By Aditya Malik, Founder, ValueMatrix.ai What oil was in the 18th century, data is in the 21st century – immensely valuable and influential. With the run towards AI supremacy, businesses and organizations possessing qualified and unbiased data win. However, the data openly available is marred with conscious and subconscious bias, largely due to woke or un-woke nature of humans. We don't know what we don't know – right or wrong is only temporary, as in always waiting to be judged with time.

In case you missed it, insurtech -- technology developed to improve and transform the insurance industry -- is having a bit of a moment. Forrester recently reported record-breaking funding for insurtechs, closing Q3 at $15 billion - more funding than in 2019 and 2020 combined - with more deals anticipated by the end-of-year. Crunchbase reports "In the world of venture capitalism, you'd be hard-pressed to find a sector with more buzz than insurtech," and Deloitte contends a revolution in insurance has been sparked. There's no denying it: insurtech is booming. There are a few trends that I think executives should anticipate next.

Schneider Electric has officially commenced its digital transformation journey with Queen's Wharf Brisbane after two years' preparation. As a technology partner for the high-profile development, Schneider is set to future-proof the precinct with its cutting-edge technology in digital buildings and unrivalled local resources. Currently the largest development in Queensland, worth $3.6 billion and covering over 26 hectares of land and water, the Queen's Wharf Development transforms a once underutilised area into a vibrant location of major significance to the Brisbane CBD's future plans. The partnership will see Schneider design and implement integrated digital solutions that feature Building Management Systems (BMS), and Integrated System Platforms (ISP) across the whole precinct, including The Star Grand hotel, casino, main podium area, Sky Deck, as well as the Dorsett hotel and Rosewood hotel. Louise Monger, Vice President of Digital Buildings at Schneider Electric said, "We are delighted to have the opportunity to apply Schneider's world-class expertise in digital buildings to future proof such a significant project for the community. "Our relationship with the Queen's Wharf team began in 2017, when we first identified technology to be a key focus for the development.

Training academy WeThinkCode female developers excelled at a gender-based-violence (GBV) hackathon held in Sandton, creating a tech solution targeting perpetrators of violence against women. The software developers were part of a four-member group going by the moniker "Winning Team", which picked up the top prize of the R30 000 that was up for grabs. The Winning Team, comprising Mmathabo Pule (25), Daisy Mangue (21), Keitumetse Bokaba (29) and Lulamile Mkhungela (30), emerged winners from a pool of 60 participants. Pule and Mangue are developers from WeThinkCode, which is on a mission to recruit more females to take up software development training. The 10th hackathon hosted by Empire Partner Foundation (EPF) focused on how SA can use innovation and tech to address and combat GBV by targeting the root cause: the perpetrators.

As more and more workforces adopt hybrid and work-from-anywhere models, using the right combination of technologies to create effective meetings can not only enhance productivity, but also promote well-being. Using a variety of tech solutions that improve scheduling and time management, communication, and collaboration is key to achieving positive work-life balance. In a world of constant technological innovation, it can be difficult to determine what's most helpful to supporting a workforce's performance. As we navigate new work models such as hybrid and work-from-anywhere, this technology must also factor in the importance of protecting employee personal time. Meetings can have a major impact on the length of a workday, which affects work-life balance.

See the trends poised to reshape industries in the coming year.

The US Central Intelligence Agency has launched a research and development wing, dubbed'CIA Labs'. In a press statement, the Agency stated that this initiative is an effort to bring together private sector academia and CIA operatives to develop and produce tech solutions along various streams. Specifically, the research would take place across several spheres, including Blockchain, DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology), Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Analytics. The CIA Labs project aims to conduct research, development, and testing in multiple disciplines to address new challenges It will also adapt or improve existing solutions to technological problems. This multifaceted research will focus on several technological ideas that have not been fully developed yet.

As distributors look for new ways to connect with customers and boost profitability, they must consider all sorts of three-letter tools: ERPs (enterprise resource planning), CRMs (customer relationship management), MDMs (master data management), MRMs (marketing resource management), and so on. Unfortunately, many of these "solutions" end up causing more problems than they solve. Enter the Customer Data Platform (CDP): A tool that truly solves customer engagement issues by combining analytics and action. Given the list above, I understand why distributors are suspicious of miracle tech solutions. However, let me explain what CDPs are, why they are fundamentally different from other tech solutions and how distributors can use them to leverage their most valuable resource, customer data, to drive huge growth.

The HR Insight Summit 2020 in Arizona, USA to be held Jun. Your HCM System controls the trinity of talent acquisition, management and optimization - and ultimately, multiple mission-critical performance outcomes. Having spent her career driving results in both startups and global Fortune 500 companies, Winterbottom is responsible for building healthy, people-centered cultures and strong diverse leadership teams. Little brings his passion for building teams and developing leadership strategies to his teams at Intel Corporation. He believes in enabling diversity and data to enhance the employee experience.

The debate over artificial intelligence's role in HR--from recruiting to workforce planning to performance--has become moot: There's no doubt that AI has arrived and is expanding rapidly in the HR space. But, not so fast, some experts say. While AI represents a fantastic opportunity to drive HR success (and by extension, bottom-line growth), ethical issues tied to AI represent a potential dark side of these technologies. The good news is, chief HR and people officers can successfully navigate this rapidly changing, growing trend by steering clear of those ethical speed bumps in the first place. They must take a smart, steady, planned approach to circumvent negative outcomes.