Intergen's newsletter, Smarts, now available for online reading.
Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.
5 Keys for Creating a Modern Employee ExperienceSocialChorus
The document discusses five keys for creating a modern employee experience: 1) Focus on improving the overall employee experience by mapping all touchpoints. 2) Audit relevant employee data to understand what is known. 3) Personalize the employee experience to make it more consumer-like. 4) Connect communications to organizational purpose and understand employee concerns. 5) Align internal digital and mobile strategies to plan for the future of mobile access. The presentation provides strategies for addressing each of these keys to improve employee engagement.
The Future of Digitally Enabled Human Achievement Keynote by Dion HinchcliffeDion Hinchcliffe
The rise of digital management methods like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) have rapidly grown in popularity in recent years. Here's how integrated digital workplaces and employee experiences will use talent tracking/analytics to make work more fulfilling, productive, and engaging, with OKRs driving the process.
Intergen's newsletter, Smarts, now available for online reading.
Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.
The document discusses the layers of the mobile experience design process which includes idea, needs and goals, context, strategy, device plan, design, prototype, development, testing, optimization, porting, and discussion. It also outlines the context of mobile design and different types of mobile apps based on medium and context.
What 2014 holds for Internal CommunicationsTrefor Smith
This is the follow up to last years guide to Internal Communication trends. This years guide outlines 4 main areas that we think are going to be key in 2014, along with sub themes and a wealth of hints and tips. We hope it is of benefit, and brings you success with your 2014 internal communications!
Google Apps is a cloud-based productivity suite that helps you and your team connect and get work done from anywhere on any device.
It’s distinctive advantages are:
+ Very low risk thanks to the cloud architecture with guaranteed 99.9+% uptime and complete data redundancy
+ Lower cost compared to on-premise configuration
+ High scalability that makes it easy to grow your business
+ Efficient collaboration tools that allow your employees to work together in real time
How to use ux thinking to generate meaningful marketing insights v0101dCyber-Duck
The most stellar B2B companies offer a personalised, mobile-first user experience that’s built upon an integrated, automated and insightful tech-stack. Beginning with the end in mind and through UX thinking, Danny from Cyber-Duck, the leading digital transformation agency explores how marketers can use service design generate data driven products and insights that improve the customer experience (CX) whilst leverage new tech like AI, automation and personalisation.
1) Capturing and sharing lessons learned from past projects is challenging with traditional methods. Lessons are often lost once projects end and teams disperse to new work.
2) An AI/ML system could automatically capture and codify lessons from project data to provide knowledge continuity across projects. This helps prevent the same problems from reoccurring.
3) Providing easy access to insights from past similar projects could help project managers address challenges more effectively than relying only on their own experience.
5 Keys for Creating a Modern Employee ExperienceSocialChorus
The document discusses five keys for creating a modern employee experience: 1) Focus on improving the overall employee experience by mapping all touchpoints. 2) Audit relevant employee data to understand what is known. 3) Personalize the employee experience to make it more consumer-like. 4) Connect communications to organizational purpose and understand employee concerns. 5) Align internal digital and mobile strategies to plan for the future of mobile access. The presentation provides strategies for addressing each of these keys to improve employee engagement.
The Future of Digitally Enabled Human Achievement Keynote by Dion HinchcliffeDion Hinchcliffe
The rise of digital management methods like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) have rapidly grown in popularity in recent years. Here's how integrated digital workplaces and employee experiences will use talent tracking/analytics to make work more fulfilling, productive, and engaging, with OKRs driving the process.
Intergen's newsletter, Smarts, now available for online reading.
Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.
The document discusses the layers of the mobile experience design process which includes idea, needs and goals, context, strategy, device plan, design, prototype, development, testing, optimization, porting, and discussion. It also outlines the context of mobile design and different types of mobile apps based on medium and context.
What 2014 holds for Internal CommunicationsTrefor Smith
This is the follow up to last years guide to Internal Communication trends. This years guide outlines 4 main areas that we think are going to be key in 2014, along with sub themes and a wealth of hints and tips. We hope it is of benefit, and brings you success with your 2014 internal communications!
Google Apps is a cloud-based productivity suite that helps you and your team connect and get work done from anywhere on any device.
It’s distinctive advantages are:
+ Very low risk thanks to the cloud architecture with guaranteed 99.9+% uptime and complete data redundancy
+ Lower cost compared to on-premise configuration
+ High scalability that makes it easy to grow your business
+ Efficient collaboration tools that allow your employees to work together in real time
How to use ux thinking to generate meaningful marketing insights v0101dCyber-Duck
The most stellar B2B companies offer a personalised, mobile-first user experience that’s built upon an integrated, automated and insightful tech-stack. Beginning with the end in mind and through UX thinking, Danny from Cyber-Duck, the leading digital transformation agency explores how marketers can use service design generate data driven products and insights that improve the customer experience (CX) whilst leverage new tech like AI, automation and personalisation.
1) Capturing and sharing lessons learned from past projects is challenging with traditional methods. Lessons are often lost once projects end and teams disperse to new work.
2) An AI/ML system could automatically capture and codify lessons from project data to provide knowledge continuity across projects. This helps prevent the same problems from reoccurring.
3) Providing easy access to insights from past similar projects could help project managers address challenges more effectively than relying only on their own experience.
UX of IoT: Making Meaningful Connections for UsersKat Jayne
Presented on Oct 9th for TC UX Meetup at Fathom Consulting, this deck contains five essential research questions to guide your IoT and connected device strategy.
CES 2014 Review: 12 Principles & What Matters for MarketersDavid Berkowitz
The document summarizes key events and trends from CES 2014, the annual Consumer Electronics Show. Some of the major themes discussed include the growth of wearable technology like smartwatches and fitness trackers, the expanding "Internet of Things" with more devices connecting to each other and the cloud, and advances in 3D printing and connected cars. The document also lists 12 principles that were prominent at CES, such as sensors becoming cheaper and more ubiquitous, vehicles that can drive themselves, and 3D printers becoming mainstream consumer products.
August Playbook: New Ways of Working for 2021 and BeyondMike Arauz
What did 2020 reveal about what is possible? Here are 5 specific mindset and behavior shifts that we believe can be a foundational playbook for a new way of working.
Neel Banerjee of Urban Airship and Gene Ehrbar of ISITE Design discuss strategy and tips for making digital disruption a part of business large and small.
The document summarizes research from Accenture on remote work trends during the Covid-19 pandemic. It finds that 53% of people who never worked remotely before now plan to work from home more in the future. It identifies four key insights from studying remote work behaviors: 1) consumers see internet providers as friends or acquaintances, not as essential to remote work; 2) homes are becoming multi-purpose spaces for work, exercise, and entertainment; 3) remote workers want dedicated, well-equipped home office spaces; 4) women may fall behind in careers if remote work increases unpaid domestic duties. The research can help internet providers develop partnerships and services for the "hybrid" workforce.
From intranets to digital employee experience (March 2019)James Robertson
Modern intranets still play an important role in organisations, but they now sit within the broader digital workplace. Leading firms are now focusing on digital employee experience (DEX), as the next step in their journey. (Keynote presentation by James Robertson at the Entopic Intranet & Digital Workplace Congres in Utrecht, March 2019)
This document provides tips for staying productive while working remotely across distances. It begins by explaining that remote collaboration has become more common in businesses, with 83% of survey respondents reporting working remotely for at least an hour or two per day. It then provides techniques for managing virtual teams, such as setting clear communication norms, recognizing individual contributions, and using project management tools for visibility. Face-to-face meetings are also emphasized as a way to build personal connections within remote teams.
This document discusses the concept of a smart office using ubiquitous computing. It begins by defining a smart office as an office environment that uses ubiquitous computing concepts to improve work efficiency, communication, and access to information. It then discusses how ubiquitous computing can be applied in a smart office setting using embedded computers, sensors, and agent-based systems to automate tasks, customize environments, and improve information access and sharing. The document proposes several prototypes for how a smart office could work using technologies like RFID, biometrics, interactive displays and screens, and networked meeting rooms. It also discusses the role of different types of intelligent agents that could be used to manage various functions like user authentication, environment controls, scheduling, communication, and maintenance in
Are you ready for the Fast Future?
We have entered a period of exponential change. Recent research from the AICPA says that the business environment for CPAs and their clients will be characterized by “unprecedented, massive and highly accelerated change” through 2025. To thrive in this new age of hyper-change and growing uncertainty, it is now an imperative to learn a new competency–how to accurately anticipate the future. This session will show how to anticipate these trends and move from being a crisis manager to an opportunity manager. At the end of the session participants will set actionable steps to elevate and accelerate their organization’s strategy.
Presentation at the Wolters Kluwer CCH Users Conference in Las Vegas
Digital transformation is a team sport - Matt Jukes [Camp Digital 2017]Nexer Digital
Matt talks about the ups and downs of working in a user-focused, multi-disciplinary, agile product team. Drawing from his experience in three very different, public service focused organisations, Matt gives key tips and takeaways as to how you and your business can create a culture that makes people want to stay.
The document contains slides from a presentation by Arne Sigurd Rognan Nielsen on social business. Some key points from the slides include: social business embeds social processes connecting people, information, and insights; collaboration and pulling together (harambee) are important for innovation; and social businesses work faster than competitors by leveraging collective intelligence. The presentation advocates for changing how companies work to be more people-centric and activity-focused to create business value.
HOW HUMAN-CENTRIC AI WILL TRANSFORM BUSINESSTekRevol LLC
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to help us achieve our common dream of a better future for humanity as a whole, but it will bring challenges and opportunities that we cannot yet predict.
Given the revolutionary power of artificial intelligence in business, many people wonder, “If AI is to do the grunt work in the business world, what room is there for so-called ‘human’ qualities? Is the future of business and technology so deeply interconnected, that it leaves no space for human intelligence and action vagaries?”
To people asking these questions, the answer is simple and quick – absolutely.
https://www.tekrevol.com/blogs/how-human-centric-ai-will-transform-business/
Presentation from a CMSWire hosted webinar with Tim Flower, Nexthink and Oscar Berg, CEO at Unicorn Titans and author of Digital Workplace Strategy & Design about IT best practices for creating a seamless digital experience for your employees that keeps pace with constant change.
In this webinar we discuss:
• How to establish a business case for the digital workplace
• What elements of employee engagement the digital workplace impacts
• How to apply the “4 Cs of the digital workplace” to drive success
• How SharePoint and related solutions fit into the digital workplace
• How to jump start your efforts using our 5-step approach
View the webinar here - http://blog.portalsolutions.net/register-for-our-webinar-beyond-intranets-enabling-a-digital-workplace/
Dynamics Day 2014: Microsoft Dynamics NAV - Productivity SolutionsIntergen
This document discusses productivity and industry solutions for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. It highlights solutions for document capture, email approvals, security, scheduling, and mobile access. Specific solutions are shown for capturing supplier invoices, approval requests, security setup, job scheduling, service scheduling, and production scheduling. The document also mentions additional solutions for budgets, asset maintenance, allocations, recurring invoices, payments, document archiving, jobs management, and logistics.
