EMC and Alpine Data Labs to Deliver Joint Solution for High Performance “In Database” Predictive Analytics

EMC Press Release

EMC and Alpine Data Labs to Deliver Joint Solution for High Performance “In Database” Predictive Analytics

Expanded Relationship Includes Reseller Agreement and Integration of Alpine Data Labs Applications on Greenplum Analytics Platform

SAN MATEO, Calif. - September 6, 2012

News Summary:

• EMC and Alpine Data Labs, the leader in cross-functional predictive analytics for Big Data, have expanded their relationship with a formal reseller agreement to combine Alpine's easy-to-use web-based predictive analytics application with the power, scalability, parallel-processing, and reliability of EMC Greenplum analytics platform.
• EMC will resell the Alpine Data Labs product suite: Alpine Miner and Alpine Illuminator, fully integrated with EMC Greenplum Database, EMC Greenplum Chorus, EMC Greenplum HD, and the EMC Greenplum Data Computing Appliance (DCA). Customers of the joint solution will also benefit from the expertise and scale of coordinated Alpine and EMC global support.
• The EMC Greenplum and Alpine Data Labs combined offering is available now.
• EMC and Alpine Data Labs will host a webinar titled "How to Achieve Accelerated Decision Making with Predictive Analytics" on Tuesday, September 25th at 10 AM Pacific. To register click here.

Full Story:

EMC Corporation (NYSE:EMC) today announced that EMC® and Alpine Data Labs, the leader in cross-functional predictive analytics for Big Data, have expanded their relationship with a formal reseller agreement to combine Alpine's easy-to-use web-based predictive analytics application with the power, scalability, and reliability of EMC Greenplum®. The combined offering is the first in-database solution for Big Data predictive analytics. By pairing the advanced analytical processing capabilities of Greenplum with Alpine's intuitive, next-generation application that is designed for cross-functional teams, organizations will get their complete analytics infrastructure 'in a box,' easing deployment and accelerating time to value while enabling deeper insights on their Big Data.

Backed by the Greenplum Data Science team and Alpine Data Labs, the expanded relationship underscores the companies' joint commitment to moving beyond traditional business intelligence, delivering in-database analytics and allowing customers to unlock the full potential of their data. Together, EMC and Alpine Data Labs have helped customers identify business trends and build predictive models in areas as diverse as healthcare, banking, telecom and publishing.

The integrated solution combines Alpine's analytics software for data mining, modeling, and predictive analytics on Big Data with Greenplum's computational capabilities of parallel data processing. One of the first integration partners for Greenplum Chorus, the industry's first social toolset for Big Data, Alpine Data Labs has integrated its predictive analytics capabilities directly into the collaboration application, so that users can analyze Chorus datasets with predictive models and workflows, and then publish the resulting insights for further collaboration.

This ability to perform analytics directly in the Greenplum Database and Greenplum HD, rather than extract data into separate analytics infrastructures, provides a number of critical benefits such as minimal data movement, built-in scalability, one-click deployment, and a much more rapid and iterative approach to data modeling. With Alpine and Greenplum, there is no need to create an entirely separate, costly analytics infrastructure.

EMC will resell the Alpine Data Labs product suite: Alpine Miner and Alpine Illuminator, fully integrated with EMC Greenplum Database, EMC Greenplum Chorus, EMC Greenplum HD, and the EMC Greenplum Data Computing Appliance (DCA). Customers of the joint solution will also benefit from the expertise and scale of coordinated Alpine and EMC global support.

Executive Quotes:

Tom Ryan, president and chief executive officer, Alpine Data Labs

"Combined, Alpine Data Labs and Greenplum become the source not only of data but also of insight. With the Greenplum engine powering Alpine's accessible user interface, we've made it easier for data scientists, engineers, business analysts, and executives to gain deeper, faster insights from their data, generated by sophisticated predictive analytics and data mining."

Bill Cook, president, Greenplum, a division of EMC

"EMC is committed to exposing the value of in-database analytics, and Alpine Data Labs is a natural partner for us in helping our customers move beyond traditional business intelligence to leverage their Big Data to achieve better business results faster. Alpine has taken all the power and scalability of Greenplum solutions, applied it to the world of predictive analytics on big data, and made it available via a simple web-based application."

Availability

The combined Greenplum/Alpine Data Labs solution is available now. More information about the partnership can be found at http://www.greenplum.com/solutions/alpine.

