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<keyword id="2987777" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Polaris-Consulting-Services">Polaris Consulting &amp; Services</keyword> Ltd., a mid-sized banking software services company, hit its highest level in 10 months on media reports that owners were in talks for selling a controlling stake in the company. 

	The Economic Times reported that promoter Arun Jain and major private equity investors were in talks with potential buyers for a stake sale in Polaris, which has a market capitalisation of 2,100 crore rupees. Arun Jain owns a shade less than 30 percent stake in Polaris.
 

	Polaris surged 13 rupees, or 6.8 percent, to 221 rupees on the National Stock Exchange where 20.4 lakh shares changed hands in the first hour of trade versus the 5-day average of 15.8 lakh shares.
 

	The proposed stake sale is being negotiated in the 275-325 rupee price band, ET said on its front page.

Shares of Polaris Consulting & Services hit its highest in 10 months

Shares of <keyword id="2987777" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Polaris-Consulting-Services">Polaris Consulting &amp; Services</keyword> Ltd. fell from intra-day high after the midsized software developer reported a modest fall in quarterly profit on the back of higher staff costs. 
 
Polaris said its first quarter Net Profit fell 9 percent to 38 crore rupees compared with 41.8 crore rupees in the same quarter a year ago. Sales during April-June rose 4 percent to 495.8 crore rupees from 474.6 crore rupees in the year ago period. 
 
Polaris fell 2.45 rupees, or 1.2 percent, to 209.25 rupees on the National Stock Exchange, where 19.4 lakh shares were traded by 2:36 pm compared with the 5-day average of 9.30 lakh shares. 
 
Polaris' market capitalisation has remained flat at 2081 crore rupees over the past one year. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

​Shares of  Polaris Consulting & Services fell from intra-day high. Know why

Financial services major <keyword id="2695417" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Polaris-Consulting-and-Services-Ltd">Polaris Consulting and Services Ltd</keyword> has brought in industry veteran <keyword id="2695418" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jonathan-Beyman">Jonathan Beyman</keyword> on its board. Beyman was the former managing director and global head of operations and technology of Institutional Clients Group vertical at Citi Group. 
	 
	“With his experience in driving technology as an enabler at Citi, Byman is an evangelist for digital transformation. The Board of Directors unanimously felt that he would add immense value as Polaris enables the digital transformation of its clients,” the company said in a statement. 
	 
	As the former managing director of Citi Group, New York-based Beyman was responsible for operations and technology activities of all three key ventures, which included investment bank, private bank and global transaction business. “He also chaired the Chief Information Officer's Council in Citi, a consolidated governance and decision making body that sets unified policies and standards worldwide across the bank,” added the company. 
	 
	Beyman has headed financial majors Lehman Brothers as its managing directors and global head of operations and chief information officer. He has also served as the managing director of Credit Suisse as well as served the board of US post trade financial firm Depository Trust Corporation and NPower. 
	 
	Image Credit: Official Website of the Company

Industry
Veteran Johnathen Beyman Joins Polaris’ Board Of Directors

US-based Virtusa today agreed to buy majority 53 per cent stake in Chennai-based <keyword id="2587463" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Polaris-Consulting">Polaris Consulting</keyword> and Services for about Rs 1,173 crore. 
 
The combination will equip Virtusa to provide end-to-end global banking and financial services and solutions and pursue larger consulting and outsourcing opportunities. 
 
According to the agreement, a subsidiary of Virtusa will acquire about 53 per cent of the paid up share capital from certain promoter entities, led by Arun Jain, and certain other shareholders, including OrbiTech (formerly known as Orbitech Limited), Virtusa said in a statement. 
 
Virtusa will purchase shares at a price of about Rs 220.73 apiece, aggregating to about Rs 1,173 crore, it added. 
 
"In addition, Virtusa will make an unconditional mandatory offer to the public shareholders of Polaris to purchase up to an additional 26 per cent of the outstanding shares of Polaris," it said. 
The deal will expand presence in key markets and enhance the ability to pursue larger consulting and outsourcing contracts, the statement said. 
 
Polaris Consulting and Services had posted a net profit of Rs 47.34 crore, while its income from software development, support and BPO services stood at Rs 517.67 crore in the July-September 2015 quarter. 
 
