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- Skilled agricultural workers (senior farmers and landscape designers) were the only employees to have closed the gender pay gap for their sector in 2019
- The remaining 25 industries analysed, revealed women still earn disproportionately less than their male colleagues. Differences ranged from £348 to £10,006 less per year
- Women could be earning up to £12,319 less per year than their male colleagues within the same age and job group – up £370 from last year’s figures
- The pay gap is even worse in incentive-based or bonus pay with men being paid up to 46% more in bonuses across certain industries
04/10/19: Leading digital bank Starling researched the UK’s gender pay gap using variables of age and sector to uncover just how much pay differs between the sexes. Data was taken from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2019 report, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) and refers to the most recent 2018-2019 tax year.
New research from Starling, reveals that the gender pay gap is present in 2019 across all but one industry– skilled agricultural workers, such as senior farmers and landscape designers. The remaining 25 industries analysed revealed men to be consistently occupying more of the higher paid jobs within these sectors.
This is consistent with last year where skilled agricultural workers were again the only group where women are paid more than men. Over the last five years, the only other group of employees to reverse the pay gap has been secretaries and receptionists, who are still enjoying near-equal pay in 2019 with a pay gap of 1.6%.
Process, plant and machine operator operators – typically found in the textile, chemical, and beverage sectors – are shown to have the largest pay gap. There is a 25% difference in annual earnings (across all age ranges) in this sector which means that women in the industry take home £6,350 less than men.
Jobs with the largest pay gaps:
24.88% – Process, plant and machine operators (on average women earn £6,350 less than men)
20.95% – Business and public service technicians (on average -£8,293)
20.81% – Skilled builders (on average -£5,934)
Industries closest to equal pay:
+0.69% – Skilled agricultural workers (on average +£142)
1.60% – Secretaries and receptionists (on average -£348)
6.05% – Culture, media, and sports jobs (on average -£1,777)
The jobs paying women more
Secretary and receptionist roles paid women more than their male colleagues in both the 18-21 and 50-59 age groups. Women in this sector and age range earned 5.93% (+£884) and 0.65% (+£140) more than their male colleagues of the same age respectively.
The skilled agriculture industry, which includes farmers, landscape gardeners and groundskeepers was the only sector out of the 26 studied to have a positive pay gap overall. On average, women earnt 0.69% or £142 more per year than their male colleagues in this industry. Women in the 40-49 age range in these sectors saw the biggest advantage, being paid on average 7.32% more than men, around £1,615 more per year based on the average salary. Figures based on available source data, which covers the age ranges 22-29, 40-49, 50-59.
Below is a full list of the nine age and sector combinations out of the 127 included in the study that have closed the pay gap this year.
The bonus gender pay gap
It’s not just annual salary that the gender pay gap can be seen in. Bonus pay, or incentive pay, is a financial reward for performance which is paid on top of an employee’s annual salary. Whilst not all industries offer incentive pay, amongst those that do offer and report on bonuses, the pay gap is stark.
Industries with the largest bonus pay gaps:
45.77% – Process, plant and machine operators (on average -£422)
44.08% – Business and public service technicians (includes brokers and financial advisors) (on average -£1,914)
35.91% – Sales (on average -£274)
Industries closest to equal incentive pay:
+0.36%% – Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals (on average +£9)
5.06% – Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) assistants (on average -£63)
7.70% – Customer services (on average -£99)
Bonus gender pay gap by age
Younger women are beginning to earn equal or near-equal bonuses to their male colleagues but the gap between bonus pay in the over 40s is large.
Sharon Peake, gender diversity expert and founder of Shape Talent comments: “It is heartening to see the segments where the gender pay gap has been eradicated – this is positive progress and worth celebrating. It is important to be clear, though, on what the gender pay gap represents. It is the percentage difference between men and women’s median hourly earnings. It essentially indicates fewer women in senior levels in the workplace, rather than being a gauge of equal pay for equal work, which has been a legal requirement since the 1970s. Enabling more women to access leadership roles is what is needed to address the gender pay gap and there is still more work to be done here.
‘There are some clear steps companies can take to reduce their pay gaps. Helping alleviate the double burden of family and work responsibilities, by ensuring flexible work arrangements, is an important first step. Some companies are taking this further with paternity leave policies that enable men to participate more fully at home. It is also important to make a clear commitment to gender balance in a business’s senior leadership team, actively working to de-bias recruitment and promotion processes, and putting in place leadership development support to help women address the barriers they face.”
What is loneliness and how can you manage it?
By Iris Schaden Your Business and Personal Coach
A mere century ago, almost no one lived alone. Today, many do and it is not unusual. The recent lockdowns and isolation periods have amplified feelings of loneliness. But why do we feel lonely? Why do our bodies experience social pain? Learn about what we can do to improve our situation, prevent chronic loneliness and minimise the tremendous impact it has on our health.
Solitude and choosing to be alone can be bliss. Over the last sixty years the number of people living alone has increased in developed countries by more than 50 percent. In countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland, it is very common for people to live alone. But this does not translate into higher levels of self–reported loneliness. Many people have friends or family they can interact with on a regular basis.
However, it is important to recognise that this choice is different to loneliness, which can be a state of profound distress. Loneliness is a purely subjective and individual experience that can be felt by anyone, no matter their social, educational, gender or age demographic. Humankind are social creatures by nature – we struggle without it – and social connections are important to our health and emotional wellbeing.
Loneliness is a problem when we feel that no place is home; when we are in a group and we still feel social separation; when we spend time with our family but we feel like we don’t belong; or when we lose a relationship and struggle to adjust. It is a growing phenomenon in modern times, a by-product of our individualism, long-distance study and career opportunities or time-consuming work commitments.
The pandemic, with its required isolation and social distancing, has added additional stress to many households, but feelings of loneliness or adverse effects of social isolation are particularly prevalent in one-person households and young people aged 12–25. According to a study by VicHealth, even before COVID-19 young adults and adolescents reported high levels of loneliness, social isolation, social anxiety and depressive symptoms. Additionally, it is men who tend to report higher levels of loneliness than women.
Reported loneliness is on the rise. In 2017 and 2018 former US Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy declared ‘an epidemic of loneliness,’ and the UK appointed a Minister of Loneliness. In these two countries, one in five adults reported that they often or always feel alone; in Australia, it was one in four adults. And this was before COVID-19, which makes us realise the mental and emotional impact lockdown has on individuals.
What happens to our bodies when we experience loneliness?
Neuroscientists, such as John Cacioppo, identify loneliness as ‘a state of hypervigilance whose origins lie among our primate ancestors and in our own hunter-gatherer past’. Our ancestors needed to belong to an intimate social group to survive. Cacioppo explains that our bodies respond to being alone, or being with strangers, as though we were in a dangerous situation.
Separation from other people (the group) triggers a fight-flight-or-freeze response and we feel social pain. While physical pain is primarily a sensory experience, social pain is the emotional state that comes from the distress of being lonely. Like the bodily sensation of hunger, it alerts us to a need, but instead of food the need is social interaction.
Loneliness generates anxiety: our breathing quickens, our heart races, our blood pressure rises and we struggle to sleep or sleep well. If we don’t pay attention, over time we start to act more fearful, defensive and self-involved. All of these actions drive others away and tend to stop those experiencing loneliness from doing what would benefit them the most: reaching out to others. It is a vicious cycle and one that is especially challenging for older and younger individuals.
Tactics to help cope with feelings of loneliness.
To belong is to feel at home in a place or situation where you feel included, comfortable and connected with others. In his assessment, Vivek H. Murthy wrote, ‘To be at home is to be known … You can feel at home with friends, or at work, or in a college dining hall, or at church, or in Yankee Stadium, or at your neighbourhood bar. Loneliness is the feeling that no place is home.’ Having relocated to different cities and countries and re-establishing my life over and over again, I can certainly say that loneliness can be a challenge.
How can we combat the feelings of loneliness and the anxiety that comes with it, before it becomes chronic and we find ourselves even more isolated over time?
The first step in moving forward is acknowledging how you feel. Give those feelings a name with a specific timeframe; for example, today I feel alone or since I’ve been in lockdown, I have felt alone or since I lost my partner, I feel disconnected and lost. By doing this, we focus on the present and do not label our entire existence as lonely.
My personal strategy is to go outside if the loneliness gets too ‘heavy’; connect with other people through looks and smiles (even under a face mask our eyes can smile); call friends and family regularly; or schedule a brunch or glass of wine with friends (in person or video chat).
Practising random acts of kindness and gratitude, for others and ourselves, is another very effective and very positive way of bringing us back into the present moment and improving our overall wellbeing. Energy flows where our focus goes. It takes effort and sometimes it is indeed easier to just give in and watch a light-hearted movie on the couch. And that’s fine too!
If you are ever experiencing loneliness, I recommend exercising your social muscles and also seeking support. Remember that your feelings are normal as we are biologically fine-tuned to being with and interacting with others. However, you will need to make changes to avoid jeopardising your health. Once loneliness becomes chronic it becomes self-sustained and you will begin exhibiting defensive behaviour. As a defence mechanism, loneliness makes you assume the worst of others and you (your brain) become hypersensitive to social signals that might be interpreted as hostile towards you, when in reality people might just be trying to help you.
Large studies have shown that feeling lonely has a tremendous impact on your health: it can make you age quicker, cause dementia to advance faster, weaken your immune system and lead to anxiety and depression. Many people turn to substance abuse which only serves to numb the symptoms, rather than treat the source. And while you can find so much information online, knowing is not enough. Remember that reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness but one of strength. So please reach out to your network, talk to your health professional or get in contact with me.
There are different ways to improve your overall wellbeing. Let’s discuss.
Payments in a pandemic: UK consumer trends emerging from COVID-19
By Philip McHugh CEO at Paysafe
The outbreak of COVID-19 has been a global catalyst impacting many industries, including payments. It has forced consumers to adjust to different ways of purchasing goods and services; according to our latest Lost in Transaction research, a survey in which 8,000 consumers globally were asked about their payment habits, over half (54%) of UK consumers said they have used a payment method new to them since COVID-19 began.
This change in consumer behavior will serve as a tipping point for the payments industry. Consumers are demanding more choice, and more convenience in how they pay, with 84% of people we surveyed admitting to thinking about payments differently in 2020.
Here are four trends coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic we believe will permanently alter the global payments landscape.
- Major shifts to digital
This pandemic has not only been the impetus for change from consumers, but for businesses too. For cash consumers, particularly those who are unbanked, the short and long-term impact of only having to access to products and services digitally is going to be substantial. Providing a smooth transition from retail to online payments will be key. According to our research findings, COVID-19 has led 21% of UK consumers to try online shopping for the first time and 12% using a digital wallet for the first time to make an online payment.
Digital merchants must take this into strong consideration when thinking about the evolution of their checkout. There are many viable options, including incorporating an eCash solution to give the buyer the option to maintain cash as their primary payment method, or introducing a digital wallet that enables people to shop online without sharing their financial data with merchants and potentially compromising their financial security. By 2023, digital wallets are expected to become the most popular online payment method in the UK, accounting for 33% of the market.
Already, nearly half of UK consumers (43%) said they increased their online shopping habits because of restricted access to high street stores and this percentage is expected to grow further. It’s vital that businesses begin to diversify their payment offerings otherwise they’ll fail to meet consumer expectations and risk losing out to their competitors.
- The growth of contactless
Despite the World Health Organization not issuing an official warning against using cash, the psychological perception of the safety of handling cash has made an impact. Nearly two thirds (63%) of UK consumers surveyed said they will be using contactless more in the short term due to health and safety concerns, and 61% saying they are happier using contactless now than they were last year.
At the end of March, cash usage in Britain halved, according to Link , operator of the UK’s biggest network of ATMs. In addition, contactless card limits for in-store spending rose from £30 to £45 to cut the need for physical contact in shops. Increased adoption of mobile wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay across all generations may be on the horizon, making payments more accessible to society. Restaurants and pubs are also encouraging the trend towards cashless as well, such as prompting people to use an order-ahead app to pay for drive-through orders or removing the need to press a “pay now” button before a contactless payment.
- The importance of remittances
With travel restrictions still in place around the world, sending money home quickly, seamlessly, and cost-effectively remains more vital than ever. Half of consumers have given money to family or friends since the crisis began, and nearly a quarter (20%) have done this at least three times. According to our research, 74% of consumers would use a digital payment method to send money abroad, either through a digital wallet, direct bank transfer, or online money transfer services. Effective remittance channels are needed to combat specific issues caused by this crisis, including being financially inclusive for those needing financial support for the first time and who may not have a bank account, or access to digital payment methods because of displacement and isolation.
- Embracing the power of technology
Our recent Lost in Transaction research shows that consumers are already adapting to challenges in purchasing, including getting to grips with alternative payment methods, and it is the industry’s job to make those methods even more accessible to society. Both payment providers and online retailers must adapt in line with the demands of consumers, and the requirements of the situation. Ultimately, the accelerated change and improvements made to digital commerce throughout this pandemic will pave the way for the future of both digital and in-store payments.
Once the world resumes ‘business as usual’, the payments industry, guided by changing consumer behavior, will develop further thanks to new technologies such as 5G technology, artificial intelligence and automation – all helping to speed up transactions, improve in-store payments, and enhance user experience. Online and mobile banking will become more ingrained in the mainstream and consumers will come to expect a fully-integrated, unified experience across all channels and touch points. We were already on this path, but the pandemic has served to accelerate consumer appetite for enhanced products and services.
FinTech Landscape: Synergy and Disruptive Innovation in Investment Banking
By Mr. Kunal Sawhney, CEO at Kalkine
While technological leaps seem to be defining brighter future for some businesses in the post-COVID era, FinTech continues to thrive and transform the landscape of financial services industry. It is about staying ahead of the curve in this race against grabbing a bigger chunk of market amidst shrinking consumer and business confidence – as adoption of advanced technology can be the secret sauce in attracting and retaining customers in the digital era.
Asset management, insurance and lending companies are some of the prominent segments in the broader financial segment that have very swiftly embraced the latest digital technologies. Looking at Investment Banking (IB) space, while COVID-19 pandemic initially brought the sector to its knees, latest trends in financial technology adoption seem to be getting them back on their feet, driven by advanced and streamlined offerings pertaining to M&A advisory, risk management and financial assets management.
In general, we have heard about versions – Fintech Version 1.0 & Fintech Version 2.0, but the modern theory around investment using financial technology does not end here. There is a multitude of factors that can push and prod the IB thematics while channelising the way technology can slither through and give a spin to each and every product and service in Investment Banking space. Tech-based end-to-end models appear to take things one notch up when it comes to dealing with risk profiling, lending, fraud analysis, payments etc. Let’s look at how this is made possible in today’s world:
AI Technology Penetration – The ‘New Normal’: Penetration of Fintech in IB models is charting out new growth prospects for the financial services industry, ensuring cost optimisation of due-diligence, enhancing value for M&A prospects, streamlining legal checks and advancing asset-reporting discrepancies in acquisition deals. Besides, AI-empowered actuarial software is providing a firm nudge to offering top-notch, faster and accurate risk advisory services.
Moreover, seamless utility and penetration of AI and ML in algorithm trading, stock market prediction, fraud detection and prevention, acquisition of new customers, risk profiling and network security deserve much applause. Amidst COVID-induced market volatility, technology-enabled valuation models play an important role in carving out future stock predictions and aiding sound investment decisions.
Big Data Analytics Driving Value-Based Offerings- IB players are increasingly adopting big data models in evolving and providing advanced offerings in terms of building customer-centric asset portfolio valuation models, offering trading and investment support, risk advisory and M&A support. Meanwhile, big data is also leveraged to optimize internal processes such as automated customer support, salary optimization, attrition modelling, fraud analysis, credit/operational risks, etc.
Besides, the concept of algorithm trading seems to be gaining wide acceptance across major IB players in ensuring efficient execution of financial trades and robust investment decisions without human intervention.
Empowering revolution in the IB space, adoption of unique predictive models, sophisticated statistical techniques and ensuring privacy and integrating of data is crucial here. Specific set of challenges needs to be carefully catered to, in order to ensure that big data boosts competitiveness and support deeper market penetration.
Robo Advisory – The Next-Gen Frontier: Robo Advisory engages high-tech algorithms and provides secure, faster and self-service functionality via online investment management platforms. As per market experts, asset under management using Robo Advisory is expected to grow multifold in the post COVID era.
With minimal manual efforts, Robo Advisory allows automatic adjustments and rebalancing of the portfolio allocation based on algorithms and pre-defined investment rules. The investments are entirely automated and have self-learning algorithms, while the cost of running a robotic automation tool is far less than doing the same work manually.
Cash Less Transactions – The Immediate Future: With increased comfort and safety associated with online cash-less transactions amidst current health crisis, IBs are able to improve and augment existing products and services, in addition to developing new business models. While social distancing is becoming a new normal in the coronavirus era, financial advisors appear to be harnessing the fruits of tech transformation and heightened cashless transactions.
Undoubtedly, banking giants that are fast in adopting digital technologies have an edge over their peers. However, the biggest challenge for FinTech is data privacy, as transactions that go digital are highly prone to cyberattacks. Nevertheless, digital transition may see emergence of a digital-first model in the near term, ensuring radical shift in the value proposition offered to clients, with an ever-increasing emphasis on digital toolkits and electronic market access. All in all, it’s how firms refine their transformation objectives, evolve from the lessons learned from the pandemic and review their broader strategic agenda.
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Prime Minister (PM) Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting today to follow up on the implementation of customs clearance of goods at ports, as well as the procedures for activating the pre-shipment system.
The meeting was attended byLieutenant General Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir, Minister of Transport, Engineer Ahmed Samir, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Mohamed Abu Moussa, Assistant Governor of the Central Bank,Mr. Essam Omar, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Mr. Al-Shahat Ghatouri, Head of the Customs Authority, Ms. Mona Nasser, Assistant Minister of Finance, Ms. Amani Al-Wassel, Director of the Export Development Fund, Engineer Mohamed Fathi, Deputy Minister of Transport for Maritime Transport, Mr. Ahmed Al-Asqalani, Head of the Central Administration of Foreign Trade.
At the outset of the meeting, PM stressed the government's continuous follow-up on the customs clearance of goods at various Egyptian ports, which is part of the government's current agenda.
Moreover, he explained that the banking system provides the required foreign currency to clear various goods and commodities.
For his part, Mohamed Al-Homsi, PM's office official spokesperson , stated that the meeting indicated that the customs clearance of goods is going very well; without any complaints
The spokesperson added that the meeting reviewed the value of the registered and cleared goods at the customs ports.
It was also emphasized that the total value of the strategic goods and commodities cleared has increased due to the availability of foreign currency in recent weeks.

