Daily Archives: August 9, 2017

Why SMBs Should Opt for Best-of-Breed Marketing Technology – eMarketer

Posted: August 9, 2017 at 5:03 am

Jason VandeBoom Founder and CEO ActiveCampaign

When it comes to marketing technology, the argument for using best-of-breed tools is cleartheyre the best in their respective categories. But for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), using multiple marketing technologies can be cost-prohibitive, and the challenge of integrating them can be unmanageable. But Jason VandeBoom, founder and CEO of marketing automation provider ActiveCampaign, says sometimes its worth it. VandeBoom spoke with eMarketers Maria Minsker about why all-in-one marketing technology suites are not the right route for smaller organizations.

eMarketer: What are some of the biggest challenges SMBs face with regard to marketing technology?

Jason VandeBoom: Technology providers that target these markets focus on building all-in-one tools. The problem with that is, although they say they can do it all, theyre not advanced when it comes to specific capabilities. As a result, customers that use these platforms only tend to use a small percentage of it and dont really benefit from most of the technology theyre paying for.

eMarketer: Using best-of-breed tools means integration challenges. How can smaller companies deal with those challenges?

VandeBoom: Regardless of company size, if integration isnt carried out correctly, best-of-breed tools can cause more pain than good. Companies should seek out tools with built-in integrations, or look to third parties for connector technologies and applications that can group tools and data together to make insight more actionable. Smaller businesses need partners that can provide integration and do some of the work for them.

Smaller businesses need partners that can provide integration and do some of the work for them.

eMarketer: Are best-of-breed tools scalable? Should growing businesses switch to multisolution suites?

VandeBoom: As businesses grow, it actually becomes more obvious that all-in-one solution suites are not the way to go. There are very few medium-sized companies that are able to find all the tools they need in a single package and actually be satisfied with the breadth and capabilities that those tools provide.

eMarketer: How can companies that use best-of-breed tools make sure they dont fall into the trap of chasing the latest and greatest products?

VandeBoom: SMBs often look for tools that are accessible to users without a technical background, so industry buzz about certain types of technology doesnt really influence them. Regardless, businesses should be focused on the outcome of their marketing efforts, not the tool theyre using.

Industry buzz about certain types of technology doesnt really influence [SMBs].

eMarketer: Do you anticipate that more businesses will leave multisolution suites behind and shift to best-of-breed technologies?

VandeBoom: There is going to be a bigger push against all-in-one tools. But to attract SMBs, best-of-breed technology providers are going to have to make an effort to develop tools that are more integrated, suggestive and autonomous, so that marketers at SMBs can take advantage of opportunities that are hard to spot.

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Elon Musk’s Boring Company to use Tesla’s technology for its tunnel project under LA – Electrek

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Elon Musks Boring Company, supposedly a small project with a few engineers and interns, is quickly working toward its goal, which is officially to solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic.

After several announcements of upcoming large scale projects, like a network of tunnels under Los Angeles and an underground hyperloop between New York and Washington DC, the company is now presenting its R&D tunnel project underneath Hawthorne.

They plan to test boring techniques in the tunnel as well as Teslas autonomous driving and powertrain technologies on electric platforms to move vehicles.

In April,Musks new startup took delivery of their first boring machineand started digging in the parking lot of SpaceXs headquarters.

They already obtained a permit for a 305-feet (100 meters) tunnel at the location, whichthey reportedly already completed.

Now they presented the second phase of the tunnel at a special meeting of theHawthorne city council last week.

The current tunnel links SpaceXs parking lot to 120th street and the second phase would follow the street over 2 miles (3.2 km) all the way to Hawthorne Boulevard.

At the presentation before theHawthorne city council, Brett Horton, Senior Director of Facilities and Construction for both SpaceX and Boring Company, said that the tunnel would only be for research and development and not to transport people or cargo.

They aim to test their boring machine and find ways to improve it:

It is a research and development tunnel meant for us to learn about our tunneling machine (Godot), understand the technology and where we can improve it, and also test and prove out the transportation system.

Horton also explains that the transportation system will use Teslas autonomous driving technology and electric powertrain technology:

To speak very quickly about how the transportation works and how we are going to be testing it in this tunnel, it is based on Tesla technology. We all know about autonomous driving and the capabilities weve seen demonstrated in various videos. We are going to use that technology, but instead of an enclosed Tesla, its going to be an electric skate.

