En esta cuarentena muchas organizaciones se han visto obligadas a confiar y basarse en las nuevas tecnologías para poder seguir funcionando y tener disponibles las métricas que afectan de forma directa su operación.

Así como las empresas, las escuelas, hospitales y otras entidades económicas han tenido que reinventarse y adaptarse a una nueva modalidad de trabajo.

En la medida en que sigamos acostumbrándonos a este nuevo panorama, debemos contar con las herramientas que nos den la certeza y seguridad de que estamos haciendo nuestro trabajo en la forma correcta.

El rendimiento óptimo de la red, la disminución o erradicación de interrupciones y la disponibilidad constante, son   hoy en día factores cruciales para el éxito de las empresas, por ejemplo: una Universidad que está impartiendo clases en línea requiere tener en un excelente estado su infraestructura para poder asegurarse de que el servicio se está entregando de una forma adecuada y no se diga en un hospital, que es de suma importancia monitorear todos los equipos médicos.

-Mira como este operador ferroviario a aumentado su productividad en gestión de redes en un 30%-

En resumen, entre más complejo se vuelva un ambiente, más grande será la necesidad de gestionar los sistemas de redes. Afortunadamente, herramientas como las que tiene Opmantek pueden lograr el trabajo de una forma eficiente y personalizada con el fin de que los administradores de red tengan menos preocupaciones   y puedan realizar sus tareas de una forma ágil y productiva.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is fast becoming a norm for a wide range of industries — and for good reason. A report by the Harvard Business Review pointed out that it could save around $150 billion annually for the national healthcare industry by 2026. It’s this major cost-saving benefit that makes AI such an attractive technology for many industries other than healthcare, as the banking and financial services industry has caught on to this trend, too. Inside Big Data reported that Business Insider Intelligence estimated an impressive $447 billion in cost savings by 2023 for financial institutions that incorporate AI applications in their front, middle, and back office operations.

Here’s how tech’s real life applications are saving costs and generating revenue for the banking industry:

Customer intelligence and support

Sifting through mountains of consumer data is a challenge for established banks and up-and-coming fintech services alike. Not fully understanding what to do with data poses a threat to a company’s productivity and ability to meet consumer demands, and it’s in this area where AI can play a pivotal role. Instead of coming up with new products and services, banks can use AI to better understand and meet the needs of consumers based on what the data says.

For example, credit inaccessibility is a major issue for young generations. Petal Card found that around 10 million of Gen Z and millennial consumers are not able to start building their own credit because of restrictive initial requirements. This is a major loss for financial agencies and businesses alike, given that the two generations combined account for billions in purchasing power. This means that finding ways to prove a person’s credit worthiness through AI can address a crucial need of this major demographic.

Another customer-oriented aspect that AI enhances is support. Intelligent chatbots and voice assistants are becoming more and more common even for established banks like Standard Chartered. The company uses a conversational AI platform specifically trained in the language of finance. Reaching out to a bank with such technology is like talking to a real human that is trained — and is continuously “learning” — to answer any questions pertaining to the services offered. These cases are examples of how AI can bolster the front office operations of the financial services industry. Our own NMIS (network management information systems) can be particularly useful in managing data, which in turn can help banks provide better products and service.

Lending and risk management

Instances of banking discrimination and bias are still rampant in the US, where minority groups and women are ignored by financial institutions. This is where fintech services can step up, with machine learning solutions that generate more accurate risk assessments based on hundreds of variables gathered from existing data. AI-based underwriting tools can help with minimizing losses from borrowers, regardless of their background, offering more equitable rates, and maintaining a culture of fairness when it comes to lending.

AI-powered contracts are another example of improved risk management, which is currently being used by big names like JP Morgan Chase. The financial services giant uses smart contracts enabled by both AI and blockchain technology to increase transparency between lender and borrower, as well as automate payment mechanisms without risking privacy.

Fraud detection and enhanced verification

Last but not least, AI is proving its worth in increasing banking security, particularly in the form of detecting and preventing fraud. However, fintech company Socure conducted a survey on banks and other financial services, which concluded that only one-third of their participants employ AI in detecting fraud and risk. Machine learning and predictive data analysis can prove to be useful in verifying user identity and the legitimacy of their application.

Overall, its uses on enhancing service and minimizing risks for bankers and clients prove just how invaluable AI has become in the financial services industry. Given these cost-saving and revenue-generating benefits, we can expect a wider adoption of more fine-tuned applications of AI in banking this year and the years to come.

