Sidetrade gebruikt Talend Big Data Technology bij voorspelling financieel gedrag van klanten

Europese, vooraanstaand leverancier van SaaS financieel CRM ontwikkelt aanvullende analytische diensten om betaalgedrag van klanten beter te begrijpen en te beheersen

Sidetrade, een Europese, vooraanstaande leverancier van financieel klantbeheer in de cloud, gebruikt Talend Data Fabric om zijn klanten een nieuw, voorspellend analyseplatform te bieden voor betalingen tussen bedrijven onderling. De dienst heet Sidetrade Payment Intelligence. Bovendien helpt Talend de kwaliteit van de data op hoog peil te houden en met kosteneffectieve opslag van gegevens via Hadoop-technologie.

“De financiële sector benut tegenwoordig big data op velerlei manieren, inclusief kennis over klanten, risico’s berekenen, voldoen aan wet- en regelgeving en nieuwe producten ontwikkelen”, zegt Auke Jilderda, sales manager bij Talend Nederland. “We zijn er trots op te mogen bijdragen aan de oplossing van Sidetrade door een snelle en efficiënte verbinding met bedrijfsgevens tot stand te brengen, de data op te schonen, en de batch- en real-time data te integreren.”

Sidetrade wil met zijn nieuwe dienst een alles-in-een oplossing bieden die anticipeert op betaalgedrag om het managers eenvoudiger te maken de digitale transformative te volbrengen. De dienst is een belangrijke innovatie die bijdraagt aan verbetering van de financiële en commerciële doelmatigheid. Tegelijkertijd krijgen de financiële-afdelingen meer real-time controle over de bedrijfskansen en inkomsten.

“Met Sidetrade Payment Intelligence biedt Sidetrade als enige ontwikkelaar op de markt zo’n hoogwaardige voorspellende analyse ter ondersteuning van klantenrelaties. De financiële afdeling kan het betaalgedrag, toegestaan of ervaren, vergelijken op basis van data-analyse in plaats van intuïtie. Deze nieuwe dienst is gratis voor al onze klanten, en helpt ze hun werkkapitaal te optimaliseren en doordoor cashflow te genereren”, legt Olivier Novasque uit. Hij is CEO van Sidetrade.

De datadeskundigen van Sidetrade hebben een krachtig algoritme gebouwd, met gebruikmaking van Machine Learning technieken, om een voorspellende analyse te maken van betaalgedrag voor miljoenen bedrijven. Zij hebben hiervoor een analyse gemaakt van 330 miljard euro aan transacties over de laatste drie jaar, ontleend aan 100 miljoen betalingen tussen bedrijven onderling.

“We hadden daarvoor een” massively parallel processor array “(MPPA), gebaseerd op Hadoop, nodig. We moesten immers terabytes aan geanonimiseerde data analyseren, die we onttrokken aan de miljoenen betalingen, die wij in onze cloud hebben opgeslagen. Maar Hadoop-deskundigen zijn schaars”, vertelt Christophe Migliorini, CTO van Sidetrade. Daarom past de oplossing van Talend zo goed bij ons. Zij genereert native Hadoop code, zonder fabriekseigen componenten te gebruiken. Dit betekent dat de oplossing overweg kan met al onze relationele databases en dat wij de oplossing snel konden integreren in ons bestaande platform.”

Als gevolg van de succesvolle Talend-implementatie is Sidetrade een strategische partnerschap aangegaan met Talend om een lambda-achtige architectuur te ontwikkelen en toe te passen (lambda wordt bij programmeren gebruikt om expressies en functies te omschrijven). Dit geeft betere toegang tot Hadoop en combineert batch-processen met real-time streaming. In deze omgeving maakt Talend Real-Time Big Data het mogelijk statistische, geanonimiseerde en historische analyses te maken van de gegevens in de Sidetrade Cloud.

De kracht van Talend Real-Time Big Data is te  ervaren met een gratis proefversie van de Bag Data Sandbox. Wie meer wil weten over het complete portfolio van Talend kan terecht op www.talend.com.

