Scott MacKenzie interviews Steve MacLaird, Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Strategy at OMG, about the organization's role in developing and maintaining standards for various industries. OMG, which has been around for over 35 years, has created standards like CORBA, used in 5 billion devices worldwide. They focus on adaptable standards, such as the Software Communication Architecture (SCA) and Systems Modeling Language (SysML), which have been adopted and modified by NASA and the Department of Defense. MacLaird emphasizes the importance of collaboration with government, industry, and academia to identify and address evolving needs. OMG's standards are free and accessible, encouraging broad participation and influence in their development.

Action Items

• [ ] Finalize the release of the RFP for the Statistics Metadata Interface Interoperability standard.
• [ ] Promote the upcoming release of the Standard Business Report Model standard.
• [ ] Continue engaging with government, industry, and academia to identify their needs for new standards.

Outline

OMG Q1 Meeting Introduction and Purpose

• Scott MacKenzie introduces the Industrial Talk Podcast, emphasizing its focus on industry innovations and the people behind them.
• Scott thanks the audience for their support and highlights the importance of problem-solving and collaboration in the industry.
• The podcast is broadcasting from the OMG Q1 meeting in Reston, Virginia, and Scott encourages listeners to visit omg.org for more information.
• Scott introduces Steve, the senior vice president of government and industry strategy at OMG, and sets the stage for a discussion on government and industry strategy.

Steve's Background and OMG's History

• Steve provides a brief introduction, mentioning his role at OMG and his responsibilities in government, industry, and university engagement.
• OMG has been around for over 35 years and has developed standards like the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), which is widely used in various technologies.
• CORBA is used in numerous devices, including cell phones, laptops, submarines, and satellites, with over 5 billion instantiations worldwide.
• Scott asks Steve about the process of engaging with government, industry, and universities, and Steve explains the hands-on approach of meeting people and understanding their needs.

Government and Industry Collaboration

• Steve shares his experience in developing software-defined radios and small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the military.
• He describes how these technologies were used in Afghanistan, allowing special operations personnel to see what was on the other side of a mountain using a laptop and a drone.
• OMG's standards, such as the Data Distribution Service (DDS), have been adopted by NASA for launching rockets and by the Department of Defense for communication architecture.
• Steve emphasizes the importance of collaboration with various government agencies, including the Department of Defense, NASA, and the Office of Federal Financial Research.

Adapting Standards to Changing Needs

• Scott inquires about how OMG keeps its standards up-to-date with rapidly changing government needs.
• Steve explains that OMG does not build shelfware and regularly reviews its standards to ensure they remain relevant.
• He provides an example of how the software communication architecture (SCA) was adapted by NASA for space use and later updated for terrestrial applications.
• OMG's Systems Modeling Language (SysML) is another example of a standard that has been adopted by Congress for model-based systems engineering in both the Department of Defense and NASA.

Engagement and Influence in Standard Development

• Steve discusses his role in engaging with government, industry, and academia to identify needs and develop relevant standards.
• He shares an example of how the Space and Missile Center adopted an alert and alarm system for satellites after evaluating an existing standard used by the C4I defensive military group.
• OMG's standards are available for free on its website, encouraging membership and collaboration in the standard-setting process.
• Scott asks about OMG's marketing efforts to keep users informed about updates and new standards, and Steve mentions regular marketing campaigns and awareness efforts.

Trust and Data Interoperability

• Scott and Steve discuss the growing demand for standards in the era of AI and data interoperability.
• Steve highlights the importance of trust in data and the need for standards to ensure data quality and provenance.
• OMG is working on a standard for statistics and metadata interoperability, which will help address questions about data origin and changes.
• The standard business report model, expected to be released in June, will also help in understanding the context and quality of data.

Ontology and Precise Definitions

• Steve explains the concept of ontology, which is crucial for precise definitions in AI and data management.
• Ontology helps in asking the right questions to get the right information, especially in different environments like agriculture, logistics, and space.
• OMG has a group dedicated to precise definitions, which can be challenging and complex.
• Scott expresses his admiration for the passion and dedication of OMG members in solving complex problems.

Contact Information and Final Thoughts

• Scott asks Steve how people can get in touch with him, and Steve provides his email address and mentions his active presence on LinkedIn.
• Scott wraps up the conversation, emphasizing the importance of OMG's work and encouraging listeners to visit omg.org to learn more.
• Scott encourages listeners to be bold and brave, collaborate, and solve problems, highlighting the impact of OMG on everyday life.
• The podcast concludes with a reminder to stay tuned for more conversations and to connect with Industrial Talk for future opportunities.

