News/Operations
AI agents demystified: Key factors for successful implementation
The development of AI agents represents a significant shift in workplace automation, moving beyond simple robotic process automation (RPA) to more sophisticated autonomous systems. Despite rapid technological advancement in AI capabilities like tool use and reasoning, there remains a notable gap between available technology and widespread business adoption. Current state of AI agent adoption: Recent technological breakthroughs in AI tool use and reasoning capabilities have created the foundation for autonomous AI agents that can execute complex tasks at significantly lower costs than previously possible. A McKinsey survey reveals that while 63% of leaders at organizations with over $50M in revenue...
read Feb 27, 2025AI reaches pivotal turning point in technological progress, market segmentation
When they go high AI, we go low AI. And that's fine! The market for artificial intelligence is bifurcating in some interesting ways. The rise of DeepSeek AI in early 2025 marked a significant shift in artificial intelligence development when the Chinese startup demonstrated it could create an AI model for just $5.6 million, compared to the hundreds of millions or billions typically invested by major tech companies. This development has created ripple effects across multiple industries and forced a reevaluation of AI investment strategies. Market transformation: The AI market has split into distinct segments following DeepSeek's breakthrough, reshaping the...
read Feb 27, 2025Survey says: UK consulting firms ramp up hiring amid market recovery
The consulting industry in the United Kingdom experienced a significant downturn following the post-pandemic boom, with major firms implementing substantial staff cuts throughout 2023 and 2024. In 2025, the sector is showing signs of recovery, primarily driven by increasing demand for artificial intelligence expertise and advisory services. Market Overview: The UK consulting market is projected to grow by 5 percent in 2025, rebounding from a 3.4 percent contraction in 2024. Nearly half of global companies utilizing consulting services anticipate significant increases in spending over the next three years Technology consulting is expected to grow globally by 7 percent to $421...
read Feb 26, 2025Titans of industrial automation: Nokia enhances 5G with multi-modal AI sensor fusion
The rise of Industry 4.0 has created a need for sophisticated sensor and data integration solutions in industrial settings. Nokia has positioned itself at the forefront of this transformation with its latest mission-critical technology offering for industrial applications. Product Overview: Nokia's new MX Context solution combines multi-modal IoT data streams with AI processing capabilities alongside private 4G/5G systems to create contextual insights for industrial applications. The solution integrates with Nokia's industrial edge (MXIE) portfolio and Digital Automation Cloud private network products MX Context can process data from various sources including indoor positioning systems, visual detection apps, and third-party tracking solutions...
read Feb 26, 2025Can you hear me now? Verizon boosts Open RAN efforts with Qualcomm’s new RIC
Tech behemoths Verizon and Qualcomm are collaborating on a significant Open RAN deployment that leverages artificial intelligence for network energy efficiency. This partnership, announced in February 2025, combines Qualcomm's newly branded Dragonwing RIC platform with Samsung's AI-powered energy management solution. The core innovation: Verizon is implementing Qualcomm's RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) platform alongside Samsung's AI-powered Energy Saving Manager (AI-ESM) to create a more energy-efficient network infrastructure. The integration leverages advanced AI capabilities, including Hybrid Neural Network (HNN) and Deep Neural Network (DNN) technology Qualcomm's RAN Automation Suite DML provides essential data management and RAN AI services The solution is part...
read Feb 26, 2025AI-powered ERP optimizer Opkey launches new agentic AI platform
The emergence of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems has transformed how businesses manage their operations, but implementation and maintenance remain complex and costly challenges. Opkey's new agentic AI platform represents a significant advancement in addressing these persistent ERP management hurdles. The innovation breakthrough: Opkey has developed an AI-powered ERP Lifecycle Optimization Platform that leverages a specialized small language model called Argus AI to streamline ERP operations. The platform promises to cut ERP management costs by up to 50% while reducing testing time by up to 85% A year-long training process was required to optimize the system for Oracle applications The...
read Feb 25, 2025Proprietary data fuels AI company growth and innovation as firms see downside to public data sets
Sometimes being closed can help you remain, er, open for business. The battle for AI supremacy is shifting away from model development towards control of exclusive datasets, as foundational AI models become increasingly commoditized. Major tech companies are now focusing on leveraging proprietary data assets to differentiate their AI offerings and create sustainable competitive advantages. The shifting competitive landscape: The proliferation of similar AI models from companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic has led to diminishing returns from public datasets and standardized training approaches. Leading AI models like GPT, Gemini, and Claude are becoming more accessible and interchangeable, with only...
read Feb 25, 2025Trello’s latest AI update lets you manage Slack, email and more
The explosion of workplace productivity apps has created a new challenge for users who must constantly switch between email, messaging, and project management tools. Trello, the Atlassian-owned project management platform known for its Kanban board interface, is launching new features to address this fragmentation by becoming a central hub for tasks across different platforms. The core innovation: Trello is introducing an Inbox column on every board that serves as a universal collection point for tasks and information from various sources. Users can forward emails, save Slack messages, or use Siri voice commands to add items to their Trello Inbox The...
