87% of APAC Firms Believe IoT is Important to Future of Their Business: Research Study

The internet of things (IoT) is heralded as a foundational technology for breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, robotics and other potentially broadly applicable advances. But for frontline decision makers – the executives charged with implementing IoT in their company – it can sometimes feel impossible to separate facts from hype. It can be even more daunting to discern the practical steps required to get started with IoT in their business.

To better understand the current state of IoT, Forbes Insights partnered with Hitachi Vantara to survey more than 500 senior executives around the world, including 220 in Asia Pacific who are leading IoT initiatives within their companies. A new report, “The Internet of Things: From Theory to Reality – How Companies Are Leveraging IoT to Move Their Businesses Forward,” sponsored by Hitachi Vantara, highlights the key findings from this research and addresses the following issues:

• Is IoT still an aspiration or is it becoming an operational reality?
• How is IoT being used within companies?
• What does IoT implementation look like at this early stage?
• Are there companies that are more advanced with using these technologies?
• What are some of the implementation lessons learned?
• What are the practical steps companies can take as they begin their own IoT journey?

“Across the Asia Pacific region, it is clear that executives see the value in IoT initiatives,” said Bruce Rogers, chief insights officer at Forbes Media. “With 70% stating that they see IoT as either important or very important to their business, it is fast becoming a competitive differentiator that will affect almost every industry.”

Key findings for Asia Pacific:

IoT impacts business: 70% of companies in the region believe IoT is important or very important to their current business, and 87% believe IoT will be important to the future of their business.

• IoT is one of the most important emerging technologies: Of all emerging technologies, executives in Asia Pacific believe IoT, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics will be the most important.
• Companies in the region are embracing IoT: 72% of respondents say their company has significant or pilot IoT programs in operation, and 11% say that IoT programs are already a major contributor to their business.
• Implementing IoT-based solutions can be challenging: When building out IoT capabilities, companies say their greatest challenges are:
• Keeping IoT secure (31%)
• Cross-department cooperation (31%)
• Availability of skilled staff (31%)
• Inability to present a compelling return on investment (30%)
• Integration of disparate data (28%)

 Best practices to implementing IoT-based solutions: By examining companies with IoT initiatives that are meeting or exceeding expectations, we’ve identified a few practices they follow to ensure success:

• IoT efforts are typically championed by the CTO (40%) and CIO (32%)
• 42% include external vendors on their IoT planning team
• 82% use a third-party platform as the basis for their IoT operations 

• In Asia Pacific, companies are already seeing the benefit of IoT: 76% are operating IoT programs that generate revenue while 60% agree that IoT programs are generating data that is very useful to their business. As a result, 88% expect to see increases in their IoT budgets over the coming fiscal year.

“The findings of Forbes Insights’ survey clearly demonstrate the impact that IoT is already having on businesses across the APAC region. We are encouraged to see that a majority of businesses already view IoT as key to their future success,” said Daniel Chong, senior vice president of Asia Pacific at Hitachi Vantara. “What business organizations around the world share in common is the need to secure top-down support for their IoT initiatives at the outset and find a trusted innovation partner that helps them achieve their desired business outcomes.”

Raipur Hosts India’s First Garbage Festival from Jan 19-22, 2018

Kachra Mahotsav, India’s first garbage festival is being organized by Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) at Raipur, Chhattisgarh from January 19 to 22^, 2018. This festival has been initiated by RMC to encourage and promote recycling and upcycling of waste that is generated in the city. The 4 day festival at RMC Garden, Chhotapara in Raipur will witness workshops, performances, exhibition and some interesting installations fostering the theme and motive of the event.  

Exhibitors from across India will display and sell an array of products which are organic, recycled and reprocessed from the things we label as garbage.  Some of these will showcase recycled home décor products & accessories, while others will promote upcycled products made from tetra-pack, fabric, denim and glass waste. In addition, exhibitors who are known for making handmade paper products upcycled from animal dung, forest waste and cotton scrap as well as eco-friendly dustbin liners made from upcycled newspaper will also be present.    

Pramod Dubey, Mayor, Raipur said, “I congratulate Raipur Municipal Corporation for organizing the first Kachra Mahotsav. The participatory, engaging and comprehensive approach of this festival, will not only sensitize the citizens but also empower them to contribute their bit in safeguarding the environment. I extend my best wishes for the successful execution of this festival.”       

