The IT Nerd

As the pandemic disrupted traditional patient service models, the Canadian healthcare sector overwhelmingly adopted remote and telehealth technology solutions. New global research from SOTI, A Critical Investment: Taking the Pulse of Technology in Healthcare, shows 97% of Canadian healthcare providers have implemented IoT/telehealth medical device capabilities, with a large majority of them (68%) doing so since the start of the pandemic.

The increased adoption of new technologies in the healthcare sector is evident in 77% of IT healthcare professionals indicating they have increased their annual technology spend since 2020.

The rise in healthcare IT investments in Canada appears to be focused on three key elements: interconnectivity, automation and data management. Research revealed that 77% of IT healthcare professionals agree patient services benefit from heightened interconnectivity, 71% agree the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in patient care enables medical staff to treat more patients and 94% stated digital patient recordkeeping increases efficiency and enhances data sharing.

As part of its report, SOTI surveyed 150 healthcare IT professionals across Canada to better understand how their organizations pivoted to provide patient care throughout the pandemic, the role technology played in delivering positive patient outcomes and what major obstacles remain.

Data Security An Ongoing Concern

Seventy-eight per cent (78%) of IT healthcare professionals are worried about patient information being revealed, lost, accessed, stolen or inadequately backed up. These are justified concerns with 42% of organizations having experienced a data breach from an outside source, and 55% having experienced a data leak due to employee error since 2020. Healthcare IT professionals are primarily focused on the following data security concerns:

• Patient records being stolen in a cyberattack or hacking (40%)
• Financial cost if their organization experiences a data breach (39%)
• Patient information being revealed without patient consent (35%)In addition, 65% of IT professionals believe patient data security is more at risk than ever, while 49% agree their organization does not spend enough money on data security.

Addressing Device Downtime

Sixty-three per cent (63%) of Canadian IT healthcare professionals said their organization experiences downtime with IoT/telehealth medical devices, leading to patient care delays. This has resulted in each Canadian healthcare employee losing approximately 3.1 hours per week on average, adding up to approximately 19 days lost per year.

Report Methodology
Using an online methodology, SOTI conducted 1,300 interviews with IT professionals in organizations providing frontline patient-facing healthcare services with 50+ employees across eight countries. All participants are aged 18 and over. Fieldwork was conducted from June 7 to 14, 2022. The interviews are split across eight markets as follows: U.S. (200 interviews), Canada (150 interviews), Mexico (150 interviews), UK (200 interviews), Germany (150 interviews), Sweden (150 interviews), France (150 interviews) and Australia (150 interviews).

The transportation and logistics (T&L) industry has experienced significant disruptions due to the steep rise in e-commerce and rapidly changing consumer expectations. With a greater variety and quantity of purchases being shipped directly to consumers’ homes, combined with expectations that necessitate rapid, often same-day deliveries, last-mile delivery strategies have never been more important. Yet, in a new global report titled The Last Mile Sprint: State of Mobility in Transportation and Logistics, commissioned by SOTI in partnership with Arlington Research, last-mile delivery is the most inefficient process of the entire supply chain, according to 59% of T&L companies in the U.S. and 78% in Canada.

Having A Mobile-First Strategy is the Solution to Last-Mile Delivery Problems

To create powerful and transparent customer experiences, 82% of respondents in the U.S. and 88% in Canada agreed that it is critical for T&L companies to ensure a mobile-first strategy around last-mile delivery. A mobile-first strategy is defined as viewing smartphones, tablets and task-specific apps as the primary tools for getting work done.

Companies know that a mobile-first strategy for last-mile delivery can transform their business operations. In fact, 74% in the U.S. and 80% in Canada agree that their organization would benefit, or have already benefited, from an effective mobile-first strategy for last-mile delivery. Moreover, 49% of respondents in North America with a mobile-first strategy in place for last-mile delivery said that it has effectively reduced their operational costs.

In addition, an effective mobile-first strategy provides companies with increased productivity and visibility into their business. In North America, more than half (58%) of T&L professionals said a mobile-first strategy has enabled them to gain visibility into critical aspects of their supply chain. In the U.S. specifically, 45% indicated it has created a better, more responsive customer experience and 44% of respondents have used their mobile strategies to support real-time decision-making.  

T&L Companies Fear that Outdated Technology Has Directly Contributed to Customer Loss

Surprisingly, the report found that nearly half (49%) of T&L companies globally said their technology is outdated. In Canada, nearly 7 out of 10 (68%) T&L companies indicated their technology is outdated, and 41% in the U.S. 

