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Q&A with Tara O'Sullivan, CMO at SKILLSOFT

Q&A with Tara O'Sullivan, CMO at SKILLSOFT
Tara O’Sullivan, the CMO of Skillsoft shares her insights on the impact of digital transformation on marketers and the need to focus on slashing the wide gender pay gap. With over 25 years of experience including B2B marketing in Ireland, EMEA and the US, Tara has extensive expertise in using marketing to effect change.

Here are her thoughts on women in marketing and the changing dynamics of the profession.

MEDIA 7: Tara, how old were you when you had your first paying job?
TARA O'SULLIVAN: 14 – I worked for my Dad photocopying manuals for software training. I loved the work, I loved being in amongst the team of people who were there. There was a lot of fun with the other people who worked there, and I learnt a lot of lessons on dealing with people, working on end user manuals which were like 500 pages thick, making sure they were all collated properly, the cover looked good – all to provide a real sense of the importance of the training.

"Marketing teams are not aligned to what technology can do for them and how it can transform the business."



M7: What do you consider the biggest challenges for a CMO these days?
TS: Digital transformation. I believe the impact of digital transformation is impacting the CMO even more than other areas of the business. There are so many tools that can help the CMO get the data s/he needs, but it is figuring out which ones are the most relevant, timely and useful. I think a lot of marketing teams are not aligned to what technology can do for them and how it can transform the business.
The other major challenge is around proving to the business the benefit of marketing. As well as the funnel, and marketing sourced OI, we also need to better measure the branding impact on the business and how it supports revenue.


"Agile marketing is becoming more and more the standard, and in order to be agile, you need to be able to pivot."



M7: How important is learning and unlearning in today’s digital age of data and automation?
TS: Learning is the most important thing in my view. From figuring out what the new version of Excel can do for you (LOADS) to determining the best tech stack your marketing organization needs – we need to be learning. Agile marketing is becoming more and more the standard, and in order to be agile, you need to be able to pivot. This means that you need to be continually changing your approach in order to make the company more successful. Agile marketing is a brand new mindset for marketing people – there isn’t an annual budget, the team decides what to spend it on a quarterly basis, so sometimes you will be investing in SEO, or investing in demand generation depending on the needs of the business.


"The gender pay gap is wide and people think about it as being 80 cents on the dollar."



M7: Is Skillsoft closing the gap between the number of men and women in marketing? What are your views on gender equality in the present corporate world?
TS: Well I always thought marketing is different – I assumed that the majority of people entering marketing are women, but that’s not strictly true. Research from Axonn shows that women are only slightly more likely than men to enter the marketing world (21% vs 16%).
Marketing Week (a UK-based publication) carried out a survey and found that  female marketers earn less than male marketers in every sector and in every role, except that of marketing assistant.
Let’s remember though that the gender pay gap is wide and people think about it as being 80 cents on the dollar.  This is awful – but think about it over the lifetime of the female worker. Recent research analyzed a longitudinal dataset which shows total earnings across the most recent 15 years for all workers who worked in at least one year. The study found that women workers faced a wage gap of 51% in the 2001-2015 period. The research also found that the cost of taking time out of the labor force is exorbitant for women. For those who took just one year off from work, their annual earnings were 39% lower than women who worked all 15 years between 2001 and 2015.

ABOUT SKILLSOFT

SKILLSOFT is a global leader in corporate learning, delivering beautiful technology and engaging content that drives business impact for modern enterprises. Skillsoft comprises three award-winning systems that support learning, performance and success: Skillsoft learning content, the Percipio intelligent learning experience platform and the SumTotal suite for Human Capital Management.

Skillsoft provides a comprehensive selection of cloud-based corporate learning content, including courses, videos, books and other resources on Business and Management Skills, Leadership Development, Digital Transformation, Technology and Developer, Productivity and Collaboration Tools and Compliance. Percipio’s intuitive design engages modern learners and its consumer-led experience assists in accelerating learning. The SumTotal suite features four key components built on a unified platform: Learning Management, Talent Management, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Management.

Skillsoft is trusted by thousands of the world’s leading organizations, including 65 percent of the Fortune 500. Learn more at www.skillsoft.com.

