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Automation Error Led to Higher COVID-19 Fatality Count This Week, Texas DSHS Says – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

The Texas Department of State Health Services says an automation error in their new method of reporting COVID-19 fatalities led to 225 deaths being added to the state's death toll when they shouldn't have been.

On July 27, the state said 675 deaths were being added to the list of those killed by COVID-19 and that the increase was due to a change in reporting method that relied on death certificates rather than reports from various public health departments.

The switch was to provide greater demographic information about the victims and allow for more expedient reporting of fatalities.

On Thursday, the DSHS tweeted that they needed to correct some of the numbers published this week due to an automation error that "caused 225 fatalities to be included even though COVID-19 was not listed as a direct cause of death on the death certificate."

The state health department then revised the death totals published those days as follows:

On Thursday, the state said another 322 Texans had died after contracting the virus when they reported the state's death total reached 6,274.

So far this week, since Monday, the state has reported 1,236 deaths -- the most of any week since the pandemic began in March.

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Automation Error Led to Higher COVID-19 Fatality Count This Week, Texas DSHS Says - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

How automation can make a network appear open, even when its not – RCR Wireless News

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

Cellwize, a network automation and orchestration company, worked with Verizon to develop Chime, an AI-powered RAN automation platform that provides an open, centralized layer that enables an orchestrated ecosystem of automation, allowing MNOs to manage and control both legacy and 5G networks, RAN and vRAN. The platform automates the deployment, design, management and optimization of 5G networks by consuming raw data from the RAN and external sources, abstracts it, and then makes it available to any application and solution through open APIs.

David Ronen, VP of Innovation at Cellwize toldRCR Wireless Newsthat, as our networks become increasingly complicated, deploying and managing them manually is out of the question.

Ronen provided further insight into the companys platform, as well as how automation not only addresses the challenges of managing complicated 5G networks, but also helps deliver the benefits of Open RAN, even if whats under the hood is not entirely open.

There is no question that there is a lot of effort and activities related to Open RAN, but its a complicated domain and the industry is moving very slowly. It is full of different people trying to lead the vendors, the carriers and there is no single alignment on the agenda.

But there is a very strong drive to make the RAN simpler and make the boxes talk to each other. Instead of being forced to have single vendor, you would be able to the best upgrades on diff components of the radio access network. Now, this is a great and wonderful vision for the industry, especially for the carriers, but its happening slowly and even when it does happen, nobody is going to just throw away their legacy equipment.

So, I personally believe that we are facing a very long time, and even when we have open RAN tech supplied on the networks, they will coexist alongside the legacy equipment for a very long time. From our point our view, youre not really able to reap the benefits of Open RAN and to monetize on the opportunity because your network is not really open RAN; its both propriety and an additional set of protocols. Unless youre able to deploy your whole network from scratch using new open standards, it actually makes your network quite complicated.

So, our mission is to enable the benefits of Open RAN, even though under the hood is not all Open RAN. On the outside, we make it look like Open RAN. When we are able to bridge the proprietary part of the legacy network with new components of the open network and make it look from above, from the application perspective, from the carrier perspective, as if all the network is using open ran technologies. I think its exciting.

This is not a yes or no answer. Each vendor has its own strategy and is trying to capitalize and take it advantage of its strength, but there is no doubt that for the larger vendors it introduces the risk that it will impact their revenues. They can be easily replaced if theyre not efficient and dont have the best technologies. How they choose to address this, Im sure they have very clear strategies. But looking at it from above, its going to be complicated, thats why we have to make it simple.

If you look at it from a historical perspective, there used to be 2G networks and when we introduced the 3G networks, they didnt replace the 2G networks; it just became an additional network that the carriers had to manage. Not when the 4G network was introduced, nobody shutdown the 2G or the 3G network. And carrier competition became significantly more intense, so they have to do triple the work they did on the 2G domain. And now that 5G has been introduced, it becomes unmanageable.

Its not a single layer on top of the 2G, 3G, 4G that already exists; its 5G working in cooperation with 4G network in a non-standalone mode and if youre going into the standalone slicing domain, each slice is a network on its own that needs to be managed. Unless you do things differently, this is not something you can cope with in a cost-effective manner.

And this differently means, at least in our vision, that 5G networks should be born automated. What we mean by that is that the technology should come with automation capabilities that enable the deployment and operation of the network. You cannot manage a 5G network with manual processes. It doesnt make sense.

Yes, they will coexist for a very long time. There are several reasons for that. One of them being that 5G networks being rolled out today are non-standalone. In order for 5G to work, the 4G layer has to be the one carrying the signal and managing the connectivity. And that also creates a set of devices that handsets that are created and designed for this environment, and those handsets dont just go away. So even if carriers enable standalone 5G, it will still be a mix.

Chime allows for the faster rollout of 5G and for carriers to be more efficient in operations in both CAPAX and OPAX. Specifically, the platform wraps around the network technology, and in addition, weve developed set of solutions that take advantage of the platform. There is Chime Deployer, which is for rolling out 5G sites, Chime Optimizer for optimizing performance and Chime Designer, which allows carriers to design network configurations.

First of all, I am personally delighted to have Verizon as a customer. There is no doubt that they are one of the leaders in delivering 5G to its customers. Looking at their vision, it is well aligned with ours of how to enable carriers to do better business. On top of that, the ability to open up the RAN for the Verizon ecosystem fits very well into their DNA and they are trying, across multiple initiatives, to simplify what they have to do in order to stay at the cutting edge of innovation.

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How automation can make a network appear open, even when its not - RCR Wireless News

Top 5 Key Automation Trends to Watch in 2020 – RTInsights

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

Automation was on the rise before. The pandemic has given it more importance. Here are the top trends to watch.

Automation is that part of the technology that has been helping us to reduce cost, increase performance, and become more productive. It is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world right now. If you are planning to make new investments in terms of time, money, energy, or brain cells in the field of automation, you must know the key automation trends to watch in 2020. This forecast is the result of hours of research by experts in the domain of automation. Here are the top five automation trends of 2020.

See also: Businesses Increase Automation Investments Due to COVID Pandemic

The world is constantly evolving. As it grows, we construct manydynamics that impact how the business operates. Artificial intelligence hasbecome popular in the last decade. There have been some powerful developmentsin the field of AI. It has started to become a part of our life. But the futurewill not be all machines and no humans. It is where human and machineintelligence will collaborate. AI taking over humans is not a likely outcome.Also, due to this state of innovation, it will become difficult to modeleverything with a fixed set of rules. Technology will replace humans, but someminds will be required to run the technology. Companies might be able toachieve the highest level of automation, but there will be some exceptions.Subjective matters where human cognitive intelligence is needed cannot beexpected from robots or AI completely. Machines doing all the menial, tedious,and repetitive work while humans focusing on higher cognitive tasks likeresearch, creatives development will be a way forward.

Thats how it has been since the industrial revolution. Instead ofremoving people completely, we should think of a hybrid of human and machineintelligence, which will help the whole industry grow. These collaborativeefforts will change the automation industry for the better.

For example, technology can scan through billions of DNA every day but cant come up with the idea of how to scan DNA. Thats why human collaboration is important to create a Smart environment.

Processes are the core of any business. Your business grows when yourcore processes move faster. In order to achieve organized automation in thecore system of business, organizations have already been automating theirprocesses in some way or the other. Process automation and Business ProcessManagement has seen remarkable growth in the last five years. BPM platformshelp you with your business process automation by enabling you to design and automate processes. You must know thatthis is different from Robotic Process Automation (RPA). RPA mimics humanaction and lets you automate a function of your business while ProcessAutomation is the part of the bigger picture. However, theres an ongoingshift. BPM platforms are being re-imagined according to new dynamics of themarket, which considers the next-gen workforce and changing expectations ofcustomers. Since the entry of Millennials in the workforce, the over-engineeredand heavy solutions are becoming outdated. The new workforce and smartercustomers have high expectations from the process automation market. Mostpopular BPM platforms are over-engineered, which increases the problem andmakes your processes slow. This will lead to a rise in the need for fastprocess automation in the market. Another demand of the Process automationmarket is integration. Process automation connected with all your tools in thetool stack makes it even more powerful and dynamic.

If you increase the speed of building and running automation inbusiness, a lot of problems like delays in processes will be solved. You canalso see a rise in the involvement of all the stakeholders, includingemployees, customers, and suppliers in the process automation. This wouldenhance the customer experience in the business and lead to growth.

People who do not have a background in technology are often addressedas Non-technical people. These people have a lot of trouble when they areworking on or creating a digital platform. But they have great ideas onproducts/solutions that solve the customers problem. Due to insufficientknowledge of the technical aspects of coding, they somehow drop the idea ofcreating the products. Thats why there is a rise of No-code solutions thatgive non-technical people the ability to build something digitally. No-code isalso known as Low code or Visual development.

If we see the history of technological innovation, the trend suggeststhat User Experience has always been a priority for businesses. MS-Dos was tootechnical and rigid for its users. This gave birth to a more user-friendlysystem, Windows. It changed the way operating systems and computers were seen.

If JeffBezos had the idea of opening an online store but didnt know how to code, theworld would not have amazon today. These potential geniuses will get a betterplatform to build and use automation.

WhatYou See Is What You Get has been a buzz word since it came out. Itstarted with simple technology, where you will be able to edit the content onyour screen as it would look in the output. This visual development then becamewider, and WYSIWYG got a bigger meaning.

Currently,automation is somewhat in the hands of technical users. This power will shift,and we will see democracy in building automation through no-code movement.These platforms will focus more on the ease of use and experience optimized forbusiness users as a whole than just technical users. When business users need less external helpdue to easy no-code solutions, we will see a rise in the number of successfulbusinesses and non-technical users.

The world isgoing through a pandemic, and it is going to affect almost every industry. Youcannot forget the biggest issue of 2020 while predicting automation trends of2020. Coronavirus has hindered the growth of every business. All the countriesare suffering through an economic crisis. This crisis will lead to a lot ofcost-cutting in business. Many businesses have already started to layoff theiremployees due to the cash crunch. These businesses will look for a solutionthat would help them automate most of their work. This would lead to a moreaggressive demand for automation in businesses. In a way, Coronavirus Is Forcing Companies To Speed Up Automation,For Better And For Worse. Thecompanies that are suffering from cash flow issues are likely to look forautomation instead of going through the painful process of rehiring people oncethe dust is settled. People see automation as a bad thing for the marketbecause it risks the job of many earning their livelihood out of that oneskill. But automation helps businesses decrease the cost of production. Thiswill help us grow the GDP in the long run.

