Mindfire sponsors India Surf Festival (ISF) 2015

India Surf Festival (ISF)!!

What is it all about? Is India considered to be a surfing destination of the world? Is adventure sport a choice for Indian people? And, above all, why Mindfire sponsoring such an event?

Most people feel indifferently when, sporting events other than Cricket, Hockey, Football etc is being associated with India. But, now-a-days we get to see people moving out of their interest zone and exploring new forms of sports like the F1 race, lawn tennis, badminton and some adventurous sports like kayaking, hang gliding, bungee jumping, surfing etc. Though India may not be considered as a surfing destination, it is the acceptance of the people to these sporting events that has raised eye balls of many event organizers and adventure sports fans in India.

One such person was the founder of ISF who along with other key individuals from around the world developed the vision into reality. This year in February, ISF is entering into its 4^th edition and organizing the event at Ramchandi Beach, Odisha from Feb 6^th – 8^th. ISF is all about art, adventure and music. It is a very unique format of surfing festival wherein an individual can enjoy the sunset at beach with music, art and adventure blended together to give an ecstatic feel. Activities at ISF include surfing; kite surfing, long boarding, yoga on water, walk on water and many more. Workshops will also be conducted at the venue for interested individuals to get their hands on to some of these adventure sports. So, if you are a lover of nature and want to explore these activities then, ISF is the place to be in February 2015. For more details you can visit their website http://indiasurffestival.org

Born in Odisha, ISF has gone past many odds to make this event a successful one. Mindfire Solutions – one of the IT Services Company based out of Odisha, had gone through similar situations in the past and could very well understand the effort it takes to go against every odd and still emerge successful. Hence, Mindfire takes pride and is happy to be associated and sponsor the festival this year. For a detailed knowledge of what Mindfire is into, please visit http://www.mindfiresolutions.com/

Wishing ISF all success in their endeavor and very happy to be associated with such an event in our state!

Creating a blog and optimizing blog post

I have been writing blog posts for over three years now. Most of my posts are non-technical as I am an online marketing professional. So, I thought, how about writing a few lines that would help techies who do not have much of idea about creating a blog and optimizing their blog post. And, here I am with few questions and answers that might help some people. I might have missed a few points, so requesting readers to add on to the list as comments below.

Below you will find basic questions that novice bloggers would ask themselves and its solution.

Q: I have chosen a blogging site, now what do I do before getting ahead with my first post.

Ans: Please follow these steps below to set up your blog account first before drafting your first post.

STEPS

1. Select a good theme – Choosing a proper theme would help you keep your visitors stuck to your blog.
2. Create RSS feed – Create a RSS feed for your blog so that, interested visitors may subscribe to your blog. Go to feedburner.com and burn your feed.
3. Create “About Me” page – This is the most important page on your blog as it will be one of the most visited pages. The “About Me” page should have a proper bio about you and what you intend to write in your blog. The “About Me” page is like a sales letter. It should motivate visitors to follow you and your blog.
4. Follow Me Links – Provide links to your personal profiles on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn etc.
5. Have a Search box – Search box for a blog is very important. This can be implemented at a later stage when you have numerous posts. But, it is wise to have it from day 1.
6. Decide your side bar wisely – Side bar in blog isn’t less important. You can keep whatever you want in your side bar. But, do remember to include your archives, category section and tags.

Q: I have written a blog post. How do I optimize it?

Ans: Please follow the below mentioned steps. Always think in the perspective of the user. What would they type in, in the search box?

Example: Let’s say a user might search for “5 tips to create an efficient Android app”. This topic would be used in the below mentioned steps as a common example.

STEPS

1. Topic Title – Blog topic title is important. URL is the first thing that is searched. Taking the above example into consideration, I might create a title like “guide to develop android apps”, “necessary steps for developing a productive android app”
2. Keywords in body – Subtle use of keywords is important in the body. Do remember not to over use keywords. For the above example we can use keywords such as “developing efficient android apps”, “developing mobile apps for android”
3. Tags for the post – Using proper tags for the keywords is the most important criteria for your blog post. Tags will make your post searchable as well. For the above example tags like “android apps”, “mobile apps” etc will not work as they would be highly competitive and your chances of coming up in search results would reduce. Use tags that best describes your post and also relate to what user might search. You can surely use them but, also use some tags that people might search like the ones in Step 2. Tagging your images is also important as Google indexes image. So, providing a proper Alternative Text for your image is important. Always remember to best describe your image.
4. Using Categories – Though it is not so important for optimizing, I would still recommend creating different categories for your blog. If, I use the above example, I would use “Android App Development” or “Android Apps” as a category. Similarly you can create your own categories depending on the topic you write.
5. Sharing – This is one of the important areas to consider. After you publish the blog post, do share with your friends and followers on various social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn (Wall/Groups), Facebook (Wall/Groups), Pinterest etc so as to gain visitor to your blog. You can also share your blog URL in various forums or similar blog posts as comments so that you get visibility.

Do not limit the importance of your blog. It is your blog, and it will flourish only when you handle it properly.

A Flash Mob in a Bhubaneswar shopping mall

It was Sunday afternoon on 2^nd March, 2014. While most of us would be relaxing at home, there was this bunch of people throwing away their hands and legs in the air to gain attention of people. Why were they doing so? What was their intent?

Flash mob YouTube URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJjVH14lOSo

This group of people from Mindfire Solutions, performed a Flash mob on the theme of Road Safety to make people aware about traffic rules to avoid accidents. These guys and gals were dancing to the tune of numerous hit Hindi Bollywood tracks but, their objective was to increase public awareness on road safety. The group displayed a lot of banners and placards related to traffic signals and conveyed a strong message to visitors at the mall. They also in a subtle way managed to promote a quizzing event during the course of the act. They call it as “DDM IT Quiz”.

DDM IT Quiz was the idea of an ex-employee at Mindfire Solutions named Debasish Das. The title “DDM” stands for “Debasish Das Memorial”. It was his vision to organize a quizzing event of such kind for technical and management students across India. But, unfortunately he lost his life in a fatal road accident before he could see his dream turn into reality. This mega event is a tribute to Late Debasish Das and is organized by Mindfire Solutions annually. The Flash mob was an effort by Mindfire Solutions people to communicate with general public about safe driving and saving life.

DDM IT Quiz 2014 is the 4^th edition which is to be held on 9^th of March, 2014 at Hotel Pal Heights, Bhubaneswar. There are a lot of cash prizes to win for participants and some surprise gifts for audiences. Registration for this event is open and free. For details log on to http://www.ddmitquiz.com/

Mindfire Solutions is a global information technology solutions company and a leading service provider of IT solutions. With approximately 700+ employees, Mindfire has achieved numerous industry awards. To know more about Mindfire Solutions please visit http://www.mindfiresolutions.com/

Year 2013 @ Mindfire Solutions

2013 was a year that many of us would like to remember but, again there are a few bunches of people who would definitely like to erase their memories of 2013. Indian politics went through a period of instability when issues such as corruption, price hike, scams were raised. This was also the phase of ups & downs in India’s economy when the rupee fell sharply against the US dollar. This price fluctuation badly affected many businesses.

The year 2013 for Mindfire Solutions was a good year to cherish. Mindfire not only kept its employees happy by distributing iPad Mini/Galaxy Note to everyone but also, invested in infrastructure by moving into new advanced development center in Noida. Mindfire also has plans of moving into the new DLF Cyber City building in Bhubaneswar. Apart from this, our CEO being nominated as the Top 4 finalists in the business category for Odisha Citizens Award 2013 was a moment of pride for the company and its people. Last but not the least the last quarter fetched two huge industry awards for Mindfire Solutions. Mindfire Solutions was awarded with Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Company India 2013 and Dun & Bradstreet Fastest Growing SME 2013. This was again a moment which each one of us will get motivated with.

Though 2013 was a year which had so much in it for Mindfire Solutions, it also had some devastation for people of Odisha. Super cyclone “Phailin” which hit some of the coastal districts of Odisha, swept away almost everything with it leaving people in distress. Families were stranded without any shelter or food. Mindfire Solutions did its best to help as many affected families they could with food supplies and blankets.

Finally, 2013 was a year of joy and pride at Mindfire Solutions and expecting more to come in the coming years.

Infographic on Social Media & its Evolution!

Not many of us would know the history of Social Media but, everyone would like to know about it. Isn’t it?

I found this very informative article about “The History and Evolution of Social Media” by Berrie Pelser (hosting.ber-art.nl/social-media-history-infographic/) which, I thought is an interesting read.

Appreciate the effort put in by each one of them to create the whole content.

Do Awards really matter to business or customers?

Awards mean Recognition. But, do you really think that Recognition matters? In my view, it does. It brings in credibility and prestige for a company and also portrays to its customers and employees that, the company is making good decisions. But, the other aspect to think is, do awards really matter to customers or the business?

There was a time when industry awards were not taken very seriously. It was this time when nobody cared about how long you have been in existence, the kind of awards you won etc. The only thing that clients looked for was, whether a particular business had the required skill set to provide solution for their challenges. And, that was it! Customers never had to think of any other criteria to judge a company.

Things have changed now when; clients are now continuously looking for good and focused companies. But, what can be the distinguishing factor to decide which company is good and which is bad? It’s definitely “Awards” that a company receives which depicts the factors that sets you apart from other competitors.

An award is worth winning if they are appropriate for the business and relevant to your industry. Relevant industry awards communicate to customers and prospective customers that your business is substantive and they can have confidence in what you do. Every industry has its fair share of awards. From Information Technology to Aerospace Technology, Radio to Film, PR to advertising there is a vast array of awards to grab. Hence, it is important to compete for awards related to your business area.

Awards definitely carry with them a lot of advertising opportunities for businesses. They also do have the potential to generate PR and other benefits. An Award creates a distinctive seal of approval for activities and also a sign of quality for potential customers. Apart from this, awards can also be a motivational factor for employees within the organization. Awards have the power to raise team spirits and boost motivation among employees. It has also been noticed that awards have been eminent in attracting new talents, offer networking opportunity as well as help companies to raise their standards of service and delivery.

From several discussions with colleagues, friends and with my own knowledge I feel that, awards help businesses both ways and also matters for customers to judge quality. It helps businesses to gain mileage and grow in terms of revenue as well as head count as well as facilitate judgment for customers. What do you think?

Mindfire Solutions wins the D&B Fastest Growing SME 2013 Award

Mindfire Solutions, a company which caters to Small & Medium businesses worldwide by providing IT solutions, has won the Fastest Growing SME 2013 Award by Dun & Bradstreet at the D&B SME Awards 2013 held on 25^th November at Mumbai. D&B is one of world’s leading providers of global business information.

Mindfire has been recently awarded the Deloitte Technology Fast50 India2013 at a grand ceremony held at Bengaluru in October. The D&B Fastest Growing SME 2013 award is another feather added to Mindfire’s cap.

Dun & Bradstreet, the world’s leading provider of global business information, knowledge and insight felicitated 21 of India’s leading Small and Medium Enterprises of India for their significant achievement and contribution over the years. The occasion also marked the launch of Dun & Bradstreet’s premier publication, Leading SMEs of India 2013 by Chief Guest, Dr. H P Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director, National Small Industries Corporation.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kaushal Sampat, President & CEO, D&B India stated that, “SMEs have contributed hugely to the overall economy. It is due to the rapid growth of the Indian SME sector in the last decade that we see an impact on GDP.” He also added by congratulating Mindfire that “It is a huge achievement to be recognized as the Fastest Growing SME in India.” Mr. Sampat also spoke about, how small enterprises in India have outperformed micro and medium enterprises in terms of aggregate total income, net profit, margins and export growth. The detailed analysis has been revealed in their third publication of “Leading SMEs of India, 2013”

“At Mindfire, it has been our constant focus to be respected by our people, our clients and the entire IT community. It is heartening to see our efforts in the direction of delighting our clients are being recognized. We are glad to be named ‘Fastest Growing SME’ but this is only because of the trust and faith our clients have entrusted upon us. Global business landscape is undergoing a metamorphosis and we are glad that it is increasingly enabling SMEs. We would continue to delight our clients in serving their agile software development needs in all technology platforms, predominantly mobile, web, social media, analytics and testing” said Mr. Soumya Mishra, COO, Mindfire Solutions after receiving the award.

Receiving the Fastest Growing SME 2013 Award ensures Mindfire’s commitment towards quality and customer delight. It also acknowledges Mindfire’s dedication towards small and medium businesses worldwide. For more information visit Mindfire Solutions.

Proud to be a Mindfirean!!

Mindfire Solutions wins Deloitte Technology Fast50 India2013 Award

Mindfire Solutions, a software company catering to SMB’s around the world since its inception in 1999, has won the prestigious Technology Fast50 India 2013 Award given away by Deloitte.

Mr. Chinmoy Panda, CEO, Mindfire Solutions receiving the Award

Deloitte which provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management and tax services to selected clients across the world prepares a list of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in India every year and felicitates them by conducting an award ceremony. Rankings are decided according to the percentage revenue growth of each company over 3 years.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Private Limited presented the ninth edition of Deloitte Technology Fast50 India program. This ranking by Deloitte is the most awaited program among technology companies in the annual calendar as it recognizes the most promising tech companies in India not only in percentage growth in revenue but, also their strength and capability.

