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As countries reopen and millions rejoin offices, video collaboration and chat app <keyword id="10296" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="zoom" source="Orion">Zoom</keyword> has seen a massive erosion in its stock value -- nearly 80 per cent -- from its high in 2020. The demand for Zoom soared in the two years of the pandemic as companies shut offices and employees had to work from home. Remote learning and telemedicine also gave a boost to <keyword id="8996510" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="zoom-video" source="Orion">Zoom Video</keyword>'s cloud-based services. Now, the growth of Zoom has slowed down as in-person meetings resume and schools/colleges reopen. Zoom is now undergoing a year of transition in 2022. Alarmed at its slow user growth, the company has unveiled latest innovations in the Zoom platform to help businesses improve customer and employee experiences for the new 'work anywhere' workforce. For example, 'Zoom IQ for Sales' is a conversation intelligence solution for sales professionals, as well as new <keyword id="11289976" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="zoom-events" source="Orion">Zoom Events</keyword> and <keyword id="2850172" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="webinar" source="Orion">Webinar</keyword> functionalities such as backstage and Webinar session branding aim to put engagement at the centre of the experience and transform the way we work, connect, and collaborate. The new products announcements helped Zoom stock zoom 8 per cent on Wednesday. "Following our recent launch of <keyword id="13551443" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="zoom-contact-centre" source="Orion">Zoom Contact Centre</keyword>, Zoom IQ for Sales, and our latest Zoom Events innovations mark further steps in Zoom's journey to establish new heights for customer experiences and flexible collaboration across the workforce," said <keyword id="13616501" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="oded-gal" source="Orion">Oded Gal</keyword>, Chief Product Officer at Zoom. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/whatsapp-is-finally-allowed-to-have-100-million-users-for-its-payments-service/articleshow/90835669.cms">WhatsApp is finally allowed to have 100 million users for its payments service</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/rbi-is-hiring-294-officers-with-a-starting-pay-scale-of-55000-per-month/articleshow/90835474.cms">RBI is hiring 294 officers with a starting pay scale of ₹55,000 per month, apply before April 18</a>

Video chat app Zoom unveils latest products, aims to provide the 'work anywhere' experience

Video chat app <keyword id="10296" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zoom" source="Orion">Zoom</keyword> is acquiring <keyword id="13923136" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="solvvy" source="Orion">Solvvy</keyword>, a conversational AI and automation platform for customer support, for an undisclosed sum, the company said on Friday. The company, which recently launched Zoom Contact Centre, said the acquisition will help them redefine contact centre category with unified communications. "With the addition of Solvvy's differentiated AI and machine learning technology, we'll be able to accelerate our contact center roadmap to create a concierge-level experience for customers worldwide," said Velchamy Sankarlingam, President of Product and Engineering, <keyword id="8996510" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zoom-video" source="Orion">Zoom Video</keyword> Communications. Solvvy's proprietary technology will broaden Zoom Contact Center's offering with scalable self-service and conversational AI, the company announced. Both the platforms built leading enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses through a focus on scalability, simplicity, and respect for the end-customer. "We also have a shared passion for leveraging best-in-class modern technology solutions to enhance human experiences, said Sankarlingam. The demand for Zoom soared in the two years of the pandemic as companies shut offices and employees had to work from home. Remote learning and telemedicine also gave a boost to Zoom Video's cloud-based services. Zoom is now undergoing a year of transition in 2022. The company last month unveiled latest innovations in the Zoom platform to help businesses improve customer and employee experiences for the new 'work anywhere' workforce. "Following our recent launch of Zoom Contact Centre, Zoom IQ for Sales, and our latest Zoom Events innovations mark further steps in Zoom's journey to establish new heights for customer experiences and flexible collaboration across the workforce," said Oded Gal, Chief Product Officer at Zoom. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rupee-continues-to-fall-to-record-lows-and-it-might-affect-your-food-education-healthcare-and-other-expenses/articleshow/91535452.cms" style="">Rupee continues to fall to record lows and it might affect your food, education, healthcare and other expenses</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/elon-musk-puts-44-billion-twitter-deal-on-hold-over-fake-accounts/articleshow/91540983.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Elon Musk puts $44 billion Twitter deal on hold over fake accounts </a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/indigo-flies-the-most-passengers-abroad-air-india-comes-next/slidelist/91537381.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Indigo flies the most passengers abroad — check out Air India, Spicejet’s share</a>

