As Hays' global tech partner, Cognizant will use new innovative technologies to enhance customer experience and IT efficiency, in order to drive agility and competitiveness in the business environment

Cognizant has announced a strategic partnership with Hays, the world's leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment. This collaboration aims to transform Hays' technology infrastructure and drive innovation, enhancing operational efficiency and improving customer experiences on a global scale.

Strategic Partnership Details

• Objective:

  • Transformation Goals: The partnership is designed to support Hays' mission of evolving into a globally integrated business with a strong focus on IT and data.
  • Technological Enhancement: Cognizant will provide advanced technologies to support Hays' operational delivery and integrated processes, aligning with their evolving business needs.

• Scope of the Deal:

  • Global Support: Cognizant will oversee Hays' Applications, Infrastructure, and Transformation journey across various regions including the UK & Ireland, CEMEA, Americas, and APAC.
  • Modern Technology Environment: The aim is to create a secure and efficient technology environment that enhances customer experience and provides valuable data insights.

Key Benefits and Objectives

• Enhanced Capabilities:

  • Operational Efficiency: Implementation of modern technologies will streamline Hays' IT operations and improve efficiency.
  • Innovation and Agility: By developing a strategic global perspective, Cognizant aims to make Hays more agile and foster innovation.

• Transparency and Financial Planning:

  • Improved Governance: The partnership will enhance transparency into global technology operations, supporting better financial planning and execution.

Executive Quotes

• Rohit Gupta, Managing Director UK & Ireland, Cognizant:

  • "We are thrilled to be selected as the strategic technology partner for Hays. Our goal is to manage key business risks effectively, enhance technology capabilities, and increase transparency, supporting Hays' business needs and fostering innovation."

• Tim Fulton, Chief Technology Officer, Hays:

  • "Cognizant will manage our IT operations globally, overseeing our IT service desk, business applications, and infrastructure. This partnership will provide enhanced capabilities and a stable IT environment, allowing us to focus on delivering exceptional recruitment services."

Expected Outcomes

• Operational Support:
  • Seamless Systems: Cognizant will ensure the smooth operation of Hays' IT systems, enhancing global customer and candidate experiences.
  • Automation and Efficiency: The partnership will leverage automation to simplify business processes, platforms, and applications, supporting an efficient recruitment process.

The strategic partnership between Cognizant and Hays marks a significant step in transforming Hays' technology landscape. By enhancing operational efficiency, improving customer experiences, and driving innovation, this collaboration is set to support Hays' global recruitment efforts and future business growth.

Trigent, a leading US-based technology provider, has unveiled the AI Launchpad, a groundbreaking AI starter kit designed to accelerate the journey from concept to implementation in just six weeks. This robust solution aims to support organizations in integrating AI and Generative AI into their operations and customer experiences, paving the way for strategic long-term growth.

AI Launchpad Overview

• Objective:

  • Accelerated Adoption: The AI Launchpad is tailored to help companies uncover AI opportunities and transition to AI-driven operations efficiently.
  • Comprehensive Process: It offers a structured approach to AI integration, covering opportunity discovery, strategic planning, solution design, prototype development, and long-term implementation.

• Key Features:

  • AI Opportunity Discovery: Identify potential AI use cases and opportunities within the organization.
  • Solution Architecture Design: Develop a robust architecture to support AI solutions.
  • Prototype Development and Proof of Concept: Create and validate prototypes to ensure feasibility and effectiveness.
  • Implementation Roadmap: Establish a strategic plan for long-term AI integration and growth.

Highlights of the AI Launchpad

• AI Studio:
  • Comprehensive Tools: Includes open-source and licensed algorithms, curated industry datasets, pre-built interfaces, and custom workflow templates.
  • Scalability and Ease of Use: Designed to facilitate scalable AI solutions and ease the integration process.

