"Unlocking Potential: How Open Data Initiatives are Shaping the Future Across Industries and Regions"
Amplitude Appoints First Chief Engineering Officer to Accelerate Product Innovation
Amplitude, a prominent digital analytics platform, has announced the appointment of Wade Chambers as its inaugural Chief Engineering Officer (CEO). With over 25 years of engineering leadership experience, Chambers will spearhead Amplitude s Engineering division and bolster its product innovation capabilities. This development comes after the recent launch of Amplitude Made Easy, Snowflake Native Amplitude, and enhanced data governance features. Chambers, who has been an advisor to Amplitude since 2016, brings a wealth of knowledge in the digital analytics sector. He has previously held leadership roles at Included Health, Twitter, Proofpoint, Yahoo, Opsware, and Netscape. His expertise in driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and delivering impactful results at leading technology companies will be instrumental in expanding Amplitude s integrated platform, which currently includes Analytics, Session Replay, CDP, and Experiment. Amplitude CEO and co-founder, Spenser Skates, expressed his enthusiasm for Chambers joining the company in-house. Skates highlighted Chambers first-principles thinking, mentorship, and engineering leadership skills, which are crucial for the company s growth stage. Chambers appointment aligns with Amplitude s mission to help companies unlock the power of their products by providing self-service visibility into the entire customer journey. With more than 3,200 customers, including Atlassian, NBCUniversal, Under Armour, Shopify, and Jersey Mike s, relying on Amplitude, the company aims to guide them in capturing trustworthy data, uncovering clear insights about customer behavior, and taking faster action. For more information about Amplitude and its platform, please visit amplitude.com. Back to Press About Amplitude Amplitude is a leading digital analytics platform that assists companies in understanding their customers, building exceptional products, and driving growth. With over 3,200 customers, including Atlassian, NBCUniversal, Under Armour, Shopify, and Jersey Mike s, Amplitude enables them to gain self-service visibility
Source: marketscreener.com
Published on 2024-10-03
Call for applications now open : exclusive online training on data governance in South and Southeast Asia LIRNEasia
LIRNEasia announces an online training program on Data Governance in South and Southeast Asia, scheduled for December 10-11, 2024. The program aims to educate early to mid-career professionals on data governance laws and policies in the region, with a focus on influencing policy and communicating research to policymakers. Participants will gain insights into data governance frameworks, best practices, and policy-making processes in countries like India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan. The training is free but requires participants to commit to two half-day sessions and post-course evaluations. Selected participants will be part of a network of policy intellectuals working on data governance in the region. LIRNEasia, supported by the International Development Research Center, Canada, will provide resources and expertise for the program. Interested individuals should apply by October 16, 2024, through the provided link. Selection will be based on past work in digital policy-making and the potential impact of the training on their work. The program seeks to build a cohort of policy intellectuals in the region, with LIRNEasia committed to nurturing this group and creating opportunities for further engagement.
Source: lirneasia.net
Published on 2024-10-03
Iran military spending surge : A reflection of global militarization amid escalating regional conflicts
Iran s defense budget is projected to reach USD 16.7 billion in 2024, marking a 20% increase from the previous year and accounting for 25% of the national budget. This rise in military spending occurs amidst economic struggles, including soaring inflation and declining purchasing power. Iran s defense priorities are influenced by regional dynamics, such as the Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon, and rivalry with countries like Saudi Arabia. Israel s military budget has grown by 24% in 2023, driven by its campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon. Saudi Arabia remains the largest military spender in West Asia, leveraging its oil wealth. Iran faces challenges in keeping up with expenditure due to economic sanctions and inflation. The US–Iran confrontation and the US military presence in the region also contribute to Iran s military buildup. A significant portion of Iran s defense budget is allocated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which controls a vast network of businesses and industries. The IRGC s economic activities generate additional unreported revenues, making it difficult to assess the full scale of Iran s military funding. This situation reflects a global trend of rising military expenditures, particularly in regions experiencing escalating conflicts. Countries are diverting significant resources to the military at the expense of social spending, revealing a global prioritization of military security in an increasingly volatile world. The surge in military spending across West Asia, Europe, and East Asia reflects a world heading toward greater instability, driven by the failure of the UN and its institutions to provide peace, diplomacy, and conflict prevention. States are prioritizing military strength but risk an action–reaction spiral in the increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape.