The deal was announced after trading hours. Polaris shares closed at Rs 204.50 apiece, down 1.02 per cent from previous close, on the BSE. 
 
"I am delighted to have identified Kris Canekeratne and his team at Virtusa to pass on the baton to grow Polaris by offering greater value to customers and more opportunities for the team," Polaris Consulting and Services Chairman Arun Jain said. 
 
Last year, IT services firm Polaris Financial Technology (Polaris FT) had carved out its products business into Intellect Design Arena. Polaris FT later rebranded itself as Polaris Consulting and Services. 
 
It had 7,648 employees (excluding BPO division) at the end of September 30, 2015. 
 
"This will also enable me to establish and pursue innovative models for social impact using Design Thinking in the areas of health and education, in addition to my focus on steering Intellect Design Arena Limited into a global digital products powerhouse," he said. 
 
Virtusa Chairman and CEO Kris Canekeratne said Polaris brings a terrific team and an attractive, blue-chip client base to the organisation. 
 Upon closing of the transaction in the quarter ended March 2016, <keyword id="44473" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Citigroup">Citigroup</keyword> Technology Inc will designate Virtusa and Polaris as a preferred vendor for providing IT services on an enterprise-wide basis. 
 
In addition, the companies have agreed to certain productivity savings and associated reduced spend commitments for a period of two years, which, if not achieved, would require Virtusa/Polaris to provide certain minimum discounts to Citi. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

US-based Virtusa to buy 53% stake in Chennai-based Polaris Consulting for Rs 1,173 crore

India’s fair trade regulator <keyword id="47183" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CCI">CCI</keyword> has stamped US-based technology outsourcing company <keyword id="228818" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Virtusa">Virtusa</keyword> Corp to acquire 53% stake in mid-tier Indian IT firm <keyword id="52089" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="polaris">Polaris</keyword> Consulting &amp; Services. 
 
The deal, which is set for about Rs 1,173 crore, will help Virtusa provide end-to-end global banking and financial services, and will also let it pursue larger consulting and outsourcing opportunities. 
 
Virtusa, which is a global firm providing IT consulting, technology implementation and application outsourcing services, also deals in communications and technology, banking, finance and insurance. 
 
In November last year, Virtusa had announced its decision to acquire about 53% of the paid-up share capital from certain promoter entities led by Arun Jain and certain other shareholders, including OrbiTech. The shares would be purchased for Rs 220.73, which would sum up to Rs 1,173 crore. 
 
<a href="http://www.freshers.asia/jobs/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/freshers.asia_.jpg">Image source</a>

Virtusa is making a fair buy of 53% stake in Polaris

<keyword id="6361043" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Software">Software</keyword> stocks were in a modest uptrend in an otherwise weak market as the Rupee's depreciation versus the Dollar and other currencies put the export-oriented sector under the limelight. <keyword id="6354512" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> and <keyword id="6357585" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Tata-Consultancy-Services">Tata Consultancy Services</keyword> were also the top gainers on the Nifty.
 

	The Rupee fell 1 percent on Wednesday, its sharpest intra-day fall in 3 months, after China devalued its currency by 2 percent on Tuesday. Software companies have a majority of their earnings denominated in Dollars and a weakness in the Rupee pushes their revenues further up.
 

	As a consequence, Infosys rose 2 percent to 1,135 rupees on the National Stock Exchange. TCS added 1.4 percent to 2,642 rupees. HCL Tech was up 0.7 percent to 951.25 rupees and MindTree gained 7.2 rupees at 1,389.85 rupees.
 

	Other IT stocks in the uptrend were CMC, KPIT Tech, MphasiS, Polaris and Sonata Software.

	 
	
		The BSE IT Index was also the lone gainer in a sea of red that enveloped the sectoral space. 
		 
