LEADING A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

• 50% of Leaders Have Plans for a Full Return to the Office - Microsoft Study
• 16 Practical, Effective Ways Tech Leaders Can Support New Team Members

THE DIGITAL BATTLEFIELD

• Ukraine Official Says Digital Battlefield is Key to War With Russia

CYBERSECURITY: B2B

• California Begins Slow Launch of Nation's First Online Privacy Protection Agency
• US Lawmakers Make Mandatory Cyberattack Reporting Law for Critical Infrastructure

CYBERSECURITY: B2C

• Phishing Attempts Against Smartphones On the Rise
• How Safe is Your Password? Time It Would Take a Computer to Crack a Password

LED manufacturer California Lightworks has unveiled its new MegaDrive Vertical Series, a patented new LED system offering indoor cultivators the same technology that greenhouses across the nation have adopted to achieve dramatically lower total installed cost while boosting return on investment by reducing heat, energy consumption, and carbon footprint. (George Mekhtarian, SGV)

Electrosonic and Igloo Vision have announced a partnership aimed at creating a global collaborative innovation engine primed to deliver experiences and tools to business enterprises. The companies' shared vision is one of improving the way people work and live by providing powerful tools with immersive experiences across all kinds of workspaces: from co-working spaces, to any retail environment, to permanent spaces that need new ways to engage employees.
MEANWHILE, recent Electrosonic projects include technology advisor to the unique lighting, LEDs, motion capture technology, and sound design at Uber's San Francisco HQ; and The Orbit, an interactive digital experience that promotes and showcases HBO Max. (Bryan Hinckley, SGV)

Several episodes of GF Piping's "Solving Water Loss for Life" webcast series are available here. The assembled water professionals from across the industry discuss how non-revenue water affects the world and their views on the future of digital solutions to help solve this ever-increasing challenge. (Mike Smith, SGV)

In support of medics and humanitarians battling infectious diseases on the frontlines in Ukraine, GIDEON Informatics is offering the download of the latest edition of the "Infectious Diseases of Ukraine" ebook, completely free of charge - Use coupon code SLAVAUKRAINI.
MEANWHILE, read GIDEON's article - What are Population Health, Public Health, and Community Health? (Uri Blackman, WLA)

Intellect, a disruptive provider of highly flexible compliance management software, has announced a majority growth investment from Strattam Capital of over $35 million. In partnership with Strattam, Intellect is expanding its product and engineering team to accelerate innovation and make its software even more intuitive and easy to implement. The company is also expanding its go-to-market and customer success organizations, including adding additional vertical-specific domain experts, to help its growing base of customers achieve their compliance and operational goals.
ALSO, Intellect's webinar - Why EH&S Compliance and Digitization is Critical Today - is now available to watch on-demand. (Romeo Elias, WLA)

LookinLA has launched a new platform called LookinMETA to bring their expertise in digital marketing to the virtual world. "We are the forefront of metaverse marketing," said CEO Ali Payani. "Our clients are now able to expand their businesses and operations into the virtual world to amplify their growth and authority." LookinMETA is providing services to bridge the virtual and physical universes including augmented reality. For example, real sporting events and concerts are held in metaverses. Companies can advertise in metaverses - such as on billboards that users see while they're at events or playing games. Companies can also open a virtual building for consumers to learn about their products and services. (Ali Payani, SGV)

Clovers, an HR tech firm leveraging interview intelligence to improve interviewing and hiring practices, where Adam Miller is Co-Founder and Co-Chair, recently announced that Zoom Video Communications has invested in the firm via its $100 million Zoom Apps Fund. Clovers was one of just a handful of businesses selected for this round of the Zoom Apps Fund and was selected based on early market traction and its ability to provide valuable and engaging experiences to Zoom customers. Clovers will be available in the Zoom App Marketplace, enabling customers to download the platform and seamlessly integrate it into Zoom Meetings. (Adam Miller, JD, WLA)

Mercedes-Benz Vans has introduced "FlexPay" in partnership with myKaarma and Affirm. These firms are collaborating so that Mercedes-Benz customers can finance vehicle repairs, parts, and service contracts using myKaarma's Affirm integration. And customers can checkout securely with Affirm via myKaarma all from their phone. (Ujj Nath, WLA)

