{"id":5483,"date":"2017-03-10T11:41:06","date_gmt":"2017-03-10T16:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&p=5483"},"modified":"2025-10-15T10:41:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T14:41:29","slug":"evolving-industries","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/evolving-industries\/","title":{"rendered":"Evolving Industries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Evolving Industries\n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/path>\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

During March, Carleton is celebrating National Engineering Month by showcasing outstanding alumni from its engineering and design programs, highlighting innovative projects produced by students, and exploring groundbreaking research conducted by faculty.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at the world around us, it\u2019s not hard to spot the influence that information technologies have on our daily lives. From the smartphones in our pockets to the entertainment we consume – even the cars we drive – technology has evolved in a manner that transcends disciplines and impacts each and every one of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last September, as part of Carleton\u2019s Throwback<\/a> homecoming celebration, the Faculty of Engineering and Design<\/a> hosted a special panel discussion with leaders of industry on the role that information technologies play in redefining business. While the event highlighted how evolving technologies offer both opportunities and challenges for the future of industry, it also showcased how Carleton\u2019s engineering graduates are in on the ground floor when it comes to evolving industries.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Technology and Transportation are at the Forefront of Evolving Industries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aerospace Engineering<\/a> alumna Gita Ravindran (BEng\/01) focuses on evolving the relationship between technology and transportation at General Motors Canada<\/a>. As a Technology Planning Manager, she is helping GM Canada work toward its goal of owning the customer relationship beyond the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aerospace Engineering alumna Gita Ravindran (BEng\/01)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith nearly three million Wi-Fi-connected cars already on the road today, connectivity has become a key technology enabler,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGM now has more 4G LTE (long-term evolution) connected vehicles than any other automaker, which will allow us to produce personalized vehicle features and enhanced experiences both inside and outside the car.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before being hired by GM Canada in 2011, Ravindran spent nearly a decade working in robotics as a systems engineer at MDA Robotics and Automation<\/a>, a role in which she supported the European Space Agency<\/a>, the Canadian Space Agency<\/a> and NASA<\/a> by leading space exploration studies and the development of planetary rover prototypes. While ultimately shifting gears by joining GM Canada, she once again finds herself in an industry that is exploring uncharted territory.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cThe auto industry is undergoing a transformation unlike any other throughout its history,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cDisruptive technologies within the sector are enabling the growth of markets that had previously not existed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Software Advances
\nAre Driving Innovation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This past June, GM Canada announced it would be expanding its engineering centre in Oshawa, Ont., particularly in the areas of connected and autonomous vehicle engineering and software development. With many of today\u2019s high-end vehicles having over 100 million lines of code running their onboard computer systems, it\u2019s no surprise that software advances are driving innovation within the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also not the first time GM has focused on connecting its vehicles. In 1996, the auto giant launched OnStar<\/a>, the first advanced vehicle telematics system of its kind, which would later introduce hands-free calling, a service now ubiquitous throughout the market through Bluetooth-enabled vehicles. Its services have expanded to include additional safety and security features, such as automatic crash response, which uses sensors to predict the severity of a crash and potential injuries in order to dispatch the appropriate level of assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ravindran explains that GM\u2019s heightened focus on information technologies is part of the company\u2019s long-term plan to transform its business in order to support a future that will be increasingly electric, connected, autonomous and shared.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re entering into markets that encompass innovations such as completely autonomous vehicles, multi-modal urban transportation, and the growing sharing economy,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cExpanding our ride-sharing infrastructure, for example, will allow more people to make use of something that would otherwise normally sit idle for 80 per cent of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GM certainly appears to be planning for the future it describes, having recently strategically aligned with ride-sharing provider Lyft<\/a> and purchased self-driving car startup Cruise Automation<\/a>, a San Francisco-based developer of autonomous vehicle technology. They\u2019re also working with Mobileye<\/a>, a company that develops advanced driver assistance systems, to develop maps using data gathered through OnStar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While GM understands how it needs to continually adapt to remain competitive within the automotive sector, other evolving industries have had to adjust their platform simply to stay relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Shift from Print to Digital Media<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Carleton Engineering Physics<\/a> (BEng\/03) and Electrical Engineering<\/a> (MASc\/06) graduate, Adam Froimovitch, joined Texture<\/a> in October 2013 as a senior software engineer. First launched in 2012 under the name Next Issue, the all-you-can-read magazine subscription service offers consumers an alternative to print by providing a diverse digital library through its smartphone and tablet app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we produce is sort of a Netflix-like service for magazines,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cAll of the content you\u2019re interested in reading is available through a single app.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The overwhelming shift from print to digital media is a phenomenon that has been sweeping this evolving industry for the better part of a decade. Having seen a rapid decline in traditional readership and advertising revenue, many of today\u2019s leading magazines have reduced or replaced their print issues in favour of offering more robust online content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Carleton Engineering Physics (BEng\/03) and Electrical Engineering (MASc\/06) graduate, Adam Froimovitch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While many people prefer leafing through the pages of their favourite magazines, printing remains prohibitively expensive compared to its online counterpart. When it comes to reducing production costs and expanding market distribution, it\u2019s hard to question publisher decisions to shift towards digital services such as Texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn a world where people are constantly on the go, it only makes sense to have access to your content on as many devices as possible,\u201d says Froimovitch. \u201cHaving access to a wide array of content at your fingertips and being able to binge-read is definitely a selling point for readers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An increase in digital subscriptions may have stabilized the industry, but there are also added benefits in transitioning to the online marketplace. Froimovitch notes how pushing out content electronically allows businesses to take advantage of new tools like machine learning, a mixture of software and math that provides computer programs with the ability to learn and adapt when exposed to new data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re looking to write programs that can, in a way, teach themselves,\u201d he explains. \u201cSoftware that can make inferences and recognize patterns can make its own decisions, such as recommending content to the reader.