Category Archives: Automation

Who is controlling automation and AI [artificial intelligence], and how is it being deployed? I think it could be extraordinarily dystopian, or it could be quite utopian. Right now, it feels like that struggle over democratic control over that kind of technology is not very liveat least in the social movement circles I am in, its not very live. It feels like its in a different sphere, so I think its important.

Right, so, the dystopian view is, not only is there a lot of job loss, theres that study where in the next 20 years, 40 percent of US jobs are vulnerable. Note: thats vulnerable; thats not a prediction. But those are the jobs that could pretty easily be replaced by AI or automation. Even if it is just a fraction of 40 percent, that is a total game-changer. Imagine 10, 15 percent job destruction. That is really dramatic. We should think about that. Thats a dystopian direction.

The utopian direction would be, Okay, thats actually good. A lot of these jobs can be automated, especially the more drudgerous ones, and we actually have more time to engage in things that we enjoy. And, hopefully, livelihoods are part of what we enjoynot only what we enjoy, but part of livelihoods is also, how do we create things that are actually more affordable? How do we have more affordable housing? How do we have more affordable education? How do we have more affordable healthcare?

Right, so thats part of it. But then, how do we also provide for ourselves? Because we as human beings, not only are generally hardwired to work together, but we like to accomplish things. We like to have that feeling of accomplishment, and when we make something, whether it is a mental effort, or its a physical product, or a service, thats very enjoyable. And if we could take the precarity out of itlike, its life or death. If people had, in a solidarity economy, where peoples basic needs are being met through a combination of community production, some kinds of UBI [universal basic income], some income generation, some jobsthen you could engage in that livelihood stuff as fulfilling and rewarding, as opposed to drudgery.

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Automation and the Solidarity Economy: Enabling Community Production - Non Profit News - Nonprofit Quarterly

Industrialists and giant companies all over the world are further adapting to the idea of automation in artificial intelligence. In India, technological progress, is the main driver of growth of GDP per capita, allowing output to increase faster than labor and capital. Technology increases productivity by decreasing the number of labor hours needed to create a unit of output. An increment in labor productivity generally translates into increases in average wages, allowing workers to cut back on work hours and to afford more goods and services. AI should be welcomed for its potential economic benefits. Those economic benefits, however,will not necessarily be evenly distributed across society.

At present, it may be challenging to predict exactly which jobs will be most immediately affected by AI-driven automation. Because AI is not a single technology, but rather a collection of technologies that are applied to specific tasks, the effects of AI will be felt unevenly throughout the economy. Some tasks will be more easily automated than others, and some jobs will be affected more than othersboth negatively and positively. Some jobs may be automated away, while for others, AI-driven automation will make many workers more productive and increase demand for certain skills. Finally, new jobs are likely to be directly created in areas such as the development

and supervision of AI as well as indirectly created in a range of areas throughout the economy as higher incomes lead to expanded demand.

Recent research suggests that the effects of AI on the labor market in the near term will continue the trend that computerization and communication innovations have driven in recent decades. Researchers estimates on the scale of threatened jobs over the next decade or two range from 9 to 47 percent. For context, every 3 months about 6 percent of jobs in the economy are destroyed by shrinking or closing businesses, while a slightly larger percentage of jobs are added resulting in rising employment and a roughly constant unemployment rate. The economy has

repeatedly proven itself capable of handling this scale of change, although it would depend on how rapidly the changes happen and how concentrated the losses are in specific occupations that are hard to shift from.

Productivity

Technology increases productivity by decreasing the number of labor hours needed to create a unit of output. Labor productivity increases generally translate into increases in average wages, allowing workers to cut back on work hours and to afford more goods and services. Living standards and leisure hours could both increase, although

to the degree that inequality increasesas it has in recent decadesit offsets some of those gains.

Labor Market

Recent research suggests that the effects of AI on the labor market in the decade ahead will continue the trend toward skill-biased change that computerization and communication innovations have driven in recent decades. Researchers differ on the possible magnitude of this effect. Experts declare that 47 percent of U.S. jobs are at risk of being replaced by AI technologies and computerization in this period.

