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Earlier this month, <keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> made headlines for enforcing a strict <keyword id="20408795" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="return-to-office" source="keywords">return to office</keyword> mandate on employees starting next year. Until now, Amazon employees were required to come to office for three days a week but from next year, the employees will have to work from offices for all five days. The move had sparked backlash from various employees who took to social media to express that they work better in a hybrid or remote setup. Now, at a recent event, <keyword id="19974102" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Web-Services" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon Web Services" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon Web Services">Amazon Web Services</keyword> CEO <keyword id="21187658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Matt-Garman" source="keywords">Matt Garman</keyword> talked about the company's <keyword id="23712741" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RTO-mandate" source="keywords">RTO mandate</keyword> and said that if it doesn't work for some employees, they can always "find another company." <h2>"Find another company" </h2> Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live event, Garman said that according to him, in-office work plays a critical role in driving innovation and operational efficiency. Citing interactions like impromptu chats in hallways, quick brainstorms on whiteboards, and casual discussions over coffee, he said that in-person collaboration brings advantages that remote settings can’t replicate. However, Garman also acknowledged that the mandate might not sit well with everyone, and that is okay. He said, “If it’s not for you, then that’s okay – you can go and find another company if you want.” This statement, as per a CNBC report, comes amid internal debate, with many employees voicing concerns about losing the flexibility they’ve become accustomed to, which some say enables them to balance their work and personal lives better. The report adds that around 37,000 employees have joined an internal Slack channel that advocates for <keyword id="20665553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-work" source="keywords">remote work</keyword>. On a related note, Garman had talked about Amazon's new policy over a week back as well. While speaking at an all-hands meeting as per a Reuters report, he had addressed potential concerns from those who might find the mandate challenging. Garman said that while most employees he spoke with supported the change, he recognised it might not suit everyone. "If there are people who just don't work well in that environment and don't want to, that's okay, there are other companies around," he had said and added, "By the way, I don't mean that in a bad way. We want to be in an environment where we're working together." <h2>When Amazon defended its RTO mandate </h2> Garman isn't the only Amazon employee who has advocated <keyword id="20294959" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-from-office" source="keywords">work from office</keyword>. A couple of days back, a report in The Information revealed that Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Tech at Amazon, defended the RTO mandate. Galetti said that younger employees are eager to benefit from in-person mentorship and have been asking to work from office. Speaking at The Information’s Women in Tech, Media, and Finance conference, Galetti explained that many junior staff members expressed a desire for face-to-face interaction with colleagues. She also said that the new policy reflects a return to Amazon’s previous work culture, where there was flexibility for personal matters but office attendance remained the norm.

'Find another company if it doesn’t work for you’: Amazon Web Services CEO on work from office mandate

<ul><li><keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> recently ended work from home</li><li>A former AWS employee shared tricks people use to not return to office</li><li>The post has gone viral </li></ul> A couple of days back, tech giant Amazon was under the limelight for ending <keyword id="20665553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-work" source="keywords">remote work</keyword> forever. The company, through a memo shared by <keyword id="21367545" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CEO-Andy-Jassy" source="keywords">CEO Andy Jassy</keyword>, announced that employees will be required to be in office for all five days. Jassy had also noted that there are various benefits of working from office - something that he has mentioned in previous memos as well - and that everything will return to the way it was before the Covid 19 pandemic. <h2>Employees are not ready to return to office</h2>Amazon's RTO (return to office) mandate had sparked a lot of discussion online, and various employees were seen criticising the decision. Now, a former <keyword id="19974102" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Web-Services" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon Web Services" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon Web Services">Amazon Web Services</keyword> (AWS) engineer, <keyword id="23292501" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="John-McBride" source="keywords">John McBride</keyword>, has revealed some clever methods employees have used to dodge the company's strict return-to-office policy. The Colorado-based software engineer, who left AWS in June 2023, shared his experiences in a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), which has now garnered over a million views. McBride called these tactics "true ingenuity and innovation," but not in the way one might expect from a tech giant like Amazon. In the post, McBride explained that many employees were going to great lengths to avoid physically returning to the office after Amazon implemented a strict return-to-office mandate. He himself chose to resign when asked to relocate to a different city and work from the office. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113585941" title="Unfortunate incident, compassion needs to be promoted: Experts react to EY employee’s death" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> McBride listed three "wild" tricks AWS employees have been using to avoid returning to the office while still appearing compliant with the company's attendance policies. <h2>The three "wild" tricks </h2> First, he highlighted a classic approach that employees used for weeks: badging into the office during lunch breaks, grabbing free snacks or coffee, and quickly leaving. “This worked for a few weeks until they started tracking how long employees actually stayed in the office,” McBride said. The second trick involved employees renaming their home Wi-Fi network to match that of the office's network. The company's reporting software would then mark the employee as being “in the office” based on the network name. McBride admitted this was his favourite tactic but mentioned that it didn’t last long. “Eventually, the IT department made the system more sophisticated, checking more than just network names.” Lastly, McBride spoke about certain "under-the-table arrangements," where employees left their security badges with colleagues who would clock them in and out of the office. “This was risky, but I knew someone who did this for months,” he remarked, amazed by how long it lasted. <div type="image" title="amazon" msid="113620212" hostid="261"></div> Although many companies, including Amazon, have been keen to bring employees back into physical office spaces following the pandemic, the rise of remote work has sparked ongoing debates about its long-term viability. McBride’s post has sparked conversations about the necessity of office attendance for tech professionals, especially given the increasing availability of virtual collaboration tools. It’s clear that employees are not only resourceful but also determined to maintain the flexibility that remote work offers. Whether these tricks will continue or be shut down entirely as companies tighten their policies remains to be seen. For now, McBride’s account sheds light on how some are navigating the changing landscape of post-pandemic work. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/article/simply-put-founder-mode-the-secret-sauce-to-startup-success-or-fancy-term-for-hustle-and-micromanagement/articleshow/113568851.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Founder Mode — the secret sauce to startup success or fancy term for hustle and micromanagement?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-macbook-air-m1-to-be-available-under-50000-on-amazon-how-to-get-the-deal/articleshow/113617645.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Apple MacBook Air M1 to be available under ₹50,000 on Amazon, how to get the deal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/author_articles_all.cms?query=479266566&amp;author=divyanshi%20sharma=&amp;page=1" class="artishow_author"></a>

