Market Watch

Lockheed Adopts More SAP Technologies to Support Business, Digital Transformation Program – top government contractors Lockheed Martin has broadened its 25-year strategic partnership with SAP to add tools to support its business and digital transformation program. The expanded relationship centers on the use of the Rise with SAP software platform for the cloud-based transition of Lockheed’s OneLM Transformation Program, SAP said Wednesday. Under the new agreement, Lockheed will use Rise with SAP to switch from SAP ERP software systems to SAP’s S/4HANA Cloud. The aerospace company will implement SAP’s Business Technology Platform and Analytics Cloud offering for technology development, strategic data management and analytics. “Through this agreement, we will be able to manage more closely product impact, employee well-being, resource efficiency and data security,” said Yvonne Hodge , senior vice president of enterprise business and digital transformation and chief information officer at Lockheed. “We will be better able to grow and run our business and, most importantly, we will be well positioned to transform how we design, buy, build and sustain the products critical to the security of the United States and our allies.”

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This article is part of a VB special issue. Read the full series here: The CIO agenda: The 2023 roadmap for IT leaders . The pressure is on for CIOs in 2023, experts say, as chief information officers are called upon to drive growth and transformation, not just keep the data center humming and enterprise software running. “It’s about ‘show me the money,’” Janelle Hill, chief of research for Gartner’s CIO practice, told VentureBeat. After a decade of investing in digital, she explained, organizations want to know the value of their investments, while at the same time accelerating digital initiatives such as artificial intelligence and hyperautomation — and ensuring security and privacy across an expanding attack surface. No compatible source was found for this media. According to Gartner’s 2023 CIO and Technology Executive Agenda , released in October, CIOs expect IT budgets to increase 5.1% on average this year — lower than the projected 6.5% global inflation rate. That creates a triple squeeze — economic pressure, scarce and expensive talent, and ongoing supply challenges — heightening the desire and urgency to realize time to value. This special issue from VentureBeat kicks off the new year by tackling these issues […]

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In times of uncertainty, people are ready for software that helps them code their own solutions, and for artificial intelligence tools that let them focus on what’s important raying supply chains. Economic headwinds. Changing expectations around hybrid work. The rapid transformations of the past few years have fundamentally reshaped work and life as we know them. It’s clear that the agility and resilience of every organization rest on a workforce empowered with tools that enable them to work more efficiently and flexibly than ever before. That shift isn’t about overburdening your teams or deprioritizing innovation. It’s about being more effective, enabling people to do their best work with processes and tools that reduce friction, unlock innovation and creativity, and reduce busywork to help every individual focus on the work that matters most. To take stock of how people feel about the digital productivity tools they use today and those they need to succeed in the future, Microsoft surveyed 2,700 employees and 1,800 business decision makers (BDMs) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. We asked questions like, Do people feel empowered by the tools they currently have? Are teams equipped to collaborate effectively in a world of […]

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~ Five Programs Available to Expand Business Development and Continue Florida’s Economic Growth ~ Tallahassee, FL – Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced that $142 million in new capital is available for small businesses and startups through Florida’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). SSBCI, administered by DEO in partnership with Enterprise Florida, Inc., has five programs to serve small businesses that may not otherwise have access to the capital needed to grow their businesses, including very small businesses and sole proprietors. This multi-year initiative is part of Governor Ron DeSantis’ large-scale effort to prioritize workforce development, cultivate a business-friendly environment, and stimulate aggressive economic growth. To be eligible, businesses must be Florida-based and have 750 employees or less. Funding through Florida’s SSBCI programs may be used to fund start-up costs, business procurement, franchise fees, equipment, inventory, and the purchase, construction, renovation, or tenant improvements of an eligible place of business. DEO encourages Florida-based small businesses to sign up for updates on funding opportunities through SSBCI. “Florida’s SSBCI program connects Florida’s small businesses with opportunities for new capital that they may not otherwise be able to access,” said DEO Acting Secretary Meredith Ivey . “DEO is […]

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California’s SB 876 is a bill that would create a state Digital Education Equity Program (DEEP). This program will be run by the California Department of Education, and the sponsors of the bill argue it would give help and training to schools and other educational organizations in using technology in their classrooms. The bill would require the California Department of Education to authorize grants to each of the state’s 58 county offices of education. Each county office of education would have to tell the department of education what they did with the money, who they helped, and how much money they used every year. (One of the co-authors of this post sat for some years on a county board of education and can testify that county offices don’t have the capacity to properly evaluate grant proposals in this area.) Much of the impetus for the bill appears to be addressing the “digital divide” in education. The digital divide refers to “the gap between those with sufficient knowledge of and access to technology and those without,” per an American University blog post . Educators in many schools lack access to sufficient information and professional development to cost-effectively plan for and […]

