Goods handling in Basel, Switzerland's logistics hub, is to become more sustainable and efficient. After a one-and-a-half-year construction phase, the Rhenus Group will open the logistics center of the future in Möhlin (AG) in January 2025.

Around 80 employees at the logistics center in Möhlin (AG) find exciting tasks with a future and are supported by 30 P40 Geek+ robots and seven RoboShuttles. Together, they serve a total of 30,000 storage locations on a total area of 2,000 square meters and achieve time savings of up to 70 percent through this collaboration.

In order to meet the increasing requirements, the logistics center is equipped with special storage rooms that enable the storage of temperature-controlled goods and the safe storage of hazardous substances under the highest safety standards. A photovoltaic system, which produces one million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, supplies the entire building with green and safe electricity, thus ensuring low-emission and self-sufficient goods handling. "Our new logistics center in Möhlin (AG) impressively demonstrates what modern logistics looks like: more automation and increased efficiency while simultaneously promoting jobs, sustainability goals and quality standards," Andreas Stöckli, CEO of Rhenus Alpina and a member of the Rhenus Group's Management Board, is convinced.

Source: www.rhenus.group

The Global Cyber Conference, one of the leading international events in the field of cybersecurity, brings together high-ranking cybersecurity stakeholders, authorities and academia to network, share knowledge and strengthen cyber resilience. At the Swiss CISO Awards ceremony, Mostafa Hassanin, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of SMG, was presented with the Cybersecurity Excellence Award. This recognition underlines the achievements of him and his team in protecting Switzerland's popular online marketplaces and promoting best practices in cybersecurity.

Pioneering initiatives in the area of cyber security

Under the leadership of Mostafa Hassanin, SMG has made significant progress in the area of cybersecurity since 2022, investing a mid-single-digit million amount annually. With his team of twelve, Hassanin has implemented advanced solutions and strengthened protection across SMG's various platforms. Key initiatives include:

• State-of-the-art digital identity solutions: Advanced login systems with adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA), including smart push notifications and passwordless login functions that are unique for online marketplaces in Switzerland and Europe.
• Cybersecurity awareness campaigns: SMG actively promotes a culture of security and social responsibility through external and internal campaigns in order to make cyber security more accessible and easier to understand.
• Ricardo MoneyGuard: A trusted payment solution that ensures secure transactions for buyers and sellers.
• Participation in global standards: As a member of the FIDO Alliance, SMG is committed to global security standards and thus demonstrates its efforts to actively shape the future of digital security.
• Cooperation with authorities: Cooperation with law enforcement agencies to combat cybercrime in Switzerland, including research and prevention work with Swiss Crime Prevention to raise awareness and effectively combat cybercrime.

These initiatives reflect SMG's commitment to strengthening customer trust, protecting infrastructure and data, and providing a secure platform for millions of users.

"It is a great honor to receive this award, which recognizes the work of the entire team," says Mostafa Hassanin. "Our recent successes, particularly with Ricardo and Homegate, show how investing in cybersecurity can make our online marketplaces safer and more trustworthy."

Cybersecurity as a central pillar of SMG's sustainability strategy

Cybersecurity plays a key role in SMG's sustainability strategy by strengthening trust and security in the digital ecosystem. As one of the four strategic pillars of sustainability, it is crucial for long-term cyber resilience and responsibility. Together with Hassanin and his team, SMG will continue to invest heavily in cybersecurity and implement further initiatives to raise standards even further.

About Mostafa Hassanin

With more than a decade of experience in information and cybersecurity, particularly in banking, finance and online marketplaces, Mostafa Hassanin has made a lasting impact on Switzerland's digital security landscape. His achievements include developing security strategies for leading Swiss brands, helping to shape industry standards in the financial sector and leading SMG's cybersecurity strategy to protect its platforms and users. In addition to his professional role, Hassanin is an ICT expert for the Canton of Zug, a member of the Cybersecurity Committee of digitalswitzerland and sits on the Advisory Board of InfoSec Global. He holds a BSc in Computer Science (Loughborough), an MSc in Software and Systems Security (Oxford) and an Executive MBA (INSEAD).

