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Month: March 2025

  • SaaS is essential, but delays in deployment cost Indian businesses ₹5.6 crore

    SaaS is essential, but delays in deployment cost Indian businesses ₹5.6 crore

    Implementation delays are a significant barrier in large enterprises adopting Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions for their various business tasks, a new study by IDC commissioned by Zoho, reveals.

    The study titled, ‘IDC State of SaaS Adoption in India Survey 2024’, notes that 75 per cent of Indian enterprises that have adopted SaaS solutions since 2020 have encountered implementation delays, resulting in an average timeline overrun of 57 per cent and cost overrun of 43 per cent. These setbacks have also led to an average loss of ₹5.6 crore in missed business opportunities. Additionally, it has impacted employee productivity, customer experience, and competitive positioning.

    “The ability to deploy SaaS solutions efficiently is no longer just an IT priority—it is a business necessity,” said Sharath Srinivasamurthy, Associate Vice President, IDC India, said presenting the insights. “Enterprises need a strategic approach—one that integrates automation, contextual intelligence, and development tools—to accelerate implementation and unlock SaaS value faster,” he added.

    According to the study, financial and accounting (F&A) solutions had the highest cost overrun (60%). F&A solutions were adopted by 66% of the respondents.

    Across industries, customer experience solutions were the most implemented post-pandemic (87 per cent), averaging 51 per cent timeline overrun. However, email and collaboration solutions saw the highest time overrun at 68%, followed by legal solutions at 61 per cent.

    The primary causes of implementation delays include project management inefficiencies (47%), unexpected integration or security challenges (38%), talent shortages (38%), and technical complexities in the new solution (38%).

    Speaking at the event, Zoho CEO Mani Vembu said that the SaaS firm’s platform-first approach eliminates implementation bottlenecks. “By offering deeply integrated applications, low-code extensibility, and AI-powered automation, we can help businesses to deploy solutions and go live faster, reduce implementation risks, and accelerate their digital transformation efforts,” he said. The Hindu BusinessLine

  • CCI denies RailTel’s claim of unfair tactics

    CCI denies RailTel’s claim of unfair tactics

    Competition Commission has rejected a complaint of alleged unfair business practices filed against Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti and RailTel Corporation in relation to the Prime Minister Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme.

    It was alleged that the two entities indulged in anti-competitive practices regarding a project for integrated infrastructure and IT solutions under the scheme.

    In an eight-page order, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said there is no prima facie case of contravention of either Section 3 or Section 4 of the Competition Act and dismissed the complaint against the two entities.

    Section 3 and 4 pertain to anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position, respectively.

    The Samithi runs Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas while RailTel is a state-owned telecom infrastructure provider.

    “The Commission in its various orders have opined that the procurer, which can also be considered a consumer of a tendering process, is at liberty to set its terms and conditions for procurement, based on its requirements. Every consumer/procurer must have freedom to exercise their choice freely in the procurement of goods and services,” CCI said in the order dated March 3.

    According to the regulator, such a choice is sacrosanct in a market economy as the consumers are in the best position to evaluate what meets their requirements and provides them competitive advantage in provision of their services.

    While exercising such choice, they may stipulate standards for procurement which meet their requirement and the same as such ipso facto cannot be held as anti-competitive, it added. PTI

  • JioStar would fire over 1,100 staff amid the Viacom18-Disney deal

    JioStar would fire over 1,100 staff amid the Viacom18-Disney deal

    JioStar will lay off more than 1,100 employees as the newly formed joint venture between Reliance Industries Ltd’s Viacom18 and The Walt Disney Co.’s India unit cuts overlapping roles following the merger, said multiple people aware of the development.

    “The departures started a month ago, and they are not ending anytime soon,” said one of the people quoted above. The layoffs will continue till June, the people said.

