UAE’s retail sector is massively transforming due to acceleration in technology

 https://thesiliconreview.com/2022/03/uaes-retail-sector-acceleration-technology

Now more than ever, consumers have access to better information and tools at their disposal to make the right decision
In the digital world we live in, technology plays a major role in deciding the success of a business across every sector. In a retail summit held recently in UAE, President, and CEO of Dubai Chambers, Hamad Buamim, has stated that there are major changes happening now in the industry, which is why there are numerous opportunities for the retailers. In the present day, we can see that there has been a big shift in consumer behavior. Now more than ever, consumers have access to better information and tools at their disposal to make the right decision.
This has furthermore increased the expectations of the consumers, and services are expected to be fulfilled faster at lower prices. Another unique angle for the same is that service providers are now expected to deliver their services promptly no matter where they are based. We are now thriving in a landscape where the ball is in the customer’s court, and most of the offerings have become technology-driven. We must understand that the use of emerging technology like data analytics can either make or break a business. Buamim has also added that data analytics is a very powerful tool that can be leveraged to meet the needs of consumers by looking into their past purchases or preferences.

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Technology in Senior Living: How is it Impacting the Sector?

Technology has already revolutionized the way we work, the way we communicate and the way we seek knowledge. But how has the digital age affected Senior Living?

The Senior Living sector is big business. With an estimated 1.5 million people turning 65 every year, it’s no surprise that the market is expected to reach almost $300 billion before 2022. A big market needs more help than ever to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment; that’s where technology can come into play.

What is the impact of technology on senior living?

According to 2016 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, a 19% increase in seniors over 65 years old. In Europe, that figure is estimated to be 25%. In Japan, where there is currently an ageing crisis due to a low birth rate, there is an estimated 30% increase.

●     The Rise in the Use of Smartphones

More than 15% of all residents of senior living facilities have smartphones. That’s according to the 2016 report from Forrester Consulting. Right now, it’s safe to assume that number is even higher. According to Pew Research, 90% of people under 30 own a smartphone. (I’m in the 41-50 demographic, so this isn’t surprising).

Today, it’s impossible to promote a senior living facility without a web presence and active social media accounts. But there’s been a shift in how senior living facilities promote themselves. For example, facilities would post pictures of a beautiful dining room or lobby in the past and expect people to be impressed. They discovered that people weren’t necessarily excited about their beautiful lobbies—they were interested in the residents.

●     Communication with the Outside World

The top three most impactful technologies on the communications side include video calling with family and friends (53%), online resident directories (45%) and online scheduling (44%).

Video calling is the most commonly used technology to communicate with family and friends. According to a recent study, “Video Calling in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living,” 87 per cent of consumers use video calling in senior care facilities. This helps alleviate family fears of what is going on in their loved ones’ lives. Eighty-three per cent of consumers say they feel more confident knowing their loved ones are safe, one in two say they feel more connected to their family member in care, and a third say they can better understand what lifestyle changes they may need to make to better support the individual.

Modern communication with the outside world allows senior living residents to feel like they are still a part of their community. It also offers them peace of mind, knowing their families are well informed about current events, status and how to best advocate for them in their care.

●     The rise in the use of Medical Technology

Senior living is going hi-tech! An increasing number of senior living centers are using connected devices and sensors to monitor patient health remotely. Online menus, automated medication dispensers and specialized doorbells that alert staff to the presence of visitors are just a few examples of recent technological innovations. These new technologies improve the quality of life for residents and families; they also increase revenues for many senior living communities. Medical technology will be a 1.7 trillion dollar market by 2023, indicating a strong need for systems to manage this growth. Additionally, there has been a significant rise in mental health technology, which tracks depression, dementia, sleep patterns and more. Many senior living centres can integrate these devices into the lives of their residents seamlessly, ensuring that the patient’s overall health and happiness are promoted at all times.

●     Easier access to data for insight into resident care and operational effectiveness

Technology is here to stay and has the potential to completely change the way we interact with people in senior living. Technology—or “technology-enabled”, as some like to say—is enabling businesses to be more data-driven and more informed about their operations, resident care, and overall quality of life for residents.

How? A major benefit technology has brought to senior living is an easier way to look at data. This data can be used to improve the quality of life for residents. But it will take a willingness on the part of the industry to bring these types of technologies into facilities. So, how can they be introduced?

The first step is simply getting everyone on the same page, from traditionalists to innovators, and defining terms such as “cognitive”, “mechanical”, “automated”, and “smart”. These are the building blocks that we need to move forward on a path towards technology-enriched senior living. I say that all types of eldercare professionals need to be on board because it will allow us to truly see what our residents want out of their lives – ultimately helping us serve them better. This also means that while many are excited about the automated features built into these technologies, some will still prefer a human touch or perhaps need a human touch

●     Location-Based Services

Technology is changing how seniors live, work, and interact with their surrounding environment. For example, we’re seeing the implementation of location-based services that allow residents to have greater interaction with their environments.

What Is Location-Based Services

Location-based services are defined as technologies that connect people and places through three important elements: location awareness, context awareness, and social awareness. A location-based service displays what is near you using a device’s location, such as smartphones and tablets, while simultaneously providing information based on your personal preferences.

Wrapping up

Technology in Senior Living will continue to improve the lives of both residents and their families. As technology changes, the sector’s need for health care professionals will also change. Health care professionals will not receive their training in a normal classroom setting, but they will learn through online programs. The BLS reports that “the demand for postsecondary education services will increase as more adults seek higher education degrees to meet the growing demand for skilled workers” (“Occupational Projections”).

However, like all things, technology-based services are not without their challenges. Here are the top five challenges:

1. Increased Costs

2. Loss of Control

3. Increased Risk of Abuse

4. Decreased Productivity

5. Safety Concerns

While these challenges exist, it is important to remember that technology-based services can be highly beneficial in senior living.

 

10 Online Marketing Conferences You Cannot Miss This Winter

Online marketing conferences have become increasingly popular over the past few years for many businesses, both large and small. Why? It comes down to cost, convenience, and effectiveness.

Online conferences offer a cost-effective method of staying up-to-date on the latest techniques and trends. You can often find them at a fraction of the price that a face-to-face conference would cost you, and they carry very little risk.

Attending online conferences can be a valuable experience for learning new techniques that might work for your business. One of the best places to find marketing conferences is online, as many marketers have online forums and websites where they post upcoming events. Just like WritePaper provides homework help on any topic, online marketing conferences provide help with all things related to marketing! They’re an extremely valuable way to learn more and expand your knowledge.

So, without further ado - let’s get to the 10 online marketing conferences you should put down in your calendar and attend this winter!

1.  DX3 USA

Date: Nov 9-10

Price: $195

The retail industry is changing rapidly. Technological innovation and an ever-expanding digital landscape have forever changed how retailers engage with consumers. DX3 combines trendsetting speakers, unparalleled networking, and interactive sessions to deliver the most compelling, up-to-date, and relevant content. 

Designed for all skill levels from beginners to experts, DX3 allows attendees to gain new skills, make valuable connections, and discover new, innovative solutions.

In other words, DX3 is experiential. Attendees can take advantage of educational sessions at break-out sessions, scheduled networking with peers, panel discussions, and keynote presentations. If your business is retail, marketing, or technology, DX3 USA is perfect for you.

 https://unsplash.com/photos/smgTvepind4

2.          ATOMICON

Date: Nov 9

Price: £595

ATOMICON is the conference for entrepreneurs, and business owners who want to increase their sales, profits, and online reach. ATOMICON is a conference that unleashes your inner genius, giving you the tools to create your dream business.

Why come to a marketing conference if you're not going to leave with strategies and tactics you can implement in your business tomorrow? ATOMICON speakers are successful business owners who will share the secrets of their success with you.

In other words, it's not about beating the competition, it's about being the leader. That's what the ATOMICON experience is all about.

3.          FinTech Connect

Date: Nov 10-11

Price: Free

At FinTech and PayTech Connect, you will discover new trends, technologies, and innovations, build new partnerships and network with peers from across the region. The conference will mix keynotes, panel discussions, and break-out sessions with networking opportunities.

This year’s event will showcase the fintech landscape, look at opportunities and challenges posed by the fintech revolution, and recognize companies, individuals, and regions that are helping to drive industry innovation and growth. 

4.          SMXL Milan

Date: Nov 11-12

Price: €190

If you think SEO and online marketing are boring, think again. Attend SMXL and meet the top minds of the industry, motivational speakers, and top leaders and personalities in digital marketing.

This conference is a dream come true for all digital SEO and SEM professionals, and enthusiasts. SMXL brings together the best speakers, experts, and personalities in the field. The goal of SMXL is to share inspiring stories, successful case studies, and practical solutions. The conference will be perfect for beginners, professionals, and enthusiasts.

Get inspired, meet incredible people, and be among digital champions. Share ideas, learn from the best and start reinventing your projects and your strategies.

5.          Ecom World

Date: Nov 15-16

Price: $144

Think about getting together the founders of all the major online brands, and asking them one question: what’s the one thing you’d do differently if you had to start over? Everyone seems to agree on what worked and what didn’t, but everyone also knows that their biggest frustrations were the same thing:

"Trying to figure out which customers are the right ones for most products, and how to scale without compromising quality"

Ecom World is a virtual conference and network of e-commerce entrepreneurs, influencers,  sellers, and industry experts that offers the right answers to your questions. Each event focuses on building, operating, and scaling profitable e-commerce businesses.

The ECOM world conference is for e-commerce, marketing, and branding professionals looking to learn how to grow their business, improve customer retention, and increase revenue. 

6.          Digital Marketing for Financial Services US

Date: Nov 16-17

Price: $295

Digital Marketing for Financial Services US will help you achieve your digital goals. To be more exact, it’ll help you:

• Discover the secrets to driving revenue through the power of digital marketing
• Benefit from inspiring keynotes
• Discover innovative digital solutions
• Network with peers
• Attend exclusive workshops
• Understand the top trends
• Learn how to use data to drive decisions
• Learn best practices in social media
• Hear from the latest industry leaders

So, what are you waiting for? This conference is a one-stop shop for all things marketing.

 

https://unsplash.com/photos/HJgaV1qjHS0

7.          LocalU Advanced 

Date: Nov 30

Price: $99

LocalU’s Advanced Virtual Conference is a terrific way for local search professionals to learn and network. The conferences feature industry experts in nearly every session, informative keynotes, and wide-ranging networking opportunities. They feature a unique combination of conference sessions, live and on-demand webinars, and hands-on labs.

Who is this conference for? LocalU is for SEO professionals, digital marketers, web designers, social media managers, PPC specialists, and those who help businesses get online.

LocalU is also for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and solopreneurs - as well as anyone interested in helping local brick-and-mortar businesses, improve their online visibility and attract more customers.

8.          B2B Online Connect

Date: Dec 7-8

Price: Invitation

The rise in online B2B transactions has been dramatic. And with all this activity, sales reps, marketers, and customer service teams need help staying on top of the latest trends and technologies. B2B Online Connect provides this key networking and learning opportunity.

B2B Online Connect conference and exhibition that brings together senior-level B2B professionals to discuss digital trends and opportunities, share best practices, and network with industry peers. The 2021 agenda includes a full conference schedule of presentations, panel discussions, and workshops, as well as numerous networking opportunities, including exclusive keynotes.

The conference includes a focus on digital transformation, hybrid strategies, customer experience, and integration.

9.          Digital Marketing for Financial Services Canada

Date: Feb 22-23, 2022

Price: Not yet known

Digital marketing is at a crossroads. This hyper-digital world is not a temporary reality that will disappear with time – it is here to stay. The 11th Annual Digital Marketing for Financial Services Canada Summit is Canada's premier event for marketers in the financial services sector. 

The event is aimed at senior professionals and will feature presentations, case studies, and roundtable discussions focused on the latest marketing strategies, tactics, and technologies.

The summit is a one-stop shop for digital education. Attendees will learn about everything from the latest digital marketing trends and technologies to best practice case studies in digital marketing.

10.     Social Media Strategies Summit

Date: Feb 23-24, 2022

Price: $699

The Social Media Strategies Summit is a one-day conference focused on helping companies master their social media strategies and become the social media authority in their industry. Attendees will learn from industry experts, peers, and peers of peers!

The summit is sponsored by Social Media Informer, the leading online resource for social media strategies and tactics. This Summit also provides free guides, posts, and valuable tools on social media and social media marketing. 

Final Thoughts

With these 10 different yet valuable marketing conferences, your indoor wintertime may be more productive than you think. From e-commerce, social media, and financial marketing, the conferences and summits offer an immersive experience designed for you to learn more, expand, and be even more of an expert in your field!

 

 

Care-Giving and Health platform Homage Secures $30M in Series C

Singapore-based care-giving and health platform Homage has secured $30 million in its Series C. This round was led by Sheares Healthcare Group. Series C saw the participation from new investors DG Daiwa Ventures and Sagana Capital, alongside existing investors including East Ventures (Growth), HealthXCapital, SeedPlus, Trihill Capital and Alternate Ventures.

Homage's funding round went oversubscribed and was one of the largest financing rounds by an on-demand care platform in Southeast Asia and Oceania region. The company has so far raised $45 million. The Chief Corporate Development Officer of Sheares Healthcare, Khoo Ee Ping, will be joining Homage's board of directors as part of the funding round.

"Our mission is to make everyday care for older adults and the chronic-ill personalised, accessible as well as cost effective. By combining high touch with high tech, we have been able to prove that we improve the lives, health and wellness outcomes of our care recipients and families at scale. I am thrilled to partner with this group of outstanding institutional investors that are like-minded in our mission to provide trusted value-based care and bridge the gaps in the healthcare ecosystem – across payor, provider and care recipient," said Gillian Tee, Founder and CEO of Homage.

The company intends to use the fresh funding to invest in its technology platform and deepen its integration with the aged and disability care payor and provider infrastructure across the region.

 

India’s Lenskart to Recruit 2,000 Employees by 2022

Indian eyewear brand Lenskart has said that it will be hiring over 2,000 employees in India and 300 more overseas by 2022 to reach more people.

Over the next few years, Lenskart is going on the offensive to expand its consumer base. The company will hire 1,500 employees to add to its retail locations and more than 100 engineers to beef up its technology team across India. In addition to this, Lenskart will recruit over 300 employees to join its supply chain and manufacturing operations. One hundred more people will be hired for corporate functions.

“We have continued to grow exponentially, in international markets as well as in India, and we are building a strong presence in regional markets as well through our stores and e-commerce. This has opened up several job opportunities across Lenskart to serve and delight our customers at a huge scale. So, hiring is a key aspect in our growth journey, and we are looking at actively hiring skilled talent across verticals for regions like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi, among others,” said Lenskart’s CEO and founder Peyush Bansal, in a statement.

Founded in 2010, Lenskart has a huge presence as an eyewear brand in India. It has over 5,000 employees on its payroll, including engineers, designers, and data scientists. The company serves over 7 million people all over the world.

 

IronNet Makes its Collective Defense Solution Available To All Singapore Enterprises

IronNet has announced that it is making its flagship Collective Defense solution available to all enterprises in Singapore. The technology will empower organizations in Singapore to stay ahead of the evolving threats and defend their network through real-time cyberattack intelligence sharing and collaboration across industries and sectors.

“It is very exciting to see IronNet's Collective Defense platform expanding globally into Singapore. Our approach is truly a revolutionary one, enabling AI-based threat detection and collaboration across enterprises for a stronger, more proactive cyber defense,” said General (Ret.) Keith Alexander, Founder and Co-CEO at IronNet Cybersecurity.

The Collective Defense Solution platform uses behavioral analytics and artificial intelligence to deliver visibility across enterprise ecosystems, group-level detection and correlation, and instant collaboration with fellow defenders.

“Given the shortage of skilled cybersecurity operations resources coupled with rapidly evolving cyber threats, it is vital to build a cyber-defense framework that can leverage our collective wisdom across enterprises and help scale over time. This expansion of the Singapore Collective Defense community allows businesses in Singapore to detect threats together and defend together,” said Gaurav Chhiber, VP of Asia Pacific and Japan at IronNet.

 

Popular investment firm Aretha Capital Partners is gearing up to launch a new real estate platform to ease buying and selling

Aretha Capital Partners, a popular name in the investment segment, has recently made an announcement that it will be launching a platform called Novyy.com. The new platform is expected to be a unique integrated platform aimed at global real estate investing and buying. The main motto of the platform is to democratize the retail real estate segment so that there is reduced friction while the buyers have to go through various stages. The cost is also expected to reduce, and the fees will also be lower by almost 50-70 percent for the buyers.

As of now, Novyy.com has properties listed in the UK, India, and Key European markets with a valuation that is the same for any buyers globally. New features are expected to be added soon to identify and fulfill the requests. The integration for real estate was long overdue, and it was left unaddressed for a long time.  Heft price and multiple prices offered for the same property was creating a huge gap in the buying and selling process of the real estate. More than 100 million people are expected to buy homes in the coming decade, and half of the same are expected to be in the emerging market.

 

The lawmakers requested gaming companies in the US to make kids-friendly designs

preventing cybercrimes, online services, software, technology, the silicon review

Lawmakers in the U.S. have urged gaming companies to promote child-friendly designs for their games. Many major gaming companies like Sony, Walt Disney, Epic Games, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Niantic were called upon to protect kids from schemes that are predatory. The lawmakers have also asked the game creators to comply with U.K.’s AADC for the U.S. The letter had stated that it is important for Congress to act with urgency and bring in strong privacy laws for the teens and children of the 21st century.

As the lawmakers continue to work towards that goal, the companies were requested to consider the teens and children living in the U.S. to enhance privacy and comply with the AADC. Last year, the data privacy regulators from the U.K. had introduced a new set of design guidelines for the providers of digital services to follow, and it was aimed at safeguarding children under the age of 18 from committing cybercrimes. The AADC code has 15 regulations that must be followed while designing and developing online services to protect the interest of the child. The lawmakers have also reached out to cover websites that children often frequent to promote data privacy.