Transsion Holdings emerges as 5th largest Mobile Handset player in India: Counterpoint Report Q1 2018

Transsion Holdings, one of the largest global mobile phone conglomerate has emerged as fifth largest mobile handset player in Indian market as suggested by Counterpoint Report Q1 2018. For those who are wondering what Transsion Holdings is or if they have never heard of this name earlier, Transsion Holdings is best known in emerging markets for its leading mobile phone brands including TECNO, itel, Infinix, and Spice. Its brand portfolio also comprises Carlcare for after-sales services, oraimo for smart accessories as well as Syinix for home appliances

Since the launch in April 2016 with itel, TRANSSION India has consistently increased its footprint in the Indian market. Aligned with its multi brand-strategy in India, the company has successfully launched 5 brands in India; itel, TECNO, Infinix, Spice and oraimo, catering to the unique needs of specific consumers in the year 2017. TRANSSION, has a robust pan-India presence with a deep distribution network of 1.05 lakh retailers and 3,000 plus channel partners, enabling the company to cater to the length and breadth of the country. TRANSSION will continue to expand and engage the channel better in 2018 as well.

TRANSSION India also introduced its after-sales service brand, “Carlcare”, in addition to launching its one COCO (company-owned, company-controlled) service centre in India with over 1,000 service touch points for all TRANSSION brands. It is this ownership of the end-to-end customer journey, both before and after purchase, which has helped in delivering an unparalleled ownership experience.

Speaking on the achievement, Mr. Marco Ma, Chief Managing Director – TRANSSION India, said, “We are deeply delighted to have achieved this success within 2 years of our operations in India and emerged as one of India’s leading mobile phone players. India is a key priority market for TRANSSION. We are consistently working towards providing world class experience, and, customized mobile solutions to the Indian consumers. Having said that, we are glad to gain recognition as well as a strong endorsement from a credible industry body, Counterpoint. This further fuels our commitment towards Indian consumers.”

TRANSSION’s successful innings in India has been possible due to its go-to market strategy and differential marketing approach tailored for each brand under its umbrella. Apart from product quality, a superlative distribution network, customer service and game changing service promises have been the reason of TRANSSION’s success in India.

itel, since its launch in April 2016 has retained its leadership position based on the promise of democratizing technology and offering fuller promise. Having achieved a leadership position in the feature phone category, itel is all poised to disrupt and build a strong base for its smartphones in India with a superlative smartphone portfolio which was introduced recently.

TECNO, a premium offline smartphone brand from TRANSSION India has emerged as one of the leading smartphone brand and is at the verge of entering the list of top ten smartphone brands in the country within first year of its operations. The brand started in the year 2018 on a promising note with the launch of global camera-centric “Camon” smartphones in India, enabled with Full View display. Camon series (Camon i, Camon Air & Camon i Sky) has played a vital role in bolstering TECNO’s India growth story, registering 23% QoQ in Q1 2018 (Source: Counterpoint), with the aim of making it to the Top 5 smartphone brands by end of 2018. The quarter also witnessed some key strategic marketing tie-ups such as partnering with leading telecom operator Vodafone, for offering exciting cashback offers to its new buyers and being the Official Smartphone Partner for Kings XI Punjab for IPL 2018.

Furthermore, Infinix, the online smartphone brand of TRANSSION India, following its successful launch in August 2017, has been well received by the consumers, making it one of the highest rated Smartphone brands on Flipkart continuously, with an average rating of 4 or above on all its products. The brand recently launched its first selfie-centric smartphone with Full View display “Hot S3” in Q1 2018 strengthening its smartphone portfolio, comprising Hot 4 Pro for entry level; Note 4 & Hot S3 for mid-level and Zero 5, the flagship “Dual Camera” smartphone

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ASUS launches Zenfone Max Pro M1 launched, comes with Snapdragon 636, 5000 mAh battery, Pure Android Oreo

ASUS has once again upped its ante against competitors with the launch of Zenfone Max Pro M1. The device is so far one of the best from ASUS if we go by the specifications, features and price of the phone. To give you an idea about how lethal this can be to the competitors just think about it that it bugs down likes of Redmi Note 5 Pro, Redmi Mi A1, Honor 7x. To top that the device comes with a plethora of launch offers the most prominent one from Flipkart itself which gives you do anything with your phone Guarantee at just Rs 49 instead of Rs 999/-

ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1

AVAILABILITY & PRICING:

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) will be available in two variants namely 3GB / 32GB for Rs.10,999 and the 4GB / 64GB for Rs. 12,999 from May 3, 2018 exclusively on Flipkart. 

