B‘DisruptiveInnovation’.Nowadaysmostofthestartupsoftenusedisruptiontolabeltheir strategiesorapplyittotheirproductswhenitcomestopitchinginvestors.However,theterm isnowoverusedtotheextentthatithasalmostlostallthemeaning.
ackin1997,aprofessorofHarvardBusinessSchoolClaytonChristensencoinedtheterm
So,thetermdisruptivecannotbeappliedforthesakeofatrendorjusttopitchinvestors,itsimply doesn’tmakeanysense.Disruptiveguides,productsandevenprojectshavenothingtodowith innovationbuthavealotofcommonwhenitcomestohype.
Disruptiveinnovationissuchaprocessbywhichorganizationswhichtechnologicallystraightforward servicesandproductstargetthebottomendofanalreadyestablishedmarket,andthenmovetheir wayuptothechainuntiltheyovertakethemarketleadersorcreateanentirelynewmarketsegment.
Clayton’stheorynevergaveaguidanceonhowtostartorestablishadisruptivecompany.However, itdescribedanimpactandconsequencesdisruptionhasonthealreadyestablishedplayers.Disruption happenswhenthere’sagapinthemarket,mostlywhenthealreadyestablishedorganizationsstartsto ignoretheirlow-endclientsinfavorofmoreprofitableopportunities,consequently,putting themselvesinavulnerableposition.So,Clayton’stargetaudienceisnotthosestartupswhorunsfor thegloryofAirbnborNetflixbutestablishedorganizationswhooftenforgethoweasilytheycanbe eliminatedbybiggercompaniesandworksforabetterfuture.
So,
Featuring
story
,
“The
withMost
theirinnovative
commercializingitsadvanced,multi-
totransformCarbonDioxidefromagloballiabilityintoanimmenseprofit
Thisissuealsoincludesorganizationslike,MLGBlockchainConsulting,Ltd,agloballeader inblockchaindevelopmentandconsulting;Moblize,atrustednameapplyingBigData Analyticsfortheoilandgasindustrytoimprovethedailylifeofenterpriseknowledgeworkers; LaptopsAnytime,whichis“shakingup”thePublicAccessComputingMarketbytakingselfservicelaptop/tabletlending,loans,checkoutandborrowingtothenextlevel.Nolongerdo facilitieshavetosettleforincompletesolutions;Observit,whichsuppliesprofessionalvideo surveillancesolutionsinclosecollaborationwiththeworld-leadingsupplierofsecuritycameras,
AxisCommunications;StarwestTech,whichisStarwestAssociates’technologydivision, StarwestTech,wasestablishedin1992todevelopthetechnologiesandsystemsneededto supportStarwestAssociates’EMSoperationsandpublicfiresystems;Trisotech,whichprovides newandrevolutionarywaysfordigitalenterpriseknowledgeworkerstocollaborateandsucceed inthisincreasinglyglobalandconnectedworld;Vortal,aleadingcompanyofferingworldwide eSourcingandeProcurementsolutions.UsingitsCloudeMarketplace,thousandsofpublicand privatebuyersconnecteverydaywithaninternationalcommunityofqualifiedsupplierstodo business;WGroup,amanagementconsultingfirmwithapeer-to-peerapproachtoIT optimizationandtransformation.
Fewpeopleremainunconvincedofthedireneedto reduceourcarbonemissions.Mostgovernments andworldbodiesacknowledgethatglobalwarming isaconsequenceofelevatedatmosphericCO levelsandis2 wreakingirreversibleornear-irreversibledamagetoour climate.
TheUNandthousandsoftheworld’sscientistssaywhatis needednowittoremovetheCO thatisalreadythere,and2 inmassiveamounts.
Thelackofconsensusonhowexactlytotackletheproblem meansthat-whilethoseinpowerholdmeetings,discuss commitments,anddebateanunendinglistofdisputes,the precipiceedgesevercloser.Spurredbythisinactionand lackofprogress,onecompanyhasdecidedtoactnowand lettheworldcatchuplater.
ThatcompanyisGlobalThermostat
WhoareGlobalThermostat?
GlobalThermostat(GT)isacompanyonthebrinkof transformingcarbondioxidefromagloballiabilityintoan immenseprofitcenter.Ithasalreadydevelopedandproven functioningmulti-patentedtechnologytocaptureCO2 directlyfromtheatmosphereandproducepureCO gasina2 concentratedformatlowcost.
Whatdoesthismeanfortheworld?
Firstly,ithasgivenusawayremovecarbondioxide cheaplyandeasilyfromtheair,essentiallycombatingthe rootcauseofglobalwarmingdirectly.Secondly,thefact thattheCO canbesoldforprofitgivesindividuals,2 enterprise,andgovernmentsthemosteffectivemotivation toparticipateinfightingclimatechange–economic progress.
TheviabilityofGT’sbusinessapproachisduetothefact thatcarbondioxideisusedinawiderangeofindustries;a globalcommercialCO marketalreadyisworthabouta2 trilliondollars.Someofthelargestconsumersofindustrial CO areplantsthatmanufacturecarbonatedbeverages,2 wine,food,plastics,fire-extinguishingproducts, biofertilizers,syntheticfuels,andpolymersandcarbon fiber Thegasisalsousedinwaterdesalinationandfor refrigerationandenhancedoilrecovery
Theseindustriesrepresentenormouscommercialization potentialforacompanythatcanproduceanddeliverCO2 quickly,reliablyandinexpensively.GlobalThermostatcan doallthree.
GlobalThermostatwasfoundedbyGracielaChichilnisky, anAliststarmathematicianandeconomistthatisGlobal ThermostatCEOandPeterEisenberger,aworldleading physicistandmaterialscientist.GracielaandPeter coinventedthetechnologythatGlobalThermostat commercializes.
Thereisnodoubtaboutcredentials-Chichilniskyisformer leadUSauthoroftheUNIPCCandthecreatorofthe carbonmarketoftheKyotoProtocolwhichbecame internationallawin2005.HerconceptofBasicNeedshas beenadoptedby150nationsasthecornerstoneofthe definitionofsustainabledevelopment,whichwasselected bytheG20astheworld’smainindicatorofeconomic development.
GracielahasbeenawardedtheUNESCOChairatColumbia University,theKeynesChairattheUniversityofEssex, andtheSalimbemiChairattheUniversityofSiena,Italy SheisaprofessoratColumbiaUniversityandaVisiting ProfessoratStanfordUniversityandcontributesfrequently toacademicpublicationsoftheworld’sleadinguniversities.
Gracielahasalsocreatedandtrademarkedtheconceptof CarbonNegativeTechnologywhichwonhertheHeroof theEnvironmentawardfromTimeMagazine.
Itisthisuniquecombinationofin-depthphysics,chemistry, andeconomicsknowledgethatgivesGlobalThermostata solidbasisinscience,andthevisiontotransformitintoa businessplanwithenormoustransformationalpower
Graciela’slongandintimateinvolvementwiththecarbon economyledhertoconcludethattakingcarbondioxide fromtheambientairwasapotentialgamechanger Afteran exhaustivesearchforthebestwaytoextractCO fromthe2 atmosphere,theydiscoveredthattheidealsupporting devicehadalreadybeeninvented–thecatalyticconverter usedinautomobiles,knownasa‘monolithcontactor’.
EachGTmonolithcontactoriscoatedwithGT’sown proprietarysorbentand640ofthemarearrangedinan arraytocreateasingleGlobalThermostatplantatSRI. Fansforceairthroughthearrayand,asitpassesthroughthe porousmonolithcontactors,thesorbentabsorbsallthe carbondioxidebutnoneoftheothergases.
Cleanairemergesfromtheothersideofthearrayand returnstotheatmosphere.
However,thisextractionphaseconstitutesjustthefirsthalf ofGT’sprocess;theCO thenhastobereleasedfromthe2 sorbent.Thisisachievedwiththeapplicationofheatat 185°F(85°C),lessthanittakestoboilwater
ThebeautyofGT’ssystemisitusesverylittleelectricity runningonlowtemperatureheat(85C)andcanusethe residualwasteheatfrommanyindustrialprocesses.Infact, wasteheatisgeneratedbyeverysingleindustry,eventhe oneswhichconsumeCO Thisisaremarkableopportunity2 tocutcostsandclosethecarbonloopatthesourceof contamination.Theentiretechnologyisnew;itandeachof itspartsarecoveredbyGT’sown50patents.
Thetrillion-dollarcommercialCO marketiscurrently2 dominatedbylargechemicalscompanieslikeLindeGas AirLiquideandPraxair.
ThesecompaniesaddresstheindustrialCO needsof2 manufacturersbutemploythetraditionalapproachwhere thegasiscreatedinlargeplantsbyburningfossilfuels whichthemselvesrequirehugeamountsofenergyandalso createmassivevolumesofwasteproductsandheat includingCO.2
TheCO thenhastobepackagedandtransportedbytruck2 overwhatcanbevastdistancestotheircustomers’ locations.Thisusuallymakestransportationthesingle largestcomponentoftheircosts.Ironically,transportationis itselfamajorcontributortocarbonemissions.
ComparethattoGlobalThermostat,whosestrengthof approachliesinitsincredibleversatilityandlowcost. Becausetheconcentrationofcarbondioxidealloverthe worldisvirtuallyconstant,theydonotneedtodigdeepinto
are a part of a very healthy competitive landscape and admire the companies in the space for the work they are trying to push forward.
thegroundnortraveltodistant, dangerousregionstoobtainit;theCO2 faraboveintheatmosphereisexactly thesameasCO concentrationin2 Moscow,SydneyorNewYork.
Thismeansthatafully-functional GlobalThermostatCO plantcanbe2 builton-siteandcanpopupanywhere thatismostconvenientandsuitsthe customer.Realestatecostsarenotan issue–aGTplanthasasmallfootprint andcanevenbesituatedinthe cheapestareaswherenoonewantsto liveorwork.
“We can reduce production costs by using waste heat from industrial processes that is just lost into the environment. With its capability to be set up at any location and to remove CO from industrial gases or directly2 from ambient air, we can situate them right next to the biggest sources of waste heat and benefit from an endless supply of heat to fuel our CO2 extraction process,” explainsGraciela.
AnotheroptionistolocateGlobal Thermostat’sCO extractorsrightata2
client’slocation.Thewasteheatfrom theirownproductionprocessescanbe cycledintothearraytofuelextraction, closingthecarboncycle.Notonlydoes thiseliminatetransportationcosts,it significantlyreduceswasteandis easiertomanageintermsofboth oversightandlogistics.Thismultifacetedrangeofbenefitsisresponsible fortheincrediblebuzzbuildingaround theGlobalThermostatbrand.The combinationofmassivecostsavingsin CO productionandamarkethungry2 foritmeanthatavibrant,lucrative carboneconomyisjustaroundthe corner.
AsGracielasays, “I see the whole world’s economy based on carbon now; not petroleum, but CO .”2
ResistancetoChange Gracielasaysthatoneofthemost commonquestionsposedtoheristhat ifsuchathingwerepossible–to literallymakemoneyfromtheair–whyhasitnotalreadybeendone?As ananswer,sherelatesthestoryofthe Wrightbrotherswho,in1903,made thefirstaerialflightinaheavierthan-
aircraft.Therewaswidespreaddoubt thatsuchathingwaspossiblebefore theirflight,buttheamazingthingwas thatthedisbeliefpersistedafterit occurred!
“People have the tendency to consider anything transformational unrealistic. The Wright brothers said, “Let’s just fly!” And they did.”
Inthesameway,GracielaandGTtake thepessimisticnaysayersintheir stride.Insteadofengagingindebate withthemandtryingtorepeatedly provethesciencebehinditonpaper, theyhavealreadystartedbuilding commercialCO extractorsandbegun2 theprocessofcleaningtheplanet’s atmosphere.
