P LU S : Johnson Controls is making buildings smarter and more sustainable, says Rodney Clark Microsoft’s Andy Beach explains how technology can streamline production Oklahoma school deploys Yealink’s meeting room devices for more flexible education Nick Parker discusses Microsoft’s new partner programme and bold sustainability goals Lisa Johnston shares how AVEVA is supporting the renewable energy transition I S S U E 2 5 : S UMME R 2 0 2 2 £ 2 4 . 0 0 A safer future Human knowledge and zero-trust strategies will be important in combatting evolving cybersecurity attacks
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SUSTAINABILITY ENVIRONMENT ZERO EMISSIONS CSR COP26 GHG PEOPLE CARBON NEUTRAL ENERGY RENEWABLE SDG CLIMATE CHANGE CONSUMPTION REUSE ESG RECYCLE The global green technology and sustainability market size is expected to gain momentum by reaching USD 41.62billion by 2028 Global ESG assets are on track to exceed $53 trillion by 2025 Over 90% of S&P 500 Index Companies Publish Sustainability Reports in 2019 Just 7% of Fortune 500CEOs believe their companies should “mainly focus on making profits and not be distracted by social goals,” Just 16%of companies label their annual report “integrated”, with both financial and sustainability results
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7 WE LCOME : S UMME R 2 0 2 2 A time for change ANDY C L AY TON - SM I TH : E X E CUT I V E ED I TOR The subject of security is never far away from the minds of enterprise and public sector leaders. From offering secure online retail facilities to guaranteeing the availability of critical healthcare services, it is paramount for all organisations to counter the challenge of cyberattacks in a digital world. Along with developing key technologies that enable resilience across the entire security landscape, Microsoft has also gathered together a community of partners specialising in cyberattack detection and prevention. The Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), launched in 2018, now comprises well over 300 members, all of which are committed to providing customers with end-to-end secure operations. In our cover story starting on page 42 we talk with MISA lead Maria Thompson, along with Microsoft security leads Vasu Jakkal and Rob Lefferts, about the advances being made in countering the global threat of cyberattack. Since its launch in 2020, the World Economic Forum’s Reskilling Revolution initiative has fundamentally changed the attitudes of organisations when considering the ongoing education and training of their workforces. The need for employers to provide their personnel with better education, new skills and more productive work environments is now essential. This is particularly true in manufacturing, where the adoption of new technology can yield visible impact on established ways of working. In our feature starting on page 130, Microsoft’s Abid Chaudhry shares how tools such as Microsoft 365 and Cloud for Manufacturing are connecting workers in entirely new ways and shaping the future of a rapidly transforming industry. As leaders across all industry sectors explore new ways of working, Microsoft has also taken stock of the changing role of technology in an era of digital transformation. At its State of the Partner Ecosystem presentation in March 2022, vice president for global partner solutions Nick Parker announced the launch of the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program – the first major evolution of the Microsoft partner programme in 15 years, designed to create new opportunities for partners and customers alike. We take some time to talk further with him about this new partner ecosystem, the ongoing impact of digital transformation on the traditional workplace and Microsoft’s vision for the future of work in a post-pandemic world on page 34. A packed issue! I hope you enjoy the read.
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9 CONT ENT S I S S U E 2 5 : S UMME R 2 0 2 2 16 MAR K E TWATCH The latest news from Microsoft and its partners, including new initiatives and tools for accessibility and well-being 34 Driving value Nick Parker discusses Microsoft’s new partner programme, its bold sustainability goals and the role of digital events 59 The combination of Microsoft technology and Darktrace AI ensures ‘cyber stability’ for businesses 60 Firms must make meaningful improvements to protect their cybersecurity, says Mia LaVada of Center for Internet Security 62 Rodney Clark tells us how Johnson Controls is making buildings smarter and more sustainable 65 Axiad’s Joe Garber discusses how businesses can optimise authentication practices with Azure AD 66 Frank Vukovits of Fastpath Solutions outlines how businesses can safeguard their assets from the inside out 67 Secured2 Corporation has developed the world’s first quantum-safe data security solution 68 Drew Perry outlines the value of Tiberium’s cloudnative cybersecurity tools 70 AvePoint is helping customers overcome the data challenges of hybrid working, says John Peluso 72 S achin Bery discusses how Infosys has unlocked client growth with its industry solutions 74 Businesses must defend themselves against increasing misinformation and AI-based scams, says David Macfarlane of Gamma 76 Red Sift is helping organisations to improve their email security and avoid cyberattacks 79 Firms can strengthen defences and avoid costly data breaches with Kyndryl, according to Cyrus Niltchian 80 Arno Robbertse of ITC Secure shares how organisations can combat cyberattacks by implementing Microsoft technology correctly 42 COV E R S TOR Y Overcoming threats Microsoft’s Vasu Jakkal and Rob Lefferts tell us about the important role of people and zero-trust strategies in a complex cybersecurity landscape 49 Better by association Maria Thomson of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association discusses the value of the ecosystem in addressing business security threats
