Wednesday 30 October 2013

Asus Fonepad 7 voice-calling tablet launched at Rs. 17,499

10/30/2013 10:11:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Asus Fonepad 7 voice-calling tablet launched at Rs. 17,499

Asus has launched the new version of its Fonepad 7 tablet in India for Rs. 17,499. The tablet, which also comes with voice calling support, will be available starting November.

The new Fonepad 7 was initially announced in September at IFA 2013, Berlin.

The new Asus Fonepad 7 is powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor alongside 1GB of RAM but retains the same 7-inch 1280x800 display. It comes with dual-front speakers with Asus SonicMaster audio technology.

The new Fonepad 7 is 10.5mm thick and weighs 340g. It packs in a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera, and a 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera with a 100 continuous-shot 'burst' mode and 1080p full-HD video recording, which is a big improvement over its predecessor with the same name.

The new Asus voice-calling tablet comes with a 3950mAh battery that is rated at up to 28 hours of 3G talk time, 35 days of standby time and up to 10 hours of video playback.

Asus Fonepad 7 will be available in 16GB onboard storage options and a microSDHC card slot for expansion. The tablet comes with 5GB of Asus WebStorage free for lifetime as well the Asus WebStorage Office suite of apps.

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi and built-in 3G with HSPA+ mobile data with download speeds up to 42Mbps and uploads of 5.76Mbps. Fonepad 7 can also be used for voice calls using the built-in noise-cancelling digital microphone or an optional Bluetooth headset.

Asus Fonepad 7 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and comes with some custom apps like SuperNote app for drafting notes and the Floating App that helps users multi-task by giving them the option to open up to six apps simultaneously onscreen.

At its price, the Asus Fonepad 7 competes directly with the Micromax Canvas Tab P650 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 211.

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Nokia phone lost underwater for 3 months, still works

10/30/2013 10:07:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Nokia phone lost underwater for 3 months, still works

Swedish citizen Roger Nilsson recently found a Lumia 800 smartphone that was lost three and a half months ago in a lake and it still works.

NEW DELHI: Nokia has a legacy of making durable handsets, from the old 3315 to the new Lumia range. A recent incident reinforces the belief that Nokia makes some of the most durable mobile phones in the market still.

According to a Swede citizen Roger Nilsson, he recently found a Lumia 800 smartphone that was lost three and a half months ago in a lake. Except that the device is not rated for water resistance and is vulnerable to damage like any other standard smartphone in the market today.

Nilsson posted his account on the Facebook page of Nokia Sweden, saying that when he found the Lumia 800 wedged between two rocks in the lake, it was covered with muck, shells and other waste. He cleaned it up, disassembled the whole handset and kept it on a radiator to dry.

Much to his surprise, Nilsson found that the Lumia 800 survived despite being submerged underwater for over three months. He says that the phone and camera work as expected and the battery lasts over two days, as usual.

Most water-resistant smartphones are rated to survive underwater for a maximum of 30 minutes. This is in stark contrast with all other smartphones whose batteries explode spontaneously.

Samsung's smartphone market share rises, Apple slips

10/30/2013 10:06:00 am BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY No comments

Samsung's smartphone market share rises, Apple slips: Strategy Analytics

Samsung shipped a record 88.4 million smartphones in Q3 to take its global market share above 35%, while Apple's slice thinned.

SEOUL: Samsung Electronics shipped a record 88.4 million smartphones in the third quarter to take its global market share above 35%, while rival Apple's slice thinned, research data showed Tuesday.
Samsung's smartphone shipments in the July-September period marked a 55% surge over the same period last year, the independent research firm Strategy Analytics said.

The South Korean tech company's market share swelled to 35.2% from 32.9% in the third quarter of 2012.

Apple posted a 26% spike in shipments over the same period to 33.8 million units. But that failed to keep pace with the industry's overall 45% growth and the California company's market share dipped from 15.6% to 13.4%.

