Tag: San Francisco

Locus Earns Dual Recognition in 2024 Gartner Market Guides

SAN FRANCISCO, June 27, 2024  — Locus, a global AI-powered integrated logistics management SaaS company, has been recognized as a Representative Vendor in the Gartner® Market Guide for Last-Mile Delivery Technology Solutions, 2024 (LMD).

Locus 2024 Gartner-Market-Guide

Locus Receives Dual Recognition in 2024 Gartner® Market Guides for Last-Mile Delivery Technology and Multicarrier Parcel Management Solutions This recognition comes shortly after Locus was also acknowledged in the 2024 Gartner® Market Guide for Multicarrier Parcel Management Solutions (MCPMS), reinforcing the company’s impactful presence across the logistics technology landscape.

Locus has continued to drive innovation within the logistics sector, leveraging technology to optimize last-mile delivery and fulfillment, significantly reducing costs and enhancing customer experiences. This recognition reflects the success and effectiveness of Locus’ comprehensive solutions tailored to the intricate needs of last-mile operations.

The Gartner Market Guide notes, “New digitalization initiatives, the increasing adoption of e-commerce, and the need to optimize transportation costs to improve the end-consumer experience and increase brand engagement are some of the challenges LMD solutions must solve. Pre- and post-purchase processes have been impacted by those challenges, requiring organizations to adopt technology that enables optimized delivery orchestration to provide more comfort, options, and a better experience overall to the end consumer.”

Speaking on the development, Nishith Rastogi, Founder and CEO of Locus commented, “We believe this acknowledgment by Gartner underscores our commitment to technological innovation and excellence in logistics operations. For close to a decade, we have been extremely proud of setting new benchmarks for last-mile fulfillment and elevating the quality of customer experience in this complex but crucial domain. We are excited about the possibilities that AI holds in developing new standards of last-mile excellence and customer experience, and we look forward to developing a new generation of leading-edge solutions to set these benchmarks and unlock real-world growth at scale.”

Recognizing Excellence: Telugu Business Leaders Making Waves in the USA

D C Manjunath Consul General of India gave away the awards

The Telugu People are a very strong community in the USA. 40% of Indians studying in the USA are Telugu. Telugu is the fastest-growing language in the USA. Telugu is the USA’s third most-spoken Indian language. Approximately 10 lakh Telugu People live in America.

Hyderabad, June 20, 2024…Telugu Times, a publication that has been catering to the Telugu diaspora in the USA for the past 21 years, presented the second edition of Business Excellence Awards 2024 to successful Telugu entrepreneurs in Dallas, in the United States of America.

Sri D C Manjunath Consul General of India, was the Chief Guest. He appreciated the Telugu community’s role in the US economy and the Indian economy with growing remittances to India year after year. He also appreciated Telugu Times for serving the Telugu Community.

Mr J. A Choudhary, Former Adviser – IT&C, Government of Andhra Pradesh, who was Guest of Honor recalled how several IT Professionals benefited from STPI (Software Technology Park of India) Hyderabad in his tenure and congratulated the Entrepreneurs for their success and excellence.

The Award Winners were Mr Srikanth Gaddam, CEO -of ERPA, Columbus Ohio- IT Services Category; Mr Dayakar Puskoor, CEO- Dallas Venture Capital – Venture Capital and Investment Category; Dr Yogi Chimata, Dallas Renal Group, Dallas – Hospitals and Healthcare category; Mr ANIL SUNKARA, Producer- AK Entertainments, Dallas, TX – Cinema and Entertainment; Mr BALA Indurthi – President- Sankar Netralaya, Atlanta, GA – Community Service; Ms Geetha Dammanna – CEO- Dammanna Law, Dallas, TX – Legal; Mr Ramesh Gadiraju, A2B Sweets & Restaurants, – Hospitality; Mr Kiran Pasham, President- Splash BI, Atlanta, GA – IT Products Development; Mr Vijay Borra- CEO- DFW Lands, Dallas, TX- Real Estate; Mr Maheswara KAS- CEO, KK Software Associates, Columbus OH- IT Staffing.

