14, Dec 2023
Indian Overseas Bank Elevates Banking Convenience: New ATM Inaugurated at Chepauk Stadium
In a significant stride towards enhancing banking accessibility, Shri Ajay Kumar Srivastava, MD&CEO of Indian Overseas Bank, inaugurated a state-of-the-art ATM at Chepauk Stadium.
The ceremony witnessed the esteemed presence of Shri R I Palani, Hon Secretary of TNCA, Shri. Lakshmi Venkatesh R, General Manager, ITD, Shri Reyazul Haque, General Manager, GAD, Chief Regional Manager of Chennai – 1 Shri Devender Kumar, and various officials from both the regional and central offices.
The event marked a collaborative effort to bring banking services closer to the community, with the newly inaugurated ATM serving as a testament to Indian Overseas Bank’s commitment to customer convenience.
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- By Rabindra
14, Dec 2023
Cloudflare Publishes Top Internet Trends for 2023
India, December 14th, 2023 – Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET), the leading connectivity cloud company, today published its fourth annual Year in Review, exploring global Internet insights and security trends, accompanied by a deeper dive on the most popular Internet services in 2023.
The Internet is one of, if not, the most ubiquitous aspect of modern life. Cloudflare’s Year in Review revealed that in 2023 alone, there was a 25% increase in global traffic, with no signs of slowing. This growth underscores the dependency on Internet services to facilitate and underpin vital systems and tasks such as supporting global digital economies, enabling the operations of healthcare networks, maintaining business continuity for enterprises, and ultimately connecting people with their communities.
Some of the biggest highlights of 2023 include:
● Most Popular Internet Service: Google came in first for the second year in a row, followed by Facebook (#2), Apple (#3), and TikTok (#4).
● Most Popular Social Media Platform: Facebook came in first, beating out 2022 leader TikTok (#2), followed up by Instagram (#3) and Twitter/X (#4).
● Most Popular Generative AI Service: OpenAI came in first for this emerging category, followed by Character AI (#2), Quillbot (#3), and Hugging Face (#4).
● Most Targeted Industry: Threat actors most commonly launched attacks on Financial organizations, globally.
● Most Common Cyberthreats: Deceptive links and extortion attempts found in malicious email messages were the top two most leveraged attack types.
● Internet Outages Observed: There were more than 180 Internet outages around the world in 2023 – compared to over 150 in 2022 – with many due to government-directed regional and national shutdowns of Internet connectivity.
“We all depend on the Internet, and Cloudflare’s global network – one of the largest in the world – has evolved into a pillar of the critical infrastructure the digital world relies on,” said Matthew Prince, CEO and co-founder at Cloudflare. “Our unique role on the Internet allows us to see the ebbs and flows of online popularity and emerging technology trends in real-time – such as the boom in AI and accelerated global use of Starlink. It is our responsibility to be transparent and share the data and perspectives from reports like our Year in Review to help keep the online world more informed, resilient, and secure.”
This data comes from Cloudflare Radar, a free tool that lets anyone view global trends and insights across the Internet. Radar is powered by data from Cloudflare’s global network (one of the world’s largest, spanning 300+ cities in 100+ countries), and aggregated and anonymized data from Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 public DNS Resolver, widely used as a fast and private way to browse the Internet.
14, Dec 2023
F5 Celebrates Significant Sweep of Industry Accolades in 2023
Bengaluru – December 14, 2023 – F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV), the global leader in multi-cloud application security and delivery, is proud to announce its impressive roster of award wins in 2023. The awards underscore the company’s commitment to innovation and excellence as well as its intense focus on making it easier for customers to maximize performance and strengthen security for all their apps, everywhere they are deployed.
CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has recognized F5 Distributed Cloud Network Connect as a winner in the 2023 Products of the Year Awards in the Networking – Enterprise category. The CRN Products of the Year Awards honor leading IT products and services that represent the most cutting-edge technologies in the channel today. Winners in this year’s awards represent innovative offerings that meet the ever-changing needs of the IT channel and their customers. The 2023 winners were selected by the CRN editorial team in 33 different technology categories. Finalists were then rated by solution providers who have real-world experience with the products, scoring them on several criteria in areas such as Technology, Revenue and Profit, and Customer Need.