Source: globalvoices.org
Published on 2024-10-03
MBTA to give some bus drivers turn - by - turn directions on routes
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) launched the NextGen Bus Navigation Pilot Program on October 2, 2024, to enhance service for riders by providing turn-by-turn directions to bus drivers. The initiative, a collaboration with Swiftly, a transit technology company, involves equipping 100 buses with tablets that offer visual and audible step-by-step directions, similar to Google Maps. The program aims to assist bus drivers in navigating detours and other road challenges in real-time. It combines the MBTA s in-house bus dispatching app with a tool developed by Swiftly. The MBTA s General Manager and CEO, Phillip Eng, emphasized the importance of using technology to empower dispatchers and operators to make timely decisions and improve travel reliability for riders. In addition to the tablets, the pilot program introduces new features in the MBTA s internal app, allowing bus dispatchers to draw and share detours with inspectors and other staff in real-time across the system. The transit agency plans to extend the program to all bus garages and provide real-time bus detour information to riders after evaluating the pilot over the fall and winter. The MBTA has hired over 350 new operators in the past year, and the pilot program is expected to boost their confidence and enable them to learn more routes and cover trips that would otherwise be dropped. The initiative demonstrates the MBTA s commitment to improving bus service and supporting its workforce in delivering reliable travel for riders.
Source: boston.com
Published on 2024-10-03
ODNI Establishes National Security Data and Policy Institute in Partnership with the University of Virginia
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has announced a pioneering partnership with the University of Virginia (UVA) to establish the National Security Data and Policy Institute (NSDPI). This collaboration aims to advance the Intelligence Community s (IC) use of emerging technologies for data collection, analysis, and management, which is vital for the IC s foreign intelligence mission. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines emphasized the importance of this partnership, highlighting the need for collaboration between the IC and academia to better understand national security issues. The partnership will help identify and leverage open-source data of utmost value to national security, while also sharing insights with industry partners to facilitate collaboration on critical national security matters. University of Virginia President Jim Ryan expressed gratitude for the ODNI s investment in UVA and their confidence in the university s research and leadership capabilities. The partnership aligns with the 2023 National Intelligence Strategy, which calls for the IC to work with a broad set of partners to enhance operational capabilities, enrich data sources, and sharpen insights in response to the increasingly complex and evolving global operating environment. The NSDPI will focus on addressing security and policy challenges facing the nation by capitalizing on academic strengths from across the University. This collaboration will enable the IC to better understand and respond to new threats, such as cybersecurity challenges, by utilizing advanced analytic tools and artificial intelligence. The ODNI s announcement of the NSDPI partnership with UVA marks a significant step in strengthening the Intelligence Community s ability to effectively utilize emerging technologies and open-source data to support national security objectives. For more information on the partnership and its implications for national security, interested parties can join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list. Word Count: 349
Source: globalsecurity.org
Published on 2024-10-03
Revitalized project will offer Alaskans energy data access
The University of Alaska (UA) is set to revitalize the Alaska Energy Data Gateway, a project aimed at providing equitable access to Alaska s energy data and analytics. This three-year initiative, supported by the Alaska Legislature, involves collaboration between UA Fairbanks Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) and UA Anchorage s Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER). The project will enhance the gateway, which contains comprehensive energy and socioeconomic data from across Alaska, enabling communities, researchers, and energy project developers to make informed decisions. The Alaska Energy Authority s Alaska Energy Security Task Force recommended the data-gathering effort in its 2023 report. The datasets document electrical generation capacity, energy production, fuel costs, and metrics on human, technical, and financial capacity. The gateway was first released in 2013 as