World SD-WAN Summit: Interview With The Chairman Sorell Slaymaker

We had the chance to interview Sorell Slaymaker, Principal Consulting Analyst at TechVision Research and Chairman for the World SD-WAN Summit, before the event. Learn about his experience in the SD-WAN industry and what his expectations are for the summit.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT TECHVISION RESEARCH AND ITS VISION FOR THE SD-WAN INDUSTRY?

TechVision Research (TVR) provides expert research and practical advice to safely guide enterprises, service providers and government agencies with their digital transformation.

TVR predicts that the SD-WAN market will continue to grow rapidly, driven by the digital economy where everything is connected. Networks are expected to evolve rapidly to support edge computing for next-generation applications such as augmented reality while providing more intelligence including automation and zero-touch provisioning and enhancing network security. SD-WAN promises to make networks faster, better, cheaper, AND more secure.

HOW IS TECHVISION RESEARCH ADDRESSING SECURITY CONCERNS WITHIN THE SD-WAN MARKET?

TVR is an advocate of Zero Trust Networking (ZTN). ZTN does not allow a single packet on the network unless it has been authenticated and authorized. This stops hackers and malware at the edge of the network versus at the middle or in front of a user, service, or application. The below figure is an example of changes required to move to ZTN:

IN YOUR OPINION, HOW DO SD-WAN PROVIDERS VARY AND WHY DO THESE DIFFERENCES EXIST?

The promise of SD-WAN is to be hardware, transport, service provider, and vendor-independent. The market reality is different:

• Hardware — Some vendors support a truly white-box model while other vendors offer a grey or black box offering. Performance, support, and capital costs vary widely depending on the underlying hardware utilized.
• Transport — Offerings vary on offering LTE or legacy interfaces such as T1/E1 and the ability to aggregate bandwidth from many different connections or types such as Ethernet, Internet, MPLS along with the ability to support meshed based routing and multicast.
• Service Provider — Some solutions only provide SD-WAN using a limited or single service provider for transport, while others will use the best available and provide the service aggregation so that an enterprise has a single entity to work with for ordering, management, and billing. The cheapest bandwidth can be obtained by buying it at wholesale rates.
• Vendor — There are approximately 60 SD-WAN vendors in the global market. Many SD-WAN solution providers only offer a single vendor solution. Unlike the traditional routing market, which was dominated by a single vendor with a few secondary vendors, the SD-WAN market has many viable vendors.

Read our full interview with Sorell here.

Interested in learning more about the World SD-WAN Summit? Download your free brochure here!

3rd Annual Digital Construction Summit: Interview With The Chairwoman Ilka May

We had the privilege of interviewing the 3rd Annual Digital Construction Summit Chairwoman, Ilka May, CEO of LocLab Consulting Gmbh, before the event. Learn about her experience in the construction industry and what she expects from this year’s summit.

Can you tell us more about LocLab Consulting GmbH and the latest digital construction technology you are utilising?

We create “Digital Twins” — virtual copies of real-world assets and spaces, three-dimensional, technically perfect and amazingly real. Digital Twins are increasingly used across many industries, mostly in transport, energy, nuclear, telecoms, maritime, aviation and security.

We use AI and technology from the gaming industry in our production process. A vast object library is at the heart of our technology, containing many thousand digital representations of real-world objects. We process input data, like photographs, point clouds or other data in our vendor-neutral “ToolChain”. This is like an assembly line of algorithms, enabling an outstanding degree of automation in the digital production process. In combination with our library, they enable the digital models to be object-based vector models — often referred to as BIM Models.

How is LocLab Consulting GmbH handling the security risks that come with evolving technology?

We have very robust security measures in place, for example, we have a three-tier information security system, from uncritical to critical to highly critical. When we use cloud-based services for data transfer, we make sure that they are certified compliant with the most widely-accepted security and privacy standards and regulations in the world, such as ISO 27001/2, ISO27018/17 and SOC 2. Before transferring data abroad, we use algorithms to filter personal data that falls under the GDPR policy.

You were a speaker at our 2nd Annual Digital Construction Summit. Did topics that were discussed or ideas that had been shared there make a visible impact on the industry?

The summit in 2019 covered a broad variety of topics spanning from VR/AR, over standardization, 3D printing, platforms to big data, security and sustainability. I think we all realize that all these topics are having an increasing impact on the construction industry and beyond. We must not forget that the construction sector contributes significantly to economic output. The built environment describes the places and spaces created or modified by people including buildings and infrastructure such as transportation systems, energy and water. The digital construction summit showed an impressive amount of innovation coming out of the supply chain.

What advice do you have for companies who are struggling with digitization in the construction sector?

There are three things that I would like to share:

1. Plan your actions and act on your plan. This will help you to prioritize your interventions and investments.
2. Understand the problem you are trying to solve — or the gains you are trying to achieve. If you don’t understand why you are doing something, go back to the last point you were clear about it.
3. If you are a client organisation, don’t try to solve your supplier’s problem. Create breathing space for the supply chain to innovate and focus on your own job — making good decisions, dealing with risks, check, verify and approve. Learn how to use data to become better at what you are doing.

Read our full interview with Dr. Ilka May here.

Interested in learning more about the 3rd Annual Digital Construction Summit? Download your free brochure here!

World HR Automation Summit: Interview With The Chairman Robin Ellis

Robin Ellis, with Puratos, is the chairman of this year’s World HR Automation Summit in Berlin. Before the summit, we had the chance to interview him to learn more about Puratos and Robin’s experience with technology in the HR sector.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT PURATOS AND HOW ARE THEY USING HR AUTOMATION TO BENEFIT THEIR BUSINESS?

Puratos is an international group offering a full range of innovative products, raw materials and application expertise to the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sectors. Our headquarters are just outside Brussels (Belgium), where the company was founded in 1919. Almost a century later, our products and services are available in over 100 countries around the world and, in many cases, are produced by our network of local subsidiaries. Above all, we aim to be ‘reliable partners in innovation’, helping our customers around the world to deliver nutritious and tasty food to their local communities. We have offices in 74 countries and over 9000 employees globally, with above 7% year on year growth for the past 20 years.

In recent years, as a part of our Global Talent Acquisition strategy (which drives delivery through direct sourcing teams), Puratos has built up successful partnerships with external partners such as LinkedIn and Indeed — our first and second source of global external talent respectively. Both partners have automation through Artificial Intelligence and machine learning processes, which help to better target relevant profiles for our job adverts and searches. Puratos has just been nominated for a second successive year in the category of “Best Employer Brand on LinkedIn” in their upcoming Talent Awards, thanks to our gains in global followers and the engagement of our candidates, much of which is driven by these automated processes.

WITH INNOVATION AS PURATOS’S KEY INGREDIENT, WHAT ADVANCES ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2020?

Puratos has additionally implemented SuccessFactors Recruitment Module, as well as Recruitment Marketing, around the world. We had already been using SAP SuccessFactors to manage the cyclical evaluation of our in-house talent for several years. SAP SuccessFactors is working on building automation and AI into their tools in these areas, and whilst we are at the beginning of that journey, we are fully signed up as testers of the latest innovations in automation, which are gradually being added to our in-house HR tools. Puratos is also planning to add an Artificial Intelligence “Chatbot” to our new Recruitment Platform in 2020. Regarding this platform, we were honored to be announced as winners of the SAP “Gold Award” for “Fast Delivery” recognizing the speed of implementation and adherence to SAP Quality principles during its implementation project.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFICULTY TO OVERCOME, THAT YOU HAVE SEEN, WHEN IMPLEMENTING AI INTO HR PRACTICES?

Firstly, cost: the automation solutions proposed today represent, for the most part, an annual investment equal to or more than our existing, established HR systems. Implementing the solutions within our in-house workflows also requires running projects over several months, sometimes stretching into the better part of a year, which requires considerable internal resources being dedicated to this effort. There is also a common view within our peer group, that AI and Automation technologies within the HR space are not yet perfected and delivering the claimed value.

A principle application of automation in Talent Acquisition at the present time are tools such as Hirevue and Gecko, which use AI to pre-select candidates and reduce the numbers seen by Talent Acquisition Specialists. For companies receiving vast numbers of applications, this type of solution clearly makes sense. Puratos, however, is working in B2B sectors and does not receive the numbers of applications that would necessitate such a service, apart from in a very limited number of countries. We are still in a phase of building and promoting our employer brand amongst the specialized, technical workforce we require, and for the moment, the “human touch” is key. We do, however, make use of SuccessFactors’ automated processes in selection, such as “Smart Questions” which filter applications on the basis of their relevance through questionnaires which our teams create individually.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY IN YOUR OPINION BY ADDING NEW TECHNOLOGIES INTO YOUR HR WORKFORCE?

Clearly, the addition of modern HR systems over the past decades has revolutionized the manner in which we work, moving from paper-based administration to state of the art business partnership, tied to attractive employer branding and the synergy with social media platforms. In-house, these platforms enable us to better manage our annual employee evaluation and career cycles, boosting both HR efficiency and the engagement of our employees. Over the next decade, the addition of automation, AI and machine learning technologies will clearly help us to get to the next level as a function, by helping to reduce low-added value activities that are prime targets for automation and focus more on creating effective partnerships with our internal customers.

To read the full interview with Robin Ellis, click here.

2ND RETAIL 4.0 SUMMIT: INTERVIEW WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKER MATT ROBERTS

Matt Roberts, from Formula 1, is one of the keynote speakers during the 2nd Retail 4.0 Summit. We had the chance to interview him before the summit to learn more about new technologies impacting Formula 1’s business strategies.

IN THE POST GDPR WORLD, HOW DOES FORMULA 1 PROTECT ITS CONSUMER’S DATA WHILE STILL PROVIDING PERSONALIZED FAN COMMUNICATIONS?

When Liberty Media took over F1 in 2017, we had no data so we were fortunate that we were able to prepare for GDPR without worrying about any past data points that we may have had. We worked closely with legal to provide an email opt-in and privacy policy across everything we do which ensured customers were aware of how their data was being used ( as well as giving them the option of opting out). Since 2017, we have built a database from scratch, and now have millions of fans who we are able to send personalised and targeted comms thanks to the measures that we have put in place.

PUMA RECENTLY BECAME FORMULA 1’S EXCLUSIVE RETAIL PARTNER, WHAT TECHNOLOGIES HAVE COME FROM THAT PARTNERSHIP TO HELP GROW MERCHANDISE SALES DURING RACE WEEKENDS?

We have incorporated sensor technology at our race weekends to understand how fans move around the circuit. The technology allows us to ensure that we place our merchandise stands and stores in the areas where the footfall is highest. We can also access the best areas for conversion from passerby to engaged visitors. This technology is informing our decision making and has led to a significant year on year increase in merchandise sales as well as increased satisfaction in the whole sales experience.

AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY HAS ALLOWED FANS TO GET “CLOSER” THAN EVER TO THEIR FAVORITE ATHLETES. HOW IS FORMULA 1 EMBRACING THIS TREND?

I would say this is an area that we are still a bit behind the curve in. A few years ago, we didn’t even have a Facebook page so we have been playing catch up. However, this will be a key area for us moving forward. We know that ‘ getting closer to the sport’ is very high on spectator wish lists, and as a result, we have introduced pit lane walks and the opportunity to walk or even run on the track over certain race weekends. This has increased our fan satisfaction significantly but we know there is more we can do in this space.

Interested in learning more about the 2nd Retail 4.0 Summit, request your free brochure here!

GDPR STATISTICS FROM THE FIRST YEAR [INFOGRAPHIC]

The GDPR went into effect on May 25, 2018 and drastically affected how companies use and store their users’ data. As a piece of EU legislation, the GDPR was primarily created to protect users and their data.

After almost a year and a half since its implementation, what was the outcome? Is user data more secure? Are most companies GDPR compliant?

Let us examine some important numbers in the infographic below:

ENFORCEMENT

• 500,000 data protection officers employed

The data officers employed is 6x more than what was forecast in 2017. Just 3 years ago, there were only 13 DPO jobs posted for every million jobs. Even with this huge spike in DPO employment, only a little over half of European citizens know there is a public authority protecting their personal data rights.

COMPLIANCE

• 1 in 5 companies thought full compliance was impossible

The implementation of GDPR created a huge task for businesses to overcome. Many dumped any previous data they had as an easier alternative to becoming compliant. Others chose to stop serving EU citizens completely. These are really businesses only two options if they do not want to make their company compliant. However, many companies did put in the effort to become compliant and large UK companies spent over €900,000,000 collectively to prep for the GDPR.

RISKS/FINES

• €57,000,000 + in fines issued

This may seem like an extreme amount but it is actually lower than what was projected at the time of implementation. There may have been a grace period during the first year to allow companies to become compliant.

Read our full blog for more information on GDPR statistics from the first year, here.

Interested in learning even more? Join privacy professionals, compliance officers, and other industry experts at the 3rd Annual Privacy and Data Protection Summit. This edition will focus on the challenges GDPR has presented as well as discuss strategies for rebranding privacy compliance within your organization.

Download your free brochure today to see the full speaker line up and more!

Twitter Tips for Before, During and After the Conference/Summit

Whether you are presenting a panel, leading an interactive session or just attending the summit, there is a lot of buzz and benefit to capture from utilizing twitter in the right way.

Read this guide and try out some tips before your next conference experience. See how you can build stronger personal connections and expand the reach of your business or presentation topic.

LET PEOPLE KNOW YOU ARE PRESENTING OR ATTENDING

Plan several tweets leading up to the event that show you are attending or presenting. For our summits, we always have event promotions and speaker announcements on twitter with the event hashtag. Use that hashtag, combined with other relevant ones to attract people to the summit while building excitement for the topics that will be shared.

USE STRONG VISUALS

If you are presenting, make sure your slides are visually appealing. Include charts, graphs or memes to create a conversation around your presentation. Highlight important insights or key takeaways so your audience can easily share the information.

If you are attending, make sure you are sharing photos or videos from the summit along with your tweet. This will help show your followers the value of the event and give a little “fomo” to your colleagues who did not attend.

LIVE TWEET YOUR SESSION

Live-tweeting your own session or someone else’s panel, helps the information reach a wider audience. This is a great way to share what you are experiencing with co-workers who could not attend or interested parties who could not travel for the event. Prepare a list of tweets a member of your team can share during your presentation but also have them include spur of the moment Q&As or discussions.

For even more tips and examples, read our full blog, here!

Looking for a conference or summit to attend and put these tips to use? Check out our upcoming events!