Vox did an interview with Mark Muro, a senior fellow and policy director at the Brookings InstitutionsMetropolitan Policy Program. He talked about how, after every economic crisis,there is a boost in people who adopt automation. People usually think that thepandemic while making the human capital cheaper, but the opposite is true.After a major economic crisis, humans become costlier than automation. Thismotivates businesses to replace less-skilled workers with technology.

Anotherangle to this situation is that automation technology has high competition. Newplayers trying to penetrate the market are providing lower-cost solutions,which have made the prices relatively lower. The industry is maturing as timepasses, and the cost curve is declining, which makes high-end automationtechnology inexpensive. On top of that, the financial crisis has led to pricerelief as well as a reduction in many fields, including automation. This wouldlead to an increasing demand for automation in 2020 due to the pandemic.

On-premiseor hosted tools means that the organization keeps all of its technologyrequirements (tech stack) managed by themselves locally, whereas cloud-basedmeans that the technology and tools used by the company are managed andorganized by a cloud service provider.

Both of thesetypes have their advantages and disadvantages. Yet, due to more need forflexibility and collaboration of tools online, cloud-based automation willthrive in the future.

On-premtools are better for companies that are strict with their security measures andhave sensitive data. Sometimes, it becomes a tough task to shift from one Cloudvendor to another. Organizations might find this task tedious as there is a lotof new processes that they discover.

Theorganization that wants lesser risk, better performance, and portability atlower cost will go for cloud-based automation. It is the requirement of thenewer smart generation. In the world where IoT is coming up andbecoming a thing, cloud-based automation is the future.

The automation industry is unpredictable. Every day there are hundreds of new discoveries. The market is growing rapidly, and there is a huge scope of innovation through a dynamic and collaborative approach. These automation trends are going to be the ones to watch out for in 2020.

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Top 5 Key Automation Trends to Watch in 2020 - RTInsights

Follow these 8 steps to implement automation in IT workflows – TechTarget

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

Automation is vital for modern IT, as it enables IT teams to accomplish common workflows and repetitive tasks accurately, consistently and quickly. But automation is far from automatic.

The path to implement automation is fraught with mistakes and waste. Most IT admins know automation horror stories: a huge project to address a minor task, detrimental process changes for the sake of automation and the headaches from a poor tool choice. Careful planning and concerted effort are critical to implement automation in a meaningful and maintainable fashion.

There are eight steps to take an IT task from manual to automated:

Automation is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Not every process or task should -- or even could -- be automated. You don't need to automate everything simultaneously to demonstrate automation's business value.

To start, identify common and frequently performed tasks with minimal complexity. These tasks often benefit most from automation. In general, automation candidates are processes and tasks IT admins perform frequently and ones that consume significant time. Common examples include user password resets and VM instanceprovisioning.

Organizations run into trouble translating human workflows into automation workflows. Automation performs the same steps the same way every time. Different business and IT processes can use radically different approaches to reach the same result. Also, exceptions to the rules pose serious problems for automation.

Evaluate many opportunities for automation, even if you don't intend to implement them all immediately. Consider the current workflows in many tasks across the business and seek common sequences or subprocesses for automation. IT can then implement and reuse these sequences in multiple automation projects. The more common sequences or processes there are, the easier and more effective an automation task will be. In many cases, existing human workflows can be altered or divided to benefit from automation.

Microsoft's PowerShell scripts are a good automation example. IT admins typically automate a process by chaining together several small PowerShell scripts. Each separate script represents a discrete task or step in the greater process or workflow, and each script is reusable as needed. This modular approach makes automation versatile, but only when a broad cross section of tasks and processes are understood.

With automation projects set, focus on implementation. Automation engineers design processes and decide how to handle exceptions, such as variables or options. Exceptions can be difficult and time-consuming to implement; IT leaders might opt to automate the easiest processes and leave exceptions for human intervention.

Here's an example in VM provisioning: IT teams can fully automate VM provisioning steps. But the configuration attributes of the VM -- number of processors, amount of memory and VM image file to deploy -- require manual input and pose exceptions. Another example is a business process automation that requires human signoff at the end. Automation engineers need to design for a mix of automated and human-controlled steps, including delays or erroneous input.

Evaluate IT automation products to best suit the projects. There are IT-centric tools or business workflow automation platforms. Some products deploy and get managed in-house, while others are SaaS. Compare features, capabilities, usability and interoperability with other data center or business tools. IT-centric workflow automation tools include products from Cflow, IBM, Microsoft, Nlyte Software and ServiceNow. However, there are dozens more tools and platforms, often with specializations that range from HR to procurement to software development.

Validate the automation tool before committing to it. Narrow the list of available tools to promising candidates, and then test each finalist using demo versions or other trial options.

The best way to adopt automation is to prove its value to the enterprise. Implement it on one or two of the easiest tasks or workflows that will potentially free the most time.

Such fledgling efforts are usually approached as pilot or proof-of-concept projects. Automation owners learn and master the tool or tools for the job while proving its worth to business leaders and teams. Starting small minimizes disruption and culture shock, and enables IT teams to find and handle problems with the tool or its use.

Once the IT team implements an automation tool for tasks or workflows, apply metrics or KPIs to objectively measure how automation affects the business.

Every task and workflow has a business value. It might simply be a measure of the cost in workers' hours to perform a task. If automation significantly reduces the time to perform a task, the cost of that task is also significantly reduced. Thus, automation is credited with savings.

Similarly, automated tasks get done the same way every time, which should reduce mistakes. With fewer errors, automation enhances user satisfaction and reduces time wasted fixing avoidable problems.

Finally, monitoring helps determine bottlenecks within the automated processes. For example, a provisioning task can fail due to insufficient server memory, and succeed when the right resources are available. Monitoring is the only objective means to gauge automation's value and identify problems to remediate.

With a small suite of tasks and workflows automated, and automation's value to the business proven, it's time to systematically automate additional tasks, which can be more complex, or simple but less valuable, than those in the first round. Generally, the goal is to focus the automation investment on high-volume, low-risk workflows, sometimes avoiding workflows with exceptions, until automation use within the business matures.

Automation performs repetitive tasks in high volume faster than humans can. If a complex task, such as one with user inputs, alternative selections, approvals or other exceptions, is only performed on rare occasions, there might be insufficient overall benefit to automate it.

Implementing automation is not a one-time effort. The data sets used to define an automated process -- such as scripts and predefined visual objects -- require regular review and updates to keep pace with changes in workflows and business needs. That is, does every automated process do what the business needs it to? Unfortunately, automation maintenance is often neglected or treated as an afterthought. Plan periodic reviews to revisit and revalidate automated processes -- but don't stop there.

Infrastructure and business changes are two principal drivers for automation maintenance. For example, adding new servers might increase compute resources available for automated provisioning. Similarly, a new law might necessitate changing the steps in an automation process to ensure regulatory compliance. To address these scenarios, automation maintenance can be tied to the organization's change management process.

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Follow these 8 steps to implement automation in IT workflows - TechTarget

Brooks Automation Reports Results of its Third Quarter of Fiscal 2020, Ended June 30, 2020, and Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend – PRNewswire

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

CHELMSFORD, Mass., July 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Brooks Automation, Inc. (Nasdaq: BRKS) today reported financial results for the third fiscal quarter, ended June 30, 2020.

Financial Results Summary

QuarterEnded

Dollarsinmillions, except per share data

June30,

March31,

June30,

Change vs.

2020

2019

Prior Qtr

Prior Year

Revenue

220

204

Semiconductor Solutions

127

125

116

Life Sciences

(2)

Diluted EPS Continuing Operations

0.19

0.12

0.01

N/M

Diluted EPS Total

0.19

0.12

0.10

Non-GAAP Diluted EPS Continuing Operations

0.32

0.25

0.20

Management Comments "Despite the current environment's headwinds, we delivered a strong performance in the quarter," commented Steve Schwartz, president and CEO. "Our Life Sciences business witnessed robust demand for its sample management offerings and gene synthesis services. Due to many customer lab closures around the world, our gene sequencing business had a slow start to the quarter but has steadily increased and is now approaching pre-COVID levels. We continue to see a ramp in Semiconductor with increased demand for both automation systems and robots. The real story here is about the relentless team of Brooks employees working through the most difficult of environments without missing a beat!"

Summary of GAAP Results for Continuing Operations

Summary of Non-GAAP Results for Continuing Operations

A reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the most nearly comparable GAAP measures follows the consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations and statements of cash flows included in this release.

Cash and Liquidity

Quarterly Cash DividendThe Company additionally announced that the Board of Directors has reiterated a dividend of $0.10 per share payable on September 25, 2020 to stockholders of record on September 4, 2020. Future dividend declarations, as well as the record and payment dates for such dividends, are subject to the final determination of the Company's Board of Directors.

Guidance for Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2020The Company announced revenue and earnings guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. Revenue is expected to be in the range of $229 million to $241 million and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share is expected to be in the range of $0.32 to $0.40. GAAP diluted earnings per share for the fourth fiscal quarter is expected to be in the range of $0.19 to $0.27.

Conference Call and WebcastBrooks management will webcast its third quarter earnings conference call today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. During the call, Company management will respond to questions concerning, but not limited to, the Company's financial performance, business conditions and industry outlook. Management's responses could contain information that has not been previously disclosed.

The call will be broadcast live over the Internet and, together with presentation materials referenced on the call, will be hosted at the Investor Relations section of Brooks' website at http://www.brooks.investorroom.com, and will be archived online on this website for convenient on-demand replay. In addition, you may call 800-754-1366 (US & Canada only) or +1-212-231-2930 for international callers to listen to the live webcast.

Regulation G Use of Non-GAAP financial MeasuresThe Company supplements its GAAP financial measures with certain non-GAAP financial measures to provide investors a better perspective on the results of business operations, which the Company believes is more comparable to the similar analysis provided by its peers. These measures are not presented in accordance with, nor are they a substitute for, U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. These measures should always be considered in conjunction with appropriate GAAP measures. A reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the most nearly comparable GAAP measures is included at the end of this release following the consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations and statements of cash flows.

