Overview

The Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS) file system is the most commonly used file system for the IBM Z family of mainframes. However, MVS is not a hierarchical file system like today’s typical file systems such as Windows, Unix, macOS, and others. Most of the next-generation IT recruits are not used to working in the MVS environment. Other than MVS, IBM Z also has the Unix file system, which is hardly used compared to MVS. However, next-generation IT professionals are very familiar with Unix.

With z/OS2.5, IBM introduces a new file system type that will render traditional MVS data sets accessible by the z/OS UNIX namespace. As a result, Z2.5 will enable z/OS UNIX applications, tools, and utilities transparent access to data in these data sets securely and consistently.

IBM is calling this file system type Data Set File System (DSFS). It will map MVS data sets on a Unix namespace. IBM’s idea of accessing MVS data sets from the Unix address space makes MVS data sets visible and easily accessible to and from Unix commands, applications, tools, etc.

A turning point for IBM mainframes

Since the 1970s, businesses running on IBM Z mainframes have generally stored their data and application code on an MVS file system. As a result, it is one of the oldest and most widely used file systems for large and mid-sized businesses worldwide.

However, training recruits on MVS is a significant challenge for businesses running on IBM Z. Today, most universities and colleges don’t educate students on MVS file systems. It would take years of training for the current generation to make themselves familiar with MVS internals. Thus, there is a significant gap between the supply and demand of MVS-trained instructors in the market.

Suppose your new software recruits are not required to understand the MVS file system. Instead, they just need to work on the familiar Unix Bash shell environment to access your existing databases and codebases. That would be amazing, right?!

With z/OS 2.5, businesses don’t need to train recruits on MVS. They can even do lateral hiring based just on Unix skills. Most importantly, companies will not have to migrate their databases/codebases from mainframes because recruits lack the MVS skillset. Also, there will be no need to code separate code logic for accessing data from MVS and Unix file systems, which reduces program size and complexity. These are the kinds of benefits that DSFS can bring to mainframe-based businesses.

Figure 1 captures the technical details describing the use of DSFS to access MVS datasets on a Unix namespace.

Figure 1: How to use DSFS to access MVS datasets on a Unix namespace
Source: Capgemini Engineering

Figure 2 below shows how MVS datasets, residing on a direct-access storage device (DASD), can be accessed on the Unix namespace using DSFS. MVS dataset AAAA.BBBB.CCCC can be accessed as /dsfs/txt/aaaa/bbbb.cccc on Unix. Similarly, PPP.QQQ.RRR can be accessed as /dsfs/txt/ppp/qqq.rrr.

Figure 2: Data Set File System mapping
Source: Capgemini Engineering

DSFS brings value to the mainframe world in five important ways:

• A mapping mechanism to access MVS-cataloged (DASD) datasets from Unix namespace
• Reduction in the gap between demand and supply for MVS resources
• Reduction in cost and time in training resources on MVS
• Reduction in program code as single logic will be required to access both MVS datasets and Unix files
• Increase the confidence of businesses in the IBM mainframe. Yes, mainframes are adapting to your business needs and mainframes can modernize and change to help solve your problems.

Long gone are the days when an organization’s sustainability ranking was only judged by the impact of its own actions. Organizations that cannot provide relevant Scope 3 data in public reporting face the likelihood of stakeholders criticizing them for providing an incomplete picture of their total environmental impact. A company’s Scope 3 emissions account for 65 to 95 percent of the total CO2 footprint, but the findings from Capgemini Research Institute’s latest Data for Net Zero research show that only 22 percent of companies are measuring Scope 3 data today. This means that a majority of companies overlook most of their carbon footprints and simultaneously ignore the business value potential from emissions data.

The complexity of Scope 3

A company’s carbon footprint consists of Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 3 emissions result from activities that are not directly owned or controlled by the company, including those coming from suppliers, distributors, partners, and customers. They are divided into 15 categories.

Measuring and reducing emissions and focus on shifts, but some valid Scope 3 measures are:

• Avoid unnecessary business travel and inefficient modes of transport

• Switch to lower-emission fuels and vehicles

• Manufacture more energy-efficient products

• Design durable, recyclable products.