Source: www.swissmarketplace.group/de

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/smg-ciso-gewinnt-cybersecurity-excellence-award/

With the appointment of Christian Speck as Vice President, Bechtle is transferring the previously separately managed sales channels IT system house & managed services and IT e-commerce in Switzerland to a new overall responsibility. The aim is to intensify cooperation for comprehensive customer support and to exploit additional synergies. The 54-year-old, currently Managing Director of Bechtle Schweiz AG, will thus also be responsible for the nationwide design and implementation of an integrated multichannel strategy. "Christian Speck has impressive management and industry experience. We are convinced that this step will enable us to further expand our market position as one of the leading IT partners for SMEs, enterprise customers and the public sector in Switzerland and to drive growth forward strongly," says Konstantin Ebert, COO, Bechtle AG.

Experienced top manager steers further development

Christian Speck has been at the helm of the IT service provider Bechtle Schweiz AG as Managing Director since 2020. Prior to this, he was Co-Managing Director of Steffen Informatik AG, which was acquired by Bechtle in 2016, and subsequently a member of the Management Board of Bechtle Steffen Schweiz AG. An electrical engineering graduate, he holds an Executive MBA in General Management from the University of St. Gallen. He is an honorary board member of HSG Alumni, St. Gallen.

"I am very much looking forward to my new role as Bechtle Vice President Switzerland. By linking all sales channels, we will be able to seamlessly support our customers across the entire spectrum of their digital transformation requirements - from smart procurement, IT infrastructure and innovation projects to efficient managed services. In addition, we can support Swiss companies in the strong network of the Bechtle Group throughout Europe and worldwide," says Christian Speck.

Handover from Hanspeter Oeschger to Christian Speck

January 1, 2025 also marks the end of Hanspeter Oeschger's era as divisional director of Bechtle in Switzerland. Until the end of March 2025, the renowned IT manager, who is highly respected in the industry, will continue to oversee the transition to Christian Speck and will then leave the company as planned. At the age of 65, he intends to take more time for his hobbies and family and to continue his education in the field of artificial intelligence.

Like Christian Speck, Hanspeter Oeschger joined Bechtle as co-founder and Managing Director of Steffen Informatik through the acquisition of the company. In January 2019, he assumed responsibility as Divisional Director Bechtle IT System House & Managed Services Switzerland. In this role, he played a key role in shaping the strategic and organizational realignment of the Bechtle IT system houses in Switzerland and the cooperation between the Group companies in the market.

"Over the past few years, Hanspeter Oeschger has driven forward the positioning in the Swiss market with great entrepreneurial skill and great prudence, made smart strategic decisions and led Bechtle in Switzerland to extremely pleasing growth despite economic challenges. We are very grateful to him and are delighted that he is handing over the baton of a well-positioned organization to his long-time colleague Christian Speck," says Michael Guschlbauer, COO, Bechtle AG.

Strong IT partner for the Swiss economy

Bechtle started the company's international expansion in Switzerland in 1996. In addition to the nationwide IT providers Bechtle direct and Bechtle Schweiz AG in the German-speaking parts of the country and Bechtle Suisse SA in the French-speaking parts, the group is now active in the Swiss market with the ERP and CRM specialist Aproda AG and the subsidiaries Solid Solutions AG and SGSolution AG, which specialize in PLM solutions. Bechtle employs a total of 1,162 people at 12 locations in Switzerland and generated revenue of over 505 million euros in the 2023 financial year.

Source: www.bechtle.com

The high-performance detectors from Dectris are used in leading research institutes worldwide, for example in particle accelerators, in X-ray analysis or in electron microscopy. Researchers and engineers use the detectors to quickly obtain precise analysis data in areas such as drug development or battery research. In addition to detectors, Dectris develops other products and services for cutting-edge research, including a particularly powerful cloud platform for the collaborative use of scientific data.

Developing the Dectris brand globally

Dectris aims to further expand its leading position in the extremely dynamic high-tech market. At the same time, the brand must assert itself as an innovation leader and reliable partner in the demanding scientific environment. In order to meet these requirements, Scholtysik will strategically develop the Dectris brand and increase its appeal in the long term.

