PLUS: Microsoft’s Rodriguez Lepage reveals how manufacturers are solving workforce issues AVIXA’s Samantha Minish highlights some of the latest trends in the AV industry Digital technology is attracting new talent to the energy sector, says AVEVA Microsoft’s Jose Antonio Ondiviela and Jeremy M. Goldberg discuss the new urban era Antony Cook explains how Microsoft is guiding the shift towards responsible AI use ISSUE 30: AUTUMN 2023 £24.00 Taking to the cloud Microsoft cloud and AI technologies are helping organisations to conquer today’s biggest enterprise challenges
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9 ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH: EXECUTIVE EDITOR WELCOME: AUTUMN 2023 The term ‘generative AI’ has become somewhat ubiquitous. In March 2023, Microsoft launched Copilot, which uses partner Open AI’s ChatGPT large language models to offer customers new ways of manipulating data to deliver highly personalised, subject-specific content across the entire family of Microsoft products. Heralded by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella as “the next major step in the evolution of how we interact with computing” which will “fundamentally change the way we work and unlock a new wave of productivity growth”, generative AI-powered solutions such as Copilot are expanding processes previously confined to the IT department to every corner of the workplace. This new-found ability to move beyond the confines of simple data interrogation will have potentially far-reaching implications for all areas of modern work and social life. “Frontline productivity is the first thing that comes to mind when asked about the benefits of AI-driven products,” says Satish Thomas, Microsoft’s corporate vice president (CVP) for industry clouds, in our cover story on page 44, where he joins CVP for global industry marketing Kathleen Mitford to discuss how Microsoft Cloud and AI technologies are increasing workforce productivity. As we unlock these new avenues to data, we must all ensure generative AI is used safely and effectively. Antony Cook, CVP and deputy general counsel, highlights how Microsoft is guiding the shift towards responsible AI use on page 36. Other executives from Microsoft and its partner ecosystem discuss this topic in features, interviews and viewpoints elsewhere in this issue. I hope you enjoy the read. A new age of data accessibility for all
11 CONTENTS 44 TAKING TO THE CLOUD Kathleen Mitford and Satish Thomas explain how Microsoft technologies are helping to conquer the big enterprise challenges of today ISSUE 30: AUTUMN 2023 18 MARKETWATCH The latest news from Microsoft and its partners, including how Microsoft is helping its customers deploy AI responsibly 36 AI for good Microsoft’s Antony Cook discusses the values behind the AI Assurance Program and how partners can provide dependable AI solutions 40 More than a meeting Microsoft’s Ilya Bukshteyn shares how recent connectivity and collaboration innovations are improving productivity on Microsoft Teams 54 M ike Ettling discusses how Unit4 is working with Microsoft to create user-friendly enterprise resource planning solutions for businesses 56 It’s important to consider the human experience when deploying AI, says Anywhere365’s Hans Kramer 60 Geoff Webb reveals how isolved’s AI technology is helping businesses to automate workflows and personalise employee experiences 62 Avaya’s Omar Javaid provides insight into how industry leaders can use AI solutions as a roadmap for success 64 Kyndryl’s Stanley Wood explains how businesses can use AI safely 66 Brian Tenney discusses JourneyTEAM’s partnership with Microsoft, incorporating AI and staying at the forefront of technology advancements 67 Andy Birkey from Metafile reveals how automation tools are revolutionising accounts payable departments 68 Businesses can increase productivity, agility and innovation by using Microsoft cloud and AI technology, says Girish Ganeshan of Infosys 69 Synergy Technical is using tools like Microsoft Copilot to deliver transformative outcomes for clients, according to Rohana Meade 70 Kyndryl reveals four steps to ensure businesses maximise efficiency and transform the employee experience when adopting Microsoft Copilot 72 K arl Hantho explains how EPOS’s audio solutions and AI can transform operations 76 Entrust’s Samantha Mabey explains how businesses can prepare for post-quantum challenges 78 Theo Zafirakos from Fortra’s Terranova Security highlights the dangers associated with the advancement of AI 80 Brad Hintze of Crestron explains how to equip workspaces for effective collaboration 82 S hannon Mackay explains how Lenovo’s solutions for Microsoft Teams are helping enterprises to provide seamless experiences from anywhere 84 J abra’s Aurangzeb Khan shares why offices should invest in high-quality video technology to support the return to the office
Learn more at: synergy-technical.com/copilot Unleash creativity, unlock productivity, & uplevel your skills The new Microsoft 365 Copilot experience works alongside you, embedded in the apps you use everyday. It combines the power of language model with your business data and context – including all your Microsoft 365 apps, documents, and conversations. Synergy Technical is o ering a Copilot Readiness Assessment to help your organization take advantage of Microsoft AI. Drive user adoption & provide end-user training Assess Copilot readiness & ensure compliance • Enhance your information governance • Boost cybersecurity & authorize identity roles & access requirements • Develop a holistic, personalized end-user adoption roadmap for Copilot in your organization Our Microsoft 365 Copilot Readiness Assessment includes: Leading the way with AI