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11 CONT ENT S F E ATUR ED PARTNE R S 173 A selection of Microsoft partners operating across all business sectors 82 B usinesses must consider new and better ways to protect their data, says Kensington’s Nick Revell 83 Automated ID verification can help to secure businesses against cyberattacks, says Barley Laing of Melissa 84 F letchers Solicitors used Barracuda’s services to guard against phishing attacks and secure its cloud-based applications 86 Twinings uses the Nintex K2 Cloud to improve data accuracy and supply chain visibility 88 J ames Spencer shares how Jabra is using AI to transform video conferencing and its security 90 Open Systems helped Chemours to transform its cybersecurity approach 92 BeyondTrust used the Orca Security platform to improve cloud visibility, security and compliance 94 Kyndryl is improving employee experiences with automation and AI, says Dennis Perpetua 95 Loira Browning shares an update on the rapid progress Anywhere365 is making with its new Partnership Program 96 Process Centres of Excellence can help businesses reduce costs and delight customers, says Eric Johnson of Nintex 97 ICONICS showcased its sustainability efforts with Microsoft at Hannover Messe 2022 98 Metafile Information Systems’ paperless processes are improving employee efficiency and environmental impact 100 EPOS builds on psychoacoustic research to create modern meeting technologies 102 Optimizely’s Deane Barker advises that companies consider the entire content life cycle 104 Lisa Johnston discusses how AVEVA is supporting the transition to renewable energy 106 The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team uses Crestron’s conferencing solutions to connect staff 108 Robert Ericksen discusses the advantages of a DevOps approach, and how Kyndryl can help 110 Th e power of Johnson Controls tools and Microsoft Azure can achieve measurable success and savings, says Vijay Sankaran 112 Windows 365 can facilitate hybrid working, says Rohana Meade of Synergy Technical 114 Schneider Electric’s Olivier Blum explains how simplifying corporate ESG data can secure business success 180 THE L A S T WORD Avixa’s Dave Labuskes shares his insights on how organisations can adapt to the rapidly evolving audiovisual market
12 CONT ENT S F I NANC I A L S E RV I C E S MANUFAC TUR I NG & R E SOURC E S 130 Connecting with purpose Microsoft’s Abid Chaudhry tells us how manufacturers are empowering their workers to communicate, upskill and collaborate 136 Chris Dobbrow and Liran Akavia discuss how Augury’s solutions can transform manufacturing 138 Andrew Thomas of Skkynet Cloud Systems discusses potential improvements to MQTT 140 Microsoft and AVEVA have helped energy companies to digitally transform and unlock significant gains 118 How to build customer relationships that last Microsoft’s Chad Hamblin explains how technological advances are enabling financial services firms to predict customers’ needs and deliver trusted advice 124 Adopt banking-as-a-service solutions or risk customers looking elsewhere, says Finastra’s Angus Ross 126 JourneyTEAM has helped Mountain America Credit Union to improve member interactions 128 Prioritising micro-segmentation allows financial institutions to achieve and protect, according to Akamai’s Richard Meeus
13 R E TA I L & CG 162 Boosting supply chain resilience Microsoft’s Mike Bassani shares how retailers and consumer goods companies can combat supply chain issues to respond to future consumer and market demand 169 Cath Brands of Flintfox shares how an intelligent approach to pricing can help retailers react to market fluctuations 170 Michael Schulte of Diebold Nixdorf discusses the role of the cloud in retail and key criteria for transition PUB L I C S E C TOR 157 Simon Cole of Automated Intelligence explains the importance of data management and Microsoft technology 158 IEG4 enabled Southwark Council to deliver services to residents more efficiently and cost-effectively 159 Tulsa Technology Center deployed Yealink’s meeting room devices for more flexible teaching 160 Sally Ann Frank details how start-ups are extending Microsoft’s security capabilities to healthcare threats 152 The answer is in the cloud The public sector is now driving its own digital transformation and cloud migration using Microsoft’s tools MED I A & COMMUN I CAT I ONS 142 Demanding delivery As media organisations face an overwhelming need for content, Microsoft’s Andy Beach shares how technology can help streamline the production process 149 Evertz’s DreamCatcher BRAVO Studio is empowering organisations to produce high-quality live events and experiences 150 Ian McDonough discusses Blackbird’s partnership with Microsoft and the value of cloud in media
PUB L I SH I NG PAR TNE R S AVEVA creates industrial software that inspires people to shape the future, by delivering solutions across the asset and operations life cycles. Augury unlocks new levels of production health, enabling manufacturers to prevent machine failures and optimise processes to benefit profits, people and the planet. Finastra builds and deploys nextgeneration financial technology on its open software architecture and cloud ecosystem. EPOS delivers high-end audio and video solutions with design, technology and performance in mind. Johnson Controls is a global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, and reimagines building performance to serve people, places and the planet. Kyndryl and Microsoft are delivering solutions that enable modern work experiences and support mission-critical workloads and hybrid cloud adoption. Schneider Electric drives digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies for homes, buildings, data centres, infrastructure and industries. Infosys is a global leader in nextgeneration digital services and consulting, enabling clients to navigate their digital journeys. Over 10,000 organisations across every industry leverage the power and ease of the Nintex Process Platform to accelerate digital transformation. PUB L I SHED I N COL L ABORAT I ON WI TH Microsoft is the world leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. I S S U E 2 5 : S UMME R 2 