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Microsoft’s Biggest Event Goes Virtual as Conferences Become Coronavirus Newest Hits

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The World Health Organization recently declared the Coronavirus, called COVID-19 as a global pandemic, due to its extremely aggressive transmission rate. The world is still reeling from the effects of this novel virus on public health, tourism and transportation, and the world economy. By now, the virus has found a place for itself in over 120 countries, with John Hopkins’ data showing that there are over 127,000 confirmed cases around the world, which has resulted in more than 4,700 deaths. In the US alone, there have been 32 deaths so far, with over 1000 reported cases. This has led to 15 states in the US declaring an emergency, including heavyweights such as New York, Washington, California, and Florida. However, the newest casualty of the Coronavirus has been conferences, as most major companies have decided to cancel their conferences in the wake of this crisis. Here’s a look at everything you need to know about Microsoft’s events and how this will impact the tech world.

Impact on Industry Events

Travel bans, laws against gatherings and overtly cautious people have resulted in some of the biggest tech conferences of the year being cancelled due to the COVID-19. Some of these conferences have gotten downright cancelled, whereas others have been indefinitely postponed. Moreover, some of the companies have turned their physical conferences virtual, with both attendees and organizers confident that the conference will have the same impact on a digital platform. For instance, both Google and Facebook have cancelled their developer events, whereas Microsoft announced that the Build conference would switch to a virtual platform. Earlier this week, it was announced that one of the biggest gaming events of the year, Electronic Entertainment Expo would not happen this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Microsoft Build

The annual event that introduces new developers, tools, gives updates regarding development on projects and defines future objectives is one of the largest events hosted by Microsoft. Recent Build conferences have shifted focus from the Windows OS to newer technologies such as IoT, Azure, cloud computing and holographic development. The 2020 Build conference was citied to center around dual-screen app development, the new Windows 10X-powered Surface Neo PC and recently updated SDKs and emulators.

The Microsoft Build conference was to take place between May 19 and 21 in Seattle, but the tech-giant decided against having the event after listening to government recommendations. Microsoft released a statement saying that their top priority remains the safety of their community, and that they expect the digital event to bring together as many people as their in-person event normally does. Furthermore, the company has also instructed its workers in Seattle and California to work from home up until March 25 as a precautionary measure.

Silent May

While the month of May traditionally boasts several large developer conferences, including the likes of Microsoft Build, Facebook F8 and Google I/O, all of which take place around the same two-week period, this year will be different. F8 and I/O had already switched to online events, and it seems like Microsoft is following suit, too, amid the coronavirus outbreak. This comes as no surprise as Washington counties recently banned the organizing of events comprising of over 250 people. However, though the ban would have expired before the Build conference was set to take place, Microsoft has opted to go for a safer alternative. But, Microsoft has not updated their official website regarding the same, and tickets for Build can still be bought online. However, it would be best to not do so, as the update should come up officially within a day or two since their spokesperson has already made an official statement.

Digital is the New Way Forward

Rather than relying on in-person events, major tech companies all around the world are looking forward to hosting digital events in the wake of the Coronavirus scare. Both Microsoft MVP and E3 will take place digitally in June, right after the Build conference. Also, the COVID-19 has affected the performance of the company, as most employees have been working from home for the past week, and will continue to do so till the end of March. Therefore, the release date for the Windows 10 OS update, has been pushed back by several weeks.

With a major portion of the American population restricted to their homes, going digital sure looks like the best way to handle large events right now. While the lack of engagement and one-to-one interaction may hamper the success of such events, the safety it provides is what the time calls for right now. Though Microsoft and other large tech companies may have to struggle with their new releases now, such steps will go a long way in ensuring that the Coronavirus does not spread any further.

COVID-19 Imapct on AT&T

AT&T Waives Data Cap Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

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The COVID-19 seems to be the most covered news item of the week, as it continues its rampant spread all over the world. With the aggressive transmission tendencies of the viral pandemic, forcing major countries to shut down their borders and operations, the world is witnessing a different kind of social shutdown. As most schools and colleges across North America and Europe stay shut, data providers have decided to do their part to help people get used to the situation they are in. This has inspired, AT&T, one of the major ISPs in North America to suspend its existing data usage caps. Here’s a look at everything you need to know regarding the situation, and why this news will delight consumer groups across America.

Bunkered Down Due to COVID-19

Millions of Americans have put themselves in self-quarantine and are refusing to step outside in a bid to avoid catching the dangerous COVID-19, which is spreading across the globe. This move by AT&T is a welcome scheme for consumer groups as they will now have the liberty to enjoy broadband services as they like. This move has also led Senators to call out other ISPs and ask them to follow suit. As per a report by Motherboard, broadband caps do not have a true technical purpose, but rather serve as a form of the market price hike. Hence, in the wake of the COVID-19, AT&T has decided to do away with their broadband usage caps. However, the company has not mentioned to what date this waiver will stay valid, and so users will have to watch the news closely in order to stay updated.

