In this interview, Larry Levenberg discusses NEC’s presence at Enterprise Connect, the impact of Big Data on companies and NEC’s expertise in Big Data and Analytics as well as where NEC is headed.
Author: Linda Graham
American Ingenuity and NEC Technology Combine to Provide the Cape Cod area with Improved Service
A unique geography plus increased seasonal demands put a strain on a New England community served by NEC customer Verizon.
Cape Cod, MA, has a year-round population of about 220,000, but each summer starting on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day,the area experiences its heaviest tourist season when the local population increases to more than 500,000. The Cape Cod area includes the island of Martha’s Vineyard, located seven miles off the coast of Massachusetts.
Photo by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on Flickr and used here with Creative Commons license.
To provide service to the Cape and the surrounding islands, Verizon uses microwave radio technology. This technology is ideally suited for the geography with the ability to carry network circuits through the use of line-of-sight radio signals. When the population swells in the summer, though, additional capacity is needed to provide Verizon’s customers with high-speed connectivity.
Here’s where the American ingenuity comes in. April Yalenezian, a Verizon network engineer from New England (and NEC customer), used creative thinking to develop a way not only to provide increased network connectivity to the area, but also to maintain the critical network connectivity on which the Cape relies, all while maintaining high network reliability.
To meet the increased demands, Verizon upgraded the existing Falmouth to Vineyard Haven line with the new NEC XPIC 5000S radio system using the 11GHz frequency spectrum. However, the existing radio system still needed to be in operation while the new system was put in place.
Upgrading the microwave network was critical to providing high quality service to the Cape Cod area and supporting strategic growth services. The reliability of the microwave radios is essential to Verizon’s network as it’s the only means to serve the island. The new radios will provide increased capacity needed for the demand of circuit growth on Vineyard Haven and Nantucket.
Verizon needed to maintain the integrity of the network and continue to provide service for its customers (E911, DSL and other hi-capacity sensitive services).
April developed a creative method and procedure to maintain the existing radio system and antenna while turning up the new radio at the same time. And she was able to accomplish this within the available defined radio frequency spectrum restrictions. April and NEC network engineer Mark Cowles worked together to test the procedures in NEC’s Lab in Manassas, VA, and make sure the transition worked without a glitch.
Together Verizon and NEC, an industry-leading microwave radio supplier, installed the 5000S radio system, which is designed for long-haul capacities. The 5000S has proven to be a very stable and reliable system and is used around the world for transporting TDM traffic.
Using April’s plan, installation took approximately three months once the radios arrived and the Verizon team had the new system up and running by the end of 2014.
Recently, the new system was put to the test when the Blizzard of 2015 hit Cape Cod and other parts of the Northeast with a vengeance. During the storm, the new NEC microwave system stayed up and running, even when other carriers went down. Nantucket Island was particularly hard hit by the storm, but Verizon and NEC were able to maintain a microwave link that kept service up during the worst of the winter storm.
The collaboration between Verizon and NEC is another great example of how a service provider and its vendor work together to provide improved customer service under adverse conditions.
Law Enforcement with the Best ‘Toys’ Keep Us Safe
Cop dramas, comedies and buddy stories rule the airways. From the newest TV cop show Backstrom to Brooklyn 99, Criminal Minds to Law and Order: SVU, there is no shortage of shows, detectives, and characters to choose from. If you wanted to be a cop or detective, which character would you choose—a no-nonsense, straight-talking detective or someone with more of a quirky personality?
Regardless of your choice, one thing is certain – you want the latest and greatest technology available. How boring would an episode of CSI be without the great tech? The same holds true for our men and women patrolling our streets. Keeping us safe can only happen if they are equipped with the best tools for the job. NEC understands the critical nature of this need, which is one of the reasons we dedicate so much time and energy to developing strong tools for law enforcement, such as the new NeoScan 45™ mobile fingerprint collection device.
What Does NeoScan 45 Do?