    The job cuts are primarily affecting corporate roles in distribution, finance, commercial, and legal departments, nearly a dozen people who spoke with Mint confirmed, speaking on the condition of anonymity. They said the layoffs include entry-level employees, senior managers, senior directors and even those at the assistant vice-president level.

    “So far, sports has remained untouched because the Champions Trophy, Women’s Premier League (WPL), and Indian Premier League (IPL) are scheduled back-to-back,” said these people. Several regional entertainment channels, including Colors Kannada and Colors Bangla, have seen significant workforce reductions, they said.

    Industry executives indicate that Disney Star already has a strong presence in key regional markets, which may lead to future rationalization at Viacom18’s regional channels. However, JioStar is gearing also up to expand its sports portfolio, with new channels expected to be launched.

    A JioStar spokesperson declined to comment on the layoffs.

    Why the layoffs
    With Viacom18 and Disney’s Star India merger creating India’s largest media company, JioStar is consolidating businesses to improve efficiencies and focus on high-growth verticals, particularly sports and digital streaming.

    “Whenever two large companies with similar businesses merge, redundancies are inevitable,” said an industry executive tracking the developments. “This restructuring is about optimizing resources and reducing duplication, ensuring the JV operates as a leaner and more efficient entity.”

    A rival company’s chief executive officer said he was receiving CVs from JioStar employees with over ₹1 crore annual packages who are ready to move.

    ‘Generous severance’
    JioStar is offering a “generous severance” package to the affected employees, said the people quoted earlier. The payout structure ensures six to 12 months of salary, depending on the years served.

    The affected employees are getting one month’s full salary for every year completed at the company, in addition to the notice period, which ranges from one to three months.

    For instance, someone who has served less than six years will still receive a minimum of seven months of full pay and benefits, including the notice period, while those with longer tenures could get up to 15 months of compensation.

    Even employees who have not completed the mandatory five-year tenure for gratuity eligibility will receive a pro-rata payout.

    A few affected employees, particularly from tech and digital services, may be offered roles within Jio or the broader Reliance ecosystem, according to one of the people quoted earlier.

    Taking on Netflix, Amazon Prime
    JioStar, valued at ₹70,352 crore (post-money basis), aims to take on streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, while strengthening its traditional television portfolio.

    Reliance Industries, through Viacom18 and direct ownership, controls a majority stake in the company, while Disney holds 36.84%. Nita M. Ambani has been appointed chairperson of the new entity, with Uday Shankar serving as vice-chairperson.

    JioStar’s portfolio spans entertainment and sports assets, including TV channels such as Colors, Star Plus, Star Gold, and Star Sports, as well as the now-merged digital streaming platform JioHotstar, which aims to reach over a billion viewers across India. LiveMint

  • A parliamentary section want the DoT’s spectrum surrender tactics to be clarified

    A parliamentary section want the DoT’s spectrum surrender tactics to be clarified

    A parliamentary committee has sought a factual note from the Ministry of Communications on reports that its department of telecommunications allowed the surrender of spectrum acquired in auctions by telecom companies before 2022, sources said.

    In its communication to the ministry, the committee headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has mentioned a critical observation in the CAG report of 2015 related to the Communications and IT sector over the “lack of due diligence in auction of spectrum for Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) services”, they said.

    The CAG had observed that the Notice Inviting Applications for the BWA auction suffered from deficiencies in scope of usage of spectrum for different class of licencees.

    The committee said the audit watchdog had noted that the UAS/CMTS (Unified Access Services/Cable Modem Termination System) and ISP (Internet Service Provider) operators were allowed to bid for the same BWA spectrum while the usage of spectrum was governed by their respective licences.

    The CAG said, “This led to post-auction demand by M/s Infotel for network codes which would have enabled them to provide voice services beyond the scope of their ISP licence. DoT facilitated the request by permitting them to migrate to Unified Licence after the auction.”

    It added, “This migration, allowed at prices discovered in 2001, resulted in undue advantage of 3,367.29 crore to M/s Reliance Jio Infocomm (formerly M/s Infotel). It was also seen that even after four years of auction the roll out of BWA services has been negligible.”

