By Saritha RaiFacebook, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok will have to reveal users’ identities if Indian government agencies ask them to, according to the country’s controversial new rules for social media companies and messaging apps expected to be published later this month. The requirement comes as governments around the world are trying to hold social media […]
Archives for February 2020
SQL Server runs best on Azure. Here’s why.
SQL Server customers migrating their databases to the cloud have multiple choices for their cloud destination. To thoroughly assess which cloud is best for SQL Server workloads, two key factors to consider are: Innovations that the cloud provider can uniquely provide. Independent benchmark results. What innovations can the cloud provider bring to your SQL Server […]
Announcing the preview of Azure Shared Disks for clustered applications
Today, we are announcing the limited preview of Azure Shared Disks, the industry’s first shared cloud block storage. Azure Shared Disks enables the next wave of block storage workloads migrating to the cloud including the most demanding enterprise applications, currently running on-premises on Storage Area Networks (SANs). These include clustered databases, parallel file systems, persistent […]
Now, FabHotels sees a flurry of hotel checkouts
A story eerily similar to Oyo and its hoteliers seems to be playing out at FabHotels, with hotel owners and industry associations accusing the Gurgaon-based hotel aggregator of arbitrary termination of contracts, non-payment of dues and stoppage of minimum guarantee amounts. FabHotels has denied these allegations even as some hotel owners have filed cases against […]
Payment firms seek action against lax lenders, telcos
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Top payment companies owned by global giants Google, Alibaba and Walmart are seeking regulatory and government intervention against alleged inefficiency at some banks and telcos in helping curb customer frauds. These are UPI based frauds where customer accounts are compromised after the victims are socially manipulated either through a targeted phone call […]
As coronavirus stifles China, economic logjams build worldwide
By Matt Phillips In Australia, after hauling hundreds of thousands of tons of iron ore to China, returning freighters can face a 14-day quarantine before being able to reload. BHP, which has headquarters in London and Melbourne and is one of the world’s largest copper mining companies, has been in talks to possibly delay shipments […]
WhatsApp announces it now has 2 billion users globally
Facebook owned messaging giant WhatsApp announced on Wednesday that it now has two billion users globally. Reiterating its stance on encryption in the global announcement, WhatsApp said strong encryption is a necessity in modern life and that it will not compromise on security because that would make people less safe. WhatsApp did not share market […]
Automakers not getting many cab rides now
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi A slowdown in the app-based cab aggregator space has hurt the sales of cars and utility vehicles to the segment, which fell to their lowest level in five years in 2019. Several automakers have arrangements with car aggregators such as Ola and Uber to sell vehicles to drivers who join their platforms. […]
Prolonged slide in financial health of Indian firms comes to end
By Rahul Satija The lingering effects of India’s shadow banking crisis and slowing economy have left companies’ financial health around the worst levels in years, but one gauge shows the prolonged deterioration has at least halted for now. Care Ratings Debt Quality Index, which tracks credit metrics of 1,604 rated firms on a scale of […]
China factory closures may leave online retailers’ shelves empty
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Amazon and Flipkart, the country’s two largest web retailers, are likely to see an impact on overall sales due to the prolonged closure of factories in China on account of the coronavirus outbreak, analysts and industry insiders told ET. A supply crunch in smartphones, televisions, large appliances and consumer electronics, which comprise […]