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Reversing decades of economic struggle in America’s former manufacturing centers is a high priority for leaders in cities and regions across the nation. Many would like to see technology-focused industries lead such a resurgence, but do they have enough qualified workers? And if not, how can they increase those numbers? A new RAND study uses quantitative and qualitative data to investigate the state of play in Pittsburgh, including comparisons with Nashville and Boston, and highlights a few important implications for the K–12 and postsecondary education sectors. In brief, the research team finds that the seven-county Pittsburgh metro area is decently positioned to capitalize on the anticipated growth of science- and technology-focused (STF) employment sectors, with some important caveats. Approximately 18 percent of Pittsburgh’s workforce is currently employed in STF occupations, ahead of both the national share and the share in the Nashville metro area (16 percent), but lagging the Boston metro area (21 percent). Additionally, a large proportion of Pittsburgh’s STF workers are in the health sector, which requires somewhat different skills than what analysts term “technician and production-related” industries, where the most job and wage growth is expected to occur. And while Pittsburgh’s STF workforce grew as a […]

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January 25, 2023 WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo participated in a roundtable discussion on opportunities to advance economic and racial equity and expand access to capital for underserved Americans alongside senior representatives from the White House, six federal agencies, and over 20 organizations from the private and social sectors. The roundtable focused on federal community investment priorities and opportunities for the private and social sector to align their efforts to amplify the impact of these investments. The roundtable participants highlighted how legislation like the American Rescue Plan Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS Act, and Inflation Reduction Act provide the federal government the opportunity to drive capital into communities that have long lacked the resources necessary to create sustainable local economic engines, particularly for underserved and marginalized communities, including communities of color and low-income, rural, and Tribal communities. This includes programs like the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments of over $8 billion in CDFIs and MDIs under the Emergency Capital Investment Program, the nearly $10 billion provided to support small businesses under the Small Business Credit Initiative, and many others. The private and philanthropic sectors were represented at the roundtable by members of the Economic […]

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In June 2022, NHS England (NHSE) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) launched the Innovative Medicines Fund (IMF). The £340 million fund will provide non-cancer patients access to cutting-edge treatments that still have uncertainties at the time of launch and promotes the UK as an attractive launch destination. The IMF was launched one month before the NHS shifted to a whole system approach, through the formal implementation of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). “Any focus on improving patient access to innovative medicines – especially for rare and ultra-rare diseases – is extremely welcome,” said Sean Richardson, VP and general manager UK & Ireland, Alexion during a recent pharmaphorum webinar . Joining Richardson in an IQVIA-sponsored discussion on the opportunities and challenges of the IMF in the context of the ‘new’ NHS, were: Mohammed Asghar, Associate Director of Pharmacy: Prescribing Governance, Frimley Health; Jay Hamilton, programme director, industry partnerships, Health Innovation Manchester Academic Health Science Network; Angela McFarlane, vice president, strategic planning, Northern Europe, IQVIA; Nina Pinwill, head of commercial operations, NHS England; and Thomas Strong, interim associate director, managed access, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Parity of opportunity for patients The IMF is […]

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Americans love eggs. And it is a consuming love. We each eat about 280 eggs a year (more than half an egg per day). But lately, that love is costing us dearly: The price of eggs has tripled since the pandemic began and egg shortages are hitting parts of the country. That combination has created a rare window of opportunity for substitutes. Shell-shocked consumers The price of most food has risen over the last year and while that has caused a lot of shock and hardship for people across the country, the price of eggs has struck a particular chord. Eggs are often seen a cheap, reliable source of protein — a go-to when other things get expensive. When the price of eggs goes up, people get emotional. "It’s a hot button for consumers," says Bill Lapp, president of Advanced Economic Solutions , a food industry consultant. "It’s similar to driving down the highway and seeing gas prices at $5.30." Of course, it’s not just emotional: The price of eggs has risen more than the price of almost anything else in the economy. The reason? A lot of it has to do with the usual suspects: rising gas prices […]

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82-year-old finally gets to retire after going viral on TikTok CNN — Walmart, America’s largest private employer, said Tuesday that it will raise its minimum wage from $12 to $14 an hour as it tries to retain store and warehouse workers in a tight labor market for lower-wage industries. Walmart has 1.7 million workers in the United States, 94% of whom are hourly employees, according to its latest annual securities filing. The company hired hundreds of thousands of workers during the Covid-19 pandemic to meet strong consumer demand for groceries and other goods. In many areas of the country, particularly southern states that have not adopted higher wage laws, Walmart’s starting wage often serves as the local minimum wage. The company’s move is likely to have a ripple effect across the service industry. Why Walmart is eliminating single-use bags in some states but not others Walmart for decades been a target of criticism from labor groups for low pay, but it has been raising wages in recent years . Its latest move will close the gap with Amazon (AMZN) , Target (TGT) , Costco (COST) , and other rivals. Amazon (AMZN) and Target (TGT) have a $15 minimum wage, […]

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