Technology September 2022 www.bookshq.net

AI & ML

“ OVER MANY YEARS, including Tesla, Uber, Baidu and Waymo,
COMPUTER VISION HAS have launched ambitious initiatives and even
DEVELOPED TECHNIQUES started testing autonomous vehicles on
THAT ENABLE THE CAPTURE select public roads.
AND PROCESSING OF VIDEO
TO AUTOMATE TASKS. THIS The push for autonomous vehicles is
TECHNOLOGY HAS CREATED only accelerating and according to CB
THE FOUNDATIONS FOR Insights, funding in autonomous vehicle
AI-BASED DECISION MAKING (AV) companies surpassed US$12bn in
IN SELF-DRIVING CARS” 2021, marking a more than 50% increase
from 2020.

GILBERTO RODRIGUEZ From self-driving cars to autonomous
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, vehicles: the benefits of computer vision
IMAGINATION TECHNOLOGIES

Introduced by General Motors in 1939, the

In the automotive industry, computer first concept of a self-driving vehicle was

vision is really showing its worth as a radio-controlled electric vehicle. Since

manufacturers grapple with autonomous then, self-driving vehicles have undergone

technology to bring in the next generation of a complete transformation and have now

www.bookshq.netself-driving cars. Many different companies, become autonomous, too.

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AI & ML

The History of Self-Driving Cars:
Computer Vision and Deep Learning

Using a combination “COMPUTER Gilberto Rodriguez, Director
of sensors, artificial VISION TRIES TO of Product Management at
intelligence, radars, and Imagination Technologies.

cameras to operate, UNDERSTAND, FROM As a core technology
autonomous vehicles A PHYSIOLOGICAL for autonomous vehicles,
don’t need any human computer vision enables

intervention. Powered SENSE, HOW OUR cars to leverage object
by AI, these vehicles are, BRAINS ARE ABLE detection algorithms in
in some cases, still in the combination with advanced

development stage, with TO PERCEIVE OUR cameras and sensors to

many developers looking to VISUAL WORLD” analyse their surroundings
computer vision as a means in real-time, enabling

of rendering their vehicles recognition of things like

more reliable. APPU SHAJI pedestrians, road signs,
“When driving a car, it’s CEO AND CHIEF SCIENTIST, barriers, and other vehicles
to safely navigate the road.
essential that we accurately MOBIUS LABS

see and interpret the information around With these capabilities, Rodriguez believes

us. Over many years, computer vision that the technology will be critical to the

has developed techniques that enable development of such vehicles in the future,

the capture and processing of video to noting that “computer vision will continue to

automate tasks. This technology has be a key technology in enabling autonomous

created the foundations for AI-based vehicles, with the camera remaining the

www.bookshq.netdecision making in self-driving cars,” says
preferred sensor for data collection.”

152 September 2022

AI & ML

He adds: “As software evolves, some of

the algorithms used to process the data will

become machine learning-based rather

than classical computer vision analysis,

meaning more efficient processing of

large amounts of information and more

advanced ADAS deployments.”

It is important that both AI and computer

vision technologies work together when

applied to autonomous vehicles to ensure

safety and reliability. Commenting on this,

Rodriguez says: “AI has proven that certain

tasks are easier to train than a programme,

hence why the technology is replacing

some of the more complex tasks needed Key milestones for
in autonomous driving. Understanding how

computer vision works will, however, enable autonomous vehicles
more efficient solutions, making it a much-

needed complement to AI. Using computer 1939: General Motors showcases

vision to interpret the visual world while theoretical self-driving cars as part of

implementing AI to predict and improve its famous Futurama exhibition at the

driving outcomes will offer the best solution World’s Fair in New York City.

in terms of efficiency and safety.” 1995: A team at Carnegie Mellon

He continues: “The technology allows University completes a successful cross-

us to get the basics right, which is vital. country journey with Navlab. While the

Computer vision has amassed many years vehicle steers on its own, the brakes and

of analysis and deployment, which are accelerator are handled by

now being enhanced with AI capabilities. a human operator.

As systems are becoming more complex 2010s: A range of major automobile

to program, we need that layer of AI which manufacturers announce their intentions

offers more efficient algorithms through to begin developing autonomous vehicles,

machine learning.” including GM, Ford, Toyota, BMW, and

Volvo, among many others.

Ensuring challenges are overcome 2020: The first regulations related

to keep passengers safe to automated features in cars begin

As it is a challenging area for technologists, to appear.

autonomous vehicles combined with 2022: China's Baidu unveils 'robotaxi'

computer vision need to go through rigorous with detachable steering wheel. The fully

training and development to ensure they are autonomous vehicle could hit the roads in

safe for people to use. China from next year, with the company's

Even though computer vision can tell the chief executive saying using a robotaxi will

difference between a car and a human or one day be ‘half the cost of taking a taxi’.

www.bookshq.neta tree and a building, it doesn’t mean that

technologymagazine.com 153

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154 September 2022

AI & ML

the technology has the perceptive skills of a
human driver. On top of this, machine vision
has limitations in terms of camera sensor
capture and the software which enables safe
self-driving features.

“When it comes to autonomy, there is a
need for better camera sensors, with more
depth, faster framerate, better resolution
etc., in addition to radar and lidar sensors.
Manufacturers would need to leverage
advanced software to manage and process
the data from these sensors, while also
ensuring the self-driving features in their
vehicles are safe. This is underpinned
by hardware, for example, the GPU
or AI accelerator, meeting the safety
requirements for autonomous vehicle
deployment,” explains Rodriguez.

Concluding – and despite
acknowledging the benefits of this
technology – Rodriguez shares a word
of warning: it is important technologists
recognise the challenges to ensure high
safety levels are maintained.

