Web3 transformation: How adopting web3 technologies can offer opportunities for businesses
Computer vision: The evolution of computer vision across industries
Healthcare technology: Tech solutions are at the heart of healthcare
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With a report suggesting businesses “lack confidence” in their abilities to deploy web3 technology, we speak with experts on what executives should do going forward
Technologies associated with web3 have had a turbulent time of late. From major declines in cryptocurrency prices to what some see as a cooling in enthusiasm for the metaverse, talk about the decentralised future of the internet has diminished somewhat.
According to research by Bain & Company only 20% of organisations have a well-defined strategy in place for web3, with the report suggesting businesses “lack confidence” in their abilities to deploy the new technology.
This month Technology Magazine speaks with three experts in the field of web3 - Daniel Field, Director of Innovation & Global Head of Blockchain at UST, Simon Bain, CEO of OmniIndex and Alex Leventer, Web3 Development Lead, DataStax - to gather their thoughts into how the technology will accelerate digital transformations in future and how web3 is shaping business models. Enjoy the issue.
marcus.law@bizclikmedia.com
MARCUS LAW
“Only 20% of organisations have a welldefined strategy in place for web3”
Quzara Cybertorch™, the first FedRAMP HIGH Ready SOC-as-a-Service, provides the following security capabilities to Materion’s ecosystem:
• 24/7/365 Security Monitoring
• Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) to cyber threats
• Adhere to multiple security compliance frameworks
• Detecting, preventing, and investigating suspicious activities
• Vulnerability management and Threat Remediation
Jamie Cairns, Chief Strategy Officer at Fluent Commerce, on how its order management platform enhances operational efficiency and customer experience.
Fluent Commerce is a global software company focused on distributed order management. Its cloud-native platform, Fluent Order Management, provides accurate and near real-time inventory data visibility, order orchestration, fulfilment optimisation, instore pick and pack, customer service, and reporting to transform fulfilment into a competitive advantage.
As Jamie Cairns, Chief Strategy Officer at Fluent Commerce explains, the process of managing orders begins with inventory data. “Being able to unify a view of inventory and then syndicating that inventory data out across a range of different channels lets you improve the customer experience,” Cairns comments.
That, in turn, has a range of different operational efficiency benefits, reducing costs by reducing split shipments, cancelled orders, and customer service calls.
As Cairns describes, order management represents an opportunity for retailers and B2B organisations to harness inventory data to provide real-world benefits. One of their recent innovations, Fluent Big Inventory, is about unifying in near real-time those inventory sources, enabling all systems to become inventory aware.
“It is not just about enhancing the order fulfilment process, which is typically what has been the domain of an order management system,” Cairns explains. “It’s about making inventory data available to other systems, like search, as well and ultimately being able to personalise search results based on inventory.” With changing customer preferences in recent years,
brands have had to adapt quickly. As Cairns explains, Fluent Order Management not only provides a robust software-as-a-service platform, but at a lower total cost so businesses can move quickly and meet customer expectations efficiently.
During the COVID-19 pandemic when stores were closed, Fluent Order Management enabled businesses to adapt quickly. “Stores still had inventory and there were huge spikes in online demand,” Cairns explains. “Our customers were able to adapt in a matter of a day to completely change their fulfilment workflows.
“Digital agility is essential,” he concludes. “We are not trying to predict what the future is, but to provide a toolset that allows you to adapt as the future evolves.”
The first wine designed by AI has been presented in France. Anthony Aubert and Jean-Charles Mathieu from Aubert & Mathieu asked ChatGPT to create an “exceptional, fruity vinified organic wine from the Languedoc region”. They also asked what the wine should be called, in which bottle and at what price.
According to ChatGPT’s instructions, they combined 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. The AI recommended a Burgundy bottle as “excellent to show off your wine” and a retail price between €50 and €100.
ChatGPT also developed a marketing plan, a press release and the text for the back label. However, the AI made a few mistakes in the process: failing with the design of the label.
Credited as the man who saved Microsoft, Satya Nadella is a CEO continuing to follow trends and advancements in technology
WRITTEN BY: AMBER JACKSON
With the growth of AI and companies continuing to invest in rapidly changing technology, Satya Nadella is a CEO who prides himself in being at the forefront of innovative changes. Joining Microsoft in 1992, Nadella quickly became known as a leader who could span a breadth of technologies and businesses to transform some of Microsoft’s biggest product offerings.
It is no secret that Nadella has transformed Microsoft’s digital capabilities through great expansion. With the company investing billions of dollars of investment in OpenAI, Nadella is keen to see the company thrive in midst of rapid technological advancements and ultimately put the company back in the race.
Digital transformation: Nadella causes Microsoft stocks to rise Nadella briefly worked for the now defunct Sun Microsystems before joining Microsoft in 1992. Before becoming CEO in 2014, he was Executive VP of cloud and enterprise where he oversaw Microsoft Azure and the company’s repositioning towards cloud services. This is now the most profitable business area of Microsoft.
In 2011 he led the nascent cloud platform Microsoft Azure and worked towards building out its infrastructure and services. Nadella was always clear that Microsoft Cloud was doing “more with less” by delivering a safe and efficient platform that is innovative as well as secure.
The Azure platform is formed of more than 200 products and cloud services and helps businesses manage challenges and meet organisational targets. It provides tools that support all industries and is compatible with opensource technologies, with more than 60 data centre regions connected by 175,000 miles of fibre.
SATYA NADELLA
TITLE: CHAIRMAN AND CEO
COMPANY: MICROSOFT
INDUSTRY: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
LOCATION: WASHINGTON, US
Satya Narayana Nadella is an Indian-American business executive and chairman and CEO of Microsoft. He held leadership roles in both enterprise and consumer businesses across the company, before being named CEO in 2014. Originally from Hyderabad, India, Nadella lives in Washington with his family. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Mangalore University, a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Chicago. Nadella serves on the board of trustees to the University of Chicago, as well as on the Starbucks board of directors.
US$13bn
Microsoft also charges Azure on a payas-you-go basis, meaning that subscribers receive a bill each month that only charges them for the specific resources they used. According to Microsoft, 95% of Fortune 500 companies rely on the platform for cloud services for their digital transformation targets.
With this in mind, Yahoo! Finance reported in June 2023 that Baron Funds
had conducted a study that highlighted to what extent Nadella has helped Microsoft into the digital transformation race. As of June 2023, Microsoft Corporation delivered a 36.26% return since the start of the year, while its 12-month returns were up by 29.17%.
In its investor letter, Baron Durable Advantage Fund said: “The stock languished for almost 15 years while Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook led the transition to mobile. Satya Nadella finally took the reins in 2014 and immediately changed the company’s focus from the Windowscentric, on-prem legacy businesses to a cloud-first platform that could be accessed and used from any (mobile) device anywhere in the world.”
“The price of Microsoft stock has increased seven-fold since Satya Nadella took over as CEO.”
Bing AI as the “real incarnation of Clippy” Microsoft is an investor in OpenAI. According to WIRED, Nadella was quick to see that partnering with the company and its CEO, Sam Altman, would put Microsoft at the centre of a new AI boom.
Microsoft has made leaps and bounds since its very memorable paper clip Office Assistant, Clippy. Nadella in particular stated in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the new Bing AI was a sort-of “real incarnation of Clippy” and it certainly has much greater potential to help users.
Bing with AI has ultimately changed what people can expect from a search function. Having combined OpenAI’s model with Bing’s search data, users can
chat directly with the search engine. It not only types out answers to questions asked, but also includes citations so that users know exactly where the information has come from.
Nadella has acknowledged that this type of software is a profitable area of business. In January 2023, Microsoft announced that it would be extending its partnership with OpenAI through a multiyear, multibillion dollar investment to accelerate AI breakthroughs to ensure these benefits are broadly shared with the world.
At the time, Nadella said: “We formed our partnership with OpenAI around a shared ambition to responsibly advance cutting-edge AI research and democratise AI as a new technology platform.
According to Forbes, the AI market is projected to reach heights of US$407bn by 2027, having experienced substantial growth from its estimated US$86.9bn revenue in 2022. This coincides with 64% of businesses expecting AI tools to increase and enhance their productivity, suggesting greater confidence in digital transformation.
“In this next phase of our partnership, developers and organisations across industries will have access to the best AI infrastructure, models and toolchain with Azure to build and run their applications.”
Safety is paramount. Nadella has been clear that technology companies and Microsoft specifically have got to consider AI safety as an ongoing responsibility, instead of a one-time responsibility. In order to propel technology forward and allow it to remain safe and accessible for all users, this growth mindset is essential.
Technology Magazine speaks with Dr Ryan Carr, who serves as CTO and VP of Engineering at Enveil, the pioneering privacy enhancing technology company protecting data in use
TITLE: CTO AND VP ENGINEERING
COMPANY: ENVEIL
INDUSTRY: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
LOCATION: WASHINGTON DC
Dr Ryan Carr has served as the CTO and VP of Engineering of privacyenhancing technology firm Enveil for over five years. He holds PhD/BS in computer science and has experience in leading engineering efforts at institutions such as the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
With experience in leading engineering efforts at institutions such as the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Dr Ryan Carr’s fields of expertise include large scale analytic systems, distributed algorithms, AI, game theory and social learning, and applying cloud computing techniques to simulate and analyse complex interactions among large numbers of autonomous agents.
His research in these areas has been published in highly competitive venues such as Proceedings of the Royal Society, AAAI, and AAMAS. Ryan holds a PhD/BS in Computer Science.
» I oversee Enveil’s engineering department, and am responsible for ensuring that the technical strategy is executed in a way that supports our business objectives. I’ve learned that my role as startup CTO requires fostering
up to speed and make contributions quickly. This means a strong onboarding process, good technical documentation, and investing time in building personal relationships on the broader team so everyone is comfortable asking for help.
“From a big picture perspective, we’re helping our customers overcome barriers that prevent them from most effectively leveraging data”
Enveil’s ZeroReveal Machine Learning capabilities extend the boundary of trusted compute by enabling encrypted federated learning and the secure usage of disparate, decentralised datasets for machine learning applications. Specialising in Encrypted Training and Encrypted Evaluation, ZeroReveal ML directly addresses the privacy component of AI TRiSM by overcoming potential compliance issues and expanding an organisation’s ability to privately and securely leverage additional data sources through the use of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), including secure multiparty computation and homomorphic encryption. ZeroReveal can also help mitigate security concerns associated with adversarial ML attacks.
» From a big picture perspective, we’re helping our customers overcome barriers that prevent them from most effectively leveraging data. The ability to securely and privately use the data you need allows organisations to make better, more efficient decisions across a wide-range of verticals. We enable our customers to share and collaborate between entities, jurisdictions, and other data silos in ways that are otherwise not possible because of regulatory or security restrictions.
It’s been really interesting to drive the formation of a new category around the use of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) because I think we’re only beginning to scratch the surface in terms of the value the technology can deliver. I would argue that not only are we solving direct customer needs, we are also helping lead a digital transformation.
» The most exciting developments in my mind relate to our use of homomorphic encryption (HE) and secure multiparty computation (SMPC). Both are accelerating at an incredibly fast rate, allowing people to work across numerous datasets they otherwise couldn’t utilise. This means we are constantly seeing new use cases and ways to help people across multiple industries.
When I started at Enveil in 2016, the promise of HE sounded impossible to me: imagine being able to ask a database a question and get an answer, but the database does not get to see what you’re asking or what the answer is. The fact that
“I like being at the forefront of a new category and working with technologies that only a handful of teams in the world are leveraging for commercial applications”
this technology was at the foundation of the company was a big draw for me – I wanted to figure it out. Having seen what it can do, I’m confident that HE is going to be everywhere in 20 years. I often compare it to working with databases in the 80s: people had just started to use them, but now they’re central to most business processes. I really believe this kind of cryptography is going to have a similar impact.
» I’m really proud of the work I’m doing today. I like being at the forefront of a new category and working with technologies that only a handful of teams in the world are leveraging for commercial applications. It has also been a privilege to help build something from the ground up. The progression we’ve seen in terms of both the technology
and the broader market over the past six years has been incredible to witness.
» We’ve recently been focused on an encrypted training capability for our ZeroReveal Machine Learning product, the first version of which was released in June. This capability allows our customers to train machine learning models over datasets that reside in environments they wouldn’t normally trust to see the model, and allows data owners to let external parties train over their data without exposing the underlying data. This delivers an unmatched ability to derive insights from data without the need to trust other parties during computation. It’s a capability our customers have been asking for so I’m excited to see the ways it will add business value for ML and data science use cases.
Executives from Appian, AWS, and Xebia share their collaborative efforts and excitement about their partnership in low-code, cloud, and sustainability.
Technology is instrumental to achieving next-level capabilities across industries. But organizations that want to operate sustainably must choose technology that lets them adhere to strong environmental, social, and governance principles.
Appian Corporation, a process automation leader, is a critical piece of the digital transformation and sustainability puzzle. The enterprise-grade Appian Low-Code Platform is built to simplify today’s complex business processes, with process mining, workflow, and automation capabilities.
“By quickly building apps that streamline and automate workflows, organizations are using Appian to make their processes for monitoring and reporting on ESG initiatives faster, simpler, and more effective,” says Meryl Gibbs, Emerging Industries Leader at Appian.
“Both AWS and Appcino are amazing partners of ours,” says Michael Heffner, VP Solutions and Industry Go To Market at Appian. “We have an extremely long legacy engagement with AWS as our trusted, go-to-market partner and Appcino builds “meaningful, business-focused applications on the Appian platform and is amazing in all things ESG.”
As an AWS leader enabling sustainability solutions built on the cloud, Mary Wilson, Global Sustainability Lead at AWS, talks about the partnership with Appian.
“Our objective is to help our customers achieve sustainability goals across their business operations,” says Wilson. “[This means] looking at data availability, meaning access to more data, and enabling actionable insights. “Lowcode, cloud-enabled, technologies will allow organizations to build fast, learn fast, iterate, and continue to improve these insights to drive their sustainability outcomes.”
