News/Cloud
These key infrastructure hurdles must be solved to unlock enterprise AI adoption
The AI infrastructure challenge: As companies move beyond basic AI tools to more advanced applications, they are encountering significant infrastructure hurdles that require strategic planning and investment. Early AI adopters primarily used Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) tools like ChatGPT, which didn't pose major infrastructure challenges. The shift towards creating custom models, fine-tuning existing ones, and implementing techniques like retrieval augmented generation (RAG) is driving the need for robust AI infrastructure. This transition necessitates substantial investments in infrastructure for both AI training and deployment. Key infrastructure hurdles: Companies scaling up their AI initiatives are grappling with several critical challenges that demand innovative solutions...
read Oct 17, 2024IBM and AWS partner to accelerate enterprise cloud implementation
Cloud migration acceleration through AI: IBM, in collaboration with AWS, has developed a generative AI-powered solution to streamline and automate cloud migration at scale, offering operational efficiencies and supporting enterprise growth. The cloud migration landscape: IDC forecasts that 50% of global IT workloads will transition to the cloud within the next year. AWS cloud migration and modernization can lead to significant benefits, including: 31% average infrastructure cost savings 62% more efficient infrastructure management 3x more features delivered annually 69% reduction in unplanned downtime 43% fewer security incidents per year Challenges in cloud adoption: Existing licensing costs, lack of AWS expertise,...
read Oct 16, 2024Dropbox’s ‘Dash’ gives you AI-powered insights into your content
AI-powered universal search for businesses: Dropbox has introduced Dash for Business, a new tool designed to streamline content search and organization across multiple apps and platforms. Dash for Business aims to solve the problem of information fragmentation in modern workplaces by providing a single search interface for content stored across various apps and services. The tool integrates with popular platforms such as Google Drive, OneDrive, Notion, and Asana, as well as email and calendar applications. Dash for Business is powered by artificial intelligence, enabling it to provide real-time answers and content summaries without the need to open individual files. Key...
read Oct 12, 2024Bessemer releases State of the Cloud 2024 report — here’s what’s inside
The dawn of the Cloud AI Era: Bessemer Venture Partners' State of the Cloud 2024 report highlights the transformative impact of AI on cloud computing, ushering in a new era of technological advancement. The report, presented by Bessemer Partner Sameer Dholakia, focuses on three key trends shaping the Cloud AI Era: AI foundation models, multimodal models, and change management. Insights from four portfolio companies – Abridge, Anthropic, EvenUp, and Jasper – provide real-world perspectives on how AI is revolutionizing various industries. AI foundation models: A diverse landscape: The AI model ecosystem is rapidly evolving, offering a wide array of options...
read Oct 11, 2024dstack simplifies AI workload management for on-prem servers
Streamlining AI infrastructure management: dstack's ssh-fleet feature introduces a simplified approach to managing on-premises clusters for AI workloads, offering an alternative to complex Kubernetes or Slurm setups. The ssh-fleet functionality allows users to manage both cloud and on-premises resources through a unified interface, enabling efficient resource allocation for AI experiments and training. This feature is particularly beneficial for organizations with scattered local machines, as it allows them to aggregate these resources into a cohesive cluster. dstack's approach requires minimal dependencies, primarily relying on Docker technology for containerization. Key advantages of dstack's ssh-fleet: Easy setup: Unlike Kubernetes or Slurm, dstack's ssh-fleet...
read Oct 10, 2024Cybersecurity teams are struggling with AI and cloud skill shortages
AI and cloud skills gap in cybersecurity: The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence tools and expanding cloud initiatives has created a significant talent shortage in the cybersecurity industry, particularly in these two critical areas. According to O'Reilly's "2024 State of Security" report, nearly 39% of security team respondents identified cloud computing as an area where skills are needed but difficult to find. Approximately 34% of respondents pointed to a lack of talent in AI skills, especially regarding new attack vectors like prompt injection. The security community is still in the early stages of understanding AI-related threats and vulnerabilities, with solutions...