CONTENTS 13 1 92 THE LAST WORD Andy Clayton-Smith highlights why industry leaders must consider the unintended consequences of AI as the technology becomes increasingly prevalent FEATURED PARTNERS 185 A selection of Microsoft partners operating across all business sectors IN FOCUS: DYNAMICS 365 86 Ken Clayton highlights how Dynatrace’s AI-powered observability platform helps enterprises optimise Microsoft Azure cloud modernisation projects 92 Bernard Lamborelle explains the benefits of Tiger Surveillance’s data management software coupled with Microsoft Azure 94 Bryant Harland of Experlogix explains how businesses must ensure that their processes are optimised to take full advantage of new solutions 98 Low code/no code solutions can be used to rapidly build and deploy applications, says LBMC Technology Solutions’ Jason Barnes 99 Kyndryl’s integration platform provides greater value from Microsoft Azure and enhances business operations, Gary Zeien reveals 1 00 A VEVA’s Stan Devries explains how collaboration and gamification help bridge talent gaps 1 02 Abby Monaco and Brian Mistretta at NICE discuss how AI tools are improving customer service 104 Driving change Microsoft Dynamics 365 is helping organisations innovate with solutions for agility, accessibility and automation 112 A valara’s Meg Higgins discusses how businesses can reduce risk and costs by automating their tax management 114 O rganisations can transform their order management processes with real-time data and automation, according to Matt Abbott at Cavallo 116 SignUp Software’s Olof Hedin explains how the ExFlow solution for Microsoft Dynamics 365 is helping ease accounts payable pressures 119 Nick Collard shares how Formpipe works with system integrators to ensure customers have the right solutions for their requirements 120 Chipotle improves customer experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights and TTEC Digital 122 Software provider Velosio expedited accounts payable processes with ExFlow from SignUp Software 124 Rahul Kumar and Deepak Kumar Parashar at Infosys discuss why a three-pronged strategy to digital transformation can refine operational efficiency 126 John Accardi at Mazars explains how Microsoft Dynamics 365 can drive digital transformation 127 Upland Software’s Chris Stieber discusses how Microsoft Dynamics 365 can help businesses make the most of their digital transformation journeys 128 Joachim Schiermacher discusses how ClickLearn is helping businesses deliver digital adoption training and onboarding to employees
14 CONTENTS FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRIALS & MANUFACTURING 142 David McLaughlin and Rebeca Boettcher at RSM US explain why manufacturing firms must invest in enhancing the employee experience 144 The industrial metaverse is set to transform everything from operational processes to supply chains, says AVEVA’s Simon Bennett 147 Digital tools are helping manufacturers drive productivity and engagement with collaboration techniques, says Innovia Consulting’s Tom Doran 148 Xavier Mesrobian shares how Skkynet’s DataHub service helps businesses acquire, monitor, control and consolidate live data 149 Fortra’s Terranova Security helped a global manufacturing firm to deliver multilingual security awareness training in multiple countries 150 Schneider Electric’s Olivier Blum shares decarbonisation priorities outlined during the IEA’s eighth annual conference 152 AVEVA’s Douglas Nunez outlines how power companies can cut emissions using data, the cloud and other digital technologies 136 Effectively equipping frontline workers Microsoft’s Alfonso Rodriguez Lepage shares how Microsoft technology is helping manufacturers to address the biggest workforce challenges 130 Rising to the challenge M icrosoft’s Anu Chawla, Dave Dadoun, Lisa Lee and Daragh Morrissey discuss how cloud and AI solutions are combatting challenges facing the financial sector 134 Finastra’s Adam Lieberman shares why the firm has adopted Bing Chat for employees
15 RETAIL & CG 178 The power of planning ahead Microsoft’s Felice Miller explains how data, AI and the cloud help retailers to reinvent supply chain models and deliver high-quality products and services 184 ToolGroup’s Inna Kuznetsova discusses how real-time supply chain and inventory data enables retailers to meet customer demand PUBLIC SECTOR 168 Creating a new urban era with AI Microsoft’s Jose Antonio Ondiviela and Jeremy M. Goldberg explain how AI, cloud and digital twins are transforming city management and public service delivery 174 Organisations are using generative AI to decipher healthcare data and improve patient experiences, says Microsoft’s Sally Ann Frank 176 The UK’s Make-A-Wish foundation is enhancing communications with Tollring’s Analytics 365 application for Microsoft Teams MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS 154 The intelligent future Andy Beach and Rick Lievano of Microsoft explain how AI is set to reshape the media and communications industries 160 Ateme’s François Guilleautot explains why content creators should embrace the media industry’s move to cloud-native solutions 162 Geeter Kyrazis shares how Swxtch.io’s partnership with Timebeat is helping broadcasters deliver seamless viewing experiences through the cloud 164 AVIXA’s Samantha Minish highlights some of the latest AV trends and how AVIXA TV is helping educate professionals 166 Wunderman Thompson Studios Copenhagen has enhanced communications with clients thanks to Jabra’s video conferencing solutions
Executive editor Andy Clayton-Smith Head of editorial Rebecca Gibson Editorial lead Alice Chambers Digital content lead Amber Hickman Editorial team Richard Humphreys, Laura Hyde, Alex Smith Production manager Stuart Fairbrother Design Bruce Graham, Libby Sidebotham, Dhanika Vansia Website development Chris Jackson Publication manager Ricky Popat Partner managers Tim Grayson, 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. © 2023 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: ISSUE 30: AUTUMN 2023 PUBLISHING PARTNERS PUBLISHED IN COLLABORATION WITH Microsoft is the world leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. Anywhere365’s dialogue management and cloud contact centre solutions are a native communication layer on top of Microsoft Teams and Azure Communication Services and skyrocket omnichannel customer engagement. EPOS delivers high-end audio and video solutions with design, technology and performance in mind. 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. Experlogix develops CPQ and document automation solutions that allow clients to elevate customer engagement and business growth. Fortra’s Terranova Security empowers organisations to change unsafe end user behaviours, reduce cyber risk, and keep sensitive information safe through security awareness training programmes. Tiger Technology is a file data services company that helps organisations with mission-critical deployments optimise their on-premises infrastructure through hybrid cloud workflows. AVEVA creates industrial software that inspires people to shape the future, by delivering solutions across the asset and operations life cycles. AVIXA is the international trade association for the audiovisual industry, producer of InfoComm trade shows around the world, and coowner of Integrated Systems Europe. Dynatrace’s observability and application security enables businesses to modernise and automate cloud operations, deliver software faster and more securely, and ensure flawless digital experience.
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18 MARKETWATCH Microsoft is helping to drive the responsible use of artificial intelligence technology via its Copilot Copyright Commitment and partnerships with leading AI companies. In September 2023, Microsoft revealed its Copilot Copyright Commitment, which sets out how it will defend commercial customers who are sued for copyright infringement after using Microsoft Copilot to generate content. “This new commitment extends our existing intellectual property indemnity support to commercial Copilot services and builds on our previous AI customer commitments,” said Microsoft’s Brad Smith, vice chair and president, and Hossein Nowbar, corporate vice president and chief legal officer, in a blog post titled ‘Microsoft announces new Copilot Copyright Commitment for customers’. Customers who use Microsoft Copilot will be protected from copyright infringement and is developing best practice models via its partnership with the Biden-Harris Administration in the USA and the Frontier Model Forum Microsoft advocates for the ethical and responsible use of AI Photo: Microsoft
19 “Specifically, if a third party sues a commercial customer for copyright infringement for using Microsoft’s Copilots or the output they generate, we will defend the customer and pay the amount of any adverse judgments or settlements that result from the lawsuit, as long as the customer used the guardrails and content filters we have built into our products.” The Copilot Copyright Commitment is one of many initiatives that Microsoft is participating in to inspire companies to use AI responsibly. For instance, Microsoft has teamed up with six other AI companies – Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta and OpenAI – to support the Biden-Harris Administration in the USA to manage and protect against the risks posed by AI. “Companies that are developing these emerging technologies have a responsibility to ensure their products are safe,” said a press release from the White House. “To make the most of AI’s potential, the Biden-Harris Administration is encouraging this industry to uphold the highest standards to ensure that innovation doesn’t come at the expense of Americans’ rights and safety.” Following this, Microsoft has also partnered with Anthropic, Google and OpenAI to form the Frontier Model Forum, a new industry body that will focus on the safe and responsible development of AI models. The forum’s objectives will be to advance AI safety research, identify the best practices for the responsible development and deployment of frontier models and support efforts to develop applications that address societal challenges such as climate change, cancer detection and cyber threats. The forum is currently establishing an advisory board and the founding companies are arranging a charter, governance and funding to lead its efforts. Lumen Technologies uses Copilot to improve productivity Lumen Technologies, a multinational technology company, is one of many firms that has deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot to save employees time during the workday. For example, its customer service teams are using Copilot to surface relevant policies, summarise tickets or easily access step-by-step repair instructions from manuals. Meanwhile, its sales and customer experience teams are using Copilot to add depth and context to customer communications by generating content from Microsoft Teams calls, Outlook and documents. Read more on page 157 Microsoft is one of seven companies supporting the Biden-Harris Administration in the US to manage and protect against the risks posed by AI Photo: Unsplash/Andy Kennedy Photo: iStock/DKosig