Tarun Khatri, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Appcino (product part of Xebia), explains just how critical ESG is in the face of digital transformation. “The investment community now considers ESG reporting as a major factor for measuring performance,” says Khatri The collaboration will continually uncover new insights and provides customers the opportunity to accelerate their ESG goals with speed and security.
WRITTEN BY:
SEAN
ASHCROFT
PRODUCED BY:
LEWIS
VAUGHAN
It might seem odd that, in a world in which technology companies are laying off workers in their thousands, a company such as DataBank – which helps fuel tech consumption – is continuing to expand at a steady pace.
DataBank's managed data-centre services are anchored in world-class facilities, and the company currently boasts such centres in locations including Dallas, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, and Atlanta –managing or operating major network facilities in each of these regions.
These facilities provide uninterrupted access to customer data, applications and IT equipment. DataBank’s services provide business solutions for corporate enterprises, including hybrid cloud services, customised IT deployments, and industry compliance, to meet the outsourcing needs for IT management, maintenance and operations.
The company serves a wide range of customer verticals, including media and content distribution, cloud infrastructure providers and telecom networks.
DataBank has been expanding its size and reach for years. In September 2017, it acquired cloud hosting company, Edge Hosting, which specialises in designing, operating and simplifying secure and compliant IaaS and PaaS Managed Cloud Hosting. The acquisition provided both market expansion and extra expertise in the delivery of cloud solutions and
Tony Qorri is VP of Construction with DataBank, and explains how the business continues to expand strategically in testing economic times
Today, there’s more than 18 million servers running in more than 2,500 data centers all across the globe to support everything from our global economy to our increasingly remote workforce. As we continue seeing more demand for ecommerce, artificial intelligence, streaming video, virtual reality/augmented reality applications, smart systems, and Big Data analytics, we expect these numbers to climb drastically. This unprecedented demand for digital services has made the case that data centers have become as essential as public utilities such as electricity, gas, and water. Below is an overview of some of those technologies, according to the guide:
Intelligent equipment and new controls enable data center operators to improve the utilization and efficiency of the critical power systems required to achieve high levels of data center availability. One strategy we’re seeing used by organizations is utilizing the overload capacity designed into some UPS systems to handle short and infrequent demand peaks rather than oversizing equipment based on these peaks.
Renewable energy can be a great tool for reducing carbon emissions. Numerous ways to leverage renewable sources include purchase plan agreements, renewable energy certificates, and migrating loads to cloud or colocation facilities committed to carbon-free operation. Some operators are looking at opportunities to power data centers through locally generated renewable power, which can be accomplished by matching renewable energy sources with fuel cells, systems that can produce clean hydrogen from renewable energy, and UPS systems with dynamic grid support capabilities.
For organizations in the initial stages of planning long-term efficiency and sustainability goals, beginning such a journey can be daunting. Fortunately, Vertiv’s guide offers valuable first steps for reducing environmental impact, including:
y Establishing Goals: Data center operators are embracing goals based on the vision of the net zero data center or adopting several of the pillars that make up that vision. According to Vertiv’s guide, a net zero data center typically encompasses:
• Zero losses: Eliminating inefficiencies and maximizing utilization in data center systems.
• Zero carbon: Eliminating carbon emissions from the power consumed by data centers.
• Zero water waste: Eliminating the waste of water for data center operation.
• Zero waste: Eliminating the e-waste created by data center operations.
y Defining Frameworks and Metrics: Emissions will often be the primary target when establishing measurable goals for reducing environmental impact.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol provides standardized global frameworks that industry organizations and their value chain partners can use to understand, aggregate, quantify, and reduce emissions. Find more metrics and frameworks Online
y Prioritizing Opportunities: Organizations looking to build out their sustainability approach can begin by evaluating existing data center systems and prioritizing opportunities based on goals and available technologies. As plans move forward, operators should continue to prioritize solutions that can achieve desired levels of continuity. Some priorities include increasing asset utilization, decreasing data center water usage, reusing data center heat, and reducing e-waste.
The path toward a more sustainable data center is not paved by a single strategy or piece of technology and implementing these changes will be no easy feat for most organizations. The reduced costs, progress toward corporate goals, limited dependence on utilities, and lessened environmental impact from these initiatives can help create significant long-term value for an organization.
managed services, especially for clientele requiring comprehensive operational controls for a number of commercial and government compliance standards.
Then in September 2020 it acquired zColo’s data centre assets from Zayo Group Holdings, with these located in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Denver. The deal means DataBank now offers secure colocation, connectivity, cloud, and managed services in 60 data centres in 28 key markets in the US and UK.
Such structured, strategic growth has put DataBank at the forefront of the edge
“I stick with the same principles in my work as I did in my sports career: keep learning, keep improving”
TONY QORRI VP CONSTRUCTION, DATABANK
infrastructure wave, enabling enterprises, hyperscalers, cloud, content, and software customers to move their mission-critical workloads and platforms closer to end-user populations in second-, third-, and fourthtier markets.
Crucially, these deals have seen DataBank acquire expertise along with infrastructure. One such addition is VP of Construction, Tony Qorri, who joined the company as part of the zColo deal.
So how does Qorri explain DataBank’s growth in the face of a shrinking tech market?
“Tech companies might be cutting their staff, but it's not because people aren’t using technology,” he says. “In fact, people’s
TITLE: VP OF CONSTRUCTION
COMPANY: DATABANK
Tony Qorri joined DataBank as Vice President of Construction in December of 2021 with the responsibility of overall construction efforts on large construction projects as well as customer fit-out projects. Qorri came to Databank as part of the DataBank acquisition of Zayo's colocation division, zColo, where he served as Director of Construction for 7 years. Prior to Qorri's tenure at Zayo, he worked for a General Contracting / Construction Management firm in New York City where he served as Senior Vice President of Operations for 7 Years. Qorri has been in the mission critical industry for 15 years where he has built multiple Enterprise data centers for many of the financial institutions as well as the top 5 colocation companies on a global perspective. His time spent on both the contractor side as well as the end user side makes him a very well-rounded individual that understands all aspects of engineering, building, and operating a data center.
When core values are shared, co-creation will thrive over for a real sustainable success. A shared cognizance of the customer needs allows Hitachi Energy to foster seamless collaboration to deliver impactful Data Center solutions.
Transformers for Data Centers
Learn more
The Data Center industry has witnessed exponential growth that resulted in a focus on increased speed-to-market by leveraging standardized designs. As a pioneering technology leader, Hitachi Energy plays a crucial part in bridging the gap between the grid and this critical infrastructure.
Tony Qorri is the visionary Vice president of Construction at Databank, the US Data Center giant. He believes that donning his partner hat produces win-wins when forging strategic alliances. This aligns with the tenet of Hitachi Energy, which values are focused on fostering relationships with partners for long-term value creation.
That’s why when Qorri was looking into power solutions for backing up his mission-critical projects, he was confident in the expertise of Hitachi Energy. Unintuitively understanding the unique needs and aspirations, a standardized transformer design with an extended tap arrangement was envisioned to operate at any DataBank’s location.
Collaboration was crucial to anticipate Databank’s project needs. Design standardization and Hitachi Energy’s global footprint helped to secure the construction
schedule, mitigating potential delays due to the post-pandemic world and the high demand for transformers triggered by the energy transition.
The bond built on trust and commitment has made DataBank select Hitachi Energy as its trusted partner. At the core of this synergy is a unique understanding transcending mere transactions, becoming a catalyst for innovation, resilience, and collaboration.
“Standardization was critical to supporting the fast-paced growth of Databank within today’s growing need for scalability; thankfully, due to open and transparent collaboration between our companies, we were able to iterate upon the transformer design, ultimately resulting in a repeatable and, more importantly, scalable solution”
Logan Howell, Product Manager for Distribution Transformers at Hitachi Energy - North Americahunger for technology is growing, and data centres are the infrastructure that fuels that.
“So whenever you pick up your phone or click on an app you are firing three pieces of infrastructure. The cell tower that's capturing your signal, the fibre through which the signal travels and the data centre, where everything ends up.
“You have to remember our business is about serving customers of tech companies. We go where the customers are.”
And where DataBank always goes is to the ‘edge’, says Qorri.
“You always want to place your data as close as possible to those who use the data. So you are at the edge of the network.
And also where land is more affordable, which is why Salt Lake City and Atlanta have become focal points for the company.
“Those locations have been two we've chased pretty aggressively,” says Qorri. “We've got a lot of additional builds throughout the nation, but we've got quite a bit of capital being spent in those markets.”
Qorri’s role is to run and manage DataBank’s expansion and development builds,” including greenfield and brownfield retrofits, and expansions in any of the existing sites”.
He explains: “We've got three models of construction. One is brand-new developments – so a greenfield ground-up building. Second is a brownfield site, where we buy a shell – some type of building, could
AECOM Tishman is one of the world’s leading builders. With more than 120 years in business, we’ve been responsible for the construction of more than 600 million square feet of space. A part of AECOM, our construction management business line is supported throughout the entire project lifecycle – from planning, design and engineering to program and construction management.
have been a distribution centre or an office building – and we retrofit that.
“The third is an existing facility that has maybe one to five data halls. We'll go in and expand that building over the course of time.”
From front-end to back-end, Qorri and his team hires and manages design consultants, contractors and the commissioning firms that ensure the data centres are functional. For good measure, he also runs the procurement arm of the organisation, an area that in recent years has been pivotal to the continued growth of the company.
Just over a year ago, DataBank hired a strategic sourcing manager who works for and closely with Qorri.
TONY QORRI VP CONSTRUCTION, DATABANK
“We have built scalability into the business by creating a forecast that shows, quarter over quarter, what the market looks like”
“As the construction project management team continued to grow we wanted to take some of the sourcing workload off those guys, because they had challenges of their own,” he says. “Together, we’ve been doing all of the sourcing. We try to forecast at least two years ahead, and we’ve got to continue evolving that because we're still seeing supply issues and challenges.”
Being able to source strategically has allowed DataBank to avoid costly supply chain delays.
“It’s enabled us to quickly deploy and to not lose six months to a year on deliverable timelines, which would've lost us customers,” he says. “We're actually growing quite rapidly. We've scaled over the past few years and I think we're going to continue to
scale over the next few years. Continuing to develop the teams we need has been quite a challenge and will continue to be so, but it’s proved very important.”
DataBank’s growth has been consistent and strategic. It’s been facilitated by smart procurement but also many other factors, says Qorri.
“We have built scalability into the business by creating a forecast that shows, quarter over quarter, what the market looks like, and from this we created a stocking programme.
“We bought everything from transformers to generators, and also downstream. But we didn't want to over-buy, so we were strategic about it, and it’s the best thing we ever did because it has allowed us to grow at a sustainable rate.”
As well as growing its infrastructure, DataBank has been adding to its knowledge base with strategic new hires, including experienced project managers (PMs).
“As we’ve scaled, we’ve taken on more PM,” says Qorri. “This has allowed me to get out of the trenches, because I have been project managing as I was leading a group. As we continue to bring more people on board I can focus more on managing downstream, and helping the organisation grow from a future planning perspective.”
Planning for growth has different drivers in the post-pandemic world, it seems –particularly when it comes to winning new contracts.
TONY QORRI VP CONSTRUCTION, DATABANK
“Taking a project from the front-end to the back-end is a challenge but a hugely rewarding one”
Qorri says: “Back in the day, the most competitive bid was nearly always the winner. Those days have changed a bit. Now it's not always the most competitive bidder, it's the most strategic bidder in specific markets that wins.”
“Strategic often comes down to 'how well you know a given market, and how strong your relationships are with the downstream folks in that market'.
He adds: “This is why I tell my guys to come in not with their client hat on but their partner hat. I ask them to make our partners their friends. People always want to work with their friends, right? Friends are going to have your back and will help you execute.”
Taking a project from the front-end to the back-end – “where we're meeting specific customer needs” – is a challenge, says Qorri, “but a hugely rewarding one”.
TONY QORRI VP CONSTRUCTION, DATABANK
“You always want to place your data as close as possible to those who use the data – at the edge”Highland Associates is an Architectural and Engineering firm focusing on the design of mission critical facilities for Enterprise, Co-Location and Hyperscale clients throughout the United States.
He adds: “It involves supply chain, contractor availability in certain markets and taking a task from A to Z in a very tight timeframe and bringing it in on time and on budget.
“Myself, my team, the organisation, we get a rush out of that. There are competitors that are able to do it but there are also a lot of folks who are not able to accomplish this, and it day-in, day-out – especially over the past few years, with the pandemic and multiple supply chain constraints – is a major achievement.”
He reveals that, post-pandemic, “we’ve had to micromanage down to a level that was not needed before”, and that there is another big difference to the way his team operates.
“The customer is not always right any more,” he says. “Instead of demanding something and getting it, we now have to work more as partners – with our vendors, contractors and subcontractors.”
And, of course, there are other changes and challenges in expanding a business in a post-pandemic world, not least of which is labour problems, Qorri explains.
“There's not enough workers to cater to all the projects going on. Bringing in the right subcontractors to build-out a facility is a challenge. Unlike in warehouse environments, automation is not an option. You need physical labour. Technology is advanced – you need guys in the trenches to be able to execute.”
But whatever the challenges that DataBank faces, it does not face them alone; its ecosystem of partners is crucially important, says Qorri.
“DataBank has a slew of different partners,” he says. “We've got vendors that
we partner with from both thermal and power sides. Vertiv and Powersmiths are very strong partners of ours on the power side, and Toshiba and Cummins with regards to support on the generators and UPS side.”
Hitachi is another “huge partner of ours”, from a transformation perspective, says Qorri.
"Our most strategic partners are our general contracting partners. HITT in Northern Virginia, Tishman in New York, Layton in the Southwest, and Brassfield and Gorrie in the Atlanta market.”
Adopting blockchainenabled web3 technologies offers a massive opportunity for all industries to upgrade their security and productivity dramatically
WRITTEN BY: MARCUS LAWTechnologies associated with web3 have had a turbulent time of late. From major declines in cryptocurrency prices to what some see as a cooling in enthusiasm for the metaverse, talk about the decentralised future of the internet has diminished somewhat.