Dynamics Day '11 - The Power of the Platform - Getting more from ERP and CRMIntergen
The document discusses Northwind Traders, a snow machinery company that wants to improve its customer experience and business processes. Currently, customer information is spread across different systems, causing slow, manual processes and a lack of visibility. Typically, companies would do basic integrations, but Northwind is advised to take a holistic approach using a single platform. The ideal approach involves planning, process reengineering, and a CRM, ERP and SharePoint implementation to provide a single customer view and integrated processes. This would improve customer satisfaction, simplify technology and provide business intelligence benefits. The roadmap also includes process automation using imaging and workflow.
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Platform Delivery (Module 2 of 8)Intergen
We ran the "Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp" one day hands-on workshop in early June 2014. These eight modules were designed to get IT managers, project managers, sysadmin and devops up to speed with the new Windows 8.1 and Office 2013. The bootcamp focused on how to move off earlier versions of Windows and Office to a modern desktop and tablet platforms with the latest security and mobility technologies.
Keep an eye in our SlideShare feed for all eight modules:
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Introduction (Module 1 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Platform Delivery (Module 2 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Windows ToGo (Module 3 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Security (Module 4 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: UE-V (Module 5 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: App-V (Module 6 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Devices (Module 7 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Closing (Module 8 of 8)
For other events (Intergen or Microsoft Community) check our events page at http://www.intergen.co.nz/upcoming-events/
UX of IoT: Making Meaningful Connections for UsersKat Jayne
Presented on Oct 9th for TC UX Meetup at Fathom Consulting, this deck contains five essential research questions to guide your IoT and connected device strategy.
CES 2014 Review: 12 Principles & What Matters for MarketersDavid Berkowitz
The document summarizes key events and trends from CES 2014, the annual Consumer Electronics Show. Some of the major themes discussed include the growth of wearable technology like smartwatches and fitness trackers, the expanding "Internet of Things" with more devices connecting to each other and the cloud, and advances in 3D printing and connected cars. The document also lists 12 principles that were prominent at CES, such as sensors becoming cheaper and more ubiquitous, vehicles that can drive themselves, and 3D printers becoming mainstream consumer products.
August Playbook: New Ways of Working for 2021 and BeyondMike Arauz
What did 2020 reveal about what is possible? Here are 5 specific mindset and behavior shifts that we believe can be a foundational playbook for a new way of working.
Neel Banerjee of Urban Airship and Gene Ehrbar of ISITE Design discuss strategy and tips for making digital disruption a part of business large and small.
The document summarizes research from Accenture on remote work trends during the Covid-19 pandemic. It finds that 53% of people who never worked remotely before now plan to work from home more in the future. It identifies four key insights from studying remote work behaviors: 1) consumers see internet providers as friends or acquaintances, not as essential to remote work; 2) homes are becoming multi-purpose spaces for work, exercise, and entertainment; 3) remote workers want dedicated, well-equipped home office spaces; 4) women may fall behind in careers if remote work increases unpaid domestic duties. The research can help internet providers develop partnerships and services for the "hybrid" workforce.
From intranets to digital employee experience (March 2019)James Robertson
Modern intranets still play an important role in organisations, but they now sit within the broader digital workplace. Leading firms are now focusing on digital employee experience (DEX), as the next step in their journey. (Keynote presentation by James Robertson at the Entopic Intranet & Digital Workplace Congres in Utrecht, March 2019)
This document provides tips for staying productive while working remotely across distances. It begins by explaining that remote collaboration has become more common in businesses, with 83% of survey respondents reporting working remotely for at least an hour or two per day. It then provides techniques for managing virtual teams, such as setting clear communication norms, recognizing individual contributions, and using project management tools for visibility. Face-to-face meetings are also emphasized as a way to build personal connections within remote teams.
This document discusses the concept of a smart office using ubiquitous computing. It begins by defining a smart office as an office environment that uses ubiquitous computing concepts to improve work efficiency, communication, and access to information. It then discusses how ubiquitous computing can be applied in a smart office setting using embedded computers, sensors, and agent-based systems to automate tasks, customize environments, and improve information access and sharing. The document proposes several prototypes for how a smart office could work using technologies like RFID, biometrics, interactive displays and screens, and networked meeting rooms. It also discusses the role of different types of intelligent agents that could be used to manage various functions like user authentication, environment controls, scheduling, communication, and maintenance in
Are you ready for the Fast Future?
We have entered a period of exponential change. Recent research from the AICPA says that the business environment for CPAs and their clients will be characterized by “unprecedented, massive and highly accelerated change” through 2025. To thrive in this new age of hyper-change and growing uncertainty, it is now an imperative to learn a new competency–how to accurately anticipate the future. This session will show how to anticipate these trends and move from being a crisis manager to an opportunity manager. At the end of the session participants will set actionable steps to elevate and accelerate their organization’s strategy.
Presentation at the Wolters Kluwer CCH Users Conference in Las Vegas
Digital transformation is a team sport - Matt Jukes [Camp Digital 2017]Nexer Digital
Matt talks about the ups and downs of working in a user-focused, multi-disciplinary, agile product team. Drawing from his experience in three very different, public service focused organisations, Matt gives key tips and takeaways as to how you and your business can create a culture that makes people want to stay.
The document contains slides from a presentation by Arne Sigurd Rognan Nielsen on social business. Some key points from the slides include: social business embeds social processes connecting people, information, and insights; collaboration and pulling together (harambee) are important for innovation; and social businesses work faster than competitors by leveraging collective intelligence. The presentation advocates for changing how companies work to be more people-centric and activity-focused to create business value.
HOW HUMAN-CENTRIC AI WILL TRANSFORM BUSINESSTekRevol LLC
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to help us achieve our common dream of a better future for humanity as a whole, but it will bring challenges and opportunities that we cannot yet predict.
Given the revolutionary power of artificial intelligence in business, many people wonder, “If AI is to do the grunt work in the business world, what room is there for so-called ‘human’ qualities? Is the future of business and technology so deeply interconnected, that it leaves no space for human intelligence and action vagaries?”
To people asking these questions, the answer is simple and quick – absolutely.
https://www.tekrevol.com/blogs/how-human-centric-ai-will-transform-business/
Presentation from a CMSWire hosted webinar with Tim Flower, Nexthink and Oscar Berg, CEO at Unicorn Titans and author of Digital Workplace Strategy & Design about IT best practices for creating a seamless digital experience for your employees that keeps pace with constant change.
In this webinar we discuss:
• How to establish a business case for the digital workplace
• What elements of employee engagement the digital workplace impacts
• How to apply the “4 Cs of the digital workplace” to drive success
• How SharePoint and related solutions fit into the digital workplace
• How to jump start your efforts using our 5-step approach
View the webinar here - http://blog.portalsolutions.net/register-for-our-webinar-beyond-intranets-enabling-a-digital-workplace/
Dynamics Day 2014: Microsoft Dynamics NAV - Productivity SolutionsIntergen
This document discusses productivity and industry solutions for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. It highlights solutions for document capture, email approvals, security, scheduling, and mobile access. Specific solutions are shown for capturing supplier invoices, approval requests, security setup, job scheduling, service scheduling, and production scheduling. The document also mentions additional solutions for budgets, asset maintenance, allocations, recurring invoices, payments, document archiving, jobs management, and logistics.
Dynamics Day '11 - The Power of the Platform - Getting more from ERP and CRMIntergen
The document discusses Northwind Traders, a snow machinery company that wants to improve its customer experience and business processes. Currently, customer information is spread across different systems, causing slow, manual processes and a lack of visibility. Typically, companies would do basic integrations, but Northwind is advised to take a holistic approach using a single platform. The ideal approach involves planning, process reengineering, and a CRM, ERP and SharePoint implementation to provide a single customer view and integrated processes. This would improve customer satisfaction, simplify technology and provide business intelligence benefits. The roadmap also includes process automation using imaging and workflow.
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Platform Delivery (Module 2 of 8)Intergen
We ran the "Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp" one day hands-on workshop in early June 2014. These eight modules were designed to get IT managers, project managers, sysadmin and devops up to speed with the new Windows 8.1 and Office 2013. The bootcamp focused on how to move off earlier versions of Windows and Office to a modern desktop and tablet platforms with the latest security and mobility technologies.
Keep an eye in our SlideShare feed for all eight modules:
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Introduction (Module 1 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Platform Delivery (Module 2 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Windows ToGo (Module 3 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Security (Module 4 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: UE-V (Module 5 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: App-V (Module 6 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Devices (Module 7 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Closing (Module 8 of 8)
For other events (Intergen or Microsoft Community) check our events page at http://www.intergen.co.nz/upcoming-events/
Dynamics Day '11 - Optimising Supply Chain Processes through Mobility SolutionsIntergen
The document discusses how mobility solutions can optimize supply chain processes. It presents on Dynamics CRM and Dynamics Anywhere for AX and NAV. Dynamics CRM allows for mobile access and activity feeds. Dynamics Anywhere is an add-on that exposes the underlying business logic of AX and NAV to enable real-time updates via mobile devices. It demonstrates sales order and logistics processes on mobile. The session summarized the mobility capabilities of both solutions and asked attendees which of their processes could benefit from being mobile.
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Introduction (Module 1 of 8)Intergen
We ran the "Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp" one day hands-on workshop in early June 2014. These eight modules were designed to get IT managers, project managers, sysadmin and devops up to speed with the new Windows 8.1 and Office 2013. The bootcamp focused on how to move off earlier versions of Windows and Office to a modern desktop and tablet platforms with the latest security and mobility technologies.
Keep an eye in our SlideShare feed for all eight modules:
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Introduction (Module 1 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Platform Delivery (Module 2 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Windows ToGo (Module 3 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Security (Module 4 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: UE-V (Module 5 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: App-V (Module 6 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Devices (Module 7 of 8)
Windows Accelerate IT Pro Bootcamp: Closing (Module 8 of 8)
For other events (Intergen or Microsoft Community) check our events page at http://www.intergen.co.nz/upcoming-events/
Chris Auld looks at the current data landscape and the ways in which organisations can differentiate with data for competitive advantage through the implementation of a good data strategy.
Dynamics Day is Australasia's leading event for users of Microsoft Dynamics. For those of you who couldn't make it along to the event, we have made all session content available online.