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Froimovitch primarily works on developing the code that runs the Texture app on mobile devices such as iPads or iPhones \u2013 building out new features and working with the back-end and data teams. While he didn\u2019t study software engineering at Carleton, his undergraduate and master\u2019s programs included courses in software, helping to lay the groundwork in a subject he feels has become essential to every business.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cEvery company now needs software experts,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s become a door to virtually any industry and it\u2019s something that everyone should be familiar with in today\u2019s landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, Froimovitch believes the future of business is directly connected to the user experience and that it should be dynamic enough to shift alongside consumer interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for a product to be flexible,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s why we design things in a manner that\u2019s scalable and that we can change easily in the future if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Streaming Video One of Many High Profile Evolving Industries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As you might expect, Texture is not the only player involved in rethinking entertainment distribution. Systems and Computer Engineering<\/a> graduate, Chris Coughtrey (BEng\/01), works as a Software Development Team Lead at You.i TV<\/a>, whose flagship product, You.i Engine, enables companies to create custom-branded experiences across devices such as televisions, game consoles, smartphones and tablets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re using our engine to help solve the problem of the fragmented living room,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Systems and Computer Engineering graduate, Chris Coughtrey (BEng\/01)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy using a single code base to power a variety of video streaming applications, we\u2019re helping media and entertainment companies find new ways to deliver content to customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a growing number of consumers choosing to make the switch from traditional cable to streaming services every year, Coughtrey admits the industry has come a long way since his time at Carleton.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cWhen I was at school, cable television used to fill all of my entertainment needs,\u201d he says. \u201cThere weren\u2019t a lot of other options available.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Fast-forwarding to today, Coughtrey has a five-year-old son who rarely watches anything through the cable box, instead opting to stream content through his dad\u2019s PlayStation or iPad. This kind of shift in viewing habits has become a significant issue for traditional broadcast entertainment companies, whose core infrastructure is no longer reaching a growing sector of the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a problem that didn\u2019t exist while I was here at Carleton,\u201d he says. \u201cWith large-scale media distributors looking to expand into previously unknown territory, we\u2019re constantly working with new platforms and pushing the boundaries of what we can do on each of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coughtrey compares You.i TV\u2019s engine to that of a video game, citing the example of how publishers behind \u201cTriple-A\u201d titles, which have the highest development budgets and levels of promotion, need to offer a uniform and timely experience in order to maximize their reach and success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSomething like NHL 17 doesn\u2019t ship in August on the PlayStation and in December on the Xbox,\u201d he explains. \u201cThat game has to be available on the same day on every platform. Our engine allows us to do exactly the same kind of thing for media brands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Coughtrey\u2019s team focuses on the functionality aspect of You.i TV\u2019s engine, he believes designing the right user interface is just as important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe deal with companies that contain many brands which are, in essence, polar opposites,\u201d he explains. \u201cApps based around children\u2019s programming don\u2019t look and feel the same as those featuring crime dramas or reality television because they have completely different audiences and ways in which they want to interact with consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Evolving Industries Need New Ways of Reaching Customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having previously worked on creating a new operating system for BlackBerry before joining You.i TV, Coughtrey also understands the need for industry leaders to explore new ways of reaching customers or risk falling behind. While recognizing that many companies have invested immense resources to develop the systems that enabled them to be successful, he believes businesses shouldn\u2019t hesitate to rework or replace outdated or so called \u201clegacy\u201d software if it no longer suits consumer needs.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cThe reality is that all computer systems will eventually become legacy software,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThe next big thing is always just around the corner and sometimes businesses need to take a look at their core technologies and answer the hard question of which elements are still relevant and which might be holding them back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back at his experience at Carleton, Coughtrey also explains that today\u2019s students shouldn\u2019t overwhelm themselves by thinking they need to know everything about the newest technologies upon graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt this point in our society, there are always going to be new technologies that will emerge and alter the playing field,\u201d he says. \u201cWe can\u2019t always predict where industries are headed, so the most important thing you can do is ensure you\u2019re developing the tools you\u2019ll need to adapt to the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During March, Carleton is celebrating National Engineering Month by showcasing outstanding alumni from its engineering and design programs, highlighting innovative projects produced by students, and exploring groundbreaking research conducted by faculty. Looking at the world around us, it\u2019s not hard to spot the influence that information technologies have on our daily lives. From the smartphones […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[17,19],"cu_story_tag":[1924],"class_list":["post-5483","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","hentry","cu_story_type-alumni","cu_story_type-technology-innovation","cu_story_tag-advancement"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/5483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/5483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97519,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/5483\/revisions\/97519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=5483"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=5483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}