Archive for January, 2019

What does GDPR mean for Big Data Analytics and AI?

January 27th, 2019

By 2020, there will be an estimated 24 billion internet-connected devices globally – more than four devices for every person. Many consumers have concerns about data privacy and how their data is used and protected (some surveys put this at 90% of users). As businesses learn to extract value from and utilize data at a deeper level, it is essential for companies to be extremely conscientious about protecting personal information.

The recent Google 50 Million Euro GDPR fine posted about on our blog has major implication means for data insight driven companies. Secondary processing of date using iterative analytics and AI needs to remain legal under the GDPR – i,e.GDPR compliant technical and organizational safeguards in place that:

(1) Satisfy a balance of interest test that requires functional separation (to separate the information value of data from the identity of data subjects) to reduce the negative impact on data subjects, so that the data controller’s legitimate interests are not overridden. see Annexures 1 and 2 of this note: https://ec.europa.eu/justice/article-29/documentation/opinion-recommendation/files/2014/wp217_en.pdf

Recent high-profile lawsuits against Oracle and Acxiom make it clear that simply claiming a “legitimate interest” in commercializing personal data is not enough. (see the video here http://fortune.com/2018/11/08/privacy-international-oracle-acxiom/)

(2) Ensure compliance with requirements that the secondary processing is compatible with the original purpose for which the data was collected;

(3) By default restrict access to only the minimum data necessary for each purpose for which it is processed – such Data Minimisation, is a level of granular control and protection that cannot be technologies like encryption alone.

The “Data Privacy Day 2019″, which is tomorrow: Monday 28 January 2019, is led by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) in the United States, is built on the theme, “Respecting Privacy, Safeguarding Data and Enabling Trust.”

SQL Server 2016 SP2 CU5, SP1 CU13 – many fixes

January 25th, 2019

Many fixes inside SP2 CU5 and SP1 CU13, e.g.:
• Access violation when you compile a query
• Access violations and unhandled exceptions with Always On Availability Groups automatic seeding
• Dynamic Data Masking doesn’t when there’s a cursor involved
• Access violations for XML data types
• Query Store blocks transactions and log truncation
• Out of memory errors
• Non-yielding schedulers with heavy use of prepared statements
• Can’t restore compressed backups of encrypted databases
• High CPU usage when there are many batch requests (which we would expect?)
• SQL Server service crashes when you cancel CHECKDB (on a “large database” – doesn’t that apply to all? )
…. lots more

Dynamics 365 April19 update – release notes

January 25th, 2019

https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/dynamics365/2018/12/12/announcing-the-dynamics-365-april-19-release-timeline/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/business-applications-release-notes/April19/index

The April ’19 release signifies a key milestone for Dynamics 365. It is the first major update where all customers across Dynamics 365 will be on the same latest version and on a consistent update schedule. It is also a template of how major updates will be done going forward in April and October every year. The most obvious change is the move to a Unified fluent interface.

The enhancements to Dynamics 365 applications in the April ’19 release include hundreds of new capabilities across Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Portals, Field Service, Project Service Automation, Finance and Operations, Talent, Retail, and Business Central. Includes a new set of mixed reality experiences using Microsoft Layout and Microsoft Remote Assist. These are described in the links above and in a lengthy ‘What’s new” document

The April ’19 release delivers continued Artificial Intelligence capabilities that leverage the power of Microsoft AI research, tools, data, and the Power Platform to help organizations transform customer service, sales, and marketing functions.
• AI for Sales provides actionable insights to drive personalized engagement and proactive decision-making.
• AI for Market Insights enables business users to gather actionable insights based on what consumers say, seek, and feel about their brands and products. Optimize your customer service experience through AI enhanced analysis with Customer Service Insights.

Microsoft Layout
Design spaces in context with Dynamics 365 Layout. Bring physical designs from concept to completion with confidence. Import 3D models to experience room layouts as holograms in the physical world or in virtual reality.1 Share with stakeholders2 and easily edit layouts in real-world scale, to make better decisions before you build.

Dynamics 365 Remote Assist
Modernize your field service operations, so you can make the most of your time and money. With heads-up, hands-free video calling on Microsoft HoloLens, technicians can collaborate with any remote expert on PC or mobile to troubleshoot issues in context. Enable on-site technicians to share what they see with remote experts, while staying heads-up, hands-free with Remote Assist on Microsoft HoloLens. With modern tools like mixed reality video calling, annotations, and file sharing, technicians and remote experts can work together to solve problems in context.3

Congratulations to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella – named top CEO in the U.S.A. by Forbes magazine

January 23rd, 2019

Congratulations to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella who was named the top CEO in the United States by Forbes magazine. This honor follows many key successes under his leadership, including the acquisition of GitHub and an increased focus on Microsoft Azure.
For a fascinating insight into how Microsoft has rebuilt itself ‘brick by brick’ under his leadership over the last 4 years, see this Forbes interview form the end of December 2018,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2018/12/10/exclusive-ceo-interview-satya-nadella-reveals-how-microsoft-got-its-groove-back/#454c91397acb

GDPR starts to bite

January 22nd, 2019

Google has been hit with a record fine by French data regulator CNIL, of 50m euros ($56.7m) for breaching GDPR after finding that Google had a “lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent regarding ads personalisation”.
The regulator also said that the users were not sufficiently informed about how Google users personal data for advertising. The fine relates to two complaints filed by privacy advocacy groups, which were filed as soon as GDPR came into place in May last year. The groups also claim that Google does not not have a valid legal basis to process user data for ad personalisation, as mandated by the GDPR. Google also selects ad personalisation by default for new users, instead of offering an ‘opt in’, which is also against GDPR rules.

Under the GDPR, complaints are transferred to local data protection regulators. While Google’s European HQ is in Dublin, the CNIL concluded that the team in Dublin doesn’t have the final say when it comes to data processing for new Android users.

In a statement, Google said: “People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We’re deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR. We’re studying the decision to determine our next steps.”

The large fine reflect the view thatthe violations were continuous, and still occurring. Google’s violations were aggravated by the fact that “the economic model of the company is partly based on ads personalisation”, and that it is therefore “its utmost responsibility to comply” with GDPR.

Dr Lukasz Olejnik, an independent privacy researcher and adviser, said the ruling was the world’s largest data protection fine. “This is a milestone in privacy enforcement, and the history of privacy. The whole European Union should welcome the fine. It loudly announced the advent of GDPR decade,” he said.

Facebook is also faced with huge fines. Facebook has been fined €10m (£8.9m) by Italian authorities for misleading users over its data practices. The two fines issued by Italy’s competition watchdog are some of the largest levied against the social media company for data misuse, dwarfing the £500,000 fine levied by the British Information Commissioner’s Office in September for the Cambridge Analytica scandal– the maximum that body was able to issue. The Italian regulator found that Facebook had breached articles 21, 22, 24 and 25 of the country’s consumer code by: Misleading users in the sign-up process about the extent to which the data they provide would be used for commercial purposes.

Emphasising only the free nature of the service, without informing users of the “profitable ends that underlie the provision of the social network”, and so encouraging them to make a decision of a commercial nature that they would not have taken if they were in full possession of the facts. Forcing an “aggressive practice” on registered users by transmitting their data from Facebook to third parties, and vice versa, for commercial purposes.

The company was specifically criticised for the default setting of the Facebook Platform services, which in the words of the regulator, “prepares the transmission of user data to individual websites/apps without express consent” from users. Users can disable the platform, but the regulator found that its opt-out nature did not provide a fully free choice. As an additional penalty, the authority has directed Facebook to publish an apology to users on its website and on its app.

