In everyday life, we are constantly confronted with numbers. With all these prices, discounts, quantities and percentages, many of us quickly lose our bearings. But what happens to our brain in the process? It looks for lifelines that establish a relationship.

The second installment of "In a Nudgeshell" on the anchor effect, released Thursday, explains how it can distort or positively influence the perception of numbers.

Bühler & Bühler launched the ten-part podcast at the end of August. Here it goes to the Interview with Werbewoche.ch.

Starting Friday, the Digital Festival will welcome its visitors in Hall 550 in Zurich-Oerlikon. On more than 3,000 square meters, pioneers and decision-makers from business, politics and society will exchange ideas on the central topics and most relevant trends of digitalization.

For the first time, the Digital Festiåval invites the general public to experience the digital future up close on Saturday. At the same time, the best tech talents will compete for 40 hours at HackZurich in Europe's largest hybrid hackathon.

The branding of the two events was consolidated to make the most of communicative synergies. The key visual of the Digital Festival dramatizes the credo of the event: The focus is not on technology per se, but on the people who develop, implement and use it. This symbiosis is illustrated by a digital testimonial from the virtual pen of CGI artists ROLI Deluxe.

Responsible at Digital Festival/HackZurich: Ralph Roos (Head of Digital Festival & HackZurich), Jeannine Müller (Social Media & Communications), Marinna Schmid (Program & Event Manager). Strategy, concept and creation: Pop Creative Services, Roli Hofer, Michi Benz. CGI design/production: Roli Deluxe.

After Bergbahnen Lenzerheide had presented the second-best result in the company's history a month earlier with a profit of CHF 12.4 million (EBITDA), the vacation region's result now followed in September.

This was successful despite a small minus, Daniel Stiefel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of LMS, was quoted as saying in the press release. The last winter was very demanding because of the weather. Nevertheless, the number of overnight stays and first-time admissions to the ski resort of Arosa Lenzerheide were significantly above the pre-Covid 19 level and the 5-year comparison.

For the future, it is important to reduce the dependence on natural snow, to further diversify the winter offer and to communicate with the guests in a timely manner. In the background of the past business year, LMS therefore developed a strategic plan until 2030.

The focus is on the qualitative expansion of the offers in the areas of alpine skiing, biking, Nordic and hiking. Accordingly, the dimensions of sustainability, upgrading of the local centers, and the creation of living space for locals and staff are also important elements of the plan. (SDA)

Generative AI is already a great help for numerous tasks in everyday work. It answers questions, creates texts for marketing, translates emails and documents, and even optimizes source code. So it's no wonder that employees are eager to use these tools to make their work easier and more productive. However, this creates risks for data security in the company: Confidential or personal data can easily end up in ChatGPT, Bard or Copilot and thus possibly even in the replies for other users. Finally, providers use not only data available on the web, but also user input to train their AI models and improve their responses.

Firewall against data leaks: not an ideal solution

If companies don't want to lose control of their data, they have to take action. The easiest way is to train employees in the security-conscious use of generative AI, but mistakes happen - in the hustle and bustle of everyday work, attention can lapse so that employees still upload sensitive data to the services. That's why some companies choose to firewall the URLs of the various AI tools, but that's not an ideal solution either. For one thing, the blocks do not provide sufficient protection because employees can easily bypass them by accessing the services from outside the corporate network. For another, companies hinder their workforce from working productively and potentially cause frustration. 

Zero trust approach as an alternative

To regulate access to AI tools and protect data, companies would be better off adopting a zero-trust approach. Here, security solutions such as Secure Web Gateway (SWG) and Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) ensure that only approved services are used, and only by authorized employees - regardless of where they are located and what device they are using. A central policy set reduces management overhead and makes it easier to prevent security breaches across all AI tools, communication channels, and devices.

In addition, consistent control of the data provided by the services is necessary. Only when companies recognize that employees are in the process of sharing personal data or source code with intellectual property via chat or file upload with the AI tools, for example, can they put a stop to this. This requires classification of data and policies that regulate and monitor how the data is handled. Data loss prevention (DLP) solutions combine both and minimize setup effort because they come with ready-made classifications for a wide range of data and a large set of predefined policies. 