About the device
The ZenFone Max Pro packs a massive 5000mAh battery, a 15.2 cms (5.99) FHD+ Full View display and a dual-camera system into an amazingly compact metal body. It is powered by the fast and energy-efficient Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 636 Mobile Platform, with Adreno™ 509 graphics for enhanced responsiveness and outstanding gaming performance. The smartphone is also ASUS’ first smartphone to offer a pure, stock version of Android – and the latest version Android 8.1. The smartphone packs in high-end audio components comprising an NXP Smart Amp, a 5 Magnet Speaker and a passive amplifier accessory ‘The Max Box’, for unmatched audio experience in its segment.

ZenFone Max Pro (M1) smartphone is also the first smartphone to be co-marketed and distributed online under the recently announced partnership between ASUS and Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce marketplace.

Commenting on the launch, Ajay Yadav, VP, Flipkart said, “Flipkart has been at the forefront of driving innovation and growing the adoption of smartphones in India.  With the strategic partnership with ASUS, we are now expanding our efforts in redefining the market by launching smartphones that are ‘made for India’. Backed by our deep understanding of what customers are looking for, the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is a complete package of cutting edge technology and great specs at a compelling price.”

Larry Paulson, President & Vice President, Qualcomm India joined Mr. Shen on stage to add, “Qualcomm Technologies shares the ASUS commitment to exceptional design and quality, With the launch of ZenFone Max Pro, powered by the Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform, ASUS has brought together an ideal balance of exceptional battery life, outstanding performance and consumer value.” 

The smartphone’s exquisite design features a stylish aluminum-alloy body and 2.5D-curved display glass, and is available in two stunning finishes: Deepsea Black, and Gray

At the heart of the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is an advanced Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform, which combines smooth, responsive performance with superb battery life, and a powerful Adreno 509 GPU that delivers enhanced mobile gaming and browsing performance. The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) handles any task easily, with performance to spare.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform is an advanced 14nm 64-bit octa-core system-on-chip (SoC) with up to 4GB RAM, and which delivers over (up to) 40%-higher CPU performance and 10%-higher graphics performance than the Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform, while maintaining excellent battery life. With its improved performance, the Adreno 509 GPU supports lifelike visuals and more efficient rendering of advanced 3D graphics.

Stock Android 8.1

The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is the first ASUS smartphone to ship with pure Android™ Oreo™, the latest version of the beautiful Android user interface that delivers an intuitive experience and helps the user do stuff faster, improve their productivity, and simply lets them have more fun with their phone.

Battery power

The hallmark of the ZenFone Max Series is the huge battery capacity, designed for serious travelers and those who need maximum battery endurance. The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) has a high-capacity, high-density 5000mAh battery — the most powerful in the ZenFone Max Series — that's custom-crafted to pack maximum performance into minimum space. 

With so much power on tap, users can browse more, game more, stream more — and talk as much as they want without worrying about finding a power outlet. The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) offers users up to 20 hours of YouTube video playback, up to 42 hours of 3G talk time and up to 28 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing. On a single charge, users can enjoy playing more: for example, up to 45 rounds of Mobile Legends, or up to 2 seasons of Games of Thrones.

All this power is backed up with lightning-fast charge times: ZenFone Max Pro can charge its 5000mAh battery from 0% to 100% in just 2 hours and 42 minutes, compared to some rival products with a 4000mAh battery that need well over 3 hours. 

Display

The 15.2 cms (5.99) Full View FHD+ (1080 x 2160) display in the ZenFone Max Pro features stunning 450cd/m2 brightness, class leading 1500:1 contrast ratio and an 85% NTSC color gamut to provide users an magnificent visual experience. The ultrawide 18:9 aspect ratio and slim bezels provide a greatly expanded viewing area that makes viewing photos and watching widescreen videos incredibly immersive, and when browsing the web there's less need for scrolling. Multitasking is also easier, as two apps fit comfortably side-by-side on the screen. 