"Safe Harbor Statement" under Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934Some statements in this release are forward-looking statements made under Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees but involve risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause Brooks' financial and business results to differ materially from our expectations. They are based on the facts known to management at the time they are made. These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements about our revenue and earnings expectations, our ability to increase our profitability, our ability to improve or retain our market position, and our ability to deliver financial success in the future. Factors that could cause results to differ from our expectations include the following: the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the markets we serve, including our supply chain, and on the global economy generally, the volatility of the industries the Company serves, particularly the semiconductor industry; our possible inability to meet demand for our products due to difficulties in obtaining components and materials from our suppliers in required quantities and of required quality; the inability of customers to make payments to us when due; the timing and effectiveness of cost reduction and cost control measures; price competition; disputes concerning intellectual property; uncertainties in global political and economic conditions, and other factors and other risks, including those that we have described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to our Annual Report on Form 10-K, current reports on Form 8-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. As a result, we can provide no assurance that our future results will not be materially different from those projected. Brooks expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Brooks undertakes no obligation to update the information contained in this press release.

About Brooks AutomationBrooks (Nasdaq: BRKS) is a leading provider of life science sample-based solutions and semiconductor manufacturing solutions worldwide. The Company's Life Sciences business provides a full suite of reliable cold-chain sample management solutions and genomic services across areas such as drug development, clinical research and advanced cell therapies for the industry's top pharmaceutical, biotech, academic and healthcare institutions globally. Brooks Life Sciences' GENEWIZ division is a leading provider of DNA gene sequencing and gene synthesis services. With over 40 years as a partner to the semiconductor manufacturing industry, Brooks is a provider of industry-leading precision vacuum robotics, integrated automation systems and contamination control solutions to the world's leading semiconductor chip makers and equipment manufacturers. Brooks is headquartered in Chelmsford, MA, with operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.brooks.com.

INVESTOR CONTACTS: Mark NamaroffDirector, Investor RelationsBrooks Automation978.262.2635[emailprotected]

Sherry DinsmoreBrooks Automation978.262.2400[emailprotected]

BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(unaudited)

(In thousands, except per share data)

ThreeMonthsEnded

Nine Months Ended

June30,

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Brooks Automation Reports Results of its Third Quarter of Fiscal 2020, Ended June 30, 2020, and Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend - PRNewswire

Panaya & Worksoft Partner to Deliver Change Intelligence with Smart Automation for SAP Customers – EnterpriseTalk

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

Panaya, the leader in SaaS-based Change Intelligence for SAP, Oracle, and Salesforce, today announced a new partnership withWorksoftproviding SAP IT organizationswith a best in class Change Intelligence solution that enables SAP ECC users to migrate or optimize their system risk-free.

The partnership creates the perfect solution for Change Intelligence with smart test automation for SAP customers, and is ideal for both technical and business users, ensuring control and visibility into ERP projects. With Panaya and Worksofts joint solution, any development, business, and test automation stakeholder can proactively manage and accelerate SAP change projects.

Thanks to the new partnership, Panayas powerful impact analysis, and automatic code corrections are now also powered by the Worksoft Test Execution suite, resulting in cutting edge automation scoping. The joint solution enables customers to effectively manage S/4HANA system conversion, S/4HANA greenfield implementation, and ECC Optimization projects, always one step ahead with foresight into what to fix, what to test and what to automate.

For our customers, this partnership enables a new level of continuous, automated quality assurance for SAP S/4HANA Brownfield and Greenfield migrations as well as ECC optimization. customers can work seamlessly from Panayas platform, as a single source of truth where they can plan, execute and monitor manual and automated tests with the quality standards they have come to expect using Panaya, saidDavid Binny, Panaya CEO. With so many unknowns in todays climate amid an increasing number of pivots and tightening IT budgets, ensuring zero defects during critical business process change while optimizing on cost and quality is a huge challenge for our SAP customers. With Worksoft, were giving strained IT teams the power to do more with less, reducing the time, cost, and risk of any S/4HANA system conversion, new implementation, or ECC optimization project by up to 50 percent.

The solution is a continuation of both Panaya and Worksofts commitment to helping SAP customers in their transition to S/4HANA. By combining Panayas Impact Analysis solutions and test management capabilities with Worksofts continuous test automation platform, the deeper partnership provides the safest and most cost-effective way for your organization to maximize ROI on its current SAP system, or prepare for the next step in its ERP evolution.

Panayas Change Intelligence is now fully integrated with Worksofts Connective Automation platform, offering customers unparalleled process understanding, automation and industry-leading change impact analysis, said Tony Sumpster, CEO at Worksoft. The integrated platform is already providing value to leading fortune 50 customers, driving 614% ROI in less than six months for complex S/4HANA projects. This powerful integration is a game changer across the SAP ecosystem, combining Panayas Change Intelligence and Certify test automation to enable customers to deploy faster and reduce risk in major S/4 transformations.

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Panaya & Worksoft Partner to Deliver Change Intelligence with Smart Automation for SAP Customers - EnterpriseTalk

Automation and Offshoring are Changing the Logistics Industry – The Maritime Executive

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

File image

By Luke Robert 07-28-2020 03:51:00

The impact of Covid-19 has hastened the pace of technological adoption across industries, leading to widespread job losses and a re-designing of job roles and scopes to accommodate the new normal of how business is conducted. The biggest shift this crisis will see is that of jobs being automated and offshored from higher-income countries to lower-income ones, accelerating a transition that has been gradually rising over the last decade.

Such rapid changes have left many workers circumspect about the future of their jobs, and there is a real risk - of which many governments are cognizant of - where the bottom third of wage earners will be left behind afterthe economic seismic waves generated by this pandemic. That the lower-income is especially vulnerable to forces of automation was noted in a studyby the Centre for Business and Economic Research (CBER) and the Rural Policy Institutes Center for State Policy, Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. They found that a low risk of automation was associated with much higher wages, averaging about US$80,000 a year whereas occupations with the highest risk of automation have annual incomes of less than $40,000.

In the shipping industry, the bulk of these jobs most at risk to automation fall mainly into the categories of non-routine tasks and manual-intensive skills as defined by Autor, Levy, Murnane, (2003). They developed a framework which Ive specifically tailor-fit for job roles within the logistics industry, particularly with third-party logistics companies (3PLs):

Their research findings are further corroborated by Frey and Osbornes (2013)seminal work, which quantifiesthe extent to which occupations in the United States can be replaced by modern technology. The main contention is that nearly every occupation can be computerized in the next couple of decades, with the exception of those that involve high amounts of three broadly defined activities creative intelligence, social intelligence, and perception and manipulation that currently present automation bottlenecks.

Frey and Osborne concluded, We find that most workers in transportation and logistics occupations, together with the bulk of office and administrative support workers, and labour in production occupations, are likely to be substituted by computer capital. They also surmised that occupations requiring knowledge of human heuristics and specialist occupations -skills that the higher income and senior level labor force embody - were the least susceptible to automation

Four Observable Industry Trends

In light of this, we see four discernible trends already taking place. Firstly, 3PLs will continue to consolidate and centralize higher-paying upper management roles through regional geographic clustering. To be more precise, general management, director level and above may - and in some companies are already - taking on P&L responsibilities for more than a single country and stretching their management bandwidth horizontally across geographies of two or three countries.

Secondly, the bulk of upper middle to senior management PMET roles will continue to remain in countries with higher wage structures. However, the roles for this will be few and far between and limited to department manager heads but the scope of responsibility will be increased laterally to take on portions of those previously occupied by Director-level staff.

Thirdly, the majority of operations-related jobs will be offshored to countries with lower labor costs but with a highly educated English-speaking workforce seen in countries like the Philippines and Malaysia. Weve seen a mix of both customer-facing and non-customer facing roles that move depending on the companys threshold for cost-cutting and reputation versus maintaining service excellence standards and proximity with their clients. This also encompasses the establishment of Shared Service Centers in low-labor cost countries which specialize in the lower value job tasks on the spectrum, like billing.

Lastly, sales activities continue to be front and center for top line growth. However, to make them less reliant on the fluctuations of existing business being lost due to salespeople leaving and taking accounts with them, 3PLs will push towards on-boarding clients on their own booking platforms with the objective of increasing direct retention with the SME client segments, which are defined by tight relationships at the ground level and bespoke service expectations.

Ultimately, employees who know how to lead the client on the customer excellence journey from booking to final delivery will always be in demand.

Luke Robertconsults for SME and MNC clients in navigating trade tariff agreements and advising on industry-wide regulation and the impact of political and economic trends on their supply chains. He is currently with one of the largest logistics MNCs in the world. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

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Automation and Offshoring are Changing the Logistics Industry - The Maritime Executive

Should abattoirs be automated to protect food security in pandemics? – ABC News

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

With Victoria's meat processing businesses linked to hundreds of cases of coronavirus in the state, is it time to rethink the industry's reliance on human labour?

The director of the University of Queensland's Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Professor Robert Henry, said new technologies had been in various stages of planning prior to COVID-19, but food producers would now consider fast tracking automation to prepare for the next pandemic.

"We need to think much more seriously about mechanisation and automation of the food production system in ways that make it less susceptible to the adverse impacts of a pandemic," Professor Henry said.

He said food processing facilities where people worked together in close confines presented a risk of transmission of pathogens and the spread of viruses via food products.

"COVID-19 doesn't seem to survive very long on food, but we have the risk with future pandemics that the organism might be one that's transmitted through the food itself," he said.

Professor Henry said agriculture's heavy reliance on human labour also presented a challenge during a pandemic.

"One of the issues is the availability of labour, particularly migrant labour if they have to move internationally or across borders," he said.

"We will need to design crops to suit automated systems, for example for fruit to grow in places where it can be harvested robotically."

Professor Henry said increased investment in agricultural research and development would support enhanced food security.

"The amount of investment in innovation that would be required in some of these areas is not trivial, but I think the seriousness of the current situation will probably induce many people to think much more seriously about making that investment," he said.

The Australian Meat Industry Council said, while in the short term the industry was focused on getting through current COVID-19 impacts, especially in Victoria, it was already looking at automation, robotics, and new technologies.

CEO Patrick Hutchinson said even during the coronavirus crisis the industry had used technology to cope with the restrictions and remain compliant.

