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• A False Scare for Tesla (2 Comments)

  IDC Energy Insights Community > Clean Energy Blog

  22 Feb 2012 | 4:46 pm

  Entry by Sam JaffeEntryA blog posting recently made the rounds regarding a fatal design flaw in the Tesla Roadster. The blogger claims that some Roadsters have become "bricks", with non-functioning batteries requiring a $40,000 fix. The blog is dead wrong about most of the technical facts it claims to be reporting. Don't blame the blogger, however: he's only participating in a trend of misinformation about electric vehicles that is starting to impact the reputation of the fledgling industry. MoreHere's the primary fact that the blogger in question doesn't understand: the Tesla battery pack is…

• Working toward the Product Footprint - Environmental Sustainability for Manufacturers in 2012

  IDC Manufacturing Insights Community > Manufacturing Value Chain

  19 Feb 2012 | 9:57 am

  Entry by Kimberly KnickleEntryFirst, the good news:  Companies are making progress in environmental sustainability. In IDC's fourth annual Green IT and Sustainability Study (October 2011), 40% of U.S. respondents indicated that their company has a sustainability report, meaning sustainability is increasingly a corporate-level priority and companies are documenting their sustainability performance. Companies need and want data to back up those reports, not just for reporting their performance and setting corporate goals but also for making sustainability improvements in manufacturing…

• What a Day for Itron! (2 Comments)

  IDC Energy Insights Community > Smart Grid

  20 Feb 2012 | 1:41 pm

  Entry by Dean ChuangEntryThis blog was written with support from Marcus Torchia Itron sent ripples through the smart metering community last Wednesday with the announcement of a big acquisition and a critical new pilot.  On an eventful 2011 Q4 earnings call, Itron revealed that the company has agreed to acquire leading cellular AMI communications provider SmartSynch and that the new Itron-Cisco IPv6 smart grid solution has been selected for National Grid's high profile Worcester trial.  What does this all mean? MoreThe Price is Right Venture capital has flocked towards smart grid…

• NRF 2012: What a Difference a Year Makes!

  IDC Retail Insights Community > Retail OmniChannel Strategies

  6 Feb 2012 | 3:35 pm

  Entry by Greg GirardEntryOur Retail Insights research leadership team interviewed more nearly three score of vendors and a gaggle or two of retailers at the annual NRF Big Show conference in January 2012. Against a 15 percent increase in attendance from a year ago, as reported by NRF, we felt a palpable quickening of the pulse of IT enabled business initiatives planned for or already underway in 2012. We'll examine our findings from three intensive days of morning-to-night meetings and informal conversations in a forthcoming Perspective—free to our clients on publication. For now, read the…

• Personal technology raises data security fears in the public sector

  IDC Government Insights Community > Smart Government

  19 Feb 2012 | 4:44 am

  Entry by Jan DuffyEntry  Personal laptops, tablet PCs, or smart phones are showing up in ever increasing numbers.  Although many public sector organizations still officially ban the use of personal devices to conduct official business, since many workplace devices are now only being replaced every six or seven years, it seems to make sense for staff to use the more up to date personal equipment they own, and are familiar with.  As a result, regardless of the policy, IT staff are challenged on a daily basis to provide support for a range of devices designed for consumer use. A…

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  IDC Energy Insights Community > Clean Energy Blog

• A False Scare for Tesla (2 Comments)

  22 Feb 2012 | 4:46 pm

  Entry by Sam JaffeEntryA blog posting recently made the rounds regarding a fatal design flaw in the Tesla Roadster. The blogger claims that some Roadsters have become "bricks", with non-functioning batteries requiring a $40,000 fix. The blog is dead wrong about most of the technical facts it claims to be reporting. Don't blame the blogger, however: he's only participating in a trend of misinformation about electric vehicles that is starting to impact the reputation of the fledgling industry. MoreHere's the primary fact that the blogger in question doesn't understand: the Tesla battery pack is…

• IDC Smart Buildings Maturity Models – A New Framework for Exploring the Benefits of Strategic E...

