CIO Lessons Learned from Southwest Airlines’ Winter Plight
Information Week
JANUARY 9, 2023
Severe weather and outdated software systems led to estimated $825M loss at airline, exposing operational risks that can arise if technology is not updated.
5 questions CIOs must ask after Southwest Airlines’ failure
CIO Business Intelligence
JANUARY 4, 2023
The last thing any CIO wants is to experience catastrophic operational issues during a peak season, but that’s exactly what executives at Southwest Airlines faced last week. 19-28 far exceeded any other airlines’ operational impacts. Even before the blizzard hit, Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan acknowledged on Nov.
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CIOs contend with gen AI growing pains
CIO Business Intelligence
NOVEMBER 22, 2024
MIT event, moderated by Lan Guan, CAIO at Accenture Accenture “98% of business leaders say they want to adopt AI, right, but a lot of them just don’t know how to do it,” claimed Guan, who is currently working with a large airliner in Saudi Arabia, a large pharmaceutical company, and a high-tech company to implement generative AI blueprints in-house.
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Case in point: taking stock of the CrowdStrike outages
CIO Business Intelligence
APRIL 2, 2025
Last summer, a faulty CrowdStrike software update took down millions of computers, caused billions in damages, and underscored that companies are still not able to manage third-party risks, or respond quickly and efficiently to disruptions. It was an interesting case study of global cyber impact, says Charles Clancy, CTO at Mitre.
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Delta Airlines to ‘rethink Microsoft’ in wake of CrowdStrike outage
CIO Business Intelligence
AUGUST 1, 2024
In the wake of the widespread outage caused by a defective update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon cybersecurity platform, Delta Airlines is among the first enterprises to come forward to demand compensation from CrowdStrike and Microsoft for the enormous losses caused by the interruption of its flights during the failure. A shift ahead?
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How Southwest’s CIO modernized the airline through turbulent times
CIO Business Intelligence
APRIL 19, 2024
Taking the helm as CIO is a major transition for any IT leader, but Lauren Woods’ experience at Southwest Airlines stands apart. I ended up leaning on my partners in the business and learning so much from them about how our airline worked and what it was like on the operational side,” she says. We’re a better airline for it,” she says.
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Southwest’s Crisis Is A Lesson For Innovators
Forrester IT
JANUARY 4, 2023
Southwest Airline's 2022 holiday travel disaster happened because the airline became a victim of its own success. It failed to realize that the analysts, data and software requirements for maintaining its point-to-point network needed constant upgrading, preferring instead to return profits to shareholders via stock buy backs.
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IFS acquires EmpowerMX to bolster its aviation sector offering
CIO Business Intelligence
JULY 12, 2024
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software provider IFS has agreed to acquire EmpowerMX, a vendor of software for managing aircraft maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO), adding to the capabilities of its fleet service management suite for the aviation sector.
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SAP taps Splunk’s Simon Davies to lead reorg’d APAC region
CIO Business Intelligence
FEBRUARY 19, 2025
Kia Motors, NEC, Coles Group, Wipro, Fujitsu, Shiseido, Himalaya, Cochlear, and Japan Airlines. According to SAP, Mr. Davies has been instrumental in developing, selling, and implementing IT solutions in the Asia Pacific region for 25 years, working with leading software companies such as Microsoft, Salesforce, and Oracle.
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Lufthansa’s digital future takes flight with ‘Digital Hangar’
CIO Business Intelligence
OCTOBER 27, 2023
Each Hangar houses agile coaches, business analysts, data and analytics specialists, product owners, Scrum masters, software engineers, and user interface designers — all with one mission: to elevate the airlines’ digital customer experience before, during, and after the flight. Experience is not only the cherry on the cake.”
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8 big IT failures of 2023
CIO Business Intelligence
DECEMBER 26, 2023
Both United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines saw service outages in 2023 resulting from wonky software upgrades, and Southwest ended the previous year with a Christmas travel meltdown blamed on outdated systems. Probably the worst IT airline disaster of 2023 came on the government side, however.
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Alaska Airlines launches investment arm to support goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040
GeekWire
OCTOBER 18, 2021
Alaska Airlines on Monday announced the launch of Alaska Star Ventures to invest in new aviation technologies as part of the airline’s goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Diana Birkett Rakow, Alaska’s vice president of public affairs and sustainability (PRNewsfoto/Alaska Airlines).
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United Airlines Will Let iPhone Users Show Proof of Vaccination in the Apple Health App
Gizmodo
OCTOBER 1, 2021
Flying during pandemic times just got a bit more convenient for iPhone users traveling on United Airlines. Read more.
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Report details how Alaska Airlines is using AI to better map flight routes and save time and fuel
GeekWire
JULY 29, 2021
In a new story this week , Fortune reports on how Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is pioneering the use of software to better predict weather and air traffic and help flight planners map out routes. According to the report, the startup ended up working with Alaska because the airline was the most receptive to trialing the tech.
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Time for New Partnership Paradigms to Be Future-fit
CIO Business Intelligence
DECEMBER 6, 2023
Meanwhile, a global vendor with resources deployed around the world, FPT Software’s ‘best shore’ model for example, can provide services to its clients optimally wherever they are. The relationship between the global aircraft manufacturer Airbus and FPT Software can epitomise this model.
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Tech Moves: WTIA elects new board leadership; Adriane Brown joins American Airlines board
GeekWire
MARCH 1, 2021
Seattle venture capitalist Adriane Brown is joining the board of American Airlines Group, one of the largest airlines in the world. Last year, use of the company’s software surged and it raised $30 million in funding. Adriane Brown. Axon Photo). Founded in 2009, ThoughtExchange is based in the small town of Rossland, B.C.
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As mainframe application development grows, so does the security risk
CIO Business Intelligence
JULY 18, 2024
Mainframe systems process a vast amount of vital transactions daily—that includes everything from the swipe of a credit card at the grocery store to purchasing an airline ticket online or accessing sensitive healthcare information. But only eight percent of those buyers are purchasing IT management software.
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5 tips for better business value from gen AI
CIO Business Intelligence
DECEMBER 10, 2024
What success looks like can vary widely and range from reducing a call centers escalation rates, a food distributors sales order processing time, or a professional services companys new employee onboarding time, to an airline that personalizes customer communications or a media company that provides real-time language translation.
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Private cloud makes its comeback, thanks to AI
CIO Business Intelligence
MAY 14, 2024
Nearly a third (31%) of respondents said they are building internal private clouds using hybrid cloud management solutions such as software-defined storage and API-consistent hardware to make the private cloud more like public cloud, Forrester adds. billion in 2024, and more than double by 2027. billion in 2024, and more than double by 2027.
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American Airlines Is Giving Passengers Free In-Flight TikTok
Gizmodo
AUGUST 3, 2021
Passengers aboard American Airlines flights will soon have an in-flight entertainment option that’s not “La La Land, but you fall asleep 20 minutes in and don’t rewind it so now you’ll never really know the plot of that movie”: TikTok , which just became available for free in 30-minute increments. Read more.
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High-flying e-signature powerhouse DocuSign to bump United Airlines off Nasdaq 100
GeekWire
JUNE 15, 2020
Shares of DocuSign soared more than seven percent on Monday after the Nasdaq announced that the pioneering maker of electronic signature technology will join the Nasdaq 100, bumping United Airlines from the spot. Shares of United Airlines, on other hand, have lost nearly half of their value, and the company now shows a market value of $11.3
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Amazon's Latest Data Breach a Ripple Effect of MOVEit
SecureWorld News
NOVEMBER 13, 2024
MOVEit, a file transfer software developed by Progress Software, was exploited by the Cl0p ransomware group, which used a Zero-Day vulnerability to steal sensitive data from organizations using the software. Shortly after the attacks, the SEC launched an investigation into Progress Software.
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Air Canada Flies Into the Digital Stratosphere
CIO Business Intelligence
MAY 31, 2022
Yet, when the airline suggested shifting its procurement system away from the tried, but familiar, manual processes, there was a fair amount of internal pushback. The biggest challenge was moving people to the digital world,” conceded Pamela Zaravinos, the airline’s senior manager of procurement operations.
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FAA’s go-ahead for 737 MAX’s return to flight kicks off a massive software upgrade
GeekWire
NOVEMBER 18, 2020
The key fixes involve software rather than hardware — and that part of the job is more like installing a Windows update than installing an actuator. Based on months of investigation, it was software that led to the fatal flaw in the jets that crashed. Other fixes provide more cross-checking between flight control computers.
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dope.security puts a new spin on secure web gateways
Network World
AUGUST 1, 2024
The startup uses airline terminology to drive home the point, calling its architecture “fly direct.” Conversely, cloud-native security solutions tend to force enterprises to route traffic through cloud data centers, which sacrifices network performance.
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3 ways to avoid traffic on the road to product-based IT
CIO Business Intelligence
MAY 31, 2022
A tendency for functional directors to contact software engineers directly instead of going through the Product Owner, for example, may create severe capacity management issues for a company making the shift. American Airlines’ new product-based funding model provides a persistent stream of funding and reduces unnecessary approvals.
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Boeing 747s still use 3.5-inch floppy disks for critical software updates
TechSpot
AUGUST 12, 2020
As reported by The Register, the discovery was made by cybersecurity firm Pen Test Partners (PTP), which was showing off the inner workings of a British Airways 747 that the airline retired recently due to falling passenger numbers during the pandemic.
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What is RPA? A revolution in business process automation
CIO Business Intelligence
JUNE 29, 2022
Using RPA tools, a company can configure software, or a “robot,” to capture and interpret applications for processing a transaction, manipulating data, triggering responses, and communicating with other digital systems. Bots are typically low-cost and easy to implement, requiring no custom software or deep systems integration.
Eash Sundaram on future-proofing your CIO career
CIO Business Intelligence
APRIL 30, 2022
During his nine years as chief digital and technology officer for JetBlue Airways, Eash Sundaram often spoke of ways to “future-proof” the airline business, which is notoriously prone to perilously thin profit margins and frequent bankruptcies. You have to stay current on software upgrades and minimize touch points.