The Jobs Created by AI

Four categories of jobs are likely to rise during AI-driven growth in the future. Employment in areas where humans engage with existing AI technologies, develop new AI technologies, supervise AI technologies in practice, and facilitate societal shifts that accompany new AI technologies will likely grow.

Technological advancement is generated and adopted into the economy as the product of choices of entrepreneurs, workers, and firms looking to better serve a market or streamline a production process, in the context created by public investments in basic and applied research, infrastructure, and other public goods. In a process of directed technical change, incentives draw investment towards more potentially profitable innovations and so the types of technological change that are likely to occur.

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Automation in Artificial Intelligence and its Effect on Economy - Analytics Insight

BLOOMINGDALE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PCTEL, Inc. (Nasdaq: PCTI), a leading global provider of wireless technology, announced the launch of SeeHawk Central, a cloud-based reporting and automation platform for in-building critical communications network testing.

To ensure reliable indoor communications for first responders, local jurisdictions increasingly require building owners to verify compliance with strict radio coverage requirements using a grid-based testing method. The PCTEL public safety network testing solution, which combines SeeHawk Touch software with an IBflex scanning receiver, has transformed the way this testing and reporting is conducted by replacing manual processes with an automated system that saves time and money. With SeeHawk Central, users of the testing solution will be able to securely upload data to the cloud, automate workflows, expand testing operations, and offer value-added reports to customers through a centralized, secure online platform.

In addition to meeting the needs of a rapidly expanding user base for PCTELs testing solution, SeeHawk Central also makes enforcement easier for fire marshals and other Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), who can receive instant access to standardized reports for buildings across their jurisdictions from a single platform.

SeeHawk Central further expands our application software offering through a next generation cloud-based platform, making it easier for our customers to conduct tests and generate the reports required to meet strict local building occupancy requirements. This will enable users of PCTEL testing systems to grow their businesses by delivering more value for their customers, said Rishi Bharadwaj, PCTELs Chief Operating Officer. In addition, our platform will also allow building owners and local jurisdictions to easily view reports and track annual re-testing requirements, added Bharadwaj.

SeeHawk Central supports grid-based testing of public safety, private radio, WiFi, and cellular networks. It features an easy-to-use map-based interface that provides instant access to historical data, along with the ability to instantly generate and securely share reports with multiple stakeholders. With the ability to automate workflows remotely and automatically upload data from the field, customers can standardize testing procedures and save significant time.

SeeHawk Central will be available mid-Q3 2021 and will be sold as a subscription service that is scalable to support growth.

Contact PCTEL to see SeeHawk Central in action now and learn more about how it can help you.

About PCTEL

PCTEL is a leading global provider of wireless technology, including purpose-built Industrial IoT devices, antenna systems, and test and measurement solutions. Trusted by our customers for over 25 years, we solve complex wireless challenges to help organizations stay connected, transform, and grow.

For more information, please visit our website at https://www.pctel.com/.

PCTEL and SeeHawk are a registered trademark and a trademark of PCTEL, Inc. 2021 PCTEL, Inc. All rights reserved.

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PCTEL Enhances In-Building Critical Communications Testing with Cloud-Based Reporting and Automation - Business Wire

WISeKey combats cybercrime with HIRO Cybersecurity Knowledge Automation, the first ever integrated cybersecurity automation solution which uses Advance AI to mimic humans for learning and applying knowledge

For more information visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh9tCUc81-g

Cybersecurity Knowledge Automation, developed by WISeKey arago and the core of the HIRO product, takes a unique approach to process automation by using AI to autonomously and independently determine how to complete and then automate end-to-end tasks based on real time contextual data. Fully auditable and only using steps defined and approved by the customer, Knowledge Automation delivers significantly higher automation rates at a much lower operational cost.

Geneva July 7, 2021 WISeKey International Holding Ltd (WISeKey), (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY) a cybersecurity AI and IoT platform company, today announced that its HIRO platform is now able to minimize risks of cyberattacks by adding AI capabilities that it is capable of not only understanding context on real life data, but also taking intelligent actions.

