Business
Virtusa announces first Inter-University SRE Hackathon
Virtusa, a global provider of digital strategy, digital engineering, and IT services and solutions, announced Sri Lanka’s inaugural Inter-University SRE Hackathon, the first national level TechOps competition focused on Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) – an approach to IT operations that focuses on reliability, performance, latency and availability. The sprint will take place on the 26th of November 2021 on a virtual platform, with the winners walking away with top honors, cash prizes and job opportunities at Virtusa. Keeping up with the spirit of innovation and fusion of blockchain with SRE, unique attendance NFT (Non-Fungible Token) badges based on POAP (Proof of Attendance Protocol) will be awarded to all participants.
“Not only is this hackathon a premier talent hunt across the country, it is also a great channel for engagement with the next generation of IT professionals,” commented Suweda Rajaratnam – Head of Campus Reach Sri Lanka – Virtusa’s industry-academia partnership initiative. “By introducing globally trending tools and best practices such as SRE through hackathons and other curricular-related initiatives, Virtusa continues to empower IT students to be workforce ready and adaptable to the industry’s rapid pace of evolution.”
This hackathon aims to equip university students with SRE best practices across an IT landscape that is fast adopting a reliability-first mindset, a niche skill and sure advantage to support their future career trajectories in the industry. A total number of 12 teams have been nominated from eight local universities; namely University of Moratuwa, University of Colombo, University of Jaffna, NSBM Green University, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), Java Institute, Horizon Campus and ESOFT Metro Campus.
Misnad Haque, Senior Director of Technology at Virtusa said, “Hackathons and events of this nature give university students an unparalleled opportunity to experience a real-world mission-critical operations environment, while giving Virtusa an opportunity to harness talent across high-demand, evolving industry trends. We look forward to witnessing intense competition from the teams, and evaluate the benchmark of the future of our industry.”
The teams will be tasked with creating automation tools and methodologies to address IT operations such as application deployment, causal analysis and observability. A panel of Virtusa experts will evaluate the final prototypes based on best practices, collaboration, creativity, and competition, followed by the winner’s announcement later during the day.
The Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK Sri Lanka) proudly facilitated the first-ever Sri Lankan delegation’s participation at Drupa 2024, the world’s largest trade fair for the printing industry and technology. Held after an eight-year hiatus, Drupa 2024 was a landmark event, marking significant advancements and opportunities in the global printing industry.
AHK Sri Lanka played a pivotal role in organising and supporting the delegation, which comprised 17 members from the Sri Lanka Association for Printers (SLAP), representing eight companies from the commercial, newspaper, stationery printing, and packaging industries. This pioneering effort by AHK Sri Lanka not only showcased the diverse capabilities of Sri Lanka’s printing sector but also facilitated vital bilateral discussions with key stakeholders from the German printing industry.
Business
Unveiling Ayugiri: Browns Hotels & Resorts sets the stage for a new era in luxury Ayurveda Wellness
In a captivating reimagining of luxury wellness tourism, Browns Hotels & Resorts proudly unveiled the exquisite Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort Sigiriya. This momentous occasion, celebrated amidst a vibrant and serene grand opening on the 6th of June, heralds a new chapter in the Ayurveda wellness tourism landscape in Sri Lanka. Nestled amidst 54 acres of unspoiled natural splendour, Ayugiri features 22 exclusive suites and stands out as the only luxury Ayurveda wellness resort in the country offering plunge pools in every room, rendering it truly one-of-a-kind.
The grand opening of Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort was an enchanting event, where guests were captivated by the melodies of flutists and violinists resonating through Sigiriya’s lush landscapes. As traditional drummers and dancers infused the air with vibrant energy, Browns Hotels & Resorts’ CEO, Eksath Wijeratne, Kotaro Katsuki, Acting Ambassador for the Embassy of Japan and General Manager, Buwaneka Bandara, unveiled the resort’s new logo, marking a significant moment witnessed by distinguished guests from the French Embassy, Ayurveda and wellness enthusiasts along with officials from the Sigiriya area, LOLC Holdings and Browns Group.
“Our strategic expansion into wellness tourism with Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort Sigiriya symbolises a significant milestone for Browns Hotels & Resorts. Wellness tourism has consistently outperformed the overall tourism industry for over a decade, reflecting a growing global interest in travel that goes beyond leisure to offer rejuvenation and holistic well-being. By integrating the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda with modern luxury, we aim to set a new standard in luxury wellness tourism in Sri Lanka. Whether your goal is prevention, healing, or a deeper connection to inner harmony, Ayugiri offers a sanctuary for holistic well-being” stated Eksath Wijeratne.
Ayugiri encapsulates the essence of life, inspired by the lotus flower held by the graceful queens of the infamous Sigiriya frescoes. Just as the lotus emerges from the murky depths, untainted and serene,
Ayugiri invites guests on a journey of purity and rejuvenation, harmonised with a balance of mind, body and spirit, the essence of nature, echoes of culture and the wisdom of ancient Ayurvedic healing.
HNB General Insurance, one of Sri Lanka’s leading general insurance providers, has been honored as the Best General Bancassurance Provider in Sri Lanka 2024 by the prestigious Global Banking and Finance Review – UK.
The esteemed accolade underscores HNB General Insurance’s unwavering commitment to excellence and its outstanding performance in the field of bancassurance. Through dedication and hard work, the HNB General Insurance team has continuously endeavored to deliver innovative insurance solutions, cultivate strong relationships with banking partners, and provide unparalleled service to customers nationwide. This recognition is a testament to the team’s dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence in the bancassurance business.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award, which reflects our team’s tireless efforts and dedication to delivering value-added insurance solutions and exceptional service through our bancassurance partnerships,” said Sithumina Jayasundara, CEO of HNB General Insurance. “This recognition reaffirms our position as a trusted insurance provider in Sri Lanka and motivates us to continue striving for excellence in serving our customers and communities.”
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