Waiving Broadband Usage Caps

The company’s spokesperson said that most American users rely on AT&T’s unlimited internet connection, and that to make things easier for the rest of their customers, they have decided to waive the caps. Their official website states that the caps used to stand anywhere between 150 GB to 1 TB of data per month. Also, the penalty for bypassing the limit stood at $10 for each extra 50 GB consumed. Since the COVID-19 has forced a majority of Americans to work from home, learn from home, and in a general stay at home, this will come as a huge blessing. With most Americans having to rely on online classes for their education and video conferencing for their work-related, the cap would have placed a severe financial burden on them. In the wake of an already shaken economy, such a burden would have been a nightmare for most users, and hence, this news comes as a sigh of relief for most internet users in the US.

Need for Caps

Several industry experts and executives, including leaked Comcast data show that such broadband usage caps do little to help manage ISP congestions. Therefore, in essence, they serve as a way for ISPs to gather more revenue from their user base, by hiking the prices of their services. Rather than serving as a technical method to overcome congestion, broadband caps exist to help ISPs to boost their service cost above advertised rates.

Such reports, when published in Motherboard, have prompted 18 American Senators, including Mark Warner, the sitting Senator of Virginia to issue a letter prompting other ISPs to waive off their caps as well. The letter states that almost every industry in the US is figuring out how to battle the dangers posed by COVID-19, and that during such a time, every company must try to accommodate the efforts of the masses. It then requests the ISPs to temporarily waive off their usual broadband caps and penalties to help people enjoy free broadband options during such hard times. Similarly, consumer groups such as Free Press also issued statements asking ISPs to suspend their broadband usage caps owing to the pandemic.

AT&T has however remained silent when asked about what they plan to do regarding caps on cellular data. The biggest internet provider for homes in the US, Comcast also refused to comment on the issue. This means that Comcast’s standing cap will be enforced, and hence, users will be charged extra if they exceed their existing plan’s cap.

However, they did release a statement saying that they were going to improve their upload speed from 15Mbps /2Mbps to 25Mbps/3Mbps. Furthermore, Comcast also plans on giving its new low-income group customers 60 days of free Internet service. Also, Mediacom is offering its customers an additional 50GB worth of data up till March 31. With so many Americans being forced to work from home, as a result of the mass shutting of schools, colleges, and offices, it comes as no surprise that the largest ISPs in the US are beginning to react to the situation.

coronavirus

Does India is planning to backstop its growing electronics sector by arranging to airlift components from China?

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Highlights:

1. Manufacturing of Electronics products, especially smartphones assembly is a golden chance to improve India’s otherwise fading economy.

2. Two of the officials reported to Reuters that the Technology ministry has asked electronics and smartphone industry lobby groups to draw up a list of components made in China which then can be airlifted.

Coronavirus has been declared a global emergency, which took the lives of many people all over the world, especially in China. Recently, many smartphone companies denied participation at Mobile World Congress 2020 arranged in Feb due to Coronavirus Outbreak. However, India is planning to backstop its growing electronics sector by arranging to airlift components from China, three government officials said, as it tries to contain the fallout from the coronavirus crisis in China.

Emergency Airlift plan

India’s federal technology ministry has asked electronics and smartphone industry lobby groups to draw up a list of components made in China which then can be airlifted, two of the officials said.

After an extended shutdown due to the Coronavirus outbreak, China is slowly getting back to work. But the country is still facing a range of products and logistics delays. Electronics manufacturing such as smartphone assembly is the bright hope for India’s otherwise flagging economy. However, India is still relying on China for basic components required for the assembly of smartphones. Includes, display screens, camera modules, etc. 

The emergency airlift plans highlight the global supply chains’ interconnected nature as well, continued dependence on China for key goods even as some manufacturers prompted in some cases by the US-China trade war move to build up capacity outside of China. On the basis of this, other industries are exploring airfreight options too.

India’s role in Emergency Airlift plan

The auto industry in India is highly depending upon China for assembly parts like electronic components, fuel injectors, and pressure sensors.

As per the reports, the Indian Automotive Component Manufacturers Association has reached out to its members so that parts are in short supply will assess and can potentially be air-lifted. Also, the government adviser with direct knowledge of the matter reported that India’s embassy in China is coordinating an airlift of drug ingredients from China.

As per one of the government sources, “For the electronics and smartphone components, the technology ministry is in touch with aviation carriers and air freighters and they’ve been connected with the industry”.

“The airlifting of components from the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai is one option being discussed”, the official said. However, the sources did not clear anything about when the airlifting might begin. The aviation ministry also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Import of Chinese goods has been lower down

Reuters has reported, Lack of truck drivers, a proliferation of road checkpoints and a shortage of workers at Chinese ports have slowed shipments even for parts that are still being produced. Also, Air cargo firms have reduced services in response to crew health concerns and uncertain demand.

