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Step Into Spectacular at LG’s InfoComm 2024 Showcase

Taylor Graham — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:00:46 +0000

LG Business Solutions USA is showcasing a stunning lineup of commercial digital displays, ad-enabled EV chargers, laptops, projectors, system management software, and more at InfoComm 2024. Attendees will discover how these innovations can enhance business communications, streamline daily operations, improve user experiences, and generate new opportunities for differentiation and recurring revenue in nearly any commercial setting.

According to LG Business Solutions USA’s Head of Marketing Dave Bacher, with more than 40 innovative LG products on display, booth visitors can “Step Into Spectacular” and experience cutting-edge solutions to suit a wide array of commercial projects.

“LG is leading the way forward at InfoComm 2024 with groundbreaking displays, business tools and control capabilities, empowering integrators and business owners to deploy easy-to-use systems that deliver consistently excellent experiences for business owners, employees and customers,” Bacher said. “From retail stores and drive-thrus to offices and schools, integration pros are using LG’s vast selection of displays, laptops, EV chargers and intuitive software solutions to help commercial customers outfit virtually any size property with impressive visual experiences and real-time content control.”

As they approach the LG booth (W2125), they will be wowed by the giant new 1.9mm fine-pitch “Kinetic LED” designed for diverse settings such as shopping malls and airports. The striking installation presents a 20-foot-wide by 12-foot-tall kinetic screen consisting of several LED fine pitch (model LSBC019) panels that move in sync with atmospheric music to display vibrant digital art. The display offers high-dynamic range capability with a wide color gamut and high contrast ratio that make it ideal for presenting eye-catching imagery, including generative content. Installation and panel alignment are simplified through a click-and-lock system, even when used on a 90-degree corner to create a seamless multi-side visual experience.

Once inside the booth, visitors can browse through multiple zones that exhibit various technologies and solutions suited to distinct commercial sectors.

MicroLED displays can be found throughout LG’s booth, including the new 136-inch Next Generation MicroLED and 118-inch All-in-One with a 0.6mm pixel pitch that can instantly turn any space into a captivating media experience. The MAGNIT MicroLED with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) will also be on display. This model delivers excellent low-grayscale performance, ensuring superior image clarity and enabling users to see exactly what’s happening during the darkest scenes. The MAGNIT MicroLED display is also certified for color consistency over a wide viewing angle.

In the Luxury Retail Zone, attendees can preview the impact of LG’s double-sided display that features an 86-inch LED for window viewing and a 75-inch LCD for customer messaging indoors, a retail concept display that leverages a 30-inch Transparent OLED display, a 55-inch Transparent OLED that offers unique content opportunities and a 37-inch Ultrawide Stretch display that enables banner or column messaging to maximize space utilization.

The tech immersion continues in the Café and Bakery Zone, where the brand shows additional applications for its Transparent OLED displays including a touch-capable model. Another highlight is the upcoming 79-inch Stretch display that offers a 1.5mm, 1.8mm or 2.5mm pixel pitch and 32:9 aspect ratio. This zone also features signage displays from 32 inches to 110 inches, as well as a 27-inch touchscreen kiosk for ordering and a 16-inch LG gram laptop ideal for backend employee needs including content control for displays.

In the Drive-Thru Zone, integrators can experience the sun-defying performance and resilience of LG’s high brightness outdoor displays that range from 22 inches to a bold new 86-inch model that offers 4K Ultra HD resolution and 3,300 nits of brightness, enabling a wide range of drive-thru ordering configurations.

The Education Zone shows how LG signage can be deployed for campus messaging alongside in-class learning technologies such as LG gram laptops and the popular 75-inch LG CreateBoard, a multi-touch digital whiteboard that offers educators enhanced content sharing capabilities and deeper student engagement.

Demonstrating solutions for office, campus or hospitality projects, the Meeting Room Zone presents a variety of large screen solutions including a 105-inch LCD model and a 171-inch LED All-in-One with stereo speakers, which each feature a 21:9 aspect ratio optimized for Microsoft Front Row. This is also where booth visitors can experience the amazing picture quality, color and impact of LG’s MAGNIT technology through a 136-inch All-in-One MicroLED model with a 0.7mm pixel pitch and a build-to-size model with a 0.9mm pixel pitch. An additional marine-grade DVLED display shows that LG is also addressing outdoor spaces, making it an ideal partner for even the most unique projects and needs.

In the Sports Bar Zone, LG shows how various digital displays can be implemented for messaging, entertainment and interactive experiences with its new high-brightness window facing 75-inch display, a 55-inch transparent OLED display, a touch-enabled 30-inch transparent OLED display, and a 65-inch UHD display.

The LG SHIELD Zone showcases LG’s new security platform for webOS 6.0 devices, a powerful cybersecurity system with five layers of protection, including Connected Service, Application, OS, System and Hardware. LG’s security platform is invaluable for any business utilizing digital signage, offering protection against a range of cyber threats including hacking, malicious software, ransomware, and more. This software is particularly crucial for businesses that share confidential data and information, as it helps safeguard against intellectual property infringement as well. This zone also highlights a sampling of LG’s latest commercial projection solutions.

Showing that LG has solutions that go beyond traditional display functions, the booth also highlights two versions of the new LG Level 2 EV Charger featuring enclosures by Melitron. One is outfitted with a 22-inch LG display, and the other with a 55-inch LG display, each offering owners messaging opportunities and the ability to develop new revenue streams through paid advertising.