		Image credit: Indiatimes

Software stocks are doing reasonably well at the Markets today

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In 1990, Tom Stuker bought a United Airlines lifetime pass. He has since flown 23 million miles. </li><li>Stuker has redeemed countless numbers of miles and at one point didn't sleep in a bed for 12 days.</li></ul>Tom Stuker isn't your typical frequent flier.While many travelers speak fondly of stays at luxury resorts and the first-class seats they were able to book from amassing loads of airline miles, Stuker is in a class of his own.Stuker — a car dealership consultant from New Jersey — has flown 23 million miles, which, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/23/united-airlines-very-frequent-flyer/">according to The Washington Post</a>, is more miles than any individual in history.In 1990, United Airlines advertised a lifetime pass for $290,000, and Stuker quickly snagged the offer.Now, 33 years later, Stuker frequently enjoys his favored perch in seat 1B.Per the Washington Post, Stuker at one point spent 12 consecutive days without touching a bed, as he flew from the Newark to San Francisco and then to Bangkok and Dubai, only spending time outside of the friendly skies while he visited airport lounges.Stuker, now 69 years old, told the newspaper that his frequent travels were driven by the accumulation of airline miles."Best investment of my life," he said.Stuker said he knew early on that frequent-flier miles weren't just a way to get more flights; he also ended up selling and trading miles with others.He told The Post he once used miles to obtain so many gift cards that he was able to renovate his brother's home.(United no longer extends such passes to its fliers, per the newspaper.)He even won an auction years ago — bidding 451,000 miles — to be a guest on an episode of NBC's "Seinfeld."Stuker told The Post that he has been to 100 countries and had over 120 honeymoons with his wife.And United has embraced Stuker, asking for his input in crafting the menu at their Polaris clubs. And according to The Post, the airline has a Mercedes ready on the airport tarmac if Stuker needs to make a quick connection.Representatives on United's 800 number even recognize Stuker.That level of service seems almost mythical, but Stuker is still reaping the benefits of his 1990s-era pass that has truly put the world at his fingertips.

