Nikon Coolpix AW120 Review: Travelling Tough

If recent industry reports are to be believed, the market for point-and-shoot digital cameras is dwindling year-on-year. This isn't surprising giving the increasing popularity of smartphones, especially ones with more-than-capable cameras. The need of the hour for digital camera manufacturers is to come up with products that can do things smartphones can't, in terms of both, features and image quality.

Some manufacturers have tried to stand apart with rugged or a waterproof cameras which cater to people who enjoy travelling or are into extreme sports. Nikon, an industry veteran, has the Coolpix AW series of point-and-shoot cameras servicing this demographic. Apart from being waterproof, these cameras are also shockproof and could very well be great travel companions.

Nikon unveiled 16 new cameras in its 2014 Spring Series, one of which was the Coolpix AW120 - an upgrade to the AW110. The new model is almost identical to its predecessor except for a slight increase in heft, higher ISO sensitivity, and improved battery life. Let's dive right in (see what we did there?) and find out if the AW120 is worth buying.

Design
No one who has seen the Coolpix AW110 will notice much different with the design of the Coolpix AW120. It has the same toughened plastic enclosure with a protruding lens in the top right corner with the flash to its right. We received the camouflage edition for review, but it It is also available in red, black and blue. The Coolpix AW120 weighs around 213g including the battery and memory card. The problem with the weight is that the camera becomes slightly unwieldy to use with one hand.

A perforated black strip runs around the edges of the camera . On the top are the power and shutter release buttons. The shutter release is ever-so-slightly raised, making it easy to locate, and its tactile feedback is good too. The eyelets for a strap are in the upper right and left corners. The left edge has buttons for the Map and Action functions.

The right edge is probably the most important surface of the camera since this is where you'll find the waterproof cover which protects the battery chamber, memory card slot, Micro-HDMI port and Micro-USB port. This cover has a unique latching mechanism that we found difficult to figure out initially, but got used to later. On the bottom is the tripod socket. One handy feature is that you can charge the AW120's battery just by plugging in a Micro-USB charger; you don't have to take the battery out and use a separate sled.

The back of the camera features a 3-inch OLED monitor. The zoom control to its right is just a bit too small in our opinion, and its mechanism is rather awkward to use. A video record button is right next to it. There are four buttons for functions such as pulling up the scene modes, reviewing pictures, showing the menu, and deleting photos. The four-way navigation controls double up as shortcuts to the self-timer, macro mode, flash options, and exposure selection. All these buttons are rather small and felt a little uncomfortable to use during our time with the camera. Another irritating problem was a slight rattling sound every time we shook the camera, which made us a bit wary of the build quality.

Features and specifications
The Coolpix AW120 is waterproof up to 18m and also freezeproof up to -10 degrees Centigrade. In the sweltering heat of Mumbai there was no way we could test if the camera was freezeproof, but we did dunk it in a bucket of water. The Coolpix AW120 worked flawlessly under water and managed to capture just fine. Moreover, the Coolpix AW120's internal components are shockproof, which means that it should be able to survive drops from a height of 2m. Reluctantly, we dropped it, and found that it didn't sustain even a single scratch. We have to give it two thumbs up in the ruggedness department.

The 16-megapixel Coolpix AW120 has a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, which is similar to the one in the Samsung Galaxy Camera - fairly basic for a digital camera. It is engineered to capture images in the light sensitivity range of ISO 125 to ISO 6400. The lens has a focal length of 4.3-21.5mm. The Coolpix AW120 has a wider aperture of f/2.8 compared to the AW110's f/3.9. In macro mode, this rugged camera can get as close as 1cm to a subject, which is pretty good. It can also capture full-HD (1080p) videos and up to 6.9 still frames per second in burst mode.

The 3-inch OLED screen has an anti-reflective coating which does increases legibility in sunlight. The screen is rather bright and even if it isn't as good as an electronic viewfinder, it at least comes close to showing you what the camera can actually capture.

