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"Mana Interactive reveals a banking solution to reward gamers | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/mana-interactive-reveals-a-banking-solution-to-reward-gamers"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Mana Interactive reveals a banking solution to reward gamers Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Mana is a neo banking system for gamers.
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Mana Interactive has unveiled a new payment and reward “neobanking” platform designed for video game lovers.
The Boston-based startup said it will enable users to take advantage of its Mana deposit account and Mana Visa Debit Card in a way that rewards both gaming activities and purchases across popular games.
Here’s what it means by “neobanking.” Mana has a unified platform gives players new incentives to engage with their favorite games and take advantage of being rewarded for everyday purchases. Rewards can then be redeemed through the Mana mobile app for game keys, gift cards, in-game currency, and more.
Added benefits include discounts on top game subscription services and exclusive access to events, gaming hardware, betas, demos, and more. It’s one more example of the Leisure Economy , or getting paid to play games.
Mana offers free and paid options Mana will offer two types of accounts: the free Mana Account and the subscription-based Mana Pro Account. Mana Pro requires a yearly subscription of $119.95 ($9.99/month) and offers boosted rewards and exclusive perks in addition to a high-end metal card.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Early adopters who sign up for Mana Pro during the waitlist period will be able to join the program at a discounted price of $69.95. Both accounts tie seamlessly into a gamer’s lifestyle, providing rewards, perks, and benefits that are meaningful to how they live their lives.
Support for the world’s top multiplayer games Several top games will be supported on Mana to bring the platform’s users the widest selection of games to earn rewards from playing. When it launches, Mana will immediately support some of the most iconic games currently available on consoles, PC and mobile.
Consumers can sign-up to the waitlist now at this link.
Those who sign-up before the product launches this summer will receive a Day One badge on their Mana Rewards Account, and the first 1,000 to do so will receive 10,000 Mana Points to redeem in the shop.
Mana is also hosting a waitlist program that further rewards early-adopters for introducing others to the new digital financial platform and even more rewards for engaging with the brand’s channels. The more friends they refer and interact with Mana, the more rewards they earn.
Mana has partnered with MVB Bank Member FDIC to offer a deposit account to people 18 years of age or older.
Founded in 2021, Mana Interactive has secured over $7 million in seed funding.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
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VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Metastage and Departure Lounge set up volumetric capture studio in Vancouver | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/metastage-and-departure-lounge-set-up-volumetric-capture-studio-in-vancouver"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Metastage and Departure Lounge set up volumetric capture studio in Vancouver Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
Metastage and Departure Lounge have set up a new volumetric capture studio to bring humans into the metaverse. The volumetric capture studio will be in Vancouver, Canada and will be available for virtual reality, gaming, and metaverse developers to use.
These studios use 106 cameras to capture a person’s dynamic movements and turn them into highly realistic digital images. It enables studios to capture human models and convert them into digital forms for stories, games, and other experiences for mixed reality or traditional media.
Christina Heller, CEO of Los Angeles-based Metastage, said in an interview with GamesBeat that the partner company will be known as Metastage Canada, and it has been selected by Microsoft as the exclusive licensee for its volumetric capture technology in Western Canada.
“When we started Metastage in L.A., we didn’t know what it would be used for. There was a fundamental instinct that human performance would be essential for this new medium,” said Heller. “While we didn’t know exactly what the killer use case was going to be when we launched, we knew there would be amazing opportunities and only good things would come from a mechanism for bringing real people into metaverse platforms. And obviously, we still believe in that wholeheartedly.” Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Metastage Canada is the first 4D holographic capture facility of its kind in the region. The stage will launch in the spring and will be designated as the exclusive Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia.Using Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studios technology, Metastage’s volumetric or ‘holographic’ capture process uses 106 12-megapixel machine-vision cameras to capture dynamic human performances. This rapidly generating photo-real, volumetric digital models inject new life into stories, games, and experiences for both immersive mixed reality and traditional media.
“It takes human performances and what I like about it most is it captures the essence of that performance in all of its sort of fluid glory, including clothing as well,” Heller said. “And so every sort of crease in every fold of what people are wearing comes across. You get these human performances that retain their souls. There is no uncanny valley with volumetric capture.” Compared with other systems, Metastage produces exceptionally high-quality holograms that reduce the amount of ‘clean up’ or post-processing required, Heller said. Metastage holograms have been used in applications ranging from training to fashion to entertainment.
Departure Lounge will operate Metastage Canada as part of a comprehensive set of technologies designed to transfer humans and objects into and out of the ‘Metaverse,’ helping to facilitate the next generation of immersive content.
“We can’t have the metaverse be only synthetic avatars and animated assets,” said James Hursthouse, CEO of Departure Lounge, in an interview. “The uses are really broad and when you are working with a recognizable figure, you want the most authenticity possible.” Costs run into the millions of dollars for each studio, Heller said. But she noted the company has been scrappy and been able to generate considerable revenues since it debuted in 2018. The company has done more than 200 productions since opening.
“It’s a pretty significant amount of hardware to be installed in a place,” Heller said. “It’s top-of-the-line equipment and so there is a decent amount of fundraising and all of that has to come together in order to get this kind of thing off the ground.” James Hursthouse, CEO of Departure Lounge, said in an interview he was excited to work with Metastage. British Columbia is home to one of the world’s largest clusters of mixed reality companies, including Microsoft’s own holographic group, and a robust digital content industry in which the application of holograms in virtual and real-time production is becoming increasingly prevalent.
Hursthouse said he expects significant demand for the holographic capture stage in this region as the world moves forward into the era of the metaverse, or the 3D spatial internet.
Hursthouse said the project was in the works for almost two years, as it takes a lot to put a volumetric capture studio together. Volumetric capture offers different challenges than motion-capture work. You don’t have to put a bunch of balls on a spandex suit for the actor. But it takes a ton of cameras to capture all of the angles needed to render a person in 3D. In addition to the cameras, it has a massive adjustable truss system, sky panels, and a bunch of Sennheiser shotgun mics.
Heller said the Vancouver studio is a carbon copy of the studio in Los Angeles, which is getting constant usage. Metastage rents it out to game companies or filmmakers or others who simply want to capture a loved family member for a kind of immortal digital tribute.
Heller said that the Los Angeles studio scanned a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor as well as a Black Panther from the 1960s. Heller said she captured her own mother on the Los Angeles stage.
“That’s a treasured capture for me for the rest of my life,” Heller said.
In Vancouver, Hursthouse said he hopes to be able to capture First Nation storytellers and elders in the region.
“It’s exciting for Vancouver because we have that mix of all of the mixed reality companies in a cluster,” Hursthouse said.
Metastage Canada will be housed at the Departure Lounge facility in the heart of the Centre for Digital Media district in downtown Vancouver. The Departure Lounge facility is part commercial business, part industry-academic partnership hub, helping to train the next generation of digital content creators through work-integrated learning programs.
These programs serve students, as well as offer mentorship and guidance for startups and under-represented groups. Departure Lounge has established its own creative services team under the guidance of volcap industry superstar, Adam Rogers, to develop applications and experiences that incorporate holograms.
“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Metastage with the opening of Departure Lounge in Vancouver,” said Steve Sullivan, general manager of Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studios, in a statement. “James and the Departure Lounge team have impressed us with their knowledge and passion for Mixed Reality, and combined with the experience and reach of Metastage, we believe they’ll have a huge impact in Canada and beyond.” Departure Lounge was acquired by AMPD Ventures in December. Metastage has 10 people, while Departure Lounge has eight.