CRN’s award for Distributed Cloud Network Connect underscores F5’s passion for helping its customers simplify hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Distributed architectures are the new standard, whether businesses have planned for it or not—however, they can flourish in a multi-cloud world. While distributed environments are complex, consistent processes and tools designed for this new reality can help tech leaders deliver more, faster while saving time and money.
F5 has also been recognized by SC Magazine with two prestigious awards: “Best Web Application Solution” and “Security Marketing Campaign of the Year.” These accolades reflect, respectively, F5’s dedication to providing robust security solutions with its Distributed Cloud WAAP solution, and its effectiveness in communicating the human aspect of cybersecurity to a broader audience through its “A Force For” campaign. Any app security solution must be intuitive and easy for teams across the organization to deploy—or else it won’t get used. F5’s Distributed Cloud WAAP solution was built with this core principle in mind.
In a threat landscape that’s constantly changing, businesses need adaptive, automated app security solutions that are easy to love and hard to defeat. It’s this philosophy that drives F5’s product innovations and is part of the reason why the company has been honored by PeerSpot with the esteemed Tech Leader Award for three of its products: F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) in the Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) category, F5 BIG-IP Advanced WAF in Web Application Firewall (WAF), and F5 NGINX Plus in Application Infrastructure.
In addition, F5 has been awarded six TrustRadius 2023 Best of Awards, celebrating the company’s outstanding product performance and customer satisfaction. This recognition from TrustRadius highlights F5’s unwavering dedication to delivering top-tier technology solutions to its customers. With F5, customers can maximize app performance and reduce security headaches—everywhere their apps are deployed. Detailed information about these awards can be found at F5’s blog: F5 Receives Six TrustRadius 2023 Best of Awards. Notably, both the TrustRadius and PeerSpot awards are based on authenticated customer sentiment.
Lastly, F5 is thrilled to share that its Distributed Cloud Services have been selected as a finalist in the inaugural Silver Linings Cloud Innovation Awards. F5 Distributed Cloud Services are SaaS-based security, networking, and application management services that enable customers to deploy, secure, and operate their applications in a cloud-native environment wherever needed—data center, multi-cloud, or the network or enterprise edge. This nomination is a significant milestone for F5 in cloud networking and its offerings for secure multi-cloud networking. The Cloud Innovation Awards spotlight exceptional innovation that drives industry transformation and improvement.
“We are deeply honored by the industry-wide recognition of our relentless pursuit of excellence. Each award is a testament to our team’s unwavering dedication to innovation, customer success, and delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed the dynamic needs of our customers as they manage the complexity of today’s multi-cloud environments,” said Greg Maudsley, Senior Director, Product Marketing at F5. “These awards spotlight our focus on product performance and customer satisfaction, which remains at the heart of everything we do at F5. We are grateful for the recognition and inspired to continue our momentum heading into 2024, always with our customers’ success as our guiding star.”
14, Dec 2023
TAISI onboards Educationist Ms. Lina Ashar and collaborates with Dreamtime Learning to revolutionize Futuristic Education
India, 14th December 2023 – An accomplished entrepreneur, educationist, and author, Ms. Lina Ashar joins The Association of International Schools of India (TAISI) as a board member. The strategic collaboration also includes a partnership with Dreamtime Learning, bringing innovative curriculum solutions to over 200 member schools associated with TAISI.
Ms. Lina Ashar is renowned for her visionary leadership in education and is the founder of Dreamtime Learning. With this collaboration, she brings a wealth of expertise and insights to TAISI. Her commitment to fostering excellence in education aligns seamlessly with TAISI’s mission to promote global education standards in India.
As part of this strategic collaboration, TAISI has partnered with Dreamtime Learning to offer a futuristic curriculum to TAISI member schools. Dreamtime Learning has recently launched a curriculum-based model for Futuristic Schools’ Powered by Dreamtime Learning’. The curriculum is mainly from the International Standard Curriculum and is aligned and structured with the NEP 2020. The curriculum also boosts the Learning Management System (LMS) for better learning. This curriculum-based model is all set to redefine the future of education of over 200 schools associated with TAISI by offering them a dynamic and adaptable curriculum.
