Atish Gude, NetApp’s Chief Strategy Officer shares three predictions for 2020, putting the spotlight on 5G, Blockchain and infrastructure virtualisation solutions.
* This article is contributed by Atish Gude, based on his professional experience and personal opinions.
What does 2020 hold in store?
2019 was a year of rapid innovation – and disruption – for both the IT industry and the broader business community.
With the widespread adoption of hybrid multicloud as the de-facto architecture for enterprise customers, organisations everywhere are under tremendous pressure to modernise their infrastructure and deliver tangible business value around data-intensive applications and workloads.
Multiclouds & Virtualisation
As a result, organisations are shifting from on-premises to leverage public cloud services, building private clouds, and moving from disk to flash in data centers – sometimes concurrently.
These transformations open the door to enormous potential, but also introduce the unintended consequence of rising IT complexity.
We predict that a demand for simplicity and customisability will be the number-one factor driving IT purchasing decisions in 2020.
Data-driven transformations
Vendors will need to provide customers modern, flexible technologies with the choice of how to use and consumes these technologies to meet evolving business models.
As IT departments look to de-emphasise maintenance and hardware, reduce overhead, and adopt pay-as-you-go models, simplicity and choice will be key.
Achieving this simplicity will serve as the foundation for companies as they navigate the exciting technological trends we’ve identified below.
Arlo’s latest home security camera solution features 2K HDR, integrated spotlight with color night vision, 160-degree field of view, two-way audio and cloud-based Smart Hub. Prices below.
The new Arlo Pro 3 features 2K resolution with high dynamic range (HDR), an integrated spotlight with color night vision and a wide 160-degree field of view.
The Arlo Pro 3 is designed to provide home and small business owners with a high-performance, simple, wire-free security solution.
Arlo’s Current Lineup
Arlo currently offers the entry level Arlo 2 (HD video), today’s mid-tier new Arlo 3 (2K HDR) and the flagship Arlo Ultra (4K video).
It also has the Arlo Go stand-alone camera with SIM card slot for commercial usage in remote places without an existing Wi-Fi network.
Pro 3 is suitable for both indoors or outdoors and offers good image quality for DIY security that anyone can easily install in minutes and monitor from anywhere using the Arlo app.
The Arlo Pro 3 also includes a new Smart Hub that securely manages network traffic to the camera in addition to enhancing power and Wi-Fi performance for better range and battery life.
Completing the security solution, Pro 3 comes with a three-month trial of Arlo Smart, Arlo’s AI and computer vision-based service that delivers advanced detection of people, vehicles, animals and packages.
Both Fitbit and HPB have clarified that media reports that the Singapore government is planning to give away one million free Fitbit devices are not correct.
The “free” Inspire Fitbit HR tracker for the 1 million Fitbit Premium service subscribers that Fitbit is targeting.
Both clarifications are very similarly worded and are appended below.
Essentially, the clarifications addresses two issues: who is actually giving out the free Inspire HR trackers, and whether other partners have been selected by HPB for other collaborations.
Signify has launched the Philips Hue Play smart light bar which enables users to design and create the lighting effect and ambience of their desires within their living or work spaces. Prices below.
The Philips Hue Play is available in Singapore at Challenger, Courts, Gain City, SELFFIX, Telestation Go Wireless Gamepro and Tangs.
The light bars enable you to create an immersive lighting ambience by illuminating your living or work spaces based on the colours on your movies, the music you’re listening to, or the games you’re playing.
Philips Hue Play can provide a more immersive gaming experience with the light bars.
The keyword here is “immersive”.
So if you’re watching a movie, the Philips Hue Play light bars projects colours corresponding to the scenes on the TV screen so that it feels as if the colours on the screens are spilling out of the screen and lighting up the walls and surroundings.
Prices in Singapore
The Philips Hue Play is available in black either in a double pack (S$209) or in an extension pack (S$99).
Note that you’ll need a Philips Hue bridge (sold separately at S$89) which can control up to 50 Philips Hue bulbs and accessories.
If you’re listening to music, the light bars can translate the beats into light effects based on pre-canned translation algorithms or in whichever way you want to customise.
And if you’re playing games, especially if you’re using gear with the Razer Chroma RBG lighting – eg. laptops, keyboards, mice and mouse mats – you can sync the light bars to show matching lighting effects that change dynamically during gameplay.