The camera features built-in Wi-Fi to connect to Android and iOS devices. We tested this feature on both mobile OSes and it just didn't work. There is also a preloaded map of the world, and your GPS location data can be appended to image metadata, which worked fine. The Action button that we mentioned earlier brings up a menu of quick options that can be navigated by tilting the camera, which really doesn't work too well. Otherwise, the software on the camera is easy to navigate and fairly smooth too with no lag.

Performance
The camera took exactly a second to power on - a good number to boast about. It doesn't take too long to focus and capture images either. We recorded an average time of 51ms to capture images under good lighting conditions. In high-quality burst mode the Coolpix AW120 was able to take five images in 7 minutes, 33 seconds which is slightly on the higher side. 

Our ISO test revealed that noise started creeping in at ISO800. Take a look at the top left corner of the image to judge the image quality. The small black speck becomes indistinct at higher settings.

For all practical purposes we expect users to stick to auto settings but in case one wishes to experiment with ISO settings and low-light photography, we advise using a tripod. We used the auto mode - which, weirdly, is the mode that lets you play with all the available controls -  to shoot in low light and found that unless a tripod or a flat surface was used the camera failed to focus properly. Captured images had a yellow tinge to them. As expected, using the flash to create an artificial source of light adds a metallic effect to textures, which feels extremely unnatural. But the flash is really powerful and could light up a 300 sq.ft. room with ease.

There is absolutely no oversaturation in daylight shots, and colour reproduction is close to natural. This might put off some users who want flair in their photographs but we think that it is great for a point-and-shoot digital camera. On the flip side, green leaves on a tree tended to merge into each other, meaning the camera doesn't handle chromatic aberration to well. Moreover, we even noticed that the camera made it look like we were soft-focussing our subjects. 

Videos had natural colours and there was no discernible tearing, though the soft-focus problem was apparent here too. Thus, despite all the wonderful weather-proofing features, the Coolpix AW120 falls slightly short of 'good' in the picture quality department.

One area where the Coolpix AW120 shines is in macro mode. The picture clarity, colour reproduction and overall definition of textures were all really good. The battery is rated to last for 350 shots before dying and we noticed that this was roughly accurate. But please note that if you are using the Wi-Fi and GPS features it will lose charge faster. 

Verdict
Sports and travel enthusiasts who want a no-nonsense compact camera should give the Nikon Coolpix AW120 some serious consideration. Users with a Coolpix AW110 have no reason to spend money to update. Sporting a price tag of Rs. 17,950 (MRP), the Coolpix AW120 is decently priced for the features it offers. But there are some caveats - underwhelming images in low light, and a lack of fine detail even in daylight. You'll have to decide whether the Wi-Fi, GPS, ruggedness, and weatherproofing features are important enough to make it worth settling for less-than-ideal image quality.

Price: Rs. 17,950

Pros

• Truly rugged construction 
• Great macro performance 
• Good battery life 

Cons

• Below par low-light performance
• Added heft 

Ratings (Out of 5)

• Build/Design: 4
• Image Quality: 3
• Video: 3
• Battery Life: 4
• Value For money: 3.5
• Overall: 3.5

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Snapdeal Raises $100 Million Funding at $1 Billion Valuation

Homegrown e-commerce giant Snapdeal has raised $100 million (Rs. 590 crores approximately) in a new round of funding from Temasek, BlackRock Inc, Myriad, Premji Invest and Tybourne. The latest round of funding values the company at $1 billion (Rs. 5,900 crores approximately), WSJ's Digitsreported.

In February, the Delhi-based firm had raised about $133.7 million (about Rs. 830 crore) from its existing investor, eBay and others.

(Also see: Flipkart and Myntra to Merge This Week: Report )

"We manage our funds well and are well-capitalised. This round of funding was more to bring on new partners who can play an important role in the future of the company than just to raise funds," Snapdeal co-founder and CEO Kunal Bahl told PTI, declining to comment on the total funds raised so far.

Snapdeal's existing investors include Kalaari Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Intel Capital and Saama Capital.

"This round of funding is an endorsement of our differentiated strategy and progress as India's largest online marketplace. I am confident that these new partners will contribute to Snapdeal's long-term success," he said.

(Also see: As Amazon Looms, Indian E-Commerce Retailers Strike $400 Million in Deals)

Credit Suisse acted as Snapdeal's exclusive financial advisor and Indus Law acted as legal advisor for financing.

On business growth, Bahl said he is confident that the company would hit the $1 billion revenue mark this year.

"We have seen manifold growth and a lot of it is being driven by mobile. More than 50 percent of our orders are now coming through mobile phones. This year, we should hit the $1 billion milestone," he said.

(Also see: Snapdeal says 50 percent of its sales are through mobile)

The company, which is inspired by Chinese e-Commerce giant Alibaba's marketplace model, today connects over 30,000 sellers with buyers across the country.

"Some of our investors are also investors in Alibaba. We want to continue focusing on creating life changing experiences for the buyers as well as sellers through the Snapdeal ecosystem," Bahl said.

On acquiring firms with the cash on books, he said Snapdeal would look at inorganic growth with tech firms but stay away from e-commerce firms.

"It doesn't make sense for us to acquire another e-commerce firm since the industry is still in its nascent stages. It would destroy value for both companies. What we could look at is tech companies that can help enhance buyer and seller experience," he said without disclosing further details.

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Facebook App to Get Shazam-Style Audio Recognition for Music, Movies, and TV Shows

Facebook on Wednesday said its mobile application will be getting an ear for music, as well as for film or television show sound tracks.

A feature being added in coming weeks to Facebook in the US on smartphones or tablets powered byApple or Android software is intended to recognize songs, shows or movies based on listening, according to product manager Aryeh Selekman.

"When writing a status update - if you choose to turn the feature on - you'll have the option to use your phone's microphone to identify what song is playing or what show or movie is on TV," Selekmansaid in a blog post.

Once activated, the audio feature searches for titles of songs, shows or films matching verses, lines or sound tracks and then lets people add the information to Facebook posts, according to Selekman.

Music shared in a post using the technique will include the option of Facebook friends getting 30-second previews of songs.

Information added to posts about recognized TV shows will include which episode was being watched "so you can avoid spoilers," Selekman said

Publicis Group alliance
Facebook also said it had sealed a partnership with French advertising and public relations giant Publicis Group emphasizing image and video marketing at the leading social network and its smartphone imagery-sharing service Instagram.

"Our work with Publicis will center on bringing clients closer to our products, and creating new planning and measurement tools to make buying easier, more efficient, and ultimately prove out ROI," Facebook global agency director Patrick Harris said in an email response to an AFP inquiry.

Facebook-owned photo sharing service Instagram in March landed its first deal with a major ad agency.

The leading social network wouldn't disclose financial aspects of the alliance with Omnicom, but online reports indicated it could be worth as much as $100 million in ads from clients the agency represents.

Facebook has maintained that Instagram's advertising strategy will involve displaying a limited number of high-quality images or videos from brands that already have a strong presence at Instagram.

Instagram in November began displaying ads as Facebook moved to start making money from the smartphone photo sharing service it bought in a billion-dollar deal in early 2012.

Instagram's opening roster of advertisers included Adidas, Lexus, PayPal, Burberry and Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

California-based Facebook is carefully adding magazine-quality photo ads to Instagram as it hopes to bring in revenue from the service without alienating users.

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Flipkart, Myntra Deal Likely to Be Announced on Thursday

Homegrown e-retailer Flipkart is likely to acquire a majority stake in online fashion retailer Myntra in what could be the biggest consolidation in India's e-commerce sector.

According to sources, the deal could be worth about Rs. 2,000 crore. The figure could not be independently verified. The transaction is likely to be announced on Thursday.

Myntra has sent invitations to the media for a conference in Bangalore tomorrow to announce a "strategic development" but did not divulge further details.

(Also see: Flipkart and Myntra to Merge This Week: Report)

The stake acquisition has been in the works for a few months now, with the final details being worked out in the past few weeks.

"We will be unable to comment on market speculation at this stage," a Flipkart spokesperson said.

India's e-commerce market has seen huge growth in the past few years as more people log on to the Internet to shop.

