Five Key Sectors That Will See A Transformation With 5G Technology

 

By Mr. Preetham Uthaiah, EVP - Marketing and Strategy, Saankhya Labs

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a long lockdown, which has spurred a digital transformation in the economy. Education has gone truly digital with the advent of online classes and exams, doctors are providing consultations online, meetings are being conducted via video conferencing platforms and even international trade exhibitions have shifted to online webinars and events. As a result of this digital transformation, internet usage has surged extensively putting immense pressure on existing communication networks. A reliable and robust 5G communication network can help industries maximize this digital transformation. The SLA’s (service level agreements) and QoS (quality of service) that need to be met for some of the time-critical applications can be accommodated using 5G technology with some of its advanced features such as ‘Slicing’ and low latency communication that ensures that real-time communication happens without getting affected by the traffic loads.

Here are some key sectors that are bound to benefit from a 5G driven digital transformation -

1. Healthcare

The healthcare industry will immensely benefit from 5G networks. With increasing use of online consultations and tele-medicine, a reliable and faster connection is critical to effectively deliver remote healthcare services. The low latency and faster speeds which are a main feature of 5G will help in time critical telemedicine applications such as remote surgery and remote patient monitoring etc. Hospitals also transmit large amounts of patient data including large files like CT Scans and MRIs. Some hospitals like King’s College Hospital, UK; Sinchuan University Hospital, China and Samsung Medical Centre, South Korea are installing private Enterprise 5G solutions to support their IT networks.

2. Agriculture

In this emerging technological world, scientific farming techniques are being used to boost productivity in farms. These include use of Agri-IoT sensors for soil monitoring, water management, smart irrigation, crop health monitoring, drone-based farm management etc. Deployment of 5G networks will provide added benefit to manage these drones and get real time data from the sensors by effectively using the 5G networks

3. Construction

The real estate sector, which has for long been known for its offline operations, is set to transform itself with the advent of 5G technology. In its new avatar, virtual property tours using AR/VR technologies, as well as 3D printed models of homes will be a reality in aiding digital marketing and sale of properties. Powered by stable and fast networks with lower latency, 5G will also ensure the smooth functioning of various stages of the design process to include 3D architectural visualization and collaborative meetings with various stakeholders.

4. Auto

5G brings with it unprecedented speed and connectivity to make autonomous, or self-driving cars a reality. An autonomous car is expected to produce up to 25 GB data per hour. Current networks will not be able to handle such large volumes of real-time data. 5G networks will allow faster-than-ever communication and real-time data processing between vehicles, networks, infrastructure and even pedestrians.

5. Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector is becoming more and more autonomous. High speed connectivity is needed to monitor and direct robots working on the factory floor. Additionally, many factories are becoming more “smart” with IoT sensors being installed across the factory, sharing real-time updates to a central server. 5G technologies can provide network characteristics that are vital for the manufacturing industry. This technology will allow for increased flexibility, lower costs, and smaller lead times for layout changes and alterations at the manufacturing units, factory floor production reconfiguration etc. Large organizations like Worchester Bosch, Siemens, Ford Motors etc. are deploying enterprise 5G networks to streamline their operations. 5G is poised to aid manufacturing/production operations, helping them become more efficient, while also refining security and reducing maintenance and operating costs.

Hailed as an upcoming tech revolution, 5G promises advantages that will touch every aspect of our lives, from healthcare to education to products and services we buy and beyond!

L&T Technology Services Expands Collaboration with Microsoft to Offer Solutions for Workplace Transformation

L&T Technology Services Limited (BSE: 540115, NSE: LTTS), a leading global pure-play engineering services company, today announced that it has expanded its collaboration with Microsoft Corporation and launched its latest and enhanced version of the state-of-the-art i-BEMSTM solution on Microsoft Azure to transform buildings into future-ready smart campuses.

With growing digital transformation, there has been a clear impetus on the need for organizations to revamp their office premises to be eco-friendly, taking into consideration sustainability aspects including greenhouse gas and carbon emissions. Another important aspect for office and facility administrators today is to find balance in their buildings to ensure health, safety and wellbeing of their workforce.