Predictronics is an AI-driven predictive maintenance analytics solutions provider headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
TVS Motor (Singapore)’s US$3.2m investment in Predictronics Corporation comes on the heels of a US$7m investment in Scienaptic Systems last month in July 2019.
TVS Motor (Singapore) Pte. Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TVS Motor Company Limited, India, has signed definitive agreements to invest US$3.2 million in Predictronics Corporation, which specialises in providing end-to-end predictive maintenance analytics solutions.
Certified to work with Arlo’s most popular base station models that support Arlo Pro and Pro 2 cameras, users can now add HomeKit automations, allowing automatic interactions across supported devices.
Existing Arlo Pro and Pro 2 security camera users whose cameras are paired with either the VMB4000 or VMB4500 base station models will now be able to receive notifications on the Apple Home app when motion is detected.
HomeKit, Apple’s smart home platform, is now supported on Arlo Pro and Arlo Pro 2 Security Camera Systems that are paired with Arlo’s most popular base station models, VMB4000 and VMB4500.
While Arlo users can already control their Pro or Pro 2 cameras via the Arlo app, HomeKit compatibility will provide added convenience for iPhone and iPad users.
The new solutions accelerate 5G, automotive cybersecurity and network innovations, helping Singapore businesses speed up technological advancements through collaboration and innovation.
Ee Huei Sin, Vice President / General Manager, General Electronics Measurement Solutions, Keysight Technologies, briefing the company’s solutions for IoT and 5G.
In 2019 and beyond, 5G-enabled technologies have the potential to create major global technology shifts, leading to huge potential for industries worldwide.
Keysight World Singapore 2019 showcased innovations in the following areas.
5G Test Solutions
Automotive Cybersecurity
Data Centre & Telecommunications
Network Visibility
However, before this potential can be harnessed, the technologies must first be thoroughly tested.
Keysight targets these critical testing needs by offering solutions and insights in electronic design, test, manufacturing, and optimisation.
Qingjian unveiled the fully smart condominium development with 1,206 apartments, and 63 one-bedroom units for seniors. The development will also feature a smart estate management system. Prices below.
JadeScape is the first major condominium launch after the Government’s property cooling measures in July. Average price: S$1,700 per square foot. The 1,206-unit development comprises 236 one-bedders, 403 two-bedders, 265 three-bedders, 261 four-bedders, 39 five-bedders and two penthouses built across seven blocks on 36,985.7 square metres of land. Artist Impression: Qingjian Realty.
In addition to smart home devices previously not included in its residential developments, Qinjian boasts that JadeScape will be the first to adopt a Smart Estate Management System, with intelligent estate monitoring embedded throughout the development.
Price-wise, Yen Chong shared that 1-bedroom units (527 sq ft) will start from S$838k, 2-bedroom units (646 to 775 sq ft) from S$988k, and 3-bedroom units (904 to 1,152 sq ft) from S$1.38 million. The prices for the 4- and 5-bedroom apartments, as well as the penthouses, have not been determined yet.
In a bold move, the en bloc redevelopment will include 63 one-bedroom apartments, in three stacks, for senior residents.
The step-up of business footprint of the corporation’s regional headquarters in Singapore will bring the global IT consultancy & outsourcing services company closer to its clients in the region, and enhance recruitment of local talent in Singapore.
The new technology centre is located in Virtusa’s offices in Singapore at the Akzonobel House n Changi Business Park.
According to the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Roger Keith Modder, who inaugurated the new technology centre in Singapore, Virtusa plans to grow its employees here by 50% within the next 3-5 years, tapping into the talent pool generated by the universities here.
The billion-dollar company (by market cap) is counting on the Smart Nation efforts of the Singapore government and is spearheading its strategy here with the company’s verticals in Banking & Financial Services, Insurance, and Healthcare.
The Singapore office is also Virtusa’s regional headquarters. Photo: Virtusa.
More details about Virtusa’s recent evolution as a company from the press release below.
Simply called the Mirror, the luxury smart mirror is available online for S$2,700. Only 500 pieces available worldwide.
A smart mirror for a smart home.
This smart mirror is like a giant smartphone screen which can function as a plain reflective mirror or as a giant Android tablet.
The mirror has a slim profile encased within a champagne gold frame, and can be installed anywhere in the home – be it the living room or in the bathroom.
