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Restoration X Provides Mold Remediation Free of Charge to Good Samaritan Center
The Good Samaritan Center for Boys is a non-profit organization that teaches lifelong lessons, brings families together and supports the educational growth of young boys and young men.
Telefonica Trials New Automated Multi-Layer Network with ADVA Optical Networking and Juniper Networks
Munich, Germany - ADVA Optical Networking announced today that Telefonica has successfully trialed a new automated multi-layer network in northern Germany. Built upon the ADVA FSP 3000 and Juniper Networks® MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routers, the new network uses ROADM technology, RAYcontrol GMPLS control plane software and multi-layer configuration mechanisms developed in the IST project ONE, funded by the European Union. During the course of the trial, Telefonica I+D, ADVA Optical Networking and Juniper Networks collaborated with European universities to enable multi-layer restoration and automated DWDM service provisioning between IP/MPLS routers. The trial enabled Telefonica to verify the significant potential for reduced operational and capital expenditures while driving new levels of speed and efficiency.
“This trial really showcases the potential of new multi-layer networks,” said Juan Fernandez-Palacios, Head of Core Network Evolution at Telefonica I+D – Global CTO Unit. “The level of simplicity and automation that we were able to achieve was incredible. We now have the opportunity to activate new services in seconds; previously this could take hours. What's more, we're also able to verify the drastic reduction in OPEX and CAPEX that such a streamlined multi-layer setup will deliver in our network. This trial provides a clear understanding of what tomorrow's networks will look like.”
According to Telefonica I+D analysis, multi-layer restoration led to over 37% reductions in capital expenditures in IP/DWDM networks. In addition, mean time to repair can be extended by a factor of 20 while keeping 99.999% availability, which translates to significant reductions in operating costs. However, the biggest impact was seen in the provisioning of new services. Telefonica discovered that new services could be activated in less than 50 seconds. Previously this could take hours and was both costly and time intensive.
“The network is undergoing a huge transformation,” commented Christoph Glingener, CTO at ADVA Optical Networking. “This trial perfectly underlines the opportunities available to service providers to balance customer demand for bandwidth while at the same driving increased profitability and new business opportunities. Network automation is critical to this process and Telefonica has shown just how simple and effective unified multi-layer operations can be.”
“We've built something special with ADVA Optical Networking and Telefonica,” said Luc Ceuppens, vice president product marketing, Platform and Systems Division at Juniper Networks. “It's not just architecting a new network, it's creating a new understanding of what tomorrow's network can be, –all with lower OPEX, lower CAPEX, and faster service provisioning. The network of the future has to do more than we've ever imagined and this trial showcases just how simple it can be.”
Airbus & Boeing Airplane Production Rates Straining Supply Chain
Forecast International's newly released "The Market for Large Commercial Jet Transports" projects that 14,655 large commercial airliners will be produced in the 10-year period from 2012 to 2021. The Connecticut-based market research firm estimates the value of this production at $2.04 trillion in constant 2012 U.S. dollars.
Airbus and Boeing, the two dominant manufacturers in the market, are implementing production increases, and are considering additional increases for the future. However, determining how fast and high to increase production is a tricky proposition for the two companies. In addition to the vulnerability of their supply chains, another concern is the overall health of the airline industry.
The desire of Airbus and Boeing to expand production is putting a considerable strain on their suppliers, especially in light of ongoing global economic sluggishness and uncertainty. In such an environment, a number of suppliers may be unable or even unwilling to support continual production increases. Adding to the pressure on suppliers is the fact that Airbus and Boeing are shifting their focus from manufacturing to integration, and are looking to outsource more design and production responsibilities. According to Forecast International senior aerospace analyst Raymond Jaworowski, "The potential for bottlenecks among suppliers means that Airbus and Boeing need to tread cautiously when it comes to future production increases."
A second major concern is the health of the airline industry. Air traffic is growing, and the industry as a whole is profitable. Still, many individual airlines are experiencing financial difficulties, including some carriers that have hundreds of orders on the books for new aircraft.
At the same time, Airbus and Boeing have considerable incentive to keep production rates high and growing. The two companies hold large numbers of unfilled orders, but this means long waiting times for customers to take delivery of their aircraft, which often results in considerable frustration for these customers. A lack of early delivery slots could also tempt potential buyers to take a serious look at new aircraft emerging from manufacturers outside of the Airbus/Boeing duopoly. Such aircraft include the Bombardier CSeries, the COMAC C919, and the Irkut MC-21.
