Gigabit Magazine – October 2019

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A LEADER IN CANADIAN CYBERSECURIT Y WITH ITS FINGER ON THE PULSE www.gigabitmagazine.com

OCTOBER 2019

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WELCOME

W

elcome to the October issue of Gigabit Magazine.

This month’s cover features the United States Air Force and its ongoing mission to transform and develop the way it delivers software capabilities. Nicolas M. Chaillan, Chief Software Officer at the US Air Force and Co-Lead of the US Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative explores his role in the adoption and launch of the DevSecOps initiative. “This is game changing for us,” says Chaillan. From sophisticated phishing attacks and ransomware, to high-profile data breaches perpetrated by nation-state funded groups of cyber criminals, and direct interference in democratic elections, the war against digital crime has never been waged more fiercely. Colin Carmichael, CIO of leading cybersecurity firm FireEye, lives and

works in the heart of this conflict. “We live and breathe on the front lines of cybersecurity every day here at FireEye,” he says. “FireEye is called into the biggest breaches all over the world. We see, first hand, what’s going on and what the bad guys are up to.” We sit down with Carmichael to explore the ways that FireEye uses cutting edge technology and human expertise to win the war against cyber threats. Also appearing in this month’s magazine is the SAP Center of Excellence, Bell Canada, Centrica, Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris and more dynamic industry leaders harnessing the power of digital transformation to survive and thrive in an evolving business landscape Enjoy the issue! Harry Menear harry.menear@bizclikmedia.com

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CONTENTS

60 72

12

40

HOW TO DEFY CYBERCRIMINALS AND BECOME A CYBERSECURITY TITAN

102

50 82

TOP 10 Data analytics companies

EVENTS


108

130

144

160

SAP

FireEye Inc

City of Aurora

Patelco Credit Union


174

Prosegur

192

Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital

214

Australian National University

202

AVEVA


232

Bell Canada

250

Centrica

268

Le Royal Monceau

284

Brothers of Charity Services Ireland

294

Kinross Gold Corporation




12

WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE

PRODUCED BY

MIKE SADR OCTOBER 2019


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US AIR FORCE

NICOLAS M. CHAILLAN, CHIEF SOFTWARE OFFICER AT THE US AIR FORCE, DISCUSSES THE LAUNCH OF THE DEVSECOPS INITIATIVE AMID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE IN WASHINGTON DC

T 14

he US Air Force needs little introduction. Operating with the mission: ‘to flight, fight and win… in air, space and cyberspace’,

the organisation affirms that only the best is good enough. With serving the American people at the forefront of decision-making, the US Air Force has established three essential core values to which it adheres: ‘Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do.’ Sitting down with Gigabit in the US capital of Washington DC, Nicolas M Chaillan, Chief Software Officer at the US Air Force and Co-Lead of the US Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative, is responsible for overseeing the successful launch of Cloud One, supporting all business and weapon systems in the Air Force and the DoD Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative. Introduced by the Chief Software Officer and Gen. Schmidt in July 2019, a combination of both Microsoft and Amazon Web Services’ cloud OCTOBER 2019


15

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Federal Software Supply Chains are Most Susceptible A series of high profile and devastating cyber attacks have demonstrated that adversaries have the intent and ability to exploit security vulnerabilities in the software supply chain. Never was that so apparent than in the massive breach at Equifax. But, Equifax was not alone. Hackers quickly attempted to exploit the Struts vulnerability elsewhere. According to David Hogue, a senior technical director for the NSA’s Cybersecurity Threat Operations Center (NCTOC), “We had a nation-state actor within 24 hours of scanning for unpatched [Struts] servers within the DoD.” The government is not immune to these issues, and may often be a great target for adversaries. The 2019 DevSecOps Community Survey, taken by thousands of IT professionals, found that 20% of respondents from government agencies believed they had a breach stemming from the use of vulnerable open source components in the past 12 months. That’s an alarming number when you consider what those attempted breaches may have been trying to uncover. As government developers and contractors work towards digital modernization goals, they are consuming hundreds of billions of open source components and containerized applications to improve processes and catch up with their commercial counterparts. The good news: they help create efficiencies and enhance innovation within the government. The bad news: many of the components and containers they are using are fraught with defects including critical security vulnerabilities. In today’s world, understanding what’s in your supply chain, as supported by the Mitre’s Deliver Uncompromised report, is critical to national security. Using the Sonatype Nexus Platform, aligns security professionals and developers on the same team and empowers organizations and agencies to continuously identify and remediate open source risk, at all points in the software supply chain.

“[Nexus] has given us visibility into security issues and made us more proactive. It scans and gives you a low false-positive count.” — EDWIN K. (IT CENTRAL STATION REVIEW)

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We are laser focused on helping federal agencies and contractors continuously harness all of the good that open source has to offer, without any of the risk. Those equipped with Nexus products make better decisions, innovate faster at scale, and rest comfortably knowing that their applications always consist of the highest quality open source components. Visit sonatype.com/government to learn more about Open Source Security. Watch this video to learn more about the Nexus Platform:


US AIR FORCE

platforms has allowed the Air Force to operate at heightened speeds, providing access to cloud capabilities to airmen within days to enable software development on the cloud or leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). “This is game changing for us,” affirms Chaillan. “The current process takes around six to eight months for someone to be granted

18

access to a cloud to deploy software

set to enable fighters in the field to

there.” With the initiative focusing on

create, deploy and operate software

marrying automated software tools,

applications in a secure and flexible

baked-in cybersecurity, services and

way. “Having started nine years ago,

standards to the DoD program, it is

DevOps has become the evolution of

OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘NICOLAS M. CHAILLAN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING DIVERSE PARTNERS WITHIN THE US AIR FORCE

“ DEVSECOPS ENABLES US TO SECURELY DEPLOY SOFTWARE MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY” — Nicolas M. Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, US Air Force w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

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“ PROACTIVITY IS THE ONLY WAY, to help bring software into production,” PARTICULARLY explains Chaillan. “By removing the impediments we have in order to build IN TERMS OF software faster and better, DevOps CYBERSECURITY enables us to deploy software on the BECAUSE YOU commercial side multiple times a day. For us in the DoD, cybersecurity is vital CAN’T AFFORD because of the continuous monitorTO BE REACTIVE” — agile and is now able to use automa-

tion, both in testing and cybersecurity,

ing side of the house. That is why we

call it DevSecOps. It’s important that we’re able to constantly see what’s going on in production in real-time

Nicolas M. Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, US Air Force

23

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Nicolas M. Chaillan Having begun his role as Chief Software Officer of the US Air Force in May 2019, Chaillan is an experienced Senior C-Level Executive with 19 years of domestic and international experience with strong technical and subject matter expertise in cybersecurity, software development, product innovation, governance, risk management and compliance. He is an expert in numerous technological fields such as cybersecurity, DevSecOps, multi-touch, mobile solutions, IoT, Big Data, Mixed Reality, VR, Cloud Computing and wearables. Chaillan has successfully launched and managed 12 companies throughout his career.

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US AIR FORCE

“ KUBERNETES IS CLEARLY WINNING THE BATTLE WHEN IT COMES TO CONTAINER ORCHESTRATION AND SCALE” — Nicolas M Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, US Air Force

24

with a zero-trust model down to the

delivers software capabilities. “Back

container level, with behavior detec-

in 2017, the Air Force was already very

tion and centralized logging so we can innovative and decided to develop obtain the data and get the telemetry

Kessel Run while also building soft-

back to development teams.”

ware and mission capabilities to use

With the task of implementing

the Kessel Run factory,” he says. “The

DevSecOps, the Air Force has begun

goal wasn’t just to build a factory for

implementing software factories such

the sake of having a factory – it’s been

as the Kessel Run Laboratory over the to create mission software and bring past few years. Through Kessel Run, Chaillan believes the Air Force has transformed the way it develops and OCTOBER 2019

tangible value to the warfighters.” Chaillan began work at an early age in his native France. At 15, he created


25

and developed his first company.

the federal government.” Due to new

“I’ve been on the commercial side

technology such as Big Data, machine

for a long time, I ended up selling 12

learning (ML) and AI becoming

companies and building robust teams

increasingly influential globally, busi-

in cybersecurity and software innova-

nesses worldwide are adopting inno-

tion,” he explains. “I moved to the US

vative, modern processes in order to

around 10 years ago and, after selling

remain current. The case also applies

my companies, I decided I wanted

to the US Air Force, with Chaillan

to make a difference and have a real

understanding the impact that tech-

impact. Building mobile applications

nology has had on the way his organi-

and other cool technologies is fun, but sation conducts operations. “I think it’s not the same impact as we have in

the entire future of war is going to be w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com



CLICK TO WATCH : ‘LEVERAGING DEVSECOPS AND CLOUD ONE AT THE US AIR FORCE’

something that’s driven by embracing

of keeping highly-confidential informa-

these kinds of technologies, whether

tion secure at all times being crucial

it’s AI, ML, Big Data or cybersecurity

to both the DoD and the Air Force, the

offence and defense,” affirms Chaillan.

government must remain proactive

“If you can’t adapt while in production,

rather than reactive to counteract

then you’re stuck in time and there’s

any potential threats. “Proactivity is

nothing worse in software than that. It’s

the only way, particularly in terms

important to bring in new capabilities

of cybersecurity because you can’t

as well as adapting existing capabilities

afford to be reactive,” he says. “If you’re

to make sure you can fix problems as

not being proactive, you’re not doing a

they arise.”

good enough job. You have to combine

Cybersecurity is perhaps the domi-

what’s already stable enough to use

nant factor at the forefront of Chaillan’s

versus something that’s new but just a

decision-making. With the importance

little too early.” Striking a fine balance w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

27


Proud to support the U.S. Air Force Transform government, the open source way


between the risk of embracing disruptive technology to accelerate current processes and sticking to previously successful approaches is challenging. However, Chaillan believes one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is continuously training staff with the latest trends.

or platform,”

“You really have to understand the risk,

says Chaillan.

because technology is accelerating at

“When I started,

an incredible pace at the moment. In

I wanted to ensure

IT, you have the ability to completely

that whatever we

change the way you’re doing business;

built was abstracted

sometimes it’s going to last and some-

so we weren’t reliant on

times it may not.”

a single vendor or product. It

In order to arrange and manage

29

was a key reason why we initially chose

software containers, the Air Force

Kubernetes and decided to abstract our

has deployed Kubernetes, originally

entire stack because, whatever applica-

designed by Google and now main-

tion you use, you want to ensure you

tained by the Cloud Native Computing

understand the costs and the impact of

Foundation (CNCF), as part of its

the lock-in with that specific application.”

DevSecOps platform. “As a govern-

“Kubernetes is clearly winning the

ment, it’s important that we don’t get

battle when it comes to container

locked into a particular cloud provider

orchestration and scale. It’s an open w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


US AIR FORCE

5,328

Number of manned aircraft as of 2018

1947

Year founded

30

327,215

Approximate number of active duty airmen

OCTOBER 2019


31

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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE NEED FOR CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY IN THE AIR FORCE’

source product that anyone can use,

The Air Force was the first organisa-

but you have multiple companies like

tion to join CNCF, the vendor-neutral

Pivotal, Red Hat, Amazon, Microsoft

home for many of the fastest-growing

and VMware that can take the

open source projects, outside of com-

Kubernetes solution and make it into

mercial companies and became an

a turnkey product that you know will

influence over how CNCF looked after

be compatible with any environment.

Kubernetes. “When I joined the Air

It’s critical because you’re not getting

Force, I realised we had many teams

locked in; you can take that piece of

building factories to develop their

code and move it to a different cloud or

mission applications. We had seven

disconnect and classified environment

or eight teams and incredible people

and it’ll behave in the same way. This

developing mission software,” explains

is particularly important for our edge

Chaillan. “Originally, we had teams

deployments.”

such as Kessel Run, Space Camp, w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

33


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“ MY JOB IS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR STARTUPS TO WORK WITH THE US GOVERNMENT”

35

— Nicolas M. Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, US Air Force

Kobayashi Maru, LevelUp, Bespin that were all utilising a very limited set of talent to create the factory, and this then enabled them to build the software. We just decided to decouple development teams from factory teams and now we only have two factory departments — LevelUp and Kessel Run. The development teams can simply use these two factories so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The more development w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


US AIR FORCE

US AI R F O R C E FACT S

36

Along with conducting independent air and space operations, the U.S. Air Force provides air support for land and naval forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2017, the service operates more than 5,369 military aircraft, 406 ICBMs and 170 military satellites. It has a $161bn budget and is the second largest service branch, with 327,215 active duty airmen, 141,800 civilian personnel, 69,200 reserve airmen, and 105,700 Air National Guard airmen.

teams we are integrating into our DevSecOps platform and migrating our existing software factories the better, because they can simply piggyback on them and on Cloud One.� The US government has a process for software approval called an Authority to Operate (ATO) which takes between six months to a year. “Thanks to Dana Deasy, the DoD CIO, Bill Marion the Air Force CIO, Lauren OCTOBER 2019


Knausenberger, the Air Force Chief Transformation Officer, Daniel C. Holtzman, Cyber Security Engineering and Resilience Senior Leader, we implemented the concept of a DoDwide continuous ATO to allow us to push software to production continuously within a software factory,” he explains. “The continuous ATO (cATO) enables us to automatically take software from development to production multiple times a day, without having to reassess the software manually. This becomes an automated process and is a clear, well-defined, step-by-step procedure that takes software from unit, integration, regression and end-to-end testing all the way to cybersecurity scanning and deployment.” Regarding partnerships, Chaillan hopes it will become easier for startups to work with the US government to ensure the Air Force continues to achieve success in the technological space over the next few years. “We’re trying to tap into every company that is interested in working with us,” says Chaillan. “My job is to make it easier for startups to work with the US government. Getting access to technology is critical, if we w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

37


US AIR FORCE

“ THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS DESIGNED HAS TO BE SUSTAINABLE – IT MUST BE SOMETHING THAT WILL LAST AFTER I’M GONE” 38

— Nicolas M. Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, US Air Force

get behind it’s going to have a major impact on our mission capabilities. If we don’t have access to the latest technologies because startups find it too hard to work with the US government, then we’re going to fail. The second aspect is the real partnership with the airmen and the DoD programs. We have to build mission capabilities with the implementation of programs such as AEGIS, JAIC, F16, F22 and F35 because they need to build software and they have to do it now. That’s my partnership — it’s teamwork.” With the future in mind, Chaillan OCTOBER 2019


39

hopes to create a legacy that will last long-term. “The most important thing is that everything that is designed has to be sustainable – it must be something that will last after I’m gone. You have to ask the question: is it something that can scale? If I don’t do that, I could stay 10 years and I wouldn’t have made a big impact. You need to change the system, not just go around the system. You have to make that change last,” concludes Chaillan.

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CYBERSECURITY

40

HOW TO DEFY CYBERCRIMINALS AND BECOME A CYBERSECURITY TITAN WRITTEN BY

L AUR A MULL AN

OCTOBER 2019

Combating the threat of cybersecurity in 2019 is becoming an increasingly challenging task. Gigabit takes a look at some of the approaches and tools businesses should adopt if they want to ensure that any potential breaches and threats are nullified


41

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CYBERSECURITY

I

n the blink of an eye, we’ve seen a surge of innovations from cloud platforms to voice-activated devices. It’s little wonder then that these trailblazing technologies

are slowly reimagining the way we work. The modern

workspace is now home to remote workers, more personalised experiences and much more devices than ever before. But what does this mean from a cybersecurity point of view? Is your company safe from the threats and hacks that are dominating the headlines?

ROBUST ENDPOINT SECURITY As connected devices and tools have become new tools 42

of the trade, they’ve also become the new tools of attack for cybercriminals. Coining this interconnected network of devices as the ‘Enterprise of Things’ (EOT), Canadian technology giant BlackBerry is working diligently to secure these brand-new endpoints. In the early 2000s, the company was perhaps better known for its smartphone devices but in recent years, it has pivoted towards the realm of cybersecurity, gaining the support of secure organisations like the G7 governments and NATO. “The Enterprise of Things isn’t just about the assets that your employer provides you; the enterprise workflow is expanding to include other ‘Things’ that aren’t provided by the enterprise,” Neelam Sandhu, Senior Director of Business Operations, Office of the CEO at BlackBerry, told Gigabit. “For instance, an employee might use a file sharing solution that isn’t provided by their employer or a device OCTOBER 2019


“THERE ARE MORE THINGS BEING CONNECTED INTO DAILY WORK PROCESSES THAT AREN’T UNDER THE ENTERPRISE’S CONTROL. THIS MEANS THAT ENTERPRISES WILL DEMAND BLACKBERRYGRADE SECURITY FOR MORE AND MORE CONNECTED THINGS” — Neelam Sandhu, Senior Director of Business Operations, Office of the CEO, BlackBerry

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43


CYBERSECURITY

like an Amazon Alexa speaker. There

in July. Zeroing in on end-point security,

are more ‘Things’ being connected into

the firm claims to be the first cloud-

daily work processes that aren’t under

native endpoint protection platform

the enterprise’s control. This means

developed to combat breaches.

that enterprises will demand BlackBerry-grade security for more

EMAILS: ONE OF THE BIGGEST THREATS

and more connected ‘Things’.”

Another firm making its mark in

BlackBerry is not the only firm who

44

the endpoint security portfolio is

has tapped into this proliferation of

California-based FireEye. “With FireEye

endpoints and a bring-your-own-device

Endpoint Security we’ve been able to

(BYOD) mentality. California-based

slash the industry average ‘time to

CrowdStrike has also carved a unique

detection’ by almost 98%,” Tom Webb,

path in the sector, posting impressive

Director of Information Security

revenues of US$96.1mn in the

Operations at the University of South

company’s first-ever earnings report

Carolina, wrote in a testimonial. “FireEye

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘INTRODUCING BLACKBERRY JARVIS’

OCTOBER 2019


“WITH FIREEYE ENDPOINT SECURITY WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO SLASH THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE ‘TIME TO DETECTION’ BY ALMOST 98%” — Tom Webb, Director of Information Security Operations, University of South Carolina

45 Endpoint Security produces very few

detects 14,000 malicious emails per

false positives: When we do get a hit,

customer, per month that other

we’re confident that it’s a true incident

solutions miss, according to the firm.

that we should immediately act on.” As well as endpoint security, FireEye

With this in mind, the businesses recently snagged the 2019 SC Award

hasn’t forgotten the fundamentals of

for Best Email Security Solution.

any cybersecurity strategy. According

Commenting on the win, Ken Bagnall,

to a 2018 report by the firm, a

Vice President of Email Security at

staggering 91% of cybercrimes start

FireEye said: “Winning Best Email

with an email, with attackers sending a

Security Solution at the SC Awards 2019

whopping 150mn phishing emails every

shows the community recognizes the

day. With its emailing security products,

impact our continual integration of

FireEye protects against all advanced

frontline threat knowledge truly has. With

threats like phishing, impersonation

these insights, our solution can innovate

and spam. In fact, on average, FireEye

at a faster rate to catch what others miss.” w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


CYBERSECURITY

STARTING WITH THE PEOPLE

every single day. In fact, in July, Gartner

Some cybersecurity professionals

placed Proofpoint in the Leaders

will contend that the biggest security

quadrant of the 2019 Magic Quadrant

threat doesn’t revolve around new

for Security Awareness Computer-

devices or systems, instead, it’s all

Based Training for the sixth

about the people. This is a well-versed

consecutive year.

mantra at cybersecurity firm

Explaining why he felt the firm had

Proofpoint Inc., for instance, whose

clinched the coveted spot, Ryan

solutions detect and block advanced

Kalember, Executive Vice President of

threats and compliance risks in more

Cybersecurity Strategy for Proofpoint,

than 600mn emails, more than 7mn

pointed out how “nearly all targeted

mobile apps, and hundreds of

attacks require human interaction to

thousands of social-media accounts

succeed and continuous security

46

“NEARLY ALL TARGETED ATTACKS REQUIRE HUMAN INTERACTION TO SUCCEED AND CONTINUOUS SECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING, THAT DELIVERS THE RIGHT EDUCATION TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIME, IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO REDUCE RISK” — Ryan Kalember, Executive Vice President of Cybersecurity Strategy for Proofpoint

OCTOBER 2019


awareness training, that delivers

to devising a company-wide

the right education to the right people

cybersecurity strategy. Yet, they

at the right time, is one of the most

haven’t got time to lose; according to

effective ways to reduce risk.” He

Gartner, nearly 95% of CIOs expect

added: “We believe our position as a

cybersecurity threats to increase and

Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader for

impact their organisations over the

six consecutive years is the result

next few years. But there’s hope: by

of our people-centric approach

blending the very best cutting-edge

to security awareness training”

solutions with real cultural change,

With an ever-increasing number

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of cybersecurity threats making

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ensuring that they’re one step ahead

scratching their heads when it comes

of today’s cybercriminals. 47

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘PROOFPOINT – CHANGING THE GAME WITH PEOPLE-CENTRIC CYBERSECURITY’

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D I G I TA L D I S R U P T I O N

50

Paul Bailo, Global Head of Digital Strategy and Innovation at Infosys, discusses the value of leveraging small data ponds to drive actionable insights WRITTEN BY

PAUL BAILO

OCTOBER 2019


51

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D I G I TA L D I S R U P T I O N

F

ishing is a very special time to me, especially when I go with my son, Connor. It is father and son time; a time to check in see how life

is going, get insights into his life and see if I can

add any counsel to lessen his burdens. It is my job as his father to offer advice and help drive real life results, to identify the data points that mean the most and hold the most value to enhance and engage his life experiences. When I go fishing with my son, sometimes we fish in the ocean, sometimes we fish in the lake and 52

sometimes we fish in a local pond. When we fish in the ocean, we need to charter a boat, a captain and we are never sure what we will catch… if anything. We also must deal with waves, currents and white caps, and the Atlantic Ocean is massive. When we go fishing in the lake, it is not as expensive as fishing in the ocean and we have a greater likelihood of knowing what we will catch. When my son and I fish in the pond, we know what we will catch, it takes less time to catch a fish and there is no need to rent a boat. Fishing in the pond is simple, easy and fun compared to fishing in the ocean or a lake. Big Data is like fishing in the ocean – massive volumes of both structured and unstructured data that is so large it is difficult to process through traditional database and software techniques.