While apparel and electronics are bestsellers for most e-commerce firms, categories such as home decor and household items are also popular.

The industry, estimated to be worth about $3 billion (Rs. 17,700 crores approximately) currently, has firms such as Snapdeal, eBay and Amazon, which follow the marketplace model.

Flipkart started in 2007 as an online bookstore and now sells products across categories, including fashion and electronics. It now also sells white goods and furniture.

Led by increasing Internet penetration and youngsters shopping online, Flipkart's annualised sales crossed $1 billion (over Rs. 5,900 crore) a year ahead of target.

The company planned to reach the billion dollar mark for gross merchandise value by 2015.

It also operates under the marketplace model, which allows retailers to offer products on its platform.

Since its inception, the Bangalore-based firm founded by Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal has raised over $500 million (Rs. 3,000 crores approximately) from investors including Naspers, Tiger Global, Accel Partners, Dragoneer, Morgan Stanley, Sofina and Vulcan Capital.

Last year, it raised $360 million (Rs. 2,100 crores) from private equity firms, one of the largest funding deals in the Indian e-commerce space.

Myntra sells products from over 650 brands like Nike, HRX by Hrithik Roshan, Biba and Steve Madden and clocked revenue of about Rs. 1,000 crore in the previous financial year.

It aims to double its revenue in this financial year as it expands its seller base and adds products.

Myntra has about 100 sellers on board and plans to increase this number to 1,000 by fiscal end.

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As onsite assignments decline, home’s the new world for techies

Software engineer Hisham (name changed to protect identity) was sent by Wipro on a two-year assignment to work ‘onsite’ at a client’s facility in France but was unexpectedly recalled 18 months into the stint.

He resigned from Wipro and joined a European firm because his Indian salary wasn’t enough to repay the loans he had taken based on the expectation that the lucrative onsite assignment would run its full course and there would be more to come.

“For many of us, who had taken loans back home and dreamt of a better lifestyle, things have come to a halt,” said the 28-year old, who is among the thousands of software workers for whom the ‘onsite dream’ is ending.

The promise of working onsite and being paid three or four times the India wage used to be a major draw for those looking to work at IT outsourcing companies. But that attraction is waning as developed markets such as the US and Europe reach saturation and companies move more work offshore to India. “Overseas work opportunities are not happening in the same proportion as earlier of the IT sector population,” said Akhilesh Tuteja, partner and head of the technology practice at consulting firm KPMG.

In the early days of the IT industry, the obsession to work at a client location was driven in part by the possibility of enabling a much better lifestyle in India. The IT dream grew with young engineers returning from onsite to buy a new house, a bigger car, and better living conditions.

“IT companies are becoming much larger so your chances of getting an overseas posting are that much lesser.” said Tuteja, observing that the difficulty in obtaining work visas in the US, increased local hiring and cost-cutting by companies are other reasons for the reduction in onsite assignments.

Infosys, India’s second-largest software provider, has been reducing the number of people it deploys at client facilities in the US and Europe, according to employees. The move is seen as part of chairman NR Narayana Murthy’s attempt to cut costs and improve profit margins after nearly two years of under performance.

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The best career moves of five senior executives

The turning point that planning is an essential part in one’s life needs no reiteration.

But how your career pans out after a point is more about the choices you make and less about abilities. Five senior executives share the defining moves in their careers:

Rajiv Anand, 48 President, retail banking, Axis Bank

Keep it Simple 

Director-category management, Amazon India I moved into my current job as the Head of the Retail Bank of Axis Bank a little over a year ago. This is a world quite unlike anything I have done so far in my career.

The size of the business is large both in terms of breadth and depth. A large distributionnetwork and a diverse set of customers, the affluent at one end of the spectrum and the unbanked at the other, bring a different level of complexity to the job.

Managing this on a day-today basis and at the same time positioning the bank’s services to serve the ever-changing needs of our customers is what makes my day enjoyable.

While I have had a successful career in the MF industry, I do believe my move into the current job has been the most dramatic one that I have made in my career. The most complex part of my job, however, and the most exciting is to make banking simple.