In 1990, Tom Stuker bought a lifetime pass from United Airlines for $290,000. He has since flown 23 million miles and calls the purchase the 'best investment' of his life.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-qanon-explaining-the-far-right-conspiracy-theory-2020-7">far-right conspiracy theory QAnon</a> claims a network of liberal elites is kidnapping children <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/12/technology/qanon-save-the-children-trafficking.html">into sex-trafficking rings</a>.</li><li>The <keyword id="9152811" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="qanon">QAnon</keyword> movement, which originated on the internet message board 4chan and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-document-conspiracy-theories-domestic-terrorism-threat-2019-8">is considered by the FBI to be a domestic-terror threat</a>, has been <a href="https://www.insider.com/qanon-theories-inflate-child-sex-trafficking-case-count-2020-9">criticized by people working to prevent sex trafficking</a>.</li><li>Sex-trafficking survivors told Insider they felt exploited by QAnon, and they say the group's <keyword id="1379614" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="conspiracy-theories">conspiracy theories</keyword> are infuriating.</li></ul>Christy Croft, a sex-trafficking survivor and activist, was scrolling through social media in July when they came across a debunked conspiracy theory claiming that the <a href="https://www.insider.com/wayfair-human-trafficking-conspiracy-theory-tied-to-qanon-2020-7">furniture company Wayfair was selling kidnapped children</a>.At the time, <a href="https://twitter.com/4ngl3rf1sh/status/1282471830230622214">hundreds of thousands of people</a> on social media were discussing the falsehood. Croft decided to look into the conspiracy theory after seeing that other survivors and fellow anti-trafficking professionals were criticizing it."I was appalled — and immediately frustrated with the really strong pushback I encountered with people when I tried to correct misinformation," Croft told Insider.The accusation about Wayfair, traced back to the larger conspiracy theory QAnon, is not true. Wayfair has <a href="https://www.insider.com/wayfair-human-trafficking-conspiracy-theory-tied-to-qanon-2020-7">denied claims it is trafficking children</a>, and the claim has been debunked by <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/">Snopes</a>, <a href="https://leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2020/07/fact-check-wayfair-is-not-selling-human-trafficked-children-on-their-website-with-very-expensive-cabinets.html">independent fact-checkers</a>, and <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/wayfair-child-trafficking-conspiracy-theory-cabinets-scandal-1517013">many journalists</a>.This wasn't the first time Croft encountered misinformation while working as an activist against <keyword id="386171" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="sex-trafficking">sex trafficking</keyword>. But Croft has noticed an uptick, driven by the QAnon movement's ability to spread misinformation so easily.At its core, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-qanon-explaining-the-far-right-conspiracy-theory-2020-7">QAnon</a> is premised on the baseless conspiracy theory that President Donald Trump is secretly fighting a cabal of satanic pedophiles and cannibals. One of its most prominent preoccupations is the false notion that Democratic elites run a vast pedophilic sex-trafficking ring.QAnon theories, Croft told Insider, make it harder to fight misinformation about the real-life problem and hijack attention from the cause. Croft and other sex-trafficking survivors told Insider the discredited theories were exploitative and, oftentimes, infuriating."As a survivor, when I see it, I feel exploited again," Croft said. "I feel like my trauma and the trauma of people like me is being exploited for purposes other than ending trafficking."<h2>QAnon appropriates the real-life problem of sex trafficking</h2>Croft said QAnon believers often questioned and attempted to discredit work done by survivors, accusing them of being "part of the cover-up.""It's really infuriating when you have survivors who have lived experience and are working full time in this field and have helped tons and tons of survivors saying 'Actually that's not quite right,'" Croft said. "And you have someone with no experience and no professional expertise with a whole day of internet research on unverified sites telling you: 'You don't know your own life.'"<div type="image" title="qanon save the children rally" height="1664" width="2500" msid="78504093" hostid="261"></div>Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman, who <a href="https://www.rescue.org/article/human-trafficking-survivor-national-security-adviser">as a child was kidnapped</a> from his hometown in Honduras, smuggled into the US by human traffickers, and repeatedly sexually assaulted, told Insider the anti-trafficking movement had been fighting "huge amounts of misinformation" for years."It's really difficult for people to really differentiate the super-sensationalization of human trafficking," Piraino-Guzman, who worked on President Barack Obama's US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, said. "People don't really know what human trafficking is, and they're creating these type of stories distract from the real issue."<a href="https://www.insider.com/qanon-save-the-children-pedophilia-sex-trafficking-paranoia-2020-9">As Insider's Rachel Greenspan has reported</a>, QAnon believers package their sex-trafficking conspiracy theories "into simple, hard-to-challenge 'Save the Children' rhetoric" that's been spread across the internet, leading to fundraisers, <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article245299775.html">protests</a>, and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/qanon-looms-behind-nationwide-rallies-viral-hashtags-n1237722">rallies</a> calling for help to prevent trafficking.