Metro mayors face similar digitisation challenges to banks, but lack their resources

Metro mayors face similar digitisation challenges to banks, but lack their resources

chombosan – Fotolia chombosan – Fotolia By The UK’s Metropolitan mayors all want digital transformation decisions to be made locally, but there’s a lack of understanding in areas such as the time and money required to turn ideas into reality. These regions face a similar challenge in replacing legacy systems to that faced by banks over the past decade, but lack the same skills and financial resources. According to research of the 12 mayoral manifestos by IT services firm CGI, the regional leaders, who represent about half the UK population, are all in full agreement that digital transformation decisions need to be made locally. Tara McGeehan, UK and Australia president at CGI, which is heavily involved in the UK public sector, said: “These regions are a long way from Whitehall, and therefore from a priority point of view, in the general understanding of what’s going on out in the regions, having mayors who have more vertical interest is a lot more sensible than having all decisions out of London.” CGI researched the manifestos of metropolitan leaders in Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, East Midlands, Greater London, North East, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, West of England, West […]

Automation Alley Announces 2025 Integr8 Roundtable Series Focused On Industry 4.0’s Most Pressing Challenges

Automation Alley Announces 2025 Integr8 Roundtable Series Focused On Industry 4.0’s Most Pressing Challenges

TROY — Automation Alley announced its 2025 Integr8 Series , featuring five carefully curated roundtables focusing on the most critical challenges and opportunities in Industry 4.0. The series of discussions will bring together global leaders, innovators, and visionaries from manufacturing, technology, academia, and government sectors to shape the future of digital transformation. The 2025 series will feature five focused roundtables, with corresponding playbooks capturing key insights and strategies from each discussion: February: The Power of AI in Industry March: Cybersecurity for a Connected Future April: Additive Manufacturing and its Expanding Role August: Global Manufacturing Trends Shaping Tomorrow September: The Transition from ICE to EV: A Paradigm Shift Each roundtable will incorporate a focus on workforce transformation, reflecting the increasing interest and importance of workforce impacts in the digital transformation of manufacturing. “The rapid evolution of Industry 4.0 technologies continues to reshape manufacturing, and with it, the demands on our workforce,” said Tom Kelly, Automation Alley Executive Director and CEO. “By integrating workforce considerations into each of our 2025 roundtable discussions, we’re addressing both the technological and human elements of digital transformation. This comprehensive approach ensures our community is prepared not just for the technical challenges ahead, but for the […]

Special visa and income mechanisms to attract leading scientists to Vietnam: PM Chinh

Special visa and income mechanisms to attract leading scientists to Vietnam: PM Chinh

Thematic image. Attracting leading scientists is one of the Government’s plans to implement the Politburo’s Resolution 57 on developing breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and the national digital transformation, PM Chinh said at the conference on the ‘strategic’ and ‘pivotal’ resolution. PHOTO: UNSPLASH January 14, 2025 HANOI – The Government will create special policies and mechanisms on naturalisation, land and housing ownership, income, visas and work permits in a bid to attract Vietnamese scientists and experts living abroad, as well as foreign professionals, to work in Việt Nam. These professionals will serve as ‘chief architects’ in organising, managing and implementing national key projects, programmes and tasks, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính said at a national conference held on January 13 in Hà Nội. Attracting leading scientists is one of the Government’s plans to implement the Politburo’s Resolution 57 on developing breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and the national digital transformation, Chính said at the conference on the ‘strategic’ and ‘pivotal’ resolution. “Resolution 57 carries exceptional importance, serving as a guiding compass for development in a new era of prosperity, civilisation and global prominence. It is also a powerful call to action for Việt Nam to become a developed, high-income […]

UNI-PIPC Launches in Philippine to Drive Digital Transformation in Southeast Asia

UNI-PIPC Launches in Philippine to Drive Digital Transformation in Southeast Asia

