Category Archives: Technology

News, Technology

Exasol Named a Leader in Dresner ADI Report For Third Consecutive Year

For the third consecutive year, Exasol, the analytics database, has been named a customer experience and a vendor credibility leader in the Dresner Advisory Services Wisdom of Crowds 2020 Analytical Data Infrastructure (ADI) Report. In addition, Exasol has also achieved a perfect recommend score – 100% of Exasol’s customers who participated in the report would recommend.

“We are proud to have been named a leader for the third year in a row,” said Aaron Auld, CEO at Exasol.

“The Dresner report considers the real-world experience of customers working with ADI products and Exasol is truly delighted to have gained such recognition from customers again.”

This year’s report highlights performance as the key selection priority for ADI users for the fourth year running. Exasol’s platform is often credited by customers for having great performance and speed, consistently beating the market in this area. Additionally, the report also shows that in-memory data capabilities are a high priority for ADI platforms for more than 50 percent of respondents.

Cloud migration continues to be a visible trend. It is noteworthy that most business function respondents prefer a cloud-first ADI platform, whereas respondents from IT organisations don’t. According to the report, some ADI use cases prefer cloud services, but others still prefer on-premises deployments. As a result, multiple buying centres are working with hybrid deployment models for ADI platforms, a preference that increases with company-size.

When asked to prioritise the use cases for ADI platforms, data science was selected as a high priority for over 50 % respondents of the ADI survey, up from 43% last year. Marketing and sales (customer-facing functions) rate data science as their highest ADI use case priority compared with other business functions. Key ADI features for data science are user-defined functions and machine learning, both of which rated higher than they did in 2019.

Bill Hostmann, research fellow at Dresner Advisory Services said:

“Our annual ADI report provides a detailed picture of BI and analytic use case priorities, perceptions, and realities associated with ADI platform choices in market.

“The report provides rankings of ADI vendors based solely on customer input. For the fourth consecutive year, our report highlights that the overall selection priority for ADI users is for performance.

“Exasol was ranked best in class for reliability of technology and quality of technical support product knowledge. Exasol has also achieved a perfect recommend score. We congratulate Exasol on maintaining a perfect recommend score and retaining their position as a leader for the third consecutive year.”

To read the full report, go to: www.exasol.com/dresner2020

Data, Technology

Meeting The Forecast Demand For Datacentre Capacity Has Its Challenges

According to a latest industry survey from BCS (Business Critical Solutions), 90% of investor and developer respondents expect to see a further expansion of their datacentre portfolio in the coming year. This ongoing increase in supply is matched by demand and provides opportunities for developers, designers and constructors.

With around half of the survey respondents expecting to increase their externally managed datacentre space within 12 months, there is also an opportunity for third party suppliers.

However, the survey identified a number of challenges that must be overcome for the demand to be met and these opportunities to be fully realised. In addition to the skills shortages in the designing, building and operation of datacentres with over three quarters of respondents foreseeing an issue, the demand for energy to power data centres is forecast to rise and increased costs pose a threat to the supply of new capacity.

Over 75% of surveyed professionals expect their levels of power consumption to rise over the next three years and four-fifths of respondents see the availability of power as the single most important factor affecting datacentre supply. This suggests that the challenge for the industry is to meet this demand in the short term, whilst sourcing long term sustainable power.

A further challenge to the supply of datacentre capacity is the increasing costs of raw materials in Europe. Around two-thirds of directly affected parties such as developers, designers and construction professionals believe that this represents a major threat to the data centre design and build process.

James Hart, CEO at BCS (Business Critical Solutions) said:

“With demand forecast to rise so sharply there is a huge opportunity for those involved in the design, build and operations activities. However, as an industry we need to collectively overcome the challenges this brings or face potentially severe consequences with demand outstripping supply and costs rising even further. At BCS we are continuing to work with our clients to design cost effective datacentres, looking for ways to optimise the use of raw materials and to improve the efficiency of datacentres thereby reducing the energy requirements.”

The Winter Report, now in its 11th year, is undertaken by independent research house IX Consulting, who capture the views of over 300 senior data centre professionals across Europe, including owners, operators, developers, consultants and end users. It is commissioned by BCS, the specialist services provider to the digital infrastructure industry.

Data, Technology

Organisations Setting up to Fail as They Struggle to Maximise Value from Their Data

Coeus Consulting, an award-winning independent IT advisory, today announced new research into the approaches organisations are using to drive value from their data. The report – Beyond Technology: How can Organisations drive Sustainable Value from Their Data Investments? – highlights that many organisations are potentially failing to realise the potential value of, or monetise their data, despite 74% acknowledging it as a key priority.

The survey found that 80% of the large organisations surveyed, believe accountability for data strategy rests with technology leaders such as IT Directors, CIOs or CTOs. Additionally, only a quarter of organisations currently elect to have a Chief Data Officer, and even less place accountability with others in the C-suite. Emphasis is being placed on speed (32%), cost (28%), and competition (30%), but less so on more fundamental underlying value, the insights it offers, or decision-makers’ ability to develop new products and services from those learnings.

According to one source, DATAVLT, only one per cent of the data companies collect is currently analysed, and they expect as many as 96% of businesses that exist today to fail in 10 years.

“Many investments in data and analytics have been started from a technology perspective with little alignment to business value or desired outcomes that can be measured against a business strategy. Businesses need a change of mind-set and approach right across the organisation, and the challenge is more than simply collecting data and making it available”, commented Richard Graham, Associate Director, Coeus.

However, the survey did find that 66% of respondents are actively trialling the use of machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP) and automation capabilities. Yet, only 39% admit to widely using data lakes and warehousing, suggesting that organisations have either not completed these activities or are not placing enough importance on them.

“Being data-driven is an imperative for most organisations and there is a growing trend to incubate and deploy advanced analytics, but organisations need to ensure they have certain fundamental capabilities in place before trying to achieve digital transformation.

“There seems to be a motivation to be ‘AI first’, perhaps driven by the perception that most organisations are already ahead in using these capabilities, rather than getting to grips with untapped value in existing data, and how best to make use of it.” noted Graham.

The survey results highlight that there are many obstacles to overcome before companies can begin to see meaningful benefits from the data available through technology-led investments such as AI. Of the top five enterprise data bugbears, the majority are business-related: the scale and complexity of data sets (27%); governance and ownership (24%); the lack of a data operating model (19%); regulatory compliance issues (19%); and difficulty in integrating new technologies.

Organisations are facing tougher regulatory environments and when asked to express their concerns about data regulations, compliance with ethical and moral requirements was the biggest, cited by 49% of respondents. This has obvious implications for data management, analysis, and technology buying decisions, and the potential reputational and financial repercussions.

Sixteen per cent of respondents also stated that a lack of expertise and skills is a major obstacle. Whilst companies are investing in foundational skills, moving skills in-house and introducing new roles, third parties and external contractors play a key role in enabling and supplementing these organisations and will continue to do so.

When asked where organisations are seeing the biggest benefits from their data initiatives, 43% of respondents said they are in ‘improved customer insights’, while 41% identified an improved ability to take proactive, predictive decisions. Improved reporting’ also scored highly, along with better management of risk and regulatory compliance (37%). However, only 24% cited an increased ability to meet customer needs, with 20% citing a greater ability to spot future business opportunities.

In contrast, just 12% identified attracting new customers as a core motivation – the least favoured option on the list, this is despite the realisation that improved customer insight could be the biggest benefit.

“This is surprising given it’s so important in markets that are becoming hyper-competitive. Nearly every type of business is being disrupted by new players and a lack of customer loyalty, especially on new digital channels. Investing in customer insights and new product development ought to be a high strategic priority alongside consolidating market position”, said Graham.

“Being able to seamlessly integrate data and analytics into standard business and IT operations should be the goal of all organisations, to unlock value in your data and information. Businesses need to create an aligned data and business strategy that positions data as a strategic asset, and prioritises resources to integrate data management and analytics effectively”, Graham concluded.

You can view the full report – How can Organisations drive Sustainable Value from Their Data Investments? here.

Healthcare News, Start Ups, Technology

Care Home Supplier Florence Joins UK’s Fastest-growing Start-ups

Care home staffing marketplace Florence has been chosen for a major UK programme for startups.

Florence is one of 30 companies selected by government body Tech Nation’s Upscale 5.0 programme, which supports fast-growing tech companies.

Florence allows care homes to post vacant shifts, engage and pay staff in one online space, reducing admin and cutting out agency costs. Florence’s algorithm matches the best care staff to shifts, and an in-platform rating system encourages staff accountability and high performance.

It aims to become the go-to space for filling healthcare shift vacancies in the UK.

The marketplace was developed by Dr. Charles Armitage, who discovered the need for a better way to fill healthcare shifts while working as a locum in the NHS.

Charles started Florence in 2017, starting with just one care home in west London. Today, Florence serves over 600 care homes across the UK, with over 50,000 nurses and carers signed up to the platform.

Charles said

“We’re incredibly excited to be part of Upscale 5.0 this year. The programme has some great alumni and we’re excited to join the cohort of the UK’s most promising tech scale ups.

‘It will be great to spend time working with and learning from other leadership teams and scale coaches. We think Upscale will be an important stepping stone on our mission to be the market leading staffing platform for care.”

UK startup successes such as digital bank Monzo, energy company Bulb and tech firm Improbable have been through the programme in previous years.

Tech Nation said the 30 new companies represent “the next generation of digital household names”.

Mike Jackson, entrepreneur success director, Tech Nation, said:

“As we enter our fifth year, the Upscale programme has built an incredible network of alumni, including UK unicorns Monzo and Improbable.

“The network has a wealth of experience to share with the cohort, reflected in our judging panel and programme sessions.

“I’m excited to welcome this year’s companies on to the programme which helps to tackle key challenges founders face, wherever they are based in the UK.”

Case Studies, News, Technology

Advanced software to support Anesco’s field service management

The largest renewable energy provider for solar and battery storage in the UK, Anesco, has selected Advanced’s Field Service Management software as the foundation of a configured solution to support its Operations and Maintenance (O&M) division.

Anesco required a system that could provide clients with next generation reporting, monitoring and  access to a real time information feed.

The company has configured Advanced’s Dynamic Resource Scheduler, Job Manager, InfoSuite and Work Hub software to provide functionality that has subsequently enhanced customer service while increasing team safety and productivity, as well as reducing costs.

The Advanced solution will support core aspects of Anesco’s field service operations including dynamic and flexible scheduling, mobile working, and works order management. The system will deliver better, more agile communication, greater visibility into mobile worker whereabouts and more efficient team deployment by enabling dynamic resource scheduling and workflow, connecting Anesco’s field-based workers to the office.

Anesco currently maintains and optimises over 22,000 assets on behalf of blue-chip clients, financial institutions, local authorities and individual portfolio owners, accounting for 1GW of clean energy.

Matt Harvey, Head of O&M at Anesco, said:

“We operate in a high-growth, innovative, fast paced market and our business has grown dramatically over the last few years. We recognised that to sustain our leadership position, support our growth plans and continue to deliver a high-quality service to our clients, we needed to take a fresh look at the technology that underpins our field-based operations.

“We needed a Field Service Management partner that could not only supply the technology we need today but also provide a scalable solution to enable us to adapt as our customer needs evolve and as we refine our predictive maintenance offering. In Advanced, we have found a provider with the ability to be agile and grow with us, working to deliver outcomes not just technology.”

Requiring more than an out of the box solution, the Advanced platform has allowed Anesco to configure the software to enhance customer service and allow the team to not only schedule planned maintenance at easily accessible sites, but also work with customers to schedule appointments at private residences at a time that suits the property owner. The solution is configured around the realities of Anesco’s work in the field and can evolve in line with changing requirements in day; when a high value asset experiences an event which could result in the loss of generation requiring immediate attendance, and over time; for example by adding a self-serve customer appointment process in the future.

Anesco will use the Advanced solution to drive continuous improvement across the business, gathering actionable insight through its reporting tool. As well as allowing traditional KPI reporting, real-time information can be used to identify actions that may need to be taken to fulfil tasks and unplanned customer needs during the emerging day. The system provides a picture of capacity going forward and offers predictive analytics for planning of preventative maintenance tasks along with the integration of IOT technology into the end to end process.