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A return service will depart Den Helder at 2. 30pm, arriving into Norwich at 2. 20 pm with one way fares starting at 79. 99. The route will act as a transport linkage for personnel employed in the offshore oil and gas, maritime and horticultural sectors which are located in both the East of England and the Netherlands. Loganair's chief operating officer Phil Preston said: "We're extremely happy to be once again extending our international network, launching a route which will be hugely attractive to those working in the oil and gas industries.
will also directly sustain 15 jobs in Norwich, employing locally based pilots, cabin crew and engineers. "With such specific and highly valued common industries among other business and trade links, along with those looking Nike Roshe Flyknit Nm Se to visit friends and family or enjoy breaks in the region's national parks, this new air service will help the continued development of both national and international businesses that require access to the regions, and adds to the already established three daily service to Manchester on weekdays, which will be celebra.
is or her life, he said in a news release. The Athletic Club will be sponsoring and promoting the National Physique Committee's 2014 Alabama State Championships, which will be held Aug. 23 at Gadsden City High School. The flights to Den Helder, which serves as the Netherlands offshore support hub, will operate on weekdays from March 4 2013. Passengers will be able to leave Norwich at 10. 20am arriving in Den Helder at 12. 10pm, local time.
further bolstering Loganair's offering from Norwich. "The new route, which will be operated by Loganair's wholly owned subsidiary, Suckling Airways, using their Norwich based 31 seat Dornier 328 fast turboprop aircraft. It Nike Flyknit Max Blue Lagoon
"The new link with Den Helder will be Nike Flyknit Racer Oreo 1.0
an extremely useful service for passengers spread across the UK. With tickets now on sale and the first flight taking off on March 4, the new route will no doubt be warmly welcomed by the many companies working out of the Dutch coastal city, while Nike Flyknit Air Max 2016 Mens
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John Legend posted this picture with his hoverboard PhunkeeDuck account Instagram.
John Legend / Instagram / Via instagram.com
weeks after saying it expected hoverboards be “hot holiday gift,” even “as hot as in the scooter Razor”, Walmart is the support from trendy gadgets, telling Buzzfeed News today he “probably would not” offer self-balancing Scooters this holiday season.
“This is definitely something we are looking at is definitely something we want to provide our customers, but we probably will not have it for the holiday season,” said Jaeme Laczkowski, a representative of Walmart .com. When asked if he has to deal with the patent battle over the device, she said: “I would not tie it to that. That is one reason, of course, but we look at all the factors. There are many factors that go into deciding how it. “
Holiday buzz building around hoverboards, again popular, not soaring devices that also go for” self-balancing scooter “and” hands-free Segways “. But with the continuing patent battle for the device, it looks like very few major retailers will carry them this holiday season sales. Currently, they are mostly available through independent sellers through Amazon and Shopify mall kiosks and even at the starting price of about $ 270 goes up to $ 2,000.
Toys R Us is one of the few major networks, which will carry a toy this holiday season online and potentially in some stores, telling Buzzfeed News this week that he will sell hoverboards “, which follow the original patent in our ongoing partnership with Mark Cuban companies. “The Cuban recently signed an agreement that will give him an exclusive license to a US patent on a” two-wheel self-balancing personal vehicle. “
Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, told Buzzfeed news last month that would sell hoverboard on its website in the United States time for the holiday season, which typically begins on November 1, and possibly even earlier, depending on negotiations with suppliers. At the time, he said he “bought deep at this point, because our buyers expect that this will be a hot holiday gift. “Subsequently, Cuba said the retailer” for a nightmare “if it imports the boards that are not manufactured company whose patent license he recently bought.
Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
Walmart is not alone in the transfer hoverboards: RadioShack said it will not carry them this season, while Best Buy, on October 21, was unable to say whether or not to sell the product
Target went back and forth on their plans electronically exchange with Buzzfeed news this week, before saying that it will sell the device on Cyber Monday, the next to “have a change of direction – the goal will not be offering a hoverboard in this holiday season, “A few hours later, the company has followed to say.” We are still working within the framework of plans and looking to carry them on the Internet. Just nothing concrete to share at this point “
Retail mess on hoverboards can be the result of problems with the supplier, patent issues, or even a lack of demand -. Be the devices will not be a great success for? the holiday season is expected to
However, the BBC quoted technology journalist this month in particular on hoverboards, saying: “There’s probably a long way to go before its peak – at the moment it’s mainly a lot hipsters riding around and bump into each other. The sweet spot when it is £ 200, and Toys R Us for Christmas. ”
This holiday season may be the sweet spot.
Link: Wal-Mart joins hoverboard fascination
Link: The War of Hoverboards
Link: Mark Cuban: Wal-Mart “in for a Nightmare” For hoverboard plans