OCTOBER 2019


“Big Data is always challenging and costly to collect, manage and use, and it is not necessarily relevant to any specific problem or issue to resolve” — Paul Bailo, Global Head of Digital Strategy and Innovation, Infosys

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53


D I G I TA L D I S R U P T I O N

54

In most organisations, the volume

ume, high-velocity and high-variety

of data is too big for it to move quickly

information assets that demand

through system processing, or it

cost-effective, innovative forms of

exceeds current processing capacity.

information processing for enhanced

Big Data is high volume and high

insight and decision making”; we must

variety: it requires new technologies

be aware the data we have is not

and techniques to capture, store,

necessarily the data we really need

and analyse it, it is used to enhance

to drive value.

decision making, provide insight and

Data lakes are like fishing in a lake

discovery, and support and optimise

– not as large as an ocean, and with a

processes. It is always challenging

more concentrated type of data. The

and costly to collect, manage and use,

data lake storage repository holds a vast

and it is not necessarily relevant to any

amount of raw data (in its native format)

specific problem or issue to resolve.

until it is needed. While a hierarchi-

Gartner defines Big Data as “high-vol-

cal data warehouse stores data in files

OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘INFOSYS DATA AND ANALYTICS’ 55 or folders, a data lake uses a flat

Data pond is a term I crafted many

architecture to store data, the purpose

years ago during my undergraduate

of which is not yet defined. You can

studies at St John’s University in New

store your data as is without having to

York City. A well-realised data pond

first structure the data and run different

can provide critical insights and vital

types of analytics—from dashboards

clarity that is almost impossible to find

and visualisations to Big Data process-

with larger volumes of data. You can

ing, real time analytics and machine

have data without information, but you

learning to guide better decisions.

cannot have information without data.

Gartner refers to Data Lakes in broad

That being said, there is zero value in

terms as “enterprise-wide data manage-

information if it doesn’t drive actionable

ment platforms for analysing disparate

insights. Why do we think bigger is

sources of data in its native format”.

better and more is better than less?

The data we capture is missing the

I think less is better, more is waste

context and framework to drive insights.

and bigger is not better. Bigger is just w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


D I G I TA L D I S R U P T I O N

bigger, more costly, hard to deal with

man’s ability to function in space, and

and extremely difficult to drive real

recover both man and spacecraft

actional insights that will help lead

safely. The computers used on that

an organisation to success.

project utilised 300 kilobytes of memory.

Initiated in 1958, completed in 1963,

If you can operate a spacecraft on less

Project Mercury was the United States’

memory that it takes to take a snap-

first man-in-space program. The

shot of my kids, we can certainly do

objectives of the program, which made

more with less and drive real action-

six manned flights from 1961 to 1963,

able insights through data ponds.

were highly specific: orbit a manned

Small enough for human comprehen-

spacecraft around Earth, investigate

sion, data ponds offer an accessible

56

“A well-realised data pond can provide critical insights and vital clarity that is almost impossible to find with larger volumes of data” — Paul Bailo, Global Head of Digital Strategy and Innovation, Infosys

OCTOBER 2019


volume and format that is informative

looking for faster and easier at a lower

and, most importantly, actionable.

cost, and you can tell all your friends

It is not about the data, it is about the

about the insights you learned about

insights that will drive value. This is the

life and business while fishing. Data

end game, nothing more, nothing less.

ponds are the place to fish, drive

Why fish in the ocean when you have all

actionable insights and not get lost

you can eat in the pond right next door?

in the sea of data.

Fish in the pond with me and my son, not in the ocean with Captain Ahab or in the lakes with the Loch Ness Monster. You will find the fish you’re

57

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘SPS CAREER WEEK – DIGITAL TIMES, CONNECT YOUR UPTIONS WITH PAUL BAILO, INFOSYS’

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B NOW IN ITS 5TH YEAR

1500+

ATTENDEES

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SPEAKERS

The Future of Smart Cities, Connected Places and Tomorrow’s Digital World.

ROWAN HÖGMAN Research Leader 5G Industry Collaborations, Ericsson

CHARLES DE LA HORIE Partnership Director, Group Innovation, AXA

NATALIA KONSTANTINOVA Lead Software Engineer - Research and Development, Shell Energy

TONY SCEALES Sector Coordination Lead - 5G Programme , Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

MIKKO R Chief Digital Office

PATRICE SLUPO SVP Digital Innovati

Co-located with Smart Home Summit & Banking Transformation Summit 2019


22ND – 23RD OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE, LONDON #CONNECTEDWORLD2019

50+

EXHIBITORS

65%

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

An interactive programme held over two days with keynote presentations, panels, hosted meetups and exhibitor demo talks. Held over two days.

RUSAMA er, City of Helsinki

OWSKI ion, Orange

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LOVE OYENIRAN RPA Strategy and Risk Consultant, GSK

RICK ROBINSON Digital Property and Cities Leader, Arup

WILLIAM LOVELL Head of Future Technology, Bank of England

www.connectedworldsummit.net Hello@nexusmediacom.com


AI

60

Gigabit presents an exploration of the past, present and future of robotic process automation to understand how it could change everything WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENE AR AND WILLIA M SMITH

OCTOBER 2019


61

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AI

A

longside machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP), robotic process automation (RPA) has transformed

over the last year “from fledgling siloed capabilities

to tenets of strategy” with “profound potential for business and society,” according to Deloitte Insights’ breakdown of technology trends for 2019. Gartner predicted in June that the global RPA market, after growing 63.1% last year, will continue its meteoric expansion, reaching $1.3bn in 2019. By 2025, McKinsey & Co believes that automation technologies (of which RPA is expected to be 62

a leading element) could have a global financial impact of around $6.7trn. The experts are united: RPA is going to leave behind a dramatically different world to the one that preceded it. RPA is often mentioned in the same breath as artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning, ML and NLP. First coined by AI pioneer Arthur Samuel, RPA is a child of ML endeavors that took place at the end of the 1950s, thought to be stepping stones along the way to creating more and more sophisticated AI. While Samuel, his colleagues at IBM at the time, and the world’s IT community as a whole, were decades away from anything approaching the success they sought, the first step had been taken. As it was then, so it is now; AI, ML and RPA have always been closely entwined. An ML pioneer coined the term and computer scientists today OCTOBER 2019


63

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AI

“ While the first references to intelligent objects can be found as far back as Homer’s Iliad, and science fiction writers like Isaac Asimov have long entertained the possibility for 64 AI to simulate and even exceed human capabilities, RPA has – perhaps fittingly – led a humbler existence”

still put a lot of stock in the interplay between the apparently similar, yet distinctly different technologies. In 2017, when it was starting to become apparent that RPA was stepping out of its theoretical and experimental stages and would be a fundamentally vital business tool in a short while, a report by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) provided a working definition of RPA and, more importantly, a distinction between it and AI. AI: “The combination of cognitive automation, machine learning (ML), reasoning, hypothesis generation and analysis, natural language processing and intentional algorithm mutation producing insights and analytics at or above human capability.” RPA: “The use of a preconfigured software instance that uses business rules and predefined activity choreography to complete the autonomous execution of a combination of processes, activities, transactions, and tasks in one or more unrelated software systems to deliver a result or service with human exception management.” In simple terms, AI mimics the way

OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘SAP LEONARDO IOT BRIDGE’ 65

humans think and RPA copies the way

INTELLIGENT RPA

humans act. In both cases, the results

RPA in its modern form seems as if it

are often significantly faster and more

has only just arrived. The gist of the

accurate, but limited in scope com-

technology is that, unlike previous

pared to human efforts. While the first

forms of automation which ran in the

references to intelligent objects can be

back-end of a system, RPA allows for

found as far back as Homer’s Iliad,

robots to interact directly with human-

and science fiction writers like Isaac

targeted graphical user interfaces

Asimov have long entertained the

(GUIs). By watching and recording a

possibility for AI to simulate and even

human teacher’s inputs, RPA technology

exceed human capabilities, RPA has –

can then repeat those inputs, albeit

perhaps fittingly - led a humbler

more quickly, reliably and inputting

existence. That isn’t to say that it’s less

alternative forms of data if necessary.

likely to change the world.

Already, however, a number of w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


AI

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘HOW COGNIZANT SOFTVISION DESIGNS EXPERIENCES & ENGINEERS OUTCOMES’ 66

OCTOBER 2019


“ By watching and recording a human teacher’s inputs, RPA technology can then repeat those inputs, albeit more quickly and reliably”

companies are pushing versions of this technology upgraded through the use of machine learning and AI. These solutions go by a number of names such as Intelligent Automation or Intelligent Process Automation. Here are three of the new intelligent RPA offerings with some of the most dramatic implications for the business landscape.

COGNIZANT Cognizant advertises the platformagnostic nature of its automation offerings, which can ‘harmonise’ with legacy systems. The company identifies automation potential in tasks across the business operation, which it says its machine learning augmented robotic process automation can provide. Cognizant offers so-called ‘Robotics-as-a-Service’ systems which can free human workers up to pursue less menial tasks in sectors such as insurance, banking, healthcare, manufacturing and more.

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67


AI

“ AI mimics the way humans think and RPA copies the way humans act” 68

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘HOW DOES IBM WATSON WORK?’

OCTOBER 2019


69

IBM

SAP

IBM sees the implementation of intel-

‘Intelligent Robotic Process Automa-

ligent automation as heralding a future

tion’ from SAP come as part of its

‘collaborative workforce’ comprised

SAP Leonardo intelligent enterprise

of humans and machines working

system. It emphasises its capability

together. It advocates for a programme

to mimic human workers inputs as well

of change management to upskill

as interpret their communications.

workers with the ability to collaborate

SAP’s offering incorporates machine

with robots. The company’s suite of

learning and conversational AI along-

intelligent automation services includes

side RPA. Its bots also have the capa-

its Watson system, and its technologies

bility to build intelligence into existing

have already been put to use in bank-

back office processes.”

ing, shipping and in policing.

w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


22ND - 23RD OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE, LONDON #SMARTHOMESUMMIT2019

As smart home capabilities continue to develop at an astonishing rate, Smart Home Summit showcases the latest technology and innovations to meet growing consumer expectations.

Discover the future of smart, connected living and leverage innovative technologies to deliver connected and secure homes.

Smarthomesummit.net Hello@nexusmediacom.com


1500+

50+

ATTENDEES

EXHIBITORS

200+

65%

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SPEAKERS

VISIONARY SPEAKERS

Ryan Harris - Global Programme Manager, company: Hive/ Centrica

Dan Wilkinson - Connected Home Manager, company: Engie

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Eamon Conway - Managing Director, company: Climote

Phil Steele - Future Technology Evangelist, company: Octopus Energy

Daniel Crispin - Key Account Manager, company: Tado

Now in its 5th year, Smart Home Summit brings together industry thought-leaders and experts to share their experiences and explore how to unlock the value of new technologies.

With unrivalled content and practical ‘how-to’ case studies, over 200 visionary speakers will address the challenges and opportunities for Connecting the Smart Home.

Co-located with Connected World Summit CONNECTING THE SMART HOME


CLOUD

72

GIGABIT MAGAZINE SITS DOWN WITH DAYNE TURBITT, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AT DELL TECHNOLOGIES, TO EXPLORE THE SOFTWARE GIANT’S ONGOING EFFORTS TO PROMOTE EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY IN THE TECHNOLOGY SPACE. WRITTEN BY

OCTOBER 2019

HARRY MENE AR


73

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CLOUD

74

H

ow important is diversity and

ensures that Dell is a place where

inclusion to Dell Technologies?

people want to work, team members

How high is it on the corporate

feel they belong and our values reflect

agenda? At Dell Technologies, cultivating a

those of our customers. Put simply, creating a diverse and inclusive culture

culture of inclusion is a business

is key to how we will unlock our

imperative. We know that preparing

innovative spirit, so we continue to

and attracting the future workforce,

grow our business and ensure success,

developing and retaining an empow-

both today and in the future.

ered workforce and then scaling for

Michael Dell chairs our Global

maximum impact is vital. We embrace

Diversity Council, providing direction,

difference because it drives innovation

support and strategic oversight so that

for our customers.

diversity and inclusion are woven into

A diverse and inclusive environment OCTOBER 2019

the fabric of everything we do.


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘DELL’S EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS’ 75

Could you tell me about Dell Technolo-

professional development through

gies Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

mentoring, volunteerism, networking,

and how they help to promote inclusion?

leadership development and commu-

Our Employee Resource Groups are

nity involvement. We currently have 13

communities that have been created

Employee Resource Groups world-

for team members with common

wide, including GenNext, Women in

interests or backgrounds to bring their

Action, True Ability, Mosaic and Pride.

collective voices together to drive business impact. Our ERGs are one

Could you tell me about how Dell’s

way we demonstrate our company-

senior leadership are championing

wide commitment to creating an

inclusion from the top-down? For

inclusive culture, which also gives our

instance, could you tell me about the

team members an opportunity to be

Many Advocating Real Change

involved in driving personal and

(MARC) programme? w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


CLOUD

76

“ A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT ENSURES THAT DELL IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO WORK” Dayne Turbitt, SVP, Dell Technologies

Dell is a company built on a foundation of strong ethics. We know that recruiting diverse talent is a great first step, but then we need to develop our talent and create an environment where everyone feels comfortable to do their best work. We are championing diversity from a top down process by investing in our employees directly through ERGs and supporting a flexible work environment. These are all building blocks for a more diverse and inclusive culture but to truly address the challenges tech faces, we must address the fundamental issue of human bias. We all have biases – conscious and unconscious – that affect how we view the world. It’s important we become aware of those biases and how they could play out in the work environment. We were the first in our industry to roll out unconscious bias foundational learning to educate our team on what can unintentionally harm work culture and performance. We have already trained 10,000+ employees through our initiative, Many Advocating for Real Change. 100% of our leaders have gone through the programme and our goal is to have 100% of all team members participate by end of 2020.

OCTOBER 2019


Does Dell Technologies have any

that affects us and our customers.

specific diversity goals or targets

Expanding our talent pipeline and

in the pipeline? If so, why?

bringing in traditionally underrepre-

As I mentioned earlier, a diverse and

sented groups is critical for our

inclusive environment ensures that Dell

business.

is a place people want to work. We are continuing to challenge our business

What has been the outcome of these

and employees to create a diverse

diversity and inclusion initiatives?

culture, and constantly setting internal

How have they helped the business

goals with a view to closing the

and its operations?

diversity gap. This is critical to meeting

According to a global study by Accen-

future talent needs and for reflecting

ture, 63% of consumers prefer to

new perspectives of a global customer

purchase from purpose-driven brands

base. There’s a talent shortage coming

and this is no different with our 77

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Dayne Turbitt As a Senior Vice President of Dell EMC’s Enterprise Sales Division, Dayne is responsible for leading the transformation of the UK and Ireland organisation into a company that is dedicated to helping our enterprise customers achieve their success and to be leaders in their industry. Dayne joined Dell EMC in 2010 and he has previously served as Vice President of Global Accounts, where he led the design and implementation of all sales and marketing strategies for our EMEA headquartered Global Accounts. Dayne has also served as Vice President of EMC’s Emerging Technology Division, where he was involved in helping partners and businesses in different industries figure out how to restructure their teams and take advantage of new technologies to be future ready for their Digital Transformation.

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CLOUD

customers. They are drawn to brands that are committed to treating employees well, reducing plastics and improving the environment and ensuring a drive for diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. As a result of our D&I initiatives, we have pushed the boundaries of our innovation and achieved more impact than we ever imagined. We are proud of the programmes drive, especially those that engage underrepresented groups in STEM related subjects. We extend 78

these efforts to engage and empower groups at the university level and into the workplace with the hopes that these students will join Dell or become technology leaders for our customers.  I believe this is one of the reasons we were recognised by LinkedIn as a 2019 Top Company, by FairyGodBoss as a Top 10 Tech Company according to women working at Dell Technologies, by the Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 Corporate Equality Index as one of the best places to work for LGBTQ Equality (15 consecutive years) and by Ethisphere Institute as a World’s Most Ethical Company (six consecutive years). OCTOBER 2019

“ ONE OF OUR KEY FOCUS AREAS AS WE LOOK TOWARDS 2030 IS TACKLING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS” Dayne Turbitt, SVP, Dell Technologies


How could technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) help to tackle unconscious biases? Is this an area that Dell Technologies is exploring? One of our key focus areas as we look towards 2030 is tackling unconscious bias. We see tremendous opportunity to use technology to eliminate personal bias from how we recruit, to how we hire and promote, ensuring we can fill unmet job requirements and create the best possible workforce. We are currently exploring machine learning and the ethics behind leveraging AI technologies for this type of application. It’s crucial to understand what we need to make this successful. There have been several cases where algorithms have demonstrated bias against women and minorities, such as image recognition systems failing to identify non-white faces, which is why we are working with our partners to facilitate a better approach moving forward.

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79


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T O P 10

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OCTOBER 2019


Data analytics companies Gigabit Magazine lists the world’s premier data analytics firms, examining their products along the way WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH

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T O P 10

84

10

Alteryx

California, USA

Data analytics firm Alteryx got its start by integrating data with maps. The company’s name was originally applied to its data analysis application, before being repurposed for the company as a whole. With an annual revenue of $309.8mn and employees numbering 800 according to Owler, the company’s analytics platform comes in a number of parts: Designer, Server, Connect and Promote, which in combination allow for features such as data source aggregation and ‘self-service’ data analytics.

OCTOBER 2019


85

09

Oracle

California, USA

Multinational software company Oracle offers a suite of enterprise technologies, but is perhaps best known for its database solutions. Founded in 1977 and based in California, the company employs 137,000 people, and in 2018 reported its revenue as being $39.83bn. Oracle’s analytics software boasts machine learning integration for automation and prediction. Also including visualisation and collaboration capabilities, the software is integrated with the company’s wider Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

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innovation in practice Sprint and Amdocs have been key partners for over two decades, delivering together innovative solutions to make Sprint the success it is today. Our joint accomplishments include modernizing billing support systems, introducing a groundbreaking customer care system, providing cost-effective payments processing and the optimization of current and future network capabilities. This strong Sprint-Amdocs partnership has won widespread industry recognition, including the 2017 Global Telecoms Business Award for Consumer Service Innovation. Visit www.amdocs.com to learn more about how you can partner with Amdocs to innovate successfully.

www.amdocs.com Š 2019 Amdocs. All rights reserved.


87

08

MicroStrategy Virginia, USA

MicroStrategy markets its analytics products alongside business mobility solutions. According to Owler, the company’s most recent annual revenue report stood at $487.2mn and it employs over 2,000 people. With the likes of Coca Cola, Adidas and Hilton making use of its products, the company’s focus on mobility helps disseminate analytics and data throughout companies. MicroStrategy says that its analytics books work natively with Android and iOS, while remaining secure by utilising the different types of authentication built into devices.

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T O P 10

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07

SAS

Buckinghamshire, UK

One of the pioneers of analytics software, SAS grew out of a project at North Carolina State University. The software from which the company derives its name, SAS (originally standing for Statistical Analysis System) has been continually updated since its original development at the university in the 1960s. The private company emphasises the platform nature of its product offering, with capabilities for data mining, forecasting and optimisation. Customers include the likes of Honda and Royal Bank of Scotland.

OCTOBER 2019


89

06

IBM

New York, USA

IBM has been on the forefront of business technology since at least the 1950s. The New York state headquartered hardware and software giant employed over 350,000 people in 2018, achieving revenues of almost $80bn. The company’s data analysis platform is known as IBM Cognos. Originally the product of Canadian business intelligence company Cognos, the company and its software were acquired by IBM in 2008. IBM has built on Cognos to incorporate all the mod cons demanded of data analysis: dashboards, source aggregation and AI integration.

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How AWS is helping create a future-ready Australia We are at a fascinating point in the history and evolution of Australian organisations, where they are using technology to transform and enhance the experiences they bring to their customers.Transformation touches everyone, from government agencies including the ATO, Australia Post, and ABC, digital natives like Atlassian and Xero, start-ups like Baraja and Whooshkaa, to established players like Qantas, Woodside Energy, NAB, Linfox, and Fonterra. Having the right skills in place to drive digital transformation is critically important, as is a willingness to embrace change and shift to a more agile, collaborative culture.AWS help organisations of all shapes and sizes with their most critical issues and opportunities. Together, we create enduring change and results. Let AWS help create enduring change and strategies for you.

NAB’s Cloud Guild drives new tech skills NAB is watching a new approach to learning develop inside of the bank as it approaches the first anniversary of an ambitious program to train its workforce in the ways of cloud. The program, called the NAB Cloud Guild, was intended to enable “more than 2000” NAB employees to acquire or build cloud skills in support of the bank’s $1.5 billion “digital-first” transformation.Inside of the first year, the Cloud Guild is already tracking well ahead of that goal.“The results of the NAB Cloud Guild have been outstanding,” NAB’s Manager Engineer and Cloud Guild Founder Paul Silver said. “Within the first 10 months, we’ve had about 4000 people who’ve gone through the program so far in a one or three day course. “When we started, we had seven people in the whole organisation who were certified in AWS cloud. There are now over 400 people who are certified”.Silver can already see change as a result of the program. “What we’ve found after people have done the three-day associate courses is they’re becoming self-learners, which is fantastic,” he said. “AWS has great digital content we can consume and use inside our organisation. After people get their first certification, they’re actually going off and selflearning this content with the outcome of getting more certifications, in-turn leading to better outcomes for NAB.” The learning culture is expected to have a strong impact on NAB’s project, which includes a target of moving 35 percent of its 2500 IT applications into the cloud within the next three-tofive years. “With AWS’ help we’ve been able to drive outcomes incredibly fast. This is helping us meet our customer expectations a lot faster than we have been able to in the past,”

Silver said. NAB’s Chief Technology & Operations Officer Patrick Wright said the battle for technology talent in Australia is “fierce”. Wright sees the NAB Cloud Guild not only as a way to create opportunities for employees to learn new skills and grow their career in technology, but also as a means “to attract top talent in the industry.” “We’re embarking on a transformation that we think is fundamentally changing our ompany, fundamentally changing the way we work, and launching us into a new era,” Wright said. “If you want to build a company of builders, you have to have technology career pathways.” NAB is also taking some cues on best practices from AWS as it continues on its digital transformation journey. The bank recently tackled the AWS 50 in 50 program, which involves getting 50 applications into the cloud in just 50 days. It was a clear signal of the speed and agility that NAB now wants to operate. “AWS’s passion for customers aligns well with what we are doing at NAB and we’re also learning from them along the way as well,” Silver said. “It’s been a really good partnership to work with them.”