Integrators familiar with LG know that the company’s platforms are a major part of its value and performance proposition, and visitors to the Software Solutions Zone can learn about the new LG Business Cloud, a multi-service SaaS cloud platform that provides integrators and business owners simple access to the powerful capabilities of LG ConnectedCare, LG Pro:Centric Cloud, LG Pro:Centric Stay and LG SuperSign Cloud.

Finally, LG’s 97-inch OLED and a 37-inch stretch displays highlights the “Better Life for All,” program, the company’s robust ESG (environment-social-governance) commitments to people and the planet. The program’s six key focus areas – carbon neutrality, circularity, clean technology, decent workplace, diversity & inclusion and design for all – align with ESG goals of major customers.

Learn more about what LG products to expect at the Step Into Spectacular InfoComm 2024 display booth here.

LG CreateBoard and IGEL Spearhead a Digital Signage Revolution

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Meet Your Digital Self, a Work for Humankind Project Released by Lenovo

Taylor Graham — Tue, 28 May 2024 15:00:08 +0000

Lenovo has launched the latest version of its Work For Humankind project, called ‘Meet Your Digital Self’. This initiative emphasizes the potential of smarter technology and AI to drive change and support mental health professionals in tackling the global youth mental health crisis. It addresses the challenges young people face due to the disconnect between their real and online lives, with 67% of Gen Z feeling this disparity leads to loneliness and anxiety. Despite 49% of Gen Z finding it easier to express themselves online, 60% wish they could have difficult conversations with family and loved ones in person.

Sarah Kendrick, Clinical Director at Mental Health Innovations, the charity running the UK’s Shout 24/7 text support service said, “One in eight people globally grapple with a mental health condition, with Gen Z experiencing the greatest impact, where that figure rises to one in five. The type of AI innovation in Lenovo’s ‘Meet Your Digital Self’ social experiment shows promise as a way in which generations with different understandings of online personas can meet and understand each other.”

In this first-of-its-kind social experiment, Lenovo pioneered the use of AI made possible by its broad portfolio of technology, from mobile phones and PCs to infrastructure, software, services, solutions, and cloud. The combined technology brought to life the entire online personas of two Gen Z project participants as lifelike avatars capable of having unscripted, natural conversation.

The experiment facilitated impactful, heartfelt conversations between the participants, their family members, and the avatars – conversations that might not have happened otherwise, in real life. The family members either didn’t know about their Gen Z participant’s online world or didn’t understand and accept it: be it their career choices or gender identity. By asking the digital avatars questions and having real-time conversations, each family member gained invaluable insights into their Gen Z loved one’s true self as expressed in the online world and were able to better understand and reconnect in real life. The project is a pioneering proof of concept demonstrating the positive impact technology can have in advancing positive change in the youth mental health epidemic, which has been worsened by their struggle to balance two distinct online and offline identities.

The 3D avatars not only resembled each participant but were built to be able to respond to real-time conversation – adjusting their tones, movements, and facial expressions based on the discussion. To do that the avatars were trained on data that came directly from each participant’s online persona.

According to new research from Lenovo, almost half (48%) of Gen Zs say talking to a trained professional would give them the confidence to talk more openly with the people they love in the real world.

In an effort to expand mental health support and resources for people in need, Lenovo has partnered with several organizations, such as Shout, a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service based in the UK; Crisis Text Line, a non-profit organization that provides free, 24/7 confidential text-based mental health support in both English and Spanish for anyone in the US and Puerto Rico; and Anata no Ibasho in Japan. These organizations train real people who are then supervised by mental health professional staff, offering support to millions in need.

The digital versions of the two Gen Z participants were created by weaving together data from across their social media, blog, and forum handles securely with their consent. The data was trained and tested, and the project designed and brought to life with Lenovo devices, services, software, servers, and cloud solutions. This is the first time ever that Lenovo solutions have come together to develop an avatar of this kind. Devices and solutions include Lenovo ThinkStation workstations; ThinkCentre desktop computers; Lenovo Legion, ThinkBook and Yoga laptops; Lenovo tablets; ThinkVision monitors and accessories; motorola razr smartphones; ThinkEdge SE450 Edge Server; AI Professional Services and Lenovo | Dropbox Cloud Storage.

“Technology can become the bridge that shortens distances, making powerful human-to-human connection faster and more accessible to people in moments of need,” said Dr. Shairi Turner, Chief Health Officer at Crisis Text Line. “Whether someone is in a classroom, at a family event, or lying awake at night, the power of a text conversation with another human offers solace in anonymity and compassion without judgement. It is truly brave to reach out for support.”

Crisis Text Line reports that more than 70% of its texters are under the age of 25. Its text-based service helps people of all ages but was specifically created for young people allowing for on-demand support through text message.

Anyone who sees themselves in these films, struggling to reconcile their online and offline identities and more deeply connect with their friends and family, or who simply needs advice on how to reach out to someone close to them, can reach out for support by messaging Shout (UK), Crisis Text Line (US), or Anata no Ibasho (Japan).