20 MARKETWATCH How can manufacturers develop effective digital strategies? There are four key responsibilities chief information officers (CIOs) must fulfil in order to develop an effective digital strategy that will drive the success of their business, according to a new ebook from Augury and Frost & Sullivan. First, leaders should ensure that technology is functional, updated, scalable and secure to avoid potential challenges that arise from legacy data and outdated systems. Second, they should evaluate and execute cloud-based strategies for their organisation. Next, CIOs should formulate and oversee IT budgets and resource allocation to maximise return on investment and ensure costeffectiveness. Finally, they can create upskilling and onboarding strategies for current and new workers by encouraging them to use digital tools that help them to achieve more. Read the ebook at: www.augury.com/ collateral/information-master Cloud solution provider Synergy Technical has created a new Microsoft 365 Copilot Readiness Assessment to help clients implement security and compliance measures for artificial intelligence tools. The assessment is available to all Microsoft customers and involves Synergy Technical analysing and validating an organisation’s readiness for Copilot. The firm provides recommendations for configuration changes prior to implementation. Synergy Technical helps firms to adopt Microsoft Copilot Industrial internet of things provider Skkynet has released Cognet DataHub, which provides real-time connections between work colleagues and their machines throughout the entire manufacturing process. The new solution helps managers to securely acquire, monitor, control, consolidate and share live process data from the production floor or remote locations and feed it to IT departments and cloud service providers. It can also parse message queuing telemetry transport data streams, send notifications and alarms, customise data flow and store data in process historians. Skkynet releases new software for industrial automation Photo: pexels/Tiger Lily Photo: Synergy Technical
22 MARKETWATCH: MICROSOFT TEAMS UPDATES Typeface launched a new artificial intelligence-powered application for Microsoft Teams in August 2023 to help organisations produce creative briefs, email campaigns, multimedia online adverts, and other marketing content. The application uses a combination of Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and Azure OpenAI Service to learn customer content examples, style guidelines, product details and imagery to train Typeface’s proprietary Affinity AI to build a unique content creation model for each brand. This all happens within Teams, where chats provide the business context and collaborative capabilities users need without them having to switch apps. In future, Typeface aims to extend its app across Microsoft 365 to Word, PowerPoint and Excel, and leverage data in Microsoft Graph. Typeface AI app for Microsoft Teams speeds up content creation There are more than 669,000 apps available in the Microsoft Windows store. Photo: Unsplash/Ed Hardie DID YOU KNOW? 280 million people use Microsoft Teams each day as of February 2023 and over one million organisations use it as their default messaging platform, and 60% of users are aged 35-54 years old Photo composite: Unsplash/Windows and Microsoft
23 Tollring launches iCall Suite call analytics for Microsoft Teams Tollring has introduced iCall Suite call analytics for Microsoft Teams Phone to help businesses understand the customer experience, measure call performance, and download and share reports that can be accessed from any browser. “Having worked closely with Microsoft over the past two years and as specialists in call analytics, extending iCall Suite to Teams was a natural next step, in line with the growth in demand for Microsoft Teams Phone,” said Tony Martino, CEO of Tollring. Image: Tollring Lenovo helps firms to collaborate with ThinkSmart products Computer and accessories provider Lenovo is helping Microsoft customers to transform their meeting spaces with collaboration solutions certified for Microsoft Teams Rooms. The ThinkSmart View Plus is a standalone device for Teams Display that is integrated with a 27-inch, multi-touch display and has video, audio and built-in compute capabilities. Users can access Teams chat, calendar and files while joining meetings through the device. The Lenovo IP Controller for ThinkSmart Core (pictured below) and ThinkSmart One products are helping employees to connect faster to Teams meetings when working from the office. The controller features easy-to-use Ethernet connectivity and can also be installed up to 100 metres from the PC without the need for cables, addressing the growing demand for desk management interface on tables. Photo: Lenovo Microsoft to deliver direct access to Oracle cloud services via Microsoft Azure Cloud service providers Oracle and Microsoft have partnered to co-locate a portion of Oracle’s infrastructure in Microsoft Azure. The new service, called Oracle Database@Azure, will provide customers with direct access to Oracle database services running on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and deployed in Azure data centres. Oracle Database@Azure is designed to eliminate the challenges of adopting multi-cloud architectures and will support a range of Oracle’s existing database services including Oracle Exadata Database services, Oracle Autonomous Database services and Oracle Real Application Clusters. “Customers will have the choice to deploy their Azure services with their fully managed Oracle Database services all within a single Azure data centre,” said Rick Lievano, chief technology officer for telecommunications at Microsoft. “By collocating Oracle Exadata hardware in Azure data centres, telecommunications and media companies will experience the best possible database and network performance for all applications, enabling AI training and inference spanning even the largest models.”