Rename home Wi-Fi, leave badge at office: Ex-Amazon employee reveals tricks used by employees to not work from office

The healthcare startup Forward bet the future of its business on a spaceshiplike mall kiosk in Roseville, California.Launched in 2017 by several high-profile executives from Google and Uber, Forward set out to disrupt primary care with tech-enabled, ultramodern clinics. In mid-2023, it shifted its attention to a new offering: an AI-powered doctor-in-a-box.Replete with ultraviolet lighting and floor-to-ceiling screens, the metallic "CarePods" let patients get a doctor visit sans the doctor — directing patients to take their own blood, sequence their DNA, and test for diseases like COVID-19, all without speaking with another human."If Elon has the self-driving car, well, this is the autonomous doctor's office," Forward CEO Adrian Aoun told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/08/carepod-forward-doctors-office-telehealth-telemedicine">Axios</a> in late 2023.Today, Forward's first CarePod is gone. Where the kiosk used to sit in the center of the Roseville Galleria mall, two strips of blue painter's tape lie stuck to the shiny marble floor.The startup announced Tuesday it would close its doors, just a year after raising $100 million in a Series E funding round to power its CarePods rollout. That fundraise took its total funding to over $650 million.Forward sent a late-night email to its patients on Tuesday, obtained by Business Insider, announcing it would immediately shutter all its locations, cancel scheduled visits, and cut off access to its mobile app. The startup said its clinical team would be available by email until December 13 for remaining patient support.Eleven former Forward employees spoke with BI before the closure on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution from the company. They painted a picture of a startup that bet the house on its bold, new healthcare technology, with little to show for it a year later.Fewer patients than the company had hoped jumped at the chance to try out the CarePods, six former employees said. Logistical challenges in setting up the kiosks forced Forward to delay core parts of its strategy, like launching CarePods in big markets such as Chicago and New York City.Meanwhile, the technical problems mounted. Automated blood draws routinely failed. Lab test offerings were withdrawn. And patients kept getting trapped inside the CarePods.Forward said in November 2023 it planned to scale to launch <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/15/forward-health-carepod-ai-doctor/">3,200 CarePods in a year</a> — 12 months later, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=505445618923153">it said it had launched five</a>. Immediately prior to its closure, only two CarePod locations were listed on its website.Facing sluggish growth, Forward laid off a significant portion of its staff in March, seven former employees said. Two former employees told BI that, at that time, the startup was set to run out of money in less than a year.The startup's abrupt closure points to the perils of its high-growth ambitions and dogged "tech-first" approach to the notoriously complex healthcare industry — a case of AI-fueled style over substance.Forward did not respond to multiple requests for comment.<div type="image" title="Forward San Francisco clinic" height="2705" width="3607" msid="115264594" hostid="261" sizebytes="342990"></div>Adrian Aoun originally made his name at Google as Larry Page's right-hand man, leading special projects for the tech giant after the company bought his first AI startup, newsgathering platform Wavii, in 2013.When he launched Forward in 2017, Aoun <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/forward-new-york-city-healthcare-2018-11">positioned</a> the startup's health clinics as a doctor's office crossed with an Apple Store. The startup began with a membership model that offered patients complete primary care for $150 a month. (The company never accepted insurance.)Upon entering a clinic, subscribers faced a Star Trek-teleporter-esque full-body scanner, a platform <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/miguelhelft/2017/01/17/meet-forward-an-ex-googlers-plan-to-reinvent-healthcare/">Forward said</a> takes a patient's vitals and runs them through its proprietary artificial intelligence to detect symptoms.While the scanners helped attract new patients to the clinics, the flashy tech simply took basic vitals that clinicians could easily measure manually — for instance, the scanners take a patient's temperature by using <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&amp;v=727194414435413">infrared-thermal-energy mapping</a>, rather than with a thermometer. Three former employees said the scanners often recorded incorrect data, which forced clinicians to retake information like a patient's blood pressure or heart rate."The aesthetics drew people in and kept them there," one of those former employees said. "But the scanners don't actually do much."<div type="image" title="The body scanner in Forward's Washington DC clinic." height="3024" width="4032" msid="115264592" hostid="261" sizebytes="226616"></div>Forward operated more than a dozen of these healthcare clinics across the US prior to its closure. BI visited two, in Washington, DC, and San Francisco, in the weeks leading up to it shutting down. The clinics were sleek and glossy, with iPads built into the wall, a shiny white body scanner awaiting its next patient, and no front desk.Both locations were eerily empty in the past few months. BI went to Forward's Washington location once and its San Francisco location twice and glimpsed one patient in all. The Washington clinic was silent; after about 10 minutes, a medical assistant emerged to greet the reporter who was wandering the halls and calling out for an employee. The clinicians at both locations declined to speak with BI.Forward hadn't opened any new clinics in the past year. Four former employees said the startup closed at least two clinics since the CarePods launch: in Dallas and Bellevue, Washington.Forward had also been cutting costs at its clinics for months. Forward started declining to pay for any lab tests it couldn't do in-house, according to documents viewed by BI — meaning a wide variety of tests previously available to members, including several STI tests and key hormonal measures like thyroid tests, are no longer covered by the startup.Last year, the startup stopped paying for genetic tests through 23andMe, a service it had touted since its inception. It cut smaller services from at least some of its clinics, too, like skin-tag and mole removal using too-expensive liquid nitrogen, three former employees said.Those former employees said Forward leadership told them the startup was closing its clinics, at least partly, so Forward could focus on the CarePod.<div type="image" title="Empty patient room hallway at Forward Washington DC clinic." height="2705" width="3607" msid="115264588" hostid="261" sizebytes="323756"></div>When Forward launched its first CarePod in November 2023, Aoun suggested he wanted to replace the type of care he'd spent the past six years building his business on."I don't even believe a doctor's office should exist," he told <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=3acc9e8edc97399cb8cdec8f5b777978cd910840dcd952e16a865f3ed0717e7e&amp;postID=6734ba00d4b5ffeb6fd37907&amp;postSlug=healthcare-startup-forward-shutdown-carepod-adrian-aoun-2024-11&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theinformation.com%2Farticles%2Fhealthcare-without-health-workers-a-unicorn-pivots-to-an-ai-doctor-in-a-box">The Information</a>.Eleven former employees told BI that Forward went all in on its CarePods, pivoting nearly all of its marketing materials and resources away from its clinics.After Forward launched its first CarePod in Roseville, just outside Sacramento, in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/inno/stories/news/2023/04/24/forward-carepod-westfield-galleria.html">summer 2023</a>, it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/12/11/ai-doctor-chandler-arizona-carepod-artificial-intelligence">announced</a> its second later the same year, this one in Chandler, Arizona. The startup began offering a CarePod-only membership, without access to its clinics, for $100 a month.<div type="image" title="Adrian Aoun, Forward founder and CEO" height="3840" width="5120" msid="115264585" hostid="261" sizebytes="290970"></div>The CarePods came with many financial and logistical challenges, former employees told BI.Each CarePod, with its state-of-the-art technology, was extremely expensive to manufacture, six former employees told BI. Four former employees said the earliest two CarePods cost the startup more than $1 million each to produce.And CarePods were a hard sell to landlords. The miniature free-standing clinics were still subject to building codes, but they lacked the scale or customer base to prove they're worth placing in a mall or office building.The biggest CarePod launch Forward promised, in Chicago's Willis Tower, never materialized. Two former employees said the startup faced logistical challenges with the building, which forced Forward to halt the rollout indefinitely.The five CarePods Forward <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/forward/videos/505445618923153/">launched</a> are a far cry from the 25 the startup sought in its initial launch, let alone the 3,200 CarePods Forward hoped to scale to in a year, per TechCrunch.<div type="image" title="Empty atrium in the Roseville Galleria mall where Forward's first Care" height="4284" width="5712" msid="115264596" hostid="261" sizebytes="751040"></div>While Forward's $100 million Series E funding round and CarePods launch drew plenty of headlines, some former employees said patients rarely expressed the same enthusiasm."I would get people saying it looks like something from 'Black Mirror,'" one former employee said.Three former employees said patients would frequently get stuck inside the CarePods, especially in 2023 and early 2024.Former employees also said some of the CarePods' self-service offerings, like its blood draws, didn't work as advertised.Forward's blood draws, which the startup said could be used for tests such as cholesterol measures that necessitate a smaller amount of blood, directed patients to place a device on their arm that the startup said could painlessly break the skin and extract blood. But those blood draws were routinely failing to collect even the small amount of blood necessary for those tests through the first half of this year, the three former employees said.While clinicians are trained to draw blood precisely to get the right amount, one of the former employees said patients would often place the autonomous device on a part of their skin where it couldn't draw enough blood. That former employee estimated that self-service blood draws were failing well over half the time.<div type="image" title="Decor in Forward's Washington DC clinic" height="2857" width="3810" msid="115264599" hostid="261" sizebytes="487854"></div>Forward's messaging during the CarePods rollout left some of the startup's employees feeling frustrated, too. Four former employees said they felt Aoun's suggestions that doctors are inefficient and replaceable in the wake of the CarePods launch were disrespectful to the medical professionals who work in Forward's clinics.After the public's initial fascination with CarePods wore off, three former employees, including two former sales staffers, said the CarePods teams struggled to draw new customers and rarely hit their sales targets. In March, four months after the CarePods' public launch, Forward slashed its workforce, seven former employees said.As Forward burned through cash, the startup faced a challenging fundraising environment, with many investors leaning away from late-stage investments and countless generalist investors <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/digital-health/digital-health-funding-settles-down-2023-fewer-deals-smaller-check-sizes">stepping back from healthcare deals</a>. Aoun always eschewed the idea of selling Forward to another company, former employees said.It's unclear when Forward officially decided to shutter. As recently as Tuesday morning, Forward was still sending marketing emails to prospective customers offering discount rates to sign up for its services, per emails reviewed by BI.Most former employees BI spoke with said they still believed in Forward's mission. Many said they were drawn to the startup explicitly because they wanted to expand access to quality healthcare under Aoun's direction. Several employees told BI that the CarePod felt "ahead of its time."In the Roseville Galleria, there's no longer any sign that Forward's first CarePod ever stood in the mall's atrium, surrounded by stores like Pandora, Uniqlo, and Kids Foot Locker.An employee at a neighboring pretzel stand remembered the "AI doctor thing," which he said closed around September.Businesses that set up shop in that atrium don't typically stay long, he added. The mall plans to build a playground in the CarePod's place.