    Citing the CAG observations and some recent reports claiming that the department of telecommunications allowed the surrender of spectrum acquired in auctions by telecom companies before 2022, the panel has sought a factual note from the ministry. PTI

  • New Zealand and South Africa face off in the CT semifinal 2

    New Zealand and South Africa face off in the CT semifinal 2

    South Africa face New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final on Wednesday in Lahore, looking to punch their ticket into Sunday’s decider.

    One of these teams will have the chance to end their Champions Trophy dry spell, after the Proteas finished on top in 1998 and then the Black Caps in 2000.

    The clash also shapes as a higher stakes rematch after the pair clashed only last month at the same Lahore venue. The two competed in a Tri-series with hosts Pakistan in the lead-up to the tournament. The Black Caps will hope recent history repeats, after coming out on top by six wickets in that affair.

    However, those South Africa were missing several of their regular faces, and tournament cricket is, of course, an entirely different proposition.

    South Africa have shown in the group stages that they, like New Zealand, have what it takes to go all the way.

    Here’s where the game could be won and lost.

    Squads:
    South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch. Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka.

    New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy.

    Recent form:
    South Africa: South Africa have been untroubled so far this tournament, with a 107-run win over Afghanistan in their opener and then a thumping seven-wicket win over England in their last group game. The real test, however, was likely to have come against Australia – a match that was abandoned without a single ball being bowled due to the weather. The semi-final will prove to be their toughest game thus far.

    New Zealand: The Black Caps had won five ODIs on the bounce before India edged them in the Group A decider on Sunday, strong form that pre-dates the Champions Trophy. They’ve looked sharp in all three disciplines so far this tournament and will be seeking to get back to winning ways immediately.

    How to watch
    India: JioStar (Live streaming on Jio Hotstar, Television coverage on Star and Network 18 channels)

    Pakistan: PTV and Ten Sports, Streaming options: Myco and Tamasha app

    UAE and MENA: CricLife Max and CricLife Max2, Streaming option: STARZPLAY

    UK: Live broadcasting on Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action, Digital coverage via SkyGO, NOW and Sky Sports App

    USA and Canada: WillowTV, Streaming on Willow by Cricbuzz app (Hindi coverage available)

    Caribbean: ESPNCaribbean on TV, Streaming via ESPN Play Caribbean app

    Australia: PrimeVideo (coverage available in Hindi too)

    New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ, digital coverage via Now and SkyGo app.

    South Africa and sub-Saharan territories: SuperSport and SuperSport App

    Bangladesh: Nagorik TV and T Sports for linear broadcast, digital via Toffee app

    Afghanistan: ATN

    Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV (TV1 on Linear), Digital via Sirasa

    The games can also be viewed on ICC.tv (In select territories) ICC-Cricket

  • IND defeats AUS by 4 wickets to advance to the final

    IND defeats AUS by 4 wickets to advance to the final

    India entered the Champions Trophy final on Tuesday after a four-wicket win over Australia at the Dubai International Stadium. The Men in Blue will await the winner of the second semi-final on Wednesday between New Zealand and South Africa. India were helped chase down the target of 265 by a composed 84 from Virat Kohli and a 45 from Shreyas Iyer. Australia, on the other hand, were uncharacteristically shoddy in the field, dropping Rohit Sharma twice and Kohli once.

    Earlier, Steve Smith (73) and Alex Carey (61) scored half centuries. Australia were looking set for a hefty target but they lost the wickets of Steve Smith (bowled by Mohammed Shami for 73 runs) and Glenn Maxwell (removed by Axar Patel) in quick succession. Carey was run out for 61 after some splendid work in the field from Shreyas Iyer. For India, Shami claimed three wickets after Steve Smith had opted to bat first.