Focus on data worth protecting

In addition, companies usually do not need to classify their entire data stock - it is enough to focus on the data that needs to be protected. The individual departments usually know exactly what the data is and can provide examples: customer lists, presentations, contracts, code snippets. DLP solutions analyze these and are then able to reliably identify similar data. Depending on how sensitive the data is, they allow for graduated responses: For less critical data, it is usually sufficient to notify the employee of a possible data security breach; for more important data, approval by the supervisor may be required, while the upload of particularly sensitive information is blocked directly.

"ChatGPT and other AI tools solve even complex tasks within seconds. This is extremely convenient in everyday work, but can lead to data breaches if employees accidentally enter confidential or personal data into the services," emphasizes Frank Limberger, Data & Insider Threat Security Specialist at IT security service provider Forcepoint. "With DLP, organizations can reliably protect their data without restricting the use of AI tools, which would inevitably impact employee productivity and motivation. The solutions can be deployed faster than companies often assume, delivering initial results in just a few days or weeks."

Source: Forcepoint

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/chatgpt-co-wie-koennen-unternehmen-datenlecks-vermeiden/

Swiss consumers are paying increasing attention to offers when planning their purchases - and increasingly doing so digitally. This is the finding of the Shopper Guide 2023 by Bring! Labs AG, operator of the shopping app Bring! Every year, the Swiss company analyzes the shopping behavior of Swiss consumers on the basis of anonymized shopping lists from the Bring! app and a survey among its users.

Offers are playing an increasingly important role in shopping planning - from the choice of brands and products (46 percent) to ultimately the choice of store (42 percent). The Swiss inform themselves digitally about current offers; almost one in two (49 percent) use brochure apps, websites or offer newsletters for their shopping planning. But other factors beyond price also have an influence on long-term shopping behavior - for example, zero waste (31 percent) emerged as an important factor for the first time.

80 percent pay attention to the price

A trend is continuing: The Swiss are increasingly looking at money when planning their purchases. For example, 80 percent currently pay attention to product prices when shopping. Current offers are also becoming increasingly important: While they were very important for 36 percent in 2022, this figure rose again significantly to 46 percent in 2023 and thus includes almost half of all Swiss consumers. A development that is certainly due to the sharp rise in consumer goods prices as a result of inflation. Almost half of consumers (46 percent) also choose certain brands and products on the basis of current offers and promotions; 42 percent even select which store they store in on this basis.

To save money, the Swiss prepare their purchases well: For almost one in three (31 percent), extensive study of advertising brochures is an integral part of their weekly planning. More and more are making use of digital options. Around half (49 percent) of those surveyed said they find out about current offers and special promotions online, whether via brochure apps, social media, newsletters or special websites. For three quarters (75 percent) of those surveyed, digital formats have a clear advantage: thanks to the smartphone, they are always at hand and can therefore also be viewed while on the move.

For 45 percent, the ecological aspect also plays a role in their choice of digital handouts. Overall, the Swiss:in plan around one to two purchases per week.

The Shopper Guide 2023 stands here ready for download.

The Lucerne Festival Orchestra has played a special role in the success of this year's summer festival. The orchestra has played a major role in shaping the festival with symphony and chamber music concerts - and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The long-term success of the Lucerne Festival is an expression of excellent and innovative artistic direction as well as carefully selected international artists and musicians of the highest quality. At the same time, it is an example of consistent brand management - with the right, even courageous decisions at the right moment.

MetaDesign has been supporting the festival in all aspects of brand management since 2001 - from renaming it the Lucerne Festival to rebranding it during the pandemic and creating ongoing communication measures.

Michael Haefliger, artistic director of the Lucerne Festival, and André Stauffer, creative director at MetaDesign, answered questions about the festival.

Michael Haefliger, what prompted the change of name from Lucerne International Music Festival to Lucerne Festival in 2001?

Michael Haefliger: With the opening of the KKL Luzern by architect Jean Nouvel in 1998, a cultural setting in a new dimension had become reality. In this we recognized the opportunity to rebrand the International Music Festival, to give it the resonance it deserved and to build a global brand in the long term. The renaming to Lucerne Festival was the starting point. This step required a lot of courage from everyone involved - as so often in the last 20 years. Today we know without a doubt that it was the right step - and the prelude to something great.