LTTS’ award-winning Intelligent Building Experience Management System i-BEMSTM is a system-of-systems solution that focuses on creating digital experiences and intelligent space management. The cloud-based smart buildings/campus/spaces solution helps monitor and manage building operations and optimize business metrics leveraging advanced IoT based Edge Analytics and machine learning algorithms.

i-BEMS™ uses advanced energy analytics and fault diagnostics for energy savings, and net-zero energy compliance. i-BEMSTM has enterprise-grade security features and can create a digital twin to test changes in a virtual build of the building.

LTTS has earlier collaborated with Microsoft to develop a smart campus in Israel for a leading technology company. The two companies have also partnered to leverage  Azure IoT platform for Sustainability solutions and connect with Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service to enable real-time optimization, improve ROI and employee productivity for Facility Management and Operations globally. In 2018, LTTS furthered their working relationship with Microsoft by setting up a Digital Industrial Transformation Applied Innovation Centre for shared enterprise customers.

The current expanded collaboration leverages Azure to enable i-BEMSTM to act as a Facility Information Broker, unifying data from all systems making the building/campus a single entity rather than a heterogeneous collection of systems focused on employee health and safety and preservation of the immediate environment.

Experts from LTTS and Microsoft also shared the latest best practices on the holistic approach for enterprises planning eco-friendly and safe smart buildings, which can be read here: Smart buildings: From design to reality.

Alind Saxena, Chief Business Officer - Transportation & Alliances, L&T Technology Services said, “With digital transformation, enterprises are also increasingly focusing on finding sustainable ways to grow, while protecting the planet and its resources. Another important determinant for companies is maintaining employee safety and wellbeing within a building by reducing resource usage and improving operational efficiency. i-BEMS covers the best practices from designing to construction to operations for enterprises planning environmentally friendly and socially responsible smart building projects. We are excited to further expand our partnership leveraging Microsoft Azure IoT & Edge technology to serve enterprise customers with industry-leading solutions.”

Sanjay Jacob, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation said, “As a leader in engineering solutions for smart and sustainable campuses, LTTS’ Smart Building solutions enable modern workplaces by leveraging cutting-edge Microsoft Azure IoT, Edge & AI technology. Employee safety, energy-efficiency and sustainability is the need of the hour and LTTS delivers an integrated, advanced Azure based Smart Building solution for global enterprises to deploy smart and sustainable campuses. The whitepaper provides an excellent template with the most current best practices for enterprises to go from design to reality of their smart buildings.”

About L&T Technology Services Ltd

L&T Technology Services Limited (LTTS) is a listed subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited focused on Engineering and R&D (ER&D) services. We offer consultancy, design, development and testing services across the product and process development life cycle. Our customer base includes 69 Fortune 500 companies and 53 of the world’s top ER&D companies, across industrial products, medical devices, transportation, telecom & hi-tech, and the process industries. Headquartered in India, we have over 16,600 employees spread across 17 global design centers, 28 global sales offices and 51 innovation labs as of June 30, 2020.

Healthcare IT Leader Supports Medical Communities and Migrant Labourers During COVID-19

emids, a leader in digital engineering and transformation solutions to the healthcare industry, donated essential equipment to healthcare professionals leading the charge against COVID-19 at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Center.

The company’s Bangalore-based teams provided 300 PPE (personal protective equipment) kits, 300 N95 masks, and food for nearly 60 members of the hospital’s COVID-19 response team for 30 days, through a contribution of INR 8 lakhs.

“As a healthcare IT leader, we understand how important it is for patients to access the right quality of care and at the right time. Doctors and medical professionals are working tirelessly to provide such care in the wake of COVID-19, while placing their own health at risk. Our contributions to Bangalore Medical College and Research Center are a way of thanking and empowering the healthcare community in their fight against this disease,” says Saurabh Sinha, Founder & CEO of emids.

emids also donated INR 20 lakhs to provide food and rations to 3,000 families of migrant labourers and daily wage workers, who were severely affected by the nation-wide lockdown. The company partnered with ‘Smiles for All’, an initiative by a group of volunteers to help the marginalized communities during the lockdown, and with Kaushalya Foundation, a non-profit working to empower the resource-poor in India, to reach out to those in dire need.

