Featured News – Jessica N. Abraham | Designer. Writer. Publicist.

Axway Acquires Appcelerator, Both Entities Continue to Expand Enterprise Potential

February 5, 2016 No Comments

Previously Published to TMC Net’s Communications Developer Zone

Two entities came together in the name of enterprise business and accessibility, as Axway, driver of business critical interactions for enterprise business, acquires Appcelerator. Known for a platform utilized in mobile app development amongst customers such as T-Mobile, PayPal and GameStop, the acquisition of Appcelerator means a totally new direction for Axway, as it expands B2B service incentives for new and existing clientele.

Appcelerator brings Axway competitive leverage by implementing mobile and API solutions into the new business initiatives at Axway. Axway, previously without mobile capabilities, will now be able to service clientele through end-to-end solutions that will allow corporate data to become accessible on mobile.

Appcelerator creates solutions, delivering native cross-platform apps, quickly and by bringing mobility to the life of any data source, utilizing cloud-technologies.

While no purchases price has been disclosed in the matter, it is said that this acquisition was a “cash on the table” deal. Perhaps the most important element in the deal, however, was that nothing at Appcelerator would be changed. The company’s purpose will simply expand. Because the product and brand has such a strong influence in the corporate world and a mutual customer base, Appcelerator will continue to operate similarly to how it has in the past.

“We don’t want to hug [Appcelerator] to death,” Axway CEO Jean-Marc Lazarri told Tech Crunch. He continues by saying, “We had long discussions and I’ve done that rodeo before — where you move from a startup to a larger entity… We will probably use Appcelerator as a kind of innovation center or digital lab… We have no intention not to try to leverage the maximum of the brands we are buying.”

While Appcelerator targets the developer, Axway has the total enterprise in mind. Appcelerator will now create solutions that will allow department heads more control of the system. This means that they will certainly have to simplify their platform to accommodate the executive that may be less tech savvy.

Ultimately, there will be integrations that will also accommodate productivity and better communication amongst corporate divisions in the way Axway is currently structured.

Axway’s goal here is to move customers towards bimodal IT, bringing stability through secure solutions that will allow them to become more agile while remaining competitive. It’s safe to say that it is this agility that could put them over the top, as companies continue to partner and integrate to meet mobile demands.

The acquisition of Appcelerator will allow Axway to become a prominent force in Silicon Valley. While this subsidiary is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, it is part of the larger Sopra Steria group, based out of France.

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Alcatel-Lucent Successfully Completes First Stage of Polish Maritime Safety Initiative

December 7, 2015 No Comments

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Proprietor of Bell Labs (News – Alert) and specializing in cloud and communications technologies,

Altcatel-Lucent has announced that the first stage in a National Maritime Safety System modernization project is officially complete. Joining forces with Indra, Spanish-based multinational consulting and technology firm, Alcatel has successfully deployed an IP/MPLS system that enables control, management and monitoring of technology-based information. It is said that this technology will allow Poland’s maritime authority an increased efficiency in safety and operations at all eighteen ports in the Baltic Sea. This project has been dubbed the “National Network of Global Maritime Distress and Safety Systems (GMDSS).”

Design and modernization were key elements in this project and important to the innovation within the national network of marine radio communications for maritime offices. The project was based on integrated marine VHF communications systems. The National Maritime Safety System was developed in collaboration with three regional maritime offices in Gdynia, Szczecin and Slupsk, who also collaborated with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Maritime Search and Rescue Service of the country. This collaboration built upon the need for support in monitoring and analyzing maritime traffic and calculating threats in national and maritime safety.

This announcement also makes known that “Alcatel-Lucent (News – Alert) and Indra will, together, be responsible for ongoing maintenance of the operational system of this project, known as KSMB stage 1. “ Their collaboration has already led to the design of technical specification, including implementation management, production and with focus on the modernization of coast station architecture, adding new radar towers to the mix. Integrating eight subsystems and technologies with the implementation of three Vessel Traffic Services systems, teams have been able to innovate the existing telecommunications structure for Poland’s maritime authorities.

