Enterprise-Class ERP Now Available on the Microsoft Cloud

Microsoft Corp.  announced that its next-generation cloud ERP solution, Microsoft Dynamics AX, built on and for Microsoft Azure, is now available in 137 markets in 40 languages. The enterprise-class business application brings the power, speed and intelligence of cloud computing to people and organizations to achieve more.

“Customers from around the world are using the cloud in incredible ways to accelerate and transform their business,” said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president, Microsoft Cloud and Enterprise. “Today’s release is an exciting milestone extending Microsoft’s business cloud offerings. It’s now possible for organizations to run their entire business in the cloud with Microsoft — from productivity with Office 365, to business analytics with Power BI and Cortana Analytics Suite, customer engagement with Dynamics CRM and business operations with Dynamics AX.”

Customers across the globe are already using Dynamics AX to run their business processes in the cloud — from single domains like human resources and manufacturing to end-to-end business. Companies already live in production include Hagler Systems, Haldex, Icon, Renault Sport Formula One Team, Priva, Smiles, Travel Alberta and Umbra Group.

The new Dynamics AX moves beyond traditional business solutions and brings ERP, business intelligence, infrastructure and database services together in a single offering, empowering organizations to run industry-specific and operational business processes that are extendable with specific solutions from partners. Wednesday, Microsoft announced more than 50 ISV solutions that are available on the Azure Marketplace. These Microsoft-curated, pre-configured industry and vertical solutions help customers discover and implement the solution they need quicker than ever before and, like Dynamics AX, enable fast consumption of updates and improvements. In addition to the 50-plus solutions already available, hundreds are in development today.

The new Dynamics AX takes the capabilities of Lifecycle Services (LCS) to the next level. Businesses will be able to combine the best practices for their mission-critical apps with the flexibility and simplicity of upgrade via the cloud. With LCS, Dynamics AX will formalize the concepts of development, test and production, making the ongoing upgrade quicker to implement and deploy and easier to manage.

“Lifecycle Services represents a shift in how companies manage the life cycle of an ERP system in a way that’s never really been done before,” said Josh Greenbaum, principal analyst, Enterprise Application Consulting. “The ability to test in the cloud and use the cloud’s natural elasticity and functionality to take the test, flip a switch and make it the actual production environment, that truly is magic.”

Harnessing the power of the Azure cloud, Dynamics AX provides enhanced security along with global availability and scale, enabling businesses and people to work more safely anywhere, anytime while respecting the data sovereignty requirements of global customers no matter where in the globe they operate.

“We do everything through Dynamics AX now; we manage virtually all of our operations,” said Thomas Mayer, chief operating office, Renault Sport Formula One Team. “Having what I need to run my business available anywhere in the world is invaluable.”

“We are bringing massive amounts of data into our business to help control building climates and horticulture environments. That is a huge business transformation, and the cloud was the only way forward for us to make that real,” said Paul Ossewold, vice president, Digital Operations, Priva. “To manage our company with 10 offices around the world, we need systems that are fast. That is what Dynamics AX in the cloud is giving us, and we couldn’t be more excited to be one of the first customers on board to take advantage of this new solution.”

Modern solution for modern businesses

Dynamics AX delivers a simple, beautiful, and modern user interface that is touch-enabled for the devices people use today. People can interact with the system with ease, as Dynamics AX works like other Microsoft applications that people are used to, increasing adoption and usage. The new intelligent user experience is also optimized to deliver value to organizations through the ability to make smarter decisions with increased speed.

“ERP is core to our business operations and critical to building and delivering products to our customers,” said Ben Hagler, co-founder, Hagler Systems. “We chose Dynamics AX because of its robustness. The UI is amazing and available anywhere. It makes us device-independent. We can get work done everywhere with increased speed.”

Dynamics AX delivers the proven business logic of a complete business suite, enhanced with new constructs such as Workspaces that provide a collaborative canvas unifying key performance indicators, business intelligence, views of critical data, processes and actions to power business user productivity. The Financial Period Close Workspace, for example, dramatically streamlines this critical, complex process.

Software vendors that partner with Microsoft have expressed their excitement over the potential this new solution offers the industry, representing a turning point in the ERP industry as cloud ERP solutions are adopted by customers to run their business-critical operations.