Internationally acclaimed bands, like Dharavi Rocks and Thaalavattam, who are famous for creating captivating music by using instruments made of junk will also perform at Kachra Mahotsav. Various workshops will be conducted by prominent faces from the recycling and upcycling industry. The topics include, composting, home gardening, waste segregation, crafting out of waste, amongst others – that resonate well with the theme of the festival. These workshops will witness participation of schools and college students from across the state.

Excited on hosting the maiden festival, Rajat Bansal (IAS), Commissioner, RMC, said, “It is our continuous endeavor to help facilitate sustainable development and create a healthy environment for all. Keeping in sync with the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, this festival promotes the objective of cleanliness in a distinctive way. It will provide a road map to smart cities, on how we can creatively reduce, reuse and recycle waste.”

RMC alongside its ‘Swacchta Ambassadors’ have also been conducting ‘Kabaad Morcha’ (garbage-collection drive) for the past 1 month, to collect and keep aside the waste from the city for creating installations, that will be showcased during the festival. Ahead of the main event, this drive has witnessed overwhelming participation by the public. Students from J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai; Indira Kala Academy, Rajanandgaon amongst others will erect these interesting installations which promises to leave the audience spell bound. The promotional material such as flex, banners and signboards that have been used for the festival have also been reprocessed.    

This festival is a continuous effort alongside other noteworthy initiatives undertaken by RMC, some of which include ‘Toilet My Right’ campaign, City Hygiene Awards, Swachhta App amongst others.

ORION ERP of 3i Infotech Registers a 90% Growth in License Revenues in APAC and ME

ORION ERP, an integrated, cost-effective and cloud-enabled industry solution for growing and mid-sized enterprises, from 3i Infotech Limited, a global information technology company, continues its growth trajectory and delivers industry-beating performance. The company recently posted a strong overall 32% growth result in Q3, FY18 from the ERP vertical, over the same quarter in FY17. The 9 month FY18 license revenues grew 90% over similar quarters in FY17. The regions that have contributed maximum to the growth in revenue for ORION ERP this quarter are APAC and Middle East.

“We are pleased with the buoyant growth witnessed in our ERP vertical, largely attributed to the implementation of VAT in GCC countries and adoption of ORION ERP by manufacturing industries. The intelligent ORION ERP solution fulfils the core business needs of organizations across all industries and market sectors and provides a foundation for growth, innovation, and end-to-end business process excellence, a reason why enterprises are adopting our ERP,” said Suryanarayan Kasichainula, EVP & Business Head (ERP), 3i Infotech.

Backed by robust service support, ORION ERP is a globally trusted partner to more than 800 customers with over 1,000 installations and 50,000+ users across various verticals, and aims to be one of the prominent ERP solutions available globally. Built on future-ready technology stack, ORION ERP empowers organizations to optimize business processes and make informed decisions through anytime access to dashboards and analytics. Importantly, industry-specific process packs facilitate rapid implementation enabling businesses to continuously improve on efficiency and reduce operational costs. The process packs are flexible and scalable solutions that cater to various industry verticals.

TCS iON, SDMIMD Signs MOU to Launch Institute’s Academic Content Certification Program in Management

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Institute for Management Development (SDMIMD). As part of the MoU, SDMIMD will deploy and leverage TCS’ Academic Content Market Place Platform - Academic Hub https://learning.tcsionhub.in/hub/academic-hub to drive the institute’s digital transformation efforts. SDMIMD’s digitization efforts through TCS iON Academic Hub will aim to provide improved services to students & members allowing them easy access to the vast knowledge base of the institute.

The MoU between TCS iON and SDMIMD will involve multiple areas of collaboration. TCS iON Academic Hub will enable SDMIMD to publish Institute’s Blended Learning Certification Program in Management. This program is a combination of online business management modules coupled with interactive sessions with faculty. This initiative will help provide easy access to certification courses of the institute to a larger section within the academic community. The exercise will combine the domain experience of SDMIMD with the functional capabilities of TCS iON Learning Platform. Members of the institute can also get an improved experience on their continuous professional development.

In the first phase, a set of 5 highly relevant courses have been launched by SDMIMD and these are offered in a blended package involving pre and post class interaction and online learning in the interim.

Commenting on the partnership,  V. Ramaswamy, Global Head, TCS iON said, “This MoU will make the institute’s rich content easily accessible to a larger section of the academic community and learners. We are also confident that the institute’s digitization efforts will help it retain its position as one of the premier professional body in India.”