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- Snapchat Shares Surge 44% in Market Debut
Snap Inc. (SNAP) opened for trade at $24 per share on Thursday, up 40% from its pricing of $17 per share. Since its core product, Snapchat, has already captured the millennial market, now the real opportunity is to lure in older Americans, particularly in a corporate context.
Tech executives like Jennifer Morgan, the president of software company SAP’s (SAP) North American division, are using Snapchat to communicate with her 20,000 employees. Morgan, 45, scrapped the all-hands meeting and replaced it with a pre-recorded two-minute video that she e-mailed employees. At the end of the video, she shares her Snapchat code and asks employees to continue the conversation or ask her any questions through the app.
“Traditionally, when you think about communication in the office, employees go to the leader. I’m trying to develop a way to speak with my employees in ways that work for them,” she told Yahoo Finance. “Though nothing can replace in-person events, I’ve discovered that people appreciate effective, efficient communication.”
After consulting with several employees and observing how her 15-year-old son uses the app, Morgan decided that replacing town hall meetings with Snapchat was both efficient and added a layer of personalization.
“I was amazed at how many people thanked me for not only giving them back the time but opening up communication on a platform like Snapchat,” she said. “I think the app is a way to easily communicate in a perfectly imperfect way with my employees.”
She highlights that business executives can come off scripted, almost too polished, and are inaccessible to employees.
“What I love about Snapchat is it’s very real, very authentic, and you can show scenes of your personal and professional lives. A lot of people make these assumptions about both male and female leaders with regard to the pace, glamour and travel of our lives,” she said. “It’s fun to show that, sure, some of those assumptions are true — but at the same time we are all human beings tugging at our time, dealing with the same travel hiccups everyone else experiences.”
Morgan is now one of Snapchat’s 158 million daily active users. Other business leaders may want to take note.
It’s common knowledge that Snapchat is wildly popular among teens. Users spend 25 to 30 minutes every single day sending and receiving these ephemeral photos.
But, for Gen Xers, baby boomers, and even the millennials who aren’t sold on the entertaining utility of the app, this could be a goldmine use case that Snapchat can — and should — tap into.
This decision fits into the larger push that SAP has been making to shake up the traditional way of internal communication.
This month, SAP will be eliminating the “formal, traditional and painful” annual employee reviews for all employees around the world and replacing them with more “frequent and informal conversations” between employees and managers, according to a company spokesperson.
Though Morgan is not part of the app’s core user demographic (70% of Snapchat’s US users are millennials), the app has gained traction with the older generations (parents (and grandparents) love Facebook, after all). And though the overwhelming friend adds came from her employees in their 20s and 30s, older employees have also created accounts to connect with Morgan.
“People who were already on the app added me right away. But others have been creating accounts — like me — now,” she said. “A lot of folks are increasingly curious about Snapchat, especially because they know their kids are on it.”
She said that she’s seeing a phenomenal return on her investment. Several hundred of her employees have added her and 5-20 people have been adding her every day.
“I don’t see it as work. It’s an easy, natural thing to do, and an everyday, on-the-go part of my job now,” she said. “My life blends. I work a lot so it becomes difficult to separate who I am at work and home — I’m pretty much the same person. When I signed up, I knew I had to be willing to put myself out there, for anyone to see.”
Zoom Hit a Record High Quarterly Revenue of $882.5 Million, Almost a 370% Increase YoY
Zoom’s revenues skyrocketed last year as global demand for online meeting solutions soared amid the COVID-19 lockdown. Although the popular video conferencing platform generated impressive revenue through its fiscal year 2021, the year’s final quarter set a new record.
According to data presented by Buy Shares, Zoom hit a record high quarterly revenue of $882.5 million in Q4 FY 2021, almost a 370% increase year-over-year.
Annual Revenue Soared by 700% in Two Years
Unlike many other sectors, the video conferencing platforms witnessed explosive growth amid the COVID-19 crisis, as millions of people started working from home. However, Zoom emerged as the most preferred platform for holding virtual meetings. As countries across the globe imposed lockdowns, family members also turned to Zoom as a way of keeping in touch with each other. Museums, theatres, and schools chose the platform to maintain normal operations.
With the ban on social gatherings, Zoom also became a cultural phenomenon through hosting parties, concerts, church services, and art shows. The surge in the number of users led to a 700% revenue growth in two years.
In the fiscal year 2019, Zoom generated $330.5 million in revenue, revealed the company’s earnings report. Over the next twelve months, this figure jumped by more than 88% to $626.6 million. The two-digit increase was driven by a strong Q4 FY 2020, matching the period between January and March 2020, when the pandemic already struck. Zoom’s quarterly revenue jumped by 78% YoY in this three-month period and hit $188 million.
The strong increasing trend continued in the following months, with revenue rising to $328.1 million in the second quarter of the calendar year 2020. Statistics show this figure more than doubled in the next three-month period and hit $663.5 million.
However, the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2021, matching the period between January and March 2021, delivered the highest quarterly revenue in Zoom`s history, causing annual revenues to rise above the expectations to $2.65bn.
Almost 70% of that value, or $1.83bn, was generated in the Americas as the largest Zoom market. Users from the EMEA region, as the second-largest market, generated $486 million in revenue. Asia followed with $332.8 million, respectively.
Market Cap Soared by 357% Year-Over-Year
While the Zoom stock price has increased steadily throughout 2020, a positive announcement regarding the efficiency of a COVID-19 vaccine in November last year resulted in the price falling by more than 30% by the end of the year.
Since then, the share price has been fluctuating and in recent months saw even more of a downturn, reaching $328.95 last week.
In December 2020, the combined value of Zoom shares stood at $115.5bn, revealed the MacroTrends data. Over the last four months, this figure dropped to $96.6bn, still a 357% increase year-over-year.
West Africa Launches New Payments Digitization Agenda
In Senegal, 8 out of 10 workers are paid in cash. Most are temporary workers and excluded from health insurance. A survey revealed that 77% of temporary workers would be willing to receive their wages digitally if this gave them access to health insurance. These are some of the major findings of the publication that the Senegalese government has launched today, with support from the Better Than Cash Alliance (United Nations), the World Bank and the National Agency of Statistics and Demography of Senegal. Combining digital payments with health insurance benefits offers an excellent opportunity for social inclusion, formalization, and financial innovation.
Digital payments stimulate domestic production and consumption. If 50% of temporary workers in Senegal received payments digitally, 45 billion CFA francs would be added to GDP per year (around $80 million USD). Paying workers digitally, speeds up the financial inclusion for the population, boosts business competitiveness and increases financial system liquidity. To tap into this potential, the SME Development Agency (ADEPME) plans to bolster its SME support fund with $20 million USD (around 11 billion CFA francs) from the World Bank. This will be used to strengthen SME digitization initiatives and support digital payment projects for workers.
High-level leadership speaks out in support of digital payments for workers
Senegalese President Macky Sall and H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who serves as UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), have launched an appeal to fellow leaders, the private sector and civil society, inviting them to: “use this report to ensure digital payments are at the center of a sustainable and fair economic recovery. We look forward to jointly providing leadership on this agenda to achieve an inclusive and digitally enabled recovery,” the two leaders added.
To set an example, the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, also decreed, in late 2020, the digitization of payments for workers in the administration of Burkina Faso. When the COVID crisis emerged, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) took decisions aimed at reducing the circulation of cash in the 8 countries. These actions have had tangible impacts which are beginning to change the lives of workers and companies.
Digitizing payments and advancing universal health care coverage
While receiving a salary is often linked to health care contributions, globally at least 61% of workers operate in the informal sector without adequate coverage, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). Indeed, in some countries, there is not always a legal obligation for employers to contribute to any kind of coverage for their informal/self-employed workers, which affects women more than men.
To meet this challenge of inclusion, the National Agency for Universal Health Coverage in Senegal has launched an ambitious digital payments platform. It has partnered with fintechs and private companies to link access to universal health coverage and digital payments – specifically targeting women. Flagship national enterprises such as the agricultural giant SODAGRI or SMEs such as QUALIOCEAN and Kossam SDE are setting an example by providing temporary workers with universal health coverage. More than 200,000 workers will now have access to quality, government-subsidized health care.
While 81% of national companies have fewer than 20 employees, on average hundreds or even thousands of temporary workers are employed in their supply chains. Employees are generally banked, but 93% of employees on temporary contracts are paid in cash. The latter are systematically excluded from the formal health system.
The successful transition towards digital payments
Three obstacles have limited the growth of payment digitization in Africa: the size of the informal sector, sometimes up to 90% of the economy; the historically low financial inclusion rate; and most importantly, 21% of African workers receive a wage keeping them below the poverty line.
This has all changed dramatically. Financial inclusion has surged since 2010 with the arrival of electronic money issuers and fintech.
The country’s largest employer, Compagnie Sucrière Sénégalaise, has successfully digitized payment for around 8,000 workers via a partnership with local fintech. “We wanted to digitize payments without using the banking system, which isn’t suited to some populations,” noted Claude Fizaine, the company’s Secretary General, in an interview with an African media outlet. “For employers, the benefits of digitizing payments include avoiding the constraints of managing large amounts of cash, and all the risks that distribution can involve. It also makes it possible to offer employees tools tailored to their financial and family situations, which can only have a positive impact on their personal and professional lives,” he added.
WAEMU’s innovations should continue to inspire the rest of Africa. Since 2012, it has been the continent’s engine for economic growth and stability. The examples of Senegal and its neighbours reinforce the ILO’s global agenda that could well make digital payments for workers a new global standard for promoting decent work.
Kwik Delivery Releases Prestashop Plugin; Becomes Most Integrated Delivery Platform With e-commerce Frameworks In Africa
The ‘oars’ are definitely not resting at Kwik Delivery at this time! Just weeks after the release of its plugins for Shopify and Magento, Kwik Delivery announces the release of its plugin for Prestashop. This new plugin is a milestone as Kwik Delivery is now fully integrated with the “Big Four” of e-commerce frameworks: Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify and now Prestashop.
Delivery plugins are a critical technology brick in the growth of African e-commerce by allowing thousands of merchants to offer reliable, secure and efficient last-mile delivery services to their customers. By installing the plugin, businesses no longer need to worry about on-time deliveries after-sales as Kwik handles it for them. Kwik delivers within 2 hours in Lagos and 1 hour in Abuja after pickup and will soon expand its service to new cities.
“These are key milestones for us in enabling the growth of e-commerce in Nigeria,” commented Romain POIROT-LELLIG, Founder & CEO of Kwik Delivery. “We are working to ease the logistics hassles faced by both businesses and their customers after-sales. Just providing the network to make this possible is not enough. The added value brought by Kwik Delivery starts from the fulfillment systems of merchants, all the way to the doorsteps of buyers.”
The Prestashop plugin is free and easy to install and use. The plugin allows buyers to get real-time shipping rates between merchants’ addresses and the buyers’ delivery addresses. Buyers can directly place orders to be delivered by Kwik Delivery at the checkout of Prestashop stores.
Since its launch in 2019, Kwik Delivery has introduced the concept of “just-in-time” last-mile deliveries in Nigeria and has pioneered an approach of deep integration with e-commerce frameworks that proves to be indispensable to the growth of Africa’s e-commerce, fostering trade across Africa. Kwik Delivery is the trading name of Africa Delivery Technologies SAS and the mobile app is available on iOS and Android.
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Watercoolers Italia is pleased to present the Acquafair Award, which will be awarded to companies in the sector participating in the 2019 edition of Acquafair.
There will be three awards:
- Best website, for the clearest and most impactful web solution – for functionality, design and communication clarity – ;
- Sustainability, for the product with the greatest attention to the environment, to the people health and to the energy saving;
- Best campaign for hydration, for the most effective communication aimed to the promotion of products or services for the filtration and purification of domestic and community water.
All exhibitors from the 2019 edition of the event can apply for the Acquafair Award.
Applications must be submitted by 26/02/2019.