S Raghunandan, 48 CEO, Jyothy Laboratories

Versatility of Experience

The defining moment in my career was when I decided to move out of an MNC and join an Indian company way back in 2002. I worked with HLL for 9 years and this was absolutely brilliant in terms of grounding and learning. But I really got to implement, contribute and deliver strong business results when I joined Dabur India in 2002.

Having worked with Dabur, Paras and now with Jyothy, I have been fortunate to have played a major role in the turning around these companies. I joined these companies when they were just about professionalising the organisation and played a part in organisation building, talent development and creating a strong foundation for the business. The sheer versatility of experience has made me more confident about taking on stiff business challenges.

Building the International business for Dabur, joining Paras – a small organisation – and growing it at 40% CAGR for two years under private equity, selling the Paras business at 6X revenue to Reckitt, joining Jyothy labs and turning around a loss-making Henkel business and making the acquisition work are some of the defining moments in my career.

VS Parthasarathy, 50 CFO, Group CIO, EVP – Group M&A & member of the group executive board, Mahindra & Mahindra

Cut the Rope and Move Forward

At Xerox, I was a financial controller and CFO handling more than just Xerox India. Out of the blue came an offer to join a tractor organisation, the Mahindra Group. I am a finance controller and here was a role of HR transformation and it that had nothing to do with finance. So, that was the kind of career move I made.

One needs to have the courage to cut the rope at the right time and move forward. I did it when I moved from Xerox to M&M. During the first couple of months I was totally out of water.

It made me understand the importance of transformation, HR, and people and how big a role technology can play in a business role. These two facets, along with my business acumen and financial knowledge, then came into play and I said to myself, I can do any role well.

Samir Kumar, 42 Keep it Simple Director-category management, Amazon India

Mentoring Lessons

This was in early 2005. At the time, I was managing the front-end engineering team at Amazon in Seattle and I had only worked in technical roles. I was looking for a career change and had decided to quit and apply for an MBA in finance. At the time, our VP finance advised me to join his team and learn finance on the job rather than joining a B-school. For me, that proved to be one of the best advices because I worked in finance operations for two years and got extensive insights about how the business worked right from reading balance sheets to managing cost-centres in a working environment.

There was another major event. In late 2009, Amazon gave me a rare opportunity to shadow Diego Piacentini, SVP, International Retail. A technical advisor (shadow) role enables an Amazon employee to sit on the bench and observe a senior leader and learn from him. While I was in the shadow role, I not only got to learn immensely from Diego but also from several senior leaders who work with Jeff Bezos directly and understand how they think about the business. Most importantly, I got a lot of important insights about emerging markets, especially China. Those two years of shadowing Diego prepared me to take on a much larger responsibility.

Sonali Dhawan, 38 Marketing Director, P&G India

Learn and Grow

At P&G, I was offered the responsibility of brand manager in my mid-twenties, for one of our regional hair care brands, which gave me a blank canvas to change the game.

Playing this leadership role across the Asean-Australasia-India markets accelerated my learning curve with the challenge of crafting the entire brand proposition from identifying target, developing campaigns to executing it across regions. It enabled me to grow and develop as a P&G marketer with the ability to make business decisions keeping the consumer at the core.

The other more recent opportunity that comes to mind is when I accepted the role of managing director for our pet care business across the Asia and Australasia-New Zealand markets.

Leading a multi-functional leadership team from diverse backgrounds representing eight different nationalities while simultaneously growing a business in a volatile external environment gave me a holistic business understanding, right from the plant to the store. This experience has taught me that in times of business challenge or success, a focus on people will drive change.This move led me to my current role.

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‘BFSI and manufacturing industry will be the largest adopters of cloud services’

Lovleen Bhatia, co-founder and director, Edureka believes that quality of solutions and post-sales service are major drivers to accelerate cloud adoption among SMEs in India…

What are the benefits of “living in the cloud?” The risks?

There are multiple benefits associated with ‘living in the cloud’ which are – low total cost of ownership and reduced on-going and life-cycle costs, an increased availability of resources and data backed by a robust delivery.

