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Results of an Oracle Utilities survey released this morning show that electric utilities in Canada and the US are only in the early stages of putting smart meter data good use. But they could be doing a better job of using the data they are collecting. The survey was of 151 utility executives in Canada and the United States. The study, Utility Transformations - Big Data, Bigger Opportunities: Plans and Preparedness for the Data Deluge, shows that utilities on both sides of the 49th Parallel are collecting significantly more interval data from smart meters. The frequency at which they are gathering smart meter data is 180 times more than in the past - every four hours compared to once a month. And the vast majority of them are collecting information such as outage and voltage data. Linda Jackman, group VP of industry strategy for Oracle Utilities, tells Canadian Green Tech in an interview that despite the improvement on the data collection front, utilities aren't using the data as effective as they could be. She was surprised to find utilities collecting certain types of data, but then not using that data to inform business decisions. According to the results, 78% of utilities surveyed are collecting outage data with 59% of them using, meaning nearly 20% aren't correlating outage data with customer communications as an example. For voltage data, the levels are 73% and 57%, respectively. "In outage and voltage data, the fact that everybody is not collecting that data, I think is surprising. You've rolled out a smart meter and you're not collecting outage data when it has the ability to talk to you around outage data? Why am I not collecting it? But then only 60% of them are using it once they have collected it, I think is also surprising," says Jackman. "So what we're seeing is that utilities are still in this very early stage and very formative stage of collecting the data but actually don't know what [they're] going to do with

...For Ovation Brands choosing to move the POS to the cloud was a matter of "future-proofing." The company already had experience and a comfort level with the cloud through its back-office system and was ready to move its POS above property with very specific goals in mind. "We were looking for something that had high-speed to value, lower cost of ownership and would save us from the traditional IT intensive POS implementation where you have to administer it and have a staff to support it," Benson says. "Having the POS in the cloud helps us modernize the way we conduct business."

...For Ovation Brands choosing to move the POS to the cloud was a matter of "future-proofing." The company already had experience and a comfort level with the cloud through its back-office system and was ready to move its POS above property with very specific goals in mind. "We were looking for something that had high-speed to value, lower cost of ownership and would save us from the traditional IT intensive POS implementation where you have to administer it and have a staff to support it," Benson says. "Having the POS in the cloud helps us modernize the way we conduct business."

I am with Jon at the Oracle Industry Connect this week. Of course I have enjoyed connecting with those I know, but I must admit it is also enjoyable meeting people from other industries like life sciences, healthcare, financial services, insurance and education. Sometimes I forget that there are industries other than hospitality. I have enjoyed meeting these people from other industries, but it is amazing how they all want to really know what the hotel industry is all about. When your business is about where people eat, drink and sleep I guess it does sound a bit more intriguing than the banking industry. It has been an enjoyable two days and no matter how often we interact with others in the industry, nothing beats face to face. There was a great crowd from the hospitality space with a lot of the higher ups from the industry attending. It was nice seeing so many making time to come to this event. I thank Oracle for inviting me and after the events Hospitality Upgrade put on last week I am very thankful I just get to attend, not having to speak nonstop. Thank you, Jon, for making this week's Siegel Sez easier as I sit in my hotel room in Washington, D.C., at 5:30 in the morning trying to be creative after a night of eating and drinking at the Smithsonian Castle.

I am with Jon at the Oracle Industry Connect this week. Of course I have enjoyed connecting with those I know, but I must admit it is also enjoyable meeting people from other industries like life sciences, healthcare, financial services, insurance and education. Sometimes I forget that there are industries other than hospitality. I have enjoyed meeting these people from other industries, but it is amazing how they all want to really know what the hotel industry is all about. When your business is about where people eat, drink and sleep I guess it does sound a bit more intriguing than the banking industry. It has been an enjoyable two days and no matter how often we interact with others in the industry, nothing beats face to face. There was a great crowd from the hospitality space with a lot of the higher ups from the industry attending. It was nice seeing so many making time to come to this event. I thank Oracle for inviting me and after the events Hospitality Upgrade put on last week I am very thankful I just get to attend, not having to speak nonstop. Thank you, Jon, for making this week's Siegel Sez easier as I sit in my hotel room in Washington, D.C., at 5:30 in the morning trying to be creative after a night of eating and drinking at the Smithsonian Castle.

