Partnerships Make "Gouda" on USDA's Commitment to Rural America

From USDA:

Posted by Anne Alonzo, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator, on December 19, 2014 at 10:00 AM

With over 11,000 dairy farms, more than a million cows, and over 200 dairy plants, Wisconsin produces more than 25 percent of all cheese in the United States. Photo courtesy of Yelp Inc.

’Tis the season for good cheer, holiday festivities and cheese plates.   There are seemingly endless varieties to enjoy – Gouda, Blue, Cheddar, Asiago, Feta, Muenster and many more.  Hardworking American dairy farmers and cheese artisans make these delicious products. A strong dairy sector not only provides us with delicious food for the holiday table, it also has a great impact on rural America and local economies.

My agency, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), has a long history of working with the dairy industry, state governments and stakeholders to help farmers and producers.  I’ve actually been able to see first-hand how AMS programs services benefit dairy operations.  In August, I toured two Wisconsin dairy farms – Rosendale Dairy, a large farm with over 8,500 cows, and R&G Miller & Sons, an organic dairy farm with about 260 milking cows.

I left with a deeper appreciation for the extensive care and effort that farmers invest in providing consumers with safe milk and dairy products.  They even named a calf after me at Rosendale Dairy!  I also learned how AMS partnerships have helped reinvigorate and restore opportunities for dairy producers in Wisconsin.

In August, AMS Administrator Anne L. Alonzo toured two Wisconsin dairy farms and saw first-hand how AMS programs services benefit dairy operations. At Rosendale Dairy they even named a calf (pictured here) after her. Photo courtesy Rosendale Dairy.

In 2001, AMS’s Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) – which supports research projects that improve the marketing, transportation, and distribution of U.S. agricultural products, including dairy products – awarded a 2-year grant to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to help develop the state’s emerging farmstead dairy sector.  The project focused on practical ways to help dairy farmers, producers, marketers, distributors, and beginning farmers respond to the growing consumer demand for specialty, locally-produced, and value-added products.

It was a big success! The FSMIP project set the stage for the Wisconsin Value Added Dairy Initiative (VADI), which launched the Dairy Business Innovation Center (DBIC) as a non-profit corporation to support specialty and artisan cheese and dairy businesses.  The DBIC provided large and small emerging and existing dairy farmers and businesses with targeted, one-on-one technical assistance. Another important VADI component, the Grow Wisconsin Dairy Team, acted as a catalyst for reinvestment and innovation by focusing on producer modernization, enhanced value in the supply chain, and value-added production.

In all, the VADI helped 1,716 farmers with modernization services.  Milk production rose from 22 billion pounds at the start of the project to a new state record of 27.6 billion pounds, and specialty dairy volume increased by more than 66 percent to 504,099 pounds. By the end of 2013, specialty dairy volume had increased to 611,162 pounds, a 102 percent increase since 2004. During this same time period, 93 processing plants were created or expanded, and Wisconsin dairies produced 73 new products and for consumers to enjoy. DBIC clients also won more than 1,000 awards at various national cheese competitions.

With over 11,000 dairy farms, more than a million cows, and over 200 dairy plants, Wisconsin’s dairy industry is a mainstay of the state’s economic backbone. Today, Wisconsin produces more than 25 percent of all cheese in the United States. This success shows the value of leveraging Federal, state, and stakeholder partnerships to move the dairy industry forward and help revitalize rural America.  It also demonstrates USDA’s commitment to revitalizing the rural economy, creating jobs and supporting American farmers and ranchers.

Cheese makers involved with the Wisconsin Value Added Dairy Initiative (VADI) have won more than 1,000 awards at various national cheese competitions since the project began in 2004. Photo courtesy of Ulterior Epicure.

Oracle Communications Innovation Award Winners Announced

Hughes Telematics, Inc., Mobily and Two Degrees Mobile Limited are Recognized for Leadership and Innovation in Machine-to-Machine Applications, Social Network-Enabled Customer Experience and Real-Time Charging, Respectively

Redwood Shores, Calif. – March 28, 2012

News Facts

Oracle Communications announced that Hughes Telematics, Inc., Mobily and Two Degrees Mobile Limited received Oracle Communications Innovation Awards today at the annualOracle Communications Customer Advisory Board (CAB) meeting in Santa Clara, Calif.

