Latest news with #modernization
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Improving the Defense Tech Supply Chain
Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO of Govini, discusses efforts to streamline defense acquisitions as the U.S. looks to modernize its capabilities. She joins Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on "Bloomberg Tech." (Source: Bloomberg)
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Inside Kelly Services Tech And AI Journey With CIO Sean Perry
A Kelly Services Inc. booth during a Job News USA career fair in Jeffersonville, Indiana Sean Perry, Chief Information Officer of Kelly Services, oversees global technology for a company dedicated to connecting job seekers with opportunities across multiple sectors. "We help people on a daily basis find meaningful work," Perry shared. "To be able to leverage technology to deliver that is something that has been a great enjoyment throughout my career." Kelly Services has a diversified portfolio, including professional and industrial staffing as well as fast-growing education, science, engineering and technology sectors. The company generates approximately $4.3 billion in annual revenue. Under Perry's leadership, the company is driving forward with a modernization initiative that updates legacy systems and integrates cutting-edge solutions, all while preserving the company's mission of making work accessible and fulfilling. A CIO's Strategy for Long-Term Tech Evolution Perry's purview encompasses every aspect of global technology at Kelly. "If it plugs in and it's not working, it's IT," he joked. But his responsibilities go much deeper, focusing on long-term modernization during a time of rapid technological transformation. 'We're trying to make good decisions that'll last 10 years,' he explained. 'What worked four years ago isn't necessarily going to help us today.' A core focus has been integrating recently acquired companies. "Engaging those acquisitions and bringing them onto the Kelly core eliminates friction," Perry said. "We're also rethinking our applicant tracking, CRM and ERP systems, tools that have existed for a long time and now need modernization." Learning from Acquisitions and Building Stronger Foundations Kelly's acquisition of Motion Recruitment in April 2024 exemplifies the CIO's open approach to innovation. Perry praised Motion for its forward-thinking architecture when he said, 'They had implemented Workday, connected it to Bullhorn and added a CRM. It was a fresh, modern tech stack.' Kelly CIO Sean Perry Rather than enforcing top-down integration, Perry emphasized mutual learning. 'The 'Kelly Core' might need to change to accommodate this more capable technology,' he noted. He acknowledged challenges in scaling a system designed for a smaller private equity-backed company but noted that 'the Core is all there,' providing a leg up in their transformation AI through Governance and Grace AI has become a key enabler of Kelly's modernization. Perry described the AI Council's three-pronged approach: legal and compliance, external opportunity scouting and internal process evaluation. 'You had this sea of change coming in,' he said, 'and the Council had already built a model for how to assess and measure opportunities.' One of the most impactful outputs was Grace, a lightweight AI interface built internally. 'We support close to 5,000 users on about $700 a month of AI spend,' Perry revealed. Grace allows employees across the organization to experiment with AI without needing individual accounts. It also collects data to surface popular use cases. 'For example, reformatting a resume is a common task,' he offered. 'We built that functionality directly into Grace.' The Power of Contextual AI and Emerging Opportunities Perry is now spearheading an initiative to embed AI contextually into SaaS applications used by Kelly. 'Grace as a separate website was a good first step,' he said. 'But now we're working on embedding it in the actual tools people use, like Bullhorn or Workday.' The goal is to eliminate friction—copying and pasting between systems—and to deliver assistance at the moment it's needed. 'Shouldn't AI work like a digital adoption platform? Always available and in context?' Perry asked. The prototype, already demonstrated internally, is aimed at providing proactive, intelligent support across platforms. Reflections from Amazon and a Product-Led IT Mindset Perry had prior CIO experience, spending 13 years as the CIO of Robert Half International. In between that experience and his current role, however, he spent took an unusual turn as Senior Manager of Technical Program Management at Amazon. Perry's time at Amazon left a lasting impression. Working on both Kindle and Halo, a health and fitness tracking service and devices that was discontinued in 2023, he learned the discipline of customer-centric product development that company is famous for. "Amazon taught me to step back and ask, 'What's the customer problem I'm trying to solve?' rather than 'What feature should I build next?' He has since brought that philosophy to internal product development at Kelly, introducing planning processes inspired by Amazon's OP1 methodology. "We had each team write six-page documents about their wins, challenges and priorities," he said, highlighting another famous practice that Jeff Bezos introduced at Amazon years ago. "It surfaced common pain points and helped us align more effectively." A Future Fueled by AI and Human Potential Looking ahead, Perry is excited about the rapid evolution of AI. 'Capabilities that seemed impossible six months ago are now within reach,' he said. But he's mindful of the uneven distribution of understanding and success with AI. 'Some developers are building full-stack solutions with AI in hours while others are still struggling to fix bugs introduced by AI-generated code.' Ultimately, Perry is betting big on context-aware AI. 'We're discovering use cases everywhere, even in internal audit,' he noted. 'Now we have more justification to invest because we can see real usage and value. Our challenge is how quickly we can move from prototype to production because the potential to empower our workforce is enormous.' Peter High is President of Metis Strategy, a business and IT advisory firm. He has written three bestselling books, including his latest Getting to Nimble. He also moderates the Technovation podcast series and speaks at conferences around the world. Follow him on Twitter @PeterAHigh.