“We recognize the importance of achieving a healthy digital balance for our overall mental wellbeing,” commented Emily Ketchen, global vice president and CMO of Intelligent Devices Group and International Markets at Lenovo.“With huge advancements in AI and smarter technologies, now is the time to explore and pilot creative new ways to use technology like AI thoughtfully and responsibly, for the greater good. Lenovo is uniquely positioned to lead here thanks to having one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of smarter technology—from AI devices to IT solutions—that can work seamlessly together to benefit our society and the next generation. Ultimately, we hope that through our ‘Meet Your Digital Self’ social experiment we can spark meaningful conversations that contribute to the mental wellbeing of individuals and communities worldwide.”

Chinatsu Hoashi, Gen Z participant from Japan comments: “Taking part in the ‘Meet Your Digital Self’ social experiment has definitely helped strengthen relationships with my family. By using technology and AI, I was able to open up more and convey what I always wanted them know. This has had a positive impact on my mental health, as I can finally express feelings I have been avoiding telling people because I was too embarrassed.”

Oscar Jackson-Walsh, Gen Z participant from UK comments: “Taking part in this social experiment has helped me to become more confident and bridge the gap between myself and my online persona. It has also enabled me to have more open conversations with my family around my identity, which has not only made me feel more loved and accepted than ever before, but also less alone and anxious in a family space.”

About Work For Humankind

‘Meet Your Digital Self’ is the latest evolution of Lenovo’s Work For Humankind platform showcasing how technology brings people together for the greater good. What began in 2020 as a way to step into the daily lives of 10 young women driving change in their communities has evolved into a groundbreaking, multi-year movement that showcases technology as a catalyst for impact, from Robinson Crusoe Island to cities and countries around the globe. Work For Humankind delivers on Lenovo’s vision of creating Smarter Technology for All through world-changing innovations.

With ‘Meet Your Digital Self,’ Lenovo creates the next chapter in this exciting campaign and aims to create a meaningful conversation around the positive impact that technology can have on society’s wellbeing, including supporting mental health professionals.

Watch the ‘Meet Your Digital Self’ videos here at the website.

Integrated IGEL OS License Compatible Lenovo Devices Now Available

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BIC, LG’s Latest Business Innovation Center has Opened in New Jersey

Taylor Graham — Tue, 21 May 2024 14:00:35 +0000

LG Business Solutions USA has opened its newest Business Innovation Center (BIC), a remarkable 3,600-square-foot showroom located at LG Electronics’ North American headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

The new BIC center provides resellers, partners and customers with a one-stop technology showcase that demonstrates LG’s full portfolio of innovative commercial technologies and wide-ranging business solutions. This newest location joins LG Business Innovation Centers in Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles.

According to David Bacher, head of marketing at LG Business Solutions USA, the latest LG BIC assists business-to-business (B2B) partners and customers as they research and plan for the future of their workspaces, customer environments and commercial establishments.

“Our new LG BIC offers integrators and commercial customers a gallery-like experience where each awe-inspiring exhibit evokes new opportunities made possible by the latest LG innovations,” Bacher said, highlighting digital signage displays, DVLED solutions, projectors, gram laptops, edge computing products, IT solutions, EV chargers, CLOi autonomous mobile robots, medical displays and more. “We want this showroom to be a reference for technology professionals and businesses across the northeast as they consider new tech-enabled solutions and experiences for every location from hospitals and retail stores to restaurants and entertainment venues.”

Designed as a walk-through experience, BIC visitors are welcomed by LG’s full line of CLOi autonomous mobile robots including CarryBot, GuideBot and ServeBot, alongside an impressive wall-sized LG DVLED (direct-view light-emitting diode) display.

Continuing through the entrance, the next area houses numerous large-scale LG DVLED displays demonstrating a variety of sophistication and use cases including a 217-inch UHD-quality MAGNIT display that leverages a colorful mosaic of Micro LED chips to deliver stunning images with vivid colors, breathtaking contrast, and ultra-fine detail. A number of All-in-One DVLED models up to 163 inches in size show how easy it can be to add a large, dramatic canvas to any space with built-in processing and stereo speakers that simplify design and installation.

Visitors then proceed to the EV charger section to learn how multiple models of LG’s recently-launched electric vehicle charging stations suit commercial charging needs for various B2B customers from hotels and restaurants to hospitals and schools to stadiums and offices.

The nearby computing area offers hands-on experience with LG gram laptops ranging from 11 inches to 17 inches and a large variety of IT and desktop solutions including monitors up to 49 inches with 4K and ultrawide options, thin client all-in-ones and thin client boxes for flexible edge computing.

LG’s commercial line of ProBeam and CineBeam projectors is the next visible display, which sits directly across from a dedicated room for digital signage that demonstrates how LG’s catalog has something for every need and every location. The digital signage exhibit includes LCD displays up to 110 inches, LG Ultrastretch displays with aspect ratios up to 58:9 to bring unused and leftover space to life, a 4K Gallery OLED display, outdoor-rated displays and the amazing LG Transparent OLED display that opens up new worlds of creativity.

The next stop shows off LG’s growing family of medical solutions. It features a variety of digital displays including diagnostic monitors, radiology monitors, surgical monitors and computer monitors with special features such as unique aspect ratios for optimized viewing of medical images and documents. This space also highlights LG’s line of portable DXD X-ray detectors that deliver clear images and enhanced convenience through a long-lasting battery and durable design.