Although sharing Scope 3 emission information has been optional for most businesses so far, both US and EU regulators are now pushing for increased transparency, and companies will increasingly face new regulatory requirements. Furthermore, companies are also realizing the business potential that sustainable value chains, operations, and products can provide. Findings from the Capgemini Research Institute show that 85 percent of organizations recognize the business value of emissions data, but it remains inadequately used: 45 percent of the companies use the data only for reporting.

“Without accurate data and the skills to use it, you don’t only struggle to report the right numbers, but it also becomes impossible to make predictions for the future and steer your business towards net-zero.”

The Scope 3 dilemma is all about solving a big data challenge

Scope 3 emissions come from external parties, so collecting accurate and reliable data can be particularly challenging. Without accurate data and the skills to use it, organizations not only struggle to report the right numbers but also to make predictions for the future and steer the business toward net-zero targets. So, Scope 3 is a big data challenge: reliable emissions data is needed for both asking the right questions and providing the right answers. But how to get started? Here are three data-foundation strategies that get things moving in the Scope 3 space.

Emissions data collection: start with identifying hotspots

When a company has defined net-zero targets, it usually has already created an understanding of the most carbon-intensive parts of the value chain. For example, to a manufacturing company, such a hotspot might be logistics. A data-collection strategy for Scope 3 is a plan aligned with the sustainability strategy. It describes what data is needed, from where to collect it, and what to measure. With Scope 3, organizations should always aim at getting the source data if available. In practice, this means reaching out to suppliers and partners and asking for emissions data allocated to the products and services purchased. In some cases, when the actual data cannot be accessed, another way to estimate the activity data should be agreed.

As with all data these days, a smart approach should be used. Hence, instead of collecting it all, focus on what data is really needed to understand where the organization is, and make predictions for the future.

Establish a shared single source of emissions data

A hub to ingest and store data in one place is next. The data will come in different formats and structures, and a common emissions data model will help make sense of it. Major cloud-platform providers such as Microsoft, Snowflake, and AWS have already developed accelerators in their stacks to support Scope 3 emissions data collection, modelling, and analytics. One advantage of these cloud platforms is that they tend to have great data collection and sharing capabilities for data outside the organization. In the end, Scope 3 is all about sharing across the data ecosystem. Once the data is in one place, it is possible to use this single source of truth for multiple purposes, such as carbon accounting, reporting, or analytics.

Let data lead the people

Calculating and reporting Scope 3 emissions can still be considered a quite straightforward part of the puzzle. When an organization starts building analytical models, what-if scenarios, or utilizing advanced AI – for example with digital twins – it gets tougher. The tricky part is how to make people trust the data and make decisions based on it. The data-powered sustainability game is, in the end about people, culture, and the right skills. As an example, in the manufacturing industry, R&D and procurement teams are at the heart of change. These teams decide what kind of products to make, materials and processes to use, and from where to buy. When these teams have knowledge of the net-zero targets, understand their role in reaching them, and have access to data, tools, and insights that lead the way, change can happen.

Emissions data literacy is a quality that involves people, tools, and processes. Similarly, to financial data literacy, emissions data and related skills are essential tools for tomorrow’s leaders. It is evident that one of the toughest elements in the race to net-zero lies in Scope 3. Despite this big data challenge, here’s the good news: by adopting a data-powered approach – starting with three foundational strategies – a business can take a leap towards a net-zero future, building data-management capabilities and data mastery along the way.

INNOVATION TAKEAWAYS

BE SMART WITH DATA COLLECTION

For Scope 3, identify hotspots, collect what is really needed, and aim always for the critical data.

ESTABLISH A SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH

Collect and store this data in a central place and manage it on top of a common sustainability data model.

SUPPORT AND EDUCATE

Equip teams with the skills and tools to understand and use emissions data for business decisions, investing in a net-zero future.

Interesting read?