AMammothTask Humanityhasdelayedreducingcarbon emissionsforsolongthatwehave crossedthepointwherethattactic alonecaneffectivelyfightclimate change.Theonlyfeasibleoptionfor thesurvivaloftheplanetisforusto findawaytoremovethe approximately40billiontonsofCO2 thathumansyearlyhavealreadyputin theearth’satmosphere.
“It is the only way can we prevent catastrophic climate change now,” admitsGraciela,butsheisoptimistic, “Carbon negative power plants like those produced by Global Thermostat grow the economy, create jobs and exports, and simultaneously clean the atmosphere of the planet.”
GlobalThermostatprojectsaneedfor between30,000and40,000extractor
unitstoachievesignificantchange.Iffull-scaleproduction weretostarttoday,notjustbyGTbutalsoothercompanies, itwouldstilltakebetween20and30yearstoachievethat goal.
Thedelaysofarcanbeattributedinlargeparttothelackof economicviability.However,justlikedirectinvestmentand
initiativesbygovernmentshelpedboostthesolarpower industryinthe20thcentury,aCO revolutionmaybejust2 aroundthecorner TheUSgovernmentinFebruaryof2018 passedalawthatprovidestaxcreditsfortheremovalof CO at$35perton,calledtheFUTUREActabipartisan2 federallaw.
SecuringOurFuture GlobalThermostatistakingaveryactivepublicrolein changingtheindustryand,inturn,changingtheworld. Theyofferaworldwidelicensingschemetomaketheir technologyveryaccessible,particularlyindeveloping nations,atcompetitivecosts.
Theirfocusisonnationswiththelowestincomeswhohave thegreatestneedforthetechnologyandalsothebest marketstooffer.
Thecompanyissteadfastinitscommitmenttoreduce harmfulemissionsandfostereconomicdevelopmentwhile cleaningtheplanet’satmosphere.Itisscalingupsteadilyto combatclimatechangewhileofferingeconomicadvantages tounderprivilegedgroupsasitworkstowardsacarbon negativeworldworkstowardsacarbonnegativeworld.
We offer reliable and practically unlimited supplies of CO anywhere2 in the world and at low cost.
ALL
LaurenRaimondi Founder&CEOGlobalThermostat
GracielaChichilnisky CEO
AllAcesPromotionalStaffingopeneditsdoorswithonegoal: helptopmarketing,media,advertisingandPRcompanies executeflawlesseventsthatbuildbondsbetweencustomersand brands.
Formedin2010,GlobalThermostat(GT)iscommercializingits advanced,multi-patentedtechnologytotransformCarbon Dioxidefromagloballiabilityintoanimmenseprofitcenter.
LaptopsAnytime
MatthewBuscher CEOMLGBlockchain Consulting,Ltd
Moblize
MichaelGord Founder&CEO
LaptopsAnytimeis“shakingup”thePublicAccessComputing Marketbytakingself-servicelaptop/tabletlending,loans, checkoutandborrowingtothenextlevel.Nolongerdo facilitieshavetosettleforincompletesolutions.
MLGBlockchainConsultingisagloballeaderinblockchain developmentandconsulting.
AmitMehta CEOMoblizeisatrustednameapplyingBigDataAnalyticsforthe oilandgasindustrytoimprovethedailylifeofenterprise knowledgeworkers.
Observitsuppliesprofessionalvideosurveillancesolutionsin closecollaborationwiththeworld-leadingsupplierofsecurity cameras,AxisCommunications.
StarwestAssociates’technologydivision,StarwestTech,was establishedin1992todevelopthetechnologiesandsystems neededtosupportStarwestAssociates’EMSoperationsand publicfiresystems.
Trisotechprovidesnewandrevolutionarywaysfordigital enterpriseknowledgeworkerstocollaborateandsucceedinthis increasinglyglobalandconnectedworld.
VORTALisaleadingcompanyofferingworldwideeSourcing
solutions.UsingitsCloudeMarketplace, thousandsofpublicandprivatebuyersconnecteverydaywithan internationalcommunityofqualifiedsupplierstodobusiness.
Wgroupisamanagementconsultingfirmwithapeer-to-peer
toIToptimizationandtransformation.
Floden
Ourrelationshipwithstuffisbroken.Theworldis constantlytellingusthatweneedtohavethenext greatthing,butatthesametimethequalityof productshasgonedown.Thishasledtohousesfullof clutter,stressedoutpeoplewhoshopforthesakeof shoppingandgetintodebt.
Mostoftheworld’sscientistagreethatwe’vegotan environmentalcrisis.Allofthiscanbesolvedwithmore mindfulshoppingofthethingsthatweneedlongterm,but theproductsthemselvesneedtomeetthatchallenge.
Itisn’toftentalkedaboutbutbuyingforthelongtermcan saveahugeamountofenergy&pollutionandit’ssoeasy todo.E.g.ifyoubuyaT-shirtthatcanlast2yearsinstead of1yousave24%oftheCOemissions.Ifyoubuyonce andbuywellitmeanslessmining,lessfactorypollution, lesstruckpollutionandlesswaste.
Therearealsomanypersonalbenefitstobuyingforlife. Whenyoubuyforthelongtermyounaturallythinkmore deeplyaboutwhatyouwantfromyourlifewhichleadsto betterdecisionmaking.Youhavelessstressbecausethe thingsaroundyouletyoudownlessoften.Everythingyou doownbringsyoujoysoyouaresurroundedbythingsthat
nourishyou,serveyouwellandreflectyourvalues.You alsosavemoneyinthelongtermbecauseyouhaveto replacethingslessoften.
Brandsarebeginningtorealisethatpeoplewantmorefrom themthanjustcheapandcheerfulgoods.Whencompanies buildgreatproductsthatlasttheybecomeclassics,the productsthatareboughtasweddingpresentsorgiftedon specialbirthdays.Theyinspirecustomerloyaltygeneration ongenerationwhichinturnhelpsthecompanytolast longer.
Peoplearelookingforreasonstotrustbrandsandthereisa lotofmarketingspinouttherewhichisnotbackedupby thestrengthoftheproduct.Peoplearelookingfor authenticityandgoodbrandstoriesandincreasinglythese arecomingthroughplatformssuchasKickstarterwherethe engineersandmanufacturerswitharealpassioncantalk directlywithconsumer.Thesecompaniesareabletodeliver abetterproductthaniftheyhadgonedownatraditional retailroutewherethemarketersandbuyersputtingthem underpressuretoreachcertainpricepoints.
Ibelievethatpeoplewilldotherightthingifit’smade convenientandit’sclearwhatthebenefitistothem.By
doingalltheresearchandfindingthelongest lastingandmostsustainableproductsmy companyBuyMeOncearemakingiteasy forpeopletoshopinamoresustainable way Wefindamazingbrandsthat shoppersmaynothaveheardofand atthesametimewecampaigntoget othercompaniestouptheirgame andbelessshortsighted.
Buyingforlifeisthefirstand arguablymostimportantstep towardswhatiscalledthecircular economy Whilegovernmentshave focussedonrecyclingverylittleeffort hasbeenputintotherealcausesofour environmentalcrisiswhichtoalargedegree isoverconsumption.Governmentsdon’twant peopletostopspending,butoureconomymust shiftinordertobecomesustainable.Encouraging peopletobuylonglastingthingsthatcanbeupgraded andfixedorrepurposedshouldbethefocusof environmentalandeconomicpolicy Alreadysome countriessuchasFranceandSwedenhavemadegreat strides.France,withitslawsagainstplannedobsolescence andSwedenwithitstaxbreaksonmendingshowthatthere isanotherwayforbusinessandtheenvironmenttoco-exist.
Unfortunately,withpeopleusedtopayingbottomdollarfor goodsitishardtopersuadethemthathigherpricesarefair. Thegrowingmovementinethicalfashionhasstartedto openpeople’seyestothetruecostofcheapclothingandthe exploitationofgarmentworkersandthisisopeningtheway toamoreethicallyawareconsumer Atthesametimebeing abletocommunicatethecostsavingsoflong-termbuying isimportant.
Asanexample,theaverageBritishpersonbuys1.1 umbrellasayearatacostofaround10-15pounds.This meansthatbuyingonelifetimeumbrellacouldsavea personhundredsofpoundsovertheirlifetime.Thedataon howlongproductslastsishardtocomebyandoftenkept closetothechestsofcompanies.Therefore,it’shardto makethiscalculationacrossallcategories.
Ibelievethatforcompaniestobeabletocompeteon qualityandlongevityratherthanbeingforcedtotakepartin theracetothebottomonprice,it’simportantthatlongevity becomeapartofthebuyingdecision.Thiscanonlyhappen ifthereistheinformationavailable.Iamtherefore campaigningforallappliancecompaniestohave standardizedlife-cyclelabelling.Imaginegoingintoashop andbeingabletotellataglancehowlongakettlecanlast you…nowwouldn’tthatbegood.
Tara Button CEO & founder BuyMeOnce
AllAcesPromotional Staffing,Inc.openedits doorsin2007withaclear visiontohelpcompaniesexecute eventsandmanagethestaffthat strengthentheirbondswiththeir customers.
FocusingonPR,experiential marketingandadvertising companies,aswellasfoodand beveragecompanies,theorganization quicklydevelopedareputationfor providingthemostfriendlyand reliabletalentintheindustry.
Itseventexperiencesincludedemos andsamplingprograms,guerilla marketing,mascotsandcharacters, streetteams,stafffortradeshow booths,programlogisticsassistance andmore.
AllAces’scommitmenttotoptier eventstaffinghasalsocaughtthe attentionofmoreconservative businesses,andconferencesnow makeupahugeportionofitswork. Thecompanybelievesthatoneevent experiencecaninfluenceaconsumer foralifetime,andworkstoensureall ofitsstaffinteractionsarenothing lessthanspectacular
Thecompanyprovideseventstaffing andlogisticssolutionsthroughoutthe USA,theUK,Europe,andCanada.
LaurenRaimondiistheFounder andCEOofAllAcesPromotional Staffing,Inc.Whilestudyingtobea brainsurgeon,Laurenstartedstaffing andmanagingmarketingcampaigns fromherdormroomatBoston University
Morethanjustanexperiential marketingstaffexpert,sheisa professionalproblemsolverwhois alwaysexploringwaystoadapt campaignstomaximizetheirimpact. Laurenisatrueleaderandbankson her15yearsofexperiencein promotionalmarketing,event staffing,andbrandmanagementto leadherprojectmanagers.
Shebelievesthatpassion,creativity, efficiencyandanetworkoftop promotionaltalentarekeytocreating successfuleventsandclient relationships.Sheisanexpertat readingpeopleandsituations,askill shelearnedthroughplayingpoker
Coincidentally,thatishowAllAces gotitsname!
AllAcesPromotionalStaffing,Inc. workswithclientsandtalent,which meanskeepingbothsideshappyin theunpredictableconfluenceof eventsandpeople.Thework experienceforitsbrandambassadors iseverybitasimportantasitsclients’ satisfaction.
Large,busyeventscomewiththeir shareofunforeseenobstacles.The organization’smainjobistocreatea win-winsituationwherecustomers canfocusontheireventknowingthe staffmanagementistakencareof.
AllAcesbelievesthatthereis enoughroomintheindustryfor everyonetoprosper.Thatmightseem likeacliché,butAllAces PromotionalStaffing,Inc.has recentlyformedareferral-based relationshipwithanumberof agencies,andcombinedthatwith strategicpartnershipswithvendorsto providegreatervaluetoclients.
