The federal government and the cantons have joined forces for the digital transformation of administrations, as an organization under the name "Digital Administration Switzerland" or DMS for short. The DMS has been operational since January 2022 and shapes the strategic control and coordination of the digitization activities of the federal government, cantons and municipalities. The Noord agency is responsible for the new brand and corporate design of Digital Administration Switzerland. The new brand is intended to represent the values of DVS and stand for digitization and progress. The branding concept includes a trilingual logo, new colors and fonts, and an image concept. The logo combines different aspects: the "CH" and the inverted cross for Switzerland and a reference to pixels for digitalization. If the logo is animated, it additionally symbolizes the merger of eGovernment Switzerland and the Swiss Informatics Conference (SIK). The core themes of Digital Administration Switzerland are represented with new illustrations and used on various channels. The new branding is particularly effective on the website, where animated elements are also used in some cases. In addition, Noord created templates for brochures and office applications.

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Website of the DVS digital-administration-switzerland.ch

As part of Ruag's Innovation Accelerator program, CSA Engineering is one of five start-ups and small companies that are supporting the technology group as a partner in an innovation project within the "Digitization of the Armed Forces" initiative. In the current innovation project, the feasibility of data aggregation by means of system-independent, secured sensors for predictive maintenance ("Predictive Maintenance") was demonstrated on the Infantry Fighting Vehicle 2000. In the next step of the project, the concept will be validated and the focus will be placed in particular on the evaluation of the data using AI algorithms.

Data-based maintenance concepts

Modern maintenance concepts identify optimized maintenance times based on sensor data and digital analytics. This requires meaningful data on the system status and system usage. This data is aggregated with a sensor module and forwarded in a secure manner for further evaluation. Optimized, plannable maintenance results in increased system availability. This can be optimized by means of analytics-based maintenance approaches using statistical methods or AI. CSA Engineering has developed a new module for this purpose, with which meaningful data can be collected with selected sensors, temporarily stored and securely read out at predefined positions via a wireless connection.

Innovation project: Ideas for the safety of tomorrow

Ruag offers selected start-ups and small companies an innovation platform with a strong academic link, technical know-how and established business network in the newly created RIO (Ruag Innovation Organization) unit. Together, innovative ideas are developed to enhance Switzerland's security. By involving start-ups and small businesses in selected initiatives, the company succeeds in bringing innovations to market faster and securing critical technologies for the long term. Partners of the innovation platform benefit from the infrastructure and know-how. In a protected environment with a safe working environment, partners jointly develop new value propositions and innovations. In addition, the innovation partners have access to RUAG's development and production infrastructure - including implementation and professional support from experts. Source: www.csa.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/innovationsprojekt-fuer-schweizer-armee-ruag-setzt-auf-csa-engineering/

m&k: Martin Koncilja, where do you currently see the most important challenges in your functional area? Martin Koncilja: In furniture and electronics retail, we are in a very competitive market with many competitors. On the one hand, there are the brick-and-mortar retailers and, on the other, the online pure players. With my marketing measures, I have to increase the frequency in our 22 stores and bring new customers to our online store Conforama.ch.   Are there any developments in marketing at the moment that you are keeping a particular eye on? The development in retail is clearly moving in the direction of cross- and omni-channel. The best possible link between brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce is also a major concern for me, and this is where I place my focus.   You now also use the Swiss Brand Observer for market monitoring. What needs at Conforama led to this, and why did you choose this tool in particular? In the retail business, everything has to happen quickly, and since Link launched with this great product in September 2021, the timing was perfect for me to jump on the already moving train right away. In order for me to quickly develop Conforama Switzerland's new marketing strategy, I need to know exactly how well Conforama is known and what its image is in Switzerland and in the various language regions at all times. And this is exactly where the Swiss Brand Observer can provide me with important insights, as it continuously shows me how well known our brand is, how our communication and advertising measures are perceived, and in which image attributes our strengths lie.   Has the SBO already been able to provide initial insights, and how do you derive added value from the SBO? The fact that the data is updated weekly and representatively in the SBO gave us the opportunity to quickly and effectively see how Conforama customers and non-customers perceive us and our latest advertising measures. I have already been able to present these very important findings to the management and define initial measures to strengthen our brand image. As I said, there is no time to lose in retail, and we need to permanently know the consumer's point of view, as it is a highly competitive environment.   Can you please summarize again the three strengths of the SBO? Every week, you get the latest market data on the perception of your own brand and competitors, the results can be filtered as you wish (e.g. by region or income) and using the dashboard is child's play.