About Greenplum, a division of EMC

Greenplum, a division of EMC, is driving the future of Big Data analytics with breakthrough products that harness the skills of data science teams to help global organizations realize the full promise of business agility and become data-driven, predictive enterprises. The division's products include Greenplum® Unified Analytics Platform, Greenplum® Data Computing Appliance, Greenplum® Database, Greenplum® Analytics Lab, Greenplum® HD and Greenplum® Chorus™. They embody the power of open systems, cloud computing, virtualization and social collaboration, enabling global organizations to gain greater insight and value from their data than ever before possible. Learn more at www.greenplum.com.

About Alpine Data Labs

Alpine Data Labs, the leader in cross-functional predictive analytics, is enabling data experts and novices alike to work across organizational barriers and collaboratively realize the predictive power of big data analytics. The company's products uniquely combine easy-to-use interfaces, high performance in-database analytic processing, and the efficiencies of cloud computing to define the new paradigm in predictive analytics: accessibility, ease of use, and built for big data. For more information visitwww.alpinedatalabs.com.

About EMC

EMC Corporation is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service. Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing. Through innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze their most valuable asset — information — in a more agile, trusted and cost-efficient way. Additional information about EMC can be found at www.EMC.com.

Press release:

IBM Cloud to Deliver New Home Entertainment Services for Philips Smart TVs

IBM Launches Cloud Platform for the Consumer Electronics Industry

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BERLIN - 31 Aug 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today unveiled a new cloud platform for consumer electronics firms and announced it will power the Philips Smart TV platform for Internet services, which will deliver greater interactive services to millions of TV viewers in more than 30 countries in Europe, as well as Brazil and Argentina.

Through their broadband connections, smart TVs provide consumers with innovative, on-demand access to an unlimited array of entertainment options throughout the Internet. In addition to standard, linear TV, they provide two-way interaction and personalized content, enabling new “intelligent” consumer services.  

Today’s announcement at the IFA consumer electronics event in Berlin provides IBM cloud services on a pay-per-use basis to TP Vision, an Amsterdam-based joint venture between Philips and TV manufacturer TPV responsible for the development of Philips Smart TV. 

TP Vision needed a cloud computing environment resilient enough to support unexpected service demands at any given time when millions of TV units access a variety of services on its network.  

“IBM’s cloud platform allows us to place the service and application intelligence into the cloud, and reduces the complexity of managing software in the TVs for our consumers,” said Albert Mombarg, head of Philips Smart TV at TP Vision. “This provides an economic, more flexible way to create new services for our viewers. By engaging with IBM on a cost-per-device basis, we obtain a new business model with predictable costs, and great flexibility to expand our services and grow our user base. We expect it to transform the way we offer new services and drive ongoing business innovation.” 

The new IBM cloud platform opens up paths to new revenue. The data stored within the cloud can provide new insights about consumer needs and behavior for the media and entertainment industry, such as recommending TV shows based on past selections. Service providers, chief marketing officers and advertisers can use Big Data analytics to deliver more personalized entertainment options and targeted advertisements. Marketers can generate collective consumer knowledge derived from the aggregation of data from a population of homes, in addition to an individual TV. 

“As the Internet and smart devices continue to infiltrate home entertainment, today’s consumer electronics manufacturers are looking to deliver new interactive entertainment services,” said Bruce Anderson, general manager of IBM’s global electronics industry. “Televisions are about to become the next open application platform, similar to the application platforms on mobile devices.  Organizations are turning to the IBM cloud as the channel for their innovation.” 

IBM Launches IBM SmartCloud Service Delivery

Today IBM unveils a cloud-based platform managed by IBM global cloud data centers, for subscriber and device management, service life-cycle management and more.  IBM’s new service delivery platform, called the IBM SmartCloud Service Delivery for Electronics, provides consistent management of millions of different connected consumer devices, provisions services, interfaces with third parties, and acts as a collector of customer intelligence. It bundles services, software, hardware, network and third-party services in a single integrated service, for an all-in price, with per active user pricing, making smarter TV services more cost effective for manufacturers and consumers. 

Examples of live solutions demonstrated at IFA include the Philips Smart TV and service portal, and a smart home proof-of-concept, with home management and monitoring, as well as home energy management. 

For more information about IBM’s global electronics industry, visithttp://www.ibm.com/electronics 

To read more about IBM’s news at IFA, visit this Smarter Planet blog post. 

About IBM Cloud Computing

IBM has helped thousands of clients adopt cloud models and manages millions of cloud based transactions every day. IBM assists clients in areas as diverse as banking, communications, healthcare and government to build their own clouds or securely tap into IBM cloud-based business and infrastructure services. IBM is unique in bringing together key cloud technologies, deep process knowledge, a broad portfolio of cloud solutions, and a network of global delivery centers. For more information about cloud offerings from IBM, visithttp://www.ibm.com/smartcloud. Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ibmcloud and on our blog at http://www.thoughtsoncloud.com

Oracle Press Release

Leading Technology Vendors Announce New Specification Designed to Ease Management of Applications Across Public and Private Clouds

First Platform-as-a-Service Management API Specification to be Submitted to OASIS to Develop Industry Standard

Redwood Shores, Calif. – August 30, 2012

News Facts

Leading technology vendors, including CloudBees, Cloudsoft Corporation, Huawei, Oracle, Rackspace, Red Hat, and Software AG, today announced Cloud Application Management for Platforms (CAMP), a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) management Application Programming Interface (API) specification.

Designed for managing both public and private cloud applications, including packaging and deployment of the applications, CAMP will be submitted to Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) for development of an industry standard, in an effort to help ensure interoperability for deploying and managing applications across cloud environments.

As the first effort to standardize a PaaS management interface, CAMP is intended to provide a common basis for developing multi-cloud management tools as well as offering cloud providers and consumers a REST-based approach to application management.

CAMP provides a common development vocabulary and API that can work across multiple clouds without excessive adaptation and is compatible with PaaS-aware and PaaS-unaware application development environments, both offline and in the cloud.

Common use cases for CAMP include moving an on-premise application to the cloud (private or public) as well as redeployment of such applications across cloud platforms from multiple vendors. CAMP reduces the effort to move applications between clouds and provides service assurance through interoperability.

Supporting Quotes

“Even though the PaaS marketplace is in its infancy, and vendors like CloudBees are driving innovation incredibly rapidly, customers are already concerned about lock-in and demanding interoperability. CAMP is an important first step toward that important goal,” said Steven Harris, senior vice president of products, CloudBees Inc.

“Hybrid and multi-cloud environments are emerging as the norm for the enterprise with PaaS trending rapidly as the natural entry point. CAMP will accelerate this trend as cloud-agnostic application management is key to cloud interoperability at this level,” said Duncan Johnston-Watt, CEO, Cloudsoft Corporation.

“Oracle’s commitment to driving industry standards that are crucial to our customers’ cloud environments, and to adopting these standards in Oracle products, is demonstrated by our CAMP collaboration. CAMP defines a simple API that enables customers to have an interoperable solution across multiple vendors’ offerings, manage application lifecycles easily, and move applications between clouds," said Don Deutsch, vice president, Chief Standards Officer, Oracle.

"Rackspace wants clouds to be open to give customers freedom and choice. CAMP offers a way to enable application portability between public and private clouds, and even between cloud service providers offering similar Platform-as-a-Service solutions," said Adrian Otto, senior technology strategist, Rackspace.

"Red Hat has long believed in collaboration with the industry and open source community to drive the delivery of compelling technology to meet the needs of developers and enterprises around the world, and our participation in CAMP is another proof point," said Mark Little, senior director of Engineering, Middleware at Red Hat. "Platform-as-a-Service offerings like Red Hat's OpenShift offer developers an easy on-ramp to developing applications. A specification like CAMP represents a considerable step towards lowering the barrier of entry new developers perceive when it comes to migrate their workloads to PaaS."

Software AG is at the forefront of leading industry standards, recognizing the need for interoperable and portable solutions for our customers. Thus far, cloud standards have been limited to the infrastructure (IaaS) space. As an interoperable standard for management of applications on hosted platforms (PaaS), the CAMP specification takes it to the next level in the cloud space. We are pleased to have collaborated in this work and look forward to the CAMP specification in an OASIS TC in the future," said Hans-Christoph Rohland, Senior Vice President - Research & Development, Software AG.

Supporting Resources

CAMP website

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

New Line From Logitech UE Delivers Pure Undiluted Music, Anytime, Anywhere

Press Releases

New Line From Logitech UE Delivers Pure Undiluted Music, Anytime, Anywhere

New Products Offer Wireless Freedom, Easy Discovery and Sharing of Music

"Today’s fans have their music with them wherever they go – they carry it with them on their tablet or smartphone..."

NEWARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Logitech (SIX:LOGN) (NASDAQ:LOGI) responded to music fans who want pure, undiluted music wherever they go with the launch of a new line of Logitech UE™ products. The products enable people to enjoy their music when and how they want, delivering seamless wireless audio, facilitating discovery and making sharing simple with a complete line of music products that take you from morning to night. The new offering includes earphones, headphones, wireless speakers, and a smart radio.

“Today’s fans have their music with them wherever they go – they carry it with them on their tablet or smartphone,” said Rory Dooley, Logitech senior vice president of music. “But no matter how or where you choose to store or access your favorite music, this lineup is the best way for you to experience it. Whether you want to be completely immersed in your favorite song, to share music with friends, or to discover new favorites, Logitech UE is the clear choice.”

As people shift away from traditional methods of music consumption toward services that are easily accessed through mobile devices, they are increasingly able to surround themselves with their favorite music no matter where they go or who they’re with.

Combining Logitech’s expertise in seamless connectivity with UE’s heritage of providing great sound in the tiniest of packages, the new lineup blends form and function to deliver the right sound for any situation.

Highlights of the new lineup include:

Logitech UE Boombox

The Logitech UE™ Boombox is an on-the-go speaker that lets you use your smartphone or tablet to play and control your music from up to 50 feet away. Up to eight Bluetooth®-enabled devices can be paired with the speaker – with up to three connected at the same time – so you and your friends can take turns playing music. With eight custom-tuned drivers, the Logitech UE Boombox delivers sound that is rich, balanced and clear, with enough bass to make every song feel as real and as raw as it should. An integrated, sculptured aluminum handle makes it easy to roam – from the kitchen, to the bedroom, to a party at a friend’s house or anywhere in between – with uninterrupted music at your side. With a six-hour rechargeable battery, you won’t have a power outlet holding you down. The Logitech UE Boombox will be available for a suggested retail price of U.S. $249.99.

Logitech UE Mobile Boombox

The Logitech UE™ Mobile Boombox is an ultraportable speaker that connects to your smartphone or tablet to play and control your music from up to 50 feet away. Because two mobile devices can be connected at the same time, you can keep your two most-frequently used devices connected. Designed to give you surprisingly big sound in a portable package, the Logitech UE Mobile Boombox includes a rechargeable battery that delivers up to 10 hours of music, depending on use, settings and conditions, and can even double as a speakerphone for voice or video calls. With metal finishes, vibrant accents and a grip-action rubber casing, it is built to look good, feel great in your hand, and withstand a little rough and tumble. The Logitech UE Mobile Boombox will be available for a suggested retail price of U.S. $99.99.

Logitech UE Smart Radio

The Logitech UE™ Smart Radio is a dedicated music device that can play Internet radio, online music services and the music on your PC or Mac® – all through one simple, unified interface. The color screen displays album art, track and station information. And you can save your favorite stations and playlists for one-touch access to the music you listen to most. What’s more, the Logitech UE Smart Radio Controller app for iPhone®, iPad® and Android devices transforms your smartphone or tablet into a master music controller, giving you seamless navigation of your music services, radio stations and personal music collection. The rechargeable battery lets you take your music with you around the home, with up to six hours of continuous playback depending on use, settings and conditions. The Logitech UE Smart Radio will be available for a suggested retail price of U.S. $179.99.

Logitech UE 900 Noise-Isolating Earphones

Logitech UE™ 900 Noise-Isolating Earphones deliver sound that is surpassed only by Logitech UE’s professional custom in-ear monitors. Thanks to four-armature speakers and a three-way crossover in a universal fit, you’ll hear a wide soundstage with soul-satisfying bass, heavenly highs and a crisp, piano-like timbre. The unique UE sound signature faithfully recreates the original recording – and adds a low-end kick. Five silicon and three Comply® Foam tips, each designed with a large-bore opening, ensure audio is delivered cleanly. Two detachable, braided cables – one with a mic and controls, and one without – let you swap out the standard cable for a cable with mic and controls. And ear loops offer a secure, comfortable fit no matter what you’re doing. The Logitech UE 900 Noise-Isolating Earphones will be available for a suggested retail price of U.S. $399.99.

Logitech UE 9000 Headphones

With the Logitech UE™ 9000 Headphones, there are no wires and no distractions. They connect wirelessly to your favorite Bluetooth devices, but also include an optional cable should you want to go wired or run out of power – plus, they fold flat when you’re on the go. The high-resolution drivers of the Logitech UE 9000 Headphones deliver pure, undiluted audio that’s distinctly UE – rich, clear and perfectly tuned – for a spacious soundstage and a remarkable level of power, punch and clarity. Powered by a long-life battery, our proprietary Bluetooth implementation provides freedom from cords without sound-quality compromises. Listen wired or wirelessly – so the music never has to stop. Active noise canceling technology filters out ambient noise for a more immersive experience. With asymmetrical memory foam cushions, articulating joints and an around-the-ear design, the Logitech UE 9000 Headphones conform to the contours of your head, so you’ll be comfortable for those extended listening sessions. Logitech UE 9000 Headphones also feature intuitively and discreetly placed controls that respond to the touch of your fingertips, so you can select songs, turn up the volume, or answer a call – naturally and easily. The Logitech UE 9000 Headphones will be available for a suggested retail price of U.S. $399.99.

Logitech UE 6000 Headphones

Tune in to the music and tune out everything else with your Logitech UE™ 6000 Headphones. They connect to your favorite devices, fold up like sunglasses when you’re on the go and come with a splitter to make sharing simple. The distinct UE sound signature provides pure, undiluted audio with a wide-open soundstage and a remarkable level of detail in all your music. Active noise canceling technology filters out ambient noise for an immersive listening experience. The Logitech UE 6000 Headphones feature plush memory foam cushions; breathable, soft-as-leather surfaces; and an around-the-ear design. The Logitech UE 6000 Headphones will be available for a suggested retail price of $199.99.

Logitech UE 4000 Headphones

The powerful, high-sensitivity drivers in the Logitech UE™ 4000 Headphones make your music come alive with depth, authenticity and emotion. You can immerse yourself in your music with these compact on-ear headphones that come with a zippered, microfiber-lined travel pouch. On-cord mic and controls let you answer calls, change tracks and adjust volume – all without taking your phone or device out of your pocket. The Logitech UE 4000 Headphones also feature plush memory foam cushions; breathable, soft-as-leather surfaces; and an on-the-ear design. The Logitech UE 4000 Headphones will be available for a suggested retail price of $99.99.

Availability

All of these new music products, compatible with your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, are expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in September 2012 at Apple Store locations. For more information, please visitwww.LogitechUE.com or our blog.

About Logitech

Logitech is a world leader in products that connect people to the digital experiences they care about. Spanning multiple computing, communication and entertainment platforms, Logitech’s combined hardware and software enable or enhance digital navigation, music and video entertainment, gaming, social networking, audio and video communication over the Internet, video security and home-entertainment control. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI).

Oracle Press Release

Oracle Upgrades Analytics in Oracle Retail Data Model

Oracle Retail Business Intelligence Platform Delivers Advanced Analytics for Unique Retail Formats

Redwood Shores, Calif. – Aug. 29, 2012

News Facts

Oracle today announced enhancements to Oracle Retail Data Model, a standards-based, enterprise-class data warehouse that helps retailers gain the insight required to improve the customer experience, increase margins and drive profitability.

The latest version of the product incorporates several new forecasting features that provide retailers with actionable insight regarding price elasticity, workforce optimization, customer sentiment, customer segmentation.

To deliver insight and support for a full range of retailers, Oracle Retail Data Model now offers advanced analytics for a broader spectrum of subject areas. In addition to its existing capabilities for grocery, fashion, hardline and more, the latest release includes functionality to deliver insight into:

Quick serve restaurants and fine dining

Consumer goods

Wholesale and private label

Multi-channel

Franchise control

The newly enhanced Oracle Retail Data Model, has also been optimized for Oracle Database, Oracle Exadata Database Machine and Oracle Big Data Appliance to deliver extreme scalability and performance.

Retailers can use the standards-based, pre-built capabilities within Oracle Retail Data Model to accelerate the design, implementation and time-to-value of analytics applications from Oracle or third-parties.

Supporting Quotes

“Using Oracle Retail Data Model as the foundation for Gordman’s data warehousing and business intelligence platform will accelerate the deployment and our return on investment,” said Richard Heyman, chief information officer, Gordman’s. “The latest updates to the Oracle Retail Data Model will significantly improve the ability of our merchandising and planning teams to optimize operations and help Gordman’s grow profitably.”

“The enhancements to the Oracle Retail Data Model provide deeper and broader insight for a wider range of retailers,” said Mike Webster, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Oracle Retail. “By taking advantage of its new capabilities, retailers will have unparalleled access to information that is relevant, timely and actionable.”

Resources

About Oracle Retail Data Model

About Oracle Data Database

About Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition

Oracle Retail on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

Oracle Insight-Driven Retailing Blog

Oracle Retail in the News

Oracle Retail Asset and Centralized Knowledge Portal

About Oracle Retail

Oracle provides retailers with a complete, open and integrated suite of business applications, server and storage solutions that are engineered to work together to optimize every aspect of their business. 20 of the top 20 retailers worldwide - including fashion, hardlines, grocery and specialty retailers - use Oracle solutions to drive performance, deliver critical insights and fuel growth across traditional, mobile and commerce channels. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.oracle.com/goto/retail

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 retail, helping speed time to market, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge.

Trademark

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

# # #

Navy Mutual Launches New Life and Annuity Insurance System Based on Accenture's Software

Press release:

August 20, 2012

Navy Mutual Launches New Life and Annuity Insurance System Based on Accenture's Software

 

NEW YORK; Aug. 20, 2012 – The Navy Mutual Aid Association has gone live with the Accenture Life Insurance Platform, the life and annuity insurance software suite from Accenture (NYSE: ACN). The Platform supports Navy Mutual’s life and annuity product configuration, new business, underwriting and policy administration processing needs.

 

Navy Mutual selected the system, which was deployed earlier this month, to support growth, while enhancing overall customer service and keeping operating costs low.

 

"The new system, which supports virtually all of our processing needs across our business, is a key component of our growth agenda," said Bruce Engelhardt, president and CEO of Navy Mutual Aid Association. "We expect the Accenture Life Insurance Platform to deliver simplified product development functionality based on pre-configured processes, as well as real-time testing capabilities that should allow us to respond even more effectively to changing market conditions."

 

As part of the project, Accenture converted 138,000 policies from Navy Mutual's legacy systems using the Accenture Insurance Data Migration Factory, an end-to-end data migration solution. This conversion allows the insurer to handle all new business and service existing policies on a single platform.

 

“Cost pressures and market uncertainty continue in the life insurance business,” said Mitchel F. Ludwig, product line lead of Accenture Software for life insurance. “To compete more effectively, insurers must move new products to market as rapidly and cost-efficiently as possible, but that goal is often compromised by an aging and restrictive technology environment. Navy Mutual's new platform will enable the association to more easily create products that meet its members' needs and bring these to market faster.”

 

“This go-live also demonstrates that a project that involves the full replacement of multiple legacy systems and the migration of all existing policies onto a single modern platform can be realistic, affordable and achievable.”

 

About Navy Mutual Aid Association

The Navy Mutual Aid Association serves those protecting our nation.  Navy Mutual continues to support that mission today by providing exceptional life insurance and annuity products, assisting sea service members and their survivors in securing the federal benefits to which they are legally entitled, and providing education on matters of financial security which are specifically tailored to the military member and family. Navy Mutual is a nonprofit, federally tax-exempt, mutual benefit Veterans Service Organization which was established in 1879 by sea service members for the purpose of providing financial protection to the sea service member and family.

 

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.  Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.  The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011.  Its home page is www.accenture.com.

 

Accenture Software combines deep technology acumen with industry knowledge to develop differentiated software products.  It offers innovative software-based solutions to enable organizations to meet their business goals and achieve high performance. Its home page is www.accenture.com/software. For Life Insurance software, its home page is www.accenture.com/lifesoftware.

 

# # #

Press release:

CUSTOMER SUCCESS: Indra Flies High in the Cloud with BMC Software

New platform speeds cloud adoption for IT giant’s global customer base

MADRID, Aug. 15, 2012 – When one of the world’s largest multi-national companies decides to build a private cloud, it is a significant investment that carries with it a lot of expectations – reduced expense, improved business agility and speed, better service delivery, and positive revenue and margin impact, to name just a few.

Indra, an IT solutions and services giant headquartered in Spain, implemented BMC Software’s (NASDAQ: BMC) cloud management software to build a private cloud platform that would provide its customers with a secure, flexible, integrated solution for easier cloud adoption. The completed cloud exceeded their expectations across the board.

“We chose BMC Software because it has the best cloud management, orchestration and automation tools available in the market today,” said Myriam Blazquez, director of Indra’s cloud strategy. “We wanted a standardized hardware platform for all of our customers, offering the same devices and procedures for provisioning and managing IT. BMC worked closely with us throughout the entire process from solution design to implementation, and even from communications to marketing efforts.”  

The Challenge

Indra looked to build a private cloud that offered flexibility to grow and respond to customer needs in a dynamic manner, while reducing provisioning and improving time to market. It also needed a flexible economic model to accompany the consumption of resources based on the business needs of its clients, while providing security guarantees.

The Solution

After reviewing a wide array of competitive offerings, Indra found that BMC Software offered the best-suited solutions for its operational and financial needs.  

Benefits

BMC worked closely with Indra on every level from high-level business issues down to technical detail, providing maximum customer support and benefits.

Through its private cloud platform, Indra experienced a number of improvements that positively impacted its customers, including:

• Optimized hardware and software resources at 100 percent
• 90 percent savings in provisioning of new services
• 30-40 percent savings on backend, especially in areas of compliance or legal enforcement of security policies
• Significant decrease in human error

Jose Angel Osma, manager in the outsourcing department of Indra added, “All of these benefits meant that we could experience faster time-to-market – from months to a matter of days.”

For more information on Indra’s implementation and BMC Cloud Solutions, please visit:

• Watch the full Indra customer video  
• Access the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management Community

Follow @BMCSoftware on Twitter

Become a fan of BMC on Facebook

Business Runs on IT. IT Runs on BMC Software.

Business runs better when IT runs at its best. That's why more than 20,000 IT organizations – from the Global 100 to the smallest businesses – in over 120 countries rely on BMC Software (NASDAQ: BMC) to manage their business services and applications across distributed, mainframe, virtual and cloud environments. With the leading Business Service Management platform, Cloud Management, and the industry’s broadest choice of IT management solutions, BMC helps customers cut costs, reduce risk and achieve business objectives. For the four fiscal quarters ended June 30, 2012, BMC revenue was approximately $2.2 billion.

SAP Positioned as Leader in Leading Industry Analyst Firm’s 2012 Data Quality Tools Magic Quadrant

Press release:

SAP Positioned as Leader in Leading Industry Analyst Firm’s 2012 Data Quality Tools Magic Quadrant

SAP NEWSBYTE - August 13, 2012 | SAP - Database Technology

SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced it has been named by Gartner, Inc. in the Leaders quadrant of the “Magic Quadrant for Data Quality Tools” report1. The positioning is based on evaluation of the SAP real-time data platform, which includes SAP® Data Services and SAP® Information Steward software. SAP is recognized as a market leader for both its “ability to execute” and “completeness of vision.”

The report highlights that, “Organizations of all sizes and in all industries are recognizing the importance of high-quality data and the critical role of data quality in information governance and stewardship, driven by broader EIM initiatives.” Gartner forecasts that the data quality tools market will show a compound annual growth rate of 14 percent over the next five years, according to the report, “Forecast: Enterprise Software Markets, Worldwide, 2009-2016, 2Q12 Update.”

SAP Data Services provides a complete foundation to integrate, improve and manage all relevant information regardless of data type or location. The improved access and quality management extends not only to any transactional system but also to analytical and “big data” sources such as social media and machine-generated and geographic data. This provides a complete view of the enterprise that is essential for more effective decision-making and business operations. SAP Information Steward extends these insights to everyone by providing both end users and IT professionals with easy-to-use metrics and dashboards that enable everyone to continuously monitor the composition and trustworthiness of the data sources available to them.

According to the report, “Leaders demonstrate strength across a full range of data quality functions, including profiling, parsing, standardization, matching, validation and enrichment. They exhibit a clear understanding and vision of where the market is headed, including recognition of non-customer data quality issues and delivery of enterprise-level data quality implementations. Leaders have an established market presence, significant size and a multinational presence (directly or as a result of a parent company).”

“As businesses confront the challenges of managing massive volumes of big data in real-time, ensuring high quality information has emerged as one of the biggest inhibitors to providing trusted insights,” said Steve Lucas, global executive vice president and general manager, Database & Technology, SAP. “We believe providing data quality management solutions that seamlessly embed into every application, dashboard and data warehouse is the best way to help ensure that each employee, decision, and business interaction is powered by trusted information.”

For more information, visit the SAP Newsroom. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

Gartner, “Magic Quadrant for Data Quality Tools,” Ted Friedman, Aug. 8, 2012

About the Magic Quadrant
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