In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson said: “We are reviewing the Authority’s decision and hope to work with them to resolve their concerns. This year we made our terms and policies clearer to help people understand how we use data and how our business works. We also made our privacy settings easier to find and use, and we’re continuing to improve them. You own and control your personal information on Facebook.”

On Friday (14 December), Facebook disclosed that a bug gave hundreds of apps unauthorised access to photos that users had uploaded but hadn’t made public. The bug is understood to have ran for 12 days between 13 and 25 September. To compound matter it failed to promptly disclose the issue within 72 hours.

The bug is the latest in a series of privacy scandals. Facebook disclosed a security breach on Sept. 28, saying 50 million accounts had their login access tokens stolen. That figure was reduced to 30 million , and Facebook lconfirmed that 29 million of the impacted users had their names and contact information exposed. Among those users, 14 million of also had other personal information, such as their gender, relationship status and their recent place check-ins, stolen by the attackers. Facebook told the Irish Data Protection Commission that 10 percent of the affected accounts were European, according to Graham Doyle, the commission’s head of communications. the accounts were hacked in an access token harvesting attack. The security incident, revealed last week, was caused by a vulnerability in Facebook’s code which permitted attackers to steal access tokens. Access tokens are used to keep Facebook users logged in when they switch over to a public profile view via the “View As” feature.

A KPMG global study in 2018 revealed that 77% of consumer are totally against their data being sold.

A CNIL ruling in October last yearagaisnt the company Vectuary has a lot of significance. Data privacy experts consider the regulator was stating that consent to processing personal data cannot be gained through a framework arrangement which bundles a number of uses behind a single “I agree” button that, when clicked, passes consent to partners via a contractual relationship. That CNIL decision implies that bundling consent to partner processing in a contract is not, sufficient, or valid consent under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) framework.

The firm was harvesting personal data (including people’s location and device IDs) on its partners’ mobile users via an SDK embedded in their apps, and receiving bids for this data via another standard piece of the programmatic advertising pipe — ad exchanges and supply side platforms — which also get passed personal data so those can broadcast it widely via the online ad world’s real-time bidding (RTB) system to solicit potential advertisers’ bids for the attention of the individual app user… The wider the personal data gets spread, the more potential ad bids. CNIL discovered the company was holding the personal data of a staggering 67.6 million people when it conducted an on-site inspection of the company in April 2018 and yet Vectuary’s website claims it doesn’t store 70% of its data.

GDPR, Article 5, paragraph 1, point f, requires that personal data be “processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss.” If you can not protect data in this way, then the GDPR says you can not process the data. So the complint ius not just about the data or the consent but also about the processing. of the data sharing but rather that it is not adequately secure or controlled.

Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation (v3.3.0.258)

January 20th, 2019

This release is compatible with Dynamics 365 9.x.
To update to this release, visit the Admin Center for Dynamics 365 online, solutions page to install the update. \

Project Service Automation (v3.3.0.258) Some Improvements
• Timesheets
Weekly time entry with support for customizations. This feature enhances the time entry experience in Project Service Automation by providing the ability for project resources to enter time for the entire week at the same time. It will also be possible for system customizers to customize this view with custom fields or lookups to other entities. Customizers will also be able to implement custom business rules to support their organization’s practices.

• Sales ◦Price list Markups
With this feature, users of PSA price list will be able to create new price list from an existing price list and apply inflationary markups on the different components of the project price list.

• Per unit pricing on Expense categories
With this feature, certain expense categories can be setup with appropriate units and a price and cost per unit using price lists in PSA. This setup will be used to default the per unit rates on all business transactions in PSA such as Quote line details, Contract line details, Project estimates, Expense entries, Journal lines and Invoice line details. This feature opens up scenarios around pricing and costing Mileage, out-sourced work and some unit – based work categories such as processing pay slips, invoices etc. on projects. With this feature, both product-based contract lines and the time and expense actuals have to be marked as “Ready to invoice” before these can be added to a draft invoice in PSA. This feature allows for customizations in the area of PSA’s proforma or invoice proposals. Customers and partners have a way to tailor the creation of draft invoice proposals in PSA by programmatically manipulating the Billing status values on unbilled sales actuals for time, expense, fees and on product-based contract lines.