Oracle Communications presents Innovation Awards to organizations that use its products and solutions for projects that:

Result in measurable business process improvement

Introduce innovative products and services

Deliver an improved customer experience

Impact the bottom line

Hughes Telematics, Inc. Details

Hughes Telematics, Inc. (HTI) is a leading provider of next-generation connected services for automobiles, and offers a portfolio of manufacturer, aftermarket, fleet and dealer services.

The company’s goal was to launch new telematics services directly to automotive manufacturers via the cloud, enabling HTI to expand its customer base while enhancing scalability, introducing flexible charging, accelerating offer creation and lowering costs.

HTI implemented Oracle’s Siebel Customer Relationship Management, Oracle Contact Center Anywhere, Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12, Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition and Oracle Communications Billing and Revenue Management to extend its operations to include a new consumer business model.

The company has established a next-generation telematics machine-to-machine (M2M) platform that can deliver new services quickly, add new partners efficiently, maintain high-availability and scale to support HTI’s rapidly increasing subscriber base – all while minimizing operating expenses.

Mobily Details

Established in 2004, Mobily, otherwise known as Etihad Etisalat, is the fastest growing mobile communications and technology provider in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Customer service is a top priority for Mobily, and the company wished to enhance its customer support services to address the rapid adoption of social networking – such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – among its customer base.

To enable around the clock customer support across all channels, Mobily adopted Oracle’s Siebel Communications, which can integrate with social networking sites to monitor customer complaints and help Mobily respond appropriately – replacing a manual and time consuming system where staff would have to monitor social networking sites then draft responses.

By integrating Siebel Communications with Twitter, Mobily can automatically link customers’ accounts and their Twitter profiles, direct message users and categorize complaints received via the social networking site. To register a complaint with Mobily, customers can send a tweet to ‘Mobily1100’ from anywhere in the world and they will receive an immediate response. Mobily can also use Siebel Communications to generate reports that analyze complaints and then launch campaigns to alleviate any recurring customer concerns.

Two Degrees Mobile Limited Details

Founded in 2009, Two Degrees Mobile Limited is New Zealand’s newest mobile company. It wished to implement comprehensive prepaid and postpaid real-time charging capabilities to ensure customers are billed accurately and develop an infrastructure to create exciting new applications and services.

To meet these goals, Two Degrees Mobile implemented Oracle Communications Network Charging and Control, and used it to deliver the first true real-time rated postpaid service in Australia and New Zealand.

With this real-time rating platform, Two Degrees Mobile provided its customers unique capabilities, such as up-to-the-second usage reporting, the ability to manage monthly spending in real-time and the capability to freely consume any combination of prepaid, postpaid and hybrid services.

Two Degrees Mobile used Oracle Communications Network Charging and Control to introduce eight postpaid plans, including an unlimited usage plan that calculates a hidden balance for the company to monitor potential fraud or phone theft. The company currently serves 875,000 customers and has increased its market share by 51 percent in the past year alone.

Supporting Quotes

“Our award winners have demonstrated extraordinary innovation and leadership in using Oracle Communications’ solutions to develop integrated, flexible architectures to meet their customer needs and expand into new markets. We want to congratulate Hughes Telematics, Inc., Mobily and Two Degrees Mobile Limited on their outstanding achievements,” said Bhaskar Gorti, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Communications.

Supporting Resources

Oracle Communications

Oracle Communications Innovation Awards

Oracle Communications Customer Advisory Board

RELEASE: Hughes Telematics, Inc. Provides Connected Vehicle Services to Hundreds of Thousands of Customers by Leveraging a Full Suite of Integrated Oracle Solutions

VIDEO: David Cook, IT director, Hughes Telematics

VIDEO: Hughes Telematics Launches M2M Service in 5 Days with Oracle

Oracle Communications on YouTube

Oracle Communications on Diigo

Oracle Communications on Facebook

Oracle Communications on Twitter

Oracle Communications on LinkedIn

About Oracle Communications

Only Oracle’s software and systems span the communications industry technology landscape — from carrier-grade servers, storage and IT infrastructure, to mission-critical business and operational support systems and service delivery platforms; from business intelligence applications and retail point-of-sale solutions to the Java platform running on more than three billion mobile and handheld devices.  Oracle helps 100 of the world's top 100 service providers innovate and exploit new business models, build strong, profitable customer relationships, and streamline operations. For more information, visit http://www.oracle.com/us/industries/communications/index.html

About Oracle

Oracle engineers hardware and software to work together in the cloud and in your data center.  For more information about Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL), visit www.oracle.com.

About Oracle in Industries

Oracle industry solutions leverage the company's best-in-class portfolio of products to address complex business processes relevant to the communications industry, helping speed time to market, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge.

Trademark
Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

# # #

Inaugural Intel Marketing Innovation Awards Announced

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 28, 2012 – Recognizing standout marketing campaigns within the Intel Inside® and Intel® Brand Advantage programs, Intel Corporation feted a handful of companies with the first Intel Marketing Innovation Awards.

Fujitsu took the Grand Prix for its LIFEBOOK4Life campaign, being the best all-around entry among the various award categories. Fujitsu's campaign sought to increase brand relevance and drive sales for LIFEBOOK notebooks based on the second-generation Intel® Core™ vPro™ processor family. The campaign targeted IT decision-makers in SMB, enterprise and the channel in 40 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. The campaign resulted in a 65 percent sales increase by integrating innovative social media activities via LinkedIn, Facebook, word-of-mouth, augmented reality and viral videos with standard advertising.

The Grand Prix recognizes the campaign that best exemplifies the value of innovative approach, stands out from all other entries and sets a new standard for marketing with outstanding results.

Toshiba won the Intel Creative Award that honors the campaign best representing breakthrough design and effective expression of brands and massages. "The Inside Campaign" saw Toshiba and Intel teaming up with Hollywood to deliver a "social film" intended to create brand relevance among young adults. The film delivered more than 50 million video views worldwide.

Presented for the Best Integrated marketing concept with outstanding results, the Intel Integrated Campaign Award went to HP's year-long consumer campaign that featured Japanese pop group AKB48. The campaign included several first-time trials and innovations, and purchase intent rose by 2 million.

The Intel Paid Media Award for best strategy and results from paid media went to Asus' "In Search of Incredible." Asus and Intel set out to raise brand awareness and preference in key markets by launching a global co-marketing campaign with Grammy-winning recording artist Jason Mraz. The campaign was centered on Mraz and media-enthusiast consumers sharing "incredible experiences" online. The campaign reportedly reached more than 2 billion consumers, delivered 5 million unique visitors and elevated key brand metrics among the targeted young adult audience.

Lenovo took the Intel Earned Media Award for efforts in Poland around social media presence development. Using "fun and creative applications" on a social media site as a tool to build relevance and consumer emotional connection for the brands, Lenovo exemplified the award by showing engagement with consumers while supporting strategic objectives and advocating Intel's brands through an original concept. Over 50,000 active users creatively designed superhero cartoon characters that represented Lenovo and Intel, and participated in quizzes and contests that tested their knowledge of various products and technologies. The activity included designing T-shirts with likenesses of their superheroes; the shirts were also available for purchase. As a result, Lenovo and Intel significantly increased fan numbers on Facebook in Poland – 63,000 and 47,000, respectively.

The 2012 awards program was a pilot, and Intel has indicated plans to make this an annual event. Judges for the inaugural year consisted of Intel marketing directors and executives in all geographies.

Microsoft and Nokia to Invest Up to 18 Million Euros in Mobile Application Development Program at Aalto University

News Press Release
Microsoft and Nokia to Invest Up to 18 Million Euros in Mobile Application Development Program at Aalto University

Mobile developers to benefit from funding, training, support and business opportunities as Microsoft and Nokia launch the AppCampus program at Aalto University.