Important for Polish economic growth, there is a definite need for new technology and upgrades. Through increased travel to Poland’s seaports, the government has decided to invest heavily into maritime industry. The oil and gas industry has benefited from this decision. Vessel Traffic Management systems will improve safety and lower threat levels across all entry ports for shipping. Direct monitoring is necessary for mission-critical infrastructure.

VTS systems are supplied with substation data from radar systems, as well as through CCTV, hydro-meteorological stations, radio direction finders (RDF), marine radio communication VHF for Maritime Offices, phone communication systems based on IP/MPLS technology, GMDSS systems and a subsystem that monitors equipment and facilities.

“We are privileged to assist in the transformation of the Polish Maritime Administration into a modern and well equipped service. We had a clear vision, proven technology and expertise that fully met the needs of the Polish Administration, states Andrzej Dulka, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent Poland. “What we have put in place is a highly reliable system that seamlessly integrates legacy systems with new technology to provide Polish Maritime Office with the best available security and monitoring network.”

Deputy Director of Maritime Office in Gdynia, Jan Miotkowski continues by saying that ”Leveraging Alcatel-Lucent’s technologies and expertise we can improve the availability, efficiency and security of maritime transportation around Poland.” Collaborating with all national authorities, consulting firms and technology teams, Alcatel-Lucent will bring peace and safety to the people of Poland, starting at the ports. Pairing with Indra will ensure the mission is successful through very the last stage.

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Security Concerns Limit Cloud Technologies

December 7, 2015 No Comments

Previously Published to TMC Net’s Cloud Security News

Netwrix Corporation conducted a survey on cloud security, interviewing more than 600 IT professionals around the world. These professionals cater to various tech, healthcare, finance and government sectors of industry. IT professionals amongst other sectors were also surveyed, answering questions on cloud security as a whole, in addition to the “expectation from cloud providers and the measures being taken to ensure data security.”

As convenient, efficient and cost-effective as cloud technology is, 13 percent of overall organizations reject the adoption of cloud technology in the future. Of those 30 percent , there are many professionals moved to reconsider this decision pending improvements in cloud security mechanisms. On the other end of the spectrum, 71 percent of all enterprises perceive continuous auditing of cloud infrastructure “very important” in guaranteeing the security of data and ensuring data integrity “in the cloud.” These professionals have adopted this technology and understand the necessary monitoring of cloud security in protecting valuable and proprietary information, on behalf of their employer.

“We wanted to find out the exact reasons that prevent companies from cloud adoption and taking advantage of all the benefits it offers,” states Alex Vovk, CEO and Co-Founder of Netwrix. “The survey revealed the interesting fact that even though the cloud is not a new technology, the cloud market has a good potential to grow further. Advanced security solutions and true visibility into what is going on across the cloud infrastructure will help companies minimize security risks, take back control over business-critical assets and accelerate cloud adoption.”

Further insight reveals that while 6 percent of the surveyed professionals are most concerned with the security when “migrating to the cloud,” as much as 40 percent are actually concerned with the loss of physical control over the data. They prefer storing sensitive data in-house. Therefore, total adoption of cloud-technologies is limited, as many are merely integrating them into their current infrastructure for remote accessibility, communications and collaboration. Only 37 percent of businesses are prepared to invest in additional security. Thus, a hybrid cloud model is preferred; 44 percent of respondents admit to this and only half of the respondents are even planning on improving their own security for identity and authentic management, utilizing encryption or establishing auditing changes and user activity.

Providing these statistics to the IT world will allow Netwrix to better serve the 150,000 IT departments relying on Netwrix for increased efficiency of IT operations and through infrastructure audits of changes and data access. These companies also rely on Netwrix’s ability to prepare compliance reports on their behalf. Award-winning and highly-favored amongst some of the world’s top corporations, Netwrix continues to provide accurate data to the businesses associated with the company’s long list of clientele.

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HP Aruba Empowers Smart Venues

December 4, 2015 No Comments

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Previously Published to TMC Net’s IoT Evolution

Provider of next-generation enterprise networking solutions, Hewlett Packard’s enterprise company, Aruba, delivers IT solutions meant to empower organizations. Serving the now generation of mobile-savvy users by creating cloud-based business apps for “every aspect of their work and personal lives.” Aruba recently announced the “next wave” of the Aruba Mobile Engagement solution. Aruba also announced the inception of the a new app developer partnership program, “encouraging innovation at the pace of mobility.”