"Some of that includes automated auditing or remote auditing where people could have things like Google glasses and be reviewing carcasses from a remote location," he said.

Mr Hutchinson said the sector was already short of labour and continually searching for ways to improve.

"Overall, we're often looking for in excess of about 4,000 jobs a day to be at full capacity across Australia in semi-skilled and unskilled [work]," he said.

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"The jobs of the future as we see it within our industry is that we're not just an abattoir, it's a big meat processing facility and as such we're looking for engineers, we're looking for food technicians, food scientists, laboratory technicians right through to individuals that are going to be high level in IT, artificial intelligence and augmented reality."

Mr Hutchinson said industry was planning for the medium to longer term and it was not simply a case of replacing jobs.

'We don't see this as being something futuristic like something like an i-Robot film, where it's just robots running everything,' he said.

"We see it as a gradual progression towards opportunities for the jobs of the future."

The Australasian Meat Industry Employee's Union agreed that automation was the way of the future, given this country's relatively high costs of production.

Queensland Branch Secretary Matt Journeaux said it was a trend already being seen in small stock processing.

"Pig and sheep [processing] already has a significant amount of robotics being used and I am sure beef processing will be next," he said.

Mr Journeaux urged the industry and governments to join with the union to soften any displacement of meat workers by retraining staff for new roles within the sector.

"These programs need to be put in place ready to go before any worker loses their job," he said.

"We cannot simply live in a world run by machines with no work for people to do.

"Meat processing is an important source of income for many rural and regional workers and if that was to disappear it would be devastating for them and their local communities."

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Should abattoirs be automated to protect food security in pandemics? - ABC News

What Are the Labor and Product Market Effects of Automation? New Evidence from France – Cato Institute

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

Because of these multiple and countervailing economic forces, understanding the aggregate and distributional impacts of automation among workers, consumers, and producers is fundamentally an empirical question. To design appropriate policy responses, the relative magnitudes of these mechanisms must be estimated in aunified framework. Despite extensive research, the employment effects of automation remain debated, little is known about the impact of automation on consumer prices and profits, and most of the existing evidence is at the industry level rather than the firm or plant levels, obscuring the channels at play. Data limitations explain the relative scarcity of evidence on these questions, which can only be answered with comprehensive data on automation and the labor and product markets.

In our work, we leverage new micro data on the population of firms and plants in the French manufacturing sector to provide aunified analysis of the effects of automation technologies on employment, wages, prices, and profits between 1994 and 2015. We use two complementary measures of automation technologies, the first based on the balance sheet values of industrial equipment and the second based on plantlevel records of the usage of electromotive force.

We provide descriptive evidence on the population of firms and plants using event studies exploiting the timing of adoption of industrial equipment among plants in the same firm or among firms in the same industry. In contrast with the common view that firms that use more automation technologies reduce their labor force, we find that firmlevel and plantlevel employment increases after automation, including for lowskilled industrial workers.

A causal interpretation of these patterns would suggest that the productivity effect may outweigh the displacement effect, resulting in anet increase in firmlevel and plantlevel labor demand. Moreover, the results also show that the distributional effects of automation in the labor market are subtle. They may occur within each skill group, depending on the sets of tasks performed among detailed occupations, but there is no evidence that automation has abroad effect on inequality.

However, potential unobserved shocks may confound the observed relationships. The event studies show no sign of pretrends, which is reassuring and restricts the potential set of confounders that could explain the increase in employment. Confounding shocks would need to occur simultaneously to explain the increase in automation. Nonetheless, absent aquasi experiment, potential concerns over omitted factors cannot fully be addressed. For example, demand shocks or competition shocks could be at play. Increased demand and increased competition have adirect impact on employment but may also lead afirm to invest more heavily in automation technologies, exactly when the unobserved shock occurs.

To address these concerns, we validate the causal interpretation of the eventstudy results by developing ashiftshare design. We apply this research design to the subset of firms that import industrial equipment from abroad. Identification stems from changes in the productivity of foreign suppliers of industrial equipment over time, which French firms are differentially exposed to through predetermined importersupplied relationships. This identification strategy approximates an ideal experiment that would randomly assign the prices of automation technologies among firms. Because changes in machines qualityadjusted prices are not directly observed, it is convenient to use changes in the market shares of international suppliers over time to infer productivity shocks.

The results with the shiftshare design are closely in line with the earlier results. Firms whose international suppliers of machines become more productive increase their usage of automation technologies and in turn their sales and labor force. We find that sales increase substantially in response to increased automation. In addition, we cannot reject that labor share is unaffected by automation.

These findings are consistent with the role of automations productivity effect. Increased automation allows the firm to expand its sales and scale, which requires hiring additional workers for production. However, the firmlevel relationships may paint amisleading picture because businessstealing effects among firms may affect the industrylevel impacts of automation.

Next we repeat the analysis at the industry level to account for business stealing and other equilibrium effects. We find that the industrylevel relationship between employment and automation is positive on average but that there is substantial heterogeneity depending on exposure to international trade. While the relationship is positive and significant in sectors that face international competition, there is no significant effect in sectors with low exposure to international competition, and we document that the productivity gains from higher automation benefit both consumers through lower prices and firm owners via increased profits.

Finally, we show that the estimated industrylevel elasticities of sales, employment, and prices to automation can be rationalized in asimple monopolisticcompetition model where consumers reallocate demand toward domestic firms with increased productivity and lower prices. The model matches standard estimates of substitution elasticities between varieties produced by different countries for the same industry.

In contrast, it would be difficult to rationalize the industrylevel results on sales and employment in aclosed economy because industrylevel substitution would need to operate between industries (rather than between products produced by either domestic firms or international competitors within the same industry) and would require large price changes, which we do not observe in the data. Competition with international suppliers providing close substitutes explains why the relationship between automation and employment can remain positive even at the industry level, because the response of consumer demand can be large.

Overall, our findings indicate that automation can increase labor demand and can generate productivity gains that are broadly shared among workers, consumers, and firm owners. In an open economy, attempts to curb domestic automation, in the hope of protecting domestic employment, may be selfdefeating because of foreign competition.

NOTE:This research brief is based on Philippe Aghion, Cline Antonin, Simon Bunel, and Xavier Jaravel, What Are the Labor and Product Market Effects of Automation? New Evidence from France, CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP14443, March 3, 2020, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3547376.

What Are the Labor and Product Market Effects of Automation? New Evidence from France - Cato Institute

Automation Imperative Accelerates – Robotics Business Review

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

It was never true. Automation was not destined to destroy our jobs and leave us all with nothing to do. Quite the contrary. Modern nations need all the automation they can get if they are to meet the economic, demographic, environmental, and competitiveness challenges of the 21st century.

The Coronavirus pandemic has made this automation imperative much more immediate, while greatly accelerating the pace of digital change. Just think of all the tasks where technology-enabled automation now plays a vital societal role. How do we check-in with friends and family? How many orders can the online grocery industry fulfill? How easily can companies ramp up production of items facing a shortage? How fast can governments and banks process loans and put money directly into peoples accounts. How well can videoconferencing services such as Zoom scale? How can we talk to our doctor without visiting an office or hospital? How can e-learning fill in for all the schools and universities that have closed? How quickly can COVID-19 tests be conducted and interpreted? How reliably can firms operate with literally no one in the office? We could easily go on.

Just think of all the tasks where technology-enabled automation now plays a vital societal role How many orders can the online grocery industry fulfill? How easily can companies ramp up production of items facing a shortage?

From Necessity Lifestyle ChoiceMeeting these digital challenges at scale requires industrial strength technologyproducts and services that are so familiar and reliable that they will not crack when they are most necessary. Indeed, the impressive way that the Internet and broadband networks have (mostly) held up over the last month of unprecedented usageeven as so many key IT people work from homewill in all likelihood put an end to the current techlash.

Although concerns about artificial intelligence, privacy, monopoly power, fake news, et al. certainly will not go away, they now seem more like the comfortable musings of an elite class. They pale in comparison to the truly vital services that information technology now provides. Fortunately for all of us, the Internet is the one area the virus cannot touch.

In addition to scalability and reliability, coping with the Coronavirus has also changed our technology habits, probably forever. People are getting used to taking music lessons online, making videos for one another, hanging out on Zoom, talking to their doctors over the phone, ordering groceries online, attending virtual classrooms, engaging with their trainers on their laptops, and countless other tasks.

Initially, many of us have been doing these things out of necessity, but going forward it is likely that we will increasingly do them out of choice, as they improve our lifestyles by increasing convenience and lowering costs. Looking ahead, the need to better support these new digital applications, skills, and behaviors will drive the next phase of technology innovation, with potentially significant environmental benefits as well.

Ingenuity and the Isolation EconomyIn all likelihood, human ingenuity will step up to meet the Coronavirus challenge. However, the impact of todays isolation economy will almost certainly linger. Organizations are rethinking their entire value chains from a safety and resiliency perspective, and as they do this, automation will be brought to bear in just about every phase.

For rideshare companies like Uber, autonomous vehicles suddenly seem like a much higher priority, even a must-have. For companies that depend on face-to-face interactions, such as to sign documents, digital signatures will reach new levels of acceptance. For government agencies that find themselves paralyzed by having to send their workers home, digital technologies will be the lifeline that lets them keep serving citizens. For factories that were designed to produce large quantities of a few products, smart factory technologies will become an imperative if they want to cope with rapid changes in demand requirements and supply chain constraints.

Rather than constitute a threat to jobs and human dignity, automation will increasingly be seen as a protector of both. Companies and other organizations that want to thrive going forward will realize and act upon this insight. Likewise, policymakers should do what is necessary to make our economy and society more resilient through digitally enabled automation. Taken together, this bodes well for 21st century innovation and progress, once this deadly pandemic is largely behind us.

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Automation Imperative Accelerates - Robotics Business Review

Leveraging Single-Pair Ethernet in Building Automation – Electronic Design

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

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Ethernet has become a mainstream communications protocol and sits atop the control pyramid in building automation. Recently, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) defined an Ethernet standard, IEEE 802.3.cg, for 10 Mb/s operation and associated power delivery over a single balanced pair of conductors. Because a single-pair cable can now support both data and power, adoption of the standard can lead to significant cost savings and easier installation in building automation applications.