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You can find more information about the Swiss Brand Observer at Swiss-brand-observer.ch.

You don't have one? Then you are either a woman or very cool. Or both. Brag-List is derived from the English "to brag", which means "to boast", "to show off" or "to act important". In (antiquated) German, one speaks of Prahlhans and not of Prahljohanna, because men just seem to have it. For people who suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and thus constantly question their own abilities, a Brag List is helpful. Unfortunately, these are often women, because bragging tends to be seen as attractive self-confidence in men, but tends to be interpreted as inappropriate bitching and aggressive behavior in women. High time to put a stop to that. Not before briefly clarifying why this is so, however. Franziska Schutzbach gets to the heart of the matter in her current bestseller, "The Exhaustion of Women": to this day, women are often brought up to be less self-important. We experience the consequence of this every day in meetings and brainstorming sessions, when their ideas fail because of an unconscious bias on everyone's part (men and women), or - even worse - are adopted by men, clients and bosses without citation. That changes when you keep a Brag List.

Cheat sheet to show off

The idea is gender-neutral, but software developer Julia Evans still describes the method as "career gold for women." She even includes a template on how to create a Brag List on her blog. The idea that good work automatically earns recognition is naive. The practice is much more complicated and frustrating. Like this: You accomplish something important or great, only to find out later that others are rewarded for it. Most of the time, this happens because people have not understood or do not want to remember who is behind it. Women can tell you a thing or two about it. Agencies as well. That is, when the customer declares their ideas to be his own. So rather bragging than complaining? Why not? The first step is to document everything that has been done. On a brag list. Because otherwise it will be forgotten, especially by those people with low self-esteem. So instead of getting annoyed afterwards, when once again a braggart gets the credit, it's better to pull out the list at the decisive moment and be ready. But it's even cooler not to have a list and just confidently do your own thing.

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* Benno Maggi is co-founder and CEO of Partner & Partner. He has been eavesdropping on the industry for over 30 years, discovering words and terms for us that can either be used for small talk, pomposity, excitement, playing Scrabble, or just because.

ISO turns 75: When ISO held its first meeting in 1947, countries around the world were in reconstruction. People at the time were looking for ways to turn a bad situation into something positive. "With courage and enthusiasm, they set out to find the most efficient techniques to promote the most effective technology. The answer they found was ISO standards," the International Organization for Standardization, as ISO is known by its full name, writes today. In its 75 years of existence, the organization has become the world's largest developer and publisher of international standards. It is a network of national standards bodies from 167 countries with a central secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.

Under the spell of rapid change

But Ulrika Francke, president of ISO, doesn't just look back at the organization's history. "Today, our world is facing the greatest challenges of all time. We will continue to work to promote the benefits of standards and develop new ones when needed, using our proven system of transparency and international consensus," she is quoted as saying. And ISO Secretary General Sergio Mujica also says: "As we celebrate the achievements of the past 75 years, we look to the future. The pace of change has continued to accelerate, and ISO is helping to drive and guide that evolution."