Chuck Byers, a seasoned industry professional, discussed the integration of AI and IoT technologies in the context of the Object Management Group (OMG) and the Digital Twin Consortium. Byers highlighted the importance of AI in real-time systems, emphasizing the need for prompt engineering and meta AI to ensure trustworthiness. He detailed the computational requirements of training large language models, noting that retraining the ChatGPT 3 model would require 195 NVIDIA DGX servers, costing $80 million and consuming 2.5 million watts. Byers also stressed the importance of sustainable energy sources and efficient cooling solutions for future data centers.

Action Items

• [ ] Explore ways to detect when AI results are not as trustworthy as they need to be, and develop methods to validate AI outputs
• [ ] Investigate the use of small modular nuclear reactors to power data centers for AI model training
• [ ] Promote the work of OMG and the Digital Twin Consortium in addressing the challenges of AI and the Internet of Things

Outline

Introduction and Welcome

• Scott MacKenzie introduces the podcast and its focus on industry innovations and trends.
• Scott welcomes listeners and mentions the broadcasting location at the OMG SQ1 meeting in Reston, Virginia.
• Scott introduces Chuck Byers, highlighting his extensive background in electrical engineering and his contributions to Bell Labs and Cisco.
• Chuck Byers joins the conversation, expressing his pleasure in being invited and his admiration for Scott's hosting style.

Chuck Byers' Background and Contributions

• Chuck Byers shares his educational background, including a Master's degree in electrical engineering and teaching at the University of Wisconsin.
• He discusses his work at Bell Labs and his invention of a US patent for a device that alerts users to approaching badness.
• Chuck talks about his tenure at Cisco, where he worked on computer control, IoT, edge computing, and drone technology.
• He mentions his current role as Chief Technical Officer of the Industry IoT Consortium and its recent integration into the Digital Twin Consortium.

Digital Twin Consortium and Industry IoT Consortium

• Chuck explains the Digital Twin Consortium's focus on pairing simulation models with real-time physical systems.
• He describes the Industry IoT Consortium's focus on sensors, actuators, and the computation necessary for IoT systems.
• Chuck highlights the synergy between the two consortiums, emphasizing their combined potential to sense, network, and actuate the physical world into the digital world.
• He provides an example of using simulation models to optimize oil refinery processes without physical experimentation.

Challenges and Opportunities in AI

• Scott MacKenzie and Chuck Byers discuss the challenges of AI, particularly the lack of standards and trustworthiness.
• Chuck explains the different types of AI, including machine vision and generative AI, and the unique challenges of generative AI.
• He describes the use of large language models in generative AI and their applications in tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft 365.
• Chuck emphasizes the importance of prompt engineering and fact-checking to ensure the accuracy of AI-generated outputs.

Meta AI and AI Trustworthiness

• Chuck introduces the concept of meta AI, which involves using multiple independent AI systems to cross-validate results.
• He explains how meta AI can help filter out biases and hallucinations by comparing results from different AI models.
• Scott mentions a platform called h2o.ai that queries multiple AI engines and displays results, though it still requires human oversight.
• Chuck discusses the potential of automating this process to achieve real-time, trustworthy AI results.

Computational Power and Energy Efficiency

• Chuck delves into the computational power required to train generative AI models, citing the example of the ChatGPT 3.5 model.
• He explains the role of GPUs in handling the massive computational requirements and the efficiency of NVIDIA's GPGPU technology.
• Chuck calculates the cost and energy consumption of training a generative AI model using NVIDIA DGX servers.
• He highlights the importance of sustainable energy sources and efficient cooling solutions for data centers.

Future of Data Centers and AI

• Chuck outlines the future of data centers, including the use of renewable energy, small modular reactors, and immersion cooling.
• He discusses the compact, fiber-optic interconnected data centers of the future and their potential cost.
• Chuck emphasizes the need for efficient energy use and cooling solutions to support the growing demand for AI computational power.
• He predicts that these advancements will make data centers more sustainable and cost-effective.

Conclusion and Contact Information

• Scott MacKenzie expresses his hope for the success of AI and the role of organizations like OMG in defining standards.
• Chuck Byers reiterates the importance of trustworthiness, sustainability, and affordability in AI development.
• Scott invites listeners to engage with OMG and contact Chuck for more information on AI and the consortium.
• The conversation concludes with Scott encouraging listeners to educate themselves and get involved in the industry.

Scott MacKenzie and Dennis Dokter discussed the evolution of smart cities beyond digitization, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing quality of life and involving the community in the development process. Later, they explored the role of Nexus and White Rose Park in fostering innovation and making cities smarter, with a focus on partnerships with universities and businesses. They also discussed the importance of scaling innovation in local communities, highlighting the need for trust, public engagement, and policy considerations. Finally, they emphasized the importance of measuring the impact of new technologies and interventions in real-life settings.