0 2 2 Executive editor Andy Clayton-Smith Production editor Elly Yates-Roberts Editorial team Alice Chambers, Rebecca Gibson, Jacqui Griffiths, Richard Humphreys, Lindsay James, Alex Smith Production manager Stuart Fairbrother Design Bruce Graham, Libby Sidebotham, Dhanika Vansia Website development Chris Jackson Partner managers Tim Grayson, Ricky Popat, Daniel Thurlow, Thomas Wills, Paul Zmija Subscriptions For subscription enquiries, please contact Tudor Rose on subscribe@tudor-rose.co.uk or visit the website www.technologyrecord.com/subscribe Circulation Ritwik Bhattacharjee Publisher Toby Ingleton Photography courtesy of contributors and www.istockphoto.com Business management Rachael Heggs, Richard Pepperman Published by Tudor Rose Tudor House, 6 Friar Lane, Leicester LE1 5RA Tel: +44 116 222 9900 www.tudor-rose.co.uk Technology Record is a quarterly magazine about technology solutions for enterprise organisations, published by Tudor Rose in collaboration with Microsoft. For further information and to subscribe, please visit: www.technologyrecord.com/subscribe Visit www.technologyrecord.com for up-to-date news and articles about Microsoft technology for enterprise businesses, a comprehensive directory of Microsoft partners that provide solutions for enterprise businesses, and to find out more about our printed publications. ISSN 2754-3277 (Print) and 2754-3285 (Online). Printed in Great Britain by Micropress. © 2022 Tudor Rose Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be stored or transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means, including whether by photocopying, scanning, downloading onto computer or otherwise without the prior written permission from Tudor Rose Holdings Ltd. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Microsoft or the publishers. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply official endorsement of the products or services concerned. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy of content, no responsibility can be taken for any errors and/or omissions. Readers should take appropriate professional advice before acting on any issue raised herein. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject advertising material and editorial contributions. The publisher assumes no liability for the return or safety of unsolicited art, photography or manuscripts. Follow Technology Record:
15 ANA LY S T S AND I NDU S T R Y ORGAN I S AT I ONS Where Manufacturing Meets IT S PONSOR S
16 MAR K E TWATCH Microsoft is helping enterprises and educational institutions to become more accessible to those with disabilities and mental health diagnoses by improving established platforms such as Windows 11, developing new accessories, and contributing to and supporting the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act. The act provides companies, service providers and agencies with resources to create competitive integrated employment service delivery models that individuals with disabilities will need. Newly updated accessibility features in Windows 11 include live captions, which are available both online and offline to improve the user experience for those who are hard of hearing or deaf. This allows them to follow events in real time. Meanwhile, screen-reader users have access to new natural voices that can read text to reduce distractions resulting from disjointed computer-generated text. Improvements on voice access and focus mode also contribute towards the extended accessibility of Windows 11, enabling those who struggle to concentrate to use focus mode to disable notifications. In a recent online survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Microsoft, 84 per cent of the 1,000 US school teachers who participated said that it is impossible to achieve equity in education without accessible learning tools. The updated features in Windows 11 helps to combat this. Microsoft has also launched a line of adaptive accessories, including a kit comprising 3D stickers, port indicators and openers to make it easier for people to find, open and use Microsoft Surface devices. Customisable mouses and keyboards will also be available in autumn 2022. “Accessibility can make content more inclusive, whether or not you know if someone has a disability,” said Jenny LayFlurry, chief accessibility officer at Microsoft, in a blog post to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day on 20 May 2022. New accessibility features launched for Windows 11 Operating system enhancements are among the new solutions, accessories and initiatives from Microsoft to help enterprises support people with disabilities and mental health diagnoses Microsoft has launched a line of adaptive accessories to support those with disabilities Photo: Microsoft
17 Microsoft is also encouraging employers to welcome disabled talent by supplying U.S. Department of Labor grants to states and entities to help to transform their business and programme models to support those with disabilities. The Microsoft-led job site, Neurodiversity Career Connector, was set up in May 2022 to help put neurodivergent people in contact with companies that have dedicated hiring programmes. Additionally, Microsoft is using its solutions to help companies to develop accessible platforms for those in need. For instance, CityMaas, an organisation committed to connecting the disabled community, has developed a Mobility Map platform to provide localised accessibility information about businesses and places of interest for disabled communities. Projects such as these employ machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to provide real-time data to empower the disabled community. Microsoft is also collaborating with mental health organisations and charities such as Ksana, Ellipsis Health and Bipolar Buddy to support users with mental health diagnoses. Mental Health America in California, USA, is using AI and machine learning to power an SMS chat service that provides assistance to those who are isolated by offering pushed text messages throughout the day so that users can