Tag: Recent News

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Savvy Business Leaders podcast series debuts

Savvy Business Leaders is a five-episode thought leadership podcast series featuring industry-leading influencers and some of the leading brands tackling emerging business challenges facing leadership teams today.

Host Bill Detwiler, Managing Editor of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research, interviews leading experts to dive into key areas of business transformation, from relationship selling to connected field service, and beyond. He speaks with business leaders that have successfully navigated the business challenges using Microsoft technology, sharing insights uncovered in their digital transformation journey.

How to listen:

You can listen to individual episodes and view the transcripts with related content below. Or, listen on the go by searching for “Savvy Business Leaders” in the podcast category on iTunes, Google Play Music, and Spotify.

Episode #1: All your data through a single pane of glass

Renowned data journalist David McCandless shares simple strategies for leveraging data visualizations to reveal the meaningful insights organizations need to drive their business forward. Stuart Stock, CIO at Veolia UK, will share how the environmental resource management company is using Microsoft Power BI to transform the way their employees and customers analyze data to make data-driven decisions.

David McCandless

David McCandless

Data Journalist, Founder of Information is Beautiful
Stuart Stock, CIO at Veolia UK.

Stuart Stock

CIO at Veolia UK

Episode #2: Sales expert Jill Konrath on data-driven sales strategies

Sales strategist Jill Konrath orients us to the changing landscape of sales relationships. She explains how access to information empowers salespeople to connect with and provide the greatest value to customers. Next, Jennifer Deutsch, CMO, and Michael Cantor, CIO of global data center maintenance organization Park Place Technologies, share how embracing sales enablement technologies brings new opportunities to advance their business goals.

Jill Konrath, Relationship selling expert, keynote speaker & author.

Jill Konrath

Relationship selling expert, keynote speaker, and author
Jennifer Deutsch, CMO of Park Place Technologies.

Jennifer Deutsch

CMO, Park Place Technologies
Michael Cantor, CIO, Park Place Technologies.

Michael Cantor

CIO, Park Place Technologies

Episode #3: Data strategies to overcome digital disruption in retail

Sucharita Kodali discusses the digital disruption of the retail industry. She provides valuable insight into building a data strategy to address these emerging challenges, including key considerations and guidance on where to start. Learn about the role of AI in the retail sphere, how connecting and consolidating data can ensure its integrity, and why automating processes improves customer experiences.

Sucharita Kodali, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, retail industry analyst.

Sucharita Kodali

Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, retail industry analyst

Episode #4: Futurist Brian Solis on reinventing field service management

Host Bill Detwiler talks field service management with Brian Solis, Principal Analyst and Futurist at Altimeter Group, and Paul Bean, CEO of Mining Worldwide at Sodexo. Brian Solis explains how disruptive technologies are enabling connected field service and unlocking new business models. Then, Paul Bean explains how they are harnessing these technologies to make early, informed, and holistic decisions.

Brian Solis, Principal Analyst and Futurist, Altimeter Group.

Brian Solis

Author, The End of Business as Usual and X: The Experience When Business Meets Design

Principal Analyst and Futurist, Altimeter Group
Paul Bean, CEO of Mining Worldwide, Sodexo.

Paul Bean

CEO of Mining Worldwide, Sodexo

Episode #5: Differentiated value through customer service innovation

Brian Solis discusses how customer experience is guiding digital transformation, with companies using data to be more accessible on mobile platforms and best meet customers’ expectations. Jaclyn Wainwright, CEO of AiR Healthcare Solutions, explains how customer engagement tools enable her healthcare delivery company to anticipate patient needs.

Brian Solis, Principal Analyst and Futurist, Altimeter Group.

Brian Solis

Author, The End of Business as Usual and X: The Experience When Business Meets Design

Principal Analyst and Futurist, Altimeter Group
Jaclyn Wainwright, CEO, AiR Healthcare Solutions.

Jaclyn Wainwright

CEO, AiR Healthcare Solutions

Series host:

Bill Detwiler, Managing Editor of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research.

