IBIT News

IBIT affiliates with Global Center on Big Data in Mobile Analytics

Dr. Xueming Luo, Professor of Marketing at the Fox School of Business, is founder and director of the Global Center on Big Data in Mobile Analytics, whose mission it is to facilitate research, education, and industry practice in big data, touching a multitude of cross-disciplinary fields.

“The new generation is using mobile every day,” said Luo. “Everyone can use mobile to find restaurants, reviews, movies, Facebook – it’s so relevant.”

Established in 2013, the Global Center is now a formal affiliate of the Institute for Business and Information Technology (IBIT). “IBIT members will benefit from the leading edge mobile research of the center” said Munir Mandviwalla, Executive Director.

Luo has received widespread accolades and recognition for his research, recently receiving an award from the American Marketing Association for his paper on mobile targeting for subway passengers.

“[In mobile], there’s a golden opportunity for marketers if they [communicate] at the right time, right location, and push the right product to the right customers.”

The Center’s research doesn’t just transcend industries, but cultures, as well – as it compares and contrasts populations around the world. “We talk about global vision; we look for rich, in-depth stores of how different kinds of consumers may respond differently to the same strategy across the globe.”

It’s a team-building opportunity here that we can build a research team around the world, and that we engage undergraduate and masters and PhD students in the center. Our projects can really help the industry to target customers better and have more competitive advantage in business.

Xueming Luo

The demand for such insights is at an all-time high. “All companies have data,” Luo explained, “but are short of insights that help them use the database to make decisions—and that’s the key thing…From Fortune 500 to emerging markets, that’s what will give the competitive advantage.”

When asked what he considered to be the most rewarding aspect of working at the Center, Luo said: “I think we have a good, supportive environment; everyone here is so happy and motivated, which is maybe most exciting.”

The 2nd Annual Temple Analytics Challenge

The Institute for Business and Information Technology announces the 2nd Annual Temple Analytics Challenge. The competition opens on October 1st, 2014.

The challenge is open to all Temple University students and features problems and data sets from NBCUniversal, Merck, and Lockheed Martin. Students can win prizes of $2,500 out of a total pool of $10,000.

The competition is sponsored by IBIT members Campbell Soup, LiquidHub, Lockheed Martin, Merck, NBCUniversal, Temple Computer Services and Walmart, and is offered in cooperation with Office of Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies.

NBCUniversal CIO Atish Banerjea Joins Fox IT Advisory Board

Atish Banerjea has just become the newest member of the Fox IT Advisory Board. As Chief Information Officer for NBCUniversal, Banerjea brings with him years of experience encompassing enterprise IT, technology development, global technology strategy, and more.

“Atish is a perfect fit,” said Munir Mandviwalla, Executive Director of Fox’s Institute for Business and Information Technology. “He embodies the next generation CIO that both leads digital innovation and manages a complex world class IT operation.”

A recent recipient of the 2013 Fox IT Distinguished Alumni Award, Banerjea also served as keynote speaker at Fox’s recent Digital Business Innovation Conference, where he addressed the world’s ongoing “technical renaissance,” which has drastically heightened the importance of technology in the business world.

“Businesses need guidance on how to leverage and capitalize on new technologies and innovations, which are moving at a faster pace than ever,” said Banerjea. “Technology has moved from solely the backroom, enterprise-only IT functions to the front room, driving new business strategy and product.”

Banerjea’s “front room” experience and real-world savvy will prove crucial to the Advisory Board and Fox’s ongoing development. In his role at NBCUniversal, Banerjea leads the Information Technology organization, overseeing global technology applications, infrastructure and operations for the company’s worldwide media portfolio.

As a board member, he joins 16 distinguished industry leaders with the collective goal of advising Temple in its pursuit of current, cutting edge education and research in the fields of integrative business and technology.

When asked what inspired him to join the Board, Banerjea said:

“Being a Temple alum, I am interested in contributing to the success of the Fox School of Business and the IT program…and playing an advisory role in curriculum development and research programs.”

IBIT Partner Merck Wields Award-Winning Technology to Improve Vaccines

George Llado Merck IBIT — George Llado (L) and Jerry Megaro (R) of Merck & Co., Inc.

When it comes to Big Data, few companies are as committed to utilizing its innovative potential as Merck & Co., Inc. and its subsidiaries.

Jerry Megaro, Director Innovation & Manufacturing Analytics, spoke to Temple’s Institute for Business and Information Technology (IBIT) about his latest large-scale project: overhauling Merck’s data analytics technology to improve the manufacturing process for one of their most important vaccines.

But there were roadblocks. Previous technology required time-consuming spreadsheet analysis that was inflexible and limited by storage and memory capabilities. In order to track the complex, multi-dimensional process of creating and testing a vaccine, Megaro needed a better technological toolkit.

So he turned to Big Data.

“With my knowledge of analytics, I persuaded VP of Merck Manufacturing Department Information Technology George Llado to apply the technology to manufacturing,” Megaro said, recalling their first fruitful discussion—which led to Llado’s sponsoring of the project.

With the support of a highly skilled team, Megaro achieved in three months what would have previously taken at least one year: 15 billion calculations, and over 5.5 million data comparisons.

“Rather than buy software and hardware, we decided to use open source,” Megaro explained. “The data generated from the manufacturing computers had to be cleaned and uncompressed, and aligned. We figured out how to align it so that we could perform more specific analytics and correlations.”

These analyses led to vaccine production improvements, as well as two prestigious awards: the Frost and Sullivan MFG Council Leadership Award and ranking as number 48 of the InformationWeek Elite 100.

“We employed quick, disciplined decisioning and empowered Jerry to drive experimentation, while collaborating and driving business results,” said Llado. “[The technology] provides more product, lowers costs, and most importantly improves access to our vaccine.”

The company’s drive to innovate within the industry is one of the myriad reasons IBIT has partnered with Merck as a member: mentoring students, encouraging innovation, and fostering an environment defined by “the two C’s—Competition and Collaboration,” in the words of Llado, who also serves on the Fox IT Advisory Board.

“The payback for us has been enormous,” he said, reflecting on Merck’s involvement with Temple. “Top of the list would have to be watching the students thrive and grow…Second would have to be the quality of students that Merck has recruited. Lastly, the opportunity to network with many of the Advisory Board members has proven to be worth its weight in gold.”

In Llado’s opinion, striving for innovation means investing in people. When evaluating Merck’s recent innovation, he underscored how their game- changing improvements to vaccine production would not have been possible without a steadfast commitment to human capital development.

“I firmly believe that [this commitment] distinguishes us from the competition, as we look to build leadership behaviors that are universal, and fundamental to creating an innovative culture.”

For the pharmaceutical industry—as well as for Fox students who aspire to career paths paved with similar values—Merck is a beacon of inspiration.

Building the Next Generation, Creative Urban Workforce for the Information Economy

The Institute for Business and Information Technology (IBIT) is pleased to announce the release of The IBIT Report – Building the Next Generation, Creative Urban Workforce for the Information Economy authored by Youngjin Yoo, Michele Masucci, and Alan Wiig, Temple University.