SaaS looking beyond North America to openings in developing regions: Zoho executive
The software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry is increasingly looking at diversifying outside North America, not just because of tariff-related uncertainties and a slowdown in developed markets, but also due to opportunities emerging from digitisation in developing regions which are typically underserved by large technology firms, a senior Zoho Corp executive said.Markets like India and Latin America, for instance, are growing at double the rate of the global average, said Rajesh Ganesan , chief executive of Zoho's enterprise IT management solutions arm, ManageEngine 'The revenue share or the momentum of growth from North America, from the UK, Canada, Australia sort of slowed down in calendar year 2023 and 2024,' Ganesan told ET, adding that regions like India, the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia drove the growth for the company over the past two years.There is also a growing opportunity in riding the 'compliance wave' as IT systems have to align with an increasing number of digital privacy regulations, from the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation to India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act and Brazil's General Data Protection Law.When it comes to AI, there is a lot of interest from enterprises, but adoption of the technology still lags because of unclear use cases alongside regulatory uncertainties and a lack of techniques for ensuring access control and traceability of data in existing models, Ganesan said.Unless this is solved, sensitive sectors like BFSI, healthcare and pharmaceuticals will find it hard to take the leap with AI despite the potential benefits, he said.SaaS will not 'die' because of AI, he said; however, the way SaaS is architected will have to evolve to adapt to the new realities, said Ganesan."Now, in addition to humans, you are going to have a lot of autonomous AI agents, so you need to change the architect of your SaaS applications to be able to deal with the situation. That is the reality, and for which the clarity doesn't exist today,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
16 hours ago
- NDTV
"Unwise For A Human To Copy Paste AI Text": Zoho Chief Sridhar Vembu's Big Warning
Artificial intelligence could "slow us down" if not used properly, Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu has said. He also urged individuals against "copy-pasting" AI-generated text as their own. "It is unwise for a human to copy-paste AI text ... hiding the fact that it came from AI," Mr Vembu wrote in a detailed post on X. He shared how he uses AI daily, describing himself as a "moderate to heavy" user with two to three sessions a day. He revealed that he regularly switches between ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok and also uses Deepseek. Mr Vembu highlighted four main ways AI fits into his workflow. First, he said AI has largely replaced traditional web search, cutting his own search usage by 80 per cent. Second, he uses AI as a "debating partner," often making different models critique each other's responses to deepen his understanding. On business applications, Mr Vembu sees AI as useful in improving product experiences and speeding up customer support. He warned against replacing human agents or passing off AI-generated text as human-written. "It is unwise to let AI replace human agents," he wrote. For coding, Mr Vembu said, while AI can generate code, it requires extensive review for compliance, privacy, and security. "If any programmer submits AI-generated code without doing all this, they are failing at their job," he said, adding that in some cases, AI may even "slow down" development rather than speed it up. He added that at Zoho, programmers are encouraged to use AI mainly for learning and debate. "We continue to run a lot of experiments, and I will revise my opinion if and when facts change on the ground," Mr Vembu said. On our AI use as of August 2025. I use AI chat tools daily, at least 2-3 sessions a day. So I would count myself as a moderate to heavy user. I have the top 5 apps installed in my phone and I use all of them (see item 2). 1. AI helps me learn faster. It is a much better search… — Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) August 14, 2025 Earlier this year, Mr Vembu stepped down as Zoho's CEO to take on the role of chief scientist, focusing on deep tech R&D, particularly in AI, alongside his rural development mission. He said he was preparing to present Zoho's AI strategy to industry analysts in Austin. As part of the leadership transition, co-founder Shailesh Kumar Davey has taken over as group CEO, Tony Thomas now leads Zoho US, Rajesh Ganesan heads ManageEngine, and Mani Vembu oversees
India Today
19 hours ago
- India Today
Should you let AI analyse your online spending habits?