Zoom acquires nine-year-old Solvvy to manage customer support

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dr. Lim Hui Ling, 51, is the medical director for the International Medical Clinic in <keyword id="6356662" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="singapore">Singapore</keyword>. </li><li>Lim says going through the 2002-2003 SARS pandemic helped prepare her and other <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword> workers to deal with <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>.</li><li>She also credits fellow Singaporeans for helping stop the spread of the virus by willingly wearing masks, social distancing, and using a contact tracing app.</li></ul>When I first heard about COVID-19 in January 2020, I thought it would blow over like the swine flu or bird flu have in the past. As we all know now, that wasn't to be the case.One year later, I'm dressed head-to-toe in scrubs, and each afternoon I change into full PPE gear to treat patients at the acute clinic we hold at our centre. Patients attend the acute clinic if they have a fever or difficulty breathing, which are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-covid19-day-by-day-symptoms-patients-2020-2">symptoms of COVID-19</a>.I've been a <a href="https://www.imc-healthcare.com/doctor/dr-lim-hui-ling/">family doctor</a> at the International Medical Clinic since 2002. While all my appointments normally are face-to-face, I'm now seeing my patients at the clinic and over Zoom. As a council member of the College of Physicians, I also help advise other doctors how to cope with the crisis. <h2>Singapore was the first country in Asia to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.</h2><div type="image" title="Dr Lim in Chinatown_Singapore" height="2726" width="3635" msid="80634059" hostid="261"></div>After its <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-approves-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-in-asia-first-what-you-need-to-know">approval</a>, I was given my first dose of the vaccine on January 14. I did experience a couple of side effects after having the vaccine. The next day my arm was quite sore, and I couldn't lift it to comb my hair. I also had a bit of fever, which came on in the afternoon and lasted until bedtime.However, when I woke up two mornings after receiving the shot, I felt absolutely fine - in fact, I decided to do some gardening. I'm scheduled to receive my second dose on February 4. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-2-airlines-succeeded-flying-the-covid-vaccine-remote-cities-2020-12">How 2 airlines transported the COVID-19 vaccine to some of the farthest regions of the world</a>There are 26 doctors in my clinic, and we've seen only three positive COVID-19 cases during the entirety of the pandemic. But we are always on our toes, aware that the next patient we may see may be suffering from the virus. This isn't my first brush with a virus. From November 2002 to July 2003, Asia was hit by the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deadly-sars-virus-history-2003-in-photos-2020-2"> SARS pandemic</a>c. It didn't last as long as COVID-19 has, but it was scary. Healthcare workers died, including people I knew. <h2>SARS gave us the blueprint on how to deal with COVID-19.</h2>It was a huge learning curve for many of us who hadn't experienced anything like it before, and it also gave us the blueprint on how to deal with COVID-19. The Ministry of Health gave national guidance on managing COVID-19 patients, which we modified to work for our clinic. Due to SARS, we had the experience of infection control, we knew how to split the clinic, how to triage patients, and we always have PPE stockpiled in our warehouse. As Singapore is a small country, it was able to pivot quickly to combat COVID-19. The government was quick to close its borders, implement mandatory mask wearing and social distancing, and introduced the Trace Together app in March 2020, which people must use to enter stores, hospitals, and even taxis, in order to keep track of where someone has been if they should contract the virus. The government also made good use of buildings that were standing empty. Exhibition centres were turned into community isolation facilities and empty hotel rooms were used for Stay At Home notices to quarantine incoming visitors for two weeks. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/singapores-covid-plan-is-working-but-wouldnt-fly-in-the-us-2021-1">I went through a luxury-hotel quarantine in Singapore to beat the coronavirus - and it works. But Americans just wouldn't find it acceptable.</a>The virus started to spread during Chinese New Year of last year. The country went into <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-life-looks-like-right-now-singapore-coronavirus-lockdown-2020-4">lockdown</a> from April 7 to June 1, but now we're getting back to normal. The government announced that we would go through three phases, and we moved into <a href="https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/roadmap-to-phase-three">phase three on December 28</a> after new infection rates had already been low for months. All the shops, restaurants, and beauty salons are now open and people can also go to the movie theatre. Parks stayed open during the pandemic so that everyone had somewhere to exercise. We still have to socially distance and wear masks, but we can now meet in groups of up to eight people. <h2>Singapore's population had a big hand in helping stop the spread of the virus.</h2><div type="image" title="Dr. Lim Hui Ling and husband" height="2070" width="2760" msid="80634063" hostid="261"></div>Most people have been acting very responsibly and trust in the regulations we're asked to follow. The ministers who run the COVID-19 task force are good communicators, so there's been no confusion and everyone is clear about which phase we're in and what we need to do. Everyone wears a mask, apart from one or two people who make the papers when they don't. And everyone does their best to socially distance and most people stick to the rules about not gathering in large groups. Thanks to Singapore's control of the outbreak, this year we'll be able to visit our parents for Chinese New Year in a few weeks, although the rest of our celebrations will be done via Zoom. I feel fortunate to live in this surreal little bubble, where most people I know care about working together towards a communal goal. And when the borders reopen, I can't wait to start traveling again.