24 MARKETWATCH New isolved solutions to help HR teams make employee compensation and talent decisions Human capital management software company isolved has released Compensations Analytics and Talent Intelligence solutions to enable organisations to make data-driven decisions about employee promotions and salaries. The new solutions provide human resources and payroll professionals with a complete view of individual employees’ compensation and performance, as well as access to position-specific salary data from organisations across the USA. Compensation metrics will help teams to understand data points like average annual base salary, average compensation ratio and more. This will help businesses to promote high-performing workers and offer equitable and competitive compensation packages, thereby improving employee engagement and satisfaction. Jabra PanaCast 50 Video Bar System comes to market Jabra has launched its Jabra PanaCast 50 Video Bar System, which runs natively on Microsoft Teams Rooms on Android. The collaboration bar, which completes Jabra’s solution portfolio for small to medium-sized meeting rooms, is designed to adapt to hybrid workplace needs. Jabra’s PanaCast Video Bar System delivers all the capabilities of the PanaCast 50, including the Panoramic-4K, 180-degree field of view, and artificial intelligencepowered features such as Intelligent Zoom and Dynamic Composition. The Video Bar System has a one-touch start/join control that does not require any additional devices. This enables simple, secure and scalable deployment and management. Photo: Jabra Dynatrace expands Microsoft partnership Software provider Dynatrace has expanded its partnership with Microsoft to make it easier for joint customers to accelerate their cloud migration and optimisation initiatives by implementing the Dynatrace platform on Microsoft Azure. The Dynatrace platform enables organisations to monitor the health of their entire Azure infrastructure, allowing them to easily migrate workloads to the cloud, automate cloud operations, deliver software more quickly and securely, and more. As part of the new multi-year consumption commitment and goto-market partnership, Microsoft and Dynatrace will develop deep technical integrations and host joint workshops and interactive labs to help customers optimise their Azure cloud environments using the Dynatrace platform. Read more on page 86 Photo composite: Unsplash/Windows and Dynatrace Photo: pexels/fauxels
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Schneider Electric opens first sustainability school for partners Innovia Consulting is the host of over 25 courses on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central topics such as finance, manufacturing, reporting, development and distribution. Participants can attend live workshops, which will be delivered at a regular cadence via Microsoft Teams by the end of 2023 or they can access the sessions on demand whenever is most convenient. Attendees will be given an overview of the Journal Entries functionality in Dynamics 365 Business Central, how to make use of the built-in relationship management features, and how to prepare their business for both month- and year-end close. Register for the workshops at: www.innovia.com/workshops Innovia to train firms on Dynamics 365 Business Central Photo: Innovia Avaya debuts hybrid service with Avaya Experience Platform Connect Avaya has launched its hybrid contact centre service, Avaya Experience Platform Connect, which enables organisations to leverage existing on-premises Avaya Call Center Elite infrastructure and access hybrid voice and digital channels from the Avaya Experience Platform. Built on Microsoft Azure, the platform enhances customer and agent experiences by integrating digital touchpoints, expanding agent capacity, introducing new channels at an adaptable pace and providing comprehensive customer engagement data. Professionals and businesses can now enrol in Schneider Electric’s free Sustainability School, which provides interactive courses aimed at equipping them with the knowledge and skills to improve sustainability performance. First launched internally to educate Schneider Electric employees to better support the company’s partner ecosystem, the three-part programme is now available externally for companies of all sizes. “The Sustainability School for partners is our big next move to prove that companies can not only do business that is better for the planet but can also fundamentally improve their performance by doing so,” said Sorouch Kheradmand, head of partner sustainability at Schneider Electric. Image: Schneider Electric Photo: Avaya 26 MARKETWATCH
27 Photo: Credit Avalara creates sales tax calculator plugin for ChatGPT Avalara has launched an integrated plugin for ChatGPT that will allow users to calculate and research sales tax rates based on their location. According to Avalara, the company is the first tax compliance software provider to work with OpenAI to use its protocol to build an integrated plugin for ChatGPT. “The launch of the Avalara ChatGPT plugin illustrates Avalara’s commitment to expanding the ways in which we use artificial intelligence to manage tax content, improve our products and support customers,” said Vsu Subramanian, senior vice president of content engineering at Avalara. Photo: Avalara US-based private equity firm Mercato Partners has chosen JourneyTEAM to migrate its legacy system to Microsoft Dynamics 365. Migrating to Dynamics 365 helped to make Mercato’s sales process more efficient and customer-centric, and also helped to reduce the firm’s technical debt by 60 per cent. Mercato can now easily view customer history, necessary documentation and clear action items, which helps it to improve relationships with clients. By partnering with JourneyTEAM, and implementing Dynamics 365, Mercato has streamlined its sales pipeline, which has helped to improve user and customer satisfaction. Mercato turns to JourneyTEAM to increase Dynamics 365 adoption Photo: Mercato Photo: Tiger Technology Tiger Technology now supports Azure Blob Storage Cold Tier Tiger Technology's Tiger Bridge software now supports the Azure Blob Storage Cold Tier, helping firms to balance accessibility and cost-efficiency in their data management strategies. As outlined by Microsoft Azure, the cold tier can save customers an additional 64 per cent on capacity costs, compared to cool tier. Besides providing cost savings for organisations managing data with fluctuating access patterns, Tiger Technology’s support for the cold tier also facilitates disaster recovery planning and seamless business continuity, which increases organisations’ preparedness to navigate unforeseen challenges.