Sumit Gandhi, Chief Delivery Officer at emids, explains, “COVID-19 and the resulting lockdown in India created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. It affected lakhs of members from economically vulnerable communities. As a responsible corporate citizen, emids decided to help them by supporting food relief programs organized by Smiles for All and Kaushalya Foundation.”

emids has consistently supported community welfare programs in the area of healthcare and education, while pursuing business goals. The company has witnessed rapid growth in the last two decades, fueled by technology investments that are driving digital change in healthcare. emids’ teams based out of Bangalore and Hyderabad solve some of the toughest problems in global healthcare IT and augment the company’s digital engineering capabilities.

About emids

emids is a leading provider of digital transformation solutions to the healthcare industry, serving payers, providers, life sciences, and technology firms. Headquartered in Nashville, emids helps bridge critical gaps in providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare by providing digital transformation services, custom application development, data engineering, business intelligence solutions, and specialized consulting services to all parts of the healthcare ecosystem. With over 2,200 professionals globally, emids leverages strong domain expertise in healthcare-specific platforms, regulations, and standards to provide tailored, cutting-edge solutions and services to its clients. 

SAP Appoints Kulmeet Bawa as President and Managing Director of Indian Subcontinent

SAP SE has announced the appointment of Kulmeet Bawa as President and Managing Director for SAP Indian Subcontinent, effective July 20, 2020. Kulmeet will be responsible for driving and delivering an exceptional SAP experience for employees and customers across our ecosystem, as well as guide businesses in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to adopt a digital-first mindset. Based in Gurgaon, Kulmeet will report directly to Scott Russell, President of SAP Asia Pacific Japan (APJ).

“The current pandemic environment requires companies to take swift action and accelerate digital transformation to become intelligent enterprises. At SAP we are committed to support our customers and help them transform, scale and win,” said Scott Russell, President, SAP APJ. “We are confident that Kulmeet’s track record of a customer-centric approach, his focus on people and effective team-work, coupled with deep industry knowledge, will propel SAP India to continued success,” he added.

Most recently, Kulmeet was the Chief Operating Officer for Resulticks where he led the growth strategy and execution of go-to-market for the organization. With cross functional experience of more than 25 years, Kulmeet has served with the Indian Army in the Armored Corps, subsequently moving to the corporate side. He led the India & South Asia market for Adobe orchestrating businesses to digitally transform and drive excellence in customer experience, prior to that he was with Microsoft Corporation and Sun Microsystems, managing enterprise strategies across industries and portfolios. 

“As India acclimatizes to the new reality in the new normal, it is important for businesses to permeate digital technologies in every industry, institution, business process, and individual experience,” said Kulmeet. “I am excited to move from Singapore back to India working closely with local customers, helping them adopt innovative technologies to achieve successful business outcomes,” he added.

Under the guidance and leadership of Deb Deep Sengupta, current SAP India MD and SAP veteran of two decades, the organization achieved significant success with strong growth across several business areas. Deep will work closely with Kulmeet to ensure a smooth leadership transition for our customers and partners. Deep’s next position will be announced in due course.

About SAP

As the Experience Company powered by the Intelligent Enterprise, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software, helping companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world’s transaction revenue touches an SAP® system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers’ businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want – without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables more than 440,000 business and public customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people’s lives. 

Future of Work: 6 Digital Technology Trends Set to Transform the Workplace

By Parag Naik, Co-Founder and CEO, Saankhya Labs

Across the world, we are witnessing a massive transformation in every aspect of our lives owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been a drastic change in the way we communicate, work and lead our lives. On the work front, we are facing several scenarios, which are poised to become the new normal. As we move forward, technology will play a crucial role in the way we work, practically revolutionising the space.

As governments begin easing restrictions and businesses start functioning normally, here are some of the top digital communication technology trends that are set to transform the future of work.

