Accenture: Technologies on horse power

Value Driver 2: Optimization-It is about having the right business processes, and ensuring those processes are supported by the right systems and software. Organizations are improving how processes flow and fit with their enterprise systems environments. What matters is how software and systems are deployed, not necessarily which systems are used.

Value Driver 3: Analytics-Of the three major value drivers, the use of analytics has become a significant factor and organizations are using their systems much more to facilitate decision making, as analytics help managers make more informed and faster decisions. Analytical insight helps organizations identify market opportunities and sustain competitive advantage.

To help companies get an edge, Accenture Technology Labs focuses on technologies that are going to make an impact in future. Out of the 150 technologies analyzed by the Labs, the company is actively working on 42 technology predictions. SOA, analytics and mobility are technologies that will have a major impact on organizations productivity.

Disruptive Applications for Future

'Storage is the most disruptive among all...'
-Don Rippert, CTO, Accenture

Why is service oriented architecture so compelling?
It is more aspirational than fundamental. Major technology vendors have come to the conclusion that for differentiation, non-standard is worse. So, it is better to standardize it. There is lot of cooperation for standardization, as fundamental technology does not make us nervous.

Internet was not a fundamental change, but an aspirational change. Thus, service oriented architecture is an aspirational change. Original drivers for service oriented architecture was Microsoft and IBM and later SAP and Oracle joined as they were nearing end of lifecycle.

Which are the areas where Accenture Technology Labs is focusing its attention?
Fundamentally, Accenture Technology Labs is focusing on technologies related to storage, computing, bandwidth and sensors.

Computing, storage, communication, sensors and displays are all evolving. Out of this four, which is more disruptive?
Storage is the most disruptive among all as cost of storage has dropped considerably. One can store 1 GB in SIM card and 15 hrs of video on my cellphone helping me to watch TV serials when I want. One can store information online as well as through physical storage. And, being economical it has changed everything.

What activities are planned for India Technology Labs?
Biometrics, security, and mobility will be focused by European labs whereas Chicago lab will focus on process orientation. On the other hand, India lab will focus on system integration, system engineering and software as skill base for software is pretty strong.

Sensor Telemetry
Sensor telemetry refers to the use of sensor technologies and two-way wireless communications to gather intelligence from products, peoples, places and transform it into value-added business insights. The Accenture Remote Sensor Network is a wireless mesh network of sensor nodes that can be spread across any area (from a factory to a forest floor), enabling organizations to use intelligence to gain unprecedented visibility and insight into product conditions and operations. This can be of great use to different industry verticals.

Interactive Wall
The interactive wall helps business users see the big picture-sharing information and making decisions collaboratively. The display could be used to deliver entertainment content, product specials, movie schedules or instructions in multiple languages. It can be used in major manufacturing networks, disaster management or in military and other government agencies. For eg the interactive screen at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport delivers topical news, weather, sport and entertainment features to thousands of people traveling through this airport.

Online Health Services
It is a prototype that uses emerging technologies, such as wireless wearable and home health devices, to enable remote, continuous patient monitoring and proactive intervention. It integrates a number of wireless health devices, including a blood pressure cuff, weight scale, and a life-shirt that monitors over 30 physiological signs such as respiration and activity rates. The prototype combines sensor telemetry and information insight R&D areas, which focus on gathering sensor data from the physical world and analyzing it to improve outcomes, including better quality patient care and lower costs for healthcare providers and payers.

Technology Trends: Basic hardware continues to evolve
	2000	2005	2010
Computing	1-core, 0.5 Gflops	1-core, 6 Gflops	4-core, 100 Gflops
Storage	$50/GB	$1/GB	$0.01/GB
Communication-wired	384 Kbps	1.5 Mbps	8-10 Mbps
Communication-wireless	10-15 Kbps	0.2 Mbps	1-2 Mbps
Sensors (image)	100M/$25 unit	0.5 B/$12 unit	1.1B/$5 unit
Units sold/average selling price
Displays -- On the Desk	15', 1.2 Mpxls, $600	19', 1.2 Mpxls, $400	20-32', 2.5-5 Mpxls, $250-800
Displays -- On the Wall	40', 1.2 Mpxls, $15,000	40', 1.2 Mpxls, $3,000	50', 2.5 Mxls, $500-800

The industry has witnessed lot of changes in computing, storage, communication, sensor and display side. But most disruptive of all has been storage where focus has been on miniaturization and cost reduction. All this has led to an increased usage of storage devices internally as well as externally, and also on enterprise as well as consumer side, leading to increase in traffic, both online as well physical space.

The reduction in cost, definitely helps organizations to opt for new technologies thereby improving efficiency and cost reduction. And, the degree of reduction will be directly proportional to the usage/adoption of a particular technology.

Pravin Prashant at Sophia Antipolis
pravinp@cybermedia.co.in