“I called it Departure Lounge when I started it was because it’s the place that you go for your journey to the metaverse and so this Metastage is very in line with that,” Hursthouse said. “It’s actually very prescient to be called Metastage,” as it was named well before the metaverse became uber-popular in 2021 as Facebook changed its name to Meta.
Beyond games, the studio has been used for projects in sports, music, fashion, medical training, police training, and more.
“The really creative and visionary people come to us with their ideas, and we get to help make it come to life and see what they’re thinking,” Heller said.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Liv raises $8.5M to enable easy streaming for AR and VR creators | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/liv-raises-8-5m-to-enable-easy-streaming-for-ar-and-vr-creators"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Liv raises $8.5M to enable easy streaming for AR and VR creators Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Liv has raised $8.5 million for its platform that enables augmented reality and virtual reality content creators to record and livestream themselves inside their favorite games and apps.
Bitkraft Ventures led the round with participation from Sony Innovation Fund, Amazon Alexa Fund, Credo Ventures, Samsung Next, and Olive Tree Capital. Angel investors including Dave Wu, partner at Maveron also participated. The funding will be used to invest in a creator and developer fund and grow the team, with the company actively hiring across engineering, design, operations, marketing, and community management.
Liv wants to revolutionize the VR streaming and content consumption experience by enabling creators to share their adventures inside VR and AR games with their fans in real-time, either as their real selves (commonly referred to as mixed reality capture, or MRC) or as their favorite avatar (commonly referred to as Vtubing).
VR app developers integrate the Liv software development kit (SDK) to unlock a suite of capture tools and technologies for their users, generating video content for their apps. Since 2018, Liv’s creators have driven over 3.5 billion views to their content. Dr. Doom started the work in 2016 and he started the company in 2017.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! AJ “Dr. Doom” Shewki, cofounder and CEO of Liv, talked to me in an interview about the early days.
“Back then this wasn’t really supposed to be a company as we were hosting a show on Twitch,” Dr. Doom said. “We had gotten our hands on some early VR headsets. And I have a background in competitive gaming. So the idea was that I was going to host a show on Twitch, and we would show what we thought VR esports would look like when people like myself would play them really competitively.”They started trying to stream ourselves and realized that the default VR casting, recording, and streaming experience was broken. One basic problem is that if you as a spectator see exactly what the VR streamer is seeing, you get sick really fast as the viewpoint movements are jarring and unexpected.” Then he showed me a demo. He donned his virtual Dr. Doom costume and then went into a VR demo. In the demo on Discord, I could see what he was doing through the stream he provided. I could see him engage with various objects in a virtual space and then he touched a special object. That immediately initialized a video recording of one of his VR adventures. He shared his demo with me at 30 frames per second on Discord.
It seemed to me to be a great way to broadcast what you’re doing in the metaverse , the universe of virtual worlds that are all interconnected, like in novels such as Snow Crash and Ready Player One.
Dr. Doom said Liv supports more than half of the top 100 VR games with over 2,200 developers on the platform and boasts 13,000 monthly active creators who generate more than 30,000 hours of content every month.
The technology works live with no post-production needed. Creators are able to either film their real bodies inside their favorite VR game or transform themselves into a customized avatar that supports full-body tracking, finger tracking, eye animation, and lip tracking, as well as a full-suite utility stack for seeing stream chat, alerts and notifications in the headset.
In 2022, Liv will release their proprietary software based volumetric streaming technology and destination platform that allows creators and fans to connect in ways that are unique to spatial technologies, leaning on what makes VR and AR special: the sense of presence.
It enables the capturing of entire worlds and the people that inhabit them, for playback or live consumption by anyone, on any device, opening up an entirely new category of social experiences between fans, creators, and gamers.
“We’ve been on a mission to empower creators in VR and AR to share their adventures with their friends, family, and fans since 2016,” Dr. Doom said. “As former competitive gamers and VR streamers ourselves, we know what we want & need out of the streaming & casting experience, and set out to solve our own problems. This raise allows us to bring on board top tier investors and strategic partners that will help us get closer to our goal of Liv existing on every headset and game.” Jens Hilgers, founding general partner at Bitkraft Ventures, will also join the board.
“Liv is ushering in a completely new content-sharing format that enables users and creators to capture their VR/AR gameplay, stream it to an audience, and interact in ways unique to spatial technologies,” said Hilgers in a statement. “Since its 2018 launch, Liv has become the leading app for live streaming AR and VR games, with a large and continuously growing community of creators, and support for more than half of top 30 VR games. We believe VR and AR will bring forward a distinct new platform for content creation, and the VR natives behind Liv are leading the way.” “Typically, people will say that this makes them feel really nauseous and makes for a really bad experience,” Dr. Doom said.
The other problem for VR desktop streaming is that you have a big screen in front of you that you can’t see from inside the VR scene. If you broadcast from inside VR to the flat screen that a spectator can see, the spectator only gets a limited view of what the VR streamer really sees. And that’s just not a good experience. Lastly, it’s a problem if you are the VR streamer and you cannot insert yourself into a scene you are recording.
What Liv does is figure out how to record a scene. It sets up the equivalent of a camera in the corner and then records what the streamer is doing in a room from a third-person perspective. Over the past five years, Liv has been working on fixing all these problems so its easy to record something that others can watch from a third-person perspective. Liv can also record facial expressions and project them onto the avatar in the third-person scene.
“We give you as much expressiveness as you want for a creator,” said Dr. Doom. “You can add waist trackers, knee trackers, feet trackers, shoulder trackers, mouth and eye trackers — as many trackers as you want to increase the expressiveness of your avatar.” You can also easily switch avatars in real time. You can take selfies of yourself in the VR scene. Dr. Doom said he thinks of some of the recordings of 3D scenes as a kind of memory palace, where someone visualizes things to remember them more easily.
“The memory palace is a legit memory technique where you model a physical space in your head, and then you assign memories to different objects in space,” he said. “Because it’s easier for us to spatially assign thoughts to features as opposed to abstract thoughts itself.” The team has around 13 people, and it will use the money to hire more people.
Liv-based videos are taking off on platforms like TikTok, even though Dr. Doom said we are in a nascent space with primitive tools.
“I think that’s just a function of time in the market. We’ve been working on this five years and we expect to continue working on this for the next five years and just continues to drive value to create this,” Dr. Doom said.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Cosmonious High debuts for the Meta Quest 2 and SteamVR | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/cosmonious-high-debuts-for-the-meta-quest-2-and-steamvr"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Cosmonious High debuts for the Meta Quest 2 and SteamVR Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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You can now join the cosmic chaos at Cosmonious Hig h, a new virtual reality game launching today for Meta Quest 2 and SteamVR.
It’s the latest VR adventure from Owlchemy Labs , creators of hilarious Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator VR games. Austin, Texas-based Owlchemy Labs (owned by Google) has been working on the title for a few years with the hope of amusing fans again with its quirky characters and a vibrant and silly world.
I played a demo of it last week and stepped into the body of a cartoonish alien experiencing high school for the first time. It’s a rich place that Owlchemy Labs has been working on for almost three years. The tutorial was quite easy and I was in high school in no time.
In Cosmonious High, you play as a Prismi alien who crash-lands into their first day at an alien high school. This welcoming place is alive with funny characters but plagued by mysterious malfunctions. Players will unlock powers, take classes, make friends, and restore Cosmonious High to its former glory.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Featuring VR gestures built to make interactions feel more natural, the game lets you say hello to your best alien friend by waving your real hand. Characters have unique personalities and will react to the world around them, whether that’s throwing a ball or starting a conversation. The characters and environment come together to make Cosmonious High Owlchemy’s largest sandbox world to date where players can interact intuitively with almost anything.