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Huawei sub-brand Honor has opened pre-bookings for its flagship smartphone, Honor View20 in India. Interested users can visit the company’s official website to pre-book the device, Amazon will make its pre-booking page live on January 15.
The device will officially launch in India on January 29 at an event being held in New Delhi. This is the first smartphone from the company to be launched with a punch hole display and was earlier launched in China with the name Honor V20.
The company is offering all consumers who pre-order the device a complementary pair of Honor Sport BT earphones. To avail this offer, customers can head to Honor India’s official website and click on the pre-booking tab. On the page, they can then go ahead and press the pre-book icon and pay Rs 1,000 to secure their pre-booking.
After the payment is successful a pre-booking coupon will be added to your Honor account, which can be then used while purchasing the Honor View20 when it goes on sale.
The complementary pair of Bluetooth earphones will be sent to all consumers who pre-book the device along with it. Consumers pre-booking the device from Amazon will also be eligible to get a free pair of Honor Sport BT earphones.
Honor View20 was originally launched in China in three RAM/internal storage variants.
The 6GB RAM/128GB internal storage variant is priced at 2,999 Yuan (approximately Rs 30,000), the 8GB RAM/128GB internal storage is priced at CNY 3,499 Yuan (approximately Rs 35,000). Lastly, its Moschino Edition with 8GB RAM/256GB internal storage is priced at 3,999 Yuan (approximately Rs 40,000).
Honor View20 sports a 6.4-inch full HD+ display with a resolution of 2310×1080 pixels. It is powered by the company’s own HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor paired with ARM Mali-G76 GPU. It comes with 6GB/8GB RAM along with 128GB/256GB of internal storage.
The device runs Google’s Android 9.0 Pie operating system with the company’s own Magic UI 2.0 skin on top. All of this is backed by a 4,000mAh non-removable battery.
The device comes with a dual camera sensor on the back consisting of a 48MP primary Sony IMX586 primary sensor paired with a 3D Time of Flight secondary sensor. On the front, it features a 25MP sensor for taking selfies.


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National Aluminium Company (Nalco) said that its board will meet on 12 October 2018 to consider the proposal for buyback of the fully paid-up equity shares of the company.
Tata Motors Group global wholesales in September 2018, including Jaguar Land Rover, were at 1,23,577 units, higher by 6%, as compared to September 2017. Global wholesales of all Tata Motors' commercial vehicles and Tata Daewoo range in September 2018 were at 52,018 units, higher by 25%, over September 2017. Global wholesales of all passenger vehicles in September 2018 were at 71,559 units, lower by 4%, compared to September 2017. Global wholesales for Jaguar Land Rover were 52,987 vehicles (*JLR number for September 2018 includes CJLR volumes of 4,853 units). Jaguar wholesales for the month were 18,876 vehicles, while Land Rover wholesales for the month were 34,111 vehicles. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 9 October 2018.
Usha Martin will be watched. With reference to the news item titled, "Usha Martin union raises concern over irregular payment of salaries at Ranchi plant," the company clarified that there have been occasional delays in payment of salaries at Ranchi Plant due to difficult financial conditions of the company. In spite of this, the company has always tried to see that the delays do not accumulate and affect the employees adversely. The union quoted in the news item is not a recognized trade union of the company and does not represent the voice of the employees of the company at Ranchi Plant.
The company added that at present, there are no material events and/or material information as per company's policy which is not in the public domain, which could have a bearing on the operation / performance of the company. Therefore, the company is not required to make any announcement, Usha Martin said. The clarification was issued after market hours yesterday, 9 October 2018.
Graphite India said it has decided to halt operations in its Bengaluru graphite electrode plant by halting the furnaces in a sequential manner by October end, during the ongoing revamp work for the replacement of roof sheets. The revamping work will be completed by November end. The company said that it will make up for the production loss and expects total production level to remain unchanged from other production facilities. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 9 October 2018.
Bharat Forge will be watched. BF-NTPC Energy Systems (BF-NTPC) is a 51:49 joint venture (JV) company between Bharat Forge and NTPC (jv partners), incorporated in June 2008 for business of manufacturing, buying & selling equipment relating to power sector. Since its incorporation BF-NTPC has not commenced any business activity, both JV partners have decided to close down BF-NTPC. Accordingly, BF-NTPC has initiated a voluntary liquidation process under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 read with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Voluntary Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2017 by passing special resolution in its extra-ordinary general meeting held on 9 October 2018. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 9 October 2018.
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
Digital agency Kontra has released its second eBook in English. This time the topic is Advanced Facebook Advertising, as Kontra explains options that many advertisers don’t use despite their usefulness.
“The first eBook in English was downloaded by over 1,000 interested marketers. In that eBook, we explained the basics of Facebook advertising, and as we announced, we have decided to address advanced options in the new eBook,” said Ilija Brajković, partner at Kontra agency.
Facebook reports quarterly ad revenue of over $10 billion, with nearly 50% annual growth. Together with Google, it commands over 60% of the budget invested in online marketing, or 25% of all marketing budgets globally.
“We noticed that many advertisers use only the most basic advertising options, and we wanted to show everyone that there are a whole lot of other options, like monitoring conversions and retargeting. We hope this eBook will help all advertisers achieve better results with their advertising,” said Antonio Krizmanić, traffic manager at Kontra who prepared this eBook.
Along with eBooks, over the last year Kontra has published almost 100 blog posts, and are announcing new eBooks in the coming months.
The eBook can be downloaded free of charge in pdf format on this link.


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Updated business plan gives HotWokDelivery promising direction.
A requirement of Senior Lecturer Frank Beil's Business Feasibility and Planning course at the Carlson School is to have groups of students craft and present a business plan. For one group this past spring, its plan was more than just a class exercise; it was designed for an already existing, nearly two-year old business.
The plan was for HotWokDelivery, a business founded by student Vuthy Taing in November of 2010. "I have cut my teeth in several different restaurants working as a host, waiter, and manager," he says. "From this experience and analyzing the marketplace I discovered that there are no franchisors of Asian delivery food." Seeing a niche, Taing recruited two of his friends to launch their first restaurant in Coon Rapids. The outlet generated $600,000 in revenue in its first year and expanded to another location in Buffalo. Where to go from here provided the impetus for generating the business plan.
"The idea was very stimulating and it was something that I haven't primarily seen before. Therefore, I wanted to join Vuthy's group and take this business plan to the next step," says fellow classmate Rahul Patel.
Seth Saeugling also was eager to join the group. "I was very interested because this was an already operating, existing business," he says. "The process of franchising and expanding was very new and very exciting to me."
Bringing Tyler Ueland on board completed the group. "After learning about what type of business this was to become, I was surprised throughout that it hadn't been done already," he says. "I was also surprised how quickly I developed a taste for Chinese food."
As a group, the four began work on their business plan. "We held many meetings that seemed only to decide what we would do during our next meeting. However, looking back, those were the meetings where the ideas of what the business was stewed in my mind," Ueland says. "When it finally came down to writing out the business plan, it did not feel like creating a new business on a sheet of paper as much as just finally writing down what we've been cooking the entire time."
Taing says the team began by sitting down with John Stavig, the director of the Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship at the Carlson School, to tap into his business experience and expertise. They also interviewed individuals from Solo's Pizza and Davanni's to get insight on their business.
"In addition, we researched existing delivery restaurants such as Jimmy John's and Domino's Pizza to make sure HotWokDelivery projections were in line with the industry," Taing says. "We incorporated the research and the insight from local business leaders and what we learned in Frank's class to craft our own business plan."
This plan is a further development of Taing's existing business concept. "Basically his two existing locations serve great food in a great atmosphere but are in a crappy location," Saeugling says. "Our final plan tweaks what has worked and hasn't worked with HotWok in the past to find an even stronger concept for the business' third location."
Ueland says the group wanted to take the concept Taing started in the suburbs and make it something that would be successful in a city or college campus setting. Thus, the goal is to build the third location at the U. This will be followed by more units elsewhere in 2013 and 2014. "We plan on pursuing a fast-growth strategy by franchising the HotWokDelivery concept in 2015," Taing says.
Besides coming up with a feasible business plan, Taing says this class gave him much more. "You were able to build relationships with others that you would never have fostered on your own," he says. "This class has connected with local entrepreneurs and I've made lifelong friends with my fellow classmates."


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Get a new smartphone and you’re probably going to get a case. I got one because my bare phone was slippery. I had no particular brand loyalty. So, if you’re not loyal to a previous brand, there are lots of choices. If drop protection is vital, then this Cnet video article “We broke $9,000 worth of phones to find the toughest iPhone X case” may be of interest.
We challenged 12 case makers to a live drop test at CES and dropped their cases from 20 feet. These were the last ones standing.
We invited the top case makers in the market to participate in a live drop test at CES to find out which one could survive the highest drop.
And 12 of them took us up on the offer: Caseology, Rokform, Thanotech, BodyGuardz, Tech21, Pelican, PureGear, Zizo, Spigen, RhinoShield, Supcase and OWC showed up at the CNET live stage at the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES 2018. Each brought their own brand-new iPhone Xs (still in the box) and their toughest case so we could drop them onto concrete slabs. Things escalated pretty quickly after that.


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Microsoft has begun warning consumers about the possibility of Kinect hardware shortages when the Xbox 360 motion controller comes out next month. This news from Microsoft comes just days after Amazon UK and several Game websites stopped taking pre-orders due to high demand, though console bundles seem to still be avaliable.
Last month, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg predicted that Kinect would sell more than three million units before the end of 2010, this news looks likely to back up that claim. Microsoft stated that additional units will go to stores for those who have not pre-ordered on a first come first serve limited basis.
In the meantime Sony seems to have had lower than expected sales of their motion controller for the Playstation 3, the Playstation Move. In the United States, estimated sales have been tallied to about around 300,000 units. Across the globe sales of Sony's Move controller have exceeded expectations in Europe, with over 1.5 million units now sold since it launched late last month. More titles supporting the Move hardware will be released over the coming weeks including SingStar Dance and The Shoot.
Kinect launches in North America on November 4 and then in Europe on November 10, while Playstation Move is currently out now.