How AWS is helping create a future-ready Australia

Woodside Energy leveraging data to seize growth opportunities Woodside Energy is the pioneer of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry in Australia, and the largest Australian natural gas producer. Woodside’s producing LNG assets in Australia’s north-west Pilbara region are among the world’s best facilities, renowned for their safety, reliability and efficiency. Now, Woodside is seeking to create an integrated LNG production centre – the Burrup Hub - that would see new Scarborough and Browse gas resources processed through the Woodsideoperated Pluto LNG and Karratha Gas Plant. To help realise this vision, Woodside is leveraging gains from its data science and intelligent asset work programs over weeks and days, instead of months and years, allowing the company to make decisions sooner, using richer data. Innovation has always been part of Woodside’s DNA. Applying cloud technology is helping Woodside accelerate the traditional oil and gas project innovation cycle from years, down to months. Woodside uses AWS cloud as the foundation for optimising production in real time, by running high -speed algorithms to uncover new insights and opportunities to deliver extra value. Woodside can run 10,000 algorithms per hour, taking data from over 200,000 sensors attached to its Pluto LNG plant. The company remains focused on reaching all Woodside employees with this work. Digital at Woodside is not just about ‘gear’; it’s honing and changing the way people work, with collaborative partnerships playing a key role.

Learn more

Visit awsinsight.com.au to find out more how AWS is able to help you thrive in today’s digital economy.


91

05

Qlik

Pennsylvania, USA

Originally founded in Sweden, private software company Qlik is now based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The company’s original QlikView analytics software was built on an ‘associative engine’ which maps relationships between data points and sources without relying on a query-based model. Qlik’s updated Qlik Sense product has a number of new features, including AI augmentation and a SaaS model, as well as more traditional on-site support.

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T O P 10

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04

Microsoft

Washington, USA

Technology giant Microsoft needs no introduction. Valued at over $1trn dollars and reporting revenues of over $125bn in 2019, among its vast list of products is its data analysis software, Power BI. Geared towards business intelligence, from which its name derived, the cloud-based software allows for the visualisation of data with a focus on collaboration and speed of analysis. Customers of Microsoft Power BI include HP, Rolls-Royce and Adobe. Power BI also natively integrates with Microsoft’s Azure cloud services, passing data sources over for analysis.

OCTOBER 2019


93

03

Tableau

Washington, USA

Purchased by Salesforce at the beginning of August for $15.7bn, software company Tableau has clout beyond its comparatively small size. In 2017, the company reported its revenues as amounting to $877mn. Founded by researchers from Stanford University, the company has a reputation for the quality of its data visualisation capabilities which can make data more legible. The latest version of its software, Tableau 2019.2, is capable of displaying data on vector maps which are infinitely scalable.

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T O P 10

02

Salesforce

California, USA

US-based Salesforce specialises in cloud software for enterprise, particularly in customer relationship management (CRM). In 2019, with 35,000 employees worldwide,

94

the company reported its revenue as being $13.28bn. Salesforce’s CRM solution goes by the name of Salesforce Customer 360, and is used by companies such as T-Mobile and Unilever. The company’s analysis offering is known as Einstein Analytics. Able to take in data from sources inside and outside the Salesforce ecosystem, Einstein also employs AI to augment analysis and make predictions for the future.

OCTOBER 2019


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T O P 10

96

01

SAP

Walldorf, Germany

German multinational software giant SAP specialises in enterprise software. Since its founding in 1972 by former IBM employees, the company grew on the back of its enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. In more recent times, the company has embraced emerging technologies, with its latest SAP S/4HANA ERP platform featuring cloud capabilities. Its data analytics solutions encompass finance, human resources, operations, sales and marketing. The company reported its 2018 revenue as â‚Ź24.70bn, employing some 96,500 people.

OCTOBER 2019


97

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EVENTS & A S S O C I AT I O N S

We round up the biggest and best technology events and conferences from around the world… EDITED BY LAURA MULLAN

102

06–10 OCT 2019

09-10 OCT 2019

GITEX Technology Week

SecTor 2019

[ DUBAI, UAE ]

[ TORONTO, CANADA ]

Claiming to be one of the biggest

Held at the Metro Toronto Convention

technology shows in the MENA and

Centre in Toronto, SecTor is a must-

South Asia region, GITEX Technology

attend event for any IT professional.

Week plans to investigate the latest

The event claims to be ‘Canada’s

technology trends, present high calibre

premier cybersecurity conference’

speakers and showcase product

and will help IT professionals strength-

innovations from across the globe.

en their corporate defenses and

Over 111,000 visitors and 4,800

mitigate security threats. The two-day

exhibitors attended the five-day show

event will offer the latest technical

last year, making it a must-attend

research, hands on practical experi-

event for any technology professional.

ence, and more.

OCTOBER 2019


28–31 OCT 2019

103

04–08 NOV 2019

Cisco Live Cancun

Microsoft Ignite 2019

[ CANCUN, MEXICO ]

[ ORLANDO, FLORIDA, USA ]

Cisco’s annual customer and partner

Microsoft Ignite is Microsoft’s annual

conference, Cisco Live, aims to help

meeting created for enterprise

businesses prepare for their digital

professionals, services and products.

transformation journeys. Attendees

Offering everything from deep product

will be able to immerse themselves in

dives to hands-on labs and immersive

five days of sessions, hands-on train-

experiences, Microsoft Ignite will cover

ing and 1:1 meetings. Additionally, at-

a wide range of topics such as deploy-

tendees will be able to learn about

ment, development, architecture security

Cisco’s products, technologies and

as well as operations and management.

services which could help them grow

At last year’s event, the keynote speaker

their business.

was Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

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EVENTS & A S S O C I AT I O N S

04–07 NOV 2019

VMworld 2019 Europe 104

[ BARCELONA, SPAIN ] Touting itself as “the preeminent digital infrastructure event of the year”,

24-27 FEB 2020

VMworld is a global conference for vir-

MWC

tualization and cloud computing hosted

[ BARCELONA, SPAIN ]

by VMware. Attendees will learn from

With thousands set to descend on

top VMware and industry experts about

Barcelona for the event, MWC (formerly

what’s coming next in IT. Additionally,

Mobile World Congress) promises

attendees will be able to network with

to be an unmissable technology

peers, make new connects, get direct

congress. Hosting groundbreaking

experience and training with hands-on

innovations from almost 2,500

labs and discover new product break-

companies and over 100,000 dele-

throughs. Last year, 13,000 attendees

gates, MWC stands as one of the

and 3,500+ companies from across the

largest conferences in the world

globe gathered to attend the event.

centered around mobile technologies.

OCTOBER 2019


02-04 JUNE 2020

DataCloud World Congress [ MONACO ]

19-22 NOVEMBER 2019

bringing together a variety of experts in

Open Source Data Conference (OSDC) Europe

the cloud, data centre and IT infrastructure

[ LONDON, UK ]

markets. Touting itself as “the premier

Boasting 24 training sessions, 30

leadership summit for critical IT infra-

workshops, 120 speakers 230 hours

structure”, the event promises to cover

of content and around 1,800 attendees,

everything from cloud challenges to

ODSC claims to be “one of the largest

edge evolution. Speakers at last years’

applied data science conferences in

event included: Michel Fraisse, VP,

Europe”. Attendees can expect to learn

Europe, Huawei, Jeffrey Ferry, Director,

from the best and brightest minds in the

Goldman Sachs and Glenn Fitzgerald,

field who will cover a variety of topics

Chief Technology Officer, Product

such as open data science, deep learning,

Business, Fujitsu EMEIA.

machine learning, and data visualisation.

Next year, Monaco will be home to the 17th annual DataCloud World Congress,

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105




108

SAP: Harnessing the power of 5G WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH PRODUCED BY

CRAIG DANIELS

OCTOBER 2019


109

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SAP

Frank Wilde,Vice President for SAP’s Global Center of Excellence, explains the transformative potential of 5G for enterprise

S

AP is renowned for its enterprise software, providing solutions across finance, supply chain and more. Another side of its business,

however, lies in advising customers on the adoption 110

of innovative technology. Frank Wilde is a Vice President for SAP’s Global Center of Excellence (COE), which serves to provide this advice and expertise. “The Global COE is designed to be an incubator to support the sales motion and create a linkage to our product organization,” he explains. “We help introduce new innovations and showcase the latest aspects of our portfolio to drive new customer conversations. A core component lies in making it easier for our sales teams to learn about new aspects of our portfolio, and then turn those into customer driven conversations. We’re fundamentally changing the relationship with customers to be much more customer focused and much more agile as a result.”

OCTOBER 2019


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SAP

“We’re fundamentally changing the relationship with customers to be much more customer focused and much more agile” — Frank Wilde, Vice President, Global Center of Excellence, SAP

114 One of the most potentially transformative technologies of recent times is 5G, and SAP is ensuring companies successfully weather the change with the aid of technology. “5G is a fundamental transition and transformation of the network,” says Wilde. “Moving from hardware driven upgrades and a hardware driven network into a software defined network turns the network into a platform. For example, because you are now able to guarantee a level of connectivity to a robotic arm that’s performing a surgery a hundred miles away, you can wrap OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘REIMAGINE EVERYTHING WITH SAP & DELOITTE’ 115 a new business model around that

to a 5G world, the size and quantity

and charge for that as a service.

of data streams is growing exponen-

You can then expand that to remote

tially. We’re envisioning a six, seven,

equipment diagnostics, or being able

eight-fold increase in data usage over

to engage in a retail experience in novel

the next few years. That is going to be

ways. We see 5G as very much a game

a significant challenge for our custom-

changer as we look at the next three,

ers with regards to data management

four or five years.”

and data strategy.” To successfully

The introduction of 5G brings with

deal with data in such volumes, one

it a host of considerations as well, an

solution SAP offers is its recently

increase in data volume being one of

launched Data Hub, which can link

the most important to address. “One

data regardless of where it is stored.

of the main opportunities that we’re

“Organizations which had been trying

encountering is data management,”

to organize data into data lakes can

says Wilde. “As we move from a 4G

now lean on HANA and our Data Hub w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


Unleashing the power of 5G

How 5G will drive the future of business transformation

The world’s economy is at another pivotal stage as technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and virtual/augmented reality transition from early stage applications to engines of economic growth. A critical catalyst to realize this growth is the fifth generation of wireless technology, or 5G. 5G is not simply an extension of 4G, nor is it merely a faster wireless capability offering more capacity and enhanced performance for smartphones. 5G makes possible the connection and interaction of billions of devices of almost any kind and collection of data from those devices. In addition to connecting people to people through their smartphones, 5G connects an unlimited number of things, which can communicate all day, every day. The business opportunity for 5G technology to influence productivity and automation is anticipated to have a seismic impact to macro economies.

In addition, 5G solutions will also involve an architectural shift where critical analytics and artificial intelligence functions will be executed in close proximity to the connected devices. Edge computing capabilities enabled by 5G will drive higher accuracy, efficiency, and results to the device or devices across secure private or public networks. Further, in typically low connectively locations, such as oil rigs, mining, and agriculture, 5G makes it possible for IoT devices with minimal computing power and low-speed connectivity to “behave” like powerful computers using a similar 5G/edge computing architecture.

Enabled by 5G, the volume and variety of connected device types and the data they generate and consume are expected to dramatically increase within and across enterprises. This networking technology now provides a range of customizable capabilities that can be “fit for purpose” to specific solution requirements, resulting in game changing opportunities to drive new revenue streams and unprecedented operating efficiencies. For example, in retail, next generation personalized customer experience is now possible with on-site intelligent analytics that combines location based, realtime customer data with accurate pricing, inventory and competitive information across stores and regions. In manufacturing, high performance campus 5G networks can simultaneously raise the quality of precision manufacturing with real time sensors, while untethered factory robots bring new levels of flexibility. The low latency property of 5G also provides numerous opportunities to realize the potential of the examples provided above.

5G will likely create numerous business opportunities across all industries. To be able to realize the benefits, many business processes and solution architectures will need to be overhauled. Deloitte recognizes that unlocking 5G’s potential at enterprises requires both technical and industry expertise combined with multiple functional disciplines, including next gen networking, cloud, and AI. In collaboration with SAP, we are taking an industry vertical, multi-disciplinary approach to assist enterprise clients to envision and develop 5G enabled transformational solutions. Deloitte’s 5G Center of Excellence brings the breadth, depth, and scale of our practice to create practical solutions and opportunities for our clients to utilize the capabilities of 5G to transform their business and market.

Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of Deloitte's legal structure.


n

m

Deloitte’s 5G Center of Excellence Delivering key solutions and technology necessary to help unlock 5G’s enterprise potential: Industry solutions Deloitte’s leading industry practices are developing 5G-enabled solutions specific to each individual industry and sector such as Retail, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Health Care, Financial Services, and Government/Smart Cities. 5G technical expertise Deloitte’s solutions leverage our deep experience in telecommunications, bringing together all capabilities ranging from network infrastructure, distributed application and mobile edge computing necessary to enable 5G solution. Deloitte Catalyst Deloitte Catalyst accelerates innovation and growth as we help enterprises, governments and startups–from early stage to high growth–innovate, scale, and deliver transformative value by connecting and co-developing solutions with key ecosystem partners. Design thinking Utilizing our Doblin and Deloitte Digital capabilities, our 5G COE intersects human-centered design, research and business strategy, with core 5G capabilities and industry specialization to help organizations imagine and build new business and operating models. Enterprise technology Deloitte’s Technology Strategy and System Implementation practices lead the transformation of the underlying enterprise technologies required to support 5G capabilities. From digital, to cloud, and to ERP.

To learn more about Deloitte’s 5G capabilities, contact us at deloitte5g@deloitte.com or www.deloitte.com/us/en/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications.html © 2019 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.


SAP

118

platform to stitch together a hybrid

identifies the potential of the technology

data environment. Knowing that a

when deployed together with new tech-

central depository or even one data

nologies such as AI, machine learning and

lake is not going to be able to serve the

edge computing. “We’re embedding AI

enterprise needs of a given customer,

and machine learning across our entire

we’ve put in place a framework and

portfolio,” he explains. “Everything from

a data strategy that relies on a hybrid

being able to automate the selection

approach. You need to take into account

of resumes to embedding it within

that federated model rather than try

analytics to help streamline and drive

to centralize it.”

decision making. We see it as very

Aside from 5G opening up new business possibilities, Wilde also OCTOBER 2019

much a fundamental component of how we handle design and development,


E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Frank Wilde Wilde leads data and data science innovation focused on telecom and high tech as a Vice President for SAP’s Global Center of excellence. In this role, Frank’s teams of data scientists and platform architects spark innovative thinking with SAP’s customers through a combination of data science and design thinking. Frank is a seasoned executive with a track record of success in product innovation, sales and sales operations. Before joining SAP, Frank led a software development group at Apple which supported Apple’s strategic partnerships with IBM, Cisco and AT&T. Prior to Apple, Frank led a corporate strategy organization and a sales innovation organization at Dell. At Dell, his teams designed and built Dell’s first consumer loyalty platform and created a competitive version of iTunes. In addition, Frank spent 9 years with Deloitte Consulting leading digital transformations with high tech, telecom, and public sector clients. He began his career as a software engineer building CRM and supply chain applications before transitioning into management consulting. Frank attended University of California, Los Angeles, for college, earned an MBA of Business Administration at Duke University and served as an officer in the Navy.

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119


1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

ASSEMBLY LINE ROBOTICS

REAL-TIME INSPECTION & ANALYTICS

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE

MASSIVE IOT TRACKING

REMOTE EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATION

5G SMART MANUFACTURING KEY APPLICATIONS


“5G has the potential to add new smart manufacturing capabilities in electronics manufacturing — both for manufacturers focused on extremely high yield levels and equipment suppliers looking to do more remote diagnostics.”

Tom Salmon, Vice President for Collaborative Technology Platforms at SEMI and the Executive Director of the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA)

5G – Its Potential Impact in SMART Manufacturing

5G technology will create an unprecedented fabric of connected devices, pushing the wireless revolution well beyond handsets, enabling widespread connectivity of just about everything, including laptops, vehicles, IoT devices, manufacturing plants, and city infrastructure. Businesses, governments and consumers will reap the benefits of multi-gigabit speeds, ultra-low latency, simplistic scalability, and virtually unlimited capacity. While the full benefits of the 5G rollout is on the near horizon, one of the earliest beneficiaries is expected to be manufacturing. In the semiconductor industry, 5G is being hailed as an enabling technology for “smart manufacturing” that uses production and sensor data to improve manufacturing efficiencies and adaptability. With greater reliability and peak data speeds that will be at least 20 times that of 4G networks, 5G will enable wafer fabs to use wireless technology for many quality control and predictive maintenance applications that existing networks cannot.

For example, 5G speeds makes it possible to apply edge or cloud-based AI technologies to packaging and inspection steps, improving quality and yield. 5G will also help maximize the uptime of manufacturing equipment, enabling technicians to perform maintenance and repair operations remotely. The streaming of sensor data over 5G networks will not only enable fabs to build chips more efficiently and reduce waste, they will also provide real-time data on the environmental conditions within a fab, delivering immediate warnings in the cases of chemical-related worker safety hazards. Currently, chip makers and equipment vendors are showcasing real-use examples for 5G. In the case of brand-new “greenfield” chip fabs, investing in 5G infrastructure is a no-brainer, as the high-speed wireless connectivity will reduce the amount of hardwired infrastructure required. In the case of existing fabs, SEMI members are weighing the return on investment associated with replacing existing networks with 5G. The future ahead and potential impact for 5G is bright indeed.

Learn about SEMI SMART Manufacturing at: semi.org/semiismore

SEMI is the global industry association representing the electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, connecting over 2,100 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide.


SAP

122

C O M PA N Y FACT S

• SAP is envisioning up to eight-fold increase in data usage over the next few years due to 5G. • SAP has a history of business process expertise in 26 industries

OCTOBER 2019


and when it comes to innovation, that’s where we’re helping customers on the ground think differently. How they can use 5G coupled with AI and machine learning, with conversational AI, to bring new processes to life and streamline their approach, for example.” This combined approach is emblematic of the solutions SAP provides. Wilde identifies two guiding principles informing the company’s operations: customer driven innovation and an ecosystem approach. The company’s work with key telecommunications firms serves as an example of this mindset in practice. “It’s very much a strategic partnership as well as a customer relationship that we’ve nurtured over the course of the last couple of years,” says Wilde. “We’ve helped them put in place a core data backbone and the ability to lean on the core functions around finance and supply chain that they need to be able to succeed and grow going forward. We realize that SAP is uniquely positioned to be able to help telecom organizations digitally transform, consolidate their environments and land on one enterprise data platform, w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

123


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“We see 5G as very much a game changer as we look at the next three, four or five years” — Frank Wilde, Vice President, Global Center of Excellence SAP

not only for their own internal use but

is, understand what the use cases are

also for how they go to market. Where

and develop solutions together,” says

telcos bring the connectivity, SAP brings

Wilde. To accomplish this, SAP employs

an enterprise data platform and the

concrete demonstrations. “We’ve started

two solutions very much are tied at the

5G proofs of concept to showcase the

hip, particularly as we look to innovate around 5G.” The process by which SAP’s Center of Excellence brings customers on board is comprehensive, aiming to understand the customer’s needs and in turn inform them of the possibilities SAP offer. “We’ve put together and created a co-innovation playbook that’s specific to 5G through our partnership with Deloitte, for example. We’re helping customers look holistically at what 5G w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

125



$24.7bn Approximate revenue

1972

Year founded

96,498

Approximate number of employees

127

art of the possible and bring 5G to life.

modeling or AI or machine learning,

We want to be able to use these engage-

we bake that into a point of view to

ments as a lighthouse to say, ‘this is

showcase the art of the possible for

one example of the smart manufactur-

each one of the industries we operate

ing of the future,’ for example. Or,

in. Having that baseline with tangible

‘these are the use cases that we’ve

outcomes is one of the core compo-

identified and brought to life in a retail

nents that helps us drive customer

environment.’ We’re doing that across

conversations, because we’re able

targeted industries and then flowing

to point to work that we’ve performed.”

into all 26 verticals that we have business process expertise in. “Based on the proofs of concept that

Going into the future, SAP has assembled a 5G Council, pulling together hardware manufacturers,

we run, we create points of view to

telecommunications companies,

identify the top 12 or 15 innovations in

equipment providers and customers

a given industry. Whether it’s predictive

to further innovate in the 5G space, w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


SAP

128

“We’ve started 5G proofs of concept to showcase the art of the possible and bring 5G to life” — Frank Wilde, Vice President, Global Center of Excellence SAP

OCTOBER 2019


129

and Wilde is clear that such innova-

business models. We want to be able

tions do not represent business-as-

to give our customers that same

usual incremental upgrades, but

platform, so they can incubate new

instead a transformative tsunami.

ideas and land on new monetization

“5G adoption is not just for the sake

strategies as they go to market

of new technology but represents a

in new ways.”

fundamental shift in thinking, moving from a hardware driven network into a software defined one,” says Wilde. “Look at how fast Tesla, Uber and Airbnb came to life. We’re seeing an ever increasing speed of testing new w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


130

CITY OF AURORA: GROWING INTO A SMART CITY WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH PRODUCED BY

CRAIG DANIELS

OCTOBER 2019


131

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CITY OF AURORA

ALETA JEFFRESS, CHIEF INFORMATION AND DIGITAL OFFICER AT THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, DETAILS THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND SMART CITY MEASURES BEING PUT INTO PLACE

A 132

leta Jeffress is Chief Information and Digital Officer at the City of Aurora, Colorado. “There’s a lot of growth in Aurora, and we

happen to be in the fortunate position of having land, so our footprint can continue to expand,” says Jeffress. “There’s a lot of development east of the city, and with that comes a lot of different challenges. Infrastructure for instance – how do we ensure access to water? How do we ensure that public safety is covered as the city continues to grow, and then what do we need to do internally to ensure everything is working well?” Jeffress, and the IT department which she heads, have embarked on a program of digital transformation in order to better meet the challenges that growth presents. When Jeffress joined five years ago, she began to implement a series of structural changes. “One of the first steps in ensuring that what we did and how we did it was repeatable was the creation of a project management office in the OCTOBER 2019


133

$800mn Budget for all funds

1891

Year founded

4,000

Approximate number of employees w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


CITY OF AURORA

“ AS WE LOOK AT SMART CITIES AND, IN AURORA’S CASE, THE PHYSICAL GROWTH THAT WE HAVE, THERE’S JUST SO MUCH 134 OPPORTUNITY” — Aleta Jeffress, Chief Information and Digital Officer

IT department,” she says. “We’re on our third iteration now, and there’s a good process in place. Our customers know what to expect, we can utilize our resources and share updates and move projects along in a timely manner, considering resources and budget.” It was also a matter of systemic upgrades, modernizing legacy systems and moving to the cloud. “We have a solution rationalization modernization effort – an SRM for short. When I got here, we took inventory of all the products we had, really ensuring that we were looking at the entire picture and not just the biggest applications.” Beneficiaries of this approach include the upcoming modernization of computer aided dispatch and ERP systems, and Jeffress is also “working on a workflow implementation that would update how we do our land management, and how we work with developers and permits.” The city also examines its systems in order to determine if they would benefit from cloud transformation. “If the platform is such that we could move to a cloud model, and it makes sense from a cost

OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘AURORA TV – AURORA NOW’ 135 and functionality perspective, then

that we have, the data sources, who

that’s likely our first choice. We went

has access to what, and putting all

to a cloud-based solution for sales tax

of that together so that we can more

management in the past year or two,

efficiently manage what we have.”

and that’s been very successful.”