Capgemini’s Innovation publication, Data-powered Innovation Review | Wave 5 features 19 such articles crafted by leading Capgemini and partner experts, about looking beyond the usual surroundings and be inspired by new ways to elevate data & AI. Explore the articles on serendipity, data like poker, circular economy, or data mesh. In addition, several articles are in collaboration with key technology partners such AWS, Denodo, Databricks and Dataiku. Find all previous Waves here.

We all know the transience of hype and how it can sometimes lead organizations to take the wrong turn or over-commit to new technology that doesn’t ultimately pan out. But for all the futuristic ideas surrounding these buzzwords, the tech is already here, and it’s exponentially developing into hitherto unseen horizons – think virtual smelling (more on that later).

The technology to simulate anything and everything a person can imagine in real life is now emerging. And the potential applications are inexhaustible. But Innovation is a means, not an end. The challenge is relevancy: how can this be applied now to benefit organizations?

In this blog, we’ll see how immersive experiences and NFTs can be utilized in commerce. Gently – but boldly – transition companies to higher consumer engagement.

Esteemed colleagues and expert speakers at the NRF 2023 have drawn an electrifying picture of what the future holds. Revealing some of the secrets behind these technologies and how they can be implemented to drive commerce into an exciting future.

What are immersive experiences?

Immersive experiences place the user in an environment that diverges from daily life. The applications are stunning. They could be anything from the more distinct type, like VR, to exploring the map of an otherworldly video game, or even something like an exclusive event at a remote location in real life.

The term itself refers to the psychological involvement of the experience rather than a specific set of external catalysts. (Immersive experience does not equal wearing virtual reality headsets.)

This is a broad definition, but it is essential to understanding the scope of what immersive can do – and the crux lies in the psychological aspect, which is what the consumer wants and values. As has been known for a while, consumers – the millennial demographic and the new Gen A even more so – are showing more interest in experiences rather than things, which provides a solid foundation for building a new strategy around product development and especially CX.

Where are we now with the tech? Some startups have managed to simulate touch and smell in a virtual environment. This is the latest and most encompassing simulation technology for the metaverse and virtual experiences to be released later this year. This opens up a new world of marketing opportunities in retail to extend e-commerce further than it’s ever reached.

NTFs – below the tip of the iceberg

We are in the age of Web 3.0, the new era of the internet with evolving decentralized blockchain technologies, including cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. The popularity of NFTs surged and reached media outlets with stories of people paying outrageous amounts of money to own unique artwork – perhaps the first thought that comes to people’s minds when hearing the term. But what are they, really?

Blockchain technology enables a “transparent” and non-reproducible chain of blocks of information, with encryption linking each one to the previous with a timestamp and transaction data.

This distributed ledger, as opposed to a centralized database, removes the risk factor of a single point of failure. If part of the system suffers damage, data still exists in an identical form in another part of the system. This solid method of guaranteeing that the blocks are non-fungible and cannot be replaced/tampered with is the basis of cryptocurrencies and NFTs.

Once someone is recorded as being the owner of an NFT, this ownership is authenticated and certified by the blockchain. This authenticity can lend itself to the incorporation of exclusivity and uniqueness in products and rewards from brands.

How NFTs can be used? Exclusivity and a demo

Consumers like exclusivity, especially with luxury items and experiences. For example, there is an exclusive dining club in New York that is the first one of its kind – you can only enter it if you own an NFT for it (and further applications could be made to have tiered experiences within the restaurant, like additional NFTs allowing patrons to have premium dining experiences). This sort of use of NFTs can elevate luxury products, experiences, and rewards to new heights that surpass the mass market – a digital environment, tied to real life, that enables people to have the most exclusive possible access to what companies have to offer.

To showcase how this can be used, Capgemini has created a demo: someone buys a luxury bag. The journey for the customer starts with a QR code attached to the bag and when they scan this code, their ownership of the bag gets registered on the blockchain. Then, the customer receives an email inviting them to an exclusive event, like Fashion Week. This bag’s digital twin is now associated with an NFT. The customer can attend the event while others can’t – creating exclusivity – and they become a part of that community. This is the power of combining online-offline experiences.