    India have been firing on all cylinders since the tournament started defeating all comers with Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer in top form while Varun Chakravarthy showed what he was capable of in just one match when he took 5 wickets vs New Zealand in the last Group A match. Skipper Rohit Sharma, however, hasn’t yet converted his starts and is due a big score in this tournament.

    Australia, meanwhile are without a lot of their stars from the ODI World Cup winning campaign with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Mitch Marsh, Josh Hazlewood and Marcus Stoinis all unavailable due to various reasons. They, however, have Travis Head who has been a nightmare for India in recent years but he hasn’t yet played in Dubai this tournament. The transition from high scoring pitches in Pakistan to the sluggish Dubai surface will pose a challenge for Head and co. Indian Express

  • Streaming in Europe exceeds PSB revenues

    Streaming in Europe exceeds PSB revenues

    According to data from Ampere Analysis, total revenues from streaming platforms in Europe have overtaken public-service broadcasting revenues for the first time.

    Streaming revenues across subs and advertising are projected to reach €38.4 billion by 2029, a 37-percent boost, led by the U.S. majors, notably Netflix. Public-service revenues, consisting of license fees, taxes and advertising, meanwhile, are expected to be flat, inching up just 1 percent to €27.9 billion by 2029.

    The gains for the global SVOD giants are being driven by ad tiers—they will account for 8 percent of European revenues for those services by 2029—as well as price hikes.

    The crunch on PSB funding is worrying given their crucial support for the production ecosystem—pubcasters commissioned 43 percent of all titles in Europe last year. Pubcaster BVOD services are key for retaining their relevance; they already ranked as the second most-used streaming video platforms in Q3 2024 in the U.K., Denmark and Finland. In Sweden and Norway, the PSB platforms were third.

    Sam Young, analyst at Ampere Analysis, said, “While Ampere’s projected public TV revenue growth represents a challenging outlook, public-service broadcasters remain a crucial stabilizing force in the European TV landscape. To remain competitive amid shifting viewing habits, and in the face of global streamers, PSBs must prioritize the development of their streaming platforms and find innovative ways to operate within limited and often uncertain funding structures. Forming ambitious strategic partnerships can enable them to continue to produce high-quality content at lower costs and expand their audience reach. However, local governments must recognize the need for financially sustainable models, especially as broadcasters face rising content costs, driven by increasing competition from global streamers. Adequate funding is not only essential for PSBs to keep investing in distinctive programming and fulfilling their public service remits, it is also necessary to support the wider European production sector.” World Screen

  • Max and BluTV will launch a streaming service in Turkey on April 15

    Max and BluTV will launch a streaming service in Turkey on April 15

    Warner Bros. Discovery’s subscription streaming video service Max will officially launch in Turkey on April 15. The rollout includes the combination of WBD-owned Turkish streaming service BluTV, leveraging the platform’s local content portfolio with Max’s richer lineup of content.

    Turkey becomes the 77th Max territory and marks a significant moment in the globalization of WBD’s streaming service that now has 116.9 million subscribers after adding 6.4 million in Q4 2024. As one of the most populous countries in the EMEA region, with more people than Germany, U.K, or France, the launch in Turkey presents a major opportunity to entertain and engage millions of new fans with high quality content across film and television from WBD’s world class studios.

    Turkish subs will continue to have access to BluTV shows and series, while gaining access to HBO and Max Originals, upcoming seasons of BluTV’s local productions, exclusive new Turkish originals, and movies from Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios.

    Subscribers will also have access to live sports from Eurosport, kids content from Cartoon Network and Cartoonito, live news from CNN International, a wide selections of discovery+ shows, and a slate of true crime and documentary series.

    Local content highlights include the highly anticipated second season of “Magarsus,” which premieres on March 6, with upcoming episodes released weekly. The season’s final two episodes of the BluTV Original will then land exclusively on Max in Turkey on April 17 and April 24.