AllAcesPromotionalStaffingdoes offercompetitiveratesaswellas servicesthatminimizeclientrisk, suchasaW2systemwherethe organizationtakesonthe employmentliabilityforitsstaffand eliminatesco-employmentrisk.The company’stechnologyandtalent portalallowittoworkefficiently whilestreamliningtheprocessfor clients.
WhentheGoingGetsTough Laurenstartedthecompanywhen shewas24withnoexperience workinga“real”job.Ittookafew yearsoftrialanderrortofigureout whatafunctioningcompanylooked likeandestablishvarious components,likearobusttalent database,andapayrollpartnerwith back-officesolutionsonceshehad employees.
SinceLaurenwasfocusedsolelyin thebeginningongettingclients, therewasnofoundationonwhichto scaleoncethingsreallystartedto pickup.AllAceshashadtochange itsoperationalproceduresanumber oftimesinordertokeepup.
Asstatesbecamestricterabout employmentmisclassification,All Acesdecidedtopartnerwitha companytohireallfieldstaffasW2 employeesthroughoutthecountry. Asasmallbusiness,thishasallowed theorganizationtooperatelikea largeagencyandhasgreatly streamlinedtheHRandpayroll process.Thisgivesitahuge competitiveedgeoverotherevent staffingagencies.
AllAcesnowcanfocusonitscore businessandgoafterbiggerclients andcompanies,alwaysmeetingtheir requirements,aswellasoffering perkstoitsbrandambassadorsthat mostotheragenciescannot.
Thecompanyhasscaleditsbusiness significantlyasaresultof professionalaffiliations,awardsand itsCEO’sparticipationinthe coveted,gamechangingGoldman Sachs10.000smallbusinesses program.
Now,AllAcesPromotionalisina positiontopursueprojectsthatreally resonatewithitscorecultureand ethics.Itwillbeshiftingitsfocusto
Lauren Raimondi Founder and CEO
eventsfornonprofitorganizations, retail,andnatural,healthysnackand beveragebrands.Theorganization hasalsobeenprovidingmore assistancewithlogisticsatthe requestofitsclientsandplansto expanditsservicesinthisfield.
AllAcesiscurrentlyintheprocessof launchingawellnessprogramthat willofferbreathingandmeditation guidanceviaonlinestreaming.It alreadyprovidesitsemployeesthis service.
NowthatAllAcesPromotional Staffinghastheawardrecognition andWBE/WBENCcertificationsto gowithitssolidfoundation,itis planningtoexpanditsclientbaseto includethegovernmentandhighlevelcorporationsandadvertising agencies.
Like poker,All Aces is about reading and understanding the people we’re playing with. That’s why we’re successful. And that’s why our clients and brand ambassadors alike always come back to play at our table.
LaptopsAnytime was founded in 2008 with the vision to provide facilities with a convenient turnkey way to transform their space while enhancing technology access The Company’s automated dispensing kiosks provide access to the right technology at the right time
have spent the last 30+ years deploying millions of desktop computers and have more recently begun questioning how to smartly move beyond desktops to take advantage of the bene ts of mobile devices such as laptops While some organizations rely upon individual ownership of mobile computers, when it comes to ensuring that everyone within a group has convenient access to technology all the time, or at least when people need tech access, this is a challenging task. Not everyone can have their mobile device with them all the time. Sometimes devices are being repaired.
Manual circulation counters are simply a staff burden and inefficient time waster and are not cost effective over the long-term. Furthermore, organizations have a responsibility to meet the demands of their members, patrons, employees and users There is a growing acknowledgment that automation, especially with a “1-to-Many”focus is the answer to these long-term challenges.
Accountability is paramount. Space and staff time are limited. The mission is to help facilities “Move Beyond Desktops”and transform old and antiquated computer labs, libraries and device checkout areas no matter the environment – office, industrial, educational, government -- into modern and inviting cafe-style atmospheres, with comfortable multi-use seating and innovative access to “self-service”mobile technology at its core
No longer does a facility need long rows of tables, chairs and desktops or manual circulation counters with long lines that never seem to grow shorter. Using the selfservice kiosks, facilities can be eco-friendly, efficient and allow for staff members to focus on serving patrons with value-added services rather than being constantly tied to the never ending checkout process!
Manual device checkout programs too often end up being a support nightmare and morale killer even when planned for large user populations. Don’t make the mistake of overburdening your circulation and support staff. Instead, use LaptopsAnytime automated dispensing kiosks to meet the needs of large user groups. Facilities around the United States and around the globe
LaptopsAnytime’s singular focus on automated dispensing kiosks that allow for the checkout and return of technology devices brings it a leadership position within the market.
LaptopsAnytime’s magic is automating the process such that when the laptop (or tablet or portable power charger) is pushed back into the bay (yes, this is all end user needs to do!) to the locked position, (a) the laptop is docked to power and so is able to recharge automatically and (b) even if laptop is returned in off state, it can be turned back on, (c) device can be returned back to pre-set state, (d) each laptop communicates its battery life to LaptopsAnytime central server so that it is only checked out when it exceeds minimum battery threshold set by administrator, (e) each laptop communicates its presence via RFID card and RFID card reader in every bay where it is docked.
Unlike other products in market (think lockers and carts and cabinets), there is nothing for end user(s) to do but push laptop into bay. Everything else is automatic, including sending noti cations out to end users and administrators and authenticating to local databases (ILS and/or LDAP/Active Directory being most common).
LaptopsAnytime Co Founders Matthew Buscher and Jonathan Ruttenberg were inspired by their own experiences with mobile computers, which while generally an improvement over desktops, are not always easily accessible within both public environments and some private facility settings
LaptopsAnytime continues to expand the devices that it dispenses from its kiosks including wide range of enterprise laptops from Dell, HP, Lenovo, Apple and Google, Apple iPads and even Portable Power Chargers (see chargersanytime.com) that include 110V outlets
It is important to move beyond desktops to make mobile devices easily accessible.
It has been said that all beginnings are difficult as it takes time to prove that a new approach is superior to the status quo. LaptopsAnytime now does more than 2+ Million Automated Checkouts annually at kiosks deployed across the United States and on ve continents around the globe. LaptopsAnytime looks forward to continually expanding its reach and helping more and more organizations with their self-service device checkout needs to move beyond desktops and to increase accessibility to technology devices
A mechanical engineer by training with a background in kiosk development, Matthew Buscher is Co-Founder and CEO of LaptopsAnytime. In 2002, Matt successfully oversaw the startup of the Powerport, which offered a variety of technological connec tion solutions for the traveling user, e.g. laptop rentals, internet connected walk up computer stations, cell phone and laptop battery charging stations and more. Matt was involved in leading the company as it expanded to several prominent airport locations. In 2008, Matt joined with fellow Co-Founder Jonathan Ruttenberg and LaptopsAnytime was born.
Matthew Buscher, CEO
Theblockchainindustryis drawingimmenseinterestas adisruptivewayofdriving growthacrossstartups,enterprises andgovernments.Onegloballeader focusingonbuildingdecentralized applicationsusingblockchainsand smartcontracttechnologyisMLG BlockchainConsulting.
WithheadquartersinToronto, MontrealandNewYorkCity,Major LeagueGrowth(MLG)hasa distributedteamacrossNorth America,EuropeandAsia.Itaimsto becomethepremierorganizationto helpbusinessesentertheblockchain ‘majorleagues’throughits specializedteamandglobalnetwork ofstrategicpartners.
MLGalsohelpsambitiousuniversity studentsandyoungprofessionals entertheBlockchainindustryby hostingblockchainhackathonsand collegiatecasecompetitionsthat companiesusetorecruittoptalent.
MichaelGord,founderandCEO, isthemastermindbehindMLG BlockchainConsulting.Michael
holdsadegreeinEntrepreneurship, MarketingandInformationSystems fromtheDesautelsFacultyof ManagementatMcGillUniversity.
There,hefoundedtheMcGill CryptocurrencyClubandco-founded theMcGillStudentsFintech Association.Hisgoalwastogrow awarenessandthoughtleadershipfor blockchainwithintheuniversityand inthecityofMontreal.Michaelalso foundedBitcoinCanadawhileat McGilltoscaleandconnectthe operationsoftheclubsestablished acrossCanada.Hethenjoinedforces withtheCollegeCryptocurrency Networkandhelpedrebrandittothe BlockchainEducationNetwork.
Aftergraduating,Michaelmadethe firstdonationofbitcointotheMcGill AlumniAssociation.Hethen foundedMLGBlockchain Consultingtofocushisenergiesfulltimeondigitalcurrencyand blockchain.
Michaelhaslaunchedseveralglobal annualevents,includingBitcoin Airdrop,BlockchainEducation Month,BlockchainMadness, BlockchainGauntletand
BlockHacks.Theseeventsintroduce thousandsofpeopleglobaleachyear todigitalcurrencyandtothe disruptivepotentialofblockchain technology
Michaelhasdevelopedareputation asbeingatthecenteroftheglobal ‘cryptokid’movementtowhich globalenterprisesareeagertogain access.
TurningHurdlesintoTriumphs Theblockchainspaceisincredibly fast-pacedandthisbringsuncertainty tothetablewhilediscussionson regulationsimpactclients’prospects inboththeshortandlongterm. However,MLGbelievesthatthe industry’sbiggestchallengeisalso itsbiggestopportunityandaimsto excelinthesamespace.
InMichael’sfirstyearinthe blockchainindustry,helost15 Bitcoinsaftermislayinghiscryptowallet’sprivatekey,alessonworth around$150,000attoday’sBitcoin price.Itwasthenthathelearnedthe importanceofpropersecurity measuresforbothpersonaland organizationalusage.
Withthedemandforblockchain projectsskyrocketing,MLG BlockchainConsultingisnow receivingwelloveronehundred requestsweeklyforitsarrayof services.Thefirmisinagreat positionwithintheindustryand wantstobecomethepremier blockchainventurecreationand consultingcompanyintheworld withcutting-edgecasestudiesacross multipleindustries.
MLGBlockchainhasbuiltaculture of‘intrapreneurship’witha‘get-itdone’mentality.Theentireteamis awarethattheycanrunwithprojects withoutbeingmicromanaged.
Itsteamofyoungandpassionate professionalswhoarehardworking andflexibleandwhothriveatbeing responsiveandplanningformultiple scenarios.FromHollandtoCanada, theUnitedStates,India,Vietnam, Mozambiqueandamongothers,the teammembersareallovertheworld andrepresentmanydifferentcultures andnationalities.Bybeinginmany placesatonetime,theglobalMLG Blockchainteamisabletoprovide
representationforclientsallaround theworld.
Thecompany’spartnershipsarea primarydriverofconsistentgrowth forMLGBlockchain.Itisalways opentocollaboratingwiththetop firmsacrosstheworldwhocanadd valuetoitsclients’businessesand helpingrowingtheglobal blockchainecosystem.MLGiseager topositionitselfstronglyinthe changingindustrylandscapeandhas launchednewcompaniessuchas CryptoMediaGlobalwhichoffer complementaryservicesandexpand theirofferingstoensurethatthefirm remainsanindustryleaderinnew linesofbusiness.
Astheblockchainindustrybooms aroundtheworld,largeenterprises, publiccompaniesandeven governmentsarebeginningtoinvest intoBlockchainsolutions,inaddition tothehundredsofnewstartups enteringtheindustry
ScalingsolutionsforBlockchain protocols,suchasRaidenfor Ethereum,LightningforBitcoinand
Michael Gord Founder & CEO
TrinityforNEOarebeingdeployed intoproduction.Thesesolutionshave thepotentialtoquicklyincreasethe numberoftransactionspersecondto anumberfargreaterthanwhateven Visa,thehistoricalleaderinthis category,canhandle.