Over Sidetrade

Sidetrade (Euronext Paris FR0010202606, ALBFR.PA) biedt organisaties cloudtechnologie om de financiële relaties met hun klanten te beheren. Zijn vernieuwende, marktleidende oplossingen, die ERP aanvullen, zijn bedoeld om bedrijven te helpen betalingsvertragingen te voorkomen en risico’s te beheersen. De Group is actief in 65 landen. Zij helpt 81.000 gebruikers van organisaties in alle grootten en allerlei branches om samen te werken binnen de Sidetrade Cloud en aldus de creatie van cash flow te versnellen. Meer informatie op www.sidetrade.com.

Over Talend

Talend’s integratie oplossingen laten data-gedreven organisaties toe om meer waarde uit al hun data te halen. Door native ondersteuning aan moderne Big Data platformen haalt Talend de complexiteit uit integratieprojecten, en helpt het IT-afdelingen beter en sneller reageren op de eisen van hun organisatie, en aan voorspelbare kosten. Wereldwijd vertrouwen al meer dan 1.700 Enterprise klanten op de oplossingen en diensten van Talend die gebaseerd zijn op open source technologie. Het hoofdkantoor van Talend is gevestigd in Redwood City, California. Meer informatie op www.talend.com e

How to delete your smartphone data securely before selling your device

By Denise Giusto Bilić

Some people change their smartphone or tablet almost as casually as they change their clothes. They buy and later sell mobile devices without the slightest concern about the information that, one device after another, they keep putting in the hands of total strangers. This article is aimed at all those people, and in it you will be able to learn what measures you can take to protect your privacy.

When you delete a file, is the data really deleted?

Unfortunately, no. With most IT equipment, deleting a file means telling the system that the next time it needs to write data, it can overwrite the space used by the file in question.

However, until the new write operation takes place, the information remains physically stored in the form of bits on the corresponding storage drive and can be recovered. This kind of deletion is known as logical deletion and is the procedure that almost all operating systems use.

In contrast, there is another kind of deletion called physical deletion which modifies the data bit by bit, by creating junk content on the storage medium. This procedure ensures that the data cannot be recovered, but it takes much longer and therefore usually is considered undesirable for tasks where the user experience is central.

What happens if you restore to factory settings?

That depends on the platform. Research carried out in early 2015 showed that on Apple and BlackBerry devices, when you perform a factory reset, the deletion of data is physical, thus preventing the information from being recovered later. However, not all Android devices were as lucky and it was possible to recover a lot of the data that had been stored on them.

According to the researchers, the reason for this could be that Apple and BlackBerry have better control over their hardware and so can wipe the data on the device more effectively. Given that operating systems like iOS use encryption built into the hardware by default, factory reset only actually needs to delete the encryption keys physically.

In contrast, encryption is not included by default on Android and, according to the researchers’ findings, information can be recovered even after running several factory resets.

What are the dangers of logical deletion?

Cell phones are very personal devices. Using them involves the use of totally private data, like credit card details, purchase records, contact details of friends and family, videos, photos (possibly including nude images of the user), schedules, geolocation, files and their associated metadata, web browser history, Wi-Fi connection history, logins and passwords for email and other cloud-based services, text messages, chats logs on social media, and a great deal of other information.

All this smartphone data could potentially provide material enabling a cybercriminal to orchestrate a social engineering attack against the handset’s owner. Unfortunately, as some people have experienced first-hand, if this information falls into the wrong hands it can even lead to extortion and fraud in which the criminal blackmails the user by threatening to distribute the data.

Another great worry is that strangers might gain access to user accounts for apps installed on the device, like online shopping, banking, and social network apps. For this reason, taking preventive measures will enable us to feel more at ease and be better protected against such risks.

How can another person recover our personal information?

There are numerous tools designed to recover data stored physically on a mobile device. These utilities are known as forensic analysis tools and normally are used to break down the sequence of actions that led to an IT incident or to find evidence that could lead to a verdict in a court case.

However, some of these tools are free and can be accessed by people with malicious intentions to gain information they should not have access to.

So, how can you protect yourself?

As we already mentioned, for iOS users, a factory reset is sufficient. But what should Android users do? The simplest option for making it difficult to recover data is to encrypt the device before restoring the factory settings. That way, although someone could make a physical copy of the device, the bits of data stored on it will not make any sense to them.