He said to imagine a Tesla Model S drivetrain, but with a platform instead of a cabin on top.

The Boring Company has so far been mostly associated with Elon Musks SpaceX so its interesting to see that Tesla, Musk other main company, is also being involved.

They have also been using Tesla vehicles in their demonstation videos.

The rest of Hortons presentation revolved around safety requirements for building the tunnel. He went through several safety measures that the Boring Company is taking to ensure that it will be safe. It ranges from simple checks for gas lines, sewage, and optic cables, to more high-tech systems to monitor surface disruption from their tunneling efforts.

They aim to have no impact at the surface by digging just about 20 feet (6 meters) in the ground.

The meeting was to familiarize the members of the council with the project, which they now seek to expedite. City Manager Arnold Shadbehr was appointed to negotiate the terms for granting the permits for the project.

Theres a transcript of the full presentation via ticklestuff) and heres a video of the presentation:

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Clyde Space to build cubesats for Audacy technology demonstration – SpaceNews

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A technician works on a double deployed cubesat in the Clyde Space clean room. Credit: Clyde Space

LOGAN, Utah Scotlands Clyde Space will build buses for three small satellites Silicon Valley startup Audacy plans to send into medium Earth orbit in 2019, according to an agreement announced Aug. 8 at the Small Satellite conference here.

Audacy is seeking to establish a commercial version of NASAs Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, which transmits communications from satellites to ground stations. With satellites in medium Earth orbit, Audacy plans to offer simultaneous access to its network for customers operating thousands of satellites, launch vehicles and human spaceflight missions.

Before establishing its operational constellation of satellites weighing hundreds of kilograms, Audacy wants to demonstrate its technology, including customer satellite terminals featuring K-band antennas and software defined radios, on the cubesats built by Clyde Space, James Spicer, Audacy chief engineer, said by email.

Craig Clark, Clyde Space chief executive, said he was delighted to win Audacys order because the firm has an awesome concept and because Audacy conducted an exhaustive review of the market before selecting Clyde Space for its demonstration mission. I really like this win. I wanted to work with them, Clark told SpaceNews.

In addition to building the satellite bus, Clyde Space will bring Audacy personnel into its Glasgow facility to help them design their technology demonstration mission and operate the cubesats, Clark said.

Through the demonstration mission, Audacy will support numerous customer satellites with a range of missions and applications in multiple sectors from agriculture to disaster management, according to the announcement.

Audacy, a company established in 2015 by co-founders who met at Stanford Universitys Graduate School of Business, established its first ground station in San Francisco in 2017 and its second, in Singapore in 2018. As demand grows, the firm plans to build a third ground station in Luxembourg.

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DXC Technology posts $245m EBIT in first quarter since merger – ZDNet

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Image: DXC Technology

DXC Technology has reported its first quarter earnings for fiscal 2018, posting earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of $245 million and $173 million in net income on revenue of $5.9 billion.

Global Business Services profit was $282 million on revenue of $2.267 billion, Global Infrastructure Services profit was $290 million on revenue of $2.969 billion, while the company's United States Public Sector segment brought in $77 million in profit off the back of $677 million in revenue.

Overall, income before tax was $185 million in the first quarter, after outlaying $190 million in restructuring costs, $124 million in transaction and integration-related costs, and $120 million from the amortisation of acquired intangibles, the company said in its report.

The results are the first since the formation of DXC Technology in April, which was the result of the merger of Computer Sciences Corp (CSC) and the Enterprise Services arm of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).

At the closure of the deal, the new $26 billion IT services giant boasted nearly 6,000 clients in more than 70 countries, with the combined companies claiming only a 15 percent overlap in accounts.

"In the first quarter, DXC Technology delivered on the revenue, profit, and cash flow roadmap that we laid out at our Investor Day," DXC Technology chairman, president, and CEO Mike Lawrie said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We achieved several key merger integration milestones and are executing on our synergy plan. We have implemented the first phase of the plan and are on track to meet our targets of $1 billion of year-one cost savings in fiscal 2018 as well as $1.5 billion of run-rate cost savings exiting the year.

"We continue to lead our clients on their digital transformation journeys, leveraging efficiency gains in traditional IT to reinvest in digital solutions, including our own."

