Category: Insights

Insights

Online Exam System Versus Traditional Exam Practices

Miley on June 12, 2020

As we all know that today most of the work is going on with the help of the new technology supported by the internet connection. In just a few months the working style of all most all the sectors have been changed even the educational sector is also affected by this pandemic. This has led to the shifting of all the educational practices through the internet. No doubt the educational institutes were dependent on the online services but partially or very less. But now they have to completely depend on the technology for taking exams, lectures, study material exam. For taking exams the universities are setting up the secure exam browser which will help them in taking the exams with full control over all the malpractices that can happen during the exam. This is the only way to save the time of the student from not getting wasted at all.

Let’s have a look at the process of how the online exams are being conducted through online exam software.

Set up exam: the very first step in conducting the exam is to set up the questionnaire regarding the exam in the system. This online platform supports different question formats. The teacher needs to set up the exam accordingly and can upload it is in the software.
Invite the test takers: after setting up the question paper the examiner needs to select the time slot in which the exam will be conducted. The decision of the time slot can be according to the convenience of both students and the teachers. After that on the day of the exam the invitation is being sent through emails to the students who are required to appear for the exam.
Authorize and proctor tests: before starting the test, the students need to provide them with some ID proof so that the chances of impersonation can be reduced. The server has the ID authentication that assesses the students’ credentials. After that while, in the exam the online proctoring keeps a continuous check on the pool of the students appearing for the exam and instantly averts if it finds anything wrong. This online exam also records the test and saves it as proof in case there is any requirement in any special case.
Real-time updates: this online examination system provides the student with the real-time results, as the results are displayed with no time and are shared with the students in the pdf form that are sent them through emails. This way within no time the actual results are displayed and the candidates can work upon that way only.
Group level analytics: the online examination system analysis the data of a large number of students within some time. The analysis can be customized according to the requirement of the university. It has lowered down the burden of teachers of checking and updating the results.

This is the way how the online exam software works. These are much more efficient than traditional exam-taking practices. Let’s have a look at the major difference between these two practices.

Distance education: the online exam software has enabled the universities to carry out distance education practices. In many big and renowned universities students from different places study there and because of the problem of COVID-19 the universities were closed. And there is no scope of them to reopen. So this has online exam software along with the proctoring services that have made it possible to take exams of the students even when they are at home. All this is happening because of modern technology and it cannot be done if the traditional exam-taking practices are continued.
Flexibility: in the traditional way of taking an exam, the students were provided with the fixed dates on which they have to appear for the exam, and they don’t have the choice for it. Even the invigilators were made available on that particular day to take the exam. But nothing like this happens if the educational institutes take the help of the online exam centers. The schedule of the exams is being with the convenience of both teacher and the student. Even in some high-end exams the students are provided with the exam window within which they have to appear for the exam. This way the students can give exams according to their comfort and convenience.
Lowers the cost: after the universities get the online exam system installed, they need not do any other investment in conducting the exam. As the majority of the work is being done by the system. There is no arrangement of papers on which the questions are to be printed and the answer sheets like it are done in the traditional way of taking the exam. there is no need to make arrangements for the invigilators and the test centers where the exam will be conducted. All these things are done by the system. Even the results are being made by this software with very little time and setup.

So, these are the ways by which the modern way of taking the exam is much more different from the traditional techniques. It has replaced the long hours of hard work of writing exams with the smart work that is done on the computers via the internet. Now this is the time to change our education system with this modern technique. No doubt the pandemic is affecting the lifestyle of the people to a greater extent. But the effects of this will help in the advancement of working styles. Now it has become very important for everyone to be in touch with the internet the reason for this can be any, it can be education or work. Looking at the good side of it all this is making people aware of all the modern technologies in the market. Get yourself available you all these new technologies and avail yourself of the benefits. And, surely, these new pieces of technologies will not let you down in any case.

Insights Products

Dropped Your Mac Book Accidentally? Basic Steps for Troubleshoot Check

Miley on June 3, 2020

You just invested your entire month’s pocket money in purchasing a new Mac Book. You are excited about using it. You chat with your friends online and accidentally you drop it down! Mac books are delicate systems and so they can easily get damaged.

The external body may not be completely shockproof, and so these systems are generally not tested for the drop test. Attempting to test your best Mac book on your own, may never be advisable. You can search for MacBook repair in Auckland experts to get more familiar with drop test features on your own.

Professional Mac book repair services will never advise you to take the drop test for your new Mac book on your own.

So in case, you dropped your Mac Book accidentally, then here is what you should be doing next. Just follow the basic instructions provided by our expert team.

Avoid dropping very often

The drop test for your Mac Book can be considered as a type of death sentence for it. Even if done accidentally, still there are chances that it could get damaged permanently. The screen may need immediate replacement or the outer body could crack easily.

This is why most experts always suggest that it is wise to handle your Mac Book with the utmost care when using it outdoors or indoors.

Always inform the experts

The most important thing that you need to keep in mind is that DIY experiments should be avoided in all circumstances. If you are not a technical person, then don’t try to repair it on your own. Try and approach the registered company service center to get it verified for internal and external damages.

Be aware that certain damages may not be visible immediately after the failed drop test.

Check the screen first

In most cases, the screen will easily get damaged even if you drop it from a lower height. Besides if you have dropped it in a bucket of water, then don’t even try to switch it on the back on your own. If you see any visible marks or scratches on the screen, then contact the service experts immediately.

Mac Book may be working well even if the screen is damaged internally. So before you switch on, it is advisable to check.

Avoid plugging in power immediately

The moment you find that the Mac Book is not working you should avoid plugging it directly to a PowerPoint. There are chances that the PowerPoint could get damaged and needs to be replaced immediately.

If the battery charging point is damaged then it could easily damage the power socket as well. If the Mac Book is not working then you should try and press the power button for a few seconds. It is better to rush immediately to a Mac Book expert.

Development Insights

AI for Recruitment Process: Pros, Cons and Key Use Cases

Miley on May 31, 2020

For some years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used by recruiters and HR professionals around the world. The kind of potential is shown to us, and AI is going to be a mainstay technology for the years to come. A large number of companies have embraced AI-based automation for recruitment and talent acquisition.

Here through the length of this post, we are going to explain the pros, cons, and some of the critical instances of AI implementation for recruitment.

Pros of AI-based Recruitment

The use of AI-based tools and software solutions for the recruitment process has become extremely popular because of the array of advantages they offer. Let us briefly see some of the key benefits of AI-based recruitment.

Process Automation: Automation in the recruitment process results in optimum efficiency, faster processing, and resource-saving. AI-based automation tools and chatbots used in the recruitment process can free a lot of time for the company’s manpower.

Boosts Engagement: AI implemented through a chatbot, or virtual assistant solutions can boost engagement of the prospective candidates throughout the recruitment process. An automated process can easily keep the employees updated and help to stay tuned to the process requirements from time to time.

Minimizing Human Bias: In any recruitment process, human bias is quite common that prevents optimum efficiency in spotting the right talents and required skills. This is where AI-powered automation tools can help. AI-based automation can help hire professionals purely based on skill and merit and keep any bias or discrimination scope at bay.

Cons of AI-Based Recruitment

Despite several key benefits of AI in the recruitment process, there is an equal share of disadvantages as well. The future of AI largely depends on how these shortcomings are dealt with. Let us have a brief look at some of the cons of AI in recruitment.

Inaccuracy: Despite the vast capabilities that AI-based tools offer, there are still a lot of inaccuracies that make the output of AI tools suffer. Many AI tools still suffer from the less reliable output because of the incomplete or non-optimized training data that does not accurately represent the applicants or the domain.

Missing Human Judgment: Since a machine is only capable of handling data, it fails to notice some crucial human traits and qualities, such as personality, personal interests, individual character, and work ethics.

The Key Use Cases of AI in the Recruitment Process

Over the years, AI has been successfully used in the recruitment process for many tasks. Some of the use cases of AI-based recruitment truly boasts of efficiency and performance optimization in a never before way. Let us have a look at the key use cases of AI in recruitment.

AI-based Recruitment Apps

Some recruitment and hiring companies now have their own mobile apps equipped with tools and all relevant UI/UX attributes. These apps equipped with intelligent AI-powered chatbots can communicate with the prospective candidates while helping with the process of screening. You can hire app developers in India who are experienced in building recruitment and Human Resource apps to optimize mobile communication and screening candidates.

Talent Hunting and Acquisition

For most businesses, talent acquisition remains a crucial challenge to win over the market competition. AI can help sourcing candidates automatically by digging into the resume databases. AI-based tools can also screen the candidates efficiently in the early stage of the process.

Screening the Recruits

AI-powered automated recruitment tools can quickly screen vast numbers of resumes and can shortlist potential candidates who are fit for the job position. Thanks to the absence of human error and bias in assessment, AI-based screening tools can sort out the right talents more efficiently.

AI Chatbots for Communication

AI-powered assistants or intelligent chatbots are playing a significant role in handling various recruitment and human resource-oriented tasks. Besides cutting short, much lengthy communication and corresponding resources, chatbots can help an organization respond faster and reduce employee hiring time.

AI for Relationships Development

These days, to attract the best talents, any organization treats prospective candidates as their customers and so focuses on building relationships through the recruitment process. AI-based automation tools in this respect can play a highly effective and efficient role.

Creating Attention-Grabbing Job Advert

Since talent acquisition is a very competitive field, you cannot leave anything to chance. The same goes for the case of job adverts for your recruitment needs. Since the job adverts make the first impression on candidates’ minds, you need to be creative and meticulous about it. By utilizing the right data and predictive analytics, an AI-powered tool can help you create the job adverts that quickly grab attention and look convincing at first sight.

The Future of AI in Recruitment

The advantages of using AI-powered recruiting tools are too many. AI, along with machine learning and predictive tools, can help organizations in everything related to recruitment and talent acquisition. The use of smart AI-powered interviewing tools helped organizations to improve the output of the HR team in terms of time-saving, quality of recruits, and better attrition rate.

At the same time, it must be admitted that the AI-powered recruitment tools are new, and they are not being used for a long time by the HR professionals around the world. So, these tools need to evolve for some time before they prove to be more efficient. It is just the early stage of AI solutions being used for recruitment, and we can expect that they will be more mature and tuned to the specific recruitment needs of organizations.

Conclusion

The presence of AI-powered tools across human resource departments across companies is extremely becoming common as AI tools are doing great in saving time and money while helping with high-quality talent acquisition. The future of recruitment seems to be inseparable with AI tools.

Development Insights Martech

Maximizing Your Impact Through Digital Advertising

Miley on May 31, 2020

It goes without saying that the Internet has become essential to modern life. Ever since its widespread use began in the 1990s, the Internet has become woven into the very fabric of our daily lives. According to Internet World Stats, there are over 4.5 billion people who use the Internet as of December 2019 – over half the world’s population. And as Internet use has become more widespread, so too have the tools we use to access it. TechJury reports that there are 3.5 billion smartphone users in the world, a number that is quickly growing as smartphones become cheaper and more accessible.

This new digital culture has impacted business in several ways, but perhaps most notably when it comes to marketing. Only a few years ago, advertising was associated with print media, billboards, and television commercials, as it has been for decades. But with the advent of the online world, that’s quickly changed. Now, it’s become faster and easier for you to learn about new brands through digital advertising and social media.

To say that marketers shouldn’t underestimate the impact of digital advertising might be a bit of an understatement. Nearly every company has begun the shift into digital marketing, and those who haven’t are quickly changing gears. Compared with traditional routes, digital advertising is more cost-efficient, and in many cases can reach a wider number of people.

However, although digital marketing has become increasingly popular, getting your campaign to rise above the crowd isn’t that easy. Competition can be fierce, and many companies may find that their investments in digital marketing aren’t getting the return that they want. If you’re looking at how to make the most of the digital sphere in your marketing efforts, then here are a few tips for maximizing your impact below.

Test, Test, Test

With digital advertising being so affordable and with much of your potential market spending their time online, it can be tempting to cobble together a digital campaign and send it into the wild as quickly as possible. After all, digital is cheap, and it can’t be that hard to do, right? Well, not exactly. Like traditional marketing strategies, digital marketing has its strengths and weaknesses, and companies will have to learn how to maximize these strengths while minimizing weaknesses.

One of the methods of doing this is through a simple, but often neglected strategy: testing before launching. A simple A/B test can be the key to determining whether you’re getting the most out of your campaign or not. Digital Marketing Magazine describes A/B testing as a test that determines whether subtle changes in your campaign might influence consumer behavior. Many companies, in their rush, to get their marketing off the ground, end up forgetting this, but executing a quick test to see whether your new website or newsletter works could be the difference between success or failure for your campaign.

Maximize Impressions

Companies who make use of digital marketing are often told their campaigns should maximize their impressions, but finding the best way to do this can often be difficult. After all, with such a diversity of content and approaches, find the sweet spot of effectiveness for your digital marketing campaign is easier said than done. For many companies, it can be tempting to invest in only one or two tools. However, with digital marketing, a multiplicity of methods is better than one.

Marketing solutions company Triadex Services describes several ways that companies can trace and maximize their impressions through their mobile marketing campaigns. These methods include ensuring ads are smartphone-friendly, using tools like search engine optimization and geofencing, and researching current trends. Digital marketing requires careful investment and planning in order to be effective, and companies who put in that time and effort quickly find that those efforts pay off.

Tap into Video

If there’s one thing that’s begun to stand out in the last couple of years — even in a landscape that’s as information-rich as the Internet — it’s video. Advertisers are familiar with video in a more traditional sense, such as in a television commercial or infomercial, but it’s quickly becoming the newest plaything on the digital advertising front. Video marketing is quickly becoming popular, keeping potential customers’ attention for longer and increasing brand recognition and recall.

Forbes writes that video marketing is increasing in importance, thanks to the ability to customize content and personify brands, as well as its high ROI. Video offers companies the ability to track their results, engage with customers, and become easily visible and recognizable. If you haven’t thought about using video in your materials, now might be the best time to start.

Development Insights

10 Amazing Benefits of Online Learning (Infographic)

Miley on May 22, 2020

Thanks to rapid advancement in technology over the last few decades, online learning has been growing exponentially. It is now possible to become an expert in any subject without ever leaving your own home. Whether you wish to further your career with training, complete a degree, or learn for fun. Distance learning has multiple advantages over traditional education methods. Online tuition provider Tutorful outline some of the positives associated with e-learning including flexibility and value for money!

Infographic on 10 benefits of online learning

Development Insights Martech

How Content Marketing Can Get Your Startup Off the Ground

Miley on May 22, 2020

If you’re getting a business up and running, you know how many tasks are involved. You have to secure funding, create a reliable system to track revenue and expenses, hire good talent, and line up help with software development (see https://www.bairesdev.com/insights/python-development-services).

At the same time, you need to immediately start building brand awareness to stand out from the competition. One of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to accomplish this task is to use content marketing.

What Is Content Marketing?

Content marketing involves publishing valuable, high-quality content pieces, like blog posts, videos, and podcasts, that offer solutions to your target audience’s problems. Unlike traditional marketing plan, this method doesn’t focus on selling products or services to customers, but instead builds brand awareness and develops trust, which can result in loyal customers.

This cost-effective approach can work well for many types of business but is especially useful for startups. While it costs 62% less than traditional marketing methods, it can yield three times the leads per dollar spent. It can also help attract and retain good talent.

You Need a Content Marketing Strategy

Before you start producing content, you need to develop a solid strategy using the following steps:

1. Research target audience

Identify and learn about your target audience, since you will build content around how you can help them:

What are their demographics (age, gender, location, income)?
What are their interests and hobbies?
What are the problems they face that your products or services can solve?

2. Determine content type

Use surveys, interviews, and analytics to discover what types of content your target audience prefers to consume. If they like to read about solutions, focus on creating blog posts, articles, newsletters, and case study reports. If your audience is more visually oriented, consider infographics, videos, and images. For those who want to listen to information, there are webinars and podcasts. Keep in mind that the best choice for your audience might be a combination of different types.

3. Develop objectives

It’s essential to know up front what you want to accomplish. Your objectives should be specific, measurable, and realistic and relate directly to your general business goals.

Some common content marketing objectives include:

Brand awareness, which can be measured by assessing changes in website traffic
Customer education and engagement, revealed by the number of shares and comments on social media
Brand loyalty, which shows up in the form of repeat purchases and referrals

Build a Content Marketing Plan

Once you know your objectives, you need a plan for how to achieve them. The following are possible plan components:

Keyword research

Identify a set of terms that your target audience is searching for. Aim for three to five core keywords, along with a longer secondary list. You’ll expand these keywords into topics to cover in your content pieces.

Make sure to include relevant SEO terms so your audience can find your content through organic search. Ideally, the keywords should be high traffic and low competition.

Content calendar

Scheduling content helps maintain consistency in quantity and quality, which is key to good results. Use a tool, such as Google Calendar or a project management app, to create and manage a content calendar. Ideally, you should plan out content for the coming year, but even a few months at a time can be helpful.

Assign each content piece a target keyword, topic and title, creator, completion deadline, publishing date, and where it will be published.

Where to publish

Where you publish content should be based on where your target audience goes for information. Some options include:

Your website, perhaps in a special content section
Relevant social media platforms and groups
Email newsletters with exclusive content for subscribers
YouTube, where users perform 50 million searches a day and there is less competition for keywords than on the Google search engine
Third-party sites relevant for your niche and audience

Gather Resources to Create Content

Someone will need to create your content pieces. While you can try to do it yourself, you’ll likely need to outsource some or all of it or build a dedicated in-house team. Typical roles you’ll need, depending on the type of content, include writer, editor, graphic designer, and videographer.

Develop guidelines for your creators to follow, including a chronological checklist with specific deadlines, design standards to promote a consistent look, and an editorial process.

Some affordable content production tools can help, including Google Docs for collaborating, Google Keyword Planner to find the best keywords, Mail Chimp for targeted emails and newsletters, and Grammarly to correct errors.

Measure Your Success

To accurately measure success, you’ll need key performance indicators (KPIs) based on your objectives. Make sure to include incremental milestones to assess progress along the way. You can create a “scorecard” with performance benchmarks for each content piece.

Examples of KPIs include:

Lead generation
Traffic to website
Increase in money spent per sale
Social media follower growth and engagement
Search engine rankings

Check regularly how your content performs related to the KPIs, then promote what does well and adjust what doesn’t. You can use your best performing topics for new posts by creating a different type of content (such as making an instructional video based on a successful blog post topic).

Periodically review your overall strategy to make sure you’re still using the right message in the right places to reach the right audience.

In Summary

Content marketing is a smart approach for startups who want to build visibility and promote brand awareness on a limited budget. Successful content marketing is a slow and steady process, but if you maintain consistency and quality, you’ll see success over time.

Development Insights SEO

MilesWeb – Perfect Web Hosting For Web Developers

Miley on May 22, 2020

Being a web developer is not an easy job, every time a website demands new changes and you need to keep your heads on it. Web developer looks after various tasks like coding, management of the website, updating site with new applications, etc. In the middle of all this chaos, a developer might not get time to look after the web hosting issues, or he might think that it is not his work. Yes, as a site owner you cannot blame a developer for that because web hosting is a service offered by web hosting providers that work separately. Web hosting is definitely an important parameter of a working website but is often neglected. So, if you are a web developer reading this article, and if you are frustrated with some web hosting services then this article is for you.

Most of the web developers look for a cheap web hosting company that offers great reseller hosting plans so that the developer can start their own hosting company, well this article will help you too.

MilesWeb has a large customer base of web developers who are happy with the services they are getting. So, today, I thought I should reveal some points about MilesWeb.

MilesWeb

The company was started in the year 2012, with an aim to provide web hosting at very cheap rates without compromising over its services. Their shared hosting plan is a popular one in the market, where you get unlimited hosting starting at just Rs.40/month.

Within this short term, the company has now reached many hearts due to its integrity and outstanding support.

MilesWeb for developers

If you are a developer having a good customer base, then you must broaden your horizon by starting a web hosting business. That means you can now provide everything under your brand, right from domains, web hosting, and sites. If you are thinking the same way, then reseller hosting is structured for you only.

The important thing is, all the reseller plans from MilesWeb come with a 100% white label so that you can sell all the products under your brand name. All you have to do is, just buy hosting from MilesWeb and sell it to your customers, under your brand name and price. This is one in a million opportunities for developers to start their web hosting business.

C:\Users\ADMIN\Desktop\Images and Plans\Unlimited reseller hosting India.png

Additionally, reseller hosting from MilesWeb ensures that a user doesn’t require any lump-sum amount, our huge infrastructure, also don’t need to spend on servers or to hire employees, as everything is managed by MilesWeb on behalf of you. This also ensures that in any process while dealing with your customers, MilesWeb maintains a 100% white label and provides service under your brand name. You can gain more information about them by directly initiating a chat from their website, the technical support team will help you properly.

MilesWeb offers a wide range of products like shared hosting, VPS hosting India, reseller hosting, dedicated hosting, cloud hosting, etc. All these hostings come with a lot of best-hosting features, and the following are few of them:

1) Free SSL certificate

As a web developer, you must be knowing the importance of HTTPS symbols padded on a site. To ensure the safe transmission of data, MilesWeb provides a free SSL certificate with every web hosting account bought from them.

2) SSD storage

SSD storage speeds up websites so that visitors can have better site experience. A fast and smooth loading website gains more visitors than a site hosted on outdated hard drives.

3) Latest PHP and MySQL

A developer knows how many times he needs to update the software running on the website. But, all web hosting plans from MilesWeb offers the latest version of PHP and MySQL and they get updated as soon as the latest version releases, this eases the work of the developer.

4) Protection against virus

A website is prone to viruses if it is working on the internet. This doesn’t mean, you don’t need to have a working website, because proper protection can save a site from any misfortune. MilesWeb servers are scanned on a daily basis that protects each and every site hosted on them from all types of malware.

5) Free website migration

Migrating a website is very tedious work. One single mistake can break the whole website and lose its data. So, if you want to switch your hosting to the MilesWeb server, then just contact their technical support team, and they will migrate the website on their server without any data loss.

You can see, MilesWeb being a web hosting company, takes the responsibility of various technical work so that a user doesn’t have to invest special time in it.

Want to try MilesWeb?

If you want to free yourself from the burden of web hosting issues, then MilesWeb is an answer to you. The plus point is, the hosting comes with 99.95% uptime, 24/7 technical support, and 30 days of a money-back guarantee.

Insights

[Infographic] The Growing Need of Mobile Threat Defense

Miley on May 21, 2020

The ever-growing pertinence of mobile devices and our increasing dependency on them is like a coin with two sides – at one end, the benefits and convenience provided by mobile devices, in both personal and professional world, are matchless and totally extendible, but on the other side, mobile devices have the capacity to expose sensitive data to the wrong people who can do us irreparable harm. The risks and threats posed by cyber-criminals, hackers, and identity thieves are now dangerously real.

The fact is, as mobile technologies are getting more and more sophisticated, so are the advancements in new attack vectors that the cybercriminals are exploring to fulfill their malevolent intentions. However, with the expanding mobile threat landscape, companies too have become aware of the impending attacks and hence have started to embrace a mix of on-premise and cloud-based services to decentralize data storage. On top of it, the adoption of next-generation mobile threat defense mechanisms and antivirus solutions has prepped the companies to fight against malware-based risks.

October is the month dedicated to National Cybersecurity Awareness – a collective effort taken by the US government and corporate industry to spread awareness about the criticality of cybersecurity and the measures businesses need to take to keep their mobile/online data safe from any threats. This specific Infographic will elucidate the growing cyber threat landscape, its impact on enterprises and ways to fight it back by leveraging Android MDM along with a robust MTD solution to seamlessly secure & manage your enterprise data and services.

Considering this year’s underlying message – Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT, you can relate to the insights and facts we conveyed through the illustration.

[Infographic] The Growing Need of Mobile Threat Defense by Scalefusion Kiosk Solutions

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4 Ways Fintech Is Making Life Easier for Businesses

Miley on May 14, 2020

Fintech means streamlined communication and more convenient financial and banking solutions for consumers. It’s also making life easier for businesses and their customers, too. Combining finance with digital technology, it offers more reliable, convenient, innovative, and secure platforms for facilitating transactions and other services at faster speeds than the brick-and-mortar and even earlier online alternatives.

Just how, specifically, is Fintech solving problems for businesses of all sizes? There are plenty of ways, from enabling them to accept payments on the go with ease to allow them to offer better customer service to current and prospective clients.

It allows businesses to accept payments — practically anywhere

Finding a way for customers to pay for products via digital technology doesn’t seem like it should be all that difficult, but there are many intricacies. That happens due to the many payment methods available, issues like tax discrepancies in different locations, processing fees, and other issues.

Fintech has the answer, though, in the form of platforms like Square. A small attachment adapter allows businesses to swipe credit cards and accept payment on the go — even when they’re not connected to WIFI — whether they’re in a conference hall, restaurant, greenmarket, or storefront. Today, many businesses use Square with a stand to replace a cash register, so it’s no longer just for transactions away from their home base.

Stripe is another helpful Fintech tool that allows businesses to accept payments. The major difference between the tools is that while Square is primarily used for payments made in-person, Stripe focuses on online payments usually made remotely.

Securing transactions

Security is a huge concern for both businesses and consumers. Fortunately, blockchain technology has made transactions a lot safer and easier for organizations and people who use it. Essentially, the technology keeps a record of information within a transaction in a “block” that’s linked to other blocks on a virtual chain — hence the name. The blockchain is encrypted and enormously difficult to corrupt because altering one block will affect the entire ledger.

Moreover, transactions don’t require third-party, intermediary processing, which means they occur much more quickly than they would if they did need an intermediary, as transactions typically do, as well as safely. This is helpful for many types of businesses, such as retail, which benefits from secure, swift transactions. Even fast-food chains like Starbucks and Burger King are accepting cryptocurrency in some locations, with transactions conducted via apps.

Digitizing currency

Some countries, such as Sweden, are already well on their way to becoming cashless societies. The Harvard Business Review reported that cash transactions under $20 had dropped to 37% in 2019 in the United States, down from 46% in 2015. Digital currency could be well on its way to replacing physical currency for good, increasing efficiency, speed, and convenience.

Credit card payments are nothing new, of course, but today, more and more businesses are accepting them for smaller transactions. Some are even taking cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, which, through blockchain technology, allows customers to pay for purchases without an intermediary to process the transactions. Many small businesses are doing away with cash transactions entirely.

Facilitating payroll

Fintech also offers platforms that intersect with responsibilities generally handled by human resources or accounting. Software such as ADP, HReasily, and even Square will take care of your payroll processing, tax documents, benefits information, and more.

This can be especially useful for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that usually deal with these issues on their own, often spending too much time dealing with the various intricacies of bonuses and tax-filing. Not only does this free up time for SMEs, but it also takes concerns about areas they may not understand or have a dedicated staff to handle fully off of their plates.

Fintech is important for all businesses that depend on customer service, from retail to insurance. It facilitates greater reliability and security, which is essential for an organization’s reputation. In the future, we’ll likely see Fintech touch even more areas of the business world and provide solutions we can’t even imagine, driving increased consumer engagement and trust in brands.

Development Insights Products

Stolen Vehicle Recovery with Thatcham Insurance Approved Trackers

Miley on May 13, 2020

The continuous efforts of car manufacturers, tech companies and police forces to combat vehicle theft across the UK led to a steady decline in the number of stolen vehicles between 2003 and 2014. Improvements to built-in vehicle safeguards and enhanced car security systems helped to stop criminals from breaking into and getting away with our precious vehicles. However, in 2014, a simple security oversight with the introduction of keyless entry systems – which were supposed to improve our quality of life – fuelled a drastic increase in vehicle theft throughout the UK. Criminals adapted quickly to the emerging technology, finding a simple and inexpensive way to steal vehicles with keyless entry systems in under a minute, without even needing to touch the key.

This so-called “relay theft”, in addition to the other known ways to break into vehicles, has exacerbated the situation to the worst it has been for years. Since 2014, the West Midlands has seen a shocking 214% increase in theft rates, while London remains the UK’s worst location for theft with a 61% rise in stolen vehicles. However, car owners aren’t totally helpless against these prolific thieves.

Here are some simple tips for preventing car theft:

Keep your vehicle locked at all times
Invest in effective anti-theft systems
Keep your keys safe, hidden away from out of sight
Keep your keys in a Faraday pouch overnight as a precaution against keyless theft
Choose safe parking locations for your vehicles, even for shortstops
Keep valuable items out of sight to not provoke a theft attempt

While these tips should be practiced by all drivers, a skilled auto thief can still get past these security measures and get away with your vehicle. Considering the time and money we invest in our vehicles, it’s worth investing a bit more to install a superior security system to guarantee their safety. High-end vehicle trackers accredited by Thatcham Research can protect your vehicle against even the most skilled criminals on the streets. With effective security measures against theft and a 96% stolen vehicle recovery rate, these sophisticated systems are one of the best – if not the best – vehicle security systems on the market.

Do you really need a Thatcham Vehicle Tracking Device in the UK?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is a resounding yes. In 2017/18 alone, 112,174 vehicles were stolen in the UK, and according to the Met Police, 50% of stolen vehicles are never recovered. Unless you have a Thatcham vehicle tracker fitted in your vehicle, there’s a good chance you’ll never see your car again should you fall victim to vehicle theft. Thatcham Research Centre is the industry authority on vehicle security systems in the UK. Thatcham certifies vehicle security devices through careful analysis and a stringent testing procedure and categorizes the approved devices according to the level of security and features they offer.

Reliability and Accuracy

Thatcham tracking devices are equipped with advanced GNSS chips that utilize multiple orbital satellite networks, including GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS. The ability to pick up signals from different satellite systems improves the accuracy of Thatcham vehicle trackers, which helps immensely to locate a vehicle in an emergency situation or if targeted by theft. Even if an adept thief steals your vehicle and drives it to a remote location, your Thatcham-approved tracking device will keep broadcasting its precise location.

Driver Recognition

Vehicle owners are given two encrypted driver identification fobs as per Thatcham standards for Category S5 and S5+ tracking systems. The fobs are vital in detecting a theft attempt if a vehicle is stolen without using the keys. As soon as a vehicle’s engine is started without the tracker recognising the proper driver identification tags, an alert is issued to our monitoring centre. The teams at the monitoring centre will immediately contact you to confirm if a theft has actually occurred, and upon confirmation, our staff will contact the authorities on your behalf and facilitate the recovery of the stolen vehicle by providing real-time location updates. Driver identification has multiple uses for businesses as well; for example, the driver recognition tags can be utilized to prevent unauthorized vehicle use for companies that operate a vehicle fleet.

Remote Immobilisation

Remote immobilization is one of the most powerful security measures against vehicle theft, and especially useful when the police are in pursuit of a stolen vehicle. It allows vehicle owners and on-call teams at the monitoring center to stop a stolen vehicle’s engine remotely, rendering the car useless once it comes to a complete stop. The employees at the monitoring centre can then guide the authorities to the location of the immobilized vehicle with pinpoint accuracy for a safe and speedy recovery. Thatcham-approved tracking systems offer multiple additional layers of security – one of which is that the ignition can be turned off to prevent the vehicle from starting without authorization from the owner.

24-Hour Monitoring Centre

Thatcham-approved vehicle tracking devices are effective against all known methods of vehicle theft, including the all-too-popular relay theft, replicated car keys and the hacking of onboard computers. The 24-hour monitoring center is always on alert for any theft attempts against your vehicle, and the experienced staff on-site will immediately contact the responsible parties to confirm the threat to your vehicle and take appropriate action. 24/7 surveillance is one of the core security measures provided by Thatcham vehicle tracking systems – it ensures that one of the employees is always keeping tabs on the movements of your vehicles, and they will immediately contact you in the event of any suspicious activity.

Conclusion

Vehicle theft is one of the inevitable truths of living in the UK – your vehicle is at constant risk of being targeted by organized criminals and opportunistic thieves. Thatcham approved vehicle tracking systems are designed with the most effective security measures in mind, offering a wide range of tools that are instrumental in protecting your vehicle against theft. They integrate the powerful tools of GPS tracking technology with Thatcham security protocols to provide car owners in the UK with the highest level of security that today’s technology has to offer. With a recovery rate of close to 100%, Insurance GPS trackers are unrivalled in recovering stolen vehicles compared to other vehicle protection systems. Whether you have a high-end performance vehicle or own a vehicle fleet, Thatcham vehicle tracking systems are the best solution on the market against the experienced car thieves roaming the streets of the UK.