Trends in Technology AGAEEI Accounting Leadership Conference

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Trends in TechnologyAGA/EEI Accounting
Leadership Conference

• Joe Laethem
• June 29, 2005

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Accenture

• Accenture is a global management consulting,
  technology services and outsourcing company.
  Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture
  collaborates with its clients to help them become
  high-performance businesses and governments.
  With deep industry and business process
  expertise, broad global resources and a proven
  track record, Accenture can mobilize the right
  people, skills and technologies to help clients
  improve their performance. With more than
  110,000 people in 48 countries, the company
  generated net revenues of US13.67 billion for
  the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2004. Its home
  page is www.accenture.com.

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Agenda

• Five Core Disciplines
• Utilities Technology Take-up Curve
• Major trends in 2005-2007
• Infrastructure Current Situation
• World Class IT Infrastructure
• Emerging Technologies
• SmartDust /Remote Sensing Infrastructure
• Silence Commerce
• Mobility
• Sentiment Monitoring Services
• Human Performance

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High performance in five core disciplines
Basic
Progressive
Pioneering
Replacing technology with better technology
Business productivity innovations
Strategy enabling innovations
Innovation
Labor cost arbitrage
Cycle time focused delivery
Predictable and repeatable
Industrialization
Cross enterprise service oriented architecture
Enterprise integration
Point integration solutions
Integration
Real time insight
Business intelligence
Transaction data efficiency
Information
Dynamically provisioned and externally secure
Internal on-request
Consolidate and standardize
Infrastructure
Infrastructure
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Utilities Technology Take-up Curve
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Major trends in 2005-2007
Demand Side Trends
Supply Side Trends

• Consolidation
• No new thing
• Pricing declines continue
• Hardware replacement cycle moderating
• Software growth moderate, except in specialty
  areas
• Growth slowing in most major technology sectors

• Risk averse buying
• Focus on enhancements
• Procurement driven deals
• Possible LAN upgrade next
• No major builds security, BI and HR top spending
• 9 increases in opex 15 in capex 25 to 35 in
  compliance, MA and security

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Major changes in growth and share of technology
sectors continuing
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Recent Accenture CIO research on adoption rates
in key technologies
Starting a pilot
Committing a major part of our business
Doing Nothing
Starting to investigate
61
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22
13
Virtualized storage
18
55
23
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Web services
23
46
14
18
Enterprise integration tools
41
41
5
14
Wireless for workforce
26
39
22
13
XML Document and workflow
23
23
36
18
Open source applications
41
14
36
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VOIP
35
13
17
35
Linux
9
4
30
57
RFID
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Infrastructure Current Situation
Business Computing Flexibility Cost
Reduction Mobility Flexibility Demands Web
Presence, eCommerce / B2B Virtual
Enterprise ROI Simplified Integration Agility Se
curity Implications on B2B Virus Protection
Mobility Industry PCs, Client/Server, The
Internet Intel Economics Web Services Virtualizati
on Trends Unix / Windows in the Data
Center Enterprise IP, WiFi Linux Utility
Computing Security / Patch Mgmt Typical
IT Frenetic, unplanned Cost cutting
Rationalization Activity Infrastructure
deployment Infrastructure neglect
Consolidation Virtualization. Internet
Firewalls Firewalls become Mainstream
1993
1997
2001
Today

• Infrastructures in most organizations are overly
  complex
• IT budgets have been reduced and most
  organizations have not been able to effectively
  capitalize on recent advances in technology...
• New business demands are requiring flexibility
  and adaptability around the IT infrastructure

Most organizations are operating in catch-up mode
to the technology
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World Class IT Infrastructure
Operations Security Moving to full mobility,
virtualization will place greater challenges to
operations and is redefining security functions
the firewall was the boundary. Security evolution
will place greater emphasis on architectural
design, business process engineering, and
business owners of technology solutions. Workplace
With working environments and functions moving
out of the traditional environments, end-user
devices will become thinner and customised to
the business function supported thus continuing
the pendulum effect of Fat vs. Thin Client
evolution. Network (LAN) Moving towards
widespread wireless connectivity will be required
to enable true mobility computing
capabilities. Network (WAN) To take advantage
of utility computing capabilities, flexible and
variable bandwidth capacity will need to be made
available from the carriers with a dominance of
IP bandwidth capacity combining Voice and
Data. Data Center Virtualization and dynamic
provisioning will lead to a Utility Computing
model.
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Self Defending Enterprise
Consolidated standardised
Operations Security
Proactive Ops
Manage and servicinga full mobile
workforceoutside the firewall
Manage and servicingwithin the Data Center
Thin client/wireless devices
PDA
Workplace
Laptop
Desktop
Wireless
(LAN)
Copper /Fibre
Network
MPLS
Point to point
All IP Enterprise on demand (Voice Data)
(WAN)
LVI
Virtualization
Data Center
Consolidated standardised
Utility Data Center
Utility Computing
A World Class IT Infrastructure will be one that
achieves the objective of being agile, flexible
and scalable
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Emerging Technologies
Silent Commerce / RFID - Automated Asset
Management
Sensor Telemetry / SmartDust - Remote Sensing
Infrastructure
Digital Pen Paper - Field Force Enablement