If you’d like to adopt advanced automated network management solutions into your own company, Opmantek products like opTrend , opEvents and opConfig can help you with the transition process.

Over the last month, more and more businesses have found themselves working in predominantly online modes. Working from home, i.e. teleworking, is now the new normal. That means we have all had to be creative about how we structure our work days, build our work spaces and how we interact with our colleagues. Virtual meetings and video conferencing is now a standard part of daily life for many organisations. However, not all organisations are appropriately equipped to utilise this technology to its full potential. There is no use holding online meetings if the sound and video is jumpy, or the connection times out half way through. Ensuring your network is optimised for video conferencing is vital to your organisation’s ongoing success during these uncertain times.

The differences between streaming video and hosting a live conference are vast. When streaming a standard cat video from say YouTube, the video downloads in small parts in advance, which mitigates any network instability during playback. When you host live video, data must be received consistently in real time so that the content is clear. On average, businesses need to account for around 100 users sharing the internet, with each making 5 to 6 calls and accounting for at minimum 5 percent of the concurrent bandwidth overhead utilisation. Add another ten percent if you are using online conferencing due to the additional buffer strength required.

It sounds complicated, but it doesn’t need to be. That’s why we have put together this handy guide on how you can optimise your network experience for video conferencing to tackle the nuances of this format.

First things first

Whether you are just starting to use video conferencing, or are using it more with more users, it is integral that you scale up your network bandwidth to meet the demands placed on it. The transmission capacity of a connection is an important factor when determining the quality and speed of a network or the internet connection. Ask yourself if your service provider is giving you full bandwidth? One way you can tell is based on the quality of your video conferences. Meetings with the appropriate bandwidth will be stable and seamless. If the video and/or audio is sluggish, there might be a synching problem between motion and audio. Or, content sharing could be experiencing a delay. There is a range of equipment, including Opmantek’s opFlow, that will help enhance your overall video call and conference experience.

How opFlow can help with video conferencing?

When conducting a video conference between two users, about 2Mbps of upload and download bandwidth is used for both users. This is the minimum requirement to ensure the conference is smooth and clear with high quality audio and video. Opmantek opFlow gives valuable network insights that allows companies and users to see how much of the network is being used, by who and in what way. This is vital information for troubleshooting any issues caused by bandwidth availability. Further, opFlow rapidly identifies any bottlenecks occurring affecting bandwidth so that they can be quickly rectified. It produces summary reports to provide the greatest possible transparency on usage.

Traffic and security analysis is another important factor to consider when looking at bandwidth related interruptions. opFlow identifies any abnormalities in traffic patterns, and detects security threats to allow for the prevention of issues before they arise. This includes managing congestion, checking areas of high data usage and honing in on suspicious behaviour. When it comes to navigating the future of daily operations, infrastructure planning and capacity management is vital. Building video conferencing into plans is easy with the key information provided through opFlow – for both planning and network capacity management. There is also the capability for reduced downtime through the rapid change impact identification feature.

For added convenience, opFlow is extremely affordable and is compatible with multiple vendors and protocols including:

– Cisco NetFlow
– NetFlow-Lite
– NSEL
– Juniper J-Flow sFlow and IPFIX.

In summary

Now is the time to diversify and embrace the evolution of new business practices and standards. For many, this is leading to positive change organisation-wide. For more tips on optimising your network, network management, or to find out more about how Opmantek’s opFlow low-cost features can help you start managing and analysing your Netflow, contact us today.

What is Telehealth

Telehealth is a system that allows patients to receive high-quality healthcare services from the comfort of their own homes via the use of telecommunication technology. Telehealth services normally consist of a smart hub that allows patients to enter their personal health data, including vital signs, either manually or automatically via the use of various medical devices, such as blood glucose monitors, pulse oximeters and blood pressure readers. The data collected is then sent to either a non-clinical or clinical monitoring service that monitors the patient’s health or alerts the appropriate health provider.

Who benefits from Telehealth services?

A Telehealth system is particularly useful for patients with long-term health conditions, patients who live in remote areas, or for patients who are self-isolating during the current coronavirus pandemic. Telehealth technology can improve patient access to specialist healthcare services while eliminating the need to travel for medical advice, therefore allowing patients to remain more independent, self-manage their conditions and limit the strain on GP and primary health services. Telehealth systems can also offer education and peer support services to health professionals while providing patients with mentoring and coaching services via a series of questions and answers.

