Virtual Reality Creates New Possibilities in Retail Sector

Virtual Reality in Retail
Image: forbes.com

Derek Dubner is the co-CEO of IDI, Inc., an information solutions firm providing data fusion services to support risk management, fraud prevention, and advanced marketing activities. While overseeing the provision of business intelligence for sectors ranging from law enforcement to retail, Derek Dubner stays abreast of technology trends impacting various business markets.

The retail sector could soon witness transformation in marketing and customer engagement strategies thanks to virtual reality (VR) technology. Several retailers have recently harnessed the possibilities of VR headsets to offer shoppers a three-dimensional, 360-degree brand experience. With many of these VR videos available via smartphones, consumers can follow companies on a virtual journey from anywhere in the world.

Retailers exploring the business applications of virtual reality include TOMS, The North Face, and IKEA. VR experiences created by The North Face allow shoppers to embark on virtual expeditions to locations such as Nepal and Yosemite National Park, painting a vivid image of the endless travel possibilities supported by North Face gear. At furniture stores such as IKEA, VR headsets allow shoppers to more clearly envision their newly redesigned spaces.

Meanwhile, TOMS is using VR to add depth to its “buy one give one” charitable business model, which donates one pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair sold. The company’s significant investment in virtual reality has allowed its customers to witness the impact of their patronage firsthand on virtual giving trips, which feature 360-degree footage of TOMS representatives delivering shoes around the world.

China Unveils World’s Most Powerful Supercomputer

 

Most Powerful Supercomputer
Image: abcnews.go.com

IDI, Inc., co-CEO Derek Dubner directs the firm’s provision of data management solutions to assist companies with risk management, fraud detection, and other due diligence efforts. Leveraging proprietary technologies to inform business decisions through data fusion, Derek Dubner closely monitors potentially disruptive emerging technologies.

China recently achieved a significant feat in the world of supercomputing. As of June 2016, the country is home to the most powerful computer in the world: the Sunway TaihuLight. Installed at Wuxi’s National Supercomputing Centre and boasting an incredible computing speed of 93 petaflops, the machine is capable of carrying out 93,000 trillion calculations per second. It is not only two times faster but also three times more efficient than the Tianhe-2, which previously topped the list of the world’s most powerful computing systems.

Running on a Linux-based operating system, the TaihuLight features 10.5 million processing cores and 40,960 nodes. As its extremely large number of cores make it ideal for highly specialized computing needs, the supercomputer is equipped to facilitate big data analytics, weather forecasting, and advanced manufacturing processes.

Research Financial Ratios Before Investing

Investing

 

Derek Dubner is the co-chief executive officer of the information solutions provider IDI, Inc. Providing data-based insights that support advanced market analytics, Derek Dubner advocates for proper research when pursuing investment success.

Investing in stocks requires that an investor carefully analyze data to figure out what stocks are good buys and good sells. While looking at companies’ profit and loss accounts and balance sheets may be helpful, the process can be time-consuming and may not offer much comparative advantage.

Analyzing financial ratios can be a more efficient mode of research. The two financial ratios every investor should assess before buying stock are price/earnings ratio and debt/equity ratio.

Price/earnings ratio indicates the amount investors are paying for every unit of earnings from the target company. This information will help investors determine whether the company is overpriced or undervalued. Investors can also compare the company’s current P/E ratio with that of previous years or with the industry average to determine whether it would be a good buy. Generally, a company with a P/E ratio at par with the overall market or a relatively lower one is a good purchase.

The debt/equity ratio is an indicator of how much debt the company has accumulated in relation to the equity held by shareholders. A company with a low debt/equity ratio has more room for expansion, especially given its greater leeway to solicit funds.