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Future-proofing your career
CIO Business Intelligence
APRIL 30, 2022
During his nine years as chief digital and technology officer for JetBlue Airways, Eash Sundaram often spoke of ways to “future-proof” the airline business, which is notoriously prone to perilously thin profit margins and frequent bankruptcies. You have to stay current on software upgrades and minimize touch points.
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It’s Time to Demystify Hybrid Clouds
CIO Business Intelligence
JUNE 3, 2022
That’s the vision at Canada Jetlines , a startup airline that began with a cloud-native strategy. Looking specifically at Canada, Megha Kumar, IDC Canada research vice president for software and cloud services, will drill into the state of adoption of public clouds services within the country’s organizations.
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Boeing 747s still get critical updates via floppy disks
The Verge
AUGUST 11, 2020
Boeing’s 747-400 aircraft, first introduced in 1988, is still receiving critical software updates through 3.5-inch The Register reports that security researchers at Pen Test Partners recently got access to a British Airways 747, after the airline decided to retire its fleet following a plummet in travel during the coronavirus pandemic.
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CrowdStrike outage hits 8.5M Windows devices; Microsoft collaborates with Amazon and Google
GeekWire
JULY 20, 2024
A Delta Airlines display connected to a Windows machine impacted by the CrowdStrike update at Sea-Tac Airport. GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper) The flawed update from cybersecurity software company CrowdStrike has affected 8.5 Airlines and others were continuing to recover from the outage Saturday morning. ”
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Proving your worth: Strategies to validate and elevate your IT service department
CIO Business Intelligence
OCTOBER 12, 2023
After selection and implementation of the TOPdesk service desk software, the organization achieved a higher ROI and a 50% reduction in resolution time through improved ticket management. KLM, a global airline , successfully automated reporting and tracking, enabling them to proactively manage their complex operational network.
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Agile vs. Waterfall: Which Should A CIO Choose?
The Accidental Successful CIO
FEBRUARY 2, 2022
Which software development methodology is best? As a CIO I suspect that you are well aware that there are a number of different ways that your IT teams can go about developing software (and doing a lot of other things). It all begins with the waterfall approach to developing software. Image Credit: Silver Blu3.
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SEO software startup Moz acquired by iContact Marketing Corp., 17 years after launching in Seattle
GeekWire
JUNE 4, 2021
SEO software startup Moz has been acquired by email marketing company iContact , a subsidiary of J2 Global. Companies such as Alaska Airlines and Zillow Group use Moz to help fine-tune their SEO and rank higher in search engine results. (Moz Photo). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Moz was ranked No.
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5 ways AI is showing promise as a decision-maker
CIO Business Intelligence
NOVEMBER 20, 2023
An AI system can gather data from customer relationship management software, social media profiles, email interactions, and purchase histories to identify the candidates most likely to convert. Dynamic pricing Airlines, ride-sharing services, and online retailers have long used dynamic pricing to adjust to changing market conditions.
Understanding Digital Interactions in Real-Time
CIO Business Intelligence
JUNE 29, 2022
Because when your application architecture is closely mapped to your business activities (so-called “events”), you produce the kind of real-time data you need to run real-time analytics in a more flexible and scalable way than traditional software architectures. How do businesses manage and take advantage of real-time events?
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The intelligent, cloud-based contact center: How CCaaS enriches the customer experience
CIO Business Intelligence
MAY 10, 2022
Many of these AI-powered systems now integrate with cloud-based contact center-as-a-service (CCaaS) offerings, giving enterprises a more powerful option than on-premises software such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and other call center tools. Contact center and IVR systems are typically later to move to the cloud.
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Insights-Driven Businesses Will Make $1.2 Trillion In 2020. Wanna Join Them?
Forrester IT
AUGUST 1, 2016
What if you could: Optimize the driving experience by mining car performance data for insights to continuously improve car software? Earn the best on-time arrival of any major airline by measuring when the airplane door closes -- and everything leading up to it. Alaska Airlines does. What does it mean to be insights-driven?
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12 most popular AI use cases in the enterprise today
CIO Business Intelligence
SEPTEMBER 19, 2023
Delta Airlines has used AIOps to create a “full-scale digital simulation environment for its global operation,” which the company says is a “first in commercial passenger aviation,” to maintain reliability, especially during inclement weather. Unilever, which processes over 1.8
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What’s New, What’s Next for Value Stream Management
CIO Business Intelligence
MAY 9, 2022
Broadcom Software recently hosted a Value Stream Management Summit , which highlighted real stories and proven lessons from some of the largest global enterprises. The focus is now on establishing end-to-end visibility and leveraging real-time data to encompass everything from agile planning to new software delivery and product launches.
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Suit-Counter Suit: Delta, CrowdStrike in Legal Clash Over July Outage
SecureWorld News
OCTOBER 30, 2024
Delta Air Lines recently filed a lawsuit against cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, alleging that its software update caused a widespread disruption to the airline's operations, leading to thousands of flight cancellations and significant financial losses. The suit filed Friday in the U.S.
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