ISO standards are now part of everyday life

When the organization was founded, it was not just about overcoming technical challenges, but about a new way of working together. The ISO system was created on the basis of the idea that every voice must be heard if we are to find a way to live and work together successfully. There are now 24197 ISO standards as proof of the success of this idea. They cover everything from the basic aspects of the built world to the cloud technology that allows you to read this. Over the past 75 years, ISO standards have become integrated into almost every aspect of our lives. ISO standards are voluntary and not regulations or laws, although countries can decide to adopt ISO-developed standards as regulations or refer to them in laws. More information: www.iso.org

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/die-iso-wird-75/

Founded in 1912, the "Elektrizitätswerk des Kantons Thurgau" has been supplying Thurgau with energy for over a century. Over the years, in addition to the areas of grids, energy and production & buildings, a further business area "Digital Services" has been added. This increasingly important business area was to be reflected in the new branding. The data area needed an appropriate place in the appearance. At the same time, the brand's overall appearance was to become louder, more modern and more meaningful. The Koch agency designed and implemented the desired change together with the client.

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Responsible at EKT: Marc Senn (Marketing and Sales Manager), Dominique Lambert (Communications Specialist / Content Marketing Manager). Responsible agency: Agencychef.ch.    

Without air traffic control, today's dense air traffic would probably be in complete chaos. Skyguide is responsible for aviation safety in Switzerland. With its 1,500 employees at 14 locations, it ensures safe, efficient and sustainable air traffic management in Switzerland and the neighboring areas of neighboring countries, probably the busiest airspace in Europe.

In the beginning there was Guglielmo Marconi

This year, air traffic control in Switzerland celebrates its 100th anniversary. It all started with Marconi Radio AG, a subsidiary of the company of inventor and radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi. It was founded a hundred years ago, on February 23, 1922, to develop wireless telegraphy - the birth of Swiss air traffic control. On May 10, 1928, the company name was changed to Radio Schweiz AG to emphasize its Swiss character. And on January 1, 1931, the Swiss Confederation entrusted Radio Schweiz with the provision of air traffic control services in Switzerland. Since then, aviation has undergone a great development. In the second half of the last century, the airplane was able to establish itself worldwide as an efficient means of mass transportation for passengers and freight.

Air traffic control made today's development of aviation possible

A decisive factor in this was also the technological development by air traffic control, which ensured flying at all times of the day and in virtually all weather conditions by means of communication, navigation and monitoring systems. In 1987, most of Radio Schweiz AG's non-aviation-related business was transferred or sold to Swiss Post and private companies, and the remainder was subsequently transferred to the company Swisscontrol. In 2001, following a decision by the Federal Council, Skyguide was founded with the aim of integrating civil and military air traffic control. The company is majority-owned by the Swiss Confederation and has its headquarters in Geneva. "Aviation has undergone a fundamental evolution over the last 100 years. As a result, we will be implementing innovative solutions such as the Virtual Centre in the coming years, which will continue to have a major impact on air navigation services in the future," says a delighted Alex Bristol, CEO of Skyguide. Skyguide is now marking this centenary with a range of activities throughout the year: With simple local events at the 14 skyguide locations in Switzerland for employees and the media, through a publication as well as with a YouTube series and social media campaigns, which bring the daily work and the services of air navigation services closer. Source and further information: Skyguide

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/sicherheit-in-der-luftfahrt-100-jahre-schweizer-flugsicherung/

The discrepancy between a company's expectations and the IT department's ability to meet them has never been greater. This is evident from the Veeam Data Protection Trends Report 2022 highlights. This report, for which more than 3,000 IT decision-makers worldwide were surveyed, found that 89 percent of companies do not adequately protect their data. In addition, 88 percent of IT executives would expect budgets for data protection to increase more than IT spending in general. Data is simply becoming more and more important to business success, and the challenges of protecting that data are becoming more and more complex. This makes it all the more striking that there is still a kind of data backup emergency in many places.