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SmartDust and Self-assembling, wireless sensor
networks
Self-assembling wireless sensor networks combines
sensors, computing, and communications at a
smaller scale than previously seen in the industry
lt Millennial Net Multi-hop networking 20-40 meter
range per node 115 kb/s data rate2.8 x 2.3 x 0.5
cm
? Berkeley Working prototype of
Self-assembling wireless sensor networks mote

• The hardware design consists of a small,
  low-power radio and processor board and one or
  more sensor boards - a networkable wireless
  sensor.
• Build-in software runs the hardware and
  networkmaking sensor measurements, routing
  measurement data, and controlling power
  dissipation.
• Over the next 3-5 years, Self-assembling wireless
  sensor networks motes are expected to shrink to a
  significantly smaller scale, drop in price
  dramatically, and become an ubiquitous commodity
  component.

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Accenture Technology Labs Remote Sensing
Infrastructure
The goal of our proof of concept is to
demonstrate that gathering in real-time key
viticulture variables delivers business value
through more effective management of Soil,
Irrigation, Disease, Pest, Nutrition, and Climate
control.
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Application to Utilities
Mesh Network modules can be attached to or built
in different Utilities assets to enable
applications such as
Electric poles maintenance and line monitoring
Automated Meter Reading
Street light remote monitoring
Tank Telemetry
Equipment predictive maintenance
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Automated Meter Reading

• Low cost AMR deployment Mesh-network enabled
  meters relay each others signals to a single
  connected neighborhood aggregator, reducing
  network hook-up cost. Signal can either be sent
  in real-time over a data network or collected
  wireless by driving within range.

• Deeper reach Mesh-network enabled modules can be
  used to monitor and/or control other home items
  such as security systems and appliances.
• New services Gathering of real-time data can be
  leveraged by the utility or third parties to
  provide end-customers value added services.

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Street light remote monitoring

• Automated remote monitoring Mesh-network enabled
  streetlamps relay each others status to a single
  connected neighborhood aggregator that can relay
  the data in near-realtime to a centralized
  server, providing a more effective alternative to
  manual inspection.

• More insight Mesh-network sensor modules can
  provide more insight into the nature and cause of
  the anomalies.

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Electric poles/pylons maintenance and line
monitoring

• Mesh-network sensor modules can be mounted on
  electric poles and pylons to relay status
  information that can be used to improve their
  maintenance as well as optimize energy
  transportation.

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Equipment predictive maintenance

• Mesh-network sensor modules can be mounted on
  equipment to monitor temperature, vibration.
• Data from sensors is transmitted wirelessly to a
  centralized data center where the data is
  compared to expected results, past performance
  and maintenance history of the equipment.
• Abnormalities are reported to maintenance crews,
  often with expected solutions.

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Tank Telemetry

• Active RFID are attached to the tanks gauge to
  relay the inventory level to a customer-site
  monitoring unit.
• Monitoring units communicate readings back to the
  supplier central server using either a wireless
  data network (paging, cellular or satellite) or
  the wired internet.
• An alerting mechanism triggers orders when tank
  level thresholds are met.
• Scheduling deliveries are based on real time tank
  level information.

Client sitedata aggregator / remote monitoring
unit
Supplier monitoring server
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Silence Commerce Key Tracking Technologies
Tags
Readers
Tags receive power from RF energy beamed by the
interrogator and only transmit information when
the RF energy activates the internal circuitry.
Because passive tags rely solely on radio waves
for power, these tags require no battery, can be
made extremely small, are low in cost and have a
long operating life.
Passive RFID


The tag is powered by a small internal battery.
However the tag goes to sleep if it is not within
the decoder field, hence the life of the tag is
typically 5 years. Longer range than passive
tags, Lower cost than Active Tags. They can also
monitor sensor inputs, such as the temperature of
an item, without needing to be powered by radio
waves.
Semi-Passive RFID
Active Tags are powered by an internal battery.
The tag will for the duration of its life,
transmit a radio frequency (RF). Some active
tags offer localization capability based on
triangulation (RTLS Real time localization
System). Like for semi passive ones, they can
also be used to monitor sensor inputs and
transmit the readings.
Active RFID
GPS uses a constellation of satellite as
reference points to calculate positions accurate
to a matter of meters. GPS receivers are embedded
in a tracking unit that communicates the position
back using a wireless network such as a cellular
network or satellites for global coverage.
GPS
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Applications to Utilities
Enforcement of safety procedures
Equipment Management
Tracking, maintenance and Inspections of field
assets
Machine Operational Control Security
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Equipment management
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Enforcement of safety procedures