Thereisahugedemandfrom universitiestoofferclassesand degreesinBlockchaintechnology whilehighschoolstudentsaregoing tohackathonsandbuildingnext generationapplications.Thisseems tobeagreattimefortheindustry
MLGBlockchainisbuildingthe foundationofthe21st-century economyandisattheforefrontofa technologyparadigm.Itaimsto pioneertheblockchainrevolution andlaunchsomeofthemostexciting businessestotaketheBlockchain ecosystemmainstream.
AslongasMLGBlockchain continuestogrowinthesame directionandatthesamespeedithas sofar,theyoungblockchainfirmis wellonitswaytomakingthisa reality.
We are excited to pioneer best practices that push frontiers in the blockchain industry.
obotshavealwaysbeen
Rpicturedasaman-made advancedtechnological creativity,whichdoandwillfavorthe humanspeciesforfuture.Asrobotics isvibrantlyglobalized,soonitwillbe mainstreamedinvariousfieldsand sectors.Currently,therearenumerous enterprisesworldwidewhichare implementingroboticsintoindustrial, healthcareandcommercialuse. Whereas,roboticshaveexperienceda lotofup’sanddown’sduringthis tenure,butwiththetime,ithelda strongholdinthedigitalworld.
Wheneverthediscussionarisesabout theapplicationsofrobotics,the industrialsectorhasbespoken benefits’.Robotshavebecomemore affordable,smartandproductiveover theyears.Thesectorslikeagriculture, construction,warehousingand logistics,andcustomerservices.By investingmoreinrobots,anenterprise
willbesolvingcertainproblemsmore accuratelyandefficiently.Meanwhile, utilizingrobotswillhelpenterprisesto pushtheirlimitsinordertofillupthe productivityvoids.
Witheachslippageoftime,the technologyisupgradingsodoesthe robotics.Theadvancementsinrobotics fieldwillbeaboontotheenterprisesin ordertoincreasegrowthand productivityrate.Therearecertain parametersthatshouldbeconsidered whileimplementingroboticsinthe enterprise,suchas
FollowingupParametersbefore ReachingtheDepthofRobotics Modifying; as per the user’s need Generally,robotsusedtorequire advancedtraininginordertooperate comfortably.It’snotanissueforthe bigenterprisesastheyacquirethe skilledpeopletodealwith,wherethe smallenterprisesarenotsogiftedwith
loadsofassetsinitially.But,withthe newadvancesinroboticstechnologies, ithasbecomeeasierforsmallventures toinvestinrobotsforincreasingthe productivitygeneratingmorerevenue. Justbygivingwirelesscommands fromanIOT,demonstratingtasksto therobotsgetseasier.Nowadays,there arenumerousvarietiesofrobotsto carryoutmultitasks,thusasperthe user’sneed,onecaninvestinrobots fortheindustrialpurpose.
Unlikethebigmanufacturingrobotsin hugeindustries,therearevarious collaborativerobotswhichare speciallydesignedtoworkalongside andtoassisthumanworkersina varietyoftasks.Earlieritwassortof stressfulforanenterprisetoallot specificman-powerforcertaintask, butbyimplementingco-botssuch issuesareresolved.Asthesizeand shapeofco-botsaregettingmore
compact,itmaybenefittheenterprises invariousterms.
Earlierrobotswerenotabletoprogram easilyduetotheincompatibility betweentheuserinterfaceand hardware.But,nowRoboticOperating System(ROS)isdominatingthe industrybyprovidingsolutionsfor variedrobotsinordertoperformthe taskwithoutlagging.It’sanopensourceframeworkwhichhelps developerstoredirecttheprogramming indifferentways.Thisopen-source frameworkisdominatingthegrowth towardstheconstructivedirection.
stThe21 century—istheeraof implementingnewideologyand technologiesinvarioussectors.While technologicaldisruptionhas collectivelyaffectedeverypossible
sector,roboticsisstillunaffected.Frompastfewyears,the technology,aswellasitsimplementation,hasincreased substantially.Havealookonsuchfewareasforpossible applications.
Unlikebigmanufacturingrobots,collaborativerobotsare designedtoworkwithemployeesinenterprisesand corporates.Thedesignissmartenoughtoassisthumans andalso,compactenoughtohandle.Generally,thesmall andmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)areslightlyboonby implementingco-botsindaytodaylife,astheyareeasily adaptable,easytoprocessandmostimportantlyit’s affordable.Accordingtosomeexperts,there’sapossibility ofenormousgrowthinthebusiness,ifCo-botsare implementedwidely.Themainmotiveofindustrialrobots istotheprioritizedsafetyofemployeesandworkers,yet thechancesofaccidentsarealwaysathighrisk.Whereas, co-botsworksasaservicerobot;theycomeinvarious shapeandsizeseasingtheworkabilityandreducingthe liabilityofemployees.Inordertogetsanctionedasservice robots,anyco-bothastopasscertaintestingparametersby robotmanufacturingcompanies,factorssuchaseasily compatiblewithotherdevicesandprograms,safein use,easytocommand,andprocessingatafaster rate.Currently,co-botsareusedforprocesses likemachinetending,packaging,andmaterial handling.Inspiteofindustries,co-botsare usedinvarioussectorssuchasinfarming, hospitals,healthcareandfacilities,and labs.Itdoescomeunderrobot-as-aserviceformat.
Imagineanenterprisewith robotsthataretotallyindependent totheusercommands,inother words,noexternalprogramming mayrequireinordertoprocessrobots forthevarioustasks.Inaccordanceto that,aUserInterfacetobeexactmightnot beneededinthefuture,asmachinelearningis alreadyonitsvergetogetexplored.Currently,in ordertocarryoutcertaintasksrobotsarebeentoldto whattodousingtheinterfacewhereas,cloudrobotics directlytwitchcompatiblecodefromthecloudswhich arerequiredforthetasks.Toworkalongsidewith humans,robotsmustbedeeplearningthesubjects simultaneouslyabletopointoutproblemsandprovide solutionsrightaway.Meanwhile,itwillbeaboonforthe enterprisesiftheemployeeswillgettointeractwithrobots asapersonifiedobjectratherthanamachine.Soon,there
withpersonalroboticscloudwhichwillhelprobotstotake andgiveinformationdirectly.Dependingontherobot,it canprocessvariousfunctionssuchaslifting,leveraging, handlevision,objectrecognitionandother,thuscertain robotsacquiresuchskillsandwillprovideinformationto thecloud.Then,thisinformationhelpsotherrobotstoget enlightened.Insimplewordstosay,robotswillteachother robotsforthebettergoodoftheenterprises.Ontheother hand,asrobotsaregettingmoreandmoreevolved,filtering ofessentialinformationfromrestwillgetmucheasier This willcomfortbothbigandsmallenterprisestomanagebig datamoreprecisely
Withtheemergenceofadvancementinrobotics,theyareon thevergetotouchskiesalready.Ifconsideringtheabove possiblefactors,thisevergreeneraofroboticsislesslikely togetsaturatedduetotechnologicaldisruption.Asthe technologiesaregrowingfaster,theenterprisesmustto catch-upwiththemaccordingly.It’shightimetoimplement newtechnologiesespeciallyoftheroboticsasitsutilization isnotonlysubjectedtowarehousesbutalso,towardstheinhouseenterprisework.Hopefully,there’sapossibilityof robot-orientedindustriesinthefuture.
Theterm‘disruptiveinnovation’ referstoanewentrantina marketwhodisruptsand outperformsestablishedplayers.When disruptiveinnovationisexecuted successfully,itisaforcetobe reckonedwith.Suchastrategyisnot forthefaint-heartedbutchoosingto ignoreitcanbefatal.
Theprocessbeginswithanew companyaddressingagapinthe marketwhereasegmentofthe populationhastraditionallybeen overlooked.Byofferinganalternative productorservicethatisusuallymore convenientandaffordable,thenew companyisabletoreachconsumers whohadpreviouslybeenignored.
Overtimetheybuildafootholdinthe marketand,throughaprocessof continuousimprovementand innovation,breakintothecompetitive marketwithwhichtheywere previouslynotinvolved.Usually equippedwithabetterproductand understandingofcustomerexperience, thecompanyisabletopushestablished playersoutofthemarket.
Agreatexampleofsuccessful disruptiveinnovationisMoblize,a trustednameapplyingBigData Analyticsintheoilandgasindustryto improvethedailylifeofenterprise knowledgeworkers.
HeadquarteredinHouston,TX, Moblizeiscommittedtohelpingtheoil andgasindustryexploitsoftwareto
simplifyandstreamlineeveryday operations.Theindustryisverygood athardwareinnovationsbutfalters whenitcomestosoftware,especially intermsofusingitasanenterprise platform.
Moblizerecognizedthattheoilandgas verticalwasinaprimepositiontobe disruptedviadataanalyticssoftware. Theystudiedthegapsandlimitations thatexistingserviceprovidershad chosennottoaddress,andthencreated aproductfromscratchwhichtackled thoseissues.
Theendresultwasarevolutionary SoftwareAsAServicesolutionthat eliminatedpainpointsthathad previouslybeenignoredwhile integratinginnovativefeaturesthat greatlysimplifiedeveryday management.
AnAdeptCEO AmitMehta,CEOofMoblizeMr AmitMehtahasbeenfeaturedin numerousmagazinessuchasVoyage, Forbes,CIOMagazine,JPT,World Oil,HartE&P,Oilvoice,Oilman, Mixergy,Entrepreneurtonameafew Underhisleadership,Moblizewas rankedasoneofthebest EntrepreneurialCompaniesin2016by theEntrepreneurMagazine.Amit graduatedfromUniversityof Cambridge,UKwithdegreeinDesign, ManufactureandManagement.Aspart ofthecurriculumhevisited50plus manufacturingplantsacrosstheglobe andworkedinthemanufacturing plantsofPeugeot,JaguarandBoeing
implementingleanmanufacturing principles.Amitsaysthatwhile everyoneelseisfocusedonapplying bigdataorAItomakemachines smarter,Moblizeisfocusedonmaking enterpriseuserssmarter.Hecitesthe company’smaturityindata aggregationanddatapreparation servicestoenabletruedataanalyticsas ahugeadvantage.
UniqueProducts MoblizehasdevelopedaSAAS growthplatformtocreateaconsumer likeexperienceforenterpriseusers.
Thetypicalenterpriseuserinthe industryisoverloadedwithwork becauseofinefficiententerprise workflows.Duetotimeconstraints, decisionsareoftenmadeonintuition insteadoffactsandthiscanleadto potentiallyexpensivefailureslike overlookedopportunitiesandrisk underestimation.
TheProMPTplatformwasdesignedto usedataanalyticstomakehumans smarterfirst,notmachines.Itisa technologicalbreakthrough,anall-inoneanalyticsplatformthatgives enterpriseusersasinglesourceoffacts foralldailytaskslikewellplanning, dailyoperations,andpost-well analysis.Detailedreportsareavailable anytime,anywhere.
Thisplatformcollapsesall inefficienciesintodailyworkflowsso individualscanspendtimewhereitis trulyneeded–engineering.Itapplies machineintelligenceonincomingraw
datatoprovideactionablefactsand supportbigjudgmentfrombigdatato makehumansmoreproductiveand capableofsmarterdecisions.
TheplatformstrategyofMoblizeis drivenprimarilybyitslargecustomer base.Theirfirstprojectwasso successfulthattheysignedover40 E&PClientsinlessthan18months.
Today,theplatformcreatedROIinless than60dayswithnoupfrontcostto theclient.Thishashelpedinshaping theadoptionofcurrentproductsandin thecreationofthenewproductslike ProFRACandProWISEaspartof “ProMPT”Platform.
ProWISEisaprivateknowledge platformforanenterprisethatcan learnovertimetohelpunlockhuman potential.ProWISEallowsenterprise usersfromanydisciplinetoeffortlessly sharecontextualinsightsfrom ProACT,ProFRAC,oranythird-party applicationsthroughtheirmobile phonesorPCs,makingitanIntegrated knowledgeplatformholdingboth structuredandunstructureddata.
Overtime,ProWISE“learns”things aboutusersthroughposts,decisions, discussions,pictures,videos,andmore. Then,itminesthatdatatoinfuture giverecommendations,generate reports,andsimplifyworkflows, enablingbigjudgementintheeraof bigdata.ProWISEalsoaimstoreduce theknowledgeinsightdeficitwhich
frequentlyplaguesenterprisesasthey addnewtalent.
Moblize’sgreatestinitialchallengewas hiringtherighttalent,andthiswas exacerbatedbyHouston’sstandingasa veryhardware-centricmarketwitha scarcityofgoodsoftwaretalent. Adoptionwastheothermajor challengebecauseMoblizewasnota knownbrand;itwasanuphillbattleto establishareputablepresence.
However,whenthemarketdid recognizetheirvalue,growthhappened soquicklythatinternalprocesseswere stretchedthin.Balancinggrowthwhile maintainingsuperiorservicewasnot easy.
Someofthefactorswhichthe organizationconsidersittobeits biggestassetsare:
Ÿ Implementationofbestpractices fromSiliconValleyonhowtorun softwareasabusiness
Ÿ Itsteamoftalentedpeoplewhoare self-driven,self-motivatedandpush eachother
Ÿ
Demandingclientswhohavethem constantlypushingtheedge
Ÿ Aninternationalpresencewhich helpsinensuringcompetitiveprices andsustaininghealthymargins
Amit Mehta CEO
Thecrashoftheoilandgasmarketin 2015wasakeycontributorto Moblize’ssuccessbecauseeveryE&P organizationbegantofocuson operationalefficiencyandbusiness agility,functionswhichareattheheart ofthecompany’sproducts.
Moblizeisgrowingbyapplyingthe fail-fastconceptofrapidexperiments, rapidlearning,andrapidlyadopting successwhilemovingonfromfailure justasquickly
Thecompanygivesitscustomersthe advantageofthelatesttechnologyin cloud-basedservicesandanalytics.It planstoexpandtheircapabilitiesand servicestooffertheseconceptstoa muchbroaderrangeofindustriesand users.
AimingtoThrive Moblizehasalreadymarkedits presenceintheOil&Gasdrilling marketandlooksforwardtoexpanding itsreachandprovidingitssolutions andservicesinnewones.
Inthenearfuture,theyseethemselves expandingrapidlyintootheroiland gassegmentslikecompletionand production.Theaimistobecomea leaderinprovidingbigdataanalytics tooilandgasenterprisesandthen replicatingthatsuccessinother capital-intensivemarkets.
Our mission is to develop an integrated platform to improve the daily lives of enterprise users in E&P companies.
Observitwasstartedin1994 whenitsfoundersleftthe TelecomR&Dwingwithin theSwedishTelecom,andstarted,as pioneers,developingproductsand servicesusingInternetasastrategy. Thefirsthostedvideoservice,VSaaS, wasreleasedin2000andthebrand “Observit”wasthusregistered.
“We built IP connections to cameras that had no IP back in 1995. We have been developing products that connect things for 20 years. Today, it is called the Internet of Things or IoT. But with 20-years of experience we know that the connection itself is not the hard thing to do. The challenge is to make small units of hardware, the cameras and peoplecounters, a stable, reliable and accessible enterprise system, all put together as a service. Let the customer use the system instead of configuring and managing,” saidLars Flodén,CEO
In2006,thefirstIPbasedVideo ManagementSystemforpublic transport.Thesystemwas,andstillis, auniqueproductonthemarketwhere thetechnologyandtheprocessesare combinedwiththeEnterprisedesign fromtelecomsolutions.Designedtobe thebestsolutioninthisparticular transportationmarketusingtheunique experiencefromtelecomtobuild EnterpriseMobileserviceswith thousandsofunitsandcameras.
C3,disruptivevideosurveillancefor themobilefleet
WithObservitC3,thecompanyhas completelychangedtheprerequisites forvideosurveillancesystemsinthe transportsector
C3bringsthistoawholenewlevel throughlong-termlifecycle management,businessmodeland technicalarchitecturethateffortlessly andeffectivelyminimizescomplexity andcreatessimplicityfordifferent kindsofinternalandexternal stakeholders.Theobjectiveofthe ObservitC3isthenicheofmobile fleetsinthetransportsector.
TheConnectedCameraCluster,C3
Onboardmobilevideosurveillancecan beacomplicatedbusiness,from keepinghardwarefunctioningandupto-datetomakingsurethatauthorized stakeholdershaveaccesstothe evidencetheyneed.
Yetthereisaneasierwaytomanageit notjustonasinglebusorvehicle,but oneverybusinacompletefleet.With aunique,cloud-connectedsubscription service,customerscanachieveacosteffectivemanagementoftheonboard surveillance.Nomatterhowmany vehiclesorhowwidetheareatoserve, customerscanexperiencehigh reliabilityandalowcostofownership. Withextremelowcomplexitytoinstall
andestablishlocallyinvehiclesand centrallymanagedinthecloud, ObservitC3istrulyadisruptive solutioninthismarketandreadytobe usedanywhere,anytime,withoutany hurdlesorlimitations.
Usingwell-provenuniquetechnology, nogeographicallimitationsandina partnershipwiththeleadingIPcamera supplierAxisCommunications, ObservitC3willbeasuccessinthe fragmentedmarketofenterprise solutionsinthetransportationmarket.
Inpublictransportvehiclesareoften runningfor10yearsormore.WithC3, itisequallyeasytomanage surveillanceequipmentacrossyour fleet,regardlessoftheageofthe vehicle.
WithC3asaservicealldevicesare automaticallyupdatedwithnew functionalitywhenavailable, regardlessoftheageofthevehicle. Devicesareconfiguredandupdated remotely,havingthesamesettingsand functionsfleet-wide,evenifthe businessoperationschange,increaseor decrease.TheC3servicewilladaptto thecustomersactualbusiness.
Eachinstalledvehicleandsystem behavesinthesameway,nomatter whattheageofthevehicleorcamera, depotorgeography.Betterstill,each
systemchecksitshealthandreports thisviathecloud.Systemsarealways monitoredwithouthavingtocheck theminperson.
C3focusisintransport,aniche market,whereObservithasbuiltthe systemtobebest-in-class.Acentrally monitoredandmanagedcloudservice whereitiseasytomonitorandgetan actualstatusofallunitsandaccess recordingsandreal-timestreaming.
TheC3servicedoesnotrequireany resourceintensivespecialist competencetomanagethesystem,the companyhasputalotofworkand developmenttomakeC3extremely easytoinstall,useandmanage.
C3reducesthelargenumberof hardwarecomponentsusedinnormal videosurveillancesystems.Noother recordersorruggedPC’setcare neededinthevehicle.Justconnectthe C3camerastothenetworkanditwill beupandrunning.Lesshardware, smartersoftwareismakingthesolution muchmoreflexibleandindependentof futurechangesintechnology
Noexpertiseisneededtouseorinstall C3,notrainingtousersneeded.Easy toaccessrecordedvideo,audioand real-timevideo.Designatedresources couldbegrantedaccess.E.g.Police, insurancecompaniesorother stakeholders,whichspeedupthetime
toaccessvideoandlimittheresource neededformanagementandsupport.
TheObservitC3makesiteasyto expandwithinallsegmentsof transportationincludingallkindof mobileunitsthatneedenterprise remotemanagementcapabilities,not onlysurveillancevideosystem. Observithavealreadyexpandedthe concepttoalsoincludepeople counters.TheC3systemalsoinclude supportforadvancedevent management,makingexternalsignals fromthevehicle,GPSortelematicsbe apartofthevideo.Eventmanagement makingactionssuchasalarmbuttons, indicators,speed,driverbehavioretc. allavailableasmetadatainthevideo. StillallmanagedwithintheC3, ConnectedCameraCluster
WithObservitC3andthecloudservice therearenolimitations,thecompanyis abletoexpanditspresence geographicallyworldwide.Inthefirst phaseofexpansion,Observitalready havepartnersresellingtheservicein thewesternworldwhichcomprisesall EuropeancountriesandtheUS.
NobinachoseObservit,togetherwith Axisnetworkcameras.Thesolution hadtobesimpletoconfigureand managewhilealsosatisfyingNobinas
Lars Flodén CEO
requirementsforqualityandreliability
Morethan10,000camerasinstalledon busesinDenmark,Finland,Norway andSweden.
Nobinawasabletoincreasesafetyand securityforboththeirbuspassengers andtheirdrivers.Thesystemiseasyto installandmonitorcentrally, eliminatingthecostlyrequirementfor engineerstomanuallyretrievedata fromeachindividualunit.Thenew high-definitionsurveillancesystem alsomakesiteasyforpoliceto immediatelyandremotelyaccesshighqualityimagematerialinrealtimeand forforensicreview,enablingan effectiveandtimelyresponse.The imagematerialinvehiclescanbe obtainedinrealtimeordownloaded viathenetworkforfurtheranalysis.
Larsisagreatrelationshipbuilderand isabletoseethebiggerpicturein termsofstrategyusinghisin-depth technicalaswellasbusiness understanding.Hedealswithanything andeverythingwithcalmandhasan openmindtofindpositivesolutionsto difficultsituations,whethertheybe locally,regionallyorglobally.Before helmingtheCEOroleatObservit,Lars heldseveralpositionsatSteria,Sun MicrosystemsandCapgemini.
Our service and product development is based on a trusted partnership with a broad customer base.
Themythofthegamechangingpowerof “Digitization”hasoutgrownthegaragesinSilicon ValleyandtheclassroomsofTechdrivenelite universities.Itisadrivingforcebehindchangeandgrowth inmanypartsoftheeconomy
PrivateEquityandVentureCapitalinvestorsareawareand notorioustoseekforthebestideasandequipsomelucky founderswithfunding,surrealtomanagersintraditional industries.Technologies–suchasInternetofThings,Big Data,CloudComputing,ArtificialIntelligenceorIndustry 4.0–givebasisforbusinessmodelinnovationandfuture disruption.
RampingupdigitalcompetenciesandsettingaCEOagenda forthedigitaltransformationisimperativeforanygiven business,inordertoprotectthecompetitivepropositionin tomorrow’shyper-connectedeconomy
By2020atleast50billiondevicesandatrillionsensorsare expectedtoconnectindividualswitheconomicprocesses. Thewhiteboarddraftsinresearchlabsaroundtheglobewill beavailabletoconsumersasdevicesandapplicationseven faster.Innovationtocomewillchangealltherationalesof anybusinessmodelinanygivenindustry
Observingtheacceleratingspeedofinnovationoverthe pastyears,disruptivebusinessdevelopmentswillbethe
majorreasonforbusinessestofail. Thisisleadingtothreeelementalrules:
Do-or-die - excel on Digital Transformation
Forexistingindustries-focusingonthedigital transformationisimperative.
Companiesfailingondigitization,aswellasindustries, withalowlevelofdigitization,willbepreytodisruption. Anexampleisprovidedbythecurrentdigitizationinthe healthcareindustry
DigitalchampionslikeApple,GoogleandAmazonare launchingtheirhealth-initiativesandcreatenewbusiness modelsasnew-be’stotheindustry
Second will be first looser
Digitalbusinessmodelsworkarepoisedtoscale. Accordingtothetextbook,successissubjecttotechnical proficiency,speedofgotomarket,fastscalingofthe organisation.
Fromtheperspectiveofaturnaroundexecutive;authorsand academiclecturersaredisregardingasimple,yetbrutal fact:Creatinggrowthwithinvestors’moneyisexposing entrepreneurstoabrutalreality.Onlyonein10start-upsis consideredtosurvive.Amongthoseonlyonein10meets theinvestor’sgoals.Consequently,leadersfromlegacy industries,facefierceattackersfromthestart-upeconomy Highlymotivated,eagertoenteranddisrupttheirtarget industries,trainedattopuniversities,mastersofthevery latesttechnologiesandequippedwithsufficientfunding, theyhavenothingtolosebutalottowin.These entrepreneurshavebecomeatruenightmarefor“old school”managers.
Thetruthissimple.Nooneisreally“toobigtofail”.A brandlikeKodakdisappearedpracticallyovernight.Many companiesarejustexistinginatransitionalphase,the digitaldeathiswaitingjustaroundthecorner.Managersof theautomotiveindustrymayrelatetothisverywell.The soundoftheV8enginemightgetyougoosebumps,butthe softsoundofanelectriccar,servesassoundtrackindustry’s future.
Business,hencecompetition,isglobal.Thegoodnewsis:It iseasy,toaddressaglobalmarketfromtheremotest locationonearth.Thecloud,availablepaymentsolutions andlogisticserviceproviderstakecareoftherest.Yetthere isabadmessageincluded:Chancesarethesamefor everyoneelse.
Capital,goodsandservicesaremovedalmostwithout limitationsaroundtheglobe.Competitioncanhitatany pointoftime,fromanydirection.Itisnolongersufficient
toengagewiththelocalbusinesscommunityorvisitthe nationalconferencestokeepaneyeonthecompetition. Borders,taxes,tariffsandprotectionismareout-dated.
Withbordersdiminishing,itisabattleofthebrainsandthe talentforexecution.Asdistancesareirrelevantinadigital world,thenextdisruptormightbeworkingrightnowinher labontheothersideoftheglobe,justtoenterthelocal marketandprovidehighlycompetitiveandwellthought throughofferstothelocalcustomersbytomorrowmorning.
Digitaldisruptionisnotthewebsiteoronlinestore, servicedoutofChinaforcustomerse.g.intheUS. Evolvingtechnologieslikeblockchainand3Dprinting,are takingthemobilityoffunds,informationandservicestothe nextlevel.Veryfewbusinessownersandevenless representativesofregulatoryauthoritieshaveyet understoodthesetechnologies.Whereasthisisopening doorsforavastnumberofnewbusinessmodels,itisalso exposingnew,aswellasestablishedbusinessinitiativesto uncertainties,asthelegalsituationremainsunclearinmany casesforthetimebeing.
· No promises made: Adigitalbusinessmodel,plus beingontopofhypeisnoguaranteeforlong-term survival.DigitalheroesoftheirtimelikeAOLor mySpace,tojustnametwo,havealreadyleftthe businesscommunityagainandremindus,thateventhe disruptorsthemselvesareveryvulnerableto competitionandchange.
· Expect the unexpected:Globalizationandtechnology aretearingdownthewallsofprotection.Eventhe unthinkablewillbecomeatechnologicalreality Asan example,chatbotsareconsideredtofullycapableto subsidizehumancustomerserviceoperatorswithinthe nexttwoyears.Quantumcomputerswillreshapethe worldofITandputabigquestionmarkbehindtodays securitystandards,protectingvitalinfrastructure,but alsoopengatewaystoanewdimensionofscience.The worldasweknewitalreadydoesn’texistanymore.
· “Threewords:Tempo,tempo,tempo”(Lt.Col.Stephen (Godfather)Ferrando)Theevolutionoftechnologyis everaccelerating.Forexecutivesandbusinessowners, thiscreatestheurgetoadjust,test,innovate,deploy andconstantlyre-invent,inordertomaintaintheir marketpositionandcommandarelevantcompetitive proposition.Thisisaglobalraceforthebestbusiness modelsandthefastestexecution.Traditionalindustries, withhierarchiesinplaceandlegacyissues,todeal with,haveoftendifficultiestocatchwiththespeedand agilityofthenewworldorder.
Itwasin1979thattheneedfor developmentand implementationofnewdesign modelswithafocusonintegrated deliverysystemsandpublic/private partnershipsforEMSandambulance servicesgavethebirthofStarwest Associates.Acrossthesouthwestern UnitedStates,StarwestAssociates builtavarietyofcompaniesfocusing onintegratingpublic/private partnershipsinmunicipalitiesand healthcareinArizona,Nevada, Colorado,andCalifornia.
StarwestAssociates’technology division,StarwestTech,was establishedin1992todevelopthe technologiesandsystemsneededto supportStarwestAssociates’EMS operationsandpublicfiresystems.
Since2006,StarwestTechhas focusedexclusivelyonimproving pre-hospitalcarethroughZoiePCR solutionsandreal-timeornearrealtimeactivemanagement technologies.StarwestePCRsystems havebeenusedinEMSandfire departmentoperationstoreplace manyotherfirst-generationePCRs.
Thecompanyhasalreadyhadan impactonthelandscapeofdeepdata captureandinformationexchange. ItsZoiePCRsystemprovidesprehospitalcare,web-basedclinical contentmanagement,and informationretrievalforQAand reimbursements.
ZoiePCRallowsFireDepartments andHealth&MedicalOrganizations andAgenciestocontributetolocal, regional,andnationaldatabasesand improvepatientcareacrossthe country
Ititselfcancontributedatasetstothe PrehospitalInformation&EMS RegistrySystem,National EmergencyandMedicalServices InformationSystems(NEMSIS),and theNationalIncidentManagement System(NIMS).amongothers.
StarwestePCRdatasystemshave contributedinexcessof2.6million Arizonachartsoverthelastthree yearsfromfiredepartmentsand ambulanceservicestoAZPIERS, SHARE,EPIC,ROCincludingareas ofbehavioralhealthandcrisis, cardiac,stroke,andTBI.
TheFounderandCEOofStarwest Associates,BobRamseyhas foundedcompaniesinvariousfields, includingambulanceservices(in ArizonaandacrosstheSouthwest), EMS,medicalsupplies,air transportation,information technologies,managementsystems, realestate,andavionics.
Hepioneered,designed,and implementedoneofthefirst public/privatepartnershipEMS modelsintheU.Sintheearly’80s. Manyofthosehigh-performancefire departmentmodelsarestillused todaybyvariousmunicipalitiesin Arizonaandacrossthenationfor dedicated911emergencies,out-ofhospitalhealth,and“Treatand Refer”responseservices.
Bob’ssuccesscanbecreditedtohis dedicationtoservingtheneedsof othersandhisabilitytodesign, implement,andinnovatehighperformanceandclinicalEMS services.
StarwestAssociatesbeganinthe earlydaysofmodernEMSand ambulanceservicestodevelopand implementnewdesignmodelswitha focusonintegratedservicedelivery toimprovepatientcare.Through publicandprivatepartnershipsin municipalitiesacrossArizona, Nevada,Colorado,andCalifornia, StarwestAssociatesbuiltavarietyof companiestoimproveservice delivery,improvecare,enhance technologies,andforbetter reimbursementservices.
StarwestTechwasestablishedin ordertomeettheneedsofthe StarwestAssociatesfamilyofEMS companiesandfiremodels.The divisionwasabletocreateagile, moreintuitive,andeasy-to-use solutionsthatsetthestandardfor qualitydatacollection.
Unreliable,rigid,andcumbersome productscanhaveanegativeimpact onpatientcareandachievingthebest
possibleoutcomeforthepatient. Starwestalsobelievesthatnoone wantstoseeasoftwaretoolhinder patientcareduetoweakfactorsof easeofuseandspeed.
Starwestfocusesoncultivating adaptability,interoperablebehaviors instrongrelationshipswithexpertsin patientcarewhoarefamiliarwith workflowtimeframesandthetools usedinthefield.Starwesttakespride initselfthatthecustomerisit. Takingthefeedbackandideasthat comestraightfromthefieldand shapingitintoaflexiblesolutionfor anydepartmentanyoperation.
StarwestTechanditsdatasolutions wereestablishedinordertomeetthe needsofStarwestAssociates’family ofcompanies.Asisthecasewhen developinganynewtechnology solution,thisrequiredquiteabitof forwardthinkingandcareful planninginordertohita“moving target”involvingchangingstateand
nationalprotocols,regulations, standards,andtechnological developments.
Starwestwillmaintainitssteady progresstowardsthevisionofrobust activemanagementsystemsforfire departmentsandEMS.
StarwestTechisfocusingondata solutionsbeyondePCR-iOSand Androidnative-hostedSaaS solutions,web-basedclinicalcontent managementsystems,operationsand resourcecontrol,expandedinterfaces andintegrationswiththird-party technologywhichgivefirst respondersthetoolstoprovidethe bestoutcomeforanyincident.
Theorganizationhasjustcompleted itsrobustfirereporting,Treatand ReferHealthinformationsystems, whichwilltaketheindustrytonew heights.
EMS and healthcare is a right for all people.
Industriesappeartochangemore quicklyanddrasticallythanever, andinmanyways,thatpaceof changeisaccelerating.Thus,thereis anevidentuproaraboutexponential evolutionoftechnologyadoption, competition,andmostimportantly, consumerbehaviours.Atpresent,most organizationsarenotagileenoughto adaptandreconfiguretheirbusiness modelasquicklyasconsumers’ expectationsandbusinessenvironment demand.Thisisoneofthemain triggersengagingbusinessesofall sizesintothedigitaltransformation revolution.
BasedinMontreal,Canada,Trisotech providesnewandrevolutionaryways fordigitalenterpriseknowledge workerstocollaborateandsucceedin thisincreasinglyglobalandconnected world.Withitsbroadcloud-basedSaaS offering,Trisotechhelpsenterprises realizetheirbusinesstransformation goalsbyanalyzing,modelingand continuouslyimprovinghowthingsget done.
Trisotech’sinnovationisatthecenter ofitsDNA.Ononehand,itoffersa toolsetcalledtheInnovationSuiteto clientsinneedforspeedatcreating andplanningtheexecutionof innovativestrategies.Ontheother hand,itsDecisionManagementSuite, aground-breakingdecisionautomation
solution,isdisruptingtheindustryof businessprocesstechnology.
DenisGagné,theCo-Founderand CEOofTrisotech,isthevisionarywho leadsthecompanyandhasguideditto becomingaglobalsuccessanda drivingforceininternationalBPM standardsforoveradecade.
Denisisatechnologicallyintuitiveand professionallyacuteindividual,witha M.MathdegreeinAIfromthe UniversityofWaterlooandaBScin ComputerSciencefromtheCollège MilitaireRoyal(CMR)deSt-Jean.
Heisamemberoftheinternational technologystandardsconsortium ObjectManagementGroup(OMG), whereheservesastheChairofthe BPMNInterchangeWorkGroup (BPMNMIWG)andisamemberof theBPMstandardnotationsteams.
Denisisalsoinvolvedwithsteering committeesinworkflowmanagement andbusinessprocesssimulation.
Thecontemporaryeraisatimewhere itismoreimportantthanevertocreate anenvironmentthatstimulates innovationandfacilitatesthe implementationofnewstrategies.If oneisabusinesspersonwho’s
experiencingdifficulttimesofchange, thechancesofbeinginvolvedin multiplebrainstormingsessionswith othersubjectmatterexpertsare obvious.Thistraditionalapproachto addressingstrategicissuesusually includesusingawhiteboardandsticky notestotryandfindthenext revolutionaryidea.
Whilstamyriadofbookshasbeen writtenonmethodologiestocapture andstructureideas,documentingand communicatingnewstrategiesremains aproblemformanyorganizations.This isexactlythepainpointthatTrisotech isaddressingwiththeInnovationSuite, asetoftoolsthatenablecreative thinkingmethodsandprovidescrowdsourcingtoolsforcapturingand communicatingstrategies.