<div type="image" title="qanon trump rally family children" height="1666" width="2500" msid="78504095" hostid="261"></div>Members of the movement, which originated on the internet message board 4chan and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-document-conspiracy-theories-domestic-terrorism-threat-2019-8">is considered by the FBI as a risk for domestic terrorism</a>, spread the false "Pizzagate" claim that Hillary Clinton and other elite Democrats <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/httpsmiccomarticles180640pizzagate-shooter-gets-4-year-prison-sentence-lawyers-urged-judge-to-deter-vigilantism8nvrpa14b">ran a sex-abuse ring from a Washington, DC, pizzeria</a>.In recent months, followers have also claimed that phishing scam texts sent by people posing to be with the US Postal Service were <a href="https://www.insider.com/usps-text-scam-fake-package-sex-trafficking-2020-9">part of a human-trafficking scheme</a>.But QAnon's anti-trafficking campaign, which has been supported by numerous candidates in the <a href="https://www.insider.com/qanon-conspiracy-theory-facebook-twitter-fox-news-oann-numbers-2020-7">November US election</a>, relies on <a href="https://insider.com/child-trafficking-prosecutions-lower-during-trump-presidency-2020-9">exaggerated data</a>, false accusations of <a href="https://www.insider.com/qanon-theories-inflate-child-sex-trafficking-case-count-2020-9">children being kidnapped from their homes</a>, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/qanon-the-conspiracy-theorycreeping-into-us-politics/2020/08/21/1a1d4940-e3dd-11ea-82d8-5e55d47e90ca_story.html">partisan rhetoric</a>.Ultimately, hard data <a href="https://www.insider.com/qanon-theories-inflate-child-sex-trafficking-case-count-2020-9">on sex trafficking is hard to establish</a> — some organizations recirculate out-of-date statistics, while others avoid producing credible research on the topic, according to the HuffPost reporter Michael Hobbes, who wrote <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/futile-quest-hard-numbers-child-sex-trafficking_n_5f6921cac5b655acbc6e9e70?ncid=NEWSSTAND0005">an article detailing the difficulty in finding hard numbers on the issue</a>.The very premise that Trump has a particularly hard stance against child sex trafficking is also dubious, as <a href="https://www.insider.com/child-trafficking-prosecutions-lower-during-trump-presidency-2020-9">federal prosecutions of those cases have fallen under his presidency</a>.<h2>When conspiracy theories distract from real solutions</h2>Piraino-Guzman said that by sharing misinformation, people were avoiding acknowledging larger issues when it came to trafficking, like helping vulnerable communities."It's easier to scream like bloody hell that there is an issue here rather than actually doing something to acknowledge that maybe we are consuming products that are produced by forced labor, or we are maybe staying in hotel rooms where somebody has been sexually exploited," he said.<a href="https://polarisproject.org/our-work/">According to the anti-trafficking organization Polaris Project</a>, vulnerable communities are most at risk of being trafficked, which the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ceos/child-sex-trafficking">Department of Justice</a> defines as "exploiting a person for labor, services, or commercial sex."Sex traffickers normally target vulnerable communities by luring them in with "offer of food, clothes, attention, friendship, love, and a seemingly safe place to sleep," <a href="https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ceos/child-sex-trafficking">according to the Department of Justice</a>.<div type="image" title="save the children man arrested baby murder charge" height="673" width="1024" msid="78504097" hostid="261"></div>Most often, factors including recent relocation, substance use, mental-health issues, involvement in child welfare, homelessness, or being a runaway can put a person at risk of being trafficked, Polaris Project said.When it comes to <a href="https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/LGBTQ-Sex-Trafficking.pdf">child sex trafficking, LGBTQ youth</a> are at particular risk because they make up 40% of homeless youth, Polaris said. <a href="https://polarisproject.org/blog/2020/07/racial-disparities-covid-19-and-human-trafficking/">Polaris says girls in Black communities</a> are also at higher risk, primarily because they're likely to live in underserved areas.KD Roche, a survivor of child sex trafficking who consults for numerous anti-trafficking organizations, told Insider that many vulnerable children had been unable to find safe spaces in schools or with their counselors because of the coronavirus pandemic.Roche, who wrote a book about his own survivor story called "<a href="http://kdroche.com/book/">Fragments: A Post-Traumatic Paradigm</a>," added that he'd spent time at trainings and webinars answering questions about QAnon and its Pizzagate and Wayfair conspiracy theories."I've definitely noticed this push of 'Save the Children' while simultaneously ignoring the problem that exists, that has left these kids vulnerable to trafficking to begin with," Roche said. "It's working against the work we're already doing and it's taking up a big chunk of time."<div type="image" title="qanon trump" height="1333" width="2000" msid="78504099" hostid="261"></div>Piraino-Guzman advised people to take trainings through the <a href="https://freedomnetworkusa.org/training/resource-library/">anti-trafficking organization Freedom Network USA</a>. The organization helps educate people on how to identify sex trafficking and at-risk and vulnerable communities, and advocates on behalf of survivors transitioning out of trafficking."It starts with having a well-educated community on what human trafficking is," he said.Croft said people looking to help prevent sex trafficking should work to help ensure people's needs were met in the community."It's a lot harder to exploit people who are getting their needs met through other ways," Croft said. "So if people's needs for income and housing and safety and food and mental-health treatment are already being met, these traffickers will have less leverage. So focusing on providing people with social support and wellness, filling in some of those gaps in our safety net, is trafficking prevention."<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/child-trafficking-prosecutions-lower-during-trump-presidency-2020-9">QAnon followers say Trump is a savior for trafficked children. The Justice Department has been going after fewer cases on his watch.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/qanon-violence-crime-conspiracy-theory-us-allegation-arrest-killing-gun-2020-8">QAnon conspiracy theorists have been linked to a killing and multiple armed stand-offs. Here are the criminal allegations connected to the movement and its followers.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/qanon-save-the-children-pedophilia-sex-trafficking-paranoia-2020-9">How QAnon is hooking Americans with its 'save the children' anti-pedophilia rhetoric</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/qanon-theories-inflate-child-sex-trafficking-case-count-2020-9">QAnon believers think there's a vast cabal snatching up children in kidnappings, but almost every child reported missing turns out to be a runaway</a></li></ul>