Cosmonious High also offers a wide range of accessibility features, including a mindful color palette, single-handed playing, dynamic subtitles, and more. Owlchemy Labs applies its “VR for everyone” motto as a key development principle to each of their games, allowing more people to enjoy the full Cosmonious High experience.
“With Owlchemy’s signature VR gestures, character interactions, and reactive environments, Cosmonious High pushes the boundaries of what you’ve come to expect from VR games. We put so much into making the world feel intuitive, responsive, and most importantly, satisfying. We’ve also made accessibility a core pillar of our studio’s development pipeline, ensuring anyone can experience Cosmonious High. We cannot wait for everyone to jump in and see what chaos they can create,” said Devin Reimer, CEO of Owlchemy Labs, in a statement.
The game has VR interaction with dynamic characters that respond to natural gestures. You can high five, fist bump, and converse with them. The entire school is one big interactive playground for your powers. And it has a lot of exploration, with places like a Grand Hall where you can hang out.
I performed a coup of experiments in the Chemosophy lab. You can also get creative in Visualetics. You can talk to the aliens and discover they are like normal kids with their own problems and needs. Your powers can relate to water, wind, fire, and more. You have telekinesis power, and you can read minds. It has perhaps five hours of content. All told, there are 80,000 lines of dialogue or double that of Job Simulator. That’s should give VR fans a lot of material to engage with.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
"
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"The two sides of the crypto coin in the Russia-Ukraine war | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/the-two-sides-of-the-crypto-coin-in-the-russia-ukraine-war"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community The two sides of the crypto coin in the Russia-Ukraine war Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine , cryptocurrencies have been making headlines. While the Ukrainian Government and NGOs are raising crypto donations to help Ukraine distribute emergency resources and push back against Russia, there are also fears that deep-pocketed Russians, especially those tied closely to Putin, are trying to circumvent the impact of Western sanctions by employing cryptocurrencies.
Both economies have quickly embraced digital money to gain a competitive edge against the other in this geopolitical showdown. For the first time, the world is witnessing the power of blockchain technology at scale. It is also the first time we are witnessing “crowdfunding” efforts for a defense application.
To date, the Ukrainian government has received more than $50 million worth of crypto donations in BTC, ETH, USDT, DOT, TRX, DOGE, and several other ERC-20 tokens.
Can Russia actually use crypto to evade sanctions? Crypto is intended to be a decentralized asset , free from the whims and fancies of governments and central banks. While it can be used as a weapon against dictatorship and oppression, it can also be used to fund warmongers.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Russia is staring down an economic collapse as it faces a series of coordinated sanctions from western countries; it has been removed from the SWIFT global banking system, while third-party payment service providers like PayPal, Visa and ApplePay have severed ties with Russia, forcing ordinary Russians to seek alternative financial solutions.
The internet is filled with opinions at this point about the fair use of crypto. “Because there is no central controller who can impose their morals on its user, crypto can be used to crowdfund for the Ukrainian army or help Russia evade sanctions,” noted Tom Robinson, chief scientist and cofounder of crypto analytics firm Elliptic. “No one can really prevent it from being used in either way.” On the other hand, crypto industry leaders like Binance’s founder CZ (Changpeng Zhao), are of the opinion that blockchain, in no way , can be used by anyone to evade sanctions because all transactions are recorded in distributed public ledgers.
The ethical threat While it is awe-inspiring to witness the incredible unity among the global community, the fact is that a major portion of these donations will be used to directly fund the Ukrainian army and hacktivists. Since Bitcoin or any other crypto for that matter can be sent and received anonymously, it can and is being used to raise funds for causes that traditional fundraising platforms don’t allow.
This begs one critical question: is it moral to use crypto to raise funds for war? At present, the answer depends on who is holding it, and how they intend to use it. The Ukrainian Government and NGOs like Come Back Alive have been pretty clear that the funds will directly support the Ukrainian army. People who have donated are aware of what they are doing and how their donations will be used.
It should be noted though that the few million dollars raised independently pale in comparison to the $650 million worth of weaponry that the Ukrainian government received from the US government earlier this year.
Is crypto really helping ordinary Ukrainians? For now, at least some Ukrainians escaping their country are pinning most of their hopes on cryptocurrencies, planning to convert them into fiat currencies as soon as they reach a safer destination.
Ukraine has limited fiat transfers and withdrawals (as has Russia). As a result, cryptocurrencies are a financial escape route for the average citizen. While cryptocurrencies may not help to revive the crashed economy of either country fully, they will surely act as a buffer for thousands who have lost their homes and savings.
Then again, using crypto in the middle of a crisis isn’t an easy task. Not only does one need a working device and internet connection, but they also need to have a basic knowledge of operating wallets and the blockchain in general — the latter being a significant problem for the majority of the population.
Given these constraints and growing presence of capital controls, crypto is only helpful for Ukrainian and Russian citizens who already own it. For Ukrainians, this could potentially mean billions of dollars in crypto, primarily because the country has aggressively promoted crypto in the last few years and is one of the leading adopters worldwide. It is estimated that nearly 5.5 million Ukrainians already own crypto , accounting for more than 12% of the nation’s population, not to mention the technology and development communities that reside within its borders.
The Russian crypto conundrum On the aggressor side, while the Russian Central Bank hasn’t been much of a fan of crypto, the Russian government surely had a soft spot for it given the high rate of local ownership. An unclear regulatory environment hasn’t deterred adoption within its own borders, and it is estimated that almost 12% of the Russian population, or 17.3 million people , own cryptocurrencies.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that it is an accessible exit strategy for everyone. While centralized exchanges like Binance and Coinbase have attempted to keep crypto channels open for Russians, especially ordinary citizens seeking a financial lifeline, efforts to ferret out malicious actors are already in full swing. Coinbase, in keeping with US law, blocked more than 25,000 wallets of Russian users linked with “illicit” activity, and is proactively monitoring its systems to deter any sanctions evasion efforts.
Crypto is not yet the unsung hero And so, putting crypto on the “savior” pedestal may be premature given these realities. There is no doubt that crypto is playing an outsized role in the unfolding dynamics of this conflict, but it is no silver bullet. While it demonstrated an ability to act as a temporary buffer for many ordinary people, underlined by the widespread usage across both countries, characterizing it as a lifesaver in a sea of unrest is a bit, well, pretentious.
Sadie Williamson is the founder of Williamson Fintech Consulting.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
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You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Everyone’s joining the metaverse, but the real business opportunity is building your own | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/everyones-joining-the-metaverse-but-the-real-business-opportunity-is-building-your-own"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Everyone’s joining the metaverse, but the real business opportunity is building your own Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
When CryptoPunks and CryptoKitties first hit mainstream news, the potential of online collectibles known as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were only apparent to the small yet mighty group of digital natives looking to revolutionize the next phase of the internet. Predictions that NFTs would become a cultural phenomenon were few and far between — with collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club serving as a ticket into the ever-exclusive club of CEOs and billionaire entrepreneurs — or that the enigmatic metaverse would soon be viewed as the “promised land,” where Paris Hilton can party on her personal island while PwC scoops up the latest real estate for its next business venture. Even wilder was the idea that a major fashion brand like Balenciaga would collaborate with Fortnite to appeal to digital natives, or that Best Buy would be eyeing simulated shopping experiences to boost brand loyalty.