According to research by Bain & Company only 20% of organisations have a well-defined strategy in place for web3, with the report suggesting businesses “lack confidence” in their abilities to deploy the new technology.
This month Technology Magazine speaks with three experts in the field of web3 – Daniel Field (DF), Director of Innovation & Global Head of Blockchain at UST, Simon Bain (SB), CEO of OmniIndex and Alex Leventer (AL), Web3 Development Lead, DataStax – to gather their thoughts into how the technology will accelerate digital transformations in future and how web3 is shaping business models.
DF: Users will eventually curate collections of digital objects reflecting their past achievements, evolving interests and tastes and most memorable experiences, much as they do with photos, souvenirs and memorabilia today. Only these digital objects can also provide utility, such as access rights or service privileges. This will give new incentive mechanisms to retailers, employers, educators and the entertainment sector, such as new approaches to loyalty and reward.
SIMON
SB: Web3’s blockchain storage and enhanced encryption technology offer a massive opportunity for all industries to upgrade their security and productivity dramatically. This is because web3 can make all encrypted data accessible to analytics and collaboration while simultaneously eliminating the risk of exposure and attack with its immutable and decentralised storage.
AL: Web3 is about decentralising data, so you can have a distributed set of data spread across multiple locations and owners. This approach is commonly associated with cryptocurrencies, but this distributed ledger can be used in other industries. The most important element is that this data can be trusted by all the organisations that are participating in that market, without any one organisation owning that data.
From a business perspective, this data can support new ways to manage supply chains
and collaborate around services. For established companies, it can make those supply chains more effective, and for new market entrants, it can provide a different approach to solving business problems.
How are web3 technologies reshaping traditional business models and creating new opportunities for innovation and collaboration?
SB: All industries can benefit from Web3. However, the areas that can immediately see the most significant boost are those dealing with the most sensitive data.
These organisations and industries face the most significant battle in data
“All industries can benefit from Web3. However, the areas that can immediately see the most significant boost are those dealing with the most sensitive data”
BAIN CEO, OMNIINDEX
management and use today; because they need to keep their data safe at all times while also needing to share and analyse that same data.
One example at the top of this list is education. By swapping to blockchain data storage, external parties needing access to sensitive student and educational data can do so securely without any confidential and regulated PII or other private information being visible. This is crucial because educational data is at the top of hackers’ lists in 2023. Indeed, over three-quarters (78%) of UK schools have experienced at least one type of cyber-incident, according to a recent National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and National Grid for Learning (LGfL) audit.
Some real examples of how Web3 is helping educational institutions today include analytics on encrypted student data,
Visionary Viewpoints: Digital transformation with Chief Digital Officer Trent Mayberry
Web3 technologies is the upheaval caused by upgrading their existing infrastructure and workflows. Whilst I understand the inconveniences, the companies resisting the transition to Web3 are exposing themselves to ransomware attacks which are continually plaguing the industry today.
It’s worth it; trust me, securing your data and upgrading your security is significantly less painful than dealing with a ransomware attack. It’s more ethical, too.
However, this upheaval does not need to be as substantial as people fear. This is because a considerable part of Web3 is the use of AI and other technologies to
and the distribution of certificates and other official documents. In both cases the data is fully protected from accidental or malicious exposure, and all personally identifiable information and other sensitive and confidential data is automatically redacted.
AL: The supply chain for sensitive items like medicine is ripe for digital transformation. You might want to prevent fraud and improve traceability throughout a supply chain, but can you trust all the third party companies or providers that might carry those products?
With blockchain, you can track those individual packages from initial manufacture through distribution and supply chain partners, and prove that the goods are what they say they are. In practice, this kind of project can deliver more trust for consumers that they are getting what they pay for.
What are the potential challenges or barriers to businesses adopting web3 technologies, and how can they be overcome?
SB: One of the most prominent perceived barriers organisations face in adopting
TITLE: DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION & GLOBAL HEAD OF BLOCKCHAIN
COMPANY: UST
INDUSTRY: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
LOCATION: SPAIN
Director of Innovation & Global Head of Blockchain since 2020, Daniel Field joined UST after 13 years with Atos – most recently as its Head of Blockchain. In his current role he is particularly focused on the application of new technology to real world needs.
“Web3
be treasured, not valued, collected not traded”
DANIEL FIELD DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION & GLOBAL HEAD OF BLOCKCHAIN, UST
TITLE: CEO
COMPANY: OMNIINDEX
INDUSTRY: DATA INTELLIGENCE
LOCATION: CANADA
Omnidex CEO Simon Bain is a fastpaced entrepreneur, technologist, inventor, and business leader who has led successful teams from a blank whiteboard to revenue. As an IT industry leader for over 20 years, he identifies and develops innovative applications that are market ready, and then launches that technology by building successful sales strategies for key markets.
ensure a more efficient and user-friendly online environment. For example, Web3 connectors can automatically and securely transfer data from an existing data store to a user’s new blockchain storage. This process can be fully automated with an AI engine producing the unique encryption keys for the user, encrypting the data, and then uploading it to the blockchain ready to be accessed. Similar Web3 connectors can then be used to securely access this encrypted data in the organisation’s existing workflow - for example, Google Workspace or Microsoft Power BI.
AL: The biggest challenge here is where companies try to apply blockchain and web3 technologies to situations that don’t require it. It’s great to provide that
distributed ledger where trust across multiple companies is necessary, but it is not suitable when you need analytics. Blockchains can’t be used for analytics, so you may have to use other distributed data methods to handle your information.
The challenge with web3 technologies is that they are often associated with cryptocurrency projects, with all the negative connotations that those projects could have, or where the company’s whole approach is based on providing an existing service ‘but on the blockchain.’ These approaches are not the right way to carry out digital transformation.
When you apply web3 in the right way to decentralise data, you can build new and innovative services. The challenge is
to break out of that reductionist mindset and apply web3 when it is the best approach to fulfil a business need in combination with other innovations in real-time data and real-time AI.
DF: There is a predominant undercurrent in much of web3 on driving adoption through financial speculation. We advise our clients against this: it appeals only to a minority and is anathema to community engagement, reward, intimacy and loyalty. We suggest taking a broader view, focusing on sentiment. Web3 objects should be treasured, not valued, collected not traded. This requires mechanisms to showcase them, peer recognition, and a long term commitment to communities and initiatives.
“Web3’s blockchain storage and enhanced encryption technology offer a massive opportunity for all industries to upgrade their security and productivity dramatically”
SIMON BAIN CEO, OMNIINDEX
WRITTEN BY: ILKHAN OZSEVIM
PRODUCED BY: LEWIS VAUGHAN
IMAGES: NTT
The world of data centres, their construction and development is closer to home than most assume. They form the foundation of our interconnected world, housing the very architecture that carves out our modern society.
We take a look at this foundation through the eyes of Brittany Miller, Senior Vice President of Construction, Engineering, and Supply Chain at NTT Global Data Centers.
With a remarkable professional journey and a wealth of experience in the industry, Miller shares valuable insights on the process of building and developing data centres, with a particular focus on cost efficiency, and brings a diverse background to her current role. Her journey began at Intel Semiconductor Company, where she gained invaluable experience in building chemical and gas fab plants across various locations worldwide.
Working in a rapid-paced and everchanging environment, Miller developed expertise in construction and supply
chain management, successfully navigating complex, fast-paced projects while honing her skills in risk management.
After her time at Intel, she transitioned to the data centre industry, joining Microsoft in roles that involved both the construction and lease acquisition sides of the business. This diverse experience laid the foundation for her current position at NTT, which she assumed nearly three years ago with the aim of establishing a scalable delivery organisation.
To provide context, NTT is a prominent Japanese-based global technology company, with over 150 years of aggregated corporate technology innovation under its umbrella and a strong presence in the global data centre industry.
NTT boasts an impressive network of data centres across North America, Europe, India, and APAC. Miller says that, “while the intricacies of NTT’s organisational structure are vast, for the purpose of this discussion,
we will focus primarily on the data centre business segment.”
NTT is a company that’s actively focused on the pursuit of cost efficiency in data centre construction and development, as Miller highlights: “Given the capital-intensive nature of building data centres, it is crucial to manage costs effectively without compromising on quality or performance.”
“It is crucial to manage costs effectively without compromising on quality or performance”
BRITTANY MILLER SVP OF CONSTRUCTION, NTT GLOBAL DATA CENTERS
Miller emphasises that a comprehensive understanding of different delivery models and effective risk management are essential in achieving cost efficiency. Drawing from her experience, she highlights the importance of strategic planning, meticulous project execution, and a relentless focus on scalability.
Under Miller’s leadership, NTT’s delivery organisation has experienced significant
growth, quadrupling in size over the past three years. This expansion has been accompanied by the opening of new markets and the establishment of build-to-suit capabilities – solidifying NTT’s position in the Americas.
When it comes to finding success in building and developing data centres, Miller highlights the importance of cost reliability. She explains that their journey began with a focus on standardisation. By understanding customer requirements and aligning them with their business model, they were able to standardise their product in the US. Starting with their Phoenix Campus
“People leave bad leaders, not bad companies”
BRITTANY MILLER SVP OF CONSTRUCTION, NTT GLOBAL DATA CENTERS
project, they replicated the design across all sites, which not only provided a better understanding of costs but also allowed them to identify and implement cost efficiencies.
“Standardisation has been key in improving predictability, cost control and scalability, while still accommodating necessary design innovations to meet client demands,” she says.
Similar to their cost efficiency approach, Miller underlines the significance of standardisation in managing project schedules effectively: “By adopting a basebuild core design approach, we created the infrastructure necessary to deliver capacity in alignment with demand curves.
TITLE: SVP CONSTRUCTION AND CRITICAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING AND DESIGN
COMPANY: NTT GLOBAL DATA CENTERS
Brittany Miller leads new data center construction projects which feature global industry standards, multi-story buildings, and massive capacity.
Prior to joining NTT, Miller spent four years leading teams in Microsoft’s Cloud Operations and Innovation business unit, helping to meet the unique challenges of a rapidly growing global business. She led a team that was responsible for global program management and governance along with AMER lease execution.
Previously, Miller held multiple positions at Intel over her 10-year tenure there. She led a global team of supply chain professionals from setting construction delivery strategy through the execution of large-scale construction projects.
Empty data hall at NTT data centrePURSUING THE GOAL OF A NET-ZERO FUTURE FOR DATA CENTERS WORLDWIDE.
Gary Johansen, VP Engineering at Cummins discusses how the business is working with clients and utilising new technology to achieve zero-emissions.
Operating in 190 countries with more than 70,000 employees, Cummins is a global enterprise and energy-to-power solutions provider. The business is driven by the goal of providing the right solutions for its customers to promote their sustainability ambitions, whether that’s regarding environmental, economic or community sustainability.
Destination Zero highlights Cummins’ ambitious goal of adopting a zeroemission footprint by 2050, through achieving zero emissions, waste and water usage within its operations. This not only applies to Cummins but to the business’ products in use too, as Cummins’ customers use fuel to operate the products, which of course, generates a carbon footprint.
To achieve these goals, Cummins is investing in a broad array of technologies that the business believes are meaningful and important for future
sustainability efforts. For example, Cummins is investing in fuel-cell technology through zeroemission space Accelera, which is converting hydrogen energy into electrical power. “We also recognise that battery energy storage is a very critical part of many of our applications moving forward,” Johansen says. “So, we’re investing in battery energy storage and fuel cell technologies, while also advancing core technologies of today, including internal combustion engines to run on low and no carbon fuels.”
Additionally, Cummins has also been advancing internal combustion engine (ICE) efficiencies and emissions for decades – and continues to provide heavy investments. “Our exhaust emissions technology and other critical components, such as fuel systems, air handling systems and electronic controls are all critical to reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency,” Johansen explains.
“The world needs us to decarbonise our infrastructure, and Cummins is providing opportunities to do so, as we serve so many which are crucial to our communities. Because of this, I don’t think there’s ever been a more exciting time to work at Cummins, or in the power space.”
LEARN MORE SVP OF CONSTRUCTION, NTT GLOBAL DATA CENTERS
This strategic approach allowed us to scale rapidly while also providing flexibility to adapt the product based on customer requirements.”
Addressing the topic of scale, Miller underscores the two primary tenets that drive the company’s approach: cost predictability and scalability. Through their standardisation efforts – and the subsequent ability to streamline operations and improve efficiency – NTT has successfully achieved scalability while maintaining cost control and project predictability.
As we all know, supply chain challenges have truly been redefined in recent years, and it’s
BRITTANY MILLER“Standardisation has been key in improving predictability, cost control and scalability, while still accommodating necessary design innovations”
NTT’s Silicon Valley SV1 Data Center
no hyperbole to say that these disruptions have been unprecedented.
“However, by partnering with multiple suppliers in each equipment category and sharing our roadmap transparently, NTT ensures that suppliers have a clear understanding of our requirements.
“This collaboration enables effective planning, proactive decision-making and better management of supply chain risks,” she says.
Additionally, she points out that the standardisation of equipment across sites, allows NTT to leverage flexibility and move equipment as swiftly as needed, ensuring timely delivery: “Early commitment and close communication with partners facilitates timely responses to potential impacts during the production stage,
enabling us to make informed business decisions and agile adaptations.”
Miller emphasises the crucial role of having a talented and dedicated workforce at NTT. “Hiring the right people and providing them with the right support enables them to take ownership of projects and make decisions that impact NTT’s overall success,” she says.
She draws from her experience at large tech companies, where working at a fast pace under pressure can be challenging.
“I believe that enjoying the work environment and having positive relationships with colleagues are essential for a fulfilling experience in any company.
As the saying goes, ‘people leave bad leaders, not bad companies’.”
To create a workplace where people enjoy coming to work and working with their colleagues, Miller focused on building a strong team. Though many positions were initially outsourced, she took the time to carefully select the right leadership team.