There are numerous efforts to take Ethernet to edge devices. Multiple communication networks currently exist in building automationfor example, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) applications use Modbus; access control uses BACnet; lighting uses LonWorks; and fire safety uses Ethernet. This fragmentation of networks requires gateways to perform protocol conversion to unite networks at the top of the building automation control pyramid. End users must in turn manage complex systems.

Reasons for the existence of various communication networks include the need for longer distances, multidrop connectivity, powering scheme, and support for unique protocols. Single-pair Ethernet can address many of these reasons. Having Ethernet to the edge devices offers benefits such as direct accessibility for the control system, status updates, predictive maintenance, standardized hardware, and interoperability across various systems.

Overview of SPE

Standard Ethernet uses simplex communication with independent cables for transmitting and receiving data (Fig. 1).

1. Shown is a standard Ethernet interface for 10/100 Mb/s.

Single-pair Ethernet (SPE) is broadly classified into three categories:

IEEE 802.3cg has two more classifications:

This article covers use cases for 10BASE-T1L, which offers up to a 10-Mb/s data rate over 1,000-m distances in building automation systems.

The 10BASE-T1L physical layer (PHY) operates using full-duplex communications over a single balanced pair of conductors with an effective data rate of 10 Mb/s simultaneously in each direction. The 10BASE-T1L PHY uses three-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM3), transmitted at 7.5 megabaud on the link segment. A 33-bit scrambler can help improve electromagnetic compatibility.

MII transmit data (TXD) are encoded together using four-binary three-ternary (4B3T) encoding, which keeps the running average (dc baseline) of the transmitted PAM3 symbols within bounds. Using the management data input/output interface to set the transmitter output voltage of the 10BASE-T1L PHY to 1.0 V p-p or 2.4 V p-p differentials will help achieve a longer communication distance over different cables.

SPE uses echo cancellation to achieve full duplex communication, along with multilevel signaling and equalization to improve signal quality and achieve the required data rate over a single-pair cable (Fig. 2). Theres no difference in the interface between the processor and the PHY; however, within the PHY, the transmit and receive sections of the Medium Dependent Interface require modification as outlined above to enable single-pair operation.

2. Using echo cancellation to achieve full duplex communication, this SPE interface is for 10/100-Mb/s SPE.

SPE also enables sending power over data lines (PoDL) along the same single-pair cable through a low-pass filter like the one shown in Figure 3.

3. SPE enables sending power over data lines (poDL), as in this example.

The table lists the various power classes supported by the IEEE 802.3.cg standard. The maximum power deliverable to the load is 52 W and is defined under Class 15. Power classes below 10 are covered by IEEE 802.3.bu.

Power classes supported by the IEEE 802.3.cg standard.

Benefits of SPE

Transitioning to SPE has multiple benefits, starting from installation to managing an entire building using a single communication network. Its benefits result in a lower total cost of ownership and a better return on investment in building automation systems. For example:

The following section explains how SPE can be implemented and the associated benefits for various building automation applications.

Fire Safety Applications

Fire alarm control panels (FACPs) connect to various heat, smoke, and gas detectors. These sensors, connected together in the signaling loop, generate an alarm in case of accidents, and FACPs may communicate to fire stations through a telephone network. An FACP often supports multiple signal loops to facilitate splitting into various zones or floors for easy identification.

Each building can have multiple FACPs, depending on the number of floors and sensors. When a facility like a large residential complex, office, school, or shopping mall expands, theres often a need to interconnect FACPs across buildings as far as 3 to 4 km apart through Ethernet, using either copper or fiber wires.

Ethernet based on 100BASE-TX/10BASE-T) require multiple repeaters to bridge such distances; as a result, powering them can be a challenge. Another option is to transition to fiber cables, which require media converters (copper to fiber) at both ends. Figure 4 depicts an example system.

4. A traditional architecture uses fiber connectivity between FACPs.

Both of the options described above result in expensive systems. SPE can solve both challenges for distances up to 1 km. For systems with greater distances, you can use repeaters powered through PoDL. PoDL eliminates the need for an external power supply, further simplifying the system. Figure 5 depicts a fire safety system using SPE.

5. This architecture uses SPE between FACPs.

Vertical Transportation Applications

Elevators are a complex system. The main communication link between a moving elevator car and the machine-room controller is through a traveling cable. The length of this cable can be anywhere from 10 to 500 m or longer, depending on the height of the building. Controller area network (CAN) and LonWorks are common protocols used for elevator systems, given their low-speed requirements and required cable distances.

Cable reliability over a period of several years is important due to the amount of stress it experiences during operation. As the elevator moves up and down, the cable needs to bend, which isnt ideal for optical fiber cabling. Therefore, most elevator cables are made of copper. And given the cable length, standard Ethernet isnt suitable because it cant work beyond 100 m.

Now, with SPE offering 1-km distances and speeds up to 10 Mb/s, its a good choice for next-generation elevator designs. The need for higher data rates between the elevator car and elevator controller arises from:

One example of predictive maintenance is monitoring the movement of an elevator doors opening and closing by measuring the doors motor current during its acceleration, steady-state, and deceleration periods, and analyzing any abnormality. The ability to predict potential failures would avoid elevator downtime and passenger inconvenience.

Upgrading existing elevators is equally as important as designing new elevators with more advanced features. One way to resolve retrofitting challenges is to have media converters like CAN to SPE inside the elevator car and SPE to standard Ethernet or CAN for the elevator controller (Fig. 6).

6. Shown is elevator car-to-machine room communication.

For next-generation systems, the elevator controller could incorporate a built-in SPE PHY 10BASE-T1L and the equipment within the car would be connected through SPE PHY 10BASE-T1S. The elevator car would also have a built-in 10BASE-T1S-10BASE-T1L Ethernet switch to interface the car with the elevator controller. Emergency lights and communication systems within the elevator car could be powered through PoDL to ensure that theres no disruption of power.

HVAC Applications

HVAC controllers are being unified in order to control a rooftop unit, chiller control unit, air-handling unit, and more. HVAC controllers use standard Ethernet to interface with higher-level building automation systems such as the building management system, as well as to daisy-chain multiple HVAC controllers. To maintain network connectivity when powering off any of the HVAC controllers, electromechanical relays short the Ethernet signals at the input and output ports.

HVAC controllers have multiple analog, digital, or fieldbus interfaces to communicate or control multiple sensors that measure parameters like temperature, humidity, and pressure (Fig. 7). The sensors could be analog output with loop power, or support 0- to 10-W/4- to 20-mA output with separate power. HVAC controllers can also connect to actuators like dampers, fans, and stepper-motor drives through communication interfaces or analog connections. Having SPE connectivity from the controller to the sensors and actuators would simplify installation with only two wires and enable access to devices at the edge.

7. An HVAC controller interface will control or communicate to multiple sensors.

Figure 8 illustrates one example implementation using a humidity sensor, where the I2C interface connects to a microcontroller (MCU) with built-in media access control (MAC). SPE PHY (10BASE-T1L or 10BASE-T1S) interfaces to the built-in MAC of the MCU, while PoDL with a dc-dc converter powers the entire circuit. This architecture offers multiple benefits, including standardization of sensor connectors, reusable hardware, sensor and hardware diagnostics, and calibration.

8. This humidity sensor implementation illustrates SPE-based sensing.

Having multiple SPE ports within a HVAC controller to interface various sensors and actuators would require an application-specific integrated circuit to implement Ethernet switch functionality, which is readily available.

Video-Surveillance Applications

Outdoor Internet Protocol (IP) network cameras are often installed at the perimeter of buildings to ensure the continuous capture of video and generate alarms when security is breached quickly enough to give security officers sufficient time to react. The distance from these cameras to a network video recorder could be 1 km or more. Bridging this distance with standard Ethernet involves repeaters or the use of fiber cabling. With efficient encoding systems like H.264 and H.265, the data-rate requirement drops to under 10 Mb/s, even with 4-Mpixel sensors that have a 30-fps rate.

Future IP camera products are expected to support SPE, which will facilitate easier installations, as will network video recorders offering a power-sourcing equipment port (Fig. 9). Classes 8 and 9 (48-V regulated power-sourcing equipment) or Classes 14 and 15 (50 to 58 V maximum) could support the required power levels for an IP camera, which might require as much as 52 W of power to operate. This power would be sufficient for most camera systems, even those with built-in heaters. For buildings that need upgrades, an intermediate solution would be to use standard Ethernet-to-SPE converters.

9. Shown is IP network camera connectivity in existing infrastructure, and current and future SPE-based implementations.

Summary

SPE, either standalone (data only) or together with power, offers numerous opportunities in building automation. Until the ecosystem is fully developed, though, theres still a need for media or protocol converters to upgrade existing systems, as well as challenges associated with the reuse of existing cables (unshielded, no twisting, wire gauge) and connectors, which may not offer the full distance or speed as defined in 802.3cg. But this will not be a major hindrance, as the future benefits outweigh the constraints.

Power-sourcing equipment and power-delivery devices for SPE are expected to be released in the coming years. Until then, an engineered link will power devices at the edge. You can also expect to see building automation products supporting SPE with seamless integration.

Navaneeth Kumar is Systems Manager - Building Automation, at Texas Instruments.

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Leveraging Single-Pair Ethernet in Building Automation - Electronic Design

Factory Automation and Industrial Controls Market Analysis And Demand With Forecast Overview To 2025 – Express Journal

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

The Factory Automation and Industrial Controls Market report offers a detailed study on the evaluation of industry with respect to competitive players, latest advancements, regional analysis, emerging trends, and current tendencies of the end-user. The report also covers Factory Automation and Industrial Controls market size, market share, growth rate, revenue, and CAGR reported previously along with its forecast estimation. The report also includes performance in terms of revenue influence from various segments. It includes an in-depth analysis of key factors that influencing revenue growth of the Factory Automation and Industrial Controls market.

The report on Factory Automation and Industrial Controls market analyzes the primary growth factors, restraints and opportunities influencing the market outlook in the upcoming years. According to the research document, the market is predicted to generate significant revenue while registering a CAGR of XX% over the estimated timeframe (20XX-20XX).

The study provides detailed information regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the growth of Factory Automation and Industrial Controls market. With the pandemic unceasing, stringent lockdown measures has withheld the revenue of several industries and will continue to have a lingering impact even after the economy rejuvenates. Most of the businesses across various industry verticals have revised their budget plans in a bit to re-establish profit trajectory for the ensuing years.

Request Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.express-journal.com/request-sample/157707

Our detailed assessment of this business space allows you to devise a plan-of-action for navigating through the market uncertainty and build versatile contingency plans to stay ahead of the competition. Additionally, the report offers a granular analysis of the various market segmentations as well as the competitive scenario of this business sphere.

Major aspects from the Factory Automation and Industrial Controls market report:

Factory Automation and Industrial Controls Market segments enclosed in the report:

Regional segmentation: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East & Africa.

Product types:

Applications spectrum:

Competitive outlook:

Reasons why you should buy this report

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Factory Automation and Industrial Controls Market Analysis And Demand With Forecast Overview To 2025 - Express Journal

Future Focus 2030: The future of property podcast – how IoT sensors, automation and granular data will shape the next decade – Post Online

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

It is the year 2030. The explosion of internet of things devices has really taken hold impacting both the personal and commercial property markets.

At the end of 2019 there were an estimated seven to eight billion active IoT devices, a figure which now stands at 40bn. Indeed it is estimated that the average UK household now has well over 100 devices with the rise in the likes of smart meters, security devices and leak detection making household properties much better risks. Indeed escape of water, once a major issue for claims managers, has seen substantially reduced.

In the corporate and commercial space, sensors are now omnipresent across many sectors too, allowing risk managers and their insurers to foretell many issues before they become a potential loss.

The rise in sensors and intelligent risk management using digital technology/mapping/big data means that property claims numbers have fallen. But they still happen, and when they do insurers have almost instant notification of a loss and an idea of the likely exposure by using photographic recognition/AI tools to assess the damage.

This is particularly helpful as Europe continues to see more extreme fluctuations in its weather than it did in the latter half of the twentieth century.

When losses do happen, loss adjusters still continue to play a role with major events, although the use of remote desk top assessments and drones is now more common than having someone knock on a door. And if someone does knock on the door, they are just as likely to be a gig economy worker as a full time employee.

Although still not as widespread as some predicted parametric insurance for property events as flood, storm and [in other countries] earthquake damage are finding their feet with take up around 5% in both the personal lines and commercial markets.

The continued rise of Generation Rent which was exacerbated by the economic down turn post Covid-19 - has seen an explosion in these types of products; whilst the amount of hours spent homeworking has seen a rise in hybrid commercial/personal products as more people set up office at home.

Based on this hypothesis, Post content director Jonathan Swift sat down with Benjamin Blain, head of property claims; and Jes Westerman, head of strategic projectsat Verisk, to discuss how the insurance industry might make use of Io sensors and the automation of the acquisition of data to better manage risks and handle claims over the next decade.

The trio also discuss the greater use of peril models and granular information to manage weather events and underwrite commercial and domestic properties to arrive at future market as outlined above.

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Future Focus 2030: The future of property podcast - how IoT sensors, automation and granular data will shape the next decade - Post Online

Robotics Special Report: Vision for the Future – Automation World

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

Advances in vision systems offer packagers one of the biggest opportunities for improving productivity. Many packaging applications make use of 2D machine vision, where grayscale or color imaging creates a two-dimensional map that allows for easy detection of anomalies or variations in part contrast. As this type of vision increasingly becomes cheaper and faster, its use in packaging continues to grow, particularly in functions associated with inspection, barcode reading, surface marking detection, and basic positional verification.

Now, with innovations in 3D vision, broader applications are becoming possible. Whereas with 2D applications, where objects being scanned must be on a flat surface and of a consistent size and shape, 3D vision gives insight into product depth and height and can therefore be used for random situations, where items are located haphazardly or stacked in a bin with varying orientation.

Read related articles from Packaging World:

Industrial Robot Growth

Big Packaging Line in a Small Footprint? No Problem if it Handles a Dozen Formats

COVID-19 Brings Increased Visibility to the Role of Robotics

Wet Wipes Case Packed via Robots at 160/min

Pick-and-Place Robots, Flow Wrapper, Fuel High-Volume Bakery

One example that capitalizes on both 2D and 3D vision is Syntegons horizontal flow-wrapper, the Pack 102, with three Fanuc robots, designed for small- to medium-sized bakeries and other food companies. At PACK EXPO Las Vegas in fall 2019, the system was demonstrated loading meal kits. Explains Syntegon, each robotic platform detects and prioritizes six independent production flows simultaneously and in sequence, operating from one HMI on the flow wrapper.

Using 2D vision and dual conveyor tracking, the first robot, a Fanuc SR-6iA four-axis SCARA robot, detects and prioritizes products from two low-friction flat-belt conveyors. The second robot, a Fanuc M-1iA delta robot, precisely detects product location from two side-by-side indexing conveyors using 2D vision. The final robot, the LR Mate 200iD six-axis articulating robot, picks product from two different bulk bins using 3D vision and places the assortment into the product infeed of the Pack 102.

Theegarten-Pactecs Vision Picker robot system uses camera recognition to feed the companys wrapping machines with delicate chocolate figures.Another newly developed system allowing for productivity increases through vision is Theegarten-Pactecs Vision Picker, a robot system with camera recognition designed to feed its wrapping machines with delicate chocolate figures. According to the company, in the past, its machines had to work with chocolate molds holding a fixed number of products. These were placed by a robot in the feed chain of the packaging machine by means of a multiple tool.

The Vision Picker, it says, eliminates complex handling of the molds. Using an integrated image processing system, individual products are now detected within the disordered product flow. Each product is individually sucked in by the robot and placed in the correct position in the infeed chain of the packaging machine. Says Theegarten-Pactec, with the Vision Picker, different product formats can be packed even more flexibly and therefore more quickly and cost effectively.

Coupled with its CWM2 wrapper, the robot can feed product at 400/min; configured with its high-performance machines, the robot can operate at a rate of more than 1,000 products/min.

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Robotics Special Report: Vision for the Future - Automation World

Rockwell Automation: Helping To Bring Efficient Manufacturing Back In The U.S. – Seeking Alpha

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

As a firm believer of an enterprise's inner strength when confronted with external factors like supply chain disruptions and tariffs due to geopolitical tensions, I have been following Rockwell's (NYSE:ROK) cost savings plans right from the start of the pandemic.

In this connection, my investment theses on BASF (OTCQX:BASFY) and Corteva (NYSE:CTVA) were aimed at exploring the inner strength as a counterbalance to external uncertainty.

Rockwell, as a leading provider of industrial automation solutions used by companies in the automobile, Oil & Gas as well as healthcare sectors, has gone a step further by rapidly carrying out a reorganization of its organization structure to be more aligned with customer needs.

The stock price, on the other hand, has lagged significantly behind peer ABB (NYSE:ABB) since mid-April of this year by more than 25% while trending slightly higher than the Vanguard Industrials ETF (NYSEARCA:VIS).

Figure 1: Comparing Rockwell's stock price with peer ABB and Vanguard Industrials.

Data by YCharts

Financial efficiency, strength in key automation areas and reorganization synergies now position the company to deliver on earnings guidance for FY-2020.

Rockwell's Q3-2020 earnings have been impacted by COVID, but on the other hand, the company managed to beat consensus by $0.10.

Looking at the wider perspective, the automation company has maintained its earnings beat run during the last four quarters except for Q1-2020 when there was a draw.

Figure 2: EPS figures

Source: Seeking Alpha

Now, the adjusted EPS of $1.27 for Q3-2020 did beat consensus, but is down 47% compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2019. This is in sharp contrast with the EPS for Q2-2020 which not only beat expectations but was also up 19% compared to the second quarter of fiscal year 2019. Therefore, this must have played into the morale of investors as they dumped the stock, resulting in a 3% downside following earnings results on July 28.

Looking into the rear-view mirror, the executives had already warned that earnings for Q3-2020 would be a "little over $1" and that it would be the worst quarter with organic sales projected to decline by around 20%. The dire projections have been confirmed with the exception of sales which have fared better (minus 17.6% instead of minus 20% as projected). I will come back to this point later, but right now, I look into the finances.

First, the primary reason for upbeat earnings in Q2-2020 was due to cost savings as a result of lower incentive compensation expenses. Also, some COVID-19 windfall gains resulting in higher sales for the Architecture & Software segment and Control Products & Solutions in the second quarter are absent in Q3-2020.

For this quarter, the company has benefited from some percentages of growth from acquisitions.

Figure 3: Q3-2020 segment results

Source: Seeking Alpha

However, there have been lower sales in the company's Solutions and Services business with the book-to-bill deteriorating to 1.05 due to projects being delayed. Interestingly, from a longer-term perspective, there have been no cancellations, and this is a good sign for the fourth quarter. Even to a lesser degree, the company continues to suffer from supply chain inefficiencies which has led to higher freight expenses.

Rockwell is also exposed to the whims of the auto industry where the road to recovery is viewed as tough. Also, little improvement was seen in the process markets (optimization of control processes by industrials) which were down 25%. Oil & Gas sales were also weaker.

Figure 4: COVID windfall gains

Source: Image built from Q2-2020 transcripts data

The company ended the quarter with cash equivalents of $910 million, up from $640 million in the last quarter. Debt totaled $2.4 billion, $300 million up from the last quarter. As per the SEC filings, in April 2020, Rockwell entered into a $400 million senior unsecured 364-day term loan credit agreement. As a result, leverage was 1.8x at June 30, 2020, up from 1.3x at March 31, 2020.

Next maturity for long-term debt of $2 billion is in 2025. Additionally, there is a $1.25 billion credit facility. Free cash flow was $310 million, down from the $323 million in Q3-2019. Cash flow from operations was $346 million compared to $341 million in Q2-2020 was recorded. This is sufficient liquidity for a business with a 17.6% decrease in sales and suggests further flexibility to cut down on capital expenditures for aligning with lower revenue in the short term.

However, this is not enough for making a wise investment decision and more solid arguments are necessary in terms of strengths and challenges.

Products constitute two-thirds of Rockwell's business with the remaining third comprising software and services. Moreover, the company has an extensive supply chain covering China, which means that it had to maintain relatively higher inventory levels of China-sourced components to cater for contingencies.

Now the fact that the gross margins are on the higher side at 40% compared to peer ABB's 32% (figure 7) means superior production efficiency.