Although the evolution of digital assets and a simulated world have come as a surprise to many, it is the fast and furious adoption from businesses across the globe that is truly raising eyebrows. And for a good reason: investments in the metaverse have already surpassed $500 million with no indication of slowing down, luring players across mainstream sectors to enter the space.
While the rational entry plan for organizations to join the metaverse is diving headfirst into Decentraland, Sandbox, or other developed spaces, the real business opportunity lies in the creation of individual, unique metaverses for each company — offering consumers an immersive, end-to-end experience that is truly irreplicable and can evolve without boundaries.
For example, when looking to enter the space you may be surprised to find that Decentraland only offers a standard character design while Sandbox remains voxelized, making it impossible for brands to successfully implement the distinctive designs or granular details that make them unique. To some degree, building in a pre-existing metaverse is a repeat of the Web2 experience, where you are forced to develop content within the confines of someone else’s platform.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! As more businesses get involved in Web3, it is imperative to capitalize on the unique opportunity of creating something completely in your control (think: avoid metaverse-wide glitches in Sandbox) that fits your purpose and narrative. It’s also necessary to break into the metaverse in a way that aligns with the core competencies of a business that provides capital for its clients to create groundbreaking projects in the simulated world while protecting intellectual property.
We’re already seeing organizations move in this direction, propelled by legitimate business and user benefits. Take gaming, for example — software development company Niantic, creators of fan-favorite Pokémon Go, raised $300 million to build its own metaverse infused with its own data, information, services and interactive creations. Epic Games is also jumping on the bandwagon, with the intent to build a metaverse with its own look and feel, aiming to onboard one billion users.
Shopping is another segment where endless metaverse opportunities await both brands and consumers. The metaverse itself, with its sensory and experiential nature, inherently entices users to engage in some sort of shopping. A recent study found that of those shopping in the metaverse, 70% converted to a purchase.
Further, JP Morgan’s recent report on the metaverse found that each year, $54 billion is spent on virtual goods. For brands entering the sector, building their own metaverse from the ground up has significant advantages when it comes to consumer experience, end-to-end branding, and full control to avoid brand risk.
And with so many people purchasing in the digital world, there are significant environmental benefits to pursuing a new metaverse. Both Decentraland and Sandbox are based on the Ethereum blockchain , which requires a significant amount of energy to operate and therefore charges high gas fees and is inherently less environmentally-friendly than other chains. Crafting a new space means enjoying the freedom of building upon — or even creating — a blockchain that consumes less energy and is kinder to the environment.
Looking ahead, as more metaverses are built, the ultimate achievement will be interoperability across all worlds — so users can window shop in a simulated luxury clothing brand, then change into digital designer digs while playing Illuvium with their guild as millions across the globe watch. This creates a digital identity that is transferable across metaverses and enables avatars (a user’s digital identity) to travel and explore digital experiences too.
At such a crucial moment in the metaverse’s development, with so many players rushing into the space without taking a bigger-picture look at the benefits of building a world from the ground up vs. building within something already in existence, we will soon find that the experiences offering truly branded (down to the last detail), lifelike experiences, and constant evolution will be the ones that enjoy the most success. It will be crucial for projects to stand apart in the sea of sameness as the space quickly begins to crowd, and can only be achieved by creating something of your own to control and build.
And remember, a metaverse is only as valuable as the people inside it.
By Rebekah Keida , NFT expert and head of marketing at top cryptofinance firm XBTO.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"As digital life gets cloudy, effective backups clear the sky for business continuity | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/as-digital-life-gets-cloudy-effective-backups-clear-the-sky-for-business-continuity"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community As digital life gets cloudy, effective backups clear the sky for business continuity Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Imagine a championship-caliber NBA basketball team losing its three best players to serious injuries halfway through the season. Devastated fans would immediately reduce their expectations from a championship to bottom feeder, and management would essentially give up on the season and focus on rebuilding the franchise. While a sports team might still bounce back after losing its top assets, in the business world, losing one of your most valuable assets — data — is very often the killing blow for the company.
94% of companies suffering from catastrophic data loss do not survive. Out of those, 43% never reopen, according to the University of Texas. And despite the perception that the cloud has our back for backup, data loss through user error, overwriting data or malicious actors is actually quite prevalent.
The past year saw a spike in data breaches , with the number of incidents adding 68 percent year on year to hit a record high. Ransomware attacks, which in a best-case scenario result in unwanted downtime and have the capability to wipe out the company’s entire data pool, also surged in 2021.
The concerning trend doesn’t seem likely to reverse any time soon.
These and other data-security trends put more and more pressure on companies to not just ensure the maximum possible security for their networks, but also to properly back up every crucial service in a way that’s most tailored to their business needs.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Assessing your data Before developing its comprehensive backup strategy and business continuity plan (BCP), any company must start with a strategic evaluation of its digital assets. The company must establish how crucial each service and dataset is for its operations, how long it can maintain activities without access to them, how much data it can lose without going under, and how hard it could be hit in case of a leak.
Based on this assessment, the company must establish which data it must back up, how often it should do so, and how to secure the backups. Where applicable, it must also work out a BCP that factors in a failover solution. Ultimately, the assessment comes down to calculating the financial risk — damage times probability.
Modern organizations heavily lean on software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions to handle a lot of their day-to-day operations. Hundreds of companies rely on services like Salesforce to do their CRM , Hubspot to automate their marketing campaigns, MailChimp to handle their email outreaches, and use dozens of other services for hiring, customer support, development, and more. Furthermore, they rely on these SaaS solutions to take care of backups and expect high availability and security at any point in time. However, most SaaS systems operate in the cloud, making many business applications publicly accessible to a certain degree, and therefore increasingly vulnerable. This includes their backup options. Here, the lesson is that a company can’t fully rely on a vendor and on a single cloud storage solution in general.
Best backup practices The Well-Architected Framework concept, which contains design principles and architectural best practices for building and running cloud workloads, is a must-have for any DevOps engineer and leader. Additionally, it’s a good starting point for developing concrete measures and protocols for backups. Working to improve their data breach safeguards, companies must explore a wide variety of measures, ranging from cloud-risk assessments and updated security protocols to smarter authentication policies and counter-phishing exercises.
A thorough review of the company’s SaaS stack is certain to reveal services that are more valuable than others. These require extra safety in terms of backups, as losing them could mean losing the entire business, not just missing out on a winning year. Most of the popular SaaS solutions such as Salesforce and Google Workspace work with third-party SaaS businesses that can manage the users’ backups. It is a good option — if it is available.
However, a third-party service can go down as well, so companies must make sure to walk that extra mile in ensuring the safety of their data. Backups need backups too. This is why companies would be wise to prioritize backup solutions equipped with robust application programming interfaces (APIs). Setting up another backup for the data stored in a separate cloud environment is just a matter of writing a few custom scripts.
Less developer-friendly solutions will result in more manual work for their clients. With these, the user will have to proactively pull the backup data from the service and push it to safe storage, whether that means another cloud environment or even an air-gapped archive holding a copy of the organization’s data offline. While this process involves more headaches, its sheer value in securing the integrity of the entire business operation cannot be understated.
Backups are a crucial safeguard that every company must take seriously. It is not the sexiest component of CloudOps, and getting it right may take a toll on the operational budget. But with critical data backup, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Not to mention, data backups are essential to mitigating ransomware attacks.
As our digital future becomes ever-cloudier, effective data backup, including preparing for the threat of ransomware attacks, requires a focus on aligning to the company’s architecture, proving pivotal for business continuity in the long run. Rolling the dice and not taking these measures won’t simply lead to taking some time to rebuild the company, like in the NBA; instead, it likely means the end of the business.
