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Zoho Corporation, a comprehensive IT management software provider, is gearing up to serve the vibrant startup community and digital transformation trends in Southeast Asia where different countries are at different stages of development. It is doing this by helping companies and developers make mobile and web applications with low-code platforms.

The Indian startup began with six employees in 1996 and now has 7,000 employees in 180 countries, operating 45-plus cloud applications for more than 45 million users.

"In Thailand, the internet economy was worth close to US$6 billion in 2015 and by 2025, we are looking at up to $50 billion, which is probably two times what it is today," Gibu Mathew, vice-president and general manager of Asia-Pacific at Zoho, told Asia Focus.

"For Southeast Asia, the internet economy is going to be one of the highest reasons for growth in general for the region as well."

Southeast Asia now 360 million internet users, 90% of them connected via mobile, while the internet economy is expected to reach $100 billion by the end of this year. Mr Mathew notes that the region now boasts 10 unicorns, or businesses worth $1 billion or more. Most are in Indonesia which is helping the local economy but Zoho also sees interesting trends in Thailand.

The Net Pracharat policy, a Thai government project to provide free WiFi and low-cost broadband infrastructure to more than 40,000 villages that broadband internet has not reached, is helping on the connection side, Mr Mathew said.

As of last year, the project had brought broadband internet to more than 24,700 villages, with another 15,723 scheduled to be connected this year. As of November 2018, there were about 4.5 million users registered for WiFi Net Pracharat, and new registrations are taking place at a rate of 200,000 to 300,000 each month.

This development is supporting the first major trend in Thailand which is digitisation of the economy. This can be seen in the rise of various applications in e-commerce, music streaming, online gaming and even immigration services. By 2022, 61% of the Kingdom's economy is expected to be digitised.

The value of the country's e-commerce market alone is expected to increase from $900 million in 2015 to $18 billion in 2025, according to a forecast by Bain & Co.

"Small changes are happening here in Thailand and it is happening one step at a time, but where we are definitely seeing a lot more digitised activities here such as e-commerce and peer-to-peer," said Mr Mathew. "Singapore is a little bit more advanced where government services have gone to the level of having AI-driven chatbots already, and Thailand is slowly getting there."

Other countries that are moving along on their digitisation journey include Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, he added.

"Indonesia has a demographic advantage with a lot of young people joining the workforce with all sorts fresh ideas, which is reflected in the numbers of startups it has," he said.

"But Indonesia does not have enough investment in broadband like Thailand so it is not that one country is blessed with everything. Some might have natural resources and some might not but every country in this region has its own strength."

Vietnam also has a young population who are more tech savvy than most in the region, but the problem there is also infrastructure, which is still not on par with the likes of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Cloud allows businesses to leapfrog technology trends, similar to how a village in Africa can solve a lack of electricity by putting up solar panels instead of installing electrical cables and poles

Gibu Mathew,vice-president and general manager for Asia-Pacific,Zoho Supplied/Zoho

The second trend Zoho is witnessing is the push toward cloud and cloud-native applications, which will give a further lift to digital transformation.

"Cloud allows businesses to leapfrog technology trends, similar to how a village in Africa can solve a lack of electricity by putting up solar panels instead of solving the problem by installing electrical cables and poles," he said.

Cloud technology allows companies in Southeast Asia to skip through stacks of applications such as virtualisation, networking, middleware and data centres by jumping directly into the public cloud and building their own solutions there.

The public cloud is where a provider such as Zoho can help companies make their own applications. It does this by providing low-code, and even no-code, platforms that add a layer of simplification, with simple drag-and-drop elements to build mobile and web apps.

"The technology to create applications is becoming a lot easier, where we have gone from micro-bit programming to normal languages and now to low-code platforms," Mr Mathew explained. "Somebody has to write the code but it can be made easier, and that is what a platform like Zoho can actually do."

The beauty of low-code platforms is that you can write the code once and then export the application you have written to support multiple form factors including websites, mobile and tablet applications.

"Before, you needed to learn how to write Swift code for iOS, Java for Android and something else for the web, but with a low-code platform, you can just write a set of code and then export it to three, four, five different platforms," he said.