Apart from these incidental benefits of the cloud, it is an extremely scalable and flexible model which offers the benefit of pay-as-you-go. While it enables larger collaboration and community computing (which allows for the functioning of a mobile workforce), it also makes way for inexpensive disaster recovery options.

Risks involved are mostly in regard to privacy breaches, identity theft, technical glitches and failures like data corruption, lack of control, particularly with the implementation of BYOD and location centric issues (geographical limitations) to an extent. However, the stakeholders of the cloud market are optimistic of the fact that with the pace at which innovation is evolving; very soon these risks will be en passé.

How are mid-sized organizations adapting to cloud technology and what are the popular applications being put in cloud?

Small and medium-sized businesses are adapting to cloud to give a boost to their overall business growth, saving their time and allowing them time to expand and innovate. The quality of solutions and post-sales service are the major drivers to accelerate cloud adoption among SMEs in India. The total number of channel partners catering to SMEs in India has increased by nearly 10 – 15 percent from the previous year, while the number of cloud channel partners increased by approximately 25-30 percent. This translates to a significant shift in the number of providers offering cloud-based services solutions.

A very good instance would be to talk about small co-operative banks which are using cloud services for hosting core banking solutions which is in a way well setting an example for the SME segment that cloud is the way forward for growth and success.

What is the talent scenario in India for cloud computing?

After personal computers and internet, cloud computing is going to be the most powerful and transformative technology tool for the world. However, companies have started to echo hard about cultivating talents with the right skill set to manage this revolutionary change that the economy is planning to welcome. According to IDC, cloud computing will generate as much as 14 million new jobs worldwide by 2015 and India itself will have over 2 million new job opportunities. These would require personnel with special skills and set of knowledge which we are afraid is not as it will be demanded in future.

What are the roles that will be in demand in 2014?

Roles in demand would be: Cloud architects well versed with private and hybrid cloud models and niche cloud architects with expertise in niche offerings like salesforce.com, Amazon web services (AWS) etc. Experts believe that demand will swell especially for those who can cover all the 9 OSI layers, from Infra to SaaS. Besides, companies will also look for specific stack experts like AWS, Azure, Google or OpeStack, OpenShift, Stackato, VmWare, etc.

For lateral movement what kind of up skilling (certification, courses) is required to move to cloud computing?

Understanding of the basics of cloud computing is important for entering into this market. Professional courses which are at par with global standards are being offered by Indian players at one tenth the cost than the global counterparts and that too with added advantage of 24×7 live web support and post course completion, lifetime support on study materials.

What is the potential of cloud computing in India in the next 5 years?

Financial services and manufacturing industries are and will be the largest adopters of cloud services, having got on the bandwagon early. Communications and technology industries are also leveraging cloud computing in significant volumes and the public sector has begun to explore the potential of cloud services.

What are your current talent challenges?

Industry veterans have often been complaining about a dearth of skilled people, particularly in the fields of Big Data, Analytics and Hadoop. Interestingly, as most of the work centred in these domains is based on Cloud solutions, the lack of talent is drilling down to a broader base of people employed in the area of cloud capability.

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Employees prefer in-hand salary to any other benefit

87% employees prefer a customised compensation structure; organisations need to take that into account while designing benefits

According to the TimesJobs.com’s latest Compensation and Benefit survey, rising inflation and increasing cost of living has led employees to re-evaluate their priorities on how they are compensated for their work. Our survey indicates that most employees, across generations, prefer a higher ‘in-hand’ pay out compared to other components of the salary.

Generation-wise preference

While everyone prefers to take home a higher component of the salary, importance of other benefits depend on what generation the worker belongs to. According to our survey, Baby Boomers, owing to their proximity to retirement, give more importance to post retirement benefits after the in-hand salary in their compensation and benefits package. Gen X, on the other hand, prefers other benefits such as flexible work arrangements and more work life balance. This generation is typically at a stage where they are supporting either ageing parents or growing children, or both. Finally, Gen Y gives almost equal preference to retirement, medical and other benefits.