Dynamics Day '11 - The Cloud: What it means for DynamicsIntergen
This document discusses the cloud and its implications for Microsoft Dynamics. It begins by defining the cloud and describing the different cloud models. It then outlines the benefits of the cloud, including lower costs, reduced maintenance, and increased agility. Some challenges of moving to the cloud are also discussed, such as migration costs, security, and legal issues around data sovereignty. The document uses the example of MedRecruit, a recruitment company, to illustrate how different parts of their business have adopted cloud solutions like Office 365, Dynamics CRM Online, and hosted NAV. It addresses common concerns around security and reliability in the cloud.
RecordPoint is a Microsoft Gold Certified partner that develops SharePoint records management software and solutions. It launched its RecordPoint product in July 2008, which is certified to meet various compliance standards including VERS and ISO 15489. RecordPoint has 30 customers in Australia and New Zealand and is one of 30 global partners on Microsoft's SharePoint Advisory Council. A Forrester report identified RecordPoint as one of six key partners that can help supplement enterprise records management in SharePoint 2010 by addressing regulatory requirements. While SharePoint 2010 provides 88% of records functionality defined by the ICA standard, RecordPoint is needed to fill gaps and provide additional compliance functionality for requirements monitoring.
Emergency Management Systems for your OrganisationIntergen
In particularly volatile times, we realise more than ever how important it is to plan for outcomes brought about by situations beyond our control. Emergency Management is high on the organisational agenda, and technology plays a pivotal role in helping us plan for emergency scenarios.
This is an opportunity to hear from Intergen’s Public Safety team on the use of Emergency Management systems.
Intergen Welcome Keynote: Microsoft Dynamics - Bringing it all togetherIntergen
The Dynamics suite is now firmly embedded as part of the overall Microsoft technology stack.
The value of combining these applications to solve business problems is more than the sum of
the parts. In this keynote we’ll cover the role of each of these solutions and discuss the value
you can gain from a move to the cloud.
TechEd NZ 2014: Building Web Applications at Scale with Azure Web SitesIntergen
TechEd NZ 2014 - DEV320 - James Carpinter
Building a web app with Azure Web Sites couldn't be easier. But building one that handles thousands of requests per second requires more than just turning on auto scale. Building scalable, reliable, maintainable and high performing web apps requires an understanding of the platform as well as the right application architecture. Come learn about patterns and practices to adopt for your next web app, whether it be at local scale or global scale.
While on the face of it the GST rate rise seems faily straightforward, many businesses are just beginning to assess the impact of this rate change on their systems.
Held in Christchurch on 12 August and Dundedin on 18 August.
Dynamics Day 2014: Microsoft Dynamics CRM - Customer Service ExcellenceIntergen
The document summarizes a presentation about customer service excellence in CRM systems. It introduces the two presenters, Dylan Haskins and Bruce Edwards, and outlines their experience in CRM. The presentation covers why customer service makes sense in CRM, building blocks for a customer service experience, and the Unified Service Desk. It aims to address questions around adapting to customer behavior across channels, delivering good experiences cost-effectively, reducing agent effort, building satisfaction, and ensuring the right resources are allocated.
Companies today are looking for a strong ROI of their IT investment. Microsoft Dynamics AX and the Microsoft application platform contain a rich set of business processes to help accelerate deployment of an ERP solution, delivering ROI more quickly.
A Microsoft Dynamics AX solution allows forward-thinking enterprises to thrive in today’s fast-paced, quickly changing environment.
Port Otago desired a complete integration of its information systems, to give the Group clarity, consistency and a multi-dimensional view of its business.
A year-end deadline posed a tight timeframe. Having Intergen working within Port Otago’s environment made for an agile delivery, with all players up to speed on the direction.
More information: http://www.intergen.co.nz/Our-Work/Port-Otago/
Intergen's newsletter, Smarts, now available for online reading.
Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.
Intergen's magazine, Smarts, now available for online reading.
In this issue:
- After being talked about for many years, the concept of the modern enterprise is becoming a reality for many forward-thinking organisations.
- Introducing Cohesion: Intergen's Enterprise Content Management as a Service
- Responsive website design
- Silver Fern Farms adopts a solution fit for the field
- A day in the life of Intergen's Seattle Office
- Tips and tricks for migrating to the cloud
- Microsoft's vision for Microsoft Dynamics and the Modern Enterprise
Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.
Knowledge Matters Issue 15 - Technology at ConcernEllen Ward
Digital data gathering (DDG) has improved Concern Worldwide's monitoring and evaluation practices in several ways:
1) It provides instant access to accurate data in real-time, accelerating evidence-based decision making.
2) It improves data reliability through built-in error controls and removing manual data entry.
3) It reduces data loss through automatic uploading and GPS tracking of enumerators.
4) It facilitates centralized data management through a uniform system.
While DDG has benefits, technology does not solve all problems - data collection is just one step, and other M&E processes like indicators and analysis plans are still important. Concern is looking to expand DDG use for regular monitoring and introduce
This document is the first issue of Intergen's company newsletter called "SMARTS". It provides an overview of Intergen as a company that offers a full range of Microsoft services and solutions. It highlights Intergen being awarded Microsoft Gold Partner status and recapping their recent launch party event. It also includes articles on various projects, technologies and staff profiles. The goal of the newsletter is to provide informative and entertaining content that demonstrates Intergen's approach of intelligent business solutions.
The job world is changing, and knowing about these changes is what makes you stand out in the crowd. Understand the New Age Careers and how NIIT can help you plan for and achieve your dream career.
Intergen's newsletter, Smarts, now available for online reading.
Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.
Intergen's newsletter, Smarts, now available for online reading.
Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.
Kintone girls in tech hacking for humanity SF 2017 slidesLindsey Lonne
This document summarizes a presentation about the no-code/low-code application platform Kintone. It introduces Kintone and discusses how its drag-and-drop interface allows business users to build applications without coding. Examples are provided of non-profits using Kintone to manage data and track outcomes. The document concludes by announcing a contest where attendees can build an app with Kintone to help humanity and win an Amazon Echo.
The value of experience design is changing. Tools that were once designed to help people make decisions are being reimagined into products and services that actively make people’s lives easier through anticipating what a user wants and making choices on their behalf.
New smart products and services that anticipate user needs and make decisions according to our preferences with as little interaction as possible will release us from the tyranny of choice and give us more time to spend on the things that matter most.
Hear Kieran speak about how to navigate these new digital complexities when creating new experiences.
Intergen has had a successful first half of the year, completing several significant projects and beginning new projects. One of the most significant projects was developing an online vehicle re-licensing system with Unisys that allows New Zealanders to re-license their vehicles online. Intergen has also grown, opening a new office in Christchurch and moving their Auckland office to larger premises. They are excited about new tools from Microsoft that will help improve the software development process.
Intranet designs guaranteed to engage and inspireInteract
How to create a beautiful intranet design your users will love in five simple steps: brought to life by outstanding intranet design examples from companies including Sony, Travelex, the NHS, Mattress Firm, Piedmont, the NSPCC, and many more.
Android Application Development for Social NetworkIRJET Journal
This document summarizes an Android application called Connectify that is being developed for social networking and e-commerce purposes. The application aims to help freelancers grow their business and talents like art, dance, singing, and photography by allowing them to sell to relevant customers. It uses PHP and MySQL for the backend and is being built using Android Studio. The application also aims to combine features of other popular apps like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to create a more unified platform for users to share interests, promote businesses, and build connections.
Enterprise Search: How to Work Smarter, Not HarderLiveTiles
This document discusses enterprise search and how it can help workers work smarter. It summarizes comments from Mikael Svenson, chief product officer of LiveTiles, who discusses how the right applications on multiple devices allow workers to be more productive, especially during travel. Svenson believes improvements in search and findability capabilities will be important for helping workers more efficiently find information. The document promotes LiveTiles as a platform that brings organizational content into an engaging experience and empowers users to evolve it.
Smarts 31 - All for one and one for all (New Zealand)Intergen
Microsoft aims to create consistency of experience across devices through its software and platforms. With Dynamics AX, Microsoft is developing a unified experience for end users with apps for expenses, timesheets, approvals and point of sale that will work across Windows, iOS and Android devices. Microsoft is also innovating Dynamics AX solutions for retail with a new cloud-enabled Retail Server and integrating third party services. While improving its flagship ERP software, Dynamics AX can also act as a hub to connect other applications and keep business processes coordinated without additional middleware. These developments aim to keep IT able to deliver the functionality users expect from consumer devices.
Intergen's newsletter, Smarts, now available for online reading.
Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.
This article discusses the impact of the ongoing fourth industrial revolution. It notes that the fourth industrial revolution transcends information and communication technologies (ICT) and is transforming businesses, jobs, and lifestyles. Concepts like digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and connected devices are increasingly present in technologies like smartphones. Self-driving cars are moving from science fiction to reality, and old professions are being replaced by new jobs. Artificial intelligence solutions are now used across many domains by professionals and businesses to improve productivity. Big data is increasingly powering artificial intelligence and automation is changing the nature of work. The future remains uncertain but promises greater personalization and customization.
This document provides summaries of events at Intergen and discusses technologies the company has been working on with Microsoft. It includes:
1. An update on Intergen's Christchurch office after the earthquake, which is temporarily operating from portacoms on site while the new office is under construction.
2. A summary of keynote demos Intergen has built for Microsoft conferences, including a demo for 9,300 people at Microsoft Convergence 2011 highlighting new CRM and AX technologies.
3. An overview of accessibility technologies Intergen has been developing with Microsoft, including tools to make Office documents and PowerPoint presentations more accessible to those with disabilities.
This document discusses top apps for small businesses and tips for choosing the best apps. It begins by outlining 5 types of apps: 1) accounting, finances, payroll, taxes; 2) recruiting, onboarding, HR; 3) time and expense tracking; 4) payment processing and billing; 5) internal and external communication. It then provides tips for "dating" apps before committing, such as not rushing into marriage with the first app and establishing your workflow needs first. Finally, it highlights top recommended apps for small businesses: Trello, Canva, Note, Feedly, and IFTTT.
Intergen's newsletter, Smarts, now available for online reading.
Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.
Jonas Rauff Mortensen - Remote ux-testing when everyone is remoteRWatson22
“Remote UX testing when everyone is remote” by Jonas Rauff Mortensen
As a senior service designer at Nile in Edinburgh, Jonas helps businesses gain a competitive advantage by rethinking both why and how they produce, provide and capture value. He has extensive experience in leading design, innovation and research projects for large corporate and start-up clients such as FreeAgent, Tesco Bank, Exizent, Heineken, NatWest Group and The Body Shop. He comes from a strategic service design background with a focus on user-centred design, design innovation and systems thinking and has been raised in the Danish design culture with an academic background in industrial design and architectural engineering and one of the first alumni of the M.Sc. in Service Systems Design from Aalborg University Copenhagen. Jonas has a passion for understanding organisations and making sense the complexity of how they provide and produce value for themselves and their customers in order to identify the right problems he will design services and experiences for.