Shalom Carmel is the CIO of GlobalDots.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"To build sustainable products, start in the data center | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/data-infrastructure/to-build-sustainable-products-start-in-the-data-center"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Sponsored To build sustainable products, start in the data center Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Presented by Pure Storage As the world works toward net-zero carbon goals, building products that are oriented toward minimizing their environmental impact from the outset can go a long way to delivering on both environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals and business impact.
According to Deloitte , the right action on climate could add $3 trillion to the U.S. economy by 2070, as opposed to delivering a $14.5 trillion hit if left unchecked. The World Economic Forum, meanwhile, notes strong sentiment on the part of corporate leaders who believe that taking proactive steps to reduce carbon impact is both a responsibility and a source of competitive advantage — delivering cost savings, meeting customer needs, and aiding in attracting talent.
With data and data insights playing a critical role in the development of products and services across industries, at Pure Storage, we’ve had a firsthand view of the explosion of data and its impact on data infrastructure resource consumption. Data centers account for around 1% of global electricity consumption, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), yet energy efficiency has helped limit that growth despite the surge in demand for data services.
With no end in sight to the growth — and importance — of data and the insights data delivers, data centers play an undeniably important part in any corporate sustainability strategy. And mitigating the environmental impact of data infrastructure is critical as data workloads increase. Building a sustainable model for the future now requires data storage that is engineered to require significantly lower power, lower cooling, and far less waste, as well as having the potential to make a significant and immediate impact on reducing global data-center carbon emissions.
Pure has invested in building sustainable and highly efficient products and services since our founding. To quantify these impacts, we recently engaged an outside environmental assessment firm to conduct a product life cycle assessment (LCA) of our all-flash storage array products, which found that Pure customers can achieve up to 80% reduction in direct carbon usage by data systems compared to competitive products.
And we recently issued our inaugural ESG report , gaining insights along the way that we believe can help enterprises decrease their carbon footprint while advancing digital transformation. Following are four actions for enterprises considering their own environmental impact: 1.
Conduct a materiality assessment to pinpoint priorities A materiality assessment is a formal exercise to engage stakeholders and find out how important specific ESG issues are to them. They can help identify key priority areas intersecting stakeholder engagement and business success. And they are gaining traction, according to the Conference Board , with most companies undertaking them either at the start or as part of a review of their sustainability strategy. While a commitment to creating great outcomes for all stakeholders drives our day-to-day, our own assessment will enable us to focus our efforts where we will be most impactful.
2.
Engineer for a smaller footprint Corporate data centers are often still optimized for reliability, performance, or cost, and less for efficiency. Old magnetic disk technologies delivered capacity yet sacrificed inefficient power usage and e-waste. Solid-state media can enable organizations to design and operate less resource-intensive data centers and can help shrink footprints dramatically. At Pure, we believe that our tightly integrated software and hardware allows us to deliver market-leading density, longevity, and efficiency, and help improve and drive further efficiencies over time. Our Evergreen architecture and philosophy of continuously and non-disruptively upgrading both the hardware and software components of customers’ systems spare our customers from unnecessary and costly product replacements and the associated energy and e-waste.
3.
Develop an as-a-service approach to aid sustainability True “as-a-Service” solutions are about buying an outcome (i.e. Service Level Agreement) and having a third party deliver it. You should be able to start small, grow over time, and have transparency over pricing and related KPIs, including sustainability. In storage, that requires architecture that enables technology improvements without costly and disruptive rip-and-replace projects, is capable of flexing up and down as you need, and only deploys equipment as required. For example, with our Pure-as-a-Service subscription, we are able to remove the energy and waste typically associated with under-utilized or over-provisioned systems 4.
Optimize the supply chain End-to-end supply chain optimization includes moving to recyclable packaging and eliminating packaging waste, choosing a sustainable supplier network, and adopting quality-driven manufacturing processes. It requires continuous improvement and optimization, and also includes things like consolidating documents. A supply chain designed to be responsive and diverse can help facilitate rapid growth and handle surges in demand. At Pure, our best practice is working with suppliers globally to build a supply chain that can respond to physical challenges while ensuring ethical treatment of workers and environmentally sound practices.
ESG reporting and the work that goes into it are important tools that can be utilized to evaluate performance and identify future opportunities for improvement. When it comes to sustainability, the data center is a worthy place to start.
Rob Lee is the Chief Technology Officer at Pure Storage, where he is focused on global technology strategy, and identifying new innovation and market expansion opportunities for the company. He joined Pure in 2013 after 12 years at Oracle Corp. He serves on the board of directors for Bay Area Underwater Explorers and Cordell Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Lee earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Rewind expands SaaS data backup and recovery to Jira | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/data-infrastructure/rewind-expands-saas-data-backup-and-recovery-to-jira"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Rewind expands SaaS data backup and recovery to Jira Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Data center illustration Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Rewind , a data backup and recovery service for software-as-a-service (SaaS) apps, now officially supports Jira , Atlassian’s issue tracking and project management tool for software development teams.
While most SaaS platforms provide some form of disaster recovery and security tools at an infrastructure level in the event of a major catastrophe, the customer themselves are ultimately responsible for their data at an individual account level, including permissions, password management, and — importantly — backing up data. This is what is known in industry-speak as a “shared responsibility” model.
Founded in 2015, Rewind helps companies such as Pampers and MVMT restore any file or piece of data to a specific date and time, though only in SaaS apps that Rewind officially supports. So far, this has included Shopify, BigCommerce, Intuit QuickBooks, GitHub , Trello , and Microsoft 365 — as of today, Jira is now part of the picture too.
SaaS surge The SaaS business model is positively thriving — cloud end-user spending last year was pegged as a $332 billion industry , according to Gartner, with SaaS constituting the biggest portion at $123 billion. This figure is estimated to exceed $700 billion by 2030.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Put simply, SaaS is big and it’s only going to get bigger.
“In the coming years, the most successful modern companies will either be SaaS or rely on SaaS, which means they will become increasingly dependent on remote software to run daily operations,” Rewind cofounder and CEO Mike Potter said in a statement. “Businesses will need to quickly recover when disasters strike.” Today’s launch, which was timed to align with World Backup Day, is notable for several reasons. Firstly, Atlassian invested in Rewind as part of its recent series B round.
Additionally, Atlassian is scheduled to end support for on-premises server installations in 2024 as part of its grand plan to transition customers to its cloud. As with other major cloud service providers, Atlassian does offer some data backup and recovery support for system-wide catastrophes, but it doesn’t afford the same level of granular controls as something like Rewind, which puts the customer in direct control of their own data safeguarding efforts.
Indeed, Atlassian itself recommends that each individual customer make “regular backups.” Typically, this would involve a heavily manual process, and one that doesn’t really address how a customer goes about restoring their data from the backup. Rewind is all about making it as easy as possible not only to create daily backups, but restore it in minutes.
“Unfortunately, many businesses still operate under the flawed assumption that if they choose a reputable SaaS platform, their data is safe — and easily recovered,” Potter told VentureBeat. “While that is true for mass platform security and / or outages, that is simply not the case for individual, account-level data. As that is the data that their teams rely on daily and actually helps keep their businesses running smoothly, companies that fail to invest in comprehensive, third-party backups for their critical apps are putting their business data at risk every single day.” Rewind’s Jira support includes data from projects, issues, boards, epics, sprints, and more, with pricing starting at $4 per user. Other SaaS apps on Rewind’s roadmap include Google Workspaces, Asana, GitLab, Hubspot, and Confluence.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Gartner releases 2022 Magic Quadrant for analytics and BI platforms | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/data-infrastructure/gartner-releases-2022-magic-quadrant-for-analytics-and-business-intelligence-platforms-incorta-named-niche-player"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Gartner releases 2022 Magic Quadrant for analytics and BI platforms Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Gartner recently released their 2022 Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms report.