Explaining this trend, Jappreet Sethi, an HR advisor and employee engagement expert said that Gen Y is more aware and understands that the world will be a different place by the time they retire. “Asking for retirement benefits and medical plans is about factoring in the realty that these are essentials and not, ‘good to have’.” While generations dictate the preference of the compensation and benefit structure, priorities also differ according to the level of the employees. ‘In-hand’ salary matters more to the junior level employees than the mid or senior level. Kishore Sambasivam, director-total rewards, SAP, attributes this trend to the fact that employees at junior levels are typically single and seek ownership. They do not want money locked up in a PF or superannuation benefit.Employees at this level want to plan their investment strategies which may have a higher risk and  return profile.

Factor-in their goals

Effective management starts by understanding who you are managing. This boils down to knowing the expectation the workers have from the organisation. As indicated by our survey, the future of compensation will be a customised compensation and benefit package to suit the needs of the employee. According to the survey, almost 90 per cent employees prefer a customised compensation package. Their priority of what is more important to them depends on the stage of their career and their age.

According to Sambasivam, employees prefer flexibility in their compensation structure. This is dependent on the changing demographic profile, priorities, preferences, risk orientation, individuality and ‘live-in-the-present’ mindset. Traditionally, companies focused on long-term orientation such as Provident Fund (PF), superannuation, company provided accommodation, Leave Travel Allowance (LTA), loans etc. Now, employees prefer more cash-in hand as it gives them the flexibility to spend as per their aspirations and lifestyle.

“Companies need to be cognizant of the same and modify their compensation structure and philosophies in line with the changing expectations of the workforce”, added Sambasivam.

Like employees, organisations also prioritise the components of compensation and benefits differently. This is based on whether they are wooing a new employee or retaining a current employee. As per the survey, 60 per cent organisations pay more attention to the CTC while hiring a  new employee. While retaining an employee, 61 per cent organisations prefer to give them a growth  path. Experts agreed that in the intensifying war for talent, compensation becomes a significant differentiator while wooing candidates. As opposed to hiring, organisations need to focus on other  things for retention. Attrition is usually driven by career and role aspects. Compensation cannot make up for an enticing role that a competitor might offer.

Our survey threw up some interesting results for benefits as well. IT showed that 53 per cent Gen X voted for health care insurance as a preferred benefit. Baby Boomers voted for flexible compensation (42%) and paid leave (40%). Surprisingly, Gen Y voted for disability insurance and retirement benefits as their preference.

Summing up, Raghavendra K, vice president and head human resource development, Infosys BPO, said that a healthy compensation and benefit structure should have a balance between financial and non-financial components and should be aligned with the strategic priorities of the organisation.

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Flipkart may announce Rs 2,000cr Myntra buyout on May 22

Flipkart is likely to acquire a majority stake in online fashion retailer Myntra in what could be the biggest consolidation in India's e-commerce sector. 

NEW DELHI: Homegrown e-retailer Flipkart is likely to acquire a majority stake in online fashion retailer Myntra in what could be the biggest consolidation in India's e-commerce sector.

According to sources, the deal could be worth about Rs 2,000 crore. The figure could not be independently verified.

The transaction is likely to be announced tomorrow. Myntra has sent invitations to the media for a conference in Bangalore tomorrow to announce a "strategic development" but did not divulge further details.

The stake acquisition has been in the works for a few months now, with the final details being worked out in the past few weeks.

"We will be unable to comment on market speculation at this stage," a Flipkart spokesperson said.

India's e-commerce market has seen huge growth in the past few years as more people log on to the Internet to shop. While apparel and electronics are bestsellers for most e-commerce firms, categories such as home decor and household items are also popular.

The industry, estimated to be worth about $3 billion currently, has firms such as Snapdeal, eBay and Amazon, which follow the marketplace model.

Flipkart started in 2007 as an online bookstore and now sells products across categories, including fashion and electronics. It now also sells white goods and furniture.

Led by increasing internet penetration and youngsters shopping online, Flipkart's annualised sales crossed $1 billion (over Rs 6,100 crore) a year ahead of target.

The company planned to reach the billion dollar mark for gross merchandise value by 2015.

It also operates under the marketplace model, which allows retailers to offer products on its platform.

Since its inception, the Bangalore-based firm founded by Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal has raised over $500 million from investors including Naspers, Tiger Global, Accel Partners, Dragoneer, Morgan Stanley, Sofina and Vulcan Capital.

Last year, it raised $360 million from private equity firms, one of the largest funding deals in the Indian e-commerce space.

Myntra sells products from over 650 brands like Nike, HRX by Hrithik Roshan, Biba and Steve Madden and clocked revenue of about Rs 1,000 crore in the previous financial year.

It aims to double its revenue in this financial year as it expands its seller base and adds products.

Myntra has about 100 sellers on board and plans to increase this number to 1,000 by fiscal end
.

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Google overtakes Apple as world's top brand: Survey

Google's brand value shot up 40 per cent in a year to $158.84 billion (115 billion euros), Millward Brown said in its 2014 100 Top BrandZ report.

PARIS: US search engine Google has overtaken rival technology titan Apple as the world's top brand in terms of value, global market research agency Millward Brown said on Wednesday. 

Google's brand value shot up 40 per cent in a year to $158.84 billion (115 billion euros), Millward Brown said in its 2014 100 Top BrandZ report. 

"Google has been extremely innovative this year with Google Glass, investments in artificial intelligence and a range of partnerships," said Benoit Tranzer, the head of Millward Brown France. 

Google Glass is Internet-linked eyewear for which the firm has joined hands with Luxottica, a frame giant behind Ray-Ban and other high-end brands, to sell the new product in the United States. 

"All these activities send a very strong signal to consumers about the essence of Google," Tranzer said. 

Apple, which dominated the top position for three straight years, saw its brand value fall by 20 per cent to $147.88 billion. 

The top 10 of the 100 slots were dominated by US firms. IBM was in third place at $107.54 billion, a fall of 4 per cent, followed by Microsoft at $90.19 billion — a 29 per cent rise. 

Fast food chain McDonald's ranked next at $85.71 billion, followed by Coca Cola ($80.68 billion), it said. 

China led in the insurance sector with Ping An valued at $12.4 billion and China Life ($12 billion). 

French luxury goods manufacturer Louis Vuitton ranked 30th overall but was the top luxury brand with a value of more than $25 billion. 

Brand value is calculated on the basis of the firms' financial performance and their standing among consumers

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Hacking row: Chinese media calls US "mincing rascal"

"Regarding the issue of network security, the US is such a mincing rascal that we must stop developing any illusions about it," wrote the Global Times.

BEIJING: Washington is playing the victim of cyberespionage when in fact it is the world's top intelligence power, a Chinese state-run newspaper on Wednesday said in a sharply-worded editorial.

"Regarding the issue of network security, the US is such a mincing rascal that we must stop developing any illusions about it," wrote the Global Times, which is close to the ruling Communist Party.

On Monday, a US grand jury indicted five Chinese military officers on charges they broke into US computers to benefit Chinese state-owned companies, in the first-ever prosecution by Washington of state actors over cyberespionage.

Beijing responded furiously on Tuesday, summoning US ambassador Max Baucus and accusing Washington of double standards.

Authorities also banned the use of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system on all new government computers and suspended activities of a bilateral cyber-working group.

The Global Times, which often takes a nationalistic stance, said that Washington's "pretentious accusation against Chinese army officers is ridiculous" given that the US National Security Agency itself has engaged in widespread cyberspying through its Prism programme.

"Interpol should have ordered the arrest of designers and implementers of the Prism programme but they did not," the paper wrote. "Therefore the US is acting so shameless by posting photos of the five Chinese army officers."

US prosecutors said the five indicted officers belonged to Unit 61398 of People's Liberation Army.

A report last year by US security firm Mandiant said the unit had thousands of workers operating from a nondescript, 12-storey building on the outskirts of Shanghai to pilfer intellectual property and government secrets.

Beijing has denied the accusations, and the Global Times on Wednesday called them "beyond our imagination."

"It's fresh to us that Chinese military and civil companies have such a close relationship," the paper said
.

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