“There are multiple challenges for the
successful implementation of machine
vision. First, manufacturers need to have
the right sensor technology (different
cameras with different dynamic ranges,
frame rates and light sensitivity). This is
followed by the challenge of managing and
using the sensor data. And, finally, we have
the most complex part, which is how the
car behaves and drives.”

“In the automotive industry, it takes up to
five years to get silicon into production, so
a flexible hardware architecture is needed
to enable support for continuous software
development. At Imagination, we enable
this software-defined evolution through our
innovative GPU, NNA and EPP IP, which offers
the compute and connectivity flexibility

www.bookshq.netrequired for these implementations.”

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DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES

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156 September 2022

DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION
AT DIGITAL HEALTH

AND CARE WALES

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technologymagazine.com 157

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158 September 2022

DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES

Ifan Evans, Executive Director for
Strategy at Digital Health and Care
Wales, on digital transformation and
the core missions at the company

Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)
is the national delivery body for data
and digital services in NHS Wales.
It has a pivotal role in helping to drive
transformation in health and care. It manages
national data centres, the IT and digital
services in every GP practice in Wales, core
national hospital systems for administration,
test requests and results, the Welsh Clinical
Portal and various other services. A key part of
its service catalogue is data and informatics,
through which it provides a consolidated
record across all the NHS organisations in
Wales, and integration between primary and
secondary care. Wales has also been a leader
in collecting outcomes data through its
Value in Health programme.

Ifan Evans is the recently appointed
Executive Director for Strategy and joined the
organisation in April. He leads on organisational
planning and performance, strategic
transformation and change, developing
partner relationships, and heads up four of
the largest digital transformation programmes
(Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio,
Digital Services for Patients and the Public,
the National Data Resource, and the Welsh
Community Care Information System).

“Previously, I was the Director for
Technology, Digital and Transformation in the
Health and Social Care Group in the Welsh
Government, where I led on national policy
and strategic investment funding for digital
and technology. One of the things I have been
most struck by in my first six weeks at DHCW

www.bookshq.netis the energy and ambition here. I think the

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DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES

Title of the video

confidence and momentum that comes “ Our third core mission is
from being a new organisation, and delivering delivering excellent digital
such an impressive digital response to services on top of the data
the COVID-19 pandemic, will make a real

difference to the delivery of digital services.” and the infrastructure

The core missions at Digital Health platform we have”

and Care Wales and the digital

transformation journey IFAN EVANS
It was after working with senior management EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY,
in DHCW while responding to the DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES

unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic that a relatively small system with limited

Evans was inspired to join the organisation. resources. That was part of why I wanted

“It’s a small organisation in growth mode, to come and join.”

doing impressive things quickly,” said Evans. Digital Health and Care Wales was recently

“I thought the way things were developed presented with a Digital Leaders Impact

and delivered in response to the pandemic, Award for the development of its COVID-19

especially the close working between DHCW, digital immunisation system. In 2020, it won

other NHS Wales organisations and local best UK IT workplace from the BCS, British

government in Wales, was absolutely brilliant. Computer Society. In 2021, its Chief Executive

Compared to some other systems, we Helen Thomas was awarded UK Digital CEO

delivered better outcomes at a fraction of of the Year and recently Finance Director

www.bookshq.netthe cost, which is what you have to do as
Claire Osmundsen-Little was awarded Digital

160 September 2022

IFAN EVANS Ifan has been a champion across
government and NHS Wales for
TITLE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY

innovation, technology adoption, and

Ifan Evans joined Digital Health and digital transformation.

Care Wales in April 2022 as Executive He is passionate about applying digital

Director of Strategy. His responsibilities technologies and data as tools to clarify

EXECUTIVE BIO include strategic planning, digital and simplify, reducing unwarranted

transformation programmes, commercial, variation and making services better for

and partnering. professionals and the public. He believes

Before joining DHCW, Ifan was the that working openly with a wide range

Welsh Government lead for health digital, of partners is the best way to address

technology and transformation. He was current and future challenges in health

the national lead for Brexit readiness and care, particularly by applying new

across health and care, and for the digital solutions to existing problems and

response to the Covid-19 pandemic. measuring outcomes in real time.

www.bookshq.net

Supporting healthcare
professionals to communicate
better and help people
access care

Learn more www.bookshq.net

TPXimpact provides comprehensive We’re integrating commercial
services to the health sector across products with open standards,
all technology functions, from major such as FHIR and OpenEHR.
digital transformation programmes, Working with DHCW and other local
to full support and service contracts. health boards in Wales, we have
established a truly collaborative
Our digital teams support the programme of digital change.
NHS and Care sectors to digitalise
treatment and care pathways, DHCW has now published an
improving the ability of clinicians innovative, digitally focused
and caregivers to do their job technology vision and roadmap.
and ultimately, improving patient Realising the vision will develop
outcomes. As a firm supporter of the the organisation into one using
InterOpen community for transparent electronic, patient-centric
data use and management in Health processes that present quality
and Social care, we’re supporting the data. The systems will be joined
NHS to share datasets widely. up and support a fully mobile
workforce to do their job. As
We’ve supported Digital Health and a strategic partner to DHCW,
Care Wales (DHCW) to roll out the we’re delighted to support the
Microsoft 365 platform and tools organisation in its onward journey.
which provided significant support
to NHS Wales staff throughout the Learn more about us
pandemic. We’re now helping the
organisation make full use of all
functions within the M365 suite
of services.

We’re also assisting DHCW to
digitise its paper-based processes
and clinical pathways using the
Microsoft Power Platform, improving

staff productivity and awccwurwacy..bookshq.net

DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES

Finance Leader of the Year - clearly there’s 400+
surgeries

something exciting going on. 3000+
“That's only been reinforced since I've
primary care users
arrived here,” said Evans. “Just to see the

skills and the ambition of teams across 1.3mn
the organisation is fantastic.”
diagnostic tests viewed
There are five key strategic missions at each month and available
Digital Health and Care Wales. “The first is to
nationally

provide a platform for digital transformation,” 34mn
said Evans “We manage data centres on behalf
of NHS Wales; we lead on cybersecurity and care record
documents

resilience; we deliver the national network

architecture – that's the digital platform that

we need for all the different services that are

delivered across Wales.”