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
One of Europe's cheapest holiday destinations is getting major £1.1billion airport upgrade
TAKE OFF Plus, 10 reasons why you should check out the city PRAGUE airport is due to get a £1.1billion upgrade over the next decade with terminal expansions and a new train station. Václav Havel Airport in Prague, Czech Republic, is undergoing a huge modernisation project set to be completed in the mid-2030s. 6 6 6 Included in the plans are new parking areas, improved access roads and the construction of a long-awaited railway connection with a new train station. The project originally started back in 2023. Next year plans to expand the current parking capacity will start, with several new car parks. Then in 2027, the expansion of the airport's terminals will begin with "innovative changes in check-in procedures and new operational solutions", according to the airport's website. Finally, in 2030 and beyond, the parallel runway will be developed to reduce noise and increase capacity at the airport. Currently, the airport has a main runway capacity of up to 46 lift-offs or landings per hour. The airport also plans to have a Skywalk which will allow passengers and airport visitors to move between the airport's buildings without traffic getting in their way. In addition, the hope is that by having to parallel runways, safety will be increased and the airport will become more efficient than it is today. In and around the airport there will also be many improvements for travellers including the connection of the airport to the railway network (Prague-Kladno). Eventually the railway connection will directly link the airport to the city centre, with the journey estimated to take about 25minutes. The 'ultimate city break' just a few hours from the UK with beer spas and lager for £1.50 The new main railway station building will have an island platform layout with two side tracks from which passengers can reach the terminals via underground connections. Once completed, it is hoped that the railway connection will support Prague's wider efforts to enhance public transport connectivity and traffic in and around the airport. According to Prague Morning, airport spokeswoman Denisa Hejtmánková shared that the airport will also get major infrastructure upgrades such as a new transformer station. Prague is often noted as one of the cheapest destinations for a city break, with £1.25 beers. Last year, the Post Office reported that Prague was amongst the cheapest city breaks in Eastern Europe according to its Travel Money City Costs Barometer. Prices for a city break in Prague fell by 12.5 per cent to £318 based on 12 typical spending items including drinks, an evening meal for two with wine, two nights' three-star weekend accommodation, sightseeing charges and city transport. 6 6 As a result, it came in ninth place for the cheapest city breaks in Eastern Europe. Accommodation fell in Prague last year by 21.4 per cent too, down from £196 to £154. Prague's railway network is also getting upgraded, with the central station receiving a £6.1billion facelift. The station will get a new cultural zone and a square, to make station more attractive. Plans suggest that it will be brighter and also have a two-level rail hub, with 6.5miles of underground tunnels. In the mean time, here are 10 things to do in Prague including an 1,100-year-old castle and beer tours. Plus, 10 reasons why you should check out the city. 6
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Palantir, Meta, OpenAI, And Thinking Machines Just Had Their Executives Sworn Into The US Army Reserve
Four top tech executives have joined the U.S. Army Reserve as lieutenant colonels, skipping basic training and stepping directly into roles aimed at helping modernize the military. The initiative is part of a broader push by the Army to bring in private-sector innovation and reshape how the service approaches technology, talent, and modernization. The executives—Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, Meta (NASDAQ:META) CTO Andrew Bosworth, OpenAI Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil, and advisor at Thinking Machines Lab and former OpenAI Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew — will serve in a new unit called Detachment 201, also known as the Army's Executive Innovation Corps. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion—now accredited investors are eyeing this software company with similar breakout potential. Learn how you can 'Detachment 201 is being created to bring in tech innovation executives to help the Army ... on broader conceptual things like talent management, how do we bring in tech-focused people into the ranks of the military, and then, how do we train them,' Army Chief of Staff spokesperson Col. Dave Butler, told Breaking Defense on June 13. Unlike traditional recruits, these executives will not attend boot camp. Instead, they will go through an express training program that covers marksmanship, physical fitness, Army history, and protocols. They will be expected to serve about 120 hours per year and pass annual fitness tests. 'You could think of it as a pilot' of a lighter version of basic training, Butler told Business Insider. The detachment's name, 201, references the HTTP status code indicating a newly created resource—a fitting metaphor for a new kind of Army asset. Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . According to an Army statement, the new officers will work on 'targeted projects to help guide rapid and scalable tech solutions to complex problems.' Their advisory roles will include input on AI-powered military systems and optimization tools for soldier fitness. However, safeguards will be in place to avoid conflicts of interest with their current or former employers. 'We've done this over and over when our nation needed top talent,' Butler told Breaking Defense. 'The difference is we used to do it in wartime. Now we're doing it ahead of wartime so that we can prepare and deter.' This marks another move by the Trump administration to align more closely with Silicon Valley. Palantir, Anduril, and other VC-backed defense tech startups have increasingly become major players in national security. Meta recently partnered with Anduril to develop augmented reality tools and AI systems for military direct commissioning has been used to bring in specialized talent, such as doctors or chaplains, during times of war. This move represents a peacetime shift aimed at long-term transformation. 'Their swearing-in is just the start of a bigger mission to inspire more tech pros to serve without leaving their careers,' the Army statement said. 'Showing the next generation how to make a difference in uniform.' Read Next: How do billionaires pay less in income tax than you?.UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES (PLTR): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Palantir, Meta, OpenAI, And Thinking Machines Just Had Their Executives Sworn Into The US Army Reserve originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Al Arabiya
20-06-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Putin says Russia plans to deepen military-technical ties with ‘friendly countries'
President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia intends to develop military and technical cooperation with 'friendly countries' with whom Moscow wants to jointly produce arms and train military personnel. In a speech at Russia's showcase economic forum in St Petersburg, Putin said Moscow also planned to modernize its own armed forces and their bases by equipping them with the latest weapons and technology. 'We will harness new technology to improve the combat capabilities of the Russian armed forces, modernize military infrastructure facilities, (and) equip them with the latest technology and weapons and equipment,' he said. 'At the same time, we intend to develop military-technical co-operation with friendly countries. And we are talking not only about supplies or the modernization of equipment and weapons, but also about joint development, personnel training, and the creation of turn-key enterprises and production facilities,' he said. Talking about global trade, Putin said Russia planned to develop trade ties with its partners by removing barriers, opening up market niches and deepening investment cooperation.