This presentation is from the SDN_UK online event Transitioning to Remote User Research, 21st May 2020.
Creating intelligent content: How to automate personalised, one-to-one market...Intergen
Now more than ever as organisations we need to accelerate our digital engagement and use our content intelligently, sensitively and helpfully.
One of the only ways to connect with customers is digitally, and so the challenge for us as brands is how do we deliver a relevant and engaging experience at scale? And, within that, how do we make sure that we're tailoring the right content, to reach our audiences in the right ways, at the right time?
In this webinar, we'll discuss the importance of personalisation in delivering an outstanding customer experience and the challenges marketers face when it comes to delivering true one-to-one personalised journeys. We will then look how Episerver's new Content Intelligence and Content Recommendations can, through the power of AI, help marketers gain deep content insights and automate true one-to-one, personalised marketing at scale.
The Coronavirus pandemic had a profound impact on the way we work. Almost overnight, organisations have had to learn how to work remotely – and collaborate effectively – often by the most expedient means possible.
The good news is that the flexible, remote working practices and tools that always seemed like a good idea in principle, have now been tested under extreme conditions and, in many cases, have been proven to be highly effective. To maintain the momentum and continue to realise the benefits, it's essential that we balance that flexibility and immediacy with governance and management. This is particularly true with 'easy to use' tools designed with user empowerment at their heart, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom and others.
In this webinar, we explore common pain points and problems arising from the explosive growth of these tools and potential solutions to those problems. We will hear from Anthony Martino, IT Operations Manager at flybuys (Australia), on how they plan to balance user empowerment with effective governance and management. We will look at practical approaches available to all customers, to continue realising the benefits of flexible working in a secure, streamlined and controlled manner.
For more information visit https://www.intergen.co.nz/ReimagineWork/ #ReimagineWork
Customer Insights: It's time to get personalIntergen
During this webinar, Qassem Naim, Head of Data and Tech at FCB NZ (one of the largest global advertising agencies) joined us to discuss how excellent customer experience starts by getting personal. To do this right, it is important to understand how each customer interacts with your business. We then looked at how the Dynamics 365 Customer Insights platform can help you unify customer data from any touchpoint and personalise the buying experience for each customer through AI-driven insights and recommendations.
For more information visit https://www.intergen.co.nz/ReimagineWork/ #ReimagineWork
Working Remotely with Microsoft TechnologiesIntergen
This document summarizes working remotely with Microsoft technologies like Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) and Microsoft Teams. It introduces the speakers and provides an agenda for the presentation. The presentation will demonstrate WVD and discuss its security, management and licensing. It will also focus on staying productive while working remotely using Microsoft Teams and Empired's Teams Rapid Enablement offer.
Intergen Convergence 2017 - Digital workplaceIntergen
Keep pace with new technology demands while ensuring data security and meeting expectations. The document discusses challenges of keeping up with multiple new platforms, cloud services, market entrants and customer/staff needs. It introduces Success Factors toolkit to help, including Dynamics 365 Field Service, Intelligent Services, a chatbot, modern apps and case studies. Upcoming sessions will provide starting steps like evaluations, quick wins and strategic planning to get started.
(1) Keeping pace with changing technology and customer expectations is challenging for Toyota, as platforms, cloud services, and competitors constantly evolve while staff and customers demand more.
(2) Safety of customer data and intellectual property must be maintained while adapting to new digital opportunities in the car buying process, as dealer visits decline but online research increases.
(3) Toyota seeks to balance its leadership position in New Zealand with understanding the customer journey, which involves both emotional and practical considerations from initial interest to ongoing ownership.
This document discusses the challenges of keeping pace with new technologies and demands across multiple areas for an organization. It mentions keeping up with new platforms, cloud services, market entrants, staff expectations, customer demands, data security, and engagement while transforming services.
This document discusses the importance of customer engagement and keeping pace with customer needs. It emphasizes understanding customers at multiple levels, from the end users to various partners in the value chain. It promotes taking a holistic approach to customer engagement by aligning the entire organization around the shared purpose of enhancing lives. Breaking large goals into smaller, more manageable pieces is recommended to make progress without becoming overwhelmed. Different tools and approaches can be used, but the focus should remain on solving customer problems. Internal customer engagement is also important to help the various groups work together successfully.
Intergen Convergence 2017 - Business transformation across the enterprise (NZ...Intergen
The document discusses business transformation across New Zealand Police. It notes that New Zealand Police has approximately 12,500 staff including 9,000 sworn officers, and has deployed 7,000 mobility devices and 4,100 tablets to frontline officers across its 12 police districts and 371 stations. It also discusses the Realtime Intelligence and Operational Deployment (RIOD) system which provides situational awareness, an Integrated Safety Response program, and collaboration between agencies with a focus on better outcomes for individuals.
Intergen Convergence 2017 - Bringing your people on the change journeyIntergen
This document discusses taking people on a change journey and the challenges of keeping pace with change. It emphasizes the importance of creating a shared vision with one's team first when undergoing transformation. While projects may be completed on time and under budget, truly embedding change and evolving culture takes significantly more time. Lastly, it notes that breaking old habits and fully embracing new ways of working can take individuals 21 days.
Intergen Convergence 2017 - Why digital transformationIntergen
Keep pace with new technologies and changing customer demands while maintaining data security. Convergence allows for faster learning and adaptation compared to competitors through empowering employees with technology to better serve customers.
Intergen Convergence 2017 - Unleash your digital enterpriseIntergen
The document discusses how every organization needs to transform into a digital business to enable future growth. It highlights that most New Zealand business leaders agree on this need for transformation but that many organizations still have limited strategies. The top barriers to transformation include lack of digital skills and leadership. While CIOs currently lead most transformation efforts, respondents felt CEOs and chief digital officers should also provide leadership.
Intergen Convergence 2017 - The future is hereIntergen
The document discusses how businesses can keep pace with changing technology and customer demands. It mentions the need to keep up with new platforms, cloud services, market entrants, staff expectations, and customer demands while also keeping data and intellectual property safe. It then discusses using learning analytics and artificial intelligence to gain insights from educational data to improve learning experiences and student outcomes.
The document discusses the challenges of keeping pace with new technologies like cloud services, platforms, and customer expectations while also keeping data and intellectual property safe. It notes that boundaries are becoming less defined as people use personal devices, cloud services, and collaboration tools in many different places. It raises questions about how to keep pace with changes while maintaining security, what is different now compared to before, whether the cloud makes things cheaper, how to learn about new technologies, and how to ensure an organization is keeping up with changes safely.
This document discusses the importance of user experience (UX) design for businesses. It notes that UX may be one of the only ways left for brands to differentiate themselves. It emphasizes that technology alone is not disruptive - not being customer-centric is the biggest threat. The document advises that to build great products, companies must focus on user behavior through UX design. It suggests evaluating teams and budgets to integrate UX practices and mindset throughout organizations.
Intergen Convergence 2017 - Data as your most important assetIntergen
This document discusses how data is an organization's most strategic asset and how to bring data to life. It outlines the organization's data journey from having data that was hard to prepare, untimely and inconsistent, to developing governance and bringing granularity, timeliness and the right metrics to measure success. The document emphasizes understanding an organization's purpose or "WHY", and how leadership can read that WHY to determine how to adjust their actions and take the right actions to achieve their goals.
Business Change Management is more than just sending out a few emails, doing a bit of training and writing a new policy. It is about understanding the things that make the business unique, working with people to find out how the change will actually affect them and how they feel about it. You can then provide them with the right information and tools to comfortably and confidently transition to the new system.
Equally, it’s not a one off, hit and run activity. Supporting people as they transition to new ways of working should be ongoing throughout the life of a project and beyond.
This approach leads to the development of a change strategy, creation and delivery of communications and training resources, and the facilitation of all staff training.
Working with people to understand their needs and then coming up with practical and creative ways to address them allows you to come up with targeted approaches to getting people on board.
It’s hard not to be inspired by someone who is actually excited and committed to change. Alternatively, change is never successful when a solution is thrown in and people feel that leaders are ‘doing it to them, not with or for them’.
Enters InterConnect, a proven approach that focuses on what your business wants to achieve and then works with your people leaders to give them the skills and confidence to support their teams through the transition. The approach is based on having conversations, providing an open forum for teams to discuss the changes and giving your leaders the knowledge and skills to maintain the drive for change.
With more than 50,000 new malware created every day organisations can no longer afford to risk the financial and reputational impacts of a security or data breach, which can be too much for a business to recover from. Because of this, IT managers face increasing scrutiny and pressure from CEOs, managing directors and boards to prove that they are keeping the organisation secure.
The changing threat landscape means organisations need to be vigilant and smarter about security. While businesses still face threats from infected devices and malware, attackers have also moved beyond that. For example, there is an increasing number of targeted email attacks with cyber criminals spending time to monitor communications so they can imitate emails that are so sophisticated that even relatively savvy users will open them.
This webinar will explore the building blocks required to ensure you have the roadmap required to best protection against cyber attacks. We will provide you with a high level view of the following topics:
· Audit and discovery – What are your weaknesses and are you compliant?
· Education – Do your employees know when not to open that attachment?
· Policy – Do you have the right policies for your industry?
· Technology – Where to start and what has changed?
Dynamics Day 2016: Microsoft Dynamics 365 first lookIntergen
The document discusses Microsoft Dynamics 365 and its features. It describes how Dynamics 365 provides a common application platform with PowerApps, Microsoft Flow, and a common data model. It can connect different business systems and data sources. Dynamics 365 includes solutions for sales, customer service, field service, operations, and more. It also discusses how users can consume Dynamics 365 through different pricing plans and licences. For existing Dynamics users, it explains they have a choice to stay on their current version or transition to Dynamics 365.
Dynamics Day 2016: CRM Field Service and Project ServiceIntergen
Steven Foster and Microsoft’s Scott Smedley look at how Field Service and Dynamics Portals can change the way you serve your customers, ensuring you provide an intelligent and data-driven engagement that empowers employees and customers.
Driving Business Innovation: Latest Generative AI Advancements & Success StorySafe Software
Are you ready to revolutionize how you handle data? Join us for a webinar where we’ll bring you up to speed with the latest advancements in Generative AI technology and discover how leveraging FME with tools from giants like Google Gemini, Amazon, and Microsoft OpenAI can supercharge your workflow efficiency.
