Research Shows Big Data Paying Off For Big Cos

A new research report, Big Data in Big Companies, describes how 20 large firms benefit from big data projects. Report co-authors Tom Davenport of the International Institute for Analytics (IIA) and Jill Dyché of SAS, the leader in business analytics, explore how these companies have deployed analytics to generate value from their big data assets.

“We’re making a big bet on big data,” says Bill Ruh, Vice President of GE’s Software and Analytics Center. “With that said, the pilot projects we’ve put out there have solved some big problems already. Our early proof-points were important. Now we’re moving forward with even more complex problem sets. We’re making this a part of everything we do.”

The report highlights the most cross-industry, big data success stories ever published. Research participants included AIG, Bank of America, Caesars Entertainment, Carolinas Health Care, CIGNA, Dell, Discover, Fidelity, GE, Macys.com, Schneider National, Sears, T-Mobile, United Healthcare, UPS, Verizon and Wells Fargo.

Big data initiatives enable companies to analyze diverse data– structured and unstructured, from internal and external sources – and uncover new insights. Executives at the big data early adopters in the report stressed that analyzing big data delivers big payoffs by creating new business capabilities and helping their organizations conduct current processes cheaper, faster and more effectively.

The report found that transforming organisations through analytics requires new skills, leadership, organizational structures, technologies and architectures. Most organizations surveyed are augmenting existing analytical staff, adding data scientists with IT capabilities who can manipulate big data technologies. Solid knowledge of data architectures, data quality, and master data management hubs are just the beginning for firms pursuing big data as a long-term differentiator, the report concluded.

Misys Appoints New Regional Director Of Middle East, Africa & South Asia
Misys has appointed Ashish Dass as the new regional director for Middle East, Africa and South Asia including India. The appointment comes at the end of a successful year of growth for Misys, in its first year as a private company.

Ashish Dass joins Misys from 3i Infotech, where he spent a decade leading sales teams in Middle East and Africa, most recently in the role of Senior Vice President and Head of MEA. Ashish brings to Misys more than 18 years of sales and general management experience in IT products and services across the Middle East and Africa in both banking and capital markets.

AMD Unleashes First-Ever 5 GHz Processor
AMD has unveiled its most powerful member of the legendary AMD FX family of CPUs, commercially available 5 GHz CPU processor, the AMD FX-9590. These 8-core CPUs deliver new levels of gaming and multimedia performance for desktop enthusiasts. AMD FX-9000 Series CPUs will be available initially in PCs through system integrators.

The new 5 GHz FX-9590 and 4.7 GHz FX-9370 feature the “Piledriver” architecture, are unlocked for easy overclocking and pave the way for enthusiasts to enjoy higher CPU speeds and related performance gains. Additionally, these processors feature AMD Turbo Core 3.0 technology to dynamically optimize performance across CPU cores and enable maximum computing for the most intensive workloads.    

Propalms Takes Over Pano-Logic Rights
Propalms, a provider of server based computing technology based on Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, Hypervisor based VDI and Enterprise remote access solutions, has announced its recent acquisition of Pano logic rights.

Pano Logic is a leader in providing zero client desktop computing. Pano Logic has an innovative desktop virtualization (VDI) hardware and software solution called the Pano System, which redefines the delivery and management of end user computing by centralizing desktop management. The Pano Logic zero client VDI platforms are a complete end-to-end solution built for desktop virtualization, simplifying the complexity in management of virtual desktops and slashing TCO by as much as 80 per cent.

The heart of the Pano System is the Pano G2 Zero Client, a whole new class of desktop computing hardware. Pano endpoints are referred to as "zero clients" because, unlike traditional thin clients, they have no CPU, no memory, no operating system, no drivers, no software and no moving parts.

Pano Zero client simply connects the peripheral input-output devices-keyboard, mouse, up to two DVI and VGA displays, and audio output, along with other USB peripherals to a virtualized Microsoft Windows desktop virtual machine and the Pano controller for VDI running on a hypervisor server in your data center.

Maruti Suzuki's Hunt For Young Driver
The nationwide hunt for the safest driver in India is back with the 5th edition of Maruti Suzuki Autocar Young Driver 2013.

This innovative concept aims at promoting the culture of safe driving especially amongst the Indian youth, wherein the competition tests the participant’s knowledge of traffic rules, awareness of road safety and their real world driving skills. The contest is open to all individuals, between the age of 18 and 30, with a valid Indian driving license.

The contest is divided into 4 phases comprising of an Online Theory Test, a skill test,the grand finale and finally the crowning of the Autocar Young Driver of the year 2013.

The competition this year will be bigger and better with celebrity presence in all activities right from the beginning. The winner’s journey will also be glorified through various promotional activities leading up to the next edition of the contest.

To register online: Please log on to: www.youngdriver.in, Entries open till: 28th June 2013

SOM Distilleries & Breweries Leads Draught Beer
SOM Distilleries Private (SDPL) expands their Hunter draught beer market in India. Giving more quality and chilled beer to its consumers, keeping the great taste and freshness intact.
 
The strongest beer in India, Hunter is excitingly relieving and brings in the perfect satisfaction beyond the ordinary beer.  The draught beer offer customers a number of benefits, like perfect taste every time, which is the key motto of SOM groups.  Hunter Draught beer has no chemicals and preservatives; it is 100 % genuine and fresh.  It offers the consumers a whole new opportunity to enjoy fresh and chilled draught beer without any preservative, served directly from the tap.
 
The Draught beer is supplied in imported stainless steel German Kegs- duly sterilized & filled by German machines at Brewery. The beer keg filled with ready to drink beer in a new optimized process that allows no oxygen to enter the keg. The major gain is that the genuine taste of fresh Hunter draught beer is preserved all the way from the brewery to the consumer. Without oxygen the process of decay doesn't start and the beer stays fresh. It is maintained by regular proper refrigeration through German equipments.
 
With the new Hunter Draught Beer in the market, the system installation and maintenance costs are significantly reduced for both customers and the company as wastage due to out-of-date beer is eliminated, giving more choice to the consumers. The draught beer facilitates its usage when ever required adding the freshness, chilliness and taste to it.
 
Fortum Launches Solar Power Production In India
Fortum has acquired a solar power plant in the state of Rajasthan, north-western India. The company's short term ambition is to build a small photo-voltaic (PV) solar portfolio in order to gain experiences in different solar technologies and operating in the Indian power market.

"Solar power fits well with Fortum's other CO2-free production and we believe it will play an important role in tomorrow's low carbon energy system," says Matti Kaarnakari, Managing Director, Fortum India Pvt. Ltd. "Solar power is a strong growth segment that will account for an increasing part of power generation in the future. Fast technological development is boosting competitiveness and on best markets, wholesale parity can be expected already within a few years' time."

The power plant's nominal peak capacity is 5.4 megawatts and its annual production is approximately 9 gigawatt-hours. The power plant was constructed as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), the Indian government's initiative for 22 gigawatts of installed solar power generation capacity by year 2022, and it has been fully operational for one year. The plant will receive a higher, guaranteed electricity price for 25 years. The period and the prices for power generation under the government's power purchase agreement (PPA) are defined to ensure a sufficient return on investment.

In the short term, Fortum is looking to invest some tens of millions of euros - including this acquisition - in developing its PV solar competence and operations in India.