#Staff Augmentation Services provider

[vindaloo-softtech]

Vindaloo Softtech is gladly announcing its participation in the 24th edition of INDIASOFT 2024 in New Delhi

India, January 3, 2023- As we step into the new year, Vindaloo Softtech is raising the bar by becoming a part of a new era of technological advancements. It is so glad to announce its participation in the upcoming 24th INDIASOFT tradeshow in January 2024.

Vindaloo Softtech is at the forefront of transforming business dynamics by offering the most effective IT solutions. From FreeSWITCH development and WebRTC solutions to Asterisk development, Website and Web Application development, Cross-Platform Mobile App development, Custom CRM development, and Augmented Team services, it redefines the way businesses operate, ensuring clients stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

“We are thrilled to invite you to the 24th Edition of INDIASOFT which illuminates the path to innovation, collaboration, and technological advancement. McKinsey predicts that India’s IT industry will soar to a staggering US$ 300 – 350 billion in revenue over the next five years. And we at Vindaloo Softtech have the vision to make every business leverage tech innovations and grow. ” – said Mr.Bhaskar, the founder of Vindaloo Softtech.

What benefits can you expect from attending Vindaloo Softtech @Indiasoft?

Gain insights into cutting-edge technologies that can enhance your business operations and offerings.

Engage directly with tech experts and exhibitors to discuss your specific business needs.

Connect with industry experts, thought leaders, and innovators

Evaluate the products and services offered

Explore opportunities to integrate new technologies and make the most out of them

Gain insights into the latest regulatory developments and compliance requirements

About INDIASOFT 2024

INDIASOFT 2024 is India’s premier international ICT Exhibition & Conference in New Delhi from January 17th to 19th. This dynamic event is a gateway to cutting-edge technology, featuring 1500+ exhibitors and 700+ delegates from 80+ countries.

Dive into disruptive discussions on AI, smart manufacturing, blockchain, and cybersecurity by attending the tradeshow. It’s not just an event but the birthplace of tech legends, fostering collaborations and offering a glimpse into India’s tech prowess. With 4000+ B2B meetings, INDIASOFT is where innovation meets enterprise, shaping a brighter tech future.

About Vindaloo Softtech:

Vindaloo Softtech, a leading Custom Software Development & Staff Augmentation Services provider, believes in enabling innovation through its technical know-how. Its team of tech experts specializes in FreeSWITCH, Asterisk, Kamailio, WebRTC for VoIP technology while using different Front-End & Back-End Development frameworks such as ReactJS, VueJS, AngularJS, NodeJS, PHP, Laravel, React Native, ElectronsJS, and Apache, staying dedicated to providing cutting-edge solutions to clients worldwide. Engaged in the development of AI technologies on the rise, Vindaloo Softtech is working with innovations like OpenAI, Chatboat Automated IVR, and similar advancements.

Vindaloo Softtech’s VoIP products, like the VoIP Billing System- CloveKonnect, Multi-Tenant IP PBX- PepperPBX, Cross-Platform VoIP Softphone- PimentoPhone, and Call Center Software-Callcentr8, showcase Vindaloo Softtech’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of technological excellence. Its customer-centric approach and keen attention to detail make Vindaloo Softtech a trusted partner for a diverse clientele.

[expeditesoftwareservices]

Are you looking for Staff Augmentation Services? It is important to find a company that understands your needs and provide staff augmentation services that are tailored to your budget, requirements and technical abilities in order to bring the most qualified people. 

Expedite Software Services provide access to experienced professionals who can fill in unmet requirements with specialized skills and knowledge. With an increased demand for resources, staff augmentation helps companies get the skilled team members they need without the cost of permanently hiring new employees.

[appson-technologies]

Appson Technologies : Empowering Your Business Through Innovation

Welcome to the Appson Technologies blog, your one-stop shop for insights on the ever-evolving world of technology and its role in driving business success. Who We Are At Appson Technologies, we are passionate about helping businesses leverage the power of technology to achieve their goals. We offer a comprehensive suite of services, including:

Mobile app development: We create user-friendly and feature-rich mobile applications that cater to your specific needs and target audience.

Web development: We design and develop custom web applications that enhance your online presence and streamline your operations.

Staff augmentation: We provide on-demand access to highly skilled developers who can seamlessly integrate into your existing team.

Managed services: We take care of your entire software development lifecycle, from ideation to deployment and ongoing maintenance.

What You'll Find Here Through this blog, we aim to:

Share industry insights and trends: Stay updated on the latest advancements in mobile, web, and software development.

Offer practical advice and best practices: Learn valuable tips and strategies to enhance your app development journey.

Showcase our expertise: Gain insights into our approach and the value we bring to our clients.

Spark conversations: We encourage you to share your thoughts and questions in the comments section.

Stay Tuned! We are excited to embark on this journey with you. Subscribe to our blog to receive notifications about new posts and be at the forefront of technological innovation. In the upcoming posts, we will be exploring topics such as:

The future of mobile app development

Essential considerations for successful web development projects

How to choose the right development partner for your business

The benefits of staff augmentation and managed services

We believe that technology should be a tool for empowerment, and we are here to help you harness its potential. Let's build something amazing together!

[prometteursolutions]

Unleashing Your Team's Potential with Resource Augmentation Solutions: A Path to Success

What Is Resource Augmentation? 

Resource augmentation is an agile, cost-effective, and flexible outsourcing strategy that allows businesses to hire third-party top tech talent on a contractual basis for a specific project or various projects.

In the age of digital technology, 45% of businesses struggle to find qualified candidates. According to IBM, there is a 45% talent shortage. Businesses are utilising resource augmentation, an adaptable, economical, and flexible kind of outsourcing, to fight this.

Resource augmentation enhances business productivity by providing the right resources at the right time, collaborating with internal teams and working remotely.

But when does resource augmentation become necessary? 

There are several situations where it can be the perfect solution:

Need Help Completing a Project: Resource augmentation can help fill internal team gaps and meet project deadlines.

Lack of Essential Skills:Resource augmentation provides immediate assistance for specialized skills in in-house projects.

Temporary Specialized Skills:Resource augmentation addresses demand spikes and limited skills requirements.

Temporary Assistance During Team Building:Resource augmentation provides efficient team formation without postponing the project until full-time workers are available.

Now, let's explore the myriad of 

benefits that resource augmentation brings to the table:

Enhanced Productivity: Resource augmentation quickens the hiring process, allowing augmented workers to start working on projects right away, cutting expenses, and increasing operational effectiveness. It makes the most of financial resources, cuts costs, and uses agile techniques to complete tasks quickly.

Reduced Development Costs: Enhanced resources increase cost effectiveness while saving organisations money on salaries, taxes, and employee benefits.

Increased Flexibility: Startups can swiftly get their projects off the ground without spending all of their limited resources. Additionally, instead of signing long-term contracts, organisations can strategically invest in additional resources for niche need.

Improved Scaling Capability: Resource augmentation accommodates fluctuating project demands, making it ideal for handling variable workloads during different stages of development.

Filling Workforce Gaps: Resource augmentation makes it possible for people all over the world to access qualified software developers.

New Ideas and Expertise: Through original thinking and creativity, external talent fosters internal progress.

No Additional Legal or Administrative Costs: Resource augmentation simplifies the employment process while minimising paperwork, costs, and regulations.

To leverage resource augmentation effectively, consider following this 5-step framework:

Define Your Needs: Clearly outline the number of resources required and specify the desired skills, qualifications, and tech stack for each candidate.

Pick the Right Candidates: Collaborate with your resource augmentation provider to identify and interview candidates who meet your criteria.

Establish Roles and Work Processes: Clearly define roles, workflows, milestones, and technical specifications to ensure seamless integration with your existing team.

Maintain Transparent Communication: Transparent and consistent communication between your internal team and augmented resources is vital for project success.

Document Your Code: Encourage thorough code documentation throughout the software development process to ensure continuity and smooth project transitions.

Partnering with a reputable provider like prometteur  Partners is crucial for a successful resource augmentation experience. 

With over 350 completed projects and a 97% client retention rate, they offer top-tier solutions, global team augmentation, data and AI expertise, and software engineering services.

[ajmishra]

IT Staff Augmentation – The Ultimate Guide

Looking to expand your IT team? Learn all about growing your IT staff in our comprehensive guide on IT Staff Augmentation. Explore the benefits, best practices, and key considerations of a successful IT professional. Don’t miss out on this important resource for businesses looking to optimize their employees. Read it now!

[kattechsystems]

How Staff Augmentation Can Help You Scale Your Business

Organizations require skilled and dependable personnel to oversee specialized activities in order to fulfil the continuously changing business needs and customer expectations. Absence of qualified staff can cause projects to be delayed, harm brand reputation, and have low return on investment. Additionally, finding the proper personnel and onboarding new employees may be very stressful for HR. The answer to this problem, which can also simplify your company's operations and aid in your success, is staff augmentation. If you are looking for staff augmentation services in Chicago, USA, then this is a must-read.

Whatever your organizational requirements, it's simple to engage professionals for your particular initiatives. Yet, the nicest thing about outsourcing is that it gives businesses access to a competent labor supply, improved project visibility, and cost savings.

In this blog, we give you seven reasons as to why team augmentation is preferable than hiring individuals on your own. We'll also outline the key characteristics you should look for when selecting an augmentation service.

Cost-effective option

It takes time to hire the best candidates who can also function as full-time workers. The process of conducting interviews and onboarding is demanding and take a lot of time and effort. Moreover, hired personnel might not possess the necessary expertise to handle complex projects.

With staff augmentation staffing options, however, you can recruit workers on a temporary basis or as needed. Also, the talent that satisfies your particular needs must be provided by the augmentation service providers. If you're not happy, you can just request a replacement staff without incurring any further fees.

Scalability

The best approach to grow your firm is through staff augmentation. Project completion dates are strictly enforced for businesses. Yet it can be risky to hire new, inexperienced employees for a project. Training your personnel can be a time-consuming process. Also, your present personnel may need to put in extra hours to complete the tasks, which could raise your expenditures.

Yet, you can ensure that you hire people with extensive training by using augmentation staffing options. You can also hire them on a contract basis. This way, you won't have to pay the additional expenses associated with recruiting full-time workers. This approach will take businesses on new projects without being concerned that they won't live up to their present projects' expectations.

Skilled Staff

Even if you have personnel who are very skilled, they might not be able to complete a project's precise skill needs. Also, adding new workers might put a significant pressure on the resources of the company. Thus, it might not be a good idea to hire full-time workers in accordance with your projects. However, corporates can hire personnel or remote teams on a temporary basis thanks to augmentation services. By doing this, you can reduce the cost of recruiting a full-time worker.

Fresh Perspective

Although though seasoned workers could be excellent at what they do, they might lack fresh perspectives on a given project. They might finish the assignment, but they might not provide something remarkable or novel to meet the needs of the client. New workforce can deliver fresh viewpoints and creative ideas that can enhance company efficiency and help you achieve high levels of customer satisfaction.

Greater Control and Visibility

A company's success depends on its ability to meet deadlines and consumer expectations. Moreover, staff augmentation may be the best option to improve transparency throughout the organizational infrastructure. They will collaborate on specific projects with the full-time staff when you hire more people. You can monitor the performance of the new workers which can be reported by full-time staff. Also, new workers can increase productivity by sharing fresh, creative ideas with the full-time staff. You can increase project visibility in this way. Also, since the permanent employees will already be receiving training, you won't need to invest additional time or money on the new workers. As a result, augmentation staffing solutions will provide you more control over the time and resources available to your firm.

Simple Operational Management

Controlling your staff at work might be challenging. You'll be in charge of paying for attendance, facilities, and operating costs related to maintaining staff at an organization. They can add up to a sizable sum and stress your project's financial constraints. When you hire team augmentation services, you won't have to pay the infrastructure and operational costs associated with hiring new remote-based employees.

Flexible Hiring

Flexibility in hiring is one of the main benefits of staff augmentation. Your project can take a few months to develop or it might take years. Also, you will require dedicated employees to guarantee the project's progress is transparent and orderly.

You have a great chance to hire people on a contract basis with staff augmentation. You can choose which projects to include your new hires in by using such services. You will also choose how long the new staff will work on your project for.

Features of a reliable staff augmentation service

Fast and Reliable: When contacting a staff augmentation service provider, first thing you should check is their response time. Your project's schedule will be thrown off if they take too long to provide the resources, which will also lower consumer expectations. Hence, while contemplating staff augmentation services, consider the turnaround time they deliver.

Wide Range of Skillsets: It is pointless to contact a staff augmentation service if it cannot provide personnel with the precise level of experience in the field you need. A service provider might give people with similar credentials. This means that training them will take a lot of time and resources. Hence, it is wise to search for people with the right skill-set to reduce operational difficulties or performance degradation.

High Reputation: Make sure the staff augmentation service provider has a good reputation. A major worry might be the budget. But if the hired people don't live up to your expectations, it could become an even bigger problem. Hence, constantly seek for augmentation services with a global impact. The fact that members of your personnel attended reputable institutions will help make a good impression on your clients.

Conclusion

To sum it up, staff augmentation is a practical solution to challenging hiring issues. It makes it possible for businesses to cut expenses, maintain order, and stimulate growth. All you have to do is locate a staff augmentation service that meets your requirements. If you are looking for Staff augmentation services in Chicago, then Kat Tech Systems can assist you. We are the top one-stop IT consulting firms in Chicago, IL who can help you in hiring the right talent for your business.

Want to know more? Feel free to call us at 001-630 233 8643.

[warningsine]

Google laid off hundreds of workers in several divisions Wednesday night, seeking to lower expenses as it focuses on artificial intelligence and joining a wave of other companies cutting tech jobs this year.

The Silicon Valley company laid off employees in its core engineering division, as well as those working on the Google Assistant, a voice-operated virtual assistant, and in the hardware division that makes the Pixel phone, Fitbit watches and Nest thermostat, three people with knowledge of the cuts said.

Several hundred employees from the company’s core engineering organization lost corporate access and received notices that their roles were eliminated, two of the people said. Google said that most of the hardware cuts affected a team working on augmented reality, technology that combines the real world with a digital overlay.

“We’ve had to make some difficult decisions about ongoing employment of some Google employees and we regret to inform you that your position is being eliminated,” the company told some workers in the division, according to the text of an email reviewed by The New York Times.

Google confirmed the Assistant cuts, earlier reported by Semafor, and the hardware layoffs, earlier reported by the blog 9to5Google.

“We’re responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead,” a Google spokesman said in a statement. After cuts throughout the second half of 2023, “some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally.”

The cuts continue a trend of tech layoffs, after large companies such as Google, Meta and Amazon laid off thousands of workers last year. Ten days into this year, more companies have announced job cuts. Earlier Wednesday, Amazon shed hundreds of workers from its Twitch streaming service, Prime Video and MGM studios. Xerox said this month that it would cut 15 percent of its 23,000-person staff, and the video game software provider Unity Software said it would eliminate 1,800 roles, or 25 percent of its work force.

At Google, Sundar Pichai, the chief executive, has pushed the company since July 2022 to sharpen its focus and to reduce expenses as global economic conditions deteriorated. In January 2023, Google shed 6 percent of its work force, or 12,000 people, in the largest layoffs that the company has conducted. Since then, executives at the company have said they would try to significantly reduce costs, as it focuses on the growing field of generative artificial intelligence.

Google, which had 182,000 employees as of Sept. 30, said the layoffs on Wednesday were part of a set of reorganizations that were made in the normal course of business.

The Alphabet Workers Union, a group representing more than 1,400 workers at Google’s parent company, Alphabet, described the layoffs as “needless.”

“Our members and teammates work hard every day to build great products for our users, and the company cannot continue to fire our co-workers while making billions every quarter,” the group said in a post on the social media site X.

[mariacallous]

Before Google’s disastrous social network Google+ came the less remembered Google Buzz. Launched in 2010, Buzz survived less than two years. But its mishandling of people’s personal data motivated the first in a series of legal settlements that, though imperfect, are to this day the closest the US has come to establishing extensive rules for protecting privacy online.

When users set up a Buzz account, Google automatically created a friend network made up of people they email, horrifying some people by exposing private email addresses and secret relationships. Washington regulators felt compelled to act, but Google had not broken any national privacy law—the US didn’t have one.

The Federal Trade Commission improvised. In 2011 Google reached a 20-year legal settlement dubbed a consent decree with the agency for allegedly misleading users with its policies and settings. The decree created a sweeping privacy standard for just one tech company, requiring Google through 2031 to maintain a “comprehensive privacy program” and allow external assessments of its practices. The next year, the FTC signed Facebook onto a near-identical consent decree, settling allegations that the company now known as Meta had broken its own privacy promises to users.

WIRED interviews with 20 current and former employees of Meta and Google who worked on privacy initiatives show that internal reviews forced by consent decrees have sometimes blocked unnecessary harvesting and access of users’ data. But current and former privacy workers, from low-level staff to top executives, increasingly view the agreements as outdated and inadequate. Their hope is that US lawmakers engineer a solution that helps authorities keep pace with advances in technology and constrain the behavior of far more companies.

Congress does not look likely to act soon, leaving the privacy of hundreds of millions of people who entrust personal data to Google and Meta backstopped by the two consent decrees, static barriers of last resort serving into an ever-dynamic era of big tech dominance they were never designed to contain. The FTC is undertaking an ambitious effort to modernize its deal with Meta, but appeals by the company could drag the process out for years and kill the prospect of future decrees.

While Meta, Google, and a handful of other companies subject to consent decrees are bound by at least some rules, the majority of tech companies remain unfettered by any substantial federal rules to protect the data of all their users, including some serving more than a billion people globally, such as TikTok and Apple. Amazon entered its first agreement this year, and it covers just its Alexa virtual assistant after allegations that the service infringed on children’s privacy.

Joseph Jerome, who left privacy advocacy to work on Meta’s augmented reality data policies for two years before being laid off in May, says he grew to appreciate how consent decrees force companies to work on privacy. They add “checks and balances,” he says. But without clear privacy protection rules from lawmakers that bind every company, the limited scope of consent decrees allows too many problematic decisions to be made, Jerome says. They end up providing a false sense of security to users who might think they have more bite than they really do. “They certainly haven't fixed the privacy problem,” he says.

The FTC has sometimes strengthened consent decrees after privacy lapses. In the wake of Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica data-sharing scandal, in 2020 the agency agreed to stepped-up restrictions on the company and extended Meta’s original consent decree by about a decade, to 2040. In May this year, the FTC accused Meta of failing to cut off outside developer access to user data and protect children from strangers in Messenger Kids. As a remedy, the agency wants one of its judges to impose the most drastic restrictions ever sought in a privacy decree, spooking the broader business community. Meta is fighting the proposal, calling it an “obvious power grab” by an “illegitimate decision maker.”

There is more agreement between FTC officials, Meta, Google, and the wider tech industry that a federal privacy law is overdue. Proposals raised and debated by members of Congress would set a standard all companies have to follow, similar to US state and European Union privacy laws, with new rights for users and costly penalties for violators. “Consent decrees pale in comparison,” says Michel Protti, Meta’s chief privacy officer for product.

Some key lawmakers are on board. “The single best way to increase compliance for different business models and practices is by Congress enacting a comprehensive statute that establishes a clear set of rules for collecting, processing, and transferring Americans' personal information,” says Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the chair of the House committee that has studied potential legislation for years. Until she can rally enough fellow legislators, the privacy of every American on the internet is reliant on the few safeguards offered by consent decrees.

Innocence Lost

At the time Buzz launched in 2010, Google fostered a companywide culture of freewheeling experimentation in which just a couple of employees felt they could launch ideas to the world with few precautions, according to four workers who were there during that time. The search company’s idealistic founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin closely oversaw product decisions, and head count was one-eighth of the nearly 190,000 it is today. Many of the employees “were in a utopia of trying to make information accessible and free,” says Giles Douglas, who started at Google in 2005 as software engineer and left in 2019 as head of privacy review engineering.

During the earlier era, some former employees recall privacy practices as informal, with no dedicated team. Company spokesperson Matt Bryant says it’s not true that reviews were looser before, but both sides acknowledge that it wasn’t until the FTC settlement that Google started documenting its deliberations over privacy hazards and making a clear commitment to addressing them. “The Buzz decree forced Google to think more critically,” Douglas says.

The settlement required Google to be upfront with people about the collection and use of personal data, including names, phone numbers, and addresses. The former employees, some speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential practices, say Google established a central privacy team for the first time. The company learned early that the FTC’s new invention had sting. It paid $22.5 million, then the agency’s highest-ever penalty, to settle a 2012 charge that Google had violated the Buzz agreement by overriding a cookie-blocking feature on Apple’s Safari browser to track people and serve targeted ads.

Google now has an extensive bureaucracy dedicated to privacy. Its central team has hundreds of employees who oversee privacy policies and procedures, three people who worked with the unit say, like the company’s public privacy principles that promise people control over use of their data. A web of hundreds of privacy experts scattered across Google’s many divisions reviews every product launch, from a minor tweak to the debut of an entirely new service like the AI chatbot Bard to a marketing survey sent to less than a thousand people.

Though a public agency forced many of those changes, there is diminishing transparency about how Google’s consent decree operates. The agreement requires an outside consulting firm such as EY (commonly known as Ernst & Young) to certify in an FTC filing every two years that Google’s guardrails are reasonable. Yet public copies of the filings have been increasingly redacted by the agency to protect company “trade secrets,” preventing any insight into the results of the assessments or the recent evolution of Google’s safeguards. Google’s Bryant says the assessments have led to program improvements, process discipline, and well-informed feedback but declines to provide details.

Unredacted segments of older filings show that Google’s compliance with the FTC has involved measures such as training employees on best practices, expanding data-related user settings, and, most importantly in the view of former employees, analyzing the implications of everything the company releases into the world.

Inside Google today, the privacy and legal review is the only step that a team cannot remove or mark as optional in the company’s main internal tracking system for project launches, commonly referred to as Ariane, the former employees say—unlike for security assessments or quality assurance. And only someone from Google’s privacy team can mark the privacy review as completed, the people say.

Reviewers must pore through an internal management tool known as Eldar to compare product code and documentation against company guidelines about uses and storage of data. With tens of thousands or more product launches annually, many updates Google considers “privacy non-impacting” or “privacy trivial” get only a cursory examination, former employees say, and Google is trying to automate triaging of the most important reviews.

Privacy reviewers have considerable power to shape Google’s products and business, according to five people who formerly held the role. One of their most common actions is to block projects from retaining user data indefinitely without any justification beside “because we can,” the sources say. More exhaustive reviews, according to the sources, have prevented YouTube from displaying viewing statistics that threatened to reveal the identities of viewers from vulnerable populations, and required workers involved in developing Google Assistant to justify every time they play back users’ audio conversations with the chatbot.

Entire acquisitions have died at the hands of Google’s privacy reviewers, former employees say. The company evaluates the privacy risks of potential targets such as data retained unnecessarily or collected without permission, and sometimes commissions independent assessments of software code. If the privacy risks are too high, Google has canceled purchases, sources say, and efforts are underway to apply a similar process to divestitures and strategic investments.

For some Google employees, the changes demanded by privacy reviewers can be frustrating, the former reviewers say, delaying projects or limiting improvements. After a review restricted access to location data on users of Google Assistant, engineers struggled to assess the technology, one former employee involved says. For instance, they could no longer be sure whether the virtual helper’s responses to queries involving ambiguous street names, like Brown or Browne, were accurate.

Proponents of consent decrees say the roadblocks and dead ends show the settlements working as intended. “Google and its users are better off for the decree,” says Al Gidari, an attorney who handled the FTC’s Buzz deal for Google. “One might say but for it, nothing would be left of our privacy.”

For some of the Google sources and privacy experts more critical of the decrees, the sprawling compliance apparatus Google developed over the past decade is privacy theater—activity that fulfills the FTC’s demands without providing public proof that people who use its services are better off. Some former employees say that while staffing and funds for the consent decree’s “comprehensive privacy program” have ramped up, more technical projects that would give people greater protection or transparency have withered.

For instance, the Google Dashboard, which shows the type of data people have stored with different services, like the total number of emails in their Gmail account, has gotten little investment as engineers have had to focus elsewhere, two former company privacy managers say. A privacy-focused “red team,” distinct from a similar squad for cybersecurity issues, that has snuffed out unintended over-collection of data and inadequate anonymization in services available to users is still staffed by just a handful of employees, three sources claim.

New Threats

Meta’s privacy scandals show the limited power of consent decrees to encourage good behavior. The company signed its first agreement with the FTC in 2012 after disclosing some users’ friends’ lists and personal details to partner apps or the public without notice and consent. Like Google, the company pledged to establish a “comprehensive privacy program.” But it took a different tack to Google and didn’t have sufficient staff and tools to review everything it does today, says Protti, the product-focused chief privacy officer. The decree-mandated assessments didn’t catch the shortcomings.

In 2018, through media reports it became clear that Facebook for years allowed partner apps to misuse personal information. Personal data such as users’ interests and friends got into the hands of election consultancies such as Cambridge Analytica, which attempted to create psychological profiles marketed to political campaigns. Facebook re-settled with the FTC and agreed to a $5 billion penalty in 2020. The updated consent decree imposed firm new requirements, including making privacy central to the work of many more employees, tightening security around personal data, and limiting the company’s use of sensitive technologies such as facial recognition. Meta has spent $5.5 billion to comply with the revised deal, including growing staff focused on privacy to 3,000 people from hundreds, representing “a step change for the company in terms of the importance, the investment, the prioritization of privacy,” Protti says.

Meta is now required to conduct a privacy review of every launch that affects user data, conducting more than 1,200 each month and deploying automation and audits to increase their consistency and rigor while ensuring orders are followed post-launch, Protti says.

Each unit of the company has to certify internally on a quarterly basis how it's protecting users’ data. After the $5 billion fine, people don’t take these certifications lightly, the former employees say. New hires have to review and agree to the consent decree before they can even get to work. Failing to complete regular privacy training locks employees out of corporate systems indefinitely, employees say. “I don't think you will find an employee that doesn't believe that privacy is absolutely mission critical for Meta,” Protti says.

The FTC contends that Meta has failed on that mission. In May, the agency alleged that Meta misled its users about the meaning of privacy settings on the Messenger Kids chat app and failed to block its business partners’ access to Facebook data as quickly as promised. The FTC wants to ban Meta from profiting off the data of people under 18 years old and require it to apply privacy commitments to companies it acquires, so no unit escapes scrutiny. Protti says the accusations and demands are unfounded.

No matter the outcome, the legal battle could be the breaking point for consent decrees.

FTC chair Lina Khan has made taking on big tech a priority, and if she wins the case the agency may feel emboldened to pursue more consent decrees and to successively tighten them to keep companies in line. But an FTC win could also weaken decrees by making companies more likely to take the chance of going to court instead of signing an agreement that could later be unilaterally revised, says Maureen Ohlhausen, an FTC commissioner from 2012 to 2018 and now a section chair at the law firm Baker Botts who has represented Meta and Google in other matters. “That changes the calculus of whether to enter a settlement,” she says.

If Meta stops the FTC’s updates to the consent decree, it might encourage other companies to try to fight the agency instead of settling. Either result in the Meta case will likely increase the pressure on US lawmakers to establish universal restrictions and precisely define the agency’s power. In the process, they could empower Americans for the first time with rights beyond the consent decrees, like to delete, transfer, and block sales of personal data held by internet giants.

Jan Schakowsky, a Democratic representative from Illinois in the congressional talks, says though the FTC has forced reform at “formerly lawless companies” through consent decrees, “a comprehensive privacy law is needed to improve Americans’ privacy across the internet and from new types of threats.” Even so, there are no clear signs that years of inaction in Congress on privacy are set to end, despite vocal support from companies including Meta and Google for a law that would not only cover their competitors but also prevent a patchwork of potentially conflicting state privacy rules.

The FTC agrees that a federal privacy law is long overdue, even as it tries to make consent decrees more powerful. Samuel Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, says that successive privacy settlements over the years have become more limiting and more specific to account for the growing, near-constant surveillance of Americans by the technology around them. And the FTC is making every effort to enforce the settlements to the letter, Levine says. “But it's no substitute for legislation," he says. "There are massive amounts of data collected on people not just from these biggest tech companies but from companies not under any consent decree.”

[nexonsoftwaresolutions]

Nexon Software Solutions: Your Premier Destination for IT Staffing Solutions

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, businesses across the globe are constantly seeking skilled IT professionals to drive innovation and growth. Whether you're a company based in the USA, searching for an IT staffing company near me, or exploring options in India, Nexon Software Solutions is your premier destination for dynamic IT staffing solutions.

With a strong presence in the USA, Nexon Software Solutions stands out as a trusted IT staffing company, offering top-notch services customised to meet the unique needs of each client. Our dedicated team of professionals understands the convolutions of the IT industry and works tirelessly to provide staffing solutions that exceed expectations.

For businesses located in the USA, partnering with Nexon Software Solutions means gaining access to a vast network of talented IT professionals ready to tackle any project. Whether you're in need of developers, designers, project managers, or any other role, we have the expertise to meet your staffing needs.

But our reach doesn't stop there. Nexon Software Solutions also extends its services to businesses in India, offering comprehensive IT staffing solutions to support the thriving tech industry in the region. Our global presence ensures that we can provide staffing solutions tailored to the specific requirements of businesses in India, helping them stay ahead of the competition in today's digital age.

At Nexon Software Solutions, we prioritise customer satisfaction and strive to build long-lasting partnerships with our clients. We understand that finding the right talent is crucial for success, which is why we take the time to understand your unique needs and provide customised staffing solutions that align with your goals.

Whether you're a company in the USA, searching for staff augmentation solutions nearby, or based in India and looking for top-tier talent, Nexon Software Solutions is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your staffing needs and drive success for your business.

[softwaredevelopmentindia-one]

Microlent Systems: Your One-Stop Solution for Cutting-Edge IT Services

Are you looking for top-notch IT services that can take your business to the next level? Look no further than Microlent! We are a leading provider of UI/UX design, QA & testing, IT staff augmentation, project management, and software development services in India. Our team of experts is dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that cater to your specific business needs. Let's delve into the range of services we offer:

UI-UX Design Solution In today's digital age, user experience is paramount. At Microlent, we understand the importance of creating designs that not only look appealing but also resonate with your target audience. Our UI/UX design solutions are tailored to bridge your business goals with the expectations of your users. By focusing on interactive experiences, we help you build products that leave a lasting impression.

QA & Testing Services Quality assurance is at the core of every successful software project. With Microlent's reliable QA testing specialists, cutting-edge technologies, and streamlined processes, you can rest assured that your software will undergo rigorous testing to ensure flawless performance. Our QA and testing services are designed to meet industry standards and exceed client expectations.

IT Staff Augmentation Finding the right talent for your IT projects can be a daunting task. Microlent offers IT staff augmentation services to connect you with skilled, experienced, and certified professionals who can seamlessly integrate into your team. Whether you need developers, testers, designers, or project managers, we have the resources to augment your workforce and drive project success.

Project Management Service Effective project management is crucial for achieving business objectives. Microlent's project management services are tailored to boost process efficiencies, reduce costs, deliver consistent results, and exceed customer expectations. From initial planning to final execution, our experienced project managers adhere to well-proven methodologies to ensure project success.

Software Development in India At Microlent, we believe that software development is more than just writing code – it's about delivering high-quality solutions that meet client needs. Our team of skilled developers specializes in creating web and mobile applications using the latest technologies and focusing on every project detail. Whether you need a custom software solution or an innovative app, we have the expertise to bring your ideas to life.

Partner with Microlent today and experience the difference our comprehensive IT services can make for your business. From concept to delivery, we are committed to excellence and customer satisfaction. Visit our website Microlent Systems to learn more about our services and get started on your next IT project!

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Comcast, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony, Meta and more media companies have confirmed they will cover travel costs for employees seeking abortions following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Disney reached out to employees on Friday to stress that they recognize the “impact” of the Supreme Court’s decision and “remain committed to providing comprehensive access to quality and affordable care” for all Disney employees and their families, which includes family planning and reproductive care, “no matter where they live,” an internal source told Variety. For Disney employees unable to access a medical service, including abortions, in one location, they have a travel benefit that allows for “affordable coverage for receiving similar levels of care in another location.”

A Netflix spokesperson told Variety: “Netflix offers a travel reimbursement coverage for full-time U.S. employees and their dependents who need to travel for cancer treatment, transplants, gender affirming care, or abortion — through our U.S. health plans. This is a $10,000 lifetime allowance per employee and/or their dependents per service.”

In light of the Supreme Court decision, Warner Bros. Discovery has expanded its “healthcare benefits options to cover transportation expenses for employees and their covered family members who need to travel to access abortion and reproductive care,” a spokesperson said. The company’s chief people and culture officer, Adria Alpert Romm, said in a memo: “Our number one priority is the wellbeing, health and safety of our employees.”

Variety has confirmed that Comcast has a travel benefit that covers Comcast and NBC Universal employees’ medical services and procedures that aren’t available near an employee’s home.

Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish and Chief People Officer Nancy Phillips sent a memo to staff on Friday, obtained by Variety, confirming the company’s intentions to cover travel costs for employees seeking abortions, writing, “Reproductive health care through company-sponsored health insurance, including coverage for birth control, elective abortion care, miscarriage care and certain related travel expenses if the covered health service, such as abortion, is prohibited in your area.”

A Meta spokesperson said: “We intend to offer travel expense reimbursements, to the extent permitted by law, for employees who will need them to access out-of-state health care and reproductive services. We are in the process of assessing how best to do so given the legal complexities involved.”

Sony employees in the U.S. receive reimbursement for travel if it’s required to access healthcare services available under its health plan, which includes reproductive healthcare, a source has confirmed. "Sony Music Group and Live Nation are known to have insurance policies that provide reimbursement for travel if it is required to access healthcare services, including reproductive healthcare services."

The Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Institute, which are based in Utah, announced several weeks ago that they augmented its healthcare benefits to include covering travel expenses for services not available where they reside. Utah is one of the states expected to implement abortion bans following the Court decision.

BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti told staffers: “Effective immediately, we will provide a stipend for anyone residing in the 13 states with triggering abortion ending laws to cover the cost for travel and expenses required for access to safe abortion. The process around this will be completely confidential.”

Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch said in a note to his staff on Friday that the company has “made enhancements to our U.S. health benefits to assist covered employees and their covered dependents in obtaining access to reproductive care regardless of where they reside. Employees who need abortion, infertility or gender-affirming services who cannot obtain that care locally are now eligible for reimbursement on travel and lodging.”

Earlier Friday, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, effectively ending federal protections of abortion rights. The final opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, fully repudiates the 1973 decision which guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights. It also effectively strikes down the 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that largely maintained the right established in Roe.

Variety has reached out to additional Hollywood studios and media companies, but has not yet heard back. Some companies who did respond to a request for comment, such as Amazon and Lionsgate, said they did not have a statement at this time.

Here’s the Paramount Global memo in full:

Team,

We know that many of us have been closely following the news regarding the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, which struck down Roe v. Wade and repealed constitutional protections for abortion. Across the country, we have entered a moment of profound uncertainty – from a legal and a policy perspective, as states pursue different paths regarding reproductive rights, but also on a personal level, as we try to understand what services will be accessible, when, where, and to whom.

In the face of this uncertainty, we want to be very clear about what will not change at Paramount.

First, as a community: wherever we stand on this or any other difficult issue, we will continue to treat one another with empathy and respect.

And second, as a company: Paramount will support – as we always have – the choices our employees make about their own health care. This includes the reproductive health and family-building benefits* that help make our company a welcoming place to work. A few benefits I’d like to highlight include:

Reproductive health care through company-sponsored health insurance, including coverage for birth control, elective abortion care, miscarriage care and certain related travel expenses if the covered health service, such as abortion, is prohibited in your area.

Fertility and family building support through Progyny including coverage for IVF, egg freezing and other fertility treatments and services and reimbursement of up to $30,000 for adoption or surrogacy expenses.

Free access to Health Advocate, a confidential service to help you and your family find medical providers, resolve health insurance issues and navigate the healthcare system.

Up to 18 weeks of paid parental leave for a delivering parent (includes 6 weeks of Short Term Disability), up to 12 weeks of paid leave for adoption care or foster care and up to 10 days of paid bereavement leave including pregnancy loss.

24/7 lactation support, including milk shipping for traveling employees, through LifeCare.

Free access to a dedicated behavior expert for support raising children with developmental disabilities or learning, social or behavioral challenges.

We encourage you to visit the Paramount Total Rewards portal for additional details, including parenting information on the Family Planning Resources page. If you have questions about your benefit eligibility, please email the Paramount HR Employee Support Team at AskHR@viacomcbs.com.

We also understand that some reproductive health care events and decisions can be particularly challenging, so we want to remind everyone of our professional counseling and other mental health services, available 24/7, through our CCA Employee Assistance Program (Company Code: paramount).

All these resources are here for you and your loved ones. We encourage you to explore your options and take advantage of what’s available in order to make the medical decisions that best suit your needs. As ever, we are here to support all members of our community––and will give you and others the space to process this news.

Best,

Bob & Nancy

*Please note that you must be in an eligible employee classification for each of the benefits noted; employees whose employment is governed by a collective bargaining agreement are eligible for benefits under that agreement.

[mercifuil]

"Nowhere but here"

A #Simuel AU

ONE

“What is it?” Simone impatiently asked as the doctor observed the rash on his right forearm. “Is it scurvy?”

“What?” He chuckled. “I don’t think so. These do not look like scurvy rashes to me.”

“Then what are they? Are they deadly?”

The man laughed again. “Child, this is…dry skin. It is not something to be bothered about. It’s quite normal.”

“But I am bothered about it, sir. And respectfully, please do not refer to me as a child.” Simone adjusted his sleeves to hide the rash.

“My apologies, Mr. Balestra.” He took a deep breath and regarded his face. “How are you coping with being on the ship? Do you get enough sleep?”

“What does sleep have to do with this?”

“Well, like most things about the human body, your habits can manifest itself in your physical appearance. Lack of sleep and stress can cause dry skin. And I can see dark bags under your eyes, hence, my question about sleep. Is there something bothering you?”

Simone fell quiet and clenched his jaw. “What do you suggest I do?”

“Well, I suggest consuming more vegetables and fruits. Also, getting enough sleep. Thankfully, everything that you need is provided for here in La Virginia. We have a huge selection of foo—”

“Is that all, Doctor? Do you have any medicine to prescribe?”

He shook his head. “However, you can use olive oil to treat those rashes of yours. I’m sure you haven’t packed them. So, er, I can write a request for you to the kitchen staff. I’m quite certain they have bottles of it stocked in storage.”

Simone nodded as he stood up from the examination table. He fished for some money from his pocket. “Thank you, Doctor,” he said, handing over a 100 lira banknote. “I was hoping to have gotten faster relief. But it turns out you are of no use.”

“Glad to be of help, Mr. Balestra.” Unbothered, he accepted the money, a wry smile augmenting his elaborate white mustache. He walked off, towards his desk.

Simone sighed and put his coat on, popping out his pocket watch to check the time.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

“Who is there?” The doctor asked as he scribbled something on a sheet of paper.

“I am the new deckhand, sir. I have been asked by Mr. Karlsson to come to y—”

“Name, boy,” he snapped. “These damn deckhands,” he muttered to himself.

“Er…Ferro, sir. Manuel Ferro.”

“The door is open. Get in,” he said unenthusiastically as he continued to write down the note.

Simone impatiently checked his pocket watch again. “Is there any way to hurry this up, Doctor? I still have something I need to tend to.”

The door creaked open as Manuel stepped inside. “Er…Doctor Lombardi, Mr. Karlsson has asked me to come here for a physical examination.”

“I know,” the doctor replied, still writing on his paper.

The room fell quiet as everyone waited for Lombardi to finish his note.

Manuel stood there by the door, standing like an alert soldier ready for orders.

Simone glanced at him, regarding the stain on the left collar of his uniform and his unkempt curly brown hair.

Manuel reciprocated the stare and startled, he quickly looked away.

“Alright.” Lombardi ripped the note from his pad. “Deckhand, since you are here, I want you to accompany Mr. Balestra here to the kitchen and help him with this request.”

“But-but, Doctor Lombardi…”

“What?” Simone asked. “Is this necessary, Doctor?”

“Of course, Mr. Balestra. We provide service when we can. Is that right, deckhand?” The doctor waved the note about, waiting for Manuel to take it.

“Of course…sir,” Manuel forced a smile as he walked over and grabbed the sheet of paper from him.

“Alright. Er…That is all for now, Mr. Balestra. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

He shook his head and adjusted his coat. “Goodbye, Doctor,” he said, as he hesitantly followed Manuel to the door.

***

Simone quietly watched as Manuel made his way through the hallway in front of him. His eyes drifted down to the back of his neck where his brown, curly hair ended. He noticed his sweat slowly dripping down and glistening through the dim light. He swallowed and forced himself to turn away.

“Are you Italian, sir?” Manuel asked without looking back at him.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s just…it appears that people from various places are also aboard this ship and—My apologies. I should refrain from engaging in conversation with you, sir. Please disregard my question.”

Simone looked at the back of his head again. “It’s alright. I’m Italian.”

Manuel turned back to face him, a sheepish smile on his face. “I deduced as much, sir.”

Simone began to smell some of the cooking coming from the kitchen as they approached closer.

“Are you looking forward to South America, sir?”

“Well, I’ve never been there…”

Manuel gave him a confused look as they stopped in front of the kitchen door.

From outside, the two of them could hear the panicked clanging of pans and plates followed by some distant cursing and a loud thud that almost shook the floor beneath them.

Simone realized he must have made a horrified face, since Manuel was staring at him, trying to hold his laughter.

“I’m so sorry, sir. I should not be laughing. But…yes, it is quite appalling. Although, that is a…regular occurrence here.”

“What? That sounds horrible.”

“I—” Before he could say more, he stopped himself and shook his head. “I should not be telling you any of this, sir.”

Despite his curiosity, Simone decided not to push him any further. The two of them exchanged stares and lingered on that for a moment.

They were abruptly interrupted by another huge noise. Someone from inside yelled, “What is this sluggishness? If any of you bastards don’t work faster, I will throw everyone off-board. I’m serious. I may look like this, but I can carry people three times my own weight! Work…faster!”

The two of them quietly shared a chuckle as Manuel began to knock on the door.

Not a moment later, it swung open to reveal a very short, angry man.

“What is it?” He demanded a swift answer as his head darted back and forth between Simone and Manuel.

“Hello, sir. Do you remember me?”

“No. I do not.”

Manuel handed him the Doctor’s note. “I was asked to escort one of our guests, Mister…” he looked back at Simone, seeking a response.

“Balestra. Simone Balestra,” he clarified.

The cook read the note and slammed it back on Manuel’s hand. “It is important to always remember the names of our guests, deckhand.”

Manuel stood to attention and nodded. “Understood, sir.”

“Now, help me get the bottle from the storeroom. And as for you, sir…” He turns to address Simone. “Unfortunately, I must ask you to remain here, as guests are not allowed inside the kitchen area. However, should guests find it…intriguing what goes on behind our kitchen doors, exemptions can be arranged for a…modest fee.”

Simone considered it for a moment.

He looked at Manuel and although he would never voice it, he felt a small, bothersome nagging in his mind that if he would not accept, the two of them would be separated, and the delicate sliver of connection that had began to form between them only mere moments ago would break.

He would come back, hand him the bottle of olive oil, and Simone would become just another finished task to him, just another recipient of his services, just another guest.

He was disgusted at how desperate the thought was. But still, he was intrigued by this deckhand. “I shall stay here, thank you,” he replied, almost holding his breath.

The chef looked disappointed. “Boy, come now,” he ordered sternly as he pulled the door handle open.

Simone hoped that Manuel would turn back once more to look at him before they entered the kitchen, but he went straight inside.

Their delicate sliver of connection broke.

He was right. But he hated that he was.

[blog-truefirms]

Maximizing Efficiency and Flexibility with Staff Augmentation

Organizations in the fast-paced business world of today are always looking for methods to improve the flexibility and efficiency of their operations. Staff augmentation companies has been a common method in recent years. This strategy entails temporarily augmenting an organization's current workforce with more qualified workers in order to cover skill shortages or satisfy project-specific demands. Let's examine staff augmentation in more detail and see how it might help companies of all kinds.

Understanding Staff Augmentation

Staff augmentation is a strategic workforce planning solution that allows companies to scale their teams up or down based on fluctuating demand without the long-term commitment of hiring full-time employees. By leveraging the services of external specialists, organizations can access niche expertise and reduce time-to-market for their projects. This approach provides the flexibility to ramp up resources during peak periods and scale back during slower times, optimizing resource utilization and cost-effectiveness.

The Benefits of Staff Augmentation

One of the key advantages of staff augmentation is the ability to quickly onboard highly skilled professionals with specialized knowledge and experience. This can help businesses accelerate project timelines, improve the quality of deliverables, and drive innovation. Additionally, staff augmentation allows companies to maintain operational continuity during employee absences or skill shortages, ensuring seamless workflow and uninterrupted productivity.

Leveraging Staff Augmentation for Success

To maximize the benefits of staff augmentation, companies should carefully assess their project requirements and identify the specific skills and expertise needed to achieve their objectives. By partnering with a reputable staff augmentation provider, organizations can access a diverse talent pool of qualified professionals and streamline the recruitment process. Effective communication, clear expectations, and regular performance evaluations are essential for ensuring successful collaboration between in-house and augmented teams.

Conclusion

A flexible and affordable option for companies looking to maximize employee productivity and spur expansion is staff augmentation. Companies may get specialized knowledge, enhance project outcomes, and respond quickly to shifting market conditions by utilizing external talent pools. In today's competitive environment, staff augmentation companies may be a helpful technique for accomplishing your company objectives, whether your goals are to increase efficiency, cover talent shortages, or foster creativity.

[recruitmentstaff]

Tetrahed-Prominent IT services and staffing solutions- Best Permanent staffing solutions & contract staffing service provider

Tetrahed, Inc., a prominent provider of best IT services and staffing solutions based in Austin, Texas, has expanded its operations to India, demonstrating a dedication to delivering tailored solutions to meet the unique requirements of its clients. The company offers a comprehensive range of IT services, including cloud solutions, cybersecurity, AI/ML, network services, identity access management, and data analytics. With a deep understanding of the constantly evolving technological landscape, Tetrahed, Inc. ensures that its clients remain at the forefront of this competitive market. The company envisions becoming a globally trusted leader in IT services, driven by a robust and innovative delivery approach. Tetrahed, Inc. is committed to propelling every sector forward, enhancing productivity, and fostering innovation. The organization's recent expansion to India further solidifies its position as a key player in the IT services and staffing solutions industry.

Our company offers a range of services beyond IT, including business consulting and best enterprise solutions. We work with clients to develop innovative strategies that enhance operational efficiency, optimize processes, and drive sustainable growth. Our holistic approach enables clients to navigate the complexities of today's business environment with confidence.

Tetrahed is a company that specializes in providing innovative IT services and staffing solutions. They offer a range of flexible options such as contract-to-hire, contract staffing service provider, Top permanent staffing, and Top best IT staff augmentation services. Their global reach allows them to source top-tier talent irrespective of location requirements, providing onshore, offshore, onsite, and nearshore staffing solutions. Tetrahed is a reliable best IT staffing company that provides end-to-end staffing solutions to cater to client requirements. They have years of deep industry experience, offer real-time market analysis, and have a diverse network of qualified professionals. Tetrahed is a strategic partner that empowers organizations with the right blend of technology and talent to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

Give Us A Call

(+1) 512 692 9119

www.linkedin.com/company/tetrahedinc

Our Locations

13785 Research Blvd, Ste 125 Austin, TX 78750

BEST IT STAFFING COMPANY IN INDIA & USA