Action Items

• [ ] Interested parties can contact Dennis via the Nexus Leeds website or LinkedIn to learn more about opportunities to get involved.
• [ ] Scott will provide all contact details for Dennis in the podcast for listeners interested in learning more.

Outline

“Smart Cities” and its development with a focus on improving quality of life.

• Scott MacKenzie welcomes listeners to Industrial Talk Podcast, discusses Smart Cities with Dennis Dokter from University of Leeds.
• Dennis: Community is passionate about their work, and Scott MacKenzie is impressed by their dedication.
• Scott MacKenzie: Smart cities are about improving quality of life, not just digitizing products and services.

Using technology to improve city infrastructure and quality of life.

• Scott MacKenzie and Dennis discuss the importance of engaging citizens in the development of new technologies.
• Dennis explains how Nexus and White Rose Park can be used as test beds and living labs for new technologies.
• Companies developing innovative solutions for carbon accounting, air quality, and mental stress in the veterinary industry.

Innovation, smart cities, and economic growth.

• Dennis discusses the criteria for becoming a member of Nexus, which includes innovation and collaboration with the university.
• Dennis showcases a smart city project in partnership with White Rose Park and Morley in Leeds, using data sets to measure the impact of interventions.
• Dennis discusses how people's behavior around delivery robots is changing, from initial skepticism to normalization.
• Research shows that as people become more accustomed to seeing delivery robots, they begin to adapt their behavior around them.
• Dennis hopes to gain trust from industry, policy makers, and society through collaboration.
• Innovation is core to economic growth, as every job in R&D needs jobs in the periphery, leading to increased jobs and economic activity.

Using public engagement to improve urban planning.

• Dennis emphasizes the importance of public engagement and trust in the development of new technologies.
• Dennis discusses the potential for scaling the concept of random control groups within the region and beyond.
• Dennis Dokter talks about Nexus Leeds and their mission to impact the future positively.
• Scott MacKenzie encourages listeners to engage with OMG's Q1 meeting and Industrial Talk platform.

The conversation revolved around the need for a standardized business reporting model to improve efficiency and rigor in reporting across various domains. Claude Baudoin and Scott MacKenzie discussed the initiative's origins in response to increasing regulatory requirements and the importance of defining semantic relationships, constraints, and formulas. They also touched on the need to enhance reporting consistency and semantic rigor across domains, with a focus on standardizing a metamodel to enable tools to produce compliant reports. Later, Claude and Scott MacKenzie discussed the significance of standardization in the tech industry, with Claude emphasizing the importance of OMG standards like UML, and Scott MacKenzie highlighting the need for dynamic documents that keep up with time.

Action Items

• [ ] Continue discussions with regulators and agencies to adopt the SBRM standard for defining their report formats.
• [ ] Market the SBRM standard to tool vendors so they can build software that produces compliant reports.
• [ ] Reach out to Claude via email (claude@omg.org) or LinkedIn to learn more or get involved with OMG's work.

Outline

Standardization and innovation in industry with OMG experts.

• Industry professionals gather at Q1 quarterly meeting to discuss solutions and standards.
• Scott MacKenzie and Claude Boudoir discuss OMG's impact on technology standards and industry collaboration.

Standardizing business reporting to improve accuracy and efficiency.

• Standard Business Reporting model aims to make reports more rigorous and machine-readable.
• Claude discusses how standardizing reporting can improve efficiency and accuracy in various industries.
• Claude emphasizes importance of standardized reporting to ensure accuracy and efficiency in the financial industry.

Standardizing business reporting using a metamodel to ensure consistency and accuracy.

• Claude explains the Standard Business Reporting model as a metamodel for various industries.
• Claude: Standardize metamodel for semantic relationships in reports (OMG)
• Claude: Tool vendors will create models compliant with standardized metamodel (SBRM)

Standardizing business reporting with OMG.

• Claude explains the importance of marketing the standard to regulators and industry stakeholders.
• Claude and Scott MacKenzie discuss the need for iterative feedback and vetting of the standard.
• OMG standardizes documents through iterative revisions, ensuring dynamic updates.
• Scott MacKenzie interviews Claude about OMG's work in standardizing business reporting.
• Claude provides valuable insights on the challenges of creating regulatory reports.