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Operating in the sub-GHz frequency band, the Wi-Fi HaLow 802.11ah standard was designed from the ground up for the IoT, offering an optimal combination of extended range, power efficiency, long battery life for wireless devices, superior penetration of barriers, large network capacity, advanced security, and Wi-Fi compatibility. The EAP112 offers robust extensibility and usability for diverse IoT applications, featuring Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi HaLow, 4G LTE, BLE, Zigbee, and Thread. Designed for resilience in various environments and applications, especially in challenging terrains or climates, it operates within a temperature range of -30°C to 50°C and is IP65-rated for superior water and dust resistance. The EAP112 also provides flexible mounting options, including wall, ceiling, and pole mount, to accommodate specific site needs. The Edgecore EAP112 is designed to leverage the complementary strengths of Wi-Fi HaLow and Wi-Fi 6 technologies, providing unparalleled range, coverage, speed and reliability. This Wi-Fi combination is especially critical in today's IoT-driven world, where the ever-increasing demand for consistent and robust wireless communication is driving innovations in access point and router platforms. Key Features of the Edgecore EAP112 Access Point/Router: Enhanced Coverage: The EAP112, equipped with Morse Micro's MM6108 module, significantly boosts IoT connectivity, ensuring efficient and effective coverage. This enhancement enables intelligent applications across a variety of settings, including expansive residential areas, commercial spaces, and industrial environments. Advanced Connectivity: The platform's Wi-Fi 6 technology ensures higher data rates and increased capacity, making it ideal for handling multiple IoT devices and high-bandwidth applications. Optimized Power Efficiency: The integration of Wi-Fi HaLow ensures that the EAP112 is not only powerful but also power-efficient, making it suitable for deployments in remote locations. Future-Proof Technology: The EAP112 is designed to meet the evolving demands of both commercial and consumer applications, paving the way for widespread adoption of Wi-Fi HaLow technology in the IoT ecosystem. Our partnership with Morse Micro aligns seamlessly with our goal to provide innovative products in the Wi-Fi HaLow IoT router market. The launch of the EAP112 represents a pivotal moment in harnessing the extensive potential of IoT connectivity, bringing significant advantages to our clientele in both commercial and consumer segments," declared TengTai Hsu, VP of Edgecore Networks. "The EAP112 embodies our commitment to innovation and excellence, reflecting our dedication to advancing IoT applications with technologies like Wi-Fi HaLow and Matter. We have initiated Proof of Concept (POC) collaborations with selected regional customers. Our long-established partner, BeMap, is gearing up to kick off the sales and marketing of the EAP112 in Japan. Concurrently, Edgecore Wi-Fi is preparing to open pre-orders for the EAP112 to the global market later this year." About Morse Micro Morse Micro is a leading Wi-Fi HaLow fabless semiconductor company based in Sydney, with global offices. As the world's premier Wi-Fi HaLow company, we pioneer next-gen IoT wireless connectivity solutions. Morse Micro is now sampling its Wi-Fi Alliance and FCC-certifiable MM6108 production silicon: the fastest, smallest, lowest power and longest-range Wi-Fi HaLow chip available in the market. Learn more at https://www.morsemicro.com/. About Edgecore Networks Edgecore Networks is a wholly owned subsidiary of Accton Technology Corporation. Edgecore delivers network solutions through channel partners worldwide that keep information moving and connections strong for SMB, enterprise, data center, and service provider customers. For more information, visit https://wifi.edge-core.com/.

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Industrial IoT

Casa Systems Unveils New AurusXT 5G Industrial IoT Router Series Featuring the World’s First Dynamic Slicing Support

Casa Systems | January 10, 2024

Casa Systems (Nasdaq: CASA), provider of innovative access network solutions serving customers worldwide, today announced the launch of the first solution in its AurusXT 5G Industrial IoT (IIoT) Series, the NTC-500 5G IIoT router, which leverages the speed and coverage of a 5G network to provide high-speed Ethernet-to-cellular connectivity. Casa’s NTC-500 is the first 5G IIoT router to support dynamic network slicing capabilities, allowing operators to provide new and tailored services to their enterprise customers. Casa’s AurusXT Series will offer a range of 5G IIoT devices designed to deliver reliable connectivity to a broad range of both fixed and mobile use cases. The NTC-500 is the first of the AurusXT Series to disrupt the IIoT market with a cost-effective 5G IIoT Router that utilizes the speed and coverage of a 5G Sub-6 GHz network to deliver a fast and reliable connection to machines, equipment, and vehicles. Casa’s industry-first and proprietary 5G Dynamic Slicing Technology sets the NTC-500 apart from every other IIoT router on the market. Other 5G IIoT routers are limited to static slicing, forcing end users to endure labor- and time-intensive manual, on-site reconfigurations whenever they want to make a slicing change. Casa’s Dynamic Slicing Technology empowers mobile operators to unlock new revenue streams by allowing their customers to flexibly establish and rescind network priority on demand. “The proliferation of 5G networks coupled with the sunset of global 3G networks has created a groundswell of demand for 5G IIoT devices,” said Steve Collins, SVP of Access Devices, Casa Systems. “Our AurusXT Series is designed to deliver cost-effective 5G IIoT solutions that will address most use cases. With our dynamic network slicing capabilities, mobile operators will be able to unlock new revenue streams by offering tailored service plans to meet their enterprise customers’ individual requirements.” IIoT routers can be found in installations around the world – wherever Ethernet-to-cellular connectivity is in demand – from remote security cameras in industrial sites or on roadways, to digital signs in shopping malls or other public venues, to standalone ticketing and other vending machines, to anywhere an IIoT device in any industry needs wireless connectivity to transmit data. Enterprises facing the inescapable sunsetting of 3G technology now have a cost-effective and future-proof option for upgrading the hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of IIoT routers within their domain. By opting to deploy Casa’s NTC-500, operators can bypass the adoption of 4G devices and minimize costly truck rolls to replace both 3G and 4G IIoT routers. The NTC-500 supports the latest 3GPP Release 16 features, including 5G Non-standalone (NSA) and 5G Standalone (SA) with failover to 4G LTE. This ensures it will not become obsolete when 4G technology phases out, minimizing the operational impact of updating hardware. The NTC-500 is compatible with both 4G and 5G, enabling customers to enjoy the benefits of 5G with the added assurance that existing 4G devices will deliver the best possible performance. Casa Systems is currently welcoming new resellers globally. Resellers or system integrators interested in becoming a Casa Systems IIoT device reseller are encouraged to contact Casa at https://www.casa-systems.com/. About Casa Systems Casa Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASA) is a next-gen technology leader that supports mobile, cable, and wireline communications services providers with market leading solutions. Casa’s virtualized and cloud-native software solutions modernize operators’ network architectures, expand the range of services they can offer their consumer and commercial customers, accelerate time to revenue, and reduce the TCO of their network infrastructure and operations. Casa’s suite of open, cloud-native network solutions unlocks new ways for service providers to quickly build flexible networks and service offerings that maximize revenue-generating capabilities. Commercially deployed in more than 70 countries, Casa Systems serves over 475 Tier 1 and regional service providers worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.casa-systems.com/.

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