"In Scholtysik, we have found a branding partner that not only has extensive experience in the technology sector, but also understands the scientific communities for which we ultimately develop our products," says Stefan Brandstetter, Chief Commercial Officer of Dectris. "We look forward to taking the Dectris brand to a new level together."

Source: www.scholtysik.ch

External attacks most common cause of security incidents

On average, companies in the DACH region have experienced 41 security incidents in the last twelve months. The largest proportion of these were targeted attacks by external attackers (36%), followed by misconfigurations (29%) and software errors (28%). The main effects of these incidents included data loss (35 percent), downtime or interruptions (28 percent) and the compromise of customer accounts (25 percent). Companies citing loss of revenue as the most significant impact of security incidents reported losses of 3.3%.

Marshall Erwin, Chief Information Security Officer at Fastly, commented on the findings: "Full recovery from security breaches is becoming increasingly complex and costly for organizations. This is due to loss of revenue, reputational damage and lost time, which will affect long-term business relationships and tie up resources from different parts of the organization. As the number of attacks will not decrease and the risk of large-scale outages is always present, it is crucial that adjustments to the cyber security strategy are part of a holistic plan and that companies do not make hasty decisions."

Too little protection against new threats: Companies under pressure

63 percent of respondents fear cyberattacks on remote workers. 53 percent also state that the increasingly complex threat landscape has left their organization unprepared for future attacks and 51 percent of companies state that they are not protected against threats from emerging generative AI technology. Half of companies blame a lack of investment in security technologies for increased threat levels.

Investment in cyber security will increase - but so will consolidation

As a result, 88% of all decision-makers surveyed expect investments in cyber security to increase over the next twelve months, although investments in security solutions will have to be justified more strongly in view of tight budgets. Cybersecurity insurance (34%) and managed security services (28%) are among the top three areas of expected investment after modern authentication methods (40%).

There is therefore a clear trend towards outsourcing and protection - in addition to existing security tools and providers, which are under greater scrutiny in response to last year's incidents (46%). The overall economic situation is causing additional tension: even though the need to invest in cybersecurity is undisputed, almost three quarters of respondents (72%) are increasingly thinking about consolidating their providers and tools.

Comprehensive security approach as a strategy for the future

There is also a re-evaluation of how organizations integrate software security into their operational processes. More and more stakeholders outside of traditional security teams, including teams from areas such as platform engineering, are being involved in the introduction of security solutions. In fact, a fifth (20 percent) of respondents said that adopting a modern platform engineering approach to software security is one of their priorities for the next year.

"We are seeing a shift towards a shared responsibility for security in companies with a stronger focus on embedding security measures into all projects from the outset. Companies that integrate security into their processes early on and build strong partnerships with security specialists are better prepared for future threats and can recover from attacks more quickly," recommends Erwin.

Source: www.fastly.com/de

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/neue-studie-zeigt-unternehmen-brauchen-laenger-als-erwartet-um-sich-von-cyberangriffen-zu-erholen/

The programs were developed to address the acute skills shortage in the IT sector and strengthen the competitiveness of the Swiss economy. While the MAS Leadership in Cybersecurity specifically addresses the growing threat of cyber attacks, the MAS Digital Leadership in IT focuses on promoting leadership skills for digital transformation. Both programmes are tailored to the future skills of specialists and managers and their organizations.

The new programs will sharpen the skills profiles of graduates in a rapidly changing and challenging digital world. The special feature of the new MAS programs is their modular structure, which allows graduates to book them flexibly.

MAS Digital Leadership in IT

This program is designed for experienced IT professionals and leaders who want to expand their strategic and digital management skills and strengthen their leadership competencies. The program focuses on the core competencies of technology, business and leadership:

• Modern people-oriented leadership
• Technology management
• Digital business transformation

In this programme, participants also acquire the internationally recognized Agile Business Professional certification.