Inside Forward's failed attempt to revolutionize the doctor's office with AI

<keyword id="19897820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bollywood" source="keywords">Bollywood</keyword> superstar <keyword id="19895142" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shah-Rukh-Khan" source="keywords">Shah Rukh Khan</keyword> on Tuesday attended the <keyword id="24050072" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-Freight-Summit" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Global Freight Summit" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Global Freight Summit">Global Freight Summit</keyword> in Dubai, where he got candid about his personal and professional life. During the conversation with the moderator, SRK not only talked about his stardom but also shared how he dealt with failures. Urging people to introspect rather than dwell on their failures, he said, "When you fail, you should not believe that your product or service or job went wrong. Maybe you just misunderstood the ecosystem you were working in. You have to understand how people are reacting. If I cannot elicit an emotion from the people I cater to, then my product is not going to work how wonderful it may be." When asked if he is critical of his work sometimes, Shah Rukh candidly admitted, "Yes, I am. I hate feeling this way, and I cry a lot in my bathroom. I don't show it to anyone. You must believe that the world is not against you. If your film did go wrong, it's not because of you or some conspiracy. You have to accept that you made it badly, and then you have to move on." He also emphasised how one should be focused on learning how to move on from failures. "There are moments of despair but there are moments which say, 'shut up, get up and get on with it'. You have to do it because the world is not against you. You should not believe that things are going wrong only for you. Life moves on. Life does what it does. You cannot start blaming life for what it does," he added. After taking break from the films for over four years, SRK returned to the silver screen with Siddharth Anand's '<keyword id="19897075" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pathaan" source="keywords">Pathaan</keyword>' in January 2023. In the film, SRK donned an action avatar and left everyone in awe. The film broke several records at the box office and managed to grab a name in the list of one of the highest-grossing films in the Indian film industry. The film marked SRK's first hit after his sabbatical of four years post delivering a series of duds like 'Zero' and 'Jab Harry Met Sejal'. After 'Pathaan', King Khan returned to theatres in September with '<keyword id="19897076" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jawan" source="keywords">Jawan</keyword>'. The film once again saw SRK in an action avatar. The film collected over Rs 1000 cr. at the worldwide box office. 'Jawan' redefined box office success, captivating audiences with its gripping storyline and stellar performances, and rewriting record books along the way. Released on September 7, 2023, 'Jawan' marked the first collaboration of SRK with director Atlee.The film also stars Nayanthara, Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra, Ridhi Dogra, Lehar Khan, Girija Oak, and Sanjeeta Bhattacharya. In the coming months, SRK will be next seen in King, directed by <keyword id="19904922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sujoy-ghosh" source="keywords">Sujoy Ghosh</keyword>.