Strategy Analytics said it expected Apple to make up last ground in the fourth quarter on high demand for its new iPhone 5S model.

Apple reported a third consecutive quarterly decline in earnings on Monday, while Samsung last week posted a 26% increase in third-quarter net profit, bolstered by demand for smartphones and memory chips.

The largest shipment growth in the third quarter was recorded by Huawei Technologies, which shipped 12.7 million units -- up 67% from a year ago.

Google may launch low-cost Glass in 2014

10/30/2013 10:05:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Google may launch low-cost Glass in 2014

Google is relying on a little social networking to put its internet-connected glasses on the heads of more people.

MOUNTAIN VIEW: Google is relying on a little social networking to put its internet-connected glasses on the heads of more people.

The expanded sales of the device known as Google Glass will come as part of an invitation-only programme.

The roughly 10,000 Glass owners who began testing the device earlier this year will each be allowed to invite up to three people to buy the device. The early Glass users are primarily computer programmers and winners of an online contest conducted earlier this year.

The recipients of the invitations will have to pay $1,500 apiece for Glass, which works like a smartphone except that it's worn on the head like a pair of spectacles. The device includes a speaker, a hand-free camera and a thumbnail-sized display screen attached to the frame above the right eye.

Google still plans to release a less-expensive model of Glass next year. The precise pricing and timing of the mass-market version still hasn't been determined.

Relying on the early users of a test product to gradually widen the audience is a familiar strategy for Google. The Mountain View, California, company did something similar in 2004 after it released Gmail, its free email service.

Glass already has generated concerns among critics who worry that its hidden camera could invade the privacy of people who don't realize that video or pictures are being taken of them. Others are concerned that Glass will thrust more technological distractions into society by making it even easier for people to be online at all times.

Google says it believes Glass will promote more meaningful interaction by giving people less reason to glance down at a smartphone screen every few minutes.

As part of Glass' expansion, Google is giving the early testers the option to exchange their current device for an improved version. The updated model includes an ear bud for better acoustics and will work on prescription frames.

LG launches Galaxy Grand rival G Pro Lite at Rs 22,990

10/30/2013 10:04:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

LG launches Galaxy Grand rival G Pro Lite at Rs 22,990

LG has launched its affordable phablet G Pro Lite with 5.5-inch screen in India at Rs 22,990.

NEW DELHI: LG has launched its affordable phablet G Pro Lite with 5.5-inch screen in India. The device comes with a stylus and will compete against popular handsets like Samsung Galaxy Grand and Micromax Canvas 4, along with Sony Xperia C. The new handset has been priced at Rs 22,990 and is available at lower prices on e-commerce websites.

LG G Pro Lite sports a LCD display with 960x540p resolution and powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor. It possesses 1GB RAM along with 8GB of onboard storage and also a microSD card slot. It has an 8MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front facing camera.

The device runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and comes in the options of single and dual-SIM. While the single-SIM option has a regular home button, the dual-sim variant has a dedicated hot key for switching sim cards. The G Pro Lite has a 3,140 mAh battery and has connectivity options such as Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, A-GPS, 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi Direct. It is 9.4mm in thickness and weighs about 161 gram.

The phablet has some pre-loaded apps which have been a part of the company's flagship Optimus G Pro, and the more recent G2. These include the likes of KnockOn, Pause and Resume Recording, QSlide, QuickMemo and QTranslator. LG has not revealed the device's pricing so far. The phone will be available in black and white colour options.

Soon Kwon, MD, LG India, said, "The LG G Pro Lite is a feature and experience rich smartphone specifically designed to provide communication flexibility to our growing customer base. The market for smartphones with displays over five inches will continue to grow and LG is in a great position to capture these new customers when they're ready to move up from their current phones".

Samsung's curved screen phone Galaxy Round

10/30/2013 10:03:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

First look: Samsung's curved screen phone Galaxy Round

Samsung Galaxy Round's curved screen is so subtle it is not apparent without a close look.

Youkyung Lee
SEOUL: The Galaxy Round created some buzz in tech circles when Samsung announced it earlier this month, but no one in the downtown Seoul cafe where I played with the curved screen smartphone asked me about it or even gave a curious glance.

That is likely because the curve is so subtle it is not apparent without a close look.

At first glance, the Galaxy Round appears similar to the Galaxy Note 3 phone, which also has a big display measuring 5.7-inch. I could see the Round's left and right edges were raised slightly only when viewed from the top or from the bottom.

After handling the device for about 20 minutes, it became clear why Samsung shied away from putting a more dramatic curve in the display.

Reading news articles and Twitter messages made me feel light-headed after just a few minutes, especially with the phone in an upright position. Sentences weren't level and looked skewed, hampering my reading experience.

It's less of a problem, but still one, with the phone placed horizontally.

Perhaps this is an optical distortion that I'd get used to after a while. But given that computer screens, laptops and smartphones are mostly flat, I wouldn't want to constantly switch my eyes back and forth between a curved display and flat screens everywhere else.

Aside from the price tag of more than $1,000, the mobile reading experience was the chief problem I found during my brief hands-on. When watching videos or browsing pictures on the Round, I noticed little difference compared with flat displays.

According to Samsung, curved displays are a step toward mobile devices that are foldable like a map, which explains why the Round generated excitement in tech circles.

It says inflexible curved displays have benefits for users. None of them, however, seem transformative.

Samsung's promotions for the Round say the curve makes it easier to grip the giant phone. But when answering calls, I could barely notice a difference from a flat screen.

Two new features make use of the display's curve only when the Round in screen-off mode is placed on a flat surface, allowing it to be rocked like a cradle. Tilting the device to one side displays its battery status, time, missed calls and unread emails. But to check emails, I had to unlock the Round and go to the home screen.

The second feature is music playback. You can skip to the next song or go back one by tapping the right or left corners of the display. This feature is useless when listening to music on the move.

All this points to the Galaxy Round being an experiment for Samsung and not a product meant to be sold widely.

Like the first generation of the Galaxy Gear, the wristwatch released last month that works in conjunction with some Samsung smartphones to display emails and other information, the Galaxy Round appears built to test its potential.

Samsung can afford to do this because the roaring success of its smartphones has endowed it with cash to burn.

Besides being the world's largest seller of smartphones, Samsung has a business designing and making display screens. It has its own manufacturing plants and engineering staff. It doesn't need to pay another company or hire experts to turn a concept into a product.

For a company that wants to be seen as an innovator rather than a copycat, as Apple Inc. has alleged in multiple lawsuits over phone designs, the Round also sends a message that Samsung is trying to rethink how phones look and feel.

For consumers, there is little reason to pay 1.09 million won ($1,027) for the Galaxy Round. It's available only in South Korea through SK Telecom. The company gives a discounted monthly service rate when the Round is bought along with a two-year contract but it is still the most expensive smartphone in the market.

In South Korea, the same money can buy a Galaxy Note 3, which has similar features and a stylus for note taking on the screen. The Note 3 is just a hair thicker and a tad heavier than the Round, but it also has more battery life.

Samsung said the Round's overseas release schedule is still up in the air.

But that should not matter as I would wait to see the next generation.

India placed 134 in ease of business ranking

10/30/2013 10:02:00 am BUSINESS No comments

India placed 134 in ease of business ranking

NEW DELHI: India dropped three places to 134 in a list of 189 countries in the ease of doing business ranking while it slipped 2 places to 177 on the ranking related to starting a business, a new World Bank report showed on Tuesday.

Apart from China at 96, even Sri Lanka (85), Pakistan (110) and Bangladesh (130) outranked India on the list topped by Singapore.

Joining Singapore on the list of the top 10 economies with the most businessfriendly regulatory environments are Hong Kong, New Zealand, the US, Denmark, Malaysia, South Korea, Georgia , Norway and the UK.

Sachin Tendulkar leaves quiet message at Lahli

10/30/2013 10:01:00 am CRICKET No comments

Sachin Tendulkar leaves quiet message at Lahli

It's often forgotten that Sachin Tendulkar straddled two worlds of cricket with equal aplomb.

LAHLI: Millions were glued to their TV sets as the Ranji Trophy grabbed more eyeballs in one game than it sometimes does through an entire season. For a bird's eye view of Sachin Tendulkar's last batting exhibition for Mumbai, though, nothing beat being in Lahli on Tuesday.

Inside the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium, there are no TV sets to gaze at. If you miss a delivery, too bad. At the pavilion end, a newly-constructed top tier is closed off to the public and lies deserted, offering an exquisite vantage point.

With paddy and sugarcane fields all around the ground, a goods train rumbling along in the distance every few hours and the village crowd in full view, it is the most uncommon, the most alternative venue to watch a Tendulkar innings. The occasion made it memorably unique.

You can hear every sound from every corner but it's not intrusive, save the sound of bat and ball and the occasional encouraging yell from the captain of the fielding side. Away from the big city's claustrophobic crush of spectators, miles removed from the frenzied electronic buzz over Tendulkar's upcoming retirement, for a few minutes it seemed like a throwback to an era when village and county cricket was all the rage.

No one was continuously checking the scoreboard. The crowds didn't seem fussed about fours and sixes or the asking rate. They were free to focus on the man in the middle who will not bat here again.

Tendulkar did not need to play in Lahli. He could have saved himself for the bigger occasions in Kolkata and Mumbai in a few days. Whether he does well here or not hardly matters to his legend. But having chosen to turn up, he has not only drawn millions of people all over the globe to this particular game. He has reminded us of the sanctity of India's domestic cricket scene, often overlooked these days when international stars are constantly playing at a city near you.

It's often forgotten that Tendulkar straddled two worlds of cricket with equal aplomb. His roots are old-fashioned, more about pride than commerce; his quest for technical perfection a quiet tip of the hat to an art he loves being good at. Yet he is a modern icon who he plied his trade in changing times, sometimes even being the fulcrum of that change.

When he came in to bat on Tuesday, Tendulkar raised his bat in acknowledgement of the cheers and the Haryana team's guard of honour. Then, for the second time in this match, he went up to the middle of the pitch and touched it.

Then he touched his chest and forehead in a gesture of both respect and prayer. That was when it sank in that in a few days, we won't be seeing this man bat again. Especially when, later in the day, he played an exquisite cover drive off Ashish Hooda that had the small crowd - in Tendulkar's terms - gasping in awe.

As a parting gift to the Ranji Trophy, Tendulkar gave the tournament something it sorely needs: a reminder of its presence. Hopefully, a few fans will hang on after this game and see this season through. And a few young cricketers will have watched him in Lahli.

India vs Australia: Onus on bowlers to curb Aussie batsmen

10/30/2013 10:00:00 am CRICKET No comments

India vs Australia: Onus on bowlers to curb Aussie batsmen

There is little to choose between the two teams as they are still to decode the formula to stop the free flow of runs.

NAGPUR: Two new balls; four fielders outside the circle in non Powerplay overs; thicker willows; shorter boundaries; flat tracks; fast outfield and regular 300-plus scores. It has been a typical sub-continent one-day series so far. While batsmen aren't complaining, it has been a nightmare for the bowlers. There is little to choose between the two teams as they are still to decode the formula to stop the free flow of runs.

Australia, though, have bowled slightly better barring that Jaipur game where dew played a crucial role in the historic Indian chase. They now have the chance to seal the series here at Vidarbha Cricket Association's Jamtha stadium in the penultimate game of the series on Wednesday.

With two back to back abandoned games due to rains, the seven-match series has been reduced to a five-match series and India — trailing 1-2 — have everything to play for. They haven't won the full ODI series against Australia at home so far. From here on, they need to pull up their socks and plug a few loopholes if they want to create history.

It's one of those rare series for MS Dhoni where none of his bowlers have made their presence felt. Bhuvneshwar Kumar hasn't given the early breakthrough; R Vinay Kumar and Ishant Sharma are neither economical nor effective. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been Dhoni's go-to men but this series is a bit different. Jadeja might have bowled economically but he hasn't been amongst the wicket so far. Ashwin, on the hand, has picked five wickets but he has gone for plenty and that's where the Australian middle order has taken advantage. Despite early hiccups, the visitors managed to post a healthy total in Ranchi. The rules have been loaded heavily in batsmen's favour but the Indian bowlers haven't bowled up to the mark. Their poor show will certainly put pressure on the batsmen at some stage but Dhoni would be hoping that it won't happen in Nagpur.

The Indian top order has fired but the middle order hasn't responded well. Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli are looking good, while Dhoni continues to play the role of crisis man. However, the left-handed trio of Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Jadeja is yet to fire. Yuvraj has struggled against the extra pace of Mitchell Johnson. Raina has so far been entrusted with the crucial No.4 spot but he too has had a quiet series so far.

Australia, on the other hand, have thoroughly covered most of the bases. Openers Aaron Finch and Philip Hughes have denied the Indians early success so far. Captain George Bailey has been in the form of his life and looked fluent against both spinners and pacers. Adam Voges has played the role of a grafter with aplomb while Glenn Maxwell has been at his explosive best. Only worry for Australia is the inconsistent show of Shane Watson. But the kind of player he is, Watson may quickly turn the tables. As far as bowling is concerned, Australia look more settled than India.

Both camps are unsure about the nature of Jamtha wicket but it won't be different to other wickets in the series. With the VCA outfield closely shaven, the ball will travel faster. Expect another run feast!

How to impress me?

10/30/2013 10:00:00 am JOBS 1 comment

How to impress me?

Sunder Rajan, Sr. Vice President and Head-HR, Infinite Computer Solutions

Striking the right chord with the interviewer, during an interview, is absolutely imperative. You may possess an impressive academic and professional track record, with degrees and recommendations to substantiate your mettle, but, it’s how you present yourself and your skills during the 30-45 mins of interview duration that makes all the difference. Different interviewers judge you on the basis of different parameters. So, how do you impress them? In this ‘How to impress me’ column, Sunder Rajan, Sr. Vice President & Head-HR, Infinite Computer Solutions, talks about how an interviewee can impress him.

How can a candidate strike an impression on you?

The opportunity to make a good first impression is very small. Having eye contact is a must during job interviews. The candidate should speak at our pace and volume level. Nervousness might make them talk too fast.

The candidate should try to avoid sounding rehearsed. The answers sound better when they are more conversational.

Most importantly, their body language can say more about how nervous they are than their answers. We watch out for the non-verbal cues such as jittery movements or twitching.

Basically the candidates who are relaxed, interesting, strong, ambitious, mature and pleasant are the ones who tend to get hired.

Any candidate that you came across who struck a chord with you? How did he/she do it?

Most recently, a candidate I met for a senior role created a very good impression in my mind purely because of the ease with which the candidate responded to both skill related questions as well as general questions about themselves. More than the ease with which this candidate answered the questions, what stood out was that the interview became more of an intellectual discussion on business and economics. It does help to know not just your subject matter but be able to translate it into practical thoughts and insights.

As an employer, what turns you off in an interviewee?

One of the major turn offs is a candidate’s casual approach to the initial interview. Most interviewers won‘t even give a second thought to someone who has a negative presence or seem like they almost need to be talked into the job.

Candidates with a perfect resume fall completely flat during interviews if they are not able to rise up to the claims they have made in their resumes. The candidate might have been a star performer, but if he/she can’t back it up with a personal experience incident, it doesn’t work.

Also, sounding rehearsed makes one loose interest in knowing more about them both professionally and personally.

What questions are you most likely to ask at an interview?

I always begin by asking candidates about themselves because everyone loves to talk about themselves and it helps put candidates at ease before moving on to specific job-related questions. These could be anything from where they grew up to their passion outside of work and such.

“L&D teams need to focus on impact that justifies investment”

10/30/2013 09:58:00 am JOBS No comments

Interview of the Day: “L&D teams need to focus on impact that justifies investment”

Raghavendra K, Vice President and Head HR, Infosys BPO

How can companies increase learning and development effectiveness with decreased budgets during a slowdown?

Amongst the many approaches, a couple of areas where LD effectiveness has been enhanced is the focus on digitisation and proper vendor management. Where ROI is something which is increasingly being asked for, everyone is looking at cutting costs. The need is to additionally look at impact and outcomes which justifies the investment and this is something the L&D team needs to be conscious of. Based on outcomes, more often than not, it is the people in operations who then become the advocates for additional investments in employee development. There has to be a strong belief and conviction that our employees are our real assets and we need to invest in them to get returns. While developing and firming up the training calendar and interventions the L&D would need to dovetail and prioritize the offerings based on the business need and availability of budgets. The focus has to be on offerings and interventions which will have maximum impact on both the top/ bottom line of the organisation.

What should LD professionals keep in mind?

In order to meet the growing demands of the market and budget constraints, knowledge professionals have to constantly create, innovate and produce learning experiences to help build tomorrow’s enterprises. Today Infosys BPO has translated the L&D expertise into various training programs to create a talent pipeline for the entire Industry. We have taken learning and development outside the confines of the organization and across global borders to build human capabilities. As part of this strategic capability building, collaborating with the experts and leveraging on their experience and expertise organizations should look at different approaches to institutionalize and be ahead of the curve with respect to learning processes and its life cycle. Recently, Infosys BPO and the American Society for Learning & Development joined hands to host L&D Insights Summit where over 150 CLOs and L&D professionals participated. In this learning conference, experts reflected the current L&D trends, the future of L&D, the significance of linking learning to business and valuable knowledge sharing.

How can operations managers be convinced of the ‘ROI’ of LD initiatives during a downturn?

It is important to get buy-in from operations managers for the LD initiatives. In our organisation, we have a ‘Training Council’ which comprises of operations managers who endorse and ensure implementation of new learning initiatives. The council develops the Training Road Map that aligns with meeting the customer’s requirement. Involving the folks from operations and line into decision making provides the required buy-in. We also measure the training effectiveness using the Kirk Patrick model up to level 3 and assess the impact of delta in behaviour and capability.

5 things to eat to lose weight

10/30/2013 09:57:00 am HEALTH TIPS No comments

5 things to eat to lose weight

Stop worrying about your weight, just eat right. Here are five tips you need to keep in mind.

Have a healthy breakfast
The cardinal rule to any weight loss programme is never to miss breakfast. And oatmeal, a complex carbohydrate is ideal. It is a satisfying breakfast cereal, and compared to any other grain it provides more protein per serving. The fact that it takes longer to digest and hence releases energy slowly makes it perfect because you feel full for longer. Oats also keep blood sugar and insulin levels stable, which helps prevent fat storage. Have it with skimmed milk or yogurt.

Opt for skimmed milk
Milk and its products are rich in calcium and can help keep your bones strong. Skimmed milk, low fat cheese and yogurt helps to break down fat cells.

Bean it
Foods that are high in fibre and are good sources of protein, can help you feel full for a very long time. And that, will help you control unnecessary bingeing. Protein has a very high satiety index and that is why make proteins an essential part of your meals.

Go for the grain
Grains have complex carbohydrates which during digestion release glucose slowly. Jowar, bajra and ragi etc can help in maintaining your blood sugars levels. The fibre and vitamins in them play an important role too.

Snack on nuts through the day
Stay away from fried and salted nuts but you can munch on raw, unsalted ones — almonds, and walnuts. These have essential roughage, protein, fat, minerals and micronutrient.
A handful can keep hunger at bay and provide energy.