I'm a doctor in Singapore. Our COVID-19 cases have been low since last fall - here's what we're doing right.

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6356311" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organisation">World Health Organisation</keyword> (WHO) declared <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> as a public health emergency as the number of infected cases continue to rise. </li><li>The disease affects <keyword id="6354774" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mental-health">mental health</keyword> of people as they follow social distancing and other precautionary measures. </li><li>To overcome this anxiety, WHO and local governments have suggested ways to cope up with the pandemic.</li></ul>The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared coronavirus as a public health emergency of international level as the number of infected cases continue to rise. The spread of the disease has shaken the economy, disrupted routines, and is causing stress and anxiety. As many as 7,000 people have lost their lives to the novel coronavirus so far — including three in India. As the government intends to control it, people started to practice social distancing leading to psychological distress. Seek information updates once or twice a day <div type="image" title="c" msid="74683659" hostid="261"></div>

 WHO defines mental health as a state of well-being where the individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life and remain productive. However, the constant stream of reports around the outbreak may cause anxiety and distress. To overcome this, <a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/mental-health-considerations.pdf?sfvrsn=6d3578af_2">WHO suggests </a>that information updates should be checked once or twice a day only. “Avoid watching, reading or listening to news that cause you to feel anxious or distressed; seek information mainly to take practical steps to prepare your plans and protect yourself and loved ones,” it said. Alcohol and other drugs <div type="image" title="alcohol-428392_1920" msid="74683680" hostid="261"></div>

 In addition, employing healthy and basic coping mechanisms like eating sufficiently, engaging in physical activity and working in shifts can also help. “Avoid using unhelpful coping strategies such as tobacco, alcohol or other drugs. In the long term, these can worsen your mental and physical wellbeing. This is a unique and unprecedented scenario for many workers, particularly if they have not been involved in similar responses. The strategies to benefit feelings of stress are the same, even if the scenario is different,” the WHO guidelines said. The health regulator also recommends voicing positive stories of those who recovered. Digital means of contact Many companies asked employees to work from home and restrict travel. This accelerated the demand for video conferencing platforms. In fact, the shares of Zoom video and Skype soared while the rest of the market has been plummeting for weeks now. WHO advises to stay in contact with the closed ones via digital technologies too, so as to maintain contact. <div type="twitter" handle="WHO" handlename="World Health Organization (WHO)" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/875476478988886016/_l61qZdR_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1073" retweetcount="696" status="&quot;This is the defining global health crisis of our time. The days, weeks and months ahead will be a test of our re… https://t.co/GKnlIFjd5d" createdat="1584374845000" id="1239584060810440708"></div>

 “Turn to your colleagues, your manager or other trusted persons for social support- your colleagues may be having similar experiences to you. Use understandable ways to share messages with people with intellectual, cognitive and psychosocial disabilities. Forms of communication that do not rely solely on written information should be utilized If you are a team leader or manager in a health facility,” said WHO. Exam stress among students <div type="image" title="Dhanbad: School students wear masks as a preventive measure against coronavirus ..." msid="74683689" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;School students wear masks as a preventive measure against coronavirus after appearing in 10th board examination, at a school in Dhanbad.Photo)(&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 The students are facing unexpected school closures and assessments in the wake of coronavirus. All of this is adding to the mental stress of students. “Today, mental health has become a big issue worldwide. If you’re planning your life and the exams get postponed by, say a month — that is a setback. The students get stressed waiting the entire year for exams, so when it is deferred it is actually not a relief, it is more stress until it happens,” <keyword id="25725" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ronnie-Screwvala">Ronnie Screwvala</keyword>, co-founder and chairman of upGrad told Business Insider in an earlier interview. “Help children find positive ways to express disturbing feelings such as fear and sadness. Sometimes engaging in a creative activity, such as playing, and drawing can facilitate this process.” WHO said. Moreover, competitive exams are an added stress to the students appearing for board exams this year. As students compete with a large number of aspirants for engineering and medical entrances, the fear of rejection is high. “Often it is seen that students think a 10 CGPA in board examination is sufficient to secure a good rank in JEE whereas both are different ball games. So, setting a goal based on performance in another exam can lead to disappointment, thereby causing stress or anxiety among students,” said Partha Halder, Centre Head, FIITJEE, Delhi. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/ritesh-agarwal-ready-to-offer-oyo-rooms-as-quarantine-centres-as-coronavirus-spreads/articleshow/74665964.cms">Ritesh Agarwal ready to offer OYO rooms as quarantine centres as Coronavirus spreads</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-infection-cases-in-india/articleshow/74667109.cms">Coronavirus: Number of cases in India stands at 140; 13 cured and three dead</a>

Here is how you can fight fear, loathing and loneliness in the wake of Coronavirus