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Here’s the bad news: Canadian BlackBerry maker Research in Motion was hit Friday with a $147 million jury verdict in a patent dispute.
The good news: RIM, whose U.S. base is in Irving, has options, according to an outside expert not affiliated with the case.
“Large companies can usually pay (big) verdicts like this,” said Greg Carr, managing partner at Carr LLP, an intellectual property-focused law firm in North Texas. “So RIM will have to decide whether to pay the verdict, appeal the verdict (if they have a good reason for an appeal), or pay a reduced amount in return for not following through with an appeal.”
If RIM has good reason to appeal the verdict, the company could try to have the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals throw it out and grant a new trial, or even render a new decision, Carr said.
But because winning an appeal is generally an uncertain prospect, RIM might instead negotiate with the plaintiff in the case, New Jersey’s Mformation, for a reduced payment to settle the matter, Carr said.
Mformation could decide to accept that in return for RIM also agreeing not to pursue an appeal, he added. “By such a settlement, Mformation would avoid the risk of having its verdict overturned.”
In a statement Saturday, RIM said that it is “evaluating all legal options,” and that the trial judge in the case “has yet to decide certain legal issues that might impact the verdict. RIM will await those rulings before deciding whether to appeal.”


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What’s been happening in the world of digital publishing over the last week? Here’s your weekly round-up of news, announcements, product launches, and more.
Almost seven in ten people worry they are being lied to by journalists according to latest Edelman trust survey
A majority of people around the world are concerned that they are being lied to by journalists, according to the latest trust survey from PR firm Edelman.
Two-thirds (67%) of people globally said that they believe that journalists and reporters purposely try to mislead people by saying things they know are false or grossly exaggerated – an increase of eight percentage points on the company’s last report published in 2021. Read more
Stay up to date on the latest news, trends, and best practices in digital publishing.
Why it matters: As the report explains, “This vicious cycle of distrust threatens societal stability,” they said. “It’s a death grip where media is chasing clicks and government is chasing votes, both feeding a cycle of disinformation and division and exploiting it for commercial and political gain.”
Axios Pro Deal Newsletters Launch, Starting at $599 Annually
The smart brevity publisher Axios launched its first paid subscription product Wednesday morning, a series of three newsletters covering investment and acquisition news in the financial tech, health tech and retail industries.
Called Axios Pro, the newsletters cost $599 per year individually or $2,499 for All Access, which includes the three existing newsletters—as well as two more that the publisher aims to release this spring, covering media and climate tech. For a limited time, until the media and climate tech newsletters debut, the publisher is offering All Access for a promotional price of $1,799. The newsletters will publish daily during the week, and a subscription also provides the reader access to exclusive Axios Pro events and other pending perks. Read more
Why it matters: As the author explains: “The debut of Axios Pro marks the first major foray by the publisher into the world of consumer subscriptions, as it has generated its revenue almost exclusively from a mix of advertising and sponsorships until now. The eye-popping price tag, which does not offer a monthly payment option, is an educated bet from the publisher that it can offer professional readers insider financial reporting valuable enough to justify the cost.”
Instagram launches early test of creator subscriptions in the US
Instagram is giving creators more ways to make money with the launch of Instagram Subscriptions. The feature, which was spotted hitting the App Store back in November, is now officially in early testing with a small group of U.S. creators who will be able to offer their followers paid access to exclusive Instagram Live videos and Stories. Subscribers will also receive a special badge that will help them to stand out in the comments section and creators’ inboxes. Read more
Why it matters: As the author points out, “Of course, Instagram isn’t just trying to help creators make a living. It’s also trying to shore up its platform against the threat of competition, namely from TikTok, which has attracted a growing number of creators looking to reach a younger, Gen Z following…The activity in this space is a reflection of the size of the market. The creator economy is estimated to be a little over $100 billion dollars, and growing.”
TikTok is thinking about letting its creators charge subscription fees
TikTok confirmed Thursday that it is testing support for paid subscriptions, paving the way for creators on the short form video platform to charge for their content. First reported by The Information, the company didn’t share details about when it might roll out to creators, how many creators are currently testing it, or what the pay structure might look like. Read more
Why it matters: As the author points out, “TikTok’s test of paid subscribers follows Instagram’s announcement that it, too, is launching a test of paid subscriptions with a small number of creators and influencers. Subscribers will pay a monthly fee to access exclusive content from creators they follow, including Stories and Live videos.”
How newsrooms are experimenting with Twitter Spaces
Twitter Spaces, initially described as “ephemeral” audio-only chats, are taking on a more permanent role. The social platform has added the ability for hosts to record the live sessions, introduced ticketing for those who want to monetize their Spaces, and devoted prime real estate in the app to the feature. They’re also actively encouraging newsrooms and journalists to take on the role of host.
Recent newsroom-hosted Spaces include NPR’s Steve Inskeep talking about his abbreviated interview with Trump, the Miami Herald going behind the scenes of their months-long investigation into the Surfside condo collapse, and reporters at The Washington Post jumping on to respond to the news Microsoft was acquiring the gamemaker Activision. Read more
Why it matters: Matt Adams, engagement editor at NPR, is quoted in the article, summarizing the importance of Twitter Space: ““We’re starting to wonder, ‘Okay, can this work as a social audio conversation? How can we get more voices on this whether from the audience or our sources?’” he added. “I’d say that it’s becoming part of our strategy just like we produce pieces for on-air.””
How BBC News topped 20m Instagram followers – and why it has stayed away from TikTok
BBC News crossed 20m followers on Instagram in December – the first news account in the world to do so.
The closest news account on the platform is CNN with 16.3m followers. The next biggest UK-based newsbrand is The Guardian on 4.9m. Read more
Why it matters: As the article explains, “Although all major newsbrands saw their Instagram accounts grow as the Covid-19 pandemic led to a demand for trusted news sources, BBC News has done particularly well out of it. BBC News head of social Jeremy Skeet told Press Gazette there is a simple formula of four things that have helped the account grow: “laser-like focus” on the audience; regular posting; creating more explainers especially in relation to Covid-19; and using text on images.”
Exclusive: The Arena Group to acquire Parade
The Arena Group, a digital publishing company formerly called Maven, plans to acquire AMG/Parade, the parent company to the storied American magazine Parade, in a $16 million cash and stock deal. AMG acquired Parade from Advance Publications in 2014. It has been widely-distributed via local newspapers for decades. Despite the fall of print, Parade is still distributed to millions of households weekly via newspapers like The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Baltimore Sun, Boston Globe and others. Read more
Why it matters: As Sara Fischer explains, “AMG/Parade will anchor The Arena Group’s new push into lifestyle content and will boost its sports vertical, per Ross Levinsohn, CEO of The Arena Group.”
A startup that rates the reliability of news sources says it’s making a profit
NewsGuard, a four-year-old startup that scans the web and rates the reliability of news sources, says its own business is reliable enough to turn a profit.
The company more than doubled its revenue in 2021 versus the year before, thanks to licensing deals with advertisers and other firms that use its ratings.
NewsGuard is now expanding into new areas, such as rating individual television shows, and new markets, including Canada, co-CEOs Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz said in a joint interview. Read more
Why it matters: As the article points out: “The biggest conceivable opportunity for the company is in Silicon Valley. To date, giants like Facebook (FB) and Twitter have not incorporated NewsGuard’s ratings into their systems. But one big tech player, Microsoft (MSFT), has licensed the ratings for users of its Edge browser.”


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President Joe Biden has declined to issue a last-minute, emergency action to keep the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 on store shelves in the United States.
Driving the news: The decision was made after a ruling by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) that found that these Apple Watch models violated a pulse oximeter patent held by medical device maker, Masimo.
- As a result, Apple has taken the offending Watch models off its online store, and Apple Store locations don’t have the latest top-of-the-line watches in stock.
- The ban affects the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, as well as all models of the Apple Watch Ultra. The cheaper Apple Watch SE, which was not part of the ruling, remains on sale.
- Although other retailers like Amazon and Best Buy continue to sell their remaining stock of Apple Watches, the ITC ruling prevents Apple from importing more smartwatches to the United States.
What we’re watching: Apple disagrees with the ruling and is exploring legal and technical options to make the Apple Watch available to customers again.
- The company may need to make software tweaks to address the patent violation, but there is no guarantee that the ITC will accept Apple’s potential solution.


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Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced the theme for the CLIA Cruise Conference…
The post CLIA announces theme of 2018 conference appeared first on Travel Daily Media.
CLIA announces theme of 2018 conference
River Cruise Excellence Awards winners announced
APT celebrates 90th Birthday and Plan a Cruise Month


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At BlizzCon 2019, along with Overwatch 2 and other games, Diablo 4 was announced – the new part of the legendary series from Blizzard, which is due to be released on Battle.net, PC and consoles. The developers promised to return to the roots, add gloom and hardcore, taking into account the criticism of the cartoonishness of the previous part of the game. Three years have passed since then, and no new details about the project have emerged. Unless five classes of characters were announced: Barbarian, Enchantress, Druid, Rogue and Necromancer. Meanwhile, in August of this year, the schedule of releases and announcements of Activision Blizzard leaked to the network. From it it became known that pre-orders for Diablo 4 will start on December 8, and now the date of the release itself has appeared.
During the XboxEra podcast, Windows Central editor Jez Corden, citing his own verified sources, revealed that Diablo 4 will be released in April 2023, but Blizzard has not yet confirmed the exact date. He also confirmed that pre-orders will begin next month. These will include various digital editions and a premium collector’s edition on disc with bonuses for fans. According to sources, Blizzard is planning a massive marketing campaign for Diablo 4 that will kick off with The Game Awards 2022 event, where a trailer for the game will be revealed. Jez Corden also revealed that Diablo 4’s open beta will begin in February 2023.
Microsoft is currently in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. The company has previously said it aims to close the deal by summer 2023, so there is a possibility that Diablo 4 could be on Xbox Game Pass in time for the first season to launch towards the end of the summer. Yes, Diablo 4 will follow a seasonal pattern with updates to match.