Withthisoffering,Trisotechlets organizationsofallscalesleveragebest practicesofexistingmethodologiesin afullydigitalworldwhere documentingandsocializing innovativestrategicintentandtactical decisionsisoneclickaway.Businesses aroundtheworldarenowusingthe TrisotechInnovationSuiteontheir pathwaytodigitaltransformation.
Still,becomingdigitaldoesnotsolve allproblems.Thatisbecausedigital
businessesareinsightsdriven:they relyontheirabilitytomaketheright decisionsintimetoturninsightsinto action.Thechallengeisthatbusiness decisionsrequirereal-timeprocessing ofhundredsofcalculationsanddata sources.Beingabletoautomateand optimizeoperationaldecisionsis criticaltoasuccessfuldigital transformation.
Whiledecisionautomationhas traditionallyreliedonBusinessRules ManagementSystems(BRMS), recently,numerousbusinessesare turningtoartificialintelligence(AI) andmachinelearningsystems. However,thecomplexityandpaceof changeinbusinessrulesandthe currentinabilityforAIsystemsto explaintheirdecisionsdemandanew erainbusinessdecisionsapplications andplatforms.
AtTrisotech,functionalitiesofevery solutionarediversifiedforovercoming challenges.Forthecompany, transparencyandexplicabilityof decisions,aremust-havestoenhance businessesinthedigitalworld.
“Companies must be able to explain stakeholders how automated decisions were attained. This is why Trisotech
introduced the concept of ‘Explainable AI’with its Decision Management Suite,” statesDeniswhileexpressing hisinsightsonthecompany’s innovation.
TheDecisionManagementSuiterests onthebedrockofaninternational standardcalledDecisionModeland Notation(DMN),anapproachfor describingandmodelingrepeatable operationaldecisions. “The idea is that, by creating a clear structure of how decisions are made, organizations can minimize the standard deviation of outcomes and gain in consistency,” Denisadds.
Theconsistency,flexibilityand traceabilityofthismethodnowoffer aninnovativeapproachtocombining bothAIandBRMSintoaneffective wayofaddressingthedigitalbusiness needsfordecisionautomation.With theDecisionManagementSuiteandits one-clickuserexperiencedesignfocus, Trisotechisdeliveringonthepromise ofcleardecisionautomationthatcan beorchestratedinanysortof applications,enablingthedigital businessofthefuturetocapitalizeon itskeyinsights.
Thequalityofaleaderisreflectedin thestandardstheysetforthemselves.
Lately,Denishasbeenworkingto democratizetheDecisionManagement approachsothatmoreandmore companiescanstartleveragingboth thetechnologyandthemethodology behindit.Hehasbeenworkingboth behindthescenesrefiningthe technologicalsolutionandon internationalstagespresentingthis disruptiveapproachtoenterprise leaders.
ThecultureheestablishedatTrisotech isbolsteringinnovationontwofronts. First,thecompanyprovidesa technologicalenvironmentwhere generating,capturingandsharing qualityideasmakesiteasytofoster strategicandtacticalinnovation. Second,Trisotechbringsdisruptionto amarketthatpreviouslyhad organizationschoosingbetween complexityandopacityofbusiness decisions.Thecompanyisona continuouspathtofindnewwaysof doingthingsandhelpingorganizations worldwidetoquicklycapitalizeon insightsfromthemarketandthe businessenvironment.
Trisotech is on a continuous path to nd new ways of doing things and helping organizations worldwide to quickly capitalize on insights from the market and the business environment.
Denis Gagné Co-founder & CEO
Agloballeaderinoffering eSourcingandeProcurement solutions,VORTAL possessesacloud-based eMarketplace,wherethousandsof publicandprivatebuyersare connectedwithaninternational communityofqualifiedsuppliersto makeeverydaybusiness.
VORTALhasgrowninstatureto supportcustomersgloballywith officesinPortugal,Spain,Germany, Italy,UK,Mexico,andColombia fromsmallPublicBodies(likesmall municipalities),largePublicBodies (largeCities,RegionalGovernments indifferentcountries,National CentralProcurementBodies),tothe entirepublicadministrationof severalCountries,aswellasfrom SMEstolargemultinational corporations.
VORTALisratedregularlyby GartnerintheMagicQuadrantfor StrategicSourcingSuitesand mentionedbyForresterandSpend Mattersasatopplayerinthemarket. Thecompanyhasalsobeen consecutivelydistinguishedasoneof “100bestcompaniestoworkforin Portugal”inasurveycarriedoutby “Everis”and“Exame”magazine.
VORTALisaninternationalleading eSourcingandeProcurement platformforthepublicandprivate sector,whichconnectsthousandsof buyerswithaninternationalnetwork ofqualifiedsuppliers.VORTALis partoftheproject“ESPDint–InteroperableESPD(European SingleProcurementDocument)and VCD(VirtualCompanyDossier) servicesinsideandbetween EuropeanCountries”,financedbythe EuropeanCommissiontodevelop nativeintegrationofESPDin VORTAL’splatform.WiththeESPD andVCDimplementationpilot, VORTALwillmakeavailabletoall userstheseinstrumentsintegratedin theplatformsothatitbecomesastep intheprocesstakingadvantageofall previousdocumentsandinformation inserted.OncetheEconomic OperatoranswerstheESPD questions,itcanbereused seamlessly.
RuiDias-Ferreira,Founderand CEOofVORTAL,isthevisionary whohasledthecompanytowhatit isknownastoday.Priortofounding VORTAL,heservedfor12yearsas anAssociatePartneratAccenture, managingSupplyChainprojectsin
theEngineeringandConstruction sector.AtAccenture,heworkedona wide-rangeofprojectsinvolving medium-sizedandlargecompanies inPortugal,UK,SpainandItaly
Aregularguestspeakeratseminars andconferences,Ruiholdsadegree inEngineeringandhasapostgraduatediplomainProduction ManagementfromAPICS–The EducationalSocietyforResource Management.Hehasalsocompleted anAdvancedManagingProgram fromIESE,UniversidadofNavarra. Additionally,Ruiboastsan impressiveprofileinthepublic spherewithhisinvolvementinthe developmentofentrepreneurshipasa mentorofseveralstart-upsatStartup Lisboaandasapromoterofthe JuniorAchievementawardandis extensivelyinvolvedwithsocial initiativeslikeworkingforthe homeless.
Whenitcomestotackling competition,VORTALalways preferstofocusoninnovation.Now theorganizationisworkingveryhard tocreateanecosystemthatis completelyinnovationdriven,
repeatableandscalableforturning creativeideasintoprofitablebusiness models.
“We want to stress our innovation methodology, our focus on integrating the best of breed technologies with a great focus on usability and user interface excellence.” assertsMiguelSobral, VPofVORTAL.
Theorganizationalsobelievesthat thebiggestchallengenowisrising abovetheimminentindustry changes. “Procurement platforms will be much more dependent on supplier communities than before. This means that users are increasingly looking for dynamic solutions to discover and qualify suppliers that avoid searching the web for potential suppliers without references or credentials. Standalone solutions where a buyer is closed in a silo with the suppliers they are used to working with for years will lose the perspective of the market and will become less competitive in the medium term.”-addedtheCEO.
Forseveralconsecutiveyears, VORTALhasbeengrowingattwodigitlevelsandwillcontinueto developthemostinnovativeservices forbuyersandsuppliers,bothin privateandpublicsectors.Soonthe organizationwillalsobeleadingthe interoperabilitymovementandwill positionitselfasoneofthemost completeprovidersofservicesto suppliers.
Theorganizationisalsoaimingto reinforceitsco-operationwith integrationandconsultingpartnersto beabletodelivernewservicesand innovativesolutionstodealwith corporateandpublic-sectorspending. VORTALisnowadvancingits approachtoResearch& DevelopmentandInnovation through:
• Creatingabrandnew400m2 “VORTALInnovationLab”,astateof-the-artworkspace,fullyequipped
Rui Dias-Ferreira Founder & CEO
toexploreanddevelopinnovative productsandservicesaswellasnew businessmodels.
• Re-designingtheR&Dand Innovationprocessinamultidisciplinaryandopenenvironment.
• Reinforcingitsworkforcewith40 newandhighlytalentedpersonnel.
• EmployinganR&Dand InnovationCoachreportingdirectly tothecompany’sCEOtoleadthe innovationprogrammesatVORTAL andguidetheinternalteamsand externalpartnersintheirinnovation efforts.
We help buyers to buy better and suppliers to sell more.
Inthiseraofchangingtechnologies,theBigData domainhasevolvedinaveryshortperiodoftime.It playsthemostpivotalroleacrossallindustries.The abilityofBigDatatominecriticaldatahasradicallyaltered thedynamicsofthewaybusinessesfunction,drivesales, andattractcustomers.Ithasbecomeanessential componentofbusinessstrategynowadays.Abusinesstastes successbyuncoveringinsightslockedinsidedata.The overlayingtrendswillexaminetheevolvingways enterprisescanrealizebetterbusinessvaluewithBigData andhowimprovingbusinessintelligencecanhelp transformorganizationalprocessesandthecustomer experience.Thereisademandforbetterdatamanagement frommostofthebusinessexecutivesforcomplianceand increasedconfidencetosteerthebusiness.Itwillhelpthem inmorerapidadoptionofBigDataandinnovativeand transformativedataanalytictechnologies.
Inthispresentyear,businesseswillmovebeyondjustdata handlingtoleveragingtheinsightsthatBigDatauncovers. Asunderstanding,managing,andmanipulatingBigData hasnowbecomefairlyubiquitous,mostofthecompanies havetheabilitytodealwithit.Miningdatawillbethe centerofattractionanditwillhelpeffectivelytomeet organizationalrequirementsandforprecisetargetingof productsandservices.Aninsight-drivenapproachwill facilitateanevolvedcustomerexperience,competitiveness, advancedsecurityandoperationalefficiency
Today,everyoneisdependentonthedigitaltechnologyand ourdependencehasreachedanunprecedentedlevel.Cyber attackshavealsobecomemuchmoreprevalent.An increasedoccurrenceofransomwarehasbeenregistered acrosstheglobeandcybercriminalsarenowtargeting personaldataanddevices.Concerningtheprimeindustry, cybersecuritycanonlybepossiblethroughbigdata
analyticswhichwillbecomeamajorareaofinvestmentand willgrowswiftly.Itisnecessaryfortheenterprisesandthe governmentagenciestoupgradetheirsecuritysystemsto next-generationsoftwarewhichcanaddressultra-modern securitythreats.
Itcanbesaidthattheanalyticswillnotremainisolatedtoa fewdepartmentslikemarketingandriskmanagement.On theotherhanditwillinfusetheentireenterprise.To understandthedynamicsofbusinessoperations,data analyticswillbeutilizedandwillalsorevealwaysand meanstoincreaseefficiency.Hencetoderiveoverall businessstrategy,insightsfrommultipledepartmentswill beintegratedandredundantprocesseswillbeeliminated.It willalsohelpthedepartmentstoincreaseefficiency, growth,andproductivity.
Ifthedemandexpandsfurther,thetalentgapindata analyticswillsoar.Itisexpectedthatorganizationsand academicinstitutionswillcollaboratecloselytogenerate skillsandtalenttomeetthedemandfordataengineers.The functionsofallcorporateemployeeswillbeexpectedto understand,appreciateandworkwithanalyticssinceit emergesasoneofthekeyinstrumentsinevery organization.Theacademicinstitutionsarealsolooking forwardtoputtogetherdegreeprogramsindatascience.