  16 Feb 2012 | 8:58 am

  Entry by Casey TalonEntryIDC Energy Insights published two complementary Smart Building Maturity Model reports today, for vendors and for end users engaged in, or exploring new opportunities in this rapidly growing marketplace.  IDC Energy Insights’ goal with the maturity model is to provide a framework for understanding the ecosystem of Smart Building solutions and a tool for communicating the benefits of investing in increasingly sophisticated energy management technologies.  MoreThe market for Smart Buildings’ solutions has emerged and continues to grow rapidly due to the…

• A New World for EV's: Better Place Launches its Network (1 Comment)

  3 Feb 2012 | 2:14 pm

  Entry by Sam JaffeEntryBetter Place first announced its intentions to build a network of electric vehicles four years ago. Since then, besides a few demonstration projects, the company has had little to show. But behind the scenes, the Israel-based company has been furiously developing its its switch station mechanisms, deployment methodology and--most importantly--its sophisticated network management software. Now, finally, the company announced this week that it has released the first 100 cars onto its Israeli network. And despite many claims that the company's vision was either too late or…

• C3’s Version 3: Insight into the Economics of Smart Building Solutions

  23 Jan 2012 | 11:20 am

  Entry by Casey TalonEntryC3 unveiled Energy and Emissions Management Version 3 this morning expanding the offering’s functionality, adding flexibility to the user interface, and broadening reporting capabilities.  Most importantly the solution provides users with greater visibility into their facility operations, and provides the data management and analytics tools essential for defining and executing a comprehensive energy management strategy.  A fundamental strength of C3’s new offering is the insight into the economics of energy conservation and Smart Building investments.

• The Consumerization of Energy (1 Comment)

  2 Jan 2012 | 10:55 am

  Entry by Rick NicholsonEntryThose of you who follow or are involved with enterprise IT already know that the "consumerization of IT" is one of the hottest and most debated current trends in the market.  Many articles in industry magazines like CIO and research reports from market research firms like IDC have been published on this topic over the past year, addressing the issues this trend raises for enterprise IT organizations.  In the not too distant future we will see a similar trend emerge in the energy industry - the “consumerization of energy.”  Like the…

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  IDC Manufacturing Insights Community > Manufacturing Value Chain

• Working toward the Product Footprint - Environmental Sustainability for Manufacturers in 2012

  19 Feb 2012 | 9:57 am

  Entry by Kimberly KnickleEntryFirst, the good news:  Companies are making progress in environmental sustainability. In IDC's fourth annual Green IT and Sustainability Study (October 2011), 40% of U.S. respondents indicated that their company has a sustainability report, meaning sustainability is increasingly a corporate-level priority and companies are documenting their sustainability performance. Companies need and want data to back up those reports, not just for reporting their performance and setting corporate goals but also for making sustainability improvements in manufacturing…

• Warranty Model Benefits Realized: A Vision Turned Reality

  16 Feb 2012 | 4:35 pm

  Entry by Sheila BrennanEntryLast year, IDC Manufacturing Insights revealed the Warranty Capability Maturity Model (WCMM), a framework for assessment and continuous improvement in warranty management.  Three companies, Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc., Volvo Powertrain and Case New Holland  have adopted the model and put their companies through the rigors of self assessment. More While the process is ongoing, the benefits they have garnered so far from using the model include the ability to:  Perform an objective and comprehensive assessment of the current state…

• Thank You Mr. President (3 Comments)

  1 Feb 2012 | 9:53 am

  Entry by Robert ParkerEntryWe were very happy that President Obama's recent State of the Union address included a call to expand our manufacturing base in the United States.  There is clear consenus that manufacturing is a signifcant factor in a nation's economic competitiveness and, in some polls, is identified as the single most important factor.  As we venture into the world of government influenced industrial policy, I would like to remind our readers of something we wrote back in October of 2009...  MoreWe believe that there is a role for government in setting…

• Sales and Marketing – Focusing on Brand Management and the Customer Relationship

  17 Jan 2012 | 5:35 pm

  Entry by Kimberly KnickleEntryOnce again, Simon Ellis and I will research Sales & Marketing in the consumer products industry in conjunction with Consumer Goods Technology.  This research is for brand-oriented consumer products (CP) manufacturers that want to know if they're making the best use of their sales and marketing dollars.  At the same time as they fight for the attention of consumers, these manufacturers are also deciding where they belong on the spectrum between private label and "direct to consumer" and how to support that strategy with the right sales and marketing…

• Consumer Goods Manufacturers Rethink Procurement

  12 Jan 2012 | 4:08 pm

  Entry by Catherine WhiteEntryProcurement is one of those dark horses in the consumer products manufacturing world. Retailers have to buy stuff from their suppliers (the manufacturer)  – there's no getting around it. And if the current system isn't broken, manufacturers shouldn't mess with it. Or should they?   MoreThis is where the line between retailers and manufacturers, in the procurement area at least, is starting to blur. As discussed in the recent Perspective: Consumer Goods Collaboration and the Changing Face of Retail Procurement Organizations (IDC Manufacturing Insights,…

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  IDC Energy Insights Community > Smart Grid

• What a Day for Itron! (2 Comments)

  20 Feb 2012 | 1:41 pm

  Entry by Dean ChuangEntryThis blog was written with support from Marcus Torchia Itron sent ripples through the smart metering community last Wednesday with the announcement of a big acquisition and a critical new pilot.  On an eventful 2011 Q4 earnings call, Itron revealed that the company has agreed to acquire leading cellular AMI communications provider SmartSynch and that the new Itron-Cisco IPv6 smart grid solution has been selected for National Grid's high profile Worcester trial.  What does this all mean? MoreThe Price is Right Venture capital has flocked towards smart grid…

• First U.S. Nuclear Project Approval in 32 Years – A Chance for More Advanced IT

  17 Feb 2012 | 9:23 am

  Entry by Jill FeblowitzEntryThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval of two new nuclear units for Southern Company may signal a bubble or a renaissance for nuclear power in the United States.  There is some speculation that the approval, plus the prospects of cleaner energy and jobs, will make approvals easier for SCANA, the next company in line for an application in the United States.  Whether or not this will be a renaissance in the United States, nuclear power plants continue to be developed in other regions of the world.  New technologies are being introduced, along…

• Should utility Big Data include web and social media traffic? (1 Comment)

  12 Feb 2012 | 5:02 pm

  Entry by Rick NicholsonEntryDiscussions of Big Data in the context of the smart grid or smart cities tend to focus on the large volumes of real-time data generated by intelligent devices like smart meters and sensors.  This is the industrial side of the Internet often referred to as the Internet of Things.  However, organizations responsible for physical infrastructure like utilities and city public works departments should not ignore the traditional consumer side of the Internet as a valid source of data. MoreIntelligent devices like smart meters and sensors attached to physical…

• Is Glen Canyon for Real? (2 Comments)

  1 Feb 2012 | 8:36 am

  Entry by Dean ChuangEntryOne of my most interesting conversations at DistribuTECH last week came with Glen Canyon, an upstart smart meter vendor recently founded by a group of former metering executives and energy VC's.  Glen Canyon has redesigned the smart meter, creating a novel AMI solution at an eye-opening price.     While the figures quoted by Glen Canyon have turned heads however, the utility industry is famously conservative, and has historically displayed a strong preference for established (e.g. familiar) vendors.  What does the future hold for Glen…

• Smart systems expanding in the cloud: Pacific Control Solutions acquires Infotility

  31 Jan 2012 | 2:12 am

  Entry by Daniella MuallemEntrySmart metering technology and developments in smart building systems are two components of the emerging smart grid which are opening the doors to broader, larger-scale solutions, such as smart city projects, in which multiple buildings and infrastructure are managed centrally leveraging ICT solutions. From a technology perspective, cloud-based solutions, which have begun to enter the picture for some energy management services such as meter data management (MDM) and customer portal applications, are expected to play a growing role in smart city solutions for the…

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  IDC Retail Insights Community > Retail OmniChannel Strategies

• NRF 2012: What a Difference a Year Makes!

  6 Feb 2012 | 3:35 pm

  Entry by Greg GirardEntryOur Retail Insights research leadership team interviewed more nearly three score of vendors and a gaggle or two of retailers at the annual NRF Big Show conference in January 2012. Against a 15 percent increase in attendance from a year ago, as reported by NRF, we felt a palpable quickening of the pulse of IT enabled business initiatives planned for or already underway in 2012. We'll examine our findings from three intensive days of morning-to-night meetings and informal conversations in a forthcoming Perspective—free to our clients on publication. For now, read the…

• Retail IT Spending Shifts the Focus to the Customer

  1 Feb 2012 | 8:16 am

  Entry by Robert ParkerEntryIT spending in the retail industry will reach nearly $85B in 2012.  Much of this growth is driven by changing business models which put the customer at the center of an omnichannel experience.  Two pending reports look at both the long term - based on our observations from this year's NRF big show - and near term - with the publishing of our 2012 budget guide. MoreThe omnichannel experience is very much enabled by technology and retail IT organizations are being asked to manage this transition.  The budget benchmark report contains information from…

• The Amazon of Russia: OZON

  31 Jan 2012 | 10:03 am

  Entry by Christine BardwellEntryThe IDC Retail and Manufacturing Insights team recently had a chat with Maelle Gavet, CEO of Ozon.ru, the online retailer being dubbed the Amazon of Russia. We will soon be releasing an in-depth case study of OZON's business and future strategy, but here is a quick post with some facts and figures about the retailer to whet your appetite. MoreOZON is one of the leading online business in Russia. The company is made up of three businesses: Ozon.ru, the first online retailer in Russia.  Ozon Travel follows a similar business model to Expedia, selling…

• Can Technology Save The Department Store?

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:20 pm

  Entry by Leslie HandEntryOver the last couple of days, J.C.Penney, under a new leadership team headed by CEO Ron Johnson, unveiled a transformation strategy that spans functional areas of the organization. Financial analysts and the market responded favorably - J.C. Penney shares ended up 11% today. Steven Russolillo of the Wall Street Journal quotes Ron Johnson, "We are fundamentally re-imagining every aspect of our business and we fully expect the bold and strategic changes we are making to our operations will result in improved profitability. This should enable us to fund the…

• NFC in Retail Will Mimic eCommerce + WiFi (1 Comment)

  26 Jan 2012 | 5:50 pm

  Entry by Ivano OrtisEntryIn the International markets we have completed, during 2011, custom research efforts to provide support to retailers that are seeking answers to the following questions: To NFC or not to? Which vendors should I select for payment terminals and payment processing?  Are there other key IT implications to consider beyond payment terminals & readers, payment software engines, acquirers, promo and loyalty software changes?  I thought about sharing some of the overarching findings that emerged from our past research in the field (hope we are near..okay that…

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  IDC Government Insights Community > Smart Government

• Personal technology raises data security fears in the public sector

  19 Feb 2012 | 4:44 am

  Entry by Jan DuffyEntry  Personal laptops, tablet PCs, or smart phones are showing up in ever increasing numbers.  Although many public sector organizations still officially ban the use of personal devices to conduct official business, since many workplace devices are now only being replaced every six or seven years, it seems to make sense for staff to use the more up to date personal equipment they own, and are familiar with.  As a result, regardless of the policy, IT staff are challenged on a daily basis to provide support for a range of devices designed for consumer use. A…

• Fed IT Spending To Drop Slightly - FY 2013 Budget

  13 Feb 2012 | 3:10 pm

  Entry by Shawn P. McCarthyEntryFederal Spending on Information Technology will flatline for Fiscal Year 2013, with total spending dropping about 0.7% for the coming fiscal year. The IT budget was announced as part of President Obama's overall spending plan - released along with the full federal  FY 2013 budget this morning. IT spending alone is targeted at $78.9 billion for FY 2013. That's roughly $586 million less what was budgetd for FY 2012. All types of federal spending for FY 2013 is currently set at $3.8 Trillion. That's roughly a 0.2% increase over the FY2012 budget. Keep in mind…

• Man in the Middle Attacks: The Social Media Version

  6 Feb 2012 | 2:35 pm

  Entry by Shawn P. McCarthyEntrySince this is a presidential election year, it may be more important than ever to understand so-called “man-in-the middle” attacks on information systems –  including how such attacks can be used to manipulate information quality. As the use of social media grows, it’s particularly important to understand how MITM manipulation threatens to undermine the way online information is consumed, comprehended and acted upon. People who understand MITM threats may not necessarily think of this type of exploit as a social media issue. Instead, they’re used…

• FOIA Shared Services Portal: Moving from Idea to Reality

  3 Feb 2012 | 8:23 am

  Entry by Adelaide O'BrienEntryWe are all familiar with OMB's "shared first" strategy, and there are many government initiatives underway where agencies are building on one another's implementation activities. The FOIA shared services approach led by EPA, Department of Commerce, and NARA leverages technology to inform citizens about their government, supports a transition from paper to electronic records, and assists government in moving to the Smart Government stage.  These agencies are building a multi-agency portal that includes all 12 of DOC's bureaus, and are seeking more agency…

• Smart Government: Intelligent or Painful?

  2 Feb 2012 | 3:55 pm

  Entry by Thom RubelEntryGovernment vendors are promoting "smart" and government audiences are receiving the message with mixed feelings.  Is smart a function of government?  Can government be smart?  If so, what's so smart about it?  Google "smart" and see what you get.  It's very telling.  After you get by all the branding, you'll find it defined when used as an adverb as "having or showing a quick-witted intelligence."  Conversely, when used as a noun it can mean "cause a sharp, stinging pain."  And there you have it.  Combine the…

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  IDC Financial Insights Community > Financial Services Tech Forum

• The New Core in Banking - Risk Analytics Tops APAC Banking Agenda

  22 Feb 2012 | 3:09 pm

  Entry by Michael VersaceEntryOne our recent reports highlight top initiatives across the 12 financial markets within the APAC region and fortifies my opinion that the disciplines of risk and the role of analytics are quickly becoming the new core in banking - redefing in some sense what is "core" in banking and the set of capabilities that will differentiate those that thrive from those that fumble in an increasingly competitive market in this and other banking regions.  Looking closely at this list, execellence in risk management and analytic capabiliy is laced through 6 of the top 10…

• Oracle Financial Services GBU Reports 1H Fiscal 2012

  6 Feb 2012 | 12:46 pm

  Entry by Michael VersaceEntryLast week, the Oracle Financial Services Global Business Unit (GBU) released operating results for the first half of FY2012.  Frank Brienzi, Senior Vice President of the GBU, S. Ramakriskhnan who leads OFSA Analytics and Don Russo who runs the Insurance sector all spoke enthusiastically of its performance, key wins in core banking, analytics, and insurance sectors, and recent innovation in OFSA/Exadata integration. MoreHighlights > $35B in revenue on a trailing twelve month basis, including license and service revenue, with the "right balance", according…

• DMARC Aims to Reinforce Financial Critical Infrastructure

  1 Feb 2012 | 1:23 pm

  Entry by Michael VersaceEntryRarely do updates to pure tech standards get a lot of attention by the press and media, but the financial and tech firms behind the recently announced DMARC organization and the work of the IETF make this weeks announcement a little different.  Why so, you ask?   MoreDMARC.org is a federation of email senders, receivers, mail services and technology providers working to address an issue of critical infrastructure for the financial services and other industries - the reliability and integrity of electronic communications, specifically email.

• Why the Payments Industry Should be Opposed to SOPA (2 Comments)

  18 Jan 2012 | 11:27 am

  Entry by Aaron McPhersonEntryOn January 18, 2012, several of the most prominent websites on the Internet, including Wikipedia, suspended operations in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), currently under consideration in the House of Representatives.  While the main arguments against SOPA have been focused on free speech and fair use, I have not seen any discussion of a provision that bears directly on the payment industry: the requirement that payment networks refuse to settle transactions with foreign websites alleged to have infringed on copyrights. MoreThe precedent for this…

• A Fast Start to a Full 2012 Global Risk Agenda

  11 Jan 2012 | 8:19 am

  Entry by Michael VersaceEntry  We're off to a fast start to the Global Risk Advisory and Research agenda for the 2012 New Year, with a set of what is proving to be timely research recently published, and a handful of new reports either in production or in final analysis and preparation.  Here's a snap shot of what's new and what's currently in the pipeline: MoreThe Asia/Pacific ALM Market - This is comparative analysis of Asset Liability Management solution providers with growth and deployment strategies targeting the Asia Pacific regions, developed by the global risk team in…

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  IDC Health Insights Community > The Changing Life Sciences Value Chain

• Defining Value: From Incremental to Exponential

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:41 pm

  Entry by Dr. Alan S. LouieEntryA recent article highlighting a survey from the Economist Intelligence Unit laments the anticipated difficulty that the industry is encountering in meeting the increasing need to demonstrate “value” to healthcare payers.  It is clearly true that the industry historically didn’t need to justify its new drug pricing when budgets were flush, but those times are likely gone forever.  With the limited and highly challenging opportunities for new large market, chronic disease therapeutics (likely in the areas of obesity or Alzheimer’s Disease) not…

• The Age of Genomics Has Begun!

  12 Jan 2012 | 10:42 am

  Entry by Dr. Alan S. LouieEntryWhile still early, there are multiple signs that the age of genomics has already begun. With this new age will come both great successes and general disappointment.  Successes will herald the beginning of the broader shift towards more personalized medicine.  We are already seeing the early fruits of this trend, with MOA and mechanism-based biomarkers associated with most, if not all new drugs in development and general industry acceptance and adoption of translational research approaches.  Translational research promises to greatly improve the…

• The Proper Approach to Building Your Serialization Business Case

  9 Jan 2012 | 10:23 am

  Entry by Eric NewmarkEntrySerialization initiatives have slowed considerably over the last few years due to delayed industry mandates (i.e. CA Pedigree Law), global economic uncertainty, and competing priorities in other areas of the business. However, the most significant roadblock to serialization has been construction of ROI calculations at levels too low in the organization. MoreUntil now, most business cases have been built in a vacuum by manufacturing and/or supply chain management, which limits business case visibility to only those individual departments and their unique goals. By…

• Final Thoughts for 2011 (1 Comment)

  14 Dec 2011 | 12:49 pm

  Entry by Dr. Alan S. LouieEntry  I had planned on beginning a discussion around the increasing role of bioinformatics, driven by the rapid growth of data (both volume and complexity) and the increasing commoditization of NGS (and its relatives), -omics technologies, imaging and clinical trials data.  Expect this discussion to begin in early 2012.  I welcome suggestions and comments on how to frame this discussion, both from a resource standpoint as well as from a technology/data perspective.  We remain far from the promised land with regards to a knowledge-based society,…

• Signposts for the Transformation to Personalized Medicine in View

  17 Nov 2011 | 9:47 am

  Entry by Dr. Alan S. LouieEntryBuilding on my 2006 report laying out the Personalized Health paradigm and my 2010 HP white papers on the emergence of translational research, I walked into the HMS Personalized Medicine Conference with few expectations of more than incremental progress towards transformational change and changes that could impact patient care over the near term.  I was surprised to find that, consistent with my own views on the likely ways that new knowledge will be transformed into improved patient outcomes, there is an growing open mindedness, urgency, and plans to…

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  IDC Financial Insights Community > Institutional FinTech Focus

• Too Big or Too Expensive To Fail?

  2 Feb 2012 | 3:03 pm

  Entry by Marc DeCastroEntryIt is talked about everywhere. From the HBO film Too Big To Fail, to a recent article in the New York Times. Will we ever see one of the big four US banks fail?  The smallest of the big 4 is Wells Fargo, and they have over three and a half times the assets of the fifth largest bank, US Bank. The trends in bank shut downs by the FDIC seem to indicate that they are more concerned by the smaller banks with capital issues than the larger ones. In addition, can our economy really handle a mega bank failure? MoreSoon IDC Financial Insights will be publishing our…

• Some Good News About Banking Industry - But Does It Matter?

  24 Aug 2011 | 9:23 am

  Entry by Marc DeCastroEntryDespite the recent interruption, the banking industry appears to have righted the ship after almost sinking in 2008. For the first time since 2006, the number of banks on FDIC's "problem" list has shrunk by 23 down to 865. This coupled with the recent news that US banks made collectively almost $30 billion in net income in the second quarter, despite falling revenues. Does this mean that we are out of the woods with the problems facing banks? MoreThere are still many headwinds facing the industry from fully being able to declare the all clear. First, we have…

• Hedge Fund regulation might actually come.

  27 Mar 2009 | 11:10 am

  Entry by Sean O'DowdEntryFor years, most hedge funds vehemently opposed increased regulation and regulators for the most part did little. That appears to be changing; and quickly.  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's recent regulatory proposal call for increased oversight and the SEC's Chief Mary Schapiro went to Congress yesterday to ask for new laws requiring hedge funds to register with the SEC. MoreSome funds acknowledge that there is little they can do to stop increased oversight given industries recent scams, shadowy trade activity perception and involvement with the credit…

• Video Blog: Key Themes for Banking in 2009

  13 Mar 2009 | 1:04 pm

  Entry by David PottertonEntryHear about the new reality in banking and how this has translated into Financial Insights Key Themes for 2009. You can view the YouTube video below, or, for all of you with corporate firewalls that block access to YouTube, you can download the file. And if you're having trouble viewing, let me know! Filepodcast 3.13.09.WMV (4.5MB)VideoFlash Content requires JavaScript to be enabled and the Flash player to be installed.

• Video blog on the US banking industry and tech spending in 2009 (2 Comments)

  11 Mar 2009 | 12:09 pm

  Entry by Jeanne CapachinEntryHear a couple of themes from our research in this video blog. You can view the YouTube video below, or, for all of you with corporate firewalls that block access to YouTube, you can download the file. And if you're having trouble viewing, let me know! Filejeane_tech_spend_revised.WMV (9.8MB)VideoFlash Content requires JavaScript to be enabled and the Flash player to be installed.

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  IDC Energy Insights Community > Intelligent Oil and Gas

• My takeaways from the recent GDS International Oil&Gas Summit in Australia (3 Comments)

  9 Feb 2012 | 11:27 am

  Entry by Roberta BiglianiEntryLast week I had the opportunity to attend, as the analyst partner, GDS International's NG Oil&Gas ANZ Summit in Perth, alongside 60 senior executives joining from O&G companies operating in Australia and New Zealand. While the topic of Oil & Gas is exhaustively covered in our research, for me it was a unique experience from a geographic perspective, as the characteristics of the Australian O&G landscape differs from those in the EMEA region, I am used to covering. However, the most relevant industry topics transcend geographic location such as the…

• How will IT solutions transform the unconventional gas business?

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:50 am

  Entry by Usman SindhuEntry Unconventional oil and gas, in particular shale gas, has transformed the energy industry in North America and offers great hope for other regions, enabled by hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" and horizontal drilling technologies.  However, exploration and production companies in the unconventional gas business are facing very tight profit margins, due to the low natural gas prices and the higher cost of drilling for these resources.  There are many process inefficiencies that E&P professionals can address with the help of IT teams; resulting in…

• Macondo Still Resonates – Keeping Up with Safety in Oil and Gas (1 Comment)

  3 Feb 2012 | 2:40 pm

  Entry by Jill FeblowitzEntryThis blog was in collaboration with Usman Sindhu The effects of Macondo are still being felt in the oil and gas industry.  One of the oil and gas industry predictions we made in December for 2012 was that there is still work to be done in safety and environmental management. Best practice companies will set the bar for achievement.  They will establish clear accountability, designation of authority, and put together well defined safety and risk metrics.  They will develop safe work practices, advanced maintenance practices, pre-start-up reviews,…

• ExxonMobil's Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040

  13 Dec 2011 | 11:56 am

  Entry by Rick NicholsonEntryExxonMobil recently released its report "Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040" which this year, as the title states, provides energy industry forecasts out to 2040.  The report covers global industry fundamentals, forecasts for each major market segment (residential/commercial, transportation, industrial, electricity generation), emissions and technologies.  It also includes a comparison to IEA forecasts.  Some highlights of the report are: Global energy demand will increase by 30% by 2040 but growth in OECD countries will be essentially flat while…

• Situational Awareness at Best Practices for Oil and Gas

  22 Nov 2011 | 4:04 pm

  Entry by Jill FeblowitzEntryEvents like Macondo and San Bruno have got the oil and gas industry talking about situational awareness.  According to M.R. Endsley in "Toward a Theory of Situation Awareness in Dynamic Systems" (Human Factors 37(1), 32–64, 1995), situation awareness – also referred to as situational awareness – is "the perception of elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future".  Situational Awareness, long applied in the military, was the theme of “Best…

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  IDC Health Insights Community > Healthcare Transformation

• ICD-10 Postponement: Upending the Health Plan 2012 Technology Investment Strategy?

  19 Feb 2012 | 7:46 pm

  Entry by Janice YoungEntryOn February 16th, CMS announced that it "would initiate a process to postpone the date (previously October 1, 2013) by which certain health care entities have to comply with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition diagnosis and procedure codes (ICD-10)." Leaving aside the ambiguity of the postponement date and the reference to "certain health care entities" which opens the door for varying compliance dates across the industry, the announcement immediately creates new project management, budgetary and resource challenges for all health plans. MoreIn the…

• Personal technology raises data security fears in the healthcare environment

  19 Feb 2012 | 4:47 am

  Entry by Jan DuffyEntry  Personal laptops, tablet PCs, or smart phones are showing up in ever increasing numbers.  Although many healthcare organizations still officially ban the use of personal devices to conduct official business, it might make sense for staff to use up to date personal equipment they own, and are familiar with.  As a result, regardless of the policy, IT staff are being challenged on a daily basis to provide support for a range of devices designed for consumer use.  This rise in the number of employees bringing their own technology to work could increase…

• IDC Directions 2012: Smarter Healthcare is Connected Health Care

  18 Feb 2012 | 5:30 pm

  Entry by Lynne DunbrackEntryAt Directions 2011, IDC analysts shared IDC's vision of the emerging "3rd Platform" based on the four pillars of cloud, mobile, social and Big Data technologies.   Directions 2012 will continue the discussion of this new platform for growth and innovation for the ICT industry, and many other "intelligent" industries, including healthcare.  The theme for Directions 2012 is Competing for 2020: Delivering on the Promise of the Connected World.  I will be presenting Smarter Healthcare is Connected Healthcare in the Intelligent Solutions track (Track…

• Accountable Care: Data Points From the NG Healthcare Payer Summit

  16 Feb 2012 | 1:14 pm

  Entry by Cynthia BurghardEntry  The Next Generation Healthcare Payers Summit was held in Phoenix, Arizona on January 23 - 25, 2012 and was co-hosted by GDS International and IDC Health Insights. The event brought together a select group of senior healthcare executives and technology providers. Key note addresses, panels, workshops and one on one meetings with technology providers were the venues for the event. The intimate nature of the summit allowed executives the opportunity to share and get advice on common challenges facing the industry as well as learn more about the…

• Connected Heath Top 10 2012 Predictions: Maximizing Consumer Engagement (1 Comment)

  23 Jan 2012 | 4:26 pm

  Entry by Lynne DunbrackEntryIDC Health Insights' top 10 connected health predictions identify major trends that will impact the U.S. healthcare IT landscape in 2012, and many will continue to impact the industry for the months and years to follow. connected health predictions for the healthcare industry in 2012. Ongoing market dynamics and trends will affect the acquisition, implementation, and use of connected health technology by U.S. healthcare providers, payers, and consumers. Increased understanding of these forthcoming changes will help healthcare organizations and IT vendors optimize…