Boom time for PPOs as Citibank, Wipro, M&M, Philips, others use the route to pick candidates.

10/30/2013 09:56:00 am EDUCATION, JOBS No comments

Boom time for PPOs as Citibank, Wipro, M&M, Philips, others use the route to pick candidates.

A poor job market should logically have had a knock-on effect on B-school preplacement offers (PPOs). But no, these are actually thriving, even at non-IIMs.

It seems counter-intuitive but the worse the market, better the PPO offers to students. Also, PPOs have become a key hiring strategy for companies that would rather avoid the intense scramble for talent in the few final placement days.

With companies such as Citibank, Wipro, Mahindra & Mahindra and Philips, among others, increasingly using the PPO route to pick candidates, this is reflecting in a flurry of such offers at leading B-schools.

XLRI, XIM, MDI-Gurgaon, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies,TAPMI and IMI are all confident of surpassing last year’s numbers.

It’s a similar situation at the Indian Institutes of Management, with IIM-Calcutta, IIM-Lucknow and IIM-Bangalore witnessing a big surge in PPOs.

Description: Boom time or PPOs as Citibank, Wipro, M&M, Philips, others use the route to pick candidates

Companies feel PPOs are more efficient and cost-effective, besides being a win-win situation as candidates also get the opportunity to see whether a company is the right fit for them.

“I am personally a great fan of PPOs because instead of trying to gauge a candidate from a 40-60 minute sort of interview, it is far better to have them immersed in the system for 8-10 weeks, and see how they function,” said Pratik Kumar, executive vice-president for human resources at Wipro.

PPOs are made by companies to students who have interned with them based on performance, and generally result in a firm job offer. Summer interns are among the preferred profiles of students recommended for hiring for full-time management associate positions, said Anuranjita Kumar, country HR officer, Citi India. The twomonth stint provides an opportunity to assess work ethic and values, she said.

Citi has already awarded seven PPOs to students from XLRI, JBIMS, MDI, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and Faculty of Management Studies. “About 60% associates of the 2013 batch at Citi were hired through the summer internship channel,” Kumar said.

Top institutes are reaping the dividends. MDI-Gurgaon has already received 52 PPOs till now from the likes of Deloitte, P&G, Coca-Cola, Reckitt Benckiser, Mahindra & Mahindra, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs. That’s 27% up from the 41 PPOs it received in the whole of last year. It is expecting a 10-20% jump in remuneration. “The increasing number of PPOs showcases the fact that companies are realising the investments that incur on training the students for two months,” said Kanwal Kapil, chairperson-placements, MDI-Gurgaon.

TAPMI has received 12 PPOs already, compared with seven last year, and is confident there are more in the works. XIM-Bhubaneswar has nearly 40, with the highest salary offered being Rs 18.25 lakh.

Students at XLRI-Jamshedpur have got 41 PPOs and 27 PPIs (preplacement interviews), with offers ranging from Rs 12 lakh to Rs 22 lakh. Last year’s total PPO count was 72. ABG, Asian Paints, BCG, Capgemini, Cisco, Citibank, Colgate Palmolive, DBS, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Philips and Tata Administrative Services are among those who have made PPOs at XLRI. IMI, which had 17 PPOs last year, has got 12 offers this time. “We should be getting at least 24 by December,” said Irfan A Rizvi, dean-corporate and alumni relations, IMI.

JBIMS has received 25 PPOs and PPIs so far and is confident of surpassing last year’s tally of 55 by December. Chennai’s Great Lakes Institute of Management, which had its first batch going for summer internships this year, has around 10 offers already.

Debashis Sanyal, dean at NMIMS, confirmed that PPOs are turning out to be the favoured recruiting method for companies, with 85 offers in the bag.

"TAKE NO AS A QUESTION "

TECHNOLOGY

STOCK EXCHANGE

ENTERTAINMENT

SOCIAL NETWORKS

CRICKET

Wednesday 30 October 2013