As the ultimate document of reference for business intelligence technology enthusiasts and buyers, this report provides a comprehensive overview of the industry, as well as growing trends and vendors that stand out in the marketplace.
An impartial snapshot of the analytics and business intelligence landscape According to Gartner, “The analytics and business intelligence (ABI) data science and machine learning (DSML), and cloud data and analytics (D&A) markets continue to converge, often in the form of intelligent composable applications for customers. Vendors are pushed to improve their analytics capabilities while simultaneously helping their customers maintain a balance between control and agility as their platforms scale across multiperson users, advanced analytics capabilities, diverse data and emerging use cases.” Another key trend highlighted in the report involves no-code/low-code automation workflows and applications, which many enterprises are leveraging so they can offer up contextualized insights and reports, as opposed to unstructured datasets.
ABI platforms are also beginning to capture information related to demographics, interests and user behavior in order to deliver more impactful, personalized experiences to customers. As ABI tools are further integrated with productivity tools, particularly where user behaviors can easily be tracked, this trend is predicted to continue well into the foreseeable future.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Inclusion criteria Each year, Gartner adjusts its evaluation and inclusion criteria for Magic Quadrants as the technology market evolves. In this year’s Magic Quadrant, Gartner examined the strengths and weaknesses of 20 providers and plotted the vendors on the graph based on which categories they fell under: niche players, challengers, visionaries or leaders.
To qualify for inclusion in this Magic Quadrant, vendors had to meet both of the following criteria: Offer a widely available software product that aligned with Gartner’s definition of an ABI platform: “Analytics and business intelligence platforms enable less technical users including business people to model, analyze, explore, share and manage data, and collaborate and share findings, enabled by IT and augmented by AI. It may optionally include the ability to create, modify or enrich a semantic model including business rules.” Rank among the top 20 organizations in the market momentum index defined by Gartner.
Incorta recognized as “Niche Player” Incorta is distinguished by its game-changing methods of addressing today’s most complex data challenges. Founded in 2014 by former Oracle executives, Incorta is an end-to-end data and analytics platform that requires minimal involvement from IT and delivers data directly to users without relying on outdated processes like data warehousing. It’s essentially a multi-layered business intelligence software, integrating database, data extraction, data modeling, and data visualization into one single tool.
This year, Incorta has been recognized for the first time in the Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms report. Incorta excels at meeting the ABI needs of organizations that are utilizing a particular cloud stack. Key strengths highlighted in the report include: Time to insight: A direct data mapping (DDM) functionality helps reduce time to insight by eliminating some data modeling tasks that would otherwise need to be manually built.
End-to-end data and ABI capabilities: Users with limited technical expertise can easily source data from multiple applications, databases and files hassle-free.
Packaged business content: Incorta provides packaged analytics applications for various systems like NetSuite, Salesforce and Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS).
“Recognition from Gartner is a testament to our customers, who use our product to drive operational excellence in their businesses every day,” says Incorta’s CEO, Scott Jones.
“ Incorta’s unique approach modernizes the way organizations think about their analytics capabilities and data pipelines, enabling them to unlock the full potential of their data and make more informed decisions and increase revenue.” The future is bright for operational analytics Following the aftershock of the pandemic, there is an undeniable shift occurring, moving the emphasis away from time-consuming and costly data analytics efforts, and instead shining a light on companies that can create real, tangible value through data. As the market continues to move in a multi-cloud direction, the need to traverse data anytime, anywhere is becoming a top priority for business leaders. But in order to maintain their competitive advantage, businesses must also realize that expectations of data quality have also never been higher.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Spring Core vulnerability doesn't seem to be Log4Shell all over again | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/spring-core-vulnerability-doesnt-seem-to-be-log4shell-all-over-again"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Spring Core vulnerability doesn’t seem to be Log4Shell all over again Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
A newly disclosed remote code execution vulnerability in Spring Core, a widely used Java framework, does not appear to represent a Log4Shell-level threat.
Security researchers at several organizations have now analyzed the vulnerability, which was disclosed on Tuesday. Several media reports have claimed the bug could be the “next Log4Shell” — akin to the RCE bug in Apache Log4j that was disclosed in December and impacted countless organizations.
However, initial analysis suggests the newly disclosed RCE in Spring Core, dubbed “SpringShell” or “Spring4Shell” in some reports, has significant differences from Log4Shell — and most likely is not as severe.
“Although some may compare SpringShell to Log4Shell, it is not similar at a deeper level,” analysts at cyber firm Flashpoint and its Risk Based Security unit said in a blog post.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The analysts reported that they’ve verified that a published proof-of-concept for the vulnerability is “functional,” which they said validates the vulnerability.
However, while the vulnerability does currently appear to be legitimate, “its impact may not be as severe as initially rumored,” Flashpoint said in a tweet.
Security professional Chris Partridge, who compiled information on the vulnerability on GitHub , wrote that “this does not instinctively seem like it’s going to be a cataclysmic event such as Log4Shell.” “This vulnerability appears to require some probing to get working depending on the target environment,” Partridge said.
As a result, researchers suggest that while it’s technically possible for the vulnerability to be exploited, the key question is how many real-world applications are actually impacted by it. (BleepingComputer has reported hearing from multiple sources that the vulnerability is being “actively exploited” by attackers.) The prerequisites: – Uses Spring Beans – Uses Spring Parameter Binding – Spring Parameter Binding must be configured to use a non-basic parameter type, such as POJOs All this smells of "How can I make an app that's exploitable" vs. "How can I exploit this thing that exists?" “The new vulnerability does seem to allow unauthenticated RCE — but at the same time, has mitigations and is not currently at the level of impact of Log4j,” said Brian Fox, CTO of application security firm Sonatype, in an email to VentureBeat.
The Log4Shell vulnerability , on the other hand, was believed to have impacted the majority of organizations, due to the pervasiveness of the Log4j logging software. The fact that Log4j is often leveraged indirectly via Java frameworks has also made the issue difficult to fully address for many organizations.
No patches yet In terms of the new Spring Core vulnerability, security engineers at Praetorian said that the vulnerability affects Spring Core on JDK (Java Development Kit) 9 and above. The RCE vulnerability stems from a bypass of CVE-2010-1622 , the Praetorian engineers said.
Spring Framework is a popular framework used in the development of Java web applications. At the time of this writing, patches are not currently available.
(The “SpringShell” vulnerability is not the same as the newly disclosed Spring Cloud vulnerability that is tracked at CVE-2022-22963.
) The Praetorian engineers said they have developed a working exploit for the RCE vulnerability. “We have disclosed full details of our exploit to the Spring security team, and are holding off on publishing more information until a patch is in place,” they said in a blog post.
Update (March 30, 10:45 p.m. PST) : Researchers disclosed new evidence pointing to a possible impact from Spring4Shell on real-world applications — though examples of affected applications have not yet been reported.
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"Skan lands $40M to scale process intelligence | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/skan-lands-40m-to-scale-process-intelligence"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Skan lands $40M to scale process intelligence Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Skan, a process intelligence vendor, has announced it raised $40 million in its series B funding round. The company develops software to automatically map out business processes as part of digital transformation initiatives. Its architecture requires no integrations, which simplifies adoption and scalability. More than 40 customers, including banks, insurance companies and other large enterprises, use the Skan platform to continuously observe, understand and model their business processes.