MANILA, Philippines, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — UNI-PIPC (UNI-President Information Philippines Corp.), a new IT solutions provider and subsidiary of Uni-President Group., today announced its official launch to spearhead digital transformation across Southeast Asia. Leveraging its parent group’s strong presence operating 7-ELEVEN in Taiwan and the Philippines, UNI-PIPC aim to deliver advanced technology solutions to businesses in the region. UNI-PIPC will focus on providing comprehensive IT services, including system development, AI-powered retail solutions, infrastructure services, and data sciences, primarily to the retail, logistics, and food service sectors. The company will play a vital role in supporting 7-ELEVEN’s expansion in the Philippines by facilitating technological upgrades and system integration across its 4,130 stores. This includes implementing logistics, warehousing, retail, distribution, and financial accounting systems. UNI-PIPC launches in Philippines to Drive Digital Transformation in the Southeast Asia “We are excited to launch UNI-PIPC and bring our expertise to the dynamic Southeast Asian market,” stated President Information Corp (PIC). “Our goal is to become the leading technology partner for businesses in the region, empowering them with innovative solutions to optimize their operations and enhance customer experiences.” UNI-PIPC will establish an Innovation Accelerator Platform to nurture startups, provide access to talent and cutting-edge […]

Revolutionizing healthcare: A how-to for payer digital transformation success

Revolutionizing healthcare: A how-to for payer digital transformation success

In brief Complex healthcare communications cause member confusion and payer inefficiencies. Simplifying products, standardizing documents and using AI/automation can improve operations and satisfaction. Digital transformation enables personalized care and proactive member guidance through integrated data. Healthcare communications have become increasingly complex, creating challenges for both payers and group members. As a simple example, consider a member’s frustration upon receiving an 18-page bill for a hospital visit in which only two pages contain relevant information – and there is no clear way to know where that information can be found. Outdated systems and inefficient processes slow down payer operations and impact customer experience in a significant way. This is not a hypothetical problem: fully 85% of healthcare consumers consider communication highly important to their experience and 66% would consider switching providers due to poor communication . There are significant competing technology priorities for insurers impacting their ability to invest in better experiences for their insureds. As an example, in the wake of major security breaches many payers are dedicating over 7% of their IT budgets to cybersecurity . These and other areas of focus result in the average healthcare organization relying on nearly 976 different software applications, many of which […]

S-Core appoints new CEO Kim Jang-hyun to strengthen digital transformation services

S-Core appoints new CEO Kim Jang-hyun to strengthen digital transformation services

Jang-Hyun Kim is the new CEO of Score. /Courtesy of Score S-Core, the IT consulting subsidiary of Samsung SDS, announced on the 14th that it has appointed Kim Jang-hyun as the new CEO. CEO Kim has held key positions at Samsung SDS, including head of the Digital Transformation Center, head of the Management Innovation Team, and vice president in charge of internal AM, accumulating extensive experience in digital transformation and management. CEO Kim noted, "S-Core has been recognized for its expertise in digital transformation, providing various software technology services to the Samsung Group," and said, "We will strengthen our cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital marketing consulting and actively support customized digital transformation for our clients through open-source software business." ※ This article has been translated using the OpenAI translation tool. View Original Article(Korean) Lee Kyung-tak What to Read Next China stockpiles semiconductors with 10.4% import rise amid US sanctions As export controls from the United States on China have tightened, it has been identified that Chinese corporations are hoarding advanced semiconducto… NewJeans fans abandon Pikmin Bloom as user engagement plummets The girl group NewJeans has been known to enjoy it, and since late last year, the augmented reality […]