MAS Leadership in Cybersecurity

This program is designed for IT security experts and managers who want to expand their skills in strategic cybersecurity management and take on management positions. Participants are prepared to lead security teams, design awareness campaigns and support management in strategic decisions. This training focuses on the core competencies:

• Modern people-oriented leadership
• Cybersecurity management with BSI, ISO and NIST standards
• Strategies and operation of AI-supported cybersecurity

In this program, participants can also acquire the following certificates:

• Integrated BSI and ISO certifications
• Certification as an Agile Business Professional
• Audit, AI powered CyberTech integrated certification

Source: www.fhnw.ch

These rules and regulations have a significant impact on safety-critical systems with AI components in particular. V&V (verification & validation) techniques are used to ensure that the outputs of an AI model meet requirements and specifications. Verification checks whether an AI model has been created and developed in accordance with the specified requirements. Validation checks whether the product meets the customer's requirements and expectations. V&V methods also enable early detection of bugs and strategies for dealing with distorted data (data bias).

Christoph Stockhammer, Senior Application Engineer at MathWorks, explains how engineers can set up such V&V processes and the benefits they bring to the development of AI models in safety-critical systems.

Verify and validate: Why AI systems benefit from it

One advantage of using AI in safety-critical systems is that AI models can approximate physical systems and validate the design. Engineers simulate systems with AI components and use the data to test the behavior in different scenarios, including outlier events. Performing V&V ensures that an AI-supported safety-critical system can maintain the required level of performance and functionality under different conditions.

Most industries in which products with AI components are developed require their engineers to comply with safety standards before the products are launched on the market. These include the automotive and vehicle industry as well as the aviation, aerospace and defense industries. Certification processes are used to ensure the integration of certain elements into these products. Engineers use V&V to test the functionality of these elements, which makes it easier or even possible for them to obtain certifications.

From planning to practice: the building blocks of V+V processes

When performing V&V, engineers must ensure that the AI component meets the specified requirements, remains reliable under all operating conditions and is safe and therefore ready for use. The V&V process for AI involves performing software assurance activities. These consist of a combination of static and dynamic analyses, tests, formal methods and operational monitoring in real use. V&V processes may differ slightly depending on the industry, but always include the same general steps:

• Analyze the decision-making process to solve the black box problem: The black box problem arises when engineers cannot understand how an AI model makes decisions. Feature importance analysis evaluates which input variables (e.g. environmental factors in safety-critical systems) most influence the output values of the AI model. Explainability techniques help to understand the decision logic of a model, e.g. by identifying areas in images that contribute most to model output. Both approaches promote transparency and confidence of engineers and scientists in AI systems.
• Testing the model using representative data sets: Engineers test AI models with representative data sets to identify limitations and increase the reliability of the model. The data is cleaned and test cases are developed to evaluate aspects such as accuracy and reproducibility. Finally, the model is applied to the data sets, the results are recorded and compared with the expected output. The model design is improved based on the results of the data tests.
• Carrying out simulations of the AI system: Simulations allow engineers to evaluate the performance of an AI system in a controlled virtual environment. Tools such as Simulink® help to analyze the system behavior under different scenarios, parameters and environmental factors. As with the data tests, the simulation results are compared with expected or known results and the model is iteratively improved.
• Ensuring model operation within acceptable limits: In order to operate AI models safely and reliably, limits must be defined and the behavior monitored. One of the most common problems with limits occurs when a model has been trained with a specific data set and receives data outside the distribution of this data set as input at runtime. Models are trained with data augmentation (e.g. variability due to different perspectives in images) and data balancing (even distribution of data classes) to reduce bias and increase generalization capability. To make neural networks more robust and less prone to misclassification, rigorous mathematical models can be integrated into the development and validation process to demonstrate certain desirable properties of neural networks.

These steps of the V&V process are iterative and allow for continuous refinement and improvement of the AI system as engineers gather new data, gain new insights and integrate feedback from operations.

Conclusion: V&V as the key to the responsible use of AI

In the age of AI-powered safety-critical systems, V&V procedures play a crucial role in obtaining industry certifications and complying with legal regulations. Building and maintaining trustworthy systems requires the use of verification techniques that provide explainability and transparency for the AI models on which these systems run. This ensures the transparent and responsible use of AI in safety-critical systems.

Author

Christoph Stockhammer - Senior Application Engineer at MathWorks

Source: www.mathworks.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/ki-qualitaetssicherung-verifikation-und-validierung-am-puls-der-zeit/

25 nominated projects, 4 categories, 17 jury members - that was the Best of Swiss Software (BOSS) 2024 in figures. The BOSS Award Night took place yesterday evening at the Kongresshaus Zurich. Only 25 of the submitted projects made it into the nominations and competed against each other in the four categories Business Solutions, Cloud Native Solutions, Core Business Integration and Data & AI Solutions.