engage whenever they are ready to. Furthermore, Microsoft recently launched a well-being initiative with Retail Trust to develop and deploy a programme for retail staff that will offer digital tools and content to support retail employees’ physical, mental and financial health and promote happier careers in the sector. Using Teams, Dynamics 365, Azure, SharePoint and Power BI, the services will give retailers a view of their well-being performance and let them compare it with others. It is initiatives such as this which encourages better mental health in the workplace. “Technology has the power to empower,” said Lay-Flurry. “Our responsibility is to raise the bar for what is possible with technology for people with disabilities and deliver on the potential of inclusive design.” Microsoft has improved its accessibility features on Windows 11, including new natural voices for screen-reader users and voice access
18 MAR K E TWATCH Data management solutions provider AvePoint has launched Ransomware Detection as part of its Cloud Backup for Microsoft 365 offering to further protect digital collaboration data. The new capability proactively detects suspicious behaviour within users’ Microsoft OneDrive environments, while minimising disruption to productivity and collaboration. After detecting unusual activity, Cloud Backup provides detailed reports to reduce investigation time and quickly recover business-critical information. “Our goal is to equip businesses with an easy and reliable way to mitigate the threat of an attack and prevent detrimental data loss,” said John Peluso, chief product officer at AvePoint. AvePoint launches Ransomware Detection Darktrace builds on proactive security offering with Cybersprint acquisition Artificial intelligence security company Darktrace is to launch a new product family – Darktrace Prevent – following its acquisition of attack surface management solution provider Cybersprint. According to Darktrace, combining its technologies with Cybersprint’s will enable it to offer organisations continuous and autonomous testing of critical systems, allowing them to assess risk and systemically harden their digital estates. While Darktrace already delivers ‘inside-out’ visibility into its customers’ internal data, Cybersprint’s attack surface management will enable it to offer an ‘outside-in’ perspective. This will enhance Darktrace’s existing detect and respond capabilities for customers’ external data. Global identity verification and data quality business Melissa has made major updates to its sanctions list in response to the 2022 conflict in Ukraine. The list, which contains worldwide sanctions data from sources such as the United Nations, European Union, USA and UK, provides real-time data on new sanctions announcements, and can be accessed via Melissa’s electronic identity verification service. Melissa’s identity service also performs global checks on politically exposed persons and their relatives, as well as adverse media checks, enabling organisations to identify those who have a potential negative regulatory, financial, or reputational consequences to their organisation. Melissa updates sanctions list data
19 Greater London Authority (GLA) worked with unified communications-as-a-service provider Gamma to maintain telephone access for citizens during and after its move to a new city hall building. Working under the management of the GLA Technology Group, Gamma managed the migration of the authority’s phone lines and numbers, and moved its public-facing contact centres to the cloud. Using its Microsoft Teams Direct Routing proposition, Gamma provided connectivity with a public switched telephone network for inbound and outbound calls through its own network, together with a range of additional private branch exchange-like advanced call control features. “I can’t fault Gamma’s service,” said Michelle Hones, senior business analyst at GLA. “They are one point of contact, and their people are all very knowledgeable, professional and responsive: exactly what you need from a supplier.” Microsoft has introduced a new Microsoft Entra product family, which encompasses all of its identity and access capabilities to help organisations improve cybersecurity. Microsoft Entra includes the already established Azure Active Directory (Azure AD); the new Microsoft Entra Permissions Management, which is a cloud infrastructure entitlement management solution; and Microsoft Entra Verified ID, which is a decentralised identity product offering. Integrated within the Defender for Cloud dashboard, Microsoft Entra Permissions Management provides organisations with visibility into permission for all identities, actions and resources across multi-cloud infrastructures. This allows them to detect excessive permissions and reduce the risk of data breaches. It will be available in July 2022. Meanwhile, Microsoft Entra Verified ID will secure digital interactions whilst respecting users’ privacy, making portable, self-owned identity possible. The platform will allow individuals and organisations to decide what information they share, when they share it and with whom. This will be available in August 2022. Microsoft Entra to improve identity and access capabilities for companies Gamma plays key role in Greater London Authority move SOLUTIONS IN ACTION ICONICS joins Microsoft’s BuildFor2030 initiative ICONICS contributes to building a more sustainable future by participating in Microsoft’s BuildFor2030 initiative, a call to action for Microsoft partners to develop and use solutions that are good for the planet as well as for business and that aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The company, also a launch partner for the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, provides solutions that include native geographic information system mapping, mobile visualisation and real-time distributed alarming that result in energy and labour savings and pollution reduction. Through its software suite, ICONICS is dedicated to helping organisations achieve their sustainability goals.
