Coffee Briefing June 21 , 2022 – SAS’s Batting Lab; Sage rolls out new platforms; Telus acquires LifeWorks; and more
Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada’s editorial team!
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What’s new this week
SAS launches The Batting Lab
SAS, a developer of analytics software, has created The Batting Lab, an interactive experience that uses artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision, and Internet of Things (IoT) analytics to help kids improve their baseball and softball swings and grow their confidence in using data and analytics.
The Batting Lab is a batting cage packed with sensors and cameras to capture a batter’s stance, swing, and ball-flight details. Using AI, computer vision and IoT analytics, stance and swing data are analyzed in real time, and suggestions for improvement are shared through the in-cage displays on its floor and walls.
The sensors and cameras of The Batting Lab collect over 50,000 data points per swing. SAS revealed in its press release that in a single session of 50 swings, that’s more than 2.5 million data points analyzed.
Batters see how to adjust their hand position, core movements and weight distribution to perfect their movements.
“I can see what I did wrong. A coach would just tell me, and I wouldn’t really understand. But The Batting Lab shows me where I need to improve, “said Genkai Sharmin, one of the initial group of kids to experience The Batting Lab.
Sage launches new cloud-based financial management system and property management module
Sage has announced the availability of Sage Intacct Release 2, its cloud-based financial management system, along with Sage Intacct Real Estate, a new property management module, to the Sage Intacct platform.
Sage Intacct Real Estate combines the foundation of Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate (CRE) Property Management software with Sage Intacct’s cloud platform. It provides accessible and reliable cloud-based accounting solutions through new features and functions such as multi-tenant support, tenant tracking, and financial automation capabilities.
Additionally, Sage Intacct Release 2 offers customers in SaaS businesses the ability to easily bill auto-renewing subscriptions, report, and forecast billing and revenue. This helps eliminate third-party solutions while also supporting hybrid subscription models.
Now available in Canada and the U.S., Sage Intacct Real Estate and Sage Intacct Release 2 offer support for evergreen subscriptions, and equip construction and real estate professionals with a flexible, cloud-based accounting and property management solution.
SAS supports National Policy Challenge and microdata research with Statistics Canada and CRDCN
SAS has teamed up with Statistics Canada and the Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN) to help develop the next generation of data research-policy professionals. This year, the CRDCN’s Canadian National Policy Challenge is focused on helping researchers elevate their use of microdata in developing innovative, evidence-driven policy solutions.
The policy challenge finalist winner Angèle Lucie Poirier, is pursuing a Master of Arts in Economics at the University of Regina, and centred her project on analyzing the behaviours of consumers of recreational cannabis in Canada.
This year’s five finalists from across Canada presented their policy and research data in front of a panel of judges from the CRDCN, Statistics Canada and SAS Canada:
Angèle Lucie Poirier, University of Regina: Poirier’s project focused on analyzing the behaviours of consumers of recreational cannabis in Canada.
Jennifer Frimpong, University of Manitoba: Frimpong investigated the effects of the 1995 immigration policy – which shifted focus from family reunification to economic immigration – on immigrant mothers’ labour force participation.
Samer Hamamji, University of Toronto: Hamamji analyzed the association of healthy food choices aligned with Canada’s Dietary Guidelines recommendations on cardiometabolic risk factors using the Canadian Health Measures Survey.
El Zahraa Majed, Queen’s University: Majed’s project centered around identifying physical activity patterns among new adult immigrants in Canada, and the association between physical activity and health status of the immigrant population in Canada.
Samantha Skinner, Western University: Skinner used Canadian population data to examine the care contexts that can give rise to positive and negative health outcomes for informal caregivers.
TELUS announces agreement to acquire LifeWorks
Telus Corp. has acquired LifeWorks Inc. in a deal valued at C$2.9 billion including debt as it focuses on more employee wellness and healthcare services.
LifeWorks is an HR firm that helps companies with employee and family assistance plans, absence management, pension and benefits administration and retirement planning.
The deal will add LifeWorks’ employee and family assistance program and benefit administration capabilities to Telus Health’s digital technologies. Telus Health provides virtual care and offers patients access to digital pharmacy options, as well as home health monitoring and electronic health records.
“Telus Health and Lifeworks have a shared vision of making it simple and effective for our customers to successfully access and proactively manage their own health and wellness by creating a world-class provider of the most comprehensive suite of employee and family primary and preventative digital healthcare solutions, delivered with an unmatched level of clinical and customer service excellence, and underpinned by our globally-recognized corporate culture of care and brand,” Telus said in a press release.
The two companies are looking to close the deal in the fourth quarter of 2022.
TD Lab launches Equity Resource Hub with open-source access to help drive inclusive innovation
TD Bank Group (TD) has announced that it will offer open-source access to its Equity Resource Hub, a digital platform created by TD Lab to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into all stages of product and service design.
The TD Equity, Diversity & Inclusion survey, which surveyed 1,501 Canadian adults on their opinions about corporate equity practices, revealed that inclusion has an undeniable role to play from the perspective of customers and employees.
In fact, the survey showed that most Canadians polled prefer to do business with (71 per cent) or work for (73 per cent), businesses that have strong equity, inclusion, and diversity practices.
The Equity Resource Hub will guide the user through product or service development with a five-step process that includes the consideration of aspects of diversity – such as race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability.
“At TD, inclusion is a priority in everything we do to support our goal of serving the diverse needs of all our customers and colleagues,” said Rizwan Khalfan, chief digital and payments officer, at TD Bank Group. “We’re also truly supportive of helping to drive change in innovation beyond our walls, to better support the communities we serve.”
Women in IT Channel award nominations open
Channel Daily News is now accepting nominations for Rising Star and Mentor of the Year awards, to be presented at the Women in the IT Channel recognition luncheon at the Art Gallery of Ontario on August 25, 2022. The deadline for submissions is July 8.
More to explore
Honeywell targets building owners with new sustainability offering
Honeywell today launched Carbon & Energy Management, a software offering that enables building owners who have “voluntarily pledged to meet sustainability targets,” to track and optimize energy performance against carbon reduction goals.
Rogers and Shaw agree to sell Freedom Mobile to Quebecor
Late Friday evening, Rogers, Shaw, and Quebecor jointly announced that they have reached an agreement in which Freedom Mobile will be sold to Quebecor, parent company of Videotron, on what they describe as a “cash-free, debt-free basis at an enterprise value of C$2.85 billion”, which they hope will allow them clear the final regulatory hurdle and allow the Rogers acquisition of Shaw to proceed.
Electricity 4.0: Powering Schneider’s global net-zero vision
A group of senior executives at Schneider Electric recently delved into the plethora of environmental challenges that exist today and how technology advances can help meet them head-on.
This week in ransomware – Friday, June 17, 2022
Ransomware on the rise again, doing even more damage.
Staying informed is a constant challenge. There’s so much to do, and so little time. But we have you covered. Grab a coffee and take five while you nibble on these tidbits.
Uber lets you reserve a ride from airports 30 days in advance
Now that travel has largely returned to normal, Uber has decided it’s a good time to expand the availability of its Reserve at Airports feature, and two Canadian airports are on the list!
Government of Canada invests over $3 million to support international tech entrepreneurs in southern Ontario
At the LatAm Startups Conference, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) announced a non-repayable contribution of over C$3 million for LatAm Startups (LatAm) to scale a business support network and help international start-ups in the technology sector to incorporate, do business, and create jobs within southern Ontario.
Bell announces 5G+ service on mid-band spectrum, rollout soon
Bell is poised to turn on its 5G network delivered over the 3,500Mhz mid-band spectrum, the company announced on June 15.
Listen to the latest episode of Hashtag Trending
Most Americans believe they’re using their phones too much, one family is suing Apple for alleged hearing damage caused by AirPod earphones, and Telegram now offers a premium tier service.
Listen to the latest episode of Cyber Security Today
This episode reports on the need to get rid of Cisco Small Business RV routers, QNAP NAS devices under attack again, a Russian-based botnet dismantled and more
Listen to the latest episode of Hashtag Tendances (Hosted by Direction Informatique)
If you live in Quebec, or prefer to consume the latest technology news in French, our sister publication Direction Informatique has you covered. Follow them on Twitter as well.