• Allow user to delete products lines from Project Invoice when the invoice in the draft state.

• Project task form. With this feature, users will be able to access task details directly from the project grid, by selecting the new ‘Edit Task’ schedule grid action. This new form is ideal for extensibility scenarios for tasks, for example: tracking Task Health or Task Type. Users will also be able to easily add notes to a task, encouraging

◦ ◦Full screen toggle– This new UI control enables users to expand the following grid to full screen for an improved editing experience: Schedule, Resource Assignments, Resource Reconciliation, Estimates and Expense Estimates.

Bug Fixes
•Fixed: Restricting the ability to create invoices without approved actuals.
•Fixed: Deleting a contract milestone for an unposted invoice, prevents posting or deleting of the invoice.
•Fixed: Tracking View: Client-side and Server-side calculations are different.
•Fixed: Invalid invoice frequency setup can lead to “Object reference not set to an instance of an object” error when trying to create an invoice schedule.
•Fixed: Project Approval has overlapping command sequence for “Approve” and “Reject” impacting the Ribbon Work Bench.
•Fixed: Null reference exception when creating Project Team Member (and booking resource) through Workflow.
•Fixed: Marking a resource request as complete removes the generic resource from the assigned task when multiple named resources fulfilled the requirement.
•Fixed: Solution Upgrade failures when customer data contains tasks with null dates.

Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations version 8.1.3 – PU23 – new features

January 20th, 2019

This version will be released in January 2019 and has an actual build number of 8.1.227. It includes platform update 23.

For the many Extensibility changes in Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations version 8.1.3 see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/unified-operations/dev-itpro/extensibility/extensibility-changes-813

Collection letters
Set up collection letters by customer,, so that the collection letter code for each transaction is tracked, but the collection letter processing is based on a single collection letter level that is stored for the customer.

Settle remainder
To settle the amount remaining from settlement activity by applying that amount to a ledger account or to another customer. Settle the remainder either when you are settling amounts entered into a journal, or when settling open transactions.

Globalization
Electronic reporting:
• Import from files in JSON format. You can now configure an Electronic reporting (ER) format to parse incoming files in JSON format. You can then set up ER mappings that specify how information from JSON files is used to update application data.
• Support country context-specific ER model mappings. To isolate country-specific logic of data access in a single ER model mapping.
o Specify a country context for ER model mapping.
o Manage multiple country-specific mappings for a single ER data model.
o Depending on the legal entity’s primary address, the appropriate country/region-specific model mapping will be used when an ER format is used to generate an electronic document.

There are also some Russian localisations for AR AP movement registers that may be worth checking.

Platform 23 update features:
Legal entity filtering using grid column headers
For grids with cross-company queries, users can filter the Legal entity column using the column drop-down menu, similar to other columns in the grid. A user looking at the global transactions for a specific customer, can find the transactions within a small subset of companies. Prior to this feature, he would have had to filter using the Customer range tab on the Advanced filter or sort dialog box, or utilize page-specific custom filters.

Export to Excel
In Platform update 22, the Export to Excel feature was improved to allow users to export up to 1 million rows from a grid in Finance and Operations, a substantial increase from the previous 10,000-row limit. In Platform update 23, after the export completes, users will receive a notification in the Action center that the export has finished. The notification includes a link to download the Excel file containing the exported data. The link and notification are accessible for approximately three days after the export completes.

Manage access to network printers across legal entities

System network printers management form. System Administrators can use this, along with the Document Routing Agent (DRA) to register network printers with Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations. When you enable this feature, a Preview link will appear on the System network printers form (Organization administration > Setup > Network printers and click System network printers). After you register the network printers with the service using the DRA, you will see the configuration information for each legal entity in the organization.