    “Turkey is a key market as we take Max global,” Jamie Cooke, GM CEE, MENA and Turkey at Warner Bros. Discovery,” said in a statement. “This marks a significant milestone in fully integrating BluTV into Warner Bros. Discovery’s global portfolio.” Media Play News

  • LaLiga announces fresh rights tenders around Europe

    LaLiga announces fresh rights tenders around Europe

    Spanish soccer’s LaLiga has launched a new round of media rights tenders across several major European markets.

    Three tenders have been launched covering Belgium and Luxembourg, the DACH countries (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, and the UK and Ireland.

    The tender in Belgium comprises a single package of exclusive rights to all 380 annual LaLiga games (and non-exclusive rights in Luxembourg) starting in the 2026-27 campaign and running for three seasons, with the 2029-30 and 2030-31 seasons also up for grabs requiring a second offer.

    The second tender also offers one package of exclusive rights to all 380 LaLiga fixtures across the three DACH nations as well as non-exclusive rights through the same package in Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, but concerns the four years following the 2026-27 campaign with a fifth season available once again through a separate bid.

    In the UK and Ireland meanwhile, two packages of rights have been offered, one with exclusive rights to all LaLiga games available for any bidder, and the other for free-to-air rights for all of the league’s Sunday night 8pm (GMT) games that will run for between four and five seasons starting in the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.

    Rights in Belgium and Luxembourg are currently held by Eleven Sports/DAZN, the combined media enterprise that was formed after DAZN purchased Eleven in 2022.

    Across the DACH region, the rights are also held by DAZN’s standalone business, as well as BlueSport in Liechtenstein.

    In the UK, currently, rights are split between OTT service Premier Sports, and free-to-air commercial broadcaster ITV, as part of a rights strategy the league has undertaken to grow in the market since 2022.

    Shoulder content, ancillary programming, and more are all included in the packages, with the exclusive rights packages each offering linear and streaming rights to LaLiga’s own LaLigaTV 24/7 English channel and the additional content that it provides.

    Additionally, bidding parties may also opt to take up the rights to LaLiga’s second-tier Segunda Division.

    In its request for offers, LaLiga states: “LaLiga’s prestige has surmounted national boundaries. There is an increasing worldwide interest in the competition and LaLiga stirs passion among football fans.

    “This is the reason why LaLiga aims at achieving an authentic audiovisual experience for fans outside Spain. This entails a powerful high-quality broadcast equipped with the latest audiovisual technology.” Sportcal

  • Canal+ deals a French film contract to acquire the early film broadcast rights

    Canal+ deals a French film contract to acquire the early film broadcast rights

    Canal+ Group has solidified its position as a primary supporter of French cinema by entering a new agreement that will allow the broadcasting of films just six months after their theatrical release. This deal, effective retroactively from January 1, 2025, will last for three years, with the possibility of tacit renewal.

    Under the terms of the agreement, Canal+ and its affiliate CINE+ OCS have secured a privileged spot in the media chronology, a system that dictates how soon after a movie’s theater run it can be shown on other platforms. This move will enable the group to broadcast movies significantly earlier than the standard window, enhancing its offering to subscribers.

    The financial commitment from Canal+ totals a minimum of €480 million over the duration of the contract, allocated as €150 million in 2025, €160 million in 2026, and €170 million in 2027. The investment underscores the group’s dedication to nurturing a diverse range of cinematic works, including those with smaller budgets under €4 million.

    In its announcement, Canal+ highlighted its ongoing support for all types of cinema, ranging from mainstream comedies to genre, animation, and auteur films. The agreement also promises to increase the number of linear film broadcasts and extend the period for non-linear broadcasting, which is expected to benefit the subscribers.

    By securing early access to films from major American studios and a selection of French and European cinema, Canal+ aims to maintain the attractiveness of its subscriptions, which are primarily motivated by cinema content. The company takes pride in its pivotal role in the creative ecosystem and the preservation of the French cultural exception. In.Investing