Bill Detwiler

Managing Editor of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research
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Daimler AG launches a new cloud platform for data-driven innovation

Daimler AG is both a world leader in commercial vehicles and premium cars, and a pioneer in innovative mobility. The work requires processing enormous amounts of confidential, business-critical data, but until recently, the automaker had a problem. Its on-premise data platform, built five years ago, lacked the flexibility and scalability needed for big data projects, while Daimler’s strict security standards – more rigorous than what’s legally required – prevented the company from moving data into the cloud.

To solve the problem, Daimler launched eXtollo, the company’s new cloud platform for big data and advanced analytics. Developed with Microsoft, the platform uses Azure Key Vault, a service that safeguards encryption keys and secrets, including certificates, connection strings and passwords.

Portrait of Guido Vetter
Guido Vetter, head of Daimler’s Corporate Center of Excellence Advanced Analytics & Big Data.

The solution paved the way for Daimler to migrate its data lake to the cloud, with eXtollo now serving internal business units around the world, including production, finance, sales, marketing and research. Hosted on Azure, the platform also enables more artificial intelligence (AI) projects that help Daimler accelerate innovation, better serve its customers and shape the future of mobility.

To learn more about eXtollo and Daimler’s work with big data, Transform chatted with Guido Vetter, head of Daimler’s Corporate Center of Excellence Advanced Analytics & Big Data.

TRANSFORM: What challenges did you have with your on-premise data platform?

VETTER: We had a monolithic environment and limited capacity. The requests and demands for service from Daimler’s business units were so massive that we were not able to scale the calculation power to what we needed. We had our units competing for calculation resources and we had to schedule and plan who was calculating when. But with Azure, the big advantage is we scale up, we compute, we pay, we scale down.

TRANSFORM: How did Azure Key Vault help?  

VETTER: Azure Key Vault was the lever for us to move into the cloud. The biggest challenge for us internally is that we process confidential data. We don’t want this data to leak anywhere. But with “bring your own key” in Azure Key Vault, we are in control of the data and encryption material. Nobody but us can use the data. Combined with services like Azure Active Directory, it gives us all the data protection and security we need to make sure everything is to our highest standards of security.

TRANSFORM: How long did it take you to develop eXtollo?

VETTER: We launched the idea of eXtollo in workshops with Microsoft in January 2018. Then we went live for Europe in April. It was a three-month exercise and a lot of the time we spent validating concepts. We went live in the U.S. in October and later in Asia. So, we have in nine months of almost-global coverage. It was lightning-fast. Cloud is really bringing us the speed and the flexibility to do that.

TRANSFORM: What are some use cases for eXtollo?

VETTER: We do a lot of forecasting cases. In the past, it took days to calculate forecasts in the finance or production areas, which the algorithms can now do in minutes and seconds. We also do driving behavior analytics and forecasting with AI on what a customer potentially wants to buy and that gives us a better portfolio of sales.

The best use case scenario is error code forecasting for the vehicle. When you take your car to the workshop for a repair, the mechanic can download an error code log from the car and immediately see how to solve the problem. The computer program is based on a machine-learning algorithm that analyzes historical, diagnostic data of cars to give targeted suggestions for faster, better service.

The cloud really enables the potential of AI for all levels of the organization. That’s one of the advantages of Azure – we have all the tools we need, whether we use AI algorithms or normal advanced analytics algorithms.

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Microsoft expands AccountGuard to 12 more countries in Europe to help combat cyberattacks

Soon millions of Europeans will head to the polls to cast their ballots in the European Parliament elections, as well as several key national elections. We believe it’s critical that organizations underpinning the democratic process have access to state-of-the-art cybersecurity protection as we’ve seen and continue to see efforts by nation-states and others to influence elections in democracies around the world including in Europe. Today we’re announcing the expansion of Microsoft AccountGuard to twelve new markets across Europe, providing comprehensive threat detection and notification to eligible organizations at no additional cost and customized help to secure their systems.