Analyzing and improving cybersecurity posture is not a human-scale problem anymore and requires the assistance of cybersecurity knowledge automation tools such as HIRO to complement the traditional security operation tasks that currently require human intervention. HIRO is designed to automate many of these tasks monitor intrusion detection systems to search for threats. Security attacks are increasingly more advanced each day, but with the help of HIROs cybersecurity Knowledge Automation, security teams can navigate through data alerts to find the many obscure threats they need to know about. Automating this process will add threat intelligence, reduce costs, improve efficiency and ultimately help save time and money.

Combining Cybersecurity with AI and machine learning have become critical technologies in information security, as they are able to quickly analyze millions of events and identify many different types of threats, from malware exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities to identifying risky behavior that might lead to a phishing attack or download of malicious code. Over time, these technologies learn by gathering data from the past and drawing behaviors to identify new types of possible attacks. Histories of behavior build profiles on users, assets, and networks, allowing AI to detect and respond to deviations from established norms.

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Cybersecurity Knowledge Automation, developed by WISeKey arago and the core of the HIRO product, takes a unique approach to process automation by using AI to autonomously and independently determine how to complete and then automate end-to-end tasks based on real time contextual data. Fully auditable and only using steps defined and approved by the customer, Cybersecurity Knowledge Automation delivers significantly higher automation rates at a much lower operational cost. Organizations today can automate lower level, repeatable workflows to improve security against hackers and also frees cyber security teams to focus on more productive problem-solving activities.

About ARAGO

ARAGO GmbH, a Germany-based technology company and part of WISeKey Group of companies, aims to provide the benefits of Artificial Intelligence to enterprise customers globally through Knowledge Automation. Founded in Frankfurt am Main 1995 the company uses modern technologies such as inference and machine learning in order to automatically operate any business process. It is our principal belief that the ultimate value of AI is to collaborate with people to automate the urgent but low value routine tasks and free up time to focus on more rewarding and challenging innovation work. Leading to a greater sense of worth for the individual and true value creation for employers. Benefits of AI are not obtained by replacing human workers but by increasing their potential, which is the essence of Knowledge Automation.

About WISeKey

WISeKey (NASDAQ: WKEY; SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems for people and objects using Blockchain, AI and IoT respecting the Human as the Fulcrum of the Internet. WISeKey microprocessors secure the pervasive computing shaping todays Internet of Everything. WISeKey IoT has an install base of over 1.5 billion microchips in virtually all IoT sectors (connected cars, smart cities, drones, agricultural sensors, anti-counterfeiting, smart lighting, servers, computers, mobile phones, crypto tokens etc.). WISeKey is uniquely positioned to be at the edge of IoT as our semiconductors produce a huge amount of Big Data that, when analyzed with Artificial Intelligence (AI), can help industrial applications to predict the failure of their equipment before it happens.

Our technology is Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKeys Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT) provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more information, visit http://www.wisekey.com.

Press and investor contacts:

WISeKey International Holding LtdCompany Contact: Carlos MoreiraChairman & CEOTel: +41 22 594 3000info@wisekey.com

WISeKey Investor Relations (US)Contact: Lena CatiThe Equity Group Inc.Tel: +1 212 836-9611lcati@equityny.com

Disclaimer:This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

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WISeKey combats cybercrime with HIRO Cybersecurity Knowledge Automation, the first ever integrated cybersecurity automation solution which uses...

After months of waiting for workers to rejoin the labor force, some businesses have had it.

Just 10% of job seekers are urgently looking for openings, according to a recent survey conducted by hiring giant Indeed. Whether it's because of virus fears, childcare costs, financial cushions, or enhanced unemployment benefits, the jobless aren't clamoring for many of the jobs on offer, which are largely in the hard-hit restaurant and hospitality space.

Enter the QR-code. This technology, which allows a short-staffed restaurant to save on having a person physically bringing a menu to a diner's table, is the canary in the coal mine of automation. Other signs of an automation revolution are cropping up.

Hiring issues have been widespread in the restaurant industry for several months, as Insider reported, with major firms like McDonald's struggling to contend with the national labor shortage. Many of them have begun turning to technology as a replacement to low-wage workers. For instance, Cracker Barrel rolled out a mobile app that lets customers pay for meals; McDonald's started testing automated drive-thru ordering at 10 Chicago locations; and Dave & Buster's plans to expand its contactless ordering.

The benefits are obvious. Automated solutions are often one-time investments, boost productivity, and don't require expensive solutions to fixing a staffing crisis like the signing bonuses alsogrowing in popularity.

Economic data suggests that the shift to automation has been underway for months now. Productivity surged 5.4% in the first three months of 2021, its fastest rate of improvement in more than 20 years. This jump came as businesses had just started rehiring, suggesting the increase had more to do with the continued use of pandemic-era tech.

Businesses adopting new tech, largely in restaurants so far, haven't shied away from admitting that yes, automation will replace workers. Dave & Buster's locations using contactless ordering "have been able to expand the size of server sections and reduce staffing levels to be more efficient," Margo Manning, the company's chief operating officer, said in a June earnings call.

People have long feared that adoption of new technology will spark a vicious cycle of job destruction and stagnant pay as robots take over the workforce. This type of thinking is often called Luddite, after a group of UK workers who destroyed the machinery that had taken their jobs during the early years of the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800s. But automation can feed a virtuous cycle instead of a Luddite-like vicious one.

The utilization of technological innovations has tendedto boost productivity for the last several hundred years of economic history. Thatgives workers a stronger case for higher wages. More pay leads to increased economic activity, which increases labor demand elsewhere in the economy.

Accepting automation can also optimize job growth, economics writer Noah Smith wrote in a June 13 blog post. Americans who would've been taking orders and busing tables could develop new, more valuable skills as low-wage jobs are taken over by tech. Past periods of massive innovation from the industrial revolution to the dot-com boom didn't eliminate jobs, but shifted them elsewhere.

A push for automation "is about believing in the potential of humankind," he said.

New technology is invented by humans, after all, and it could be put to use making people's jobs better instead of worse. This could be the start of that movement. Then again, it might not.

Are you turning to automation in your business, or has your job been impacted by automation? Please reach out tobwinck@insider.com.

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Restaurants are starting to hire robots instead of people who are demanding higher pay - Business Insider

Automation Anywhere, a robotic process automation (RPA) software company, is making the moves toward going public through an IPO. Although there hasnt been any official word about an Automation Anywhere IPO, the company has appointed some top executives who have experience in the process.

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In May, the company announced the appointment of James Budge as the CFO and Mike Micucci as the COO.

Source: Automation Anywhere

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Budge helped prepare three companies to go public through the IPO process. Before joining Automation Anywhere, he spent over four years as the CFO at Pluralsight where he led that company through its IPO in 2018.

In his role as CFO at Automation Anywhere, one of Budges top priorities will be to ensure that the company has the business processes and infrastructure necessary to become a public company, the company said in a statement.

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Micucci spent 11 years at Salesforce, most recently as the CEO of Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Community Cloud. During Micuccis time at Salesforce, Automation Anywhere received $290 million in a Series B funding round led by Salesforce Ventures, the investment arm of Salesforce. After that funding round, the company was valued at about $6.8 billion.

With these seasoned industry veterans on board, we are more prepared than ever to bring the benefits of cloud RPA and intelligent automation to every organization that wants to liberate its employees from manual, repetitive tasks, and free them to be more productive, said Mihir Shukla, the CEO and co-founder of Automation Anywhere, in a statement. Im thrilled to welcome both of these world-class executives as we build on market momentum and head towards our next phase of growth.

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Founded in 2003, Automation Anywhere is a global leader in RPA software. RPA software uses bots to automate digital tasks similar to the way humans do but faster and more productive.

Earlier this month, Automation Anywhere announced it has a 54 percent share of the RPA market. It's the worlds top public cloud RPA platform.The company has deployed nearly 3 million bots supporting the company across all industries in over 90 countries.

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This dominant market share position demonstrates that customers see significantly more value in Automation 360, the first cloud-native RPA platform in the market today, compared with on prem solutions hosted in the cloud from its competitors, the company said in a statement.

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The success of other software company IPOs might indicate whether Automation Anywhere would be a good investment when it does go public. The companys top competitor, UiPath Inc. (PATH), went public in May in a $1.4 billion IPO. It was the third-largest software IPO ever in the U.S., right behind Snowflake at $3.9 billion and Qualtrics at $1.78 billion.