Image: Azure CANADA EAST EAST USA 2 UK SOUTH JAPAN EAST AUSTRALIA EAST MARKETWATCH 28 How to overcome four accounts payable hurdles Organisations should use artificial intelligence, automation and other digital technologies to make their accounts payable (AP) processes more efficient and accurate, according to document management solution provider Metafile Information Systems. In its new white paper – 4 Hurdles of Inefficient Processes in Accounts Payable and How to Overcome Them – Metafile outlines how the technologies can help organisations to overcome four key barriers. Manual data entry and paper-based invoices. AP automation solutions like Metafile’s MetaViewer help to reduce processing times and the risk of data inaccuracies and lost documents. Lack of automation and integration. Integrating AP Automation with enterprise resource planning ERP helps to achieve real-time visibility into financial data and improves businesses ability to make well-informed decisions, optimise cash flow, and enhance overall financial management. Complex approval processes. Automated approval routing ensures that invoices reach the right approvers promptly. Inadequate invoice tracking and discrepancy resolution. Artificial intelligence-powered solutions track invoices through the approval cycle and machine learning algorithms automatically match invoices with corresponding purchase orders and delivery receipt, reducing time spent on manual reconciliation. 1 2 3 4 Microsoft has expanded its Azure OpenAI Service to provide more businesses around the world with generative artificial intelligence capabilities through models such as GPT-4 and GPT-35-Turbo.
Experiencing BC Partner You might be if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms: Feeling a lack of attention that you deserve Experiencing the agony of waiting for the daily support you need Waking up feeling overwhelmed due to inadequate training Inefficient System Usage Using Innovia has been known to cause overwhelming joy and improved user experiences leading to fewer headaches and roadblocks in your Business Central or NAV system. Some users report fewer sleepless nights as their daily lives become easier. Caution: Some Innovia customers report random blocks of free time now available in their day that were previously caused by system inefficiencies. Don’t consider using Innovia if you find you enjoyed having Business Central Fatigue. Fatigue? It might be time to speak to Innovia about working with a Business Central partner that puts you first! Scan this QR code today to find out if Innovia is right for you. or visit innovia.com/RXforBC
MARKETWATCH 30 Photo: KnowledgeLake Software-as-a-service provider KnowledgeLake has released a suite of Microsoft Azure-based solutions that use artificial intelligence to deliver enterprise content management services. KnowledgeLake StreamLine Solutions use AI to automatically summarise, interpret and extract information from documents within seconds, expediting document processing and simplifying content management. The solutions also use AI and natural language processing technologies to respond to users’ questions and commands. The suite also enables businesses to build workflows tailored to their specific needs, connect with customers by completing tasks and uploading documents in one workflow, and collect data from customers and other external users. It can also be integrated with other applications for use across industries. KnowledgeLake delivers new AI-powered content management solutions NIST releases draft standards for post-quantum cryptography While some organisations are underway with their post-quantum preparedness plan, others have been waiting on the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to provide additional guidance and release the standards for quantum-safe algorithms. In late August 2023, the agency made a first major move by releasing the draft standards for post-quantum cryptography (PQC), which will be required for organisations to protect their data from the quantum threat. Further to that, NIST, along with both the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), provided a factsheet with guidelines and urgency around the need to integrate PQC solutions immediately. We’re now better able to understand what needs to be done, and that it needs to begin now. Samantha Mabey is director of digital solutions marketing at Entrust VIEWPOINT: SAMANTHA MABEY, ENTRUST ToolsGroup has developed Dynamic Fulfilment, a new addition to its JustEnough retail planning and execution suite. Dynamic Fulfilment leverages real-time inventory, demand and operational signals captured by ToolsGroup’s data unification platform, which provides a digital supply chain twin for optimal sourcing decisions. This helps retailers to optimise order fulfilment planning throughout their omnichannel and ship-to-shore networks. The core benefits include reducing actual cost-to-serve by minimising shipping and labour costs, increasing margins by avoiding forecasted markdowns in stores and maximising profitability. ToolsGroup’s customers have reported up to five per cent reduction in shipping costs and up to two per cent margin improvement. Photo: ToolsGroup ToolsGroup helps retailers optimise order management with new Dynamic Fulfilment solution