Continued cyberattacks against European organizations

We all saw hacking and disinformation attacks on the French presidential election in 2017, and European leaders have recently warned that attacks will continue across Europe in 2019. At Microsoft, we’ve seen recent activity targeting democratic institutions in Europe as part of the work our Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) and Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) carry out every day to protect all of our customers.

These attacks are not limited to campaigns themselves but often extend to think tanks and non-profit organizations working on topics related to democracy, electoral integrity, and public policy and that are often in contact with government officials. For example, Microsoft has recently detected attacks targeting employees of the German Council on Foreign Relations, The Aspen Institutes in Europe and The German Marshall Fund.

The attacks against these organizations, which we’re disclosing with their permission, targeted 104 accounts belonging to organization employees located in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Romania, and Serbia. MSTIC continues to investigate the sources of these attacks, but we are confident that many of them originated from a group we call Strontium. The attacks occurred between September and December 2018. We quickly notified each of these organizations when we discovered they were targeted so they could take steps to secure their systems, and we took a variety of technical measures to protect customers from these attacks.

Consistent with campaigns against similar U.S.-based institutions, attackers in most cases create malicious URLs and spoofed email addresses that look legitimate. These spearphishing campaigns aim to gain access to employee credentials and deliver malware.

The attacks we’ve seen recently, coupled with others we discussed last year, suggest an ongoing effort to target democratic organizations. They validate the warnings from European leaders about the threat level we should expect to see in Europe this year.

eu-ag

Expanding Microsoft AccountGuard offering

We’re making Microsoft AccountGuard available starting today in twelve more European markets: France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain. The service is already available in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and the UK – bringing the total number of European countries with access to the service to fourteen. The markets for which we’re announcing AccountGuard today represent places where we’ve been able to expedite the work needed to offer AccountGuard quickly, and we plan to expand AccountGuard to additional markets in Europe in coming months.

Microsoft AccountGuard, which is part of our Defending Democracy Program, is a state-of-the-art cybersecurity service available at no extra cost to all political candidates, parties, and campaign offices operating at a local or national level. It is also available to think tanks, non-profits, and nongovernmental organizations working on issues related to democracy and electoral integrity. Microsoft AccountGuard is offered free-of-charge to organizations using Office 365.

The service provides notification of cyber threats, including attacks by known nation-state actors, across both email systems run by organizations and the personal accounts of these organizations’ leaders and staff. Eligible organizations can invite selected staff and other associates to enroll, and notification will only occur with the consent of the account owner. Organizations can get protection for external individuals helping with a campaign, board members of non-profit organizations, or volunteers. When we detect threats, we will work directly with participating organizations to notify them and help them secure their systems.

AccountGuard also provides covered organizations guidance to help make their networks and email systems more secure. This can include applying multi-factor authentication, installing the latest security updates, and guidance for setting up systems that ensure only those people who need data and documents can access them. AccountGuard also provides briefings and training to address evolving cyberattack trends as well as preview releases of new security features on a par with the services offered to our large corporate and government account customers.

To register for the service or to learn more, click here. You can find more information about Microsoft AccountGuard in my previous blog post. While AccountGuard is currently available for the campaign accounts of elected officials, we hope in the near future to offer it for government-run accounts, like official accounts of the European Parliament.

Protecting the birthplace of democracy

Europe is regarded as the ‘birthplace of democracy’. It was here that the principles of representative democracy were laid down – principles that have since been replicated across the globe. However, as the ongoing attacks demonstrate, this idea is increasingly under threat.

We believe the work of organizations like The German Marshall Fund and its Alliance for Securing Democracy are an essential part of efforts to secure democracies against those who seek to undermine it. Many organizations essential to democracy do not have the resources or expertise to defend themselves against cyberattacks. That is why we believe that technology providers have a responsibility to help. Microsoft AccountGuard offers additional security measures tailored to how these organizations operate. However, we recognize that we cannot solve this problem alone. That is why we are committed to continue working with local, national, and regional authorities as well as our industry peers to help protect democratic processes.