By Amanpreet Singh New Delhi, Apr 29 () India's foreign wrestling coaches Andrew Cook and Temo Kazarashvili left India with half of their monthly salary for March in their pockets and are wondering if they will be paid their dues along with the remuneration for the current month. Women's team coach Cook left for Seattle in the USA on March 19 after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) called off the national camp in Lucknow on March 17 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Diminutive Kazarshvili, the 1982 World Champion, who coaches India's Greco Roman wrestlers, also left for Georgia soon after the men's camp in Sonepat was halted. "It's not my choice to be back home. They approved everything before I left as I filled out the forms. I received my March salary and it was only half. When I inquired, they said they are holding my pay," Cook told from Seattle. "I have received nothing since I am home. They want us to be on Zoom calls but no pay. How fair is that? This is a joke. They are not honouring the contract," he said. Cook claimed that he has written e-mails to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) officials as well as WFI officials. "There is no response from the SAI leadership but I have been assured by WFI that I will get my dues and the contracts will also be extended till 2021 since the Olympics have been pushed by a year," he said. WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar confirmed to that salaries of the coaches have been blocked but assured they will be released soon. "I think the Regional SAI centre officials felt that since camp was called off mid March, the coaches will be paid half of the salary they get. But we have told them that it's annual contract and we have to pay them on monthly basis," Tomar said. "We had written to them towards the end of March, explaining that salary is not based on number of days at the camp. The delay in payment could be due to the absence of officials who are the signing authority in SAI. "The coaches have to be paid in foreign currency, so maybe that's why the delay. There is some paper work involved," Tomar explained. Cook gets a monthly remuneration of USD 4500 while Kazarshvili gets USD 4000. Cook said he is desperate to get back to the mat and is in touch with his wards. "It's getting crazy (sitting at home). I want to get back to mat. I keep sharing technical stuff with them. Kiran (76kg) is very active. Pooja Dhanda, Sakshi Malik and 10 others are there in the chat," he said. reached out to Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) CEO Rajesh Rajagopalan for a comment but he did not respond. Rajagopalan is WFI's contact point for their issues. However, source in the SAI said that issue is being looked into. "A salary matrix has been proposed to minimise the impact of this issue and is being approved for implementation. The foreign coaches have already returned to their country, but their salary issue will be resolved. There is a holistic approach that is being implemented," the source said. AT AT BSBS

India's foreign wrestling coaches await salaries amid lockdown

Bengaluru/Hyderabad, Jul 8 () The sharp spurt in the number of coronavirus cases in Bengaluru and Hyderabad since relaxations in lockdown curbs last month is causing concern for managers of the two southern cities. In the first seven days of this month alone, Bengaluru has added over 6,800 cases while the Telangana capital more than 9,000 infections with officials attributing it largely to movement of people consequent to easing of restrictions. These two cities had remained relatively immune to the virus till over a month ago when Chennai in neighbouring Tamil Nadu was reporting high case load due to two superspreaders, including Koyambedu wholesale market. In Bengaluru, the country's IT capital, the upward curve came sooner than anticipated, at least by two weeks, prompting officials to expedite measures. On the other hand, in Hyderabad there has also been an increase in the number of tests since late last month with the government declaring it would carry out 50,000 tests in the city and its neighbourhood. The number of COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru was only 358 on May 31 when Lockdown-4 ended but has risen to 4,555 on June 30 (end of unlock 1.0), and further zoomed to 11,361 on Tuesday, according to the city civic body. With 9,395 active cases, the city has so far reported 155 deaths and 1,810 discharges. While the positivity rate stands at 8.52 per cent, mortality rate is 1.37 per cent. According to Dr Giridhar Babu of Public Health Foundation of India, while everyone anticipated the surge, the timing took them by surprise. "So while the state and BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) were planning to roll out COVID care centres and everything by the end of this week expecting that the surge will happen around this time, the surge started two weeks earlier," Babu told . Also a member of the state Covid-19 technical advisory committee, he said, "so the emergency response kind of thing did not happen, but now I think it is back on track." Those in administration did expect the cases to increase after relaxation relating to lockdown curbs, but had no idea it would spike so early. "In Bengaluru we were aware that there would be a surge in the number of infections when we relaxed the lockdown, but the information that came to us did not show that the surge will be to this extent," Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said. "These numbers we are seeing now were expected by July-end, but has happened a bit earlier," he said, but added there was no need to worry as the government was making all the necessary arrangements to manage the situation. Out of the overall 26,815 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Karnataka, 11,361 infections are from Bengaluru Urban, and 800 of the 1,498 fresh cases reported in the state on Tuesday were from the capital city alone. According to Babu, Bengaluru was at the risk of having a surge in cases from the beginning like some other cities, but the numbers did not see an incremental jump during the lockdown because the curbs were implemented much better. He said coordination and preparation within BBMP post relaxations did not match with the kind of "brilliant work" they did during the lockdown and it was one of the reasons for the surge in cases. Effective contact tracing was done during the lockdown and involving almost all the staff members, but once the lockdown was lifted they resumed with their earlier duties, and this led to shortage of manpower for contact tracing. The government has now deployed 1,246 employees from various departments for contact tracing with special focus on Bengaluru and surrounding areas and warned of strict action in case of refusal to undertake the work. Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, has also witnessed quick average increase since July 1. Though the cumulative number of cases in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits was not immediately available, the daily numbers have been quite significant. The first week of this month alone saw addition of 9,227 cases with steady increase in the single day count which has remained in four figures since July 3. Health department officials attribute the surge in cases in GHMC area, besides other places in Telangana, to increased movement of people and mobility after relaxation in lockdown conditions had been allowed. Citizens are travelling across the state and most of them were not following the basic preventive measures like wearing a mask, they said. As on July 7, the tally of positive cases in the state stood at 27,612 with 313 deaths against 1,28,438 samples tested cumulatively. Amidst opposition criticism over the handling of the pandemic, especially on the testing front, the government had last month announced ramping up the test samples in districts including Hyderabad, even as it urged people not to panic. The state high court had also expressed displeasure over a report filed by the government on the number of tests done and sought to know why reports on the coronavirus situation being put out for the public lacked 'detailed' information. KSU RS SJR SA VS VS