The conversation centered around the importance of prioritizing software quality to improve productivity and reduce costs. The speakers highlighted the significant financial costs associated with software quality issues and emphasized the need for implementing and applying software security standards in the industry. They also discussed automated source code quality measures and the importance of software quality standards and certification, with one speaker expressing a preference for free and open-source software and the other emphasizing the need for a certification exam to test developers' knowledge of ISO 5055.

Action Items

• [ ] Update ISO/IEC 5055 to include new measures around data protection and resource sustainability.
• [ ] Submit annexes to ISO/IEC 5055 covering the new measures.
• [ ] Develop a certification exam on ISO/IEC 5055 through OMG for developers and quality assurance professionals.
• [ ] Connect with Bill Curtis via ACM.org or LinkedIn for more information on software quality standards and initiatives.

Outline

Software quality, technical debt, and cost of poor quality software.

• Dr. Bill Curtis, leading expert on capability maturity model, discusses software bombs and cybersecurity.
• Bill discusses the high cost of poor quality software, citing a report that estimates $1.5 trillion in annual costs.
• Bill emphasizes the importance of executive management in protecting the development team from unnecessary requirements and technical debt.

Software quality issues and their costs in the billions.

• Bill: Technical debt costs in the 9-10 digits, with estimates reaching $175 million pounds.
• Bill: Quantifying technical debt is challenging, but public sources provide reasonably based estimates.
• Expert panel identified 75 serious weaknesses in software systems.

Software security weaknesses and how to address them using static analysis technology.

• OMG developed a standard for software security, ISO approved it in 2021.
• Bill: Setting thresholds for software weaknesses in contracts with suppliers.
• Bill: Static analysis technology helps evaluate existing systems for security vulnerabilities.
• Bill: System-level weaknesses require prioritization, not just code-level fixes.
• Companies work with partners for security weakness identification and remediation.

Software quality standards and ISO 5055.

• Bill discusses the importance of keeping ISO standards up-to-date, citing examples of expanded weaknesses and sustainability issues.
• OMG team is responsible for updating the ISO standard, relying on submitters to keep it current, and adding new annexes for data protection and resource sustainability.
• Bill discusses submitting additional measures to improve software quality, while Scott promotes connecting with Bill Curtis for expertise on software quality standards.

Scott MacKenzie and Richard discuss the importance of standardizing financial data modeling to improve data quality, with Richard highlighting the challenges of keeping track of multiple identifiers for financial instruments issued by the same company. They also discuss the adoption and governance of financial data standards, with Scott MacKenzie highlighting the high demand for FIGI data and the importance of open source licensing for good governance. Richard Robinson and Scott MacKenzie then engage in a conversation about the significance of standards in the digital age, with Richard emphasizing the need for standards to ensure interoperability and facilitate innovation, while Scott expresses his amazement at the complexity of standards and their impact on everyday life.

Action Items

• [ ] Continue work on further revisions and enhancements to the FIGI standard.
• [ ] Provide contact details to listeners interested in learning more about FIGI.
• [ ] Publish Richard's contact information on the Industrial Talk platform for connections.

Outline

Open data standards for financial instruments, including FIGI and LSI legal entity identifier.

• Scott MacKenzie welcomes Richard Robinson to the podcast, praising his work with OMG and Bloomberg.
• Richard Robinson shares his experience with OMG, including his role as Chair of the Financial Services DTF.
• Richard (Bloomberg) explains how FIGI (open data standard) addresses issue of multiple identifiers for financial instruments, making them more accessible and transparent.
• Richard discusses how Bloomberg's FIGI identifier is free and open data, unlike other identifiers that require payment, and how it can help commoditize financial data.

Standardizing financial data modeling using FIGI1.0.

• Richard discusses the evolution of the Financial Industry Business Ontology (FIBO) standard from a proprietary model to an open standard through the Object Management Group.
• Richard explains how FIGI assigns unique identifiers to financial instruments, such as IBM common stock, to enhance data quality and provide an open way to access the data.
• Richard worked with financial services companies to address the same problem of maintaining internal databases and systems to keep data quality consistent, and FIGI helps enhance that effort.

Adoption and governance of a standard for financial data.

• The FIGI standard is being widely adopted with 14 billion API requests per month globally.
• Keiko, a firm in France, became a certified provider for cryptocurrencies after accreditation.
• Speaker discusses importance of proper identification and transparency in financial industry.

Standards and regulations in various industries.

• Richard discusses importance of standards in various industries, including construction and technology.
• Richard Robinson discusses the importance of standards in data wrangling at OMG Q1 meeting.

