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• APRIL 10, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal
Technology A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal • April 10, 2020
From compliance to COVID-19, tech providers experience accelerated demand for services by Michelle Leach
Health care organizations and their niche providers are top of mind in the present environment, while technology partners are supporting the health of businesses across wide-ranging industries. “We've always felt our voice biometrics was the way forward for identity and access management, but the COVID-19 virus has accelerated our position,” said VP of Marketing and Development Roxana Safranek of V2verify, which provides a platform that authenticates via voice. “Almost overnight, businesses were faced with supporting a mobile workforce.” Safranek noted many businesses are challenged to authenQueck ticate remote workers. “We’re working with companies to replace passwords and implement a voice biometric to manage employee authentication,” she said. “This allows employees to authenticate using their voice, which is more secure, and it eliminates the tremendous burden IT teams are experiencing supporting employee credentials.” Privileges may be assigned to each user, allowing companies to ensure the right people access the right systems and information. “Many businesses aren't ready to implement a voice biometric to authenticate their employees/customers, but they need to reduce the burden that managing passwords is taking on their IT teams,” she said. “We're able to implement an automated password reset process using the user's voice to authenticate a user.” As an “active” biometric, Safranek said one must choose to engage, unlike facial where she said one may be tracked without his or her knowledge. In the aftermath of the current crisis, Safranek sees increased demand for biometrics. “The privacy concern around biometrics is real, and voice addresses these concerns,” she said. Before COVID-19 spread was everyday parlance, VP of Clinical Informatics Dr. Steven Leitch of CHI Health McAuley Fogelstrom Center, weighed in on machine learning’s positive impacts to medical care, and potential to improve care while reducing waste. “Deep learning (DL) builds on ML, allowing computers to train themselves to perform
V2verify’s Roxana Safranek, VP of marketing and strategic development, and Damian De Rozairo, founder and CEO. tasks,” he said. “Artificial intelligence (AI) intelligence as a focus area on the horizon. “That’s having the tools in place to present includes both allowing machines to mimic them in a manner that looks like a dashboard, human behavior and to comprehend.” Systematically reviewing vast data col- and it’s correlated to help [clients] make faster lections, Leitch said, ML and DL programs decisions,” he said. “We’re starting to get into identify associations humans wouldn’t see that. We use it ourselves today, and it’s pretty to develop more accurate predictive tools, powerful stuff.” Enhanced threat protection, like a probe identify illness at less advanced stages and on a client’s network that “watches for improve outcomes. “The hope is AI will recognize what a suspicious activity,” is another future focus provider or patient is intending to do, inter- area that may join its “standard bundle” of vening when needed to improve accuracy services; for instance, if a new virus comes and speed, reducing error and waste,” he along and behavior on a PC is atypical for said; for example, IBM’s Watson is helping the user (downloads from China at 3 a.m.), researchers develop novel medications and an alert may be sent to the operations center treatments, and recognizing rare syndromes to take action. Generally, end of life for Windows 7 or atypical presentations of more common ailments quickly and accurately. “The ability support was the big 2019 story, as Queck refto reference all published information on any erenced substantial preparation to get clients given topic will prove a valuable health care to replace Windows 7. “We spent a lot of time moving clients resource.” Leitch noted ML/DL sourced info is use- to cloud-based IT platforms and services,” less without individuals to evaluate and use it, he said. In recent years they have “standardized” allowing providers and caregivers to become more efficient — spending less time with the the likes of security awareness training and testing services, such as sending phishing computer, more time caring for patients. “The technology can assist any business, emails to users to see if they take the bait automating repetitive tasks and providing (identifying the “phish-prone”). “It’s definitely an ongoing battle,” Queck insight those businesses might not otherwise said. “People are getting better at recogacquire,” he said. Virtual IT EVP of Marketing and Business nizing phishing email threats. At the same Development Brad Queck referenced business time, criminals are making their stuff a
Reaanddit