20 MAR K E TWATCH Audio solutions provider EPOS is helping businesses to address bad acoustics and poor audio that can impact the quality of meetings with its EXPAND 40 series. The plug-and-play, portable Bluetooth speakerphone isolates voices from background noise and room reverb using three beamforming microphones. Designed with duplex performance, it allows several people to speak at once without being cut off, enabling teams to collaborate effectively, regardless of whether they are in the same room. Workflow automation provider Nintex has added several new features to Nintex Gallery, an interactive portal designed to help organisations worldwide accelerate the digitisation of work processes. Building on existing features such as downloadable process maps and automation templates, workflows and connectors, the new capabilities include direct integration with Nintex Workflow Cloud. This cloud automation platform allows customers to directly import workflow templates into their environment so they can deploy digital solutions faster than before. Nintex Gallery also features a growing number of templates available for Nintex AssureSign, Nintex Kryon RPA, Nintex Drawloop DocGen, and Nintex Forms. New features now available in Nintex Gallery There is no need to compromise on cybersecurity to access live production data, according to a new white paper from secure cloud systems provider Skkynet. The report outlines how manufacturing organisations can use secure tunnelling to establish bidirectional, real-time connections between their plant or remote facilities and the IT department. “Project managers and control engineers can use this guidance to see how to send their data securely through demilitarised zone network configurations while keeping all inbound firewalls closed,” said Andrew Thomas, president of Skkynet. Accessing live production data can be secure, says Skkynet
21 Fastpath Solutions recently integrated its Access Risk Monitor with Microsoft's Azure Active Directory (AAD) Identity Governance platform. Fastpath identifies separation of duties violations and other access risks within access packages that are created within Entitlement Management, a component of AAD Identity Governance. Fastpath goes deep, looking at user access at the securable object level, so administrators can identify user access risks across multiple business applications before provisioning users. The company also ensures that only minimum access rights are granted to users, an area of focus among auditors and regulators. Frank Vukovits is director of strategic partnerships at Fastpath Solutions Fastpath Solutions integrates risk management with Microsoft VIEWPOINT: FRANK VUKOVITS NSA warns of increased threat of state-sponsored cyberattacks The US National Security Agency (NSA) has warned of an increase of state-sponsored malicious cyber activity targeting critical infrastructure. A joint cybersecurity advisory issued by the agency highlights destructive malware, ransomware, distributed denial-of-service attacks, and cyber espionage as specific threats which have the potential to take critical systems offline and even cause physical damage. It recommends that organisations patch all known vulnerabilities as a matter of urgency and suggests that other high-priority defence tactics could include implementing multifactor authentication, securing remote access, and training end users to recognise phishing, spear-phishing, and other attempts at social engineering. Center for Internet Security (CIS) has updated the mappings between its Azure Foundations Benchmark and Azure Security Benchmark to include a collection of high-impact cybersecurity recommendations. The new recommendations can be found in the references section of the CIS Azure Foundations Benchmark. The reference to the Azure Security Benchmark allows users to easily navigate to the guidelines and see the security controls and service baselines. Over 85 Azure services are covered by the service baselines, while the security controls consist of 11 domains included in Azure Security Benchmark v2. Anywhere365 is developing its new Partner Portal, having recently onboarded over 100 partners onto its Partnership Program, which was first launched in April 2022. The portal is currently in beta testing with a select group of key partners to enable Anywhere365 to seek feedback and tailor the system to be aligned exactly to a partner’s requirements. It aims to offer automated customer deployments and give partners access to all the information they need for training, marketing, support tickets and customer contracts. Anywhere365 prepares to launch its Partner Portal CIS Azure Foundations Benchmark updated with security recommendations
MAR K E TWATCH 22 Augury, a provider of internet of things and industrial artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, has acquired process intelligence company Seebo in a deal valued between $100 and $200 million. The companies will work together to provide AI-driven insights into the factors that influence overall production health. These insights will enable customers to take actions to improve asset performance, process optimisation, quality, sustainability and safety. With these production health improvements, Augury and Seebo are aiming to help organisations uncover up to $1 billion in untapped capacity. “The combination of our full-stack machine health platform and Seebo’s process-based AI will give cross functional teams the correlated view they need to transform how they work,” said Saar Yoskovitz, CEO of Augury. Augury acquires process intelligence company Seebo Cloud solution provider Synergy Technical is helping companies achieve their cybersecurity initiatives with its Microsoft Sentinel Workshop, available to all Microsoft customers. Synergy Technical helps organisations to better understand cyberthreats, develop protection plans and deploy Microsoft Sentinel, which is a cloud-hosted security information and event management solution. “It has never been more important for our customers to ensure their environments have the best security tools in place against cyberthreats,” said Rohana Meade, president and CEO of Synergy Technical. “We knew we could build a SIEM solution built for their needs.” Synergy Technical accelerates cybersecurity Finastra and Microsoft deliver embedded financing options Finastra is collaborating with Microsoft to bring new lending options to thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) via banking-asa-service solutions. SMEs that use Microsoft Dynamics 365 will be able to access vital financing offers without leaving their business management platform. With consent from the SME, the solution will use information already stored by the business within Dynamics, making it easier for them to apply for lending.
? ? ! See & stop threats before they cause harm with Microsoft Sentinel. A bird’s eye view across your modern workforce Security information and event management (SIEM) solutions built for yesterday’s environments struggle to keep pace with today’s challenges – let alone tomorrow’s unimagined risks. That’s why Microsoft developed Sentinel, a fully cloud-native SIEM. Microsoft Sentinel delivers intelligent security analytics and threat intelligence across the enterprise, providing a single solution for alert detection, threat visibility, proactive hunting, and threat response. Get an overview of Sentinel along with insights on active threats to your Microsoft 365 cloud and on-premises environments with a Microsoft Sentinel Workshop. Visit landings.synergy-technical.com/ms-workshop to learn more.
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25 Security technology provider Open Systems helped Microsoft to deliver Security Experts – a set of managed threat hunting and response services – in May 2022. Customers can use both Microsoft Security Experts and Open Systems MDR+, getting the benefit of Microsoft’s standardised threat detection and alert triage augmented with 24/7 tailored protection and response delivered by MDR+. “As a long-time Microsoft partner, we provide managed detection and response services that leverage Microsoft security tools and infrastructure, and we are excited to soon help customers maximise these new Microsoft Security Experts services,” said Tom Corn, chief product officer at Open Systems. Open Systems helps Microsoft deliver new Security Experts service Kensington reveals new portfolio of video conferencing solutions Desktop computing solution provider Kensington has launched a new portfolio of conferencing accessories designed to enable professionals to communicate and collaborate wherever they work. The range offers a complete ecosystem of professional video conferencing accessories including webcams, lighting and mounting products. These are paired with powerful software that allows users to optimise their experience, quickly and easily. IEG4 launches CitizenVu for public sector personalisation Digital transformation enabler IEG4 has introduced CitizenVu, a solution that delivers out-of-the-box, public sector websites that are easy to set up and offer an intuitive, personalised and accessible user experience, and a library of online service forms. According to research from Gartner, conversion and engagement rates increase when websites are personalised. While 23 per cent of private sector websites are personalised, the same is only true of a handful of public sector websites. With CitizenVu’s headless content management system architecture, application programming interface integration capabilities, dynamic content delivery, and based on Microsoft Azure, the solution will ensure that public sector organisations are putting their citizens first.
