Daily Briefing: Top 5 tech news you need to know today

Good Morning! The highlight of yesterday had been the cancellation of the CBSE exams. And you might wonder that this is not tech news at all. The fate of JEE Mains and Advanced, i.e. our future engineers depends upon them. So it is big. But that's not all! So, here is a round-up of 5 big tech news from yesterday.

1. ISRO Chief speaks on the Govt's initiative to privatise the space sector

K Sivan spoke to the country today regarding the privatization of the space sector. He talked about IN-SPACe and the importance of such a move on the economy. Dr Sivan said that the Government has approved the establishment of an autonomous nodal agency. It will be called the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). Further, it will take independent decisions to regulate the activities of the private sector.

In his speech, he emphasised on the move as a good cause. He also specified the activities that private SpaceTech companies will be able to carry out. These include providing launch services and all other space-based services on a commercial basis. These companies will be able to own satellites, carry on R&D and be a part of ISRO’s interplanetary missions. Dr Sivan also said that this will help the private sector play a larger role than just being a supplier of parts and components to ISRO.

ISRO will share its technical expertise, and private companies can directly apply to IN-SPACe. While it will take 3 to 6 months for IN-SPACe to become operational, private companies start applying at present, said Dr Sivan. “We have been approached by startups, and we are already processing requests,” he added.

2. Jason Lee joins Zoom as Chief Information Security Officer

Zoom has announced that Jason Lee will join the company as its Chief Information Security Officer. It will be effective on June 29 and he will report directly to Aparna Bawa, Zoom’s COO. He will bring his 20+ years of experience to Zoom and help make it more secure under the 90-days security program.

3. Dell teams up with NASSCOM to support startups in business continuity plans

In another major tech news for small businesses and start-ups, tech giant Dell Technologies has collaborated with the NASSCOM. They will together help SMEs and startups ensure smooth operations and maintain business continuity during the present challenging times. Under NASSCOM’s SME Advantage program, this partnership intends to build a robust ecosystem to support them. Further, it will bring together important products and services, indispensable for any business, at a competitive price.

According to Dell, this association is set to impact more than 2400 SMEs and 9000+ startups that are part of NASSCOM. They will provide exclusive offers and rates on Dell’s Client and Infrastructure solutions. With these solutions, the organizations can equip their teams with industry-leading technology and ensure business resiliency.

4. Rusk Media, a video digital firm raises fund

Digital Media provider, Rusk Media has raised an undisclosed amount from InfoEdge Ventures as seed funding. They will use this fund to build distinctive digital entertainment solutions. It will bolster its video production and custom content capabilities. Rusk aims to be the largest new age media and entertainment organization in India.

5. DataQuest speaks with Jayakrishnan T, CEO of ASIMOV Robotics

Do you remember Sophie? She had started making rounds when the pandemic had only begun. As a true inspiration of social distancing, Sophie was used by the government to sanitise, educate and empower people in Kerala. Here is a picture of Sophie:

Well, in the interview, Jayakrishnan talks about how robotics and automation are all set to transform the world by the introduction of the digital workforce. He said that the sector combines major game-changers like a computer simulation, AR-VR, Rapid prototyping, Collaborative robots, Big data analysis, IoT, High-speed internet and Cloud computing.

Further, he added that these are the major building blocks for the upcoming industrial revolution 4.0. It will facilitate robots to come out from the manufacturing industry to day-to-day activities and work with humans. Read the full interview here.