In the UniPath IPO, shares started selling at $56 and peaked at $79.73 before closing at $76.58. Almost 24 million shares were sold on that day.

UniPath shares have fallen a bit since opening. On July 7, PATH shares were trading at about $65.66.

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IPOs Automation Anywhere's Moves Indicate Possible IPO in the Future - Market Realist

Check out the video below to see how the home automation system is capable of switching on and off a bank of physical switches to help automate lights, something that most expensive home automation systems would not be able to achieve

Their are many people who are struggling to make affordable home automation projects that are needed for their daily needs. One of the major example is none other than room automation. Even though many of the room automation setup cost a little bit higher cant we make it little bit cheaper. Cant we make it using the Arduinos beginners kit?

The main portion of the home automation setup is the stepper motor assembly, and it is responsible for moving the servo motor back and forth across the bank of switches. Due to the stepper motor not knowing its initial position relative to the device, it must be homed or set to its zero position by moving right until the edge hits the limit switch.

When a request to turn a switch on or off is received from the IR remote, the Arduino board decodes the instruction and converts the command into the number of steps the stepper motor must take to reach the desired location. After the servo moves and flips the switch on or off, the entire thing returns to where it started from.

Source : Instructables : ABlog

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Affordable home automation system created using cardboard, lolly sticks and bits - Geeky Gadgets

By SMC3 July 7, 2021

The complexity associated with LTL rates and RFP processes makes formal bids difficult to navigateand even more difficult to navigate successfully. Errors stemming from manual tools and dense spreadsheetsno matter how careful you arecan wreak havoc on a shippers RFP strategy. In the worst-case scenario, these errors can easily amount to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in wasted freight spend.

Add to the mix any requirements beyond the most basic specifications, such as international transportation or shipping across multiple business unitsall under the same RFPand these complexities can quickly turn into cost inefficiencies, lead to poor visibility, or become catastrophic errors.

The good news is that unexpected costs and shipping inefficiencies dont have to be the end result; shippers have a growing list of options to turn migraine-level bidding headaches into a quick and painless process. For one global healthcare company seeking to avoid these frustrating outcomeswhile simultaneously unlocking the benefits of multiple countries and business units under one RFPpowerful automation proved to be the missing piece to the RFP puzzle.

1. Comprehensive access to carriers. For this global healthcare company, capacity across the U.S. and Canada was a must. By using an automated RFP solution, this company can easily access hundreds of carriers to see which carriers have the right capacity to handle their specific needs.

2. Say goodbye to manual errors. When it comes to LTL RFP processes, some complexity is hard to avoid. But using spreadsheets and emails to negotiate with carriers and navigate the bidding process introduces unnecessary errors and human mistakes to the process. Automated bidding processes and built-in accuracy checks can cut down on these painful mistakes.

3. Maximize RFP efficiency. Beyond the efficiencies gained from automating tasks that might otherwise still be executed manually, automated LTL RFP tools also reduce bid turnaround times. An additional structure created by standardized form fills and proposal templates make it easier to compare and assess each carriers bid.

4. Make more informed data-driven decisions over time. Many of the leading LTL RFP solutions retain bid history and shipping performance over time. As a result, shippers can begin to get smarter and make bidding decisions that replicate peak historical performance. Compare shippers across more than just ratessee metrics including timely delivery and customer satisfaction.

Ready to see how the entire story unfolds? Read the customer case study here to explore how the SMC Bid$ense solution simplified and streamlined the bidding analysis process, while providing data-driven information and significant cost savings to a global healthcare organization.

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Global Healthcare Organization Streamlines RFP Process and Reduces Costs with Automated LTL RFP - Logistics Management

Global Industrial Wireless Automation Market 2021-2025 The analyst has been monitoring the industrial wireless automation market and it is poised to grow by $ 1. 43 billion during 2021-2025, progressing at a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period.

New York, July 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Industrial Wireless Automation Market 2021-2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05745788/?utm_source=GNW Our report on the industrial wireless automation market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors.The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the growing adoption of high-speed communication network solutions for fast data transfer in the industrial sector and the increasing focus on predictive maintenance. In addition, the growing adoption of high-speed communication network solutions for fast data transfer in the industrial sector is anticipated to boost the growth of the market as well.The industrial wireless automation market analysis includes the end-user segment and geographic landscape.