"I cry a lot in my bathroom": Shah Rukh on dealing with failures

The demand for office spaces during the first quarter of 2024 has been strong, registering total leasing of 13.6 million square feet across the top six cities. It is a remarkable 35 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, according to professional services and investment management company Colliers. Although this is a significant drop from the record office space take-up in the last quarter of 2023, the remarkable annual increase is indicative of upbeat occupier sentiment, given the fact that the first quarter is typically slower, Colliers said in a report. Bengaluru and <keyword id="19900176" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hyderabad" source="keywords">Hyderabad</keyword> emerged as frontrunners for demand of Grade A office space in the first quarter of 2024, cumulatively accounting for more than half of the <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> leasing activity. The office market of Hyderabad saw 2.2x space uptake in Q1 2024 as compared to the corresponding quarter last year. This demand was driven by healthcare and pharma and technology sectors. Amongst other major office markets, Mumbai too experienced a notable surge in leasing activity, an impressive 90 per cent yearly rise in Q1 2024. "Hyderabad continues to strengthen its role as a prominent commercial office market in the country. The city offers occupiers including <keyword id="20942407" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-capability-centers" source="keywords">Global Capability Centers</keyword> considerable price arbitrage compared to other markets. Furthermore, proactive government policies, continuous infrastructure upgrades and a favorable business ecosystem makes Hyderabad a compelling destination for investors, occupiers, and leading developers of commercial real estate in India," said Arpit Mehrotra, Managing Director, <keyword id="21062240" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="office-services" source="keywords">Office services</keyword>, India, Colliers. "Within Hyderabad, the trifecta of Hi-Tec City, Gachibowli and <keyword id="19948349" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="madhapur" source="keywords">Madhapur</keyword> continued to drive leasing activity in Q1 2024. Of the 2.9 million square feet of Grade A space uptake in the first quarter, over 80 per cent of the demand was concentrated in these three localities," said Mehrotra. During Q1 2024, new supply across top six cities remained steady, at 9.8 million square feet, almost at par with the level seen in Q1 2023. According to Colliers, Bengaluru witnessed significant new project completions, contributing to 45 per cent of the total new supply, followed by Hyderabad at 27 per cent share. With demand outpacing supply, average rentals saw up to 8 per cent uptick on a yearly basis across most of the major markets. "As business sentiments and economic outlook remains positive, domestic occupiers, especially will continue to drive the office market of the country," said Vimal Nadar, Senior Director and Head of Research, Colliers India. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-12-review/articleshow/108723955.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-12-review/articleshow/108723955.cms" target="_blank">OnePlus 12 review: A feature-packed device with promising battery back-up</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/jsw-group-and-saic-motors-jv-jsw-mg-motor-india-set-to-up-production-to-3-lakh-vehicles-a-year-with-a-new-car-every-3-6-months/articleshow/108647799.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/jsw-group-and-saic-motors-jv-jsw-mg-motor-india-set-to-up-production-to-3-lakh-vehicles-a-year-with-a-new-car-every-3-6-months/articleshow/108647799.cms" target="_blank">JSW Group and SAIC Motor’s JV ‘JSW MG Motor India’ set to up production to 3 lakh vehicles a year with a new car every 3-6 months</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/asus-rog-strix-scar-16-review/articleshow/108514221.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/asus-rog-strix-scar-16-review/articleshow/108514221.cms" target="_blank">Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 review – powerful gaming laptop with a cool design</a>

