Innovating from the Inside Out

As Vice President of Delivery at GlobalLogic, I’ve seen first-hand what our amazing engineers can do -- from launching new products in a matter of weeks to helping our customers improve on their existing products in ways they never before imagined. Innovation is baked into our DNA, and it’s a culture that we continuously promote across all our global engineering centers. We’ve organized Tech Talks and training workshops so that our engineers can share their knowledge with each other, and we’ve hosted hackathons and proof-of-concept competitions so that they can apply this knowledge in a fun environment.

In the past we have organized these activities on a local level, but this year we decided to engage our employees’ natural love of learning and competition on a global scale with our very first Global POC Challenge. Over a period of 12 weeks, thirty-eight teams from around the world worked on original proofs-of-concept that could be used to solve a problem of their choosing, from apps that addressed internal pain points to products that integrated into one of our customer’s roadmaps.

I actually had the privilege to be a judge for the Global POC Challenge, and I was impressed by what the participants were able to accomplish in such a short period of time -- and on top of their day-to-day tasks, no less. I reviewed POCs that ranged from a 3D-printed flying drone to an automotive collision prevention system to even a role-playing video game. Below you can learn more about the winning ideas for this year’s Global POC Challenge. The competition was very tight, and I want to congratulate these six teams for developing the most outstanding POCs.

Seeing so much creativity come out of this one competition was amazing -- like a snapshot of what we as a company strive to achieve every day. It reaffirms what I hold true as someone who has worked in the software product development industry for many years: that innovation must come from the inside out.

Smart City

By Navneet Gupta, Marathe Mahesh, Smitesh Shende, Chetan Bhoyar, Rahul Sakule
The Smart City application utilizes a connected network of sensors and IoT technologies to help cities quickly identify and resolve issues such as water leaks, sewer blockages, air pollution, and trash collection. The app can also be utilized to help city dwellers find and pay for open parking spaces in busy urban centers. Learn more

Gloria Chatbot

By Rajeev Bhatia, Deepti Arya, Jeevenjot Singh, Jatin Lamba, Aryan Singh, Parveen Gupta
Imagine being able to manage your entire life from your mobile device, from shutting off your appliances with a voice command to getting important news just by asking for it. Whether you’re a differently-abled person who wants more independence or simply someone who is always on-the-go, the Gloria Chatbot gives users amazing new freedoms through its IoT-powered ecosystem. Learn more

TechKit Flower

By Oleksandr Ivanov, Nataliia Gagarina, Anna Dolnyk
Although plants make a wonderful addition to any space, it can be difficult to accurately predict their watering requirements. The TechKit Flower system solves this dilemma through a sophisticated (and stylish) IoT-based system that enables users to set up customized watering schedules and view analytics on their plants. Learn more

Prāna Vāni

By Prasad Nair, Narayana Karumuri, Gururaj Halikeri, Shashi Pinto, Sathish Kumar, Maya Ranjith
One of the unfortunate side effects of an increasingly industrialized world is declining air quality. With the Prāna Vāni mobile application, users can easily pull up near real-time data on the air quality conditions of their exact location and even forecast out through twenty-four hours. Learn more

SmartOffice

By Naval Joshi, Tej Singh Rana, Vaibhav Sighal
Unattended workstations can seriously undermine data and IP security, as well as cost businesses thousands of lost dollars on wasted power. Leveraging an Android app, a microcontroller, and a desktop app, SmartOffice automatically locks or shuts down an employee’s workstation when he or she leaves the vicinity -- ensuring a safe, environmentally conscious workplace. Learn more

Biometric Authentication

By Manish Jaswal
Imagine being able to make a purchase or enter a secured workspace without needing a credit card or identity card. The possibility is not too far in the future with biometrics authentication technologies. In this proof-of-concept, Manish Jaswal utilizes Microsoft Cognitive Services to explore the use cases for biometrics authentication. Learn more

Interested in what else we’ve come up with? Learn more about GlobalLogic’s work and ideas here.