part of a collaborative ACEP-ISER research program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. The project aims to develop new techniques for data-sharing, revitalize critical technology, and improve distribution. It will also work with state agency partners to support the accessibility and documentation of Alaska s energy data. Partners in the project include ACEP, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the Department of Commerce, and ISER. Gwen Holdmann, a senior researcher at ACEP and UAF associate vice chancellor for research, innovation, and industry partnerships, expressed excitement about the state of Alaska recognizing the value of this resource and investing in its revitalization. For more information, contact Elizabeth Dobbins at 907-474-5402 or eldobbins@alaska.edu. (Word count: 299)
Source: uaf.edu
Published on 2024-10-03
Starburst Appoints Steve Williamson as General Manager of Europe , Middle East , and Africa
Starburst, an open data lakehouse company, has announced the appointment of Steve Williamson as SVP and General Manager to lead its growth in the EMEA region. The company aims to address the increasing demand for AI and ML technologies in Europe, offering hybrid solutions that enable secure and efficient data access across on-premises and cloud IT environments. Steve Williamson brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously served as General Manager of EMEA at Apptio and held executive positions at Acquia, Demandware/Salesforce, DELL/EMC, and Oracle. With over 20 years in the industry, he has successfully delivered innovative technology to EMEA customers. Starburst s Trino and Apache Iceberg (Icehouse) technology simplifies access to enterprise data in hybrid, on-premises, and multi-cloud architectures. This enables European enterprises to navigate data privacy, security, and compliance challenges while meeting market demands. The company s platform empowers organizations like Comcast, Halliburton, Vectra, EMIS Health, and top global banks to democratize data access, enhance analytics performance, and improve architecture optionality. Starburst s Open Hybrid Lakehouse enables enterprises globally to discover and utilize their data for AI and other critical applications, such as anti-money laundering, fraud analytics, customer 360, log analytics, and ESG reporting. For more information, visit Starburst s website at https://www.starburst.io/. Starburst has a vast network of over 440k+ newsrooms, 9k+ digital media outlets, and 270k+ journalists who have opted in for updates and insights. SOURCE: Starburst
Source: prnewswire.com
Published on 2024-10-03
State Grid Jining Power Supply Company : Charging station installation one - stop home service
On October 1, Dong Wenhao from Yujing Garden Community in Jinxiang County, Jining City, Shandong Province, reported and installed a charging pile for his new energy vehicle through the Love Shandong App, providing only his name, address, telephone number, and ID number. The installation process, which previously required multiple steps and time-consuming visits to various departments, has been streamlined through a joint initiative by State Grid Jining Power Supply Company, Jining Approval Bureau, and Jining Energy Bureau. The one-stop reform simplifies the installation procedures by issuing a green channel policy for communities that meet technical standards for electric vehicle charging facilities. Residents can now sign a Personal Charging Pile Operation Green Channel Community Operation Agreement with local power supply stations, eliminating the need for property management stamp confirmation. To further ease the process, State Grid Jining Power Supply Company has collaborated with various departments to open data ports and integrate government service systems with their power supply systems. Residents can now apply for charging pile installation through the Love Shandong app or Shandong Government Service Network with a single click, without the need to submit identity proof or real estate ownership certificates. Additionally, the company has addressed the challenge of charging infrastructure in new residential areas by implementing 48 charging pile supporting power grid projects. Service windows have also been set up in power supply business halls and government service centers for nearby residents. The simplified charging pile installation process has been recognized as one of the Top Ten Innovative Typical Cases in municipal government services, and State Grid Jining Power Supply Company has achieved significant results in benefiting people s livelihoods, expanding consumption, and promoting development. Since the beginning of the year, the company has installed 24,000 charging piles, with sales exceeding 52 million kilowatt hours, ranking third in the province.
Source: thailand-business-news.com
Published on 2024-10-03