The October 2011 edition of Business Officer includes the following article highlighting the significance and uses of business intelligence (BI) in higher education. The article notes that California State University System uses Oracle Business Intelligence Suite Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) to provide more functionality, change the reporting queries and improve the look of its dashboards. The article includes comment by Amir Dabirian, vice president of IT and chief information officer, California State University, Fullerton, noting that the university's goal is to enable the institution to make data-driven decisions, particularly in tough budgetary times. The article also includes comments by Theo Bosnak, director, higher education and academic medical centers, Attain LLC, noting that BI is extremely useful because the solutions can be customized and adapted to the needs of the leader or educational department.

The Aug. 12 edition of GovLoop includes the follow article highlighting five ways to improve communication between information technology (IT) professionals and the business team members. The article includes comments from Oracle Public Sector's Peter Doolan, Group Vice President and Chief Technologist, noting that many projects fail due to an inability for IT professionals to explain and communicate their capabilities to the business side, and for the business to communicate back to the IT side, stating their needs and requirements to have a tangible impact on the outcome. The article goes on to discuss five starter questions and suggestions on how to best improve communication among a team.

The March 12 edition of University Business includes the following article on Oracle's announcement of significant investments in its ERP software for higher education institutions.  Of note, University Business picked this article up from PCWorld.  The article also notes the new Oracle Student Cloud service that Oracle will configure to manage a variety of educational offerings.

The March 12 edition of University Business includes the following article on Oracle's announcement of significant investments in its ERP software for higher education institutions.  Of note, University Business picked this article up from PCWorld.  The article also notes the new Oracle Student Cloud service that Oracle will configure to manage a variety of educational offerings.

The May 14 edition of The FINANCIAL includes an article highlighting Oracle's announcement that Columbus State University implemented its Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition. The article notes that Columbus State University worked with Oracle for improved reporting accuracy and timeliness to conform to Georgia's "Complete College Georgia" plan, which seeks to increase the number of Georgia's young adults who obtain a college degree. The integration of Oracle's Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition created a single knowledge repository, bringing together the university's student information system, facility management, and PeopleSoft applications. The article includes comment from Cole Clark, global vice president, education and research industries, Oracle, who notes that with Oracle's Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, Columbus State University can bring together student and faculty information and spend more time developing programs and making informed decisions.

British multinational retailing company Arcadia Group has selected Oracle retail platform to optimize retail operations and support its developing international business. The fashion retailer will use Oracle Retail Merchandising Operations Management, Oracle Retail Merchandise Planning and Optimization, and Oracle Commerce applications to meet customer demand in its 2,507stores and 600 international franchised outlets across 36 countries.

British multinational retailing company Arcadia Group has selected Oracle retail platform to optimize retail operations and support its developing international business. The fashion retailer will use Oracle Retail Merchandising Operations Management, Oracle Retail Merchandise Planning and Optimization, and Oracle Commerce applications to meet customer demand in its 2,507stores and 600 international franchised outlets across 36 countries.

Oracle Retail is very bullish--confident but far from complacent--about its track record and outlook. By its own estimate the business has strung together a win streak that beats just about any major league sports team record. We see continued balance between the number of retailers selecting Oracle for enterprise transformation and best-of-breed applications and continued customer satisfaction evidenced by steady streams of expansion in existing accounts and go-lives. The business unit continues to command an impressive bounty of R&D funds, is increasing its investment in its partner ecosystem, and building out rollout and application support assets.

Saks, Inc. is evolving to embrace omni-channel retailing through a series of infrastructure and systems enhancements slated to take place over the next several years. This is a transitional time for the company and these investments will position Saks for the future, allowing it to deliver incremental sales and improve operating margins over time.  To support its omni-channel and IT initiatives, Saks will invest one-third of its $120 million CapEx on Project Evolution, a multi-year transformation of and investment in systems technology with Oracle. Project Evolution will deliver new merchandising, finance and human resources systems and capabilities on an integrated application suite for the entire business.

Changing expectations and a new generation of users are transforming the face of business applications When Patrick Benson joined Ovation Brands back in September 2013, he was given a tall order: modernize an array of legacy IT systems that could no longer keep up with the restaurant-chain conglomerate's business processes.

Changing expectations and a new generation of users are transforming the face of business applications When Patrick Benson joined Ovation Brands back in September 2013, he was given a tall order: modernize an array of legacy IT systems that could no longer keep up with the restaurant-chain conglomerate's business processes.

For its part, Oracle Hospitality will build on the foundation that Micros established in the hotel and F&B industries. Mike Webster, SVP and general manager, Oracle Retail and Hospitality, told Hotel Business that the integration has been going quite well (Oracle acquired Micros in 2014), and that combining the companies into Oracle Hospitality will allow customers to get the best of both worlds: "We're preserving the intimacy and domain expertise that Micros had built and combining that with the scale and global reach of Oracle." Oracle's platform for the hospitality industry offers comprehensive and integrated software, cloud offerings and hardware solutions for hotels, casinos, table and quick-service restaurants, sports and entertainment venues, and cruise operations from small independents to large global chains. Webster noted that the company has several short-term priorities: a seamless transition for customers, an organizational structure based on business segments; and integration of Micros with Oracle's technology.

For its part, Oracle Hospitality will build on the foundation that Micros established in the hotel and F&B industries. Mike Webster, SVP and general manager, Oracle Retail and Hospitality, told Hotel Business that the integration has been going quite well (Oracle acquired Micros in 2014), and that combining the companies into Oracle Hospitality will allow customers to get the best of both worlds: "We're preserving the intimacy and domain expertise that Micros had built and combining that with the scale and global reach of Oracle." Oracle's platform for the hospitality industry offers comprehensive and integrated software, cloud offerings and hardware solutions for hotels, casinos, table and quick-service restaurants, sports and entertainment venues, and cruise operations from small independents to large global chains. Webster noted that the company has several short-term priorities: a seamless transition for customers, an organizational structure based on business segments; and integration of Micros with Oracle's technology.

Tony Kontzer's article on Ovation Brands - including a quote from CIO Patrick Benson - was called out in the editor's note at the beginning of the special report. "Those who have gone beyond testing the waters are finding there is no looking back. In Tony Kontzer's cover story, Ovation Brands CIO Patrick Benson recounts how the chain restaurant operator was faced with an outdated IT infrastructure and needed help fast; it found it in software as a service. "The major difference in the journey has been the warp speed at which we were really able to do this. It wasn't artificial or forced. It's just an organically faster process," Benson said. "We used to wait a day or two just to get the previous day's performance information. That stuff now becomes real-time."

Tony Kontzer's article on Ovation Brands - including a quote from CIO Patrick Benson - was called out in the editor's note at the beginning of the special report. "Those who have gone beyond testing the waters are finding there is no looking back. In Tony Kontzer's cover story, Ovation Brands CIO Patrick Benson recounts how the chain restaurant operator was faced with an outdated IT infrastructure and needed help fast; it found it in software as a service. "The major difference in the journey has been the warp speed at which we were really able to do this. It wasn't artificial or forced. It's just an organically faster process," Benson said. "We used to wait a day or two just to get the previous day's performance information. That stuff now becomes real-time."

The July 2014 edition of University Business includes the following article highlighting that many universities are beginning to implement electronic transcript capabilities to decrease costs and serve students more quickly. The article notes that Arizona State University is using e-transcript data for its Transfer Admission Guarantee program and uses Oracle's PeopleSoft, its student information system, to send automatic updates to community college students each semester to track progress toward an ASU degree.

The July 2014 edition of University Business includes the following article highlighting that many universities are beginning to implement electronic transcript capabilities to decrease costs and serve students more quickly. The article notes that Arizona State University is using e-transcript data for its Transfer Admission Guarantee program and uses Oracle's PeopleSoft, its student information system, to send automatic updates to community college students each semester to track progress toward an ASU degree.

The March 11 edition of InfotechLead includes the following article on Oracle's announcement of several major investments for its higher education solutions. The article highlights the new Oracle Student Cloud, which will meet the needs of customers who are transforming their institutions to support standard business processes and to free up IT resources for mission-critical activities. Additionally, the article discusses the planned new release of Oracle PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and new functionalities being delivered in Oracle Human Capital Management (HCM) Cloud and Oracle ERP Cloud. The article includes comments from Mark Armstrong, vice president, higher education product development, Oracle, who notes that Oracle is dedicated to providing its customers with flexible technology options, especially through these significant investments.

The March 11 edition of InfotechLead includes the following article on Oracle's announcement of several major investments for its higher education solutions. The article highlights the new Oracle Student Cloud, which will meet the needs of customers who are transforming their institutions to support standard business processes and to free up IT resources for mission-critical activities. Additionally, the article discusses the planned new release of Oracle PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and new functionalities being delivered in Oracle Human Capital Management (HCM) Cloud and Oracle ERP Cloud. The article includes comments from Mark Armstrong, vice president, higher education product development, Oracle, who notes that Oracle is dedicated to providing its customers with flexible technology options, especially through these significant investments.

"It's become mission critical to understand what is going on across the enterprise and why it is happening," Morgan-Vandome explained. "To make this a reality, each different line of business user needs to get a perspective of activity impacting all divisions." Nine out of 10 C-level retail executives reported that their organization is collecting and managing an average of 98% more business information than two years ago, according to a recent survey conducted by Oracle, Redwood Shores, Calif. And the sources are ever-growing. For example, 43% of data stems from customer information, 33% from operations, and 30% sales and marketing, according to the survey.

The April 30 edition of EdTech includes the following article highlighting Florida State University's (FSU) business intelligence (BI) and the increasing adoption of BI projects at institutions like FSU. The article notes that FSU's BI platform uses Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, which was selected because it integrates with the university's PeopleSoft HR and Financial systems. FSU also invested in Oracle's BI Stack, including PeopleSoft Enterprise Performance Management and Oracle databases. The article highlights benefits the university realized, such as access to information via dashboard at any time, simplified auditing and increased staff productivity.

Enterprise IT needs are quickly changing to favor data analytics and cloud-computing as businesses look to quickly adopt a customer-centric model.

Enterprise IT needs are quickly changing to favor data analytics and cloud-computing as businesses look to quickly adopt a customer-centric model.

Retail IT is being transformed. CIOs are shifting from proprietary systems to package solutions and from an emphasis on cost reduction to a solid bump in IT capital spending. A strong customer focus means CIOs are fixing their attention on channel integration and analytics that will help them spot and anticipate shopper preferences more quickly. "Talking about re-engineering the foundation of retail IT may not be the sexy side of technology, but it's critical," Webster says. "If a company jumps into mobile-assisted in-store selling ... but doesn't have accurate visibility of inventory across the enterprise, what have they accomplished?" That's a point of view echoed by Gartner vice president of research Jeff Roster. "The big attack has to be on infrastructure," he says. "There are still a whole lot of retail companies out there that need to retire legacy systems and get out of the proprietary code writing business. Once they move to packaged systems, the opportunity to decrease infrastructure costs and reshape the business around today's customer can move forward at a quicker pace."

Vendor eyes multi-channel as it builds cloud portfolio. Oracle is hitting retailers with a flood of enterprise software as it seeks to establish itself as a key cloud player in the market. The software vendor will launch six products covering critical ecommerce, customer engagement, order management, order fulfilment, loss prevention, and brand compliance. Jill Puleri, SVP and GM at Oracle Retail, said: "Retailers looking for agility, performance, and cost predictability are increasingly considering the cloud. "The new Oracle Retail Cloud Services help eliminate the time and cost constraints that too often hamper retailers' ability to respond to new opportunities for growth." Many of the products are dedicated to enabling multi-channel operations, a focus for retailers seeking to integrate their online and offline business amid rising customer expectations.

Vendor eyes multi-channel as it builds cloud portfolio. Oracle is hitting retailers with a flood of enterprise software as it seeks to establish itself as a key cloud player in the market. The software vendor will launch six products covering critical ecommerce, customer engagement, order management, order fulfilment, loss prevention, and brand compliance. Jill Puleri, SVP and GM at Oracle Retail, said: "Retailers looking for agility, performance, and cost predictability are increasingly considering the cloud. "The new Oracle Retail Cloud Services help eliminate the time and cost constraints that too often hamper retailers' ability to respond to new opportunities for growth." Many of the products are dedicated to enabling multi-channel operations, a focus for retailers seeking to integrate their online and offline business amid rising customer expectations.