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Ohio Becomes the First State to Accept Bitcoin for Tax Payment

26Nov By Gauri SinghNo Comments

USA

Ohio Becomes the First State to Accept Bitcoin for Tax Payment

Ohio, a Midwestern state in the United States has become the first stated that would accept bitcoin for tax payments. With this, now, the businesses in Ohio will be able to pay their taxes in bitcoin — making the state that’s high in the middle and round on both ends the first in the nation to accept cryptocurrency officially. The companies that want to become a part of it simply need to go to OhioCrypto.com and register to pay whatever taxes their corporate hearts desire in crypto. The bitcoin program id the brainchild of current Ohio state treasurer, Josh Mandel and it is intended to be a signal of the state’s broader ambitions to remake itself in a more tech-friendly image. Already, Ohio has something of a technology hub forming in Columbus, Ohio, home to one of the largest ventur...

US-based Ness Digital Eyeing to Acquire two Firms in Cloud Space

22Nov By Gauri SinghNo Comments

ACQUISITION

US-based Ness Digital Eyeing to Acquire two Firms in Cloud Space

US-based Ness Digital Engineering which is a digital engineering services firm is in advanced talks to acquire two companies in the cloud space. Also, the firm is planning to hire 1000 people to its workforce over the next year. “We completed one acquisition in April… we are in discussion with two other potential partners in the cloud space and expand footprint in the US,” said chief executive of Ness Digital Engineering, Paul Lombordo. Prior to this, the company acquired Linium, focused in digital operations in the ServiceNow platform, earlier this year. The CEO also mentioned that there is a convergence of work involving infrastructure skills (like AWS, Azure, and Google) with SaaS platforms (think Salesforce.com and ServiceNow) in the digital economy. Also, their design expertise h...

US-based Autodesk to Acquire PlanGrid for $875 million

21Nov By Gauri SinghNo Comments

ACQUISITION

US-based Autodesk to Acquire PlanGrid for $875 million

The American software company Autodesk has announced its plans to acquire PlanGrid for $875 million. Autodesk which is based in San Francisco helped move blueprints from paper to the iPad when it launched in 2011. “There is a huge opportunity to streamline all aspects of construction through digitization and automation. The acquisition of PlanGrid will accelerate our efforts to improve construction workflows for every stakeholder in the construction process,” CEO Andrew Anagnost stated. PlanGrid has excelled at building beautiful, simple field collaboration software, and on the other hand, Autodesk has focused on connecting design to construction. Together, these companies can drive greater productivity and predictability on the jobsite. PlanGrid currently has 400 employees, 12,000 cu...

Infosys to Open an Innovative & Tech Hub in the US state of Texas

15Nov By Gauri SinghNo Comments

BUSINESS

Infosys to Open an Innovative & Tech Hub in the US state of Texas

Infosys has reportedly announced that it would open a technology and innovation hub in the US state of Texas and hire 500 workers by 2020, its latest expansion in its largest market. Also, in May 2017, Infosys had said it would hire 10,000 American workers by 2019. So far, the company has hired 6,200 American workers. The company also mentioned that the new office would be located in Richardson, Texas and would focus on the telecommunication, retail and banking sectors. “We are excited to announce the expansion of our presence in Texas, which is another important step in our continued investment in driving digital transformation for American businesses. Digital is rapidly changing every industry, and our Hubs will allow us to co-locate, co-innovate and co-create alongside our clients...

13Nov By Gauri SinghNo Comments

BUSINESS

Cab Aggregator Lyft to Launch its Loyalty Program in the US

San Francisco based cab aggregator Lyft has planned to launch a new loyalty program for riders which will be known as Lyft Rewards. The particular program will start rolling out next month to select riders across the U.S. It will let riders earn points for each dollar spent, which can then be used for upgrades to nicer cars or savings on future rides, among other things. Along with this, the ride-hailing company caters to its regular riders in several ways, including through its recently launched subscription service. It is a program that rewards business users, and its partnership with Delta that allows riders to earn Delta airline miles with Lyft. The upcoming reward program will be aiming everyday riders, in order better retain their business as a part of Lyft’s larger battle wit...

Amazon Launches Alexa for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store

9Nov By Gauri SinghNo Comments

Tech

Amazon Launches Alexa for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store

The retail giant Amazon has launched an Alexa app for Windows 10 computers on the Microsoft Store. Under this, the voice application will allow the PC owners to speak to Alexa to set reminders, timers, alarms; create lists and to-dos; track their calendar appointments; get news, weather and other information; play music; listen to podcasts and audiobooks; control the smart home, and much more. Very close to the Alexa app for mobile devices, through the Windows 10 app, you can use Alexa when you’re traveling for access to content and information, as well as to do things like lock your doors or check your security cameras. Along with this, the app also offers access to tens of thousands of Alexa skills. But, some features including video, communications, Spotify and Pandora will not be...