The second mission is on data, framed

as maximising the value of the shared single

health and care record across Wales. “Data

and information mean everything to health

and care professionals, so we have worked

really hard over a long time to ensure we

have a comprehensive digital record for

every patient in Wales, which can be viewed

across every setting and every organisation.”

These two missions are the foundation

for delivering digital services. “Our third core

mission is delivering excellent digital and

technology services on top of the data and

the infrastructure platform that we have.”

The fourth mission is driving value and

innovation, which Evans sees as a way for

the organisation to test itself. Are the data

being collected and the digital services that

professionals use actually improving health

and wellbeing outcomes for patients and the

public, and driving innovation in the way

that health and care services are delivered?

The final mission for Digital Health and

Care Wales is to be a trusted partner. “This

underpins everything we do. We want people

to work with us, and alongside us, to deliver

world-class digital and data products that

www.bookshq.netdrive transformation in health and care.”

164 September 2022

DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES

I think it helps that in NHS Wales we are

relatively consolidated. We have seven health

boards responsible for all health services in

their region; they are integrated, from public

health through primary and secondary care

to specialist services,” said Evans.

Resource allocation and prioritisation in

NHS Wales is directed through a planned

approach, guided by ‘A Healthier Wales’,

a combined health and social care strategy

published in 2018. In his Welsh Government

role, Evans was the lead author:

“A Healthier Wales has been reinforced

in many ways by the COVID-19 pandemic

response. There was stronger national

direction, digital and data were the main

enablers, and all the emphasis was on

prevention and on delivering services outside

hospital, into communities and homes.” Wales

is now using the strategy to frame its approach

to recovery and transformation, reinforcing

the emphasis on a ‘whole system approach’,

and on ‘new models of seamless health and

social care’ which are coordinated around

the needs of the individual.

Evans is clear that digital data and

“We can’t achieve our ambitions on our technology will play a major part in driving

own. It’s more than the NHS Wales family, and these changes, helping health boards

wider than health and care Wales; all health deliver earlier detection and diagnostics

systems are facing the same challenges and and more personalised interventions, which

there is so much we can learn from others focus on improving wellbeing and patient

across the UK and internationally, and from reported outcomes.

universities and industry.”

Building partnerships

The digital strategy at Digital for stronger healthcare

Health and Care Wales Digital Health and Care Wales is building

Evans sees advantages in the way Wales is strong partnerships with industry. Red

structured and its relatively small scale. Cortex is a Welsh business that has grown

“It’s interesting that when you go to digital rapidly and was recently acquired by AIM

health conferences, it tends to be larger listed TPXimpact.

countries who lead on describing challenges “We worked closely with Red Cortex on our

and smaller countries who present examples Office 365 rollout in response to COVID-19,”

www.bookshq.netof good practice and innovative solutions.
said Evans. “The team there helped us deploy

MtaegcahzninoeloWgyembalignakzinela.cyoemrs 165

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DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES

to align our goals. In the end, we all want the

same thing, which is better quality digital

services for GPs, leading to better outcomes

for patients.”

Microsoft Teams to the whole of NHS Digital Health and Care Wales is delivering

Wales in around six weeks and to transition an all-Wales digital medicines transformation

completely to Office 365 in a year. We are programme, which includes electronic

working closely together now on our Microsoft prescriptions in primary care. It is also looking

365 Centre of Excellence. We wanted to to shift key services from on-premises data

draw on Red Cortex’s expertise and their centres to cloud. “We shared our ambitions for

understanding of the Microsoft platform, and prescribing and shift to cloud, and Cegedim

blend that with our own in-house capability, shared its ambitions for the UK market, such as

which has helped us to scale up and to build introducing the cloud-based Vision Anywhere

knowledge and skills more quickly.” product and increasing its market share in

At the multi-national vendor level, DHCW England. It is still a supplier, and DHCW is still

has worked closely with key suppliers a customer, but it isn’t hard to find areas of

like Cegedim for many years and is now mutual benefit if both parties are committed

developing those relationships into strategic to working together.”

partnerships. Cegedim provided Vision 3, Evans has a clear vision of what he is

a desktop product for primary care, to just aiming for in the ideal strategic partnership.

over half of GP practices in Wales. “We work At the top of the list is what the system

with Cegedim as a key supplier to understand can offer as an innovation partner, and the

its strategic roadmap, and for its team to reciprocal benefits for Wales in terms of

www.bookshq.netunderstand ours, so that we can look for ways skills, insight and economic development.

technologymagazine.com 167

DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES

“ Being a trusted partner underpins
everything we do. We want people
to work with us, and alongside us, to
deliver world-class digital and data
products which drive transformation
in health and care”

IFAN EVANS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY,
DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES

What the future holds for data platform, an open architecture of

Digital Health and Care Wales modular services and APIs, and resilient

Evans knows how quickly digital health is and secure infrastructure that is shifting

changing, having led the digital response to the cloud. I think that globally there has

to the pandemic in Wales from the Welsh been a big step forward in defining open

Government. As well as new and emerging health care standards, and we want to be

technologies, the strategic context is at the front of that change. ”

evolving all the time – cyber threats are Digital Health and Care Wales hopes that

increasing, IT supply chains are slowing, and by implementing standards, and opening

it is getting harder to recruit and retain talent. up its architecture through controlled APIs

“Our ambition is to deliver world-leading with well-defined rules and frameworks

digital health and care services for Wales. for access to data and digital services,

www.bookshq.netWe are driving towards a standards-based
it will be able to make it easier for others

168 September 2022

DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES

England. DHCW has worked closely

with NHS Digital to build on its existing

product and tailor it to Wales. Evans was

the Welsh lead for the jointly developed

NHS COVID-19 App across England

and Wales, which had localisation and

multilingual functionality built in from

the beginning. He knew there would need

to be a different approach for the NHS

Wales App.