26 MAR K E TWATCH Outdoor goods retailer Bradshaw Taylor is using the Microsoft Cloud to access a unified, real-time view across its brands, respond to customer demand and improve customer service. The company has built a centralised system on Dynamics 365 to replace the individual systems from its seven brands. As a result, customers can now place orders for any of the businesses via a single platform. Schneider Electric and RIB have partnered with Building Transparency, a non-profit that has developed a free and open access tool for organisations to factor embodied carbon (the footprint of the raw materials used in construction) into building information modelling. Building Transparency’s Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) houses a database of digital, third-party verified environmental production declarations, which enable sustainability benchmarking and assessments to help reduce a project’s overall carbon emissions. RIB has developed iTWO costX, enabling clients to use data from embodied carbon rate libraries such as EC3 and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors to calculate the embodied carbon of building components. Schneider provides full transparency on carbon dioxide data across processes to help its customers achieve their net-zero goals. Schneider Electric and RIB launch embodied carbon calculator Optimizely opens new office in Dubai Digital experience platform provider Optimizely has expanded its global presence into the Middle East and Africa region by opening a new office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Regional vice president Jesper Broberg will lead a team of around 12 customer acquisition and product innovation experts. “This is a big day for Optimizely as we now have a physical presence in the Middle East, one of the fastest growing markets in e-commerce that is adopting new technologies rapidly to further optimise customer experiences,” said Alex Atzberger, CEO of Optimizely. “We are here with an experienced leader, a strong partner network, and a market-leading portfolio of solutions.” Microsoft centralises Bradshaw Taylor’s online systems
27 Secured2 unveiled its QuantaMorphic data security solution for military and government use at the TechNetCyber event in April 2022. QuantaMorphic was developed in partnership with contractor Peraton and is one of the first commercially available, standards-based, quantumsafe security solutions with a cyber indemnification warranty. Infosys completes successful year with MBCC Infosys is celebrating the first anniversary of its Microsoft Business Consulting Community (MBCC), which was incubated one year ago, under the banner of Microsoft Business Applications and Workplace Transformation Practice. Comprising of industry leaders, architects and programme managers, MBCC has been helping clients realise the true value of cloud with an industryfirst approach to engagements. During this course, MBCC has published 22 industry solutions and seven consulting offerings on Microsoft Appsource, which have been helping clients ease into their transformation journeys. Orca Security has launched its Attack Path Analysis and Business Impact Score for cloud-native applications. The new capability automatically combines cloud risks and insights, including vulnerabilities, misconfigurations and trust privileges, to surface the most critical attack paths leading to an organisation’s key assets. To calculate the score, Orca Security uses an algorithm based on multiple factors found within the attack path such as the underlying severity of a specific vulnerability and its accessibility, lateral movement risk and business impacts. Security teams can also tag their key assets in their cloud asset inventory. Tiberium saves SOC analysts one day per week of work Tiberium has released an updated version of its FROST bot, which uses artificial intelligence from Microsoft Sentinel and Power Platform to triage, investigate and escalate cyberattack alerts and incidents. During a three-month pilot with a financial services customer, Tiberium managed to save one day per week of security operations centre analyst investigation time and reduced alert dwell time from 2.5 hours to 23 seconds. This has empowered Tiberium to collaborate with its customers to focus on threat hunting and proactive prevention rather than putting effort into unnecessary tasks. The company continues to use Microsoft technologies to drive real-world innovation and improvements. Orca Security reveals first Attack Path Analysis and Business Impact Score
28 MAR K E TWATCH Red Sift launches OnDOMAIN UK-based security company Red Sift has released the latest addition to its cloud email security and brand protect platform, OnDOMAIN, which offers insights into domain perimeters and provides a phishing takedown service. The new software works alongside existing cybersecurity products and is beneficial to threat intelligence specialists and security personnel. OnDOMAIN monitors 150 million newly registered domains and subdomains daily so that users can quickly take down phishing and impersonation sites, discover and secure legitimate domains, and detect illegitimate use of logos to defend their business brand against abuse and reputational damage. Global media and entertainment technology solutions provider Evertz’s award-winning DreamCatcher BRAVO Studio is now available on Microsoft Azure Marketplace. The virtual production studio offers media companies all the tools they need to create broadcast-quality productions by capturing multiple live camera feeds and Microsoft Teams participants, then mixing them with other media. Creators can enhance their production with comprehensive audio mixing, multiple video overlays and transitions, slow motion replays, highlight packages, and datadriven dynamic graphics. Using Microsoft Azure, operators can access all of BRAVO Studio’s tools via an intuitive web interface from anywhere in the world to professionally produce any live experience on any platform. Evertz launches live media production solution on Azure Marketplace