The data protection gap is widening

Respondents said their data backup capabilities are not keeping up with the demands of the business. The large discrepancy mentioned at the outset between the amount of lost data that can be accommodated after an outage and how often data is backed up has increased by 13 percent over the past 12 months. This indicates that the amount and importance of data continues to increase, but so do the challenges of protecting that data in a satisfactory manner. This is primarily due to the fact that the challenges companies face in backing up data are immense and becoming more diverse. For the second year in a row, cyber attacks were also the leading cause of downtime. Seventy-six percent of organizations reported at least one ransomware event in the last 12 months. Not only is the frequency of these incidents alarming, but so is their magnitude. Per attack, organizations were unable to recover 36 percent of their lost data, proving that data protection strategies are currently unable to help organizations prevent, remediate and recover from as well as after ransomware attacks. "The best way to ensure data is protected and recoverable in the event of a ransomware attack is to work with a specialized third-party vendor and invest in an automated and orchestrated solution that protects the myriad data centers and cloud-based production platforms that businesses of all sizes rely on today," said Danny Allan, CTO at Veeam.

Companies face a data backup emergency

To close the gap between data protection capabilities and the growing threat landscape, organizations will spend about 6 percent more annually on data protection than on general IT investments. While this will do little to reverse the trend of data protection needs outstripping existing ability to implement them, it is positive to see business leaders recognizing the urgent need for modern data protection. As the cloud continues on its path to becoming the dominant data platform, 67 percent of organizations are already using cloud services as part of their data protection strategy, while 56 percent are already using containers in production or plan to do so in the next 12 months. Platform diversity will increase in 2022, with the balance between data centers (52 percent) and cloud servers (48 percent) converging. This is one reason 21 percent of organizations rank the ability to protect workloads deployed in the cloud as the most important enterprise data protection purchase criteria in 2022. Thirty-nine percent believe IaaS and SaaS capabilities are the critical attribute for modern data protection. You can find more information at https://www.veeam.com/de

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/datensicherungs-notstand-budgets-fuer-cybersicherheit-steigen/

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/linkedin-als-neue-quelle-fuer-phishing/

Automated workforce planning creates more transparency: Since the beginning of the year, the production plans for the total of 300 product variations of the Swiss chocolate wafer manufacturer Kägi Söhne AG in Lichtensteig, St.Gallen, which were created with the help of a mathematical model, have been loaded into the workforce planning system, with which suitable personnel schedules are created in each case within three minutes on the basis of various components. For this purpose, work schedules are stored in the system that define how much time and how many employees are needed to produce a certain quantity of a specific product. In the next step of the automation process, a special matrix was stored with the qualifications and a corresponding role assignment, on the basis of which the defined requirements for the production of each product group can be met.

Automated employee scheduling leads to higher satisfaction

Professional skills are one production component. Equally important is the availability of individual employees. The digitalized Kägi employee planning system therefore records working hours (full/part-time), hourly wages, availability for overtime, vacation days and specific blocked days, each of which can be automatically taken into account during planning for each order. The system also records the assignment of employees to the one to three shifts with which Kägi operates, depending on workload and product line. Numerical coding enables fair variation between shifts here. The result: employee scheduling, which previously took up to a working day, is now available within a few minutes. "Especially when it comes to working hours, time balances and shift assignment, automated employee planning brings more transparency and fairness," explains Pascal Grin, COO of Kägi Söhne AG. "Comprehensible decisions ensure greater employee satisfaction in the long run. The feedback on automated workforce planning is positive, not least because our teams now receive their shift plans directly after completion of the production schedules and thus twelve hours earlier, without the previous one-day delay."