With an eye on this new competition, Airbus and Boeing have launched development of new, re-engined versions of their narrowbody airliner families. The Airbus A320neo series and the Boeing 737 MAX family will battle each other for the lion's share of the narrowbody market.
In the widebody segment of the large airliner market, the new Boeing 787 entered service in 2011. The Airbus response to this new aircraft is the A350 XWB, which is currently scheduled to enter service in 2014. The A350 is also aimed at the popular Boeing 777, with the result that Boeing is looking at ways to upgrade the 777.
Forecast International, Inc. (www.forecastinternational.com) is a leading provider of Market Intelligence and Analysis in the areas of aerospace, defense, power systems and military electronics. Based in Newtown, Conn., USA, Forecast International specializes in long-range industry forecasts and market assessments used by strategic planners, marketing professionals, military organizations, and governments worldwide. To arrange an interview with Forecast International’s editors, please contact Ray Peterson, Vice President, Research & Editorial Services (203) 426-0800, ray.peterson@forecast1.com. Questions regarding sales may be directed to sales@forecast1.com.
eBRP Global Support Network Expands
In response to the expanding global needs of its growing customer network, eBRP is expanding its Support network to provide 24/7 online support across all time zones. Phil has established an eBRP office in London, UK, from which he will also provide support for eBRP customers in Europe and the Middle East during their normal working hours.
Phil previously spent three and a half years as a Global DR Administrator at BP in London, and has more than twenty years prior experience as an IT professional. He can be found on LinkedIn at http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/phil-adams/52/922/554, or contacted at Philip.Adams@eBRP.net, or +44(0)7932 060811.
About eBRP Solutions
eBRP Solutions is the premier global provider of Business Continuity Management software supporting the entire BCM lifecycle. Award-winning eBRP Suite is available as a true SaaS (Software as a Service), or can be self-hosted. eZ-PLANNER is the industry’s most powerful entry-level software. Both products give Planners all the tools needed to supercharge their BCM program. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, eBRP serves customers in a multitude of industries and institutions across the globe. For more information, contact eBRP at 1-888-480-3277 or visit www.eBRP.net.
Supply Chain Risk Mitigation Elearning Course
Based on University Elearning Programs, Supply Chain Risk Mitigation is an interactive "live" elearning opportunity. SCRM 2000 is the only ANSI Accredited Certificate Program in supply chain risk management.
How does it work?
This interactive elearning course runs over a two week timeframe - Monday, August 6- Friday, August 17, 2012. There is extended time to complete the essay exam after May 18.
Access course materials at times convenient to you and complete the following activities each week:
Virtual Instruction: View and listen to Richard Sharpe from Competitive Insights teach for approximately 1 hour each week.
"Live" Discussions with Students World-Wide: Participate in a virtual classroom discussion and answer 2-3 discussion questions each week.
Learn from Experts: There will be 60-100 pages of reading material assigned each week to supplement the instruction. Learn from industry experts and the latest research.
Provide Risk Mitigation Strategies to the Leadership of your Organization: As part of the course you will be required to write an essay exam to respond to an issue in supply chain risk mitigation by senior management. The work completed in this course can be applied to the mitigation of supply chain risk for your organization.
Course Description
Supply Chain Risk Mitigation is designed to introduce the inter-dependent functions of supply chain management with an emphasis on operating in today's global environment.
It highlights how traditional supply chain management decisions are made and the risks that organizations are now facing regarding the potential disruption to company performance and the financial consequences of those disruptions to the supply chain.
The course concludes by focusing on the primary ways to create mitigation strategies that can be applied to add resiliency to the operation while balancing cost, service, and risk.
Target Audience
Intended for individuals who are presently or have been recently been engaged in supply chain functionality, who are business continuity or risk management professionals, and/or who are in other functional areas but have an interest in learning how to mitigate supply chain disruptions for their organization.
Certification and Accreditation
Supply Chain Risk Mitigation is issued by The International Consortium for Organizational Resilience (www.theicor.org) and supported by The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. (www.cscmp.org)
Successful completion of the Supply Chain Risk Mitigation Course requirements and passing the exam with an 80% or higher earns students an ANSI Accredited Certificate and the designation of Supply Chain Risk Associate (SCRA).
Registration Information
Course Fee Information
Members of ICOR, CSCMP and ICOR Education Partners: $1,057.50
Non-Members: $1,175.00
Class Dates: August 6-17, 2012
This class runs once each quarter. The next scheduled class will run October 8-19, 2012.