The industrial wireless automation market is segmented as below:By End-user Process industry Discrete industry

By Geography APAC North America Europe MEA South America

This study identifies changing market dynamicsas one of the prime reasons driving the industrial wireless automation market growth during the next few years.

The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our report on industrial wireless automation market covers the following areas: Industrial wireless automation market sizing Industrial wireless automation market forecast Industrial wireless automation market industry analysis

This robust vendor analysis is designed to help clients improve their market position, and in line with this, this report provides a detailed analysis of several leading industrial wireless automation market vendors that include ABB Ltd., Cisco Systems Inc., Emerson Electric Co., General Electric Co., Honeywell International Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, and Yokogawa Electric Corp. Also, the industrial wireless automation market analysis report includes information on upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. This is to help companies strategize and leverage all forthcoming growth opportunities.The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors.

The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters such as profit, pricing, competition, and promotions. It presents various market facets by identifying the key industry influencers. The data presented is comprehensive, reliable, and a result of extensive research - both primary and secondary. Technavios market research reports provide a complete competitive landscape and an in-depth vendor selection methodology and analysis using qualitative and quantitative research to forecast the accurate market growth.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05745788/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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The Global Industrial Wireless Automation Market is expected to grow by $ 1.43 billion during 2021-2025, progressing at a CAGR of over 5% during the...

A fast-food franchisee says she's turning to automated drive-thrus to solve her labor shortage, rather than offering a $15 hourly wage to attract new staff.

Shana Gonzales, a Checkers franchisee who owns four restaurants in the Atlanta area, told The New York Times that she wanted to hire more workers, but that it wouldn't be profitable. She said raising wages to $14 or $15 would allow her to fully staff her restaurants but that she'd have to raise menu prices, which could deter customers.

Instead, she's turning to automated technology, such as voice-recognition drive-thrus, to keep business booming, she said.

The US is suffering from a severe shortage of workers, and restaurants have been especially hard hit. The US Chamber of Commerce has called the shortage a "national economic emergency" and warned it could hold back the recovery from the pandemic.

Read more:These 9 food tech startups are capitalizing on the labor crunch with tools that help franchisees hire or automate the restaurant workforce

Gonzales told The Times that she had raised wages to around $10 for entry-level workers, from around $9 pre-pandemic. But she found it difficult to find enough workers to meet soaring fast-food demand during the pandemic, she said, and had to work behind the cash register herself.

"We really felt like there has to be another solution," she said.

She turned to automation. In December, she started using technology from Valyant AI, a startup that makes voice-recognition systems for restaurants, to take orders at one of her drive-thru lanes. The technology takes orders, including noting modifications and suggesting add-ons, and feeds this directly to the kitchen and cashier.

Gonzales is planning to roll out Valyant's technology at her three other restaurants, she said.

"We'll look back and say why didn't we do this sooner," she told The Times.

Even before the pandemic, restaurants had been turning to digital ordering to keep staff costs down because of rising wages in the restaurant industry, Andrew Lapin, a lawyer specializing in retail at Robbins, Salomon, and Patt, told Insider.

Former McDonald's CEO Ed Rensihas said that the push for a $15 federal minimum wage could cause fast-food chains to raise prices or slash jobs by turning to automation instead.

"Technology is always cheaper than people," he toldFox Businessin June.

McDonald's is testing out voice-recognition software at some drive-thrus in Chicago, while other restaurants like Starbucks, Panera Bread, and Burger King are pushing customers to order using apps, QR codes, and digital kiosks, reducing the need for servers.

But Gonzales, the Checkers franchisee, told The Times that she doesn't view technology as a replacement for workers and instead sees it as a way to let staff focus on customers instead.

"Our approach is, this is an assistant for you," she said.

The tight labor market is causing some businesses tocut operating hours, slash production, and raise prices, while others have been offering higher wages,sign-on bonuses, and evenfree fitness machinesandiPhonesto attract new hires.

Got a story about how your business is overcoming the labor shortage? Email this reporter at gdean@insider.com.

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Restaurant owner: Automated drive-thrus trump $15 wages for business - Business Insider