Many different law enforcement agencies require rapid, positive identification while in the field. Police officers need the ability to confirm identities during patrol stops and field arrests. Homeland security officers require the capability to verify and screen identities against a watch list while patrolling the borders. These public safety officials need compact, fail-proof tools that are portable and easy to use in the field.
To meet these demands, NEC developed NeoScan 45, the thinnest and lightest Fingerprint Acquisition Profile (FAP) level 45 multi-fingerprint capture device available today. The device is .68 inches thin and weighs only 9 ounces. At approximately the same size as many cellphones, it is small and light enough to be used in one hand. It can then be slipped into a pocket or clipped on the belt without being a distraction.
Equipped with a sensor that can capture single and dual, plain and roll fingerprint impressions, NeoScan 45 also has been successfully tested against the FBI Image Quality Specifications (IQS) Appendix F and Mobile ID FAP45 specifications. Larger fingerprint sensors with higher FAP levels, such as NeoScan 45, are more accurate, reduce sequence errors, and offer a higher rate of identification.
NeoScan 45 provides multiple benefits that enhance the ability of law enforcement professionals to do their jobs quickly, including the following.
Intuitive User Interface
The intuitive and easy-to-use interface helps reduce capture errors and wrong finger sequence captures. The ease of use also makes skipping over missing or scarred fingerprints simple. Easy-to-see indicators provide scanning prompts and confirmation while fingerprint images are validated as high quality by the built-in FBI NIST Fingerprint Image Quality (NFIQ) fingerprint image test prior to the green scan acceptance light. NeoScan 45 offers a battery life that surpasses other comparable devices (minimum of 200 scans per day and 24 hours of standby time).
Streamlined Processing
ADD, NEW, and SCAN buttons help speed the process of scanning multiple individuals while in the field. Also, the built-in magnetic card stripe reader allows rapid downloading of demographic data by swiping ID cards. Unlike older fingerprint capture devices, the NeoScan 45 can work with Android® and Apple® iOS smart phones and tablets and is compatible with wireless protocols such as Bluetooth or WiFi networking.
Integrated Suite of Tools
In addition to the built-in support to provide immediate feedback on the quality of captured fingerprints, the unit can be easily configured to support multiple fingerprint capture profiles including simultaneous capture of two fingers (e.g. right index and middle fingers) or four fingers (right index and middle fingers followed by left index and middle fingers), or 10 individually rolled fingerprints. NeoScan 45 also supports capture and storage of multiple fingerprint sets from different individuals that that can later be downloaded to a host tablet or smart device.
Once captured, the fingerprint images are quickly downloaded to a host computer to interface with most Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) solutions, including NEC’s Integra-ID® Multimodal Biometrics Identification Solution (MBIS), as well as NEC’s NeoFace® Smart ID and Smart LC applications. These applications provide a multimodal solution for face, finger, latent and voice recognition. Smart ID aids in field identification by using descriptive data entry as well as enabling the user to search or enroll captured biometrics and data. Smart LC facilitates evidence and latent collection and also enables remote AFIS latent searches.
When in the field, law enforcement professionals do not have the luxury of time. Making the proper identification quickly and easily is important. Whether it is serving warrants, securing the borders or making a routine traffic stop, quick, accurate identification is key. With modern technology such as the NeoScan 45, a single person in the field using a device smaller than a paperback book can now do in real-time what once took a team of people days to complete. When seconds matter, it’s nice to know that law enforcement can be equipped with technology that is accurate, fast and mobile!
Black Friday Sales Tanked?
According to this business reporter, Walmart is the reason Black Friday sales were down this year. While that is probably not the case, or at least not the whole picture, the results from Black Friday have proven interesting. The in-store sales numbers were down, while the online numbers were up 14.3 percent over 2013. Many retailers, including Walmart, chose to mark down items in the weeks leading up to Black Friday, giving consumers an opportunity to bargain shop in advance. Plus, the convenience of online shopping is difficult to overcome. It’s easy to grab a tablet and shop while lounging in your favorite chair.