Office space leasing in India off to a strong start in Q1-2024

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon plans to integrate its AI chatbot Q with Microsoft's Office 365 service.</li><li>The integration aims to expand Q's user base by leveraging the popularity of Office 365.</li></ul>To reach real scale in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-frontier-crowded-winners-losers-2024-8">AI</a>, you sometimes have to enter enemy territory. That's what <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aws-negotiating-huge-cloud-deal-supply-ibm-with-nvidia-gpus-2024-11">Amazon</a> is about to do with its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-q-ai-early-challenges-aws-chatbot-2024-9">Q</a> AI assistant. The cloud giant plans to integrate Q with Office <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-prepares-amazon-customer-365-cloud-tools-2023-10">365</a>, the work productivity software service run by arch rival <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-mustafa-suleyman-ai-copilot-update-reviews-2024-10">Microsoft</a>. Amazon is looking to launch a new Q add-in for Office 365, according to a recent internal document obtained by Business Insider. Add-ins are extra programs that provide new features and capabilities to existing software. With this new add-in, Office 365 users will be able to directly access Q within Microsoft applications such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, the document explained. At the moment, most Q users access the Amazon AI chatbot through AWS's website.The move is part of a broader set of new Q features that Amazon is working on, including a new browser extension, the document stated.It's unclear when the new features will be announced. Amazon is hosting its annual re:Invent cloud conference in early December and often readies product updates and launches for this event. The new integration could potentially expand Q's user base because Microsoft's 365 service is one of the most popular productivity software suites in the world. Many business applications, such as Salesforce's CRM software, have their own Office add-ins that help users access these services directly from within Microsoft's platform."We are inspired by how creatively customers are using Amazon Q to enhance productivity, and we will continue to build innovative new features to unlock new capabilities and make it even more useful for customers," AWS's spokesperson Patrick Neighorn told BI in a statement.Q publicly launched in April and was recently named one of the leading AI code assistants by research firm Gartner.Getting availability on other enterprise platforms may be a natural next step of growth for Q, which targets business customers. Amazon employees <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-q-chatbot-launch-rushed-flawed-anthropic-claude-ai-2024-1">previously told BI</a> that the company "rushed" Q's launch last year. In August, some Amazon employees raised concerns about Q's lack of features that they said was causing more customers to use Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant instead, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-q-ai-early-challenges-aws-chatbot-2024-9">BI previously reported</a>.AWS CEO Matt Garman shared on Linkedin last week that Amazon Q is now linked to millions of internal documents and integrated with tools his teams use every day. This year alone, he said, Amazon Q has "resolved over 1 million internal Amazon developer questions," saving more than 450,000 hours of work.Do you work at Amazon? Got a tip?Contact the reporter, Eugene Kim, via the encrypted-messaging apps Signal or Telegram (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="c-link">+1-650-942-3061</a><a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow">) or email (</a><a target="_blank" href="mailto:ekim@businessinsider.com">ekim@businessinsider.com</a><a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="mailto:ekim@businessinsider.com">). Reach out using a nonwork</a> device. Check out Business Insider's <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-guide-to-securely-sharing-whistleblower-information-about-powerful-institutions-2021-10">source guide for other tips</a> on sharing information securely.

Exclusive: Amazon's AI chatbot Q is entering enemy turf by integrating with Microsoft's Office 365

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The chief AI officer is a developing C-suite position that leads a company's AI strategy.</li><li>The AI chief at Golin, a PR agency, said his role was created to help the company integrate AI.</li></ul>Companies worldwide are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/technology-executives-on-artificial-intelligence-applications-role-of-cto-cio-2024-9">using AI to enhance their efficiency and creativity</a>. Golin, a global public-relations agency, is embracing this transition with the ambitious goal of becoming the world's first fully AI-integrated PR agency by 2026.Jeff Beringer, Golin's newly appointed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chief-artificial-intelligence-officer-job-skills-required-2024-5">chief AI officer</a>, said he hoped to weave AI into every facet of the company's operations. He told Business Insider that the company was in the "phase of enablement" as it rolls out AI-powered tools to employees and strategizes how to use AI with clients. Golin partners with companies such as Adobe to access their AI services and also develops more niche solutions in-house.Beringer, who's worked at Golin for over 20 years, stressed that public relations would always require a human touch. He said Golin wasn't looking to use AI for automation but for "intelligence augmentation."The following has been edited for clarity and length.The role of chief AI officer is new for Golin, and you're the first to have the title. Why did the company see the need for a CAIO?Our journey with AI began over two years ago when we started an incubator to explore how <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-artificial-intelligence-customer-experience-business-applications-2024-5">new technologies could enhance our work </a>for clients. We realized that the changes in AI are happening much faster than anticipated.Our executive leadership team asked ourselves, if we were starting this 70-year-old agency from scratch today, would it look the same? The answer was probably not.So we made a transformation plan to become the first fully AI-integrated global PR agency by the start of 2026. By fully integrated, we mean that every employee, regardless of role, specialty, or seniority, will benefit from AI's assistance.That's a lot of change in a short time, and my role spun out of that ambition. As the chief AI officer, my job is to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-the-ai-revolution-means-for-business-2024-5">orchestrate that change</a> by working with other leaders at Golin and with our clients.What specific steps has Golin made toward achieving the goal of becoming fully AI-integrated by 2026?We've mapped out a detailed plan that unfolds in phases, almost quarterly. The first step was setting the right ambition and making sure everyone in the organization understands it, and we've done that.Currently we're in the phase of enablement. We've identified the right tools for core jobs across our organization and are building or licensing the best technology to support them.We're also working with client partners to test these tools. For example, with Grubhub, we're <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://golin.com/2024/11/04/ai-in-pr-lessons-from-golin-and-grubhubs-special-delivery-campaign/">exploring how AI can improve our work</a>, from research and insights to creative content production.Can you share details about the specific AI tools, software, and services Golin is using?Our philosophy is to remain flexible and not get boxed in with specific providers. That said, we have partnerships with companies like Adobe. Adobe's Firefly technology, for example, is transformative for creative work.Besides partnering, we develop products internally. We've created a solution for influencer vetting. Using AI, we can analyze up to 10 years' worth of an influencer's online presence to identify potential risks. Before, that was both time-consuming and less thorough.We also use <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-surveillance-detects-emotion-at-work-gets-you-fired-2023-11">AI for emotive content testing</a>. Traditionally, content testing involved expensive and time-consuming focus groups. Now we use AI and facial-recognition technology to gauge real-time emotional reactions to content that hasn't been published yet.Does Golin have an engineering team on staff to develop these solutions?We have developers, but we're not a technology company. Our strategy is to work with the best partners out there.However, we're adding depth in areas like data science and data architecture because there's immense opportunity in leveraging the data we generate daily. We're hiring in these areas to better synthesize data and make more informed decisions with AI assistance.Importantly, we're not trying to replace people with server farms. Instead of AI and automation for everything, we're at intelligence augmentation. What our clients really want is a great human partner.There's a lot of interest in AI, but also a lot of criticism. How does Golin balance excitement with caution, especially with clients more wary of AI?It's evolving, and it reminds me of the early days of digital or social media. Some clients are eager to move fast, while others take a wait-and-see approach.What's different with AI is the speed at which clients have moved from being inspired to focusing on application. They want to see results, not promises.Each client is different in their appetite for AI, but many realize that if they don't embrace it, they <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-ai-extended-reality-disrupting-changing-technology-industry-2023-8">risk being left behind</a>.From a business perspective, where are you looking to see the return on investment with AI?We are focused on efficacy more than efficiency.With clients, our primary metrics are improved outcomes. We want to see that our clients are satisfied.Internally, we're looking at employee engagement and happiness. If AI helps our people spend more time on thoughtful, strategic tasks rather than routine ones, that's a win.These are the most important goals. Is our work getting better? Are our people happier in their roles? If we get those two things right, everything else will follow.