What made you decide to focus so strongly on the brand for the Lucerne Festival cultural institution right from the start?

From the very beginning, we had the ambition to become one of the leading classical music festivals internationally. That's why we decided to invest all our communicative power in the brand and establish it internationally - a long-term strategy. The alternative would have been to intensify the communication of individual offerings, but that was not an option for us at the time. Today, we reach visitors and musicians from all over the world and can call ourselves one of the most renowned international classical music festivals without false arrogance.

From the very beginning, the Lucerne Festival brand has also set special visual accents. What is the claim? What role do key visuals, colorfulness, the play with contrasts play?

André Stauffer: A very large role. The most striking thing is the colorfulness of the brand. It reflects the liveliness and topicality of classical music. It conveys festival character, the joy of music, youthfulness and freshness. We deliberately let these colors, as well as subjects, clash with each other. In this way, we bring together opposites that are real at the Lucerne Festival: People from metropolises visiting Central Switzerland, orchestras from all over the world amidst the picturesque backdrop of mountains and Lake Lucerne. A visuality that stimulates, provokes and inspires.

Every minute that a company is offline is not only expensive, but also entails other problems. For example, it is difficult to restore a company's reputation if it is unavailable to its customers due to problems. To prevent this, it makes sense to set up a concrete business continuity plan. That way, in the event of a disaster, such as a ransomware attack or a natural disaster, everyone responsible in the company knows what to do. And it ensures that the company has the necessary resources to keep operations running.

The following 6 steps can be used to develop a business continuity plan.

1. risk assessment

Regardless of a company's size or structure, managers should know where the risks of failure lie. The idea is to list all potential threats to business operations, assess them, and consider how those risks can be most effectively mitigated or eliminated. This risk assessment should be a team effort across the enterprise that considers every business aspect and type of threat, including natural disasters, cyberattacks, ransomware, human error, unplanned downtime, power outages, data corruption and system or hardware failures.

2. analysis of potential effects on the business

It is important that the business continuity planning process includes an analysis of the impact on the business. This may include lost revenue, increased expenses, impact on compliance and other factors. As part of this analysis, the individual recovery time objective (RTO) - the downtime a business can tolerate - and recovery point objective (RPO) - the amount of data a business can lose if necessary without the impact being too great - must be defined.

3. identification of critical systems

Once the organization is aware of the risks and potential impacts, the next step is to identify the systems and functions that are critical to an organization. This overview can be used to ensure that these systems are prioritized for protection and recovery. When developing the individual business continuity plan, mapping the network, hardware and software topology, as well as their interdependencies, can help locate and fix problems early on to speed recovery.

4. reliable data backup

Even if a company already backs up its data reliably, risk assessment and analysis of potential impacts should form the basis for choosing the most effective backup strategy. One proven strategy is the 3-2-1-1 backup rule. This calls for keeping three backup copies of data on two different media - for example, hard disk and tape - with at least one copy in the cloud or secure storage and one copy in immutable storage.

5. recovery plan

Every business continuity plan should include a disaster recovery (DR) plan. This plan should take into account the nature of the technologies needed to meet the previously defined RPOs and RTOs. It should also define the recovery strategy - from file-based recovery to virtual machine (VM) recovery and cloud-based recovery. With cloud-based backup and disaster recovery, for example, Arcserve Cloud Service ensures business continuity at all times, no matter what.

6. regular review of the business continuity plan

If you need to put a business continuity and disaster recovery plan into action, there is no time to lose. At the same time, it is important to test this plan to ensure that it will work in the event of an emergency.

Conclusion

There's a lot to consider when developing a business continuity plan. When it comes to backup and disaster recovery, it pays to talk to an expert. Not only do they have extensive expertise, but they also know the platforms and solutions available on the market to help turn such plans into reality.

Author: 
René Claus is EMEA MSP Sales Director at Arcserve.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/mit-6-schritten-zum-business-continuity-plan/

Coca-Cola's latest Creations edition combines AI with human creativity. For the development of the limited edition flavor, the future visions of Coca-Cola consumers from all over the world were combined with AI. The Coca-Cola "3000" Zero Sugar product is intended to represent a collective vision of what the future could look and taste like. The futuristic design of the limited edition was also developed in collaboration with AI. By scanning the Coca-Cola "3000" Zero Sugar can, consumers can access the Coca-Cola Creations Hub. Here, the 3000 AI lens opens up a personalized view of the future.