This focus on data will serve the city

Throughout this systems change,

well as it embarks on a new smart city

Jeffress has maintained a focus on

initiative, bringing a new influx of data.

security for the data contained within.

“Aurora was one of the founding cities

“We’ve built a lot more rigor into the

of the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance,”

security side as well as more knowl-

says Jeffress. “We had done a few

edge, both with staff very specific to

independent smart city projects and

security, as well as education across

then realized that we needed to have a

the organization. Looking at it from

bigger strategy. We made a request for

a data perspective, it’s a question of

proposal earlier this year and engaged

understanding the data classifications

with a firm who are putting together w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


City of Aurora's Security Posture Starts with its People Proofpoint email solutions empower and engage city employees in the fight against cyber threats The City Known as the Gateway to the Rockies, Aurora, Colorado, boasts spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains. Aurora is the third-largest city in Colorado with more than 381,000 residents. When Tim McCain was hired as the City's CISO, he and his team found themselves besieged by phishing attacks. Before they could focus on implementing risk-based governance and building security operations, they had to reclaim hours of time being spent on email attacks and cleanup.

The Challenge The existing infrastructure lacked an email gateway. The City had added Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection to its Office 365 deployment, but attacks still occurred regularly, and internally generated spam was still overwhelming. Worse, the team had no visibility and no incident data for improving defenses. For each incident, investigation through the vendor portal could take several days and still not deliver meaningful answers. “Low security efficacy and visibility are bad for any organization,” said McCain. “But the real problem is how attacks affected our people. We needed to defend City employees and services for the community, as well as empower and energize our team.”


“Proofpoint enables us to successfully address the issues at the very heart of risk—people and email.” —Tim McCain, Chief Information Security Officer, City of Aurora

The Solution

Empowered and Engaged

Picking a Pro

McCain’s team is taking on a security operations role with the help of the Proofpoint dashboard and support. They're proactively preventing spam flare-ups. The SecOps team historically would see a 72-hour turn-around from the point of attack to exploitation that in certain cases would result in thousands of emails being sent to City employees. It took hours to remove these from mailboxes. The team has reduced spam flare-ups to zero.

The security and infrastructure teams evaluated solutions, including numerous Proofpoint competitors and Proofpoint. When it came to conducting a POC, the choice was clear. “Proofpoint's level of professionalism, technical ability, and understanding of our needs was way above other vendors,” said McCain. “They made the POC easy and answered every question we asked. They even answered questions we didn't think to ask.” The City of Aurora chose a comprehensive Proofpoint solution. Email Protection protects users against malware, impostor emails, and stopped the flood of spam that was generated from infected systems. If emails are become malicious after delivery or use evasion tactics, Threat Response Auto-Pull (TRAP) enables McCain's team to automatically pull them out of users' mailboxes. Targeted Attack Protection (TAP) proactively stops advanced threats before they reach users’ inboxes, including zero-day attacks and emerging threats. In addition, the TAP Attack Index identifies the City's most attacked people and surfaces targeted ransomware attacks. With Email Encryption, users can now encrypt email messages with a click, enabling the City to more easily meet a wide range of compliance requirements. Proofpoint Security Awareness Training provides phishing reports that enable the team to analyze the City's phishing risks and know where to target additional training.

The Results “Proofpoint's ability to make security real enables us to engage everyone — from City leadership on down,” said McCain. “My team's confidence has grown, and now they feel like ‘CyberCSI Aurora,’ which is great.” McCain said he can't overstate the value of Proofpoint solutions and regular business reviews with his Proofpoint account team. Proofpoint is always available as the team gains leading-edge security knowledge and experience, giving them confidence. In fact, deployment of the Proofpoint platform has been accomplished faster than planned, which has enabled Tim to shift focus to roadmap projects almost a year ahead of time. “Proofpoint enables us to successfully address the issues at the very heart of risk—people and email,” said McCain. “Their support is amazing. I can say without hesitation that Proofpoint is an unqualified success.” For more information, visit www.proofpoint.com


CITY OF AURORA

138 and helping us drive a smart city strategy. That’s helped us to refine our mission and our vision for what smart cities should be for Aurora. For instance, we’re in the process of finalizing a purchase of our streetlights, which would then allow us to expand on how we use them for our various smart city initiatives.” Facilitating change is not just about putting different technological initiatives in place and hoping for the best, however. “Culture is a big part,” says Jeffress. “Whenever you do change management, you have to OCTOBER 2019

“ THERE’S A LOT OF GROWTH IN AURORA, AND WE HAPPEN TO BE IN THE FORTUNATE POSITION OF HAVING LAND, SO OUR FOOTPRINT CAN CONTINUE TO EXPAND” — Aleta Jeffress, Chief Information and Digital Officer


make sure that the culture is ready

remains important is making sure

and accepting, because otherwise it

that you hire the right people. That’s

just creates resistance. We sometimes

especially true in technology where

think of innovation as these big-ticket

it’s a continuing challenge due to the

items, but it’s important to figure out

low unemployment rate and number

a way to allow people to innovate

of open positions.”

themselves, to be comfortable with

The IT department itself can act as

change and to be able to make

a harbinger of change for surrounding

suggestions on how things could be

organizations, as Jeffress explains.

different.” For Jeffress, it’s crucial to

“The City of Aurora has about 21

remember the role of people amidst

different departments. The IT organi-

the technology transformation.

zation here supports all of them, so we

“Although we’re implementing a lot of

have to be very aware of what’s going

technology and a lot of digital transfor-

on in each to ensure we’re in a place

mation, one of the things that really

where we can help them to succeed.

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Aleta Jeffress Aleta Jeffress is the Chief Information and Digital Officer for the City of Aurora. She has over 20 years’ experience as a successful executive business leader and technologist building relationships between business and technology to enable digital transformation and market growth. She drives innovative strategies for business and IT leadership, and has developed teams for Cybersecurity and Project Management Offices from the ground up. Her career began in startup software companies where she started in a call center environment and moved through private and public sector organizations in the areas of software quality, development, product management, security, and ultimately leadership.

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CITY OF AURORA

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“ WHENEVER YOU DO CHANGE MANAGEMENT, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CULTURE IS READY AND ACCEPTING, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT JUST CREATES RESISTANCE” — Aleta Jeffress, Chief Information and Digital Officer

OCTOBER 2019


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CITY OF AURORA

C O M PA N Y FACT S

• City of Aurora has 21 different departments • City of Aurora was a founding member of the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance in 2017

142

OCTOBER 2019


We need to understand what the solutions are. It’s not just ‘here’s your phone and here’s your computer’, it’s ‘how are you trying to meet the goals?’ Whether it’s the animal shelter or public safety or the water department or the library, the question is: ‘are your constituents being served and how can we help you to enable that?’” Ultimately, as Aurora continues its transformation journey with the likes of the smart city initiative, Jeffress considers it vital to embrace rather than fear change. “Growth is just very positive. Some people might be intimidated by that, but really nothing stays the same. As we look at smart cities and, in Aurora’s case, the physical growth that we have, there’s just so much opportunity. We have to make sure that we take a step back and really look at the opportunity and leverage the opportunities that are in front of us. Whether that’s through process change or digital transformation, it is what’s needed to propel us into the next era.”

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144

HOW INTELLIGENCE LED SECURITY FIRM FIREEYE IS FIGHTING CYBER THREATS ON THE FRONT LINES WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR PRODUCED BY

CRAIG DANIELS

OCTOBER 2019


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FIREEYE INC

FIREEYE CIO COLIN CARMICHAEL SHARES HIS INSIGHT INTO THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF CYBERSECURITY, AND HOW THE COMPANY USES CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN EXPERTISE TO WIN THE WAR AGAINST CYBER THREATS

T

he first two decades of the 21st century have borne witness to dramatic and unilateral change of a scope and scale

seldom seen before. Ubiquitous mobile devices, the rise of artificial intelligence and the sweeping 146

digitalization of the global landscape have, even in the last decade, brought about dramatic and constant reinvention of the way businesses operate. In few places is this transformation more pronounced than the field of cybersecurity. From sophisticated phishing attacks and ransomware to high-profile data breaches, perpetrated by nation-state funded groups of cyber criminals, and direct interference in democratic elections, the war against digital crime has never been waged more fiercely. Colin Carmichael, CIO of leading cybersecurity firm FireEye, lives and works in the heart of this conflict. “We live and breathe on the front lines of cybersecurity every day here at FireEye,” he says. “FireEye is called into the biggest breaches all over the world. We see, first hand, what’s going on and what the bad guys are up to.” OCTOBER 2019


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FIREEYE INC

“ SECURITY CERTAINLY HAS CHANGED A LOT. BACK IN THE DAY, IT WAS SIMPLY A CASE OF MAKING SURE YOU HAD THE BEST PERIMETER SECURITY OUT THERE. TODAY, NO ONE’S SAFE” 148

— Colin Carmichael, CIO, FireEye

OCTOBER 2019

For the past 15 years, FireEye has fought tooth and nail against the machinations of cyber criminals, relentlessly protecting its customers from the impact and consequences of cyber attacks. Carmichael himself came to the firm in 2016, having previously worked in “every function of IT you can think of: hands on coding, managing people, building data centers, building applications. You name it, I’ve done it,” he laughs. Carmichael cut his teeth at Californian technology giant Sun Microsystems, and later held senior roles at Amazon


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘KEVIN MANDIA: WHO IS FIREEYE?’ 149 and Polycom. “The one role I avoided for most of my career was security, because back in the day it didn’t excite me.” We sat down with Carmichael to find out what changed his mind, get his insight into the complex and dangerous world of cybersecurity, and discover how FireEye is fighting the war against increasingly sophisticated and capable bad guys. “Security certainly has changed a lot,” recalls Carmichael. “Back in the day, it was simply a case of making sure you had the best firewall and DMZ structure out there to secure the perimeter. Then, w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


FIREEYE INC

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘FIREEYE: LEADING FROM THE FRONT LINES’ 150

if that perimeter was totally secure, you

“ FIREEYE’S MAJOR DIFFERENTIATOR IS WHAT WE CALL INTELLIGENCELED SECURITY” — Colin Carmichael, CIO, FireEye

just got on with your life.” In previous decades, the motivations behind cybersecurity breaches weren’t as clearly understood, and even major technology firms like Sun Microsystems saw competitors looking to steal intellectual property (IP) as the primary risk when it came to cyber espionage. “Today, no one’s safe. Every industry is at risk of being attacked for multiple different reasons,” says Carmichael. “There are obviously still attempts to steal IP, but there are also financial

OCTOBER 2019


attacks, people who want to ‘bring you to your knees’, ransomware and

groups out there. It’s a war.” Carmichael and FireEye are as close

phishing are off the charts – there’s a

to winning that war as anyone, but the

whole industry of adversaries out there,

process is a constant battle to stay one

and they are very, very sophisticated.”

step ahead of the bad guys. “You have

This increase in sophistication,

to continuously innovate. When you

Carmichael maintains, is the leading

identify a new vulnerability – a new

driver behind the unending innovation

attack vector for those bad guys –

cycle at FireEye. “The bad guy used

you’ve got to be able to respond

to be thought of as a teenager in dark

immediately,” he says. As technological

glasses and a hoodie,” he chuckles.

security measures become increas-

“Today, that’s not the case. There are

ingly airtight, users are being targeted

organized Advanced Persistent Threat

more and more as weak points in

groups – that are typically nation state

security systems. According to

driven – as well as organized crime

Carmichael, ransomware attacks are

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Colin Carmichael As Chief Information Officer, Colin Carmichael is responsible for leading the Information Systems & Services organization as they seek to deliver highly secure, modern and frictionless IT architecture and services to FireEye. Prior to FireEye, Colin held senior IT executive positions at Coopervision, Amazon and Sun Microsystems. At Sun, he was handpicked to run one of the world’s largest ERP implementations for the office of the CFO for 2 years, which led to the eventual integration into Oracle Corp after the acquisition of Sun. Colin has a Masters, IT in Commerce and Industry from The Open University in the UK.

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Service Management Automation X Smarter for employees. Smarter for IT.

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The James Hutton Institute Offers a Better Experience for Everyone The James Hutton Institute, a world-leading scientific organization based in Scotland, works to resolve global challenges in food, energy, and water security. The Institute’s IT team had been taking a fragmented approach to capturing requests from its 600 users. One site used a SharePoint solution, another a service automation solution. But neither solution really met the Institute’s service demands. “We didn’t have a single place for all staff to submit their requests,” said Ben Watt, end user computing manager at The James Hutton Institute. “This made it hard for the end users, but also for the team of 14 working on the requests.” Lack of full visibility was one of the team’s biggest challenges. “Without visibility across the process we could not easily allocate resources and deliver an effective service,” Watt said. “We wanted to provide a better experience for everyone, and create a service portal that would not just be used for IT requests, but for our estates, communications, and finance departments as well.” The Institute selected Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) to provide a digital self-service experience for IT and non-IT users. Today, the SMAX-driven service desk manages about 500 IT requests and 300 non-IT requests a month. Users leverage smart virtual agents to receive automated assistance, 24x7, along with email. A fully integrated self-service portal makes it easy for users to raise requests, check the status of existing requests, and leave comments or questions for IT.

Issue resolution is easier too. Now the IT team can see all open tickets and use knowledge articles to reduce ticket volumes. Written by IT, knowledge articles are short answers to specific questions. For more details, users can link to the complete article in the SMAX knowledge management module. “Our views across all knowledge articles are now in the thousands, compared to the tens of views we had in the past,” Watt said. “In addition, SMAX Hot Topic Analytics, using advanced search and analytics capabilities to recognize request patterns, has helped us create knowledge articles or problem records to address common issues.” After every request, SMAX sends a survey to the user. According to Watt, the SMAX survey platform has streamlined the survey process and boosted the response rate from 10 percent to an impressive 50 percent. The team also uses SMAX Hot Topic Analytics to highlight keywords in the surveys and determine if extra services or knowledge articles are needed. With SMAX, the Institute has successfully delivered self-service for all. “Our SMAX service portal is well liked by staff, and we regularly receive requests for other departments to be included,” Watt said. “Users are very comfortable doing their own research through the various channels at their disposal, which helps us focus our resources where we can add the most value.”

Learn More


FIREEYE INC

on the rise. “It’s not unheard of nowadays for CEOs to get emails that look very much like a normal communication from inside their network. It looks like it’s come from a legitimate source, and they’re moving so fast that they just click on a link or respond saying ‘yeah, I approve this.’ Then, that email launches some bad stuff in the background,” he explains. “Ransomware is the biggest growth area right now. Humans are humans, and sometimes you need to repeat that message several times before it sinks in.” 154

Both in its relationships with clients and

OCTOBER 2019

“ THE WORLD IS A SCARY PLACE, BUT AN INTERESTING ONE NONETHELESS” — Colin Carmichael, CIO, FireEye


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE FIREEYE INNOVATION CYCLE’ 155 internally, FireEye promotes a continuous education cycle in order to keep security awareness at the highest possible level and constantly strengthen “one of the weakest links in the chain”. While humans are increasingly the weakest point in a company’s cybersecurity armor, FireEye uses people as its most effective defensive asset. “FireEye’s major differentiator is what we call intelligence-led security,” says Carmichael. It is the company’s view that technology alone isn’t enough to combat cyber attacks, and that ‘hands-on front-line expertise, combined w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


FIREEYE INC

156

CYBE R S E C U R I T Y S TAT S

• 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs worldwide • $600bn: estimated annual cost of cybercrime globally

OCTOBER 2019


with innovative technology,’ is the most effective defense. Top level cybersecurity professionals are essential to FireEye’s business model, making the process of attracting and retaining the best possible talent a critical objective for the company. “There are 3.5mn open positions in the cybersecurity world today. That’s an absolute dearth of talent and everyone’s scrambling for it,” Carmichael says. “There are a lot of experts in the cybersecurity world who would love to come and work at places like FireEye, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re constantly working to figure out how to educate our people and how to partner better with universities that have curriculums focused on cybersecurity, so we can get new blood and a new generation of graduates coming out into this field, who are prepared to walk into a job on day one.” One way in which FireEye is helping its clients compensate for a shortage of cybersecurity talent is its new Expertise On Demand service. Given that “insufficient and under-skilled staff increases team workload, leading to burnout and attrition as well as increased business risk,” according to the company, Expertise On Demand w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

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FIREEYE INC

$831mn Approximate revenue

2004

Year founded

3,200

Approximate number of employees 158

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘APT41: A DUAL ESPIONAGE AND CYBER CRIME OPERATION’

OCTOBER 2019


anything in terms of their network. They would rather have their cloud on AWS or Azure or just want a SaaS application,” says Carmichael. Looking to the future, the war against cyber threats is only going to escalate, and FireEye will escalate along with it. “We’ll continue to evolve our products and our business, whether that’s through organic growth or acquisitions,” predicts Carmichael. “We know we’ve still got areas we want to offer capabilities in and, internally, my drive is to develop systems that actually get IT out of the way of the business and allow the business to go at the speed allows companies to utilise FireEye’s

of business.” As a veteran of IT and

vast expertise as a remote service, in

cybersecurity fighting on a daily basis

exchange for prepaid units including

against sophisticated and organized

training, capability development, and

threats, Carmichael admits the world

custom intelligence. The progression

“is a scary place, but an interesting one

towards service-based products is

nonetheless, and one that FireEye will

something FireEye has been embrac-

continue in its mission to relentlessly

ing for several years, moving from

protect our customers.”

hardware appliances to a servicebased cloud model. “We still have customers that prefer the old appliance, we have customers that are now much more software driven, and we’ve got a lot of customers who are migrating fully to the cloud and don’t want to manage w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

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160

Patelco Credit Union: creating a culture of innovation WRITTEN BY

SHANNON LEWIS PRODUCED BY

SHIRIN SADR

OCTOBER 2019


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PAT E L C O C R E D I T U N I O N

We speak to Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy at Patelco Credit Union, to discuss how collaboration between business and technology teams is the key to creating a culture of innovation

A

not-for-profit organisation, Patelco Credit Union’s focus is on community. Started in 1939, it was originally the Pacific Telephone

Company’s credit union, where employees could collect deposits and fund loans. Rooted in that 162

cooperative nature, Patelco has grown to a US$7bn company with more than 350,000 members. Landel says, “we truly believe we’re here to help our members”. Patelco has multiple community outreach and support programmes, from connections to the Children’s Miracle Network to its loan programme that offers an upfront 0% interest $500 cash loan to disaster-stricken customers. Kevin Landel started at Patelco six years ago as Chief Information Officer. “At the time,” he says, “virtually all of our technology was home grown.” While this has the upside of flexibility, it meant the company was spending most of its resources on support rather than strategic building. Landel shifted to a platform strategy, sourcing out Patelco’s technology. CU Direct took on its loan origination system; Alkami made its system for online banking. OCTOBER 2019


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$7bn In assets

1939

Year founded

1,100

Approximate number of employees w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


PAT E L C O C R E D I T U N I O N

“ There’s no reason for us to reinvent the wheel, so we partner with providers that offer a great foundation that does all the basics but is an open platform that allows us to build strategically on top of it”

164

— Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy, Patelco Credit Union

OCTOBER 2019

Now, when Patelco wants to add a widget to simplify customer donations to its community outreach programmes, it can do so easily without having to develop the technology for an entire web platform. “I’m happy to say we are out of fix mode and into the build mode,” says Landel. His role has since shifted as Patelco brings on a new CTO, as well as marketing and credit analysists with strong data science backgrounds. Now, Landel focuses on developing other areas of innovation where the company can flourish: robotic process automation,


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘MEET PATELCO ONLINE’ 165 virtual agents, and bringing in AI for

asked a room of potential providers

data analysis.

if they were willing to update its mobile

“There’s typically this build or buy

site first and online site second. “It was

decision that technology leaders

an innovation in the industry, but it’s not

make,” Landel says, “and we take a

a big leap in technology,” says Landel.

middle ground. There’s no reason for

Because mobile users are more

us to reinvent the wheel, so we partner

flexible and accustomed to change,

with providers that offer a great

this strategy allowed Patelco to

foundation that does all the basics but

“concentrate on what’s important and

is an open platform that allows us to

limit the risk”. Patelco launched the

build strategically on top of it”. Patelco

new system without removing the old,

chooses providers based on their

incentivising customers to change over

“flexibility and willingness to work in an

with additional functionality rather than

unusual way.” When updating its online

forcing them. 85% of members

banking system, for instance, Patelco

switched systems of their own accord. w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


The gold standard in digital banking Outsmart the Megabanks and grow confidently with the nation’s most successful cloud-based digital banking platform.


“ The culture of innovation here starts at the top. It falls into three areas: learning, doing, and refining” — Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy, Patelco Credit Union

This, in conjunction with a virtual advisory team that asked for feedback from the mobile users, allowed Patelco to limit the usual dip in customer satisfaction when making the platform conversion and to come out of it in only three quarters. “It isn’t using unusual technology,” Landel says, “it’s just a different way of thinking. “The culture of innovation here starts at the top. It falls into three areas: learning, doing, and refining,” he adds. From sending executives to the Credit Union Executive Society (CUES) Innovation Institute at MIT and Stanford, to putting

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Kevin Landel Kevin has held executive positions, been a principal in two startups, and as an alumnus of the MIT Media Lab and subsequently at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, Kevin has designed systems, taught courses, and consulted for many companies in the US and abroad, has been awarded a variety of grants and awards, and holds a patent for computer video display technology. Kevin is a sought-after voice in financial services technology and innovation, and has served on advisory boards for Fiserv, CO-OP, Alkami, CUISPA and others. An avid surfer and outdoorsman, Kevin lives in Pleasanton with his family.

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PAT E L C O C R E D I T U N I O N

“ It was an innovation in the industry, but it’s not a big leap in technology” — Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy, Patelco Credit Union

the full leadership team through the Harvard Business School online course 168

about disruptive strategy, Patelco ensures its heads of teams all speak the same language. “Filene Institute has an innovation immersion that we’ve done with our executives, and we had them come out to do a follow-up presentation with our whole team.” One of the ways in which Patelco instils collaboration into its culture of innovation is through the use of the SAFe framework, a scaled AGILE system that “goes higher than just a team level with scrums and sprints. It really works at the company and portfolio level.” According to Landel, “it allows us to understand what the dependencies and risks are in any OCTOBER 2019


project that we’re working on.” During the planning sprint, business leaders and technology teams get together to discuss solutions to projects. “It dramatically increases the transparency and flexibility of the teams by creating a higher level of collaboration between the business and technology teams,” says Landel. This has allowed Patelco to go from taking 90 days to roll out a product to going from ideation to rollout in three weeks. Patelco leverages the collaborative aspect of credit unions. “We don’t have the budget like big banks,” says Landel, “but we do have the collective strength of credit unions working together.” Landel serves on several industry advisory boards and is active in credit union collaborative initiatives, including big data and financial health research initiatives with Callahan Credit Union Financial Services Limited Partnership, and as a member of the strategy council of CO-OP Financial Services, a credit unionowned service organization that provides payment card services, shared branching, contact center, and other services to Patelco and the CU industry. “We leverage the collaboraw w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

169


MEMBER FINANCIAL JOURNEYS: FROM EMOTION TO IMPACT

EMPOWERING MEMBER

PAY INTEGRATE ENGAGE PROTECT CONSULT

Measuring your members’ experience at every touchpoint is critical to building a better relationship with them. CO-OP Financial Services surveyed more than 1,200 credit union members across 13 high-frequency touchpoints to understand how credit unions are performing across the entire journey. Read our “Mapping the Member Journey” report to discover how to leverage this research to improve the member experience at your credit union. Download the Report: visit.coop/memberjourneyresearch

©2019 CO-OP Financial Services


tive nature of credit unions to multiply our energy to provide the best tech we can for our members.” Being located close to Silicon Valley, Patelco has access to all of the very latest technology and innovative ideas. “There’s a real synergy,” says Landel. “We have knowledge, data, and an understanding of our business that an entrepreneur may not, while an entrepreneur has the technology, skillsets, ideas, and capacities to build things that we may not. Considering this, it’s natural to get together and do a partnership.” This synergy gave Patelco an AI chatbot that it now uses

“ We have knowledge, data, understanding of our business that an entrepreneur may not while an entrepreneur has the technology, skillsets, ideas, and capacities to build things that might not. It’s natural to get together and do a partnership” — Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy, Patelco Credit Union

as the primary knowledge database for w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

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PAT E L C O C R E D I T U N I O N

172

“ It isn’t using unusual technology, it’s just a different way of thinking” — Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy, Patelco Credit Union

the entire organization. Actionable Science approached Patelco with background data machine learning technology; Patelco was looking for a way to help members understand its new credit cards. The pilot was so successful as an in-house training tool that Patelco “took it and expanded it across all knowledge areas […] our entrepreneur was able to take these learnings and develop products from them,” Landel notes. “We’ve launched a startup and we have a solution that’s meeting our needs.”

OCTOBER 2019


173

In the next two to three years,

digital changes are underway, Patelco

Patelco will cross the $10bn threshold,

still strongly believes in its physical

a major milestone for US financial

branches, although these have been

groups that would trigger several

shifting from transactional locations to

compliance regulations. “Our work for

places of advice and financial health.

the next few years is to get prepared

True to Patelco’s core values, Landel

for that and cross the threshold with

concludes, “we strongly believe in

momentum. We’re growing at a

people helping people.”

tremendous rate,” explains Landel. Patelco is looking at improving its payment system with AI, investing in a blockchain group exploring digital identity, and in a group focused on natural language processing. While w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


174

PROSEGUR: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION FOR INTEGRATED SECURITY WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH PRODUCED BY

KRISTOFER PALMER

OCTOBER 2019


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PROSEGUR

Christian de Suñer, Head of Integrated Technology Security Solutions at Prosegur, reveals the combination of manpower and technology powering a security transformation

176

L

ike so many others, the security industry is finding that digital transformation can uncover new solutions to its unique challeng-

es. Multinational private security company Prosegur is spearheading this movement in the industry by implementing a ‘security transformation’. Christian de Suñer is Head of Integrated Technology Security Solutions at Prosegur Singapore. “In 2011, Prosegur started its Asian journey acquiring several local security agencies in Singapore. I helped with the integration of those companies into the Group at that time and now I lead the Integrated Technology Security Solutions department, the main role of which is to transform, with technology, our existing sites and secure new integrated security contracts – meaning manpower and technology together.”

OCTOBER 2019


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PROSEGUR

$3.9bn+ Approximate revenue

1976

Year founded

One of the key developments put into practice by Prosegur has been the introduction of offsite ‘Smart Centres’, using technology to offer improved security services at the sites. “In some situations, we can have an operator seated in a control room performing multiple roles at once, such as digitally patrolling via cameras,” says de Suñer.

170,000

178

Approximate number of employees

“Instead of a one-hour physical patrol, they can do it in 15 minutes. The idea is to complement and support our physical patrols. We can achieve an increase in productivity and carry out more frequent patrols, while reducing our vulnerability to sick leave or weather problems. For example, we can do two physical tours a shift, and six digital – eight in total, double the four physical patrols from before. This way we maximise the efficiency of our security services, providing higher security with less resources. If needed, smart centre operators can coordinate officers on the ground to respond. If there’s a false alarm, that’s caught at the smart centre.” Beyond serving to expand security officers’ reach, technological solutions are also in place to notice unseen

OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘SECURITY - PROSEGUR INTEGRA’ 179 discrepancies. Though cameras have long been part of the security play-

way, it will be flagged to our operator.” When an incident does occur, POPS,

book, artificial intelligence and

the recently introduced Prosegur

machine learning are uncovering new

Operations Platform application,

ways to process the visual data they

provides security officers with a suite

return. “We’re using machine learning

of tools. These include bi-directional

algorithms to automatically learn the

communications between the ground

difference between a normal move-

and command centre, access to

ment pattern and an abnormal one in

operational procedures and reports

a surveillance camera scene,” says de

for the site owner, all of which serve

Suñer. “The differences are detected

to integrate the different parts of the

at a pixel level, and in real time. The

security operation. “One main benefit

technology doesn’t know if it’s a person

is that we can, at any point in time,

or a bird or a car – if the image differs

send alerts to/from the Smart Centre.

from the previous one in a suspicious

If there is a fire two blocks away from w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


USE DAVANTIS VIDEO ANALYTICS AND MAKE YOUR SECURITY GUARDS MORE EFFICIENT MONITORING THE SITES

Our software automatically generates an alarm when an intrusion occurs, allowing you to react C within seconds.

Once the intrusion has been verified, the system allows remote activation of deterrent devices

Lights

Speakers Sirens

Sprinklers

VISIT DAVANTIS.COM LEARN MOREAND BOOK A FREE DEMO


MORE EFFICIENT STAFF WITH FEWER RESOURCES DAVANTIS specialises in video analytics for perimeter security, developing trusted technology compatible with all security systems on the market. Offering real solutions around the world, the company has over 6,000km of perimeter under surveillance with channels installed in more than 40 countries. An example of DAVANTIS’ work can be found in the Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic church in the city of Barcelona designed by architect Antoni Gaudí. The first stone was laid in 1882 and building work continues to this day. The church is Gaudí’s masterpiece, the pinnacle of Catalan Modernist architecture and is one of the most visited monuments in Spain. The monument requires protection to the highest security standards adapted to its unique characteristics and surroundings, since it receives almost five million visitors a year and building work is still ongoing. Sagrada Familia is one of the city’s most important tourist attractions and is protected by stringent security measures. Detection of intruders, abnormal behaviour and loitering in specific areas are among the major issues that require monitoring in this spectacular building. The Sagrada Familia relies on DAVANTIS video analytics systems to protect the site and ensure optimal functioning of the monument at all times. DAVANTIS video analytics systems are fully compatible with all existing hardware and are adapted for use with both thermal and visible technology to control more than 50 critical points on site. The project involved installing more than 50 thermal and visible cameras with DAVANTIS video analytics systems. The company’s highly compatible equipment made it possible to combine existing and new

cameras made by different manufacturers. A combination of compatible, scalable Daview S and Daview LR systems were used. Different security zones were created to automatically alert the person assigned to manage each incident, establish security rules according to the site’s opening and closing times and scale the system to cover the changing needs of the monument and reinforce surveillance points in case of changes to the environment. DAVANTIS' systems benefit installers thanks to the combination of technology and security personnel. This means DAVANTIS can offer a superior, more efficient solution than those of competitors, who often rely on additional investments in resources and more guards per shift. They also provide better margins and profits. Technology sales margins are often greater than those for security staff, making the installation of DAVANTIS systems an opportunity for installers to improve profit margins. End users profit from more reliable, effective security. When it detects an intruder, DAVANTIS video analytics automatically raises the alarm so that security staff can take action instantly. The company’s solution is also less costly because fewer security guards are required to monitor a site. DAVANTIS’ equipment is scalable so that customers make additional investments as their security needs change, with standalone installation tailored to space constraints and IT requirements. www.davantis.com +34 935 868 990

LEARN MORE


PROSEGUR

182

our site, we can send an alert to all

If there is no response, our Smart

our nearby sites and make them aware.

Centre can remotely control the location,

We are able to send immediate

cameras and microphone of the mobile

information to make people aware

device to learn what is happening and

of what they need.” By tracking and

assist our security officer.”

distributing information in this manner,

Such innovations require the support

Prosegur can also improve the safety

of partners, and Prosegur selects its

of its security officers. “If an officer

solutions based purely on merit.

feels unsafe while patrolling in a

“Prosegur is brand agnostic. We sell

threatening area, they can make the

customised security solutions. We take

Smart Centre aware and then, every

in all the data and then we understand

two minutes, the Smart Centre will

whatever is best for the client. We don’t

send a signal, to which they need

manufacture anything and we don’t

to respond, to confirm they are OK.

have a stock we need to sell because

OCTOBER 2019


it’s out of date. It has to fit the client.”

capital arm, using its security expertise

Bosch Security Systems has been

to invest in promising companies in

a partner for a number of Prosegur’s

the space with an eye on facilitating

projects, de Suñer explains. “We feel

their growth and obtaining a return on

comfortable working with them,

its investment. One beneficiary of this

because their products, such as

investment has been Octopus Systems,

cameras, are of the highest quality

an Israeli company providing a state-of-

and provide our clients a premium

the-art security platform solution.

and long-lasting solution. We are now

“Octopus fits with our security services

collaborating with them in several

fantastically. The way our operators

projects involving high-end condomini-

are managing incidents is fast, efficient,

ums.” With the need for high quality

and has helped us to win one of the

solutions in mind, the Group has

biggest, if not the biggest, integrated

established a technology venture

security contracts in Singapore.”

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Christian de Suñer Christian de Suñer is a management professional with 19 years of international experience spanning Singapore, China, Spain and Mexico in various industries. Within the security industry, he helped the integration of PROSEGUR GROUP’s first acquisitions in Asia, and established a strong footprint in Singapore. In Shanghai, he first supported a joint venture, and is now leading the technology division in Prosegur Singapore, introducing integrated security solutions (manned guarding and technology) and spearheading the security industry transformation in Singapore. Christian holds two university degrees: a Diploma in Business Administration and a BSc in Actuarial and Financial Sciences by ICADE University, Madrid (Spain). w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

183


PROSEGUR

“ THERE IS NO OTHER WAY THAN THROUGH TECHNOLOGY” — Christian de Suñer, Head, Integrated Technology Security Solutions

184

OCTOBER 2019


185

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BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES SECURITY

Integrated Solutions for Commercial Buildings 1

Video Systems

2 Access Control Systems

3

Intrusion Alarm Systems

7

SAFETY

4 6

4

10

3

Fire Alarm Systems

9

8

1 2

5

Public Address

COMMUNICATIONS

6

Conference & Discussion

BUILDING MANAGEMENT & APPLICATIONS

7

Commercial Audio

8

Management Software

9

Cloud-based Services

10

Professional Services

5


4 ANSWERS TO THE MODERN WORKPLACE’S ANNOYANCES When we set out to develop a smart building, a smart city, or even a smart nation, we start with the questions, “what are the current systems in place and how can we help?” Each addresses a different set of challenges. We look at how the current systems interact, and come up with ways to measure and optimize unique problems and their solutions. In offices, security is especially important to keeping every company’s most valuable contributors safe and sound. Below are ways we’ve solved these existing problems.

Smart Carpark A carpark is often a visitor’s first point of contact with any building. Picture your businesses visitors or colleagues driving around several tight corners, keeping an eager eye out for one free spot. One of our solutions makes it possible for visitors to check on parking availability before they arrive. We use video-based analytics to recognize and count empty lots in an open-air car park; the analytics are run from a single camera mounted onto the roof, eliminating the need to embed sensors in each parking lot. The system is also able to recognize if a car is illegally parked, take note of the license plate details and location, and notify facilities management team to investigate.

Smart Zoning Once past the gate, people want to get to their office floor on Monday morning – the elevator has room for once, and then someone pushes a cargo trolley in instead of using the goods lift. Our smart building detects this and triggers an announcement, directing that person to use the appropriate lift. Smart cameras are trained to recognise objects and apply rules to determine what kinds of objects are allowed or disallowed within a certain zone. The cameras are integrated with the public address system. When they detect a violation, targeted announcements can be sent to the affected zone to address security, safety or usage issues.

Touchless Access Now imagine someone then enters the building with a coffee in one hand and phone in the other. They walk up to the gate, smile, and keep walking. Our intelligent entry solution makes use of touchless access; a smart video camera captures the facial details of a visitor and matches it to their registered facial details. The gantry automatically opens for an authorized visitor or staff, and reversely keeps the gate shut for those who are not registered or allowed.

Smart EVAC In cases of emergency, our AVIOTEC cameras detect fire before smoke can even be discerned by humans. This is very important because early detection of fire is important in curtailing its perilous spread. The integration of these cameras with the public announcement system allows for the zoning of evacuation messages so that people are directed to the best evacuation routes, and the access doors will automatically be unlocked for them to exit.

To find out more, contact us at: apr.buildingtechnologies@bosch.com


PROSEGUR

“ TECHNOLOGY DETECTS, MANPOWER REACTS” — Christian de Suñer, Head, Integrated Technology Security Solutions

188

OCTOBER 2019


De Suñer is clear that it’s never a matter of bringing technology to a site for the sake of it. Instead, it must always be appropriate for the customer. “Every time we want to transform a site, we need to do a proper survey – usually quite a few. We need to understand the culture of the site. Then we can start the security solution brainstorming stage.” Indeed, culture is a big focus for Prosegur, internally as much as in its sites. Motivating the digital transformation of security has been manpower issues stemming, in part, from an unfavourable view of working in the security industry. The government of Singapore is seeking to address this issue in the near future, mandating a maximum eight-hour shift and increasing pay. These moves should help the integration of technology with manpower, and de Suñer welcomes them. “The government is pushing the industry into more technology-based solutions, because only with the help of technology can we perform the same duties with the available manpower without compromising the security of the site. Training is a very important part of this. The industry, w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

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PROSEGUR

190

“ WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE OF THE SITE FIRST” — Christian de Suñer, Head, Integrated Technology Security Solutions

OCTOBER 2019

for instance, is bringing in virtual reality training, and on our side we’re trying to simplify jobs and redesign their tasks. Initially, officers often fear things will be more complicated, but they soon understand it’s actually going to get easier. Technology detects, manpower reacts.” One clear example of this axiom is the video analytics from Davantis Technologies, a world-class solution for perimeter intrusion detection using CCTV images. Their technology is very easy to install (with machine learning


191

capabilities) and even easier to operate,

two or three years it’s going to be

facilitating a very quick response from

massive. Security agencies who aren’t

our security officers.”

adopting this technology approach

The future for Prosegur Singapore

are going to struggle. We need to move

heralds an increase in the number of

fast because service buyers are not

integrated security sites, with the

going to greatly increase their security

company aiming for them to make up

budgets. There is no other way than

50% of its total in the near future.

through technology.”

De Suñer views this transformation as truly existential, and has worked to ensure that Prosegur is fit to face the future. “We see the coming wave. It’s small right now, but in the next w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital: 192

expanding and transforming to ensure eyecare is available for everyone

EDITED BY

MATT HIGH PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

OCTOBER 2019


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I S PA H A N I I S L A M I A E Y E I N S T I T U T E A N D H O S P I TA L

Mridul Kumar Sarkar, CEO at Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital, discusses the technological, educational and organisational transformations that are enabling it to realise its noble goals of offering eyecare for all regardless of their means

I

n 1960, when there was no concept of any speciality hospital in the country, the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital

(IIEI&H) was incorporated as the first single organ healthcare institution in Bangladesh. Since that 194

time, it has developed to be the lead referral and teaching hospital, with all sub-specialties of Ophthalmology. IIEI&H serves over one million patients annually, many of whom come from remote areas of the country. The institute and hospital is undergoing a noble and holistic transformation, driven by the goal of enabling quality eye healthcare provision regardless of patient means. Having recently secured the Hospital of the Year Award for Bangladesh in the Healthcare Asia Awards 2019, the not-for-profit organisation’s remarkable expansion and transformation has not gone unnoticed. Mridul Kumar Sarkar, CEO at the institution, has driven significant operational and structural changes since he took charge in October 2015. “When I came here, the scenario was completely different,” he says. “Some OCTOBER 2019


195

systems were almost non-existent, we had to work very hard for a paradigm shift in bringing both those systems and a positive culture. That work was completed within two years, and we then realised the true strength of this organisation.” During Sarkar’s tenure, the organisation has expanded its presence from four hospitals to 21, and boosted its staff headcount from 565 to around 1,150 – 125 of whom are full-time w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


I S PA H A N I I S L A M I A E Y E I N S T I T U T E A N D H O S P I TA L

“ Our commitment is to make services available for all who need them, irrespective of their social position or paying capacity” — Mridul Kumar Sarkar, CEO, Ispahani Islamic Eye Institute and Hospital 196

doctors of various disciplines. “Besides ophthalmologists, we also have cardiologists, anaesthesiologists, clinical pathologists and microbiologists to support the safe and quality clinical services,” says Mr. Sarkar. Besides its direct services to patients through its main and peripheral hospitals, the organisation has been providing nationwide services in eye care by putting a major focus on expanding out ophthalmic team across a range of positions and levels. Sarkar continues: “Since 1992 we have created 259 ophthalmologists which stands for 25% countries total strength and 643 ophthalmologists for Cataract surgical training (50% of total strength). The hospital has led Bangladesh eye care’s transition into sub-speciality era since 2011, which was of dire need at the time; in total, 151 ophthalmologists for in subspecialities were created, of whom 63 were international. “One of the unique things in our fellowship is the number of surgical cases that we offer, along with the one-to-one coaching that our institute provides,” Sarkar adds. The country, and the global ophthalmology community, has historically

OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘VLOG II ISPAHANI ISLAMIA EYE INSTITUTE AND HOSPITAL, FARMGATE, DHAKA’

lacked dedicated ophthalmic nurses and mid-level ophthalmic personnel, a challenge that IIEI&H is working to address. The hospital has produced 170 mid-level ophthalmic technical personnel, has increased its mid-level technical skill training to 149 technicians and has provided ophthalmic Nursing training to 463 home nurses. Alongside all these mid-level training programmes – including optometry diplomas – from August 2020, the hospital will offer BSc and MSc optometry courses. “Ophthalmic w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

197


Excellence in Eye Care Aristovision – the leader in Bangladesh ophthalmic market for over last 12 years. It’s mission is always guided by its philosophy - “Quality- the unit we count”. Hence it’s efforts to improve quality never ends up. With this commitment, it is now exporting it’s world class ophthalmic products to 34 countries of 5 continents.