read Oct 3, 2024AI spending surges past security as top priority for enterprises in 2024
AI Takes Center Stage in Enterprise Investment Priorities: A recent IDC study reveals that artificial intelligence has surpassed security and cloud deployment as the top investment priority for enterprises in 2024, signaling a significant shift in business technology focus. Key findings from the survey: 73% of midsize and large enterprises are using or planning to use AI within the next 12 months to enhance customer engagement This percentage rises to 81% for large enterprises specifically Manufacturing leads AI adoption at 84%, followed by financial services (78%), technology/software/gaming (77%), health care (68%), and retail (67%) Expected benefits of AI implementation: Improved...
read Oct 2, 2024Google invests $3B to boost AI capabilities in Southeast Asia
Google's major investment in Southeast Asian cloud infrastructure: Google has announced a significant $3 billion investment to expand its cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in Malaysia and Thailand, responding to growing demand for these services in the region. The investment includes $2 billion for Google's first data center and cloud region in Malaysia, located in Selangor's Elmina Business Park. An additional $1 billion is earmarked for expanding data center and cloud infrastructure in Thailand, specifically in Bangkok and Chonburi. These investments aim to meet the increasing cloud demand in Southeast Asia and globally, while also supporting local AI initiatives....
read Oct 2, 2024Equinix secures $15B for AI-driven data center expansion
Major data center expansion to meet AI demand: Equinix, a leading digital infrastructure company, has announced a massive $15 billion investment to expand its xScale data centers, primarily in the United States, to address the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing services. Key details of the investment: Equinix has signed a joint venture agreement with GIC and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) to raise over $15 billion in capital. The investment will nearly triple the existing $8 billion commitment to the Equinix xScale program. The focus is on building new state-of-the-art xScale facilities on...
read Oct 1, 2024Why AI-powered infrastructure demands robust connectivity
AI infrastructure demands robust connectivity: The growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) applications is creating a pressing need for resilient infrastructure and enhanced connectivity to support increasing data demands. Mats Granryd, Director General of GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association), highlighted the critical role of robust infrastructure in supporting AI applications. The surge in AI adoption is driving a significant increase in data consumption, necessitating stronger and more reliable connectivity solutions. GSMA, as a leading industry organization, recognizes the importance of preparing telecommunications infrastructure for the AI-driven future. Connectivity as the foundation for AI growth: The development and deployment...
read Sep 27, 2024Cloud, edge or on-prem? Navigating the new AI infrastructure paradigm
The evolving landscape of AI infrastructure: As generative AI transforms enterprise data infrastructure, companies are increasingly adopting hybrid models that combine cloud, edge, and on-premises solutions to meet their diverse needs for data access, protection, and processing. According to IDC, 85% of cloud buyers are either deployed or in the process of deploying a hybrid cloud, highlighting the growing trend towards mixed infrastructure solutions. The shift towards hybrid models is driven by the need to balance instant data access with robust data protection, as well as the unique advantages offered by different computing environments. The rise of edge computing: Edge...
read Sep 26, 2024Microsoft expands AI development hub to Abu Dhabi
Microsoft expands Global Engineering Development Center to Abu Dhabi: The tech giant's strategic move aligns with the UAE's vision to become a leading global technology hub, focusing on cloud computing, AI, and cybersecurity. Key details of the expansion: The center will develop cutting-edge solutions in cloud computing, AI, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure It aims to capitalize on the region's growing digital ecosystem and skilled workforce The expansion provides opportunities for local talent to collaborate with Microsoft's global teams The move is expected to foster knowledge transfer between global and regional markets Strategic importance for the UAE: Aligns with the UAE's...
read Sep 26, 20245 key tech trends reshaping video games
The evolving landscape of video game technology: The video game industry is experiencing significant shifts driven by five key technological trends that are shaping game development and player experiences. Machine Learning and AI, VR/AR, Cloud Gaming, Livestreaming, and User Generation are emerging as the primary technological forces influencing the future of video games. These advancements are not only changing how games are created but also how they are marketed, distributed, and experienced by players. Machine Learning and AI: Enhancing performance and streamlining development: Machine learning and AI technologies are being leveraged to improve game resolution and streamline content creation processes....
read Sep 26, 2024Meta’s Llama Stack simplifies AI adoption for enterprises
Meta's Llama Stack revolutionizes enterprise AI adoption: Meta has launched Llama Stack distributions, a comprehensive suite of tools designed to simplify AI deployment across various computing environments, marking a significant step in making advanced AI capabilities more accessible to businesses of all sizes. The announcement was made at Meta's annual Connect developer conference, alongside the release of new Llama 3.2 models. Llama Stack introduces a standardized API for model customization and deployment, addressing the complexity of integrating AI systems into existing IT infrastructures. The suite provides a unified interface for tasks such as fine-tuning, synthetic data generation, and agentic application...
read Sep 25, 2024Google Cloud gives Contact Center AI a new name and AI makeover
Google Cloud revamps contact center offering with AI: Google Cloud has rebranded its Contact Center AI platform as Customer Engagement Suite with Google AI, integrating advanced generative AI capabilities including Gemini 1.5 Flash. Key features of the new platform: The Customer Engagement Suite builds upon the existing Contact Center AI offering, enhancing it with powerful AI-driven tools to improve customer service efficiency and effectiveness. Hybrid virtual agents combine rule-based deterministic control with Gemini's adaptive generative AI capabilities, grounded in organization-specific datasets. Advanced Agent Assist features include generative knowledge assist, real-time coaching, smart replies, automatic call summarization, and live bi-directional translation...
read Sep 24, 2024ServiceNow Outage Sparks Reliability Concerns After SSL Certificate Expires
ServiceNow faces widespread disruption: A critical SSL certificate expiration affected over 600 organizations, disrupting key services and causing frustration among customers of the enterprise cloud vendor. The root cause: The expired MID Server Root G2 SSL certificate led to connectivity failures across multiple ServiceNow services, impacting critical operations for many businesses. The issue affected Orchestration, Discovery, and AI-powered functions like Virtual Agent. Instance upgrades, update set retrievals, and instance-to-instance communications were also compromised. ServiceNow confirmed that 616 customers were affected by the outage. Customer impact and reaction: The disruption sparked significant frustration among ServiceNow's user base, with many voicing their...
read Sep 19, 2024Alation and Salesforce Unite to Boost Enterprise Data Governance
Data governance partnership unveiled: Alation, a data intelligence platform vendor, has joined forces with Salesforce to enhance data governance across enterprises through integration with Salesforce's Data Cloud. The collaboration introduces bidirectional integration between Alation's platform and Salesforce's Data Cloud, enabling comprehensive data governance and end-to-end lineage tracking. Companies can now access crucial metadata from over 100 data sources within Data Cloud, expanding their data visibility and management capabilities. Alation has developed a dedicated connector to Salesforce Data Cloud and is committed to deepening connectivity as new features emerge. Enhanced AI capabilities: The partnership aims to improve AI functionalities within the...
read Sep 18, 2024The Most Important Takeaways from Oracle CloudWorld 2024
Oracle CloudWorld 2024 highlights: Oracle's annual event showcased the company's strategic focus on providing IT infrastructure to support generative AI development and integration for enterprises. Generative AI takes center stage: Oracle unveiled several AI-powered updates and new offerings to enhance its cloud services and support AI-driven application development. The company introduced a generative AI-powered developer assistant for its Fusion Data Intelligence service, aimed at streamlining configuration and accelerating the integration of third-party data sources. Oracle announced the general availability of its RAG Agent, part of the OCI-based Generative AI Agents service, designed to help enterprises build conversational interfaces grounded in...
read Sep 17, 2024Finic Launches Cloud Platform to Bring AI Agents to Your Browser
Browser-based automation simplified: Finic has introduced a cloud platform designed to streamline the deployment and management of browser-based automation agents, with a focus on fault-tolerant execution. Finic caters to developers looking to quickly launch bots, scrapers, RPA integrations, and other jobs that rely on multiple authenticated web services The platform utilizes Playwright for DOM element interaction and recommends BeautifulSoup for HTML parsing Finic's cloud-based approach aims to simplify the often complex process of setting up and maintaining browser automation tools Key features and capabilities: Finic offers a range of features to enhance the development and deployment of browser-based automation agents....
read Sep 17, 2024Salesforce Boosts Data Cloud with AI-Powered Data Tools
Data Cloud expansion: Salesforce unveils significant enhancements to its Data Cloud platform, introducing new features aimed at improving data analysis, integration, and AI capabilities for enterprises. The announcement, made at the annual Dreamforce conference, showcases Salesforce's commitment to providing comprehensive data solutions for businesses. These updates are designed to enhance the functionality of Salesforce's AI agents, known as Agentforce, by providing more robust and diverse data inputs. Unstructured data analysis: Salesforce introduces support for unstructured audio and video data, enabling businesses to extract valuable insights from a wider range of customer interactions. This feature allows companies to analyze data from...
read Sep 13, 2024Oracle Cloud Growth Fuels AI Stock Rally and Tech Sector Surge
Oracle's AI-driven outlook boosts tech sector: Oracle's strong quarterly results and optimistic future guidance have injected new life into the AI trade, benefiting large-cap tech stocks and semiconductor companies. Oracle raised its 2026 guidance and provided an above-consensus outlook for 2029, signaling robust cloud growth and AI tailwinds. The software giant's positive outlook has led to a strong rebound in semiconductor stocks, including Nvidia. Large-cap tech stocks such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple are also benefiting from the market's renewed enthusiasm for AI-related investments. Market trends and Federal Reserve expectations: The stock market is ending the week on a positive...
read Sep 12, 2024NVIDIA and Oracle Unveil Zettascale AI Supercomputing for Enterprises
Oracle and NVIDIA join forces to revolutionize enterprise AI: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and NVIDIA have announced a significant collaboration to enhance AI and data processing capabilities for enterprises, with plans to deploy cutting-edge GPU technology and infrastructure solutions. Zettascale supercomputing comes to the cloud: OCI is set to introduce the first zettascale OCI Supercluster, powered by NVIDIA's Blackwell platform, offering unprecedented computational power for AI workloads. The new system will utilize over 100,000 of NVIDIA's latest-generation GPUs, providing up to 2.4 zettaflops of peak AI compute. Deployment options include on-premises, public cloud, and sovereign cloud environments, offering flexibility for...
read Sep 11, 2024Apple Unveils Private Cloud Compute for Enhanced AI Security
Apple's new privacy-focused cloud infrastructure: Apple is set to release Apple Intelligence with iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, introducing Private Cloud Compute (PCC), a novel infrastructure designed to handle cloud processing while maintaining stringent privacy and security standards. Key features of Private Cloud Compute: PCC is built on custom hardware and software to ensure data security and user privacy, mirroring the protections offered by on-device processing. PCC servers use Apple processors and a stripped-down operating system, with no persistent storage to prevent data retention. The infrastructure employs Secure Enclave technology and randomized encryption keys for enhanced security. Strict code verification...
read Sep 11, 2024Oracle Enhances Fusion Cloud SCM With AI and RFID Features
Oracle enhances Fusion Cloud SCM with AI and RFID-powered features: Oracle has announced significant updates to its Fusion Cloud Supply Chain & Manufacturing (SCM) suite at CloudWorld 2024, introducing AI-driven enhancements and a new RFID-based inventory management solution for healthcare organizations. AI-powered workbenches for improved productivity: The updates include new workbenches designed to streamline operations and increase efficiency in manufacturing and maintenance processes. A production supervisor workbench leverages generative AI for real-time insights into work orders and smart shift reporting, helping supervisors focus on critical issues affecting operational performance. The maintenance supervisor workbench, part of Fusion Cloud Maintenance, provides a...
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