DXC Technology Australia and New Zealand managing director Seelan Nayagam said the market took the company's first quarter results positively, noting DXC's share price rose by $3 at the close of Tuesday.

"I'm guessing they were happy," he said. "The results globally and locally were good, but at the same time, the number of critical go-lives that happened with all of this stuff going on."

During the quarter, Nayagam said the local arm of the global IT giant completed the upgrade of the Australian government's Budget system, which he said despite taking quite a long time, showed him the local teams' resilience to the end-client amid an organisational restructure.

Speaking with ZDNet, Nayagam said the ANZ business grew roughly 3 percent in the first quarter over the same period last year, but noted there were different performances displayed across the many arms of the local business.

He touted the overall business as doing well, with the consulting business in the local market boasting over 1,100 individual consultants.

During the quarter, DXC Technology announced the acquisition of Microsoft Dynamics 365 integrator Tribridge and its affiliate company, Concerto Cloud Services.

Under the acquisition agreement Tribridge was rebranded as Tribridge, a DXC Technology Company, while Concerto Cloud Services, which provides advisory services and fully-managed cloud solutions, is now DXC Concerto.

"The combination of Tribridge with DXC Eclipse significantly strengthens DXC's role as a leading Microsoft Dynamics 365 systems integrator, greatly enhancing our ability to address client needs," Lawrie said last month.

For the 2018 fiscal year, DXC Technology is expecting to report $24-$24.5 billion in revenue.

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‘Breakthrough’ microchip technology helps heal wounds, nerves and organ damage – The Independent

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Scientists have invented a breakthrough technology they say willhelpheal wounds, blood vessels, nerves and damaged organs.

The technology, called Tissue Nanotransfection (TNT) uses nanotechnology to turn skin cells into a range of other types of cell that can be used to repair damaged tissues.

The cells are converted by a small microchip,similar in size to a penny,whichinjects genetic code into skin cells, transforming them into other types of cell.

The chip is simply placed onto the skin and can begin to create new specialised cells in less than a second, scientists said.

The researchers, from Ohio State University, turned skin cells from mice and pigs into blood vessel cells and nerve cells. After a week, the new cells formed new blood vessels and nerve tissue.

In one experiment, a badly damaged mouse leg was saved by the technology creating new blood vessels in tissue that had previously been lacking blood flow.

Another test involved injecting new nerve cells into a mouses brain to enable it to recover from a stroke.

This is difficult to imagine, but it is achievable, successfully working about 98 per cent of the time, said Dr. Chandan Sen, one of the joint leaders of the study. With this technology, we can convert skin cells into elements of any organ with just one touch. This process only takes less than a second and is non-invasive, and then you're off. The chip does not stay with you, and the reprogramming of the cell starts.

The technology could see cells grown on a human patients skin and then injected into their body to treat conditions such as Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers, nerve damage and strokes.

It is the bodys own cells that are being converted, sothe immune system does not attack them and thereforethere is no need for immunosuppressant drugs.

Some treatments already involve converting cells in laboratory conditions before injecting them back into the patient, but this is the first time cells have been reprogrammed within the body.

Scientists said the procedure is non-invasive and does not require a laboratory, meaning it could be used in hospitals and GP surgeries. It simply involves the chip being placed on the skin and a light electrical current applied, which patients barely feel.

The research was published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

By using our novel nanochip technology, injured or compromised organs can be replaced, said Dr Sen. We have shown that skin is a fertile land where we can grow the elements of any organ that is declining,

Trials to test the technology in humans are being planned for next year.

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For Matt Harvey, Pitching to a Teammate Represents Progress – New York Times

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Harvey threw 25 pitches to Nimmo, who made little solid contact but did line a couple of singles to right field.

I havent faced Harvey before, so I didnt have too many preconceived notions, Nimmo said. But obviously you know the name and go in there expecting good stuff. It looked like good stuff to me.

Harvey seemed to agree. I got after it pretty good today, he said. I was obviously a little rusty at first, but then towards the end I was able to get the ball down and finish the pitches that I wanted to. Everything felt great.

Harvey made just 13 starts this season, with a 4-3 record and career-high 5.25 earned run average, before sustaining a shoulder injury. This is the third injury-shortened season of Harveys five-year career; he missed all of 2014 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and much of 2016 because of thoracic outlet syndrome, requiring more surgery.