The Limited Edition joins the Offer from Coca-Cola and sugar-free beverages is intended to reflect Coca-Cola's innovative spirit and the wishes of consumers.

Exclusive fashion collection

To bring the Coca-Cola "3000" Zero Sugar experience even more to life, Coca-Cola is launching a Capsule Collection in collaboration with streetware label Ambush. The limited-edition collection includes future-inspired apparel and accessories.

KI-Cola is now available in Switzerland at Migros, Coop, Valora as well as Spar and Manor.

Force transfer standards (KTN) from the manufacturer GTM are characterized by high repeatabilities of ≤50 ppm with different standard force measuring devices and ≤20 ppm under comparable test conditions. Thereby, eccentric loads, disturbing forces or bending moments have only a minor influence on the measuring accuracy. According to the manufacturer, other positive features include long-term stability, hermetic encapsulation, extensive options such as double measuring bridges or bending moment measuring circuits Mx, My, as well as the comprehensive ISO 376-compliant mechanical accessories. This makes the force transfer standards particularly suitable for use as reference transducers or master sensors: In these applications, they are used directly in the test or calibration equipment.

Reference Force Transducer Series KTN-D

ISO 376 is the internationally recognized standard when it comes to the calibration of force transducers; class 00 is the highest classification. GTM has defined a standard with the factory accuracy class VN, which can exceed the class 00 many times over. The reference force transducers of the KTN-D series comply with GTM accuracy class VN (measuring range 40 % to 100 %) and ISO 376 accuracy class 00 (measuring range 10 % - 100 %). Thus, GTM offers the highest precision available on the market for comparison of national metrology institutes with each other or for traceability of accredited calibration laboratories. Other typical users are companies that offer force transducer calibration as a service or where a large number of force transducers are used that need to be calibrated regularly. Models of the KTN-D series cover a nominal force range from 10 kN to 5 MN.

Reference Force Transducer Series KTN-Z/D

Force transfer standards of the KTN-Z/D series are designed for measuring tensile and compressive forces with the highest precision according to ISO 376 Class 00. They can also be used as reference force transducers or master sensors with a nominal force range from 5 N to 1 MN in calibration machines. GTM manufactures the force transfer standards of this series according to ISO 376 class 00 and class 0.5 (measuring range 10 % to 100 %).

Force transducer series KTN-LF

GTM has developed the KTN-LF series force transducers for large nominal forces from 1 MN to 30 MN combined with low weight - they are available in accordance with ISO 376 Class 0.5 (measuring range 20 % to 100 %). The best-in-class force transfer standards for high static compressive forces are extremely robust and reliable, and also particularly tolerant of overload. According to the manufacturer, this makes them the optimal choice for calibrating testing machines at changing locations.

Source and further information: www.gtm-gmbh.com. The company will show the mentioned products among others at the SPS 2023 trade fair in Nuremberg (November 14 - 16). 

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/kraft-transfernormale-nach-iso-376-klasse-00-und-besser/

Today, no department in an administration and no department in a company can do without IT. The digitization of work processes, interfaces to customers, other departments or suppliers, and information and reporting tools are affecting every single workplace. On the other hand, there are the traditional hierarchies and supervisors who rarely have IT expertise, but who can look back on a long career. This combination causes many IT projects to fail. If external IT project managers are added to the mix, many projects get completely out of hand. "Those who have the expertise are external, and those who are in charge are outside the field. Both encounter employees who are not necessarily eager to embrace new technologies," says Oliver Meinecke, describing a common situation from his professional practice. Meinecke is an IT project manager and is considered an expert on efficiency in IT. His thesis: Many projects fail because of egos. Egos often hinder the digitization of entire divisions and agencies.

When egos get in the way

"Hierarchical guidelines and authority based on the experiential knowledge of the analog world are no substitute for the expertise it takes to introduce new software or map complex processes digitally," Meinecke is convinced. "To think is not to know. Technical processes cannot be changed by decree." According to the IT and digitization professional, it is not uncommon, especially in administration and at the management level, for a great deal of paper to be produced stating how the world should be: from security issues to functionalities to the meticulous project process from procurement to implementation. With the power of the function, these specifications are then enforced, often against the professional and technological expertise and without the participation of the subsequent users. "So in the end, everyone has to live with the consequences, both those responsible for the project and those involved and later users."

