New tech on the block: AI, Digital Transformation, FinTech, eSports & blockchain

The Tech Panda takes a look at recent tech launches.

AI: Self-training software designed to revolutionize AI-based object detection techniques

Jidoka Technologies, a company in the field of automated cognitive inspection for manufacturing launched its innovative self-training software designed to revolutionize the AI-based object detection techniques.

Sekar Udayamurthy, CEO and Co-founder, of Jidoka Technologies, said, “We are happy to introduce our revolutionary self-training software for AI-based object detection in the visual inspection domain.  This technology is a game changer enabling the manufacturers to achieve quality inspection independence and ensure their own teams perform quality control of their ever-changing production lines quickly and effortlessly.” He also added. “With this new technology, manufacturers can attain an unmatched level of accuracy, efficiency, and adaptability in their quality inspection processes and reduce the dependency on Jidoka for changes”.

The Why

In the era of rapidly evolving technologies, visual quality in manufacturing is not always binary – OK or NOK, and is highly subjective. It relies on people’s experience and expertise for decisions that need to be taken within seconds despite the presence of rules and SOP. 

The criteria for accepting or rejecting defects in components can fluctuate due to factors like environmental conditions, the influence of external elements such as oil and dust on the part, and changes in standards based on the part’s functionality and its intended user. Although these variations are in the acceptable range, automated machine systems that rely on rule-based approaches would be rejecting the parts leading to a high percentage of false positives.

For over three years, Jidoka Technologies has been deploying its AI-driven software to address complex visual inspection tasks, with a track record of over 40 success stories spanning across automotive, consumer goods, print, and packaging industries. Customers have been asking for self-training for two usecases, where there is a change in environment or variations for existing lines or where there is a high mix-low volume eg: PCB industry where the requirements are dynamically changing. By building on this rich experience, the organization is now introducing its self-training software, empowering customers with the ability to independently train and deploy AI models on the go.

Features

• This software leverages the power of advanced AI technologies with continuous learning from different datasets and adapting to variations to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of visual inspections to unprecedented levels either to automated means or “human in the loop”. 
• The power to train AI models by the end user allows manufacturers to upskill their teams, manage the defects and work on timely upgrades based on their process and criteria changes.
• This software significantly reduces the implementation time needed to take cutting-edge AI deployments live in production environments.
• The user interface guides users with no machine vision expertise, step by step in the training of new defects and new products to AI, making the process extremely intuitive.

Digital Transformation: Omnichannel Customer Engagement Platform

Newgen Software, a global provider of digital transformation platform, NewgenONE, launched OmniOMS 11.0, the latest version of its Omnichannel Customer Engagement Platform (CCM).

“Today, digital customers expect not only a good but a great customer experience, so how organizations engage with customers becomes extremely important. The NewgenONE platform, equipped with powerful Omnichannel Customer Engagement capabilities, empowers businesses to deliver personalized and effective customer communications through their channel of choice. Thus, helping deliver a superior experience across the customer journey,” stated Mr. Virender Jeet, CEO of Newgen Software.

“With NewgenONE OmniOMS 11.0, businesses can achieve an impressive 30-40% reduction in operational expenses and full-time equivalent (FTE) costs. By leveraging the reusable design features, rich user interface, and robust integration ecosystem, businesses can make their operations more cost-effective and resource-efficient,” stated Mr. Varun Goswami, Head of Products at Newgen Software.

Features

This version allows businesses to cut down on operational challenges faced in managing enterprise-wide communications and drive growth through innovative features such as –

• Rich communication designer – Allows organizations across industries, including banking, insurance, government, utilities, and telecom, to create responsive communications such as statements, policy schedules, welcome letters, invoices, bills, reminders, and notifications. It also enables enterprises to reach out to customers through their channels of choice, such as e-mails, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, social media, and others.
• Reusable components and master templates – Drastically reduces communication design time and effort for employees. Businesses can set up components and master template library of reusable design objects such as images, tables, headers, footers, and static and dynamic content to design and modify hundreds of templates in minutes.
• Seamless integration with business apps – Brings down operational costs associated with managing multiple legacy applications by integrating the platform with various BPM, CRM, and core systems, enabling designing, delivery, and tracking of enterprise-wide communications from these apps.

FinTech: BLAZE, an advanced payments tech platform to meet diverse needs of banks & financial institutions

Financial Software & Systems Pvt Ltd (FSS), a provider of payments technology solutions launched ‘BLAZE’, an advanced payments technology platform, designed to meet the diverse needs of banks and financial institutions.

V Balasubramanian of FSS said, “BLAZE marks a significant milestone for FSS. It embodies our commitment to innovation and reflects our vision for the future of payments. We have created a payments industry-focused platform, which will help banks achieve their digital transformation goals. BLAZE enables banks and financial institutions to deliver novel and innovative payment experiences to their customers. With its scalability, security, and adaptability, this platform is set to pave the way for the next generation of payment technologies.”

The Why

Banks, currently operating on legacy monolithic infrastructures, face numerous challenges such as the flexibility of enabling quick system integrations, inability to provide exceptional customer experience for ease of payments and ensuring cost efficiency for lower cost per transaction, among others. BLAZE addresses the core of these challenges. The adoption of BLAZE will also empower financial institutions to roll out innovative payment offerings to market at a much faster speed, enhance their competitive edge and attract new customers.

Features

• FSS Payment Gateway, powered by BLAZE, can handle more than 5,000 transactions per second (TPS) to ensure a higher number of successful transactions during peak hours
• It enables banks to deliver higher TPS to align with the growing digital commerce adoption in the country.
• key design principles that adhere to industry standards, safeguarding data and preventing fraudulent activities
• Its open architecture will facilitate smooth integration with existing systems, fostering interoperability among various payment processes.
• Its real-time data analytics capabilities empower businesses to enhance payment processing efficiency and swiftly resolve any payment-related issues.

Ethernet Switch: LAN9662 Gigabit Ethernet Switch

To provide automation manufacturers with a comprehensive networking solution, Microchip Technology (Nasdaq: MCHP) announced the LAN9662 Gigabit Ethernet Switch with four ports, Audio-Video Bridging and Time Sensitive Network (AVB/TSN), two integrated 10/100/1000BASE-T PHYs and a 600 MHz Arm ® Cortex ® -A7 CPU subsystem.

“Expanding on the LAN966x family, the LAN9662 opens a path to scale with TSN-enabled networking endpoints,” said Charles Forni, vice president of Microchip’s USB and networking business unit. “Our solutions offer customers the advantage of starting their designs with industry standards met, supported by a comprehensive software portfolio.”

The Why

Industrial automation and digital transformation are driving market growth for scalable and standardized networking solutions to address the needs of commercial Operational Technology (OT) deployments.

Features

• To support industrial Ethernet applications, the LAN9662 features a Real-Time Engine (RTE) that provides the ability to modify the Ethernet frame in flight, enabling faster cyclical data rates and low latency. The LAN9662 is compliant with key industry standards such as the OPC Unified Architecture (OPC/UA) and PROFINET software stack, offering deterministic communication capabilities necessary for industrial networking applications.
• With two integrated PHYs, the LAN9662 provides extremely low latency to support various daisy chain topologies. The PHY interfaces enable fast data processing within a specified time to provide a reliable network for automation applications such as motor, conveyor and multi-axis robot controllers.

• The LAN9662 supports up to two RGMII/RMII, up to two 1000BASE-X/SerDes/2.5GBASE-X/KX, and a Quad-SGMII/Quad-USGMII interface. The configurable interfaces allow designers to reach various types of physical layers or interconnects they may require.

• The LAN9662 is supported by Microchip’s Switch API, the EVB-LAN9662 and the EVB-LAN9662-Carrier Board. Software support is also offered through Platform BSP, Linux ® Switchdev and PROFINET Software Stack.

• The LAN9662 is available at $13.10 in volume quantities.

Brand: AI & ML-driven Learning Management System

Jagmohan Bhanver, India’s Leading Master Coach and author of best-sellers unveiled his latest venture, Talgro, a ground-breaking AI and ML-driven Learning Management System (LMS). Talgro uses technology to augment learner engagement and experience.

Jagmohan Bhanver says, “C-suite leaders are required to drive the organisational vision and enable a responsive market-driven organisation. It is essential for employers to invest in employee upskilling and reskilling in order to ensure that their people remain relevant and agile, thereby encouraging employee productivity and job satisfaction.”

Features

• Talgro houses India’s first online skills assessment platform (under the brand TRUEtest)

with online career mentoring, counselling and scientific skills assessment. The platform has clocked over half-a-million registered users to date.

• Its executive coaching program focuses on enhancing and developing effective leaders and high-performing teams.

• Its proprietary AI-driven technology ensures a 99% completion rate for all skilling courses, setting an industry benchmark.

FinTech: An innovative co-branded Corporate Credit Card

YES BANK launched an innovative co-branded Corporate Credit Card in collaboration with Zaggle, a spend management platform. Christened ‘YES BANK Zaggle Corporate Credit Card’, the proposition is an example of banks ushering in a digital revolution by empowering businesses to reimagine their payment processes, streamline reconciliation, and efficiently manage company expenditures.

Rajan Pental, Executive Director, YES BANK said, “We, at YES BANK are constantly looking to bring forth innovative banking solutions for corporate and retail customers. The partnership with Zaggle enables businesses to bring in operational efficiencies by allowing them to undertake banking transactions, manage company expenditures as well as keep track of all business-related overheads on a single platform. The co-branded card is a compelling proposition that offers upfront savings on business spends, along with the privilege of offering rewards on both spends and repayments on a large list of business expense categories. We will continue to explore avenues of co-creating more of such innovative propositions.”

Avinash Godkhindi, MD & CEO, Zaggle said, “The corporate T&E space is ripe for disruption as businesses increasingly demand real-time analytics to better manage spends, an industry need that we believe remains unmet. Zaggle ZatiX, deeply integrated with the YES BANK Zaggle Corporate Credit Card aims to addresses this need, to empowering businesses, and provide CFOs with the certain tools they need for intelligent spend decision making to assist with strategically controlling costs and optimally managing cash flow. Zaggle ZatiX a spend management and analytics platform, which helps businesses to bring in greater cost efficiencies.”

The Why

In an era where India’s corporate landscape is rapidly expanding, strategic financial tools play a pivotal role in facilitating growth. A substantial portion of a company’s budget is often allocated to travel and entertainment expenses, posing considerable management challenges. The YES BANK Zaggle Corporate Credit Card presents an innovative solution by granting businesses direct authority over company expenses.

Features

The card will empower businesses to bring in greater cost efficiencies by facilitating an integration with Zaggle’s ZatiX, a spend management and analytics platform, thereby allowing corporates to optimise cash outflows.

It presents an innovative solution by granting businesses direct authority over company expenses. This includes the ability to set individual spending limits, place merchant category restrictions, and implement various other controls. Moreover, cardholders are entitled to a range of exclusive benefits, spanning from rewards and golf privileges to lounge access and travel insurance.

eSports: A tech platform to redefine the landscape of interactive fandom for sports & eSports enthusiasts

FanClash, an Asian fantasy Esports platform launched Spectatr, a tech platform that aims to redefine the landscape of interactive fandom with innovations for sports and Esports enthusiasts.

Rishabh Bhansali, Co-Founder of Spectatr commented, “The launch of Spectatr marks a significant milestone in our journey of reshaping the way sports and Esports enthusiasts engage with their favourite games. Our vision is to bridge the gap between technology and fandom to offer a seamless and immersive experience to users. The entire team’s passion for innovation has driven us to create a platform that not only captivates but also empowers fans, giving them a more interactive and personalized way to connect with the sports they love. We believe that the future of fandom lies in interactivity, and with Spectatr, we are leading that charge.”

The Why

With the aim of taking Spectatr’s game-changing solutions to international audiences, the platform has partnered with global fantasy operators, data providers, and tournament organizers to create an ecosystem that reinvents fan engagement on a global scale.

Features

• The platform is designed to cater to the fans of sports such as Cricket, Kabaddi, Basketball, and Football as well as high-profile Esports titles including BGMI, DOTA2, CS:GO, Valorant, PUBG, and more to deliver an unprecedented interactive experience.

• Seamless Plug-and-Play Daily Fantasy Solutions: Encompassing both Esports and traditional sports like Cricket, Soccer, Kabaddi, and Basketball, Spectatr’s daily fantasy solutions offer a seamless and immersive experience for fans.

• Groundbreaking “Live” Fantasy Experience: Originally pioneered for Cricket and extended to Kabaddi, Basketball, Football, and DOTA2, Spectatr introduces an innovative “Live” fantasy experience that keeps fans engaged in real-time action.

• AI-Generated Highlights: Tailored for CS:GO and Valorant, this innovation captures riveting in-game moments and seamlessly shares them on social media, enhancing the overall spectator experience.

• In-Stream Fan Engagement Suite: Spectatr’s carefully curated suite for streaming platforms provides fans with an immersive experience, enhancing the enjoyment of live matches.

• Inventive Free-to-Play Prediction Solutions: Perfect for B2C platforms aiming to captivate their user base, Spectatr introduces engaging free-to-play prediction solutions.

• Real-Time Data Chatbots: Spectatr’s chatbots, starting with the CS:GO-focused bot, provide fans with real-time data about their favourite sports, enhancing their engagement and understanding.