First step: process of self-analysis

For automation to achieve such time savings and optimized processes, companies must always first go through a process of self-analysis. "Automation means questioning the system and finding a set of rules on the basis of which artificial intelligence works," says Memo Dener, CEO of axeed AG, which is accompanying Kägi on the path to "Smart Factory 2024." "The bottom line is that this leads to more than just the desired implementation of more efficient operations through automated processes. Companies get to know their processes, resources and opportunities better, which is an important basis for constant progress and further development." After production and employee planning, the next step at Kägi is real-time monitoring of machines so that the benefits of the automation processes already implemented can also be continued in this area. Source and further information: axeed AG and Kägi Sons AG

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/automatisierte-mitarbeiterplanung-fuer-die-smart-factory/

Recognition for outstanding ethical performance in business: this is the Swiss Ethics Award, which will be presented by the Swiss Excellence Forum on May 11, 2022. The presentation of the Swiss Ethics Award 2022 will take place during the Future Leadership Forum at the KKL Luzern.

The Swiss Ethics Model

Behind the Swiss Ethics Award is the Swiss Ethics Model, a methodology for evaluating and developing the ethical performance of organizations in business, administration and society. This model was developed on a scientific basis and is closely related to the UN's sustainability goals. The Swiss Ethics Model can be used as a steering tool to achieve these sustainability goals. Overall, the model combines ethical standards into a systemic management approach and aims to create sustainable benefits for the own organization as well as the relevant stakeholders.

The five nominated projects for the Swiss Ethics Award 2022

With this in mind, the jury reviewed the projects submitted for the Swiss Ethics Award. The application deadline for companies and organizations was the end of September 2021. From the projects received, the jury nominated the five best. Who will win the award will be decided on May 11, 2022 in the KKL Luzern.

• Energie 360° AG, Zurich: Climate-positive wood-fired power plant "Bioenergie Frauenfeld". Energie360° and Schweizer Zucker AG founded Bioenergie Frauenfeld to produce renewable energy with a climate-positive wood-fired power plant: Wood gas is extracted from residual wood, which is used to power generators for heat and electricity. The carbon produced during wood gasification can be used in agriculture for soil improvement or as a feed additive. The carbon is thus not released into the atmosphere as CO2. Thus, the wood-fired power plant has a CO2-negative and thus climate-positive effect.
• Hunziker Partner AG, Winterthur: Founded in 1932, this family-owned company can justifiably be called a pioneer in sustainable corporate management and has already won various prizes, such as the Esprix Swiss Award for Excellence. In its current project, Hunziker Partner AG is committed to an eco-social market economy and the development of its employees. With the "Hunziker Campus", a training concept was created in which apprentices and employees are not only developed professionally, but also gain knowledge in the areas of resources, society and people.
• Recycling-Paradies AG with project "Back to my independent life in paradise", Reinach AG: Recycling-Paradies is committed to the sustainable use of resources and offers uncomplicated disposal options. With the project "Im Paradies zurück in mein eigenständiges Leben" (Back to my independent life in paradise), the family-owned company gives people with an impairment, a migration background or an addiction the chance to get back into a regular structure through a job and to find their place in society again.
• Tide Ocean SA with #tide ocean material®, Basel: This project is about combating marine pollution from plastic waste, especially in Southeast Asia. There, fishermen who have lost their original source of income collect plastic from the sea and are compensated for it at ten times the current market price. Social enterprises sort and process the collected plastic. The collected plastic is fed back into the material cycle in the form of more durable products such as watches, floors, chairs or in the form of plastic granulates for the plastic processing industry.
• yourharvest AG with "Happy Hazelnut Project", Baden: Yourharvest is a sourcing partner for plant-based foods from around the world. The project "Happy Hazelnut" project is about socially and environmentally responsible hazelnut production in Turkey. Child labor and difficult conditions under which the harvesters have to live often form the problematic background for the hazelnuts available in our trade. Yourharvest is now committed to fighting child labor and improving working conditions. Thus, social and ecological cultivation standards have been set for farmers, traceability is guaranteed, and proper working and comfortable living conditions are ensured. An external inspection body audits compliance with the Happy Hazelnut standards annually.