Using artificial intelligence (AI) to help manage personal spending is no longer a futuristic concept, it's already here, and many people are quietly using it in the background of their daily finances. But should you rely on AI entirely to make financial decisions? Or is it best used as a smart assistant? spoke to Sameer Mathur, MD and Founder, Roinet Solution, and Manish Mohta, Founder, Learning Spiral, to find out whether AI should lead your financial decisions or simply act as an intelligent assistant standing beside DOES AI ACTUALLY DO?AI-based spending tools go through all your online transactions and look for patterns. Instead of just telling you how much you spent last month, they spot when and where you tend to spend more. These tools can scan huge volumes of transactions in seconds and spot trends that humans often overlook. As Mathur explains, 'AI can process large volumes of transactions instantly, identifying spending patterns and areas where costs can be reduced. It can also personalise financial insights based on an individual's lifestyle, helping users achieve their savings or investment goals faster.'In simpler terms, AI translates dry numbers into meaningful insights. It sees late-night food orders, festival season splurges and weekend retail therapy, and connects those dots for puts it even more simply, 'Think of AI as the financial equivalent of that brutally honest friend who remembers every time you 'accidentally' ordered food at 2 am. It uncovers patterns you'll otherwise be blind to – recency bias, splurge spending, seasonal trends, and habitual patterns.'CAN YOU TRUST THE NUMBERS?Most AI tools today are remarkably accurate when it comes to analysing transactions, assuming the data is complete and properly labelled. As Mathur points out, accuracy levels can reach 'above 90% in many cases', although occasional misclassifications are still possible. Mohta agrees, adding that 'with clear inputs these tools can be eerily precise, catching even that Rs 49 subscription you forgot existed.'However, both experts make one thing clear: AI is not perfect. Cash purchases, split bills, or wrongly labelled transactions can confuse the system. A quick human check once in a while is still ABOUT DATA PRIVACY?Financial data is highly sensitive, and that's where users need to be careful. Reputable AI tools operate under strict privacy standards and regulatory frameworks such as RBI or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Mathur warns that users should only pick services that 'have clear privacy policies and use bank-grade encryption'.Manish goes one step further: 'If their terms look like a jigsaw puzzle you don't want to figure out, then move on.' Look for transparency, end-to-end encryption, and the option to delete your data at any AI MAKE FINANCIAL DECISIONS FOR YOU?Both experts strongly believe that AI should act as a co-pilot, not the pilot. Mathur calls it a 'supplementary tool', while Mohta compares it to a "GPS that highlights risks but doesn't choose the destination for you."advertisementAI works best when used alongside your own judgement. It can guide you, show red flags, and remind you of hidden costs, but only you know what your real goals are, your family plans, or your risk comfort. Treat it like a smart tool that supports your decision-making, not the one making decisions for put, AI is excellent at analysing numbers, identifying patterns and giving quick financial feedback. It's the ultimate assistant for people who want to understand and control their spending better. When used together, AI and human understanding can make a strong financial team.- Ends
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Economic Times
‘Failing at their job': Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu on programmers submitting AI-generated code without reviewing it
Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has shared an account of how he currently uses artificial intelligence, describing it as a powerful tool for learning and critical thinking. At the same time, he warned against becoming overly reliant on it. In a post on X, Vembu called himself a moderate to heavy user of AI, and went on to outline his thoughts on its strengths and limitations. According to Vembu, AI has proven to be a far superior learning aid than traditional web search. 'My web search has gone down 80% as a direct result,' he wrote, explaining how AI helps him learn faster. He also highlighted how AI serves as a 'good debating partner', adding that he often takes the output from one AI and asks another to critique it. This, he said, helps deepen his his praise for the technology came with some strong warnings. He advised against using AI to create new content. 'AI can help customer support agents do their work faster but it is unwise to let AI replace human agents. It is also unwise for a human to copy-paste AI text and send it to a customer, hiding the fact that it came from AI.' On the topic of programming, Vembu stressed that any AI-generated code must go through thorough checks for compliance, privacy, and security. These checks, he admitted, are 'neither easy nor fun for humans to do'. He also opined that programmers who submit AI-generated code without carrying out these checks are 'failing at their job'. He went so far as to say that AI could sometimes slow down the development process. Vembu then encouraged Zoho programmers to use AI as a tool for learning and exploration, rather than as a shortcut for generating unchecked content or delivering concluded by saying the company is 'running a lot of experiments' and that his perspective may shift over time as 'facts change on the ground'.