"One of our clients actually wrote a code back in the BlackBerry days in 2003 and they were able to export those apps to iOS in 2018. That's the value of what constant innovation can bring."

With low-code platform, customers can build apps with less technology and fewer technical experts by just dragging and dropping different functions into a standard field provided in Zoho's public cloud, which the company helps transform into applications. With such ease, the company now owns at least 45 applications that it has created in-house and its database now have more than 2 million apps within it.

"Our customers have built out more than 2 million applications over the last decade using our low-code platform," said Mr Mathew.

Apart from the drag-and-drop application builder, Zoho also offers customer relationship management software, WorkDrive software for sharing documents, an AI-powered Office Suite for creating and sharing content, human resource and finance applications, along with online marketing tools.

"The app builder can also be used with all of our other applications to solve various business functions in your organisation and that is our strength," he said.

One of the latest technologies the company offers is the ability for companies to "chat" with their data. An AI-powered assistant called Zia helps businesses collect customer data, write a document, or just look for sales numbers.

For example, all you have to do is to write a request such as "show me support tickets by channel this month", then Zia can generate a bar chart on the fly. Another product, Zoho Writer, grades people on their writing, helps correct grammatical mistakes and offers tips on ways to avoid run-on sentences, overuse of adverbs and more.

"The AI-bot allows you to chat to your collective data in our Zoho Analytics tool, and this is done using natural language processing. So you can actually talk to your data via Ask Zia, which will generate the same result."

The company is one of the few to offers prebuilt contextual integration for all 45 cloud applications that it has created, which means a company can use Zoho cloud software to run its entire business. It also is one of the very few public cloud companies, other than Microsoft and Goggle, to offer email software with Zoho Mail.

"Each of our products is a product on its own and some of our applications such as Zoho Writer are absolutely free for personal use. All you have to do is to sign up with us," he added.

Continued here:
Life in the low-code cloud - Bangkok Post

Credit: iStock

Carpal tunnel is a term that strikes fear into everyone that uses a computer, and we all know how much computers are used in laboratories and research in general. Everything from data entry to notation and protocol documentation to grant, article, and proposal writing is digital today. But repetitive motion and associated musculoskeltal disorders (MSD) are not limited to computer users.1 In this article, we will discuss the technical aspects of repetition/duration and force as it applies to ergonomic risk in lab and office settings. And we will offer solutions to get you through the days and weeks pain-free.

The definition of repetition is doing things over and over again. In repetitive work, the same motions are performed using the same parts of the body in the same way, time and time again. In activities such as typing, mousing, or entering data by referencing paper source documents, the affected muscles, tendons, and joints can be used thousands of times a day, week after week, year after year. The risk of injury is even greater when repetitious jobs involve awkward posture (e.g. bent or flexed wrists) or forceful exertions such as repetitive overreaching for the mouse (which can lead to shoulder and neck pain).

Our goal from an ergonomic standpoint is to, first and foremost, strive for neutral and balanced actions. Additionally, reducing the number of repetitions experienced by each set of muscles, tendons, and joints throughout the workday and allowing time for recovery is paramount. The body has great capacity to repair itself. Problems arise, however, when the amount of damage or stress accumulated over the course of time overtakes the bodys ability to repair. This is when we experience pain. If the cumulative damage continues without allowing time to recover and heal, there is the potential for serious injury.

In order to introduce healing time, short breaks in repetitive tasks bring significant benefit. Break up data entry with variations in activity such as filing, reading, using the copier, or any other task that uses different muscles and motions than computer use. It is also good to include micro-breaks of just a minute or two every half hour or so during long data entry periods. Research has shown it is often better to take many small breaks than one long work break during the day. Try using software that tracks keystrokes and mouse movement and alerts you when breaks are appropriate.

It is critical to examine and analyze the work being performed. Examine the job on a task-by-task basis. In many cases we have seen unnecessary repetitive work performed due to poor process design or evolution over time. When evaluating, ask yourself can parts of this process be automated? Can equipment be linked directly for data collection? Can steps be eliminated or modified to improve flow or actions? Investigate use of barcodes and readers to reduce data entry or entry readable/scanable forms or other types of information collection. It is always worth investing time to engineer a solution that will save significant time and effort in the long run.