“The NHS App was built for England

and in English only, but we worked with NHS

Digital to take the existing code and adapt

it to our needs in Wales. This will include

a language layer so we can present in

Welsh or English, and other changes to

connect directly to our digital systems

in Wales, many of which already give

us national coverage.”

“The new app is exciting. People's

engagement with digital in health and care

has completely changed over the last two

years, because of things like online test

booking, at-home LFT diagnostics, and the

NHS COVID-19 App. Over a million people

in Wales have registered for a digital Covid

Pass and that is a huge boost to digital

adoption, which we need to build on.”

Evans knows they need to keep up

with that and that there's still a huge

to innovate on the single national platform recovery task in front of NHS Wales.

in Wales. “We need to use standards and He is determined that DHCW will help to

open architecture to enable that innovation drive transformation in health and care,

– which will come from our local health but very much aware of the challenges

and care delivery organisations, from in terms of competing priorities for

universities, from industry, as well as from investment, and the difficulty in recruiting

our own teams in Digital Health Care Wales. and retaining talent.

“It goes back to the headline mission that Digital Health and Care Wales may

we have: to create an enabling platform for be a young organisation, but it has a clear

digital transformation by giving it a good, strategic vision and it’s growing fast.

solid infrastructure and foundation.”

Later this year there will be a new NHS

www.bookshq.netWales App, similar to the existing NHS App in

MtaegcahzninoeloWgyembalignakzinela.cyoemrs 169

Optimising work
via AR and AP au

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170 September 2022

GLOBAL PAYEX INC

king capital
utomation

AD FEATURE PRODUCED BY:
WRITTEN BY: JOE
ALEX CLERE PALLISER

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technologymagazine.com 171

GLOBAL PAYEX INC

www.bookshq.net

172 September 2022

Global PayEX provides a SaaS
platform underpinned by AI
and ML to bring about rapid
transformation in accounts
receivable (AR) and accounts
payable (AP)

A s the industry presses ahead
with digitisation, there are dark
corners of the finance world
that risk being left behind.
Without doubt, B2B finance
processes have been overlooked in favour
of digitisation in the B2C space. Now, a raft
of innovators are beginning to recognise
the potential for greater disruption in B2B
payments and related processes, and one of
the most neglected areas is that of accounts
receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP).

Global PayEX offers a SaaS platform
that helps businesses to automate and
digitise AR and AP processes. The company
wants to make B2B payments as seamless
as paying a utility bill (C2B payment), and
has designed digital customer journeys,
including on mobile, that remove frictions
in B2B payments. Based in Connecticut, US,
the company is five years old – meaning no
legacy tech hangover – and the firm already
has a marquee customer base such as 3M,
Bridgestone, Stanley Black and Decker,
Reiter, Hafele and several other mid-to-large
corporates. It has enabled its customers
to realise significant operational efficiencies
within their AR and AP departments
and processes.

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technologymagazine.com 173

GLOBAL PAYEX INC

Is this the turning point for
Accounts Automation?

“ Our primary targets are “That becomes a very powerful revenue
typically mid-to-large acceleration for our clients, and also
sized corporates such enhances customer satisfaction for our
clients’ customers,” Chief Revenue Officer

as Bridgestone, Stanley Naru Ramamoorthy explains. When Global
Black & Decker and PayEX’s platforms are fully implemented
and integrated into a business, it can save

Huhtamaki” them between 1% and 4% of their annual
revenue.

NARAYAN RAMAMOORTHY Naru joined MphasiS at an early stage
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, in 1999 and worked closely with MphasiS’
GLOBAL PAYEX INC founders – Mohan Krishnan (Global PayEX’s

CEO and Founder) and Jerry Rao and

Implementing Global PayEX’s platform Jeroen Tas (Initial Global PayEX investors).

can reduce the number of days sales are MphasiS went on to become a multi-

outstanding (DSO) – the single biggest metric billion-dollar firm and was acquired by

in AR. It can also speed up the time taken to EDS and later by HP. He has more than

reconcile a payment, and to automate the 20 years’ experience in working with a

accounting into the ERP/accounting systems, full spectrum of B2B transformation and

which in turn can shorten the overall payment payments companies. In Global PayEX,

and reconciliation cycle and allow customers Naru is responsible for global growth,

www.bookshq.netto place their next order sooner.
both in existing and new markets.

174 September 2022

“That's what I specialise in,” Naru says. GLOBAL PAYEX INC
“Essentially taking concepts that are semi-
proven with an initial customer base and NARAYAN RAMAMOORTHY
just multiplying it by 100, by 1,000. That's
what I love doing, so that's why I came to TITLE: CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER
Global PayEX.” INDUSTRY: FINANCIAL SERVICES
LOCATION: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Solving unique challenges
across both AR and AP Naru specialises in business
The company’s platform can be thought of process transformation
as two separate ‘halves’, one for AR and one leveraging technology, process,
for AP. It plugs into a company’s ERP (that operations, and market needs. He
integration is the only part where custom brings over two decades of experience
code is required) meaning the interface can in scaling businesses and P&Ls across
be customised to the client’s accounting most continents (the US; UK and
rules in their ERP – across all major ERPs Europe; India, Asia and GCC; Africa
like SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, and others. and Australia).
He has held leadership roles in
On AR, Global PayEX provides two core industries ranging from payments,
digital platforms – electronic invoice banking and financial services and
presentment and payment (EIPP) and retail in organisations like Wipro,
reconciliation (cash application automation). Tesco, Thomson Reuters, and MphasiS.
On the EIPP platform, Freepay™, end He holds an MBA degree from
customers can view invoices and credit/ the Indian Institute of Management,
debit notes, make payments and Calcutta and a Computer Science
deductions, view statements, and EIPP engineering degree from VJTI, Mumbai.
automates the accounting entries posting
into the seller’s ERP. The reconciliation EXECUTIVE BIO
platform, AlgoriQ™, automates document
reading such as remittance/payment advice
and bank statements, and automates
reconciliation and posting to the ERP
(automated accounting). A key area of focus