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The movie pirate lived next door to the subscriber, and was able to access his neighbor's Wi-Fi wireless network to send the movie out over his neighbor's AT&T Broadband high-speed Internet service, according to AT&T Broadband spokeswoman Sara Eder.
The actual pirate was ultimately caught, and the AT&T Broadband customer got a break.
"All we could do was ask the neighbor to encrypt his Wi-Fi network," said Eder, who added that they tracked down the problem after getting a complaint from an agency representing the movie's producers.
The incident has sparked an "educational effort" by the company, which is asking customers with Wi-Fi networks to turn on the encryption that comes standard with most of these devices, but is usually not activated when shipped by manufacturers.
The case is another example of how insecure mostnetworks are and comes at a time when DSL (digital subscriber line) providers are beginning to on users who share their bandwidth via Wi-Fi. Broadband providers say Wi-Fi networks are an easy, anonymous way to shuttle pirated content onto the Web.
Time Warner Cable recently sent letters out to a dozen or so Wi-Fi subscribers who are sharing their bandwidth over a wireless network. The letters point out that sharing bandwidth opens subscribers up to legal risks if others use it for untoward purposes. The company has yet to shut down any customers, a spokeswoman said.
Tim Pozar, of the Bay Area Wireless Users Group, still ruffles at Time Warner Cable's claims that somehow a Wi-Fi user could be found liable for unauthorized use of a broadband network. The latest case of the pirated movie is a sign that the DSL providers threats are toothless, he said.
"It's like someone tapping your line, then using (you) for a drug drop," he said.
Pozar said the movie case is the first he's heard of involving pirated material being shuttled over a Wi-Fi network. The most egregious use until now was spamming, he said.
While Wi-Fi makes it possible to roam a 300-foot area and connect to the Internet or another device without wires, hackers continue to show that the networks are porous. The latest slam came from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which reviews new technology for government agencies.
NIST called current Wi-Fi networks "an unacceptable risk" for government agencies because they don't meet government security needs. NIST recommends the agencies "simply wait" for more mature security standards to come out before adding 802.11b networks into their work places or operations.
New security standards aren't expected to be ratified until later this year, which would put more secure products on the market sometime next year.
While the warnings to activate the encryption are helpful to consumers, businesses generally do not need them. Often they are already familiar with security holes in WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy), the standard security measures on every piece of Wi-Fi equipment, said Tom Hussey, wireless Internet product manager for Nortel Networks.
"Fortune 500 types are well aware of the inefficiencies," and they add more security measures on their own, he said.


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NASA to introduce its own no-cost, ad-free streaming service soon
NASA is all set to launch NASA+, its own streaming platform later this year. It will feature live broadcasts and original video series. Notably, NASA+ will not show ads and will require no subscription. It will be accessible for free through the agency's iOS and Android apps, desktop and mobile browsers, and media players such as Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV.


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eBay was first to exploit terminal dues to create special postal rates for Chinese companies selling into the US and Europe known as ePacket, and now President Trump may upend the system on which those rates depend.
The New York Times reported today that President Trump plans to withdraw from the UPU (Universal Postal Union) treaty. The UPU manages the basis by which a letter from one country is delivered to another.
In its first paragraph, the Times paints the treaty simply as something that undercuts American competitors and floods the market with cheap consumer goods, but that’s a byproduct of the glacial pace at which the 192-member organization moved as China became a global ecommerce force. The organization oversees complex movement of not only letters, but dangerous goods, dealing with currency and language issues to keep the mail moving and countries’ postal systems compensated.
The Times said it expected the US State Department to inform UPU officials of its intention to pull out of the system and “self-declare” new, higher rates on China. “According to the union’s rules, members will have a year to renegotiate new terms before the withdrawal becomes permanent.”
eBay has aggressively pushed overseas sellers to use its marketplace to reach US consumers, and it may have a lot to lose from a possible treaty withdrawal. If China retaliates, it could spell bad news for companies exporting to that country. The biggest winners could be shipping carriers such as UPS.
As for domestic eBay sellers, they are counting on benefiting in a big way if the playing field is leveled. However, there are a lot of moving parts to international mail delivery, and the US could find itself playing a game of “Jenga” in which it tries to, in effect, pull out a single block without crashing the entire stack.
Update 10/17/18: The following is the official statement from the White House today:
“President Donald J. Trump received a report from the Department of State pursuant to the August 23, 2018, Presidential Memorandum on “Modernizing the Monetary Reimbursement Model for the Delivery of Goods Through the International Postal System and Enhancing the Security and Safety of International Mail.” The report noted that sufficient progress has not been made on reforming terms of the Acts of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in line with the policies of the United States outlined in the Memorandum. The report also recommended steps the United States can take to address the problems identified in the Memorandum.
“The President concurs with the Department of State’s recommendation to adopt self-declared rates for terminal dues as soon as practical, and no later than January 1, 2020. The Department of State will also file notice that the United States will withdraw from the UPU. This will begin a one-year withdrawal process, as set forth in the UPU Constitution. During this period, the Department of State will seek to negotiate bilateral and multilateral agreements that resolve the problems discussed in the Presidential Memorandum. If negotiations are successful, the Administration is prepared to rescind the notice of withdrawal and remain in the UPU.”
Update 10/17/18: The following is the UPU statement on the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the Universal Postal Union treaties:
“The United States of America has informed the Universal Postal Union (UPU) of its decision to withdraw from the treaties of the UPU. In a letter received on 17 October, the USA will withdraw membership to the Union a year from now.
“UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein regrets the decision and will seek to meet representatives of the Government of the United States of America to further discuss the matter.
““The UPU remains committed to attainment of the noble aims of international collaboration by working with all its 192 member countries to ensure that the treaty best serves everyone”, he said.”