“This release is further proof that Microsoft is leading the charge with innovations not just in ERP but in cloud,” said CEO Peter Maaten from Microsoft partner HSO. “Dynamics AX will be a game changer for enterprise customers.”

Customers can sign up for the service today as the new release is available as a monthly subscription in three simple versions that include a self-serve user, a Task user and an Enterprise user. Businesses can get up and running quickly and match their business growth easily by adding business processes and users with this simple and transparent pay-as-you-go model.

Intel Security Helps Protect Samsung Devices – Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge - with McAfee VirusScan Mobile Security

Intel Security has announced that new Samsung Galaxy S7 customers can enjoy its mobile security solution designed to help keep them safe from a growing number of mobile threats. Samsung Galaxy S7 and GalaxyS7 edge will come pre-installed with McAfee VirusScan. With this collaboration, Samsung customers will be better protected with anti-malware technology that is already helping to provide a more secure mobile experience to more than 40 million Samsung Galaxy users globally.

Historically, mobile malware has been something of an afterthought for cybercriminals, with most of their efforts focused on the desktop or laptop. However, over the past several years, there has been a dramatic increase in sophisticated and complex new malware targeting mobile devices. According to Intel Security’s Mobile Threat Report, three million devices were affected by malware solely through mobile app stores over the past six months. Additionally, Intel Security found that in Q4 2015 mobile malware samples increased 24 percent compared to Q3 2015.

“As consumers grow increasingly reliant on their mobile devices and use those devices for sensitive transactions, increased protection against malware is critical to better securing their data,” said John Giamatteo, corporate vice president at Intel Security. “Intel Security is combatting these growing mobile threats by collaborating with consumer brands like Samsung to help keep customer’s mobile devices more secure so they can experience the connected world with confidence.”

“Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge users can feel more comfortable in navigating the digital world with enhanced protection by the latest anti-malware solution that Samsung offers,” said Henry Lee, vice president of Mobile Security Technologies of Samsung Mobile. “Smartphones have become an extension of our everyday lives, and it is important that we provide our users with a high level of protection designed to help keep their personal data safe in their Samsung device.”

McAfee VirusScan Technology

McAfee VirusScan is an anti-malware system that scans apps and files on both the device and SD Card, helping to prevent corruption from a variety of malicious codes, from viruses to Trojans. For more information on McAfee VirusScan mobile security, visit the product data sheet.

Availability

McAfee VirusScan anti-malware technology from Intel Security is currently shipping as a pre-installed feature for Samsung Galaxy S7and Galaxy S7 edge and already exists in Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge and Galaxy Note 5. No additional purchase is necessary.

Enterprise Biz of Tata Comm Growing 30% YoY; Bullish on Data

Tata Communications today said it will continue to invest in the data business which is expanding strongly and also driving growth.

"Our data business continues to grow very strongly across geographies and segments especially with our new services. Our enterprise business growing 30 per cent per year," Tata Communications Managing Director and Group CEO Vinod Kumar told reporters.

He also said that the company's deal with Vodafone's South African arm Vodacom for selling its stake in Neotel failed after 21 months of talks "due to regulatory complexities in concluding the transaction as well as certain conditions not being fulfilled".

The deal was originally signed in May 2014 wherein Vodacom had reached an agreement to buy Neotel, controlled by Tata Communications, for 7 billion rand (about Rs 3,200 crore).

In dollar terms, the value of transaction at that time was around US$676 million.

Tata Communications owns over 68 per cent stake in South Africa's largest fixed line telephone service provider Neotel.

Kumar said that company's data business is now driving growth and Tata Communications will continue investing in it.

The revenue of Tata Communications from voice solutions declined by about 5 per cent to Rs 2,009.54 crore from Rs 2,114.14 crore while that of data and managed services segment increased 16.7 per cent to Rs 2,723.3 crore from Rs 2,332.67 crore during the October-December quarter.

The company is also in discussion to divest its stake from data center business which it expects to close in next financial year.

The Tata Communications global network includes infrastructure includes one of the largest submarine cable networks and a Tier-1 IP network with connectivity to more than 240 countries and territories, as well as nearly 1 million square feet of data centre space worldwide.

The company provides services to telecom operators in various countries by connecting their local network with global telecom network.