TherewillbeatransitionfromInternetofThings(IoT)to InternetofPeople(IoP).Interactions,predictiveanalytics aroundhumanbehavior,andothersubjectiveareaswill growandstarttofilterallindustryverticals.Forexample, hospitalswillincreasinglydeploymachinelearning techniquestopredictthelikelihoodoftherelapseofa disease.Thiswillenablethemtoworkoutapatient’s readmissionpreciselyatthetimeoftheinitialdischarge.
Businesseswillhavetolearnanddeploytraditional,scientifictechniquesofpattern-matchingandartificialintelligencefor analyticsusecases.Forexample,techniquestoanalyzegenesequencesinDNAarebeingusedintext-matchingalgorithmsto processbulkemails.Itisexpectedtoseeveryclosecollaborationbetweendatascientistsandthescientificcommunity. For example,imageprocessingiswidelyusedin‘tagging’insocialmedia,whilevoicerecognitionisusedinapps.
Therewillbebriskmovingintheorganizationsfromon-premiseplatformstocloudandhybridenvironments.Around44 percentofapplicationsusedbyFortune500organizationsarealreadyonthecloud,andmorethan50percentofIT applicationswillmovetothecloudbytheendoftheyear Therewillbeariseindemandforanalyticstoolsthataresimple, flexible,andcapableofhandlingavarietyofdatasources.Hadoopenablestostoreanextremelylargevolumeofdataata significantlylowerpricepointandhenceitwillcontinuetobecomeincreasinglypopular.Theshareofunstructureddatain thedatawarehousewillcontinuetoincrease,whichwillfurthercauseforHadoop.Hadoop,now,ispastthebusiness relevanceandscalabilityassessmentphaseanditsadoptionisexpectedtoacceleratestrongly.
Weareadvancingtowardsacompletelynewerainthedomainofanalytics.Bigdataisdisruptiveandithaspavedtheway forpioneeringideasandinnovativetechniquesacrossindustryverticals.Itisnowdrivingthestreamofdisruptionand expandingthescopeofopportunitiesforpreviouslyuntouchedmarketsegments.OrganizationsneedtoleverageBigData analyticstoitsfullcapacitysoastothriveinthiscompetitiveworld.
WGroupisamanagement consultingfirmwithapeer to-peerapproachtoIT optimizationandtransformation.A disruptorinthemanagement consultingindustry,WGroupisknown foritsoutcome-driven,service provider-agnosticapproachthat optimizesIToperationsandminimizes costs.
Thefirmemploysseasoned professionalswithastrongtrackrecord ofgettingresults.TheWGroupteamis composedofconsultantswhoaverage morethantwodecadesofexperience asformerCIOsandITleaders,andits clientrosterincludesmanylargeand midsizedcompaniesacrossawide rangeofindustries.
WGroupbelievesthateveryITleader isonapathofdigitaltransformation, butthereisasignificantdigitalchasm preventingtherealizationoftheir digitalstrategyduetolegacy technology,inefficientprocesses, technicaldebt,andskilldebt.WGroup isregularlyretainedbyleading organizationstodevelopandexecute modernizationprogramsthataccelerate theachievementofanorganization’s digitalagenda.
JeffVail,CEOofWGroup,isa businessleaderwithover20yearsof executiveexperienceworkingwith companiessuchasUnisys,SAP, Siemens/Unify,andQuintiq/Dassault Systèmes.
PriortoWGroup,Jeffservedinseveral leadershiproleswhereheplayeda pivotalroleinstrategydevelopment andexecution.Theserolesinclude ChiefCommercialOfficeratQuintiq, whichincreasedinvaluefrom$120 millionto$340millionduringhistwoyeartenure;SVPofGlobalCorporate MarketingatUnify(formerlySiemens
EnterpriseCommunications);VPof EnterpriseMarketingatSAPAmericas, andGeneralManagerofInfrastructure SolutionsatUnisys.
Jeffisanavidgolferandfisherman.He isaPhiladelphiasportsenthusiast,has apassionforCaliforniacabernet wines,andresidesinPhoenixville, Philadelphiawithhiswifeandtwo sons.
Enteringthesegment WGroupwasfoundedin2004by HarryWallaesa,theformerCIOofa multi-billiondollarglobalpackaged foodscompany AsaCIO,Harry
becamefed-upwithconsultingfirms thateitherhadabenchofcareer consultantsoraleveragedmodel wherethepartnerwasseldompresent andjuniorconsultantswhofollowed cookie-cuttermethodologiesdidthe work.
Harrydecidedtocreateaconsulting firmcomposedexclusivelyofformer CIOsandITleaders—afirmof individualswithdecadesof operational,practical,andleadership experiencethatcouldadviseother CIOsandITleadersonapeer-to-peer basis.
WGrouputilizesauniquestaffing model,anditfocusesonpractical advicethatwillproduceatangible impactonbusinessperformance. Theorganizationbelievesthatthe singularmissionofITistocreatevalue forabusiness,andthatvalueisdefined narrowlybyinitiativesthatwill increaserevenue,decreasecost,or mitigaterisk.Ifaninitiativedoesn’t meetoneofthosethreeobjectives, WGroupwouldquestionwhetheritis worthexecuting.
WGroupbelievesthateveryITleader isonapathofdigitaltransformation, butthereisasignificantdigitalchasm preventingthemfromadvancingtheir digitalstrategy Thatdigitalchasmis createdbythelegacy-centricIT functionsthatleadtothefollowing challenges:
Ÿ ImmatureITprocesses
Ÿ On-premise-centricdeliverymodels
Ÿ Highlegacytechnicaldebt
Ÿ UnconsolidatedM&A environments
Ÿ Significantskilldebtwithskillsthat don’tmatchtheneedsofthe business
Ÿ Notenoughseparationofcorevs. context/commodityworkviaan insourced/outsourcedhybrid deliverymodel
Ÿ VendorssupportingtheITfunction throughtransactionalrelationships vs.strategicoutcomes-based partnerships
Ÿ
Ÿ
Jeff Vail CEO
ITcoststhatareoutofbounds
Imbalanceofrunvs.growactivity where80%ofcostsandeffortmay bespentonrun
Strategyforfuturegrowth
WGroupbeganaggressiveinvestment ingrowthtobuildafoundationfora premium-tierconsultancyin2012.
JeffVailbelievesthattheteamwiththe bestplayersisateamthatwinsand thatthecompany’shiringstrategy addressesthatrequirement.WGroup hasexperiencedtalentineverykey position,fromallofitsconsultingroles throughtoWGroup’sbackofficeof finance,marketing,sales,recruiting, andoperations.
TheWGroupteamconsistsofsomeof themostexperiencedandwell-known ITleadersintheindustry.By continuingtomaintainthistalent profile,theorganizationhasbeenable totacklethechallengesithasfaced bothinsideitsbusiness,andforits clients’ITfunctions.
We are experienced advisors, guiding our clients in their IT transformation journey from lowering costs to increasing speed.
romblockchaintoAI,technologyisbeingusedto
Fdisruptexistingbusinessmodelsandcreatenew onesseeminglyovernight.Thisevolvinglandscape isshapingourattitudesandvalues,challengingthevery purposeofacompany,andpresentingamassive opportunityforthosewiththevisionandmeanstoact.
Sohowdoweasindividualsbecomemoredisruptive?How dowecreateanetworkandtakeourideastomarket?And whatwilltheadvancementoftechnologymeanforthe future?EntrepreneuranddisruptorLuluLaidlaw-Smith sharesherthoughtsandexperiencewiththenextgeneration ofbrandowners.
Myopinionisthatyou’rebornwithadisruptiveattitude. Formanyyears,IwastoldthatIwasdisruptive(ina negativeway).IwouldaskquestionsbecauseIcouldsee solutionsthatwerenotyetapplied.Thereisanaivetyto askingwhatmightseemlikeobviousquestionsandfinding outwhythingshappeninaparticularway.Somepeople giveuptheirdisruptiveattitudeandstopaskingquestions astheyacceptthestatusquooutofpolitenessand socialisation.
It’sdifficulttostandupagainstthis,especiallyforpeople whohavetheideasbutdon’thavethefundingorthe connectionstomakethemhappen.ThisisonereasonwhyI founded Rip It Up, Start Again.Iwantedtocreatea communitytopromotediscoveryandconnection.It’s hostedatRunwayEastinLondon,UKandlive-streamedto audiencesglobally.Theplatformenablesentrepreneursto sharetheirbusinessideasanddemonstratehowtheyhave developeduniquetechnology-drivensolutionsthatdisrupt thestatusquo.
Thesetermsareoftenusedinterchangeably.However, innovationisaconsequenceandadeliveryofsomething thatneedstochange,whiledisruption creates thatchange. Disruptionismuchmoredramatic.It’slookingatan existingbusinessmodelsandwonderinghowtodeliverit moresuccinctlyratherthanrefiningwhatisalreadythere. Thisisalargepartofmyworkwith Collaborate²; transforminggoodideasintosmartbusiness,leading businesstransformationonanactionablescalethrough definingthemessageformultipleusergroups.
Irecentlyspoketoayoungentrepreneurwhoisworkingto eradicatefoodwaste.Iremarkedthathewillnolongerhave abusinessifheissuccessful.Helookedatmelikethiswas anarchaicwayofthinkingandthenexplainedhowhe wouldsimplydosomethingelse.Hewasright.Timeshave changedandthedisruptiveattitudeistocreateabusiness modelthatservesapurposenow,regardlessofhowitmight developinthefuture.
Humansarebrilliantatimagination,communicationand collaboration.Butwearebadatcompliance,planningand organisation.Thesearetheareaswhereentrepreneurscan usetechnologytomakeadifference.Whenpeoplesaythat technologywilltakeawayourabilitytocreate,thisfeeds thefearandleadstoresentment.
Inmyopinion,themostexcitingchangewiththestrongest potentialfordeliveryisblockchain.Insteadofbeingonlya ledgerforfinance,Ibelieveitwilldeliversomuchmore:it willremovefrictionfromourinteractions,allowing usto spendtimedoingwhatwearegoodatandautomatingthe
Lulu Laidlaw-Smith is an experienced sales and commercial director. She is the Founder of Rip It Up, Start Again, a platform that gives a voice to disruptors and innovators. She is also working with the video storytelling platform Binumiand is a partner at Collaborate, a business strategy and transformation agency that accelerates growth for this ever-evolving landscape, implementing strategy into real solutions.
rest.Itwillfundamentallychallengehowcompaniesare structuredandwillhelpustobuildtruecivilizational wealth.
Oneofmymaininspirationsismyfriendandmentor SteveKelsey.Heunderstandsemotionalengagementas wellashavinganaptitudefortechnology,whichis unusual.IaminspiredbyElonMuskforthesame reasons.Iamalsoinaweofthemanyentrepreneursthat Ihavemetthrough Rip It Up, Start Again. Tom BlomfieldfromMonzowasoneofourearlyspeakers.I respecthimfortakingonthebankingindustryhaving neverworkedinmainstreambanking.Hisjourneyof gettingabankinglicensealsoillustrateshowdisruptive companiescanstillsucceedagainstallodds.
Technologyhastheanswers,buttheproblemformany start-upsiscompliance.Aslongasyoukeepaheadof thegame,thingswillhappenregardless.Ithinkwewill seetechnologydisruptingareaslikepolitics,economics andlawinamoresignificantwaythatweimagine.I believetechnologywillultimatelyallowustouseour imaginationandabilitytocommunicate bytakingawaythetasksthatweas humansarenotgoodat.Itwillgiveus thefreedomtobewhowearewithout makingapologiesorexcuses.Howcan youprepareforthesechanges?Attend events,readarticles,talktodisruptive people,keepanopenmind–and,above all,keepaskingquestios.
Lulu Laidlaw-Smith Founder