Other online-offline applications that already exist include:

• Real-world shoes that, in the digital world, enable you to fly in a game
• A real-world car that can go faster in a racing game
• A ticket is being minted as an NFT to attend a conference

The same principle can be applied in countless ways.

Consumer naysayers versus the new generation of commerce

Sixty-five per cent of consumers have said they would prefer to have real-life, physical experiences than immersive ones, and many people consider the metaverse to be a bad thing for society. But many of us remember a time when the same was said about Web 2.0, what we’ve had for nearly two decades now – the internet as it exists today. Socializing as a kid would involve going to the mall or maybe chatting online with friends. Kids today instead might immerse themselves collectively in Minecraft or Roblox, entire digital worlds where they can create anything they want.

Like the reticence many in the industry had about the idea of online commerce back in the infancy of Web 2.0, it is expected that the same would be thought about where we are now, but the applications of Web 3.0 in the new age of digital commerce are already here. The younger generations especially are primed for the new experiences that this technology has to offer.

Moreover, according to the newest 2023 Capgemini Research Institute report, 58% of consumers – of several thousand across 11 countries and a thousand organizations – believe that immersive experiences will influence their next purchase. 77% believe that immersive experiences will influence how they engage with a brand after purchasing, using, and servicing their product. And in customer service, 77% also believed that immersive experiences will create loyalty. The key will be designing an omnichannel strategy with outstanding CX, based on robust research into customers’ expectations and use.

They don’t need to know

This sounds insidious, but the idea is that the consumer doesn’t need to be familiar with or understand the technology itself to find value in it. This is a simple concept that is implicit in the marketing of most products – most people don’t expect to know about the chips and processors in their electronics, for example. A mere 20% of US online adults said they were familiar with the metaverse, and only 20% have heard of NFTs but 31% do not understand what they are (including Gen Z). But the psychological aspect of immersive experiences is the actual intrinsic value that the consumer will find through the exclusivity of the event or experience tied to the product.

The novelty of Web 3.0 technologies might tempt companies to label their immersive experiences with the associated buzzwords. Companies that use NFTs and immersive experiences in their products and services do not necessarily need to have the term “NFT” attached to anything. In essence, the idea is to combine the technology with good CX research to produce the best experiences possible for the consumer and market them in the correct way for a frictionless experience. Nothing is gained by alienating customers with unnecessary jargon.

What are the limitations?

The hardware is not yet as fast as the software. We now have 5G, are exploring 6G, have WiFi 6 on the horizon, and are beginning to explore 7G, but these are not quite where they need to be yet. The technology and infrastructure are there and improving, but the current state of the hardware is a limiting factor.

For example, virtual try-on – the ability for consumers to virtually try on products using their devices via augmented reality and layering visuals – is still not quite right and doesn’t sufficiently simulate the look of an item of clothing or shoes on the person. But it will be soon. (In the case of some clothing, such as sunglasses, it’s already there.)

The hardware limitations can be a thorn in our side, preventing us from moving faster, but the existing technology has reached the stage that, if used in the right way, it can launch organizations further into the new wave of commerce.

How can I get in with the new frontier of commerce?

Immersive experiences are undoubtedly the new frontier and future of commerce. At Capgemini, we urge clients to start their journey toward these new vistas – and it’s better to begin now than later. With so much on the horizon, you need a good place to start and to select the right tools and strategies for your organization.

To see what else happened at NRF 2023, check out our event page. You can also get in touch with our team to find out more about immersive experiences and book a demo.

If you’re interested in discovering what Capgemini can do to kickstart your journey into the future, visit our Retail and Consumer Products pages.

Models That Change the Game

The challenge is to acquire new wealth management customers in large numbers and serve them effectively at a lower cost. To overcome this, three service models have been introduced: In Person, Digital, and Hybrid.

• ‘In Person’ Model: Wealth advisors identify customers, create financial plans, decide investment allocation, and onboard them.
• ‘Digital’ Model: Also known as Robo-advisory.
• ‘Hybrid’ Model: A combination of “In Person” and “Digital”

Customers are looking for different levels of support for financial planning, portfolio construction, portfolio tracking, and rebalancing. Wealth Management firms have typically responded with cost-efficient models categorized below.