Dreamtime Learning’s innovative approach to education focuses on preparing students for future challenges by integrating technology, critical thinking, and creativity into the curriculum. Collaboration with TAISI will add the new realm to the vision of Dreamtime Learning.
Ms. Lina Ashar expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration, saying, “Joining the TAISI board is an exciting opportunity to contribute to advancing international education in India. I look forward to working closely with TAISI and enhancing the quality and global perspective of education within the country. Further collaborating with my venture, Dreamtime Learning, and empowering schools with a curriculum that prepares students for a rapidly evolving world is a great approach.
This forward-looking curriculum emphasizes abilities like critical thinking, flexibility, and technology competence to prepare students for success in an ever-evolving global landscape. We aim to prepare students academically and with the skills and mindset necessary to navigate a rapidly changing and technologically driven world. With this association, we are collectively working towards the common objective of enhancing international education standards in India.”
Mrs. Anuradha Moonga, the Founder of TAISI, is thrilled with this association and its potential impact on schools. “We are excited to board Ms. Lina Ashar, who has been a change-maker in Indian education and has been transforming education for over three decades. Taking her on board will make a significant move for TAISI and will bring the epitome of creativity and innovation. Our collaboration with Dreamtime Learning, Ms. Ashar’s new venture will provide our schools with a futuristic curriculum designed as a cutting-edge educational solution that prepares students for a globalized and dynamic future.”
The collaboration between TAISI, Ms. Lina Ashar, and Dreamtime Learning signifies a commitment to disrupt the education in India. This combined expertise and vision are poised to bring about positive transformations in the realm of international education.
14, Dec 2023
Apollo Supply Chain Enters into an Agreement with Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles to manage their Logistics across India
Mumbai, December 14, 2023: Apollo Supply Chain Pvt. Ltd., an integrated logistics solutions provider, has announced its partnership with Classic Legends Private Limited (CLPL), the parent company of Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles, known for the fusion of vintage aesthetics and modern engineering. This collaboration aims at optimizing the logistics of Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles, bringing efficiency, and ensuring seamless distribution of their motorcycles across India with improved availability.
Under this partnership, Apollo Supply Chain will undertake the logistics management for Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles, including transportation of finished goods from the manufacturing plant to various delivery points and multi-echelon inventory management. Additionally, Apollo Supply Chain will have the responsibility to manage the operations of the in-plant warehouse and various transit vehicle points located across India to ensure seamless movement of these motorcycles across the supply network.
This strategic partnership brings numerous benefits to both Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles and its customers. As part of the assignment, various transit vehicle points are identified to enable hub and spoke operations and bring in efficiencies in logistics operations. Primary distribution cost is optimized using specialized trailers designed to carry high loads. For secondary distribution, tech solutions such as load and route optimization tools are utilized to maximize vehicle space utilization and minimize vehicle travel distance and time through efficient route planning.
“Through this partnership, we aim to strengthen the PAN India motorcycle distribution of Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles’ by introducing innovative logistics solutions. We are confident that this will optimize the transportation cost to service dealers and improve the delivery turnaround time (TAT). ” – Mr. Raaja Kanwar, Chairman and Managing Director, Apollo Supply Chain.”
Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Ashish Joshi, CEO Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles said, “At Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles, we’re excited to partner with Apollo Supply Chain in our quest to surpass customer expectations by building a robust distribution network. This collaboration allows us to streamline operations, achieve cost efficiency, and ergo, enhance the customer experience. With Apollo’s innovative solutions, including routing and load optimization tools, we’re committed to delivering swift, uncompromised service and ensuring faster delivery times and improved inventory availability.”
CLPL in association with Apollo Supply Chain, aims to improve service to its customers (dealers) located all across India while optimising the transportation cost.
13, Dec 2023
Bricks and Mortar vs. Paper Gains – Why Owning a Home Wins
By – Akash Pharande, Managing Director – Pharande Spaces
In the wake of the Indian stock market’s record-breaking highs, many investors find themselves in a quandary. Should they continue investing in stocks, chase the ever-fluctuating gold market, or explore a different path altogether? While both assets have the potential for reward, there’s one asset class that consistently outperforms them in both value appreciation and overall satisfaction: residential real estate.