Online Registration
http://theicor.org/courselisting.html#scrm
Download the Brochure
Questions? Contact Lynnda@theicor.org or call toll free (North America) 1.866.765.8321 or +1.630.705/0910 (outside North America)
BridgeHead Survey Finds Majority of Hospitals Lack Robust Disaster Recovery Plans
ASHTEAD, UK – BridgeHead Software today released the full results from its second-annual Healthcare Data Management (HDM) survey which determined that healthcare IT leaders around the world consider disaster recovery and business continuity their most pressing data management need. Of the survey responders, 65% said their data volumes had increased over the previous year, yet only 26% said they had “robust, tried-and-tested” disaster recovery plans in place.
As BridgeHead reported in February, disaster recovery was voted the top healthcare IT investment priority for the second year in a row. The survey also confirmed that hospitals want more control over medical image data generated by Picture Archive and Communication Systems (PACS).
Jim Beagle, CEO of BridgeHead Software, said, “In the face of unstoppable data growth, it is becoming a serious challenge for hospitals to store and protect patient data while also making it available for clinicians in a timely manner at the point of care. Results from this year’s Healthcare Daa Management survey indicate that hospitals are still grappling with many of the same IT challenges they faced last year, particularly with regards to business continuity and disaster recovery.”
To combat these and other challenges, many hospitals are actively investing in data management technologies that give them more control over their information—a practice that has positive effects for several important areas of healthcare IT including: interoperability, data access, IT efficiency, reducing IT costs, energy efficiency and disaster recovery.
Other key findings from the survey:
- 65% said data volumes had increased over the previous year, 30% did not know how much data volumes had changed, and 5% said data volumes had decreased or stayed the same
- PACS applications were cited as the number-one reason for healthcare data growth (63%), followed by files held in the electronic health record (54%) and scanned documents such as proof of insurance (51%)
- 90% said their facilities had a plan to go at least partially paperless with their electronic patient records
- 32% said they planned to move to a new PACS within the next 5 years
- 64% said their organisations had some kind of disaster recovery strategy in place, but the majority (38%) had never been tested
- 35% said their facilities did not have a plan to reduce data centre carbon emissions
- 45% said their facilities were planning a major storage upgrade (1 TB or more) in the next year.
To download an executive summary of the results from the survey, please visit www.bridgeheadsoftware.com/resources/download/456.
or follow BridgeHead Software on Twitter for the latest news and updates: @BridgeHeadHDM.
Insurance Execs Say Slow Growth and Regulatory Pressures Are Driving Focus on Improved Operational Efficiency and Technology, KPMG Survey
NEW YORK -- Insurance executives expect to focus much of their time and energy during the next two years on improving their organization's operational processes, navigating through regulatory changes, and enhancing technological capabilities in response to continued slow growth in the insurance sector, according to a recent survey by KPMG LLP, the audit, tax, and advisory firm.
When asked about the top initiatives, 22 percent of executives in the 2012 KPMG Insurance Industry Outlook survey cited the improvement of operations processes and related technology and 21 percent said navigating significant changes in the regulatory environment. In comparing this response with last year's, the regulatory response jumped from 12 percent to 21 percent, while their focus on investment in organic growth dropped from 20 percent to 15 percent.
"Executives more clearly understand what a tough environment they are in and what it demands in terms of attention," said Laura Hay, national leader of KPMG LLP's insurance practice. "It isn't that they aren't also focused on growth, but in an environment of slow growth and tough pricing, insurers must focus on value creation through efficiency, innovation and client centricity."
In responding to a question on identifying the most significant growth barriers in the next year, 47 percent said pricing pressures, down from 59 percent in 2011, and 47 percent said regulatory and legislative pressures, up from 41 percent last year.
"Insurance execs have been concerned about increased Federal oversight," said David Sherwood, head of KPMG's U.S. insurance regulatory group. "But in the past year consumer protection and risk management have taken center stage, and it has the potential to significantly change the landscape for insurers going forward."
Capital Spending Up, Technology Priority #1
Seventy percent of insurance executives say their companies have significant cash on the balance sheet, and that they plan to put it in play. Furthermore, 55 percent say they will be driving up their capital spending. The lion's share of the investment will be devoted to information technology, with 64 percent signaling that IT would be the focus, up from 49 percent a year ago.