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HELSINKI, Finland — March 26, 2012 — To drive innovation and business opportunities in Finland’s mobile ecosystem and beyond, Microsoft Corp. and Nokia will each invest up to 9 million euros into a newly established mobile application development program at Aalto University during the next three years. The AppCampus program has been set up to foster the creation of innovative mobile applications for the Windows Phone ecosystem and in addition, Nokia platforms, including Symbian and Series 40, to create a new generation of self-sustaining mobile startups. Kicking off in May 2012, the Finland-based program will be led and managed by Aalto University, which has a growing reputation as a hotbed of new startup companies. AppCampus is intended to attract thousands of application proposals from students and entrepreneurs from all over the world. Aalto University will make a significant contribution to the project by providing premises, coaching services, and access to both academic and business networks for budding app developers. Within the AppCampus program, mobile entrepreneurs can benefit from comprehensive support, training in mobile technology, design and usability, and funding to create innovative new mobile apps and services. Windows Phone Marketplace and Nokia Store offer local and global business opportunities to program participants via distribution to consumers around the world. Mentored by veterans in the mobile industry, program participants will be given insights and business coaching to help them commercialize their ideas while retaining the full intellectual property rights for their innovations. “The ICT industry and knowledge base in Finland is one of the most competitive in the world, particularly in the mobile technology field,” said Jyrki Katainen, Finnish prime minister, at the launch event for the AppCampus program in Helsinki. “Finland is an early-adopter market, and the significance of national education and technology innovation is deeply rooted in our culture. As a result, there is a growing appetite for entrepreneurship among the younger generation at Aalto University and beyond. The partnership between Microsoft and Nokia is a critical investment in this growing ecosystem and represents an exciting opportunity and access to global markets for our local startup community.” “AppCampus offers an unprecedented opportunity for entrepreneurs to put their ideas into practice and create world-class mobile products,” said Klaus Holse, president, Microsoft Western Europe. “We want to turn a new leaf in the mobile industry and foster Finland’s role as a center of excellence for mobile technology. Such investment into early-stage concepts has rarely been seen in this sector, and this demonstrates how highly both Nokia and Microsoft value Finnish mobile expertise.” “We are proud to announce this new program, which will enable new and existing developers to create next-generation mobile apps and unique user experiences,” said Kai Öistämö, executive vice president, Nokia Corp. “The partnership will allow developers to ideate and monetize business opportunities globally, via both Windows Phone Marketplace and Nokia Store.” “An essential part of Aalto University’s mission is to strengthen Finland’s competitiveness,” said Tuula Teeri, president of Aalto University. “We are pleased to host this initiative, which concretely boosts utilization of new knowledge and skills in creation of new entrepreneurial ventures.” “Through our technology transfer and Aalto Venture Garage activities, the Aalto University community has been able to help catalyze the creation and growth of more than 30 companies during the past two years, with a number of them having mobile applications,” said Will Cardwell, head of the Aalto University Center for Entrepreneurship, which will be charged with managing the program. “The people and ideas we work with hail from all corners of the world, and our partnership with Microsoft and Nokia will further strengthen our global network. This program will provide a unique opportunity to turn application ideas into real business with the support of world-class partners and coaches.” “Within our student community, we have a strong mission to boost entrepreneurship and to create more startups,” said Teemu Tapanila, a board member of the Aalto Entrepreneurship Society and leader of the Windows Phone Aalto community. “We warmly welcome the opportunities and networks brought by this cooperation.” On the AppCampus Program Mobile entrepreneurs can apply for grants within the AppCampus program beginning in May 2012. More information can be found at http://appcampus.aalto.fi. About Nokia Nokia is a global leader in mobile communications whose products have become an integral part of the lives of people around the world. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people use their Nokia to capture and share experiences, access information, find their way or simply to speak to one another. Nokia’s technological and design innovations have made its brand one of the most recognized in the world. For more information, visit http://www.nokia.com/about-nokia. About the Aalto University Center for Entrepreneurship The Aalto Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE) at Aalto University, Finland, offers innovation, commercialization, and start-up services for Aalto University researchers, students and other stakeholders. In addition, we facilitate innovation and growth entrepreneurship by co-creating research and education of these areas across all the Aalto schools. ACE partially funds and participates in the award-winning Aalto Venture Garage and Startup Sauna open source seed accelerator. For more information, visit www.aalto.fi and http://ace.aalto.fi. About Microsoft Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.

Sabre Holdings Selects HP for Infrastructure & Applications Services Agreement

Press Release : March 22, 2012

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Sabre Holdings Selects HP for $800 Million Infrastructure and Applications Services Agreement

HP to enhance Sabre’s technology infrastructure to lower costs, improve time to market

Topics:Technology and Innovation

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- HP Enterprise Services today announced an $800 million, six-year services agreement with Sabre Holdings to enhance Sabre's technology infrastructure by implementing HP's networking and flexible storage solutions.

To enable Sabre to continue providing innovative products for the travel industry, HP will upgrade Sabre’s network and storage infrastructure to improve its agility and resiliency while helping drive down costs.

“The travel industry is highly competitive, demanding that we develop and deliver innovative products for our customers quickly while keeping costs down,” said Barry Vandevier, chief information officer, Sabre Holdings. “In the past decade, HP has delivered a combination of hardware, software and services to create the reliable infrastructure we need to stay ahead of the competition.”

HP will upgrade Sabre’s core mainframe platform and also migrate the majority of Sabre’s data center network and storage to HP hardware solutions, including HP 3PAR and HP networking. As an extension of the companies’ 11-year relationship, HP will continue to provide core infrastructure services, including the hosting of Sabre’s customer-facing systems and support of its end-user environments, including network, print and desktop technologies.