Figure 5: Quarterly income statement with revenues and expenses in millions of USD.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Exploring this further, the fact that Rockwell's employees could not have access to sites for commissioning of projects due to COVID stay-at-home orders has contributed to revenue shortfalls especially in the process markets where more hands-on interaction is required. Therefore, the company has not benefited fully from the work-from-home momentum as only the non-manufacturing workforce has been working from home.

However, Rockwell has used technology in innovative ways with one example being the increasing leverage on augmented reality for testing, training and customer support.

Looking forward, there should be further cost efficiencies especially those enabled by acceleration in rendering the supply chain more flexible and enhancing the level of factory automation.

Interestingly, one of the ways in which a higher degree of automation can be achieved is through the use of IT tools. In this context, Rockwell has accelerated the usage of Microsoft's (MSFT) Dataflex Pro to increase the degree of automation of mundane and time-consuming business processes. By using this tool, its engineers are engaged in streamlining workflows, thereby gaining on productivity.

According to Chris Wagner, analytics architect at Rockwell Automation:

As part of Rockwell's digital transformation, we are focused on transforming everyone across the organization into engineers who can leverage technology to automate and simplify their jobs. We look at the Power Platform as a highway to turn all 23,000 employees into engineers. Microsoft Dataflex Pro is the data backbone that enables people to store their data in a scalable and secure environment dynamically."

This transformation can now be viewed concretely through the three newly-setup operating segments with one of the corporate aims being to add software talent and accelerate profitability.

Figure 6: Rockwell's new structure

Source: Seeking Alpha

Still, in an economic scenario which is beyond the grasp of many, it is important to identify other challenges with the most important one being currency headwinds stemming from Rockwell's global footprint.

The company faced larger-than-expected headwinds due to a stronger U.S. dollar which impacted sales by 1.9% which is considerable.

Figure 6: US dollar Index

Source: Investing.com

Now, with the US dollar index currently in the mid-90s, far from its value of above 100 during most of the second and third quarters, there could be positives in the next quarter.

Since the guidance for FY2020 excludes the impact of currency, there is possibility for some positive surprises in terms of earnings for the last quarter. This is supported by some other positives.

First, there is the fact the company expects the full cost reduction measures for this year amounting to $150 million only starting to make a real difference in terms of earnings as from Q4-2020. Also, Rockwell is in the process of reducing its global real estate footprint which should reduce monthly rental charges.

Second, there have been exceptional costs related to supply chain inefficiencies related to the pandemic and acquisitions charges. Absence of exceptional costs and cutting down on expenses should result in sequential improvement in the fourth quarter.

In this respect, the full-year outlook of $7.40-7.60 (midpoint of $7.50) provided this month is higher than the initial value of $6.90-7.70 (midpoint of $7.30) provided back in April.

I now work out a valuation aware that cost savings alone are not going to generate earnings.

When compared to ABB, the trailing price-to-earnings (GAAP) and price-to-sales ratios provide a mixed picture of the valuations. However, the margins, return on total capital and employee productivity provide a clearer picture of Rockwell's much better operational efficiency.

Figure 7: Comparing Rockwell and ABB

Source: Seeking Alpha

Therefore, compared to ABB, Rockwell should be more richly valued, but this is not the case when considering the price evolution in the last three months (figure 1). Moreover, taking into consideration that the stock price has already known better growth than the industrial average and persistence of some confinement measures, my target price would be for a moderate $230 in the medium term. This is above analysts' target of $207.

I further support my target by providing some key points about Rockwell.

Figure 8: Rockwell's positions of strength which are likely to be transformed into sales opportunities

Source: Table built from transcripts data

Therefore, this is a company which can play a significant role in automation of industry processes, thereby reducing the labor component as a factor of production. There have been strategic wins spanning several industries including Life Sciences, Food & Beverage, and Oil & Gas. These wins are considered as strategic as the company was not the incumbent supplier.

One of the more notable wins was for Brazil's largest exporter of instant coffee. Furthermore, there have been strong sales in the European, Middle East and African (EMEA) regions derived from PPE (medical protection equipment) manufacturers. There has also been significant demand for Rockwell's Information Solutions and Connected Services business from the EMEA region.

Orders are also coming from machinery builders in Europe and life sciences companies in the U.S. Furthermore, Rockwell's IoT (Internet of Things) offering can be used to increase efficiency of pumping activities as well as help in the maintenance of pipes and wells in the Oil & Gas industry. This is important for bringing down the break-even oil price. Also, automation features reduce the need for touching surfaces and help in saving lives.

Finally, dollar weakness if sustained could be highly beneficial to the company's earnings taking into consideration that there was $0.15 to $0.10 negative currency impact in the second and third quarters respectively.

Rockwell can be considered as an essential business as it supports critical infrastructures required to produce goods at scale.

Its advanced automation capabilities is proving essential in supporting healthcare companies like Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) in expanding North American manufacturing footprints through flexible, collaborative and robotized chains of production. Shareholders should be comfortable owning Rockwell's shares. The leverage should revert back to the 1.3x level in Q4-2020.

It pays a healthy dividend yield of 1.8%. The current payout ratio is 54% with a cash payout ratio of 40%. For potential investors looking for an entry point, current volatility provides an opportunity to get on board with a nice margin of safety. There could be a drop to the $215 level in the aftermath of the third quarter earnings and some political tussle over the coronavirus stimulus package.

This is a stock to have on the watch-list as it is on a path to convert COVID constraints into opportunities. Rockwell is a buy with a possibility of the $215 level being reached.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, but may initiate a long position in ROK over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: I am long BASF. This is an investment thesis and is intended for informational purposes. Investors are kindly requested to do additional research before investing.

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Rockwell Automation: Helping To Bring Efficient Manufacturing Back In The U.S. - Seeking Alpha

Red Lion’s Advanced Networking And Automation In One Operating System | Security News – SecurityInformed

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

Enforcing Face Masks Without Confrontation Or Bias

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented challenge to businesses. From retail stores to office buildings to warehouses and construction sites, a big question looms: how can landlords, executives, and employers ensure their facilities dont contribute to the spread of the virus?A low-tech solution - the face mask - has become a leading preventative measure.But, a high-tech solution is necessary to ensure that everyone is wearing them. Cameras powered by artificial intelligence can now identify whether or not people entering a facility are wearing facemasks and help enforce adherence to mask mandates. This technology is proving to be a cost effective solution that reduces risks of confrontations over masks policies and gives managers the data they need to document regulatory compliance and reduce liability.Layers of securityThey can also be integrated into access control systems or woven into other preventative measures that create overlapping layers of security. These cameras are an ideal solution for low-traffic, remote sites, or areas that are only accessible to employees that need to monitor mask compliance but at which hiring a manned guard is just too expensive.Cameras with mask detection capabilities are especially useful when the technology piggybacks on existing autonomous devices, such as mobile security drones.The premise is simple. When a person without a mask is detected by the autonomous robotic security device, the system can generate, depending on customer preferences, audible and visible alerts to remind people to mask up. It also feeds alerts to a cloud-based data storage system so that security executives can analyze data for trends or quickly locate video of important incidents.Why masks?One study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A highlights the benefits of mask usage. If just 50 percent of people use masks, the rate of COVID-19 transmission will slowly decline. If 80 percent of people use them, the rate will plummet.Bu,t people dont love wearing them. Theyre hot. They make eyeglasses foggy. Its hard to make yourself heard when talking to others. Were all familiar with industries that wear masks of some type or other, on a regular basis - health care, construction, and heavy industry to name a few. But for the general public, wearing a mask for long periods of time is not a regular habit.For the general public, wearing a mask for long periods of time is not a regular habitWe also know that other measures site managers have used to limit the spread of coronavirus are ineffective. For example, at least three meatpacking plants rank among the top 50 locations for coronavirus clusters. One factor driving that spread: many employees, to avoid missing a days pay, masked their mild fevers with ibuprofen to fool the infrared temperature scanners that employers used to protect against the outbreak.The paradox of masks, however, isnt that they protect the wearer from infection. Its the other way around: when an infected person wearing a mask sneezes, coughs, or breathes, they dont spread the virus as far, and thus masks slow the spread of the virus from infected people, including those that are not showing symptoms.Prove itOne of the very reasons why county and state governments have instituted mask orders is simple: its an easily verifiable sign that an organization is taking steps to limit the spread of coronavirus.Mask detection cameras, coupled with autonomous security systems, can provide the documentation employers need to ensure mask compliance.Imagine, for example, a warehouse full of manual laborers. The county orders everyone to wear a mask any time they leave home. A disgruntled employee, recently terminated, files an anonymous complaint to local health officials stating that the warehouse isnt enforcing mask compliance - or worse, preventing employees from wearing masks to prevent theft. The county sends an inspector.Mask detection cameras provide site managers with the documentation they need to disprove these allegations. The autonomous systems developed by RAD will feed video footage into a cloud database, documenting not only the instances of non-compliance, but also the instances of compliance - with the mask clearly highlighted. Any inspector that arrives on a job site can see hours and hours of footage, without having to pour through hours of video.Reducing confrontationWeve all seen the videos in which angry shoppers confront retail clerks and security guards over mask usage. In some cases, these confrontations have turned violent, resulting in injury or death.For every one of these videos, there may well be hundreds of others.While most of the videos featuring mask confrontations focus on retail settings, manned guards also face challenges in enforcement. Confrontations over mask usage have the potential to drive up workmans compensation claims higher when guards are injured.Because autonomous security units generate alerts automatically, the chance of confrontation is minimised.Its easy to imagine a couple of scenarios in which autonomous units can be beneficial. In health care settings, where emotions run high, autonomous devices can serve as a force multiplier for patrolling guards in parking areas. For example, roving units can identify people that are not wearing masks, and remind them to do so before they enter the building. These can also be placed in entryways that generate alerts as visitors approach doors.In many buildings, mask detection systems can be integrated into access control systemsAutonomous security units can be deployed for a fraction of the cost of manned security. In healthcare, autonomous units can be used to re-allocate security spending, placing less emphasis on low intensity guards whose primary function is to observe and report - particularly those that patrol parking garages - and more emphasis on trained professionals capable of defusing confrontations inside the hospital. In other words, autonomous units outside allow facilities to hire better quality inside, where confrontations are most likely to take place.In many buildings, mask detection systems can be integrated into access control systems, which might be especially useful at entrances that are not manned by security, but accessible via key card.Changing behaviorsThere was a time when smoking in public was not seen as particularly anti-social. Almost everyone will stop at a stop sign, even when we can see for miles in every direction, and we know that the risk of an accident is zero.We do these things because we have been trained to. These behaviors make us safer, but we didnt adopt them overnight. Many of us forget, but the fight over banning smoking in bars and restaurants was filled with confrontation.So, too, will it be with mask compliance. But time is short, and we all need to do everything we can to encourage good behavior. Mask detection technology can do that, and these solutions are very cost effective. In some cases, the cost may be just 5 percent of using a manned guard.Theyre effective too. Autonomous systems enforce mask policies consistently and drive accountability. That can make us all safer.