Mark Dewell, Managing Director – Public, Private and Commercial – Advanced, said:

“We are delighted to have been selected by Anesco to support this critical part of its business. Anesco is the largest renewable energy provider for solar and battery storage in the UK and a true pioneer. The nature of its maintenance and service work and its customer base means that its needs are very specific, making the flexibility of our platform critical. We look forward to a long-term partnership, where we can develop our Field Service Management roadmap in close collaboration with Anesco, learning and adapting the solution together.”

Construction, London News, News, Technology

Vodafone appoints leading design partner for architectural project, The Speechmark Digital Hub

Leading telecoms provider, Vodafone, has gone against the grain and appointed one of their on-going partners, design agency, Platform, to provide an architectural statement for its new digital hub, The Speechmark in Central London, instead of a traditional architectural practice.

With a need for good flow and connectivity between different levels of the building and a showcase in Central London, Platform recommended a new external extension that would act as a central hub for users and an architectural statement to external audiences that Vodafone is a major force in the digital world.

Using a glass extension raised to three floors with an almost cathedral proportioned space that brings natural light into all levels of the building, the new area creates a central spine staircase to connect all levels. With a ground floor café and suspended digital screens that act as a digital beacon, The Speechmark has become a signature digital hub for Vodafone.

Clare Cox, Capital Projects Manager – Property, Vodafone comments,

“We have worked with Platform across a number of multi-functional projects that incorporate workplace, brand identity and dynamic design and so it was a natural fit for us to turn to them for The Speechmark. We needed a partner that could deliver a space that worked for the digital teams to collaborate and connect but that had a visual and aesthetic impact – something that Platform understood and delivered.”

Max Eaglen, Director at Platform continued,

“We know the digital work pattern that often means more space to collaborate and work collectively and knew that The Speechmark needed more connectivity physically while remaining a key showcase for Vodafone. We are delighted with the outcome and to be able to develop and design the Vodafone work experience from brand through to building.”

Awards, Technology

Lufthansa Group and NTT DATA Win International Project of the Year at London GSA Awards

NTT DATA Services, a recognised leader in global technology services, today announced that it was awarded a prestigious Global Sourcing Association (GSA) award for the delivery of cloud transformation services at Lufthansa Group.

Lufthansa Group made the strategic decision to migrate Microsoft services to Microsoft Office 365 (O365) and engaged NTT DATA as a single strategic partner to effectively drive this transformation to O365, delivering the migration of the exchange mail users to Exchange Online. The Lufthansa Group includes more than 400 subsidiaries with a complex infrastructure through a mix of integrated and standalone environments. They needed an experienced IT service provider capable of validating the tenant configuration, defining the migration approach and efficiently managing the migration of over 93,000 mailboxes. With a local onsite consultancy in Frankfurt supported by its migration practice in Romania, NTT DATA has migrated over 45,000 mailboxes to O365 in six months.

The main objective was to migrate the Lufthansa, Swiss Airlines and Austrian Airlines mailboxes to O365, looking to achieve increased staff productivity through email access via the Cloud, improved service uptime and reduce infrastructure costs through significant decommissioning of the legacy Exchange On-Premise estate.

Steve Beyermann, Vice President, Lufthansa Group, Digital Workplace Services said:

“Congratulations to the team on this award. NTT DATA has been instrumental in the transition of our Exchange mailboxes onto our global tenant, they have been fully engaged from the outset, taking ownership for the architectural design and defining the migration approach. NTT DATA overlaid their migration activities with meticulous planning, strong governance and systems integration, to ensure a successful global project for both Lufthansa Group and NTT DATA.”

Simon Winter, Vice President and Regional Head, NTT DATA Services EMEA, said of the partnership,

“We are delighted to see NTT DATA and Lufthansa Group receive this recognition for International Project of the Year, and it is a very fitting way to recognise the partnership and success of this project.”

Accepting the award at the ceremony were Birgit Dippelreiter, head of O365 service and Thomas Höfinger, O365 project manager from Lufthansa Group, alongside Rob Diggins, senior delivery director of infrastructure consulting and integration, Anand Narayanswamy, client partner and Mike O’Farrell, enterprise consultant, from NTT DATA.

By applying the latest technologies and R&D excellence, and never losing sight of the client’s needs, NTT DATA helps to deliver true business transformation. The success of the Lufthansa Group project is testament to this approach. The result was a resilient, international data solution that accurately identified migration batches where user mailbox dependencies are calculated and migrated at the same time, giving Lufthansa Group a seamless and comprehensive migration.