29Oct By Gauri SinghNo Comments

ACQUISITION

IBM Made the Largest Software Acquisition for $34 Billion

The multinational IT company IBM has reportedly made the largest software acquisition. The company has acquired US-based software company Red Hat for $34 billion, including debt. The company is expecting to diversify its technology hardware and consulting business into higher-margin products and services. This particular acquisition is by far IBM's biggest acquisition. "The acquisition of Red Hat is a game-changer ... IBM will become the world's No. 1 hybrid cloud provider, offering companies the only open cloud solution that will unlock the full value of the cloud for their businesses," IBM chief executive Ginni Rometty stated. IBM, which has a market capitalization of $114 billion, will pay $190 per share in cash for Red Hat, a 62% premium to Friday's closing share price. IBM, which...

Microsoft Surpasses Amazon to Take the Spot of Second Most Valuable US Company

27Oct By Gauri SinghNo Comments

USA

Microsoft Surpasses Amazon to Take the Spot of Second Most Valuable US Company

The software giant Microsoft has reportedly reacquired its position as the second most valuable US company on Friday. This happened after Amazon showed a disappointing quarterly report as the company wiped $65 billion off the online retailer's market capitalization. The company that tops the list is Apple with over $1 trillion after crossing that threshold in September. Microsoft's market capitalization was Wall Street's highest in late 1998 through early 2000 before the dot-com bubble burst. The shares of Amazon reduced 7%, the most in nearly three years after its holiday season sales outlook missed targets. Microsoft fell a more modest 2% in a broad technology sell-off that was also driven by a weaker-than-expected report from Google-parent Alphabet, leaving the Nasdaq down 2.1% at...

US Based Startup Cloudflare to Launch a $3.5 billion IPO

24Oct By Gauri SinghNo Comments

Market

US Based Startup Cloudflare to Launch a $3.5 billion IPO

US startup Cloudflare whose software makes websites load faster and with greater security is planning to launch its initial public offering (IPO) that could value it at more than $3.5 billion. The company is expecting to go public in the first half of next year, joining a string of software and internet firms seeking to tap the stock market and capitalize on strong investor appetite and rich valuations. The IPO will be led by investment bank Goldman Sachs, however, the exact timing of the IPO has not been finalized. Founded in 2009 by Lee Holloway, Matthew Prince, and Michelle Zatlyn, Cloudflare as of now, has raised a total of $182.1 million. Cloudflare’s services help websites load faster and prevent security breaches. The company claims to have more than 154 data centers and se...

Apple Updated Its Privacy Website for the US Users

18Oct By Gauri SinghNo Comments

USA

Apple Updated Its Privacy Website for the US Users

The iPhone maker Apple has launched its online tool for the users in the United States and some other countries with the help of which the users can download, change or delete all the data that the iPhone maker has collected on them. Apple has updated its privacy website with the tool, which was rolled out earlier this year for users in the European Union. With this, the iPhone maker will now let users in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand see and download all information that Apple has collected on them. It also plans to roll out the same tool for all users aosscr the globe by the end of the year. Apple devices such as the iPhone or Apple Watch collect detailed data about users, such as whom they email, call or text message and even biometric data such as heart rat...

Google’s Waze Expands Carpooling Service in the US

11Oct By Gauri SinghNo Comments

USA

Google’s Waze Expands Carpooling Service in the US

With the community-based GPS Navigation App called Waze, Google will start to offer its pay-to-carpool service throughout the US. This is a step towards reducing the commute-time congestion for which the app has been basically designed. This expansion is built upon a carpooling system that Waze began testing two years ago. Initially, it began in northern California and Israel before gradually extending it into Brazil and parts of 12 other states. Now, the service will be made available to all the users in the US. "We don't want to be a professional driving network," Waze founder and CEO Noam Bardi said. "We see ride-sharing as something that needs to become part of the daily commute. If we can't get people out of their cars, it won't be solving anything.” For the purpose of giving som...

US-based Thomas Cook May Acquire Mumbai’s Traveljunkie

8Oct By Gauri SinghNo Comments

ACQUISITION

US-based Thomas Cook May Acquire Mumbai’s Traveljunkie

The US-based popular travel agency Thomas Cook is eyeing to acquire 24% stake in Mumbai-based Traveljunkie, which recommends destinations and help people plan their trips and book activities, hotels and flights. The startup Traveljunkie basically serves people traveling to Thailand, Indonesia and Turkey. The company was founded in 2015 by IIT-Bombay graduates Ameya Sahasrabudhe and Rahul Singh. The source of revenue for the startup is the commission that it charges from operators and vendors selling local activities and experiences. The good part is that the users are not charged anything. “For Thomas Cook, the partnership with Ithaka creates a new channel that reaches and serves millennials, while for Ithaka, the partnership delivers an end-to-end, bookable experience,” said Madhav...