Executive Quote

• Chella Palaniappan, President, Client Services, Trigent:
  • "The AI Launchpad is a game-changer for organizations looking to harness the power of artificial intelligence. It enables them to move from concept to MVP within just six weeks, providing all the essential tools and knowledge needed to integrate AI into various areas of their business. This initiative reflects our commitment to delivering maximum value at minimum costs through our technology expertise."

Benefits and Outcomes

• Strategic Long-Term Growth:
  • Seamless Integration: Accelerate the adoption of AI and Generative AI, transforming business operations and customer experiences.
  • Holistic Approach: Benefit from a structured process that covers all stages of AI implementation, from initial discovery to long-term strategy.

Trigent's AI Launchpad offers a transformative solution for organizations seeking to adopt AI technologies swiftly and effectively. With its comprehensive toolkit and structured approach, the AI Launchpad enables businesses to harness the power of artificial intelligence and drive significant growth and innovation.

Harness earned the highest possible score for the report's Innovation criteria

Harness, a leading Modern Software Delivery Platform® company, has achieved notable recognition as a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave™: Cloud Cost Management and Optimization (CCMO), Q3 2024. This accolade highlights Harness's innovative approach to cloud cost management, driven by its continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) expertise and recent advancements in cloud cost solutions.

Key Highlights from Forrester's Evaluation

• Recognition of Innovation:

  • Forrester commended Harness for its market-leading innovations, including features like auto-stopping and cluster cost breakdown.
  • The evaluation reflects Harness's ability to leverage its CI/CD momentum and funding to enhance its Cloud Cost Management and Optimization (CCMO) offerings.

• Harish Doddala's Statement:

  • "This recognition marks a significant milestone for Harness and validates our commitment to developing cutting-edge solutions for cloud cost management. As cloud environments become more complex, having robust CCMO solutions is crucial for financial health and operational efficiency."

Features of Harness Cloud Cost Management

• Unified Visibility and Control:

  • Provides comprehensive oversight of costs across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and containers for accurate cost allocation and budgeting.

• Cloud AutoStopping™:

  • Reduces non-production costs by up to 70% through automatic management of idle cloud resources.

• Governance Policies and Recommendations:

  • Helps establish governance policies and offers out-of-the-box recommendations to identify and eliminate waste.

• Intelligent Automation:

  • Manages rate optimization and spot orchestration through Harness' Commitment and Cluster Orchestrators.

Forrester Wave Evaluation

• Methodology:

  • The Forrester Wave evaluates the top 12 vendors in the CCMO market based on 25 criteria. This thorough analysis provides an objective assessment of the leading solutions available to businesses.

• Harness's Position:

  • Being named a Strong Performer underscores Harness's effectiveness in delivering advanced cloud cost management solutions and its ability to address complex challenges in cloud environments.

Harness's recognition in The Forrester Wave™: Cloud Cost Management and Optimization (CCMO), Q3 2024, affirms its position as a leader in cloud cost solutions. With its innovative features and robust capabilities, Harness continues to set the standard for managing cloud expenditures effectively.

Gupshup, the leading Conversation Cloud platform, has announced the addition of tech veteran Lorrie Norrington to its Board of Directors. With over four decades of experience in scaling global technology and internet businesses, Norrington brings invaluable expertise to Gupshup.

Lorrie Norrington's Background and Experience

• Current Board Positions:

  • Colgate-Palmolive
  • Hubspot
  • Asana

• Previous Executive Roles:

  • President of eBay International
  • Senior roles at eBay, Shopping.com, Intuit, and General Electric

• Advisory Role:

  • Operating Partner at Lead Edge Capital since 2012
  • Advises late-stage high-growth companies

• Education:

  • B.S. from the University of Maryland
  • M.B.A. from Harvard Business School

Relevance to Gupshup

• Expertise in Scaling Businesses:

  • Norrington's experience is highly relevant to Gupshup’s private-to-public journey.
  • Her insights are valuable for a global SaaS company like Gupshup.