Spike in COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru, Hyderabad causes concern

New York, US President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> has declared a national emergency over the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> outbreak in the country and reached an agreement with the Democrats on a relief package. The national emergency he declared on Friday will make more funds available for fighting the fallout of the disease and cut red tape for finding medical solutions while its symbolism will reflect the seriousness of the situation. Later, both he and Speaker <keyword id="128640" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nancy-Pelosi">Nancy Pelosi</keyword> said that a deal had been reached to pass a relief package to help those after by the pandemic. The Democrat-controlled House of <keyword id="185742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="representatives">Representatives</keyword> was scheduled to vote on it Friday night and Republican-majority Senate was expected to approve it on Monday after cancelling its spring recess. The battered stock markets zoomed as Trump declared the national emergency at a White House news conference. After having plummeted by more than 9 per cent on Thursday, the markets gained about the same percentage, most of the uptick coming dramatically while Trump spoke. Trump said the emergency declaration was "to unleash the full power of the federal government" and that up to $50 billion will be available to states and territories to meet the challenge. He said: "I'm urging every state to set up emergency operations centres effective immediately." Trump said that under the emergency the rules would be made flexible to allow doctors and hospitals to deal with the crisis. Health Secretary Alex Azar and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be empowered to waive rules for developing medications and tests and for promoting telemedicine. The declaration came as the number of coronavirus cases in the US hit 1,800 with 41 deaths hitting all aspects of life from the economy and politics to education and entertainment. Although Trump had criticised the relief package proposed by the <keyword id="155982" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Democratic-Party">Democratic Party</keyword> during the news conference, he tweeted his support for it asserting it includes his "direction" for free coronavirus tests and paid sick leave. Pelosi wrote to her fellow Democrats that they had reached an agreement on the package to be known as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin negotiated the deal on behalf of the Trump administration as the President and the Republican leaders in Congress have bad relations with Pelosi, having traded personal insults. In keeping with the Republican philosophy of involving the private sector Trump announced several initiatives with corporations while declaring the emergency. The showpiece of the private-public partnership is an initiative with Google that will enable people to screen themselves online to see if they needed a COVID-19 test and if they are a candidate for it where to get it. Trump said that 1,700 engineers will be working on the projects with Google. He met with several executives of private companies before the news conference to work out their participation and some of them spoke to the media about their programmes. The retailer Walmart with a large national footprint and others said they will make available their facilities for COVID-19 testing. Trump defended his administration's response to the crisis saying that it was following the procedures in place that were not designed for a crisis like the coronavirus and that changes would be made to deal with similar crises should they arise in the future. Seema Verma, who heads the two separate federal health insurance programmes for senior citizens and for the poor, noted that a lot of the deaths were among older people and said that several new regulations are being put in place to protect those in nursing homes for the elderly. Pressed by a reporter who accused him of being "selfish" by not getting himself tested for the coronavirus after having been photographed in the company of someone who had come done with it, Trump said that he would undergo the test but would not say when or commit to making it public. Trump and medical experts with him said that people should undergo tests only when a doctor advises them to take them. He declared the emergency under a 1988 law for funnelling aid to states and local administrations. Unlike in India, a state of emergency in the US does not involve limiting civil rights and it only paves the way for providing funds for dealing with the fallout of the coronavirus and for relaxing laws and regulations to speed up medical response. Senate Republican leader Chuck Schumer has said that under the law known as the Stafford Act $42.6 billion could be immediately available from the Disaster Relief Fund. Trump has been under criticism for his handling of the coronavirus crisis by not responding soon enough or adequately. Schumer and 35 other senators had written to Trump on Wednesday asking him to declare the state of emergency to make the funds available. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) --IANS al/ksk/