read Feb 25, 2025AI on-premises boosts profits long-term, study finds, as companies shift to insourcing 21st century tech
The rapid growth of on-premises AI deployment reflects a shift in enterprise computing strategy, as businesses seek greater control over their AI operations and data. Companies are increasingly recognizing that hosting AI infrastructure on their own premises, rather than in the cloud, can provide significant advantages in terms of cost efficiency and data governance. Core concept explained: Private AI represents an architectural approach rather than a specific product, enabling organizations to bring AI models to their data instead of moving sensitive information to cloud environments. This strategy allows companies to maintain full control over data storage and usage while ensuring...
read Feb 25, 2025Microsoft’s AI wipes the factory floor with its improved efficiency
The manufacturing industry is rapidly adopting AI assistants to optimize factory operations and improve efficiency. Microsoft's Factory Operations Agent, a specialized chatbot tool, is being deployed by companies like Schaeffler to analyze manufacturing data and troubleshoot production issues. The big picture: Microsoft's AI-powered Factory Operations Agent represents a significant advancement in industrial automation by bridging the gap between information technology and operational technology in manufacturing settings. The system integrates with Microsoft's enterprise products, enabling companies to analyze data across hundreds of manufacturing facilities worldwide Built on large language models similar to those from OpenAI, the AI assistant can understand complex...
read Feb 24, 2025Shop Til You Bot: AI-powered retail agents reshape shopping experience
But can it point you to the dressing room?... Agentic AI represents a significant advancement beyond traditional AI systems, combining language processing capabilities with autonomous decision-making to perform complex tasks with minimal human oversight. This technology is particularly transformative for e-commerce, where digital infrastructure and data-driven operations provide an ideal environment for AI agent deployment. The fundamentals: Agentic AI systems build upon language models like ChatGPT but are distinguished by their ability to execute multi-step tasks autonomously across digital platforms. These AI agents can interact with websites, complete transactions, and manage complex business processes independently The technology extends beyond simple...
read Feb 24, 2025Big in India: Microsoft Azure OpenAI powers 800+ Indian enterprises, study finds
Early 2025 has seen significant adoption of Microsoft's Azure OpenAI platform across Indian enterprises, marking a crucial step in the country's technological transformation. The integration of AI technologies is reshaping business operations while simultaneously raising important questions about regulation and workforce impact. Key adoption metrics: Microsoft's Azure OpenAI platform has gained substantial traction in the Indian market, with over 800 enterprises now utilizing the technology for their AI initiatives. Within Microsoft itself, AI implementation has yielded notable improvements, including a 10% increase in sales efficiency and 40% faster customer service resolution times Over half of Indian enterprises are planning to...
read Feb 19, 2025AI value stream mapping fosters success, Neudesic advises
From streamlining to stream mapping, AI continues to be a force to be reckoned with. The adoption of artificial intelligence in Australian businesses lags behind global counterparts, with IBM research showing only 15% of companies worldwide are AI implementation leaders. Value stream mapping, a technique rooted in Lean manufacturing principles, is emerging as a crucial tool for organizations to develop clear AI strategies and overcome implementation barriers. Understanding value stream mapping: Value stream mapping creates visual representations of product and service delivery components, encompassing people, processes, information, and inventory from start to finish. This technique helps identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and...
read Feb 19, 2025In the Know: AI reshapes knowledge management best practices for business
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence has brought knowledge management to the forefront of business strategy. A recent survey reveals that while 93% of IT leaders plan to deploy autonomous AI agents by 2027, many organizations lack the fundamental data infrastructure to support these initiatives. The current landscape: Enterprise data remains largely fragmented across organizational silos, with only 29% of business applications effectively sharing information across departments. Disconnected data sources and poor integration create significant barriers to implementing AI solutions The lack of cohesive knowledge management infrastructure impacts customer experience delivery Organizations struggle to unlock valuable data trapped within disparate enterprise...
read Feb 14, 2025The ‘Internet of Agents’: How organizations will manage thousands of new digital employees
The rapid development of AI agent technology is prompting companies to integrate thousands of specialized AI assistants across their operations. Cisco's Outshift division is leading efforts to create an Internet of Agents (IoA) that would enable these AI systems to communicate and collaborate effectively at scale. The scale challenge: Organizations are expected to deploy upwards of 20,000 AI agents each, with large enterprises potentially managing hundreds of thousands of agents across their operations. Each AI agent functions as a subject matter expert within its specific domain and context These agents need to communicate across vendor boundaries, security domains, and different...
read Feb 13, 2025SAP launches cloud-based business suite for improved CRM, supply chain management and more
SAP, the global enterprise software leader, has unveiled its "Business Unleashed" strategy in early 2025, marking a significant shift toward integrated cloud-based solutions. This new approach combines process management, data integration, and artificial intelligence capabilities to create a more cohesive enterprise technology ecosystem. Strategic Vision: SAP's Business Unleashed initiative represents a comprehensive cloud-first transformation of its enterprise software portfolio. The strategy introduces a new cloud-based Business Suite that unifies various enterprise functions including ERP, CRM, and supply chain management All components are built on SAP's Business Technology Platform (BTP), enabling seamless integration across process chains The platform aims to deliver...