During the hour, we’ll take you through:
Guest Speaker Segment with Hannah Barrington: Dive into the world of dynamic real estate marketing with Hannah, the Marketing Manager at Workspace Group. Hear firsthand how their team generates engaging descriptions for thousands of office units by integrating diverse data sources—from PDF floorplans to web pages—using FME transformers, like OpenAIVisionConnector and AnthropicVisionConnector. This use case will show you how GenAI can streamline content creation for marketing across the board.
Ollama Use Case: Learn how Scenario Specialist Dmitri Bagh has utilized Ollama within FME to input data, create custom models, and enhance security protocols. This segment will include demos to illustrate the full capabilities of FME in AI-driven processes.
Custom AI Models: Discover how to leverage FME to build personalized AI models using your data. Whether it’s populating a model with local data for added security or integrating public AI tools, find out how FME facilitates a versatile and secure approach to AI.
We’ll wrap up with a live Q&A session where you can engage with our experts on your specific use cases, and learn more about optimizing your data workflows with AI.
This webinar is ideal for professionals seeking to harness the power of AI within their data management systems while ensuring high levels of customization and security. Whether you're a novice or an expert, gain actionable insights and strategies to elevate your data processes. Join us to see how FME and AI can revolutionize how you work with data!
How to Get CNIC Information System with Paksim Ga.pptxdanishmna97
Pakdata Cf is a groundbreaking system designed to streamline and facilitate access to CNIC information. This innovative platform leverages advanced technology to provide users with efficient and secure access to their CNIC details.
AI 101: An Introduction to the Basics and Impact of Artificial IntelligenceIndexBug
Imagine a world where machines not only perform tasks but also learn, adapt, and make decisions. This is the promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a technology that's not just enhancing our lives but revolutionizing entire industries.
Full-RAG: A modern architecture for hyper-personalizationZilliz
Mike Del Balso, CEO & Co-Founder at Tecton, presents "Full RAG," a novel approach to AI recommendation systems, aiming to push beyond the limitations of traditional models through a deep integration of contextual insights and real-time data, leveraging the Retrieval-Augmented Generation architecture. This talk will outline Full RAG's potential to significantly enhance personalization, address engineering challenges such as data management and model training, and introduce data enrichment with reranking as a key solution. Attendees will gain crucial insights into the importance of hyperpersonalization in AI, the capabilities of Full RAG for advanced personalization, and strategies for managing complex data integrations for deploying cutting-edge AI solutions.
Goodbye Windows 11: Make Way for Nitrux Linux 3.5.0!SOFTTECHHUB
As the digital landscape continually evolves, operating systems play a critical role in shaping user experiences and productivity. The launch of Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 marks a significant milestone, offering a robust alternative to traditional systems such as Windows 11. This article delves into the essence of Nitrux Linux 3.5.0, exploring its unique features, advantages, and how it stands as a compelling choice for both casual users and tech enthusiasts.
Sudheer Mechineni, Head of Application Frameworks, Standard Chartered Bank
Discover how Standard Chartered Bank harnessed the power of Neo4j to transform complex data access challenges into a dynamic, scalable graph database solution. This keynote will cover their journey from initial adoption to deploying a fully automated, enterprise-grade causal cluster, highlighting key strategies for modelling organisational changes and ensuring robust disaster recovery. Learn how these innovations have not only enhanced Standard Chartered Bank’s data infrastructure but also positioned them as pioneers in the banking sector’s adoption of graph technology.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technologies, XML continues to play a vital role in structuring, storing, and transporting data across diverse systems. The recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) present new methodologies for enhancing XML development workflows, introducing efficiency, automation, and intelligent capabilities. This presentation will outline the scope and perspective of utilizing AI in XML development. The potential benefits and the possible pitfalls will be highlighted, providing a balanced view of the subject.
We will explore the capabilities of AI in understanding XML markup languages and autonomously creating structured XML content. Additionally, we will examine the capacity of AI to enrich plain text with appropriate XML markup. Practical examples and methodological guidelines will be provided to elucidate how AI can be effectively prompted to interpret and generate accurate XML markup.
Further emphasis will be placed on the role of AI in developing XSLT, or schemas such as XSD and Schematron. We will address the techniques and strategies adopted to create prompts for generating code, explaining code, or refactoring the code, and the results achieved.
The discussion will extend to how AI can be used to transform XML content. In particular, the focus will be on the use of AI XPath extension functions in XSLT, Schematron, Schematron Quick Fixes, or for XML content refactoring.
The presentation aims to deliver a comprehensive overview of AI usage in XML development, providing attendees with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions. Whether you’re at the early stages of adopting AI or considering integrating it in advanced XML development, this presentation will cover all levels of expertise.
By highlighting the potential advantages and challenges of integrating AI with XML development tools and languages, the presentation seeks to inspire thoughtful conversation around the future of XML development. We’ll not only delve into the technical aspects of AI-powered XML development but also discuss practical implications and possible future directions.
Cosa hanno in comune un mattoncino Lego e la backdoor XZ?Speck&Tech
ABSTRACT: A prima vista, un mattoncino Lego e la backdoor XZ potrebbero avere in comune il fatto di essere entrambi blocchi di costruzione, o dipendenze di progetti creativi e software. La realtà è che un mattoncino Lego e il caso della backdoor XZ hanno molto di più di tutto ciò in comune.
Partecipate alla presentazione per immergervi in una storia di interoperabilità, standard e formati aperti, per poi discutere del ruolo importante che i contributori hanno in una comunità open source sostenibile.
BIO: Sostenitrice del software libero e dei formati standard e aperti. È stata un membro attivo dei progetti Fedora e openSUSE e ha co-fondato l'Associazione LibreItalia dove è stata coinvolta in diversi eventi, migrazioni e formazione relativi a LibreOffice. In precedenza ha lavorato a migrazioni e corsi di formazione su LibreOffice per diverse amministrazioni pubbliche e privati. Da gennaio 2020 lavora in SUSE come Software Release Engineer per Uyuni e SUSE Manager e quando non segue la sua passione per i computer e per Geeko coltiva la sua curiosità per l'astronomia (da cui deriva il suo nickname deneb_alpha).
GraphSummit Singapore | The Future of Agility: Supercharging Digital Transfor...Neo4j
Leonard Jayamohan, Partner & Generative AI Lead, Deloitte
This keynote will reveal how Deloitte leverages Neo4j’s graph power for groundbreaking digital twin solutions, achieving a staggering 100x performance boost. Discover the essential role knowledge graphs play in successful generative AI implementations. Plus, get an exclusive look at an innovative Neo4j + Generative AI solution Deloitte is developing in-house.
Best 20 SEO Techniques To Improve Website Visibility In SERPPixlogix Infotech
Boost your website's visibility with proven SEO techniques! Our latest blog dives into essential strategies to enhance your online presence, increase traffic, and rank higher on search engines. From keyword optimization to quality content creation, learn how to make your site stand out in the crowded digital landscape. Discover actionable tips and expert insights to elevate your SEO game.
TrustArc Webinar - 2024 Global Privacy SurveyTrustArc
How does your privacy program stack up against your peers? What challenges are privacy teams tackling and prioritizing in 2024?
In the fifth annual Global Privacy Benchmarks Survey, we asked over 1,800 global privacy professionals and business executives to share their perspectives on the current state of privacy inside and outside of their organizations. This year’s report focused on emerging areas of importance for privacy and compliance professionals, including considerations and implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, building brand trust, and different approaches for achieving higher privacy competence scores.
See how organizational priorities and strategic approaches to data security and privacy are evolving around the globe.
This webinar will review:
- The top 10 privacy insights from the fifth annual Global Privacy Benchmarks Survey
- The top challenges for privacy leaders, practitioners, and organizations in 2024
- Key themes to consider in developing and maintaining your privacy program
Infrastructure Challenges in Scaling RAG with Custom AI modelsZilliz
Building Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems with open-source and custom AI models is a complex task. This talk explores the challenges in productionizing RAG systems, including retrieval performance, response synthesis, and evaluation. We’ll discuss how to leverage open-source models like text embeddings, language models, and custom fine-tuned models to enhance RAG performance. Additionally, we’ll cover how BentoML can help orchestrate and scale these AI components efficiently, ensuring seamless deployment and management of RAG systems in the cloud.
Threats to mobile devices are more prevalent and increasing in scope and complexity. Users of mobile devices desire to take full advantage of the features
available on those devices, but many of the features provide convenience and capability but sacrifice security. This best practices guide outlines steps the users can take to better protect personal devices and information.
“An Outlook of the Ongoing and Future Relationship between Blockchain Technologies and Process-aware Information Systems.” Invited talk at the joint workshop on Blockchain for Information Systems (BC4IS) and Blockchain for Trusted Data Sharing (B4TDS), co-located with with the 36th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE), 3 June 2024, Limassol, Cyprus.
Why You Should Replace Windows 11 with Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 for enhanced perfor...SOFTTECHHUB
The choice of an operating system plays a pivotal role in shaping our computing experience. For decades, Microsoft's Windows has dominated the market, offering a familiar and widely adopted platform for personal and professional use. However, as technological advancements continue to push the boundaries of innovation, alternative operating systems have emerged, challenging the status quo and offering users a fresh perspective on computing.
One such alternative that has garnered significant attention and acclaim is Nitrux Linux 3.5.0, a sleek, powerful, and user-friendly Linux distribution that promises to redefine the way we interact with our devices. With its focus on performance, security, and customization, Nitrux Linux presents a compelling case for those seeking to break free from the constraints of proprietary software and embrace the freedom and flexibility of open-source computing.
Why You Should Replace Windows 11 with Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 for enhanced perfor...
Intergen Smarts 27 (2011)
1. >> T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M AG A Z I N E I S S U E 27
< Copyright 2011 Intergen Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of Intergen Limited >
INTERGENITE PHOTO GALLERY >> 2
CLOUD SERVICES >>
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9THOUGHTS ON THE INDUSTRY >>
10INTERGEN'S RACECAR SIMULATORS >>
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>> HOT NEWS
WEB STRATEGY >> 3
WEB INNOVATION >> 4
DYNAMICS NAV SHOWCASE >>
5
Out and about, upwards and ahead
Dunedin on the move
In November, Intergen’s Dunedin team
moved into bigger, better and brighter
premises, making their new home in the
award-winning old distillery building in
North Dunedin in order to accommodate
the team’s growth.
Your Website Checklist (see inside)
If you never seem to have enough time to
get to all the things your website needs,
check out our ‘to-do’ list. It’ll help you to
focus and prioritise on some key tasks for
2012 and beyond.