Forum for future-oriented corporate management

According to Werner von Allmen (see following interview), sustainability - or better: future viability - is more than ever a central management principle. Accordingly, the "Future Leadership Forum" and the presentation of the Swiss Ethics Award on May 11, 2022, will focus on future-oriented corporate management. Current challenges of the future will be discussed with top-class guests, such as the historian Dr. Philipp Blom or the space researcher Prof. em. Kathrin Altwegg, the Jesuit Dr. Christian Rutishauser and Michael Brenner, Member of the Executive Board of Weleda. Registrations are now possible at www.swiss-excellence-forum.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/swiss-ethics-award-2022-fuenf-ethische-und-nachhaltige-projekte/

The company Atos has unveiled the new BullSequana XH3000, an exascale-class supercomputer. Computers of this scale can perform up to a trillion calculations per second (1 ExaFlop). This computing power will enable leading scientists and researchers to make further advances in areas such as weather forecasting and climate change, new drug discovery and genomics. The supercomputer was developed and built by Atos at its factory in Angers, France. It is said to be this manufacturer's most efficient and powerful system to date. According to Atos, this development plays a key role in keeping important knowledge and expertise in the field of high-performance computing in Europe. The new supercomputer plays an important role in securing digital and economic sovereignty.

Strengthening digital and economic sovereignty

Because governments, public institutions and private sector companies are making sovereignty a priority: it's about realizing the full potential of their data while protecting it at all costs. With the BullSequana XH3000 and expertise in both the. sovereign cloud as well as with the Cybersecurity, there is now a way to gain control over the data they generate and share.

Supercomputer sets new technical standards

The increasing volume and complexity of data means that there is an exponential demand for computing power. There is no other way to meet new challenges facing humanity, such as global warming and the Covid 19 pandemic. The BullSequana XH3000 will be able to deliver unprecedented computing power: With up to six times the performance of the previous version - and at every performance level, including exascale. This will be achieved using advanced hybrid computing technology to combine CPUs and GPUs with AI and even quantum computing hardware for use in traditional scientific simulations.

"Green" technology

In addition, the new supercomputer is very energy-efficient. An eco-design and architecture focused on sustainability ensure this, Atos informs. In addition to the patented DLC (Direct Liquid Cooling) solution, which offers more than 50 percent additional cooling capacity compared to previous generations, particular attention was paid to a completely environmentally friendly product life cycle. This ranges from the procurement of raw materials and manufacturing to testing, transport, disposal and recycling.

Compatibility guaranteed

The BullSequana XH3000 combines the latest and most sophisticated technologies, network components as well as communication systems. It is powered by the most advanced CPU and GPU processor and accelerator architectures from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA and last but not least the European microprocessor from SiPearl powered. It has improved power consumption and computing power, enabling faster and more efficient large-scale scientific simulations. Thanks to the OpenSequana architecture, the system is fully compatible with all future blade and interconnect technologies and can be easily expanded as needed. With a security-by-design approach that combines vulnerability monitoring and threat anticipation, the BullSequana XH3000 ensures that data is fully protected. The BullSequana XH3000 is expected to be available in Q4 2022.

The supercomputer in detail

• Higher performance: Up to six times the computing power per m² and best computing power per m² on the market

• Fully scalable: With a configuration of 1PFlops up to 1 ExaFlops for digital simulations and up to 10 ExaFlops for AI applications (once next-generation processors are on the market)

• Flexibility: The system can integrate the latest processors from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA and the planned European EPI processor. These achieve up to 1000W and more, offering improved performance compared to today's 350W systems.

• Ready for today and the future: Supports today's most sophisticated technologies and future technologies (including future processors that will be released in the next six years)

• Energy efficiency: Improved 4th generation Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC): To keep up with the consumption of the latest CPU and GPU generation, the system has 50 percent more cooling capacity than previous generations.

• Designed for "traditional" digital simulations and accelerated hybrid computations with HPC, AI, and quantum convergence.

• The first generation of Atos supercomputers to support a wide range of communication networks including BXI, High Speed Ethernet and HDR & NDR InfiniBand.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/supercomputer-der-exascale-klasse/