Process intelligence is a critical component of the hyperautomation market that Gartner has predicted could reach $596 billion in 2022. These tools identify existing business processes to accelerate business re-engineering and automation using RPA and low-code tools.
There are various flavors of process intelligence tools. The earliest tools pioneered by companies like Celonis used process mining to analyze system software logs. Skan has developed process capture tools that use machine vision to capture process data at the UI level. This is similar to companies like FortressIQ, which was recently acquired by Automation Anywhere.
Automation in process intelligence Skan was cofounded by Avinash Misra and Manish Garg, who, together, have founded several companies over the last 22 years. Genpact acquired their previous venture in 2015.
Misra told VentureBeat that while at Genpact, they realized the fundamental root cause of all failures in digital transformation initiatives was the gap between executives’ understanding of how their business work and how work actually got done.
The traditional approach to make sense of the business was to hire expensive process experts to interview staff and manually generate a process map. These interview-based process maps were static, one-time snapshots that sometimes miss the nuances of work. Skan was founded to help bridge this gap.
“The power and the simplicity of Skan’s technology is that it captures these nuances without the input from people and requires zero technology integrations,” Misra said.
Investing in the future This round brings Skan’s total raised to $54 million. These funds will be instrumental as the process intelligence platform continues to grow its global engineering teams, expand its product offerings and grow its partner ecosystem.
The company currently has about 70 employees and plans to double its team this year. The funding will also help improve product capabilities with an improved user experience and enhance capabilities for real-time compliance, operations, customer decision support and self-serve business intelligence.
Misra said they also plan to improve AI models for root cause analysis, 360 automation scoring, real-time workload balancing and end-to-end Six Sigma and Lean management support. In addition, Skan is improving tools for federated learning that can make local updates to AI/ML models that mitigate privacy and security concerns. As a result, Skan can provide a SOC 2 compliant and ISO27001 certified solution that has also satisfied inquiries into GDPR compliance.
The combination of enhanced security and ease of integration help address top concerns IT teams face around digital transformation initiatives. IT leaders face pressure to increase efficiency, which needs to be balanced against growing scrutiny for conformance and compliance with the growth of work from home.
Misra said, “Skan allows the enterprise to be self-aware as it looks to solve these issues and enables organizations to address these demands based on data and the power of AI.” Dell Technologies Capital led the series B funding, with additional contributions from Citi Ventures Zetta Venture Partners, GSR Ventures, Liberty Global Ventures, Cathay Innovation and Firebolt Ventures.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Report: Employees spend 3.6 hours each day searching for info, increasing burnout | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/report-employees-spend-3-6-hours-each-day-searching-for-info-increasing-burnout"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Report: Employees spend 3.6 hours each day searching for info, increasing burnout Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
A new study from Coveo has found that poor search quality in workplaces is causing employee burnout — and in some cases, contributing to the Great Resignation.
Employee productivity tends to be the top focus for employers in a world of remote work.
But employee proficiency, or the ability to do more independently, is equally important. A proficient workforce provides higher quality results with better customer satisfaction and less escalation — thereby increasing efficiency.
Unfortunately, Coveo found that the average employee spends 3.6 hours daily searching for information — an increase of one hour more from last year’s report. IT employees spend half their day (4.2 hours) looking for relevant information.
The stress and hassle of locating the right information impacts employee retention. Over 31% of those surveyed said the frustration of being unable to find information made them feel burned out and 16% said it made them want to leave their company. In an already tight labor market, it’s imperative that employers address the issue of search to improve the employee experience.
The solution to this relevant crisis is providing the proper tools and technology to make information easily accessible. However, identifying the proper tools can be difficult as well. Many organizations have adopted new applications to support productivity , but 58% of people blamed excessive search time on having too many knowledge sources to sift through.
Employees specifically cited the number of applications as a problem. Sixty percent of employees have to search within four or more data sources every day, while 18% stumble between seven or more.
As part of Coveo’s report, Arlington Research was commissioned to undertake a study across the U.K. and U.S. to discover trends relating to ecommerce, customer services, and the digital workplace. The survey comprised a nationally representative sample of the working population across both the U.K. and U.S., with 4,000 adults ages 18 and older taking part, evenly distributed between each country. All respondents were people who use a computer for work, as a part of companies which contain more than 250 employees. This third installment focused on trends relating to digital workplaces.
Read the full report by Coveo.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Report: 95% of businesses have a customer success function | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/report-95-of-businesses-have-a-customer-success-function"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Report: 95% of businesses have a customer success function Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Gainsight, in partnership with benchmarking research firm RevOps Squared , has completed a study on the strategies and benefits of customer success programs within high-growth companies. The resulting report yields several insights on the contribution of customer success, most notably that companies that reported the highest net revenue retention (NRR) rates also reported investing 10% of revenue in their customer success management (CSM) and customer success operations (CSops) teams.
Gainsight embarked on the study with the goal of understanding the current state of customer success programs, including what executives are focusing on in 2022, the challenges they face, and how they are scaling their customer success operations.
For example, 95% of respondents said customer success is well-defined or present within their companies. Clearly, business-to-business (B2B) companies of all sizes are prioritizing customer success.
It’s also clear that strategic, data-driven investments make a huge difference to the bottom line. According to Gainsight’s study, companies that reported the highest NRR also reported investing 10% of revenue in their customer success and CSops teams.
Unsurprisingly, customer success responsibilities tie directly to business value. Per the Gainsight study, churn reduction and product adoption were top priorities indicated by 83% and 81% of respondents, respectively.
“This data mirrors what we’re hearing from our customers, which is that product experience and customer success connect directly to revenue,” said Kellie Capote, chief customer officer at Gainsight. “This report highlights the quick wins and growth opportunities available to digital-focused companies over the next year. Armed with this information, every organization can invest in the people, solutions and strategies to create a company-wide customer success culture that drives revenue and ensures success for all.” More than 350 companies across a range of size, industry segments and geographies participated in the research.
Read the full report by Gainsight and RevOps Squared.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Recuro Health Announces Convertible Note Financing Co-Led by ARCH Venture Partners & Cortado Ventures: Funds Rapid Expansion of Digital Health Platform | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/recuro-health-announces-convertible-note-financing-co-led-by-arch-venture-partners-cortado-ventures-funds-rapid-expansion-of-digital-health-platform"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Press Release Recuro Health Announces Convertible Note Financing Co-Led by ARCH Venture Partners & Cortado Ventures: Funds Rapid Expansion of Digital Health Platform Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–March 31, 2022– Recuro Health (Recuro), an integrated digital health solutions company that transitions the U.S. healthcare system from a reactive, disease-focused model to a population health, outcomes approach, today announces the closing of a convertible note financing led by ARCH Venture Partners , and Cortado Ventures , with follow-on support from many of the existing investors. Proceeds will be used to support Recuro’s ongoing acquisition strategy and build upon Recuro’s growth since the Company launched in March 2021.
Michael Gorton, CEO and founder of Recuro Health, says, “This transaction is yet another example of the incredible level of support that ARCH Venture Partners and Cortado Ventures have in our innovative approach to positively impact healthcare delivery at the intersection of quality, access and cost. This investment validates investor confidence in our market position and capabilities to meet the ongoing needs of providers, payers and patients.” Recuro’s virtual health platform consists of a curated suite of digital solutions-from primary care and behavioral health to at-home testing and genetic screening. Fully customizable, these solutions can be tailored to meet the needs of any population, allowing patients to engage with physicians, receive more personalized care and monitor their own health – no matter their location or circumstance.