All aware that China is the biggest trading partner of India, but imports of Chinese goods in India contracted in February to their lowest levels in nearly four years, trade ministry data reviewed by Reuters showed.

Scrambling in India

Indian Smartphone makers thus far have largely weathered the virus crisis, partly because they had made up inventories of Chinese-made parts to cover the Lunar New Year holiday period when factories in China shut down. But those stocks could dry up soon.

The co-founder of homegrown smartphone maker Lava Mr. S.N. Rai said, “the supply of some components had resumed, but the pace of production at his factory on the outskirts of New Delhi could soon slow down”.

Rai reported to Reuters, “The period between March 10 and March 20 is going to be very tough, in the absence of supplies, we might have to cut one or two of the three eight-hour shifts we have daily”.

Others are also scrambling for components

As per to two industry sources, the India units of contract manufacturers Wistron Corp, which makes some of Apple Inc’s lower-priced iPhones, and Flex Ltd have, through an industry body, asked for government help in securing components including camera modules and displays from China. However, Wistron and Flex did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Oppo, a Chinese smartphone maker as well as Korean Samsung Electronics did not respond to requests seeking comment on their supply chains.

Coronavirus outbreak brought the uncertainty in Global Economy, especially the economy of China and developing countries like India. The global emergency affected the automotive sector of India. Also, now it is affecting the Electronics Manufacturing Industry of the country, which is the bright hope for the flagging economy of India. Let’s Hope, Coronavirus outbreak recedes soon so that all sectors reinstate its potential.

Car Sales

How the Coronavirus is Pushing Car Sales to the Down-lane

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Coronavirus has been making headlines all around the world due to its aggressive transmission rate and deadly symptoms. Many European countries have now fallen prey to the virus which has claimed over 2500 lives all around the world. Several countries around the world have imposed strict travel bans and economic sanctions in order to stop the spread of the deadly virus. With such a large global epidemic hitting the world, there were bound to be severe economic repercussions. So, how has the Coronavirus hit the Indian economy? Well, it certainly had an impact on our automotive sector. Here’s a look at how the Coronavirus has pushed car sales into a down-lane.

Car Sales in February

Rate of care sales has dipped again in February, and car manufacturers and makers across the country are now scared with respect to what further impact the virus will have on their sales. Most manufacturers are now trying to sell their left-over stock as production facilities in several countries in Europe have been shut. The government had recently released a statement that said that India would be transitioning to a new emission standard.

Therefore, car sales of models that comply with earlier standards will fall to an all-time low once the implementation starts. This sudden transition had already strained the automotive industry as buyers were still not confident in buying new cars. Therefore, most dealers were trying to get rid of their old stock as purchases for these obsolete models would be close to zero once the transition takes effect. The government had earlier said that the deadline to make the transition from BS-IV to BS-VI is April 1st. However, the Coronavirus scare has shut off several production facilities in mainland China, which has, in turn, affected the supply chains for automotive parts.

A slowdown in Car Sales and Manufacturing

The Director of Sales at MG Motors, Rakesh Sidana had said that the Coronavirus scare has severely limited their production capacities as many centers in Europe and China have been shut. He believes that this is directly responsible for the reduction in sales in February, and predicts that the downfall will continue throughout March. MG Motors had one of their lowest retail sales in February, with the final amount coming to a mere 1,376 units last month.

Similarly, Maruti Suzuki underwent a 1.11 % decline in sales, with total sales coming up to just 147,110 units, which is much lesser than their sale of 148,682 units last year. Furthermore, Mahindra & Mahindra suffered a 58 % decline in sales last month, owing to the automotive giant lowering production due to the emission standards transfer. Also, a shortage of parts and low exports from China led to them selling only 32,476 units last month, which is significantly lesser than the 56,005 units they sold last year.

Uncertain Future

While most of these companies had predicted a drop in sales due to the emission transfer protocol, the unexpected arrival of the Coronavirus has severely affected the industry. This unforeseeable challenge has put many restrictions on the supply of parts from China, affecting the capacity of Indian makers to adhere to the BS-VI specification. Tata Motors too suffered a 34 % decline in sales, having sold only 38,002 units in February, while they sold 57,221 units last year. The company was also badly affected by a fire that broke out in one of their vendor’s storehouses, which in turn, affected their production rate and volume. Similarly, Hyundai went down by 10.3 % with sales amounting to only 48,910 units in February.

Most of these manufacturers are hoping that issues will be cleared up by late March, and that supply chains will be re-instated as quickly as possible. To make this possible, large dealers such as Honda are trying to ramp up production of BS-6 models, in a bid to reduce the waiting period for customers. Adding further trouble to the struggling automotive industry is the lagging economy that is undergoing a slowdown, putting the entire industry under pressure. With mismatched inventories, shortage of parts, compromised production facilities and a slowing economy, it really does look like the automotive industry has its work cut out for itself in the months to come. Let us hope that the Coronavirus and its effect recedes in the months to come, providing much-needed relief to our automotive sector.