operates will appeal to the growing number of people embracing the convenience of smartphones and tablets.

The consumer ambivalence, however, was even more pronounced when it came to Microsoft's new tablet computer, Surface, which was built to show off Windows 8's versatility. Sixty-nine per cent of the poll's respondents expressed little or no interest in buying a Surface, which Microsoft is hoping will siphon sales from Apple's pioneering iPad and other popular tablets such as Amazon.com's Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7.

The results indicate Microsoft still has work to do to create a bigger buzz about Windows 8 and help consumers understand the new operating system's benefits, even though the company provided several previews of the software at various stages in the final 13 month leading to its release. But the information apparently resonated mostly with industry analysts, reporters, technology blogs and gadget geeks.

Microsoft is in the early stages of an estimated $1 billion marketing campaign that will include a siege of television commercials to promote Windows 8 to a wider audience.

That still might not be enough to sway longtime Windows users such as Mary Sweeten. She is 75, and not eager to learn the nuances of a new operating system. She, too, is comfortable with her current desktop computer running on Windows 7.

"I am not technologically savvy like all these young kids," said Sweeten, who lives in Camdenton, Mo. "I like something I am used to and can get around on without too much trouble. Sometimes when you get these new (systems), you wish you could go back to the old one."

Windows 8 represents Microsoft's attempt to adapt to a technological shift that is empowering more people to use smartphones and tablets to surf the Web and handle other simple computing tasks. The revamped system can be controlled by touching a device's display screen and greets users with a mosaic of tiles featuring an array of dynamic applications instead of the old start menu and desktop tiles. In an effort to protect its still-lucrative PC franchise, Microsoft designed Windows 8 so it can still be switched into a desktop mode that relies on a keyboard and mouse for commands.

Microsoft felt it had to gamble on a radical redesign to fend off the competitive threats posed by Apple, which has emerged as the world's most valuable company on the strength of its iPhoneand iPad. Google is a threat, too. It has used its 4-year-old Android operating system to become an influential force in the mobile computing movement.

Despite the growing popularity of smartphones, Microsoft remains deeply entrenched in people's lives. The poll found 80 per cent of respondents with personal computers in their homes relied on earlier versions of Windows versus only 12 per cent that operating on Apple's Mac system.

Windows is even more widely used in offices, but 90 per cent of companies relying on the operating system are expected hold off on switching to the new operating system through 2014, according to a study by the research firm Gartner.

Jim Beske of West Fargo, won't be waiting long to install Windows 8 on the home computer he bought a year ago. He already has seen how Windows 8 works in his job as a network engineer, and he considers it to be a nice improvement.

"They have made it much simpler," Beske, 43, said. "I don't know about the tiling so much; that's something I think younger people will like more. But once people get in front of it, I think they will understand it."

Windows 8 also could appeal to consumers who still don't own a home computer. The AP-GfK survey found 22 percent of all adults fall into this category, including 30 percent with households whose incomes fall below $50,000 annually.

Beske is among a growing group who use both Microsoft and Apple products. Besides his Windows computer, he also loves his iPad.

Most survey respondents liked both Apple and Microsoft. Fifty-nine percent said they had favorable impressions of Apple versus 58 per cent for Microsoft.

Tequila Cronk of Herington, is more of a Microsoft fan because she considers Apple's prices to be a "rip-off." At the same time, she can't justify buying a Windows 8 computer when her desktop and laptop computers at home are running fine on the earlier versions of the system.

"We will upgrade, but I am not going to rush out and buy a new computer just because it's got a different operating system," Cronk, 26, said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/software-services/Most-people-not-interested-in-Windows-8-Poll/articleshow/17001727.cms

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Microsoft opens Windows 8 in india

Global software major Microsoft late on Thursday unveiled its Windows 8 version of the operation system in India as part of its worldwide launch.

"Retail and enterprise users worldwide will be able to experience from Friday all that Windows has to offer with a new user interface, a host of applications from its store," Microsoft India chairman Bhaskar Pramanik said in a statement late on Thursday.

The bundled version will be available on form factors ranging from tablets to laptops and ultra notebooks from 14 OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners, including Acer, Dell, Fujitsu, HCL, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Wipro and Zenith Computers.

Over 250 Windows 8 enabled devices, including 23 new SKUs (stock keeping unit) of Windows 8 PCs are available across 100 cities and over 2,500 retail stores.

Unlike its earlier versions, including Windows 7, Windows 8 boasts of an intuitive start screen and tiles with rich content and update in real time.

"As Windows anytime upgrade (WAU), the latest version is cloud connected. Users will have to sign once with their MS (Microsoft) account to ensure they will be able to access mails, calendars, contact, pictures among other apps (applications," Pramanik said.

The new OS (operating system) will have two versions at retail - Windows 8 & Windows Pro, while Windows 8 enterprise offers mobile productivity with features like To Go, Direct Access.

"Users can upgrade their personal computers (desktops) that have Windows XP, Vista or Window 7 at an affordable price of Rs.1,999 till Jan 2013," Pramanik added.

Source:  http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_microsoft-opens-windows-8-in-india_1756387

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Indian Railways sets up train tracking system

One of the largest railway operators, Indian Railways, has set up an interactive train monitoring platform for commuters to track train movements around India almost in real time, which has helped people better plan their trips ahead of time.