The new “State of the Art” dedicated ophthalmic plant according to WHO-CGMP & UK MHRA standards.

Learn more at www.aristopharma.com or Contact us: apl@aristopharma.com, export@aristopharmabd.com


nursing is a very demanding discipline,”

a great challenge. Therefore, IIEI&H is

elaborates Sarkar. “Across the global

actively considering the introduction of

eye hospital fraternity – whether in

a School of Nursing in Ophthalmology

London, the United States, Europe or

in 2020. This, it is hoped, will ultimately

other Asian countries – there is truly a

culminate in seamless eyecare opera-

scarcity of trained ophthalmic nurses.”

tions for all.

Sadly, the eye is still a least-priority

Focusing on quality standards for

organ, even for clinical service provid-

such a large not-for-profit hospital

ers. Conventional nursing curricula,

remains a distant dream however,

too, still give barely any emphasis to

even more so when people are not

ophthalmology – nursing graduates

covered with health insurance. In

are eventually ending up being trained

addition, despite the many measures

on the job, for example. However, the

being taken, patient safety remains

retention of such a skilled workforce is

an issue. In this regard, IIEI&H is all

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Mridul Kumar Sarkar Mridul has considerable experience in spearheading organisations and offers strong leadership and vision. He has worked in various life science, healthcare and medical roles worldwide and is a proven business strategist with strong technical and entrepreneurial acumen. At Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital his mission is to accomplish the organisation’s mission, vision and strategic international goals. This includes setting strategic direction to develop and implement growth and development, developing sustainable financial strategies and foster continuous innovation.

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I S PA H A N I I S L A M I A E Y E I N S T I T U T E A N D H O S P I TA L

set for International Gold Quality Accreditation by Q4 of 2019. Achieving this will be a landmark achievement for the hospital, showcasing a visible model for other healthcare organisation to follow. Simultaneously, the hospital is currently undergoing the process of going paperless through the introduction of advanced ERP to offer multi-faceted benefits, not only in uplifting the quality of services and accelerating the green environment, but also to reduce its 200

service delivery timeline and ensure the optimal utilisation of resources. This will perfectly complement its

OCTOBER 2019


“ We want to ensure that eyecare is affordable for everyone” — Mridul Kumar Sarkar, CEO, Ispahani Islamic Eye Institute and Hospital 201

new quality standards, meet interna-

paying capacity. We want to ensure

tional safety and help to meet clinical

that eyecare is affordable for everyone,”

research goals.

reiterates Sarkar, “and we strive to

Such developments are in tune with

make available at global standards. To

the hospital’s ongoing focus on futuris-

realise the vision of excellence in eye-

tic innovations. Another example of this

care across the globe and particularly

can be found in IIEI&H’s engagement in

for the underprivileged, you must blend

leveraging various data analytics and

heads and hearts. That is key to the

artificial intelligence (AI) for research

success of our mission.”

and hospital management purposes. “Our commitment is to make services available for all who need them, irrespective of their social position or w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


202

Building the cities of the future WRITTEN BY

OLIVER MULKERRINS PRODUCED BY

KRIS PALMER

OCTOBER 2019


203

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AV E VA

AVEVA USE UNIFIED DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION TO MODERNISE INFRASTRUCTURE AND BUSINESS PROCESSES

A

VEVA is a global leader in engineering and industrial software that is driving digital transformation across the entire

asset and operational life cycle of capital-intensive industries. The company’s asset performance, engineering, monitoring and control, and planning 204

and operations solutions deliver proven results to over 16,000 customers across the globe. AVEVA has over 4,400 employees at 80 locations in over 40 countries. The company’s robust solution portfolio offers an unmatched set of offerings covering every aspect of industrial operations from simulation, engineering and construction through asset performance and real-time manufacturing operations management. This combination delivers improved profitability and operational excellence across capitalintensive industries. Improved design, performance and productivity, helps AVEVA customers achieve the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) and highest return on capital investment.

OCTOBER 2019


205

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AV E VA

“ What matters is ‘ease of use’ and ‘empowerment’ of the users, which can reduce their workload and increase overall efficiency” 206

— Sayaji Shinde, the Business Head of Smart City, Smart Infrastructure and Smart Water

The demand for the modernization of city infrastructure has never been higher. In this everchanging climate, AVEVA has been tasked with establishing smart solutions to modern problems in Asia’s cities and businesses by using integrated data technology to unify sectors of a business or city. Sayaji Shinde heads up the programme as the Business Head of Smart City, Smart Infrastructure and Smart Water. “Over the past few decades, industries have been investing heavily in digitalisation of operations, process and stakeholder engagements,” he explains. “Sectors like banking, telecommunication, manufacturing and retail have transformed their business using the latest technology and trends, to achieve higher operational efficacies reduce cost and improve profits.” A recent digitalisation trend in infrastructure industry has been the implementation of solutions that deal with an individual department problem, independent from the bigger picture. Dubbed silo solutions, this methodology of tackling these operational inefficiencies on an individual department or operation basis can produce

OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘WE ARE AVEVA’

207

complications down the line. Gaps

of infrastructure is very different than

in deployed silo solutions across the

the rest of the industries, as infrastruc-

variety of domains may give rise to hu-

ture is typically operated with the help

man errors, as information becomes

of engineering technologies and IT.

fragmented between an organisation’s

Many IT companies are trying to offer

various departments.

solutions, however, their offerings ex-

The operations involved in airports,

hibit a lack of understanding, experi-

sea ports, railways, metros, cities,

ence and capability to leverage the

water systems, tunnels and townships

engineering technology.”

must realise the need to develop their

Digital transformation of smart in-

road map for digital transformation to

frastructure requires some degree of

unify their approach to problem solv-

automation to be in place. The journey

ing, as Sayaji explains: “The approach

can be much easier to achieve if an

needed for the digital transformation

organisation has invested in automaw w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


AV E VA

tion layers to help leap-frog into more advanced capabilities. Technologies such as Internet of things (IoT), big data analytics and AI grant a level of technological maturity that allows bigger steps into automating people-driven processes and collating information from multiple sectors in real time. Sayaji explains: “City operations are managed through departments which are independent of each other and do not allow city authorities to manage their interdepended functions, for example, if road repair work is supposed

208

to be taken up by public departments, the information for this activity may not be shared with traffic departments in advance. ”To aid in the digital transformation of a partner, AVEVA has developed the “Unified Operations Centre” (UOC) a platform technology that helps reduce the cost of a project and ensures successful delivery of the transformational project. The system allows for visibility, navigation and manipulation of infrastructure creating a command centre from which a business can see and interact with the activity across its various domains. AVEVA has also integrated a ‘train the OCTOBER 2019


trainer’ programme, which allows cus-

of the successful delivery through

tomers to have an internal coach

guidance of the technological differ-

for their users. Of the programme,

ences of the offered solutions.” The

Sayaji says “what matters is the ‘ease

second partners, he adds, are “solution

of use’ and ‘empowerment’ of the us-

vendors like intelligent traffic manage-

ers with adequate information to act,

ment, CCTV surveillance, water and

which can reduce their workload while

energy systems. We work with them to

increasing overall efficiency.”

produce integrated solutions to in our

Naturally, such complex projects involve close collaboration with lead-

data platforms.” The UOC is a large component of the

ing partners. Sayaji notes that AVEVA

company’s ‘city in a box’ project. The

defines its partners through two cat-

platform enhances the capabilities

egories: “Prime bidders, such as cities,

of the silo solutions, implemented in

where the partner needs assurance

the early stages of transformation, by

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Sayaji Shinde Mr. Sayaji Shinde is the Business Head, leading AVEVA’s Smart Cities and Infrastructure solution business across Asia Pacific. For the past 15 years he has been working with Government agencies across Asia to help them in transformation projects to deliver better Citizen services. He was engaged in transforming 6 cities as Smart Cities in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. He has in-depth knowledge of City Operations, Defense, Tax, Social Services, water/electrical utilities and Transportation functioning. His technical expertise not only includes information technology but also operational control technologies like DCS, SCADA and Instrumentation.

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209


AV E VA

£766mn Approximate revenue

1967

Year founded

4,400+

210

Approximate number of employees

seamlessly integrating these solu-

control their infrastructure through mo-

tions to manage departments across

bile devices, visibility and geographic

a unified platform. “UOC allows con-

information system (GIS) mapping, to

version of IT, OT (operational technol-

give the visualisation of data through

ogy) and IoT applications, centralising

3D mapping work sites.

the operations and managing critical

As well as reducing costs, these

incidences and events and collaborate

technologies can also contribute to

between departments electronically

sustainability through the optimisation

to achieve higher-level efficiencies by

of resource expenditure and con-

leveraging existing investments,” says

trol, such as fuel, energy, water and

Sayaji. This gives users the power to

workforce. This is all made possible

OCTOBER 2019


211

“ City operations managed through departments independent of each other do not allow city authorities to manage their interdepended functions” — Sayaji Shinde, the Business Head of Smart City, Smart Infrastructure and Smart Water

because users are being given access to information in real time through the transformation and can lead to easy analysis of behaviours in both the physical infrastructure and human action. This data gives actionable intelligence at a glance. To give examples of the practical applications of this technology, Sayaji says “in the case of traffic management, if roads are wired with sensors the data collected about w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


AV E VA

212

OCTOBER 2019


“The approach needed for the digital transformation of infrastructure is very different than the rest of the industries.” — Sayaji Shinde, the Business Head of Smart City, Smart Infrastructure and Smart Water

average speed and the volume of vehicles across the stretch of road gives visibility of the traffic pattern through the day. This data can then, not only, be used to manage traffic signal timings but make infrastructure decisions of whether to build a flyover at a junction or just widen the curvature of the road.” The definition of “what is smart” can be a grey area for industry. The concept of digital transformation is constantly evolving to encompass new frontiers without much of a framework and, by designing a transformational approach that can progress with

the birth of new technologies, we can alleviate unnecessary expenditure and target change towards a more focused outcome, Sayaji believes. Despite potential challenges, Sayaji is confident that the business can continue to grow: “Within the past two years, AVEVA has secured five smart city deals and now we are venturing in other areas like airports, sea ports, facility management and data centres.”

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213


214

HOW ANU IS HARNESSING ANALYTICS TO PLAN A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ITS CANBERRA CAMPUS WRITTEN BY

DAN BRIGHTMORE PRODUCED BY

RYAN HALL

OCTOBER 2019


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A U S T R A L I A N N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y

The Australian National University (ANU) has applied the one planet methodology to its recent redevelopment of the campus’ central precinct. It has also pioneered socially responsible investment and a sustainable approach to energy use in its new campus master plan 216

T

he Australian National University’s Acton campus, in the capital city of Canberra, is populated by 24,000 students (6,000

of whom live on site) and over 4,000 staff; the ANU campus is practically a city in its own right. To support ANU’s diverse range of needs – managing physical facilities, IT, corporate governance, finances and more – Chief Operating Officer Chris Grange and his colleagues oversee strategic planning to push forward the performance metrics for all areas of campus life. “My role balances the need to improve the physical development of the campus today while setting up frameworks to maintain that into the future,” explains Grange. “We’ve completed 2,000 new student beds on campus during my time here (since 2013) and we have construction currently underway to deliver another 900.” OCTOBER 2019


217

AU$1.3bn Endowment

1946

Year founded

4,000

Approximate number of employees

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A U S T R A L I A N N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y

“ My role balances the need to improve the physical development of the campus today while setting up frameworks to maintain that into the future”

gas and water. “We’ve seen improve-

— Chris Grange, Chief Operating Officer, Australian National University

and smart devices.”

ments to our analytics platform in terms of understanding student behaviours, perceptions, evaluations and other metrics. One of the key changes for us has been to use data to inform decision making within the university. When you apply that to the physical fabric of the campus, you’re really moving into the Internet of Things (IoT), with sensors Universities are complex organisations, requiring many individual pieces of technology to support disparate functions. One of the biggest challenges

218

for ANU has been getting those pieces of technology to talk to each other and The Acton campus is enormous, with

share information in real time. “We’ve

over 200 buildings across 145 hectares

made a considerable investment in

of land directly adjoining the Canberra

doing that,” asserts Nicki Middleton,

CBD, “so actually knowing rather than

Director of Facilities and Services.

guessing what’s going on around the

ANU’s technologically-enabled smart

campus is a really important part of

infrastructure network uses an open

deploying technology”, says Grange.

source communication and control

He notes the significance in recent

data network within the university

years of focusing on analysis and

to provide demand management

information management – whether

capability through a Building Monitoring

measuring the number of students

and Control System (BMCS), interfacing

going into classes, or deploying

with sensors, building services and

metering technologies to measure

appliances. “Ultimately we’re aiming for

real-time campus usage of electricity,

smart buildings which are sensor filled

OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY’ 219

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Chris Grange Chris Grange has been working in universities for 30 years. During this time he’s witnessed an enormous amount of change, as these institutions become increasingly sophisticated in the way they approach and manage a diverse range of issues, from expansion to energy planning. “That applies to sustainability, finance and technology,” adds Grange. “The amount of concrete improvement that universities are already achieving leads me to conclude there’s just so many more exciting opportunities to come.” Grange spent 25 years at the University of Wollongong in finance and personnel roles and as Vice Principal for Administration before joining the ANU in 2013.

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220

E XECU T I VE P RO FI LE

Nicki Middleton Nicki Middleton is the Director, Facilities and Services at the ANU, arriving at the University in early 2018. She is responsible for all major capital developments, as well as campus services like maintenance, security, cleaning, parking and visitor accommodation. Since her arrival, she has championed the development, and most recently, implementation of a new master plan for the ANU campus which will transform the campus over the coming years. The plan is one of the first campus master plans by any university to embed sustainability and energy management within the fabric of the overall plan.

OCTOBER 2019


and capable of, not just following a

is vital. Cisco has aided us with our

more efficient program, but actually

infrastructure and the further work that

adapting themselves and moderating

will come in that space. Major vendors

their energy consumptions based upon

like Oracle, provide and support many

what the sensors tell them about the

of our most important applications,”

usage of the building,” says Middleton.

confirms Grange.

“Eventually, this is fertile ground for AI

The university’s approach to Socially

and other concepts to be applied to our

Responsible Investment (SRI) and

building management.”

the management of its AUD$1.4bn

Allied to that investment, ANU is

endowment raised eyebrows back in

partnered with IBM for its analytics

2015 when it divested from stocks not

platform, Cisco for its IT network and

in keeping with its social responsibility

Oracle for business solutions and

strategy. “Some elements of the press

major applications. “IBM’s tools have

were very antagonistic,” says Investment

helped us gain a better understanding

Office Director, Mary Fallon, “but the

of what’s happening within the university,

feedback on social media and via email

and how well we are performing, which

from our students, alumni and the local

E X E CU T I VE P RO FI LE

Mary Fallon Mary is Director of the Investment Office at ANU, where she is responsible for the management of the University’s investment portfolio and treasury funds. Prior to her appointment during 2016, Mary held a variety of senior investment positions in the United States, Europe and in Australia, including Allianz Pimco and QBE. Mary’s interest in the education sector began with her role as Chief Investment Officer for NGS Super, a $7billion superannuation scheme for Australian independent schools. Since joining the university, Mary has implemented a holistic approach to the measurement and implementation of the University’s Socially Responsible Investment policy.

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221


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A U S T R A L I A N N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y

community was enormously positive.” Fallon has been driving further changes over recent years. “We have reconsidered our management of international equities, revised the funds and investment mandate, and overlaid our SRI policy to our international equities management, applying performance metrics on carbon reduction to how we invest and who we invest in.” ANU has done the same with its domestic equities investment. “We have consistently achieved a 25% 224

reduction or more in the carbon intensity of our domestic portfolio than the ASX200 benchmark” reveals Fallon who believes ANU has been a pioneer in that space. “We’re now seeing the industry and the investment houses moving to accommodate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and socially responsible investment, it’s a muchimproved marketplace,” she notes. “Aberdeen Standard Investment, for example, applies the same ESG standards found in equity portfolios to fixed interest portfolios.” That overlay excludes investment in companies that derive more than 20% of their OCTOBER 2019


revenues from coal, gambling, tobacco or pornography. Grange maintains the development of the Kambri Precinct on campus has been ANU’s biggest improvement in physical facilities in recent years. “It’s a question of how you create a precinct, not just a single building, but an operating precinct which is sustainable from the ground up,” he explains. “We were looking for a method to measure the long-term sustainability of the precinct, and that’s where we landed on the ‘one planet’ methodology, using it to measure all of the outputs of this group of seven buildings and outdoor spaces, designing a sustainable outcome.” Alongside the emphasis on metering and monitoring, ANU encourages initiatives like the use of recycled materials and rainwater harvesting. Canberra, as a city, already draws around 90% of its power from green sources, and ANU is one of the two largest consumers of electricity in Canberra. “The one planet methodology compares you to the sustainability of the planet in its natural state,” explains Grange. “One is neutral so if your score is higher you’re depleting the resources w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

225


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A U S T R A L I A N N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y

C O M PA N Y FACT S

• ANU ranked first in Australia and 29th in the QS World University Rankings • 25,500 students • 96% of research at ANU is rated above world standard • 15 individual subjects ranked in the world top 25, 13 are number one in Australia

228

• 5-star maximum rating in the Good Universities Guide 2019 • 5,000 students live on campus • Six Nobel Laureates among staff and alumni

OCTOBER 2019


of the planet. Less than one, and you’re actually making a positive contribution back to the planet. In Kambri, we’ve achieved a score of 0.7. The challenge now is to apply those learnings progressively to the rest of the campus.” Grange muses that in a city already green, the drive must be to become more efficient, reduce the amount of energy consumed and give back to the wider city. The new Campus master plan’s key goals for ANU’s Acton campus include an energy management strategy with five main objectives to become: a leading energy efficient campus; a carbon positive community with 100% renewable energy; a technologically enabled infrastructure network; capable of independently certified excellence and a platform for infrastructure innovation. The most important innovation for Middleton is the creation of a number of central energy plants. “The traditional concept is to manage energy building by building, but when you’re operating a university campus you have enormous opportunities to get economies of scale by servicing multiple buildings or using the outputs from one building to serve another. w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

229


A U S T R A L I A N N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y

For example, we have a supercomputer consuming around 25% of all electricity used by the entire campus. The by-product is the generation of an enormous amount of heat. We can capture that heat and reuse it in other buildings, to power hot water systems in student accommodation, for instance. Having already created two of these central energy plants, we’re now working on the concept for a third. The aim is to implement this process across the university and harvest the energy 230

efficiencies we get and share the benefits across facilities.”

“ Ultimately we’re aiming for smart buildings which are sensor filled and capable of actually adapting themselves and moderating their energy consumptions” — Nicki Middleton, Director, Facilities and Services, Australian National University

OCTOBER 2019

The ‘energy trilemma’ ANU faces encapsulates the tensions between three distinct aims for future energy systems: maintaining a reliable and secure energy supply; ensuring long term affordability, and drastically reducing GHG emissions associated with energy supply. The ANU will need to roll out large scale, on campus, electricity storage based on batteries, to reduce the significant cost of peak charges, infrastructure upgrades, and reduce network stresses. New campus


231

buildings with PVs will also incorporate

outside Canberra where we can feed

battery storage. This can be via

that power into the university and

connection to a Hub facility, or local

beyond from 2021.”

storage within the building. “Demonstrating our green power

With the energy Grange, Middleton, Fallon, Kayser and their colleagues are

commitment is important,” reasons

bringing to their task, the future looks

Grange. Si Kayser, Associate Director,

both smarter and greener for the ANU’s

Capital Financing says “We’re doing

campus and the wider community.

that with solar power roof installations but it doesn’t move the dial in terms of our total energy equation. That’s why we are working with a partner on a on the concept of a 5MW solar farm w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


232

Bell: a leader in cybersecurity with its finger on the pulse WRITTEN BY

MARCUS LAWRENCE PRODUCED BY

JAKE MEGEARY

OCTOBER 2019


233

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BELL CANADA

Bell has become a leader in Canadian cybersecurity, leveraging a customercentric mentality and a powerful appreciation for market dynamics

A

s Canada’s largest telecommunications network, Bell is also a leader in the country’s cybersecurity space. “We have

been recognized as a cybersecurity leader by firms 234

such as IDC (International Data Corporation), and we’re supporting both private and government customers on multiple levels,” says Dominique Gagnon, General Manager of the Cybersecurity Practice at Bell. The breadth and depth afforded by the network is combined with cutting-edge technologies and an adaptable strategy, affirmed by a constant finger on the pulse. Gary Miller, Cybersecurity Strategist at Bell, with a long history in the space and extensive business management experience, says that agility and a customer-centric strategy are vital to Bell’s success. “What we do is shaped by listening to our customers and taking into account their needs,” he says. “It’s a circular process – one that requires us to be in tune with how the market is evolving and how these changes are impacting our customers.” OCTOBER 2019


$23.4bn Approximate revenue

1880

Year founded

52,790

Approximate number of employees

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BELL CANADA

“ We have been recognized as a cybersecurity leader by firms such as IDC (International Data Corporation), and we’re supporting both private and government customers on multiple levels”

236

— Dominique Gagnon, General Manager, Cybersecurity Practice, Bell

OCTOBER 2019

When looking at changing market dynamics, Gagnon says that he sees five major trends that are impacting Canadian businesses. Cybersecurity is top of mind for executives, with Canadian businesses investing more in cybersecurity each year. Yet, as Miller says: “The market for cybersecurity solutions is chaotic. Everyone claims to have the silver bullet, and Canadian organizations need guidance to sort through the noise. Since the costs and consequences of not getting it right are greater than ever, Bell’s primary


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘BELL IS A RECOGNIZED LEADER IN SECURITY, COMMITTED TO PROTECTING BUSINESSES AND THEIR CUSTOMERS’ 237 security objective is helping our

and kick them out. It’s how fast you can

customers enhance their foundational

achieve this, not just how well you can

cybersecurity,” he says.

prevent them from getting in.”