Real Estate: A Consistent and Reliable Performer
Consider these compelling statistics:
The national average residential property price increased by over 8% year-on-year in the first half of 2023, according to leading property consultancies.
Average rental yields across major Indian cities ranged between 2.5% and 4.5% in 2023, providing a steady stream of passive income.
Property prices in key metropolitan areas like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi have grown by an average of 15% annually over the past five years.
These figures paint a clear picture: residential real estate offers consistent appreciation, making it a reliable long-term investment.
Beyond Financial Returns: The Unquantifiable Value of Owning a Home
The true value of real estate extends far beyond financial benefits. Owning a home provides a fundamental human need: a secure and comfortable haven. This alone carries immense value, offering stability, peace of mind, and a sense of belonging that no stock or gold investment can replicate.
Land: A Scarce Resource with Increasing Value
Unlike stocks, which can be readily replicated and traded, land is a finite resource. As India’s population continues its rapid growth, the demand for housing shows no signs of abating. This translates to an ever-increasing scarcity of land, particularly in desirable locations. By investing in real estate, you’re not just buying a home; you’re securing a piece of land that will only become more valuable with time.
The Psychological and Social Benefits of Homeownership
Owning a home goes beyond dollars and cents. It fosters a sense of belonging, community, and pride. It provides a space for families to grow and thrive, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Studies have shown a positive correlation between homeownership and mental well-being, overall life satisfaction, and even stronger family bonds.
A Treasured Legacy for Generations to Come
Real estate offers a tangible, long-term investment that can be passed down to future generations. By investing in a home, you’re not just building wealth for yourself, but for your family’s future as well. This creates a generational legacy that ensures long-term financial security and stability for loved ones.
Financial Stability Through Rental Income
Owning a second home or renting out a portion of your property can be a reliable source of passive income. This additional income stream can contribute to financial stability, retirement planning, and achieving other financial goals, ultimately giving you greater control over your financial future.
Tax Benefits and Portfolio Diversification
Investing in residential real estate offers various tax benefits, including deductions on home loan interest and capital gains tax exemptions under certain conditions. This further enhances the financial attractiveness of owning a home. Additionally, real estate provides diversification benefits for your portfolio, protecting you from the volatility of the stock and gold markets, thereby creating a more balanced and resilient investment strategy.
A Home is More Than an Investment
While stocks and gold may offer the allure of short-term gains, they also come with the risk of sharp dips and worrisome highs. In contrast, real estate remains a cornerstone for long-term wealth creation and overall well-being. With its consistent appreciation, increasing land value, social and psychological benefits, and long-term value proposition, a home offers much more than just financial returns.
It is the only investment that delivers multiple and sustained returns and should definitely feature large in a diversified investment portfolio. And – it’s a place to call your own, a sanctuary for your family, and a legacy to be cherished for generations to come. As the Indian economy continues its growth trajectory and urbanization progresses, investing in real estate remains a wise and rewarding decision for those seeking a secure and fulfilling future.
13, Dec 2023
India’s Hiring Sentiments among the highest across the Globe – ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Q1, 2024
New Delhi, India (December 13, 2023) – Employers anticipate opening 2024 with a prudent and watchful approach to hiring in the first quarter of the calendar year, according to the latest ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) Employment Outlook Survey of nearly 3100 employers across sectors and region. The research is based on survey responses fielded between October 1-31, 2023. The Net Employment Outlook (NEO) for Q1, 2024 is +37%, up 5% from Q1 2023, and the same when compared with the last quarter.
“The survey is a reflection of the changing world of work where companies are in the transformational phase but the IT talent with the desired skillsets are scarce.,” said Sandeep Gulati, Managing Director, ManpowerGroup India and Middle East. “As organizations plan their strategic HR objectives for 2024, employee well-being, recruitment for skilled roles, and adopting AI and technology seem to be the top 3 in the chart of priorities. However, training the staff to leverage AI and narrowing down on roles that can take advantage of this advancement continues to remain a concern.”