• Workers are identified using RFID badges.
  Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) such as
  gloves, boot, hardhat and goggles are also tagged
  using miniature passive RFIDs.
• When a worker enters a potentially hazardous
  areas or get into the proximity of products or
  equipment requiring specific PPEs, the RFIDs
  attached to the PPEs are read and compared to the
  requirements.
• When heavy machinery is operated the drivers
  identity is verified and his certification level,
  and alertness are checked in order to protect
  those operating as well as those around.

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Machine Operational Control Security
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Tracking, maintenance and Inspections of field
assets
Rugged Button memory can be used to help
track and monitor asset such as utility poles and
pylons.  Vital  maintenance and repair
information can be stored on the Button and
easily accessed with one touch..
Button memory are rugged autoID designed for use
and survival in harsh operating environments and
with the ability to store up to 8MB of data. Some
comes with built in sensors such as temperature,
combined with a data logger. They are similar to
RFID, but require contact to be read.
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Mobility Research prototypes
Multimedia Response Center
Digital Pen Captures records digitally while
maintaining the ease of use of paper-based
solutions and leaving a paper-trail for
end-users.
Allows end users to use camera phones and other
emerging portable multimedia devices to
communicate with call center.
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Digital Pen and Paper is how Reality Online is
applied to ordinary devices we use every day.

• Digital Pen
• An ink pen equipped with electronic sensors to
  allow it to digitally capture what the Digital
  Pen writes and transmit it back to a computer.
• Digital Paper
• A normal piece of paper with a unique pattern
  printed in the background
• Pattern allows the Pen to orient itself on the
  paper, enabling it to understand where it is
  writing on the page
• 1000 Sensor Data Points Per Keystroke
• Location, Speed, Pressure, Timestamp, Inclination
  and Rotations
• Always Connected
• Bluetooth or USB for syncing

Bluetooth Transceiver
Battery
Ink Cartridge and Pressure Sensor
Memory
Processor
Camera
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Digital Pen technology captures both the content
and context of written forms.
Translated Text

• Character Recognition Pen strokes are
  transmitted to the computer, and then translated
  to type written text.
• Context The Pen tells the computer what
  form/fields the text was written into for
  automatic filing/indexing.

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Digital pen technology can be used in application
requiring near-realtime feedback.
Pen wireless Synchronization over Bluetooth
Forms information sent to server
Data center
Bluetooth enabled phone
Bluetooth enabled pen( Nokia Mobile Pen)
Server returns feedback via SMS to cellular phone.
Hand Written Form
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Application to Utilities

• Remote form submission
• Remote invoicing
• Digital access to field reports
• Remote Quality Assurance
• Maintenance updates / tracking
• Quality Assurance / compliance
• Time Reporting

• Automated form submission

Core Capabilities
Digital Pen Paper Technology

• Fleet management
• Inventory tracking
• Quality assurance / compliance

• Near real-time field form submission into backend
  systems (ex. SAP, Siebel Integration)

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Applications to Utilities
Wireless Networks
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Sentiment Monitoring Services
Sentiment Monitoring combines a search agent
going over all publicly available data sources as
well as subscription content and a perception
engine to present users a gauge of the market
perception of any feature, product, brand or
organization.
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High Performance Visual Workspaces
Interactive visualizations can be used to explore
large amounts of enterprise information
simultaneously and provide insights to help
optimize organizational performance.
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Other Utilities Applications
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Human Performance Enterprise Knowledge Retention
As workforces rapidly change, organizations are
often left with critical knowledge gaps. This
problem can be seen in many forms, across several
different functional areas such as Succession
training, On-boarding, Facility/office expansion,
Workforce agility, Granular learning aids and
Best practices dissemination. Our research
explores how emerging collaboration technologies
can provide an integrated set of tools to support
the intense colleague-to-colleague interaction
required for an enterprise knowledge transfer
program.
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Wrap-up

• Performance, not cost, must be the IT end game
• IT must re-think the production methods of the
  business services factory
• Supplier networks are assets, not liabilities
• IT Transformation is not a codeword
• Without performance metrics, IT agendas will
  stall
• IT investment is not an event, but a way of life