Many projects failed because of this. "Rules and specifications are increasingly becoming dogmas. Changing them would mean a loss of face for one or the other. Many supervisors in public authorities and managers in companies are incapable of taking countermeasures, admitting mistakes or having specifications measured against reality or questioning them," Meinecke knows. Agile project management, creative solutions and spontaneous optimizations would thus become almost impossible. They simply fail due to ego.

Don't just digitize bad analog processes

The digital expert is convinced that a new culture is needed: away from unconditional rightness and toward the recognition of changes of opinion and direction. "Consistency is often confused with stubbornness. Those who change their opinions all too often are seen as fickle. Thus, people are denied the opportunity to turn new insights and knowledge into successes. What is needed here is a flexible culture of error, insight and improvement," says Meinecke. Especially when external experts are hired to implement a project, it makes sense to use their competent view of the matter and their perspective from the outside. "Consultants must be allowed to play to their advantages. Unrepentant egos in neuralgic management functions stand in the way."

Digital transformation will not succeed if poor analog processes are simply digitized. It is necessary to rethink, to focus on the customer, the user and the technological processes, not on the career ladder of the decision-makers. Anything else costs time and money and produces exasperation, Meinecke said. "Sometimes it will be necessary to put managers in their place or even replace them as part of IT projects - in the interest of the cause and the goal," concludes the IT expert. What is needed are creative problem solvers instead of hierarchically thinking checklist abhakers - even on the executive floors.

Source: Sowacon Ltd.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/wie-egos-die-digitalisierung-behindern/

With Converto's new B2B targeting, companies now have the opportunity to target their business customers effectively, while at the same time acting in compliance with data protection laws, minimizing wastage and efficiently optimizing marketing budgets.

B2B online marketing faces a variety of challenges. Complex buying decisions, demanding target groups, and the need to build trust are just some of the hurdles companies face. This is where Converto's B2B targeting comes in. The goal of the solution is to create awareness among business customers for services and products, acquire new customers, strengthen brand perception - and, of course, increase sales.

At the heart of the solution is specific B2B targeting, which targets advertising according to company type, job titles, company size, industries, headquarters, country and region. This leads to a targeted approach that reaches the relevant decision-makers while minimizing wastage.
Converto's B2B targeting can be seamlessly combined with a variety of advertising solutions and other targeting. From Augmented 3D for impressive 3-dimensional product presentations to dynamic ad placements with video, display and native ads. Likewise, services can be mapped in a wide variety of ways and therefore offer every company a suitable path into online advertising.

In addition to standard tracking, Converto offers extensive advanced tracking. This allows companies to track which specific companies are interested in their offers, which enables optimized adaptation of marketing strategies.

For more than 35 years, Wenger Betriebs AG has focused on the professional care and nursing of the elderly. In recent years, the operator of six retirement and care institutions in the cantons of Bern and Zurich has felt the great pressure of the shortage of skilled workers. How do we succeed in wooing talent? And how is it possible to appeal to both professionals and residents at the same time? Clearly, a new positioning is needed.

Easier said than done, because in addition to the multiple target groups, the new communication must reflect the tactical level and at the same time be adaptable for the individual locations. Pinktank supported the company in the development of the DNA as an identification feature and the elaboration of the new communication.

The joint creative work resulted in a new story with the message "Welcome joie de vivre". The new story was visually implemented with hand gestures by team members and residents. Starting from the hand sign "high-five", various gestures with diverse messages were visualized in a photo shoot. At the same time, the different hands symbolize the diversity and individuality of the Wenger companies.

As a result, the visuals are used for various new communication tools such as the website and present Wenger Betriebs AG in a unique new design. With this communication strategy, the company clearly sets itself apart in the industry and surprises with a fresh and bold appearance.

Responsible at Wenger Betriebs AG: Martina Zweiacker (Management). Responsible at Pinktank: Cordelia Hagi (overall responsibility), Rolf Kleeb (project management).