For powerful, immersive high-quality sound, the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) features a five-magnet speaker driven by an NXP smart amplifier that delivers higher volume with lower distortion. Compared to single-magnet speaker performance, the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) delivers 41% louder sound, 14% better low-frequency response and 12% less distortion. When coupled with Max Box, the volume can increase up to 2X louder.

Dual rear cameras

The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) has an advanced dual-camera system that takes mobile photography to new heights. The rear camera focuses on the subject in less than the blink of an eye, and has a high-resolution 13MP sensor with a high-quality, f/2.2 wide-aperture lens that captures clearer photos, every time.

The secondary 5MP rear camera is a dedicated depth-sensing camera for more accurate bokeh effect in portraits and close-ups, putting the subject in sharp focus while progressively blurring the background for a gentle yet powerful effect that really makes the subject stand out.

ZenFone Max Pro (M1) shoots video at up to 4K UHD resolution, allowing users to just point, shoot and share their memories, all captured with incredible levels of detail.

The 8MP front camera enables the most indulgent selfies, with soft-light LED flash and a beautification feature that enables shots with removal of blemishes, balance facial features, enhance skin tone and more. 

Premium all-metal design with three slots (two SIM slots and an expandable storage slot)

The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is built to last using solid metal, with a slim and light 180g body that's precision-crafted to give it a luxurious feel without being bulky. The slim and elegant size and 2.5D-curved front edges make the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) exceptionally comfortable to hold, with significantly less bulk than a standard 6-inch phone. The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is available in two stunning finishes to match the user's style: Deepsea Black and Meteor Silver.

The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) comes with two SIM slots supporting 4G LTE, and an additional microSD slot to expand storage by up to 2TB. Its convenient triple-slot tray lets users install two SIMs and a microSD card in one easy step.

The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is easier to use and more convenient than ever, with a new face unlock feature that lets users unlock the phone simply by looking at it — the perfect solution for messy or gloved fingers. In addition, ZenFone Max Pro (M1) sports a rear fingerprint sensor that unlocks the phone in an instant.

Special Launch Day Offers

The new Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1) launches in India with several unique offers to sweeten the deal. Flipkart launches 'Complete Mobile Protection', India's end to end post sale assurance at a special introductory price of Rs. 49 in partnership with Asus. It offers comprehensive coverage and ultimate convenience to the customer with doorstep pick up and drop service.

 In addition, there is an extra Rs. 1000 off over regular exchange of models and to spread buying cost a special no cost EMI, upto 12 months on all credit cards and Bajaj Finserv Limited.

Vodafone Offer

The Vodafone offer on ZenFone Max Pro M1 is unique and offers benefits up to Rs.3200. Offers include, Free additional data, Free Red Sheild Device security plan for 2 years and weekly telecom and non-telecom offers for youth customers.

Vodafone Offer Details are as follows.

Prepaid:

⦁ 10GB additional Data Free per month for 12 months (Rs.199 Plan and above)

⦁ Weekly telco and non telco discount offers for Youth Consumers

Postpaid:

⦁ 10GB additional Data Free per month for 12 months (Red 399 Plan and above)

⦁ Red Shield – Device Security Insurance Plan Free for 2 Years (Red 499 Plan and above)

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5 Tips to improve your productivity with your smartphone

The internet access and thousands of applications must be on the top of your list among the number of ways to distract you from work. But, honestly, would you blame only smartphones for distracting you or keeping you from your work?  Because, if you look objectively, smartphones serve as one of the key devices to help increase your productivity. You can schedule appointments, manage tasks, set reminders and do a lot more through your smartphone, on the go. One great example is BlackBerry Hub that gives the phone a productivity boost, whether it’s integrating all your email, text and social messages into one place or giving you a really smart Calendar. It makes sure that doing stuff on your smartphone is effortless and really smart, therefore, increasing your productivity dramatically.

Here are five useful tips to help you tap into your smartphone's productivity power: 

Note down THAT idea now:

Note down when you think about it

Keep track of your to-do lists or your bucket list, make notes for a presentation or action items from a meeting, all on your smartphone, anytime, anywhere.  Suddenly hit up with that great idea? Just note it down on your phone. Some phones also offer features that synchronize your notes with Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Outlook. So you can shoot these ideas when you believe you are ready to. 