QAnon believers say they want to stop sex-trafficking. Sex-trafficking survivors say the movement is 'infuriating.'

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Circuit</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/uber">Uber</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/lyft">Lyft</a> have come under fire for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-lyft-creating-traffic-cities-bruce-schaller-2018-7">increasing congestion in cities. </a></li><li>They've also been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-drivers-disappointed-ruling-not-employees-2019-5">criticized for classifying drivers as independent contractors</a>, avoiding paying things like overtime and other benefits. </li><li>Circuit, an upstart ride-hailing firm is using both of those shortfalls to its own advantage. </li><li>Founder Alex Esposito told Business Insider about how the company's early days shuttling beach-goers from parking lots to sandy shores inspired a plethora of other possible markets. </li></ul>It's hard to compete with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/uber">Uber</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/lyft">Lyft</a>.The two ride-hailing companies combined are worth a whopping $88 billion combined and provided 5.8 billion total rides around the world in 2018.But the newfound societal benefits that come from the ability to hail a cab with the tap of a button haven't been uniform. Multiple studies have found - with forceful pushback from both companies, expectedly - that the nascent industry has singlehandedly increased urban congestion and siphoned ridership away from public transit.In New York, for example, drivers spent 12 to 13 miles circling in empty vehicles for every 10 miles driven with fare-paying passengers, a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-lyft-creating-traffic-cities-bruce-schaller-2018-7">2017 report by Schaller Consulting found</a>. (Both Uber and Lyft have disputed this study, as well as others with similar findings). Still, such congestion is exactly the problem Circuit hopes to solve.The six-year-old startup, fresh out of the Urban-X accelerator program's fifth cohort this year, isn't trying to compete directly with Uber and Lyft (at least not yet) and is instead focused on the problem spots where even companies with the most venture capital resources have struggled.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">CircuitCircuit is powered by Polaris GEM electric shuttles, which can go up to 80 miles between charging.</div></div></div>It all started in The Hamptons, of all places, a mega-rich seaside enclave roughly 100 miles east of New York City, where investors are more likely to spend their money on lavish vacation homes rather than on fledgling startups. But those same millionaires also had a glaring problem: the parking lot closest to the beach was overcrowded, and no one wanted to walk from the overflow lot roughly a mile away."We kind of fell into the first-mile last-mile problem by accident," founder Alex Esposito said in an interview with Business Insider. As it turns out, those same issues weren't limited to private beaches in wealthy villages: drivers the world over are <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/07/12/parking-pain-causes-financial-and-personal-strain/467637001/">pouring countless hours and miles into circling parking streets</a> looking for a spot.Now, Circuit's operating with about 140 drivers, shuttling riders for free in six-seat, electric golf carts in markets including the beaches of Fort Lauderdale, around Brooklyn, and at shopping malls in suburban Houston. What's more, the company already turned a profit, Esposito said, with revenue in the "seven figures and climbing" thanks to revenue from advertising inside and outside its vehicles. That's a stark difference between Circuit and Uber and Lyft, which lost a combined $1.2 billion in 2018."The market size is massive," he said, "but I think they're more focused on hyper-growth and not actually combating specific issues in just going after cities with the same solution, which is where they've run into some problems. I can't really blame them entirely for creating this congestion, I think it's really just the way that users have been using some of their services."Esposito credits Circuit's success thus far with its niche services, as opposed to broad solutions."Because we actually train and hire our drivers as W2 employees, we're incentivized to have as few empty cars on the road as possible," he said. "Whereas Uber and Lyft don't really have any reason not to have all the cars on the road. Drivers don't cost them anything unless they're on a ride."With $1.36 million in funding under its belt to date, according to Pitchbook data, Circuit plans to double down on working with cities on closed-loop <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">transportation</keyword>, as it has done in downtown San Diego."Where there are other companies spending millions and millions trying to build an advanced algorithm," Esposito said, "We can have a pretty simple pooling algorithm because we're just focused on these very short rides."<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/40-big-tech-predictions-for-2019?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=uber&amp;itm_campaign=40-big-tech-predictions-for-2019"></a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-self-driving-taxis-test-drive-2016-9">We rode in a self-driving Uber - here's what it was like</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Evidence is mounting that Uber and Lyft increase traffic congestion. But one startup thinks it has found a way to help - and it's already turning a profit