2018
Year
founded

140+
Number

of employees www.bookshq.net

technologymagazine.com 175

is on deductions – AlgoriQ helps to vendors to view documents like POs,

identify, tag and resolve deductions goods receipt notes and payment advice.

made by end customers. AlgoriQ is Suppliers can upload invoices via this portal.

gaining rapid traction for ecommerce The Global PayEX platform also enables

marketplace reconciliations among invoice process using auto-reading of

buyers like Amazon and Walmart. invoices across formats, providing validation

On AP, Global PayEX provides workflows and automating the invoice entry

www.bookshq.neta vendor portal for suppliers and
into the ERP.

GLOBAL PAYEX INC

The AR/AP platforms also

enable financing workflows

and automation across the

anchor corporates, banks and

the corporate’s buyers and

suppliers. Lastly, the PayEX

platforms can enable straight-

through automation with all

key ERP platforms.

The challenges in AR are very

different to the challenges in

AP, but there is still an interplay

between them; after all, a

vendor’s AR is a buyer’s AP.

In accounts receivable (AR),

challenges faced by sellers

include lost or misplaced

invoices, the cost of accepting

payments (specifically

physical modes like cheques),

resolving for part-payments

or deductions, and delayed

payments. A lot of time is

spent by AR teams, sales

teams and the end customer’s

AP teams on emails and

phone calls to resolve these.

EIPP solves for all of these by

“ Banks are interested in digitising and automating the
Global PayEX because interaction between sellers
and buyers.

they want to offer a Another key challenge in AR
differentiated service to with institutional customers
their corporate banking is related to deductions. Each
customer could have different deduction

customers across codes to refer to the same events – whether
receivables and payables that’s a goods return, a goods short supply
or a withholding tax. Even customers in the

banking” same industry can have different terminology
for the same deductions. Global PayEX’s

NARAYAN RAMAMOORTHY customer (seller) may also have different
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, terminologies in their ERP to refer to those
GLOBAL PAYEX INC
www.bookshq.netevents, for example ‘return to vendor

technologymagazine.com 177

GLOBAL PAYEX INC

1-4%

Global PayEX claims its
platform can save and
enhance clients' annual

revenues by 1-4%

Europe

After achieving a dominant
position in India and

launching in the US, Global
PayEX is setting its sights
on Europe.

3-4

The company already has
3-4 big-brand customers in
the US, having gone live in
the country earlier this year

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178 September 2022

GLOBAL PAYEX INC

(RTV)’ compared to ‘goods return’. Global
PayEX’s reconciliation platform, AlgoriQ™,
automatically reads those incoming
documents and reconciles the different
document formats, deduction codes and
terminologies. That gives time back to the
finance teams in their clients’ companies,
who are no longer faced with the arduous task
of having to sift through all this complex data.

In AP, the system works like a mirror-
image. Vendors can upload their invoices
into a vendor portal, and the Global PayEX
platform is able to auto-read these invoices
and to convert into a standard format. This
further helps to validate and automate
the processing of that invoice into the
customer’s ERP.

“We intend to further enhance our AI capabilities via
building a neural network that has 99%+ accuracy in
terms of reading any random document around the
concept of account receivable and account payable”

NARAYAN RAMAMOORTHY
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER,
GLOBAL PAYEX INC

Using data to embed financial
services into Global PayEX
The end-to-end payments journey means
that Global PayEX sits in the middle of a lot
of data, which it can use to bring greater
value for its clients. The platform can identify
patterns of behaviour and learn about how
customers pay their invoices, and, more
importantly, when. If a customer is late with
their payment, the system can obviously
send reminders automatically and chase
customers for money – but it is so intelligent
that it is able to draw distinctions between

www.bookshq.netdifferent customers and understand when

technologymagazine.com 179

GLOBAL PAYEX INC

a pattern of behaviour is out of the ordinary and send it to partner banks or lenders. That
for that company. That intelligence allows data allows them to make underwriting
for extensive dashboarding, which can decisions and provide funding for a certain
present data in a way that a company’s CFO, range and/or customer segment.
credit, or finance manager can interpret and
action. When a new credit line becomes
available, buyers (distributors) will log into
Global PayEX is also seeking to Global PayEX’s FreePay™ EIPP platform and
incorporate embedded finance into its see that they now have a credit limit of up to
platform. “We are trying to embed financing £50,000 or £100,000 provided by a partner
into these B2B workflows where we invite institution. It’s the distributor’s decision
banks and non-banks to lend through whether to accept that credit line. If they do,
our digital ecosystem,” Naru says. The they are onboarded by the institution in the
system already knows which of a vendor’s usual way and, afterwards, they will see a
distributors have access to financing, new payment method in the app when they
because it does the reconciliation for it, come to settle an invoice that allows them
so Global PayEX can anonymise that data to pay using that credit.

www.bookshq.net

180 September 2022

“ We are trying to to be live in the UK, with boots on the
embed financing into ground by Q4 of this calendar year.