The BIC’s final section demonstrates why LG is the leading television provider to the U.S. lodging and hospitality industry, showing off a variety of commercial-grade Smart Hotel TVs in 55- and 75-inch sizes with up to 4K Ultra HD resolution. Each model includes the powerful LG Pro:Centric Smart platform that enables use of modern solutions including content streaming and interface customization. Plus, LG hotel TVs are now equipped with Alexa for Hospitality and Apple Airplay capabilities to bring the comfort and convenience of home to the hotel experience.

“The NJ BIC is a technological playground for integrators to show clients the vast possibilities offered by implementing LG commercial technologies, and to experience how they truly look, feel and operate to aid their decisions and generate excitement about making new investments,” Bacher said. “We’re excited to build on the success of our Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta BICs to give northeast businesses all the information and experience they need to outfit their next forward-looking school, store, attraction, restaurant, transit hub, hospital ward or any other public location with class-leading technologies.”

The new BIC is a centerpiece of the LG North American Headquarters Innovation Campus, which is a showcase for environmentally friendly design, having achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, the highest-level rating that distinguishes buildings that promote employee well-being, are energy and water efficient, and preserve open space and ecosystems. The campus is one of only 10 new construction buildings in New Jersey to earn the LEED Platinum distinction.

The 350,000-square-foot building’s design has been applauded by conservation groups for protecting the iconic vistas and integrity of the nearby Palisades Park, a national natural and historic landmark. For the new corporate campus, which had a pandemic opening in 2020, LG created 50 percent more green space on the 27-acre site, maintained woodlands and wetlands and planted more than 1,500 new trees native to New Jersey.

For more information about the NJ BIC and the other sites, visit the website here.

Healthcare Technologies Improve Staff and Patient Experiences with LG

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Glia Cortex Launched; Responsible AI Platform Built for Financial Institutions

Taylor Graham — Mon, 20 May 2024 16:01:57 +0000

Glia introduced Glia Cortex, the first responsible AI platform tailored for the financial services sector. Glia Cortex allows financial institutions to utilize AI that is secure, reliable, and provides tangible returns on investment for customer service and contact centers. This platform enhances efficiency, reduces wait times, and improves the experience for both customers and agents.

“Financial institutions are looking to AI to modernize and create efficiencies in their contact centers, however they have been rightfully cautious as significant questions around safety, privacy, and business and reputational risks associated with adopting AI remain,” explained Jay Choi, CPO for Glia. “Glia Cortex unleashes the benefits of AI and generative AI while maintaining proper, steady guardrails to keep data private and secure. We’ve made it possible to deploy AI without introducing risk, providing responsible technology that institutions and their customers can trust.”

Glia Cortex empowers financial institutions to transform their contact center with AI by automating customer interactions, increasing agent productivity and enabling deeper visibility for managers. Because Glia Cortex seamlessly and safely embeds AI throughout Glia’s Unified Interaction Management platform, it is easily adopted and presents immediate value.

Key components of Glia Cortex include:

Customer AI: Turnkey AI assistants that automate and elevate customer interactions in any channel, from digital properties to traditional phone calls. These assistants automate up to 65% of customer interactions.
Agent AI: AI and generative AI tools for agents that automate and streamline existing workflows, improving productivity by 20%+.
Manager AI: AI-powered tools for managers that deliver deeper insights, helping them better understand agent teams, why customers are reaching out and how to improve service.

Service 1st Federal Credit Union has partnered with Glia to introduce responsible AI into their contact center. Sarah Zinga, AVP of Digital Services for the credit union, said, “How do I improve my credit score? What is my current balance? With Glia, we have been able to leverage AI to help us automate these simple calls and free up our agents’ time for when the human touch is really needed, and ultimately provide the best member experience for what our Service 1st members expect.”

Glia Cortex improves operational efficiencies, reduces average handle times and redundancies and unifies reporting. It allows institutions to speed onboarding time and lower training costs. Customers benefit from the technology as well, gaining always-on, self-service capabilities across all channels with the ability to seamlessly transfer to a human agent, without having to reauthenticate or repeat their issue over and over again.

This launch is the latest in a powerful innovation drumbeat from Glia, including the recent announcement of Unified Interaction Management to challenge the CCaaS paradigm, and a generative AI solution that allows financial institutions to launch, manage and measure AI across digital and voice.

To learn more about Glia Cortex, visit the website here.

What Will Drive Mobile Financial Services’ Growth? Report Released

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TopicLake Policy Insights Began Proving its Role in Simplifying Federal Regulations

Taylor Graham — Tue, 14 May 2024 17:30:29 +0000

In a remarkable demonstration of dedication to improving regulatory transparency, Gadget Software Inc., a leader in AI-driven data analysis solutions, has unveiled its newest product, TopicLake Policy Insights. This innovative service has quickly gained traction, garnering over 50,000 users worldwide in just 50 days, underscoring its essential role in simplifying regulations for all the various federal agencies.

Launched in mid-March, TopicLake Policy Insights provides daily updates on new regulations, offering users over 15 million unique insights about policies covering the past four years. By the end of the year, this service aims to expand its coverage to include 24 years of policy insights, making it an indispensable tool for professionals and individuals alike seeking to navigate the complexities of federal regulations.