• Alignment with Gupshup's Values:

  • Strong values and integrity.
  • Commitment to building world-class governance structures.

CEO's Statement

Beerud Sheth, CEO and Co-founder of Gupshup, expressed excitement about Norrington joining the board. He highlighted her vast experience, deep expertise, and inspirational leadership as key factors that will accelerate Gupshup’s growth. Sheth emphasized Norrington’s commitment to mentoring executives and her positive energy as significant contributions to the board.

Norrington's Vision

Lorrie Norrington expressed her enthusiasm for joining Gupshup, recognizing it as a market leader with immense potential. She looks forward to contributing to the realization of Gupshup’s ambitious vision.

Gupshup's Recent Announcement

Earlier this year, Gupshup launched the Conversation Cloud, a comprehensive suite of SaaS capabilities with built-in Generative AI. This platform transforms business-to-customer interactions through conversations, enhancing conversational relationship management across the customer lifecycle.

The addition of Lorrie Norrington to Gupshup’s Board of Directors marks a significant milestone for the company. Her extensive experience and alignment with Gupshup’s values are expected to drive the company’s growth and strengthen its governance.

Former Nextdoor CTO to Lead Attentive’s Engineering to Build the Most Advanced AI-Powered Marketing Technology in the Market

Attentive, the AI-powered SMS and email marketing platform, has announced the appointment of Antonio Silveira as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Silveira will spearhead Attentive’s engineering team, driving the development and implementation of advanced technology across all of Attentive’s products.

Antonio Silveira's Role and Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership:

  • Lead the engineering team to execute Attentive’s technical vision.
  • Oversee the development of technology for a seamless customer experience.

• Collaboration:

  • Work closely with product and design teams.
  • Build and implement a best-in-class marketing platform.

• Focus Areas:

  • Core SMS
  • Email
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning

CEO's Statement

Amit Jhawar, CEO of Attentive, highlighted the significance of Silveira's appointment during a pivotal time in the company’s journey. Jhawar emphasized Silveira’s extensive experience in driving innovation and building products used by millions. He expressed confidence in Silveira's ability to inspire the team to develop solutions that deliver high results for customers, shareholders, and employees.

Antonio Silveira's Background

• Experience:

  • Over 20 years in building large-scale product and SaaS offerings.
  • Expertise in various business models, including marketing, payments, and subscriptions.

• Previous Roles:

  • Chief Technology Officer at Nextdoor during significant expansion.
  • VP of Engineering at GoDaddy.
  • Senior engineering leader at Yahoo.

• Career Milestones:

  • Part of the executive team for IPOs at Nextdoor and GoDaddy.

Antonio Silveira’s appointment as CTO is a strategic move for Attentive as the company accelerates its AI innovations. His leadership and experience are expected to significantly contribute to the development of cutting-edge solutions, enhancing Attentive’s capabilities in delivering bespoke customer experiences.

New survey shows nine in 10 respondents agree that creativity is a key attribute for employees to possess, yet many are falling short of fostering a culture that encourages it.

Canva, the world’s only all-in-one visual communication platform, has unveiled insights from a study conducted with over 500 business professionals, highlighting the challenges of fostering creativity in the workplace. The study, carried out by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services in association with Canva, emphasizes the critical role of creativity in driving long-term success for organizations.

Importance of Creativity in Business

• Survey Highlights:

  • 96% of respondents agree that creative ideas are essential for an organization's long-term success.
  • 94% believe organizations investing in creative tools and technology will be more successful in the future.

• Current Challenge:

  • Many organizations struggle to convert innovative ideas into tangible business impact.

Categories of Organizations

• Leaders (22%):
  • Very successful at identifying and implementing creative solutions.
• Followers (56%):
  • Somewhat successful in their creative efforts.
• Laggards (22%):
  • Not very successful in fostering creativity.

