It’s a Magical Day at NEXT 2019
Today is a magical day in more ways than one. First, we’ve all gathered here in Las Vegas to kick off NEXT 2019, the first smart conference for data pioneers. Over the next three days we’ll talk about the latest trends, strategies and tools that will accelerate the return on YOUR data.
That’s right. NEXT 2019 is all about helping customers mine all their data and take the insights within each nugget to achieve new levels of success both at the business and societal levels—what we call the Double Bottom Line.
It’s going to be an exciting time.
But wait… there’s more. Today we’re excited to share a great example of a company that’s committed to learning more from its data with Hitachi Vantara: Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. Earlier today we announced a fantastic new strategic alliance that makes Hitachi Vantara the Official Ride and Show Analytics Provider of the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida and the Disneyland® Resort in California. Working together, we will help create intelligent data-driven solutions that will enhance the operational efficiency of shows and attractions.
What makes this alliance so timely to NEXT is its focus on data and use of our DataOps methodology. If you’ve read my recent blogs and heard our new podcast series (check them out here), you already know that DataOps tackles a major issue facing businesses today, namely, how can we maximize the full value of our data and most importantly, get the right piece to the right person and place at the right time.
Right now, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and Hitachi Vantara are deploying industrial internet of things technologies (IIoT) that deliver on Disney’s long-held legacy of bringing immersive storytelling experiences to life through the magic of technology. These solutions use our DataOps methodology to gather real-time insights to transform their operations as well as our Lumada data management, analytics and IoT software to collect and analyze data to provide real-time insights into Park operations.
The solutions also include a predictive maintenance aspect using digital twins. If you are not familiar with digital twins, they are virtual software models that represent physical objects. Using digital twins we can understand and optimize performance like never before.
To date, Disney and Hitachi have deployed these solutions at multiple attractions across Walt Disney World such as Toy Story Land attractions like Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania!, and Alien Swirling Saucers at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And we’re not stopping there. Our teams are continuing to work together to bring these technologies to more attractions across Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.
At NEXT, you will hear more about this alliance from Disney executive Michael Tschanz. As the Director of Technology and Analysis, Design & Engineering at Walt Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Michael is intimately familiar with the work we are doing and he will share his insights with us. For those of you who were not able to join us, no worries. You can follow much of the action from NEXT online here.
I also encourage you to check out the new blog from Hitachi Vantara’s Brad Surak who talks with Michael about this alliance in more detail. Check it out here.
In the meantime, stay tuned for more exciting updates on our work with Disney and for more news from NEXT 2019!