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We’re expecting big things from smartphones this year, and there are plenty of new models to get excited about.
Carl Pei’s start-up Nothing has finally launched its first handset, the Phone (1), which is on sale now, and up against mid-range rival the Pixel 6a. Meanwhile the OnePlus 10T will launch in early August, followed just a week later by Samsung’s next-gen foldables. Before long we’ll be back around in time for the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7, not to mention software upgrades like Android 13 and iOS 16.
From the first half of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S22, OnePlus 10 Pro, Oppo Find X5, and Xiaomi 12 series are all already on sale, and there’s even a new phone from Apple in the iPhone SE. That’s not even mentioning the new slate of foldables from Huawei, Honor, and Oppo, though those haven’t actually hit UK stores so far.
Read on to ensure your next smartphone purchase is not immediately followed by regret, tying you into an unnecessarily lengthy contract. (Remember that there is a chance you couldupgrade your contract early.)
Pro tip: As these new phones edge closer, the outgoing models will fall in price and you’ll be able to scoop up some great deals. If you’re not bothered about having the very latest tech, check out our take on the best phones you can buy today.
Best new phones coming out in 2022 and 2023
Asus Zenfone 9 – 28 July
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Asus announced the Zenfone 9 on28 July, and the launch is rolling out now.
This is another compact Android flagship phone, with a dinky little 5.9in display – though still packing 120Hz AMOLED tech. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip is no slouch either, and with RAM going up to 16GB this is a portable powerhouse. A big battery and gimbal-stabilised camera round out the set.
Here’s one we didn’t expect: HTC is returning to the smartphone market with the Desire 22 Pro, a mid-range handset designed for use with HTC’s Vive VR headsets. And yes, it is coming to the UK, with pre-orders open now and sales officially starting from 1 August.
The Desire 22 Pro is a mid-range phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G processor, 8GB RAM, and 128GB expandable storage.
But perhaps the best reason to get the Desire 22 Pro is how it cleverly can mirror its screen to the Vive Flow headset. The company uses Miracast to wirelessly show your phone screen on the headset, with HDCP 2.2 so it can also stream DRM-protected content from Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming services.
Motorola has confirmed that it’s working on an updated Razr foldable, which it will reveal in China on 2 August – though we don’t yet know if, or when, it will reach the UK.
This will be the third foldable Razr (the original was followed by a 5G version) and we’re hoping to see a streamlined design and upgraded specs that make it a true flagship competitor to Samsung’s offering.
OnePlus is working on another flagship for this year, and the company has now confirmed that the 10T will launch on 3 August.
There had been come debate about whether this was the long lost OnePlus 10 or a brand-new OnePlus 10 Ultra, but the company has now confirmed the 10T name, along with teasing the phone to press (including Tech Advisor) with packages of, well, tea. Both black and green tea, which probably tells you something about the phone’s colours too.
OnePlus hasn’t confirmed much about the phone’s actual specs beyond the fact that it will use the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, but leaker renders like the one above suggest a similar design to the 10 Pro. We’re also expecting to see 150W charging – an upgrade from the Pro – though the camera and display will likely be slightly reduced in spec.
Nubia unveiled the Red Magic 7S and 7S Pro gaming phones in China earlier this year, before giving the Pro model a global release in late July. Pre-orders will start on 2 August, before going on sale officially from 9 August.
It’s very similar to the existing Red Magic 7 Pro, with a focus on the upgrade to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, which should deliver improved performance and better battery life.
Otherwise you can expect the usual blend of high refresh rate display, top specs, fast charging, and middling cameras – though be warned, as the strange spec balance means the Pro model isn’t a clear-cut upgrade, and some users may actually prefer the cheaper regular 7 from earlier in the year.
The Z Flip 4 is almost certain to bring with it the larger Z Fold 4, also likely to launch on 10 August.
We don’t know for sure what to expect, but improvements to the under-display camera are almost certain – and rumour has it that the same camera may also appear on the phone’s outer display this time around.
Tweaks to the hinge and water-proofing have also been predicted, along with the usual spec and camera boosts.
The iPhone 14 may still be a while away, but we have our first leaks of what to expect from the next Apple flagship, which is likely to launch in September.
Renders based on leaks sourced by Jon Prosser reveal the alleged end of the controversial notch for the Pro models at least – supposedly replaced by a punch-hole camera, with the rest of the Face ID tech hidden under the display itself.
Round volume buttons return, while the camera lenses are now flush against the body – achieved in part by making the phone itself thicker.
Samsung has already released a Galaxy A23 in India, but it’s only 4G – and leakers say it’s working on a 5G model to get a wider release.
The phone’s design looks similar to this year’s other A-series handsets, and will apparently feature a rear quad camera and teardrop notch on the front. It’s even tipped to be powered by a MediaTek processor – so not one of Samsung’s own Exynos chips.
The next OnePlus mid-ranger is tipped to include an upgraded 150W charging spec – capable of a full charge in just 15 minutes – alongside a new Dimensity 8100 chipset and a larger, 6.7in 120Hz display.
The camera spec isn’t expected to change as much though, with the same 50Mp IMX766 main camera as the Nord 2, joined by an 8Mp ultrawide and 2Mp macro.
The X50 is the rumoured name for the next Nokia flagship, which we’re expecting to see some time this spring or summer.
Solid specs are thin on the ground, but point to a device at the lower end of the flagship range, with a Snapdragon 7-series chipset – though some think a Pro model with an 8-series chip may also be coming.
Honor has already launched the 70 series in China, but for now an international launch is “TBD”.
There are three phones in the series, all of which use the brand-new Sony IMX800 camera sensor. The exact specs vary between them, but all three phones feature big, curved OLED screens, fast charging, and powerful triple rear cameras.
October is Pixel season, so that’s when we’re expecting Google to unveil the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro – though the company has already teased the design, which you can see here.
After last year’s design overhaul there’s nothing quite so radical this time around, but patent applications suggest this could be the year we see the company adopt an under-display selfie camera, along with the second-generation of its Tensor chip.
This is a bit of a wild card – but leaked internal documents and bits of code suggest that Google may be working on a Pixel-branded foldable device. We thought it might launch in late 2021, but it now looks more likely to appear in October 2022 along with the Pixel 7 – though be warned that some other leakers think it’s been delayed to 2023.
Beyond the device’s existence there haven’t been many leaks with details of what sort of foldable device it will be, or what specs it will have, but we know a lot of people will be curious about a Google-branded folding phone with that Pixel camera.
Now that Huawei has released the P50 Pro worldwide, fans have started anticipating the Mate 50.
While these would normally have launched in autumn 2021, we’re now expecting to see Mate 50 phones some time in 2022. Expect a Chinese launch first, with Europe and the rest of Asia to follow a few months later – maybe.
Not much is known about the specs, but expect a 4G Snapdragon chipset, with top-tier display and camera chops to make up for slower signal speeds.
Rumour has it that OnePlus is working on its debut foldable phone, and we may see it arrive some time this year.
The phone is apparently based closely on the Oppo Find N – the two companies now share R&D, so that’s no real surprise – which means we can expect something like a 7.1in folding display, Snapdragon 888 chip, and triple rear camera including an ultrawide and telephoto.
The Solana Saga is the phone once known as the Osom OV1. It had been intended to launch as the debut phone from new start-up Osom, but re-branded after a partnership with blockchain company Solana to serve as a web3 handset.
Specs are high-end, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, 6.67in OLED screen, 12GB RAM, and 512GB storage. Plus it has an additional ‘secure element’ to help keep financial information safe and secure during crypto transactions and when minting NFTs.
Samsung is almost certainly hard at work on the Galaxy S23 series, with three phones likely to launch in spring 2023.
Rumours point towards the debut of a 200Mp camera sensor – likely in the S23 Ultra – along with larger batteries across the board.
Of course the chipsets are likely to improve too, but there’s plenty of debate about whether Samsung will continue to use a mix of Snapdragon chips and its own Exynos hardware, or shift entirely to the Qualcomm silicon.
The Find X line is Oppo’s flagship series, and the Find X6 phones are expected to arrive some time in early 2023.
It’s too early for any real leaks on the flagship X6 Pro’s specs, but expect an upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, tweaked Hasselblad cameras, and likely a redesign after two years of using a similar form factor.
The Pro will likely be joined by a streamlined Find X6 and a cheaper X6 Lite.
The Galaxy A53 sits at the heart of Samsung’s mid-range line-up – it’s basically the company’s core rival to the iPhone SE – so we’re confident we’ll see an A54 follow it up next year.
Specs so far are thin on the ground, but the render above is one of several imaging the improvements Samsung could be working on, borrowing spec and design elements of its flagships to trickle down to its more affordable hardware.
A folding iPhone has been rumoured ever since the first foldable display tech existed pretty much, but thanks to leaks and rumours we have pretty good reason to believe Apple is at least working on a foldable iPhone – even if it’s probably years away.
Apple is rarely the first to market with new tech, though given that Samsung has already released several iterations of its folding tech there’s a risk Apple will look backwards if it doesn’t follow suit until 2023 – though if it can perfect the tech in that time it may well be worth the wait.
Tech Advisor's Deputy Editor, Dom covers everything that runs on electricity, from phones and laptops to wearables, audio, gaming, smart home, and streaming - plus he's a regular fixture on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.


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Australian slots manufacturer Ainsworth Game Technology (Ainsworth) has announced that it has secured a 100% binding agreement to acquire US Class II slot manufacturer Nova Technologies.
Set at a debt free basis, Ainsworth governance detailed that the deal was estimated at $38 million (£24 million). Clearing deal provisions and regulatory approvals Ainsworth governance will hope to conclude the deal by Q1 2016.
The acquisition sees Ainsworth enter the US Class II games production market. Class II manufacturing provisions are more commonly referred to as bingo/keno games as well as system development.
At Present Nova Technologies has over 30 Class II games titles placed across more than 1300 units in the US. The acquisition sees Ainsworth further its presence in the US market, which will expand to 2600 units once the deal is completed.
Danny Gladstone, CEO 0f Ainsworth, commented on the acquisition
“The transaction allows us to enter Class II gaming in an immediate and significant manner. This deal represents a complementary extension of available product to the direct benefit of Ainsworth’s current customer base across the Americas,”
This acquisition is earnings accretive from day one. For these reasons, it makes both great strategic and financial sense for Ainsworth.”


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Ambuja Cements reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 947 crore in the March quarter, up 71 per cent from same period last year, on the back of higher sales even as tax expenses rose considerably.
Net sales of the company stood at Rs 7,715 crore in the period under review, up 23 per cent from same period last year as special product volumes grew lending support to the topline.
The consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and ammortisation (EBITDA) margin in the March quarter stood at 24.1 percent as against 19.4 percent in the same period last year, said the company release.
Tax expense of the company in the period under review stood at Rs 413.34 crore as against Rs 264 crore in the corresponding period last year.
“Despite strong and continuing headwinds on input prices including coal, petcoke and diesel, we have made significant progress on efficiency improvement that has had a positive impact on cost evolution,” Neeraj Akhoury, chief executive officer for LafargeHolcim and managing director and chief executive officer at Ambuja Cements was quoted as saying.
India demand growth has been strong in the last quarter, which has also helped the sales volume growth and commercial performance, he added.
On capex front, the company's upcoming facility in Marwar Mundwa, Rajasthan will enhance clinker capacity by 3 MTPA and help improve cement sales by 5 MTPA. The company, meanwhile, is progressing on its ambition to reach 50 million tonne in the mid-term.
The project is scheduled to commence operations in Oct-Dec quarter of FY21, said the company.
Going ahead, the company remains cautiously optimistic amid the strong second Covid-19 wave hitting the country.
Though the second wave of pandemic warrants caution, the increased vaccination drive combined with the various stimulus proposals provided in the Union Budget 2021 and accommodative monetary and fiscal policies are expected to support economic recovery in the medium term, said Ambuja.
Rural demand is likely to remain resilient on a good projection for the agriculture sector.
"We would like to remain cautiously optimistic for the year," said the company.
Meanwhile, the company has also put in place a 24X7 COVID-19 crisis control room and are facilitating vaccination for all eligible employees and their families.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to take all necessary actions to ensure the health and safety of our employees and communities. Our Plants are continuing to operate under strict COVID protocols,” informed Ambuja Cements.