AI: An integrated text and voice generation solution

Writesonic, an AI-powered content solutions, launched Audiosonic, an integrated text and voice generation solution. Offering an unparalleled ease of generating SEO-optimized content for blog posts, ads, emails, podcasts, and more, Audiosonic enables users to effortlessly convert text into human-like audio within the same ecosystem. This new product represents a leap in synergy between content creation and voice synthesis.

Founder and CEO, Samanyou Garg, says, “Our mission has always been to provide all-encompassing solutions to our users. The launch of Audiosonic is a testament to this. It merges conversion-optimized content creation with realistic text-to-speech capabilities. Imagine composing a captivating email or an enticing blog post with Writesonic, and then instantly transforming it into a lifelike audio experience with Audiosonic. We’re turning that vision into reality.”

The Why

The entertainment industry leverages TTS technology to create audiobooks, providing a cost-effective alternative for publishers. It boosts customer service by powering virtual assistants and chatbots that offer instant responses to customer inquiries. Beyond that, TTS is employed in marketing strategies to craft personalized voice messages, and in gaming to deliver immersive experiences. It plays a crucial role in navigation systems, news broadcasting, and interactive voice response (IVR) systems, making the process of information delivery more efficient and interactive.

Thus, the introduction of Audiosonic enhances Writesonic’s comprehensive suite of AI-driven content creation tools. The synergy between Writesonic’s existing platforms like Chatsonic for interactive chats and the AI Article Writer for in-depth content, combined with Audiosonic’s advanced text-to-speech features, creates a one-stop-shop for all content needs.

Features

• The primary feature of Audiosonic is its ability to offer a variety of lifelike male and female voices to choose with accents from the US, UK, and other regions. Audiosonic is available in English at present but other language options and voice cloning are also planned to be launched very soon.

• Audiosonic is designed to streamline a broad range of use-cases in AI text-to-speech (TTS) generation.

• It offers a helping hand to those with visual or reading disabilities by transforming text into audible words.

• In the realm of education, it enhances the e-learning journey by adding an audio narration to digital content, making learning more engaging for students.

Blockchain: A comprehensive Whitelabel Custody Solution

Liminal, a digital asset custody provider launched its Whitelabel Custody Solution. This new offering will now allow Web3 enterprises to manage digital assets securely and efficiently through a fully customizable and comprehensive platform.

“Our mission at Liminal is to empower Web3 institutions with the tools they need to succeed in the ever-evolving digital asset landscape securely,” said Rahil Shaikh, AVP of Product and Blockchain at Liminal. “With our Whitelabel Custody Solution, we are introducing an opportunity for institutions to establish their own branded and fully customizable custody platforms, enabling them to navigate the complexities of digital asset management with confidence.”

The Why

As the demand for customizable solutions grows, white label custody offerings are gaining momentum in the digital asset space. Liminal’s comprehensive Whitelabel Custody Solution is designed to address these intricate challenges faced by institutions, ensuring top-tier security and compliance within its robust infrastructure and policy management tools.

Web3 institutions have long grappled with the complexities of custodial services, ranging from wallet security to private key management and compliance checks. Liminal’s Whitelabel Custody Solution offers a transformative approach, empowering institutions to build secure, compliant, and efficient digital asset management platforms tailored to their unique needs.

Features

• It enables businesses to leverage Liminal’s secure wallet infrastructure and policy management tools while delivering a personalized experience to clients. By embracing the power of white label, enterprises can streamline their services and accelerate their market entry without the complexities of building infrastructure from scratch.

• Harnessing Liminal’s MPC-based technology, Web3 enterprises can manage their digital assets with unparalleled security and efficiency. The solution offers segregated wallets with multi-user approvals, ensuring an unparalleled level of security. It also enhances fund security, improves transaction processing speed and efficiency, and provides an enhanced user experience.

• It offers a range of personalization, security, compliance, and support features. This tailored custody platform allows institutions to customize every aspect of the platform, from user interface design to security protocols. Simultaneously, it offers the flexibility to adapt quickly to market trends and changing customer needs. Seamless integration with the whitelabel solution ensures minimal downtime and maximizes efficiency.

• Security remains paramount in the digital asset space. Liminal’s advanced technology and encryption measures establish a fortified custody infrastructure, safeguarding digital assets from potential threats and unauthorized access.

• It ensures compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, fostering trust and transparency while adhering to global regulatory frameworks. Liminal provides dedicated support, ensuring institutions have access to expert guidance whenever required.

• It offers both custodial and non-custodial setups, catering to a wide range of institutional preferences. The custodial setup provides advanced security features, private key management, and compliance modules. The non-custodial setup empowers institutions with full asset control and automation capabilities.