Designed for integration with multi-vendor Wi-Fi networks and beacon analytics, location-based mobile solutions will be providing organizations with a deeper understanding of their internal users, whether an employee or a customer, allowing them to better engage with specific more effectively. In-venue, locational triggers will allow businesses to directly interact with the consumer base, enhancing customer experiences through brand engagement strategies. This will impact vendor potential and expand opportunities for revenue growth.

Accelerating innovation in location-based mobile technologies, Aruba has also partnered with promising vendors, who have been creating amazing new features and applications for integration within the “Meridian Mobile App Platform” for developers. This, powered by Aruba Beacons and Aruba Mobile Engagement, has also led to the satisfaction of an existing customer base in the early stages of adoption. For vendors currently using these technologies, the results have been almost game changing.

Aruba Beacons are paired with Bluetooth radio technologies in combination with a Wi-Fi client, to allow cloud-based beacon management throughout multi-vendor networks and through secure Wi-Fi connections. Aruba Sensors, newly merging into the Internet of Things (IoT) scene, are enterprise-grade focal points that relay battery life data, power settings and beacon location through management and monitoring of data. Cost effective, Aruba Sensors easily integrate into pre-existing IT networks. The also transmit vendor information through the beacons to mobile devices, based on consumer preferences.

Directly interacting with customers, enterprise businesses are able to communicate important information straight-to-device, through location-based triggers and the customer’s proximity to an Aruba Beacon. Analytics will be transmitted to a central location via Aruba Sensors, which measure the customer’s behavior and interaction with the brand, based on certain proximities. This data is considered valuable business intelligences that will allow the brand and mobile developers to transform in meeting the growing needs of each consumer.

Growing in demand and popularity, technologies are being deployed and integrated at larger scales than before. This increases complexity and challenge. The Aruba Meridian platform is designed to power an unlimited amount of location-based applications at any one given time. Even with all infrastructure aligned and capable of handling heavy-duty activity, complexity and speed, creativity poses as a limitation in process.

This inspired the new application partnership program, allowing vendors to create apps for venues that streamline productivity, check-in processes and create efficiency for customers as they enter venues with a specific purpose. These efficiencies save time, money and confusion. They also allow for better communication between teams, consumers and the venue, itself.

“Our booking system, combined with the Meridian Mobile App platform, provides a complete solution with visibility into meeting room availability, their amenities, and the location and directions,” states Sam Dunn, CEO of Robin. “Together we’re helping people find the right tools, at the right time, so they can do better work.”

Partnering with other enterprise mobile developers, Aruba is given more freedom to focus on the “how to make it all work” element behind these new possibilities. Many of these partners already had solutions but needed a system like Aruba to put them to use. Aruba’s infrastructure is protected and highly secure, meaning user data will remain private. In a recent statement by the company, “Aruba estimates approximately 48 hours of time savings in a 1,000 beacon deployment during a single maintenance window.” Connecting various vendors to one system allows increased efficiency in management of systems and reduces overall IT costs through the utilization of this one central unit.

TMC Net Contributions

eBay Enterprises Simplifies Omnichannel Controls

December 3, 2015 No Comments

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PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED TO TMC NET’S WORKFORCE OPTIMIZATION SOFTWARE

eBay (News – Alert) Enterprises has begun optimizing omnichannel opportunities for a more innovative customer experience, which means so much for this online auction superstar. Leveraging OpenSpan, a pioneer and trusted brand in automation and intelligence solutions, eBay will drive improvements to both process and technology advancement in the enterprise environment. Employee productivity and morale will increase, as transactions are streamlined to engage both employees and customers more efficiently. Intelligence data will allow eBay to understand these transactions and allow them to better educate retail clientele on buyer behavior and purchasing habits. Through this partnership, better service will be delivered to both buyers and sellers, while leaving no room for error, behind the scenes.