Given that the decryption keys are, in turn, protected by the password set by the user, and even in the event of an unsuccessful reset, the attacker would have to carry out a brute force attack against the keys in order to gain access to them. And let’s not forget that the more complex the password, the more difficult it will be to crack. This means that although encryption is not an infallible form of protection, it’s enough to discourage most cybercriminals.

You can encrypt your Android system by going to Settings > Security > Encrypt device, and the reset options are located in Settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset. Another way to format the memory is by accessing the device’s recovery mode, however, the results of this method are the same.

It is also possible to find apps on Google Play Store that promise to overwrite the parts of the memory that have been marked as free by the operating system, but that might still contain the original data. The user will need to carry out a factory reset both before and after running the app. In addition, they will need to avoid using Google Play Store to install the app on the cell phone, so as to avoid entering their Google account data into the phone again.

Finally, don’t forget to remove the SIM card and also the micro SD card. Now that you know how to wipe your data, be sure to protect your privacy before getting rid of a device.

Children’s Day advice: The risks looming in cyberspace

By Ondrej Kubovič posted 1 Jun 2016

Kids Online

The first of June isn’t just a sign of the approaching summer or vacation, but it is also one of the biggest celebrations of young people – International Children’s Day. However, this annual event does not only remind us of how precious and courageous today’s kids can be, but also how vulnerable.

With the rise of technology and the growing prominence of social networks, children often tend to be absorbed in the virtual world. Some even spend more time online than with their parents or friends outside of it.

For many parents this poses a great challenge as a lot of them aren’t digital natives and struggle to recognize all the risks that might loom in cyberspace. For those moms and dads, we have prepared a short list of what to look out for.

Malware

Short for malicious software, it is one of the most prevalent risks online. There are many different methods malware uses to reach its targets, however children mostly encounter it disguised as a fake copy of a popular game. Infected versions often come from third party markets or forums, but some of these “free” games can also found on the official Google Play market. By using reputable security software, you can limit their access to dangerous websites and block inappropriate apps.

Cyberbullying

This hostile behavior is frequent, especially among teenagers. A child is usually threatened and humiliated by his or her peers in cyberspace, potentially causing him or her emotional trauma. But whether or not your offspring is the victim of such malicious behavior, he or she should not retaliate, as this is exactly the kind of reaction a bully wants to provoke. Instead, they should come to you, and with your help, both notify the authorities and provide the (bullying) messages as evidence.

Grooming

When an adult tries to persuade a child to participate in sexual activity by creating an environment of trust and building an emotional connection, it is called grooming. Many times these perpetrators even pretend to be their peers in order to establish a close relationship and arrange a meeting in person. For parents it is best to use parental tools to keep an overview of who their kids are interacting with online.

Sexting

Sexting comes from the combination of the words sex and texting. Initially, as its name indicates, it referred to emails that contained sexual messages. More recently, due to technological progress, this evolved to include the exchange of images and videos, and it has become commonplace since most teenagers have their own mobile devices. To counter this risk, explain that such pictures and messages can end up online and spread to people they weren’t intended for. Sometimes this kind of soft dialogue can be more effective than strict control.

Information theft

All the information that travels through the web, without the necessary precautions, may be intercepted by third parties. A wrong step may expose a minor to the loss of family money or in the worst case scenario, to identity theft. Therefore, parents should educate their children as to what information is sensitive and how to handle it properly. Also, parents should ideally be the ones carrying out financial transactions online.

Spam

An unsolicited email that arrives in your inbox is nothing new. But with the growing number of campaigns, ransomware can also hit your child’s device, especially if he or she doesn’t know how to handle these messages.

Scams

Scams are deceptive acts carried out via the internet. They can take many forms, such as the use of social engineering techniques launched over social networks. For example, while attackers may offer something for sale, what they really want is to obtain confidential information. False messages requesting our social network user IDs and passwords over the internet are also a frequently seen example of scams.

Want more tips?

1.     If possible, create a specific account for your child in order to efficiently control his or her activities online.

2.     Keep a reputable security solution and parental control tool installed and up to date.

3.     Monitor your child’s browsing history and if deleted, have a talk.

4.     Make sure the webcam is disconnected or covered (if built-in) when not in use.

5.     If you allow your child the use of social networks, keep an eye on the settings. A profile that is publicly shared with no limitations may put a young person’s integrity at risk.