Top-class jury

Only those who really convinced the jury received an award in one of the four categories. A total of 17 critical experts and industry insiders sat on the panels. Swiss companies - from Abraxas to Elca and Isolutions to Zühlke - were represented on the jury, as were the hyperscalers AWS, Google and Microsoft.

In a two-stage process, the University of Bern and the jury examined all submitted projects for their quality and innovative strength. Each category was awarded 1x gold, 1x silver and 1x bronze.

Double victory for Apriko

There is great joy at Apriko: the twelve employees of the start-up Apriko are delighted to have taken home two precious metals: Gold in the Business Solutions category and Silver in the Cloud Native Solutions category.

Efficiency meets user-friendliness

"Apriko is setting new standards in the digitalization of staff leasing. The platform supports the industry's end-to-end processes effectively and efficiently. It shines with its user-friendliness and wide range of functions," said jury president Michael Quade, explaining the jury's decision and emphasizing the pioneering role of the platform for the industry.

And Apriko's CEO and Founding Partner Thaya Selvarajah emphasizes: "These two awards are an incredible recognition for our team and our vision. They show that our software solution is exactly where the industry needs us - in the efficient digitalization and optimization of complex processes. We couldn't be prouder to celebrate this success together."

Source: www.apriko.com

The history of Google Switzerland began two decades ago on Zurich's Limmatquai - a milestone for the company and the Swiss technology industry. In 2004, two employees opened the first development site outside the USA, at a time when "googling" was just entering the dictionary and technologies such as smartphones, YouTube and cloud computing were still in the future.

In the meantime, technologies have developed rapidly in close cooperation with a wide range of innovative players. Google Switzerland, with around 5,000 employees from 85 nations, has been and continues to be actively involved in this progress. Today, the company pays particular attention to the research and development of artificial intelligence (AI).

AI offers new opportunities for society and the economy. Personalities from business and research as well as high-ranking representatives from Google agreed on this on Monday. On the occasion of the anniversary, they met at the Google site in Zurich to discuss potential, partnerships and innovations in the local ecosystem. They all emphasized the importance of Google for Switzerland as a business location. For example, many former Google employees have since founded their own start-ups in Switzerland or become professors at renowned universities. To date, 115 companies have been founded by former Google Switzerland employees and over 1,700 jobs have been created.

A look back at the beginnings

A highlight of the anniversary was the exchange with Google pioneers Urs Hölzle, Ralph Keller and Reto Strobl, who laid the foundations for Google Switzerland in 2004. Hölzle, founding father of the Zurich site and Google's eighth employee, explained how Zurich became the first development site outside the USA: "It was clear that the search engine would become a global project." The decision in favor of Zurich was made by four European Google employees - none of them were Swiss, but the central location and proximity to the universities were convincing.

The personal stories of ETH graduates such as Reto Strobl and Ralph Keller also illustrated the special spirit of the early years. Reto Strobl, now Director Video Ads, told how his wife drew his attention to a television report about Google. Ralph Keller, now Google Lens Team Lead, recalled how an article in the NZZ about Google Zurich sparked his interest. The first meeting with Urs Hölzle took place at Olten station - the start of a team that consisted of five people at the time.

From Ikea furniture to a global snowball

The first years at Limmatquai were characterized by improvisation: server racks did not fit through the stairwell, and the door to the server room had to remain open because otherwise it got too hot. Reto Strobl remembers how they had to buy furniture from Ikea in their private car on a Friday afternoon and assemble it themselves. But these pioneering days laid the foundations for later successes.

With the acquisition of YouTube and the Lucerne-based company Endoxon - whose technology forms the basis for Google Maps - Zurich began to gain international importance. The move to the Hürlimann site in 2008 also provided the necessary space for further growth.

Urs Hölzle spoke of a "snowball effect" that made Google Zurich one of the company's most important development locations. Today, two decades later, Zurich is not only seen as a driver of innovation for Google, but also as a central location for the development of future technologies such as artificial intelligence.