Mr. Gulati further stated, “Domestic demand remains buoyant, and private investment continues to flow in making India a lucrative economy. With stability in the political arena, progressive India is not a dream but a reality.”
Key Findings From The Q1, 2024 Survey
• Employers across all sectors report net positive hiring intentions with Financials and Real Estate having the strongest outlook of +45% followed by Information Technology (+44) and Consumer Goods and Services (+42%). The least optimistic prospects were witnessed in the Energy and Utilities (+28%) for the first quarter.
• The western region of India dominates the job demand with an outlook of +39% followed by North (+38%).
• Lowest in the list of key drivers of HR strategies for 2024 include Layoffs, great resignations, and quiet quitting.
Talent Shortage Survey Key Findings
• 81% of employers report difficulty finding skilled talent, and increasing by 1% from 2023’s survey with Transport, Logistics, and Automotive (88%) being the most affected followed by the Information Technology sector (87%).
• To find, attract, and recruit talent, employers are offering more work flexibility (86%) while looking for new talent (47%) and raising wages (36%).
• The top five most in-demand skills are IT & data, sales & marketing, engineering, operations & logistics, and HR.
• When asked about Artificial Intelligence (AI), employers cite candidates considering AI jobs, training the staff to leverage AI in their roles, and defining roles who can take advantage of AI as the top challenges to fully leverage the technology.
13, Dec 2023
L&T Technology Services and bp sign multi-year engineering services partnership
India, December 13, 2023: L&T Technology Services Limited (LTTS), a global leader in digital engineering and R&D services, has secured a landmark multi-year engineering services partnership with bp, plc. one of the world’s largest diversified energy companies.
This collaboration underscores LTTS’ domain expertise in the Energy segment, focusing on Engineering to drive productivity improvement. The relationship will leverage over 2 decades of LTTS’ experience in engineering, manufacturing services, digital, and enterprise data management and address some of the most significant challenges for bp globally.
Together, both companies intend to focus on improving operational excellence. The engagement areas are expected to include Engineering for Projects, turnarounds, maintenance improvements, technical writing, engineering data management & services for Sustainability initiatives.
“We are thrilled to forge this strategic partnership with bp.” said Amit Chadha, CEO & Managing Director of L&T Technology Services. “This long-term relationship allows us to provide services for their global assets, emphasizing top-tier operational efficiency through digital enablement. Our proven track record in high-quality engineering services and digital transformation solutions underscores our position as a trusted partner for bp.”
13, Dec 2023
Honeywell To Help Decarbonization Of U.S. Virgin Islands Through Battery Energy Storage
Mumbai, DECEMBER 13, 2023 — Honeywell announced it will provide VIElectron, a CB Loranger Company, its first installment of battery energy storage solutions (BESS) to six solar parks strategically positioned across the U.S. Virgin Islands. When completed, the solar array and BESS will boost the islands’ decarbonization efforts by fulfilling 30% of its energy consumption through renewable sources.
“Honeywell is committed to helping our customers achieve their energy targets and decarbonization goals,” said Pramesh Maheshwari, President, of Honeywell Process Solutions. “This renewable project is an example of how sustainable technologies are helping reduce the cost of energy for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands and around the world.”
The solution will enable VIElectron to install solar panels across St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, all while smoothing out the energy peaks and valleys that can result from solar power.
“As we embark on a transformative journey toward renewable energy, Honeywell’s battery storage expertise aligns seamlessly with our vision,” said U.S Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr., commending this partnership with Honeywell and VIElectron. “It propels us closer to our goal of achieving 30% renewable energy consumption in the U.S. Virgin Islands, fostering a cleaner and greener energy ecosystem.”
The 124MWh BESS will include an end-to-end battery management system that delivers advanced energy controls with an integrated safety system. These capabilities will help enable the U.S. Virgin Islands to forecast and optimize energy usage and costs, ultimately providing more affordable and clean energy to its residents through the 140MWDC solar array.
13, Dec 2023
A “Cool” COP28: Danfoss joins 60+ governments in supporting Global Cooling Pledge
Danfoss, an industry leader in energy efficiency and climate technologies have announced its endorsement and support for the implementation of Global Cooling Pledge. Recognizing the need to act on cooling, Danfoss joined forces with over 60 governments and other leading corporations to endorse a global pledge in support of sustainable cooling, launched at COP28 in Dubai.
Ravichandran Purushothaman, President, Danfoss India Region said, “Energy demand for space cooling is expected to grow threefold by 2050 if no measures are taken. Already space cooling represents 50% of energy consumption in building operations and it is one of the major contributors of emissions. Implementation of Global Cooling Pledge will give a push to the series of commitments by govts. to accelerate emissions reductions from energy use and refrigerants towards near zero emission cooling by 2050.”
Increasing temperatures, population growth, urbanization and rising incomes are driving the increased need for cooling. According to the first ever Global Cooling Watch Report, launched at this year’s COP28, cooling demand could triple by 2050. This would lead to a doubling of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which is equivalent to more than the total annual greenhouse gas emissions of the United States of America today[1].
Jürgen Fischer, President, Danfoss Climate Solutions, said, “Cooling is one of the biggest societal opportunities of our time. It’s needed everywhere to cool our food, our buildings, and our vaccines. It brings health, growth, and food security for the world’s population. The commitments made by governments through the Global Cooling Pledge are a brave step, but now we must see them take action, implement the technologies readily available today and spread sustainable, energy efficient and climate friendly cooling technologies around the globe. Action is needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C.”
District cooling: keeping our cities cool without heating up the planet
District cooling is one of the most promising and efficient ways to cool and decarbonize buildings. It typically saves up to 50% of energy compared to conventional cooling systems1.
Anju Mary Kuruvilla, Director- Industry Affairs, Communication& Sustainability said, “Innovation already exists, in the form of District Cooling solutions to increase energy efficiency and the use of environmentally friendly refrigerants to decarbonize the building sector, for creating comfortable, healthy indoor spaces. This will offset the climate change effects. Global alliance of 60+ govts’ along with Danfoss and other leading corporations will contribute to the efforts for reducing the carbon footprint.”
In most cases, chilled water is supplied from a central, electrically powered chiller and circulated to buildings through pipelines. Thermal storage opportunities in district cooling networks enable shifting cold-water production away from peak hours and adapting to variable renewable energies. Centralized plants help professionalize refrigerant management and support the move towards more climate friendly refrigerants. From an urban planning perspective, heat islands, noise and space requirements can be avoided.
Building a sustainable and safe cold chain for health and a better future
Similar trends are expected for cold chain and refrigeration applications as electricity use is set to grow significantly with the much-needed expansion of the cold chain to provide food, medicine, and vaccines for a growing population.
The good news is that near zero emission cooling is possible. Emissions in 2050 could be cut by 97% with readily available technology[2]: one third could already be achieved by compliance with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the most important driver to reduce refrigerant emissions, and state-of-the art energy efficiency. The remainder could be reached by stepping up actions on energy efficiency and refrigerants, reducing the need for cooling and fully decarbonizing the grid.
End users could save $1 trillion per year by 2050 due to reduced electricity use. Reduced peak loads on electricity networks would translate to a reduction in peak electricity demand between 1.5 TW and 2 TW, resulting in $4 trillion to $5 trillion savings by 20501.
“Combining high energy efficiency in cooling with the transition to more environmentally friendly refrigerants is a very powerful way to reduce emissions and cost. District cooling and the phase-out of refrigerants with a high impact on global warming are just two examples of many that can make a major difference. Technologies and solutions to reduce cooling-related emissions are already in use around the world, and I urge the leaders behind the Global Cooling Pledge to see them into action. Seeing is believing,” says Fischer.
Andrea Voigt, Head of Global Public Affairs, Danfoss Climate Solutions, concludes: “There’s ample evidence that policies aimed at phasing down high global warming potential refrigerants combined with measures to increase energy efficiency will lead to tangible results. Training is another crucial, yet often neglected success factor. At Danfoss we look forward to collaborating with our customers and governments to create sustainable ecosystems ranging from hardware and software solutions to training and adequate policies that will make the energy and refrigerant transition a success for all.”