Key Features of TopicLake Policy Insights include:

Daily Regulation Updates: Stay informed with the latest insights on new and existing regulations.
Comprehensive Coverage: Access insights from four years of policies, with plans to expand to 24 years by year-end.
User-Friendly Interface: Designed with feedback from users who prefer simpler regulation language and the ability to navigate multiple regulations and agencies in one place.
Mobile Accessibility: Tailored for users who prefer accessing information on mobile devices.

Additionally, Gadget Software has announced a feature update for TopicLake Policy Alerts, scheduled for Q3. This update will introduce notifications about agencies enacting or proposing new regulations, with customizable options for users to choose which agencies they want to track.

“Our goal with TopicLake Policy Insights was to demystify the complexities of federal regulations, making them accessible and manageable,” said Maxwell Riggsbee, Jr., Founder and Chief Product Officer of Gadget Software. “Reaching this user milestone so quickly not only validates our solution but also reinforces our commitment to continuously improve and expand our offerings.”

To explore how TopicLake Policy Insights can transform your understanding of federal regulations, visit the website here. www.topiclake.com.

MCPTT T-Mobile Mission Critical Push-to-Talk Launched

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Improving Pediatric Mental Health Care in the Digital Age

Hari Prasad — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 15:59:49 +0000

Children are now born into a digital world, so it’s natural for there to be concerns about the detrimental effects of social media, on a child’s mental health. Studies have shown a correlation between increased social media use and symptoms of depression, anxiety, cyberbullying, sleep disturbance, and other behavioral problems among young adults. Given these alarming findings, the role of a pediatrician has never been more critical in identifying and addressing these issues and safeguarding the well-being of their young patients.

The Complexities of Screening for Mental Health Issues

Screening young people for mental health needs is a delicate process that requires a nuanced approach. Pediatricians are required to navigate the delicate balance between probing for personal, social, and clinical information while creating a safe, non-judgmental environment where children feel comfortable sharing their concerns candidly. As an example, many children are reluctant to disclose the extent of their social media activity, their feelings, their interactions, episodes of bullying, etc. especially if they fear that their parents or caregivers may react negatively to their candid answers.

A new wave of screening and triage tools can help providers identify children who may need additional support or confidential services. These tools can be integrated into the pre-arrival check-in process or telehealth platforms, allowing patients to disclose sensitive information privately before their appointment. Some studies have shown that patients are more forthcoming on a remote pre-arrival questionnaire than when they are speaking one-on-one with their doctors or in front of their guardians.

Challenges in Obtaining Honest Answers

One of the significant challenges pediatricians have to grapple with is obtaining honest and accurate information from their young patients. Their reluctance stems from not wanting to share personal information with an adult, but also a fear that their parents might gain access to that information. This can include instances of depression, sexual activity, substance abuse, social media addiction, and domestic violence. This makes it essential for pediatricians to build trust and rapport with the children and their families.

The Role of Multiple Stakeholders in Children’s Health

When addressing the impact of social media and mental health on children, it’s crucial to recognize that pediatricians are just one of the vital stakeholders. Schools, religious institutions, sports teams, special needs programs and other community organizations all play a significant role in shaping a child’s well-being and social media usage. As we say, “It takes a village,” but oftentimes disparate objectives & goals being followed by these stakeholders can cause friction when it comes to a child’s care such as the coach who believes a doctor is too abundantly cautious in suggesting when a child can safely return to the sport.

Ways Technology Can Help

Direct, open communication: These allow minors to communicate directly and privately with their providers removing the barrier that a guardian might present.
Patient Privacy and Confidentiality: Healthcare organizations need to ensure that their systems and processes comply with privacy regulations like HIPAA. This includes implementing robust security measures to protect sensitive patient data, as well as providing clear privacy policies and consent forms for patients and their parents about how information may be shared with others.
Secure Communication Channels: Offering telehealth services requires secure and encrypted communication channels to protect the confidentiality of patient-provider interactions. This could involve implementing video conferencing platforms with end-to-end encryption or secure messaging systems for text-based communication.
Separation of Patient Records: Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems should have the capability to separate and restrict access to certain parts of a patient’s record based on sensitivity and age. This would allow young patients to have private conversations with healthcare providers without their parents having automatic access to that information.
Age-appropriate Interfaces: Pre-arrival check-in and patient portals should be designed with age-appropriate interfaces and language to ensure that young patients can understand and navigate the system comfortably. This could involve simplified interfaces, visual cues, and clear explanations of confidentiality policies.

Conclusion

Addressing the complex interplay between social media usage, mental health, and overall well-being in minors require a collaborative and multi-faceted approach. While pediatricians play a crucial role in screening for mental health issues and providing medical guidance, it’s essential to recognize the influence of all the other stakeholders in a child’s life, including schools, religious institutions, sports teams, and community organizations.

By working together and fostering open appropriate communication among all stakeholders, we can create a supportive and nurturing environment that empowers children to make informed decisions about their social media usage, prioritize their mental health, and thrive in today’s digital world.

In addition, by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, pediatricians have the digital tools they need to navigate the complexities of modern healthcare and address the unique challenges posed by social media. To learn more about how these technologies can improve pediatric care, visit the Yosi Health website here.

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IT Expense Management Costs 5X Less When Fully Outsourced

Taylor Graham — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:00:58 +0000

A recent Vanson Bourne study, commissioned by Tangoe, reveals that fully outsourced IT Expense Management (ITEM) solutions achieve faster results at significantly lower costs, demonstrating a fivefold reduction.