With 2000 Operators YatraGenie Goes Pan India in Online Bus Ticketing Services

YatraGenie Services Pvt Ltd, a hyper market place for bus, cab and hotel bookings has expanded its bus ticketing services to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bhubaneshwar by partnering with more than 2000 bus operators. By Mid 2016, YatraGenie plans to aggressively expand across India by launching its services in more than 200 cities. 

Renil Komitla, CEO of YatraGenie services Pvt Ltd said, “After a strong presence in the Southern of India, we are now looking for a next phase of growth.  We believe that there is an untapped potential for the strong value proposition that we provide to our operators as well as our consumers.  Through this expansion, we hope to replicate the success that we achieved in the south”

 For its Pan India operations for bus ticketing service, Yatragenie has partnered with 2000 bus operators with more than 100,000 bus tickets to be sold. Popular names like Orange Travels, SVR, SRS, VRL, Kesineni are some of the bus operators that YatraGenie has partnered with.

Launched in 2013, Yatragenie is currently operational across 60 cities in South India.  It undertakes more than 5000 bus ticket bookings everyday and has partnered with more than 750 operators across south India.

YatraGenie is one among the fastest growing companies in the online travel sector and it has raised $2.5 million funding from Sillicon Valley’s Entrepreneur and Investor Ash Bhardwaj and RRK Holdings LLC.

Ryuichi Otsuki Succeeds Domme as CEO of Hitachi Data Systems

Hitachi Data Systems Corporation (HDS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. today announced that Jack Domme will lead Hitachi’s Social Innovation business in the Americas reporting directly to Hitachi, Ltd.President and CEO, Toshiaki Higashihara. In this role, he will focus on accelerating Hitachi’s Social Innovation business, primarily in the areas of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the development of smart cities. To focus on his new role, Domme will be leaving his position as CEO of Hitachi Data Systems.

Domme served for seven years as CEO of HDS, where he led the transformation of Hitachi Data Systems from a storage provider into an information solutions company. He was appointed to this new role because he has demonstrated the ability to lead global transformation, execute on a long-term strategic plan, and outpace the market in revenue growth. Hitachi’s Social Innovation business opportunity is the unifying strategy that brings together the power and breadth of the entire Hitachi, Ltd. group to deliver IoT and smart city solutions. 

Domme has been named Chairman and CEO and a member of the Board of Hitachi Information and Telecommunications Systems Global Holdings Corporation (HIGH). In this role, he will be responsible for enhancing collaboration between Hitachi Consulting (HCC), Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), and other Hitachi Group companies in supporting the achievement of the Hitachi Social Innovation strategy for the Americas region and beyond. He will continue as Vice President and Executive Officer of Hitachi, Ltd., as well as Chief Executive of the Americas.

“There has been no greater or more transformational opportunity for Hitachi than Social Innovation,” said Domme. “Hitachi is not only a pioneer in the development of smart cities and the Internet of Things, but we also have a unique ability to deliver on the promise of each. No other company in the world has both the industrial and operational expertise, along with decades-long leadership in information technology. And those are exactly the elements required to be a leader in this market. I am very excited and humbled by the opportunity to help lead Hitachi through this next major transformation.”

Ryuichi Otsuki will succeed Domme as CEO of Hitachi Data Systems. Otsuki joins HDS from his role as Vice President and Executive officer, General Manager of SocialInnovation Business Promotion Division and Deputy General Manager of Corporate Sales & Marketing Group at Hitachi, Ltd. Otsuki joined the HDS board in 2009 and has been instrumental in the development of HDS’ long-term strategy to expand its portfolio in the areas of infrastructure, content and analytics linking to Hitachi’s Social Innovation vision – making the Internet of Things that matter a reality.

“Social Innovation is the most significant initiative Hitachi has undertaken in its 106-year history,” said Otsuki. “We are transforming businesses and societies to deliver better outcomes for people around the world, and Hitachi Data Systems is instrumental to Hitachi delivering on this strategy. I want to thank Jack and his team for positioning this company so well for further success, and I look forward to working closely with him in his new role to continue to grow HDS and our global Social Innovation business.”

These new executive appointments will be effective April 1, 2016.

Accenture’s Liquid Application Studio will Accelerate Digital Businesses with Rapid Application Development

Accenture has opened its first Liquid Application Studio in Redwood City, CA, a new facility designed to help businesses dramatically accelerate application development by using contemporary architectures, reusable components, automation tools and leading software development methods.
 
