Google Cloud to launch second cloud region in India

Google Cloud to launch second cloud region in India

New Delhi: Google on Thursday announced its plans to open a Delhi cloud region, expected in 2021. This will be the company’s second cloud region in India since it launched one in Mumbai in 2017.

The new cloud region will expand Google’s existing network which stands at eight regions in the Asia Pacific and 22 regions globally today, it said in a statement.

Google cloud regions bring Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services to global organisations in industries like media and entertainment, retail and manufacturing.

“As the company’s customers in India grow and diversify, Google continues to advance and invest in its cloud infrastructure to help regulated industries such as healthcare and financial services, as well as public sector organisations across India achieve their goals,” it said.

GCP regions are the cornerstone of Google’s cloud infrastructure, and they enable customers to “deliver high performing, secure, low latency, cloud-based services to their users, no matter where they are around the world,” it said.

Projected to launch in 2021, the Delhi cloud region will have three zones to protect against service disruptions.

The region will also include a portfolio of key GCP products, offer lower latency to nearby users and, when combined with the existing region in Mumbai, enable geographically separate in-country disaster recovery for the customers’ mission-critical applications, it said.

Mallya asks FM to consider his offer to repay Kingfisher Airlines dues

Mallya asks FM to consider his offer to repay Kingfisher Airlines’ dues

New Delhi: Embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, on Tuesday, March 31 asked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to consider his repeated “offer to repay 100 per cent” of the amount borrowed by now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, in this time of coronavirus pandemic.

Mallya, who is wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore, also said all his companies have effectively ceased operations and manufacturing following the lockdown in India.

“I have made repeated offers to pay 100 per cent of the amount borrowed by KFA to the Banks. Neither are Banks willing to take money and neither is the ED willing to release their attachments which they did at the behest of the Banks. I wish the FM would listen in this time of crisis,” Mallya said in a series of tweets.

He further said, “Indian Government has done what was unthinkable in locking down the entire country. We respect that. All my companies have effectively ceased operations. All manufacturing is closed as well.”

Mallya sought government help and said, “We are not sending employees home and paying the idle cost. Government has to help.”

Asking people to stay safe and maintain social distancing “which can effectively be achieved by staying home and enjoying home time with family and pets, he said, “I am doing the same. We all have a sense of bravado but it’s not worth challenging an unknown enemy which isn’t Pulwama or Kargil.”

Mallya has challenged in the UK High Court his extradition from the country.

Netflix to reduce traffic on telecom networks by 25 pc to mitigate congestion

Netflix to reduce traffic on telecom networks by 25 pc to mitigate congestion

New Delhi: Video streaming major Netflix on Tuesday, March 24 said that it will reduce traffic on telecommunications networks by 25 per cent while maintaining the quality of service for users in India, as part of its efforts to help mitigate network congestion amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Companies like Amazon Prime Video are also temporarily lowering bit rates a measure of how much data is being transferred to ease pressure on telecom network infrastructure.

Consumption of digital content has gone up manifold as people are forced to stay indoors as almost the entire country is under lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19.

“Given the crisis, we’ve developed a way to reduce Netflix’s traffic on telecommunications networks by 25 per cent while also maintaining the quality of our service. So consumers should continue to get the quality that comes with their plan – whether it’s Ultra-High, High or Standard Definition,” Netflix VP Content Delivery Ken Florance said in an emailed statement.

He added this will provide significant relief to congested networks, and the measure will be deployed in India for the next 30 days.

The company, which has over 167 million users globally, has already undertaken similar measures in Europe. It doesn’t provide country-specific subscriber numbers.

Netflix typically has many different streams for a single title within each resolution. This action would result in removal of the highest bandwidth streams, and so, subscribers will continue to have access to the service they have paid for (Ultra-High Definition, High Definition or Standard Definition) depending on the device they use.

In India, Netflix has a significant number of subscribers on the Mobile Plan which is Standard Definition.

Netflix’s rival, Amazon Prime Video on Monday had said that it has begun efforts to reduce streaming bitrates in India. Bitrate usually determines the size and quality of video and audio files. Higher bitrate indicates better quality.

The Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) had written to the government urging issuance of instructions to streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and others to initiate measures that will ease pressure on network infrastructure, which is needed for “critical” functions at this juncture.

“We support the need for careful management of telecom services to ensure they can handle the increased internet demand with so many people now at home full-time due to COVID-19. In India, we’ve already begun the effort to reduce streaming bitrates whilst maintaining a quality streaming experience for our customers,” an Amazon Prime Video spokesperson had said.

A Hotstar spokesperson had said that the company’s video streaming is based on adaptive bitrate streaming, which ensures that it is “lean” in internet consumption. However, the company said it is “prepared to reduce the bitrate for our HD streams, should the need arise”.

Paytm looks to contribute Rs 500 cr to PM CARES Fund

Paytm looks to contribute Rs 500 cr to PM CARES Fund

New Delhi: For every contribution or any other payment made on Paytm using the wallet, UPI and Paytm Bank debit card, the company will contribute an extra up to Rs 10, Paytm said in a statement.

We are honored to do our duty to aid the government in all the relief measures being taken to fight the Corona pandemic. We hope our users wholeheartedly donate to PM CARES fund and help save lives,” Paytm President Madhur Deora said.

He added that the company will make a contribution for every payment transaction using the Paytm app and instruments, and this money would be directly sent to the PM-CARES fund.

Previously, Paytm had created a Rs 5 crore fund for innovators who are developing medical instruments or medicines to combat the virus.

The PM CARES Fund is exempt under the Income Tax Act, 1961 under Section 10 and 139 for return purposes. Contributions towards PM-CARES are notified for 100 per cent deduction from taxable income under section 80(G) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.