It marks a continued expansion

these B2B workflows for the firm, which hopes that the US
and EMEA can become significant

by inviting banks contributors to group revenues.
to lend through our In the next 12 months, Global
PayEX will focus on growing its

digital ecosystem” penetration in the US market and
establishing itself both in the UK

and in continental Europe. From a

NARAYAN RAMAMOORTHY regulatory perspective, this provides
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, a unique challenge: Europe has
GLOBAL PAYEX INC various compliance requirements to

grapple with, not least GDPR.

“The reason banks are interested is From a product perspective, the

because they want to offer a differentiated company is working on globalisation,

service to their corporate banking customers supporting more currencies and

on the receivables/payables banking or languages to allow for further

on the corporate transaction banking side, market expansions in future. It is

and banks don't necessarily have these also looking at new requirements

sophisticated technologies,” Naru explains. like e-invoicing standards and new

“So, they use our technology; we are the back payment mechanisms such as real-

end while the bank is the front end offering time payments, building that out

these technologies to the customer. Our from a product stack or enhancing

latest partnership is with FIS, the payments the product stack to include them.

behemoth, where they're white labelling a part Global PayEX will continue to invest

of our stack globally to their customers. Several in AI/ML technologies to improve the

other global and regional banks leverage efficacy of its automation, giving its

our platform such as JP Morgan, Standard platform enhanced abilities to read

Chartered, BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank.” and contextualise document formats.

Naru elaborates: “We want to get

Targeting new markets and that to at least a 9/10 document

enhancing product features auto-read capability across formats

When Global PayEX was launched, it initially over the next 12 months, with

focused on the Indian market, where it an eventual goal being a neural

has now established a dominant position network which has 99+% accuracy

for itself. The company is now live in the from day one, in terms of reading

US, where it has a few big-name brand any random document related to AR

customers and a pipeline of prospects. When and AP.”

Naru speaks to us, he is in London conducting

due diligence and laying the groundwork for

www.bookshq.neta future presence there. Global PayEX wants

technologymagazine.com 181

TAKING
OVER
THE US’
WIRELESS
MARKET
WITH
OPEN-RAN
TECH

WRITTEN BY: www.bookshq.net
İLKHAN
ÖZSEVIM

PRODUCED BY:
JAMES
BERRY

182 September 2022

DISH NETWORK

www.bookshq.net

technologymagazine.com 183

DISH NETWORK

DISH Network has its eyes on taking over
the Wireless Market in the USA with
Open Radio Access Network Technology.
Can its competitors keep up?

A ccording to Statista, in 2021,
the number of mobile devices
operating worldwide stood
close to 15 billion. With
the global population at
almost 8 billion, that’s nearly two mobile
phones for every person on the planet.
It’s therefore no hyperbole to say that, in
telecommunications terms, we are truly
interconnected – and that’s just through
mobile phones alone.

Throughout day-to-day life, we make
use of a myriad of devices to communicate
without even considering the nature of their
connectivity and functionality; as such, the
vast majority of people are similarly unaware
of the seismic technological shifts occurring
beneath the surface of every industry.

Industry 4.0 and the 5G revolution have
begun to coalesce, set to transform the very
socio-technological fabric of our world –
and the magnitude of change is creating an
interesting playing field for those businesses
at the forefront.

The aptly-named DISH Network (Digital
Sky Highway Network) is one of the major
players in this competitive field. Foreseeing
the value and opportunities in dominating
the wireless network – or the Digital Sky
Highway – DISH firmly ensconced itself
within the possibility-laden world of 5G
before it was fashionable, envisioning
solutions that sat outside of the box.

www.bookshq.net

184 September 2022

www.bookshq.net Example of
an image caption

technologymagazine.com 185

Over a decade ago, Charlie Ergen, The right mix of ingenuity

the Chairman and Co-Founder of DISH In order to successfully change the wireless

Network, had the foresight to realise that business model and create something new,

the satellite TV business was (at some point) Ergen put together a team of highly-skilled,

going to be a business in decline. So, he multi-talented professionals, who could

started acquiring spectrum. adapt to the technology’s expansive, ever-

“If I go back eight years ago, nobody changing needs - Stephen Bye, Dave Mayo

– admittedly, including myself – ever and Marc Rouanne.

believed that Charlie would actually build Stephen Bye’s, EVP and Chief Commercial

a wireless network”, added Dave Mayo, EVP Officer, role encompasses the sales,

of Network Development at DISH Wireless. marketing and commercial strategy aspects

“That was until he really inserted himself of DISH Wireless.

in the middle of the T-Mobile-Sprint Mayo also leads a number of teams,

transaction and, frankly, created a pretty including the US network development team

magnificent opportunity for the business to that covers four regions and 36 markets, a

create a 5G network.” www.bookshq.netsystems integration team, a radio engineering

186 September 2022

DISH NETWORK

DAVE MAYO

TITLE: EVP OF NETWORK DEVELOPMENT
INDUSTRY: TELECOMMUNICATIONS
LOCATION: COLORADO, US

As Executive Vice President,

Network Development, Dave

Mayo is responsible for DISH’s wireless

buildout strategy and execution of the

company’s aggressive deployment of the

nation’s first standalone 5G network.

Prior to joining DISH, Dave served

as Senior Vice President at T-Mobile

USA, Inc., where he most recently led

T-Mobile’s IoT business and founded

the company’s fixed wireless business.

He also led the strategic, development

and financial areas for T-Mobile’s

network organization during more than

two decades of explosive growth.

Dave innovated and led the

aggressive transformation of

T-Mobile’s transport network to fibre

which was foundational to T-Mobile’s

multi-year “Fastest Network” claim,

and design team, and a network engineering T-Mobile’s first-ever nationwide,

and operations team. And in his role, network-based marketing claim.

Mayo integrates and develops the network

according to provided specifications.

“Marc comes up with ideas concerning

the tech, and my job is to implement

them” adds Mayo, summing up the crux EXECUTIVE BIO

of his job description.

“I'm a technology guy,” agrees Marc

Rouanne, EVP and Chief Network Officer.