The agreement also includes services for the company’s LAN/WAN environment and for Sabre’s desktop and notebook PCs, handheld devices, printers and servers.

HP will continue providing Applications Management Services for Sabre’s internal applications that support its business. The management of Sabre’s applications environment will help the company operate efficiently while enabling it to continue innovating for its customers.

HP will support Sabre’s locations around the world from global delivery centers. HP’s model blends the power of its technology portfolio with global delivery expertise to give clients greater flexibility and cost efficiency while minimizing risks.

“Diverse travel technology companies have a need for flexible infrastructures so they can take advantage of growth opportunities,” said Mike Klaus, vice president and general manager, Consumer and Transportation Industries, HP Enterprise Services. “HP is best positioned to create an operationally sound infrastructure with improved service levels that will help Sabre remain focused on delivering quality products and services to the travel industry.”

HP’s premier client event, HP Discover, takes place June 4-7 in Las Vegas.

About Sabre
Sabre Holdings is a global travel technology company, serving the world’s largest industry – travel and tourism. Sabre provides software to travel agencies, corporations, travelers, airlines, hotels, car, rail, cruise and tour operator companies through its four businesses: Sabre Airline Solutions, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Sabre Travel Network and Travelocity (including lastminute.com and Zuji).

Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, Sabre has approximately 10,000 employees in 60 countries around the world. It has large development and customer care centers in the United States, Argentina, India, Philippines, Poland and Uruguay. Sabre has won numerous awards for being a top employer and corporate citizen in Argentina, Brazil, India, Mexico, Peru, Poland and the United States. Sabre is privately owned by Texas Pacific Group (TPG) and Silver Lake Partners.

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Infosys Bets Big on Innovation, Strengthens Product R&D Center

Infosys Bets Big on Innovation, Strengthens its Product Research & Development Center

1000-Strong Team to Drive Cutting-edge Engineering Innovation for Infosys Product & Platform offerings

Bangalore, India - March 15, 2012: Infosys today announced that it will grow its Product Research and Development Center in India to accelerate design and development of its offerings, through cutting-edge engineering innovation. The present team of 500 world-class engineers is expected to grow to 1,000 over the next two years.

The Center has a mandate to:

• Develop Products and Platforms to cater to next generation market needs driven by global mega trends, including digital consumers, emerging economies, new commerce and healthcare
• Create intellectual properties around Infosys Products and Platforms, leveraging technologies in the areas of cloud computing, mobility, analytics, and social media
• Pioneer unique approaches to accelerate innovation, enhance product architectures and shorten release cycles

The center has developed industry focused and cross industry offerings such as:

Supply Chain Performance Management Suite, an advanced analytical product suite that provides a single enterprise wide view of the Supply and Demand Chain performance to deliver deeper business insights that enhance collaborative decision-making and shorten cash-to-cash cycle. The product with self-service attributes, comes equipped with industry and function-specific dashboards (e.g. procurement, logistics, inventory) and pre-built business content in the form of Key Performance Indicators, metrics and data models.

Distributor Connect, a highly scalable distributor integration platform for retail and consumer goods businesses that connects multiple business partners and allows them to exchange, cleanse and harmonize raw data using advanced business logic and algorithms. Optimized on a parallel virtualized high-end cloud computing system, the integrated platform enables improved demand forecast, ensures on -time delivery and stock replenishment while reducing non-productive inventory.

Omni-Channel Personalization Engine, a product that enables businesses to enhance shopping experience for digital consumers by creating a close to in-store experience while they browse and shop online. The product utilizes the latest advances in machine learning algorithms, big data analytics and distributed file systems to process massive amounts of data around demographics, social opinion, peer purchase history and co-shopping. This intelligence helps businesses analyze, co-relate and better understand consumer behavior in a digital world and influence suggestive selling to drive business growth.

Subu Goparaju, Senior Vice President & Head of Infosys Labs and Product R&D, Infosys, said "Innovations in Social Media, Cloud, Mobility and Big Data are opening new doors for businesses globally. Led by engineering innovation, the Center is creating products and platforms that harness these opportunities and deliver long term competitive advantages to our clients."

Sanjay Purohit, Senior Vice President & Global Head of Products, Platforms and Solutions, said "Infosys' Products and Platforms are geared to drive innovation-led growth for our clients. Our investment in the Center brings together our deep industry knowledge and technical leadership to facilitate our clients’ journey to accelerate innovation and build their enterprises of tomorrow."