Mindfire Solutions was one of the 50 tech companies in the list for its 114% revenue growth over the past three years. Mindfire’s able leadership under our CEO, Mr. Chinmoy Panda gave it the right direction and the momentum to maintain a sustained growth performance over the evaluation period and make it to the final 50. Speaking to the occasion Mindfire Solutions CEO, Mr. Chinmoy Panda said “Making it to the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India is a matter of immense pride and joy for us – it is recognition of our strengths & capabilities. The award is a validation of our investment & commitment towards technology aided innovation & serving SMBs worldwide. The shifting global business landscape is increasingly enabling SMBs and we are perfectly positioned to serve their agile software development needs in all technology platforms, predominantly mobile, web, social media, analytics and testing”.

Mindfire Solutions has previously won many awards like Red Herring Top 100 Asia, SiliconIndia Top 25 QA Testing Company, Zinnov Award – ISV Category, Best IT Unit (SME) Award by Govt. of Odisha. For more information please visit Mindfire Solutions.

Mindfire CEO, Mr. Chinmoy Panda nominated for Odisha Citizen Award 2013

It is indeed a proud moment for all of us at Mindfire Solutions that our CEO, Mr. Chinmoy Panda has been nominated for this years Odisha Citizen Award in the business category by OTV.

OTV recently aired this short film on Mr. Chinmoy Panda, which shows the story of dedication and hardwork put in to build the Mindfire Solutions we see today.

Mr. Panda started operations of Mindfire Solutions at New Delhi and Cuttack (Odisha) with a mere Rs. 3,oo,ooo. With degrees from reputed institutes in India like BITS-Pilani and IIM-Ahmedabad, Chinmoy also holds an approved United States Patent to his name in the areas of document analysis, document understanding and Internet search techniques. After having worked with companies like Adobe Systems Inc, Interra Inc, James Martin & Co and Cadence Design Systems, Chinmoy realized that he has to start something of his own. This passion led him to start Mindfire Solutions in the year 1999. Today, Mindfire has over 700+ professionals working at 3 development centers in India – Noida, Bhubaneswar and Bengaluru. Mindfire Solutions has executed over 1000+ projects for clients worldwide in 13 years of its existence. Mr. Chinmoy Panda has been instrumental in shaping the IT industry in Odisha by reaching out to customers across the globe.

Mindfire Solutions has also won awards like Red Herring Top 100 Asia, SiliconIndia Top 25 QA Testing Company, Zinnov Award – ISV Category, Best IT Unit (SME) Award by Govt. of Odisha and many other. Visit Mindfire Solutions to know more.

Vote for Chinmoy Panda, CEO Mindfire Solutions

Why should your business go mobile?

Businesses have been exploring every possible way to target customers these days. Customers these days are on the move and they are using mobile applications for convenience. Be it smartphones, tablets or other mobile devices they have all the required information. Hence, it has become imperative for businesses to have a mobile app or a mobile friendly website.

25% web traffic recorded from mobile devices

The use of mobile to visit any website has been on a rapid growth since the inception of smartphones into the market. There are other devices such as tablets etc. which also is involved in the growth of user base. There was time when almost all the web traffic was from PC’s or laptops but, today roughly 25% of web traffic has been recorded from mobile devices and also the mobile app market has reached almost $30 billion in revenue (netsolutionsindia). It has also been predicted that by 2017, 25% of online retail transactions will take place on mobile (mashable). This depicts the market potential for mobile/tablets and the urge to have a mobile strategy in place for every business.

Having mobile apps for your business does have other huge benefits like building loyalty, reinforcing your brand, increasing your visibility & reach, increasing sales, increasing exposure across mobile devices and connecting with on-the –go customers. There are also benefits from customer side such as easy access of inventory, getting notifications about events & launches, one-touch access, direction to store locations from anywhere and many more.  Mobiles/tablets are also convenient in use than laptops/desktops as they can be accessed on the move. It all depends on the ways in which you want your business to portray to your customers and the ease with which you want your customers to reach you.

After finalizing to go mobile, a question that arises immediately is “Should I have a mobile app for my business or a mobile version of my website?” Let us first decide depending upon the nature of business you are running. If at all you are running a retail business then, having a mobile application does have its advantages as people can look at your catalog online and make purchases. But, what if you are running a consultancy? You would have nothing to showcase other than your services. Then, in this case your objective of a mobile friendly website should work. Hence, before going mobile, business owners should be clear in their objectives of whether to develop a mobile app or a mobile version of website.

Mobile apps are considered to be one of the coolest tools for marketing your product to your customers, get returning visitors and also help engage your customers in a new way. They are going to be one of the biggest weapons for marketers in future. Have you decided to go mobile yet?