“My job concerns thinking about what

technology we should consume and how we

should put it together.”

One such pivotal piece of technology

is the DISH 5G network, which is cloud-

www.bookshq.netnative and operates on an Open-RAN-based

Building a
Network of
Networks

VMware helps DISH Networks Tap
into Multi-Vendor RAN Innovation

LEARN MORE

www.bookshq.net

Communication service providers A thing dreams are made of for most
(CSPs) have big plans for tomorrow’s CSPs, DISH has created this network
5G networks. They envision versatile, by leveraging cloud-native approaches.
programmable infrastructures that The increased flexibility and agility that
can be customized to meet the needs comes from cloud-native environments
of diverse enterprise applications. do bring complexities. Fortunately,
DISH Networks isn’t waiting for the VMware telco cloud portfolio has
tomorrow. They’re building “Network helped to simplify those complexities
of Networks” today. through dynamic automation and
DISH’s 5G network will deliver unified service assurance. DISH can
a multitude of services tailored use this automated, open, agile and
to different customer requirements programmable network to:
over a unified infrastructure. It will
run as an open, cloud-based system Monetize: With vendor-neutral
that can continuously onboard new foundations, DISH can create new
technology from multiple vendors. partnerships and services far faster
And VMware innovations are playing than traditional CSPs.
a key role in making it happen. Deliver Services Quickly: With a
DISH’s 5G network is built to meet network that dynamically composes
diverse application requirements for services based on customer needs,
latency, performance, resiliency, and DISH can create customizable
other characteristics. It’s designed services which meet SLAs, in a
from the ground up to be: fraction of the time from current
standards.
Open, to integrate multiple Continually Improve Efficiencies:
vendors and clouds With the ability to access unified
Agile, to quickly assemble data and components, the
network resources based ecosystem and DISH itself can build
on service requirements applications that will help enable
Programmable, to automatically progressively smarter network
instantiate slices end to end—from operations.
core to edge, cloud to customer These are groundbreaking
Leveraging VMware Cloud™ on AWS, capabilities—and it’s only the
DISH has started a multi-cloud journey beginning. The real story starts now,
to maintain flexibility into the future. as DISH uses them to help customers
It doesn’t stop there, however. Their transform their businesses.
network characteristics further
extend from the core to the RAN. In LEARN MORE
the end, DISH’s horizontal architecture
will span from their core to the RAN WATCH VIDEO
and edge without network siloes.

www.bookshq.net

DISH NETWORK

Taking over the US’ Wireless Market
with Open-RAN Tech

“ Open-ran is like infrastructure. This is almost diametrically
turning a vertical opposed to those of traditional operators –
helping to establish DISH and its network as
a one-of-a-kind solution.

network on its Changing the status quo

side; making it As the technological landscape evolves,
horizontal” a number of little-known developments
are permeating the technosphere, one of
these being Open Radio Access Network
(O-RAN).

STEPHEN BYE Stephen Bye – who, in his role of CCO, is
EVP AND CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, used to translating techno-speak – explains
DISH WIRELESS the concept further: “to understand O-RAN,
you need to understand that the most

critical word in that acronym is ‘open’. This

‘openness’ allows us to virtually ‘open up’

the ecosystem and separate the software

www.bookfrsomhtqhe.hnardewtare.”

190 September 2022

DISH NETWORK

The DISH team has taken the open approach deployed in a traditional model. It’s like

to its network architecture. With O-RAN, the turning a vertical network on its side and

DISH 5G network runs on fully-virtualised - and making it horizontal”, says Bye.

typically containerised - software, deployed via In a recent conversation, Marc Rouanne

the cloud across its network platform. outlined how DISH is currently focusing on

“This means that we're not encumbered consuming the access in a software-driven

or constrained by a traditional, vertically- manner, which includes the mixing of traffic,

integrated system where the software is having private networks and new forms

anchored to the hardware; we no longer have of mobility services, and establishing new

those limitations”, Bye adds. forms of device consumption capabilities.

Pointing out what's exciting about O-RAN “From a technology perspective, we

network architecture, Bye explains that it are going to be what we call 'a network of

allows DISH to utilise the innovation of other networks'. A large part of that is going to be

parties on the platform. This essentially gives giving consumers - with very different, very

DISH the opportunity to bring in innovative competitive capabilities - a competitive

software and solutions at a faster pace than offer, with the agility to have new and

legacy networks. extremely fast services,” said Rouanne.

“We can control how that innovation Alongside this, technological

www.bookshq.networks, as well as how the software is
developments are driving a much faster

technologymagazine.com 191

DISH NETWORK

life-cycle of software “In terms Cisco, NOKIA, IBM, Dell,
development and of capabilities, Intel and Oracle, just to
deployment. name a few.
I know that
“We are starting to DISH interacts with
see a much faster life- these partners in the

cycle wherever we are something big is cloud, making data sharing,
purely cloud-native”, connection, synthesis

says Rouanne. coming our way” and collaboration as easy
“And this is just the as possible.

beginning. It's a journey, For Rouanne, this

but the beauty is that it's MARC ROUANNE network of partnerships
hard for our competitors to EVP AND CHIEF NETWORK OFFICER, is one of DISH’s greatest
even get there, which gives successes.
DISH WIRELESS

us a playground for quite a “From a technology

few years that we are really going to enjoy.” perspective, this is the biggest

Such an ambitious project could not, achievement [in networking] we have had

of course, be achieved without the right in the last two to three years – the creation

partners. Just as everything is becoming more of an ecosystem that is investing in the

connected in the macro technological world, same vision that we have.”

the way that businesses are operating is also “The reason why our partners are

reflecting this trend on the micro-scale. massively investing is that they're

DISH has a number of huge names in its convinced of what we are doing and that

www.bookshq.netpartner ecosystem. These include AWS,
it's a game changer.”