So how does a retail brick and mortar establishment compete with this type of convenience? Create an amazing in-store experience!
Did Your Customers Have the Best Experience?
Customers have opinions about how you do business, and if you don’t succeed in fulfilling their expectations, they will shop somewhere else. A big part of what they want is an innovative, personalized experience that enables them to utilize online technology and access inside a brick-and-mortar store. That is a tall order!
Making reasonable and strategic efforts to fulfill customer expectations is important for 2015, particularly for those retailers who spent time this year analyzing the customer journey. To truly appreciate the importance of having a point-of-sale (POS) system that empowers customer expectations, consider who is actually doing the shopping over this holiday season.
According to a new report by Bankrate.com, a majority of Americans did not plan to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. They expect to find deals throughout the holiday season. The report also stated that Millennials were expected to be visiting stores on Black Friday in higher numbers than older Americans, and we are very aware of the tech-savvy, mobility centric ways of this generation.
As reported by the U.K. publication Retail Systems, a study by 1010data shows many Americans prefer to shop in stores because they do not want to wait on shipping. Additionally, 97 percent of study participants claimed they would purchase gifts early this year, with half of those starting before Thanksgiving and one in five participating in Black Friday. The reason? They want to ensure product availability.
Fully Connect with Your Shoppers
Whether catering to Millennials, bargain shoppers or early-birds who want to make sure they get that perfect gift, there are ways to improve the experience by embracing technology that your customers really want. First, let’s discuss what that actually is:
Going Mobile
Shoppers are price and comparison shopping from the floor of your store. They are constantly connected now, and want to have that experience enabled in their brick-and-mortar store experience. This constant connectivity also changes the behavior of a shopper. They are no longer willing to wait in line to make a purchase. They believe they can find what is needed online and will simply exit your store if they are made to wait.
In addition, shoppers have significantly more information at their fingertips, so they are able to not only price shop, but feature compare as well. If the item you have in stock is not what they want, they will go find it somewhere else.
Fortunately, you can update your current POS to include mobility solutions that allow you to achieve the following:
- Real-time access to data on the selling floor – Now you know what merchandise is in-stock, so you can serve customers more effectively.
- Better up-selling and cross-selling – Get that key data to sales associates to help them to make better recommendations to customers.
- Improved communication – Your team can collaborate from the sales floor, again better serving customers without sending them all over the store.
Dynamic Advertising
The ability to deliver real-time information and highly targeted messages is available now. Customers really want to feel like you care about them and are appreciative they shop in your store. Adding digital signage to a POS system provides you the opportunity to:
- Reach customers where they shop
- Increase sales volumes of higher margin merchandise
- Suggest add-on merchandise to increase average purchase volume
- Incorporate real-time data to present timely and relevant offers to customers at the point they make the buying decision
- Customize messages for local storefronts easily
Now you can easily get that “wow” factor in your store and enhance the customer shopping experience.
Time to Go High Tech
Retailers who are able to cater to the connected nature of their shoppers will win the in-store experience, and have the ability to better compete with online retailers. However, to do so requires adding a strategy to improve mobility, interactivity and information by empowering the sales staff to access data and sell from the floor. Fortunately, NEC has retail solutions available now and can support you in implementation so you can stay focused on your business.
This is just the beginning. There are many more exciting technology trends coming that improve the customer experience, support better data analytics and increase security. Retail is in for some exciting innovation!
Did You Consider This in Your 2015 IT Budget
Your IT budget planning is most likely well underway and you are probably putting the finishing touches on it. Or perhaps you work for one of those organizations that has a fiscal year that does not align with the annual calendar, and you are in research mode. Either way, deciding where money will be well spent is a significant planning process. The word “budget” can be such an intimidating and restricting word to many…but it’s an essential annual process and perhaps could be viewed as a way to limit unnecessary expenses and maximize the value of the investments to enable your business.
To prioritize your 2015 IT expenses, it is important to consider the following to ensure you have allocated enough budget dollars. Not only will considering these as priorities help set up your IT team for success, but the addition of strong strategic partners for managed services will place your core team in the driver’s seat for more strategic and revenue-generating activities, leaving other less-strategic IT tasks to a value-added partner.
The Complexity of Big Data
Big data is here, and will continue to be an important part of every organization’s IT department. It is important to recognize that multiple aspects of a big data strategy enable your access to the best information. These include:
- Acquiring and storing data securely
- Analyzing data effectively
- Ensuring your team has the right skills to manage this process
Fortunately, you do not have to go it alone. NEC offers complex Analytics and Big Data that turn your data into valuable insights for your business. Think of these insights as priceless intellectual information your business can use to make smarter decisions. Maximize your business potential by using analytics to decrease costs, improve revenue, drive profitability and increase customer satisfaction.
While your team is focused on the core of your business, the NEC team will partner with you to bring big data to life, unlocking the intelligence hidden in the data, while also supporting any planning and implementation. Our solutions work in the NEC Cloud, on-premise and hybrid deployment models and leverage multi-vendor strategies.
How Do You Cloud?
Cloud services provide an excellent way to empower a mobility strategy, as well as ensure rapid provisioning of seasonal and temporary employees. In fact, enterprise mobility removes many barriers for employees who are either on the road or in remote locations, ensuring they can access enterprise applications quickly and easily. However, the use of cloud in your organization is something that requires strategic thought.
There are many concerns about cloud applications, including security and reliability. What applications should you actually use in the cloud? Are there some that should remain on-premises? Can you be certain that the cloud services will meet your needs?
This is an area where the NEC team can bring broad experience to your table. Our Cloud Services team provides solutions that transform your business by bringing together people, applications and smart devices to deliver communications and collaboration solutions through the cloud. For example, Desktop-as-a-Service or DaaS is a cloud service that deploys virtual desktops that users can access from any device, anywhere. Talk about flexibility for your business! One of the benefits of DaaS is that it enables your business to step into cloud usage in a strategic manner, while giving you peace of mind regarding security and access, all without touching critical enterprise applications, such as financial software.
The NEC team offers a solid strategy that meets your specific environment, from on-premises to hybrid to public cloud services. The important thing is that your business requirements are considered and met without interruption through a seamless integration. Our team is well-versed in creating this environment so you can utilize the cloud to maximize your business while minimizing any risk.
Finding the Best Managed Services Partner
Knowing which services are core to your business or simply routine, but still important, is a key decision to be made…so that leaves the question: Do you have all the expertise in-house to properly evaluate the many aspects of IT and then make the best decision for your organization? With the ever-changing landscape, particularly in the areas of security, cloud and virtualization, it is extraordinarily difficult to have all the talent in-house you need to make the best decisions and implement the right solutions while still contributing to the company bottom line.
Our Managed Services teams understand all these complexities, and have built a strong talent pool to execute our offerings. We believe that rather than trying to do it all on your own, you should have the option to align with experts who act as an extension of your existing IT team.
Our managed services offering, NECommand, enables business through important IT solutions in three key offerings: nBuild™, nMaintain™, and nManage™. These services provide you with the level of expertise for your particular environment, whether it’s implementing a new system, providing administrative functions and maintenance to free up your internal IT talent, or managing those complex systems such as security, we have created services to align with your business needs.
Budgeting and Beyond
The typical budgeting process often means “take what you have done, add or subtract by percentages and submit the number.” However, with the consistent fluctuations in IT, you should probably ask yourself is it better to rely on historical experiences alone to make important business decisions? Instead, consider working with NEC to help you manage your IT future and make solid business decisions that can enhance your bottom line.
You can learn more about our Analytics and Big Data, Cloud and Managed Services by visiting our web site, where you will find white papers, videos and other information to help you make the right adjustments to your 2015 IT budget.