Accenture and Splunk Form Alliance to Help Hawaiian Telcom Enhance Business Operations

Accenture and Splunk entered into an alliance relationship that integrates Splunk products and cloud services into Accenture’s application services, security and digital offerings. Accenture is helping clients use Splunk solutions to improve business outcomes by mining vast amounts of application and operational data to identify trends and improvement opportunities that were previously difficult to detect.
 
Accenture is expanding its network of trained Splunk practitioners in order to meet significant client demand for operational intelligence solutions. Accenture and Splunk are also collaborating and bringing to market new packaged solutions, the first of which integrates Splunk analytics into Accenture’s Managed Security Services. Accenture will provide Security Information Event Management (SIEM) As-a-Service to clients, using Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) to deliver advanced threat detection, correlation, search and incident management capabilities. Additional solutions may be tailored to various business areas including digital, marketing and sales.
 
Hawaiian Telcom is one of Accenture’s first clients to take advantage of its intelligent application management services, infused with Splunk technology, to help mine  business insights and expand monitoring of the company’s core IT ecosystem.
 
“Deployment of this new platform leveraging an intelligent delivery strategy strengthens our position as Hawaii’s technology leader,” said Amy Aapala, Vice President of Information Technology and Order Management Systems at Hawaiian Telcom. “The real-time insights gleaned from our customized dashboards enables our team to be more strategic and proactive on a day-to-day basis, which ultimately improves our customer service and increases productivity.”
 
“Our alliance with Splunk is another strong example of how Accenture is impacting our clients’ businesses with ‘new IT.’ By mining and analyzing machine data from back-end systems, call centers, web traffic, inventory levels, shipments and more, IT can play a greater role in influencing business performance, not just IT performance,” said Bhaskar Ghosh, group chief executive, Accenture Technology Services. “We’re integrating Splunk’s platform for operational intelligence into our global application service offerings and delivery teams, bringing robust new capabilities to our clients at scale. We can also deliver this capability through our new intelligent automation platform, Accenture myWizard, to help turn data into critical insights that drive improved business outcomes.”

“As one of the largest global systems integrators, Accenture will help broaden access to Splunk’s platform for operational intelligence to organizations that have not yet tapped the power of machine data,” said Doug Merritt, President and CEO, Splunk. “By analyzing machine data, organizations gain end-to-end visibility into operations and make better informed business decisions. We are thrilled to work with Accenture and leverage its innovative best in class technological experience to further deliver operational intelligence around the globe.”

 
Accenture Technology Services adopted Splunk internally, with a focus on helping IT organizations become more business-centric. Using Splunk® Enterprise, Splunk Cloud, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk User Behavior Analytics and Splunk IT Service Intelligence, Accenture is developing and rolling out operational intelligence solutions that span the entire software development lifecycle. Additionally, any team can build their own Splunk-based application and host it with a central app store for other teams to use. Accenture has developed numerous Splunk applications to date, spanning software development, IT operations, security monitoring and business operations.

Seven Best Practices for an Effective Project Management Office

Project management offices (PMOs) are increasingly being challenged to prove the value they provide, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner has identified seven best practices that PMO leaders should employ to improve the effectiveness of project, portfolio and program management (PPM) and demonstrate they can support the wider organization and its strategic goals.

"Digitalization and bimodal IT are just two examples of the many developments in the business environment that the PMO must support,” said Mbula Schoen, senior research analyst at Gartner. "A failure to evolve and adjust to such changes can result in a PMO being misaligned with an organization's goals, and therefore being seen as failing to deliver value."

Gartner has identified seven best practices to help PMO leaders adapt to such developments and demonstrate the PMO's value to the business.

1. Acquire the Right People, Knowledge, Skills and Collaborative Behaviors

This is the cornerstone of a highly effective PMO. When project managers who are part of a PMO act like administrators, they erode the PMO's credibility and make it appear to be focused only on everyday tasks and deliverables. This neglects a crucial part of effective IT project delivery – driving strategic change within an organization. "People are generally averse to change, so it's critical that the PMO hires staff with who can drive change in the face of resistance," said Ms. Schoen. "Project managers within the PMO need a broad range of 'soft' skills in communication, conflict resolution, persuasion and facilitation."

