Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 16 | Page 12

NEWS

HESTA appoints new Senior Technology and Digital Strategist

Peter Lawrence , Senior Technology and Digital Strategist at HESTA

HESTA has appointed experienced

Information Technology leader Peter Lawrence as its Senior Technology and Digital Strategist .
Lawrence joins to head HESTA ’ s technology and digital team after more than 30 years ’ experience leading cutting-edge systems and strategy innovation in both the public and private sector .
Previous roles have included CIO in the Australian Government ’ s Department of Defence , where he drove infrastructure and data transformation and a new technology strategy . He was also CIO at ANZ New Zealand .
“ We ’ re excited to have someone of Peter ’ s depth of experience and talent help continue to build our digital and technology capability ,” said Stephen Reilly , COO at HESTA , a superannuation fund for people working in health and community services .
“ We think we have one of the most exciting technology programs in financial services and it continues to find new ways to make it easier for our members to engage seamlessly with their super 24 / 7 , wherever they are .
“ Peter is a proven , world-class technology leader and he will join a dynamic team that ’ s making a real difference to our members ’ financial future , while also working with leading technology providers to solve fascinating strategic challenges at scale .”
“ I look forward to supporting the HESTA team through technology to continue to deliver outstanding results for members and ensure our digital channels provide seamless , engaging experiences ,” said Lawrence .

Fujitsu and NEC to develop technologies for interoperability testing

Fujitsu and NEC have begun developing technologies for interoperability testing between 5G base station equipment conforming to O-RAN specifications at Fujitsu ’ s US laboratories and NEC ’ s UK laboratories .

This initiative will be implemented as part of the Post 5G Infrastructure Enhancement R & D Project under the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization ( NEDO ) of Japan .
Both companies are scheduled to build a verification environment using these technologies in their respective laboratories from August 2021 , then will begin interoperability testing .
Leveraging this verification environment offers the potential to significantly streamline interoperability verification between base station equipment from different vendors .
Through this initiative , Fujitsu , NEC and NEDO will accelerate the global reach of base station equipment that conforms to O-RAN specifications and contribute to stimulating growth and innovation in the open 5G market .
In the future , Fujitsu and NEC will collaborate with carriers , equipment vendors and governments in various countries and regions , aiming to significantly reduce the time required to conduct interoperability testing for base station equipment .
The companies will also work with NEDO to support the global adoption and development of equipment that conforms to O-RAN specifications through this project , thereby contributing to the stimulation and growth of the open 5G market .
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