Traditional reactive approaches to

As businesses are adopting more

cybersecurity are no longer sufficient as

cloud-based applications and hosting

cyber attacks become more sophisti-

more workloads in the cloud, it is

cated, targeted and persistent. Instead

critical to ensure that layers of protection

of just protecting the network perimeter,

are built in. “We are helping decentralize

Gagnon says that modern threats

our customers’ approach to security,

necessitate proactive internal protec-

by facilitating secure, cloud-based

tions. “Businesses recognize that they

environments across the country,”

must evolve their approach and assume

says Gagnon.

the perimeter has been breached. It’s a

Businesses are also connected like

matter of being able to proactively

never before thanks to the convergence

detect the attacker, trip the response

of the Internet of Things (IoT), Operational w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF CYBER SECURITY Check Point Infinity is the first consolidated security across networks, cloud and mobile, providing the highest level of threat prevention against both known and unknown targeted attacks to keep you protected now and in the future.

LEARN MORE


CLOUD MOBILE THREAT PREVENTION COMPLEXITY BREEDS INSECURITY

WHERE THE CYBER SECURITY MARKET MUST GO

The rapid digital transformation of business is placing ever-increasing demands on security. IT operations and security are in the midst of a major disruptive period and we are seeing unprecedented breadth of threats; cyber-attacks carried out as large-scale, multi-vector mega attacks that can inflict major damage on businesses and their reputation. What’s more - the velocity of attack evolution is outpacing the level of security that businesses have deployed - this is a problem. The level of security deployed by businesses cannot be behind the level of attacks coming at them. There are many reasons security infrastructures have evolved to be behind the daily level of attacks. The most obvious is that attackers have no constraints - they can create and push the envelope, even recklessly, in developing new and advanced techniques. Businesses of course, have change control procedures, budgets, compliance and myriad other operational constraints to which they must adhere thus restraining security advancement. Another is the traditional check box method of building a security infrastructure whereby a specific security technology is deployed to defend against a specific type of attack or to protect a specific type of application. This binary, mono-vision approach, aka “best of breed”, was effective in earlier generations when attacks were one-dimensional but today’s attacks are anything but that – they are multi-dimensional, multi-stage, multi-vector and polymorphic.

True comprehensive protection requires a new, holistic approach to assessing and designing security; it requires an architected approach that does not rely on detection alone, prevents attacks before they happen. The solution must combine effective prevention technology, unified security policy, and an operational model that is realistic to implement across today’s IT environment within a reasonable staffing and budget level. The goal is to defeat all attacks across all possible vectors in a cohesive and unified way. Check Point Infinity is the only security architecture that uniquely combines multiple security functions into a single, unified threat prevention solution to protect all of your IT assets – perimeter, data center, virtual, clouds, mobile devices and beyond – against all known, previously unknown and zero-day attacks. The simple, business-oriented management interface reduces complexity, making it easier to deliver security and compliance within a constrained staff and on budget. Infinity helps organizations deliver agile yet secure IT, which can adapt to, and enable business as requirements change. Through advanced threat prevention, business-oriented policy management, and cloud-based threat intelligence, Infinity delivers a solid foundation for a sustainable, effective risk management strategy.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS NOT UP TO TODAY’S CHALLENGES Unfortunately, while security technology proliferates and customers require more advanced IT functionality to support capabilities like big data analytics, hyper connectivity, IoT convergence and automation … effective security architectures are very rare. This creates complexity, increases risk and drives up costs. Take for example, the widespread move to the Cloud and adoption of Software Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN). While connecting branch offices directly to the internet greatly improves agility and reduces costs, it also significantly increases security risks. Digitalization of operational and industrial systems increases the attack surface and the risk of cyber-attacks on critical and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) infrastructures. The sheer scale of growth in the area of IoT presents its own significant risks when managing policy.

1-800-429-4391 www.checkpoint.com


BELL CANADA

240

Technology (OT) and the proliferation of endpoints. With increasing numbers of applications, devices and endpoints connected every day, exposure is growing from a cybersecurity perspective. “Organizations are under great pressure to ensure that these new points of vulnerability are protected,” he says. And finally, organizations have recognized the need for better control over what they see and how they see it. The challenge now is adopting, managing and integrating advanced capabilities, like enhanced detection OCTOBER 2019

“ Our approach has been to integrate different technologies’ capabilities to offer the best solution structure to our customers” — Dominique Gagnon, General Manager, Cybersecurity Practice, Bell


and response and SIEM platforms (security incident and event monitoring), in order to enhance visibility and control. Organizations need the right strategy and support to filter through the immense quantity of data and insights generated by these advanced solutions, in order to act upon urgent alerts and proactively hunt for threats. As one of Canada’s largest technology solutions and integration providers, Bell is well equipped to help customers navigate these market dynamics, supporting their needs at every turn. “Our approach has been to integrate

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Dominique Gagnon Dominique Gagnon is the General Manager of the Cybersecurity Practice at Bell, with over 25 years of practical and educational experience in IT. Prior to Bell, Dominique was the VP Consulting Services at CGI, managing the government vertical and leading the Canadian Cyber Security Center of Excellence Sales, Delivery and Operations. Dominique has expertise in P&L management, business engineering, strategic engagement management and infrastructure management with a focus on cybersecurity. He has negotiated, implemented and managed numerous large outsourcing contracts and led transformations and transitions for several large organizations. Dominique also served for 12 years in the Canadian Armed Forces.

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BELL CANADA

242

OCTOBER 2019


243

We look at network traffic metadata and apply it to a set of threat feeds and internal Bell data models to identify potential threat traffic targeting particular verticals or customers in Canada” — Dominique Gagnon, General Manager, Cybersecurity Practice, Bell

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“ We aren’t talking to our customers about the latest tools and technologies, we’re talking to them about their foundational business needs and how security is core to them” — Gary Miller, Cybersecurity Strategist, Bell

the capabilities of different technologies to offer the best solutions to our customers and address the challenges these five trends present,” explains Gagnon. “A key element is to make sure that, wherever possible, we don’t throw away our customers’ previous investments, but rather maximize their value through effective integration. The goal is simplified security rather than simple security.” Miller elaborates that this provides layers of protection that form a wider, simpler whole. “Traditionally, we’ve always talked about security-indepth,” he says. “We’re seeing this manifest even more today as we look

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Gary Miller Gary Miller is a Cybersecurity Strategist at Bell. For more than 20 years, Gary has been assisting governments and organizations around the world shape appropriate and practical cybersecurity strategies to support their changing objectives. Gary has held senior executive positions, within international businesses leading corporate security functions and cybersecurity business units. He has successfully launched new cybersecurity products and businesses, consulted with governments on national cybersecurity strategy and policy, and is a frequent speaker on strategic cybersecurity issues.

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BELL CANADA

at what an organization like Bell can provide. We have an end-to-end security approach and we can integrate the appropriate tools to provide customers with visibility from the edge to the core of their enterprise network.” The advent of widespread virtual networks is also changing the cybersecurity industry. “Virtual networks provide a more agile and sophisticated way for customers to deliver network services. While every telecommunications provider is being impacted by virtual 246

networks, providers who don’t have the scale and necessary technologies can really leave their clients vulnerable,” says Gagnon. “Bell is adapting our strategy to protect edge-based deployments for our virtual network services. And leveraging cloud-based services to support a broader, decentralized approach to security.” The power of Bell security solutions is amplified by data-driven insights. Bell has developed a platform called CTI (Cyber Threat Intelligence) which leverages, with the approval of its customers, the breadth of its network to build intelligence on threats and threat OCTOBER 2019


vectors specific to the Canadian environment. The process, as explained by Gagnon, doesn’t collect data but instead recognizes and assesses network trends. “We look at network traffic metadata and apply it to a set of threat feeds and internal Bell data models to identify potential threat traffic targeting particular verticals or customers in Canada,” he says. “What’s happening in the network gives us an awful lot of insight into where issues are popping up. We collaborate with our customers to get further into their dataset for added insights, but in a general sense, we aren’t gathering transmitted data, just the directional metadata, traffic patterns and so on.” These operations exist outside of the customers’ network environment, but Bell is hard at work to bring these advanced detection capabilities to its customers. “We’re investing in bringing Big Data to the customer’s environment so that they can leverage the technology and threat intelligence to better detect what’s happening within their own network,” says Gagnon. “We’re working with analytics partners to add such capabilities to the platform and provide w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

247


BELL CANADA

those benefits to the customer. That’s where the future is.” For Miller, CTI adds vital speed to the process of threat detection and response, along with the capacity to handle growing volumes of data. “There’s a reality, particularly as we move to OT, that we’re now getting more structured and unstructured data. We normalize all of these highly diverse and voluminous datasets, apply advanced analytics, AI and automation to filter through this massive volume and isolate the 248

most critical and impactful things.

PA R T N E R S

Check Point and Akamai “Check Point and Akamai are both important partners for Bell. They’re leaders in their respective fields, and through those partnerships we can bring that expertise to our customers,” says Dominique Gagnon, General Manager of the Cybersecurity Practice

OCTOBER 2019

at Bell. “We always look for organizations that align with our objectives: helping to clarify, simplify and integrate cybersecurity management to address operational liability and efficiency. These are two organizations that are highly aligned to our aims.”


249

That is the value of Big Data for the

enthuses Miller. “By bringing cyberse-

future of cybersecurity.”

curity to the forefront, we have

Ultimately, the customer is top of

fundamentally changed the narrative.

mind for Bell. Whether it’s filtering

We aren’t talking to our customers

through the noise, managing SIEM

about the latest tools and technologies,

environments, enabling virtual

we’re talking to them about their

networks, or fortifying internal

foundational business needs and how

security in addition to perimeter

security is core to them.”

control, Bell credits its deep understanding of the security landscape for its cybersecurity success. “We are very deliberate in the choices we make and continually engage with our customers every step of the way,” w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


Centrica: 250

digital transformation in the field WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH PRODUCED BY

LEWIS VAUGHAN

OCTOBER 2019


251

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CENTRICA

Centrica’s Head of Mobile User Computing, Joanne Rose, discusses the technological and cultural measures supporting digital transformation for users in the field

B

ritish energy multinational Centrica operates brands such as British Gas in the UK, Bord Gáis in Ireland and Direct Energy

in the US and Canada. Befitting its history, which 252

stretches back over 200 years, the company still maintains all of London’s gas lamps. Its technological credentials, however, are proven by such facets as its smart home subsidiary Hive. Employing around 31,000 people, part of its work as an energy service and supplier involves sending engineers to perform duties such as boiler repair and servicing, and smart meter installation. Joanne Rose, Head of Mobile User Computing at Centrica, is responsible for fulfilling the technological needs of teams in the field. That work is continuous, necessarily moving with the pace of technological change, as Rose explains. “We’ve transformed our field workforce digitally over the last 20 years. Currently, digital transformation for us is about continually making sure that our fieldworkers have got the most up-to-date technology and software. OCTOBER 2019


253

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CENTRICA

“ Digital transformation for us is about continually making sure that our fieldworkers have got the most upto-date technology and software”

254

— Joanne Rose, Head of Mobile User Computing, Centrica

What we’re doing is setting the scene for our field workforce to be on the latest products and for them to be kept up-to-date.” To carry out that work, Rose has found the introduction of new IT systems invaluable. “We’ve rolled out Windows 10 right across the organisation. One of the reasons that Windows 10 has been so important is because we have the Evergreen solution behind it. We will never be too far behind the latest operating system version that Microsoft is providing.” That escape from incremental and periodic upgrades extends to Centrica’s embrace of cloud technologies such as Office 365. “We use OneDrive for file storage along with the Office 365 tools like Excel, Word, Teams and PowerPoint,” says Rose. “From a user experience point of view, that Office 365 rollout has really transformed Centrica. We have the full suite and we’re constantly adding new applications and features.” Centrica’s field workers have benefited in numerous ways, starting from the implementation of Centrica’s Windows 10 systems. “We have around 8,000 field users, and they were on

OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE NATURE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AT CENTRICA’ 255 a mix of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

they’re geographically spread, they

Our largest workforce, our Service

suffer challenges in some remote parts

and Repair workforce, were on really

of the country where 4G is inacces-

old devices as well. The project was

sible. Those challenges all had to be

manifold because, concurrent with

taken into consideration.” Geographi-

the engineers’ laptops being replaced,

cal isolation brings challenges beyond

my team introduced a new operating

just connectivity, and technological

system alongside a brand new suite of

solutions are addressing these as well.

applications.” Compounding this chal-

“It’s very difficult to replace devices

lenging project was the nature of field

or enact a big IT upgrade because

work, with niche requirements in com-

our field workforce is truly field-based,

parison to desktop users. “They use

meaning they never come to a Centrica

a different VPN solution, and their con-

office and they don’t have regional de-

nectivity largely depends on the Voda-

pots. The technology they’re now using

fone network,” says Rose. “Because

means they can communicate with the w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


Empowering your people to engage

Unleash your people to connect, collaborate, and innovate to transform your workplace and business. Evergreen Workplace Services from Fujitsu. Find out more about Digital Workplace at www.fujitsu.com


Empowering Centrica’s frontline We live in a world that demands flexibility and convenience and having a single work location is no longer the world we live in. A fantastic employee experience is key to the success of the modern business, and to achieve this, Centrica partnered with Fujitsu to transform and deliver their Digital Workplace. The transformation embraced Windows

“The replacement of legacy devices was a crucial first step to enable employees to benefit from a new integrated, evergreen enduser service”

10, Azure, Office 365 and Fujitsu’s digital hybrid offering – on-premise and Cloud – for end user IT services, allowing 31,000 global

has provided Centrica’s employees with

employees, including 8,000 field engineers,

a new lease of flexible working, which in to-

to collaborate and be productive on a glob-

day’s ‘the workplace is everywhere’ is essen-

al scale. The result is that every employee,

tial for employee satisfaction and wellbeing

from office, home or field has equal access

– supporting all types of people in Centrica’s

to services. The new workplace is also

diverse workforce; with increased mobility

future proofed against the fast-moving pace

and effectiveness, while increasing employ-

of technology by being evergreen, so em-

ees’ ability to deliver great customer service.

ployees can always benefit from the latest

The replacement of the legacy devices

innovations and features. Services are now available from any de-

was a crucial first step to enable employees to benefit from the new integrated, ever-

vice, increasing employee engagement, as

green end-user service, and by working

users are able to have the same, up-to-date

hand in hand with Centrica, and partnering

experience, in the office and field, as they

with Panasonic, Fujitsu procured, built and

do at home on their personal devices. This

led the deployment of 8,000 rugged and robust devices to Centrica’s team of field engineers so that they can now deliver an improved customer experience. Alongside this, we have reduced the cost to serve, a key component of Centrica’s Digital Strategy. The outcome of the collaboration is a foundation for being able to add digital capabilities to improve engineers First Time Fix rates, resulting in great customer satisfaction and increased field productivity.


CENTRICA

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘CENTRICA: FIELD-SUITABLE HARDWARE FROM PANASONIC AND FUJITSU’ 258

whole of Centrica using Yammer,” says

amazing thing about the Microsoft tools

Rose. “Yammer is Microsoft’s enter-

that we’re using is accessibility. For

prise social media tool, and we have,

engineers or employees with disabili-

for instance, particular groups that

ties across Centrica, those Microsoft

relate to their laptops. My team moni-

tools provide a lot of extra functional-

tor the relevant groups and contact

ity. If you are dyslexic, for instance, you

the engineers to get more information

can change the setup to make it more

about trending problems.”

friendly to you. Subtitles are available

A critical partner of Centrica’s on-

for live meetings if you’re hard of hear-

going digital transformation has been

ing, and if you’re visually impaired you

Microsoft which, aside from the afore-

can change the technology to work

mentioned Windows 10, Office 365

better for you.” On the hardware side,

and Yammer, has also provided tools

Panasonic has been vital to field work

to ensure access to its services. “An

at Centrica, providing laptops and

OCTOBER 2019


more. “Panasonic has been a Centrica technology partner for more than 20 years. I’ve worked with them practically all of that time, and they are an extremely supportive supplier. They have helped us to understand the technology that they’re introducing as they refresh their current models, particularly during our latest project where we rolled out about 6,000 Panasonic TOUGHBOOK G1 devices to the field. We always work very closely with Panasonic when we’re doing our device selections.” Providing the tailored builds to operate successfully in the

“ Where we’re implementing new technology, we make sure that users are happy with it and really understand it before it gets deployed” — Joanne Rose, Head of Mobile User Computing, Centrica

field was Fujitsu. “We worked closely

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Joanne Rose Joanne is Centrica’s Head of Mobile User Computing. She’s passionate about supporting Centrica’s field-based employees. Joanne leads a high performing team that have ensured that the field-based employees have the best technology available to them. She’s also an active campaigner for gender diversity in her organisation and an energetic member of the Centrica Women’s Network.

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CENTRICA

“ The most important 260

thing for us is to be able to keep our estate Evergreen” — Joanne Rose, Head of Mobile User Computing, Centrica

OCTOBER 2019


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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘CENTRICA: HOW THE CLOUD AIDS COMMUNICATION AND ACCESSIBILITY’ 263 with Fujitsu to make sure that the Win-

hugely important to him and his strat-

dows 10 build that we were deploying

egy, so in sponsorship terms there’s

to our field workforce was the best that

never been an issue.” Care was taken

it could be and met the different needs

to ensure the field workforce was on

of field users. That planning stage was

board and engaged with the introduc-

vital, and what they delivered really

tion of new technologies. “We made

worked for the field.”

sure there was a pilot group which was

With the change in technology there

able to trial devices and get first looks

was a parallel need to ensure that it

at the software,” says Rose. “Where

could be integrated culturally in different

we’re implementing new technology,

parts of Centrica. Rose found the ap-

we make sure that users are happy with

petite for digital transformation came

it and really understand it before it gets

from the highest levels. “The approval

deployed.” For the wider company,

came from the top and our CIO, Mike

programmes are in place to spread the

Young. Digital transformation has been

message and ensure understanding of w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


CENTRICA

new technologies. “One of the things that we’ve introduced at Centrica is a community called the Digital Champions Network, and we have 600 digital champions that help with the adoption of new Office 365 technology throughout the company.” As much as it was important to ensure the right culture was in place to profit from digital transformation, Rose is passionate about the need for a culture shift surrounding issues of diversity. “I’m a strong voice in Centrica when it 264

comes to talking about women and diversity issues. I am on the Centrica Women’s Network working group and I head up the local chapter here at the office. It’s a really exciting network and it’s grown significantly, particularly over the last year. We’re working a lot more closely with our Diversity and Inclusion team, so that the strategy of Centrica’s Women’s Network is supporting the strategy of our Diversity and Inclusion team. We have a committee and we organise events in our own location, whether it’s career development sessions or presentation skills courses. We celebrate International Women’s Day and we’ve done events OCTOBER 2019


for that which have generated awareness around the issues that women face in the workplace. My chapter has set up a mentoring scheme for women. We set it up around nine months ago, and we had a review session just a few months back. The impact that the mentoring scheme has had on the women participating has been astounding. It’s not that we’re saying every woman should be promoted – it’s more that every woman should be the best that they can be, and the changes that we’ve seen in these women, and the changes and differences that they’re making to our local office, has been amazing. Those kinds of things have been extraordinary to see and they’re really making a difference.” The perennial nature of digital transformation at Centrica sees a number of projects in the pipeline. “We’re speeding up how we deploy updates into our field workforce. There’s a project going on with Microsoft at the moment using the DevOps model and Microsoft Store for Business. We’re working with our local application teams so that, when fixes to current issues are identified, it’s days before w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

265


CENTRICA

266

“ The changes that we’ve seen in these women, and the changes and differences that they’re making to our local office, has been amazing” — Joanne Rose, Head of Mobile User Computing, Centrica

OCTOBER 2019


they get out to the workforce rather than weeks. It’s vital to us that our engineers aren’t falling behind on patches and operating system updates – both for the sake of security and feature updates that they bring. We’re working with our partner Fujitsu to make sure that we can keep those devices and our workforce in that Evergreen state. We’re looking at BT Pinhole technology where we will be using the BT wifi network as an alternative to the 4G network, and Fujitsu are on board and very supportive with this. The most important thing for us is to be able to keep our estate Evergreen.” With the digital innovations implemented by Rose and her team, Centrica’s field workers can perform their crucial role with confidence in the technology they use.

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268

OF F E R I NG I N T E R N AT ION A L DY N A M IC C U L I NA RY E X PE R I E NCE S

WRITTEN BY

AMBER DONOVAN-STEVENS PRODUCED BY

LEWIS VAUGHAN

OCTOBER 2019


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H O T E L L E R O YA L M O N C E A U

Sylvain Greiner, Director of Food and Beverage at Le Hotel Monceau, talks dynamic culinary experiences, creative partnerships and the implementation of technology into the food and beverage industry

270

F

rom the outside, Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris hotel appears to embody classic French elegance. With its grand

architecture from 1928, the five-star Parisian hotel reopened in 2010, following a complete redesign from Philip Stark. Though understated, upon closer inspection, designs reminiscent of famous historic guests from all over the world have been incorporated into the aesthetic of the hotel. Starting in hospitality at the age of 15, Sylvain Greiner completed his formal education with a master. Now the Director of Food and Beverage, he not only matches this contemporary atmosphere, but draws from cultures all over the world to create new culinary experiences for his guests. “Food and beverage at Le Royal Monceau is one of the largest operations; it is also unusual in that we only offer experiences,” OCTOBER 2019


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H O T E L L E R O YA L M O N C E A U

“ We want to create experiences that are luxury, but understated, not the traditional French way” — Sylvain Greiner, Director of Food and Beverage, Le Royal Monceau, Raffles 272

says Greiner, “It isn’t a traditional gastronomic French restaurant, it is either a Japanese fusion restaurant, or an Italian one. We offer new experiences particularly to our Parisian guests.”

CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS One of the most prominent attractions to the hotel is Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Greiner shares that guests are drawn to the hotel to try his cuisine. His unique dishes combine a number of different cultures that attract Parisians and regular customers looking to try new food. OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘LE ROYAL MONCEAU – RAFFLES PARIS’

Greiner’s responsibility is to ensure

It is for this reason that Greiner

that the hotel maintains its dynamic

strives to maintain new creative part-

edge in the food and beverage sec-

nerships and concepts. He reflects

tor, and so he created the pop-up

that during the summer, he partnered

Japanese Garden Matsuhisa Niwa.

with Moise Sfez from Homer Lobster,

“We created this restaurant to highlight

inspired from a New York lobster roll.

the skill of our Executive Chef, Hideki

Greiner goes on to discuss the pop-

Endo, and of course to publicise Nobu

up he created with Gennaro Nasti

and his sushi speciality.” Seating a

this year: “We have an Italian faction

maximum of eight, the pop-up has

within the hotel with Il Carpaccio res-

been successful, says Greiner: “There

taurant.” Nasti is, says Greiner, a true

was a real draw to this from our regu-

artisan, and “a god of pizza” in Paris.

lars. It was something different,

“It was great for us to showcase his

something exclusive.”

talent to our guests.” Greiner w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

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H O T E L L E R O YA L M O N C E A U

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OCTOBER 2019


E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Sylvain Greiner Sylvain Greiner graduated in 2005 with honours from the University of Toulouse, where he achieved a specialised diploma (DESS) in Tourism Industries. Sylvain began his career as Assistant to Revenue Manager during his internship in the Accor Hotels group. He then joined the Hilton Luxembourg for a mission as Assistant to Operations Manager as part of his specialised diploma. His career within the restaurant sector began in 2006 with Hyatt, where he held several operating functions before being appointed as Operational Manager of the Food and Beverage venues. In 2008, he joined the Ritz Paris hotel as Sales, Conventions and Receptions Director before becoming Food and Beverage Manager in 2011. Expressing his willingness to learn and satisfying his taste for high standards, Sylvain decided to integrate Le Meurice hotel (Dorchester Collection) in 2012 as Deputy Director of Food and Beverage, in charge of the three Michelin star restaurant, the contemporary restaurant and teahouse, the bar and the room service, the mini bar and receptions. He then joined the Buddha Bar Hotel Paris in 2014 as Director of Food and Beverage and interim General Manager in 2015. Following his rich and varied career path, Sylvain has decided to join Le Hotel Monceau as Director of Food and Beverage in order to share his knowledge, his passion for restoration and also his management skills and sense of excellence.

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H O T E L L E R O YA L M O N C E A U

“ E mployees will come for the brand and product, but stay for the managers” — Sylvain Greiner, Director of Food and Beverage, Le Royal Monceau, Raffles

276

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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘PRESIDENTIAL SUITES, LE ROYAL MONCEAU – RAFFLES PARIS’

acknowledges that customers

TECHNOLOGY

demand more from a high-quality

Greiner says that the desire to imple-

hotel, and seek to engage with new

ment technology is always centered

experiences upon each visit. To

around a very “human experience.”

ensure that his vision is consistent

Technology divides into two categories

across the hotel, Greiner says that

for him: “sales reports, which are so

attracting and retaining top-tier staff

much more accessible today than they

is paramount: “It is particularly

used to be. Now we can use analytics

important to have the right employ-

tools such as Avero and then imple-

ees in directorial positions across

ment this data to suit the business

the restaurant, bar, banquet and

strategy,” and customer feedback.

room service. Employees will come

Greiner references TrustYou, which is

for the brand and product, but stay

a platform used to collate customer

for the managers.”

feedback based on the language they w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

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H O T E L L E R O YA L M O N C E A U

use. “With TrustYou, you can have 200 comments refined into a couple of sentences from the most regularly used words. The efficiency this provides is excellent, and allows us to respond to customer feedback faster than ever.” Another partner that he cites as integral to the operations across food & beverage is a family-owned, Torontobased company, Silverware POS: “Silverware POS has a great team, and they are constantly challenging themselves and meeting our requests head280

on. This partnership has opened many new opportunities and the interface is user-friendly for both restaurant employees and accounting and IP teams alike. Partnerships are so important in this business to remain profitable.” This is a value shared across the hotel. Greiner states that there is a director of strategic partnerships who he has worked closely with. “This role gives us a real competitive advantage as we now have the foundations and can begin to offer more singular experiences. When This, combined with these partnerships, allows for us to streamline our operations to focus on creating this truly dynamic experience.” OCTOBER 2019


“ Food and beverage at Le Royal Monceau is one of the largest operations, and unusual as we only offer experience” — Sylvain Greiner, Director of Food and Beverage, Le Royal Monceau, Raffles

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H O T E L L E R O YA L M O N C E A U

1928

Year hotel opened

280,000

Number of employees (Accor Hotels)

4,800

282

Number of hotels worldwide (Accor Hotels)

OCTOBER 2019


LOOKING FORWARD As the hotel moves forward, Greiner enthuses that it plans to progress under the same strategy of maintaining contemporary art and continuously offering ephemeral and dynamic experiences to loyal guests. “We want to create experiences that are luxury, but understated, not the traditional French way. I also want to build a closer relationship between chefs and the guests, to make guests’ experiences at the hotel all the more special.” Another experience soon to be available is an afternoon tea, inspired and based around the French poet, Jean Cocteau. The poet is already present across the hotel, with his poems adorning bedside cabinets, and his scribbled musings incorporated into the lightware and furnishings; they will now accent the new porcelain from Raynaud. As Greiner moves forward with his dynamic partnerships, his customers, both new and loyal, can continue to expect the high pedigree of understated luxury that is intrinsic to le Royal Monceau.

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IMPROVING CARE 284

T HR OUGH D IGI TA L T R A N S F O R M AT I O N WRITTEN BY

MATT HIGH PRODUCED BY

LEWIS VAUGHAN

OCTOBER 2019


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BROTHERS OF CHARIT Y SERVICES IREL AND

BROTH E R S O F C H AR IT Y S E RV I C E S I REL A ND IS U ND E R G O I N G A DI GI TA L TR AN SFO R MAT IO N B UI LT ON A N AMBITION TO PROVIDE BETTER CARE TO TH E C O MMU NIT Y

A

sk companies their distinguishing factors and there is every likelihood you will hear similar themes

time and again. Fewer, however, will bypass many of the more typical board-level buzzwords in favour of a simpler response: 286

‘caring’. But that is how Ronan Coy, National Head of ICT (CIO) at Brothers of Charity Services Ireland, describes the culture at the Irish charity organisation that supports more than 7,000 people across Ireland with intellectual disabilities. Coy has been with the organisation for three years, having previously held high-level positions with the likes of Fujitsu Ireland (Director, Strategic Projects) and IBEC (Chair, Data Working Group). His current role, he admits, is a “very different world”, a far cry from the “cutthroat” IT sector positions he has previously held. “Brothers of Charity Services Ireland is an incredibly caring organisation,” Coy states, “every employee and all those in charge are primarily focused OCTOBER 2019


287

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BROTHERS OF CHARIT Y SERVICES IREL AND

288

on the people we support, with an

digital transformation, including the

ethos of caring that ensures we always

nationalisation of the organisation’s

put their needs at the forefront of

IT infrastructure, business applica-

anything we do. It is what drives us.”

tion systems and ICT services. “It has

Coy joined the organisation in

been a true consolidation journey,” Coy

September 2016, tasked with spear-

expands. “There are several strands

heading an ongoing process of change

to that journey, such as the alignment

that involves bringing the operational

between the various regional organi-

structure from one that was spread

sations, the considerable technology

across six regional companies – Clare,

transformation and evolution that has

Galway, Limerick, Roscommon,

been necessary to facilitate that,

South East and Southern – to one

and a wider organisational and

national company. It is a process, he

cultural development that is still

says, that has required significant

ongoing. It has been a significant

OCTOBER 2019


change, and one that has brought inevitable disruption to the organisation, but it’s also been an exciting journey in which we are making use of new and innovative technologies and taking advantage of opportunities that we would not have had in the past.” Coy’s key focus within that journey has been managing a technology transition that he describes as initially challenging. “The local cultures in each of the regional organisations were very much inwardly-focused and still using legacy IT systems, making

€200mn+ Approximate revenue

1883

Year founded

4,138

Approximate number of employees 289

E X E CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Ronan Coy Ronan Coy is the National Head of ICT (CIO) at Brothers of Charity Services Ireland (BOCSI). In this role, he oversees all aspects of information technology, information security, data and analytics for one of Ireland’s largest charities. Prior to joining BOCSI in 2016, Coy was Director of Strategic Projects at Fujitsu Ireland Ltd. With 18 years in the high-tech industry, he also served in various roles including Bid Director, CTO and IT consultant. Coy has worked with IBEC, focusing on positioning Ireland as a global ICT powerhouse. He holds a BEng in Electronic Engineering from University of Limerick and a MSC in Technology Management from National University of Ireland, Galway.

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BROTHERS OF CHARIT Y SERVICES IREL AND

“ I T H AS B E E N A TRUE C ONSO LI DAT I O N JOURNEY“ Ronan Coy National Head of ICT (CIO), Brothers of Charity Services Ireland

the key priority one of standardisation and data harmonisation by moving to cloud systems. One of my first actions was to summarise what we hope to achieve with something I call ‘E-cubed’: effective frontline services, empowering people in and outside of the organisation through the use of technology, and providing the best experience for those that we support.” This was followed by a focus on standardisation. Coy readily admits that the organisation had

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CLICK TO WATCH : HAPPY HERITAGE DAY 291 been “somewhat insulated from the

platform to move forward with our

broader developments in some IT

vision and to make use of the cloud

processes, meaning that standardis-

and other Microsoft technologies

ing all of our processes had to be the

to drive our journey,” Coy adds.

first part of the journey.” Second, he

“We’re making the change from

adds, was migrating to a secure data

Exchange 2003 and various other

centre environment. The organisa-

platforms to the cloud, and it’s not

tion was aided on this migration

straightforward, but we’re using tools

through its relationship with partner,

like BitTitan MigrationWiz to move to

Unity Technologies, which was also

the newest systems as seamlessly

working closely with Microsoft. As a

as possible. We’ve found that moving

result of this partnership, Brothers of

everyone to the cloud has not only

Charity Services Ireland was awarded

brought the expected benefits from

a grant by Microsoft in 2017 worth

a standardisation point of view, it has

more than €3m. “This gave us the

also allowed us to function far more w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


BROTHERS OF CHARIT Y SERVICES IREL AND

efficiently and effectively,” says Coy. The level of digital transformation seen at Brothers of Charity Services Ireland is being mirrored across the charity sector on a wider basis, Coy explains, with a broader attitude emerging of how to consider and deliver charitable services in new and innovative ways. To this end, Coy is keen to work towards the development of a centre of shared excellence through which all charitable organisations in Ireland can deliver 292

more individualised services. Such a system, he notes, would also allow for the transferring and sharing of data across organisations and services. “My ultimate goal is that we have an individualised portal for each person,” he explains. “However, in order for that to happen, we need to build these foundation elements that are part of our current journey. It will require a significant cultural shift from where we are today, but the ideal is the creation of an interactive portal through which we can entirely rethink the way we provide services and make better use of smart technologies. It makes absolute sense for that to be our vision.” OCTOBER 2019


“ M Y U LT I M AT E G O A L I S T H AT W E H AV E AN INDIVIDUALISED P O R TA L F O R E A C H PERSON” Ronan Coy National Head of ICT (CIO), Brothers of Charity Services Ireland Achieving that vision will rely on the continuation of the organisation’s digitisation. On this subject, Coy sees the continued implementation of new technologies and smarter ways of working as key. “We still feel like a paper organisation, and I want us to move away from that. We’re on our way – our new cloud platform, Aspire, allows us to store vast amounts of data and view it in real time – but we need to continue to drive through the modernisation of the remaining legacy systems over the next three to five years so that we have a truly modern and integrated workforce.”

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294

Kinross Gold is utilising IT as the backbone of its innovation strategy WRITTEN BY

DAN BRIGHTMORE PRODUCED BY

RICHARD DEANE

OCTOBER 2019


295

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KINROSS GOLD

A flexible IT strategy is helping Kinross Gold plan for the future of its diversified operations

F

ounded in 1993, Kinross Gold (Kinross) is a senior gold mining company with a diverse portfolio of mines and projects in

the United States, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Mauritania, and Russia. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Kinross employs approximately 9,000 people worldwide. The company is focused on delivering value through operational excellence, balance sheet strength, disciplined growth, and responsible mining. 296

Kinross’ diverse portfolio of mines stretches from Africa to Russia. The senior gold mining company has embraced the challenge of developing its operations at remote locations across the globe where it has a strong track record of either meeting or exceeding production guidance targets for the past seven years, while regularly meeting or coming in under annual cost and capital expenditures guidance. A key component to delivering on its goals is a flexible IT strategy capable of planning for the future of Kinross’ operations. Regional IT Projects Manager – Africa, Néstor Alemán Esteban has been working for the company for almost seven years. Alemán is based in the Canary Islands at the company’s Las Palmas program management office (PMO) for IT Projects in Africa, where he oversees all projects; also taking OCTOBER 2019


297

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KINROSS GOLD

“ There needs to be an IT strategy behind advances in mining. To make the most of the features available from the latest software and automated hardware the technology can’t exist in silos” 298

— Néstor Alemán Esteban, Regional IT Projects Manager – Africa, Kinross Gold

responsibility for the financial control of the capital budgets of the IT department. “Much of my work has been focused on the expansion of the Tasiast mine in Mauritania,” explains Alemán. “We also run projects in the main office of Kinross in Mauritania’s capital city, Nouakchott, where we’re working on connectivity for employee accommodation.” What challenges does the company face to develop and support communications infrastructure when establishing mining projects in such remote areas? “When you’re examining the status of the mining industry everybody is talking about innovation and automation but nobody speaks about IT,” laments Alemán. “It’s the communication behind the technology initiatives that makes them work. In developed countries IT is taken for granted, but what if you are in the middle of a remote area with zero coverage from any telecom provider? In most cases that’s the story with a new mining operation and the company has to find a way of working around this. It’s important that IT and cybersecurity are not left behind, because without them you can’t support innovation safely. It’s a big risk.” Kinross was fortunate that when

OCTOBER 2019


CLICK TO WATCH : ‘KINROSS PROCEEDING WITH TASIAST 24K PROJECT’ 299 it acquired Tasiast from Red Back, a

to achieve the installation of a 60km

telco provider had infrastructure in the

aerial fiber optic, plus a 1km buried fiber

area. However, it was necessary to

optic, to get the site connected to the

start from scratch and negotiate with

underground main fiber connection of

the provider to boost bandwidth at the

Mauritania, connecting the south with

site. “We started with a 25mb micro-

the north.” Alemán believes satellite

wave connection with around 1,000

communication offers a viable reach-

people on site,” recalls Alemán. “When

back approach, but it’s typically more

activity at the site ramped up we were

costly than microwave or fiber. While

hosting around 2,500 employees with

satellite can solve the connectivity

a 45mb connection and then man-

problem from day one, communica-

aged to get that increased to 90mb

tions infrastructure offered by local

when the workforce reached 4,000.

providers over time may provide more

We now have a fiber optic connec-

cost-effective alternatives.

tion of 155mb+. It was challenging

Meanwhile, the corporate office w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


KINROSS GOLD

300

headquarters of Kinross in Toronto

and from across Mauritania, carrying

handles the perimeter security of the

with them old and unsecured devices

company’s network bubble. “We are

being connected to the network.

responsible for the security of the mine

Alemán believes innovation should

site. We have Las Palmas, Ghana, and

be about much more than modernisa-

Mauritania connected together via

tion with equipment. “There needs to

Toronto, so when somebody enters our

be an IT strategy behind advances in

network through the perimeter secu-

mining,” he urges. “To make the most

rity of Toronto it’s our responsibility to

of the features available from the latest

ensure they don’t behave maliciously in

software and automated hardware the

our network,” adds Alemán. The chal-

technology can’t exist in silos.” Alemán

lenge for his team is maintaining those

champions the concept of interoper-

levels of security when contractors are

ability to ensure value reaches across

arriving from Morocco, Mali, Senegal

the operation. “Mine management

OCTOBER 2019


need to ask themselves where they

chasing new systems and machinery

see operation two years from now in

that might not be compatible with each

terms of innovation and modernisa-

other.” He argues IT should have a seat

tion. Long-term strategies are im-

at the decision-making table, they’re

portant. For example, to implement

not just the guys providing WiFi but the

autonomous vehicles you need to set

team who ensure systems can commu-

your goals by changing mindsets and

nicate with each other.

processes way before you start pur-

Kinross has made big steps forward

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Néstor Alemán Esteban Néstor Alemán Esteban has been an IT Project Manager at Kinross, the world’s fourth largest gold mining company, for almost seven years. Prior to that he worked for NXP Semiconductors (formerly Philips Semiconductors) and Blacktrace Holdings (a world leader in productising science). A PMP and PRINCE2 certified Project Manager, Alemán holds an MSc in Telecommunications Engineering as well as completing multiple postgraduate courses in Technology, Business and Project Management. “One of the things I’ve discovered during many years working in Africa is that I have learned more about project management, people management and communication protocols, by working every day on the field of battle than I have from any academic certificates,” says Alemán. “I’ve worked in the chemicals and microelectronics industries but what fascinates me about mining is the crossover in specialties and the need to keep up with all of the new innovations with technology each department, from geology to operations and processing would like to implement.”

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KINROSS GOLD

$3.3bn+ Approximate revenue

1993

Year founded

9,000

Approximate number of employees

2-3

GUIDED SPOTTING RESULTS:

100

Billion additional TONS of optimized haulage*

* Achieved at customer sites

4

DECADES of value-driven results

ADDITIONAL Loads per Hour*

150 INCREASE

%

Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)*

Doing More to Deliver More


303 to alert IT of new business cases that require its supervision with a telematics process. Alemán sees further room for improvement with communication protocols. “The mine operation should be understood as a unique entity,” he says. “This is why a holistic approach is so important. If you upgrade one part of a system then it needs to be connected to the rest. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed in the industry.” He believes, when it comes to innovation, while mining is keen to catch up with other industries like aerospace

“ The mine operation should be understood as a unique entity. This is why a holistic approach is so important. If you upgrade one part of a system then it needs to be connected to the rest” — Néstor Alemán Esteban, Regional IT Projects Manager – Africa, Kinross Gold

there has been a pressure to adapt quickly which heightens the need for w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com


KINROSS GOLD

workarounds. “The problem with mining is that it’s a mission critical operation so the pressure to make things work regardless is greater,” he says. “The extreme costs associated with exploration, production and operation mean that network downtime can destroy profitability.” Tasiast is undergoing major expansion in two phases to increase the size of the operation. IT plays a vital role in the execution of all projects and one that Alemán notes could be enhanced in the mining industry by making it a 304

part of the early stages of the decisionmaking process. “Vendors need to collaborate more in our industry, because in others like aerospace or the military they have solved the interoperability puzzle,” he says. “They have standardisation with protocols so any vendor that wants to sell any equipment or hardware systems to these industries has to work to those requirements which enhances collaboration.” Kinross has a longstanding partnership with Modular Mining. The global leader in the delivery of real-time computer-based mine management solutions for surface and underground mining operations supplies the OCTOBER 2019

“ Vendors need to collaborate more in our industry, because in others like aerospace or the military they have solved the interoperability puzzle” — Néstor Alemán Esteban, Regional IT Projects Manager – Africa, Kinross Gold


gold miner with its DISPATCH Fleet Management System (FMS). “It has optimised operations at Tasiast, saving time and reducing costs,” confirms Alemán. The system gives mines automated, real-time monitoring, management and visibility of their operations whether above or below ground. “We connect the data received to our mobile maintenance workshop,” explains Alemán, highlighting the use of predictive analytics to drive efficiencies across the fleet. Kinross also deploys Caterpillar’s Terrain applications for precision drilling, while guidance and tracking tools are used to control the stability of the slopes. “All of this is running wireless so we have to ensure all the machinery is connected across our IT network,” he says. While innovative applications are helping deliver huge operational improvements, Alemán points out that mines are traditionally run on controlled, isolated networks which, though the technology was old, made them safe. “Now with the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud applications the temptation is to connect the mine all the way to the internet,” he says. “It’s a big security risk for mining operations opening up the control network to the w w w.gi ga bi t ma ga z in e. com

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KINROSS GOLD

S TAT I S T I C S

Tasiast local network

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• +30,000 devices connected • 10 GB backbone network • +100 Km of fiber optic pulled • +110 radio frequency links • 360 WiFi access points • 280 Switches • Six telecommunication towers +45m • Nested mine wireless network • Nested ICS/SCADA Network • Nested digital radio network Tasiast servers infrastructure • • • • •

4TB RAM memory 408 logical processors +450GHz CPU +330 TB storage +12 servers hosting +210 virtual machines • P roviding services to +1000 IT users • T wo sites in high availability +hot-site mode

OCTOBER 2019

Mining communications requirements •A ccess to corporate business applications • Access to real-time communication • The importance of well-being – keeping on-site personnel connected • D ealing with medical emergencies • Large file transfer • A sset tracking and management • Onsite (cyber) security • D ata storage, back up and redundancy – insuring against power outage and extreme weather


world via the vendors.” Kinross is partnered with Cisco, described by Alemán as “among the best in the market” when it comes to networking. “All our main station network, our business network, is on Cisco. At Tasiast we are completing the migration for everything involving our WiFi infrastructure to Cisco’s industrial networks and we’re very happy with the process.” He stresses the choices made with innovations should be site specific, based on studying the weaknesses of your operations and weighing those against the opportunities to add value and should be made before committing to any hardware/ software purchases. “Mining is a complicated industry,” he concedes. “At the end of the day, the objective with things like automation and driverless trucks is to remove people from dangerous areas.” The result at Tasiast is a challenge for Alemán’s team in managing the workarounds required for a mix of technologies that may lack standardisation when it comes to communication protocols, but will offer significant advances for Kinross in its most remote operations.

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