2. Identify and Execute High-Impact, High-Visibility Initiatives
It can take years to build a track record of improving PPM maturity and getting better IT investment results. It is, however, possible to quicken the process by identifying "easy wins" and improving delivery for a few highly visible and important PMO projects. It's critical to demonstrate the value of the PMO. This will ensure stakeholder commitment and support for future PMO-driven initiatives.

3. Report on What the Business Really Cares About

The business's view of the PMO is inconsistent. Business executives generally agree the PMO should report on the status of projects and programs, but most don't think it does this adequately. "The reality is that most PMOs are providing status reporting for projects and programs, but the perception of many business executives suggests either that there's a breakdown in communication or that the reporting isn't fit for purpose," said Ms. Schoen. "It's important to check that reporting provides organizational leadership with status information that supports effective decision-making."

4. Build a Framework That Shows How the PMO Aligns With Strategic Enterprise Objectives

A clear framework is essential to articulate the PMO's alignment with the continuously evolving organizational goals and direction. It also serves as an aid to identifying goals and milestones along the road to resolving obstacles and issues that block strategic success. In essence, it's key to communicating the PMO's value. What is often overlooked is the need for the PMO to define strategic goals with senior IT managers and business leaders. Unless this is done, the PMO's work is rarely perceived as valuable, however well it's carried out.

5. Provide Senior Managers with Simple, Unambiguous Information

PMOs are routinely perceived as failing to provide the kind of data that senior managers want. This leads to a disconnection between expectations and perceived reality. PMOs need to shift from a belief that "the more detail we give, the better" to an iterative evolution of reporting that provides leaders with the kind of information that supports them in their role. For time-starved senior managers, short, precise and informative reporting is most effective. These are busy people who want the "bottom line" — they expect the PMO to work with them to identify and provide this information.

6. Highlight the PMO's Achievements
Agreed metrics are important, but they should be complemented by promoting the PMO's success stories to the organization. This is less about "hard" numbers and more about the tangible benefits that are recognized by stakeholders, such as how shorter timescales for project completion have contributed to the solving of key business problems (overlong time-to-market for new products, for instance). In terms of benefits that are hard to measure, it may be appropriate to use surveys to measure the value the PMO provides.

7. Evolve the PMO to Support Bimodal IT and Digital Business

The PMO must adapt its service model to support the technological changes at the heart of every growth and innovation-led transformation project. For example, a PMO may have been formed several years ago, with the economic downturn being the primary driver. At that time, cost reduction and efficiency were the main desired outcomes, but the same business may now be far more concerned with flexibility and speed of delivery. 

Consequently, the PMO's configuration and staffing may no longer be ideal and may need to change to reflect the new focus. "An effective PMO continuously reexamines its processes and capabilities to ensure they are in line with the current needs of the business," said Ms. Schoen.

Gartner clients can read more in the following publication: "Seven Best Practices for a Highly Effective PMO."

Rayat Bahra & Oracle University Signs MoU for Three Specialized Degree Programs

Rayat­Bahra University (RBU) joins Oracle University under the Oracle Workforce Development Program (WDP) launching three specialized Degree Programs using Oracle technologies: Oracle Database and Analytics, Java and Oracle IoT (Internet of Things), and Oracle Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). RBU, established in 2014 by an Act of the State of Punjab, is a part of Rayat­Bahra Group (RBG) founded in 2001 in India. The RBU promotes access, equity, affordability and excellence in education and requisite industry collaborations.

                                                 

Through the Oracle Workforce Development Program, Oracle University aims to provide education and certification programs that give students relevant job skills in an increasingly competitive global work environment. The partnership offers a unique opportunity for RBU to leverage authorized Oracle trainings and certifications to enhance the IT skills of youths in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and other parts of the country. Oracle Certifications provide a proven industry-recognized measure of ability and skills, and are highly sought after by individuals and companies alike.

As an Oracle WDP collaborator, Rayat­Bahra University (RBU) will gain access to the job oriented and industry-ready curriculum developed for the benefit of students in professional programs of engineering and management. The launch of the cutting edge undergraduate and postgraduate programmes was done in the presence of Mr. Jose Koshy, Country Head, Oracle University, India; Gurvinder Singh Bahra Chairman; Prof. Raj Singh, Vice-Chancellor, RBU; and Dr. Sandeep Kaura, Pro Vice chancellor, RBU.

“We are delighted to work with Rayat-Bahra University on this initiative. This resonates with the government of India’s Digital India & Skill India vision. Through Oracle University, we would like to build an ecosystem of technical experts who are industry ready and equipped with in-depth understanding on the latest Oracle technologies,” said Jose Koshy, Country Director, Oracle University India.