But Collins said that Harvey, who was also suspended by the team after failing to show up to a game in May, had shown a strong commitment to his rehabilitation this year.

Hes got himself in tremendous shape, and hes done everything weve asked him to do, Collins said. Hes determined to be back, and I think he will be back.

Harvey, 28, left that June 14 game after four innings, having allowed four earned runs and three home runs. His fastball was clocked at 87 miles per hour, a number Harvey said he had not seen since high school.

The next day, a magnetic resonance imaging test revealed a stress injury to the scapula in his pitching shoulder. Harvey was treated with a platelet-rich plasma injection and shut down.

The long-term prospects for Harveys Mets career are still in doubt his status in the rotation has been supplanted by Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom and although he is under team control for one more season, there is no guarantee the Mets will try to retain him when he becomes a free agent.

In the short term, Collins cautioned that Harvey faced plenty of work before he could return to the majors. Youre going to have increase the pitches, youre going to have to increase the effort, hes going to have to see hitters, and hes got to find his off-speed pitches, Collins said.

He added, Its going to be a process.

A version of this article appears in print on August 9, 2017, on Page B9 of the New York edition with the headline: Harvey Advances Toward a Return This Year.

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Progress made at ‘dangerous’ vacant downtown hotel – KHOU

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For the first time in decades, progress is being made in cleaning up the abandoned Days Inn hotel near downtown Houston.

Matt Dougherty , KHOU 6:27 PM. CDT August 08, 2017

Nearly one month later, progress has been made on almost all of the citys stipulations for the abandoned former Days Inn hotel downtown, except for the 24-hour security guard. (Photo: KHOU)

HOUSTON - Obvious progress has been made nearly one month after KHOU 11 News first started asking questions about downtowns most dangerous building.

The abandoned and vacant former Days Inn hotel located on 801 St. Joseph Parkway has been an eyesore for residents and visitors alike for nearly two decades.

Related:Exclusive look inside 'dangerous' vacant downtown hotel

Houstonians doing business in downtown told KHOU 11 News the building had become a hazard with falling shards of broken glass and a place that attracted crime.

City code enforcement officials gave the owners a three-week timeline to secure entry points into the property, cover up all visible graffiti, remove all broken windows from the building and hire a round-the-clock security guard to supervise the property.

Nearly one month later, progress has been made on almost all of the citys stipulations, except for the 24-hour security guard.

Enforcement is a useful tool the city will continue to use to make Houston as livable and safe as ever, said Houstons public works and enforcement spokeswoman,Alanna Reed, in an e-mailed statement. But punishment is not the goal.Compliance is. In this case the owner is making efforts to comply, and city departments will continue to work with the owner and monitor the case until we get the final result that the public deserves.

Passersby in downtown Tuesday did not seem to share the optimistic sentiments of the city.

Well, they need to renovate it or tear it down, Ed Welch said. Im not so sure it can be renovated, so lets implode it.

The propertys owners could not be reached by Tuesday evening. In previous interviews, the owners said they had been approved by the parent company of Holiday Inn to construct an $85 million hotel.

The former Days Inn remains at the top of the citys most-dangerous downtown buildings list.

Photos: Exclusive look inside 'dangerous' vacant downtown hotel

2017 KHOU-TV

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Little progress following Connecticut budget discussions – New Haven Register

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Christine Stuart, CTNewsJunkie.com

Photo: Christine Stuart / CTNewsJunkie

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, and House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz.

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, and House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz.

Little progress following Connecticut budget discussions

HARTFORD >> It was the first meeting of Democratic and Republican legislative leaders since passage of the state employee concession package, but theyre no closer to resolving the two-year budget deficit than they were in June.

The labor package resolved $1.57 billion of the two-year $5.1 billion budget deficit, but the two parties were no closer to eliminating the rest of the $3.5 billion state budget deficit Tuesday.

After meeting for more than an hour behind closed doors at the state Capitol, members of both caucuses and parties emerged to tell reporters they are continuing to share information about how to resolve the remainder of the budget deficit.

I want to share ideas and thoughts, House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said. I think the people of Connecticut want us to work together.

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said theres no question the people of Connecticut want the parties to work together, but we have different ideas about how the state of Connecticut moves forward.