Coronavirus: Trump declares national emergency, reaches deal for relief package

<ul><li><keyword id="9585113" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="sowmya-iyer-founder-ceo">Sowmya Iyer, Founder &amp; CEO</keyword> of <keyword id="6605522" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="DViO-Digital">DViO Digital</keyword> writes how Covid-19 has accelerated the pace of adoption and achieved in two months what we may have otherwise done in 20 years.</li><li>She further writes what can brands expect and which way to steer their business. </li></ul>As a marketer of brands and businesses across a variety of sectors, I have been keenly observing the shifts and changes as they happen through the pandemic crisis that engulfs us today. Also, being an integral part of board room discussions for clients (read: “Zoom-room”!) conversations on "what next" for businesses, some key observations and patterns that we see emerge! While the degree of changes in all the above may vary, change is certain. What we do know is that we are entering an anxious new territory. What I do know is that businesses will need to be brave and demonstrate tremendous agility to survive and thrive in the coming times. Those who keep a keen eye out for their consumers and their changing lives will know exactly what to do or how to pivot, if and when required. Let’s pause and look at the things we are doing differently and ask ourselves whether we are likely to continue doing differently: <ol><li>Are we likely to travel differently?</li><li>Are we likely to buy differently?</li><li>Are we likely to work differently?</li><li>Are you likely to consume entertainment differently?</li><li>Are we likely to eat differently?</li><li>Are we likely to socialise differently?</li><li>Are we likely to exercise differently?</li><li>Are we likely to do healthcare differently?</li><li>Are we likely to study differently?</li></ol> The most dramatic change of all has been adoption of digital technology. The earlier shift to digital was at best a reluctant experiment for most businesses. Covid-19 has accelerated the pace of adoption and achieved in two months what we may have otherwise done in 20 years. So when travel, malls, retail outlets, universities, offices, gyms, healthcare clinics and restaurants return, what changes are they are likely to see? According to a recent McKinsey report: <ul><li>Net consumer optimism has declined. Consumers are spending more on essentials and not on discretionary categories.</li><li>Consumers are shifting to online and digital solutions as well as reduced-contact channels to get goods and services.</li><li>Consumers also want to see an ongoing emphasis on cleaning and safety.</li><li>Even though many countries have lifted stay-at-home restrictions, most consumers still feel the pull toward a “homebody economy.”</li></ul>Among other trends that we may observe, the low-to middle-income groups are likely to cut down on their spending more deeply than the middle-to-high income groups, who are not likely to cut down on their spending but spend on things that really matter to them and become more mindful of their spending. So coming to my original point, brands and businesses that have their ears and eyes open to their consumers will know which way to steer their business. What to expect Travel: As travel opens up, people will choose to go to places that they can drive to and not need to use a public transport vehicle (flights, trains, buses). Thus, your typical weekend destinations will benefit and local tourism economy will flourish. Homestays, Airbnbs and resorts spread over large areas with lower density of people and more private areas will do better. Luxury travel is likely to take a new meaning. The aftermath of the shocks we encounter in life is typically pause and reflection. So also with this crisis, spiritual retreats, yoga retreats, wellness centres, meditation camps, and places that take you closer to nature are likely to take on the new definition of luxury. Buying and retail: E-commerce will become the norm, if it hasn’t already. The deep adoption that’s already happened renders it impossible to revert to earlier ways of shopping. With growth of e-commerce, the cost of going to market (GTM) for most brands in essentials, FMCG and wellness will reduce dramatically. More players will enter the market, offering stiff competition to established brands. The rate of innovation on products will be like never before Most will enjoy experimenting with new products with brand loyalty becoming a transitioning phenomenon. Customer reviews will become the new currency to build loyalty. For reasons I’ve mentioned earlier in this article, products that cue health and wellness, natural, immunity building and organic will do particularly well. The world will see more people turning to vegan and practising conscious eating. As people spend more time at home, home décor brands are likely to innovate and offer products and solutions to refresh homes on a regular basis. Healthcare and Hospitals: Telemedicine will finally become a reality. Doctors and hospitals would have adopted the digital wave like they probably never imagined. Remote robotic surgeries will become the norm, and this technology will also open up a global market for the healthcare and hospitals industry. Fitness: Home fitness will take centre stage. Fitness apps and online fitness classes will see an uptick. Products and equipments that encourage home fitness will also see higher demand on marketplaces. End-to-end online fitness solutions including delivery of health food will emerge. Entertainment: Lastly, home entertainment businesses--OTT and music streaming platforms, and online live concerts—will see growth. Advertisers and media planners will be working in an entirely new media ecosystem. OTT advertising, content partnerships, digital audio, and so forth. At last digital based economy will become a real thing that means real business. Paying for digital experiences will become a reality. Of the pandemic shouldn’t have been a part of this deal. What marketers should know These testing times call for us marketers to go beyond business as usual. These are times for us to rethink, reinvent, and experiment with models of marketing. Zero touch searches I do believe voice search will evolve faster and so will adoption of voice search devices. At DViO we have been rapidly optimising our clients’ businesses for voice search. When the industry is already projecting 50 % of searches using voice, it’s may be prudent to get your businesses optimised for voice. Content for context: Thanks to the coronavirus crisis, there has been a dramatic change this year in the lives of everybody on earth. Never before has humanity unanimously experienced feelings of fear, stress, concern for loved ones and anxiety about the future. So clearly, the old ways of communicating with consumers will be out of context, and will likely sound alien to most people. Any communication from brands needs to be viewed through the lens of the current lives of consumers. The questions that brand managers need to ask themselves are: “Am I helping? Is my communication working towards improving the lives of people--even if only a tad? Is what I am sharing adding value directly or indirectly and addressing the concerns of my consumer?” In order to align with these questions for our customers, at DViO, we are working to personalise every piece of communication to an unprecedented point of detailing the digital landscape. Authenticity: For brands, this is also the right time to pause and reflect on their raison d’être. Purpose is like the North Pole that helps navigate through the roughest of seas. Whatever shifts you plan to make to your communication and marketing strategy, go back and make sure it aligns with the core purpose of why you exist in the first place. Consumers will catch inauthentic communication faster than you can imagine. Anything you to do to simply "look good" simply won't fly. Changes in the media landscape: Online video, social media, and news content will continue to enjoy high consumption. But in addition, the media landscape will witness a new ecosystem of channels, which includes OTT, digital audio, content partnerships etc. Media plans will need to be kept flexible to adapt to changes on the go. Lastly, brands that win in the long run will connect authentically, demonstrate care for communities, and spread the much-needed positivity in the world today.

A look at consumer behaviour and marketing trends in Covid-19

<div class="image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image">Dan Kitwood/Getty Images</div></div></div>Just unwrapped an <keyword id="101239" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="iPad">iPad</keyword>? Here are 15 features to make it even more useful
<h3>1. Take a screenshot</h3>
If you need a screenshot, whether it's to prove your high score in a new game or to send an important chart to the office, taking one is quick and easy. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button (on the top of the iPad, on the right-hand side) and the Home button at the same time. The screenshot will be added to your camera roll.
<h3>2. Multi-touch gestures</h3>
It won't have escaped your notice that the iPad is a touchscreen device but even those who have mastered swiping, tapping and pinching to zoom often don't know about some of the more complex controls. Turn them on in Settings - General - Multitasking Gestures and then try the following:
- Place four fingers on the screen and swipe upwards to reveal the multitasking bar; swipe down to close it again.
- Swipe left or right with four fingers to switch between apps
- Pinch four fingers together to close the running app and return to the homescreen. Do this very slowly and you can watch the animation as the app fades out and the homescreen fades in. Hours of fun. Probably. Don't forget a single-finger swipe up from the bottom reveals frequently used settings and from the top information about today.
<h3>3. Typing tricks</h3>
There are several ways to make typing easier on your iPad. Here are a few suggestions:
- Caps Lock: sometimes you need to type all in capitals and hitting Shift before each letter is a pain. Don't worry, Caps Lock is easy: make sure the Caps Lock function is turned on in Settings - General - Keyboard, and then double-tap either shift button whenever you are typing to turn on Caps Lock.
- Hidden punctuation: Apostrophes and speech marks can be fiddly on the iPad's virtual keyboard because they are tucked away on a second keyboard. Or so you would think. In fact, there are shortcuts to both on the main keyboard. Just tap and hold the exclamation mark to get an apostrophe and tap and hold the question mark for speech marks.
- Split the keyboard: It can be hard to type on the iPad when you are holding it in your hands. Apple has an option to make this slightly easier by allowing you to split the keyboard into two. Just place two fingers near the centre of the keyboard and drag them apart. The keyboard will split into two, smaller halves - one on each side of the screen - making it easier to hold the iPad in two hands and type with your thumbs.
- Shortcuts: If there are certain phrases, names or other terms that you type frequently, you can create shortcuts for them under Settings - General - Keyboard. Type "omw", for example, and the iPad will enter "on my way".
<h3>4. Parental controls</h3>
Children love iPads and there are some great apps available for children. However, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to control the things your children are able to do with your iPad. You might not want them to have unrestricted access to the web, for example, and it might be irritating if they delete your favourite apps. You certainly don't want to let them loose in the App Store if they're spending on your credit card. All of those things and more can be set within the Settings - General - Restrictions menu. Once set, the Restrictions settings are pin-protected so that only you can change them.
<h3>5. Tap titlebar to return to top</h3>
Scrolling all the way up to the top of a long page can be irritating. That's why Apple included a shortcut: just tap on the title bar at the top of the screen to automatically jump to the top. This should work across most apps, except for the odd perverse developer who opts to turn it off, thus condemning users to an irritating time swiping screen after screen. I'm looking at you, The New Yorker app.
<h3>6. Find text on a page</h3>
On a computer CTRL+F is a handy way to find a word or phrase on the page you're reading or in a document. You can do the same thing on an iPad too. Type the word or phrase you are looking for into the search box in the top and if it appears on the page then you will see an 'On This Page' section in the search results. Tap that to see the word highlighted on the page.
<h3>7. Conserve battery life</h3>
The iPad has pretty impressive battery life: but turning down the brightness (found in the Settings menu) will help, as will switching off 3G, or even going to Airplane mode completely when you don't need any connectivity. If you do need to stay connected, try fetching data less frequently (see Settings: Mail, Contacts and Calendars).
<h3>8. Airplay mirroring</h3>
One of the best features of the iPad is the ability to mirror the display to a television using AirPlay. You'll need an Apple TV connected to your television for this to work but assuming you have one of those, this is a handy trick for sharing photos with the family or just showing everyone that hilarious video of a skateboarding cat. Here's how it works: first, open the iPad's multitasking menu by swiping upwards with four fingers or double-tapping the home button, then swipe left. You'll see a range of player controls and, if your iPad is on the same WiFi network as an Apple TV, you'll see the AirPlay logo - a rectangle with a black triangle over the bottom edge. Tap that to mirror your screen.
<h3>9. Fast app switching</h3>
If you have followed the tips above then you will have seen this by now. Switching apps quickly is very easy. It's not necessary to close one app and then scroll through your apps to find the one you want. Just open the iPad's multitasking menu by swiping upwards with four fingers or double-tapping the home button. You'll see all of your recently opened apps. Scroll right and you'll see even more. Just tap the one you want to switch quickly. This is especially useful if you want to copy-and-paste between one app and another. Swipe one up to quite it.
<h3>10. Copy/Paste</h3>
This is a tremendously useful feature. If you need to copy text between, say, a document and an email, just tap and hold on the text you want to copy. The word you have tapped will be highlighted and you'll see a bar with a blue circle on it at each end of the word. Drag these bars to select the text you want and then tap 'copy'. Then go to the app you want to paste the text into, tap and hold and then hit 'paste'.
<h3>11. Access your home computer</h3>
This one costs a little money, but by downloading iTeleport, it means you can access your home computer from anywhere in the world through your iPad.
Control downloads, play music to the empty house to make potential burglars think you are home, email yourself files from your desktop.
The possibilities are endless, provided you leave the computer switched on of course.
<h3>12. Zoom</h3>
Want to see something close up, then this feature might be for you.
This feature sits in the accessibility folder under general settings. when turned on, double tap on the screen with three fingers to zoom into a spot.
To navigate around while zoomed in, drag three fingers around the screen.
And if things still are not magnified enough, then double tap again while zoomed in with three fingers before dragging them up or down. This will zoom you right in and out of the action.
<h3>13. Shake to undo</h3>
Made a mistake when typing and wish there was a handy undo button just like on your desktop word processor. Actually there is, but you have to get physical.
Simply pick up your iPad, hold it tightly and give it a rigorous shake. A box will flash up on the screen asking if you would like to undo the typing you have just inputted.
<h3>14. Triple click the home button</h3>
While most people know that a double click of the home button will bring up the multitasking bar, allowing you to access apps that are open, few will know about triple click.
Hidden in the accessibility menu in general setting, there is an option to turn on triple click.
You can then chose to activate a number of features when the round button at the bottom of the screen is pressed three times in quick succession.
These include the ability to invert the colours on the screen or to zoom. The iPad's VoiceOver function, which helps people with visual difficulties navigate around the screen, can also be activated in this way.
<h3>15. Find my iPad</h3>
Are you one of those forgetful people who leaves your portable technology lying around in rooms and then forgets where you put it? Then this feature is for you.
Turn it on in the iCloud settings and next time your iPad vanishes from the face of the Earth, log in to the iCloud on your nearest computer or phone with your iTunes details.
You can then ask your iPad to display a message telling any potential finder how to return it to you.
You can ask the iPad to play a sound that overrides any volume and mute settings. Have you found it yet?
There it is, buried under that stack of newspapers.

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