One step ahead of attackers

In addition to looking back, the participants at the event also took a look into the future. Everyone agreed that this will be shaped by developments in the field of AI. Martin Bäuml and Sabine Lehmann, Google Gemini Team Leads in Zurich, presented Gemini, Google's most powerful AI model. They explained how it creates a constantly growing ecosystem of products and technologies for users, companies and developers. In a live demonstration, they showed how natural interaction with Gemini can be. Daniel Fabian, head of the Google Red Team, emphasized how AI can revolutionize cybersecurity - for example, through the early detection of attacks and the detection of vulnerabilities. At the same time, he warned of the potential for abuse such as disinformation and targeted attacks. "We are currently one step ahead of the attackers - we must seize this opportunity," said Fabian.

Exploiting the potential of AI

Artificial intelligence is already playing a decisive role in Switzerland's economic development. The use of generative AI can increase Switzerland's annual gross domestic product by 80 to 85 billion Swiss francs (up to 11 percent) over the next ten years. This is according to the results of the study commissioned by Google this year. Study "The economic potential of AI for Switzerland"which was supported by economiesuisse. Monika Rühl, Director of economiesuisse, referred to the study once again and emphasized that Switzerland has a strong innovation ecosystem and is in a leading position in Europe to exploit the potential of AI for sustainable economic growth. "We are well positioned and must ensure that we make the most of this advantage. We need to get on the AI bandwagon, as it won't wait for us," says Rühl. 

Successful research collaborations

Google also became aware of the innovative Swiss research and development environment, including its outstanding educational institutions, at an early stage. ETH Zurich was one of the most important reasons why Google chose Switzerland as a development location 20 years ago. Since then, the company has maintained a close exchange with the Zurich university and also with EPFL in Lausanne. Many employees studied at the ETH. And some of them move from Google to ETH Zurich to teach or continue their research there. For example, at the ETH AI Center. According to ETH President Joël Mesot, this brings together the best experts from various disciplines to work on innovations and challenges such as climate change, health and demographic change. ETH and Google have been actively collaborating for many years on research projects that have established Switzerland as an international center of innovation.

Inventing together

At the end of the event, Christine Antlanger-Winter, Country Director of Google Switzerland, summarized once again why the technology company values Switzerland so highly as a business location: "Google has strong ties with Switzerland. The local innovation environment has inspired Google ever since. Close collaboration and exchange with our partners from science, education and industry are very important to us. Collaboration is very important at Google - both internally and externally. We invent together. This is a value that Google and Switzerland share. Innovation is in the DNA of Switzerland as much as it is in the DNA of Google."

More information: https://about.google/intl/de_ch/google-in-switzerland/

Method

The ranking of price champions is based on a customer survey and is carried out without the involvement of the providers being evaluated. The specific question asked is to what extent companies or brands can inspire customers with their price structure. An individual "Price Structuring Score" (PSS) is determined for each evaluated company on the basis of the respondents' answers. Companies with a significantly above-average PSS are shown in medal positions (gold, silver and bronze) in an overall ranking of all companies surveyed. Companies that also have the highest customer enthusiasm score for their pricing within their sector are recognized as sector winners.

Award classes and providers with top scores

A total of 100 companies are ranked in gold, silver or bronze. 57 companies and providers are also recognized as industry winners in their respective ranks. The twenty industry winners with the highest PPS are listed below.

Industry winner | PSS | Industry
Aldi Suisse | 77.3% | Food Retail
Ochsner Sport | 76,9% | Sports stores
Manor | 76.6% | Department store
Travelhouse | 76,1% | Tour operator
Salt | 76.1% | Telecommunications
Visana | 76.1% | Household contents and personal liability insurer
Digitec.ch | 76,0% | Electronics & Computers
Aldi Suisse Mobile | 76.0% | Mobile provider
Vaudoise | 75.9% | Legal expenses insurer
Smile | 75.8% | Car insurer
Ochsner Shoes | 75,7% | Shoe retailer
Mediservice.ch | 75,7% | Pharmacies - Mail order
Discountfit | 75.5% | Fitness studios
Bike World | 75.4% | bike stores
McOptic | 75,4% | Optician
Vero Moda | 75,3% | Fashion Stores: Women's Fashion
Fensterversand.ch | 75,2% | Windows & Doors
JYSK | 75.1% | Furniture stores
Hotelplan | 75,1% | Travel agencies
Zalando | 75.1% | Online department store

Other industry winners with gold rankings include the electricity supplier Premio Energie, the hearing system audiologist Audika, the bookseller Orellfüssli, the children's clothing store ForK, the kitchen studio Inpuncto Schweiz, the garden center Landi, the online printing company onlinedruck.ch and, in the pet supplies sector, Meiko.