Golin's first chief AI officer shares the company's strategy for using AI to transform public relations

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Secret Service is investigating Elon Musk's tweet about why people were not "even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala."</li><li>According to Bloomberg News, the agency declined to turn over records related to the probe.</li></ul>The Secret Service is looking into Tesla CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-kamala-harris-post-x-twitter-advertiser-mess-2024-9">Elon Musk</a>'s tweet that questioned why no one was trying to assassinate President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.According to Bloomberg News, the Secret Service declined to release information related to Musk's tweet over the weekend due to "enforcement proceedings." The publication had filed a Freedom of Information Act to see what the response was to Musk replying to a user on X, "Why they want to kill Donald Trump?"In response, Musk, who owns X, wrote, "And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala."Musk later <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-learned-lesson-twitter-x-kamala-harris-donald-trump-2024-9">deleted his message</a> and chalked it up to people not understanding his sense of humor."Well, one lesson I've learned is that just because I say something to a group and they laugh doesn't mean it's going to be all that hilarious as a post on ," he wrote.A Secret Service spokesperson said the agency knew of Musk's message but would not be offering further comment."The Secret Service is aware of the social media post made by Elon Musk and as a matter of practice, we do not comment on matters involving protective intelligence," Melissa McKenzie, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, said in a statement to Business Insider. "We can say, however, that the Secret Service investigates all threats related to our protectees."Trump allies, including Musk, have tried to emphasize that the former president has survived two assassination attempts in recent months while leading Democrats have not had such close calls.Trump was injured during the July assassination attempt as a bullet nearly missed his head during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. On Sunday, law enforcement officials said they thwarted another attempt when they spotted a man with a gun lurking in the woods close to a golf course Trump was on. The suspect, Ryan Routh, now faces two federal gun charges.Musk offered his full-throated <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-endorses-trump-after-pennsylvania-rally-incident-2024-7">endorsement</a> to Trump after the Butler shooting.It is true that Harris has not been shot, but federal law enforcement agencies have arrested multiple individuals who threatened to kill her since she began her historic vice presidency in 2021. Last month, the FBI arrested a Virginia man for threatening Harris and other officials on GETTR, a conservative social media site. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/man-gun-arrested-vice-presidents-official-residence-police/story?id=76520037">In 2021</a>, Secret Service arrested a man who was armed with a rifle and ammunition near the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vice-president-perks-naval-observatory-telescope-2016-6">Naval Observatory</a>, the vice president's residence.As Bloomberg pointed out, the Secret Service often investigates direct and implied threats against the people they protect, including Biden and Harris.Most often, the worst that comes of it is a visit from a Secret Service officer. Comedian Kathy Griffin, who posted a photo of a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kathy-griffin-trump-head-photo-2017-5">fake severed head</a> of Trump when he was president, has said she was investigated for two months before federal law enforcement officials decided not to press charges.The White House previously called out Musk for his post."Violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about. This rhetoric is irresponsible," the White House said in a statement, per ABC News.A representative for Musk did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.<a target="_blank" class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-xoduu5 r-1q142lx r-1w6e6rj r-9aw3ui r-3s2u2q r-1loqt21" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1835573866271330307"> </a>

Secret Service is investigating Elon Musk's 'Biden/Kamala' assassination tweet        

<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> and Maldives have signed an agreement to introduce the <keyword id="19998949" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unified-Payments-Interface" source="keywords">Unified Payments Interface</keyword> in the archipelago nation, which will have a "very positive" impact on its <keyword id="20260982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism-sector" source="keywords">tourism sector</keyword>, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Friday during Jaishankar's three-day official visit to the Maldives. "Witnessed signing of MoU between (the) National Payments Corporation of India and (the) Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Maldives on (the) introduction of (a) digital payment system in the Maldives," he said in a post on X. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (<keyword id="19998946" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NPCI" source="keywords">NPCI</keyword>), Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is an instant real-time payment system to facilitate inter-bank transactions through mobile phones. Addressing a press conference with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer after their "productive discussions", Jaishankar said that India, through its UPI, has "revolutionised digital transactions". Stressing that it has taken financial inclusion in India to new levels, he said "Today 40 per cent of the world's real-time digital payments take place in our country." "We see this revolution, every day in our lives. I am pleased to note that with the signing of the MoU today, we have taken the first step towards bringing this digital innovation to Maldives," he said. "I wish the very best to stakeholders on both sides and hope that we will soon see the first UPI transaction here. I should mention that it will have a very positive impact on tourism," he added. Tourism is the main source of economic activity for the Maldives, contributing nearly 30 per cent of the GDP and generating more than 60 per cent of foreign exchange. Jaishankar's visit aims to reset the bilateral relationship with the Maldives and is the first high-level trip from India after the archipelago nation's pro-China president, Mohamed Muizzu, assumed office last year. "India's partnership with the Maldives is based on our deep desire to work together for each other's welfare and interests. It is a partnership that has enabled us to always swiftly and effectively respond to challenges, as witnessed in the past," Jaishankar said. "It is a partnership that has enabled us to deliver results and bring tangible benefits to our people in accordance with their wishes, aspirations and priorities," he said. In a post on X, Jaishankar also said, "Jointly inaugurated six High Impact Projects in areas of street lighting, mental health, children speech therapy and special education." "Welcome renewal of MoU between National Centre for Good Governance and Civil Services Commission on (the) training of additional 1,000 civil services officers," he added. Addressing the joint press conference, Maldivian Foreign Minister Zameer said, "India has always been one of our closest friends and a vital development partner." He said the "enduring friendship" was built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect and has continued to flourish over the years. "High-level exchanges between our countries have deepened our dialogue and cooperation in areas of shared interest. We remain dedicated to strengthening and advancing this mutually beneficial partnership," he said. "Minister Dr Jaishankar and I agreed that much more needs to be done to promote trade and investment between the Maldives and India," he said, adding that both sides are committed to establishing "effective mechanisms to enhance economic cooperation, fostering a vibrant and prosperous partnership that will benefit both the nations." Zameer said he conveyed President Muizzu's proposal to begin negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the Maldives and India. "This agreement alongside other economic and trade-related agreements will facilitate trade liberalisation and ease the risks of doing business in both our countries," he said. Zameer said that India and Maldives have also mutually agreed to further strengthen their partnership by continuing joint exercises and expanding training opportunities for officers from both countries, asserting that this reflects "our commitment to working together to ensure the security of our nations as well as ensuring the safety and stability of the Indian Ocean region." India's relations with the Maldives suffered a major setback last year when President Muizzu demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms in the Maldives. Subsequently, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians by May 10, the mutually agreed date. "On regional and multilateral issues of importance, our countries have a common understanding and are united in our efforts to resolve them. We agreed to continue our cooperation on issues ranging from combating terrorism, violent extremism, drugs, human trafficking and to the promotion and protection of human rights," Zameer said. In his press statement, Jaishankar said that India and the Maldives "are not just close neighbours, we are also natural partners." "Today, we are mutually invested in each other's development and progress. In a globalised and interconnected world, we see a lot of volatility and global tensions. Even as the world is recovering from the impact of the COVID pandemic, we have been confronted with new challenges arising from international conflicts," he said. In this tumultuous environment, India has been and will be, an anchor of stability for its friends, partners and neighbours. To the Maldives specifically, India has provided support to deal with economic challenges through financial assistance and budgetary support, and by ensuring an uninterrupted supply of critical items, he noted. India's actions have been and will continue to be guided by its firm commitment to the philosophy of 'Sabka Saath, Sabke Vikas - which is- Together, we prosper', Jaishankar said. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/brainbees-solutions-firstcry-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/112403576.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/brainbees-solutions-firstcry-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/112403576.cms" target="_blank">Brainbees Solutions (Firstcry) IPO allotment – How to check allotment, IPO GMP, listing date and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms" target="_blank">India’s wearables market decline for the first time as smartwatch shipments fall</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ola-wants-to-re-enter-the-quick-commerce-business-to-take-on-blinkit-and-swiggy-instamart/articleshow/112364583.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ola-wants-to-re-enter-the-quick-commerce-business-to-take-on-blinkit-and-swiggy-instamart/articleshow/112364583.cms" target="_blank">Ola wants to re-enter the quick commerce business to take on Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart</a>

India to introduce UPI payment service in Maldives

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In an era where customer experience is a primary business differentiator, the role of service hubs has evolved from merely answering calls to becoming innovation centers. With the infusion of advanced technologies like <keyword id="107950" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="artificial-intelligence" source="Orion">Artificial Intelligence</keyword> (<keyword id="6355999" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI" source="Orion">AI</keyword>) and Generative AI (Gen-AI), the service hub industry is now undergoing a transformation that promises to redefine customer interactions, according to experts. “The nature of the industry will change. I think even calling it <keyword id="19945906" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="customer-service" source="keywords">customer service</keyword> or service industry may be a very different outlook 5 years from now,” said Sameer Bapat, SVP and COO of Cognizant IOA, during a panel discussion on “Revolutionsing Customer Experience Innovating Service Hubs Through Technology,” hosted by Business Insider India. Leaders in the industry believe that India is entering the golden age of customer service, one powered by data-driven insights, AI-driven empathy, and evolving human-machine collaboration. “The net amount of venture capital and private equity capital that you’re going to see in the customer service industry going forward is going to 5-10x of what it has been in the last 5 years,” predicted panelist Vijay Narsapur, SVP and Business Head of Infosys BPM. <div type="Youtube" id="E23CeECUh9A" title="Revolutionizing Customer Experience: Innovating Service Hubs Through Technology" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/E23CeECUh9A/mqdefault.jpg"><url><![CDATA[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E23CeECUh9A]]></url></div> <h2>The evolution of service hubs: More than customer service</h2>No longer just centers for addressing customer complaints or technical issues, today’s service hubs are integrating innovative technologies to become the nerve center of business operations. According to Sanjay Kukreja, Global Technology Head at Eclerx, tools like data engineering and cloud computing have shifted customer service into real-time interactions, allowing businesses to assist customers faster and more efficiently than ever before. For Narsapur, service hubs are now the lifeblood of the business process management (BPM) industry. End customers have become increasingly comfortable interacting with AI and automated systems. However, they still crave human connection, especially when complex or emotionally charged issues arise. Narsapur points out that this blending of technology and human touch is crucial for refining the customer journey. As businesses scale, service hubs are expected to balance these elements more tightly to deliver both efficiency and empathy. <h2>AI and Gen-AI: Disruptors or Enhancers?</h2>Arguably, the most significant driver of change in the service hub industry has been the integration of AI and Gen-AI. Bapat explains that these technologies have transformed how service hubs operate. Automation tools have led to productivity gains ranging between 20% to 60%, primarily by streamlining mundane tasks, improving scalability, and delivering more personalized customer interactions. This isn’t just an incremental improvement—it’s a deep, domain-led transformation of how companies interact with their customers. But, as Abhinandan Jain, Chief Growth Officer at Startek, notes, AI doesn’t just enhance efficiency—it also amplifies empathy. Service hubs are learning how to use AI as an "empathy amplifier," where AI-driven systems handle routine queries, and human agents step in for more complex, emotionally charged interactions. This helps agents focus on delivering the high-touch experiences customers expect when they escalate an issue to a real person. While there has been some anxiety surrounding AI replacing jobs, the experts argue that this technology will instead create more high-value roles. ““There is going to be an increase of anywhere between 2x to 5x in the number of jobs that are going to be created in this particular industry,” said Narsapur. For example, there will be an increasing demand for professionals skilled in data science, machine learning, and algorithm management to maintain and improve AI systems. According to a <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/generative-ai-and-the-future-of-work-in-america">McKinsey</a> report, AI will automate 25-30% of jobs in customer service, but the technology will also create new roles in AI supervision, data analysis, and customer experience management. <h2>Data-driven insights and the role of <keyword id="23232621" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CRM-tools" source="keywords">CRM tools</keyword></h2>One of the most promising developments in the service hub sector is the increasing reliance on data to drive customer interactions. Jain explains that service hubs are now equipped with sophisticated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools that can mine both structured and unstructured data, enabling companies to gain a holistic view of customer behavior. This level of insight allows businesses to not only address customer queries more efficiently but also predict future needs, making the customer journey more proactive than reactive. These CRM platforms are evolving, too. Narsapur notes that many service hubs, particularly in industries like banking and telecom, now use platforms that integrate various aspects of customer interaction, from onboarding to relationship management. These platforms provide a unified view of customer interactions, allowing agents to access the information they need quickly, which ultimately drives faster resolution times and higher customer satisfaction. A <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-01-12-gartner-predicts-80--of-customer-service-organization">Gartner</a> study revealed that by 2025, 80% of customer service interactions will be handled by AI and CRM systems, up from 52% in 2020. <h2>The economic impact of AI on service hubs</h2>The rise of AI and Gen-AI is also fueling an economic boom in the service hub sector. Jain predicts that the influx of venture capital and private equity in AI research for customer service hubs will increase five- to ten-fold in the coming years. This investment is primarily driven by the need for businesses to remain competitive in an increasingly tech-driven market. The economic growth potential is massive, especially in regions like India, where the talent pool for AI and data science is unmatched. Kukreja echoes this sentiment, noting that India’s service hubs are well-positioned to lead this transformation due to their depth of talent in areas such as data engineering, mathematics, and AI development. This gives Indian service hubs a competitive edge as companies look to scale their customer service operations with tech-driven solutions. Global spending on Gen-AI is expected to reach $26 billion by 2027, with Japan and India set to become the most rapidly expanding markets in the forthcoming years, according to <a href="https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prAP52048824">IDC</a>. <h2>What lies ahead for service hubs?</h2>As we look to the future, the role of service hubs will likely expand even further. Narsapur warns that while platforms and AI will drive efficiency, businesses should not rely solely on technology. Competitive advantage will come from the integration of human expertise, technology, and industry-specific solutions. Different sectors, such as banking, telecom, and retail, each have unique needs that service hubs must adapt to in order to provide effective, personalized customer experiences. AI will play a central role in this transformation. But as Jain points out, it won’t replace human agents entirely. Instead, it will coexist with them, moving people up the value chain to focus on higher-value tasks. AI will handle the routine, while humans will step in where emotional intelligence and complex problem-solving are required. In the end, the future of service hubs is not just about technology; it’s about blending tech and humanity in a way that elevates customer experiences to new heights. We are at the dawn of a new era for customer service hubs. The infusion of AI and Gen-AI, along with data-driven insights and sophisticated CRM tools, is transforming the industry from the ground up. Far from being a threat to jobs, AI will create new opportunities, leading to a more dynamic, efficient, and empathetic customer experience. With significant economic growth on the horizon, particularly in regions like India, the service hub industry is set to play a pivotal role in the future of business. The golden age of customer service is here, and the best is yet to come. This article is part of a four-part webinar series in partnership with nasscom. These monthly webinars aim to delve deep and offer insights into the evolving BPM landscape. You can watch the full video of the second session <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E23CeECUh9A">here</a>. Disclaimer: This article is generated and published by the Insider Studios team. You can get in touch with them on insiderstudios@businessinsider.in