read Feb 12, 2025Forrester: In the AI era, strong processes are crucial for organizational success
Process optimization and management have become critical success factors for B2B organizations facing market instability and evolving buyer expectations. Recent research from Forrester reveals a significant gap between executive support for process optimization and actual organizational capability to adapt processes quickly. Current state assessment: While 88% of B2B operations professionals report executive support for process optimization, only 38% believe their processes are sufficiently flexible to respond to changing conditions. Without robust processes, organizations risk inconsistent outcomes and internal confusion Weak processes create unsustainable chaos even when companies experience growth Strong processes enable scalability, predictability, and consistent behavior patterns Key challenges:...
read Feb 12, 2025CIOs apply low-code lessons to agentic AI adoption
When they go high, we go low. Low-code, that is. The rapid evolution of enterprise technology has led CIOs, or Chief Information Officers, to seek effective strategies for implementing artificial intelligence solutions across their organizations. The experiences gained from low-code platform adoption offer valuable insights for deploying agentic AI, which refers to AI systems that can autonomously perform tasks and make decisions. The fundamentals: Successful AI implementation requires a delicate balance between empowering business users and maintaining proper IT governance and control. Employee adoption of generative AI tools increases significantly when the technology is customized to specific workflows and use...
read Feb 12, 2025LangChain research: More tools, more steps, more problems for AI agents
The rapid development of AI agents has led organizations to question whether single agents can effectively handle multiple tasks or if multi-agent networks are necessary. LangChain, an orchestration framework company, conducted experiments to determine the limitations of single AI agents when handling multiple tools and contexts. Study methodology: LangChain tested a single ReAct agent's performance on email assistance tasks, focusing on customer support and calendar scheduling capabilities. The experiment utilized various large language models including Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Llama-3.3-70B, and OpenAI's GPT-4o, o1, and o3-mini Researchers created separate agents for calendar scheduling and customer support tasks Each agent underwent 90...
read Feb 12, 2025‘RIP to RPA’: A16Z on why intelligent automation is key for success in the AI era
The evolving landscape of automation: Traditional Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is being superseded by AI-powered intelligent automation systems that can handle complex, unstructured workflows in ways previously impossible. The shift represents a fundamental change in how businesses approach operational efficiency and process management. Key technological advancement: While RPA systems were limited to rigid, rule-based tasks, intelligent automation leverages artificial intelligence to tackle more sophisticated operational challenges. AI-powered agents can now manage complex workflows that require understanding context and making decisions, moving beyond the simple repetitive tasks that defined traditional RPA The technology is particularly transformative in areas like referral management,...
read Feb 11, 2025Workday to command army of AI agents for payroll, HR and more
Recent advancements in enterprise software are transforming how organizations manage their artificial intelligence systems, with leading HR and financial management provider Workday at the forefront of this shift. The company is developing new tools and AI agents that mirror traditional employee management systems, aiming to help businesses better integrate AI into their operations. Key Development: Workday has announced the Workday Agent System of Record as part of its Illuminate strategy, creating a centralized platform for managing both internal and third-party AI agents. The system will provide tools for onboarding AI agents, defining their roles, tracking effectiveness, and managing compliance Organizations...
read Feb 10, 2025Pro-tip: Key steps to choosing the right AI agent platform
The rise of AI agent platforms has created new challenges for CIOs and IT leaders who must carefully evaluate these tools before implementation. Selecting the right AI agent builder platform requires assessing multiple technical and operational factors to ensure successful deployment and long-term value. Initial evaluation criteria: Before selecting an AI agent platform, organizations must first examine the core building environment and development tools to ensure they align with team capabilities and project requirements. The platform should provide an intuitive interface for testing and deploying agents while incorporating essential features like memory management and responsible AI safeguards Usage tracking and...
read Feb 8, 2025AI agents, decentralized intelligence and the future of collaboration
Decentralized AI systems are emerging as a potential alternative to current centralized AI models, with researchers at MIT Media Lab and other institutions exploring ways to distribute AI capabilities across networks rather than concentrating them within large companies. The core concept: Decentralized AI proposes distributing artificial intelligence systems across networks of smaller, interconnected components rather than maintaining them in centralized, monolithic structures. This approach draws inspiration from Marvin Minsky's "Society of Mind" concept, which suggests AI systems should function like the human brain - as interconnected networks rather than single processing units The model aims to address concerns about data...
read Feb 8, 2025Texas shipping port to leverage game engine and AI tech for real-time activity display
The Port of Corpus Christi has deployed a sophisticated digital twin system that combines AI, geospatial data, and gaming technology to provide real-time 3D visualization of port operations. Project overview: The Overall Port Tactical Information Computer System (OPTICS) transforms how the largest U.S. crude export terminal monitors and manages its 36-mile facility. Developed through a collaboration with GIS software provider Esri and funded by a FEMA Port Security Grant Built using Unity game engine and Esri's ArcGIS Maps Software Development Kit Completed in August and integrates with police dispatch systems and commercial shipping data Technical capabilities: The system creates a...
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