"Consumers have at best an indirect influence on the pricing of companies," comments Dr. Claus Dethloff, Managing Director of ServiceValue GmbH, and adds, "all the more reason why providers should always make their prices and possible price changes transparent and communicate them fairly so that customer trust is not damaged."

You can find the complete ranking of the "Price Champions Switzerland" here here.

Source: www.servicevalue.de

The finalists in the "Inventors" category have achieved a breakthrough in their research or development work and are on their way to demonstrating the functionality of their idea with a prototype. The focus here is on the technology and even less on the business plan.

The "start-ups (rising stars)" have already taken concrete steps to implement their idea with an operating structure. Their product is defined, prototypes ideally exist. They have looked in detail at the financing, production and marketing options and can present a solid business plan.

The top three in the "Industry Innovation" category correspond to an established company with an existing and successful product portfolio. Through their R&D activities, they repeatedly bring new, convincing solutions to the market that offer clear advantages in one or even all dimensions of sustainability.

About the winners:

• Inventors: RoBoa is developing a snake-like robot with growth-based locomotion whose unique maneuverability and safety outperforms conventional methods in industrial inspections and search and rescue operations. This advanced technology enables the robot to autonomously map environments, deliver critical supplies and maintain data connectivity over long distances, setting new standards in safety and efficiency.
• Start-ups/Rising Stars: Oxyle offers the world's first economical, sustainable and permanent solution for the complete removal of PFAS contamination in water, supporting industrial and environmental remediation companies in the fight against water pollution. With 15 times lower average energy consumption compared to other methods, Oxyle is the most energy-efficient and cost-effective treatment on the market that removes PFAS without secondary waste below the detection limit.
• Industry Innovation: Bystronic, a leading global technology company headquartered in Niederönz, Switzerland, specializes in sheet metal processing and offers high-quality solutions for the automation of the entire material and data flow chain in cutting and bending processes. With an innovative technology that integrates sensor and AI-based real-time monitoring to ensure cutting quality, Bystronic increases the autonomy and reliability of laser cutting machines and supports.

About the award ceremony at the new innovation conference Open-i:

The award ceremony took place this year at the new Open-i innovation conference on November 21 and 22, 2024 at the Kongresshaus Zurich.

Open-i sees itself as a catalyst for exchange between start-ups, SMEs, large corporations, investors and thought leaders from science and business. The conference offers a comprehensive program with several stages and over 70 renowned national and international speakers. Open-i is much more than just a platform for knowledge transfer. The focus is also on networking the approximately 1000 participants in order to facilitate cooperation and thus secure Switzerland's leading role as an innovative and successful market.

Source: www.open-i.swiss

The successively expanded Microsoft data centers in Zurich and Geneva offer Microsoft service providers and their customers new opportunities to redesign the IT infrastructure and IT architecture concepts in companies. In addition, the ongoing implementation of generative AI (GenAI) is fundamentally changing the Microsoft ecosystem. This is according to the new comparative study "ISG Provider Lens Microsoft Cloud Ecosystem Switzerland 2024", published by the market research and consulting company Information Services Group (ISG). Important Swiss principles such as data security and digital sovereignty continue to have the highest priority. In the study, ISG examined the portfolio and competitive strength of 45 IT service providers and product providers operating in the Swiss market for Microsoft services and solutions.

Introduction of generative AI changes the Microsoft ecosystem

"Many Swiss companies, for example in the financial sector, demand full control over the storage, processing and transfer of their sensitive information without having to rely on external service providers," says Uwe Ladwig, Managing Director of ISG in Switzerland. "Service providers in the country must therefore design their offerings in such a way that they not only support the digital sovereignty of their customers, but also impress by defining optimal architectures and operating concepts."