A team of researchers from OEwaves, UC Riverside, Jet propulsion Laboratory, and Jagiellonian University in Poland have experimentally demonstrated the observation of discrete time crystals (DTC) in a dissipative system. Time crystals are periodic states exhibiting spontaneous symmetry breaking in quantum many-body systems; they are the temporal analogues of space crystals. Crystalline solids are an example of how the space translational symmetry, which does not favor any particular location, can be spontaneously broken. Click here to read the article in Nature Communications, co-authored by Lute Maleki, CEO of OEwaves. (Lute Maleki, SGV)

Kia Italia S.r.l. (KIT) is partnering with Optimum Info to launch NOVA, a new Performance Management and Network Planning Solution for its national franchise network development. KIT needed a system to monitor network performance, identify areas for incremental sales, and define the optimal network structure. By choosing NOVA, KIT recognized several of Optimum's cutting-edge innovations, unique to the segment of performance tools. One of the fundamental differences, for example, is the seamless integration of Network Management and Dealer Performance in a single tool, taking full advantage of the role-based access to the different areas of the system. (Arvind Verma, OC)

Profi, Inc., providers of a SaaS solution for coaches, trainers, consultants, therapists and other professional service providers (aka "profis"), has closed a $6 million seed round. The company also announced the launch of its corporate solution - Profi Team - which enables secure collaboration across remote locations, teams, small businesses, and large organizations. Profi Team is built for a post-COVID world, enabling professional service practices to become more agile and efficient, collaborating on projects and clients no matter their location.
AND, Profi and its CEO, Alina Trigubenko, are spotlighted in a recent dot.LA article: 'Siberia Is Actually a Very Holistic Place': How Profi Founder Alina Trigubenko's Background Inspired Her New Startup for 'Soloprenuers', as well as a podcast on Entrepreneur's Enigma - Alina Trigubenko On A Wholistic Approach To Entrepreneurship.
MEANWHILE, Profi announced that for any organizations providing complementary support and counsel to those impacted in Ukraine, Profi is offering its platform for free: More Information. (Alina Trigubenko & Adam Miller, WLA)

On the evening of April 7 (click here), John Tanner, Ph.D., of Tanner Research, will present his free Nutrition Science Virtual Workshop, via Zoom, where he will relay to participants the scientific information they need to avoid heart disease and other leading killers with a proper diet. The group will discuss strategies for change and John will field questions, plus give a free book to participants. (John Tanner, Ph.D., SGV)

Vincit is featured by The Good Men Project as one of "Ten Best Software Companies 2022," ranked #4 on the list. The Good Men Project, a diverse community of 21st century thought leaders, notes that the U.S. is home to hundreds of IT and software development firms, and so they've put together this list of the top 10 custom software development firms in the nation for 2021-2022. (Rachel Valentine, OC)

Xsolla Founder Shurick Agapitov has announced the launch of X.LA Foundation, a community-driven organization designed to democratize how creators benefit from their work, leveraging blockchain and Web3 technologies to make smart revenue-sharing contracts available to creators around the world. By democratizing rights ownership and management, X.LA eliminates the need for costly legal services and levels the playing field between creators and distributors. According to Shurick, "Creators are natural visionaries. Now, as interest in NFTs, cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies grows, they're seeing the opportunities in the Metaverse and X.LA is here to make that future a reality." The X.LA community welcomes anyone keen on becoming a beneficiary of the Web3 revolution - from contractors, influencers, and content creators to entrepreneurs and researchers.
ALSO, Joystick Ventures, a new company set up to empower independent developers, has launched, offering small studios the support needed to produce and release games. The joint effort between Xsolla and VC firm Nazca aims to provide assistance that includes financial support by connecting investors to studios, as well as guidance on marketing and publishing. (Shurick Agapitov, WLA)

In Cyber Security Transformations Since the Russia/Ukraine Conflict, Alvaka Networks CEO Oli Thordarson shares his personal observations gleaned from Alvaka's ransomware recovery business unit.
AND, in Ransomware Attacks Trending Towards Mid-Sized Targets, Alvaka reports that analysis shows that companies with 1,000 employees or less are now accounting for about 82% of attacks. And although the number of attacks seemed to have decreased towards the end of 2021, the average ransom payment increased dramatically in the final quarter of the year. (Oli Thordarson, SGV)

In Challenge Yourself and Get Input from Others, Harrison Barnes, CEO of BCG Attorney Search, suggests that one of the keys to being successful in anything is seeking the input of others. Those who are at the top of their game in just about every discipline are experts at taking criticism and feedback from others. They actively seek out situations where they are going to be challenged and criticized. Harrison also says that when you seek the input of others you will learn about approaches and information with which you may not be familiar. (Harrison Barnes, JD, WLA)

In How credible are you to others?, Dave notes that with the number and range of competitors easily available to our potential and actual customers today through a simple Internet search, we cannot afford to waste a single customer because of a missed promise or failure to rise to an expected level of service. Combine that with the ease of posting reviews, both good and bad, and we find ourselves in a microscopic ecosystem where small individual failures are often rewarded with massive negative blowback. It may not be human nature to think of your personal and corporate credibility whenever you offer any sort of terms for price, delivery, quality or service, but in this world of rapid communication and persistent information, you should do just that.
Click here to read other recent posts from Dave, including "Branding yourself: A critical decision;" "Customer empowerment? Blame the Internet;" "Good, cheap, fast. Pick any two;" and "The lion and the ant: A managerial lesson." (Dave Berkus, SGV & WLA)

In Data Gets Personal: How Smart Devices and Data Collection are Shaping In-Person Personalized Experiences, Electrosonic shares that immersive experiences are quickly bridging the gap between the supercomputer in your pocket and the world around you. You might use your smartphone to communicate with interactive displays. It's an alternative to touchscreens that delivers more comfort to users. Other location-based entertainment may prompt visitors to download apps to complement the experience. So, what's the next innovation for smart devices and immersive experiences? Personalization. Electrosonic gives examples in the categories of CCTV cameras and computer vision analytics; IoT sensors and smartphone apps; and building a profile pre-visit. (Bryan Hinckley, SGV)

On GetVisible's Digital Marketing Podcast, Jason Ciment recently interviewed David Freeman about his decades-old, seasoned professional coaching practice.
Jason also offers these online tools and resources "to growth hack your business life":
>> Whimsical, a freeware flowchart rendering tool, which shared one of GetVisible's social media flowcharts at this link.
>> WhatTheFont - figure out the font from an image.
>> Blinq digital business card: Jason shares that he recently met someone he wanted to exchange contact information with, and "He pulled out his phone and showed me a QR code from blinq.me and I was sold. I scanned the code and all his info went right to my contacts."
>> Garage Mouse without Borders, from Microsoft - Control up to four computers from a single mouse and keyboard. Copy text or drag and drop files across computers. (Jason Ciment, WLA)

In Challenges And Actions For The Tech CEO, LookinLA reports that, as new laws and regulations regarding user privacy, the rise of automation, and uncertain external circumstances all present themselves, the tech industry is facing substantial changes. LookinLA examines some of the key challenges for the tech CEO this year and offers tips on how to overcome them.
AND, read 6 Tips For Faster, Smarter Decisions In 2022.
ALSO, CEO Ali Payani has contributed to several recent Forbes articles, including: The Top Eight Changes You Can Make To Boost Your Marketing Strategy and 12 Essential Strategies For Building A Sustainable Business. (Ali Payani, SGV)

On March 30, PeopleG2 will present a webinar - Mastering Tough Conversations - led by Chris Dyer, who will help participants understand how to take on tough conversations with skill, tact, and grace. He'll break down key strategies for leading different types of discussions, while also providing powerful tactics for quelling confrontation avoidance. Having purposeful conversations, no matter the topic, is the ultimate weapon for building an extraordinary culture.
ALSO, watch PeopleG2's recent webinar on-demand: What Your Employees Really Want, But Won't Tell You.
AND, download PeopleG2's eBook, 5 Priorities For HR Leaders In 2022, PLUS read their recent blog, Retaining Talent During The Great Resignation. (Chris Dyer, SGV)

In 17 Best Team Management Software for 2022, ProProfs acknowledges that managing multiple teams working across projects can turn out to be a nightmare. You have to keep a constant check on what each team and team member is working on and how the projects are progressing. This is where a powerful team management tool can make the job easier for you, and ProProfs provides some suggestions.
AND, in Drive Your Projects to Success With a Powerful Project Implementation Plan, ProProfs states that a well-thought-out plan helps you work smartly by channelizing your efforts and time in the right direction, leading to successful project completion. It acts as a guiding force that monitors every step you take, keeps you from derailing, and prepares you for any unforeseen events. ProProfs discusses how to create a project implementation plan in detail and explore its benefits, components, risks, and more. (Sameer Bhatia, WLA)

Elemeno Health and OSF HealthCare, a large health system in Illinois, are partnering on a pilot using a customizable, just-in-time best practices app for nurses. Elemeno's mobile-friendly platform allows for real-time updates on changes in practice, implementation of new treatments, products, even specific notifications based on information learned during team huddles. Elemeno will be piloted in several specific OSF departments, including at Saint Francis Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center in Peoria, with a goal of full implementation within hospitals and clinics. (Arup Roy-Burman, MD, ABL-Health OAK)

LigoLab was recently honored with the 2022 Competitive Strategy Leadership Award by Frost & Sullivan, after analyzing the North American Laboratory Information Systems Industry. The firm credited LigoLab for improving the efficiency of its diagnostic lab partners and transforming them into thriving businesses.
MEANWHILE, a recent article in CAP Today - The rush to deliver integrated reporting in pathology - features LigoLab and its CEO Suren Avunjian, plus other key players in the LIS space, participating in a discussion on anatomic pathology computer systems. Topics include Oracle's purchase of Cerner, cloud computing, and integrated reporting. (Suren Avunjian, ABL-Health LA)

The recent Gadget Flow product review - MedWand medical device makes it easier for doctors to diagnose patients remotely - describes the many benefits of the MedWand device. In regards to the article, MedWand CEO Bob Rose said on LinkedIn: "In addition to its IR Thermometer, ECG, Digital Stethoscope and Pulse Oximeter, MedWand also has a 4K camera on board that will have optional add-ons to enable a pro-otoscope performance mode, measurement of skin anomalies, tongue depressor, doctor controlled illumination, and an optional UV wound scope attachment. The entire device weighs 6 ounces. Glucometer, Spirometer, BP Cuff, and BMI weight scale are separate devices but seamlessly integrate into our app via Bluetooth with no pairing required and all under the direct, real-time control of the remotely located healthcare provider, anywhere, anytime. And while we were at it, we added a cloud based AI platform for any FDA approved AI engine and seamless integration into every major EMR system. FDA approval expected soon followed immediately by a revolution in the application of Virtual Care and Health Equity worldwide." (Bob Rose, ABL-Health OC)

In Blockchain Technology & The Future of Healthcare, SAVI Group reports that thanks to its high level of accuracy and security, blockchain technology could help healthcare organizations safely share, store, and access data between multiple parties. Some of these tasks include: Helping facilitate transactions and payments in real-time; Verifying identities and permissions; Transferring data between different parties and providing access; and Recording data in a way that distributes power evenly and tracking it accurately.
AND, in The Exciting Future of Digital Healthcare, Savi Group looks at some promising digital healthcare trends, including innovations in remote care; technology for mental health; and increased access to personal data. (Sumit Mahendru, ABL-Health OC)

Select Data CEO Ed Buckley is profiled in Home Health Care News' "Voices," in which he discusses the challenges and opportunities for implementing machine learning and predictive analytics, as well as the degree to which the home-based care industry is prepared in adopting and utilizing AI. Ed concludes with his prediction that in 2022, for the home-based care industry, it will be the year of driving clinical outcomes with lower staff availability. AI may become one of the most important recruitment and retention tools since the advent of the field device.
MEANWHILE, Select Data is offering a White Paper download - How The OASIS Drives Agency Performance, noting that successful home health agencies understand that improving the quality of each OASIS has downstream effects that improve all aspects of their business, from patient outcomes to correct reimbursement. Select Data shares how accurate OASIS Review directly impacts your Star Ratings; Functional Impairment Scores; Publicly Reported Outcomes; Risk Scores for Medicare Advantage Plans; and Value-Based Purchasing Programs. (Ed Buckley, ABL-Health OC)

Microsoft is posting the first findings from its 2022 Work Trend Index study, findings it uses to help inform how it shapes its software and services. The second annual study results come from a survey of 31,000 people in 31 countries, plus an analysis of "trillions of productivity signals" in Microsoft 365 and labor trends on LinkedIn. Officials said the data shows the "Great Reshuffle"/"Great Resignation" is far from over and that 51% of hybrid employees say they are considering a switch to remote. At the same time, 57% of remote employees say they will consider a switch to hybrid. And 43% of employees are somewhat or extremely likely to consider changing jobs in the coming year, which is up slightly year-over-year (from 41%). In spite of these desires for more flexibility by employees, 50% of leaders say they have plans for a full in-person return to the office this year. (https://news.microsoft.com/2022/03/16/microsoft-announces-new-research-and-technology-to-make-hybrid-work-work/)

The first few days at a new job can be confusing and even a little scary - especially now, when many new employees are working remotely from day one. With the speed and the impact of the work, learning the ropes as a new tech team member is a challenge whether you're in the office or on your own, so it's important for tech leaders to make sure that newcomers have all the support they need. Read 16 Practical, Effective Ways Tech Leaders Can Support New Team Members.
ALSO, read 16 Smart Questions Tech Leaders Should Ask Themselves About Job Candidates.

Ukraine is working to keep its digital infrastructure up and running in the midst of the war with Russia while combating disinformation and cyberattacks, said Oleksandr Bornyakov, Ukraine's deputy minister of digital transformation, appearing at a recent virtual event hosted by AI company Collective[i] to talk about the role of technology and information in the war. "There were two years of Covid events, and we learned how to work remotely and moved a lot of infrastructure to the cloud, so we kind of were ready if something like that happened," Mr. Bornyakov said.
Edited highlights of his comments include:
>> Most of the infrastructure in Ukraine is working. I mean, communication is working, TV's working, government services are working. You can conduct business, you can pay taxes, you can go to the bank. The payment system is working. So they were not able to disrupt massively anything.
>> Elon Musk responded to us and activated Starlink in Ukraine. So far, we've received around 1,500 satellite receivers and there's supposed to be like 5,000 more. So once we have them, we'll just put them around the country to ensure that even if they break the cell towers or they somehow cut the landlines, we'll still be able to communicate.
>> We've created an IT army, which was joined by 200,000 people and those individuals that wanted to help Ukraine to fight against Russia. So on the first day, we completely took down the Kremlin website, their stock exchange web services, their government services portal was down and there's so much more still down. And it turns out, they were not ready. (https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-official-says-digital-battlefield-is-key-to-war-with-russia-11646873316)

California has begun building the California Privacy Protection Agency, the first government body in the U.S. with the sole job of regulating how Google, Facebook, Amazon and other companies collect and use data from millions of people, reports the New York Times. The agency will be a 30+-person group with a $10 million annual budget to help enforce the state's privacy law, which is among the most stringent in the country. It will be headed by Ashkan Soltani, a privacy expert who once served as the Federal Trade Commission's top technologist. The agency's first task will be to turn the state privacy law, which is broad, into detailed regulations for industry, and it has asked the public, nonprofits and businesses to submit comments to guide its initial rules. (https://thecrimereport.org/2022/03/15/california-begins-slow-launch-of-nations-first-online-privacy-protection-agency/)

Owners and operators of US critical infrastructure will now in some cases be legally required to report cyberattacks and ransomware payments to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The bipartisan provision was passed by the US Senate as part of the $1.5 trillion FY 2022 funding bill with language matching the related Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act, which unanimously passed Senate earlier this month and requires critical infrastructure operators and owners to report substantial cyberattacks, like ransomware, to CISA within 72 hours and within 24 hours of making a ransomware payment. It aims to give the US government, through CISA, greater visibility into the current threat landscape facing US private and public sector organizations. CISA was granted $2.6 billion under the funding bill, or $568 million more than last year to bolster the security of American networks. (https://www.zdnet.com/article/hit-by-ransomware-or-paid-a-ransom-now-some-companies-will-have-to-tell-the-government/)

Previously, many phishing websites were device agnostic, set up to steal usernames and passwords regardless of whether the user was clicking the link from a computer or mobile. But cybersecurity researchers at Zimperium have analyzed hundreds of thousands of phishing websites and found that there's been a significant rise in websites designed specifically for mobile phishing attacks, now making up three quarters of all phishing sites. The smaller screens of smartphones and other mobile devices make it more challenging for users to identify phishing emails and malicious websites. (https://www.zdnet.com/article/phishing-attempts-against-smartphones-are-on-the-rise-and-those-small-screens-arent-helping/)

ABL Member Jason Makevich, CEO of Greenlight Wireless, shared the graphic below on LinkedIn, along with these comments: "12-character passwords everybody! Don't stress over having a bunch of special characters. Consider a password manager like LastPass so you can manage UNIQUE passwords for everything. And don't forget to enable MFA EVERYWHERE! Start with enabling MFA on your email account, today! Stay safe out there!"

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