lot more sophisticated.” In recent weeks, many clients were — all at once — trying to move to “home work environments.” “A lot never work out of the office, so we had a rush of eight to 10 days where there was a high level of activity, just getting people out of the office and working from home,” he said. “We put a couple of messages out to the primary contact saying not to call the help desk to get set up, we can’t manage it in that fashion. If you have users, give us a list so we can schedule to do it in groups. We were able to move a lot of people to productivity capacity, without deluging the help desk. That traffic has pretty well died down.” At the time of this writing, client requests may center on addressing slower home internet connections, or inferior home PC issues. Post-crisis, Queck sees people are better realizing the “value in not being tied to server hardware.” Pre-outbreak, LightEdge VP and Technical Expert Nate Olson-Daniel spoke to the value of public cloud repatriation, edge computing, cybersecurity and cloud networking, with the first item driven by strict compliance regulations, unpredictable pricing, increasing performance demands, and evolving security concerns — forcing enterprises to reevaluate the “best venue” for workloads. “Organizations may even realize one cloud does not fit all when it comes to the advancement of their business,” he said. “For this reason, multi-vendor and hybrid cloud approaches will continue to gain traction this year.” Comprised of servers extended as far as possible to reduce the time required to access information, Olson-Daniel noted edge computing is done at or as near to the data source as possible, ensuring fast performance of applications. “According to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average cost of a breach in 2019 was $3.9 million,” he said. “Cybersecurity threats will only continue to increase in frequency and complexity this year.” As to cloud networking, the need for instant access at one’s fingertips will only intensify. So, Olson-Daniel said, now more than ever businesses are tapping into cost-effective options for two-plus carriers to assure there isn’t a single point of failure with their network. And, with 5G and Satellite options, plus “heavy investment in fiber for underserviced areas,” he said, “the competition, speeds and cost will continue to lean in the consumer’s favor.”
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Technology — inside APRIL 10, 2020
THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS
THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:
$2.00
VOL. 46 NO. 15
Omaha Community Foundation approaches 40 years poised for next challenge by Richard D. Brown
Percipio Partners maneuvers through pandemic, focuses on acquisition of Kubat Pharmacy. – Page 2
40 er d Un 40
Challenging childhood equips Callaway for thriving career at Prime Choice Insurance. – Page 3
s ice erv S e fice id Of Gu
Professionals across diverse expertise support rise of the home office, remote work. – Page 22
The Omaha Community Foundation, two years shy of its 40th year and ranked the 16th largest in size out of the nation’s top 200 such organizations by a top industry group, will redouble its efforts to answer perhaps the most salient question facing its industry. New President and CEO Donna Kush said that while healthy discussion has been ongoing and even accelerated in recent months, the time is right for more dialogue on what OCF’s place is in the community environment and the issues to be addressed. “I’m a connector — naturally,” Kush said. “There’s a growing need to help people train and educate around running nonprofits and providing the infrastructure support.” Kush is a Monroe, Nebraska native with a master’s degree in journalism from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who brings three decades of public and priContinued on page 9.
President and CEO Donna Kush … With wide range of partnerships, organization is navigating the nonprofit world in light of the pandemic. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)
Quality Glass and Mirror shines with historic marquee projects, automation by Michelle Leach
In its 35 years, Quality Glass and Mirror has remained busy and attracted marquee historical projects such as the $75 million revival of the 105-year-old Blackstone Hotel — a reflection of several attributes, including the wholesale, commercial, and home glass products and services firm’s approach to staffing. “We’ve always operated with,
I don’t want to say a minimum amount of staffing, but not excessive staffing, and part of the reasoning behind that is the shortage of employees that kind of fit into our mold,” said President and co-founder Kevin Kuta. “From a busy standpoint, the construction industry in the area that we sell to — which is a five-state area — has remained extremely strong. What we have Continued on page 10. Andy Wilber, owner of Kolache Factory Omaha/Wilber Enterprises, at the 84th Street location.
Four weeks in, firms guide clients, others making tough decisions by Michelle Leach
Co-founder and President Kevin Kuta, left, and Vice President Jason Hoover … Steady business over last three decades reflects expertise as insulated glass manufacturer, with custom and energy-performance products.
Editor’s note: This article is part of a series sharing firsthand experiences from local organizations on how their respective industries are adapting to COVID-19. Almost a month to the day that COVID-19 was declared a national emergency, a restaurant owner, employment attorney and wealth management leader weigh in on how they’re supporting internal teams and
external customers/clients. “We own two locations in Omaha; however, due to the impact of the pandemic, we elected to close our Maple Street location temporarily in order to consolidate resources,” said Andy Wilber of Wilber Enterprises, which owns the Kolache Factory stores. “Of course, we aren’t keeping the same level of inventory each day either.” While some Maple Street Continued on page 10.