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/license/856648086">David Becker/Getty Images</a>Broken windows are seen on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino after a lone gunman opened fired on the Route 91 Harvest country music festival on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.</div></div></div><ul><li>Legal experts say it's almost certain that some victims of the Las Vegas shooting will attempt to hold Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino liable in court. </li><li>The shooter stayed in the hotel for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-shows-exactly-how-the-las-vegas-massacre-unfolded-2017-10">three days,</a> stockpiling 23 weapons. </li><li>Even if the hotel staff couldn't have prevented the shooting, the tragedy could be used to argue that hotels need to take stronger preventive measures against mass shootings. </li></ul>Three days after checking into the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Stephen Paddock carried out the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. Paddock stockpiled weapons in his hotel room before firing from the widows of<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mandalay-bay-hotel-room-las-vegas-shooter-suite-2017-10"> his suite on the 32nd floor</a> into the crowd of 22,000 people below, killing 58 people and wounding almost 500.It's extremely likely victims of the shooting will try and hold Mandalay Bay accountable by bringing lawsuits against the company - seeking damages for everything from medical expenses to the impact of disabilities resulting from the shooting, say legal experts who spoke with Business Insider. However, if that happens, it could force the hotel industry to take on new levels of responsibility for guests' behaviors, raising major questions regarding customers' privacy. Whether such a lawsuit has merit, of course, depends on many factors that currently remain unknown to the public. They might also require courts to break new legal ground in terms of assigning liability for mass shootings that are becoming more common. Mandalay Bay's owner, MGM Resorts, did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment for this story. MGM Resorts <a href="https://twitter.com/MandalayBay/status/915969944692518917">issued a statement</a> offering "deepest gratitude and love" to first respondents, hotel employees, and the Las Vegas hospitality community. Here's what we currently know about what happened at Mandalay Bay in the day's before the shooting, and the factors that will come into play in any discussion of its liabilities. <h2>Potential warning signs</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Bild exclusive/PolarisThe door to Paddock's room after a SWAT unit used explosives to gain entry.</div></div></div>Paddock checked into a suite on the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay on Thursday. In the following three days, Paddock brought at least 10 suitcases filled with firearms into the room. When investigators entered his room on Sunday, they found 23 guns, including <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/las-vegas-gunmans-perch-and-confusion-hindered-police-1507070874">AR-15-style and AK-47-style rifles.</a> Paddock also constructed an elaborate surveillance system in the hotel. He placed two cameras in the hallway outside his suite (one on a service cart), as well as a camera in his door's peephole, according to police officials. From the moment he arrived at the hotel, employees from valets to security staff roaming the halls would have been trained to observe and report any suspicious behavior, according to Dick Hudak, the managing partner of Resort Security consulting firm. "He gave [them] a clue there that something bad was going to happen," Hudak, who is a former FBI agent and previously worked as director of security at Sheraton, said of the cameras. Mandalay Bay employees "didn't pick it up."The hotel staff did not notice any suspicious behavior, a Mandalay Bay employee <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/03/us/las-vegas-gunman.html?_r=0">told the New York Times. </a>Paddock reportedly had a "do not disturb" sign on his door all three days, so no housekeeping staff entered the room. But the case that Mandalay Bay should be held legally liable for the shooting would be based on facts that are still unknown - like whether the do-not-disturb sign kept all employees out of the room, including housekeeping staff, the entire time Paddock was staying there. "If housekeeping goes into a room and it's littered with rifles, that's different than them seeing a gun where open carry is legal," said Heidi Li Feldman, a professor at Georgetown Law School.Could a doorman have noticed the strange number of bags Paddock was bringing in and failed to say something? Were the hotel's windows insufficiently sturdy, allowing Paddock to break them with a hammer? Was security staff diligent in their rounds of the hotel, or did they fail to report cameras? Right now, the answers to those questions aren't known.Unwittingly hosting a shooter or missing something that's only a red flag in retrospect is not enough to hold