Customer service hubs: Entering the golden age with Gen-AI and tech-driven solutions

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Salesforce is closing its office in Hillsboro, Oregon.</li><li>Some staffers must relocate or take severance, while others will continue to work remotely.</li></ul>Salesforce will close its office in Hillsboro, Oregon, and is asking many of its employees based there to either relocate or accept a severance package.In virtual meetings Thursday afternoon, the cloud software giant notified staffers who report to its Hillsboro office, thirty minutes outside of Portland, of its decision. Customer success employees, who account for much of the Hillsboro office's staff, were given until November 26 to decide whether to take a severance package or relocate to Indianapolis, Atlanta, or Seattle, where Salesforce also has offices. Other employees were told they could continue to work for Salesforce remotely."Like any healthy business, we continuously assess whether we have the right structure in place to best serve our customers and fuel growth areas. In this case, it led to adjustments in our real estate footprint. Local employees are either going remote, being offered relocation or will receive a generous severance package in line with the location strategy of their team," a spokesperson for Salesforce wrote in an email to Business Insider.Salesforce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Salesforce opened its Hillsboro office in 2013. The company agreed to create at least 205 new jobs and keep people employed for two years with average wages of $67,500 in exchange for $1.45 million in tax incentives, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2012/11/salesforce_picked_portland_--.html">The Oregonian</a> reported at the time.As of June 2024, Salesforce had 99 offices in 87 cities globally. The company, according to its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001108524/000110852424000005/crm-20240131.htm">annual report</a> filed in January, employed 72,682 people, with 51% based in the US.Nearly two years ago, the company announced a major restructuring plan that included shedding some of its real estate portfolio and commercial leases. Since then, the company has shuttered one of its offices in San Francisco and another in Seattle. The Hillsboro office was Salesforce's only location in the Portland metro area.Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has wavered in his public opinion on remote work. In the early days of the pandemic, he embraced it and declared in 2022, that return-to-office mandates would 'never work.' Later, he blamed the company's weakening sales on workers it had trained remotely during a pandemic-era hiring spree.In July, Salesforce <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/salesforce-company-facts/">called</a> most workers at its global headquarters in San Francisco back to the office four to five days a week.The Hillsboro office closure also comes as Salesforce, which makes and sells cloud-based software for customer relationship management, attempts to rebrand as a company powered by artificial intelligence.Earlier this month, Salesforce unveiled its most ambitious AI strategy to date — Agentforce, a platform to build and manage AI bots to perform customer service tasks or improve employee productivity.Got a tip for this reporter? Contact Ellen Thomas on Signal at 929-524-6964 or <a target="_blank" href="mailto:ethomas@insider.com">ethomas@insider.com</a>.

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