29 Akamai has revealed three new research reports, focusing on three areas of web security: ransomware, web applications and application programming interfaces (APIs), and domain name system (DNS) traffic. The Akamai Ransomware Threat Report, Akamai Web Application & API Threat Report, and Akamai DNS Traffic Insights Threat Report analyse the modern attack landscape, focusing on trends and attack techniques as well as solutions to solve cybersecurity issues. “Akamai’s unparalleled visibility across much of the global threat landscape allows our researchers to analyse and correlate events that are seldom seen by other groups,” says Ofri Ziv, senior director of security research at Akamai. Download Akamai’s Web Application and API Threat Report here: www.akamai. com/resources/research-paper/akamai-web-application-and-api-threat-report Akamai reveals research on top three internet security threats Microsoft’s Rodney Clark moves to Johnson Controls Former Microsoft executive Rodney Clark has become the new chief commercial officer at Johnson Controls (JCI), an industry leader offering the largest portfolio of products, technologies, software, and services making buildings smarter, healthier and more sustainable. Microsoft and JCI are collaborating closely on the artificial intelligence-led digital transformation of the built environment, accelerating the deployment of digital twins, internet of things technology and energyefficiency solutions. Clark will now spearhead JCI’s commercial strategy for the partnership, which aims to create a new and more advanced compute architecture for buildings. “With buildings accounting for nearly 40 per cent of climate change emissions, the JCI and Microsoft initiative is incredibly important globally,” said Clark. Read more on page 62. Blackbird reveals need for optimised production tools Technology licenser, developer and seller Blackbird has demonstrated that natively optimised production tools can transform video production and streaming in its recent video industry study. The study, produced in collaboration with Caretta Research, found that 90 per cent of video professionals are using cloud production and remote editing as part of their content creation but that most of this remote editing is still implemented using inefficient and slow workflows. “These inefficiencies can be most evident in speed, cost and flexibility which also happen to be the most important factors in any cloud workflow, according to the data we have collected,” said Ian McDonough, CEO of Blackbird. “The encouraging news is that highly optimised, energy and carbon efficient cloud-native technologies exist to solve these issues.” Download the full report here: https://downloads.carettaresearch.com/cloud-production
30 MAR K E TWATCH Employees who can choose where they work are happier in their job, according to research from audio and visual technology provider Jabra. Despite this, only one in five are currently able to do so, and although 60 per cent of employees prefer hybrid working, only 39 per cent can. The 2022 edition of the Hybrid Ways of Working global report surveyed 2,800 knowledge workers across six countries worldwide, analysing employee sentiments and motivations around the physical workspace in the hybrid working era. “We are entering the next stage of the hybrid working journey and employees have seen that a vast majority of them still excel at their jobs regardless of where they are,” said Nigel Dunn, managing director for EMEA North at Jabra. “At a time when companies are asking for a return to the office, many employees are calling for more power to determine their own work arrangement.” The report showed that employees with full control over their work arrangement unanimously report a higher work experience score than their medium and low autonomy counterparts. These differences are most apparent when it comes to feeling a sense of belonging, productivity, trust in leaders, worklife balance, and mental well-being. “Autonomy will be an essential part of improving employees’ satisfaction and engagement at work and key to stabilising the foundational pillars of organisational culture and success,” said Dunn. The report also highlighted the rise of the ‘anywhere office’. In fact, 64 per cent of Generation Z consider their office to be their laptop, headset and wherever they can get a strong internet connection. This highlights the growing importance of technology in defining the employee experience. “In the last two years, what started as a necessary shift to remote working has evolved into the greatest work experiment of all time,” said Dunn. “Leaders should reassess what employees really need to improve the hybrid working experience and how to make this a long-term success. Empower employees to choose where they prefer to work and give them the technology, tools and support to thrive and be productive in any environment.” Read the full report at: www.jabra.co.uk/hybridwork/2022 Choosing where you work from makes you happier, says Jabra
31 Video conferencing and communication solution provider Yealink is joining with Microsoft and several ecosystem partners to hold a series of small regional events across the USA in July and August 2022. The events will focus on future collaboration trends and how to thrive in the hybrid workplace using Microsoft Teams and other tools. Speakers at the events will include: • Adam Ball, Microsoft most valuable professional, and co-founder of Comms vNext and Colorado User Group • Allen Wat, Teams technical specialist at Microsoft • Leao Chan, lead of enterprise cloud and collaboration at Yealink • Chuck Geisler, a solutions engineer at software developer IR • Shervin Shaffie, principal technical specialist at Microsoft • Jens Madsen, intelligent communications architect at Cloud Revolution Attendees can exchange ideas with these expert speakers, enjoy a demonstration tour of a Microsoft office, plan their enterprise’s next migration with artificial intelligenceenabled video, and explore the latest Microsoft Teams room and voice technologies. For example, during the series, Yealink will highlight new collaboration products including the MeetingBoard 65 and DeskVision A24. The MeetingBoard 65 is a Microsoft Teams display solution designed to facilitate digital collaboration by integrating a 65-inch touchscreen display, 4K camera, microphone arrays, speakers and built-in Microsoft Teams, in one solution. Users can quickly and easily access video conferencing and whiteboard collaboration, with remote integrated management capabilities for those working from the home or remotely. The DeskVision A24 is desktop unified communications workstation designed for shared spaces, hotdesking situations and personal offices. It features native integration with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Whiteboarding for instant collaboration, a touch screen, a wireless charging station for mobile phones and a liftable 4K camera. Yealink launches hybrid work event series with Microsoft 13 July 2022 Boston, Massachusetts 24 August 2022 Atlanta, Georgia 31 August 2022 Detroit, Michigan Find out more about the events at: www.yealink.com/live-your-hybrid-work DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
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