The service, called RailRader, was jointly developed by the Centre for Railway Information Service (CRIS) and RailYatri.in and can be accessed on Web browsers on both traditional PCs and mobile phones. Sunil Baipai, group general manager at CRIS, shared that since the service was launched on Thursday, it has received over 200,000 hits and some 20 percent of the traffic was from mobile users.

 The
online service uses color codes to aid users: blue arrows on the screen indicate trains that are currently running on time, while red arrows refer to trains running late. The arrows also indicate the direction in which the train is heading toward, and to get more information about the train, users can just click or hover over the train icon using one's mouse, the railway company stated.

However, information on train location and status are typically delayed by about five minutes due to security and regulatory reasons, it added.
indiatraintrackingSource: Indian Railways


In order to monitor its train network, Indian Railways has installed monitoring points at more than 6,000 locations around the country. These outposts communicate updates--mostly automatically although some still rely on manual reporting--on train arrivals and departures to a central server, which then analyzes the large amounts of data in real time. Typically, about 10,000 trains run daily in India, the company noted.

Harpreet Singh, who manages operations at a startup and is a frequent traveler, told ZDNet Asia he was excited about RailRadar. He says the service comes in handy when he has to pick someone up from the train station or when he has to make one or several train connections to get to his location.

The ability to find out whether the train is on time to reach his intended destination using mobile Internet is another plus, Singh noted.

Indian Railways, which is a state-owned enterprise, is no stranger to technological innovation. Its catering, tourism and online ticketing subsidiary, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), pioneered the online booking service for train tickets and became one of the largest, fastest-growing e-commerce portals in the Asia-Pacific region in a short period of time.

Source: http://www.zdnet.com/indian-railways-sets-up-train-tracking-system-7000005669/

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Facebook offers Rs 50 talktime for every new user in India from mobile

If you are to sign up to Facebook from your cellphone, you will get Rs.. 50 talk-time. This is yet another Facebook's promotion in India to add more to its 50 million strong user base.


FacebookNot just that, Facebook is also offering the same talk time if anyone signs up via your referral.

Facebook on mobile (Source: www.freedigitalphotos.netSo if a user registers to Facebook through mobile, his mobile number would get credited by Rs. 50. This offer is meant for new registrations only and is valid for registrations through mobile only.

After registration, a user has to provide his mobile number on the Facebook Talktime page. "Once you sign up and confirm your account, you will receive the talktime within three days," Facebook said.

The company started in 2004, in a Harvard dorm, is building its user base after it was hit hard by a dip in its shares following it going public couple of months ago.

Recently, Facebook claimed to have a billion users a month. Founder Mark Zuckerberg had thanked the users saying: "If you're reading this: thank you for giving me and my little team the honor of serving you. Helping a billion people connect is amazing, humbling and by far the thing I am most proud of in my life."

Facebook says those billion users are responsible for 1.13 trillion "likes", 219 billion photos and 17 billion location check-ins.

Of late, Facebook is trying out means to monetize its services. Days ago, Facebook announced that users in US can promote their posts by paying a premium. But that hasn't gone down well with the users.

Of late, Facebook is trying out means to monetize its services. A day ago, Facebook announced that users in US can promote their posts by paying a premium.

Source: http://www.ciol.com/News/News-Reports/Join-Facebook-on-mobile-get-RS-50-talktime/166270/0/

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Facebook users 65M & counting in India, an 8x increase in 2 years

India now has more than 65 million people who are a member of (and are actively using) Facebook. It is also among the top five countries in terms of users for the social networking site. The data was disclosed by Kirthiga Reddy, director, online operations and head of India office at Facebook, while inaugurating the company’s new office in Hyderabad, according to Livemint. As of now, the site is available in the country in around nine Indian languages.

When it started its office in India in September 2010, the company had a user base of eight million. And while it employs fewer than 4,000 people worldwide, the exact number of India employees is not available.

The company recently (in September) crossed the 1 billion monthly active users mark, out of which, more than half (600 million) are using the site from their mobile devices. Krithiga mentioned that it is the company’s goal to provide a good experience to both smartphones as well as feature phones users. Pointing out the benefits of using Facebook for marketers, she further stated that a study of 63 global campaigns on the site showed that 49 per cent of the campaigns saw a return on investment (ROI) of five times.

In the recent times, the company has started focusing its energies towards countries like India primarily because the site has reached a kind of saturation in terms of growth in the developed countries like the US and the next level of growth can only come from such countries, where the number of internet users is growing at a rapid rate.

Recently, in an attempt to woo Indians to become a member of the site, Facebook has started offering free talk time worth Rs 50 to every new user who signs up on the site using a mobile phone. The company is also offering an additional Rs 50 to anyone who refers/invites a friend to join the site. Read here for more.

The company also launched its App Center for users in India (in addition to other countries), within a month of its US launch. Its other initiatives include rolling out a real-time advertising platform called Facebook Ad Exchange and a feature for users to buy and send real gifts.

Source: http://techcircle.vccircle.com/500/facebook-users-65m-counting-in-india-an-8x-increase-in-2-years/

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