Smoothen the process:

Make use of applications such as launcher that turn multi-step actions like sending an email or calling a friend into a one-click task. It lets you organize apps, widgets, and shortcuts on customized home screen panels for instant access. You can view any application widget by simply swiping up or down across the icon on your home screen, giving you fast access to the information you need, whenever you need it. BlackBerry Hub is another great feature that BlackBerry devices offer, it integrates all your email, text and social messages into one place. This unified inbox is an irreplaceable tool for consolidating all of your messages in one place – whether it’s email, calendar, social or phone calls.

Collaborate without worrying about security and privacy: 

Handing memos to co-workers is a thing of the past and should stay there.  We live in a hyper-connected world, with a propensity for instant access to information and things. Smartphones come in handy for sending texts, voice, video or having a group chat. However, this also imposes severe privacy and security vulnerabilities on the individuals and the organization. Therefore, security-conscious individuals and organizations consider BBM, which is complete instant messaging platform and meets regulatory compliance standards, protecting data with a high level of encryption from end-to-end (in transit and at rest) across Android™, iOS, Windows®, and macOS.

Meetings and Calendar: 

Be on top of your schedule

Your smartphone can help you schedule a meeting and also act as a reminder. Moreover, for example, when you use a calendar on your Blackberry phone, you don't have to worry about double booking. When you create or change events, you can avoid double bookings by viewing if you’re busy. Using the Join Now feature, you can instantly dial into your meetings directly from your event reminder. Isn't that like having a personal assistant on the go?

Stay focused: 

Sometimes, all you need is to give deadlines to yourself and set reminders to get the work done. And what could act as a better reminder than your smartphones that stays with you almost 24*7.  Blackberry Task is an interesting feature that will increase your efficiency at work by creating tasks, and setting due dates and reminders to help you stay focused and meet your deadlines. You will receive notifications for upcoming tasks. It also syncs recurring tasks, due dates, and reminders. So go on and get the work done. You can either blame all evil in the world on smartphones, new technologies, and internet or you can make use of these to enhance your productivity and simplify your work-life and beyond. The options are available and the choice is yours!

Guest Post by-
   Mr. Hardip Singh, Executive Director, Optiemus Infracom.

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Spanish technology giant Energy Sistem forays in Indian market in partnership with Alchemie Commerce

Energy Sistem, a Spanish technology giant with over two decades of experience in creating personal audio devices, launches in India. The Company is based in the heart of the Mediterranean with the aspirations of capturing the mindsets of Indian consumers. The company is present in over 40 countries globally and is a market leader in Music Tower Systems, Music Boxes and Headphone category, Speakers, Home theaters, Portable Audio Devices among other categories.

Energy Sistem is elated to announce today its entry in Indian market with Alchemie Commerce Private Limited as partners with comprehensive product portfolio to be available in market 20^th March onwards to suit the needs of music lovers in India. The company will launch its operations with over 46 products, Music Tower Systems, Music Boxes (Bluetooth), Wired and Bluetooth Headphones.

Speaking at the launch, Ms Natalia Ovsyannikova, Country Manager, Energy Sistem commented, “It gives me great pleasure to announce the launch of Energy Sistem in India.At Energy Sistem, we aim to create quality products to make our users' daily lives easier and allow them to enjoy their music whenever and wherever they like. Our products are aimed at customers who live every moment to the fullest. Behind the brand, there is a multicultural team of 150 people of 16 different nationalities who are able to make difficult things happen in a simple way. We are confident that Energy Sistem will create a long lasting relationship with its customers in India. While the industry is estimated to be at INR3000 Crores, we expect to reach revenue of INR 250 Crores by 2020”

Energy Sistem today is present in Europe, North Africa and Latin America, with an active presence in more than 40 countries. Behind the brand, there is a multicultural team of 150 people of 16 different nationalities who are able to make difficult things happen in a simple way.

At the core of the company’s product development philosophy are four corner stones to develop innovative products – what is called the TDPE framework, which stands for Technology, Design, People and Emotion.

Energy Sistem has partnered with Alchemie Commerce Private Limited, a fast growing Indian start-up in the consumer electronic licensing and distribution space. The product range will be available across all the major retail outlets, in India across20cities along with other E-Commerce platforms from March2018 onwards. In the next phase, the company plans venture in the next 50 towns across the country & finally reaching to a total of 100 cities by end of the year.

Mr K Sunil, Managing Director, Alchemie Commerce commented “We are excited to partner with Energy Sistem, a seasoned brand and a specialist in personal audio products in over 40 countries around the world.Globally, Energy Sistem continues to fulfil its role as a brand which provides quality products with superior design and technology by redefining portable audio solutions. Now is the perfect time to provide the same superlative experience to theIndian customers. We are confident that Energy Sistem’s powerful products will change the dynamics of the Indian market.”

Energy Sistem has top quality products with a competitive price with other international brands. This range of products is priced between Rs.1499 and Rs 24999/- respectively.  The brand provides 12 months of replacement warranty.

The company will launch multiple products in the following categories:

•        Headphones  (Bluetooth and Wired)

•        Music Box

•        Party Tower System

•        Tower System

With its launch, the company plans to target the new age Indian consumers who aremusic enthusiasts, technology savvy, who want to enjoy their music whenever and wherever they desire.

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ETS Announces Smart Building AI Platform Roll-Out

ETS (Energy Technology Savings), the energy technology, behavior management, and smart building services provider, today announced the rollout of its Smart Building AI Platform, further enhancing the first predictive analytics and behavior modification mobile software suite that empowers the building management community with real time mobile tools to proactively reduce energy and operating costs, and generate revenue from onsite mechanical assets.

"By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, this innovative platform can now teach buildings how to be predictively more energy conscious," said ETS CEO Jeff Hendler, who services some of the biggest developers and landlords on the East Coast. "With these mobile tools in hand, combined with our training program and Smart Building Concierge Service, our clients' achievements in energy savings, sustainability and resiliency will be the highest yet. Our platform allows property managers to change energy behavior in the building at different times during the day, which will have a dramatic impact on energy costs."

The ETS Smart Building Concierge team will be conducting Spring 2018 demand management training with each individual building operations group and management executives. As part of the Spring Training program, ETS will be rolling out and empowering property management with the company's Smart Building AI Platform across ETS' growing portfolio of large multifamily and mixed-use properties.

The ETS Smart Building AI Platform – continuously learns from each building's specific real time data to generate predictive analytics that guide energy management behavior modification. The new generation mobile software suite empowers the building management community with the essential mobile tools to proactively reduce operating costs and generate revenue from onsite mechanical assets.

The design and functionality of the new software, App and platform is largely based on user feedback ETS has collected from building operators over the last two years.

"Acknowledging the operations team at each building for driving energy efficiency, work-flow productivity, and enhancing resident comfort has been paramount to the success of our data driven platform," said ETS' Seth Reisman, SVP Concierge Services. "Training and empowering our property management operators with real-time digital demand management protocols and fault detection anomaly notifications continuously generate incredible value for our property owners.  Our Smart Building AI Platform has taken that value to a higher level creating the social visibility rewarding each staff member the deserved recognition for responding and taking action to opportunities identified by our platform to reduce costs and generate revenue." 

The new platform simplifies each user's building management experience with powerful Big Data insights from smart meters and IoT sensors that cut energy costs and generate revenue from demand management programs. The mobile interface rewards staff engagement and verifies app utilization.

Some important features include:

• Empowers staff to perform energy savings activities with guided digital demand management protocol checklists, linking positive actions to efficiency goals and rewards

• Provides collaborative and transparent tools to handle faults (lobby too hot, emergency door open, higher than forecast energy use, Distributive Energy Resource - CHP, Battery, Solar - unit offline, Domestic Hot Water temps below average) quickly and improve tenant comfort

• Creates visible real time accountability for building staff through verification of engagement

• Gamifies energy and operations property management experience

ETS is a first mover technology company digitizing large multifamily and mixed-use properties - - developing smart meter and IoT data ontologies that power Deep Learning and AI semantics that are linked to specific property management activities that significantly lower energy costs, improve work flow productivity, and extract new revenue streams from existing property assets.

The company is currently serving more than 60 million square feet of major multifamily and mixed-use properties in the Northeast and expanding California and Seattle in 2018. ETS is taking a major step forward enhancing its state of the art services for current clients and scaling its capacities for expansive growth.

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