31 AI, data and EV supply chain build-out to transform manufacturing, says RSM US Consulting firm RSM US has published its 2023 Manufacturing Industry Outlook, which highlights key industry trends that will change the industry in the near future, including: TTEC Digital introduces WFM adapter for Dynamics 365 TTEC Digital has introduced Workforce Management (WFM) Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service to provide real-time visibility into workforce performance. The WFM Adapter enables managers to track key performance indicators, identify areas for improvement and plan for future workload. This new product draws on TTEC Digital’s experience in building WFM adapters for cloud contact centre platforms and expands the company’s capabilities to help Dynamics 365 Customer Service customers optimise their workforce operations. TTEC Digital’s WFM Adapter also makes it easier for clients to leverage the full capabilities of Microsoft Digital Contact Center Platform, launched in 2022. Photo: TTEC Charity Motors, a non-profit organisation which donates cars to those in need, has partnered with LBMC Technology Solutions to implement Microsoft’s Power Platform. The organisation is using Power Platform to organise its database of contributors and car donations. The platform also streamlines communication and collaboration with the various logistics partners and charitable organisations. LBMC Technology Solutions transforms charitable giving for Charity Motors Photo: LBMC Manufacturers are investing in generative artificial intelligence to optimise supply chains, enhance quality control, enable predictive maintenance and improve process efficiency. Electric vehicle (EV) sales are set to rise from 10.5 million in 2022 to 27 million by 2026, and manufacturers must be ready to capitalise on new opportunities arising from the supply chain build-out. Industrial organisations are increasingly investing in operational technology, the industrial internet of things and enhanced data capabilities to enhance efficiency and productivity amidst rising production costs and supply chain challenges. 1 2 3 Read the full 2023 Manufacturing Industry Outlook at: www.rsmus.com/insights/industries/ manufacturing/manufacturing-outlook
32 MARKETWATCH: EVENT PREVIEW Hosted during Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October 2023, Fortra’s Terranova Security’s annual Gone Phishing Tournament will help delegates from over 250 organisations to understand cybersecurity threats and learn how to prevent phishing attacks. The online event will use real-world phishing scenarios to test the readiness of attendees in detecting an attack, evaluate the effectiveness of current cybersecurity training and offer the opportunity to compare results on a global scale. It will do this by measuring phishing click rates and other benchmarks against participants with businesses in the same industry, geographical region and size range. Microsoft will co-sponsor the event and provide an email template for the attack simulation training in Microsoft Defender for Office 365. Both organisations will present actionable insights to show attendees how they can establish and grow a culture of cybersecurity awareness by measuring user behaviour and deploying security awareness training. The 2022 event was attended by over 1.2 million participants, making it one of the largest phishing simulations of its kind. Fortra’s Terranova Security is expecting a record number of attendees this year too. Register for the event at: terranovasecurity.com/ gone-phishing-tournament Fortra’s Terranova Security and Microsoft’s online event will empower attendees with the tools and knowledge to prevent phishing attacks October 2023 | Virtual event Gone Phishing Tournament: reducing cybersecurity risk levels 35% of employees express little concern about work-related data theft, with 76% believing it’s the IT department’s job to protect organisational information, according to the 2022 Cyber Culture Report, created in collaboration with research firm Ipsos 847,000 cybersecurity complaints were made in 2021 to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center in the USA, as shown in its Internet Crime Report. This led to $6.9 billion in potential losses 7% of all phishing simulation email recipients clicked the message’s phishing link during Fortra’s Terranova Security’s 2022 Gone Phishing Tournament 44% of those who clicked on the phishing simulation email link completed the web form on the subsequent webpage, which could have put their credentials at risk had it been real CYBERSECURITY IN NUMBERS
AVEVA World returns to San Francisco AVEVA World returns to San Francisco in California from 23-26 October 2023, bringing more than 2,500 attendees from over 600 companies worldwide. Focused on the theme ‘Connect Your World’, the four-day event will feature keynotes, customer presentations, industry deep-dives and hands-on training. Delegates will explore how AVEVA’s technology connects people with trusted information to drive responsible use of the world’s resources. The event will offer the industrial community opportunities to network with peers, interact with experts, enhance their technical expertise and hear from over 160 speakers on how digital innovation can drive sustainability and growth. Confirmed speakers include AVEVA’s CEO Caspar Herzberg and chief product officer Rob McGreevy, as well as C-suite leaders from some of the world’s largest companies. Register for the event at events.aveva.com/aw-sf-2023 Photo: AVEVA Microsoft reveals increased cyber risk for live sports and entertainment industries Sporting events and entertainment venues are facing increasing cyberthreats, according to the fifth edition of Microsoft’s Cyber Signals report, which looked at security data from 634.6 million events across 45 Qatari organisations during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. To overcome these challenges, venues should adopt robust protection measures, according to Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice president of security, compliance, identity and management at Microsoft. In a blog post titled ‘Cyber Signals: Sporting events and venues draw cyberthreats at increasing rates’, Jakkal recommends deploying firewalls, strong encryption protocols like multifactor authentication, and solutions that will continuously monitor network traffic and potential threats in real time. Beyond 2023: how Anywhere365 