Enabling index hints in X++
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 and earlier versions supported INDEX HINTS from X++. However, this was deprecated when Dynamics AX 2012 was released. A reason why this was deprecated is because a misguided index hit could damage the queries. However, thousands of queries in hundreds of tenants shows that SQL may come up with less optimal plans for simple queries, Finance and Operations has thus brought back X++ hints. However, X++ hints should still only be used with extreme caution. Use Index hints sparingly, and only when you can ensure that it causes more benefit than harm. When in doubt, avoid using index hints. A new API is added on common allowIndexHint with a default behavior of False. This allows developers to opt-in and explicitly enable index hint. The old syntax on the select statement for specifying index hint is reused.For an existing X++ code that specifies index hint, there is no change to the current behavior until the new API is invoked.

Automated refresh of Entity store (opt-in)
Let the system manage Entity store refresh instead of scheduling the refresh yourself. When enabled, choose a refresh pattern (hourly, twice a day, daily, or weekly). When specified, the system keeps the entity store updated for the selected pattern. The system will also switch to the new update form, where you will be notified with a status and possible refresh issues.

Entity store as a Data Lake (preview)
In Platform update 23, you can select to use Entity store as a Data Lake. When this feature is turned on, Entity store data isn’t populated in the relational Entity store database in the Microsoft subscription. Instead, it’s populated in an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 account in your own subscription. You can use the full capabilities of PowerBI.com and other Azure tools to work with Entity store.

For more information: contact Synergy Software Systems, Dubai based since 1991 and Dynamics Partner since 2003.
0097143365589

Dynamics 365 Field Service enhancements (v8.3.0.255) – ask Synergy Software Systems, Dubai

January 20th, 2019

This update was released in December 2018.

Enhancements
• Numerous performance improvements.
• Improved Sitemap: Improved the Field Service app module sitemap including Connected Field Service entities.
• Field Service SLA: Implemented SLA for Work Orders which connects the long-standing SLA functionality to the Work Order Time From Promised and Time To Promised fields ensuring that arrival time related SLA fulfillment is driven by existing Field Service scheduling tools.
Note: Out of the box, SLA is not enabled on the Work Order entity. Enable it to use the two SLA KPIs that are shipped as part of the solution.

Fixed: Upgrade Bug – Booking is updated with groupId before the record is created.

Connected Field Service enhancements

Connected Field Service (CFS) and the IoT solution, now deploys with Field Service. The CFS solution extends Field Service to cater to IoT device-driven scenarios so that organizations can respond to device anomalies and react. This allows customers to predict issues in advance and fix issues remotely or schedule a service visit, preventing failures in a proactive way.

• The CFS solution is now available out of the box with Field Services, which eliminates the need to separately install the additional solution package.
• The sitemap for the Field Service app module now includes the CFS entities as part of the default navigation. The IoT settings in the navigation are now merged with the settings section of Field Services.
Note: Non-System Administrators may need to include additional permissions for the CFS entities to see the CFS entities.
• The CFS deployment app for PaaS customers (with Azure IoT Hub) is re-architected for improved performance during initial setup. The user experience for deployment process is also updated to provide better deployment experience for administrators.

Technician Productivity

New Field Service Mobile app: The new mobile application that brings with it a plethora of new features. See https://aka.ms/fsmobile-docs for more information.
Push Notifications: Send push notifications to the new Field Service Mobile application based on any conditions. Create a workflow and select the Field Service Mobile Entity Push Notification workflow action to use this feature.
The out-of-the-box example workflow will allow bookable resources to be notified when they are booked on a work order.
Geofencing: Enable geofencing so that when a booking is scheduled for a work order, a geofence gets created around the service account for that work order and any exit or entry of that geofence by a bookable resource can generate a geofence event record. Out-of-the-box workflows are provided that can perform actions based on these geofence events such as sending a push notification to a bookable resource’s Field Service Mobile app when that resource arrives on-site for a work order.