Giving his opening remarks, Telugu Times Editor and CEO Chennuri Venkata Subba Row, Telugu Times embarked on this initiative last year to recognize and honour business excellence of the Telugu business community and showcase their talents to the world by honouring them with awards. Telugu in the USA is a very strong community. Nearly ten lahks Telugu people live in the USA. 40 percent of Indian students in America are Telugu. Telugu is the fastest-growing language in the USA. Telugu-speaking people are the largest ethnic group in the USA. Telugu people run several restaurants and theatres. Telugu films are released in the US one day before. More Hindu temples have come up in the USA. No Indian state has as robust a relationship as two Telugu states and the US have. The strength of our relationship is our people-to-people connections, strong democracy, and shared values, so he added that we felt the need for such an initiative.

Dayakar Puskoor CEO Dallass Venture Capital seen receiving Telugu Times Business Excellence Awards in VC & Investments Category

The rise in the Telugu population is attributed to the increasing representation of the Telugu diaspora in the technological field, especially after Y2K

“For the thousands of readers for whom Telugu Times has been an integral part of their Indian-American journey, ” Subba Row added.

The awards ceremony was first held in Milpitas, San Francisco in June 2023, and now for the second time it happened in Dallas, TX in June 2024.

Mr Nagendra Bandaru, Executive Board Member – WIPRO & President of Enterprise Futuring, delivered a Keynote address on Success in Technology Leadership & Future of AI, ably moderated by Mr Satish Manduva, CEO- Intelli Soft Technologies & Founder President- IT Serve Alliance.

Mr Raja Doddala, Head of Growth Equity & Investments- Churchill Asset Management spoke on VC Funding for Emerging Tech Firms & Growth Equity. The Fireside Chat was moderated by Mr Ram Nandhyala.

Plano Mayor John B. Munns, Mr Gopal Ponangi, Trustee, Frisco School District ISD, and Mr Tony Singh, Council Member – Little Elm City were present.

Mr Prasad Thotakura, Former President-TANA, Mr G Atma Charan Reddy, Former President- ATA, Mr Bapaiah Nuthi, Former President -NATS, Mr Sridhar Korsapati, Former President -NATA, Ms Neel Gonuguntla, US India Chamber of Commerce DFW and several other dignitaries of the Indian diaspora graced.

Mr Nagendra Badaru gave away Appreciation Mementos to Partners & Sponsors – Mr Suresh Manduva & Mr Satish Bandaru (TANTEX) Mr Sridhar Bendapudi (IT Bluebird), Mr Seshu Kalra (Soft Keys Inc), Mr Venkateswara Chinni (Pelican Valley), Mr Krisha Korada (APLLAZ) and others.

CleverTap’s 2024 Report: Brands with High AI Adoption Witness 4x Conversion Boost

San Francisco, Calif, & Mumbai, India, May 17, 2024CleverTap, the all-in- one engagement platform,  released its market research report on “The AI Edge in Customer Engagement”. The report sheds light on how AI is the next frontier in the customer engagement domain and how brands can implement AI for the right use cases and gain maturity in AI adoption to drive a boost in conversion and growth in business value.

The research conducted by CleverTap highlights insights from analyzing 42 global brands, running campaigns for millions of customers across more than 50 countries. The research participants included a broad spectrum of professionals, from technical specialists in AI to marketing strategists, including profiles like VPs, CMOs, Data Science leads, Product Managers, and Marketers.

The research study serves as a guide for brands navigating the implementation of AI. Brands at the initial stages of AI adoption should aim to progress towards more advanced levels. This will involve brands needing to shift from using AI for operational efficiency to leveraging it for personalization, experimentation, and ultimately, strategic planning and decision-making.