"In this environment, insurers need to work smarter and maximize value," added Hay. "Technology can play a tremendous role in driving operational efficiency and the improvement of data usage in making strategic business decisions."
The three biggest technology areas to be funded were IT infrastructure, by far the largest, followed by customer growth or service, and data warehouses. In terms of their plans to use digital/social/mobile technologies, the emphasis for now is on external brand promotion, for recruiting and for customer insight. However, executives have identified strong opportunity to implement mobile technology, the thrust of which would be used for customer-facing mobile applications.
Other notable areas for investment include increased spending in new products/services at 41 percent, up from 34 percent, and 32 percent say the acquisition of a business. Supporting the investment in acquisition findings, nearly half of the executives (48 percent) say their companies will likely be involved in a merger/acquisition as a buyer in the next two years.
KPMG's Hay added "What we're seeing are firms focusing on their core strengths, divesting of certain assets or markets that don't fit those strengths and more aggressive M&A strategies."
Modest Outlook on Economy, Hiring
Executives expect modest economic growth ahead and aren't counting on any real turnaround in the economy in the near-term. While 59 percent expect moderate improvement in the year, only two percent foresee significant improvement. Furthermore, when asked when the economy as a whole will recover, 70 percent said by the end of 2014 or later.
Hiring projections are also muted, as many executives expect headcount to remain flat. More than a quarter (28 percent) doesn't expect their companies to ever return to pre-recession headcount levels, and 16 percent of executives indicate that a lack of a qualified workforce is a significant growth barrier.
"These factors have made insurance companies focus more intently on their talent management initiatives, and they must focus on doing more with fewer resources," said Hay. "In this environment, talent can be a key differentiator in determining success."
In fact, insurance executives point to several key talent management focus areas over the next two years, including: performance management (40 percent), succession planning (39 percent), development/training (35 percent), retention (32 percent), and reward/compensation (25 percent) and acquisition/recruiting (25 percent). "There is no doubt that alignment of goals and incentives will be critical to achieving a company's talent management objectives" said Hay.
THE KPMG INSURANCE INDUSTRY OUTLOOK SURVEY
The KPMG survey was conducted in May 2012 and reflects the responses of 102 senior executives in the insurance industry. Based on revenue in the most recent fiscal year, 27 percent of respondents work for institutions with annual revenues exceeding $10 billion, 41 percent with annual revenues in the $1 billion to $10 billion range, and 31 percent with revenues in the $100 million to $1 billion range.
About KPMG LLP
KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm (www.kpmg.com/us), is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International.") KPMG International's member firms have 145,000 people, including more than 8,000 partners, in 152 countries.
Cross River Fiber Provides Infrastructure and Dark Fiber Connectivity to Support RF Technologies in New Jersey
Iselin, NJ – Cross River Fiber, a New Jersey-based boutique dark fiber optic and telecommunications solutions provider, announces its support of infrastructure and dark fiber solutions for Radio Frequency (RF) wireless communication technologies being deployed in New Jersey. Ultra-Low Latency RF networks often require transitions to a physical interconnection point typically on an outside structure such as rooftops and towers. These structures, if equipped with dark fiber, can support ultra-low latency connectivity into colocation and data center facilities. Cross River Fiber offers these solutions to RF wireless providers, enterprise financial users, and high frequency trading firms which require the shortest, most direct physical connection into key financial data centers in New Jersey.
Having alternatives to faster methods of data transport will enable high frequency traders to maintain a viable edge in support of their business demands. The combination of ultra-low latency RF technologies and Cross River’s dark fiber network complement one another with redundancy and reliability that support the competitive nature of high speed trading.
“By identifying innovative connectivity solutions, Cross River Fiber is able to deliver best-of-breed technology and communication solutions to companies that want secondary and tertiary connections that are as fast as their primary connections,” comments Vincenzo Clemente, CEO of Cross River Fiber. “Supporting the Ultra–Low Latency RF initiative in New Jersey is new for Cross River as we continue to develop unique solutions for our end users. This often requires thinking outside of the box and using our niche expertise in design and construction to deploy physical layer network solutions.”
For more information about Cross River Fiber and its mission to design, construct and deliver the highest standards in fiber optic network communications, visit www.crossriverfiber.com or email info@crossriverfiber.com.
Sidera and Sabey Collaborate to Connect Key Data Centers
“Sabey has always focused on providing best-in-class uptime, scale, and service that customers demand for their data and applications residing at our facilities,” adds John Sabey, President, Sabey Data Centers. “Sidera allows us to extend that focus with unique diversity and low-latency connectivity throughout the New York Metro and between New York and Ashburn, VA, which are critical areas for our financial services and healthcare customers.”