“Our goals are to empower our agents to work smarter, make servicing the customer easier and connect our systems and technologies to deliver world-class customer experience for each of our clients,” states Robin Gomez, Director of Operational Excellence for eBay Enterprise. She continues, “OpenSpan (News – Alert) Automation enables us to quickly build connectivity across the disparate technologies we use and eliminate many time-consuming manual tasks.”

As a global omnichannel commerce provider, hundreds of retailers rely on eBay Enterprise for a competitive mix of commerce features and capabilities, allowing them to continuously sell to the masses. Delivering order management, store fulfillment, drop-shipping, payment platforms, risk management solutions and fraud protection, in addition to freight and customer care services, the new enterprise system has simplified commerce through this integration, connecting retailers with millions of potential customers on a daily basis.

“Our agents sometimes have to interact with up to fifteen different systems to perform their jobs,” commented Gomez. “To deliver the premier service our clients have come to expect from eBay Enterprise, we wanted to invest in technology that would improve the way agents interact with customers.” Utilizing a “Universal Agent” model, contact center agents personally interact with customers, on behalf of multiple sellers. Previously, agents had to not only learn and utilize eBay Enterprise systems; they also had to learn client-specific applications. To save time and create better efficiencies, teaming up with OpenSpan was the perfect step toward eBay evolution.

eBay’s ability to seamlessly integrate with technologies, while focused on speed and agility, has increased profitability and customer loyalty. Their recent integration with the Innotrac Corporation has, according to eBay, “created one of the world’s leading independent omnichannel commerce providers.” As eBay Enterprises embarks in partnership with OpenSpan’s automation solutions, contact center agents will no longer have to access fifteen separate systems to conduct one customer service task.

After evaluating their core needs, they came to the conclusion that OpenSpan Automation can provide “core capabilities, extensibility, management deployment and ease of use,” as Gomez points out. “We needed a solution with flexibility and robust integration capabilities. OpenSpan was our technology partner of choice for this project.”

OpenSpan will de-stress the agent environment, and it doesn’t require extensive coding. Therefore, customized applications can be created and integrated into current systems to streamline day-to-day operations, on behalf of contact center managers and customer service agents. The applications can be adjusted to meet the growing needs of the company and all associated retailers. This will bring added value to the marketplace, guaranteeing eBay’s position at the top, as competition increases demand.

TMC Net Contributions

A Connected Experience Capitalizes on the Power of Wi-Fi

November 30, 2015 No Comments

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED TO TMC NET’S IOT EVOLUTION

A Connected Experience platform, Aerohive Networks’ new suite of enterprise technologies has been released that is designed to enable businesses to, according to Yahoo! Finance, “unlock the future potential of Wi-Fi” through its cloud networking architecture. “The intersection of mobility and cloud networking gives every organization the chance to transform how they serve their customers,” said David Greene, SVP and CMO, Aerohive Networks.

“Our Connected Experience platform and next generation of cloud networking enables businesses to build on the foundation of their Wi-Fi infrastructure to improve customer engagement, create new business insights and drive growth,” said Greene. They are doing this through integrated APIs that will allow developers to scale and resolve issues of privilege through BYOD challenges, arising when guests and employees connect personal devices through enterprise servers.

As enterprises adopt the ideology that mobile technologies can transform personalized delivery of information to internal teams and customers, they are finding that the connected experience can promote collaboration and engagement that will shift effectiveness of communication and growth. Addressing these points head-on, Aerohive’s cloud networking solution takes advantage of Wi-Fi to empower customers, keeping them connected to updated information, proprietary applications and business insight. IT professionals will gain access to customer interactions and behaviors while in the system. They will be able to drive new initiatives targeting consumers on a more one-on-one basis through the same API connections.

With a history of innovation in cloud networking, Aerohive’s HiveManager NG works in the same manner, through public subscription, that it does within a firewalled datacenter, installed directly into an enterprise’s infrastructure. This means that a company can decide whether or not they would like to use this technology from behind closed doors or allow access remotely, based on strategy for the customer experience. This opens doors for retail in ways that have never been experienced before. Customers can be pulled into the conversation, based on location triggers within the store. Through this innovative use of Wi-Fi networks, teams will be closer than ever, customers will be more engaged and businesses will expand their limitations. Through this technology, personalization is one step closer to loyalty than ever before.