Software & Apps
Snapchat redesign sparks backlash among some users
WASHINGTON: Snapchat’s latest app redesign, aimed at broadening the appeal of the youth-oriented social network, sparked a backlash from many users complaining about the abrupt overhaul of their preferred service.
More than 578,000 users had signed an online petition by midday Monday calling on parent firm Snap Inc. to roll back the update, which was released last week.
“Many users have found that it has not made the app easier to use, but has in fact made many features more difficult,” the petition at change.org states.
“Many ‘new features’ are useless or defeat the original purposes Snapchat has had for the past years.”
The update separates the “media content” from that of friends, a move aimed at avoiding problems faced by social media rivals Facebook and Twitter on proliferation of misinformation.
But a flurry of Twitter comments took issue with the update to Snapchat, which has become a favorite of teens for its disappearing messages but also offers content from various media partners.
“I don’t even wanna use Snapchat till they fix this update, I just immediately get mad when I open the app,” one user tweeted.
Another Twitter comment said, “this snapchat update is the worst thing to happen since U2’s album was downloaded to everyone’s phone.”
Supermodel Chrissy Teigen added her voice to the protests, tweeting, “How many people have to hate an update for it to be reconsidered?”
Some Snapchat users complained the app was updated automatically and may have caused the loss of some messages or archived data known as Memories.
Twitter users offered tips on how to uninstall the update to get the old version of the application.
But the Snapchat support team tweeted that “unofficial workarounds to change the way Snapchat looks are temporary and can result in getting permanently locked out of your account or losing Memories.”
Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst who follows social media for the research firm eMarketer, said it was too soon to judge user reaction to the redesign.
“We’re watching users’ reaction to Snapchat’s redesign very closely, but at this point we don’t see it having an impact on usage among young people,” she said.
“It’s very possible that once they get used to the new way the app is laid out, they will use it just as heavily as before.”
An eMarketer survey released Monday showed Facebook is losing younger users at a pace faster than anticipated, with many switching to applications like Snapchat or the Facebook-owned Instagram.
Source: AFP
NEW DELHI: L&T Technology Services has announced that it has been selected by Airbus to provide technology and digital engineering solutions for Airbus’ Skywise platform as part of the ‘Skywise Partner Programme’.
With more than 130 airlines around the world already connected to Skywise, the platform is playing a very important part in enabling and accelerating digital transformation of the aviation sector as a whole. LTTS will support the airlines in the development of complex workflows, creation of new interfaces between their existing information systems and Skywise and also provide assistance in their digital transformation with Skywise.
LTTS has a set of highly experienced engineers and data scientists who will work exclusively on the Skywise platform and build solutions to address the digital transformation needs of airlines and the fast-expanding Skywise ecosystem. LTTS’ demonstrated experience in building digital engineering platforms based on strong domain knowledge help strengthen the interdependencies these digital technologies are enabling.
Abhishek Sinha, Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Board, L&T Technology Services commented, “Airbus is one of our valued customers in the aerospace domain, a sector which offers tremendous potential for disruptive business opportunities. We are delighted to be selected as a partner for Airbus Skywise programme, a true reflection of our long-standing partnership with an important market leader like Airbus and our deep understanding of Airbus’ product development and customer needs”.
LTTS has a track record of serving the aerospace landscape for over a decade, helping airlines and aerospace manufacturers maximize their Return on Investments (RoI) and increase quality and output. Having forged strategic alliances with several Fortune 500 companies, LTTS has the strong technical knowledge, aerospace engineering expertise and skilled resources to drive innovation for aerospace and defense customers across the globe.
Mobile Services
Canon India launches mobile applications-Canon Care,Mobile CMM and WhatsApp services
NEW DELHI: Canon India, one of the leading innovators in the imaging and printing space, announced the launch of its new mobile applications, Canon Care and Mobile CMP, and WhatsApp services.
The new mobile applications endeavor to strengthen Canon’s prowess in delivering end to end customer support, thereby setting a benchmark in the service segment. WhatsApp services have been introduced to assist customers with their queries, especially during these difficult times when technology is playing a key role in keeping us connected. It will be available in English, Hindi , Tamil, Malayalam and Bengali languages.
As part of its persistent customer servicing efforts, Canon India will provide 24×7 assistance to customers through the new mobile applications and most widely used messenger service WhatsApp .It will help the company to connect better with customers not only in metro cities but also in remote places across India.
Servicing both B2B and B2C customers, the new mobile applications and WhatsApp service will provide a seamless experience making it the easiest and the most valuable source of customer connect with the organization.
Canon Care mobile app, aims to help printer users, through features such as booking a service request, purchase cartridge and extended warranty, locating nearest service centre and download software/drivers. They will also be able to track their request status and schedule an engineer visit if needed.
Through Mobile CMP, Canon will be catering to the service requirements of B2B customers, by offering features like logging service call and view ticket history, toner request, view contract period, viewing machine life and request for contract renewal. Customers can also log service/toner requests and check for status on the existing queries. With 24×7 availability, customers can directly interact with Canon India through WhatsApp and get a prompt response for their queries/service requests.
Speaking about the innovations to enrich customer experiences, Kazutada Kobayashi, President & CEO of Canon India said, “At Canon India, service is an integral part of our everyday operations and the backbone of our legacy in the country. Our service team, called ‘Market Engineering’ ensures that we maintain constant communication with our customers from the point of purchase to throughout their journey with us. During these unprecedented times, it is imperative for brands to reinvent their service mechanism and utilize the digital platforms efficiently. Putting our customers first, we are delighted to introduce the new first ever service centric mobile applications along with the WhatsApp services, which understand and manage their diverse requirements. Through our impeccable service outreach backed by the latest innovations across all product segments, we will continue to strengthen our commitment towards ‘Customer Delight’.”
Rahul Goel, Senior Director, Market Engineering Centre, Canon India added, “At Market Engineering, we continuously track the evolving trends in the industry to cater to the customer needs across the length and breadth of the country. To deliver services that complement the fast-paced lifestyle of our customers, we have developed Canon Care and Mobile CMP along with opening our services on WhatsApp platform-an AI powered Chat Bot, customers would no longer have to wait for long ques in order to book service request through call center. The mobile apps will provide more flexibility and seamless value added services for both B2C & B2B customers. These mobile applications will be available 24×7 as per customer’s convenience, further strengthening their bond with Canon during the tough times. We are positive that this launch will be instrumental in reinforcing our commitment and further build a loyal customer base in India, who will be proud of their association with the brand. Our new Service offerings will bring us more closer to our customers and help us to serve them better”
Canon Care and Mobile CMP provide an organized and automated process of ensuring seamless customer service. Customers will be able to register every Canon product on apps and will be able to see a step by step progress of their service tickets. Mobile CMP is now available to download from Google Play store and IOS App store while Canon Care is available on Google Play Store and will soon launch on App Store for iPhone users. Customers can send their queries or raise service requests via WhatsApp on number +91 91085 10853.
NEW DELHI: Mobility platform Ola has entered into a strategic partnership with PhonePe, India’s leading payments platform.
With this integration, Ola users can now enjoy a seamless and superlative payment experience on the Ola app.
Millions of Ola’s customers across the country can now pay for their ride using PhonePe. This move echoes Ola’s commitment to continuously introduce convenient, reliable and innovative solutions to ease the mobility experience, while being fully aligned with PhonePe’s goal of making payments easy, secure and accessible to all. This feature is currently rolled out on Android and will soon be available on iOS.
As the industry undergoes a digital transformation, this integration will bring together a unique payments experience for the Ola customers and add to the convenience of the users by providing them an array of options which will enhance their digital payments experience. This partnership will also enable PhonePe to offer their services to the millions of customers on the Ola platform thereby reaching a wider audience.
Catering to the growing need for contactless payment solutions during these extraordinary times, the partnership is set to empower millions of Ola customers by enabling a variety of payment options to choose from, giving customers greater control. This is a unique implementation where customers can use all of PhonePe’s payment instruments including the PhonePe wallet to make payments, in addition to UPI. The combined scale and capabilities of Ola and PhonePe will play a pivotal role in further fueling the adoption of digital payment solutions for the mobility industry.
The partnership also complements Ola’s recent safety initiative, Ride Safe India that encourages its customers to opt for digital payment channels to minimise risk and ensure a zero-contact mobility experience.
Speaking about the partnership, Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson at Ola, said, “As we navigate through the pandemic, we have noticed a significant increase in the adoption of digital payment solutions. With commute being one of the largest spend categories for customers, we wanted to encourage this shift through value-added services to ensure them superlative as well as safe mobility experiences. As PhonePe continues to drive digital payment adoption across the country, we are excited to partner with them to drive this seismic change that will enable us to move a step closer to becoming a Digital India.”
Ankit Gaur, Director, Business Development at PhonePe, added, “Facilitating safe contactless payments is of paramount importance during these tough times. We are excited to partner with Ola, India’s leading mobility services provider, to enable a seamless and convenient payment experience for our customers. This partnership will be a key enabler to drive India’s digital payment ecosystem.”
As part of our introductory offer, customers can avail up to INR 200 in cashback on the first two rides when paid using PhonePe.