SQL 2008 and Windows Server 2008 end of support dates.

January 15th, 2019

Reminder:

End of Support for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 is on July 9, 2019.
Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 is on January 14, 2020.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/windows-sql-server-2008
https://info.microsoft.com/ww-ondemand-windows-server-2008-sql-server-2008-end-of-support.html

This means:
No further security updates
Compliance implications around standards and GDPR
Reduced performance
Less opportunity to innovate
May restrict ability to upgrade application software

Extended support is available at 20% of license cost.

This is a critical project to undertake, which is made more difficult by the tight timeframes and the need to build a plan that encompasses both Server and SQL upgrades. Each organisation has different, individual system architectures, strategy, budget , IT resources, and risk appetite.

Failure to update your platforms could result in compliance gaps or security attacks. The risks are too important to ignore. One in five organizations loses customers due to a cyberattack and nearly 30% lose revenue.1 4.2 billion records were stolen in 20162 and hackers aren’t going anywhere—the expected cost of cybercrime to the global economy by 2022 is $8 trillion.

The modern work landscape is changing. There is a need for massive data growth, powerful insights into unstructured data, and analytics that drive digital transformation. End of support provides a chance for you to not only revisit your IT strategy and to ensure your systems are modernized, and compliant.

Three options to consider:
1 – Upgrade to the latest versions of Windows Server and/or SQL now, either on-premises or deployed in private or public Cloud, either DIY or managed.
2 – Go ‘as a service’ and shift the responsibility, either moving workloads onto a VM within a managed Azure environment (IaaS), or transforming the workloads to platform-based services (PaaS) and going ‘serverless’.
3 – Move everything as is into the Azure environment where Microsoft will continue support for Server and SQL 2008 for a further three years at no cost which gives you more time to plan upgrade.

Consider whether now is an opportune time to migrate to azure and to take advantage of this special migration offer.

Extended security updates will be available for free in Azure for three more years after the End of support deadline for 2008 and 2008 R2 versions of SQL Server and Windows Server to help secure your workloads .

This means that Azure is an ideal place for older SQL and Windows servers.

Contact Synergy Software Systems on 009714 3365589 to understand the migration services we offer to help you manage the upgrade. (Microsoft partners for over 20 years in the U.A.E.).

Sunsystems v 6.3 – time to upgrade.

January 14th, 2019

Infor SunSystems® delivers integrated financial, purchasing, inventory, and sales management paired with social business, analytics, and in-context business intelligence. For those on legacy versions such as v5 or even 6.1 or 6.2 there many reasons to upgrade this year to version 6.3. here are just a few:

1.ENHANCED SUNSYSTEMS CORE FEATURES
Give users a familiar, easy-to-use environment. Infor SunSystems helps you to increase productivity and to reduce training time. Employees can easily find information relevant to their jobs, and even delivers that data to them automatically.
2.MODERN USER INTERFACE
Create real-time queries and drill back to the source transaction to take immediate action. The addition of the Infor Ming.le™ social feed helps you get clear, supporting insight and links to additional information at the point of decision.
3.ROBUST BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
SunSystems has web dashboards and a self-service front-end that allow any business user to conduct sophisticated analytics.
Centralization of data is improved, and integration to your business applications is more seamless so that you can get business insights through a variety of channels.
4.INFOR ION INTEGRATION
This version of SunSystems has expanded Infor ION® integration capabilities, which provides easy integration with a range of Infor solutions for risk management, human capital management, travel expense control, asset management, and more. You get cross-application workflows and event management, and deeper insight across application process flows, as well as proactive, preemptive control.

SunSystems in 2018 became part of the Infor OS. This brings several advantages to the product. It will become integrated with other Infor solutions. There are plans to integrate Infor Birst, HCM, HMS (Hospitality Management) and CRM from 2019. The integration of Birst may see some customers adopt the powerful BI tool and rethink their reliance on spreadsheets.