Blog Full - Ashok Karania

4 Dec 2015

HCE – Why Does This Disruptive NextGen Technology Matter?

Host Card Emulation (HCE) is topic of season in the contactless world. It is an disruptive technology which promises to open up new business cases and challenge the incumbent Secure Element (SE) technology. It is redefining mobile payment, access control and identification use-cases.

Host Card Emulation is an enabler technology, which allows NFC enabled mobile device to emulate any contactless smart card and store the secure data remotely on the cloud. Traditionally the user data was only stored inside a mobile device, popularly known as Secure Element Platforms.

HCE allows users to just tap their mobile devices on the terminals to initiate transactions with an app of their choice. HCE will allow Telcos and Banks to quickly launch contactless mobile services.

HCE is a game-changer due to the following reasons:

Quick Launch To Market: HCE is a software based solution and hence quicker to launch and market. The hardware based solution – Secure Element – is a time consuming process as the roll-out is dependent on ensuring SE on Mobile SIM card or embedded Secure Element.

Cost-Effective: HCE wallets are like any other apps. So there is no cost of special devices with secure element or additional memory cards or fobs. It is cheaper for banks and other service providers to launch these wallets.

Versatile: HCE Apps can be versatile. It can be used for various services including Payments, tokens/loyalty programs, access control, transit ticketing, and other value added services alike.

Secure: Tokenisation and key rotation ensure the HCE solutions are secure. More work is being done to ensure higher security levels. HCE is a new technology and it will get better with each season.

Industry-Support: Visa and MasterCard support HCE. It is a big endorsement. The HCE support comes pre-packaged in Android Kitkat OS. Blackberry was the first OS to support HCE. HCE works with NFC enabled devices.

The HCE ecosystem ensures easy implementation, quick scalability and fast roll-outs. Indeed the steps in the right direction for the mobile payment industry. The best part is the opening up of new use-cases and business scenarios that are so vital for the cloud-driven mobile-first digital lives.

8 Nov 2015

Masaan: A Cinematic Gem

Masaan is a cinematic gem of 2015. It is a complex multi-layered movie with poetry, pain and beauty. The visually rich movie presents the intertwined stories of four lives stuck in Varanasi – the place of liberation for majority of Indians.

The highly stimulating movie presents Varanasi in a completely different light. This is not the Varanasi of Lonely Planet. This is the Varanasi of its forgotten and unseen people – the different people who make up this city. The struggle between the traditional Varanasi eco-system and the rising modernity within the city. The city where millions find gateway from life and where Youtube, Facebook are changing lives.

The main character of the movie is Devi – Richa Chadda. Her plan to kill her curiosity goes haywire and her boyfriend commits suicide. A shamelessly corrupt cop exploits the situation and her father is forced into a ransom overdrive. He uses a young child for meeting the unjust demands of the cop. But the movie’s main plot is overtaken by the show-stealer Deepak – Vicky Kaushal. He is the son of the dom – corpse burners. In the day he studies engineering and in the night he helps his family meet the ends. He falls in love with the high caste, poetry-loving Shaalu. The tender-sweet love story and chemistry is heart-warming. The caste barrier presents an interesting challenge to their love story.

The movie is about redemption, rebellion and societal changes. Devi finds her way out and moves ahead after practical and emotional closure. Shaalu is ready to run away and not accept societal rules.

Movie’s rich story is matched by the great cinematography, which is a great character in itself. The different shades of Ganga, the pyres or the balloons rising in the festival skylight – all beautifully captured. The music is awesome. The lyrics of Dushyant Kumar – Tu Kisi Rail Si Gujarti Hai, Main Kisi Pool Sa Thartharata Hoon – very thoughtful, moving and philosophically apt for the movie.

Neeraj Gheywan delivers a stunning movie on Varun Grover’s world-class script. Masaan is a must-watch !