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‘Minecraft: Education Edition’ offers new standards-aligned math lessons

We have launched a new series of Math activities aligned to all grade 3 Common Core math standards. The first collection of resources features over 30 activities including lesson plans, rubrics, student worksheets, and downloadable worlds. Learn how to round numbers, find variables, use fractions and more, all in immersive and creative Minecraft: Education Edition lessons.

Download the guide to discover a list of applicable standards along with links and descriptions of Minecraft: Education Edition activities that focus on each objective.

Educators can access these lessons for free at any time via our math subject kit. (Hint: Control+F, or Command+F on a Mac, is the perfect tool to help you search for a specific standard or math topic.)

Below are a few lessons to get you started teaching math with Minecraft:

Repeated Addition With Parkour
Standard: 3.OA.A.1
Students analyze math models and build their own parkour course in Minecraft using arrays to demonstrate understanding of multiplication.

Round Number Video
Standard: 3.NBT.A.1
Students will learn how to round to the nearest 10s and 100s by building math models in Minecraft and recording a video.

Fraction Pixel Art
Standard: 3.NF.A.1
Students design pixel art images in Minecraft then discuss number patterns and unit fractions to develop an understanding of fractions as numbers.

We will be sure to update you as content for additional age levels are released. In the meantime, share your classroom creations with us on Pinterest or Twitter via @playcraftlearn and #MinecraftEDU.

The post Announcing new standards-aligned math lessons appeared first on Minecraft: Education Edition.

This post was originally published on this site.

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NASCAR racing team Hendrick Motorsports finds competitive edge with Microsoft Teams

For the 2018 racing season, NASCAR imposed a new set of regulations on competitors, including limiting the number of team members allowed on the track during races. For legendary race team Hendrick Motorsports, this meant that many of the race-day crew would now need to perform their critical duties remotely from the team headquarters in Concord, North Carolina.

As Hendrick Motorsports grappled with how to adjust to the new regulations Matt Cochran, head of IT, and Alba Colon, leader of Competition Systems group, saw technology as the answer. That’s when they took the proverbial wheel and made Microsoft Teams the new hub for all race communications and decision-making.

Earlier this week, we joined members of the Hendrick Motorsports team in Concord, North Carolina, and at the track in Daytona, Florida, as they prepared for the exhibition race called the Clash, and for qualifying rounds for this weekend’s Daytona 500. And it was inspiring to see how they’re using Teams to connect the team across hundreds of miles.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmucQOIavmM?feature=oembed&w=1152&h=648]

As you saw from the video, now during competitions, Hendrick Motorsports race engineers, mechanical experts, and strategists take their positions in the Team Operations Center (TOC), a new state-of-the-art facility built to optimize race-day operations. The TOC enables the team to view the on-track action, quickly gather and analyze massive amounts of data, and communicate in real-time with the team at the track.

Teams was the digital hub for it all—in the TOC, in the garage, in the pit, and in the cars. Jimmie Johnson, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and winner of this weekend’s Daytona Clash race said, “The relationship we have with Microsoft and our use of Teams is to win, plain and simple. That’s what we’re here to do. Communication and speed are everything for us to make those instant decisions. We look forward to kicking butt with [Teams] this year.”

Engineers like Zac Brown, who supports Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron on the #24 car, relies on Teams to stay in constant contact with Byron, his crew chief, and pit crew at the track. He uses Teams to easily share large files and says that because Teams is integrated with the full Office 365 suite, it saves critical seconds otherwise lost in toggling between apps.

This weekend, stock car racing fans all over the country will tune in to watch the Daytona 500, an annual 500-mile long NASCAR Cup Series race known as the Super Bowl of the NASCAR race season. In qualifying heats, Hendrick Motorsports swept the top four spots at the starting line, and we wish them the best of luck in Sunday’s big race!

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What’s New in EDU: The best of Bett, plus new ways to inspire love for literacy and STEM

The What’s New in EDU crew is back from Bett, the world’s biggest education technology event where educators, ideas and edtech solutions came and left us with inspiration to spare – and share! If you’d like to catch up on all the Microsoft Education from the show (there was kind of a lot), check out our big Bett episode or the individual links below:

We can’t all go to London for Bett, but there’s still a trove of help, information, and useful technology waiting for educators at their local Microsoft Store. That’s where Microsoft Innovative Educators spearhead digital literacy programs that include coding and free field trips.

Our latest addition is FREE STEM Saturday learning experiences: to help teachers ignite students’ interest in STEM, while saving time and money in the classroom.  Students learn how to code in Minecraft, build a robot using inexpensive household items, and manage cyber-bullying.

Learn more about fun, teacher-tested STEM workshops at your local Microsoft store.

There’s another event we’re celebrating in this episode of What’s New in EDU: Skype in the Classroom’s Literacy Month! Our global community of educators and their classes will connect virtually to read books and share stories with one another over with Skype in the Classroom, and many will even get the chance to talk to real-life authors and storytellers.

What kind of authors? Well, how about Cressida Cowell, author and illustrator of the hugely popular “How to Train Your Dragon” series? Skype in the Classroom is partnering with Little Brown Young Readers for a free broadcast event and live Q&A with Cressida Cowell on March 6th. Cressida will inspire students to tap into their boundless imagination and will show how using character development and details in stories make them more believable and fun.

Learn more about how students can meet the author of “How to Train your Dragon” and hundreds of authors for Skype in the Classroom’s Literacy Month.

We can’t wait for you to connect with others around the world and help inspire a love of reading and writing for your students.

We’re always looking to bring new features and sources of delight to our collaborative tools, so we also have an update for Flipgrid, the leading video discussion platform for millions of PreK to PhD educators, students, and families around the world. Flipgrid promotes fun and social learning by giving every student an equal and amplified voice on the topics you define!

We all know that #StudentVoice is 🔮MAGIC 🔮and the Flipgrid design team has conjured up loads of new selfie stickers! Search and choose from hundreds of stickers (including emoji!) when you decorate your Flipgrid selfie!

If you’ve watched this episode of What’s New in EDU you’ll also have seen that it’s almost time for Microsoft Education Exchange (E2). We’re inspired by educators who innovate in the classroom and provide the best learning opportunities for their students. For this year’s E2, educators from all over will come to Paris. Paris is home to many of the world’s top-rated schools and educational facilities and France is committed to public schooling as a free service to its citizens, providing equity to all residents.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC0xb-7OoN4?feature=oembed&w=640&h=360]

The theme for this year’s E2 discussions is the importance of ensuring all students have a voice, and how educators can address the social and emotional well-being of students. If you’re unable to join, here’s some info on how to participate online:

  • Facebook Live – We will be hosting a live stream from E2 on both Wednesday, April 3rd and Thursday, April 4th on Facebook Live! Please amplify this with your educators and networks.
  • Share your #Road2E2 story on Twitter!
    • Have a Twitter account (if you haven’t used Twitter yet, this is a great time to get started)
    • Share a video of yourself and the town/country you are from along with a message about how you feel about coming to E2
    • Post to http://twitter.com using #Road2E2 and #MicrosoftEDU
    • Once we have everyone registered for E2 and assigned to their Challenge Teams, we will create a Flipgrid of everyone coming to E2!

Get more details on Microsoft Education Exchange (E2) 2019.

To cap off the episode, we also covered our recent announcement for IT professionals: We will be bringing the BrightBytes Data Management platform, DataSense into the Microsoft Education family. With both Azure and the DataSense platform your school can better collect, manage and control your data to help drive the best possible learning outcomes for students.

Learn more about BrightBytes coming to Microsoft Education’s family of products.

Phew, and that’s another episode done. Thank you for watching, sharing and being inspiring. Stay tuned for the next episode of What’s New in EDU soon by following @MicrosoftEDU or the Microsoft Education Blog.


Find the right technology for your schoolFind the right technology for your school

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The Jacksonville teacher with a time machine

Proof point: years ago, Ms. Northern had an idea to combat the dropping graduation rate at Raines.

“I had the idea to start with the end in mind,” Ms. Northern says, her careful cadence of words drawing her audience in. “So we held a baccalaureate at the beginning of the school year. We ordered the caps and gowns for everyone. I don’t care if they were an F student or a C student—they all had a cap and gown. Then we marched.

“Guess where I was during the ceremony?” Ms. Northern asks India.

“Where?” India says.

“Behind the video camera,” answers Ms. Northern, grinning.

“Of course you were, Ms. Northern,” India says. “Of course you were.”

That year, the graduation rate saw the uptick that the administration and Ms. Northern were hoping for.

*****

India was the kind of student that teachers want to duplicate, according to Ms. Northern. “If you gave her a project, she would see that project through from beginning to end. Then, she’d talk the other students into believing that they could accomplish it as well.”

And now, she’s pleased that India has come back, proud that she’d consider what Raines and the people who’ve been a part of her life have done to help her.

“She’s not only looked back, but she’s embraced her history,” Ms. Northern says. “And for that, I am so proud.”

Since junior high school, India dreamed about going to a four-year college. She had her mother’s unwavering support, and they would do whatever it took to get her there, but India would have to figure out the steps. No one in her family had done it before.

“That’s one of the struggles I think can be intrinsic to some kids coming from single-parent homes like I did,” India explains. “Maybe they’re dependent on food stamps or government assistance. Maybe they have to work while in college, whereas somebody else can just focus on going to school. They just have different challenges than some people would. They need help to figure out that path.”

That’s where Ms. Northern stepped in.

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Feb. 28 webcast offers lessons on securing education data

Explore how to use Microsoft Threat Protection to transform digital security for education organizations while enabling IT teams to combat modern phishing attacks.

It’s every educational institution’s goal to successfully get students to graduation and prepare them for the future—and it’s a lot of work. The last thing busy school administrators and faculty want to worry about is the digital security of their classroom technology.

Adopting technology that is easy to use and functions seamlessly allows IT administrators to focus on addressing the needs of their organization and securing the digital infrastructure in and outside of the classroom. With limited school budgets and already hardworking school staff, it’s important to develop a technology strategy that is easy to implement and enhances their work in the classroom while providing administrators peace of mind. And in today’s digital-first world, a big part of that peace of mind includes reliable digital security.

Essential security challenges facing today’s education organizations

More organizations each year are realizing the value of having strong digital security measures in place. The cost of cybercrime to the global economy is projected to be $8 trillion by 2022.

Education organizations face their own unique set of challenges when it comes to data security. For example, the high visibility and public nature of most education organizations means that valuable information is more readily available to potential bad agents. The date for a school’s new location opening, plans for a new university-wide technology initiative, important dates for student FAFSA processing, are all at risk. In addition, a potential bad actor can often view organizational leadership and staff online to identify key employees to target directly. For education organizations, data breaches could compromise bank account information and result in thousands of dollars in stolen stipends or paychecks, or could lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost technology.

One of the most common kinds of security breaches comes in the form of phishing attacks. These malicious cyberattacks present low risk for bad actors combined with the possibility of very high reward. As cyberattacks become more advanced, technology to successfully combat them must do the same.

Transformative approach to modern digital security with Microsoft Threat Protection

Microsoft’s cutting-edge cybersecurity solution, Microsoft Threat Protection (MTP), is designed to enhance data protection with a smarter, more comprehensive technology strategy. Powered by the cloud and built on Azure and Microsoft 365, MTP uses machine learning and other digital innovation to improve how the system recognizes and prevents phishing attacks. Rather than relying on a singular, siloed security solution, MTP leverages capabilities and insights from a collection of Microsoft solutions. For example, MTP runs on Microsoft 365’s all up security solutions stack to maximize its security offerings and ensure world class protection. The system can also expertly identify and consider comprehensive attack signatures, including location, specific behaviors, and recognizable patterns. As a result, MTP acts as a smart security tool that is versatile and agile enough to successfully combat even the most calculated phishing attacks.

One of the most valuable parts of the Microsoft Threat Protection software is its education and learning component. Because of its machine learning technology, the system has the capacity to evolve as the threat evolves—rather than building a whole new security measure each time a new threat arises. IT leaders and administrators can use the cloud-powered technology to learn how to adjust and develop the MTP solution to best fit the security needs of their specific organization. IT experts can take ownership of the overall tech strategy for their team to gain valuable insights into modern phishing trends. So, in addition to leveraging a cutting-edge digital security solution, education organizations can also empower and grow the skills of their in-house IT team.

Powering a secure organization with a better enabled IT team

Enabling IT teams to focus their energy and efforts on securing the classroom is top-of-mind for school administrators and IT leaders in education. Ensuring valuable personal data and digital interactions are secure and protected across technology platforms is critical. While phishing is estimated to have originated in the mid-1990s, this kind of data breach will likely be around well into the future—and education organizations need to be prepared. With Microsoft Threat Protection, IT decision makers and school administrators can feel more confident their technology infrastructure is being protected. And with the system’s strategic technology, education organizations can also benefit from IT staff that leverages relevant insights to expand their skills, grow their knowledge, and better protect their investments.

To learn more, register for the webcast and download the full infographic with more details.

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How GOJO Industries helps hospitals monitor hand hygiene with secure IoT dispensers

GOJO Industries may be best known as the inventor of PURELL Hand Sanitizer, but the Ohio-based company is also a growing digital innovator in public health. In recent years, the company has deployed about 25,000 connected dispensers that help more than a hundred health care facilities monitor hand hygiene, a simple, effective way to prevent infections.

Traditionally, human observers tracked hygiene compliance in health organizations by watching if you washed your hands when you were supposed to. PURELL SMARTLINK Technology, a set of technology solutions from GOJO, streamlines that process with motion sensors, internet-connected dispensers and a cloud platform that collects and analyzes data.

The system’s infrared sensors detect hand-cleaning “opportunities’’ – every time someone goes in and out of a patient’s room, regardless of whether it’s a health professional or family member. Connected PURELL dispensers detect soap and sanitizer use, a recommended practice before and after seeing a patient. All the data funnels into an easy-to-use analytics portal, a helpful tool powered by the Microsoft Azure IoT platform for health care facilities that monitor thousands of dispensers and millions of “opportunities” a month.

Two health care workers look at a computer screen
Health care professionals look at hand hygiene data with a PURELL SMARTLINK Technology solution.

“Being able to quantify behaviors helps you understand your baseline for implementing interventions. At the end of the day, it comes down to trying to reduce the spread of disease through hands that aren’t clean,” says Jason Slater, technology solutions architect for PURELL SMARTLINK Technology.

One customer, a large health organization, saw an 82 percent increase over baseline in its hand hygiene compliance rate during an 18-month period of working with GOJO. “It’s all been pretty positive results,” Slater says.

Launched in 2012, PURELL SMARTLINK Technology is now undergoing an upgrade with Azure Sphere, a solution that enables highly secured, connected devices powered by a microcontroller unit, a small computer on a chip.

Announced last year, Azure Sphere will deliver end-to-end, internet of things (IoT) security for GOJO’s connected dispensers, which often become network endpoints in hospitals. The company is committed to comprehensive data security for customers and says it has never had a data breach with its devices.

“We work hand-in-hand with hospital IT staff and take a defense-in-depth approach,” says Slater. “We use best practices for security up and down our stack. Azure Sphere will allow us to really button up that last leg of our stack – hardware – to ensure we have the best protection against any potential security risks.”

The re-architecture continues GOJO’s innovative work with Azure IoT Hub, the cloud platform enabling PURELL SMARTLINK products. The platform’s “ready-built, command-and-control capabilities” allow GOJO to focus more on business use cases and less on technical “plumbing,” says Slater. “IoT Hub has been a great thing for us,” he says.

Recent innovations include a new system available this year to monitor hand cleaning of individuals and job roles. Instead of aggregating data of everyone going in and out of patient rooms, the solution will associate hand hygiene with employee badges via Bluetooth communication.

Health care worker in scrubs washes hands at a sink near a soap dispenser
A health care worker cleans her hands with a PURELL SMARTLINK solution.

“You can see how individuals or specific job roles are performing, whether it’s nurses, doctors or physical therapists, to improve coaching and interventions,” Slater says. “It was borne out of us listening to customers and their evolving needs.”

The system highlights GOJO’s continuum of solutions for different customers, including a solution that sends predictive alerts on refill and battery levels. The alerts help hospitals ensure product availability in critical hand hygiene moments.

The individual-monitoring solution also showcases the culture of ongoing innovation at GOJO, founded in 1946 by a couple that invented a waterless hand cleaner for factory workers.

“Technology can be an amazing enabler of all sorts of great services,” Slater says. “Ultimately, we’re always looking for a unique way to drive the GOJO purpose of saving lives and making life better through well-being solutions.”

Top photo: A nurse sanitizes her hands with a PURELL SMARTLINK solution before seeing a patient. (All photos courtesy of GOJO Industries)

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Officially licensed ‘Gears of War’ figures, comic book and art book debut at New York Toy Fair this weekend

Since its 2006 debut, Gears of War has established itself as one of the best-selling and most iconic video game franchises of all time, known for acclaimed gameplay, compelling characters, and visceral action. Now, with three new Gears of War games in development, The Coalition will introduce a new series of officially licensed figures, a comic book featuring a new set of characters and a retrospective art book chronicling the Gears of War franchise at the New York Toy Fair happening February 16 to 19.

Storm Collectibles Action Figures

Developed by Storm Collectibles, the first wave of action figures includes classic Delta Squad members Marcus Fenix (both in his traditional look and a separate Vintage Armor Marcus Fenix variant) and Augustus Cole, with additional figures coming later in 2019.

Our partners at Storm Collectibles paid particular attention to capturing authentic likenesses and sculpting for these action figures. Each figure features interchangeable heads with ”Classic” and “Gears 5” versions of Marcus and Cole along with a full array of accessories (actually, the most accessories ever produced for a Gears of War action figure). Complementing these details and accessories is a figure design with over 30 points of articulated joints – allowing for a broad range of dynamic poses.

Note that the designs pictured below are early prototypes. The figures will release later this June, but fans can pre-order them now at GameStop.

Marcus Fenix

Augustus Cole

Vintage Armor Marcus Fenix (GameStop Exclusive)

Gears of War: Hivebusters Comic Book

Gears of War: Hivebusters shows a new side of the Gears universe in this five-part comic book series. Featuring Scorpio Squad – a fearless team of COG soldiers tasked with infiltrating and busting Swarm Hives – and set after the events of Gears of War 4, this collection will follow Scorpio Squad as they are tasked to go after the Swarm that decimated the home settlement of one of their own.

Written by returning Rise of RAAM author Kurtis Wiebe and featuring the artwork of Alan Quah (Dark Souls, Quake Champions), the first issue of Gears of War: Hivebusters will be on sale beginning March 19. It is available at your local comic book store.

“I’m really happy to be back on this new arc for Gears of War,” says Wiebe. “We’re taking the story back to the human side with three new characters that I’ve played a major role in developing. Even with all the blood and violence, I’m weaving a heartfelt story around our three main heroes: Mac, Lahni and Keegan. I can’t wait for it to hit stores!”

Gears of War: Retrospective

Gears of War: Retrospective provides a detailed look at the entire Gears of War franchise, beginning with first game’s initial development all the way up to the highly anticipated Gears 5. Featuring new interviews with developers including Rod Fergusson, Cliff Bleszinski, Tim Sweeney, this retrospective also shows off never-before-seen visuals, photos, and concept art, along with a sneak peek at some concept art from Gears 5.

Gears of War: Retrospective is written by noted journalist Arthur Gies and will be available for purchase beginning July 16. It is available now for pre-order at Amazon.

For more information on the Gears franchise, stay tuned to Xbox Wire or follow Gears on Twitter @gearsofwar.