Smart City Kochi Observations All about Smartcity Kochi

March 17, 2013

SportsBlog.com gets new funding

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 3:22 pm

SportsBlog.com is a dedicated blogging site for sports fans, sports professionals and leading sports media personnel. It was founded on November 2011 and Initially the site aimed at athletes and public who inclined to the same. Later as more audience pay attention to the site, the more site paid attention to heterogeneous listeners. The exclusive blogging partnership with WNBPA(Women’s National Basketball Players Association), National Basketball Retired Players Association, NFL(National Football League) Player Engagement department drew a large community of basketball and football fans towards sportsblog.com. In recent times, the viewers to site is all combined with professional players, sportsmen, and spectators including expert fans, sports journalists and talk show hosts. All members are provided with their own Sports Blog  with customizable sports themes and features.

 

The company has received $750k in Series A funding in November 2013 besides the Series A funding received today. The company has adopted a niche marketing  strategy in the early stages of development which was further broaden to a large circle. Today, it is an amalgam of all those sports people that speaks well about various sports and games and related information.

 

As SportsBlog.com is a professionally designed blog, its look and feel could attract a major sector, especially the skilled persons in sports field. Furthermore, there is an option to create a custom SportsBlog mobile app which would enhance the participation of  bloggers round the clock  with ease.

 

Moving on, the site also site rewards bloggers with monthly ranking competition . It provide monthly cash and material  prizes to top bloggers fulfilling specific criteria. Those constraints include the genuinity of post, its freshness (within 1st half of month), also with genuinity of visitors(fraudulent visitors and robotic interventions are checked), their uniqueness- all helps to keep the site live and content rich-that attracts the professional audience to site.

 

Here it is notable that, iscripts is providing website scripts with built-in blog feature and those stuffs in sportsblog.com can be incorporated with the same. For instance, the reward to top bloggers and mobile version of the blog can be included so as to make the product more promising.

May 22, 2012

SmartCity misses yet another deadline

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 10:12 pm

SmartCity Kochi has missed yet another deadline. This time the Dubai-based promoters of the project has failed to comply with the deadline, not once but twice, set for the completion of its state-of-the-art pavilion on the project site.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had declared at the launch of the construction work of the pavilion on October 8 last year that it would be completed within 14 weeks, going by which, it should have turned operational in January.

Failing to meet that deadline, the promoters set the first week of May as a fresh deadline only to come up with a revised date of June 9 for the opening of the pavilion.

Baju George, Managing Director SmartCity (India), on Wednesday expressed optimism that the pavilion will indeed be opened on June 9 at 9 a.m.

For a project originally conceived in 2005 and for which the foundation stone was laid in November 2007, SmartCity Kochi has never really managed to keep up with deadlines for a variety of reasons. When it is fully complted its is expected to provide 90000 smartcity jobs .

The delay in the completion of the pavilion meant that the schedule set for the completion of the first phase of the project and promotional campaigns to woo prospective investors also got disrupted.

Initially, it was declared that the first phase will be completed within 20 months from the date of completion of the pavilion.

The delay of almost five months in the completion of the pavilion will have a cascading effect on other schedules as well. With no clarity on when its own promotional road shows could be launched, SmartCity has now decided to piggyback on the campaigns being organised by the Stat government for the “Emerging Kerala” meet to be held in September.

February 3, 2011

Agreement reached on Smart City project, Finally

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 1:07 pm

Kerala government, representatives of Dubai government and promoters TECOM came to an agreement at a meeting here on Wednesday for revival of the Smart City project in Kochi which was in limbo for about five years. On Februry 2, 2011 the final issues about the agreements are resolved and an agreement is reached.

Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan and Ahamed Humaid Al Tayer, member of the Supreme Committee for Dubai World Group and Dubai Holding Group, UAE, announced after signing the minutes of the meeting that work would be started in a few months.

The Chief Minister said that construction of the building would start at the earliest in the proposed location in Kochi. The details of the agreement would be announced after approval by Cabinet this evening.A formal contract is expected soon, but no dates are announced yet.

Mr. Al Tayer said that he was confident that the work could be taken up within three months. Any revision of investment amount would be left to the Director Board.

It is understood that the government and the promoters have agreed that the freehold of 12 per cent of the land proposed in the frame work agreement would be within the special economic zone and would be inalienable. The freehold area would come to about 29.5 acres of total 246 acres earmarked for the project. The balance is to be given to the promoter-company on lease for 99 years.

The master plan for the project is to be completed within a month and the free hold transferred to the company on preparation of the plan.

The government is also understood to have agreed to consider waiver of stamp duty for registration of the deed.

October 15, 2009

CodeVentures is looking for tech kerala startups for seed funding

Filed under: News,Uncategorized — admin @ 9:47 pm

CodeVentures is a different type of venture capital firm helping very early stage companies to go from the idea stage to reality.  It is Kerala based seed funding firm looking for local tech startups. The idea is to identify promising tech startup ideas, regardless of the experience level of the founders. Ideal founders would be recent graduates with solid technical skills and looking to create a world class product or service. primary focus of the firm is software and web services. It plans to fund 5 tech startups for the March to June 2010 batch. In addition to seed funding the the funded companies also will receive help in securing capital, exposure to other founders, entrepreneurs and business people.

September 27, 2009

Talks between Tecom and Kerala Goverment at standstill

Filed under: News,Politics — admin @ 2:54 pm

Freehold land issue holds up Smart City project in Kochi

Talks between Dubai-based Tecom and the Kerala government failed to end the stalemate over the commencement of work on Smart City Kochi.

The two-day high-level meeting, which ended here on Thursday, decided to continue with the dialogue at a later stage. It was also decided to convene a director board meeting of the joint venture company between the state government and Tecom on September 30.

The much-awaited meeting had raised a ray of hope on the prestigious IT project of the state, but the issue of freehold land was a major hurdle to arrive at an amicable solution.

Representatives of Tecom headed by Fareed Abdul Rehman, CEO, insisted on getting 12 per cent of the total land area as freehold. The government had allotted 235 acres of land near Kochi for the project, of which 132 acres has already got SEZ status.

As the land lease agreement between Tecom and the Kerala government has expired, a fresh agreement has to be signed for continuing with the Rs 1,200-crore project. Though both the state government and Tecom are ready to sign such an agreement, Tecom is insisting on including freehold land as a condition in the lease agreement. The is despite the government team led by Neela Gangadharan, chief secretary, informing that the issue could be settled once the master plan is approved.

The foundation stone for the project was laid in October 2007, but there is no sign of even a site office. The Smart City project in Malta, which was initiated along with the Kochi project, is nearing completion. Smart City Kochi promises around 100,000 potential employment opportunity for IT professionals once fully operational.

October 13, 2008

Smart City work to begin only after SEZ status

Filed under: News,Politics — admin @ 7:17 pm

Kochi, Oct 13 (IANS):

Yet another roadblock to the Smart City Kochi.  Work on the Rs.15 billion Smart City project here will start only after it gets special economic zone (SEZ) status, its board decided at a meeting here Monday.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Smart City Dubai in March 2007 and the foundation stone was also laid last year, but the actual work is yet to start.

Addressing reporters after the fourth board meeting, Smart City Kochi chairman and state Fisheries Minister S. Sarma said the board was waiting for the notification from the central government.

‘It has been decided that work will commence only after the notification comes. Since there is a court case going on by an evictee, the registration of the land will take time,’ Sarma said.

Of the total 246 acres, SEZ status has been given in principle by the central government only for 136 acres.

Denying allegations that Smart City Dubai was pulling out, project chief executive Farid Abdul Rehman said the company was happy the way things were progressing.

Last week, opposition leader Oommen Chandy said the previous United Democratic Front government had given concessions to the tune of Rs.460 million to the Dubai company, while the LDF government gave concessions worth over Rs.10 billion when it renegotiated the agreement.

Chandy also demanded a probe into the allegations.

According to the agreement, the project work was to have commenced Oct 2. Now, with the board deciding that it would wait for SEZ status, it is now clear that there would be a further delay.

Asked about the the SEZ guidelines brought out by the government, Sarma said these guidelines would not be applicable to the Smart City project.

‘The project would be guided by the agreement,’ he added.

The Smart City project would have 8.8 million square feet of built-up space, of which 70 percent would be for IT and IT-enabled services, and would employ 90,000 professionals.

August 26, 2008

Armia Systems, Inc is hiring for Kochi Infopark Vacancies

Filed under: Companies,Jobs — admin @ 8:46 am

Armia Systems Pvt Ltd is a fully owned subsidiary of Armia Systems, Inc. USA. Armia Systems develops and markets innovative web software products. Also also provide technical support / remote server administration to web hosting providers and datacenters across the world. We are currently in search of talented self starters for our development and support center at Kakkanad, Infopark, Cochin. Freshers are also encouraged to apply for some of the positions.

If you are interested in joining a fast growing, energetic team, please forward your resume to jobs@armia.com. Include the position name in your application for immediate consideration. All correspondences will be treated confidentially.

Hot openings
PHP Developers hot
System Administrator/Linux Administrators hot
Systems Engineer hot
Business Development Executive hot
Technical Writers/Content writers
PHP Developer
Job Description
You will be working with a team of developers to design and develop dynamic, complex Web based products and services. You will responsible for taking an idea from concept to the implementation including requirements, design, developing and testing. Work with business development team to create the world class web applications.Desired Profile
Should have 2+ Years experience in PHP/MySQL. Experience in Ajax, Web 2.0 concepts, Ruby on Rails are beneficial, but not a must. Ideal candidate should have experience developing web applications
Educational qualification
BE/BTech/ BSc /BCA/ MCA/MSc in Computer Science
Location Ernakulam � Kerala
System Administrator /Linux Administrators
Job Description
We are looking for few dynamic people with top notch server administration experience to join our team. You will be involved in administration of linux /windows servers. You will be interacting with Armia�s clients world wide to resolve the technical issues through your trouble shooting knowledge and research ability. You will be solving basic to complex issues related to server and web hosting. Your written communication skill must be good and should have concentration and an eye in detail and also an attitude for continuous self learning and technology update.Our 24×7 technical support division requires you to be available to work in different shifts.Technical skill competence
You should be an expert in either Linux (redhat, freebsd) servers or windows family (widows 2000, 2003, MS SQL, Outlook) servers Should have experience with live web servers, familiar with hosting industry, DNS, domain, hosting control panels, etc..

Performance Tuning/Monitoring and troubleshooting.
Kernel compilation/tweaking.
Security concepts/tools/services.
Familiarity with various distributions.
Familiarity with Open Source concepts and development methodologies.
Package Management (RPM etc.)
Compilation and installation of software from source.
Kernel compilation/tweaking.
Security concepts/tools/services.
Shell Scripting.
Booting routines.
Services.
Logging.
Backup, restore and disaster recovery.

Educational qualification
BE/BTech/ BSc /BCA/ MCA/MSc in Computer Science or Electronics

Location Ernakulam � Kerala
Systems Engineer
Job Description
You will be giving basic technical support and trouble shooting to Armia clients worldwide. On a day to day basis, you will be dealing with our international clients and major webhosting providers and isps and working on their , server , web and mail related issues.. Provides technical advice and trouble shooting for web hosting customers on web site hosting, design, domain name management etc.Skill Set competence
Should be familiar with hosting, web servers, DNS, domain, email, web design, PHP, mySQL, hosting control panel, Linux, etc.. Should have very good written communication skills. Should be available for 3 shifts to provide 24X 7 customer support.Educational qualification
BE/BTech/ BSc /BCA/ MCA/MSc in Computer Science or Electronics
RHCE is a plus
Good Linux knowledge is a must
Location Ernakulam � Kerala

Technical /Content Writers [Freelancers/Homebased]
Job Description
We are looking out for content writers with a flair for writing and strong passion in internet media and market research. You will be involved in writing website contents, blogs, updates and maintaining of the site contents , creating brochures and other marketing material. Should be interested in writing articles, journals and newsletters. Very good at internet research. Good at creative writing.

Desired Profile
A very good command over the English language
Familiarity with US English, grammar, word usage, syntax and writing styles is desired as also exhaustive research abilities
Innovative, creative writing
Candidates must have a firm grounding in English language and grammar, the ability to write for an international audience on various topics related to our business , and the willingness to work in a competitive atmosphere.
Basic interest in computers and related technologies
Fast learner

Educational qualification
Minimum Graduation, Post graduation is required

Location Ernakulam � Kerala

Hill International selected for SmartCity Project

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 7:48 am

Hill International to manage construction of tech hub in India


NEW YORK (Associated Press) – Hill International Inc. said Monday it has been awarded a $9.1 million contract to manage construction of a technology center in the southeastern Indian coastal city of Kochi.

Hill International said the contract from SmartCity Infrastructure Private Ltd. for work on the SmartCity Kochi development is expected to run two and a half years. Hill’s responsibilities will range from project administration to document control and master scheduling.

SmartCity Kochi is being developed on about 300 acres designated as a special economic zone, and is expected to become one of India’s largest business parks, Hill said. The project’s first phase is expected to cost $350 million.

Shares of Hill International fell 8 cents to $16.81 in afternoon trading.

Marlton, N.J.-based Hill has 80 offices worldwide. Top of page

August 3, 2008

Kerala Smart City project gets SEZ status

Filed under: News — admin @ 9:07 pm

The way for implementation of the Smart City project in Kerala’s port city of Cochin has been cleared with the federal government granting special economic zone status (SEZ) to the mega IT facility.

The board of approvals (BoA) for the SEZs, which met in New Delhi yesterday, has granted the SEZ status to 136 out of 246 acres of land acquired for the project, said State IT secretary Ajay Kumar. The remaining area was not considered along with 136 acres as it is separated by a river.

The BoA has sought a separate application for SEZ status for 100 acres of land acquired from the Kerala Stat Electricity Board. Ajay Kumar said the application would be submitted before the next meeting of the board next month.

The last BoA meeting deferred a decision on the SEZ status following a complaint filed by one Kuruvilla, alleging that the land for the project was acquired without ensuring proper rehabilitation of the displaced. The board rejected the complaint after considering the explanation furnished by the state government.

The project promoted by the Dubai-based TECOM in joint partnership with the Kerala government, envisages creating 8.8 million sq ft of built-up space and supporting infrastructure for IT and IT-enabled service companies.

The SEZ status brings a slew of benefits to the developers. They include 10-year tax holiday, Exemption from duties on all imports for project development, 10 per cent FDI for all manufacturing activities, speedy approvals, clearances and customs procedures and dispute resolution etc.

There will be no foreign ownership restrictions in developing zone infrastructure and no restrictions on repatriation. The developers also get freedom to develop township with residential areas, markets, play grounds, clubs and recreation centers without any restrictions on foreign ownership.

Smart City project director Baju George told reporters at New Delhi after the BoA meeting that the master plan for the project would be submitted next month. “We are hopeful that we would be able to begin the work on the infrastructure project by September”, he added.

The Smartcity has already shortllisted four national and international companies for preparing a detailed master plan. The foundation stone for the project was laid by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan last November.

The project modelled on Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Village has an employment generation potential of over 90,000 jobs over 10 years.

July 15, 2008

Webmaster sites

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 6:37 pm

Here are some interesting websites and tools for webmasters.

 

 

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