is going beyond the traditional contact centre 33 Beyond 2023: how Anywhere365 is going beyond the traditional contact centre Anywhere365 is to launch its new Dialogue Cloud Infinity solution at its Beyond 2023 event, which is free to the firm’s accredited partners and will take place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on 10-11 October 2023. During the event, Anywhere365 executives will showcase the features of the new cloud-based dialogue management solution, which will natively integrate with both Microsoft Teams and Azure Communication Services to empower organisations to interact with anything and anyone, across any channel, from anywhere and at any time. Anywhere365 will also share its product roadmap and updates on the latest developments in its partnership with Microsoft. Meanwhile, business philosopher Rik Vera, Kevin Kieller, a Microsoft Most Valued Professional, and Microsoft cloud solution architect Soham Dasgupta will deliver keynote speeches covering topics such as how to build effective enterprise communication ecosystems, how to fully leverage the Microsoft technology stack, and how to transform business with Microsoft Azure OpenAI. Accredited partners can register for free at: hubs.la/Q0211g2d0
16-19 October 2023 | Hollywood, California, USA The Media Technology Summit will take place on 16-19 October 2023 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in the Ovation Hollywood, California, USA, and provide solutions for overcoming film industry issues, presentations on new technologies and networking opportunities. The event, hosted by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), will feature several guest speakers covering various topics, including lighting reproduction, the use of the metaverse and breaking the ‘fourth wall’ through extended reality. Other discussions will focus on media transport, cloud streaming for ultra-low-latency cloud gaming, Web3 content distribution, and more. SMPTE has introduced a new Solutions Hub venue for the event, which will be open 17-18 October, and will offer solution-based exhibitors, as well as hosting several emerging technology sessions and providing a space for attendees to connect. 10-11 October 2023 | ExCel Exhibition Centre, London, UK Hotel & Resort Innovation Expo 2023 (HRIE 2023) will bring together hotel industry professionals at ExCel in London, UK, on 10-11 October 2023. There will be 300 exhibitors at the free event, as well as 150 seminars totalling over 20 hours of discussion across the two days. HRIE 2023 will provide hoteliers with everything they need to enhance their hotel offering through the latest innovative solutions. Speakers will share updates from within the sector, showcasing suppliers and highlighting sustainability efforts, as well as providing resources to help tackle operational and marketing challenges. The event will also host industry awards, which will recognise the individuals who are breaking boundaries across the hospitality sector. Photo: Farnborough International Hotel and Resort Innovation Expo: uniting the hospitality industry South Coast Summit 13-14 October 2023 | Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, London, UK This two-day event provides IT professionals and end users working with Microsoft technology the opportunity to hear from expert speakers, attend cutting-edge training workshops, get advice on optimising Microsoft solutions, and interact with Microsoft’s UK team, many of whom will be onsite to answer questions. Community Summit NorthAm 15-20 October 2023 Charlotte, North Carolina, USA www.summitna.com Directions EMEA 1-3 November 2023 Lyon, France www.directions4partners.com Smart City Expo World Congress 7-9 November 2023 Barcelona, Spain www.smartcityexpo.com European SharePoint Office 365 & Azure Conference 27-30 November 2023 Amsterdam, Netherlands www.sharepointeurope.com TechEx UK Global 30 November - 1 December London, UK www.techexevent.com DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Media Technology Summit: how technology is transforming the film industry MARKETWATCH: EVENTS 34
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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW Simplifying AI responsibility Microsoft is taking an active role in guiding the shift towards responsible AI usage. We spoke with Antony Cook to learn about the values behind the newly introduced AI Assurance Program, including how partners can provide dependable solutions and how to navigate the dynamic landscape of governance and regulation Microsoft’s AI Assurance Program, launched in June 2023, is designed to help customers ensure that the AI applications they deploy on Microsoft platforms meet legal and regulatory requirements for responsible AI. Antony Cook, vice president and deputy general counsel at Microsoft, is leading this initiative. What are Microsoft’s core commitments to customers when it comes to the responsible use of artificial intelligence? AI is creating unparalleled opportunities for businesses of all sizes and across every industry. At the same time, there are legitimate concerns about the power of this technology and its potential to be used to cause harm rather than provide benefits. We’ve been contemplating these issues for several years and realised that we could share our learnings with our customers around the world to accelerate their AI journeys. That’s why, in June, Microsoft announced three AI Customer Commitments to help customers create their own responsible AI programmes. BY ALICE CHAMBERS AND ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH 36 Microsoft and Planet Labs have collaborated for the Global Renewables Watch initiative that maps utility-scale solar and wind installations to track progress of the transition to clean energy Photo: Unsplash/Manny Becerra
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