Dr. N R Parasuraman, Director, SDMIMD said, "We are very excited about the possibilities with the TCS iON Academic Hub. Online programs are gaining in popularity and TCS iON’s Academic Hub provides us a set of functionalities that help address the challenges for a successful adoption. The future ultimately lies in a blended platform such as the Academic Hub that enables physical classroom integrated with a digital class room. We are excited to collaborate with TCS particularly since it has lots of similarity with our own group. We belong to the Dharmasthala group known for its charitable work for the last 700 years. And TCS has been well known for its value-based management”.

The TCS iON Academic Hub is a Content Market Place bringing professional institutions with rich content and learners together. The Hub offers multi modal learning content including courses, assessments, communities and events.  It enables academicians to deliver instructor led courses using social learning tools and at the same time provides a unique opportunity to learn at their own pace. The TCS iON Academic Hub caters to learners across wide segments from K 12 to working professionals.

Conrad Hotels Opens Second Property in Bengaluru CBD Area Overlooking Ulsoor Lake

Conrad Hotels & Resorts celebrates further expansion in India with the opening of Conrad Bengaluru. Soaring 24 stories above Bengaluru’s Central Business District, the new luxurious hotel, which is owned by Prestige Group and managed by Hilton, is superbly located in the city providing excellent accessibility to prime business, technology, art and entertainment districts.

“The impressive Conrad Bengaluru is an outstanding addition to our luxury portfolio in Asia Pacific and we are delighted to be partnering with the Prestige Group on this exciting project. The timely arrival of Conrad Bengaluru in India demonstrates Conrad Hotels & Resorts’ commitment to growing the brand's presence in the country, complementing its sister property Conrad Pune," said Daniel Welk, vice president  of operations, luxury and lifestyle, Asia Pacific, Hilton. "This landmark property perfectly complements the vibrant city and will set the benchmark for luxury accommodation in Bengaluru."

Featuring 285 luxurious guestrooms including 21 suites, Conrad Bengaluru offers fivedining and bar experiences, a full-service spa and salon, abundant event space, a 24-hour fitness center and an outdoor temperature–controlled infinity pool overlooking the expanse of the city as well as a dedicated kids’ pool.

“We are delighted to establish Conrad Hotels & Resorts in this vibrant capital city of Karnataka. Conrad Bengaluru enhances our fast growing portfolio of 34 properties and underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional hotels in key gateway locations to meet the growing needs of global luxury travelers,” said John T. A. Vanderslice, global head, Conrad Hotels & Resorts. “An inspiring destination, Conrad Bengaluru will delight guests with intuitive and customized service, as well as provide them access to a world of connections and inspired experiences."

"The Prestige Group is synonymous with innovation and has been lauded for introducing many firsts to the city. In keeping with this vision, it gives us great pleasure to partner with Hilton in bringing the esteemed Conrad brand to Bangalore. Amidst the robust tourism outlook, the much-anticipated opening of Conrad Bengaluru will definitely be a game changer in the already dynamic hotel scene here. Moreover, Bangalore has the distinct advantage of being a preferred destination for both conventions and conferences. Hence, I see the hospitality industry thriving here. We look forward to a long and positive partnership with Hilton in further elevating the hotel industry in India," added Irfan Razack – CMD, Prestige Group.

Guestrooms

Offering spacious and contemporary accommodations bathed in natural light with panoramic views of the city and the Ulsoor Lake through floor-to-ceiling windows, all guestrooms and suites come with intuitive motion sensing technology. Upon sensing motion in the room, the air conditioning switches from energy-saving mode to cool, the curtains in the room  automatically open and ambient lighting turns on to match the time of the day. Guests can also self-calibrate their room temperature and curtain according to their preference. Those staying in Executive rooms or suites will enjoy exclusive access to the Executive Lounge.

Meetings & Events

Conrad Bengaluru has one of largest meetings and events spaces in the city. Poised to be the venue of choice for business, social events, and weddings, the hotel has 17,000 square feet of space including a 7,610-square-feet Grand Ballroom, a junior ballroom, six meeting rooms and a boardroom. The meetings and events spaces feature private conference facility entrance, generous pre-function areas and state-of-the-art technology.