The study surveyed 500 IT and finance decision-makers from the US and the UK to explore their IT expense management practices. The research explored three approaches to IT expense management: fully in-house, fully external (third-party solution), and hybrid (a mixture of in-house and external solutions). Read the research report.

“As sprawling technologies and inflation consume larger proportions of corporate IT budgets, business leaders are growing increasingly concerned about their ability to sustainably innovate, including tracking spending, governing expenses, and stretching their IT budgets,” said Becky Carr, chief marketing officer at Tangoe. “FinOps programs mature quickly and yield faster time to insights and savings when leveraging a managed solution.”

ITEM Required for GenAI Success

Cloud infrastructure has been dominating IT spending trends due to recent accelerations in digital transformation and because it serves as the underlying enabler for AI innovation and new GenAI platforms. As the data reveals, financial management is central in safeguarding business continuity and innovation performance, especially when cloud spending will soon drain +50% of IT budgets and is only expected to grow with increasing GenAI adoption.

“AI can trigger unpredictable cloud costs, which is why ITEM software and services are being used to ensure innovation doesn’t drive a hidden layer of technical debt,” said Carr.

The findings spotlight the complexity of IT financial management and what’s at risk without it:

When it comes to tech sprawl there’s no end in sight. Respondents predict double-digit spending increases over the next couple of years with cloud infrastructure (20%) and software (16%) investments leading the way. Additional investments in mobile and telecom technologies aren’t far behind.
Business continuity and operational performance are at stake. Late payments cause 85% of organizations to experience outages in their cloud, mobile, and telecom services.
Managing services and expenses is growing increasingly complex. On average organizations handle 39 IT service providers with 60-80 employees involved in overseeing them.
Data analytics are among the top three challenges for in-house ITEM programs. Given the growing number of cloud applications and mobile devices in use today most companies can’t get past the first, most basic phase – applying advanced analytics and turning data into actionable insights.

The Value of a Fully Managed Service

In addition to putting context around the urgency and challenges associated with financial management, the study also reveals the advantage of using a fully managed service for IT expense management:

Businesses with either a fully outsourced or hybrid solution experience process efficiency and productivity gains (90%), faster time to business insights (88%), and faster time to cost savings (88%).
Only 66% of in-house programs deliver results within the first month, while 81% of fully outsourced solutions deliver results within the same timeframe.
Ninety-four percent (94%) of organizations using a third-party to manage IT expenses, also have a dedicated FinOps practice. Additionally, having a FinOps program leads to 20-28% lower spending across cloud infrastructure and cloud software.

The faster a company can find new ways to save and capitalize on those opportunities, the more money it can save to offset the cost of an ITEM service or reinvest into overstretched IT budgets. Eliminating manual processes and ingesting information with AI automation are essential to reducing the administrative work of data compilation and speeding up the time to savings. Fully managed services can make a meaningful difference by helping clients both find opportunities and act on them.

Learn more about Tangoe’s IT Expense Management (ITEM) solutions at the website here.

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Oracle Climate Change Analytics Cloud Service Announced

Taylor Graham — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:00:48 +0000

Financial institutions face mounting regulatory demands to understand their environmental footprint and that of the companies they finance or invest in, termed financed emissions. To aid banks in assessing climate risk more effectively, Oracle has unveiled Oracle Climate Change Analytics Cloud Service. This innovative reporting and analytics platform, equipped with AI capabilities, aims to assist financial institutions in comprehending financed emissions, addressing statutory compliance, and mitigating risks associated with climate change.

“While banks work on climate-related financial risks that could affect them directly through their operations, they also need to be cognizant of their effect on climate indirectly through the businesses they finance. This dual responsibility requires the critical management of both risk and their own Net Zero commitments, which demands a significant effort from banks,” said Jason Wynne, global vice president for finance, risk, and compliance product development, Oracle Financial Services. “Oracle Climate Change Analytics Cloud Service enables financial institutions to calculate, and analyze the impact of their carbon emissions, as well as climate targets on current and planned investments to get a full picture of the bank’s resiliency and risk around climate change.”

According to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report, the global average atmospheric carbon dioxide in 2023 set a new record high at 419.3 parts per million. The Financial Stability Board (FSB) adds that “These risks are global in nature, and will have effects across all entities, sectors, and economies….the breadth of climate-related risks – including their possible simultaneous occurrence across multiple jurisdictions and sectors – also has implications for the resilience of the financial system.”

With climate-related risks on the rise, it’s imperative that banks can better understand and account for the impact of their holistic portfolio of assets from both a regulatory and business strategy perspective. With pre-built calculation models and dashboards, the service can help save banks time and effort, address global climate change reporting requirements, and incorporate climate risk into their future risk and investment decisions.

‘Climate Risk’ assessment made easier
Banks are challenged to comply with multiple frameworks across several jurisdictions, and collecting and storing the data necessary to meet these requirements can be daunting. This is especially true when dealing with large and complex global customers. With built-in AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools Climate Change Analytics can scour the internet for publicly available information about climate change initiatives by companies that the bank has invested in, which can aid in their overall assessment of climate risk.

