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Month: July 2025

Technology

Formula E and Google Cloud Launch AI-Powered Audio Podcast to Bring Racing to the Visually Impaired

ObserveNow Media July 10, 2025

Formula E, in partnership with Google Cloud, has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative to make electric racing more inclusive for blind and visually impaired fans. The new offering uses AI to create rich, multilingual audio race reports that vividly describe key moments—from overtakes and pit strategies to crowd reactions—within minutes of each race finish. These immersive podcasts will be accessible on platforms like Spotify in over 15 languages following the conclusion of each E-Prix.

The concept originated during a Google Cloud hackathon at the 2024 London E-Prix, and has since been refined with input from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). Ongoing testing is planned at upcoming race weekends in Berlin and London, with a full rollout expected for Season 12.

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds emphasized the franchise’s commitment to inclusivity, calling the AI audio initiative “a fantastic example of how technology can be used for good.” Google Cloud’s John Abel described the project as equipping visually impaired fans with a “digital storyteller,” enabling them to experience the thrill of racing through detailed, expressive narration.

Technically, the system uses a three-step process via Google Cloud’s Vertex AI: real-time transcription of live commentary, AI-driven analysis to identify and summarize pivotal race events, and natural-sounding text-to-speech synthesis in multiple languages. The result is a polished, shareable audio brief released shortly after the race concludes.

By combining generative AI, global accessibility, and expert user feedback, the Formula E–Google Cloud audio podcast represents a bold step toward inclusive motorsport experiences—a model that could inspire other leagues to follow suit.

Tags: Formula EGoogle Cloud

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Trending

Sabih Khan Appointed Apple’s New COO in Strategic Leadership Succession

ObserveNow Media

Apple announced a significant leadership transition as long-serving Executive Jeff Williams prepares to retire later this year. Stepping into the role of Chief Operating Officer, Sabih Khan—an Indian-origin executive who has been with Apple since 1995—will officially assume the position later this month.

Khan brings nearly three decades of experience at Apple, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Operations since 2019. In that role, he oversaw the global supply chain, supplier responsibility programs, sustainable manufacturing partnerships, logistics, procurement, and fulfillment. His efforts have been instrumental in launching key products and steering Apple’s operations through major global disruptions, including the COVID‑19 pandemic. Before joining Apple, Khan worked at GE Plastics as an applications development engineer.

Born in Moradabad, India, in 1966, Khan holds dual bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and economics from Tufts University and a master’s in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His educational foundation and operational expertise earned praise from Apple’s leadership. CEO Tim Cook described him as a “brilliant strategist” and a core architect of Apple’s expansive, resilient supply chain. Williams himself called Khan “the most talented operations executive on the planet.”

Williams, the company’s COO since 2015, is best known for managing Apple’s product operations and playing a key role in the creation of the Apple Watch. He will continue overseeing design and health initiatives until his official retirement, after which those teams will report directly to Cook.

Khan’s rise to COO is viewed as a seamless, long-planned succession that underscores Apple’s confidence in internal continuity. His deep understanding of operations and crisis management equips him to tackle current challenges, including supply-chain diversification amid geopolitical tensions. Analysts say his promotion should reassure investors, as Apple navigates competitive pressure and prepares for future AI-driven product launches.

As COO, Khan will oversee Apple’s complex supply network and execute strategies to broaden manufacturing presence in countries like India—a priority amid global trade fluctuations. His promotion embodies Apple’s ongoing evolution toward sustainability, resilience, and operational excellence as it charts its next chapter of innovation.

Tags: AppleSabih Khan

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Trending

Gartner Warns Over 40 Percent of Agentic AI Projects at Risk of Termination by 2027

ObserveNow Media

A recent forecast from Gartner has cast a sobering light on the future of agentic AI, predicting that by 2027, more than 40 percent of all projects in this domain will be scrapped before reaching successful deployment. The report attributes this trend to escalating implementation costs, vague return-on-investment metrics, and growing concerns over reliability, governance, and operational risk.

Agentic AI refers to systems capable of autonomous decision-making, learning from their environments, and independently initiating actions to achieve objectives without explicit, step-by-step human instructions. Unlike traditional rule-based automation or static AI models, agentic AI is intended to operate with higher levels of independence and contextual intelligence. Yet, this ambitious vision appears to be outpacing what many enterprises are currently equipped to handle—technically, financially, and strategically.

According to Gartner’s data, only 19 percent of surveyed enterprises have moved beyond experimental phases and invested meaningfully in agentic AI solutions. The majority remain cautious, with over 40 percent still testing use cases in controlled environments or assessing feasibility. More than 30 percent have yet to make a decision, reflecting broader hesitation around the maturity of the technology and the unclear timelines for ROI realization.

A key issue highlighted by the report is the lack of well-defined business models that can accommodate autonomous agents. Many enterprises reportedly underestimated the amount of operational change needed to integrate these systems. Agentic AI often demands a reimagining of workflow architectures, a shift from centralized control to distributed decision-making, and the incorporation of dynamic learning feedback loops—all of which require significant investment in both infrastructure and culture.

Compounding the problem is what Gartner calls “agent-washing”—a growing tendency among technology vendors to rebrand conventional AI tools like chatbots, scripted bots, and simple RPA flows as agentic AI. This has created confusion in the market, with clients expecting intelligent, proactive agents but receiving limited, reactive automation instead. Gartner estimates that fewer than 5 percent of the 3,000+ companies promoting agentic AI today offer truly autonomous systems by their definition. Only about 130 companies currently meet the criteria for building functional, general-purpose agents capable of goal-directed reasoning.

Despite the near-term challenges and projected failures, Gartner maintains that the long-term potential of agentic AI remains significant. By 2028, it estimates that agent-based systems will account for at least 15 percent of routine decision-making processes across major industries—ranging from supply chain management to customer experience, finance operations, and digital marketing. Additionally, agentic capabilities are expected to be embedded in roughly one-third of enterprise-grade software by that time, ushering in a new paradigm for how digital systems are designed and used.

To succeed, however, Gartner advises enterprises to rethink their implementation strategies. This includes redefining KPIs for agent performance, ensuring robust AI ethics and compliance frameworks, investing in talent with experience in multi-agent systems and reinforcement learning, and most importantly, maintaining human oversight. Agentic AI is not a plug-and-play solution—it requires thoughtful design, governance, and continuous monitoring.

The forecast serves as both a warning and a roadmap. While agentic AI holds the promise of revolutionizing how businesses operate, a significant portion of early adopters are expected to falter without clear vision, sustained investment, and disciplined execution. For those who can overcome these hurdles, however, the payoff may be transformative.

Tags: Gartner

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Exclusive

Edge Computing Becomes Essential for Indian Enterprises in AI and 5G Era

Observenow Desk July 9, 2025

As India accelerates its digital transformation journey, edge computing is fast emerging as a game-changing force across industries. Moving beyond traditional centralized data centers, edge computing brings processing capabilities closer to where data is actually generated—on factory floors, in hospital wards, telecom towers, retail outlets, or embedded devices. The result? dramatically reduced latency, real-time analytics, enhanced data privacy, and substantial bandwidth savings, critical enablers for the AI, IoT, and 5G ecosystem now taking root across the country.

India’s edge computing market is entering a phase of hyper-acceleration. According to a report by IMARC Group, the Indian edge computing market reached USD 1.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43.5% from 2024 to 2033. In comparison, global edge computing is growing at around 30% CAGR—underscoring India’s rapid adoption rate. This growth is fueled by enterprise demand for low-latency infrastructure and the convergence of AI, IoT, and 5G rollouts. The edge market’s expansion is also supported by increasing investments from hyperscalers and telecom providers, with over 450 edge data centers expected to be operational across India by 2026, according to Research and Markets.

The synergy between 5G and edge is another major catalyst. As per a MarketsandMarkets forecast, India’s 5G edge computing segment alone is expected to grow at a staggering CAGR of nearly 64% between 2025 and 2030. Telecom majors are responding in kind: Airtel has already deployed over 120 edge data centers with a combined 120+ petabytes of storage capacity, while Reliance Jio has rolled out cloud-native 5G cores in over 50 locations. These infrastructure moves are enabling real-time AI-driven services across sectors such as smart manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics. Additionally, a NASSCOM report highlights that 46% of Indian digital-native startups are planning edge deployments in the next 12–18 months, primarily for latency-sensitive AI applications and compliance with India’s evolving data localization regulations.

This upward trajectory is clearly visible across India Inc. Across financial institutions, hospitals, factories, and logistics hubs, edge-enabled AI systems are powering faster decision-making, supporting localized compliance, and helping organizations respond instantly to operational changes.

Take telecom, for instance. Bharti Airtel has established a network of over 120 edge data centers across the country, supporting enterprise clients with high-speed storage and compute capabilities. Its partnership with IBM, focused on AI-powered enterprise solutions at the edge, is already producing results in sectors like automotive and manufacturing. Similarly, Reliance Jio’s implementation of cloud-native 5G cores across 50+ sites has enabled real-time IoT applications in areas ranging from smart education to connected healthcare.

In the manufacturing sector, Tata Steel is using edge computing and IoT to enable predictive maintenance in its plants, thereby reducing unplanned downtime. Maruti Suzuki’s recent collaboration with Airtel and IBM is leveraging edge-based video analytics and robotics for precision quality inspections—a move that is transforming how India’s largest car manufacturer maintains efficiency on its assembly lines.

Healthcare, too, is experiencing an edge-driven overhaul. Apollo Hospitals has started deploying AI at the edge to enhance diagnostic accuracy in remote settings—particularly useful in tier 2 and tier 3 cities where network infrastructure is limited. The ability to process medical images and patient vitals in real time, without relying on centralized data centers, is proving to be a lifesaver.

Even the BFSI sector, typically cautious in adopting emerging tech, is beginning to explore use cases. ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank are testing edge-based fraud detection systems that analyze transactions and customer behavior at the branch level to offer hyper-personalized services. These developments not only improve security but also drastically cut down response times in high-stakes environments.

The momentum isn’t limited to large enterprises. A recent NASSCOM study revealed that nearly 46% of digital-native startups in India are planning edge deployments within the next 18 months. Their primary motivations: scalability, cost optimization, and the need to comply with India’s increasingly stringent data sovereignty norms. For small and medium businesses in logistics, retail, and quick-service restaurants, edge technology is being used to monitor supply chains in real time and offer faster, more localized customer experiences.

Next-generation applications are also gaining traction. Indian firms are beginning to experiment with serverless edge environments to scale rapidly without managing complex infrastructure. Edge-native databases are being explored to support autonomous AI agents and mission-critical operations—such as fleet tracking in logistics or drone-based inspections in infrastructure.

In mission-critical sectors like manufacturing, smart grids, and telehealth, latency is not a luxury, it’s a deal-breaker. Edge computing is proving essential in keeping systems running with near-zero delay. Whether it’s a smart factory using robotic vision systems or a hospital monitoring ICU patients in real time, the edge is where the real action happens.

As India rolls out 5G at scale and accelerates its ambitions in AI and digital infrastructure, edge computing will be the foundational layer binding it all together. From enabling smart cities and digital agriculture to powering autonomous machines and personalized healthcare, edge is no longer a supporting actor—it’s taking center stage in India’s digital growth story.

Tags: 5G EraEdge Computing

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BFSI

Infobip Secures $520 Million in Financing to Fuel AI-Powered Global Expansion

Observenow Desk

Infobip, the Croatian-based cloud communications provider, has successfully arranged a $520 million senior secured lending facility led by funds managed by BlackRock and Blue Owl. This strategic financing is aimed at refinancing existing debt, fortifying the company’s balance sheet, and accelerating its global growth ambitions.

The fundraise is timely, aligning with robust demand for artificial intelligence–driven customer engagement. Infobip recently launched its Conversational Experience Orchestration Platform, a next-generation, agentic AI solution designed to enable enterprises to deliver personalized, context-aware interactions across multiple communication channels. The new capital will bolster investment in CXOP and support broader adoption of intelligent customer engagement tools worldwide.

Yariv Dafna, Infobip’s Chief Financial Officer, emphasized that the refinancing enhances the firm’s capacity to pursue its growth strategy while driving improved profitability. The structure of the facility, including its extended maturity, underscores confidence from the company’s financial backers in Infobip’s trajectory and market positioning.

The deal was facilitated by Citigroup Global Markets as exclusive financial adviser and Latham & Watkins LLP serving as legal counsel. With strong backing from top-tier institutional investors, Infobip is positioning itself to scale both its platform and reach—cementing its role as a leading communications-technology provider for enterprises seeking AI-enhanced engagement.

As the company continues its pursuit of innovation, this financing round marks a pivotal moment. Armed with robust funding and institutional support, Infobip is well-positioned to deliver on its vision of transforming how businesses connect with customers in an increasingly AI-driven environment.

Tags: Infobip

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HR

NSDL Payments Bank Names Nishant Vasani as Chief Business Officer to Drive Strategic Growth

Observenow Desk

NSDL Payments Bank has appointed Nishant Vasani as its new Chief Business Officer, a move set to strengthen the institution’s leadership as it seeks to expand its presence in India’s rapidly evolving digital banking landscape. Vasani brings over two decades of experience in banking and fintech to the role, underscoring the bank’s ambition to accelerate its retail, SME, and microfinance offerings across the country.

In his new position, Vasani will be responsible for shaping business strategy, enhancing customer acquisition, and exploring new growth avenues in payments, lending, and digital financial services. He is also expected to drive partnerships and deepen NSDL Payments Bank’s integration with India’s digital public infrastructure, including the UPI, Aadhaar-based payments, and the proposed lending platforms. His mandate includes expanding distribution through both physical points of presence—such as business correspondent networks—and a growing suite of digital channels.

Before joining NSDL Payments Bank, Vasani held key leadership roles at HDFC Bank, RBL Bank, and Bajaj Finance. At HDFC Bank, he led fintech tie-ups and innovative digital lending initiatives, helping the bank launch instant personal loans and credit products targeted at underserved segments. His work at Bajaj Finance focused on building capabilities in small-ticket consumer financing. At RBL Bank, he was involved in SME and agri-lending, simplifying onboarding and credit management using digital tools.

Vasani’s depth of experience working across traditional retail banking, consumer lending, and digitally native financial models positions him well to guide NSDL Payments Bank through its next phase of expansion. His strategic eye will be crucial as the bank seeks to deepen engagement with rural and semi-urban customers, who are increasingly accessing formal financial services via mobile and digital platforms.

Vasani has highlighted that the focus will be on delivering simple, digital-first products that can reach a wider customer base while maintaining operational efficiency. He is scheduled to roll out enhanced offerings over the coming months that leverage analytics and customer insights to tailor superior experiences, aiming to build stickiness and social impact simultaneously.

As India’s digital banking sector matures and competition among neo-banks, payments banks, and fintech players intensifies, NSDL Payments Bank’s appointment of a seasoned executive like Nishant Vasani demonstrates its intent to emerge as a competitive force. By marrying digital innovation and strategic partnerships with robust business stewardship, the bank hopes to scale rapidly and establish itself as a trusted financial services option across India’s diverse customer segments.

Tags: Nishant VasaniNSDL Payments Bank

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Digital Native

IBM Leads $26 Million Series A Round to Boost Quantum Error Correction Startup Qedma

Observenow Desk

Israeli quantum software pioneer Qedma has secured $26 million in Series A funding to elevate its quantum error correction technology, critical for unlocking the full potential of today’s noisy quantum hardware. The round was led by Glilot Capital Partners’ Glilot+, with IBM, Korean Investment Partners, TPY Capital, and others participating.

Qedma’s QESEM (Quantum Error Suppression and Error Mitigation) software addresses one of quantum computing’s biggest hurdles: error-prone qubits. By analyzing device-specific noise patterns, QESEM continuously adapts quantum algorithms during execution to suppress errors and applies post-processing to correct any remaining faults. The company claims this approach allows circuits up to 1,000 times larger to run reliably on current machines.

Founded in 2020 by physicists from Technion and Hebrew University, including CEO Asif Sinay, CTO Netanel Lindner, and CSO Dorit Aharonov—the latter a leading figure in quantum fault tolerance theory—Qedma adopts a platform-neutral approach aimed at maximizing the utility of existing hardware from IBM, IonQ, and other players.

IBM’s participation marks a strategic vote of confidence. Qedma has already integrated QESEM into the IBM Qiskit Functions catalog and is among the earliest vetted software partners in IBM’s quantum ecosystem. IBM Quantum vice president Jay Gambetta emphasized that software-layer innovation is essential to accelerating the path to “quantum advantage”—the moment when quantum systems meaningfully outperform classical alternatives.

The Series A funding will bolster Qedma’s research, expand its team from around 40 to 60 employees, and deepen partnerships with quantum hardware providers and research institutions. It positions the startup to demonstrate practical quantum advantage soon—well ahead of the industry’s much-anticipated rise toward fault-tolerant, million-qubit systems.

Qedma’s investors highlight its software-first strategy as a timely pivot. As traditional quantum error correction remains hardware-intensive—requiring hundreds or thousands of physical qubits—Qedma’s noise-agnostic, algorithm-level approach offers an immediate path to commercial quantum applications across fields including pharmaceuticals, finance, and cybersecurity.

With IBM’s support and a growing collaborative network, Qedma aims to pioneer the quantum “operating layer” necessary for broader adoption. As the race for quantum computing intensifies, this software-driven approach may prove essential in building viable, real-world quantum systems.

Tags: IBMQedma

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Technology

India Becomes Crucial Hub for Salesforce’s AI Ambitions, Says Arundhati Bhattacharya

Observenow Desk

India is no longer just a support center for Salesforce—it has emerged as a global testbed and innovation engine for the company’s AI strategy. Arundhati Bhattacharya, President and CEO of Salesforce South Asia, says the country now plays a critical role in piloting large-scale AI solutions and developing talent for AI, compliance, and ethical technology frameworks.

Salesforce’s investments in India reflect this shift: the company expanded its headcount from around 2,500 employees in 2020 to over 13,000 today, supporting enterprise deployments across BFSI, healthcare, automotive, and public sector verticals . With more than 2 million Salesforce developers in India, the country hosts the second-largest developer community after the U.S., making it a hotbed for building scalable, agentic AI solutions.

Bhattacharya highlighted India’s unique infrastructure—including Aadhaar, UPI, and other digital public goods, as providing a head start in generative AI and autonomous agents. She believes that solutions stress-tested in India, during high-volume events like festivals—can seamlessly scale globally. India also ranks third in the world for startup ecosystem size and second for Salesforce platform innovators, making it a prime partner in the next wave of AI.

Enterprises across major sectors in India are already leveraging Salesforce’s AI stack—from manufacturing to customer service—with advanced use cases in autonomous supply chain agents and security-sensitive applications . Bhattacharya emphasizes that businesses embracing agentic AI must prioritize data quality, security, and compliance, areas where Salesforce India has made significant strides. Beyond business, Salesforce India is investing heavily in skill development. It partners with more than 3,000 colleges, supports Trailhead training, and collaborates with national initiatives to build next-gen AI and compliance expertise.

As enterprises globally accelerate their AI adoption, India’s robust ecosystem of developers, digital infrastructure, and enterprise innovators is becoming indispensable to Salesforce’s global strategy. For Bhattacharya, India’s journey from support center to AI nerve center signals a watershed moment, not just for her company, but for the region’s role in shaping the future of intelligent enterprise.

Tags: Arundhati BhattacharyaSalesforce

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Technology

Cisco Unveils New Digital Workforce Network Built for the Mobile, AI‑Driven Future

Observenow Desk

Cisco has launched a comprehensive digital workforce network designed to support today’s hyper‑mobile, hybrid work environments and power emerging AI initiatives. Developed in collaboration with partners like NTT DATA, the platform equips enterprises with secure, scalable, and cloud‑delivered networking capabilities, anchored by technologies such as eSIM for on‑demand connectivity and AI‑enabled infrastructure management.

The heart of the offering is Cisco’s integration of eSIM technology into its networking range, enabling remote provisioning of secure 5G access across 180 countries through partners like NTT DATA’s Transatel network. This solution simplifies deployment for mobile branches, service pop‑ups, and IoT‑heavy environments by offering plug-and-play connectivity and automated network service activation. Industries including finance, manufacturing, retail, and hospitality are already piloting this tech to spin up secure mobile networks quickly and cost-effectively.

Simultaneously, Cisco is bolstering its platform with AI and network‑centric enhancements that cater to modern workforce demands. Through tools like Catalyst Center and ThousandEyes, integrated into its Catalyst 9000 switch lineup, Cisco enables real‑time monitoring, predictive issue detection, and automated troubleshooting. According to Cisco’s internal Digital Workplace transformation results, these measures have reduced campus real-estate needs by 30% while improving employee engagement by 17%. Industry analysts estimate that over 60% of IT leaders will deploy AI‑driven network automation and security convergence in the next two years, underscoring Cisco’s timely positioning.

Alongside technical upgrades, Cisco has redefined how organizations provision services via enterprise agreements, showing a 100% increase in such subscriptions within India and SAARC markets. It has transitioned toward ‘network-as-a-service’ models that favor consumption-based billing, with 78% of software revenues now derived from subscriptions, underscoring Cisco’s pivot from hardware sales to managed services.

By intertwining secure, cloud-managed connectivity with AI‑based network orchestration, Cisco is equipping businesses to support dynamic hybrid workforces, IoT deployments, and upcoming AI workloads. As legacy WANs and patchwork office networks give way, the company aims to offer a comprehensive, intelligent network fabric that adapts to modern demands, where connectivity becomes a managed, secure, and seamlessly integrated service.

Tags: Cisco

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Technology

Thales Unveils Fully Certified “Ready‑to‑Use” eSIM Solution to Accelerate IoT Connectivity

Observenow Desk

Thales has launched a turnkey, GSMA SGP.32‑compliant eSIM solution that simplifies and secures large-scale IoT deployments worldwide, the company announced this week. With global IoT cellular connections projected to exceed 5.8 billion by 2030, this innovation addresses the urgent need for plug‑and‑play connectivity, especially in sectors such as smart energy, healthcare, asset tracking, and connected vehicles.

The modular solution enables devices—from smart meters to wearables and medical sensors—to activate network subscriptions independently, without requiring intermediate devices. It features embedded secure credentials and firmware, meeting heightened security demands during remote provisioning. Thales underscores the reliability of its solution, noting autonomous selection of optimal network operators and dynamic service switching during a device’s lifecycle—ideal for mobility and regions with varying coverage.

The pre‑certified status of the eSIM accelerates time‑to‑market for manufacturers by eliminating lengthy operator certifications. It integrates seamlessly with Thales’ connectivity‑management suite, offering lifecycle oversight, real‑time issue diagnosis, and scheduled updates. These capabilities make it attractive to OEMs and IoT pioneers such as Wireless Logic—which recently partnered with Thales to pre‑load network profiles on the eSIMs—allowing end users to deploy appliances immediately after powering on.

This launch reinforces Thales’ position in the competitive IoT landscape, leveraging previous leadership in cloud‑based eSIM management through adapters like Google Cloud. Following a 2023 announcement showcasing its management platform—trusted by hundreds of mobile operators including Telefónica—Thales continues to shape the future of secure, scalable IoT connectivity.

Tags: eSIM SolutionThales

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