Food & Beverage

Conrad Bengaluru has five food and beverage outlets offering innovative culinary experiences that will make them city hot spots:

-       Caraway Kitchen offers the lively flavors of the world with four open concept kitchens that take culinary inspirations from India, Italy, Americas and East Asia.

-       Tiamo presents robust Mediterranean flavors made with simple quality ingredients in a stylish al fresco atmosphere. The café’s Mediterranean bistro classics are the perfect option for guests who roost at the infinity pool deck on balmy days and cool evenings.

-       Mikusu celebrates the culinary cultures and artistry from Japan, China and Thailand.  The restaurant and bar offers dishes imbued with a strong sense of their heritage, and paired with a curated range of exquisite sake and exotic Asian cocktails. 

-       Indian Durbar pays homage to time-honored Indian recipes and flavors. Set in an understated yet luxurious ambience, diners can anticipate novel gourmet experiences that are fit for the royalties.

-       The Lobby Brew, the lounge at the lobby, features an extensive beverage menu and have tapas and finger foods throughout the day.

At Conrad Bengaluru, guests may choose to independently explore the city and be inspired by the unique experiences that are reflective of the city. Available at the concierge, the hotel offers a curated collection of 1-, 3-, and 5-hour itineraries that features an inspired view into sights, sounds, flavors and other experiences that are intrinsically Bengaluru.

As part of Hilton, Conrad Bengaluru participates in Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton's 14 distinct hotel brands. Members who book directly have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Points and money to book a stay at an exclusive member discount.

Comprehensive BIM Strategy Helps Long Jian Road & Bridge Co., Ltd. Deliver Amur River Bridge Connecting Russia and China

The Heihe - Blagoveshchensk Heilongjiang River (Amur River) Bridge is a bridge being constructed at a total cost of CNY 2.4 billion. It will connect Heilongjiang Province, China to Amur State, Russia. The Long Jian Road & Bridge Co., Ltd. is responsible for all civil construction for the 19.9-kilometer Armur River Bridge project. Bentley technology helped Long Jian Road & Bridge Co., Ltd. solve engineering challenges it faced in a complex construction environment, enabling high levels of collaboration and increasing project management efficiency by 25 percent on the project.

As the first road bridge over the Heilongjiang River, this project forms an important part of China’s Silk Road economic zone. Construction of the 1,284-meter Amur Bridge, which connects the 6.5-kilometer Chinese section from Changfatun, Heihe City with a 13.4-kilometer Russian section to Canikulgan Village, Blagoveshchensk City, commenced in 2016. The team met quality and cost objectives through the use of Bentley software, leveraging OpenBridge Modeler’s 3D parametric modeling to achieve the required accuracy levels for the bridge’s superstructure and RM Bridge’s finite element analysis to simulate pile foundations and main beam and other structures to optimize structural strength, rigidity, and stability.

Long Jian Road & Bridge Co., Ltd. also created a 5D BIM common modeling and connected data environment based on MicroStation, Bentley’s discipline-specific applications, and ProjectWise, which greatly enhanced collaboration and coordination for the different disciplines involved in the construction of the bridge, roads and culverts, civil works, and frontier inspection area, and related traffic engineering.

“Bentley’s comprehensive software solution provided the management and collaboration capabilities that allowed us to increase efficiency on the project by 25 percent, while coping with the engineering challenges faced in a complex construction environment.”

Xuyuan Liang, Director, Technology R&D Center

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Dassault Systèmes Announces New Executive Committee Evolutions

Dassault Systèmes has announced Executive Committee appointments and changes.

Philippe Forestier, Executive Vice President, Global Affairs & Communities and a founding member of Dassault Systèmes when it was created in 1981 will retire.  Monica Menghini, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, is resigning for family reasons. Both departures are effective as of February 28, 2018. Thibault de Tersant, currently Senior Executive Vice President and CFO, will take the position of General Secretary (Secrétaire Général) and Pascal Daloz, currently Executive Vice President, Brands and Corporate Development, has been named Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Strategy Officer, with the changes effective February 5^th following the release of 2017 fourth quarter and full year financial results scheduled for February 1, 2018. Florence Verzelen has joined as Executive Vice President, Industry Solutions, Marketing, Global Affairs and Communication, effective January 15, 2018.

Bernard Charlès, Vice Chairman and CEO, Dassault Systèmes commented, “These changes in our Executive Committee will support the next phase of development of Dassault Systèmes as the 3DEXPERIENCE company.