192 September 2022

DISH NETWORK

Mobility and Milestones MARC ROUANNE
The physical buildout of the DISH 5G
network, led by Dave Mayo, has come to life TITLE: EVP & CHIEF NETWORK OFFICER

in an unprecedented amount of time. INDUSTRY: TELECOMMUNICATIONS
A major milestone for the company LOCATION: FINLAND

was reached in June 2022, when DISH

announced that its newly built 5G network

was deployed and commercially available As Executive Vice President and

to more than 20% of the US population, Chief Network Officer for DISH’s

through its Project Genesis brand. This was wireless business, Marc is responsible

achieved in a build of just 14 months - a feat for network architecture, RF network

which has never been achieved before. and strategy, core network architecture

The service is now commercially and strategy, cloud and edge strategy,

available across more than 120 markets and security, transport, 5G lab management

customers can purchase the DISH service and interoperability testing.

and phones throughout the US. Marc has more than 20 years of

In addition to supporting those customers, international management experience

DISH will also be launching other services in the telecommunications industry,

under different brands on its network. having held executive positions

Consistently affirming its reputation for in R&D, customer operations and

quality and innovation, DISH has introduced a product management in the U.S.,

number of pioneering connectivity solutions France and Finland.

to the American market. These include its

Project Genesis, for which DISH launched

the United States’ first cloud-native Smart 5G

network, and Boost Mobile, which provides

best-in-class value and connectivity to

American wireless consumers, through DISH

Wireless’ largest retail wireless brand.

DISH has already launched a mobile

service in Las Vegas that uses VoNR (Voice

Over New Radio). Remarkably, DISH is the

first operator in North America to actually

deploy commercial services with VoNR, EXECUTIVE BIO

which it launched back in May of 2022.

In addition to the US Federal

Communications Commission (FCC) build

requirements, DISH has also established

roaming agreements with two network

service providers.

“These really give us the opportunity to

have an immediate, nationwide footprint,”

comments Mayo. www.bookshq.net

Remarkable outcomes start
with a remarkable network.
Powering remarkable telecom

Learn more now

www.bookshq.net

DISH NETWORK

“T here’s a tremendous

opportunity for the

business, and I think it'll

really give us the ability The combination of roaming agreements,
to grow lots of revenue while building out its own network in key
in a way that's different markets nationwide, is a clever, efficient
to our competitors” way of operating. In an age of digital
transformation, many companies are going
all-in on their infrastructure at once without

DAVE MAYO the business case to support it – and that
EVP OF NETWORK DEVELOPMENT, can be fatal for businesses. It’s better to build
DISH WIRELESS up gradually and create the waves needed to

justify further growth, as Mayo establishes.

Once the DISH 5G network covers at least “We think we'll reach what constitutes

75% of each economic area within the United ‘critical mass’ sometime next year,

States in June 2025, DISH will have reached approximately covering a 230-240 million

its final milestone, mandated by the FCC, to population area.”

move on to the next phase of its expansion.

This next milestone step is mandated for Entering the enterprise market

June 2025 (by the Federal Communications - the next phase for DISH

Commission). “Frankly, beyond that, we'll The next step in DISH’s wireless expansion

build things as and when they make financial plans is branching into the enterprise

sense”, Mayo adds. www.bookshq.netmarket. And, while DISH has only just started

technologymagazine.com 195

DISH NETWORK

www.bookshq.net

196 September 2022

EXECUTIVE BIO DISH NETWORK

STEPHEN BYE

TITLE: EVP & CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
INDUSTRY: TELECOMMUNICATIONS
LOCATION: COLORADO, US

As Executive Vice President and
Chief Commercial Officer of
the DISH wireless network business,
Stephen’s responsibilities include
wholesale and enterprise services,
business development, product
management, service integration and
partner management.
He brings to DISH three decades
of experience across wireless, cable
and wireline providers in the U.S. and
several other countries. A seasoned
senior executive, Stephen has
experience in technology and network
development, network operations
and deployment, engineering, IT, sales
and marketing, as well as corporate
strategy and M&A.
Previously, Stephen served as CTO
of Sprint during the transition and
upgrade from three operationally-
disparate networks to an LTE-based
network. Additionally, he has held a
range of executive positions at Cox
Communications, AT&T, BellSouth
International, Optus Communications
and Telstra.

www.bookshq.net

Congratulations to DISH!

Mavenir is proud to be part of the first Open RAN
network deployed in the public cloud.

Connect with Mavenir

www.bookshq.net

198 September 2022

DISH NETWORK

from communication to software.”

The market is three to four times bigger

than the wireless market alone, and wireless

service providers are capturing a very small

share of that – which businesses are spending

on technology and services. “So, when we

to embark on this project - and is still looking look at the enterprise market,” says Bye.

to break into the market proper - the future “Enterprise customers are looking for how

prospects look hugely promising. they can take advantage of technology and

Bye explains that DISH sees enterprise as networks to drive their efficiency, to improve

an enormous opportunity, and the numbers their profitability and to drive productivity

in question are not insignificant. “Today into their enterprise.”

when you look at the wireless market, it As such, the question becomes, how can

represents about $US280bn of revenue, but DISH’s wireless network and connectivity be

it's dominated by consumer services and used to achieve these objectives?

consumer rate plans, unlimited plans, SIM “We see our network and the platform that

cards and smartphones.” we're building, as becoming part of the fabric

“We at DISH actually look at the market of that business. We think of it as part of its

very differently. When I look at the enterprise actual nervous system, which will enable that

market today, companies in the United business to grow to achieve its objectives,

States are spending nearly US$1tn dollars a while we can be a partner and a solution to the

www.bookshq.netyear on services, and that covers everything problems that they're facing”, explains Bye.

technologymagazine.com 199

DISH NETWORK

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200 September 2022