Pain is often reported from mousing and usually attributed to over-use, and is often combined with poor mouse location. The conventional mouse requires a great amount of work tobe directed through one arm, shoulder, and hand. It is a good idea to try to distribute this work and share it between both sides. One approach is the use of keyboard commands. Most operating systems contain keyboard commands or shortcuts for common tasks. Taking the time to explore and use these can greatly reduce mouse use, and once you get familiar with them will actually speed up your work.

Related Infographic:Ergonomic Safety

Another remedy is to try one of the many alternative or ergonomic mice now offered. Some allow one to use both hands for mousing, sharing work between hands. Software programs allow you to automate common tasks (e.g. autofill) and develop scripts called macros to perform, reduce, or eliminate many actions. Their use can significantly decrease the amount of typing you need to do.

Force is the amount of muscular effort needed to perform work. Fatigue and injury track with the amount of force exerted. The more force required, the higher the risk of both.

Exertion force depends on many factors, including:

Goal number one is to always have a neutral and balanced posture. Goal two is to reduce the number of repetitions or duration of exertion experienced by each set of muscles, tendons, and joints throughout the workday. Number three is to reduce the force applied to perform the task. OSHA provides excellent help through their eTool on ergonomics.2 Strive to recognize and reduce all the risk factors both on and off the job to effectively reduce the potential for repetitive motion pain and injury.

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Ergonomics in the Lab - Lab Manager Magazine

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Global and Taiwanese Software Service Industry Year Book 2019" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global information services market value grew from US$877.5 billion in 2017 to US$113.9 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.6%.

Thanks to the development of the IoT applications, the demand for various sensing devices and middleware of intelligent networks also heat up, and the growth continued to expand in scale. Therefore, global software market value grew from US$66.1 billion in 2017 to US$899.1 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.9%.

This report provides an overview of the global IT software service market in the areas of system integration, data processing, information software, cloud service, and information security; a look into highlighted topics in AI, information security, and financial technology; examines the future outlook of the IT software service and market.

Key Topics Covered

1. Development of Global IT Software Service Market

1.1 System Integration

1.2 Data Processing

1.3 Information Software

1.4 Cloud Service

1.5 Information Security

2. Development of the Taiwanese IT Software Service Market

2.1 System Integration

2.2 Data Processing

2.3 Information Software

2.4 Cloud Service

2.5 Information Security

3. Highlighted Topics

3.1 Artificial intelligence

3.2 Information Security

3.3 Financial technology

4. Future Outlook

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4z13qp

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Global and Taiwanese Software Service Industry Year Book 2019 - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

Updated: 01 Dec 2019, 11:36 AM IST

Such apps support or replace natural speech in children with autism, and other developmental disorders, with the use of images, icons and symbols, stored category-wise in folders, as visual cues. These are early intervention apps and their content can be customised to individual needs.

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Sivaa has also become very attached to the app. The American voice of a young boy on the app has become his own voice and he is possessive about it. Once in school, his teacher used a classmates voice on the app and he threw away his iPad. To him it felt like giving his voice away to somebody else, Preetha says. She is discovering new things about her son, now that he has finally found his voice.

iStock

Hearing how words are pronounced by the app, Prateek is learning to speak new words. For example, when he wants to watch the Baby Shark video, he makes a do-dodo-do sound, like the refrain in the song. Making even simple sounds, or saying just the first syllable of a word is progress, says Disha, who lives in Hyderabad.