“This deliberate approach paid off, contributing to the team’s ability to scale rapidly and quadruple the business in just three years,” she says. “The people and leadership drive this success, and my leadership style involves regularly checking in with team members and addressing any roadblocks.”
In terms of team composition, Miller believes it starts with establishing the desired culture and vision. NTT’s culture revolves around connecting people and enabling them to deliver, while the vision is to scale rapidly and enter new markets swiftly.
“With these goals in mind,” she says, “the focus was on building a diverse leadership team with varied backgrounds. The team includes individuals from the data centre industry with hyperscale knowledge, as well as professionals from adjacent industries like hospitals and semiconductors.”
NTT also recruited people with deep expertise in supply chain management, “even if they had no prior tech experience”.
“Despite the fast pace of work, leaders should remember that it is the collective effort of the people that drives the success of an organisation”
BRITTANY MILLER SVP OF CONSTRUCTION, NTT GLOBAL DATA CENTERS
“By bringing together diverse perspectives and capitalising on the strengths of each team member, we were able to create a cohesive and highly effective team,” she says.
Miller gives prominence to the fact that the success of the leadership team led to the replication of this approach throughout the organisation, ensuring a consistent and aligned mindset.
“The concept of ‘winning together’ resonates with the team, as all functions, including engineering, construction, and supply chain, operate under the same organisational umbrella.
“This integrated approach encourages collaboration and shared responsibility in problem-solving. The team fosters a culture of innovation, understanding that taking risks and learning from failures are vital for growth and improvement.”
To further strengthen the team and address the industry’s talent shortage, NTT has launched an internship programme in their construction organisation. This initiative aims to develop young talent and inspire them to pursue careers in the data centre industry. By providing valuable industry exposure and experience, NTT hopes to retain talent within their
organisation and contribute to the industry’s growth as a whole.
Since implementing the right teams throughout the organisation, NTT has experienced significant changes. One notable improvement has been a reduction in attrition, which had been high in the industry in recent years.
“The work being done at NTT, and the opportunity to contribute to building a new organisation with a strong foundation has generated a lot of excitement among our employees,” she says. “They appreciate the autonomy to create and improve processes, rather than following outdated methods that have been in place for many years. This sense of empowerment and continuous improvement is truly motivating for the team members.”
Miller points out that effective communication has also played a crucial role in retaining the team and fostering a positive work environment. She highlights the importance of consistently communicating the organisation’s vision and any changes that are coming.
“In fact, leaders should overcommunicate to ensure that everyone is aligned and understands the ‘why’ behind decisions and initiatives. Transparency in communication not only keeps employees motivated, but also fosters an environment of trust,” she says.
Expressing gratitude and acknowledging employees’ achievements is another significant factor in building a truly successful team.
“It’s actually very simple to say ‘thank you’ when someone does something awesome,” she says. “But it goes a long, long way.
Recognising and appreciating the hard work and dedication of team members through simple gestures like instant messages or emails can be very effective in boosting morale.”
NTT also implements initiatives such as ‘Coffee Connects’, where employees from different parts of the organisation come together virtually for a coffee break, fostering connections and collaboration. Regular all-hands meetings, monthly newsletters, and team-building challenges are other ways NTT creates a safe and open space for communication and connection.
Reflecting on her experience, Miller advises other organisations to prioritise listening.
“Truly hearing and understanding employees, whether it’s about their personal lives, challenges on projects, or any other concerns, is absolutely crucial.
“Leaders should actively remove roadblocks and support their team members. Building genuine connections with the team, remembering personal details about their lives, and showing care and support can go a long way in fostering a positive, productive work environment.
“Despite the fast pace of work, leaders should remember that it is the collective effort of the people that drives the success of an organisation,” she says.
Miller’s central message to the audience is to invest more in people, particularly in the construction industry. She says that taking care of employees and suppliers is crucial for the success of a company.
“By providing support, listening to their voices, and allowing them to be a part of the decision-making process, organisations
The explosion in demand for data centres has attracted the attention of investors of all types –growth capital, buyout, real estate, and, increasingly, infrastructure investors. In the US market alone, demand measured by power consumption –to reflect the number of servers a data centre can house – is expected to reach 35 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, up from 17GW in 2022, according to McKinsey analysis. The United States accounts for roughly 40% of the global market.
can harness the dividends of employee engagement and satisfaction.
“I believe that people want to be a part of something meaningful, especially in the post-COVID world, and involving them in shaping the organisation can yield significant benefits.”
Miller adds that construction, as an industry, is heavily dependent on people. Despite advancements in technology in various fields, the construction industry has not seen
significant progress in the last 60 years. Skilled labour in construction is limited, and there is no imminent threat of robots taking over jobs. She suggests that the industry should embrace diversity, allow people to work from different locations where possible, and challenge outdated norms.
“By prioritising the wellbeing and potential of individuals, the construction industry can unlock numerous opportunities for growth and success,” she says.
Regarding partnerships, Miller discusses three companies: Fibre Bond, Cummins, and Silent-Aire.
Fibre Bond has been a long-standing partner of NTT, helping standardise their data centres and innovate within the constraints of the industry. “Our partnership has been characterised by mutual collaboration, agility, and a willingness to challenge each other for better results – key criteria for any successful partnership,” she says.
Silent-Aire, another strategic partner, is a prominent player in the semiconductor and data centre industry. “With their reliability and substantial manufacturing capacity, Silent-Aire has become one of NTT’s primary suppliers.”
Cummins is a trusted supplier of generators in the data centre industry. “Although Cummins’ partnership with NTT is relatively new,” says Miller, “they have demonstrated reliability, effective communication of
risks, and a strong commitment to delivery.” She points out that NTT shares extensive information with their partners, allowing them to align their efforts and deliver the expected outcomes. She says the company “expects a positive future with both Silent-Aire and Cummins” as their “strategic partners”.
In the next 12 to 18 months, NTT’s focus will be on significant building projects. They have already secured customers for most of the capacity at their sites, and their major markets, including Phoenix,
Dallas, Hillsboro, Chicago, and Ashburn, will witness substantial construction, will witness substantial construction.
NTT plans to evolve their standard designs based on industry developments and address critical factors such as supply chain and power to enhance their competitive advantage in delivering future capacity.
Changes in the Industry’s Future Miller anticipates that the introduction of AI will increase spending from key technology companies and have a significant impact on the data centre industry, although the exact nature of this impact
is yet to be determined. Increased demand due to AI will likely require larger data centre footprint, which may necessitate alternative design and construction methods; as such, Miller predicts that power will continue to be a crucial conversation in the industry.
“The availability of power in different regions – such as the middle of the United States – may become a target market for companies seeking quicker access to power infrastructure,” she concludes.
By using generative AI to create more personalised and better customer experiences, businesses can improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and bottom line
WRITTEN BY: MARCUS LAWIn November 2022, generative AI took off seemingly overnight with the launch of ChatGPT, a chatbot that could hold conversations that were seemingly indistinguishable from those of a human. This development sparked a wave of excitement and innovation in the Customer Experience (CX) space, as businesses began to explore the ways in which generative AI could be used to improve their customer interactions.
While AI has been making lives easier for both customers and brands for a while now, awareness of the technology’s potential continues to grow rapidly. According to the latest research by McKinsey, generative AI’s impact on productivity could add trillions of dollars in value to the global economy: predicting the technology could add the equivalent of $2.6 trillion to $4.4tn annually.
“For CX teams in particular, generative AI has the capabilities to help us overcome
some of the biggest industry challenges, such as the daunting task of maintaining a consistent flow of content,” explains Zarnaz Arlia, CMO at CX software company Emplifi.
“Clearly, such technologies have the potential to assist with many day-to-day functions, from the automation of processes like content development, data collection and analysis, to the augmentation of CX initiatives to create faster operations.”
And as Alec Boere, Associate Partner for AI and Automation, Europe at Infosys Consulting, explains, ChatGPT and other similar technologies are shortening timescales for businesses to launch products and services into organisations and helping them to extract value.
“We’re already familiar with chatbots, but they are nowhere near the realistic mimicking of human conversation that these new models offer in the delivery of instant and accurate customer support.
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Of course, anything that boosts efficiency and effectiveness of customer service pays dividends for businesses, so it is already drawing much interest.”
How generative AI can deliver better experiences for customers
CX has arguably never been more important. Customers expect businesses to provide personalised, efficient, and interactive experiences that meet their needs.
Utilising generative AI can help businesses in a multitude of ways: from delivering enhanced personalisation to handling customer queries in real-time.
For brands, generative AI can go a long way in delivering more personalised customer experiences, essential in maintaining a loyal customer base and boosting revenue, Arlia explains. “By analysing customer data, such as purchase history, browsing behaviour, and social media interactions, AI algorithms can provide tailored recommendations and messages that meet customers’ needs and preferences,” she describes.
“This not only provides more personalised experiences but also offers actionable insights to help organisations
“For CX teams in particular, generative AI has the capabilities to help us overcome some of the biggest industry challenges”
ZARNAZ ARLIA CMO, EMPLIFI
The customer experience industry is no stranger to AI, with research suggesting chatbots will become the primary customer service channel for roughly a quarter of organisations by 2027.
According to a 2022 Gartner survey, 54% of its 50 respondents indicated they have started to implement AI for customer-facing applications.
“Chatbots and virtual customer assistants (VCAs) have evolved over the past decade to become a critical technology component of a service organisation’s strategy,” said Uma Challa, Sr Director Analyst in the Gartner Customer Service & Support practice.
“When designed correctly, chatbots can improve customer experience and drive positive customer emotion at a lower cost than live interactions.”
evolve their CX strategies,” Arlia adds. “With these insights, emails will become more compelling, target apparel will be just the right shade of blue, and landing pages will greet customers with content aligned with their needs, interests, and ideals.”
Another capability of AI is to handle customer queries in real-time. Anyone who has worked in customer service understands the challenge of responding to the sheer volume of customer queries
at a near-constant rate. As Arlia describes, generative AI’s ability to produce customerfacing copy is a godsend to teams who are already stretched to capacity.
“For example, AI technologies can be used to create initial drafts of social copy that incorporate a brand’s tone and its preferred emojis, hashtags or questions, while ensuring that AI-generated responses are underpinned by important customer data,” she explains.
“We’re already familiar with chatbots, but they are nowhere near the realistic mimicking of human conversation that these new models offer in the delivery of instant and accurate customer support”
ALEC BOERE ASSOCIATE PARTNER FOR AI AND AUTOMATION, EUROPE INFOSYS CONSULTING
“This is possible because openAI ChatGPT framework is a state-of-the-art language generation model trained on a massive amount of available text data, rules, and algorithms from the internet to generate human-like text based on a given prompt. The programme can then be trained and calibrated with more information to produce responses at scale.
“However, while social media copy generated by AI might be a useful starting point to speed up the process, a human touch is vital to ensure posts are on brand and customer responses are factually accurate and feel authentic. After all, AI models are only as accurate as the data it’s built on, which for ChatGPT stops in 2021.”
AI technologies can also be used to blend competitive intelligence, market trends and customer data at speeds that no human can achieve. While performance analysis isn’t simple, the more information a brand has at their fingertips, the better informed their decisions will be – even more so if they have programs in place to act upon this intelligence.
But while the benefits of generative AI are plentiful, we can’t ignore the privacy concerns raised around the datasets that underpin ChatGPT’s AI models. “From a
The REAL potential of generative AIWATCH NOW
“It’s easy to get caught up in the capabilities of generative AI, but it’s important to stress that this technology isn’t a people replacer”
ZARNAZ ARLIA CMO, EMPLIFI
CX point of view, the information inputted into AI systems can be regurgitated back out, which poses a threat to accurate measurement and customer information,” Arlia adds. “Therefore, to mitigate privacy concerns, brands need to train their AI models with strict guidelines, feeding them with data that is legally obtained and compliant with GDPR laws.”
As Boere describes, any organisation engaging in AI should have clear policies to ensure its implementation is ethical. “For example, businesses must have diverse teams to avoid transferring human bias into the technical design of AI – as the AI is driven by human input.
“Companies should also refrain from using outdated data because these algorithms will only amplify past patterns and not design new ones for the future. For example, this was highlighted by the OpenAI DALL-E 2 model, which, when asked to paint pictures of startup CEOs, all were male.
“As with all new technologies, responsibility must be at the forefront when implementing AI models,” he adds. “Trust is the key to making it work for both staff and customers. AI models must run without bias to treat consumers and employees fairly, and safeguarding customers’ personal information and complying with all legal and regulatory environments must be prioritised.”
When it comes to utilising generative AI for CX purposes, the call to action is clear – leverage this technology but do so responsibly. “It’s easy to get caught up in the capabilities of generative AI, but it’s important to stress that this technology isn’t a people replacer,” Arlia concludes. “Instead, it’s a people enhancer. At the same time, AI tools like ChatGPT can’t thrive without being fed reliable and factual data sets from, you guessed it, humans.
“For now, I think it’s safe to say a robot takeover is still a fictional fantasy. However, the brands and CX teams that lean into emerging AI technologies will ultimately reap the most radical benefits.”
11 - 12 October 2023
1,000+ Virtual Attendees
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30+ Acclaimed Speakers
6 Interactive Panel Discussions
The Cloud & 5G stage is back, and this time it’s putting on an exclusive 2-day virtual event for the industry. Join Cloud & 5G LIVE on 11 and 12 October for a two-day virtual event, where the brightest minds in Telco, Cloud, 5G, AI, and Sustainability will grace the stage.
Experience a unique opportunity for knowledge sharing, learning, and networking with industry professionals from all corners of the globe. Dive into the innovative networking platform, Brella, to build meaningful connections, schedule meetings, and prepare yourself for the immersive LIVE stream about to unfold.
There are more than 30 internationally acclaimed leaders that you can’t afford to miss! Among the esteemed speakers, we’re thrilled to announce the presence
of renowned data centre and sustainability leader Susanna Kass, alongside Nokia Cloud visionary, Mark Bunn, Tech Mahindra’s networks pioneer Manish Mangal, Jio tech visionary Ravi Sinha, and Ericsson’s 5G Trailblazer Ceren Clulow.