How COVID-19 has fast-tracked the healthcare system

Before the coronavirus outbreak, there was a degree of progress in Telehealth technology, but the pandemic has lead to renewed evidence of the value of Telehealth, as public health officials are encouraging healthcare providers to expand their Telehealth services to smartphones and other tools to make them more accessible. 

Telehealth technology is helping to reduce the strain on public health services by virtually communicating with patients and triaging them, reducing widespread panic by assuring patients that they do not possess any of the coronavirus symptoms and are not required to visit already overcrowded hospitals. Telehealth technology also has the benefit of limiting human contact and preventing the spread of the virus.

New tools and technologies in Telehealth services such as live video consultations are proving to be a huge asset to healthcare providers to connect patients with doctors while remaining isolated. Other services such as instant messaging for therapy services, secure emails for ongoing communications and informed telephone consultations are also proving to be useful. 

Other promising tools include the use of chatbots and symptom trackers to interact with patients and refer them for in-patient care, as their technology is designed to evolve as more information is gathered about the coronavirus. Medical tricorders and home monitoring is another promising approach to at-home patient care. Currently used in the management of certain chronic health conditions, remote patient monitoring uses consumer devices such as smart TVs and smartwatches to provide remote examinations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created renewed awareness of the benefits of Telehealth services and is bringing them to the frontline of patient care, which is expected to reshape the future of public health services.

How Opmantek can improve healthcare efficiency

Opmantek’s Network Management Information System (NMIS) is designed to monitor the performance of an organisation’s data network. It can be used to monitor device health and bandwidth. It can be used to resolve issues before they become problems and provide valuable information for planning infrastructure changes.

With the renewed awareness of the benefits of Telehealth, an efficient and patient-driven online healthcare system is becoming essential. Opmantek’s Network Information Management System can streamline digital outputs for hospitals and make them more efficient to improve patient care. Adding Opmantek’s commercial software provides additional insights and automation capabilities through to performing traffic analysis better enabling bandwidth management. And for a truely large scale operation the distributed polling capabilities to improve scalability.

opFlow

Opmantek’s opFlow, is designed to gather network insights to analyse the network. For instance it can with location of attack vectors and pick up on network errors so that they can be resolved quickly, leading to reduced downtime for everyone including hospital networks.

For more information about how Opmantek’s products can help you set your business or healthcare organisation on the path to digital transformation, get in touch with our team of experts today.

The world is changing in many ways as the global Covid-19 pandemic upends the way we live, learn and work. We have lots of adults and children now working or schooling from home and using video conferencing and other collaboration tools to do so. For some, this may be an easy adjustment, but for most, the transition to remote working is challenging.

In this post, we will discuss how to deal with multi-users in a home environment operating on lower bandwidth (5MB to 20MB).

Collaboration and learning tools

The sudden rise of remote working and education from home has caused the popularity of learning and collaboration tools to explode. Video conferencing software Zoom’s share price has more than doubled in the past month, and Microsoft’s cloud computing SaaS Azure and collaboration tool Teams has seen an astonishing 784% rise in use!

However, the challenge at home is when your family connects several desktops, laptops and phones on one network, making it difficult for Mum to make that all-important video conferencing call. With Dad streaming Netflix, daughter Jess studying her next curriculum online, and little Danny uploading his TikTok masterpiece, and you might soon have some Wi-fi wars breaking out in the homestead, which is the last thing we need right now!

The answer here is to downturn all these applications by changing their bandwidth use and quality. As a result, you will improve your quality of service (QOS).

What is QOS?

Quality of Service is an excellent, and often unknown, tool that allows you to train your router to distribute your available bandwidth between applications. With smart QoS rules, mum’s Zoom conferencing video call won’t stutter while Jess uploads her assignment online. However, managing QOS on routers can be technically hard. For the not-so-tech-savvy, adjusting the bandwidth use and quality on the applications themselves may be a more straightforward solution.

For example, Zoom video conferencing allows you to adjust the priority for Zoom traffic on their network (Source). Likewise, streaming platforms such as Netflix also have the option to adjust your data usage settings by following the steps here. Ultimately, most applications will allow you to down-turn use and quality to determine which takes priority for the home user.

If you find yourself having trouble keeping the whole family connected and happy, check out your application settings and adjust their bandwidth.