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Showing posts with the label Security

Chinese consumers prefer mobile devices for online transactions

As 44 million Internet users are added each year in China, cash transactions might become obsolete. Consumers are increasingly using third party mobile payment apps for online transactions. Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights on this trend in China Daily – Asia Weekly. A majority of e-commerce purchases in China are now made using mobile devices. Last year, 527 million transactions took place using online payment platforms accessed via smartphones. Perera observed that the m-commerce market is an indicator of China’s rising consumption as well as the surge in smartphone penetration. The growth potential is immense, especially in third and fourth tier cities where consumer credit is rising. Internet giants in China such as Tencent and Alibaba still dominate the m-commerce market. Consumers now prefer Point-of-Sale mobile payments as a safer and more convenient option than cash, with service providers like Alipay, Pay a

Pok̩mon Go РA game changer for marketers?

Have you caught your Pokémon yet? Pokémon Go – the mobile application-based game – is immensely popular. The game uniquely uses Augmented Reality technology. It has succeeded in growing its user base beyond just fans of the Pokémon comic. With the ability to drive foot traffic to stores, the app has created a new and potentially powerful platform for companies . Clocking in 7.5 million downloads since its debut in the U.S. on July 2016 , is the app a marketer’s boon – or is it destined to become just another “has-been” fad? What is Pokémon Go? Taking gamification to the next level, Pokémon Go is a gaming application based on the concept of augmented reality (AR) to deliver a real-life Pokémon experience. Released in July 2016, the game was developed by Niantic Labs and published by the “father” of Pokémon, Japanese company Nintendo. Using Augmented Reality technology similar to Google Maps, players need to find Pokémon characters at random physical locations and captur

WannaCry ransomware attack affects millions

The first ever global worm-based ransomware attack – WannaCry –crippled close to 150 countries in May 2017. Ransomware usually spreads via email, relying on human intervention to initiate infection. In a matter of hours, WannaCry spread to Internet-connected computers infecting many that were unpatched and exposed to the Internet. In particular, the ransomware exploited older Windows operating systems, including Windows XP. The attack was a stark reminder about keeping antivirus, firewall and operating systems up-to-date. The IT security industry is exploiting machine learning to enhanced preparedness and threat response speeds. Can Machine Learning help mitigate ransomware attacks? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/wannacry-ransomware-attack-affects-millions/

Singapore gears towards a cashless society in 2018

As a new year dawns, Singapore continues to focus on becoming a cashless society. Despite several unsuccessful attempts in the past, many nationwide initiatives are set to launch soon. Will this be the year of change? Japnit Singh, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights, published on Today Online’s news portal. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will launch common Quick Response (QR) codes next year. Moreover, the largest payment network in Singapore – Nets – will implement a QR code system in the middle of 2018 across all of its 100,000 acceptance points. However, Japnit opined that security concerns still loom. Previously, lack of interoperability confused consumers, whereas transaction and terminal fees prevented small businesses from offering credit card or Nets payments. This time around, fraudulent QR codes with malicious software to steal data and access customer bank accounts are causing trouble. It remains to

Google pushes paperless healthcare

Despite the trend towards digitalized healthcare, there are many healthcare systems dependent upon paper records. This often results in issues with record retrieval and security. This is where DeepMind, Google’s artificial intelligence subsidiary, is stepping in for a pilot project with a hospital under the British National Health Service (NHS). This platform aims to simplify the process of sharing patient data by sharing accurate information about the patient’s medical condition. Moreover, alerts will be provided to staff when patient’s results suggest a high risk, along with data and recommendations on the next course of action. The platform aims to reduce staff response time to deliver timely treatment, which could in turn, save lives. Will real-time alerts from digitalized healthcare save lives? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/google-pushes-paperless-healthcare/

Robots : Changing industries, expanding possibilities

Robots are now prevalent across many industries, not only heavy manufacturing. Today’s robots are more precise and can be controlled remotely, which is why there is a preference for them over error-prone humans in some parts of the services industry. With over 179,000 industrial robots sold worldwide in 2013, robots are now set to conquer a new arena – the household. What is a robot? The first thing that comes to mind when the word robot is uttered is a machine that imitates a human being, such as the androids from Hollywood’s Star Wars or Terminator movies. The reality, though, is that the hundreds of thousands of industrial robots operating in the world resemble high-tech machinery more than high-tech humanoids. A robot is defined as a programmable, self-controlled device with electrical, electronic or mechanical units. Robots have some advantages over humans when it comes to work – they have better physical endurance and are more adept at working under uncomfortable or da