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Cloud Technology

Business Leaders View Transformative Technology As Trigger For Growth

Pressure increasing on IT groups to innovate as business leaders view transformative technology as trigger for growth, according to the latest research from the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network.

Emerging IT Technologies Address Innovation Management Challenges

Posted by Heidi Schwartz As competition intensifies, businesses are constantly looking to improve their business models and keep up with market demands. Rapid globalization has also compelled companies to employ inventive technologies that will facilitate employee collaboration as well as revolutionize existing product development and service delivery processes. As a result, organizations are adopting a plethora of advanced technological tools to manage their innovation process. Analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Technology Solutions to Innovation Management Challenges, finds that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cognitive computing, social computing, cloud computing, semantic analysis, virtual reality, computer-aided design and big data analytics heavily influence innovation management. “Deploying innovation management tools empowered by emerging technologies will help firms propel organic growth through innovation,” said Frost & Sullivan Technical Insights Research Analyst Sathya Vendhan. “For instance, the integration of cloud computing with idea management solutions will enable organizations to reap the benefits of collaboration. Similarly, the use of big data and cloud will enhance project efficiency and decrease production costs.” The primary factor curbing the incorporation of new age technologies in innovation management is the lack of awareness on technology utilization, especially in non-information and communication technology sectors. Another challenge is low employee participation owing to the poor integration of software into existing company infrastructure. Furthermore, the reluctance of organizations to share intellectual property causes redundancies and bottlenecks in product innovation. Companies must form mutually beneficial partnerships to build a collaborative environment that will facilitate open innovation and ensure better products for customers. “In addition, ... Read more

Meet The New Honest Buildings

Posted by Heidi Schwartz Honest Buildings, a management platform for commercial real estate (CRE) projects, has unveiled Honest Buildings for Owners, an online software for building owners and project managers to track and analyze procurement processes throughout their entire portfolios. Honest Buildings for Owners streamlines day-to-day project management activities and will integrate with Honest Buildings’ existing online real estate marketplace.    “Honest Buildings for Owners is the result of years of hands-on collaboration with the CRE industry’s most progressive owners seeking to save time and money on building projects through new technological efficiencies,” said Riggs Kubiak, CEO and co-founder of Honest Buildings. “By aggregating entire portfolios of buildings and projects in one vendor management system, this platform empowers owners and project managers to make informed, contextualized decisions when bidding a project of any size.”  Honest Buildings for Owners’ cloud-based, Software as a Service (SaaS) suite delivers a simplified set of tools that organize a user’s entire expanse of building and construction data, providing clear insights on project bids, associated costs, vendor selection, and internal efficiency. Using the software platform, owners can track critical project marks including bids received, key dates, and insight into project manager workload. Honest Buildings for Owners’ centralized dashboard replaces thee-mail and spreadsheet-based processes owners often use, enabling them to identify inconsistencies and inefficiencies in project bidding and spending throughout a portfolio. Honest Buildings for Owners also introduces new bid rooms, which serve as hubs for collaboration with vendors and internal stakeholders. These hubs set out to eliminate the need for ... Read more

Smart Irrigation Taps The Power Of The Cloud

Posted by Heidi Schwartz The 45th anniversary of Earth Day brought even more awareness to the issues associated with water scarcity. People around the globe are becoming increasingly sensitive and focused on the unnecessary waste of the earth’s precious resources. Mandatory water restrictions are being implemented by leaders, agencies, and municipalities across the United States. What many don’t know is that advanced technology solutions can help businesses deal with these restrictions and the need to conserve water. One such solution, ETwater, is a cloud-based platform that takes environmental data from multiple sources and provides intelligent, automated water irrigation plans and schedules. This approach provides real-time monitoring and management capability from any mobile or smart device. “The planet’s sustainability is all our responsibility,” says Pat McIntyre, Chairman and CEO of ETwater. “The combination of our Internet based technology platform, and smart controller devices, enables us to help businesses and consumers to conserve water while preserving a healthy landscape.” The goal at ETwater is to help people understand their landscapes and save water. Consequently, the company has been investing in and developing a complete, cloud-based smart irrigation system which reduces water consumption by up to 50% versus conventional irrigation methods.  ETwater irrigation service can provide the following: New or retrofit smart controller device with warranty replacements and repairs 24×7 concierge-level service for landscape and programming needs Dynamically adjusted water schedules with weather forecast and prediction features Reliable wireless network connectivity (3G/4G LTE) Adjustable alerts with event monitoring and reporting Flow control, monitoring, and break detection ... Read more
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