Brian Schmidt and Scott MacKenzie discussed the potential of digital twin technology in various industries, highlighting its benefits, challenges, and the importance of collaboration to overcome them. They emphasized the need for trustworthiness and security in digital twins, as well as their potential to optimize operations and improve efficiency. Brian shared his experience as a new co-chair of the aerospace and defense working group within the Digital Twin Consortium, while Scott provided insights and questions to further explore the topic.

Action Items

• [ ] Produce a white paper from the Aerospace and Defense working group.
• [ ] Make the Excel spreadsheet version of the periodic table artifact available from the Digital Twin Consortium.
• [ ] Reach out to Brian Schmidt via LinkedIn for more information.

Outline

Digital twin technology and its applications in the aerospace and defense industry.

• Brian Schmidt shares his background and experiences at Northrop Grumman.
• Brian leads aerospace and defense working group, meets biweekly with industry colleagues.

Digital twins, data, and cyber security challenges in various industries.

• Brian highlights the importance of digital twins in making informed decisions and iterating on ideas through simulations.
• Brian: Industry still in early stages of leveraging digital twin capabilities.
• Brian: Collaboration in working groups crucial to overcome challenges.
• Brian: Digital twins require data, interoperability, and cyber security to be effective.
• Brian: Trustworthiness and security are paramount for digital twins in aerospace and defense.

Digital twins and their potential to optimize manufacturing processes.

• Scott MacKenzie and Brian discuss the benefits of digital twins in manufacturing, including efficiency and cost savings.
• The digital twin consortium is creating a periodic table of sorts to organize and connect people working on similar projects.
• Members of the consortium are regularly meeting in person and virtually to share ideas and produce white papers.
• Brian is passionate about digital twin technology and collaboration.

Scott MacKenzie and David McKee discussed the importance of disrupting traditional business models for sustainability, emphasizing the need for companies to adopt sustainable practices not just for environmental reasons but also for societal impact. They highlighted the potential of digital technologies to drive sustainability in various sectors, including healthcare, construction, and energy. Later, Speaker 2 and Scott MacKenzie discussed the importance of sustainable digital twins and data management, emphasizing the need for responsible compute, energy, power, and storage, as well as the potential of digital twin technology to revolutionize the way complexes are managed and maintained.

Action Items

• [ ] Demonstrate the cross-functional use case project at the Transform conference in June 2022.
• [ ] Continue iterating on requirements and challenges with end users and vendors involved in the cross-functional use case project.
• [ ] Deploy the cloud implementation of the cross-functional use case project and have end users like White Rose Park utilizing it.

Outline

Industry trends and innovations with a focus on exiting a company and starting another.

• David McKee is a problem solver and innovator discussed on the podcast.
• David reflects on their entrepreneurial journey, exiting a company and accidentally starting another.

Sustainable business growth and digital transformation.

• David discusses counterpoint technologies, a company focused on sustainability and growth.
• David highlights the importance of slowing down and assessing customer needs to ensure long-term success.
• David highlights the importance of basics in digital transformation, focusing on highly regulated sectors like healthcare and construction.

Digital twins, sustainability, and platform architecture.

• David discusses the importance of sustainability in digital twin technology, mentioning the need for responsible compute, energy, power, and storage.
• David and Scott MacKenzie discuss the concept of sustainable digital twins, including the need for a light touch but regulated and assured platform.
• David describes the Digital Consortium's work in developing a capabilities and technologies working group, which has identified common capabilities across various use cases.
• The consortium has published two outputs: a capabilities periodic table and a platform stack architecture framework, which provide a foundation for accelerating through the initial stage of requirements.
• David: Digital twin building blocks include IT system, computing, networking, storage, and models/simulation.
• David: Periodic table and architecture framework provide a quick way to identify needed capabilities.

Using digital twins for operational resilience in various industries.

• Speaker discusses cross-functional use case for digital twin technology to improve resilience in the face of unexpected events.
• David highlights the diverse range of participants in a consortium spanning three continents, including a university, hospital, and businesses.

Digital twin technology for businesses, including data integration and synchronization.

• David discusses how a digital twin system is being developed for a hospital, including viral dispersion monitoring and data visualization.
• Members from various companies are collaborating on the project, including software engineers and those from other fields, to create a full digital twin system within 6-9 months.
• David: Digital twin brings data to life, makes it actionable (0:23:34)
• Digital twin is a virtual representation of a real-world entity or process (0:24:00)

Using digital twins to optimize business operations.

• David emphasizes the importance of starting with a solid data landscape and returning value quickly.
• David and Scott MacKenzie discuss the benefits of working with startups and accelerator programs in the Northeast UK.
• David: Data fabric saves money, provides actionable insights (0:28:12)
• David: Clean data is key to business resilience, efficiency, better decisions (0:29:46)