PEX Network’s weekly bulletin rounds up the latest industry vendor news including product releases/updates, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and leadership changes.
This week includes:
- SAP users can now harness IBM watsonx and IBM Granite
- Workday nets huge UK government ERP contract
- Celonis announces agenda for Celosphere 2024
- Appian elects Carl “Boe” Hartman II to board of directors
- Nemetschek Group to add AI layer across all major platforms
- NowCM and White & Case unveil automated commercial paper offering
SAP users can now harness IBM watsonx and IBM Granite
IBM announced that SAP users can now harness the power of IBM watsonx and IBM Granite – beginning with Granite.13b.chat large language model (LLM) – available through the generative AI hub on SAP AI core on the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). This reflects the firms’ “shared approach to generative AI,” built on an open ecosystem, prioritizing trust, transparency and the use of purpose-built models to help optimize business efficiency, according to a press release. “The timing couldn’t be better, as 56 percent of surveyed business executives say they plan to divert spending from other budget areas to SAP-specific generative AI, according to new research from the IBM Institute for Business Value,” it added.
Granite 13b.chat is optimized for retrieval augmented generation for Q&A and is commonly used to create assistants and chatbots. The combination of Granite conversational AI capabilities with SAP’s domain-specific finance, human capital management, supply chain and CRM data sets, will allow enterprises to scale AI in an ethical and responsible way, the firms stated. “We’re most excited about the initial use cases Granite 13b.chat can enable, bringing Q&A, generative tasks, insight extraction, summarization and classification, especially to enterprise resource planning (ERP) processes,” they added.
Lee Bogner, Mars reflects on the importance of data in AI
Workday nets huge UK government ERP contract
ERP vendor Workday agreed a major deal to standardize systems in the cloud across a cluster of UK government departments. It is part of the £144 million “Matrix” program aimed at modernizing the departments’ back-office systems, streamlining the transactions and activities that underpin the way departments are run. It will join the ERP systems of the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury, Education (DfE), Health (DHSC) and several other departments, resulting in new finance and HR systems for 48,000 users. Cognizant will serve as the systems integrator of the program
The software agreement is set to last 10 years, with the option of extension for up to two further years, while the systems integrator deal is scheduled for an initial period of five years, potentially extending to seven, according to a procurement notice from the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT).
Celonis announces agenda for Celosphere 2024
Process mining and process intelligence leader Celonis announced the agenda for its annual user conference, Celosphere, taking place in Munich, Germany. Now in its sixth year, the agenda for Celosphere 2024 features more than 100 sessions lead by industry executives, analysts and process intelligence experts from some of the world’s largest companies that have unlocked unprecedented value from their business operations and technology investments. This year’s guest speaker is Nina Schick, a world-leading authority on AI, founder of Tamang Ventures and author. She will discuss the intertwined relationship between AI and process intelligence.
“Celosphere is the gathering for people who love processes and want to make a difference,” said Alex Rinke, Celonis co-CEO and co-founder. “It’s where changemakers from all over the world come together to connect and share how they’re using process intelligence to make processes work for people, companies and the planet.”
James Friend, NHS England describes unlocking operational efficiency
Appian elects Carl “Boe” Hartman II to board of directors
“Joining the Appian board aligns with my passion for creating simple, effective technology solutions that drive validated, measurable change,” said Hartman. “Appian's vision for enhancing digital transformation aligns with this expertise, and I look forward to supporting them in today's fast-paced, tech-driven landscape.”
Nemetschek Group to add AI layer across all major platforms
Digital transformation software provider Nemetschek Group announced the launch of an AI layer to be embedded in all the company’s major solutions from 2025. The AI layer aims to revolutionize creativity and productivity in architecture, engineering and construction as well as management and operation, according to a press release. It will offer tools to simplify complex tasks and empower professionals to focus on innovative design and project execution, it added.
The AI layer will use secure cloud technology to process user requests efficiently, delivering precise responses. It will also be modular and understand natural language, enabling fast and accurate responses while transforming and optimising the way users work with Nemetschek products. “We believe that human intelligence, paired with advanced AI, can push boundaries,” commented Yves Padrines, CEO of Nemetschek Group. “By integrating the new AI layer into our key solutions, we aim to unlock new possibilities and revolutionize workflow efficiency.”
NowCM and White & Case unveil automated commercial paper offering
Digital/automated bond issuance company NowCM and international law firm White & Case introduced new technology and legal advice to the dated and manual commercial paper (CP) market. NextGenCP is designed for corporates and other CP issuers to support advanced and efficient funding processes and liquidity management, according to a press release. NextGenCP is also available for CP issuers with an existing program that want to convert their issuance into a fully digital experience, it added.
“The simplicity of using NextGenCP is based on more than a decade of research and development, a data model of thousands of variables and business rules, a highly secure cloud platform and above all the interaction with our clients who contributed countless hours and ideas,” said Robert Koller, founder and CEO of owCM.
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