CleverTap has found that in the customer engagement domain:

 54% respondents achieved faster content generation and campaign rollout with AI  82% of respondents have experienced increased operational efficiency with AI by streamlining workflows and automating content generation
 64% of respondents have used AI to build personalized experiences and content resonating with individual preferences at scale with real-time experimentation for optimal engagement
 39% of respondents leveraged AI for automated decision-making and taking more informed decisions by analyzing large volumes of data, predicting outcomes and strategizing for the next best action

In terms of adoption of AI by teams within a brand:

 71.4% of respondents highlight that AI capabilities are most extensively utilized by content teams, underscoring the pivotal role AI plays in content generation
 Followed by growth marketing teams at 57.1% indicating a robust application of AI in strategizing and expanding marketing efforts. Central marketing and product teams also integrate AI into their operations, although to a lesser extent

CleverTap found that brands today miss out on 4x higher conversions and improved business value due to inefficient AI adoption. CleverTap also assessed the impact of adoption of Clever.AI, CleverTap’s AI engine in brands by classifying these into three levels based on their AI-driven use cases in customer engagement.

The research study categorizes brands based on the value they have realized through three distinct levels of AI adoption. These classifications are determined by their use of Clever.AI’s capabilities in driving operational efficiency, enhancing personalization and experimentation at scale, and automating decision-making.

 In Level 1, 89% respondents observed operational efficiency as the primary benefit when utilizing Clever.AI’s capabilities
 In Level 2, 90% of respondents observed scalability of personalization and experimentation as their top gain from Clever.AI’s capabilities
 In Level 3, around 67% of participants in this category selected AI-automated decision making as their foremost benefit from integrating Clever.AI

The report further looked at the impact of AI on conversion rates and on business value. For more information, download the report here.

Commenting on the report, Jacob Joseph, VP – Data Science, CleverTap, said, “AI is the catalyst reshaping every facet of today’s brands – from optimizing operations and enriching customer engagement to revolutionizing decision-making. The insights highlighted in our 2024 market research report offers a great strategic approach for brands at the initial stages of AI adoption should aim to progress gaining maturity and achieve significant improvements in conversion rates and business value. After all, AI in customer engagement or in a tech stack is no longer just an enhancement, but a necessity for a competitive advantage while addressing evolving customer expectations.”

iGrad Launches Financial Literacy Platform for San Francisco State University Students

iGrad has launched a customized, interactive online and mobile financial wellness platform for San Francisco State University’s more than 23,000 students.

iGrad’s platform for SF State students includes comprehensive customized and interactive information on everything from building and maintaining good credit, budgeting and money management to student loan/debt management and loan calculators.

Research shows that student financial literacy programs can decrease financial stress, improve academic performance and teach students how to manage their finances for a lifetime.

With declining enrollment and degree-achievement rates across the nation, bolstering student financial literacy is a priority for many colleges and universities. Since the start of the pandemic, college enrollment has declined 5.1 percent, with “unprecedented” declines among students from low-income or high-poverty high schools, according to a new report[1] by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics[2] shows that, even pre-pandemic, the degree achievement rate for all students nationally was only about 62 percent.

“Now more than ever, college students are facing tremendous financial challenges impacting enrollment, retention and the level of student loan debt, which is already the second-largest category of debt in the country,” said iGrad Vice President of Business Development Donna Miller.

iGrad is currently used by more than 600 public and private colleges and universities of all sizes, including San Jose State University, UC Berkeley, New York University and Davidson College.

Based on artificial intelligence and proprietary algorithms, iGrad personalizes financial information for each student’s situation and needs. It also offers:

-Tools, quizzes, videos, articles and a library of multimedia content.

-A student loan tracking tool which aggregates student loan balances and estimates monthly payments, helping to prepare students for these payments after graduation.

Because it adapts to each user’s specific circumstances, it can even provide interactive educational content on retirement and mortgages to those who need it.