Working at the studio, companies pair with Accenture software engineers to prototype and develop a wide range of custom applications using cloud infrastructure and platforms, rapid application development principles such as Agile and DevOps, intelligent automation, lightweight frameworks and plug-and-play, micro service-based architectures.
 
The studio’s mission is to deliver on Accenture’s Future of Applications vision today. It helps companies define and deliver applications which are liquid, intelligent and connected. Clients can also experiment with emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things and wearables that have the potential to transform their operations and customer experiences.
 
“In every industry, new competitive frontiers are being defined by software,” said Bhaskar Ghosh, group chief executive, Accenture Technology Services. “Business cycle times are shrinking and competitive barriers are disappearing. Speed to market is the new essence of software delivery in the digital world. The Liquid Application Studio can help deliver innovative solutions to businesses with speed and agility.”
 
The Accenture Liquid Application Studio is strategically located in Silicon Valley – the world’s innovation hub and epicenter of advances in software engineering. The studio works closely with the Accenture Labs in San Jose and the company’s Open Innovation program to take emerging technologies out of the lab and start up community and into development for large enterprises. Accenture is also recruiting for top technology talent locally.
 
Some of the studio’s initial work with ecosystem alliances includes developing a DevOps analytics dashboard with Splunk to help a large media and entertainment company identify inefficiencies in its software development processes. They are also developing use cases and prototypes for improving retail logistics with location services from Glympse, and helping hospitality companies improve guest experiences and venue operations by using VenueNext’s time and location based technology platform to deliver in-venue mobile ordering services and content.
 
The studio also offers modernization and migration services to help companies make legacy systems future ready for the digital world. And, it applies intelligent automation to testing and other phases of delivery, to help cut the cycle time from weeks or months down to days.
 
“Clients can come and work from this studio collaboratively with Accenture and use the power of Accenture and its alliances to create innovative solutions for their businesses,” said Ghosh. “The need for speed in business is real. It demands new mindsets and ways of working, which we expect to become more the rule than the exception going forward.”

Simplilearn & EXIN Partner to Bring Live Online Gamified Training

Simplilearn, the world’s largest provider of professional certification courses, announces its partnership with EXIN, the global independent certification institute for ICT-professionals, to launch the industry’s first digital training in EXIN Agile Scrum Master (ASM) Simplilearn is providing training on agile and scrum concepts through live online instructor led training with Gamified sessions to drive high interactivity among learners.

With over 41.5 project management jobs to be created by 2020, Scrum is the future of project management professionals. Together with EXIN, who is providing the accreditation, Simplilearn has designed the course that provides learners an immersive experience on the SCRUM Master philosophy, delivering the highest of value to all aspiring professionals. With more than 240,000  Scrum jobs in the United States alone, the online EXIN Agile Scrum Master course will provide a more accessible and affordable opportunity for aspiring students and workers alike.

Ankur Arora, Head of Category at Simplilearn said, “Simplilearn has been delivering learning through future ready technologies that addresses practical concerns of our learners. This time too, we took a step ahead and partnered with a global accreditation body like EXIN to deliver EXIN Agile Scrum Master Training, a contact intensive program online through livegamification, reducing the time to master Scrum methods. The course will help aspiring Agile professionals learn how to manage modern day business settings that happen with geographically-spread teams.”

Scrum Master Courses have traditionally been taught by trainers globally in a physical classroom setting, namely because of the hands-on nature of the program - naturally optimized for teams operating in the same geographic location. With more dispersion amongst teams in the modern day business setting, Simplilearn’s online offering was built to accommodate both local and geographically-spread teams, using live online group activities/games.

Robert-Jan Willemsen, Chief Commercial Officer at EXIN, commented, “Simplilearn has become the first of its kind training provider to deliver EXIN Agile Scrum Master Training online through an instructor led training model. This approach will add great value to all Agile aspirants and we are confident that Simplilearn will continue to be a valuable strategic partner in times to come.”

With a unique product proposition, every student will gain access to attend multiple batches of the instructor-led training over a 90 day period for the same fee, ensuring a high level of conceptual clarity and the ability to re-attend an unclear session. The Scrum Master course comes with three games/case studies and 2 projects.