She said Republicans dont believe tax increases will fix those problems.

Were open to see if there are any other ways to move the budget forward without them, Klarides said.

The Senate Democratic caucus has also bristled at the notion of a sales tax increase to 6.99 percent. The House Democrats have maintained their support for a sales tax increase to help municipalities keep property taxes low, but Aresimowicz admitted that a budget with a sales tax increase wouldnt pass the Senate.

Aresimowicz said Tuesdays discussion was hard because they dont have a completed budget document to negotiate.

This isnt a single party negotiation, Aresimowicz said.

He said it has to pass the House, the Senate, and it has to be signed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. And theres no document they can all agree on that would get enough votes at this point to become law.

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Chargers WR Mike Williams making progress, running on the field … – ESPN (blog)

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Mike Williams, the Chargers first-round pick, has been sidelined since injuring his back during rookie minicamp.

COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Already ruled out for the remainder of training camp with a lower back disc herniation, rookie receiver Mike Williams is getting better and began running on the field Monday, according to Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn.

"Hes back on the grass," Lynn said. "Hes running. Hes doing well."

Williams was evaluated by team doctors just before training camp, and according to the team will continue to follow a plan put together by his own specialist, Dr. Robert Watkins.

The Chargers placed Williams on the active/physically unable to perform list as players reported to camp.

Selected No. 7 overall, the big-bodied Williams was drafted by the Chargers to give quarterback Philip Rivers another impact player on third downs and in the red zone.

However, the Clemson product suffered a back injury on the first day of rookie minicamp in May.

The Chargers still hold out hope that Williams could make it on the field during exhibition play so they can get him ready for the regular season.

We just want him to keep progressing and not have any setbacks, Lynn said. And well see what happens.

Cumberland a father: Lynn told reporters that tight end Jeff Cumberland missed practice on Tuesday for the birth of his child, a 6 1/2-pound boy. Cumberland suffered an Achilles tendon tear in exhibition play in 2016 and had to sit out the season. Hes been one of the pleasant surprises in camp so far for the Chargers, making several explosive plays in the passing game.

Injury update: Cornerback Jason Verrett was a full participant in practice for the first time on Tuesday during training camp and looked like his old self, knocking down a couple of passes and running stride for stride with speedster Tyrell Williams on a go route. After a rest day, Rivers returned to practice, and tight end Antonio Gates returned from attending the 2017 Hall of Fame ceremony. Keenan Allen returned to practice after sitting out three days with a sore calf. Receiver Geremy Davis (hamstring) also returned to practice on a limited basis. Defensive end Chris Landrum (shoulder), Andre Patton and Craig Mager did not practice.

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Much progress, but more recovery to go 10 months after Hurricane Matthew hits Lenoir County – WITN

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LENOIR COUNTY, NC (WITN) Tuesday marked ten months since Hurricane Matthew brought historic flooding to parts of eastern Carolina, including much of Lenoir County.

Communities there have spent countless hours and millions of dollars to rebuild homes and businesses, and now they're looking into what options they have to protect themselves from future floods.

But that unfortunately is much easier said than done and something that worries local business owners.

Russell Rhodes of Neuse Sport Shop in Kinston says, "On the outside looking in everything looks good, but we're still struggling a little on the inside and nervous. Everytime a thunderstorm comes through I check the river levels to see if it can handle that water."

As a result, some businesses aren't taking any chances. Places like this Bojangles on U.S. 70 constructed their building on an additional four feet of land that should protect it the next time it floods.

Mayor BJ Murphy says that it's preparation like this that will best serve businesses in the area, as help on a larger scale will not be quick. "The truth is no matter where we are in our flood prevention discussion with the Army Corps of Engineers it's still not going to be fast enough for this hurricane season, next hurricane season, this is literally going to take an act of Congress."

And as far as residents go, officials say the best option they're looking into involves purchasing properties and relocating people to keep them out of harms way.

All roads that were closed and in need of repair due to the flooding in Lenoir County have reopened according to Len White, the Lenoir County Maintenance Engineer, who is now overseeing the upsizing of drain pipes under local highways that will hopefully alleviate some of the flooding when it happens in the future.

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Much progress, but more recovery to go 10 months after Hurricane Matthew hits Lenoir County - WITN

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