Sidera’s robust and expanding fiber-optic network in the Washington, DC area, including Ashburn, VA, provides strategic advantages to financial services firms and other high bandwidth customers who value both diversity and low latency. Sidera is the only network operator with a diverse northeast route from the I-95 corridor between New York and Ashburn, VA through its Sidera Transcom route. The company’s services include dark fiber, wavelengths and Ethernet. To learn more, visit www.sidera.net or follow Sidera on Twitter @sideranetworks.
Continuity Software’s RecoverGuard v6.0 Delivers DR Vulnerability Detection and Service Availability Risk Management to Tens of Thousands of Servers
New York, NY – Continuity Software™, the world’s leading provider of disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity monitoring and management solutions, today announced the general availability of RecoverGuard version 6.0 (v6.0) featuring significant management, scalability, flexibility, and security enhancements. Designed and engineered in response to direct, real-world customer feedback, the RecoverGuard v6.0 new features and functionality will ensure that customers continue to be fully protected from loss of data or availability, and that business continuity will be maintained during any level of disaster, across their physical, virtual and cloud environments.
Specifically, RecoverGuard v6.0 has added:
- Distributed Collectors – Users can now setup multiple remote distributed data collectors across multiple geographies that are managed centrally by a single RecoverGuard server. This new feature enhances RecoverGuard’s ease of use, increases scalability to tens of thousands of servers, and improves the security of data collection by eliminating the need to share information across multiple domains, as well as enables automatic load balancing and seamless failover.
- Integration Options – Continuity Software has opened-up large portions of its RecoverGuard Configuration Management Database (CMDB) engine which allows for increased flexibility and easier integration into existing processes, a much deeper understanding of an IT environment’s storage and availability, as well as permits integration with additional external reporting tools, consoles, portals and other systems. Ticket management system integration has also been enhanced for easy integration with all major enterprise ticket management systems, with simple configuration via the UI.
- Host Configuration Comparison Module – Enables users to baseline their server environment, analyze and compare arbitrary groups of servers in order to understand which servers have deviations from the group, view side-by-side graphical comparisons for an even deeper understanding of the environment, and customize host configuration reporting for more effective and efficient management.
- Expansion Packs and Custom Signatures – Users can now specify the data to collect (e.g., file existence, metadata, content, registry value, command output, etc…), specify custom comparison criteria, easily share custom signatures, and customize the output reporting this information.
- Coverage and Support – IBM PowerVM (VIO server), IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVM), IBM PowerHA, and NetApp ZAPI have been added to the extensive array of servers, storage, and virtualization platforms supported by RecoverGuard (including EMC, HDS, NetApp, IBM, HP, VMware, Oracle, Microsoft, and others).
“One need look no further than Amazon Web Services (AWS) recent outage and interruption in customer service to know that disasters happen,” said Deni Connor, Founding Analyst, Storage Strategies NOW (SSG-NOW). “The ability to proactively identify potential weaknesses in your high availability and disaster recovery infrastructure in order to eradicate the issues before they negatively impact your business is critical. Not only can such outages negatively impact your business – after all, your nearest competitor is usually just a click away – a loss of service and/or data can also have dire regulatory compliance consequences. Clearly, a solution such as Continuity Software’s RecoverGuard is a ‘must have’ in today’s information-age economy.”
“RecoverGuard is the only tool on the market today that is able to detect complex situations and analyze their impact on such a level of granularity, in order to provide an unprecedented level of risk detection, so that the risks can be eliminated long before business impact,” said Doron Pinhas, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Continuity Software. “Our customers can sleep soundly knowing that should a disaster occur, their data and business applications will remain protected and highly available.”
About Continuity Software
Continuity Software is the leading provider of disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity monitoring and management solutions. Trusted by many of the world's largest companies, its award winning RecoverGuard software mitigates downtime and data-loss risks, via its patent-protected analytics (gap detection) technology and a vast (over 5,000 signatures) community-driven knowledgebase. With RecoverGuard, customers can be confident that their data is protected, systems are recoverable, and business continuity goals will be met or exceeded. For further information, please visit: www.continuitysoftware.com, email: info@continuitysoftware.com, or call: +1-888-782-8170 (United States) or +972 (3) 6470888 (Israel).