The report also found that T&L companies lacking a mobile-first strategy are at risk of losing customers. Half of T&L executives whose organizations use outdated technology believe they will lose, or have already lost, customers because of it and nearly one third (30%) of senior management using technology directly attributed this to falling behind competitors.  

Globally, nearly a third (32%) of senior executives at T&L companies believe mobile technology can be leveraged to improve operational efficiencies and reduce operational costs to increase their organization’s profitability within the next five years. 

To download The Last Mile Sprint: State of Mobility in Transportation and Logistics report, click here.

Report Methodology 

Arlington Research, an independent market research agency, conducted 450 interviews using an online methodology amongst IT Managers, IT Directors, Senior Management and C-Suite in the T&L vertical across six countries (Canada, U.S., UK, Germany, Sweden and Australia). All respondents work in companies with 50 or more global employees. 

Major barriers to ’Internet of Things‘ (IoT) ownership and efficient device management have now been removed thanks to the latest release of the enterprise-grade IoT management solution, SOTI Connect v1.2. The enhanced solution addresses prevalent industry challenges around managing industrial and mobile printers and limited access sensors, through a single point of control. 

The need to simplify enterprise-grade IoT is a challenge for organizations. According to recent research from SOTI, only 45% of direct purchasers or influencers of technology or mobility software in enterprises say their organization currently leverages IoT, despite 76% agreeing it would improve their company productivity. Currently, 31% of these purchasers and influencers who are deploying IoT devices, cite downtime as their biggest IoT-related challenge, while 33% identify a lack of real-time visibility into devices as their major concern.

SOTI Connect v1.2 offers support for a wide variety of industrial and mobile printers and IoT-enabled sensors, providing robust management capabilities, and automated monitoring and maintenance of an IoT-enabled device fleet. Select TSC Printronix Auto ID, SATO, Honeywell, Brother, Toshiba and Epson printers are supported with the newest release of SOTI Connect. New IoT-enabled devices can be quickly supported, configured and deployed, as SOTI Connect is built using a data-driven architecture, with SOTI continuously certifying new devices from various OEM’s.

Key use cases include: managing the multiple devices and sensors required to maintain an unbroken temperature controlled supply chain, end-to-end syncing of in-store IoT-enabled devices that improve the retail customer experience, and oversight of manufacturing machinery sensors. Globally, more than two-thirds (67.3%) of consumers perceive mobile technology as an effective strategy for delivering a faster shopping experience, demonstrating the need for retailers to implement IoT-enabled technology to meet consumer expectations. In the Transportation and Logistics (T&L) industry, where end-to-end oversight of operations is crucial, 50% of T&L organizations are currently supporting field services facilities with recently deployed mobile devices.

SOTI Connect also enables Managed Services Providers (MSPs) to avoid having to ship problematic devices to tech support for servicing, by providing the ability to access the device, identify any issues, pull device logs and perform automated remediation. All of this is done remotely, significantly reducing maintenance and monitoring costs of IoT solutions. Additionally, MSPs can minimize ‘swap stock’ instances due to decreased downtime and greater visibility into device health and performance, enabling IT to remediate any device issues even before they occur.

To learn more, visit: https://soti.net/connect.

Source: SOTI

Source: Soti.net

I have a soft spot for Canadian tech companies. So when the news hit the wires that Mississauga ON based SOTI Inc. was investing $150 million over the next three years to expand its offices and double its global work force of 450 people, it caught my attention. Here’s a overview of what that $150 million is going to go towards from the press release:

• 300 new jobs in Canada in the next 3 years: With a 30 percent annual increase in its Canadian-based staff in the last year, SOTI will add approximately 300 net new jobs in Canada during the next 36 months. The majority of the new positions are in engineering and software development roles focused on tech-centric innovation.
• 53 percent year-over-year increase in revenue in FY15: The company has posted a 53 percent revenue growth in its most recent fiscal year ending July 31st, 2015, contributing to strengthening Canadian knowledge capital and the economy.
• Two decades of profitability: SOTI announced its 20th year of consecutive profitability as a private company, with no external funding.
• New 150,000 square foot facility: SOTI’s expanding workforce also requires additional office space. In the spring of 2016, SOTI will break ground on its new five-acre Mississauga campus and headquarters. With a modern design aesthetic built to inspire creativity and employee collaboration, the state of the art facility will include an indoor recreation facility, onsite employee amenities and a commitment to sustainable materials.