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We need to keep in mind that these resources are like a support system and need to be complemented by other ways of communication and interaction, says Uma Krishnan, a clinical psychologist who works with children with autism.

iStock

He has used Proloquo2go, Bol and Avaz, but his mother Kalpana says they had the best results with Proloquo2go. It has a big display and is visually rich. Vidur learnt to say many things using it. Earlier, we used to use sign language and picture cards. But they are not enough and cant be carried everywhere. For example, now I can take my son to a restaurant and he can order what he wants to eat using his app. It can also be customised for better understanding of the language. For example, verbs can be in one colour and nouns in a different one, says Kalpana who is based in Delhi.

iStock

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Apps that are giving a voice to autistic kids - Making a difference - Economic Times

Who pays for software these days? Software is either free or is meant to be pirated. That is the implication of our digital culture. Everything on the Internet by default has to be free, or it will be vehemently tinkered until its free. We equate accessibility to the expectation of free content. This mentality in regards to the digital sphere feeds into our perception of Internet art. What is Internet art? It can be an Instagram post, a website, a digitally restored artwork in an online archive, an audio-visual offered through a streaming platform, a program that is creatively miscoded with artistic vision or even a glitch that is artfully crafted. Once artwork is mediated through the Internet, our critique has a fundamentally different basis than our assessment of any other form of art. Many of us have ingrained the belief that Internet art is intrinsically vulgar, or at least inferior to other art forms.

Why? Because the Internet as an open network offers artists and audiences unprecedented possibilities to be connected to one another. The notion of openness and accessibility is embedded in our Internet culture. This is often enabled by offering content for free. When the Internet makes it easier to make, distribute, critique and consume art, it challenges the elitism of the art world. In the networked age, the hierarchical art ecosystem consists of artists, curators, critics and audiences is flattened. Internet art emerges in the art world as another new wave that challenges the status quo and calls for greater openness and accessibility. It echoes countercultural beliefs in the 1960s that seek to obliterate hierarchies with small-scale devices that connect to large-scale networks.

The Internet as an open platform is perceived as a threat to the purity of art. Just like its predecessors, Internet art comes off as an intimidating force of the unknown to the establishment. In response to the perceived threat, the rhetoric of vulgarity and impurity is institutionalized and thus amplified. It argues that the openness and accessibility of the Internet have devalued the appreciation of art, enabling the mass circulation and thus the mass production and consumption of art. This echoes the criticism of low art and pop art and implies the belief that the viewing experience of Internet art can hardly be cultured. Yet I would argue that the noise on the Internet is precisely the context of the medium. As Marshall McLuhan introduced the world to the enigmatic paradox the medium is the message, it can be perceived that the unique viewing experience of Internet art with pop-up ads and glitches being integrated in free software is central to the message of the medium.

There is often a misconception regarding the Internet as a platform. It is often perceived as merely a medium to deliver other art mediums. Yet I would argue that the Internet is not only a platform but an infrastructure, and it is through its fluid and often amorphous infrastructure that leaves ample possibilities for artistic endeavors to be implemented. The creative misuse that accentuates the infrastructure is what distinguishes Internet art from pure technological engagement with the protocols that operate on the very same platform. The essence of Internet art is that it reminds the audience of the medium.

As Internet art often exists within such obscurity, it is often presumed to be hard to be collected and thus ephemeral and insignificant. This nature of Internet art reflects the perpetuating rhetoric of vulgarity and impurity. As such, Internet art is never a standalone piece but is always seen in coexistence, and when it appears on a platform, it often co-exists with applied, practical design. This speaks to the dichotomy between art and design. How can we draw the line between web art and web design? We cannot. We cannot fully delineate the two components from their symbiotic presence.

This ties to the aforementioned connotation of free software. As we cannot delineate Internet art from content that can be accessed for free (even when the content is not offered for free, it will ultimately be rendered free) on the Internet as a platform, we essentially perceive Internet art the same way we perceive free software. As we associate Internet art with free software, we essentially associate Internet art with the softness within the context of long-standing hierarchies of hardware and software, of engineering and programming, of manufacturing and design and of men and women. For some, this amorphous state of Internet art connotes a sense of inferiority, yet for others, this echoes the hope of technological utopianism to shed light on the power imbalance. For these people, Internet art is an electronic force of resistance to our hierarchical bureaucracies. This sense of freedom speaks to Stewart Brands belief that the use of technologies can lead to a non-hierarchical society. Perhaps this is why Internet art is no less controversial than free software. How do we get free software? Through the Internet. How do we access art for free? Through the Internet.

Stephen Yang is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at syang@cornellsun.com. Rewiring Technoculture runs alternate Mondays this semester.

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YANG | When We Treat Internet Art as Free Software - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun