Netflix and YouTube will reduce the default image quality of streaming video in Europe to ease pressure on the internet, the firms said Friday, as demand soars with millions confined to their homes over coronavirus fears. EU commissioner for the digital economy Thierry Breton urged internet giants to switch from high definition to the former […]
Disney+ India rollout delayed amid Coronavirus scare
Disney’s streaming platform Disney Plus has delayed its India launch via Hotstar owing to the postponement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket season amid the spread of Coronavirus. Earlier this month, Hotstar had rolled out an update, which not only changed the app’s name to Disney+ Hotstar, but also added Disney+ shows to the […]
SoftBank seeks $10 billion to support Vision Fund companies
By Giles Turner, Gillian Tan and Peter Elstrom SoftBank Group is seeking to raise an additional $10 billion so its first Vision Fund can support portfolio companies battered by the coronavirus pandemic, according to people with knowledge of the matter. SoftBank is in talks with outside investors to provide $5 billion, which will be matched […]
Amazon halts grocery orders in US to restock amid surging demand
Image Credit: Kathy Willens Amazon said on Thursday it has halted its Prime Pantry delivery service in the United States to restock groceries, following a surge in online orders by shoppers worried about the coronavirus pandemic. “Amazon Pantry is not accepting new orders at this time while we work to fulfill open orders and restock […]
Remote work during coronavirus outbreak puts millions more on Microsoft Teams, Slack
Microsoft’s Teams chat and conferencing app gained more than 12 million daily users in one week, a 37.5% jump as more people worked from home during the coronavirus outbreak, the company said on Thursday. Teams had 44 million users as of March 18, Microsoft said, more than double the 20 million daily active users that […]
Fashion brands see a dip in online sales
Retail therapy has taken a backseat in the tough times of the coronavirus pandemic. For fashion and lifestyle brands, which are already witnessing a steep decline in offline sales due to closure of malls in several states, sales are not happening through the ecommerce channel either due to poor consumer sentiment. While ecommerce sales of […]
Govt talks to Facebook, Google, WhatsApp for virus info blitz
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi The government has roped in technology company Google and instant messaging platform WhatsApp, and is in talks with Facebook to run massive information outreach campaigns to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, three government officials told ET. The US-based search giant will send close to 300 million notifications a day to users containing information […]
Zomato forays into grocery delivery, in talks to partner with Grofers & BigBasket
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Food-delivery and restaurant discovery app Zomato is jumping on to the grocery bandwagon as the category sees a major uptick amid the Covid-19 outbreak. ET has learnt that Zomato is in talks to partner with e-grocers, Grofers and BigBasket, to sell food products and essentials on its platform by facilitating their deliveries. […]
Client Communication Tips During Uncertain Times
In one household in quarantine right now, there are two schools of thought: one, this is an unprecedented event that we will recover from; and two, this is the end of the world as we know it. Both feelings are valid. And they’re feelings your clients likely might be having as people across more and […]
No timeline fixed for release of e-commerce policy: Piyush Goyal
Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said that no timeline has been fixed to release the national e-commerce policy as e-commerce is a new subject. “Since e-commerce is a new issue, it has necessitated detailed consultations over the last few months to ensure that the policy is crafted in a manner that interests […]