Now I’ve covered SOTI on a few previous occasions, and I have to say that they appear to be poised to be Canada’s next tech superstar as they are uniquely positioned to not only fill the void left by BlackBerry, but to also take on the likes of Mobile Iron, Citrix, and AirWatch in the enterprise mobility management space and win. Take it from me. These guys are the real deal and are very much worth keeping tabs on as they’re going places.

Last week, I posted a story about SOTI’s upcoming User Conference which is called SOTI SYNC which is being held on November 2-4 at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel and Conference Centre. Yesterday, they posted a video on their YouTube channel to promote SOTI SYNC that I’d like to share:

Besides the video, the company has a bunch of interesting inducements to get you to sign up to attend:

• Attendees will get a free mobile device if they sign up ASAP.
• Before the conference, SOTI is having a full day of hands-on training on their flagship Enterprise Mobility Management product MobiControl. Normally, this training is $1500 USD by itself, but you can get it for $649 CDN and that also gives you an all-access pass. If you don’t want to take part in the training, the all access pass alone is $499 CDN.

If you are interested in registering for SOTI SYNC, click here and register today.

Today, at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando, SOTI announced an industry survey, commissioned in partnership with IDG Enterprise (CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, Network World, IT World, etc). The survey took place from September 22-29, 2015 and was completed by a host of senior IT decision makers at C-suite and senior leadership levels.

SOTI Inc who is Canada’s leader in Enterprise Mobility Management software, is hosting their annual end user conference. Dubbed SOTI Sync, the conference will allow attendees to learn and enhance their understanding of the future of enterprise mobility, the trends that will change the way organizations do business, and the new connected landscape that IT will need to prepare for and support. Mobility experts, industry peers, and market influencers will take you through deep dive sessions, hands-on training in technical labs, industry tracks, best practice sessions, and networking opportunities in birds of a feather sessions. Plus attendees will get a glimpse of future innovation in their industries and hear about what their organization will need to be thinking about for the future.

Key people who will be presenting at the conference include:

• Carl Rodrigues: President & CEO, SOTI Inc.
• Andrew Toy: Product Management Director at Google
• Robin Bienfait : Chief Enterprise Innovation Officer & Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics America
• Chris Hadfield: Astronaut, Commander, CSA and NASA Colonel, RCAF Fighter Pilot

SOTI Sync will be held on November 2-4 at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel and Conference Centre, located on the waterfront of Lake Ontario, just steps away from the Downtown Core of Toronto Canada. Before you say “you want me to travel to Canada in November”, take it from someone who lives here. It really nice at that time of the year and there’s no snow. Plus you’re in walking distance from the hotel to the Air Canada Center where the Toronto Maple Leafs play, plus with the way the Toronto Blue Jays are playing, you might get the chance to see them win the World Series at the Rogers Center which is also within walking distance from the hotel.

🙂

The company has a bunch of interesting inducements to get you to sign up today:

• Attendees will get a free mobile device if they sign up ASAP.
• Before the conference, SOTI is having a full day of hands-on training on their flagship Enterprise Mobility Management product MobiControl. Normally, this training is $1500 USD by itself, but you can get it for $649 CDN and that also gives you an all-access pass. If you don’t want to take part in the training, the all access pass alone is $499 CDN.
• You can save $100 CDN on your registration fees by using the promo code Early Bird. But this is only valid for the rest of the week.

If you are interested in registering for SOTI Sync, click here and register today.

In the first of many Windows 10 announcements that I expect to get today, SOTI who is a Canadian technology company that I have written about previously, has announced same day support for Windows 10 via their MobiControl Enterprise Mobility Management Solution.

MobiControl 12.3 delivers the following benefits for businesses deploying Windows 10:

• Disabling Wi-Fi, VPN and Cellular connectivity
• Package Deployment – IT can deploy software and data packages to Windows devices and leverage custom scripting capability for advanced policy controls
• Enterprise File Sync – Enterprise content can be synced seamlessly between enterprise repositories and Windows 10 devices
• With Remote Help Desk Suite, IT administrators can initiate full remote control sessions with desktop devices (PCs, laptops) running Windows 10
• Location Services – MobiControl’s robust location services technology is now available to locate and track Windows laptops and tablets
• Data Collection – MobiControl can run diagnostics and collect real-time data from Windows 10 devices, including device status, location, and configurable custom data

Users of Apple and Android products are also getting some love as well with the following new features:

• Improved support for Apple’s Volume Purchasing Program

• Improvements to Android for Work via the introduction of support for private apps and advanced policy enforcement.

For more information, SOTI has posted this blog post: www.soti.net/windows10blog

Plus they have a video online that shows their support for Windows 10 in action: