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ABL Technology Member News & Industry Trendletter * December 17, 2019
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TECH MEMBER NEWS
FayeBSG Debuts HubSpot Integration for Sugar for Inbound Marketing & Sales Alignment

Faye Business Systems Group has announced the global availability of their HubSpot integration for SugarCRM, which creates a bidirectional sync that offers the flexibility to produce and analyze dynamic marketing campaigns and keep records clean and up to date. Among the features, integration users can gain insight into specific campaigns within HubSpot, as well as access a lead's HubSpot activity within their record in Sugar. Also, FayeBSG has recently upgraded Sugar Mobile Enhanced by adding an array of value-added features, including routing, directions, an enhanced calendar view, expanded columns on list views, and more. (David Faye, West Los Angeles)

GF Piping Systems Breaks Ground on New Facility in Mexico

To further enhance its sales and service support to customers in Mexico, GF Piping Systems recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a 75,000-square-foot facility that it will share with its sister division, GF Machining Solutions. Opening in first quarter 2020, the new facility - which is double the size of GF's current Apodaca location - will allow GF to shift from a product manufacturer to a complete solutions provider that can deliver piping and measurement and control systems for industries requiring water and chemical conveyance. (Mike Smith, Monrovia)

Intellect Announces Upcoming Compliance Platform Training

On January 14-17, Intellect will provide hands-on, in-person training and software demonstrations at its Los Angeles headquarters. The course will cover Intellect's eQMS suite of apps, each of which can be tied to the ASQ body of knowledge on quality that includes, but is not limited to. . . More Information. (Romeo Elias, West Los Angeles)

myKaarma Partners with Uber for Business

Auto dealer service departments can now book rides with Uber through the myKaarma platform, offering a convenient transportation solution. myKaarma's integration with the Uber Central API allows dealerships to book Uber rides directly through the myKaarma app with a fully integrated lookup, and specify pick-up and drop-off locations on behalf of customers. The customer then receives a text message with a secure link for a ride. Real-time ETAs keep the service departments connected with their customers; all rides are tracked within the app, along with any relevant details. As a result, dealerships can reduce shuttle costs and guest wait times, decrease the number of days needed for loaner cars, and simplify travel management. (Ujj Nath, West Los Angeles)

Parasoft Provides Support for Latest CWE Guidelines & Launches Updated Solution

Parasoft has announced complete support for the newly updated 2019 Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) Top 25 and "On the Cusp" (an additional 15 weaknesses) for C, C++, Java, and .NET languages. With the latest releases of their software testing products, Parasoft Jtest, Parasoft dotTEST, and Parasoft C/C++test, Parasoft is the only vendor to cover all of these critical security guidelines, enabling organizations to achieve continuous security and compliance to prevent the most dangerous of software errors.
Also, Parasoft has launched the newest release of Parasoft C/C++test, the unified C and C++ development testing solution for enterprise and embedded applications. The 10.4.3 release continues the product focus on streamlining safety-critical and security coding standards compliance and reporting, bringing to the market the most complete coverage for AUTOSAR C++14 and updated rule sets for detecting security weaknesses listed in the latest editions of CWE. (Elizabeth Kolawa, Ph.D., Monrovia)

INSIGHTS FROM ADAPTIVE
BUSINESS LEADERS
Dave Berkus on: Banking Relationships, Cash Reserves & Recurring Revenues

In Let's talk about your banking relationship, Dave acknowledges that working capital loans and lines of credit are needed for growth and during times of business stress. If a business were operating above breakeven and revenues and expenses steady, profits would flow to either the shareholders' pockets or to working capital and taxes. Each cycle gives the CEO a chance to use those profits to some positive advantage, including increasing the marketing budget, paying down loans, building working capital, increasing reserve cash balances, or paying shareholders. But if a good business finds itself in a bad downturn, there may be a need that did not exist before for temporary cash, even as management reacts and moves to trim fixed overhead. Approaching a banker during such times tests relationships. If there was no previous relationship, few bankers would rely upon anything but a personal guarantee backed by hard assets before considering a loan. But for those wise executives who included their bankers in occasional update calls, press releases, invitations to company events, and an occasional personal visit, the strength of the relationship will often show its benefits during times when lending rules of the bank are near the "can't do it" point.
Click to read other recent blog posts by Dave, including: "How do you handle your cash reserves?"; "Why recurring revenues increase your company's value"; and "What is the real goal for our management and company?" (Dave Berkus, Monrovia & West Los Angeles)

Electrosonic on: Building Smart Spaces

In What You Need to Know About Building Smart Spaces, Electrosonic notes that building owners want to incorporate continuous technology evolution as they build new spaces and renovate existing environments. For example, there is more to integrating audiovisual technology into a project than simply buying and deploying displays and sound systems. Most of today's AV technology has the ability to capitalize on more advanced technologies, such as RFID, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and more. As a result, Electrosonic has developed a Technology Master PlanningTM methodology, which takes a big-picture look at organizational short and long-term goals, availability of existing assets, and the potential for future needs, and develops a comprehensive plan that can optimize the use of technology, while saving time, money, and physical resources.
And, in What You Need to Know About Working with a Global AV Partner, Electrosonic points out that designing and building AV projects in diverse geographic regions and cultures creates an unparalleled opportunity to gain different perspectives, often leading to distinctively deploying existing technologies and/or embracing new technologies that have never before been utilized within a certain environment. (Bryan Hinckley, Monrovia)

Get Visible on: Improving SEO Efforts

Jason Ciment, CEO of Get Visible, has provided the following tips and strategies:
> 15 ways to analyze your website traffic to improve your SEO efforts.
> Embed location data into your images, to improve local SEO.
> Says Jason: "I've been preaching for months about 'producing your content' like a Hollywood TV show and we've just released another example worth looking at for a medical malpractice attorney: See how this article is much more than a 2,000-word piece on the opioid epidemic. It's what we call an evergreen article because the content is amazingly informative. Plus, we invested a lot of time in creating custom graphics and then having our developers do the custom HTML to load this page onto his website."
> Pro Golfer Jeff Haden was recently seemingly heckled and blew a tournament; what he did afterwards is a life lesson worth reading. (Jason Ciment, West Los Angeles)

LookinLA on: Top Marketing Automation Tools

In Top 7 Marketing Automation Tools to Use in 2020, LookinLA declares that if you're not using a marketing automation platform, you're already behind. Marketing automation allows you to put lead generation and customer connections on autopilot. A carefully strategized system of automation targets the right buyers in the right way on your behalf. That means more time for you to develop new products and dream up more campaigns. LookinLA goes on to discuss how to use marketing automation tools and suggests seven platforms.
Meanwhile, Ali Payani, CEO of LookinLA, hosts a podcast series, called The Leading Mindset, which highlights winning perspectives of business leaders. (Ali Payani, Monrovia)

Pegasus One on: Software Compatibility, Scalability & Containerization

In How to solve compatibility and scalability issues in software applications, Pegasus One states that scalability and compatibility should never be an afterthought, and goes on to discuss ways you can solve these issues with modern development methods, plus some other tips. Topics include containers, virtualization, VM package (app+os), scalable cloud infrastructure, microservices, portability, horizontal scaling, code efficiency and reuse, and more.
And, in Six benefits of using containers, Pegasus One proclaims, "Package your code and run it anywhere: That is what containers essentially do. Containerization is the hottest technology trend in cloud computing today. It is innovative and works like magic! It has changed how we develop software and think about architecture. Every major tech firm on the planet is invested in container technology today. While the idea of this technology is nothing new, with Linux operating systems using it since the early 2000s, the credit for its tremendous success today goes to Docker, which made it mainstream. This article is dedicated to the many benefits of containers we enjoy today." (Tushar Puri, Orange County)

PeopleG2 on: Building Thriving Companies with Powerful Cultures

Chris Dyer, CEO of PeopleG2, was interviewed in a recent episode of The Other Side of Potential podcast, in which he discusses why productivity, performance, and profits can exist independently of each other - and why great, thriving companies with powerful cultures have all three; why vision, mission, and values provide a foundation that has to inform everything else an organization does; how he works to create a communicative environment at PeopleG2; and much more.
Meanwhile, Chris recently wrote an article in HR Technologist, called How to Create a Culture of Growth & Career Development Within Your Firm; and contributed to a Forbes article, called This Is How Leaders Build Trust with Remote Teams. (Chris Dyer, Monrovia)

WorkDone on: Work Heuristics, AI & the Future of Work

In Work Heuristics Management Means Never Reinventing the Wheel, WorkDone reports that approximate employee turnover costs can be calculated as: 50% of the salary for an entry-level position; 125% for mid-level; and 200+% for senior executives. And, from 2005-2026, every 18 seconds a baby boomer will hit retirement age, with the peak resulting in a void of approximately 19% of the U.S. workforce. Considering how many baby boomers hold senior positions with decades of specific experience, this knowledge capital must be identified and captured in company succession planning, workflow processes, mentoring, and more. Enter work heuristics, which identifies and quantifies information to avoid knowledge loss. It captures the intangible, environment-specific process knowledge residing in an employee's head and retains it in perpetuity in the organizational corporate memory. Work heuristics observes each employee's unique activity and collectively determines the most efficient process to implement across all systems.
Meanwhile, Joe Rogers, CEO of WorkDone, is featured in this video from the recent "AI + The Future of Work" event, where he participated on a discussion panel. (Joe Rogers, West Los Angeles)

HEALTH IT MEMBER NEWS
Alvaka Networks Presents Software Security Patching Webinars

Alvaka Networks will host a live and interactive webinar - Software Security Patching: "Why you are struggling with this essential task?!", on multiple dates in December and January. This webinar will take a deep dive into this complex security dilemma, what the risks are, and how you can start to solve this problem. (Oli Thordarson, Orange County Healthcare)

Ceresti Named a Top Healthcare Startup & Featured in Cover Story

Healthcare Tech Outlook magazine has selected Ceresti Health as a Top 10 Healthcare Startup Company for 2019. The cover story, Transforming Dementia Care, details how Ceresti's digital care management program combines technology, content, coaching, and predictive analytics to proactively avoid unnecessary hospitalizations for a population that incurs 25% of all hospitalizations.
Meanwhile, Ceresti has become a member of Population Health Alliance, a multi-stakeholder professional and trade association solely focused on population health. (Dirk Soenksen, Orange County Healthcare)

LigoLab Cheers 13th Anniversary - Looks Back & Ahead

LigoLab LLC, a leading provider of an innovative laboratory software platform that transforms and modernizes mid-to-large-sized molecular, clinical and anatomic pathology labs across the nation, just celebrated its 13th anniversary as a privately owned and profitable business. The company's history and future are detailed in two recent blog posts: A LigoLab Anniversary and A Developing Situation. (Sumit Mahendru, Orange County Healthcare)

SafeRide Health Teams with Independent Health on Medicare Advantage Benefit

SafeRide Health has partnered with Independent Health, of Western New York, on a new Medicare Advantage non-emergency transportation benefit for 2020. Eligible members will be able to access a wide range of options through SafeRide's ride-matching technology. As part of the service, Independent Health members will have an option to receive reminders and updates via text messages and phone calls, ensuring rides will arrive on-time and at the correct location. (Robbins Schrader, Los Angeles Healthcare)

SAVI Group Offers Tips on Boosting Patient Volume & Revenue

In Great Ways to Boost Patient Volume & Revenue, SAVI Group discusses ways to set your practice apart, increase impactful communications (including using auto-messaging patient systems), understand your patients better, and build stronger ties. (Sumit Mahendru, Orange County Healthcare)


TECH INDUSTRY TRENDS
BETTER, FASTER, BUT NOT CHEAPER
AT&T's Low-Band 5G Network Launches in LA, SF, SD & SJ + 6 Other Cities

AT&T's real 5G network launched last week, as the company starts to sell the $1,300 Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G and flips the switch for all of its customers within coverage areas (and not just selected business partners) to start using the next-generation network. Coverage areas are: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose CA; Birmingham, AL; Indianapolis, IN; Milwaukee, WI; Pittsburgh, PA; Providence, RI; and Rochester, NY. (Read Article: The Verge, 12/13/19)

Amazon Web Services Opens New Los Angeles Zone

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing service of Amazon, has launched a new Los Angeles zone, which will give local customers and companies much faster access to the AWS cloud. According to AWS, the new zone will provide very low latency (single-digit millisecond) access to application access from Los Angeles and other locations in Southern California. AWS said the new, direct access to AWS will be useful in a number of areas, including media and entertainment (for gaming, 3D modeling, video processing, and other related media processing); electronic design automation; advertising technology and ad serving; and machine learning. The cloud computing service said that instances of AWS sources will have different pricing than in the parent region, but did not detail what the premium on that Los Angeles zone access would be. (Read Article: socaltech.com, 12/4/19)

TRANSITIONS IN THE C-SUITE & ON THE FRONT LINE
Near Term: Tech Adoption, Talent Shortages Have Execs "Very Concerned"

A majority of exec-level decision makers worry about the health of their industry in the coming two years, according to a new report from Ceridian, and half of those surveyed admit they are struggling with "rapid tech development." Due to technology adoption, 46% of employers said the size of their workforce will increase. However, a majority also noted that they will face a skills gap within the next two years, and 59% said they will face a labor shortage within the same time frame. To meet demand for skills and labor, 53% of those surveyed plan to leverage remote workers, 51% plan on assignment-based freelance support and 50% will outsource or look for contract workers. (Read Article: HR Dive, 12/5/19)

Google Co-Founders Larry Page & Sergey Brin Relinquish Control of Alphabet to CEO Sundar Pichai

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who have mostly stayed out of the spotlight since restructuring their company four years ago, are relinquishing control of parent company Alphabet to current Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the duo announced in a joint letter published to Google's public blog. The two men will remain employees of Alphabet and retain their seats on the board, but they will no longer oversee the company's sprawling, almost trillion-dollar empire they created while at Stanford University more than 20 years ago. (Read Article: The Verge, 12/3/19)

FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE
Internet of the Senses on the Horizon, Thanks to AR and VR

Internet of Things (IoT) devices will morph into Internet of Senses technology by 2030, bringing technological applications to human sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, an Ericsson report found. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), specifically, will allow humans to experience the world in a new way. AR glasses will be able to connect to human thought by 2030, allowing humans to see their thoughts in the real world, according to the report. For example, nearly 60% of respondents said AR glasses would be able to help with navigation, displaying a map right before their eyes, allowing them to search for routes by simply thinking of their destination. The brain will become the new user interface, reducing the use of screens, keyboards, mice, and game controllers. (Read Article: TechRepublic, 12/10/19)

Diamandis: Big Tech Will Shape the Future of Healthcare

"Healthcare is the biggest business in the world, and it is phenomenally broken," says Peter Diamandis, cofounder of the X-Prize, Singularity University, and Health Longevity Inc. "So, do I think Apple and Google and Amazon can do a better job? A thousandfold." In his upcoming book, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, which will hit bookshelves in late January 2020, Diamandis makes the case for why he believes big tech companies are going to be running healthcare by 2030. (Read Article: Fast Company, 12/11/19)

INTERNET OF THINGS
FBI Recommends You Keep Your IoT Devices on a Separate Network

The FBI says owners of IoT (Internet of Things) devices should isolate this equipment on a separate Wi-Fi network, different from the one they're using for their primary devices, such as laptops, desktops, or smartphones. By keeping all the IoT equipment on a separate network, any compromise of a "smart" device will not grant an attacker a direct route to a user's primary devices - where most of their data is stored. Jumping across the two networks would require considerable effort from the attacker. The simplest way is to use two routers. The smarter way is to use "micro-segmentation," a feature found in the firmware of most Wi-Fi routers, which allows router admins to create virtual networks. VLANs will behave as different networks; even though they effectively run on the same router. A good tutorial on how you can create VLANs on your routers is available here. (Read Articles: ZDNet, 12/6/19; Forbes, 12/6/19)

IoT, AI-Powered Deepfakes, Ransomware, and 5G: Protecting Your Data Is About to Get a Lot Harder

The continued expansion of the Internet of Things will greatly increase the number of devices and applications that security teams will have to protect, particularly given the new range of threats that are taking tech security far beyond its traditional boundaries, requiring a whole new set of skills and alliances. One example: tech analyst Forrester predicts that deepfakes could end up costing businesses as much as $250 million next year. For example, there's the risk to your share price if someone creates a deepfake of your CEO apparently resigning from the company. So how does tech deal with all of this? It demands a new approach. (Read Article: ZDNet, 12/8/19)

IoT Devices and Gadgets to Become UL-Rated for Their Cybersecurity Level

Underwriters Laboratories will offer cybersecurity ratings for internet of things devices, providing consumer guidance on smart gadgets' level of safety. UL will gauge a security level based on cryptography, customer-identifiable data, process and documentation, logical security, protocol security, software updates and system management. (Read Article: CNET, 12/6/19)

 

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