“Pascal possesses a wide range of talents that are important ingredients for his new position as Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Strategy Officer, particularly at a company such as Dassault Systèmes. He has had a long involvement in our strategy definition and brings a deep understanding of our Brands and the value they represent, individually and together as part of our industry solution experiences. In combination, he is the right person to lead our holistic, growth-centric strategy at this current juncture.

“I am pleased to announce that Florence Verzelen has joined Dassault Systèmes as Executive Vice President, Industry Solutions, Marketing, Global Affairs and Communication effective January 15, 2018.  Florence will extensively exploit the Industry approach to increase value to clients and sharpen our strategy by further connecting Industry / Marketing / Workforce of the Future and public affairs.

“In Thibault’s new role, his knowledge, developed during thirty years of being our CFO, will be instrumental to shape the corporate structure of tomorrow, reflecting our evolution to a platform company to serve both People in Business and Business by People. In addition he will work on our business model strategy, Ethics & Compliance, and La Fondation Dassault Systèmes.

“Finally, I would like to recognize Philippe Forestier, Executive Vice President, Global Affairs & Communities, who is retiring, and Monica Menghini, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, who is resigning for family reasons. As a founding member of Dassault Systèmes, Philippe has played a key role in the decisive moves that enabled the Company to transition from start-up to global leader. He has been a passionate ambassador of Dassault Systèmes and contributed to the Company’s influence in the industrial, corporate, scientific, educational and cultural spheres. Monica, working together with me, has guided the translation of Dassault Systèmes’ vision into a unique value proposition as the 3DEXPERIENCE company.”

Thibault de Tersant in his new role as Senior Executive Vice President, General Secretary (Secrétaire Général) will be involved in a wide range of strategic, legal, governance and business initiatives. He will continue as a Director of Dassault Systèmes and as a member of the Executive Committee. Mr. de Tersant has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Dassault Systèmes for thirty years, commencing in 1988. He has implemented a framework enabling the Company to be long-term driven while delivering growth in revenues and earnings for 21 of its 22 years as a public company, accompanied by sector-leading profitability and cash flow generation leveraging a long-standing, highly recurrent financial model.

Pascal Daloz brings more than 17 years of experience in executive positions at Dassault Systèmes to his new position as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Strategy Officer. He has been Executive Vice President, Brands and Corporate Development since 2014 and member of the Executive Committee. With the support of the CEOs of each of Dassault Systèmes’ brands, he has been responsible for overall brand strategy with the mission to build world-class brands by creating a unique portfolio of applications, inspiring users’ experiences and vibrant user communities. Daloz joined Dassault Systèmes in 2001 and was promoted to Vice President, Strategy and Business Development in 2003. He became Executive Vice President, Strategy & Marketing in 2007, and was named Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Market Development in 2010. Daloz began his career in 1992 as a technology consultant and as a sell-side technology analyst at Credit Suisse from 1997 until he joined Dassault Systèmes in 2001. Pascal Daloz is a graduate of the École des Mines de Paris.

Pascal Daloz has contributed to several books on innovation: Strategic Management of Innovation and Design, La métamorphose numérique and Les bureaux d’études. In 2010, he was awarded the Hermès de l’Innovation prize for human relations in the workplace.

Florence Verzelen brings nearly two decades of international business and global affairs experience and leadership to her position as Executive Vice President, Industry Solutions, Marketing, Global Affairs and Communication, and member of the Executive Committee. After beginning her career in project financing at the Société Générale Investment Bank in New York in 2002, she worked at the European Commission from 2004 to 2007, first in the Trade division and then in the Competition division. Florence Verzelen then joined the office of the Secretary of State for European Affairs, as an Advisor, in charge of industrial and commercial matters. She then joined the Engie group (GDF Suez), where she was Director of Group Acquisition activities between 2008 and 2010, and then became Manager of the subsidiary GDF Suez Qatar BV between 2010 and 2013. Between 2013 and 2015, she held the position of President of the Purchase Performance Plan. Since 2015, she has been Deputy Director of Engie Europe, in charge of Operations, Business Development and Innovation and Managing Director of Engie Russia.

Florence Verzelen is currently an independent director on the Board of Directors of Air France.  She was nominated Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2013. Florence Verzelen is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique (specializing in Economics and Finance) and the Ecole des Mines. She is fluent in French, English and German, with additional knowledge of Arabic, Chinese and Russian.