MGM Resorts legally liable. But, Feldman and Hudak say there are enough questions that a victim or their families could file a case in order to dig for the answers. <h2>Setting a precedent </h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">GOTPAP/STAR MAX/IPx 2017 via AP</div></div></div>Even if there weren't any opportunities for Mandalay Bay staff to prevent the shooting, there is another argument that plaintiffs could make that would hold the hotel liable. As more mass shootings take place in the US, attorneys can argue that hotels and other venues should see the potential for a shooter to commit a crime - and make systematic changes to prevent that from happening. "It becomes more and more foreseeable if you operate certain types of venues, those venues will be seen as opportunities for mass shootings," as the number of Americans killed in mass shootings rise, Feldman said. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Chris WattieA member of the FBI leaves the Mandalay Bay hotel following the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., October 4, 2017.</div></div></div>"Forseeability is one of the key components of liability," Hudak said. This would be a new argument. The industry has no real national standards for security, and hotels aren't typically held accountable for guests' behavior. However, Feldman says it's "entirely feasible" that an attorney would make this argument, based on the fact that mass shootings have taken place at other entertainment venues. If a certain type of crime is established as regularly occurring on certain premises, then any player in the industry can potentially be held legally liable if preventative measures are not taken. Fear of this type of lawsuit has helped convince some hotels to put up signs telling guests to store valuable items in safes and for malls to provide security guards after dark in parking lots. "What happened on Sunday is sort of a larger wake-up call for the industry to take a step back and ask themselves, 'What about my city? What am I doing to make sure that ... my guests are safe and secure?'" Deanna Ting, hospitality editor at travel industry intelligence company Skift, said. The Wynn Resort in Las Vegas added <a href="https://skift.com/2017/10/03/wynn-las-vegas-increases-security-following-mass-shooting/">new security measures after the shooting</a>, scanning guests with metal detectors and putting bags through X-ray machines. Moving forward, hotels may retrain employees, institute random background checks on guests, or require customers to sign paperwork stating they won't bring weapons on the premises. If the US isn't able to reduce the number of mass shootings through regulation, places where the shootings have occurred may be held legally responsible, Feldman said. "If Congress isn't regulating gun ownership, it is going to be private parties ... who end up regulating their own premises," she said. <h2>What happens next</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Getty Images/Drew AngererA makeshift memorial for the victims of Sunday night's mass shooting stands at an intersection of the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.</div></div></div>A case against Mandalay Bay wouldn't be resolved overnight.If plaintiffs decide to file a case to hold the hotel liable as more information emerges, it's likely Mandalay Bay will settle instead of taking the case to court, says Feldman. After all, the hotel and parent company MGM Resorts doesn't want to be seen as "heartless" in its treatment of victims. A <a href="http://time.com/4967018/las-vegas-shooting-gun-lawsuits/">complicated set of laws</a> prevents gunmakers from being held legally liable in most mass shootings, meaning many victims and their lawyers will end up looking elsewhere for compensation. The estate of Paddock would be held liable if a suit were to be filed in civil court, although there would not be enough money to pay the estimated millions of dollars that would be owed in damages to victims. A fund <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/dr2ks2-las-vegas-victims-fund">for the victims</a> had raised more than $9 million as of Thursday that will also be divided in some manner amongst those impacted. Still, lawyers of the hundreds of people impacted by the shooting will be considering other lawsuits. Children whose parents have died will need money for school, disabled victims will seek funds for support, and injured individuals will need to pay hospital bills. While it's unclear if a case against Mandalay Bay would be "winnable," it's very likely that some victims will seek to hold the hotel legally liable for the horrific shooting. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-domaine-de-la-romane-conti-costs-16000-per-bottle-del-friscos-france-vineyard-del-frisco-steak-house-2017-9">Here's why this wine costs $16,000 per bottle</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

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You Searched For "Polaris Consulting Services" and got 11 results

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Shares of Polaris Consulting & Services fell from intra-day high. Know why