USTDA backs Zenith Bank’s digital transformation with training grant

USTDA backs Zenith Bank’s digital transformation with training grant

The Director of USTDA, Enoh Ebong The US Trade and Development Agency has awarded Zenith Bank Plc a training grant to support the bank’s adoption of Microsoft Azure, a hyperscale cloud platform. The USTDA’s announcement on its website on Monday emphasised the grant’s role in strengthening the bank’s institutional capabilities. However, the agency did not disclose the specific amount of the grant. The switch to Azure is expected to increase the bank’s data processing and storage capacity, enabling it to expand its digital banking services while improving transaction speed, security, and reliability. The Director of USTDA, Enoh Ebong, stated, “This grant demonstrates USTDA’s commitment to supporting the deployment of cutting-edge U.S. digital infrastructure in partner countries like Nigeria. “Our training grants are an effective tool for strengthening U.S. competitiveness in the global market for highly sensitive digital infrastructure solutions. Zenith’s procurement will provide its customers with trusted technology that will protect their data and privacy.” Zenith’s transition to the Azure platform will require organisation-wide adaptation of a technology that will also transform internal processes and culture. Furthermore, the agency said its grant will support training for senior managers and decision-makers on governance and financial management of cloud services for […]

A Blueprint for Digital Transformation at the Department of Defense

A Blueprint for Digital Transformation at the Department of Defense

At a roundtable with industry and academia at the Defense Innovation Unit, I met a CEO whose company had developed a language translation app that was providing critical support across the Department of Defense. He shared that the department was paying high prices at the last minute across multiple siloed vehicles and customers. It was, he frankly said, a poor business model. He couldn’t plan for the support the department clearly needed, and the department couldn’t leverage enterprise scale and predictability to drive down the cost. It was bad for the taxpayer and bad for the company to be on this unpredictable seesaw of demand. In parallel, in August 2023, the department highlighted a critical shortage of translators impacting some key missions. So, in November, my office onboarded this company across our platforms on an enterprise vehicle with enough ceiling to support demand across the department. It is critical that this type of speed of execution matching AI and digital solutions with real mission impact moves from episodic to routine. AI and digital solutions are increasing the pace of change and advancement across key sectors of American society, including the Department of Defense. Advanced data applications that leverage AI […]

EU freight movers get the green light to go digital

EU freight movers get the green light to go digital

Image: European Commission The digitisation of project cargo movements across the EU will bring with it some welcome long-term cost savings for operators and transporters, after European policymakers formally adopted new electronic-based regulations. Electronic Freight Transport Information, or eFTI, is a ‘big step forward’ towards modernising freight operations across the union, says the European Commission. Though the projected potential savings for each business will be a modest 13 euros per consignment note, this will ultimately add up to around yearly savings of one billion euros in administrative cost savings across the freight sector. EU Member States have been told they can now officially begin setting up their IT systems in preparation for paperless freight transport, following the introduction of the first eFTI acts. These acts set out how operators’ IT systems should be designed and data exchanged. Driving digital transformation of the industry A major step in the digital transformation of freight transport across the European Union, the advent of eFTI regulations creates the conditions for a shift from paper-based document exchanges to standardised electronic data on cargo transport for project cargo and all other transport modes. Apostolos Tzitikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, said: “Europe’s freight […]

US: 2025 analysis of payments and ecommerce trends

US: 2025 analysis of payments and ecommerce trends

Lily Varon , principal analyst at Forrester , analyses the 2025 payments and ecommerce industry trends in the US. Payments are ubiquitous and conceptually simple. We exchange money for goods or services. And yet, how payments actually work is so fastidiously niche, obscure, and complicated. If you’re anything like me, you leave many presentations about the future of payments feeling one of two ways: completely overwhelmed by the nuance and the relentless pace of change or completely underwhelmed because we’re talking about decades-old “innovations” in digital payments or consumer trends. I’d like to strike a different and, hopefully, more balanced note with you to understand the trends shaping the payments industry in the US today, and those that will shape the future. To do so, I’m borrowing a tool from another industry I love – art and its iconic colour wheel. Why is the colour wheel so useful to understand the future of payments? There are primary payments trends that are akin to primary colours. Discussions about the future of payments can seem like old news because we overemphasise primary payments trends like digital transformation, security enhancements, and personalisation. There are advanced trends because the primary trends influence each […]