Red Lion's Advanced Networking And Automation In One Operating System | Security News - SecurityInformed

DISH Selects VMware to Help Build the Most Advanced, Automated, End-to-End 5G Network in the U.S. – Business Wire

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DISH (NASDAQ:DISH) today announced that it has chosen VMware (NYSE:VMW) for the cloud platform to deploy the nations first 5G, cloud-native Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN). The platform will help bring to life the first network in the U.S. to combine the efficiency of the distributed telco cloud, public cloud and private cloud environments while delivering consistent, low-latency edge computing. In addition to DISHs selection of the VMware Telco Cloud platform, the company also selected cloud infrastructure services to support the IT needs of the broader DISH enterprise.

The VMware Telco Cloud will enable DISH to utilize software from the nations industry-leading vendors to optimize and accelerate its 5G network deployment. Additionally, it will provide DISH with enhanced automation, resiliency, security and flexibility. The VMware Telco Cloud provides an abstraction layer across multiple network domains and enables DISH to leverage hyper-scale public cloud capacity where needed, while maintaining core control points. The software-defined nature of the VMware Telco Cloud is part of the platform to support the DISH ecosystem of partners to accelerate 5G leadership in the U.S.

VMware software will serve as a powerful foundation for our cloud-native, software-defined 5G network, said Marc Rouanne, executive vice president and chief network officer, DISH. By bringing together innovations such as the distributed cloud, edge computing and network slicing, this software will help us provide our customers with customizable, secure solutions that will be more cost-effective than legacy, vertically-integrated, hardware-reliant alternatives.

Were excited to work with DISH to architect and build a state-of-the-art, nationwide cloud-first 5G mobile network platform, said Shekar Ayyar, executive vice president and general manager, Telco and Edge Cloud Business Unit, VMware. This software-led approach will enable DISH to innovate and deliver new services to all types of customers enterprise, small business, and consumer across the U.S.

DISH and VMware have tested and onboarded dozens of cloud-native 5G network functions from multiple software vendors on top of the VMware Telco Cloud. Running Kubernetes and following cloud-native design principles, it will enable DISH to dynamically move and scale workloads within the cloud, based on consumer demand.

DISHs network deployment using the VMware Telco Cloud illustrates the use of U.S.-based foundational technology for realizing a next generation greenfield 5G network. This network will result in significant benefits for both consumers and enterprises by delivering a combination of secure, high-capacity and low-latency services.

About DISH

DISH Network Corporation is a connectivity company. Since 1980, it has served as a disruptive force, driving innovation and value on behalf of consumers. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides television entertainment and award-winning technology to millions of customers with its satellite DISH TV and streaming SLING TV services. In 2020, the company became a nationwide U.S. wireless carrier through the acquisition of Boost Mobile. DISH continues to innovate in wireless, building the nation's first virtualized, standalone 5G broadband network. DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is a Fortune 250 company.

For company information, visit about.dish.com.

About VMware

VMware software powers the worlds complex digital infrastructure. The companys cloud, app modernization, networking, security, and digital workspace offerings help customers deliver any application on any cloud across any device. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is committed to being a force for good, from its breakthrough technology innovations to its global impact. For more information, please visit https://www.vmware.com/company.html.

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DISH Selects VMware to Help Build the Most Advanced, Automated, End-to-End 5G Network in the U.S. - Business Wire

Giving in to occasional temptation leads to a happier life – Brinkwire

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

Giving in to temptation every now and again leads to a happier, more successful and more satisfied life, a study has concluded.

Psychologists from Switzerland concluded that a little hedonism might not be the same as fulfilling a long-term life goal, but it does make life more fulfilling and fun.

In fact, the team concluded, it is wrong to think that the only route to a happy life is years of self control in order to, for example, stay healthy or make money.

This isbecause the capacity to experience pleasure and enjoyment is a sign of leading a satisfied and happy life overall, the experts said.

For example,splurging on a good meal, or painting the town red might not make you live longer or become richer but it can make you happier.

Its time for a rethink. Of course self-control is important, but research on self-regulation should pay just as much attention to hedonism or short term pleasure, said paper author Katharina Bernecker of the University of Zurich.

Dr Bernecker and her colleague used a psychological questionnaire to test volunteers on how they respond to the temptations of hedonism and whether or not this distracts them from their long term goals as well as their overall wellbeing.

The duo found that some people set out to lose weight, do more sport or improve their mind but when relaxing they end up worrying about whether they should be doing those things instead.

Moreover, their sense of wellbeing was lower than those who managed to switch off and enjoy themselves without thinking about what they should be doing instead.

The findings suggest that people who can enjoy lifes little pleasures are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, because they can have fun without worrying about the consequences.

The solution, the team said, is to achieve a balance being able to work towards long term goals while also being able to not feel guilty when taking time out to go for a drink, have a slap up meal or simply sit in front of the TV with a takeaway pizza.

The pursuit of hedonistic and long-term goals neednt be in conflict with one another, Dr Bernecker said.

Both are important and can complement each other in achieving well-being and good health. It is important to find the right balance in everyday life.

It was always thought that hedonism, as opposed to self-control, was the easier option, but really enjoying ones hedonic choice isnt actually that simple for everybody because of those distracting thoughts.

The team said their findings also apply to worrying about work when trying to relax a common issue in this high tech age where it has become harder to switch off.

The answer,Dr Bernecker added, is to plan downtime and set limits on the amount of time spent working, having fun or advancing longer term goals.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

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Giving in to occasional temptation leads to a happier life - Brinkwire

Soft white wines that pack a punch – The Guardian

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

Alain Geoffroy Petit-Chablis, France 2018 (14.99, oxfordwine.co.uk) Wines dont have to be showy to be good. The strongly scented rose garden gewrztraminer, gooseberry bush sauvignon blanc may be beautiful in their way and in the right moment, but there are times when you want something a little quieter, a little more accommodating, a little less likely to shout over the food. Chablis is a prime example of this. The wines of this chardonnay enclave in the northern limits of Burgundy may have become perceptibly fuller and richer as the climate emergency has raised temperatures in recent years. But theyre still judged on their ability to provide a steel pulse of quicksilver refreshment rather than on the power of their aromas. Two to refresh and accompany fish on a hot summer evening from the generous 2018 vintage: Alain Geoffroys tingling, mineral, lemony use of the supposedly lesser-quality vines of the Petit-Chablis appellation; and the almost electrically charged but exquisitely polished Domaine des Htes Chablis 2018 (20.95, leaandsandeman.co.uk).

Heretat Montrub HMR White Xarel.lo, Peneds, Spain 2019 (13.95, jeroboams.co.uk) Chablis isnt the only French dry white wine style where the emphasis is on texture and feel rather than on any bountiful, leap-out-glass flavour. In their different ways, the subtly saline and yeasty, bone-dry wines of Muscadet from out west in the Loire estuary (look out for Domaine de lEcu or Domaine Luneau-Papin), and the delicately floral spring meltwater freshness of the wines made from jacqure in Savoie (Domaine lIdylle and Gilles Berlioz) are also both capable of playing the discreet accompanying role to, respectively, classic moules marinires and sushi. A certain subtlety of aroma mixed with a truly distinctive texture of chalk and minerals also marks out the increasingly excellent still white wines made from xarel.lo in Catalan cava country, in Peneds. Celler Credos luminously lipsmacking Miranius 2018 (from 8.21, winebuyers.com; lescaves.co.uk) is a modern classic from the excellent fizz producers Recaredo, while HMR brings a whisper of white flowers, dill and pears to its super-refreshing palate.

Pikes Hills & Valleys Riesling, Clare Valley, Australia 2019 (from 12.45, frontierfinewines.co.uk; mumblesfinewines.co.uk; oxfordwine.co.uk) Australia is still associated with exuberant fruitiness in the minds of many wine drinkers. And in the case of a wine such as Pikes Hills & Valleys Riesling thats entirely justified: theres a good squeeze of the lime that is characteristic of the riesling made in South Australias Clare Valley, plus a dose of sweet peachiness and a dash of some more exotic fruit. Still, whats really appealing (and food-friendly) about that wine is its swishing, flashing-blade steely spine, a quality even more in evidence in the wines of top Clare Riesling producer Jeffrey Grosset. Grosset Polish Hill, one of Grossets two great single-vineyard Rieslings, has an almost austere quality when its just released, but the energy and tension in each mouthful makes it so compelling. You can find a bottle of the latest, 2019, release for just north of 30 (bbr.com; hedonism.co.uk).

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Soft white wines that pack a punch - The Guardian

Closer to success: scientists surprised by unexpected statement Hedonists – The Saxon

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Danzig

Than useful sometimes to be lazy

A lot of people think that a weekend in the couch is in vain spent time. But in fact, such hedonism has its significant advantages.

Researchers from the universities of Zurich and Nijmegen found a wonderful argument in defense of all fans of spending time with pleasure and not with benefits. It turned out that not everyone is able to relax, and this hedonism allows people to feel happy and makes them more productive. Of course, within reason.

A new experiment has confirmed that a small rest breaks without works is help to get rid of anxiety and feel better. But opinions about certain achievements during this holiday does not bring any benefit.

For example, when youre lying on the couch and think about sport, which is now not doing. These thoughts about long-term goals cannot meet the current need for rest the scientists explain.

It is therefore important to be able to combine and hedonism, and self-control and not abuse Prolegomena free time or stresemannia at a time when you do nothing.

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Closer to success: scientists surprised by unexpected statement Hedonists - The Saxon

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