Software AG lance une nouvelle version de webMethods DevOps Edition dédiée à l’automatisation, l’accélération et l’amélioration du déploiement logiciel

La nouvelle version ajoute un potentiel de ‘Continuous Delivery’  à la Digital Business Platform de Software AG

Le 1^er juin 2016 - Software AG (TecDAX de Francfort: SOW) annonce les débuts commerciaux de sa nouvelle webMethods DevOps Edition destinée à des tâches de développement continu, de test, d’intégration et de déploiement continu (CI/CD) en vue d’éliminer totalement tout risque de défaillance. webMethods DevOps Edition aide les développeurs à concevoir des applis de manière plus “agile” et à les déployer en production dans des délais raccourcis. Ce faisant, les services d’exploitation IT bénéficient d’un délai moyen de restauration (MTTR - mean time to recovery) plus rapide et peuvent collaborer plus étroitement avec les développeurs. La solution offre par ailleurs la possibilité aux développeurs de fournir de nouvelles fonctionnalités et de résoudre des problèmes logiciels plus rapidement, en collaboration avec leurs collègues du département Exploitation IT. Grâce à webMethods DevOps, ces deux groupes de personnes collaborent de manière plus efficace  dans la poursuite d’un objectif commun, sans être entravés par de laborieuses procédures de changement. Il en résulte un effet positif sur l’avantage concurrentiel dont bénéficient les entreprises qui mettent la solution en oeuvre ainsi que sur leur capacité à satisfaire plus rapidement les besoins des clients et partenaires.

“Notre Digital Business Platform est la manière la plus rapide d’implémenter de nouveaux modèles métier”, explique Wolfram Jost, directeur de la technologie chez Software AG. “Travailler de manière “Agile” implique que les développeurs puissent jongler aisément entre les différents systèmes. webMethods DevOps Edition a été conçu afin de doter les développeurs et les équipes d’exploitation IT des meilleurs outils qui soient en matière de communication, de collaboration et d’intégration. La solution favorise une approche Scrum/Agile, caractérisée par des itérations fréquentes. Cela permet aux entreprises de déployer plus rapidement de nouvelles fonctionnalités, de mettre en oeuvre plus aisément un environnement opérationnel numérique et, au final, de consacrer plus de temps à l’apport de valeurs ajoutées à leurs applications au lieu de rester constamment coincées en mode maintenance et correction.”

Points forts de la webMethods DevOps Edition: ses potentiels de tests automatisés et ‘unplugged’. webMethods permet aux développeurs de concevoir et de tester leurs applications ainsi que de nouvelles fonctionnalités sans devoir être connectés à un réseau ou à un serveur. Ils ont par ailleurs accès à Eclipse/Designer sur leurs systèmes locaux et peuvent solliciter à tout moment tous les modules d’extension nécessaires. Cela signifie que des ajouts, modifications et extensions de code peuvent être testés et finalisés dès l’instant où le développeur est à nouveau connecté, sans la moindre perte de temps. Par ailleurs, des fonctionnalités de simulation permettent d’effectuer des tests à distance.

“Traditionnellement, les développeurs avaient l’habitude de concevoir des applications monolithiques pour leurs clients. A l’heure actuelle, les bonnes pratiques imposent de recourir à de petites équipes de développement agiles qui se composent de développeurs logiciels et de responsables d’exploitation IT. La clé du succès de DevOps se situe dans le morcellement des activités en petites tranches modulaires. Chaque fois qu’une entreprise lance un nouveau produit, les équipes DevOps peuvent appliquer une approche modulaire à l’application en question et s’appuyer sur un canevas précis pour fragmenter de la même manière des produits monolithiques existants. L’expérience client s’améliore à chaque déploiement de nouvelles applications et mises à jour. Le rythme répond aux attentes des clients et des partenaires.”

La transformation numérique bat son plein et permet aux entreprises et aux organismes publics d’accélérer leur capacité d’anticipation face aux évolutions de comportement des consommateurs et des souhaits des citoyens. Ils doivent par ailleurs adapter leur offre et leurs processus internes. Cela exige des cycles de développement plus rapides d’applications IT. webMethods DevOps y joue un rôle primordial.