Also according to CDP, a leader in aggregating global climate disclosures on banks’ portfolios, portfolio emissions are over 700x larger than direct emissions – and the risks of inaction are huge. Financial institutions must urgently decarbonize their portfolios, by disclosing the impact of their financing activities, setting science-based targets, and aligning all financing activity with the Paris Agreement.

Oracle’s new cloud service enables financial institutions to calculate emissions across various asset classes and jurisdictions. This encompasses not only greenhouse gas emissions across an organization’s operations and value chain but also financed and facilitated emissions from its customers. This allows for the computation of a climate rating at a counterparty level across the bank’s customer portfolio and incorporates climate change risk into other risk-management functions, such as project planning and risk audits and analysis.

Key feature capabilities of Oracle’s Climate Change Analytics Cloud Service include:

Performing carbon accounting by calculating greenhouse gas emissions based on The GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard.
Calculating and disclosing emission numbers for financed, facilitated, and avoided emissions and emissions removal based on the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials guidelines.
Integrating climate risk into overall enterprise risk and investment decision-making with an in-house Climate Scorecard framework, probability of default (PD) and loss given default (LGD) models, and heatmaps.
Accessing more than 100 prebuilt, cross-jurisdictional climate change reporting disclosures, analytics, and visualizations to address requirements for standards boards and regulators.
Using advanced analysis to source, configure, store, and analyze customer climate change data with rich data models for analytics.
Helping to reduce IT investment with cloud-native technology that can meet the ever-changing climate change reporting requirements.

Learn more about Oracle Climate Change Analytics Cloud Service, visit the website here.

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Cirrus by Panasonic 2.0 Launched its New Platform to Manage V2X Operations

Taylor Graham — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:00:10 +0000

During ITS America, Panasonic introduces its latest platform, Cirrus 2.0, as part of its Cirrus by Panasonic initiative. This enhanced platform offers a comprehensive, seamlessly integrated approach to managing vehicle-to-everything (V2X) ecosystems. Designed to meet the needs of state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and commercial fleet operators, Panasonic’s Cirrus platform provides an extensive industry-leading cloud toolkit. This technology aims to enhance roadway mobility and provide critical information to improve safety and help save lives. Currently, select U.S. state DOTs and fleet operators are utilizing Cirrus by Panasonic to oversee V2X operations across numerous infrastructure devices on highways and intersections. These operations support various essential vehicles, including snowplows, emergency response vehicles, transit buses, and maintenance fleets.

Key features of Cirrus by Panasonic 2.0 include:

Interoperability between advanced capabilities of V2X systems and traditional transportation information
Management platform using intelligent data collection to enable advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) insights
A completely redesigned user experience (UX) which incorporates requests and suggestions from the Cirrus user base to streamline the way V2X systems are accessed by both fleet and roadway infrastructure operations staff

“With the launch of Cirrus 2.0, Panasonic applies learnings drawn from over seven years of statewide V2X technology installations, deployment, and platform engagements to bring technical and practical improvements directly to our entire user base,” said Rob Zimmer, Director Cirrus, Panasonic Smart Mobility Office. “Our new platform features align with the U.S.DOT and Federal Highway Administration primary V2X deployment goals, and customers know that Cirrus 2.0 can help them achieve the same goals on their roadways.”

Resolving V2X Interoperability
Operating as a “data broker” between various connected systems and core Cirrus applications, Cirrus seamlessly manages the variations in data elements produced by connected systems (such as different units of measurement, naming conventions, etc.) and variations in the contextual factors of IoT platforms operating in very different domains (such as how traffic signal data might differ dramatically from utility work order systems). By handling these domain specific data translations independently, Cirrus 2.0 allows many different tools to “talk” to connected vehicles in a consistent way. It also uses automation to reduce the cognitive load of users and expand the range of source data available for connected vehicle safety and mobility solutions.

Scaling V2X Data Management
Cirrus 2.0 simplifies the platform’s data architecture for scalability and implements patent pending V2X data processing capabilities at ingestion points to eliminate data waste, data noise, and improve redundancy. Cirrus 2.0 implements on-demand load balancing across the platform to manage the variability of data ingestion from different IoT systems, each with its own data flow characteristics; for example, some data volumes follow traffic demand with morning and evening peak times while others are incident or weather dependent and can spike suddenly. The Cirrus 2.0 platform offers our patent pending technique for reducing duplication in raw data without giving up any detail from the data, which allows up to 50% reduction in post-ingestion pipeline volumes for some data sources, that can reduce costs and improve platform performance.

Improved User Experience
V2X deployments require highly flexible and customizable user interfaces to effectively meet workflow needs, and the Cirrus 2.0 UX focuses on data ecosystem access. Distributed dashboard and reporting tools with mobile device support, combined with SQL-based research functionality provides customers with both unrestricted access to the data and clear visual workflows. In addition, Cirrus 2.0 insights are designed to be integrated directly into existing applications already in place. By providing easy to attach application programming interfaces, Cirrus 2.0 now delivers insights, warnings, and configuration options directly into the existing workflows of your staff. This minimizes re-training of users, embeds V2X capabilities into existing incident response formulas, and brings collected V2X data to roadway operators seamlessly.