WINDOWS 8 >>
The last few months have been extremely busy for us. A particularly big month
was August, when we hosted our annual Dynamics Day event in Auckland, sent
a big contingent to Microsoft’s Tech.Ed and attended the Microsoft Australia
Partner Conference. These events represent significant
opportunities for us to really get involved in the
community in which we participate.
We were extremely pleased with how our Dynamics Day
event was received this year. Each year our experts take
time out of their busy schedules to put together a day-
long event to update our clients and others who have
an interest in the Microsoft Dynamics range of solutions.
We delivered 17 sessions for the attendees, covering a
range of topics from future roadmaps to client stories.
We really enjoy the opportunity to share the things we
have learned with a wider audience.
The other really big event for us on the events calendar each year is Microsoft’s
Tech.Ed. Every year we have a huge number of people involved from many
different angles. Once again, Intergenites were involved in presenting a record
number of sessions, which is always a great way for us to share our experience
and expertise with the other attendees. And again this year we sponsored and
ran the Hands on Labs, where attendees get the opportunity to experience
products and scenarios that they may not ordinarily get exposure to in the
normal course of their jobs. As always, we put on a bit of entertainment in
The Hub area and gave the attendees a bit of a break (see pages 10–11 for
more on the race car-flavoured entertainment
we provided). We also attended many sessions
and learned more about the latest from
Microsoft.
As a fast-growing Australian partner, attending
the Microsoft Australia Partner Conference
provides valuable insights for the year ahead,
along with an opportunity to network with
other Australian partners and Microsoft staff.
This year’s conference was no exception. It
was a great opportunity to strengthen our
relationship with the Microsoft Australia team
and to confirm our plans for the following 12 months.
The year has gone very fast. The end of the year and Christmas holidays are
now looming large. This will be the last SMARTS for 2011, so I’d like to take
this opportunity, on behalf of everyone at Intergen, to wish you and your
families a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2012.
It’s at about this time of the year when we start to reflect and look to the year ahead.
2011 has been a busy time for us, with plenty of plans afoot.
tony.stewart@intergen.co.nz
2. >>2 < S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N >
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1. Intergen’s Mark Trotter and Tim Howell with
Peter FitzSimons at this year’s APSMA conference,
held in Sydney.
2. The Intergenite crew at Tech·Ed 2011.
3 & 8. Eight members of the Intergen Southern team take
on the Takahe to Akaroa relay.
4,6,11. Competitors in this year’s Wellington Business
Games, on land and at sea, all decked out in yellow.
5. The Sydney team paints the town red.
7. Post "Snowpocalypse" skiing in Queenstown.
9. Simon Bright gives a Microsoft Dynamics briefing
in Perth.
10. The Intergen team at this year’s Dynamics Day
in Auckland.
3. >>3< S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N >
User engagement – exploring what we need and want
Members of Intergen’s Web Strategy team say user engagement is an
important task based on finding common insights and discovering
things they hadn’t thought of.
Web Strategist, Giles Brown, says many users know what they don’t
want, but find it harder to express what they do want.
“Most often people will tell you what their current needs are but have
difficulty envisaging the future. A large part of the user engagement
process is therefore to discover these needs and wants.”
What it involves
User engagement involves a mixture of quantitative and qualitative
analysis. Giles says quantitative analysis offers useful patterns and is
generally more scalable and easier to conduct.
“But it’s in the qualitative analysis that you’ll find the true insights
and pick up on the behaviours and nuances that will truly influence
the way in which you approach the design process.”
User engagement also involves contextual study and ethnography.
These provide information including who the person is, what their
routines are in daily life and the sorts of sites they visit. For example,
the person could be a mother whose smartphone provides her with
her only form of internet access throughout her day. She needs sites
that are mobile-friendly, and information on the go.
Web Strategist April Hague-Smith says the value of ethnography is
that it’s as much about the person and their behaviour in the offline
world as it is about the technology. “These broader insights give you
an understanding of the user’s world and an appreciation of how you
can use technology to both meet their needs and to challenge them.”
>> W E B S T R A T E G Y
Why usability is not an end in itself
While ‘user engagement’ is essential to creating what the customer
needs, April says it’s a common misconception that ‘user experience’
is just a case of making a site usable.
“It can be misleading to take a standpoint that insists on usability
at the expense of all else. You can create a really usable system
that doesn’t achieve its goals. Your online shop may be immensely
usable and yet no one’s buying because you’ve created the wrong
experience.
“Some sites are engaging precisely because they push the boundaries
and change how people see common conventions – not because
they slavishly follow established usability rules to the letter. We are
constantly encountering new ways and means of engaging with
search interfaces.
“From today, we are already incorporating more gesture and touch-
based interaction in our world, and are increasingly reliant on mobile
and tablet-based devices.”
What user engagement covers
User engagement applies to the whole digital space, not just the
web. As part of this picture, Intergen is looking at systems and
applications, desktops, kiosks and mobile devices and taking into
consideration the ways in which these all interact with each other
and combine to deliver an overall experience.
This is where the concept of service design comes in, says April.
“It’s important to look at delivering your service or information
consistently across multiple channels – not just tackling one at a time
in isolation. Air New Zealand is an excellent example of a company
with great service design. No matter how you engage with Air New
Zealand, they seek to deliver a seamless and continuous experience –
whether you’re on the move, at your desk or in the air.”
Intergen's Web Strategy team: Brad Gallen, April Hague-Smith and Giles Brown.
Intergen’s Web Strategy team brings a ‘toolbox’ to each user
engagement assignment, as each project requires a different
approach. In any one project they could be developing personas,
designing scenarios, conducting workshops or creating user
interface blueprints.
Keeping it front-of-mind
User engagement is an ongoing process because users are always
changing and technology is constantly evolving – it’s not a task you
can ever tick off as having been completed.
Giles says it’s still surprising to see the number of projects that
begin without the project owners having a general understanding
of who their users are.
“A number of projects also treat user engagement as a bolt-on, with
user testing happening at the very last minute. Engage with users
early on and often. You don’t have to over-engineer it either – lots of
small, informal sessions can be more useful.
“Done correctly, user engagement helps reduce the layers of
complexity that these projects can often suffer from. If you can
involve the whole development team face-to-face with users, this
gives greater purpose to the project.
“Start out small, launching with the core functions and features
first, and build incrementally from there. And engage the services
of an end-to-end provider to ensure your business requirements are
fully delivered.”
‘User engagement’ is a continuous voyage of
discovery to find out what users need and want
when they interact with technology.
giles.brown@intergen.co.nz
4. >>4 < S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N >>> W E B I N N O V A T I O N
Until very recently, where website innovation
is concerned, New Zealand’s rural sector has
been left out in the cold. Constrained by limited,
sporadic and poor quality broadband and a
general perception that farmers are too busy
'down on the farm' to worry about joining the
digital revolution, having a powerful, interactive
and user-centric website aimed at farmers and
rural folk seemed superfluous to requirements.
But for Ravensdown, this couldn’t be further from
the truth. A strong, committed web strategy now
lies squarely at the heart of the organisation’s
technology and business roadmap. The Rural
Broadband Initiative is set to bring high quality
broadband to 86% of New Zealand within the
next six years. A customer survey clearly showed
Ravensdown that its customers were most certainly
not just online but also doing their research,
banking and shopping online. Ravensdown quickly
saw that being in the web space was an absolute
necessity, not an optional extra.
“Of course, we've had a web presence for quite
some time,” says Erin Webley, Ravensdown’s Web
Manager. “But we built our old website and then
left it – it just wasn’t a part of our core day-to-day
activities. With our new website we know that
it’s a journey, not something that’s ever finished.
And recognising the importance of the website
as a vital business channel for us, we established
a dedicated web team to make sure it gets the
attention it deserves.”
Web innovation brings greener pastures>> INTERGENITE
Margaret Zou
What do you do?
I am a Customer Relationship Management
developer in the Sydney office.
How do you make a difference?
I take pride in pinpointing the clients’ requirements
to deliver quality solutions. Being a software
developer comes with a great level of responsibility,
as there are almost an unlimited number of potential
solutions for our clients. I help to create interesting
and useful solutions that give our clients the
flexibility to grow, innovate and deliver.
What do you love about your job?
Besides working with some top-notch IT masters, I
really enjoy working with a wide range of Microsoft
products which are constantly improving my skill-set.
One opportunity I am loving is working for the small
but rapidly growing Sydney office. It gives me a
unique opportunity to help grow a business on new
soil, really understand our core business and take on
many tough competitors.
A bit about yourself…
I made the move to Sydney in early February. It’s a
struggle to find good coffee every morning. I have
moved in with three other geeks and we are in the
process of building a 20TB server for the house.
Over the past 18 months, Intergen has worked
closely with Ravensdown to help make its web
vision a reality. Intergen’s technologists have not
only built a new website, but by working with
Intergen’s Web Strategy team have also undertaken
comprehensive user testing and analysis to find out
what Ravensdown’s customers really want, using
this information to design a useful, informative and
intuitive customer-focused site.
Ravensdown’s well-considered web strategy is a
careful balance of user research in the field and the
use of leading edge technology, with Ravensdown
choosing SharePoint 2010 as its web platform.
The website is now the customer's first port of
call. Information is now tailored to the needs of
real customers and it’s also easy to search on,
underpinned by powerful search functionality.
An up-to-the-minute e-commerce platform is the
next step in the Ravensdown web journey, which,
when complete, will offer customers a more
comprehensive and interactive online shopping
experience. Future plans for a full-service customer
portal are also underway, with more than 1,600
customers having provided input into what, for
them, will provide the greatest value and use.
“The rural sector is no different from any other
sector now,” says Tim Roulson, Ravensdown Project
Manager. “And in the last couple of years we’ve
put a lot of time and effort into our web presence
as a core business channel. We've made it a more
intimate point of connection with our customers
and focused on understanding what works on the
internet and what doesn’t. It’s no longer a case of
putting some information up there and hoping it
will work.”
Having a flexible and future-ready content
management system has simplified the content
management process and has removed bottlenecks
and maintenance issues. Backed by robust
technology, Ravensdown keeps a close eye on
measurement, paying close attention to what
works on the site and what doesn’t. It uses Google
Analytics to hone its content and approach, based
on real information, in real time.
Since the website’s go-live the results have spoken
for themselves, with bounce rates down, and the
number of page views and average time spent on
the site doubling – not to mention the positive
feedback received from users. But despite these
achievements, there’s no room for complacency.
“This is just the beginning of the journey,” says Erin.