Going Beyond “Business as Usual”

Besides these core areas, there are a few critical adjacent areas – customer reporting, on-demand advice, tax, and estate planning. Wealth management firms are now modularizing where customers can choose the services they want. Initial digital services were limited to the customer experience layer. New services are fully digital through process re-design and automation of manual handoffs. The next wave of customer experience transformation will go beyond customer profiling, customer onboarding, and reporting.

Investment Planning, Investment Analysis, And Portfolio Management Will Become More Sophisticated in The Hybrid Model

While the hybrid model already exists, the Do-It-Yourself tools are often rudimentary. The sophisticated tools are only available in the advisor-guided model. The new customer experience transformation will provide these tools to the customers with built-in investment guardrails and a spectrum of advisor oversight.

• Mapping financial goals to investment options: Brokerage firms and retail banks offer some tools for defining financial goals and sophisticated tools for investment options. The connection between these two is often lacking. The new customer experience will strengthen this connection and enable much more sophisticated self-planning by the mass market. The next wave of sophistication will build on the current foundational tools.
• Guided portfolio construction: In the current hybrid model, mass-market customers get pre-built portfolios with a few reviews by advisors each year. The next wave of customer experience can enhance the portfolio options themselves. It is conceivable to have many more options for stocks and bonds and present a what-if analysis beyond the limited advisor review. It will open more value-added services from the advisors for complex portfolios of alternate assets, commodities, and real estate at higher fees.

AUM-based pricing is not flexible enough for this à la carte service model. Neither are clients willing to pay significantly higher fees for bundled services. Wealth management firms should realize that there is no such thing as a perfect pricing model and should focus on smart pricing, which is clear, comprehensible, and reasonable.

The main aim must be to match propositions to the client’s needs and charge a fair price for the same to build a strong client-customer relationship in the long run. Hence, clear cost attribution and transparent pricing are needed in the new model. This will also help firms adjust to dynamic commercial environments.

The Big Dig took 15 years and cost the people of Boston approximately $22 billion. All in all, 80 miles of tunnels were excavated under the city so that the main throughway could run under (rather than over) the port side of the city. As a result, the area is much nicer, and traffic has improved. But what about a city with no traffic at all? Impossible! No city on earth could pull that off. Unless… what if the city wasn’t – strictly speaking – on earth?

In Seoul, South Korea, the metaverse has begun to take hold as a new way for people to connect, interact, and experience the city – without standing in lines, waiting for buses, or even leaving home. What Seoul is building is other-worldly in its potential. And it looks a lot like the future.

A city that’s ready for the metaverse

South Koreans are famously devoted to gaming and virtual reality (VR), as seen through their televised gaming competitions and VR fun parks, where visitors participate in virtual reality battles, escape rooms and other games. The metaverse has also been the site of events and concerts. The K-Pop group BTS recently held a virtual concert in the metaverse, attended by fans from across the world. It’s no surprise that Seoul is aiming to become the first city in the world to deploy metaverse technology on a city-wide scale.

What might Seoul’s metaverse city look like?

The city’s five-year plan is taking aim at several areas, notably business, education, tourism and public services. A business services portal is already online, providing startups a place to reach the public. Eventually, the project will provide virtual coworking spaces that allow citizens to work remotely as if in a real office. The goal is not to create a virtual copy of the real world, but to build something even better, using the new capabilities the metaverse affords. Seoul smart city policy bureau CIO Jong-Soo Park gives one example: “We hope to one day have an AI-based public servant working in the metaverse office in close collaboration with others for public services.”

On the education front, a portal has linked 34 separate campus towns to provide coaching, collaboration and networking opportunities. Future courses may be led and attended entirely in the metaverse. Virtual tourism allow locals and international visitors to explore major sites, present and long gone. The tour will soon include Donuimun Gate – which last stood in 1915. Further down the road, authorities are working on the infrastructure to support the annual Seoul Lantern Festival, as well as museum exhibits. This year the Seoul government will open a virtual Mayor’s Office, in which public servants – as avatars – will provide consultations and everyday services with no lines, no crowds, and accessible to more people than ever before.

The road from physical city to metaverse city

For cities considering joining the metaverse, one aspect of Seoul’s project is worth noting – it’s compartmentalized. For cities that are not looking for a Seoul-sized commitment (700 companies are helping the city government carry out their metaverse plans), a piece-by-piece plan might be more attainable. New Jersey is using metaverse technology for one purpose – enabling citizens to visualize developments in the planning stage. New Zealand is using digital twins to help people see the expected effects of climate change. Plans such as these won’t revolutionize city life, but they’re a confident step in the right direction. And as Koreans say, “Rome wasn’t built in one morning.”

For urban planners, a midway point to the metaverse

Another way to look at the road to the metaverse is from the technological side. I’ve mentioned VR above; the second big step along the way is the digital twin. A digital twin is a representation of a physical asset or system that allows for real-time monitoring and analysis of the asset or system. Digital twins enable users to interact with these objects and systems as if they were in the real world. This can include everything from virtual cars and buildings to virtual machines and even entire cities. Alone, digital twins don’t make a metaverse. In the New Zealand example above, digital twins were built to imitate changes to our climate. But the people observing the twin are… well, people. With digital twins, you have real people standing outside a digital system, looking in – a midpoint along the way to the metaverse, where everything and everyone are represented digitally.

Digital twins will play a crucial role in helping to create a fully immersive and interactive virtual world. In the meantime, they’re already revolutionizing the way we interact with and experience the virtual world. They’re used to simulate and test changes to the physical world, allowing for more efficient and effective decision-making in the design and operation of complex systems. On a more human level, they’re also a powerful persuasion tool – demonstrating the potential of digital worlds in a simple, easy-to-understand way.

Building a city in the metaverse? First, build trust.

A second steppingstone towards a successful application of the metaverse is trust; trust in the virtual data that is needed to fully digitalize our own identities. The interest is already there – according to a recent survey by the Capgemini Research Institute, a majority of those surveyed believe immersive experiences would be “impactful and valuable” in the areas of education, healthcare and shopping, as well as other uses. That being said, for the metaverse to truly reflect the physical world, key items like personal identify, ownership and payments, users must trust the provider of these virtual services. Only once government departments have established virtual trust with their citizens, will they be receptive to metaverse applications.

So… is the metaverse the future of urban planning?

I work with digital technologies, including digital twins and metaverse. Whether at work or among friends, I’m asked two questions more than the rest combined: “is the metaverse all just hype,” and “what’s the point?” Seoul’s approach helps answer both questions. There’s a hailstorm of metaverse hype out there, but it’s easily distinguishable from the real work that cities like Seoul are undertaking. Seoul’s ambitions are concrete and appear achievable. However, today the metaverse is still in its very early stages. Governments that want to build their city in the metaverse and spearhead the implementation of this technology for the benefit of their citizens, need to invest in smart city concepts and work with the industry to improve public trust in data. Investments should be aimed at creating better digital twins with as many connected data sources as possible. There is also a need to invest in educating citizens on the use of different technologies used to access the metaverse. (Education includes VR parks, public art – anything that familiarizes people with the new tech.) Once citizens trust and feel comfortable with using VR, AR, AI and other technologies, the doors to the metaverse are ready to open.

40 years ago today, as I write this, the internet was born. January 1st, 1983. A decade and a half later, those who saw its potential were still a rare sight in public. Most technologies are invented to solve a clear problem, and we as a species are pretty good at understanding those. But there’s another type of innovation that lifts humanity up a step, delivering us someplace new. These are nearly impossible to wrap our heads around until the change is well underway. Is the metaverse such a creature? Let’s watch Seoul carefully, and be ready for whatever’s coming next.

Read more about real-life use cases for metaverse tech in TechnoVision for Public Sector, our yearly look at leading technological applications in the public sector space. For more information on metaverse and digital twin technologies, contact me at gunnar.menzel@capgemini.com or have a look at our Metaverse Lab.