Covering five key themes, the event will showcase engaging presentations, interactive sessions, panel discussions and fireside chats, facilitating deep learning and exploration: The Future of Cloud Computing, The Future of 5G, Women in Cloud & 5G, Cloud & Infrastructure, 5G Network Transformation.
Mark your calendars, set your reminders, and get your complimentary pass to Cloud & 5G LIVE Virtual! It’s time to connect with like-minded professionals who share your passion for innovation and growth.
WRITTEN BY: ALEX CLERE
PRODUCED BY: JAKE MEGEARY
Supporting a global professional services firm that enables world class organisations presents many opportunities and challenges for an Information Technology function. Supporting such an organisation requires intense focus and high flexibility. These environments leave little time to be introspective and require a CIO to make instantaneous decisions and constantly evolve their thinking. Working in such a highly dynamic and fluid environment has never been a problem for flexible CIOs such as Jeremy Zung, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Alvarez & Marsal (A&M).
“When I joined A&M during COVID, there was no playbook or manual to tap into,” he says. “It became very clear, though, that our primary focus needed to be about stabilising the core – this included not just technology, but our staff. We had a lot of technical debt that had built up, similar to many companies.”
As global CIO, Zung is responsible for all internal IT matters including all backoffice technologies and systems. Once the core was stabilised, it allowed the focus to quickly move to improving services to A&M’s growing base of global professionals. Transforming the IT department required a change of mindset to operate IT as a business.
Founded in 1983, A&M provides advisory, business performance improvement, and turnaround management services to a diverse range of clients – from corporates and government agencies to private equity firms and law practices. The business has been expanding rapidly of late and now boasts more than 7,500 people, who provide services across the world.
Based in Florida, Zung joined A&M in July 2021 following a 30-year career at professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). After college, Zung’s first job was as an actuarial associate with Coopers & Lybrand – where he could never have imagined the diverse jobs he would hold during his career. Those roles included multiple client-facing and internal roles including being the US Advisory IT leader for 12 years, leading 13 acquisitions.
It was a big career move when he made the switch to A&M – but Zung himself is not afraid of change, given that his career has been about continuous improvement and transformation, and his 30 years at PwC had prepared him for this opportunity.
“One of the things that really attracted me to A&M was its history based on relationships and not relying on commercials or TV ads,” he explains. “It’s a people business. That really stuck with me – that its work is through referrals, word-of-mouth, people saying what we’ve done for them.”
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Its department dedicated to business services simplifies the path to the goal for clients by implementing, adapting, maintaining and supporting the entire business landscape with ERP as the core engine.
“We can look after our clients’ businesscritical systems, whether it’s ERP, CRM or HCM, plus DBI and analytics,” explains Tom Vandezande, EVP at Arribatec Group and Global Head of Business Services.
“We can also advise clients on the infrastructure side, whether they want to move to our cloud or one of our partner clouds. Finally, we can overlay all of this with our enterprise architect, business process and organisational changement management services, provided by our EA & BPM Business”.
One example of how Arribatec works with partners comes in the form of its work with professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal. As Mark Bloomer, UK MD of Arribatec Business Services describes, Arribatec offered A&M a full range of services, from integrating ERP and banking solutions to consolidating HR systems.
“A&M has quite a large, sophisticated team, but they needed ERP-specific expertise in a number of areas,” Bloomer adds. “Over time, we have built a mutual trusting relationship, and we’re able to blend in seamlessly into their own teams.”
For Vandezande, central to the future for Arribatec is around bringing its solutions to the global market.
“Our tagline is We Simplify Complexity,” he explains. The idea is to take the headache away from the customer and provide an integrated end-to-end solution covering all their angles: looking at everything from the people side of things, the process side of things, the business-critical systems side of things, as well as infrastructure.” Learn
One of the first challenges when he joined A&M was reducing the amount of technical debt that the company faced. “During the last few years prior to my joining, we really fell behind on a lot of things – just like most companies,” Zung says. This technical debt consisted of old laptops, servers, infrastructure components that were reaching their end of life, and slow adoption of cloud services. All of these things were directly impacting A&M staff.
“We focused on eliminating critical points of failure – not just systems – but our talent,” he continues. “We had key areas which were vulnerable when a person went on vacation
“The key benefits for us in automation are reducing manual processes, reducing manual mistakes, and improving our efficiencies”
JEREMY ZUNG CIO, ALVAREZ & MARSAL
or happened to be sick. We really looked at that as part of our stabilisation efforts.
“We also needed to improve performance and reliability across our environment, and institute and improve our governance around our project management portfolio. We had a growing number of project requests backing up. We implemented a governance model including a Portfolio Review Board (PRB) to help decide where to invest firm resources. We can’t do every project that gets requested, so we had to create a structure to evaluate each request including its impacts to the business, costs, and expected value to the firm.”
TITLE: CIO
INDUSTRY: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
LOCATION: UNITED STATES
Jeremy Zung is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal. Leading a team of IT personnel, Jeremy is responsible for the management of firm standard core systems, networking, infrastructure, cloud and data centre services. Jeremy has a 30-year record of success in multiple client-facing and back-office roles including: Actuary, 401(k) Manager, Director of Network Services Architecture and Design, and PwC US Advisory Advisory IT Leader.
Think of SHI as your personal technology concierge connecting your team to IT solutions and services for growth, security, and employee experience. From modern workplaces and defending against cyber threats, to cloud and IT cost optimisation, our 6000-strong team is ready to help you solve what’s next for your organisation
Ian Young, Market VP of Field Sales, explains how SHI is working alongside Cisco to help customers get maximum value out of their investments
With its global team of 6,000 employees, including around 1,000 technical resources, SHI specialises in helping customers take a smarter approach to their technology strategy. The result is more efficient and effective IT operations across the entire technology landscape.
Thanks to its concierge approach and in-house expertise, SHI has become a trusted partner of countless organisations, including professional services giant Alvarez & Marsal. Ian Young, Market VP of SHI Field Sales, explains: “Working alongside Cisco, we are helping A&M tackle critical business and technological challenges through a strategic approach, driving favourable results.”
As a Cisco Gold Partner, SHI’s longstanding partnership with Cisco ensures exceptional customer support. Cisco has recognised SHI’s performance, naming it US security partner of the year in 2022. Such is the strength of the relationship, close to 100 of SHI’s 1,000 engineers are Cisco-dedicated, including subject matter experts, pre-sales engineers, solution architects and renewal specialists.
“SHI has a unique approach to digital transformation in collaboration with Cisco,” Young adds. “SHI leverages Cisco’s extensive range of cutting-edge products and services, and aligns its engineers and resources to assist customers in achieving their desired outcomes.
“A&M is fully utilising the potential of Cisco’s products and services, while also benefitting from the exceptional customer experience provided by SHI. They know they’re in capable hands with SHI and Cisco.”
SHI’s reputation as a trusted technology partner is the result of its comprehensive portfolio of products and services, complemented by an exceptional team of engineers and subject matter experts who are dedicated to serving their customers.
“We value being involved in strategic planning, technology roadmaps and technology assessments,” continues Young. “We aim to complement these efforts with solution design services so that our customers realise the return on their investments.”
In a growing business, challenges are always popping up. Manual processes that worked fine when the firm was much smaller suddenly became nightmares when you’re talking about roughly 8,000 employees and third-party staff.
“Moving to a two-year laptop refresh cycle is really generous and we knew our end users would love this change,” Zung explains, “but it created a big problem in IT. We had over 85 different laptop makes/models in our environment! Working with resellers Insight and CDW along with our laptop providers Dell, HP and Lenovo, we shrunk that down to under 20 to have a common build process developed by Camwood. When you factor in new hires in addition to our existing staff, that’s about 5,000 machines a year to image and issue. The legacy process for doing that
“While AI gets all the fanfare right now, I still believe most companies who haven’t gone through a transformation can see bigger cost savings by automating all the little things”
JEREMY ZUNG CIO, ALVAREZ & MARSAL
involved taking the computer out of an enduser’s hands for 4-8 business hours – and significant manual tasks for our IT team. “We quickly identified we would need an army of IT staff to meet this need, if we did not completely rethink our tools and processes.”
New processes were devised – and it involved automating “pretty much anything and everything”. The process now starts with an automated survey, which gives each user advance notice that they’re due to receive a new machine soon. In that survey, colleagues choose from approved models to meet their needs. “Some prefer a specific brand, some want a larger screen and some want a lightweight model for example,” Zung says.
The user also selects where they want their new laptops shipped – rather than having to come into the office and schedule
time with an IT staff member. At the heart of the configuration and build process, we leverage cloud services from Microsoft including Autopilot which allow the user, within 30 minutes after powering up, to be up-and running for most of the applications they use. In terms of returning their old machine, they’re given a short grace period to ensure everything is working properly, and then they use a supplied shipping label to return their old laptop to A&M where it is securely cleansed and disposed of.
“We’ve gone from spending 20-40,000 hours of lost hours per year for our users to a fraction of that. When you’re in a consulting firm, that’s a lot of hours to put back into serving our clients.”
Another part of Zung’s focus when he joined A&M was around improving performance and reliability. A lot of this involved the transition to cloud and taking advantage of the capabilities that cloud service providers bring. “For example, if you think about a physical file server or component, where our staff have to manually take care of issues,
moving that to the cloud saves us significant people time and increases our agility,” Zung says.
Cloud usage has improved system uptime and availability. “It’s quite beneficial for us to leverage the big investment budgets that our cloud providers have!”
“The key benefits for us in automation are reducing manual processes, reducing manual mistakes, and improving our efficiencies,” Zung continues. As the business has grown, so has the IT department, but he recognises that successful businesses need to find ways for support functions to grow at much smaller levels than growth happening to the rest of the firm.
A&M is a business built on its relationships –both those it enjoys with clients, obviously, but also those that it has with internal
“A&M’s work is based on relationships. It’s a people business”
JEREMY ZUNG CIO, ALVAREZ & MARSAL
stakeholders. This is reflected in the care and diligence that it puts into internal programmes, like changing out laptops every two years to keep frontline technology fresh.
But that mindset extends to A&M’s technology vendors as well. From his Tampa, Florida office, Zung tells us what he looks for in an external partner. He doesn’t just want ‘yes-people’ that do what’s asked of them. “More times than we want to admit, we’re wrong with our internal thinking or sometimes have hidden biases,” he explains. Instead, he wants vendors that guide A&M towards the right solutions and processes that are fit for growth.
Zung wants to partner with vendors who are upfront and honest about their products and capabilities. He wants them to speak up when A&M is headed in the wrong direction, or when the company is about to make a mistake. This creates long-term relationships built on mutual trust and understanding, rather than short term relationships where the supplier may not raise best practices or focus on long term strategy.
A significant part of his approach has been to establish and grow strategic relationships with key providers such as Arribatec, Camwood, CDW, Cisco, Dell, HP, Insight, Lenovo, Microsoft, NewRocket, ServiceNow, and SHI. The benefits come in many forms but include:
• Implementation of managed services
• Migration to cloud services
• Implementing new technologies and capabilities
• Reduced talent costs
• Increased support capacity
• Reduction of duplicative systems/processes
SHI and Cisco have helped A&M navigate through extended supply chain challenges, manage the accelerating nature of technology, manage a growing firm footprint and end-of-life/end-of-support concerns while also working to decrease administrative tasks by leveraging more cloud products. They are trusted providers that are relied upon to help forecast and roadmap audio/video, voice, network and infrastructure services. The tight collaboration between SHI and Cisco allows A&M to recognise and understand emerging services and technologies much earlier than if they had to go it alone.
Another top priority has been to recommit to A&M’s ServiceNow (SNOW) platform and leverage that investment. Besides SNOW incident and ticketing management, A&M has enabled space reservations, security/operations, and hardware asset management. Zung and team are also in-flight implementing software asset management, migrating multiple back office and client service teams away from legacy email and Excel-based incident ticket management and tracking to SNOW.
“We view SNOW as a key piece of our technology enabling capabilities and not
“You can’t just be the smartest IT guy in the room and be a good CIO anymore”
JEREMY ZUNG CIO, ALVAREZ & MARSAL
just a ticketing system or back-office tool. Our journey would not have been possible without the full support of ServiceNow and NewRocket. They have carefully and patiently listened to our needs and unique challenges and avoided just recommending all of their off-the-shelf offerings.”
Arribatec adds bench strength to A&M’s ERP support and project teams, which have allowed the introduction of new features and enhancements, while increasing support capacity with expanded hours and capabilities. Arribatec’s approach to understanding A&M’s growing global needs and requirements has helped to simplify and implement solutions for a growing pipeline of project requests. “They provide us the ability to handle projects in multiple locations around the world while enabling our current support model and capabilities.”
Our relationship with Microsoft has been especially beneficial, when we think about the SME’s they bring to the table. From presales to post sales activities, Microsoft has always been there for us to help introduce and explain new services and offerings while listening to our unique needs. They have supported our journey to leverage more cloud tools including migrations from Sharepoint on-premise to Sharepoint Online, improved usage of the Power Platform, migration to Autopilot and so much more.
“For most of my career, I never thought of IT as a business”. But now, he believes that the leaders of IT departments need to possess broader skillsets than ever. “The breadth and scope of what we support has grown exponentially, and it’s probably not going to stop.
“We’re not just supporting a finance system or an HR system. We do so much more. We negotiate contracts with vendors for supplies
and materials. We’re taking those supplies and materials and making them into some sort of technology product. We’re managing relationships to our business units and providers. We’re managing finances, we’re managing projects. The amount of things we do, we really are like a business inside a business, and I think that’s an important shift that I don’t think’s going to stop.
“I think future generations of CIOs are going to be required to be more than just an IT guy. You can’t just be the smartest IT guy in the room and be a good CIO anymore. CIOs tend to have a much broader offering. They understand finances, business operations, and how a company works. They’ve probably held multiple different roles previously that allow them to really operate a business.”