The new Cirrus 2.0 platform also includes enhanced incident detection, with tools for leveraging connected vehicle data in different operating environments. It uses an advanced data architecture with insights that can be shared across a variety of information systems. Additionally, its health monitoring capabilities have been refined and enhanced to improve system uptime, and the efficacy of a deployment from a cost management perspective – user device recovery operations can be completed remotely and automatically by Cirrus 2.0, reducing the potential for costly field repairs.

For more information about Cirrus by Panasonic, visit the website here.

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Hospitality Industry Receives AI-Driven Solutions with Ruckus Networks

Taylor Graham — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:00:38 +0000

CommScope introduced a new suite of RUCKUS Networks solutions tailored to enhance operational efficiency, sustainability, and brand loyalty within the hospitality industry, available for immediate implementation.

The turn-key suite builds on RUCKUS Networks’ worldwide leadership in hotel Wi-Fi®—offering solutions that work in harmony to deliver personalized and elevated guest experiences across hospitality industry brands and locations. It features the latest AI-driven Wi-Fi 7 solutions for providing the latest high-performance services, and simplifies technology deployment at scale, using AI-driven cloud-based management and assurance to drive operational efficiency across owners, service providers, integrators, and IT managers at properties.

“Loews Hotels is a family-owned brand of 26 luxury hotels and resorts that’s obsessed with delivering the most amazing experience to every guest,” stated Clayton Melson, Senior Communications Manager, Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando. “We’re continuously optimizing our network using recommendations made by RUCKUS AI. We’ve deployed AI-driven RUCKUS wired and Wi-Fi solutions throughout our properties to tailor each guest’s connectivity experience to perfection. With RUCKUS AI, we’ve significantly improved our IT efficiency by reducing mean time to identification (MTTI) by 80% and mean time to resolution (MTTR) by 70%. From proactive network management to personalized bandwidth allocation, our AI-driven approach ensures that every guest is delighted.”

The suite delivers the purpose-built features that are specific to the hospitality industry and tailored to the needs of the various hospitality stakeholders including:

Identity-based differentiated experiences: Depending on their loyalty level as per the property management system (PMS), a guest could be offered certain rewards or benefits without any extra charge, i.e., premium Wi-Fi connectivity for specified status or higher-level guests.
Brand Compliance RUCKUS One Hospitality Edition provides a suite of features that deliver 360-degree brand report cards covering brand specific policy compliance, network health and guest experience.
Industry-aligned License Management: Ownership and on-going management of licenses as it relates to the industry. Licenses are owned by property/ownership groups. Licenses are handled accordingly when property/ownership group change brand and/or LSP/Integrators.

“We are proud that our customer complaints around Wi-Fi disruptions have reduced by 90% since relying on RUCKUS AI. Praise and formal surveys indicate an overall increase in guest satisfaction around excellent Wi-Fi connectivity across our entire property throughout guests’ stays,” noted Miguel Fonseca, IT Systems Manager, Royal Garden Hotel. He further added, “With RUCKUS AI, approximate calculation suggests that our cost to handle an incident has reduced by 75%. RUCKUS AI offers us recommendations to continuously optimize our network, something we used to do on an ad-hoc basis. RUCKUS AI has truly enabled us to deliver a ROYAL experience.”

Joseph Martin, Vice President, Product Management for Single Digits Inc., commented, “RUCKUS Solutions have empowered us to provide innovative services that delight hotel guests and enhance their brand loyalty. The hospitality-focused RUCKUS AI platform has given us detailed visibility, with a primary goal of ensuring amazing guest experiences across all managed properties while also streamlining our operations. In numerous instances, RUCKUS’s AI technology has enabled us to proactively address issues, eliminating the necessity for helpdesk tickets.”

The RUCKUS Networks hospitality suite features the following solutions:

RUCKUS One Hospitality Edition: AI-driven, Converged Network Assurance and Business Intelligence platform tailored to the hospitality industry that helps to drive global brand standards and increase brand loyalty. For example, when guests are greeted with a room set to their portfolio preferences, it results in increased brand loyalty.
RUCKUS® Wi-Fi 7 Solutions: including the high-performance R770 Access Point and the new R670 Access Point—RUCKUS’ first AI driven Wi-Fi 7 AP for mainstream deployments.
RUCKUS AI: delivering robust service assurance for IT and business intelligence to hospitality organizations.
Hospitality Gateway by RUCKUS Networks: WAN gateway enabling simple and affordable deployment of a unified hospitality services solution—delivering features that maximize revenue, increase guest loyalty, provide actionable user information, and improve property-wide employee efficiency.
RUCKUS IoT Suite: empowering the hospitality industry to deliver exceptional guest experiences, improve operational efficiency, enhance staff productivity, safety and security and thus remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

“The RUCKUS suite of hospitality solutions is purpose driven to meet two of the biggest needs in the hospitality industry: improving brand loyalty and operational efficiency,” stated Bart Giordano, SVP and president, Networking, Intelligent Cellular & Security Solutions, CommScope. “We’ve leveraged AI, Wi-Fi 7, and our proven cloud-native network management and assurance solutions to make it easier than ever to deliver amazing guest experiences; scale that experience across services, brands, and locations; and create new efficiencies that span the entire value delivery chain. In other words, it’s never been easier or more cost-effective to deliver and maintain the best digital hospitality experiences.”

For more information on the RUCKUS Networks suite of solutions for the hospitality industry, please visit the RUCKUS Networks website.

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