Under this curriculum, students will either work toward a Bachelor of Technology with a specialization in Oracle Database and Analytics or Java and Oracle IoT, or a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with specialization in Oracle ERP solutions under the mutual guidance of industry experts and experienced faculty from Oracle and the RBU.

“We at Rayat-Bahra University want our students to learn the latest technologies to be competitive and industry ready. With this vision, we have joined with Oracle University and are delighted about this opportunity,” said Gurvinder Singh Bahra Chairman, RBU.

Students who graduate from these programs will be eligible for professional and technically skilled jobs such as an IOT developer, IOT architect, software developer, Big Data Analyst, Big Data Analytics Business Consultant, Big Data Analytics Architect, Big Data Engineer, Big Data Solution Architect, Business Intelligence and Analytics Consultant, Metrics and Analytics Specialist, ERP Consultant, ERP Analyst, ERP Systems Analyst, ERP Manager, ERP-Oracle Apps Developer as well as a host of other such career options with organizations nationally and internationally.

UL’s Consumer & Retail Services Testing Laboratory Now in Bangalore

UL, a global safety science company has announced the opening of their Consumer and Retail Services Testing Laboratory in Bangalore.  The new state of the art laboratory will cater to the regulatory and voluntary testing needs of consumer products like textiles and apparel for the Southern and Western regions, which are a prominent base for textile and leather industries. This is the second such facility established by UL in India – the first consumer product testing laboratory was set up at Gurgaon, in 2013.

The Bangalore Laboratory, spread over 4000 sq ft, comprises separate units for analytical, colour fastness and physical testing as per global standards, with latest cutting edge equipment. customers at the new testing laboratory can now benefit from UL’s global expertise to widen their international market access by helping to ensure compliance to a host of safety standards and address product performance and quality.

Commenting on the occasion, Suresh Sugavanam, Vice President and Managing Director, UL South Asia, said, “In our  constant endeavor  to support the Make in India programme, we have helped Indian manufacturers expand and sustain their businesses by facilitating global market access. The Indian market is fuelled with growing impetus for quality assurance, coupled with the increasing awareness for the need for consumer and product safety. Our new laboratory is an extension of the company's commitment to be ‘In India for India’ while striving towards a safer living environment for all. UL will continue to enable manufacturers to comply with environmental standards and regulations by providing an efficient, cost-effective third party testing services.”

Sarbajeet Mukherjee, General Manager - Consumer and Retail Services, UL South Asia said,   “UL’s quality and time bound service has resulted in our customers requesting us to expand our services in Southern India. While catering to our existing and new clients, the laboratory will also help our clients to optimize their product performance with UL expert solutions that mitigate potential risks and help protect their brands.”

Bangalore is already home to UL’s sprawling 40,000 sq ft NABL accredited laboratory that houses advanced facilities for varied sectors like consumer technology, photovoltaic, HVAC, photometry, electrical products, medical devices, and drinking water testing.

Seagate Now Shipping 10TB Helium Enterprise Drive 3.5 HDD

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in storage solutions has announced it is now shipping in volume its 10TB helium enterprise drives— the Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD. Engineered to meet the storage needs of top cloud service providers, the Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD features the industry’s lowest power and weight for maximum space efficiency at the lowest energy usage— lowering the overall total cost of ownership (TCO) of today’s large scale data centers. Currently the highest capacity drives available worldwide, these innovative new products are now available to purchase direct from global distributors.

“Seagate has the most comprehensive Nearline portfolio in the industry. Each of our Nearline products – including our new flagship 10TB helium enterprise drive shipping today – is designed to help customers take maximum advantage of top technology trends that have the highest impact on their business,” said Mark Re, CTO at Seagate. “While we offer a number of impressive technology advantages, at the end of the day customers really want solutions and insights that help them better leverage the value of their data so they can offer services and capabilities unmatched by their competitors. Seagate’s 10TB helium drive is designed with these market mandates front of mind.”

“Seagate is once again at the forefront of innovation with our Nearline portfolio. Our new 10TB drive boasts advanced write caching capabilities for better performance and the lowest weight and the best energy efficiency in the industry- making this new drive is a real game changer,” said John Morris, vice president of enterprise products at Seagate. “Now shipping in volume to our global strategic customers like Ciara and Supermicro, we are pleased to bring this drive to market with the knowledge that it provides highly-valued and unprecedented performance for our customers’ hyperscale solutions.”