1. Pacing towards 5G network: As many companies are moving towards a work from home culture despite certain relaxations in most parts of the country, there is an increasing demand for faster and higher bandwidth networks. 5G which is the next generation network designed with “Service Based” architecture offers a superior class of service based on the ‘Slice’ of network. This caters to a particular service type such as IoT, low latency applications such as Tele-Medicine and more, making its adaptation crucial to aid seamless remote working.

2. Rise of Virtual conferences: With a focus on maintaining social distancing and minimal contact with humans, companies are opting for webinars and virtual summits. In the new normal, industry is all set to witness an increase in virtual meetings and conferences for announcements, product launches etc. Many video conferencing applications have already witnessed a huge surge in usage in the past few months as employees are connecting with each other virtually. From internal meetings with limited participants, to a full-fledged webinar or conference wherein thousands of people can participate, events will continue to take place online. This new trend is likely to continue for a long time with an aim to maintain social distancing etiquette and ensure everyone’s safety.

3. Surge in IoT enabled Solutions: There is a rise in demand for smart devices across the country owing to factors such as enhanced lifestyles and the need to stay connected virtually. There is also a growing need for smart products that can be controlled through voice commands or remote commands for minimal physical contact. From remote monitoring of patients in hospitals to remotely operating the equipment in a factory, IoT adoption is likely to get a major boost in the changed world post COVID world.

4. E-Commerce is the king – There is a huge surge in online shopping for household items, apparels and books. And with it comes a big demand for online or mobile payment solutions and services. People have started to use more online banking services and other online financial services such as investments. Overall, there will be more online financial transactions and commerce that will take place in the post COVID era. These changes will force a more rapid adoption of communication infrastructure spend in rural and unconnected areas, with the use of technology such as VSAT terminals, UHF frequency based rural wireless broadband solutions, Wi-Fi etc.

5. Use of Shared Spectrum: It is a given fact that there is going to be an upsurge in content being consumed on mobile devices in a post COVID-19 world. This is particularly seen in the use video conferencing platforms for team meetings, attending lectures online, or watching video for leisure and entertainment. Prior to the pandemic hitting the country, video occupied over 70% of the content transmitted over mobile networks. This phenomenon is bound to increase exponentially and might overload mobile networks that have not been designed to handle huge amount data being consumed. This causes the mobile networks to jam and slows down streaming and downloads on devices. To avert network jamming and create a superior user experience, communication companies will use “Shared” spectrum. There are various types of shared spectrum options available. Dynamic shared spectrum such as TVWS, CBRS give additional coverage and have the capacity to provide connectivity to the unconnected population. Sharing of spectrum amid two diverse networks- such as Broadband and Broadcast networks can be a possibility. Through the use of 5G broadcast, which is a convergence of the two spectrums and a 5th generation data transmission innovation, users can enjoy hassle free video consumption, for increased productivity.

6. Communication via Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Communication solutions such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) are crucial for the future. Whether it is for learning to steer the traffic using most efficient path or to dynamically adjust the network parameters to provide most optimal user experience in a given region, AI/ML will become integral part of communication networks. For example - When wireless networks are using shared spectrum, AI/ML systems will uninterruptedly monitor the load on various networks. Basis the data type, network load and number of users the AI/ML systems can support networks with a choice to select the utmost optimal parameters to distribute content. These systems will help enhance user experiences significantly.

With swift progress the development of innovative technologies, corporate India definitely has much to look forward to as digital technology is set to transform our lives in a post COVID-19 world.

Intel invests big in US; Just as others cut costs

Chip giant Intel is swimming against the tide. At a time when most of the companies are cutting back on their expenses in the U.S., Intel is investing massively in that country. The company on February 10 announced plans to invest $7 billion over the next two years to expand and transform three U.S. manufacturing plants. With this initiative, Intel aims to outpace rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in its core PC business, reported BusinessWeek.