Key Findings

1. Nurturing Employee Creativity:

   • 91% agree creative thinking is a key attribute for employees.
   • Over half of laggards (58%) report their culture doesn't reward creativity.
   • Only 19% of leaders say their culture fails to reward creative pursuits.

2. Encouraging Creative Risks:

   • Leaders (41%) are more likely to reward creative risks than followers (17%) and laggards (8%).

3. Creative Leadership:

   • 94% agree that having a creative leader enhances team creativity.
   • 72% of laggards feel their leadership is not engaged in creative thinking.
   • Only 23% of leaders share this sentiment.

4. Investment in Creative Tools:

   • 94% believe investing in creative technology is crucial for future success.
   • 87% expect financial investment in creativity tools to increase or stay the same.

Technologies Enhancing Creativity

• Popular Tools Among Leaders:

  • Collaboration platforms (65%)
  • Visual communication tools (64%)
  • Data visualization tools (56%)

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:

  • Leaders are more likely to facilitate collaboration (53% vs. 14% for laggards).

• Generative AI:

  • 42% of leaders believe generative AI can greatly enhance creativity.
  • Uses of generative AI include automating tasks, accelerating idea generation, and creating content with minimal human intervention.
  • 47% of leaders use generative AI for strategic growth, compared to 30% of followers and 14% of laggards.

The study underscores the importance of creativity in business growth and long-term success. Cameron Adams, co-founder and chief product officer at Canva, emphasized that innovation and creativity differentiate leaders from laggards and drive growth in challenging times.

• LTK is unveiling an all-new video experience, with Full-Screen Continuous Video and Daily Drops, opening up earning opportunities for creators and creating a more engaging experience for shoppers.

• Videos on LTK are the most engaging content with shoppers purchasing 2x more from video and clicking out to retailers 64% more; videos increase creator earnings by up to 46%.

LTK, the platform that powers Creator Commerce™, has announced a major transformation of its app to a video-first experience. This update introduces two new features designed to enhance the shopping experience and bolster creator engagement: Full-Screen Continuous Video and Daily Drops.

New Features Overview

• Full-Screen Continuous Video:

  • Immersive, shoppable video feed.
  • Videos play back-to-back for continuous viewing.
  • Enhances community relationships and builds trust.

• Daily Drops:

  • New section on the app’s home screen.
  • Displays the latest shoppable video content from creators.
  • Helps shoppers easily access new videos posted in the last 24 hours.

Benefits for Creators

• Increased Engagement and Sales:

  • Video content drives 2X more purchases compared to other formats.
  • LTK Creator videos generate 64% more click-outs to retailer sites.
  • Video posts can boost creator earnings by up to 46%.

• Video Content Popularity:

  • Majority (65%) of Gen Z identify as video content creators.
  • Video is a critical medium for engaging audiences.

Full-Screen Continuous Video

• Features:

  • Full-bleed, shoppable video player.
  • Auto-scroll and manual swipe functionality for seamless navigation.
  • Shoppers can easily shop product recommendations featured in videos.

• User Experience:

  • Enhances engagement by providing an uninterrupted viewing experience.
  • Builds deeper connections between creators and their communities.

Daily Drops

• Features:

  • New dedicated section at the top of the app’s home screen.
  • Profile pictures with interactive rings indicate new content.
  • Fresh videos displayed for the first 24 hours, with ongoing availability in the creator’s feed.

• User Experience:

  • Ensures shoppers never miss new video content from their favorite creators.
  • Increases visibility and engagement for creators.

LTK’s Commitment to Innovation

• Meeting Demand for Video:
  • Continuously investing in video features to enhance shopping experiences.
  • Recent launch of Storytelling Posts with Video allows creators to upload multiple one-minute videos in a post.

LTK's new video-first app experience is set to revolutionize how creators engage with their audiences and how shoppers discover and purchase products. By introducing Full-Screen Continuous Video and Daily Drops, LTK continues to lead in innovation, providing an immersive and entertaining platform for Creator Commerce™.