Spotting how end-users work – and adapting Ultimately, everything that Zung and his team achieve are with a view to productivity. In
isolation, small accomplishments –like enabling key cards for office printers, which activate the machine and prevent the need for long credential strings – may seem relatively insignificant, but those small changes all contribute to a much greater effect.
“If you save somebody 15 minutes a week, assuming they work 45 weeks a year, and
“It’s taken me the majority of my career to realise it, but IT has to operate like a business”
JEREMY ZUNG CIO, ALVAREZ & MARSAL
multiply that by thousands of employees –boom, all of a sudden you’re talking about millions of dollars in time savings. Even something that’s a 5 or 10-minute task for end users can scale up to be over a sevenfigure benefit to the company right away.
“While AI gets all the fanfare right now, I still believe that most companies who haven’t gone through a transformation can see much bigger cost savings and cost avoidances by automating all these little internal things first.”
It’s in this spirit of ‘watching the pennies’ that A&M’s IT function runs an innovation award, which recognises team members who find new ways to eradicate inefficiencies and boost productivity in the workforce. It increases engagement with the company’s technologies, and ensures rank-and-file staff are aware that every little improvement is part of a much bigger picture.
To this end, A&M has begun deploying custom mobile applications to allow staff easier access to information they need. One of the recent innovations is a mobile application called People Directory. It allows colleagues to look up coworkers in different offices or different countries, and filter and sort details including staff level, business unit and more. People Directory replaced manually created PDFs full of pictures and hierarchies that were necessary before.
And the company isn’t going to stop innovating there: later this year, A&M intends to roll out a mobile-based self-service password reset application which will not only reduce the time spent by IT resources but also speed up the reset experience. “It’s a big part of our strategy,” Zung concludes, “of listening to how our people work and helping them out.
With services under incredible pressure, healthcare staff need technology solutions to help them manage increased demand and provide meaningful solutions
WRITTEN BY: MARCUS LAWThese are challenging times for the healthcare industry. The sector is facing a staffing crisis globally, and people are leaving the profession faster than ever before.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic the World Health Organisation estimates that by 2030 there will be a global shortfall of 10 million health workers, while studies show that demand for healthcare is only set to increase.
And with research by the American Medical Association finding that 63% of physicians reported feeling burned out in 2022, the use of innovative technology can play a critical role in solving some of those problems.
With services under more pressure than ever, healthcare staff need technology solutions to help them manage increased demand and provide meaningful solutions.
“Microsoft is very unique in that the ethos around how we deliver a solution using technology is very much about putting the patient and the healthcare worker at the centre,” describes Hema Purohit, Chief Architect and CTO Healthcare across EMEA for Microsoft.
“Everything that I do is focused on putting myself in the shoes of that patient or that healthcare worker to see what can we do around helping with burnout, how we can help with fatigue, and how we help with technology debt.
“How do we create tools that help people to collaborate faster, more accurately, and help people to do their jobs? How do we take away that manual overload to be able to give those frontline workers the space, the thinking time that they need to spend more time with patients directly? How do we use AI to reduce waiting times, and use AI in research analytics to provide more results faster?”
A modern network must be able to respond easily, quickly and flexibly to the growing needs of today’s digital business. Must provide visibility & control of applications, users and devices on and off the network and Intelligently direct traffic across the WAN. Be scalable and automate the process to provide new innovative services. Support IoT devices and utilize state-of-the-art technologies such as real-time analytics, ML and AI. And all these must be provided with maximum security and minimum cost.
This is the power that brings the integration of two cloud managed platforms, Cisco Meraki and Cisco Umbrella. This integration is binding together the best of breed in cloud-managed networking and Security.
cisco.com
How healthcare organisations actually go about integrating technology is often easier said than done.
“This is where I think that knowledge of the industry is really important,” Purohit comments. “When we’re talking about automation tools, or we’re talking about
creating cloud solutions where people can do research and analytics, it is really important to understand how they will feed into the pathway that you’re trying to deliver.
“From a patient perspective, but also from a clinician’s perspective, at which point do those tools come into your day job? That’s really important. So if we want to integrate a tool, we know that it has to become part of somebody’s normal value. If it becomes something that you have to do in addition to your day job, it’s not going to work.”
With issues such as burnout causing significant issues in the healthcare industry, there will always be challenges to overcome.
Purohit adds: “The world is changing so rapidly and so quickly that even if we get over today’s set of problems, we know that there’s going to be a set for tomorrow.
“The ethos around how we deliver a solution using technology is very much about putting the patient and the healthcare worker at the centre”
TITLE: EMEA CTO, HEALTHCARE & PUBLIC SECTOR
COMPANY: MICROSOFT
INDUSTRY: HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY
LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM
With more than 30 years of experience leading the way in public sector and healthcare transformation, Hema Purohit is a strategic thinker, visionary and creative executive. Her goal, passion and ambition is to bridge the technology gap and deliver real outcomes that make change a reality.
So I think being able to integrate efficiently is understanding the systems that you’re working with, understanding the workflows, both from a system and application perspective, but also from a manual perspective.
“So as a doctor, as a clinician, as a surgeon, what are the steps I take to be able to get through my day? And at which points can I actually use that technology? That’s very, very important.”
When looking at technology transformation initiatives, the same obstacles come up again and again: cost and time.
“In the past, if we look at legacy transformation programs they might have cost millions upon millions of dollars and taken 20 years,” Purohit comments. “But we don’t need to do that anymore. Technology is at its best when it’s simple, when it can be adopted by multiple users, of multiple ages.
“It actually solves the problem on both sides of the use case. So, from the person who needs to use it, to the person who’s going to receive the benefit of it at the end of it. It’s putting yourself in the shoes of that person that you’re trying to help and making sure that you’re giving them something that’s going to add value.”
“The world is changing so rapidly and so quickly that, even if we get over today’s set of problems, we know there’s going to be a set for tomorrow”
HEMA PUROHIT
EMEA CTO, HEALTHCARE & PUBLIC SECTOR MICROSOFT
“Particularly today, there are a lot of new developments, especially around AI, where the technology is developing faster than we can put the governance models in place”
HEMA PUROHIT EMEA CTO, HEALTHCARE & PUBLIC SECTOR MICROSOFT
What’s more, Purohit argues the simplest technology can also be the most effective.
“I would say the best technology is usually the stuff that’s very, very simple. How can I automate scheduling? How can I actually automate my rotor? How can I make sure that, when my staff are going home at 3am, they’ve got some sort of buddy system that makes sure that they’ve actually got home safely and securely? Those things add a huge amount of value.
“And if you can get the adoption correct in those things, then the larger transformation programmes become much easier to navigate.”
Technology today is moving at a particularly rapid pace. But with advancements in AI, it has never been more important to consider the ethical implications when dealing with patients’ confidential data. As Purohit explains, ethical concerns when it comes to technology are very much valid.
“Technology moves forward at a very, very fast pace. Particularly today, there are a lot of new developments, especially around AI, where the technology is developing faster than we can put the governance models in place. Everything needs to be governed, and everything does need to have an ethical base as well.
She concludes: “Technology is a very exciting space, but I’m also a realist and there needs to be a balance between the two. Before all of the fantastic visions we have become a reality, there does need to be a little bit of grounding. We need to take a little bit of time to just stop, make sure that we’re addressing those concerns and that actually everybody is working to a consistent set of guidelines and framework.”
Few sectors were affected more by the COVID-19 pandemic than the restaurant industry.
As lockdowns, social distancing measures, and safety concerns swept the world, restaurants were faced with the daunting task of keeping their doors open while ensuring the health and well-being of their customers and staff. In these challenging times, technology emerged as a vital lifeline for the restaurant industry, offering innovative solutions to navigate the stormy seas of uncertainty.
Dallas-based multi-brand franchising company Brix Holdings specialises in food service chains with superior products and attractive growth prospects. Its portfolio of restaurants includes Red Mango Café, Smoothie Factory + Kitchen, Souper Salad, Orange Leaf, Humble Donut Co, Greenz, Friendly’s and Pizza Jukebox.
Carissa DeSantis, BRIX Holdings’ Chief Technology Officer, leads the strategy, implementation and execution of technology across the organisation’s portfolio of brands.
“We’re strategising and gearing up for some major growth,” she comments.
“We’ve got a lot of interest, and a lot of signed agreements for new builds in place. We have a new brand that we’re launching, Pizza Jukebox, and we’re also looking to acquire additional brands. So, as a business, we’re growing and seeing that scalability and a lot of interest there.”
organisation become what she describes as “technology relevant”..
“For example, our Friendly’s brand had not touched technology since 1996,” she comments. “We upgraded that entire system. We’ve taken outdated technology out; we’ve started strategising and innovating, and putting new technology in so that we can be part of the cutting edge in the restaurant industry, rather than trying to play catch up.”
system, and we’re never going to get them back.
As an industry, we can’t find people and we can’t keep people”
CARISSA DE SANTIS CTO, BRIX HOLDINGS
to turn to digital tools to sustain their businesses and meet the evolving needs of their customers. Like the majority of the industry across the globe, businesses needed to adapt quickly.
“Similarly to probably 80% of the restaurant industry, we were very behind the curve,” says DeSantis. “We had to scramble during COVID to provide our customers with online ordering, and to build those relationships with third-party vendors.
PizzaBot™... the automated pizza robot is central to Walmart's new Jukebox pizza concept. The automation, from Lab2Fab™, a brand of Middleby, is captivating audiences with its robotic arm & ingredient dispensing automation to efficiently produce tasty pies at maximum speed.
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Brix Holdings & Lab2Fab™ are on a mission to share the joy of engineering with kids & utilise automation technology in the kitchen for pizza-cooking robots.
Carissa De Santis is the Chief Technology Officer for Brix Holdings, a multi-brand franchising and restaurant management company. Brix Holdings has teamed up with Lab2Fab™, where Tom Kunkel is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He enjoys sharing the wonders of technology with young minds. “We often have youth visiting the Dallas Innovation kitchens. It’s important to demonstrate that engineering is a fascinating field and will play a significant role in their future.”
“Collaborative robots, also known as “cobots”, are automated robots specifically designed to work harmoniously and safely alongside human workers in a shared workspace,” says De Santis. The robots excel at complementing the intelligence and problem-solving capabilities of their human counterparts. The precision, reliability and repeatability of automated working stations are engineered to enhance the overall productivity. Pizza Jukebox is an innovative new concept that Lab2Fab™ has developed, introducing a one-of-akind automated pizza-making robot. This technology delivers delicious pizza and provides an interactive experience that guests will remember.
The PizzaBot™ — a vital component of Pizza Jukebox — operates as a highly automated solution. “We take an existing proven Red Mango concept for smoothies, add the PizzaBot™ technology that leverages robotics and automation to offer pizza without the need to add additional labour,” explains De Santis. “It precisely measures and dispenses each ingredient, ensuring consistent placement and quantity with every pizza,” Kunkel says. “The beauty of automation lies in its ability to maintain recipe accuracy. Once the desired recipe is dialled in, the machine and the robot are programmed to deliver pizzas cooked in the same manner, within the same timeframe, every single time.” Lab2Fab™ and Brix aim to create innovative food concepts.
“Brix specialises in multi-brand franchising, offering superior products in the Better for You segments,” explains Kunkel. “Their mission is to provide exceptional franchise opportunities and they have a proven track record in successfully running and launching new concepts. Meanwhile, Lab2Fab™ brings extensive experience in automation and robotics, with a heavy focus on food automation”
Every brand was in its own little silo when it came to systems and technology, and all of the things talking, so we didn’t have one source of truth, for example.”
Today, digital solutions adopted during these challenging times will continue to shape the future of dining experiences.
“We started our digital journey when we were catapulted into COVID, adding online ordering, adding all the third-party vendors, and having a mobile app” DeSantis continues. “Now, we’ve got all of that technology in place; we’re refining, we’re upgrading, we’re looking to the future of what are we going to do next, how are we going to do it differently and to continue to be relevant and innovative.”
While the impact of the pandemic was far-reaching, one of the most pressing issues
facing restaurants today is the severe staffing shortage. As DeSantis describes, the use of innovative technologies like automation and robotics can help restaurants grapple with the challenges associated with finding and retaining qualified staff members.
“The restaurant industry, with COVID, lost over a million workers in the system, and we’re never going to get them back,” she comments. “As an industry, we can’t find people and we can’t keep people.
“Utilising automation and robotics allows us to fill in those gaps without losing the customer experience or being able to take care of our guests in our restaurants,” DeSantis explains. “This technology is definitely developing a leading role in what we’re doing and what we’ll continue to do.”
The use of automation and robotics also has a role to play in the guest experience side, DeSantis adds.
“Automation and robotics, on the guest experience side, is allowing us to be consistent across the board as far as making the products and preparing the food, but it is also improving the speed of service.
“Even our guests are more digital forward now. Using all of that technology allows us to be more efficient, save labour and continue to increase sales, all while filling in the gaps for those workers that we’re never going to get back.”
Immensely powerful, the role of data is revolutionising the way restaurants operate, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of their customers and make data-driven decisions to drive success.
“I love data so much,” says DeSantis. “In the restaurant industry, operators are extraordinarily passionate about their
business. We have this gut feeling, and so a lot of times – right or wrong – we make decisions based on emotion.
“Using data allows us to make informed, data-driven decisions; what we think might be happening might not actually be what is happening and data takes the emotion out of it. One of the things that we’re employing across our brands is a new guest feedback tool.”
As DeSantis describes, gone are the days of asking customers to fill in long surveys to receive something for free.
“It’s two quick initial questions with a scan of a QR code on your mobile phone” she says. “The next day we ping them again and ask if they would be willing to answer just a few more questions. This new approach is providing us great insights on the customer journey.”
Technology is also enabling better business intelligence, and improving decision-making.
“We’re adding technology where cameras can see where our customers come into a location, where they’re dwelling, the traffic flow, and tell if they are looking at and ordering our promotional items.” DeSantis continues.