Announced in January in conjunction with partners Huawei and Alibaba, the Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD improves performance by using advanced caching algorithms to help cloud data center managers manage the increasing volume of data more quickly. Featuring Seagate PowerChoice™ technology, the drive helps businesses manage and reduce the ongoing costs associated with power and cooling during idle time, while Seagate’s PowerBalance™ feature helps optimize the IOPS/Watt for even greater efficiency. 

“Seagate’s 10TB Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD expands Supermicro’s hyperscale server and storage solutions optimized for cloud solution providers. With Supermicro’s 4U 60/90 3.5” top-load hot-swap bay server and single expander JBOD storage solutions, Seagate helium-based high capacity drives provide a robust foundation for building OpenStack cloud infrastructure, delivering maximum performance, scalability and capacity density at the lowest overall TCO,” said Don Clegg, vice president of marketing and business development at Supermicro.

“Reliability and performance in a storage solution are key criteria for Ciara’s cloud initiative. Seagate’s new helium-based 10TB Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD meets and exceeds both of these criteria,” said Darcy Letemplier, vice president of engineering, at Ciara. “Our partnership is a natural choice because of our combined intimate knowledge of the storage industry and a thorough understanding of cloud service providers’ needs.”

YatraGenie’s Walkathon Campaign Will Cover Over 60 Indian Cities in 30 Days

YatraGenie, a hyper market for bus, cab and hotel bookings is organizing ‘Walk for public transport,’ a unique initiative to encourage the use of public transportation. The walkathon will commence from Mysore on 1^st May and will cover 60 cities across Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 30 days.

As a part of this campaign, YatraGenie team will closely interact with the citizens at each city and understand the problems pertaining to the local transport sector. Flyers will be distributed and events will be organized for the public to interact and understand the importance of using public transport.

Speaking on the occasion, Renil Komitla, CEO, YatraGenie said, “The traffic situation in our cities and towns is becoming increasingly congested because of the number of privately owned vehicles.  Today, only a minor chunk of the population is interested in using buses and trains. Public transport facilities have been associated with lack of ease and discomfort.  To ensure that the congestion in our cities does not get more critical, it is imperative to create awareness among public for the usage of existing public transportation. Through this initiative, we want to understand the problems that exist in this sector and suggest measures that can be implemented to improve the facilities”

Towards the end of the 30-day campaign, a report will be submitted to the respective State Urban Development Ministry and Central Urban Development Ministry highlighting the problems and the improvements that can be made in the public transport sectors.

Juniper’s New cSRX and vSRX Provides Industry Leading Firewall Capabilities to Create Secure Networks

Juniper Networks, an industry leader in automated, scalable and secure networks has announced several breakthrough additions to its cloud and virtualized service offerings as part of its Software-Defined Secure Networks (SDSN) framework. These enhancements include a new compact and containerized virtual firewall called Juniper Networks cSRX, a next-generation firewall providing advanced security services for Software Defined Networks, as well as a multi-core version of the Juniper Networks vSRX, the industry’s fastest virtual firewall that is expected to be capable of reaching 100 Gigabits per second (Gbps). This speed is 10 times greater than the nearest competitor and creates new possibilities for using agile and flexible virtual firewalls.

As the scale and sophistication of threats continue to increase, next-generation security must be built around automated and actionable intelligence that can be enforced quickly to reduce risk and protect the network and its users. Juniper’s vision for SDSN looks to tackle this need with an open threat intelligence platform and enforcement through its robust suite of physical and virtual firewalls, as well as network switches and routers. When combined with an open policy engine and global orchestration, users can set and enforce policy based on intent, either on premises or in the cloud.

Juniper is extending its SDSN offerings by unveiling the industry’s first virtual firewall in a containerized form factor. The cSRX is expected to provide a cost effective way to wrap advanced security services around every workload and the ability to scale up to high multi-tenancy. Additionally, Juniper is announcing a massive increase in performance on its vSRX, which further extends its lead as the industry’s fastest and most scalable virtual firewall. Both products are anticipated to enable the network to better detect and combat threats through increased performance, intelligence, and a higher density of services on the Intel® Xeon® processor family (x86 platform). These enhancements to Juniper’s virtualized security portfolio extend the network and security administrator’s ability to provision and scale firewall protection, enabling more enforcement points across the network to stop threats faster.