The Global Sourcing Association (GSA) is the industry association and professional body for the global sourcing industry. A not-for-profit membership association which serves to share best practice, trends and connections across the globe.

FInance, Technology

How to prepare for an increasingly cashless society

Will Hurst, Head of Commercial Development at Monevo, part of Quint Group, has some thoughts on how to get ready for a world without paper and coins.

The UK ranks as the world’s third most cashless country behind Canada and Sweden.  In an increasingly cashless world, here’s my tips on how to prepare:

1 – Invest in Tech

Contactless transactions have long been the most common transaction method in the UK. Moving forward, your phone and wearable tech will no doubt see virtual cards replace your plastic.

Where will the quest for convenience lead society? Fingerprint and facial recognition tech exist in most modern handsets and wearables and its use is on the rise. For the more daring, microchip implant technology is available and seeing growth in the world’s most cashless society, the progressive Sweden.

Orwellian nightmare or the future? Whatever your limits may be, ensuring you have the ability to make payments via various methods is key. If one payment method fails, and you lose or break your primary payment device, you’ll need a back-up or replacement.

2 – Get cards with different networks

The entire country is reliant on the ability of the card processing network giants that are Visa and Mastercard (and to a lesser extent on our shores, Amex). If one system goes down, which has happened in recent years, having a card with another network would be the only way you could make a payment in a world where cash was no longer king.

3 – Download a personal finance management app

Cashless payments remove the pain of spending and handing over our hard-earned physical cash. One click is all it takes to make instant purchases, and the number of available subscriptions services only seem to be expanding … you only have to look at the way we consume television or movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, AppleTV, BT Sport, NowTV … the list goes on.

Equally, we’re using more accounts to manage our money. The answer? There’s a host of great applications out there that can help you aggregate your accounts into one place, track what you’re spending and where you’re spending it, alongside loads of other cool savings and investment features. Check out Plum, Yolt or Moneybox, who can help you make the most of your money.

Clearly, they can’t track where you spend your physical cash (no doubt this is welcomed by some!), but as cash usage dies these personal finance management tools will only become more powerful, prevalent and useful products.

4 – Stay Safe

A world with less cash will mean a world with more cyber-crime. Protect yourself where you can. Many neo banks offer virtual cards that allow you to change your card numbers in a couple of taps, which in turn, automatically updates your e-wallet (Google Pay / Apple Pay).

The likes of Monese, Starling, Revolut and Monzo all lead the way here for consumers, with all major card companies offering virtual business account solutions. Both Google and Apple Pay will tell you who you’re paying, before you complete the transaction so that if you’re paying for the Big Issue via their iZettle partnership or to a charity on your phone, you can ensure the money is going to the right place.

For the crypto traders out there, do your research on the right wallet as these are a high priority target for hackers.

5 – Educate the next generation

Gen Z have grown up seeing transactions as nothing more than taps of cards, a swipe of a watch or a click on a basket. A bank account can be opened in minutes with credit obtained and paid into your account on the same day. This is undoubtedly positive progression (Monevo’s panel has many lenders supporting same day funding).

But with young folk rarely seeing money change hands, is this affecting their understanding of the impact of how they interact with cash and credit? Financial education was none existent in my school days and progress here in the UK is slow. This needs to change. In the meantime, with cashless payment methods removing the pain of spending, we should all take a note of what we’re paying for, either via credit or debit methods. Always borrow responsibly!

Summary…

I’m a huge advocate of digital transactions, rarely carrying cash (to the frustration of my colleagues when the birthday collection comes around!). What is certain is that the speed of transactions, cost savings, hygiene factors are all positives for businesses and for society. Tracking transactions in real-time means keeping a closer eye on fraudulent activity.

So much truly amazing technology is being developed to guide us closer to a seamlessly cashless society, representing a huge opportunity. We do however need to be wary of pitfalls, with progress in financial inclusion for the underbanked and those that solely rely on cash.

Will we ever see a totally cashless society? Who knows? If you’re really scared of a totally digital banking ecosystem when 2030 comes around, and cash is extinct, you could always go full circle and use your retina-scanning watch to blink checkout on some precious metals to bury under the mattress.