CARISSA DE SANTIS CTO, BRIX HOLDINGS
“We had to scramble during COVID to provide our customers with online ordering, and to build those relationships with third-party vendors”
“Those are all the things that we’re putting into our brands to be able to gain insights on that customer journey, improve that experience, and then make informed decisions.”
As a small and mighty team, BRIX Holdings works with a number of partners to develop and deploy solutions.
“We rely on our partners to be able to help us do our business, grow, and support our needs,” DeSantis explains.
One partner, Lab2Fab, is BRIX Holdings’ robotic partner with its upcoming Pizza Jukebox brand. The company’s robotic arms are capable of not only making pizzas, but also enhancing the customer experience.
“It’s not only about efficiencies and labour savings,” comments DeSantis. “We actually have the robot behind a big glass window so the guest gets to watch that robot make their food. There’s some engagement and interaction there. So we’re partnering with L2F to be able to take that brand and concept out, and scale and grow.”
Another of BRIX Holdings’ partners, Revel Systems, is helping the organisation upgrade technology in store, particularly around its point-of-sale systems.
“As much as digital is now part of everybody’s day-to-day lives, we still go out, we’re social individuals, we go into restaurants” adds DeSantis.
“Revel Systems is one of our big partners. It involves upgrading technology in the store, to help us be relevant to the people that work for us, and also having a point of sale that’s as easy to use as their smartphone.
“I’ve had multiple of our other vendors tell us how easy and seamless integration into our point of sale system has been.
“
Using data allows us to make informed, data driven decisions; what we think might be happening might not actually be what is happening, and data takes the emotion out of it”
CARISSA DE SANTIS CTO, BRIX HOLDINGS
And so that was one of the big reasons that I selected Revel Systems. With technology, you don’t want to wait a year to get something implemented and live and go. You need it to be nimble, you need it to be quick; otherwise, there is going to be a new technology that replaces it by the time you get out there.
“Many vendors out there will have an 18 to 24-month life cycle to get something to go from ideation to reality, and Revel moves at light speed compared to that,” DeSantis adds. “Those are some of the big reasons that we’ve partnered with them and we’ll continue to utilise them as we grow our brand.”
When it comes to the future, technology is helping to reshape the customer experience, optimise operations and unlock new avenues for growth.
“We want to grow the brands that we have,” DeSantis explains. “We’ve got a lot of great interests already and stores coming down the pipeline, we’ve got new concepts that we’re working on.”
The organisation is also looking at improving brand awareness of some of its more regional restaurants.
DeSantis says: “Friendly’s ice cream, if you live in the Northeast, everybody that I run into has a story about, ‘When I was a kid at Friendly’s...’ or, ‘After my softball games, we went there.’ But if you’re not in the Northeast, you might not know about Friendly’s.”
By leveraging the power of technology, data and innovation, restaurants can not only stay relevant in a rapidly changing landscape, but also set themselves apart as leaders in the industry. As technologies such as automation and robotics become more common, and therefore cost-effective, their use will continue to increase.
“We are going to continue to see the use and adoption of robotics and automation,” predicts DeSantis. “Four or five years ago, a brand might have had to spend an extraordinary amount of money to adopt those types of solutions. But with the technology having enhanced and increased and grown, the cost has come down a lot.
“Across the industry, I think we’ll start to see a lot more brands adopt those technologies,” she comments. “ We’re not getting those million workers we lost back, so brands are going to have to figure that out and really adopt and move into that environment.”
Increasingly popular, the use of AI will also transform how restaurants operate in future, particularly when combined with business intelligence.
“There are a number of learnings that you can get from the BI and the AI to be able to customise and personalise that customer journey or engagement,” she adds. “I’ve been saying it probably for three or four years now, but AI is no longer ‘big brother’.
“It’s not the creepy technology that knows the things that I like or what I order when I come in, what day that I order for my family and pick that up. That experience is the expectation of our consumers now. And so I think that’s going to be a big thing that restaurants continue to innovate and adopt.”
Computer vision transforms industries, offers endless possibilities. Evyatar Ben-Shitrit & Paul Staples explore its growing cross-industry impacts & future
WRITTEN BY: ILKHAN OZSEVIM
How do you make a machine ‘see’? And once granted, what does this sight enable technology to ‘do’? Computer vision is a branch of AI, concerned with instructing machines on extracting meaningful insights from digital data like images, videos and other visual inputs. Leveraging this information, computer vision facilitates appropriate actions and decision-making in accordance with specific tasks.
This technical capability harmoniously integrates with existing technologies, offering novel approaches to address realworld challenges, throughout multifarious industries. As a discipline, computer vision is considered as belonging to computer science, and it strives to enable computers to identify and comprehend objects and people. Given its broad range of practical applications, computer vision emerges as a vital aspect of various contemporary innovations and problem-solving solutions.
On this issue, Evyatar Ben-Shitrit, Director of Innovation at Shopic, says “computer vision is an already-ubiquitous presence in our daily lives. It plays a crucial role in diverse technologies, from facial recognition in biometrics, to autonomous vehicles, robotic QA inspection processes, and even medical image analysis.” Its ramifications are vast.
“Shopic,” says Ben-Shitrit, “utilises computer vision to identify items placed in grocery shopping carts, enabling automated checkout processes.” He highlights a recent and highly significant trend in computer vision technologies: the shift towards edge processing. “Recent advances in edge cloud storage have allowed for ‘on-site’ computer vision processing; reducing latency, energy consumption and bandwidth usage.” This development not only lowers adoption costs, but also addresses data privacy concerns, enabling wider acceptance of computer vision systems. Ben-Shitrit predicts that
as the accessibility of computer vision technology increases, more industries –including healthcare, retail and autonomous vehicles, will embrace its potential.
“Computer vision systems are evolving to become more sophisticated,” he says. “As AI algorithms improve, computer vision gains the ability to recognise objects, faces and even emotions with greater precision.”
Techniques such as attention models and graph neural networks play a crucial role in enhancing the processing of images and facilitating a deeper comprehension of context, thereby enabling more accurate interpretation and analysis of visual data. However, as these technologies become increasingly intertwined with human lives, their ethical implications also grow in parallel with their advancements. BenShitrit emphasises the utmost importance of ethical use and compliance with privacy regulations in the development and deployment of computer vision applications. Computer vision is also poised to transform the realm of augmented reality (AR) experiences. By seamlessly integrating computer vision cameras with eyetracking capabilities and gyroscopes, AR solutions gain the ability to dynamically adapt virtual environments based on the user’s movements and interactions. This breakthrough opens up a world of possibilities in various domains, including disability assistance devices, direction apps that provide personalised navigation guidance, and immersive gaming experiences that blur the lines between the virtual and physical realms. The fusion of computer vision and AR technologies holds tremendous potential in enhancing accessibility, interactivity, and engagement for users across diverse contexts.
“Computer vision is an already-ubiquitous presence in our daily lives. It plays a crucial role in diverse technologies, from facial recognition in biometrics, to autonomous vehicles, robotic QA inspection processes, and even medical image analysis”
EVYATAR BEN-SHITRIT DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION, SHOPIC
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EVYATAR BEN-SHITRIT DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION, SHOPIC
But the application of computer vision technology doesn’t stop there, and is having a huge impact across many different fields.
Reimagining airport operations with Computer Vision Paul Staples, Director of Airport Operations at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, introduces AeroCloud Optic, a groundbreaking computer vision technology designed to track passengers’
movements from kerb to gate. Staples explains, “By leveraging AI and ML algorithms, AeroCloud Optic anonymously monitors passenger flow, providing real-time insights for operational decisionmaking. So far, successful trials have been conducted at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in Florida, and have paved the way for this industry-first advancement.”
AeroCloud Optic aims to address the challenges faced by airports in ensuring seamless and efficient passenger flow, especially as air travel is predicted to return to pre-pandemic levels. By harnessing the power of computer vision, this innovative solution enables airports to identify operational bottlenecks and respond promptly with additional resources.
“Shopic utilises computer vision to identify items placed in grocery shopping carts, enabling automated checkout processes”
Staples emphasises, “The solution empowers airport staff to predict future scenarios, enhancing resource management and improving the overall passenger experience.” At Liverpool John Lennon Airport, AeroCloud Optic has already made a significant impact by reshaping commercial activity through the delivery of accurate information for operational planning, marketing and even retail environments.
What sets AeroCloud Optic apart from previous technologies is its anonymous tracking capabilities. Unlike Bluetooth or WiFi-based solutions, AeroCloud Optic provides end-to-end passenger insights without compromising privacy. This realtime Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution replaces outdated methods and offers
precise data for informed decision-making. Staples highlights the importance of this aspect, stating, “AeroCloud Optic prioritises passenger privacy while delivering valuable insights for airport operations.”
The integration of computer vision into airport management systems represents a significant milestone in the evolution of airport operations. It has the potential to reshape the way airports operate by providing valuable data and insights to optimise passenger flow, resource allocation, and retail opportunities. By harnessing the power of computer vision, airports can gain unprecedented visibility into passenger movement, enabling datadriven decisions and improved operational performance. Staples emphasises the
transformative nature of AeroCloud Optic, stating, “This technology marks a significant step forward for airports worldwide in delivering a seamless travel experience from kerb to gate.”
With its focus on innovation and efficiency, AeroCloud Optic has garnered attention and recognition within the industry. The solution has been praised for its ability to deliver real-time insights and enhance operational decision-making. As airports face the challenges of increasing passenger volumes and evolving travel expectations, AeroCloud Optic equips them with the necessary tools to adapt and thrive. Staples concludes, “AeroCloud Optic represents a game-changer in the airport management landscape, providing airports with the means
“By leveraging AI and ML algorithms, AeroCloud Optic anonymously monitors passenger flow, providing real-time insights for operational decision-making”
PAUL STAPLES DIRECTOR OF AIRPORT OPERATIONS, LIVERPOOL JOHN LENNON AIRPORT
to optimise their operations and deliver exceptional passenger experiences.”
As airports embrace AeroCloud Optic, they position themselves at the forefront of technological advancements in the industry. The solution’s ability to leverage AI, ML algorithms, and computer vision propels airports towards a future of datadriven operations and improved efficiency. By investing in innovative technologies like AeroCloud Optic, airports demonstrate their commitment to meeting the evolving needs of passengers and enhancing the overall travel experience.
The possibilities and applications of computer vision technologies continue to expand, permeating diverse industries and transforming the way we perceive and interact with the world. Both Evyatar Ben-Shitrit and Paul Staples acknowledge the challenges that accompany this exponential growth. The shortage of skilled specialists in the field and the need for upskilling the existing workforce present significant hurdles that must be overcome. Moreover, addressing concerns related to privacy, transparency, and ethical use is of utmost importance to ensure responsible deployment of computer vision systems.
“AeroCloud Optic empowers airport staff to predict future scenarios, enhancing resource management and improving the overall passenger experience”
PAUL STAPLES DIRECTOR OF AIRPORT OPERATIONS, LIVERPOOL JOHN LENNON AIRPORT
Despite these challenges, the potential of computer vision remains immense, offering new functionalities and opportunities across a wide range of fields and sectors worldwide. Already, we are witnessing its transformative impact in various industries. In the retail sector, computer vision is being adopted to create self-serve shopping systems and cashierless stores, revolutionising the shopping experience and streamlining operations. Farmers are leveraging computer vision to monitor crops, detect diseases early, and optimise agricultural processes. Autonomous vehicles are incorporating computer vision technology to enhance safety and enable advanced driver-assistance systems.
Furthermore, computer vision is instrumental in the development of vSLAM (visual Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) systems, which play a crucial role in accurate mapping for disaster relief efforts and precise weather predictions. These applications represent just a fraction of the potential uses of computer vision, highlighting the vast array of possibilities that lie ahead. As the technology advances and becomes further integrated into our daily lives, computer vision will continue to reshape industries and pave the way for new advancements.
It is important to recognise that the true extent of computer vision’s impact extends beyond what we can currently envision. As it permeates various applications and industries, computer vision has the potential to fundamentally shape our world, revolutionising manufacturing processes, enhancing healthcare diagnostics, optimising transportation systems, and much more. The limitless possibilities offered by computer vision make it a technology that holds immense promise for the future, heralding a new era of innovation and transformation across the global landscape.
WRITTEN BY: ILKHAN OZSEVIM
PRODUCED BY: TOM VENTURO
What happens when an international technology catalyst – itself composed of many companies – undergoes its own technological transformation, and makes that transformation the heart of its processes?
Kymera International is a leading specialty material manufacturer, focused on the production of diverse particles and special alloys for a perfusion of technology requirements with truly global applications.
The company’s core activity involves atomising different metals to create small particles used in powder metallurgy – particles which serve as the building blocks for manufacturing alloys, pastes and other materials that meet specific client needs – across a multitude of industries.
One of Kymera’s distinguishing features is its ability to provide a customised mix of products tailored to the unique requirements of its clients. Whether the need is for high RPM, extreme temperature tolerance, rigidity or flexibility, Kymera leverages its research and development capabilities to create alloys and powder mixtures that fulfil these demands.
Their products find applications in a wide range of industries, including metallurgy, medical, aerospace, defence and electronics.
Kymera’s reach: Truly global Kymera International operates through two major lines of business: engineered materials and surface technologies.
Under the engineered materials segment, the company provides specialised materials to meet specific requirements. In the surface technologies segment, Kymera International combines its material expertise with advanced surface treatment technologies to offer comprehensive solutions that enhance the functionality and durability of materials.
With 16 sites worldwide, Kymera International is a global player in the industry. The company’s extensive network includes nine North American sites and seven overseas sites, all working together to form the unified entity that is Kymera International. This global presence allows the company to leverage its diverse resources and expertise to serve clients around the world effectively.
“Combining human expertise with AI-generated insights, Kymera strives to achieve more precise sales forecasting, contributing to overall business success”
GABOR SZENTIVANYI CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, KYMERA INTERNATIONAL
TITLE: CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
COMPANY: KYMERA INTERNATIONAL
Gabor Szentivanyi is a global Information Technology leader with 25 years of cross functional experience within the manufacturing industry.
As the Chief Information Officer at Kymera International he has successfully implemented an M&A optimised IT strategy with heterogeneous ERP strategy which includes a centralised global data warehouse and reporting platform, a DoD-compliant IT infrastructure and Cybersecurity solution, all while growing into new markets.
Previously, as Vice President at Element Solutions Inc Gabor led IT Merger and Acquisition activities, Szentivanyi managed global IT services, and optimised a widely diversified infrastructure. He also held various IT leadership roles in France at COTY Inc. and Bonduelle S.A., implementing enterprise-wide solutions and driving
Szentivanyi is a multilingual professional with fluency in four languages and a deep understanding of diverse cultures. He holds an Electrical Engineering and Masters of Business Administration degree and maintains a robust IT strategy, M&A, and enterprise transformational
GABOR SZENTIVANYI CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, KYMERA INTERNATIONAL
COLLABORATE. CONNECT. CONVERGE.
Converge Technology Solutions is a services-led, software-enabled, IT & Cloud Solutions provider focused on delivering industry-leading solutions.
Our global solution approach delivers advanced analytics, application modernization, cloud platforms, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and digital workplace offerings to clients across various industries.
Kymera International’s vision is rooted in creating innovation and value in every particle it produces. The company takes great pride in its ability to manufacture tiny, precise, high-quality particles.
“With a strong emphasis on quality control and continuous improvement, Kymera International ensures that each particle is produced with the utmost competence and advanced technology,” says Gabor Szentivanyi, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Kymera International.
Szentivanyi brings a wealth of experience and expertise
Szentivanyi’s journey in manufacturing began in 1998. Since then, he has dedicated a significant portion of his career to working with companies involved in the manufacturing of various products.
Recognising the intrinsic connection between manufacturing and information technology, he naturally gravitated towards IT activities. His extensive experience in both domains has positioned him well as the CIO of Kymera International, with a focus on taking the organisation to the next level.
his role. With a professional journey spanning more than two decades, Szentivanyi’s career has primarily been focused on the manufacturing industry. His passion for creating tangible products and his love for IT led him to pursue a path in manufacturing, where he could witness the physical output of his work.
“Our commitment to excellence extends not only to our products, but also to our resources, guaranteeing that our clients can rely on Kymera International as a trusted and dependable partner,” he adds.
In leveraging big data analytics, Kymera International has embarked on a transformative journey to streamline its
operations and enable data-driven decisionmaking. Recognising the limitations of its previous approach, Kymera International has embarked on a transformative journey to leverage big data analytics in its operations.
“When I first joined as CIO, I observed that the company had multiple independent enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems spread across its entities,” says Szentivanyi. “Each facility operated with its own set of specifications and requirements, resulting in fragmented data management.
“To address these challenges and unlock the potential of data-driven insights, I spearheaded an IT strategy focused on consolidating and integrating the disparate ERP systems. Instead of opting for a single, standardised ERP solution, we pursued a heterogeneous ERP approach topped with a central data warehouse that welcomes and hosts all data of the enterprise.”
The operational domain of Kymera is naturally extensive – compounded by its dive into big data and analytics – and this extent requires a robust cyber security environment. In recognition of the everincreasing importance of cybersecurity, Kymera International places a strong emphasis on maintaining robust security measures. As a company with a longstanding history and a vital role in providing critical materials to various industries, cybersecurity is paramount.
The company also recognises that being a reliable and sustainable company requires a proactive approach to cybersecurity, going beyond the minimal requirements and ensuring the highest level of protection for its operations, customers, clients and partners.
Furthermore, following the recent announcement of a merger with TSS and the expansion into new markets (including the US Department of Defence), Kymera International is poised to seize additional opportunities. This strategic move will allow them to enhance existing products and develop new materials and solutions that may not be readily available within North America – giving Kymera a comparative advantage and opening up new avenues for growth.
The heterogeneous ERP strategy allows each entity to automate local business processes according to its unique needs, while ensuring that global reporting and visualisation could be achieved through a common data warehouse. The company’s primary objective is to establish a single source of truth – a comprehensive data warehouse that hosts transactions from all ERP systems and other important systems.
GABOR SZENTIVANYI CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, KYMERA INTERNATIONALWith a strong emphasis on quality control and continuous improvement, Kymera International ensures that each particle is produced with the utmost competence
Having a central repository enables the standardisation of data across geographies and provides the foundation for generating valuable insights. By consolidating and harmonising data from various sources, Kymera International aims to shift from mere data representation to data-driven insights, empowering business leaders to make informed decisions and steer the company effectively.
With this new data infrastructure in place, Kymera International significantly reduces data latency. Instead of relying on weeks-old data, the company now operates with the previous day’s business data from all geographies. This real-time access to accurate and relevant information allows for proactive decision-making and a
deeper understanding of market trends. By identifying and analysing these trends at an early stage, Kymera International gains a competitive advantage and can align its operations with evolving market demands.
The real value of Information Technology Szentivanyi says: “The value of IT lies in the transition from raw data to actionable insights. By providing leadership with a clear understanding of ongoing trends and future directions, IT becomes a driving force for the company’s success.”
This shift from a rear-view mirror perspective to a windshield-view enables Kymera to proactively navigate the dynamic landscape of the industry and stay ahead of the competition.
From Excel spreadsheets to spreading excellence: Cloud-based data warehousing and business intelligence
In the past, many Kymera employees stored vital data in Excel sheets on their local hard drives. Gaining momentum in the digital era, Kymera recognises the need to move away from this traditional approach. The company is focused on encouraging its workforce to embrace Power BI, a powerful business intelligence tool, as a central platform for data visualisation and analysis. By utilising Power BI, employees can access up-to-date information in real-time, ensuring they have the latest insights necessary for informed decision-making.
Shifting from a culture of file ownership to embracing cloud-based solutions comes
“The integration of AI algorithms with historical data empowers employees –among others, the sales team – to make accurate and reliable forecasts”
with its challenges. Kymera acknowledges the initial hesitation and concerns around trusting data stored in the cloud. To address this, the company is actively working to build trust in the technology by emphasising its reliability, security and convenience.
“The goal,” says Szentivanyi, “is to create a seamless and secure connection experience, whether employees are working from the office, a coffee shop, or even while enjoying personal activities”.
“Kymera is determined to ensure that its workforce has constant access to business-critical information through a variety of devices, be it a computer, tablet or a mobile phone.”
Another key aspect of Kymera’s digital transformation is the establishment of a unified digital infrastructure. Prior to this transformation, Kymera operated with diverse computing and collaboration platforms due to various acquisitions.
“The value of IT lies in the transition from raw data to actionable insights”
GABOR SZENTIVANYI CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, KYMERA INTERNATIONAL
Szentivanyi identified the need to consolidate these platforms into a single, reliable and globally accessible solution.
“This unification enables enhanced collaboration, seamless communication and elevated levels of cybersecurity,” he says. “Kymera selected its most suitable networking and remote access solution to provide secure connections for its employees, regardless of their location, ensuring data privacy and protection.”
Kymera is committed to fostering a healthy work-life balance for its employees. The digital workplace initiatives, driven by Szentivanyi, not only aim to improve productivity, but also prioritise the wellbeing of the workforce by enabling hybrid working. The company provides the necessary tools and technologies that allow employees to connect and work efficiently from anywhere, without sacrificing security or incurring additional costs.
Moreover, Kymera invests in continuous cybersecurity training for its employees, raising awareness about the importance of cybersecurity both inside and outside the office. By creating a secure and flexible work environment, the company ensures its employees can focus on their responsibilities both professionally and privately, as they are equipped with the necessary cybersecurity competency.
The adoption of cloud-based data warehousing serves as a foundation for Kymera’s future growth and innovation.
“By centralising and consolidating data in the cloud, Kymera creates a unified repository that facilitates more effective data analysis and enables the application
of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning,” says Szentivanyi. “The integration of AI algorithms with historical data empowers employees – particularly the sales team –to make accurate and reliable forecasts. Combining human expertise with AI-generated insights, Kymera strives to achieve more precise sales forecasting, contributing to overall business success.”
Szentivanyi highlights that, as a manufacturing company, Kymera faces unique challenges in adopting new technologies due to its preference for solid, cost-effective solutions with clear return on investment.
“Manufacturing has often been considered a late adopter of technology,”
he continues, “but recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and cybersecurity threats have shifted perspectives. The integration of IT and manufacturing is crucial, presenting numerous opportunities for automation and value creation. By combining expertise in technology, data and manufacturing processes, I believe that significant improvements can be achieved, significant enough to transform the manufacturing industry.”
Discussing Kymera’s partnership with Converge Technology Solutions Corp, Szentivanyi commends the company’s diverse expertise and its approach based on trust. He says the long-standing relationship between Kymera and Converge has yielded successful results, particularly in the development of a complex data warehouse solution. Szentivanyi highlights
Converge’s guidance and ability to futureproof the solution, providing Kymera with the necessary technology infrastructure to implement artificial intelligence and automated forecasting.
“The partnership has enabled us to exceed our IT commitments and support continuous improvement and growth,” he adds. “Blueshift is our important partner in cybersecurity. Their approach to ensuring the security of our IT systems instils confidence in our cybersecurity measures.”
Looking ahead, Kymera International anticipates further acquisitions, adding new companies and thus additional potentially different ERP solutions to the mix.
These new acquisitions can rapidly connect to the data warehouse and add to
the overall information package. The company aims to maximise the utilisation of its data warehouse and Power BI dashboarding automation, transitioning from traditional spreadsheets to comprehensive global insights.
“Improving or replacing certain ERPs to capture relevant, currently non-existing, but much needed data and enhance data governance is also going to be important,” Szentivanyi concludes.
“Kymera aims to address the emerging challenges of data governance and master data management through a collaborative and non-intrusive approach, striving for a global solution that meets local requirements in all of our operating locations.”
From the Big Five to the most influential technology consultants, Technology Magazine looks at 10 of the top technology companies in the world
From devices we use every day to services that make our lives easier and enable the future of work, Technology Magazine looks at the Top 10 companies that are leading the way in the world of technology.
Founded by Elon Musk, Sam Altman and other investors in 2015, OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that AI benefits all of humanity.
The company’s release of ChatGPT last year has rapidly accelerated interest in generative AI, with the tool capable of interacting conversationally and answering follow-up questions.
In January Microsoft announced a multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI, intended to accelerate AI breakthroughs. OpenAI launched GPT-4, the latest iteration in its deep learning model, in March.
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Today, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.
Still led by co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, who serves as Meta's CEO, the company’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, have transformed the way people connect, share information, and engage with digital content.
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud, and security. With experience across more than 40 industries, Accenture offers Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations Services, and Accenture Song—all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centres. The company’s deep industry expertise helps clients address their most complex and critical challenges—whether it’s through faster cloud migration, getting the most value out of the top technology platforms or making the most of data through applied intelligence.
Deloitte’s expertise focuses on helping technology companies globally deal with the demands of adapting their business strategies to succeed in a changing market.
Deloitte technology professionals around the world help clients resolve their most critical information and technology challenges. For instance, its Unlimited Reality offering is designed to help clients understand and capitalise on the next massive wave disrupting business and society, and to equip executives with the strategies, tools and technologies they need to fully exploit virtual worlds and virtual economies.
IBM, the multinational technology company, was founded in 1911, making it one of the oldest and most influential players in the industry. Headquartered in Armonk, New York, and led by CEO Arvind Krishna, IBM has a rich history of innovation and technological advancements.
TCS is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organisation that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 50 years.
A part of the Tata Group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 500,000 of the world’s besttrained consultants in 46 countries.
TCS helps businesses successfully navigate digital transformation and drive real growth, drawing on the combined power of experience and contextual knowledge, across a vast ecosystem of expertise.
With a focus on enterprise solutions, cloud computing, AI and consulting, IBM has consistently pushed the boundaries of technology, helping businesses worldwide achieve their digital transformation goals and pioneering groundbreaking research in various fields.
Founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has become synonymous with innovation from Macintosh computers to the iPhone, iPad, and its latest Vision Pro extended reality headset.
Under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook, Apple continues to shape the future of technology with its relentless pursuit of excellence and industry-leading advancements. With its headquarters in Cupertino, California, Apple has more than 100,000 employees worldwide. As of 2022 it is the world's largest technology company by revenue, at US$394.3bn.
Headquartered in Redmond, Washington and led by CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organisation to achieve more. The company believes technology can and should be a force for good and that meaningful innovation contributes to a brighter world in the future and today. Its diverse product portfolio includes the Windows operating system, productivity software like Microsoft Office and cloud services with Azure. The company has also invested heavily into OpenAI: utilising GPT-4 into its Bing search engine.
Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Google has evolved into a global technology powerhouse with a mission to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
From a network that spans the globe to innovative solutions that transform organisations, Google Cloud has SaaS built into its DNA. In March, Google Cloud announced a range of new products that infuse generative AI into its offerings, empowering developers to responsibly build with enterpriselevel safety, security, and privacy.
Google Cloud has also launched a series of generative AI consulting services to help its customers accelerate their journeys. The addition of generative AI services to Google Cloud’s consulting business will help “C-suite leaders of top global companies reap the full, transformative benefits of generative AI while maintaining responsible development and deployment”, the company said.
Amazon is a pioneering force in the e-commerce and cloud computing industries. Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, the company has continuously pushed the boundaries of innovation.
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon’s cloud computing division, has transformed the tech landscape. AWS provides scalable and secure cloud infrastructure, empowering businesses with computing power, storage, and advanced analytics.
With a market share of more than Microsoft Azure and GCP combined, Amazon Web Services has expanded to be the most comprehensive and widelyused cloud computing platform. AWS has significantly more services, and more features within those services, than any other cloud provider–from infrastructure technologies like compute, storage, and databases–to emerging technologies,
such as machine learning and AI, data lakes and analytics, and IoT.
Officially launched in 2002, AWS today offers more than 175 fully featured services from data centres worldwide. Today, millions of customers, including the fastestgrowing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies, are using AWS to lower costs, become more agile, and innovate faster.