The company plans to begin shipping in volume the world's first microprocessors created at the atomic 32-nanometer level-transistors so small that 4 million of them could fit on the period at the end of this sentence, as early as this fall. Intel plans to begin retooling chipmaking plants in Arizona, New Mexico, and Oregon, where a total of 7,000 people will be employed.

By shifting to a more efficient manufacturing process, Intel hopes to sell chips to consumer electronics, cell phones, and other Internet-connected devices. Such chips could substantially lower development costs for Nokia (NOK), Samsung, Sony (SNE), and other manufacturers struggling to outdo each other with cutting-edge TVs, phones, and other devices.
"We're investing in America to keep Intel and our nation at the forefront of innovation," said Intel CEO Paul S. Otellini. "The chips that the new fabs produce will become the basic building blocks of the digital world, generating economic returns far beyond our industry," he added.

Intel executives had been signaling for weeks that the chipmaker remained on track to spend $5.2 billion, or roughly the same as it spent on capital improvements in 2008, to move to the 32-nanometer manufacturing process.

Agencies

Will nanotechnology transform information technology?

The nanotechnology industry is heralding a new world order and is estimated to grow over $1 trillion by 2015. Since it is distinguished by its interdisciplinary nature, can nanotechnology revolutionize information technology?

Even though it has already bringing in radical changes in the fields of healthcare, textile, paint, rubber, automobile industries, but lately also seeing advances on the IT front.

Talking to CXOtoday, Ashok Kumar Manoli, principal secretary IT, BT & Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka said, “without doubt, nanotechnology is making rapid advances in the IT industry since IT is one of the defining features of today’s world. Nano has made advances in IT even if it is not directly related.”

Recently, IBM researchers have created transistors out of carbon nanotubes that can outperform similar silicon transistors, a development that helps build the case that carbon may one day become a building block of computing.

IBM researchers have outlined how transistors made of carbon nanotubes -- long, thin strands of carbon molecules -- delivered more than twice the amount of electrical current at a faster rate than cutting-edge transistors made from silicon and metal, the basis for chips today.

Likewise, Samsung, world’s leading electronics major has added carbon nanotubes to LCD tellies. Reports indicate that Samsung has been showing off its technology, which uses carbon nanotubes to drop the cost and increase the performance of LCD screens.

According to Masum Khan, product manager of Tesscorn, a leading company in customized equipments for nano research said, “Samsung research institutes have developed a 15-inch prototype LCD screen that employs an array of carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes are used instead of conventional light sources, such as bulbs or light-emitting diodes.”

Khan said that telly technologies would lower the cost of LCD TVs in the coming years.

Nanotech in consumer electronics

Nanotube TV technology has been around for a while and has much in common with traditional cathode-ray sets. The downside is that they need new production lines and would be more expensive than LCDs and Plasma screens.

However, if they are used alongside LCDs they could be used to cut the cost the backlight of LCD TVs. The backlight makes up half the cost of a 40-inch LCD. Samsung said that the partial use of nanotubes could lower energy consumption and improve picture quality. An LCD takes 15 milliseconds to render a picture, while an LCD with carbon nanotubes as a backlight just four milliseconds.

Technologists now want to create an LCD with a carbon backlight that lasts 30,000 hours and puts out 60 to 70 lumens per watt.

The other advances in nanotechnology is the “Nanosilver” technology used in almost all consumer appliances like washing machines, refrigerators where in the nanosilver technology helps fighting bacteria so food remains fresh for longer. Khan said a number of products are already coming out in the market.

Car changes color as per outside climate

On the automobile front, nanotechnology is used to develop a paint that can change color depending on the outside weather. This is possible when a small change in done “nanovoltage” to the paints resulting in change of color. “A number of automobile manufacturers have already expressed interest in the technology but this is still in research stage,” adds Khan.

Nano materials in tyres

Likewise, rubber when mixed with nano materials tends to have longer life than the normal tyres and also less on the wear and tear.


Light bullet proof garments

On the textile front, we already seen garments that are stain resistant and wrinkle free but now armed forces will use garments made of carbon material that are very light and even bullet proof. These garments are also anti-bacterial that can be worn for a number of days.