1 Nov 2015

Spectre: The Best Of The Bond

James Bond’s 24th Outing Is A Flamboyant Act. The Opening Action Is High Adrenalin. The Car Chase Is Awesome. The Women Get More Stunning. Bond Is Globe-Trotting Across Mexico, Italy, Austria, Morocco And UK. The Sound Track Is Great. In Short, It Brings Together The Best Of The Bond In A 300 Million Visual Treat.

Daniel Craig Has Reinvented Bond & Brought It To New Heights. Skyfall Was The Biggest Bond Film And No.1 British Move Of All Time In Collection. Daniel Craig Is In Terrific Form. Sam Mendes Brings Together Bond Stories For A Flamboyant Tale And Does A Good Job. Lea Seydoux Is OK But Monica Bellucci Is Definitely Wasted.

In Terms Of Depth & Substance, Skyfall Was Better! But This Is A Good Watch !

Thanks Daniel Craig – Time For Tom Hardy Or Michael Fassbender? Or Will Beckham Be The Wild Card?

24 Oct 2015

How Taylor Swift Is Shaking Off The Music Entertainment Business?

Is Taylor Swift The New Challenger For Indra Nooyi, Sheryl Sandberg, Mary Barra, Marissa Mayer? Taylor Swift Is A Clever Businesswoman For Sure!

Her website defines her position and ambition very clearly: “She is, quite simply, a global superstar.” And rightfully so !

Taylor Swift is everywhere. She is on a roll. She is checking all the boxes:
1. Sweeping Music Awards
2. Record Fan Base – 50 Million Plus Followers on Instagram, 1 Billion Plus Views for “Shake It Off”
3. On Covers of Time, Forbes & Fortune. On All The Lists (Including Fortune’s Most Powerful Women List – Youngest Woman @ 25)
4. Rising Brand Equity – Earning A Million Dollar A Day

So how did Taylor Swift “Shake It Off”? No Rocket Science, I guess.

1. Clear Goals: She always wanted to be a Music Diva. She executed her childhood dream and worked her way up.
2. Focus: She is a very focused professional. She takes her job seriously. She wrote her lyrics, sang and earned fans by performing at events, festivals, shows. She promoted her each album with religious sincerity. She has made albums every two years and is focused on her main line of business.
3. Image Management: She has created a distinct image for herself. She is a REAL star. She is Genuine and has made the right choices. She is in the media for usually all the right reasons. She has gone beyond the stereotype image of a music star as just a Glam Girl, Bad Girl etc. The way she handled Kanye West controversy in 2009 showed her maturity and her intent for staying for the long run. She has leveraged Social Media successfully and created a strong following. She directly engages with her fans in her unique style and this has created a genuine fan connect and loyalty.
4. Savvy Businesswoman: She means business. And she is willing to take a stand. Ask Apple ! She took on Apple Music for the way it compensated the musicians during the Apple Music Trial period. She took on Spotify as well and refused to put her music on Spotify claiming that they did not compensate artists properly. She has made strong product endorsement deals and handle various negotiations smartly. (She has strong economics DNA for sure. Her father is a VP at Merrill Lynch and her mother was in Mutual Fund marketing).
5. Perfect Philanthropist: No doubt, Taylor Swift is phenomenal as an artist. “Shake It Off” did not get more than 1 Billion plus views or 1984 tour was not a success without any reason. But she is not content with her main day job. She has leveraged the “Taylor Swift” power for pushing philanthropic initiatives that matter. Whether is children education, children health, LGBT or natural disasters, she supports the right organisations. Michelle Obama presented Swift with The Big Help Award for her “dedication to helping others” and “inspiring others through action”. And today’s consumer loves a humane artist, not a wild brat!

Her success has lessons for individuals and businesses – clear goals, focus, execution, perception management, social media best practices, brand values.

So far so good. But Taylor Swift is no regular music diva. She is not going to be sitting on her laurels. As an artist who speaks passionately about being reborn daily, she is pushing the envelope for the music entertainment industry. And she never says never. Keep watching Taylor Swift!

Image Courtesy: Taylor Swift Official Website