At the same time, Microsoft is currently setting standards as a pioneer in the fusion of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technology, particularly with products such as Azure, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365. "The progressive introduction of generative AI is fundamentally changing the Microsoft ecosystem. It will lead to sustainable growth and productivity gains," Ladwig continues.

ISG therefore took a close look at the "Generative AI Services" submarket for the first time this year. According to the report, GenAI and various Copilot services are at the heart of Microsoft's market strategy. Copilot Studio, for example, enables users to create their own Copilot frameworks, while Github Copilot provides a tool for automated software programming. To this end, Microsoft is currently investing billions and entering into strategic partnerships with, for example, ETH Zurich and leading Swiss companies.

AI for the prevention of cyberattacks

The new services should ensure additional market growth, for example with Copilot for Security for the development of zero-trust security architectures. According to the ISG study, Microsoft's vision is to use AI to prevent cyberattacks and thus make a significant contribution to security in cyberspace. Microsoft partners, in turn, have the opportunity to tap into new markets with innovative solutions and industry- and customer-specific services based on Azure GenAI Services.

According to the ISG analysts, the requirements of Swiss companies are remarkably diverse. Many companies are just starting to use the basic functions and services of Microsoft 365 and Azure. Others are already asking themselves what comes after Microsoft 365 E5 and how Windows 365 can be logically integrated into the overall strategy. "This constellation presents Microsoft service providers with the task of designing their offering flexibly on the one hand and focusing on the most profitable and sustainable services on the other," explains ISG Managing Director Ladwig.

Market trends in "Managed Services" and "Microsoft 365"

In the "Managed Services for Microsoft Azure" submarket, ISG has noticed an increasing demand in Switzerland for cloud solutions that support local data storage. The aim is to meet high security and data protection standards in this way, which is a sign of the increased awareness of the importance of data sovereignty in highly regulated industries. In parallel with the expansion of the technological infrastructure, IT service providers and managed service providers are refining their offerings through increased automation.

According to the ISG study, there is a trend towards continuous development in the areas of security, compliance and governance for Microsoft 365 services. This development is supported by the increasing integration of data from different platforms in Microsoft 365 applications. Microsoft service providers are therefore faced with the task of sustainably integrating technological innovations into their customers' corporate landscape. According to the study, the focus is on creating tangible added value through high service quality, which has a positive impact on the user experience and therefore increases the acceptance and efficiency of the new solutions in day-to-day business.

Classifications

The "ISG Provider Lens Microsoft Cloud Ecosystem Switzerland 2024" study evaluates the capabilities of a total of 45 providers in five market segments (quadrants): "Managed Services for Azure," "Microsoft 365 Services," "SAP on Azure Services," "Power Platform Services" and "Generative AI Services for the Microsoft Clouds."

The study classifies Swisscom as a "Leader" in all five market segments and SoftwareONE in a total of four segments. Aveniq and ELCA/EveryWare each receive this rating in three segments and Data One, isolutions, Kyndryl, MDW and T-Systems in two each. Accenture & Avanade, Adesso, All for One Group, Allgeier, Ambit Group, Arvato Systems, Baggenstos, Bechtle. BitHawk, Capgemini, Devoteam M Cloud, DIGITALL, Eviden (to Atos Business), PwC, UMB and Wipro are "leaders" in one segment each.

Kyndryl is also designated as a "Rising Star" in two market segments. According to ISG's definition, these are companies with a promising portfolio and high future potential. Bechtle, BitHawk and Eviden (to Atos Business) each receive this classification in one market segment.

In addition, Bechtle receives the "Global ISG CX Star Performer 2024" award in the Microsoft Cloud partner ecosystem in the area of customer experience. Bechtle achieves the highest customer satisfaction scores in the ISG "Voice of the Customer" survey, which is part of the ISG Star of Excellence program, the leading quality award for the technology and business services industry.

Source: www.isg-one.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/microsoft-dienstleister-bedienen-verstaerkte-nachfrage-nach-digitaler-souveraenitaet-in-der-schweiz/