New tech on the block: Metaverse, video conferencing, Ecommerce, Low code, Digital Transformation, AI, HealthTech

The Tech Panda takes a look at recent tech launches.

Metaverse: A DIY or user-created virtual events platform

VOSMOS, a tech startup that specializes in Metaverse and virtual experiences, launched VOSMOS.Events, a DIY or user-created virtual events platform. It empowers individuals and organizations to create both small and large-scale virtual events that are dynamic and secure. Developed by VOSMOS in India, the platform offers a subscription-based model that enables users to create virtual events ranging from 100 to more than 1 lakh participants.

Piyush Gupta, the CEO of VOSMOS, remarked, “Virtual events continue to be popular even after the pandemic. At VOSMOS, we listened to the demands of our users, who wanted empowerment to control their virtual events and the virtual components of their physical events. They desired a platform that could provide them with virtual rooms, branding options, networking zones etc. to replicate the physical event. VOSMOS.Events meets all those requirements by offering users complete control. Furthermore, the subscription-based model allows them to choose only the features they require, providing them with the necessary flexibility.”

The Why

The launch of VOSMOS.Events comes as a response to the rapidly growing virtual events market in India and across the globe. Virtual events gained immense popularity during the pandemic, becoming the go-to platform for every event. Initially, events were held on a rudimentary setup with the basic objective of allowing participants to listen and view the speakers. Even as offline events have resumed post-pandemic, there continues to be a virtual component, resulting in a wider market for virtual gatherings. As a result, VOSMOS.Events is poised to meet the demand for user-friendly virtual event solutions. The data driven base of the platform helps users leverage insights to better understand their customers.

Organizing offline events is always a big task for event organizers, be it an individual, an agency, or an organization. Adding a virtual event component to it can make the process even more arduous. However, with VOSMOS.Events, setting up a virtual event takes only a few minutes. The platform provides a range of customizable options, including branding, slogans, ambiance, participant communication, networking, and much more, making it both convenient and personalized for users.

Features

3D Environment and Photorealistic; Theme & Templates; Live Streaming; Marketing Analytics, reports, and benchmarking;?? Simu-Live; Agenda Builder; Accessibility for differently abled; Multiple language support; Chat & Networking; Polls/Survey/Feedback; ?Gamification & Leader board; Social Media Wall; Photo Booth; Exhibitors Space; Business card exchange; Resource Centre

Work collaboration platform: product upgrade, doubling down on growth of hybrid work culture

Zoapi, the WeWork India backed conferencing and collaboration platform announced an upgrade to unlock new levels of collaboration, reduce tool-ambiguity, and enhance member experience through artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

“We are in the golden era of hybrid working where businesses truly believe in the culture of collaboration. As one of the largest flexible workspace providers in the country with a global presence, we are uniquely placed to understand how the future of work is evolving. Combined with our expertise and foresight, Zoapi’s has the potential to grow into a global player, implemented in TV screens and meeting rooms, across all industries,” said Karan Virwani, CEO, WeWork India.

“Our partnership with WeWork India has been instrumental in yielding valuable user insights that have been central to upgrading Zoapi technology.  With a focus on enhancing productivity in the workplace, the latest version allows seamless conferencing experience with the introduction of touch controllers for collaboration along with the upgrade of screen sharing technology in laptop and mobile platforms. We look forward to catering to the evolving demand of the workforce and are confident to take our SaaS solution to provide worldwide support for conferences and meeting rooms.”, added Prashanth N.S, Cofounder & CEO, Zoapi Innovations.

The Why

With the steady growth and adoption of the hybrid work culture, technology has taken centre stage in ensuring seamless productivity and connectivity regardless of where employees are located. Businesses of all sizes have realised that a culture of collaboration is the only way forward and Zoapi is uniquely positioned to enable it across all enterprises in the most affordable and universally acceptable manner.

Features

• A full-featured collaboration suite that fits into different use cases across large and small enterprises, startups, and flexible workspaces
• Helps start a meeting in less than 30 seconds
• Supports multiple conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and many more,
• Allows customers to customise the solution for their requirement with support for Digital Signage, Access point etc.
• Screen sharing & video conferencing for in-person meetings and hybrid teams
• Supports multiple conferencing apps with internal teams and external vendors along with features like annotation and whiteboarding, and easy switch between attendees
• Enables huddle and conferencing rooms with new age technology to improve productivity

Metaverse: Revolutionizing the audio experience in virtual breakout rooms

Edverse, a provider of metaverse with diverse virtual environments for remote business, education, and gatherings, launched its newest feature called Domes. This addition expands Edverse’s presence in the metaverse space, enhancing the overall employee experience and facilitating upskilling. Domes revolutionize the audio experience in virtual breakout rooms, improving privacy and providing value for Chief Experience Officers (CXOs), corporates, and institutions seeking secure remote collaboration for their teams.

“We believe that our new feature, Domes, will revolutionize remote collaboration and communication,” said Mr. Yuvraj Krishnan Sharma, Co-Founder and CTO of Edverse. “Our virtual environment fosters better interactions amongst the users that give them a feeling of being together while ensuring security and privacy. Whether they’re hosting a virtual event or working remotely with colleagues, Edverse’s platform provides a range of features that help them connect, collaborate, and communicate more engagingly and interactively.”

The Why

Virtual environments offer a sense of control, autonomy, and ownership over one’s space, immersing users in a virtual setting. Edverse has already made a significant impact in the metaverse community, and the addition of the Domes feature further solidifies its position as a leader in virtual collaboration and communication.

Features

• Participants can move to different breakout rooms where only the audio from that specific dome is audible to the participants within that particular Dome
• Allows users to create customizable avatars with customizable clothes, hair, skin tone, and more, promoting personal identity and inclusivity
• Whiteboards and media players for seamless collaboration and information sharing
• Accommodates a large number of users for virtual events, conferences, classrooms, training, and on-boarding

Ecommerce: A meta commerce platform for SMEs & consumers ahead of ONDC rollout

PayNearby, an Indian branchless banking and digital network, launched PayNearby Mall—a meta commerce platform to enable easy availability of good and services, in an assisted mode at the last mile. This will soon be integrated with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform. With this initiative, PayNearby aims to upgrade every retailer, in its million+ active network, to benefit from the ongoing e-commerce revolution, including the ONDC platform.

Anand Kumar Bajaj, Founder, MD & CEO, PayNearby, said, “With the past 18 months of work, we are finally thrilled to present PayNearby Mall, an initiative to elevate every trusted small store in Bharat into a super mall. With this feature, we look to empower local sellers and buyers and give them a user-friendly platform to discover products and sellers, compare prices, and make purchases with ease. It will help digitally overhaul small businesses gearing them towards a better livelihood and bringing them at par with the current times. Trust augmented.”

The Why

PayNearby Mall is envisioned as a meta-commerce platform that will empower every retailer and seller, from big merchants and e-commerce platforms to local sellers and small businesses (through ONDC) meet the unmet demand of their customers, both locally and across a wider market PAN India. It will help retailers expand their market, run a more profitable business with no additional working capital requirement and use technology to make all forms of services available at the last mile.

It will also benefit crores of consumers in Bharat with wider choices, giving them a seamless, affordable one-stop-shopping experience at a nearby store. Customers can walk into their nearest PayNearby store and with the help of the local retailer, discover any seller, product or service at the most optimal price point. It will enable an optimal demand and supply match, fuelling the growth of our local economies and overall financial health of our country.

Features

• E-commerce will now be accessible, easy and pocket-friendly, allowing retailers in Bharat to offer ‘Sab Kuchh’ from their stores
• Retailers will no longer be limited by working capital, store size or shelf space. All they would need is their PayNearby/NeoDukaan app to offer worldwide inventory to their customers, supported by 50+ brands/ partners, at the click of a button.
• It will soon integrate with ONDC too, so that local goods and sellers can reach their full potential and serve the growing demands of ambitious and unstoppable Bharat at the last mile.

AI: Heat mapping video analytics feature to study consumer behavior & gather data

Staqu Technologies, an artificial intelligence solutions provider, has unveiled a new heat mapping feature for their JARVIS platform is poised to revolutionize video analytics. The heat mapping feature uses a real-time camera feed to track human movement and has a wide range of potential applications across various industries.

Atul Rai, founder, and CEO of Staqu Technologies, “ Empowering offline players with the JARVIS heat mapping feature is a game-changer across industries, bringing them on par with their online counterparts. By providing comprehensive data analysis and insights, we can help businesses enhance their customer experience and create effective business strategies to achieve the best revenue growth for their business. At Staqu Technologies, we believe in tailoring to use the existing camera to use it deduce the insights which are helpful in revenue growth. With JARVIS heat mapping, we are revolutionizing the way businesses operate and grow, one insight at a time.”

The Why

One industry that could greatly benefit from this technology is retail. An illustrative example is a retail store with clearly defined sections for things like clothing, shirts, and trousers. In a conventional format, the store’s owner might not be aware of how much time each customer spends in these areas. Additionally, the owner is unaware of the reasons why a particular section—perhaps a coat—is selling out so quickly while many customers are browsing another section, perhaps a shirt.

However, it is now possible to study consumer behavior and gather useful data thanks to the use of AI-powered video analytics with heat mapping technology. The retailer may then alter the cost or the quality of its goods to better suit consumer preferences. Heat map analysis is a helpful tool for retailers, allowing them to track foot traffic in each section, gauge customer dwell time, and assess sales conversion rates.

Features

• Offers insightful data on customer behavior, demographics, consumer preference, and store layout optimization
• Can enhance inventory management, analyze sales and customer metrics, and identify potential revenue generators.

FinTech: A one-stop business platform for MSME customers

Aditya Birla Capital, the financial services business of the Aditya Birla Group, through its lending arm, Aditya Birla Finance, launched Udyog Plus, a one-stop business platform for MSME customers. This new B2B digital platform offers a wide range of solutions for MSMEs, including financing, protection, investments, advisory and value-added services for managing and growing their businesses.

Vishakha Mulye, CEO, Aditya Birla Capital Ltd., stated, “MSMEs are the key growth drivers of the Indian economy, and their contribution towards bolstering India’s growth has been commendable. We are committed towards supporting the growth of these businesses and our comprehensive digital platform – Udyog Plus aligns with the government’s goal of building a financially inclusive and Digital Bharat.”

Rakesh Singh, MD & CEO, Aditya Birla Finance Ltd., added, “We are excited to launch Udyog Plus for our MSME customers, which will empower them to achieve new horizons of success. Through this platform, we aim to establish Aditya Birla Finance Ltd., as a trusted partner to our MSME customers to help them experience a seamless way of managing and growing their businesses.”

The Why

Aditya Birla Finance already has a strong presence in the MSME segment. The total AUM stood at Rs 80,556 Crore as of March 31, 2023, with exposure to business loans at Rs 40,353 Crore with a 36 per cent year-on-year growth. This platform will enable Aditya Birla Finance to serve MSME customers better and create a winning experience for them while further strengthening its value proposition in the market.

Features

• Udyog Plus is an open marketplace that can be accessed through the financing section of the Aditya Birla Capital website by both existing as well as new customers of Aditya Birla Finance.
• MSMEs can avail the entire suite of financing solutions, from unsecured business loans to customised secured lending and supply chain financing solutions, as well as curated business loans.
• The 360-degree solution suite of financial services covers financing, insurance, and investment solutions for MSMEs and their entire ecosystem including promoters, owners and employees.
• Aditya Birla Capital Ltd., (“ABCL”) had recently collaborated with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to develop and promote a complete set of digital payment options to customers, through its subsidiaries. The payment stack will be made available for the MSMEs as well.
• The platform is live and offers a completely paperless digital journey for business loans of up to Rs 10 lakh.
• Udyog Plus is integrated with government e-commerce websites via Open Credit Enablement Network (OCEN) and with private e-commerce websites to provide credit facilities to sellers on these platforms.
• Aditya Birla Finance has also partnered with leading solution providers to provide a host of value-added services to the MSME customers such as free access to business networking platforms, digital commerce including registration on the ONDC seller network, corporate travel solutions, zero balance bank account, accounting, payroll, and tax filing tools and specialized knowledge content hub.

Upgrade: Mobile trading platform to replace the existing platform

Geojit Financial Services, an investment services company, launched its latest mobile trading platform, FLIP. The platform will replace the existing platform SELFIE, providing investors and traders with a comprehensive and flexible trading experience, backed by a range of advanced features.

“As we continue to innovate and develop new tools and services, we remain dedicated in providing our customers with the best possible trading experience. With FLIP, we are confident that we are taking a major step forward in achieving this goal,” said Jones George, Executive Director of Geojit.

“Geojit has a long-standing commitment to provide our customers with the most advanced and flexible trading platform. The new and improved FLIP platform, with its advanced order capabilities and upgraded features, is designed to meet the evolving needs of our clients and help them achieve their investment goals,” said Dilip Radhakrishnan, Head of Online Customer Experience of Geojit.

Features

• FLIP includes advanced order capabilities such as One Cancel Other Order, Bracket Orders, Basket Orders, Option Chain, Option Greeks, Single Click Multi-Leg Orders, and Exit All Positions in Just 1 Click. It also features Portfolio Insights, Technical and Fundamental Research, Stock Analysis Page, Advanced Charting (TradingView), and Dashboard that provides a summary of trades and investments.
• FLIP users will benefit from additional features set to be introduced over the next three months, including Split Order for Options, Roll Over for Futures, and Conditional Orders, Trading from Charts, Events Calendar, Market Overview, and Apply for IPO.
• Clients can download FLIP, and all existing SELFIE users can upgrade to FLIP from Apple AppStore and Google Play Store. With FLIP, Geojit is taking its mobile trading capabilities to the next level, empowering its clients to invest and trade smarter and more effectively.

Hybrid email system: For Indian MSME to reduce yearly subscription cost of email services by 50% to 70%

Synersoft, an Indian product company for the Indian MSMEs has launched a technology known as Hybrid Email System to reduce yearly subscription cost of email services by 50% to70%. This technology will help thousands of MSMEs to save yearly recurrent costs and rationalize their spending on email system says Vishal Prakash Shah, CEO, Synersoft.

This can be better understood by an example, states Sudhir Chaubey, Co-Founder at Synersoft, “A company with 30 email users may be paying a minimum of INR 60000 to INR 75000 per year for email system to Gmail or MS365. It may be possible that hardly 5 users may require large mailbox and host of services and 25 users may require simple email system. So, by adopting hybrid system, one can pay INR 10000 to INR 12500 for 5 users and pay INR 10000 to 15000 for the rest of the 25 users. It may reduce over cost to INR 20000 to 27500 INR per year from INR 60000 to INR 75000 per year.”

The Why

It solves a common problem. Standard email systems like Gmail, MS365 are priced between INR 2000 to INR 10000 per year per email box. They are offered with 30 GB to 50 GB mailbox for each email id with a host of features. For an MSME setup such a yearly cost is perceived to be on the higher side. In an MSME setup most users do not use such large mailbox and do not need advanced features of these email system. They need a simple email system which can be accessed in a browser or in email client using POP or IMAP protocol. So, very few users like owners and top management personnel in an MSME setup require feature rich and large mailbox email services. Most of the users do not require them. However, an MSME must pay for all features for all the users. It is challenging to use different mail service providers for a single domain. Hence, the yearly cost of email subscription is high compared to the usage requirements.

Hybrid Email Service is an answer to this problem. It is the technology which can allow single domain to be used with different email service providers to solve such a problem and reduce yearly cost of email subscription. It will allow MSMEs to pay premium for a few users for large mailbox and host of features with Gmail or MS365 and pay less for most of the users for a simple email system accessible over a browser or an email client.

Features

The technology works on DNS Splitting Technology. When an email is received from outside world the technology will determine whether to deliver it to Gmail or MS365 account or to BLACKbox hybrid email services. Thus, the MSME can maintain single domain for email id and use expensive Gmail or MS365 for few users and cost-effective BLACKbox hybrid email services for rest of the users. The BLACKbox hybrid email subscription services are offered in two categories. Hybrid POP Email Id and Hybrid IMAP Email Id. It comes in a bunch of 10 email boxes with 100 GB pool space expandable as per the requirements for IMAP accounts and POP accounts.

5C Network, a leading digital diagnostic delivery platform, today has announced the launch of Prodigi PASS, an innovative platform that is set to transform access to healthcare diagnostics services across India. Prodigi PASS empowers patients with unparalleled convenience and price discovery within their local vicinity by providing a network of high-quality diagnostic centers.

HealthTech: A diagnostic fulfillment service to schedule diagnostic appointments online via preferred aggregation platforms

Prodigi PASS is a diagnostic fulfillment service that empowers patients to conveniently schedule their diagnostic appointments online through their preferred aggregation platforms. 5C Network aims to connect over 500 diagnostic centers and hospitals nationwide with patient aggregator platforms in the next three months, with TATA 1mg and Even serving as the primary aggregation partners for this service.

Kalyan Sivasailam, CEO of 5C Network, stated, “Prodigi PASS addresses a critical issue in India, where less than 20% of hospitals have CT/MRI machines, leaving a significant gap. Diagnostic centers, which contribute to two-thirds of cross-section investments, play a vital role in closing this disparity. To tackle this challenge, Prodigi PASS actively fosters a collaborative network among diagnostic establishments. By linking these centers with patients, the platform simplifies the identification of the most suitable diagnostic facility and ensures prompt completion of scans, ultimately enhancing overall efficiency and improving the patient experience.”

The Why

With an astounding 90% of patients undergoing diagnostic scans without prior appointments, the selection process for diagnostic centers rarely prioritizes quality resulting in subpar experiences. Prodigi PASS empowers patients by enabling them to conveniently schedule their visits to diagnostic centers through online aggregator platforms like Tata 1mg by eliminating delays and ensuring prompt execution of diagnostic scans without compromising on quality.

Features

• Allows patients with all major insurance plans to access necessary diagnostic services easily.
• Initially introduced in Bengaluru with over 50 diagnostic centers across the city, the service is soon to be expanded to other major cities including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune.
• Provides financial transparency allowing patients to discover prices for different diagnostic services
• Healthcare facilities can schedule appointments
• Clinicians can refer patients and receive reports on their mobile devices