An online journey of discovery for
Ravensdown: www.ravensdown.co.nz
5. >>5< S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N > >> C L O U D S E R V I C E S
Intergen Chief Technology Officer Chris Auld crossed the line
in his keynote demo at Microsoft’s annual Tech.Ed event in
Auckland in August. “I had to get up on stage and say: ‘Look at
this amazing piece of technology we’ve built for one of the All
Blacks’ biggest competitors at the World Cup this year!’”
The technology, which features the Australian Rugby Union
(ARU), was developed to showcase the Microsoft cloud platform
and Windows Azure service. It delivers a Media Assets Library
that allows uploading and downloading of rugby-related photos,
video and information.
For example, a photographer in the field can upload
photographs to ARU’s media portal. These are then fed into
a SharePoint workflow to be approved for use. As part of
this process, ARU staff can view the images and attach the
appropriate metadata, (e.g. players’ and sponsors’ names and
venue information) and then approve them for use. Approved
photos or video can then be accessed by accredited media
members.
The technology is a pilot only at this stage. It was developed at
the request of Microsoft Corporation and built over a couple of
months. Intergen already had a relationship with the ARU and
thought of them when approached by Microsoft, says Chris.
“Intergen has become the go-to company for Microsoft’s
keynotes globally.
“Keynote demos are huge creative productions, similar in scale
and drama to a short movie. We develop creative scenarios
and really push the technologies to show them at their greatest
potential. We’re in the privileged position of having access to
many of Microsoft’s products well before they are in the market.
“This keynote put rugby and down under technical skills on the
world stage.”
When approached by Intergen, the ARU took part in early
brainstorming and provided content.
ARU Head of Online Business and IT Services, Paul Templeman,
says he is pleased Australian rugby could play a part in helping to
showcase Microsoft cloud services.
“With more and more people getting their news from social media
and online outlets in real time, it is imperative we have a system
that allows us to distribute content to media in a timely fashion.
“The prototype Media Assets Library meets that need in a simple
yet effective way and once complete will allow ARU to effectively
manage and distribute our photographic and video content,”
says Paul.
The technology demonstrates integration between Office 365,
SharePoint Online, Exchange Online
and Microsoft Lync. It also shows the
potential ways in which companies
already making use of Microsoft
technologies can leverage the
Windows Azure service.
An international rugby event is a
perfect example of a situation where
a large-scale event with huge but
short-term spikes in activity creates a
need for the elasticity of scale that
the Microsoft cloud platform can
offer. The Azure service allowed the
ARU to extend capacity for a short
period of time.
The technology demonstration will
feature in front of international
audiences at global Microsoft events over coming months.
On-field media action finds a home in the cloud
Intergen creates demonstration technology for Microsoft.
6. >>6 < S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N >
As well as taking part in a red carpet press event and scoring myself a
shiny new Samsung Slate, complete with a preloaded developer preview
version of Windows 8 (the loot given to each and every conference
delegate), I returned home with some valuable insights into Windows
8. And I was given plenty of developer tools to experiment with behind
the scenes as we wait for next year’s commercial release.
I’m pleased to report that my verdict is unequivocally positive. It’s
an extreme makeover, or a total 'reimagining' of Windows, to use
Microsoft’s words. It’s also possibly Microsoft’s most radical OS
paradigm shift since Windows 95 – and it’s one I think will go down
well with Windows users. It’s worth noting that there are more than
a billion Windows users out there, so this is a pretty significant
step-change!
So, what’s on the cards for Windows 8?
For developers…
Developers may be relieved to hear that existing Windows apps will run
on Windows 8 and that they can continue to build apps for Windows
the way they always have.
But, there are numerous incentives for developers to start using the new
“WinRT” platform. For example, only WinRT apps will be downloadable
through the new Windows apps store. The app store will be where
developers can sell their wares – whether these are new games or
familiar productivity tools. These will be vetted before being allowed in
the store, just as they are with Windows Phone 7 and the iPhone.
All in all, the development story is excellent. The world is the
developer’s oyster here, with developers able to choose the language
they want to program in (C++, XAML/C#, HTML, JavaScript…). The
story around 'charms' is also excellent. These are the buttons in
the global toolbar (Search, Share, Settings etc) that developers can
subscribe to. For example, to subscribe to the 'Search' charm, I just
have to declare that I will do so in my settings, then I get a search
event with search text and can do what I need to do from there – it’s
very simple.
For users…
The best of Windows 7 (only better)
Windows 8 is an evolution of Windows 7, so you’ll get all the same
improvements in performance, security, privacy and system reliability
that Windows 7 delivered. Plus Windows 8 has reduced the memory
footprint needed, which means it will run better on existing hardware,
and will run on new, more efficient devices. It will work across a broad
spectrum of devices, will power up instantly and will probably run all
day on a single charge.
The ‘Metro’ look and feel
The Metro design style entered the world with Windows Phone 7 and
with Windows 8 is here to stay, now becoming the default start screen
and the start menu in Windows 8. The new face of Windows 8 is a
touch-centric home screen populated with 'tiles' instead of icons. Each
tile is active and full of information. It feels clean and sparse, while at
the same time being informative and information-rich.
The excitement BUILDs around Windows 8 – this
century’s most dramatic operating system upgrade
In September, I made my way to Microsoft’s BUILD conference in Anaheim. Along with about 5,000 other hardware and
software developers, I eagerly anticipated Microsoft’s 'opening of the kimono' on the much-awaited Windows 8 release –
Microsoft’s upcoming operating system upgrade – rumoured to be ready to officially hit the market in 2012.
>> W I N D O W S 8
7. >>7< S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N >
In this new Metro-style, applications are the focal point of your
experience, filling the whole screen so there are no distractions.
Applications are designed to work seamlessly together in Windows 8 –
for example, you can select and email photos from wherever they are,
whether that’s on Facebook, Flickr or your hard drive.
Touchability
Windows 8 embraces what Microsoft calls the 'touch-first user
interface.' Although it can, of course, be used with your trusty old
mouse and keyboard, touch screen features are critical. Windows 8 will
offer both a fantastic finger-centric tablet mode and a mouse/keyboard
desktop mode in the same package. Both work extremely well.
Cloud-ward bound
With Windows 8, we see another concerted move by Microsoft towards
bringing the cloud to mainstream users, with every Windows 8 user
getting a SkyDrive – an internet-based storage space where users can
create, save and retrieve files online. Plus Windows 8 syncs across all
your devices, with Windows Live roaming content from all the cloud
services you use the most, keeping them up to date.
The devices – a new generation of hardware
The Samsung developer preview slate, while interesting and fantastic
to use, is just standard hardware under the covers: a quad-core Intel
i5 with 4GB of RAM. The real change will come with the release of
Windows 8 running on ARM chipsets. Think: Windows 8 on iPad-class
hardware. I got a look at some demonstration ARM slates at BUILD,
and can say that the experience was on-par with the Intel devices.
We haven’t seen the final build of Windows 8 on ARM, so
we don’t know for sure if support for legacy apps will be
included. Even so, I’m absolutely looking forward to the
Metro experience (populated with thousands of WinRT
apps built by eager developers), running on slick new
ARM tablets.
To quote Steve Sinofsky, Microsoft’s President of the
Windows and Windows Live Division, “From the chipset
to the new user experience, Windows 8 brings a new
range of capabilities without compromise." And when
pressed to reveal a release date, Steve stated that the
commercial release date for Windows 8 (a developer
preview version is already available for download) will
be driven by quality, not deadline – an approach that
earned him a sonorous round of applause from his
developer audience.
So all signs are extremely positive, and the anticipation
is building. For now, I’ll be content to play on my coveted
pre-release Samsung Slate, and I look forward with great
excitement to general availability of the product. If you’d
like to know more about what Windows 8 has in store, I
always enjoy the opportunity to talk tech – just drop me
a line at ben.gracewood@intergen.co.nz.
"It feels clean and sparse, while at the same time being informative and information-rich."
>> W I N D O W S 8
Ben Gracewood is a Solution Architect in Intergen's Auckland office.
8. >>8 < S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N >>> A P P L I C A T I O N D E V E L O P M E N T
Alan Monnox
What do you do?
I’m the Southern Practice Lead for Enterprise
Applications.
How do you make a difference?
My role at Intergen draws upon two distinct skill-sets:
solution architecture and management. I have a strong
background in enterprise and solution architecture, so I
often get to wear the architect’s hat. I’m always looking
to ensure our solutions delight our customers, while
at the same time ensuring we achieve the business
outcomes they desire.
We have to work to budgets and timeframes, so when
I’m wearing the hat of a Practice Lead, I ensure our
project teams have the skills and expertise necessary to
deliver great solutions on time and within budget.
What do you love about your job?
I love having the opportunity to learn something new
every day. But in many ways this represents the best and
worst parts of the IT industry – while it’s great to learn
new stuff, it is also frustrating that the rate of change is
continual. The key is embracing the changes that move
us forward but avoiding the technology churn that offers
little or no value. This means that while we have to really
know our stuff in terms of the latest technology and
trends, our focus must always be on providing clients
with practical business solutions.
A bit about yourself…
While I’m fascinated by gadgets, I have the cheapest
and lowest tech phone in the office!
>> INTERGENITE
The problem
During the response to a foot-and-mouth disease
hoax on Waiheke Island in 2005, it took the
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) more
than a week to identify and contact all properties
with potentially at-risk species.
The information needed for the Waiheke operation
did mostly exist but wasn’t aggregated in one place.
If it had been, and had been compatibly formatted,
the work would have only taken two days.
The situation MAF faced in Waiheke Island could
have applied to the whole country. There are 74
different territorial authorities in New Zealand
with different systems and, up until April 2011,
no consolidated information on farms and lifestyle
blocks. In some cases, there was no information
at all.
If diseases such as foot-and-mouth can’t be quickly
quarantined, they spread rapidly. A serious outbreak
has the potential to destroy farmers’ livelihoods and
undermine New Zealand’s reputation. It could result
in international trade restrictions and could cost the
economy millions of dollars a day.
The solution
The FarmsOnLine project greatly strengthens New
Zealand’s ability to manage pest and disease
emergencies through the capture and re-use of
information.
Experience has shown that information about farm
location, ownership, management and the location
of stocks and crops is critical for:
• Effective surveillance programmes to protect
international market access
• Biosecurity and rural emergency responses
• Developing and implementing robust policy to
secure the future of the rural sector
• Assisting with the implementation of
government and industry programmes,
including the planned National Animal
Identification and Tracing programme and
Animal Health Board tuberculosis programme
MAF wanted FarmsOnLine to be easy to use by
farmers so they could register their information via
an online form.
MAF also knew the issue of privacy was immensely
important, says MAF Project Sponsor, Clifton King.
“People needed to know and be given the assurance
that their information was in safe hands and being
used for the benefit of New Zealand as a whole.”