News, Technology

AUTTO upgrades automation platform to turn Excel spreadsheets into automated databases

AUTTO, the simplified automation provider, has today announced that it has expanded the capabilities of its automation platform to give users a quicker and easier way to build and manage data tables. AUTTO added the new functionality following customer demand – extending the use of the platform from the creation of individual workflows to allow the rapid development of bespoke automated systems. The functionality is available now to new and existing customers.

AUTTO users can now create automated workflows using up to 18 different capabilities or ‘actions’- such as emails, forms and E-Sign. The new addition of data tables enables users to move beyond creating individual workflows to creating interconnecting workflows that update in real-time. Instead of using traditional, static spreadsheet platforms in insolation, users can build and manage data sets within AUTTO. Whenever the data table is updated, AUTTO automatically updates the data set across a user’s workflows in real-time, facilitating a more systematic and complete approach to workflow automation.

“For too long, organisations have been struggling with disparate processes – managing their business on excel spreadsheets, e-mail and ‘cut and paste’ with all the limitations that involves,” said Ian Gosling, CEO and founder of AUTTO.

“The ability to create and manage live data tables within the AUTTO platform is a game changer for our users – providing a more complete solution that extends the power of automation through organisations.”

As automation is shaping up to be one of 2020’s key trends, AUTTO continues to invest in the development of its platform, regularly adding new actions and functionality based on customer feedback and general market trends. However, many SME organisations have yet to embark on their automation journey with a recent report placing the SME adoption rate of automation at a mere 4% in contrast to a 28% adoption rate for enterprises.

“The SME market is already using automation in its marketing and accounting functions, however, automation’s capabilities extend far beyond this,” continued Gosling.

“What we expect for 2020 is a greater understanding of the need to weave automation into the fabric of business. Our work with customers through our AUTTO-mation consultations has shown time and time again that automation saves time, money and reduces the stress involved in managing day-to-day operations.”

AI, Marketing, PR and SEO, Technology

New AI-driven ad detection feature to provide one of a kind insights into competitor ad spend

Visual-AI company, LogoGrab, has launched a new ad detection feature that can accurately identify and provide specialised intelligence on visual media. The new offering will enable ad and media monitoring companies to provide greater analysis of national and geographically targeted ad campaigns. It will provide leading businesses with insights into competitor ad spend through near real-time intelligence, meaning companies can adapt their advertising strategies faster than ever before.

LogoGrab revealed the new feature following recent research which revealed 40% of brands planned to increase their competitive intelligence budget. The new feature will provide accurate analysis and insights on competitor advertising activities using the company’s Adaptive Learning Engine (A.L.E.), that can scan millions of images and videos to identify brand usage.

The company has become a trusted source for brand and advertising intelligence by industry leaders including, Brandwatch, Veritone, Synthesio, and RCS Media Monitors. It also offers solutions to help with brand protection, authentication, and monitoring through Visual-AI.

Today’s announcement includes significant developments in ad detection that enable LogoGrab to offer other key features, including:

  • Ad format detection: This allows key details to be shared with ad monitoring companies in terms of format and dimensions of the ads, and are able to classify ads as banners, skyscrapers, etc.
  • Ad content detection: This enables LogoGrab to categorize the selected ad against 11,000 labels. This shares specifics on what main category that ad is for, and in-depth details such as gender, age, animals and a wide array of objects present in the ad.
  • Logo detection: Critically, the new feature is able to detect an ad whether the ad has a visible logo or not. However, where a logo is present LogoGrab is then able to identify which company/brand the ad relates to.

Commenting on the launch of the new visual ad detection feature, CEO and Co-Founder of LogoGrab, Luca Boschin, said:

“We are delighted to launch our new top-class ad detection feature as a key addition to the LogoGrab Visual-AI suite. With this innovation it is possible to achieve a higher level of accuracy and analysis on all forms and formats of ads than ever before. Our Visual-AI allows all of the data to be analyzed and categorized, providing ad monitoring customers with an accurate and thorough overview of competitor advertising activity. This will enable companies to deliver never-before-possible critical intelligence to their customers and will reshape the entire visual advertising industry.”