The FarmsOnLine solution is comprehensive. Based
on Microsoft .NET technology, it encompasses and
brings together three websites and eight databases.
The data is aggregated from a number of different
external sources such as local authorities, Land
Information New Zealand, New Zealand Post,
Department of Conservation and the Animal
Health Board.
FarmsOnLine went live in April 2011, on schedule
and within budget. Feedback received has been
positive – from stakeholders and farmers alike.
FarmsOnLine gives full picture of
New Zealand farming
The project also received a unanimously positive
appraisal in the fourth stage of its Gateway
Review. The review is a State Services-mandated
methodology for reviewing the progress of key IT
projects at a number of stages.
The FarmsOnLine solution is expected to surpass
90% farm contactability in the coming 12 months,
as ratepayer information becomes available. The
solution allows 50,000 farms to update their
information each year.
King says if there’s an adverse event now, MAF can
get operations immediately underway and know
exactly where the farms are.
“We’ll not be encumbered by a huge administrative
workload at the same time as coordinating a time-
critical emergency response.”
9. >>9< S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N > >> T H O U G H T S O N T H E I N D U S T R Y
Increasingly, experts are proclaiming that the way to increase
participation and activity levels is to engage people with game-like
elements of competitive play. The business world in particular is
starting to embrace gamification – the term given to incorporating
game-like mechanics into everyday business life and, especially,
those tools and systems we need to use every day.
For those of you who thought games have no place in the office,
think again. Remember: we’re not talking about playing Halo 3
or Super Mario here. And, truth be told, we’re not talking about
replacing Outlook or Word with a game controller. What we are
talking about is introducing – and embracing – game design and
mechanics in our websites and applications, to make them, dare
I say it, more fun. And to increase participation and productivity
along the way as well.
Reality is Broken, a book by Webstock-alumni Jane McGonigal,
asserts that leveraging game mechanics and game design can
be used for more than playing a videogame at the end of a day.
McGonigal suggests that there are four key attributes of any game:
a goal, clear rules, a feedback system and voluntary participation.
All of these – with the exception of the latter, perhaps – have
got relevance when it comes to workplace applications. Take
timesheeting for example. The goal is simple: we need to track our
time so that this can be invoiced and, in some cases, so we can get
paid. Put simply, accurate, timely timekeeping helps my wallet or my
organisation’s bottom line. Clear rules are similarly clear: I put my
time against projects, and these get charged back to the customer.
The feedback system is more nebulous, but the gist is this: if my
information is accurate, it gets entered; if it isn’t, then I’m told –
either then and there by the system itself, or later on by my manager.
Game On: Improving business productivity with gamification
The final attribute – 'voluntary participation' – is harder to achieve.
After all, do any of us voluntarily want to use a timesheeting
application? Perhaps not in their current form, but if we looked to
evolve these systems to be more game-like, then maybe this would
change? Could we replicate the thrill of a conventional game
by achieving points, being rewarded for timeliness or accuracy,
adding elements that make us feel this once-tedious task is more
enjoyable? Or if I could compete against my peers and race to see
who’s best? These, and other potential improvements, could make
all the difference when it comes to achieving those all-important
goals we have as an organisation.
Gamification isn’t the answer to everything – good application
design and user experience must play a role, too – but as a way
of helping increase participation, then this could be one way of
making business applications more engaging. Game on.
tim.howell@intergen.co.nz
Want to ensure everyone is entering their timesheets? Trying to ensure everyone reads the latest HR policy?
Need to increase survey participation rates? Simple: Just turn it into a game.
Tim Howell is Intergen's Strategic Marketing Manager.
Jane McGonigal, author of Reality is Broken.
10. >>10 < S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N >> > I N T E R G E N ' S R A C E C A R S I M U L AT O R S
Tim Schofield
What do you do?
I’m an Implementation Consultant
working with Microsoft Dynamics AX in
Intergen’s Northern Region.
How do you make a difference?
I try to help our customers get the
best out of their Dynamics AX by
understanding the best and smartest
ways of implementation and also
understanding their real-world problems
and issues.
What do you love about your job?
I really like the opportunity we get to
work in different industries and different
departments, and I like working with the
latest releases and technology.
A bit about yourself…
I am originally from the United Kingdom
and have been in New Zealand for about
eight years now. I’m married with two
adult children.
>> INTERGENITE
The technology under the hood...
The real life inspiration: The Intergen racecar
The creators: Carl Hickton, Lee Herd, Mark Clearwater
The technology under the hood
11. >>11< S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N > >> I N T E R G E N ' S R A C E C A R S I M U L AT O R S
High-octane technology hooks Tech.Ed crowd
At Tech.Ed 2010 we wanted to share this passion so we hired two racing
simulators for our booth, which went really well. But this year we stepped
it up and built four racing simulators that gave almost 300 people the
experience of driving Australian Super V8s.
In essence, a racing simulator is a cockpit frame with a full-size adjustable
car seat. It has additional mounts for a force feedback steering wheel,
stereo speakers and a large flat panel monitor.
The racing simulator game, rFactor, is used by professional racing teams to
help prepare their drivers for racing new tracks. It has an extensive library of
mods that can be applied, making almost any racetrack across New Zealand
and Australia available. After much debating and testing (read: racing) we
chose a custom track that offered a good cross-section of fast, slow and
technical bits.
The track was unashamedly branded in yellow and, similarly, the Super V8s
were brazenly branded with Intergen and Microsoft livery.
We had a lot of positive feedback from those who tried the simulators, with
over 130 returning to repeat the experience many times. Many drivers were
highly competitive – only 0.3 seconds separated the top three.
The overall winner of the competition was Dominic Nathan from AA, who
won last year as well. His prizes were a Windows Zune, a $100 MTA voucher
and a $100 Super Cheap Auto voucher. Other participants got to take away
their very own memento of the event – an Intergen-branded mini remote
control car.
By leveraging the game's plugin architecture, Intergen was able to use
Microsoft cloud technology to provide real-time leaderboard and lap
information through a number of presentation platforms such as browser,
desktop and phone.
The four simulators were controlled by a central rFactor server where we
could turn on or off the driving aids, control race conditions and set various
other constraints to help make the experience as intense as possible.
We used Visual C++ to hook into the rFactor Internals Plugin API, where we
captured and streamed lap data received from the game to a socket. From
the socket onwards we are in .NET land.
First of all, a Windows service parses the lap data received from
the socket and asynchronously sent this to both a Windows
Communication Foundation (WCF) service hosted in
Windows Azure and to an embedded service in
the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
leaderboard application.
In addition to the WPF leaderboard, we
had a WPF driver registration application
that also communicates with the WCF
service hosted in Windows Azure.
The WCF service uses the Entity
Framework v4 to persist data to a
SQL Azure database instance. The
WCF service is also consumed by
the WPF leaderboard for historical
data, a MVC3 website (also hosted
in Windows Azure) which was
optimised for non-desktop device
browsing, and a Windows Phone 7
application we also developed.
The cars proved to be a roaring
success – and were perhaps the only
real showcase at the conference of a live
integration spanning desktop to cloud
across the Microsoft technology stack. A
number of punters seemed more keen on
racing than attending the Tech.Ed sessions.
The simulators are now located in several of
Intergen’s New Zealand offices. They will be
used for other conferences and events that we
will be involved in over coming months.
lee.herd@intergen.co.nz
It’s no secret that Intergen and many of our staff have a passion for motorcar racing.
Lee is Practice Lead for Intergen's Central
Enterprise Applications Practice.
The racecars in action
The leaderboard
12. >>12 < S M A R T S – T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E T W E N T Y S E V E N >>> D Y N A M I C S N A V S H O W C A S E
< AUCKLAND +64 9 966 3070 > < WELLINGTON +64 4 472 2021 < SYDNEY +61 2 9241 6616 >
< CHRISTCHURCH +64 3 964 0017 > < DUNEDIN +64 3 477 5648 > < PERTH +61 8 9228 9990 >
< info@intergen.co.nz – www.intergen.co.nz – www.intergen.com.au – info@intergen.com.au >FIND OUT MORE ABOUT INTERGEN
The problem
What do you do if your company’s growth cannot be supported by
your current accounting and financial system? What steps do you take
when your system isn’t fully integrated, doesn’t have the capacity to
handle increased volumes of transactions and can’t automatically
produce reports? These were the challenges that Provident Capital
Limited (PCL) had to address earlier this year in planning for its new
financial year.
PCL is one of Australia's leading diversified finance and investment
groups. It creates and manages high-quality, fixed-interest investments
and innovative mortgage lending. PCL Financial Controller, Carl
Kennedy, says the company was projecting future growth but knew its
current accounting and financial system had reached its limitations.
“We had outgrown the current system and, with limited capability for
reporting, providing relevant and timely information to the team was
becoming inefficient."
“We were looking for a company and software system that could
deliver seamless financial and accounting processes reporting
flexibility.”
The old system required a lot of manual intervention. Carl says some
of this work stemmed from a cumbersome file-based structure that
required manual maintenance.
“Our separate legal entities meant maintaining separate files, which
doubled the transaction time when reconciling and agreeing to
intercompany balances. Historical data was only available for the
previous and current year, requiring staff to manually load and
interrogate historical data.”
Another issue was that the old system didn’t have the capacity to
process large volumes of transactions, resulting in a backlog. And with
growth projected, PCL needed a system that could handle greater
volumes of work.
With growth being across diversified lines of business, another
important performance gap was the old system’s reporting limitations.
Carl says staff had to generate the majority of the company’s reports
through Excel.
“We were after a system that consolidated this financial, reporting
and accounting activity, making it easily accessible, flexible and
efficiently managed.”
The solution
PCL engaged Intergen to implement a solution during May and June
2011 ready for the new financial year in July 2011. Intergen installed
a seamless, integrated financial and accounting platform using
Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
Intergen account manager Mark Trotter says the project was a
‘fairly vanilla’ implementation. “We kept it that way for the initial
implementation to ensure we met the deadline of 30 June.”
Carl says PCL can now spend more time on analytical work.
“Previously we were doing a lot of compiling and customising of
reports. This was taking too long and was creating bottlenecks along
the way.
“We now have a seamless software platform that gives us access to all
data and allows us to create reports within an all-in-one system.
Provident Capital moves its financials to
a new Microsoft Dynamics platform
This saves us time and creates capacity for the finance team to add more
value. We no longer have to wait to upload and construct accounting and
financial reports – they can all be generated automatically now. Plus we
can process large volumes of transactions efficiently.”
In terms of the project itself, Carl says: “Intergen delivered on time, ahead
of schedule and within cost – which was great for us. We had a tight
deadline and this was met.”
The new financial year was truly welcomed by PCL as a fresh start.