Providing on-demand access to today’s most in-demand digital health services, Recuro’s Digital Medical Home TM is a first-to-market platform that provides coordinated, holistic care at a lower cost – all accessible from the convenience and comfort of home.
Mike Moradi, Cortado co-founder and partner, adds, “We were thrilled to co-lead the Company’s seed round in the depths of the pandemic. This marks Cortado’s third investment in Recuro, and they have far exceeded expectations at every opportunity.” About Recuro Health Serving payers, employers and providers, Recuro Health is an integrated digital health solution that delivers value throughout the healthcare ecosystem as care moves from traditional office in-person settings to wherever the patient and data are located. Recuro addresses critical, real market challenges and impacts healthcare delivery at the intersection of quality, access and cost. From virtual primary care and behavioral telehealth to at-home testing and genetic screening, its fully customizable portfolio of digital health solutions can be tailored to meet the needs of any population. Recuro solutions support the migration from convenient care to meaningful patient engagement across broader care pathways, creating a personalized, holistic digital medical home that results in better outcomes and lower costs.
www.recurohealth.com.
About ARCH Venture Partners ARCH Venture Partners has co-founded and provided initial investments for more than 250 companies organized around innovations from research universities, national laboratories, corporate research groups, and entrepreneurs. ARCH has been at the forefront of investing in major areas of innovation in the life sciences and physical sciences, and has helped to catalyze revolutionary advances in genomics, nanotechnology, industrial biotechnology, and major disease treatments.
www.archventure.com About Cortado Ventures Cortado Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in ambitious, growth-driven companies to define a new generation of economic prosperity for the Midcontinent region. As one of the largest VC funds in Oklahoma, Cortado’s focus is on tech companies bringing innovative solutions to the energy, logistics, life sciences including healthcare, aerospace and the future of work sectors. For more information, visit www.cortado.ventures.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220331005170/en/ Media Contact: CPR Communications for Recuro Health Michael Berger [email protected] 201.641.1911 x 60 VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Journeys announces Karl Jacobs as Creative Ambassador | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/journeys-announces-karl-jacobs-as-creative-ambassador"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Journeys announces Karl Jacobs as Creative Ambassador Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
Journeys , a popular shoe retailer, has announced a new partnership with Karl Jacobs and his company Night Media. Jacobs, who got his start with popular streamer MrBeast , is currently one of the top streamers on Twitch. He will serve as the retailer’s creative ambassador.
The shoe retailer is coming off of a record setting year of sales and operating profit. Karl Jacobs recently released his own line of merchandise, so he has thoughts on how to successfully market to teens. Jacobs will work with the company on campaigns for summer, back-to-school, and the holidays.
“We are excited to have Karl Jacobs join the Journeys’ family. He immediately stood out to us as someone who shares our passion for creativity, authenticity and self-expression — with unparalleled enthusiasm and a work ethic to match. He will play an integral role in our strategic approach to introducing ourselves and engaging with the gaming community in an authentic and meaningful way,” said Kari Irons, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Journeys. “Gaming is fueling youth culture right now and we know we need to earn our place and build trust with the community first. We are ecstatic for the value and expertise Karl brings in guiding us through this and also for our partnership with gaming firm Loaded in connecting us to creators and content partners like Karl, who share our core values and want to build long-lasting partnerships and connections.” Karl Jacobs added, “As the newly appointed Creative Ambassador for Journeys, I’m excited to combine my love for gaming, creativity and fashion to introduce a new generation of gamers as well as people in general to the brand.” Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Journeys worked with gaming firm Loaded to find Jacobs. With a lineup of shoes that are aimed at teens, Journeys is a natural fit for the streamer.
“Loaded’s Brand Advisory Business is helping brands such as Journeys enter the gaming zeitgeist in a more strategic and authentic way. Journeys understands that working with the gaming community shouldn’t be just a one-off campaign, but a long term initiative that is integrated into a brand’s marketing strategy,” said Nadia Tseng, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Loaded. “We are excited to continue working with Journeys on how they are engaging new audiences through gaming, creator and content partnerships.” GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Google tests its Privacy Sandbox and unveils new user controls | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/google-tests-its-privacy-sandbox-and-unveils-new-user-controls"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Google tests its Privacy Sandbox and unveils new user controls Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Today, Google Privacy Sandbox, an initiative designed to help improve web privacy for consumers, announced that it is beginning the next stage of testing, running original trials for features including Topics, FLEDGE and Attribution Reporting.
The initiative aims to test the viability of these technologies in real-world environments and gather technical feedback on the code used to ensure that it’s bug-free, and highlights that consumers have an increasing number of options to shield their personal information from the data collection practices of advertisers and enterprises.
“Origin trials are Chrome’s method of testing experimental technologies for a limited time and with a limited number of people, to make sure the technologies are ready for general use by websites and services,” said product director of Privacy Sandbox, Chrome, Vinay Goel said in the announcement blog post.
“Today, developers can see and begin testing the code for Topics, FLEDGE and Attribution Reporting in the Canary version of Chrome, and we’ll progress to origin trials with a limited number of Chrome Beta users as soon as possible,” Goel said.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Testing new user controls During the testing process, the Google Privacy Sandbox initiative will also begin testing updated sandbox controls that will enable users to see and manage the interests associated with them, and to deactivate the trials if desired.
For instance, users can test the Topics APIs controls to view and decide what information Chrome can retain about their preferences. This includes topic interests estimated by the browser and any sites that define their interests.
The announcement comes as consumers have become more concerned about protecting their data, with 68% of consumers saying data privacy is important to them, and 76% reporting they don’t like getting targeted marketing ads online.
New approaches to maintaining data privacy The Google Privacy Sandbox initiative is advancing in tandem with the growth of the global data privacy software market , which researchers valued at $1.68 billion in 2021, and anticipate will reach $25.85 billion by 2029 as more organizations attempt to get to grips with international data protection laws.
Google isn’t the only big tech provider attempting to innovate new solutions to combat the complexity of data protection regulations.
Meta’s engineers recently shared some of the techniques the organization uses to minimize the amount of data it collects on customers, including its Anonymous Credentials Service (ACS), which enables the organization to authenticate users in a de-identified manner without processing any personally identifiable information.
Likewise, just a year ago, Apple released the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework as part of iOS 14, which forces Apple developers to ask users to opt-in to cross-app tracking.
Google Privacy Sandbox Initiative’s approach stands out because it gives users more transparency over the type of information collected on them, while giving them more granular controls to remove interest-based data at will.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Docker raises $105M to enhance support for developers | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/docker-raises-105m-to-enhance-support-for-developers"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Docker raises $105M to enhance support for developers Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Today, Docker announced that it had raised $105 million as part of a Series C funding round led by Bain Capital Ventures. The new investment brings the company’s total funding to $163 million and increases the value of the company to $2.1 billion.
Docker’s new funding will enable the organization to invest in innovating new solutions to support developer productivity to make it easier for users to develop Kubernetes applications.
The organization’s flagship solution has long dominated the container market, with Docker Business offering developers the ability to build, share, and run applications on any cloud platform, in multiple languages and frameworks.
For enterprises and technical decision makers, Docker has provided a solution they can use to support developers throughout the development process to build and secure applications quickly.
Optimizing developer productivity The news comes as developer productivity remains held back by inefficient and outdated processes, with the average developer reporting they spend more than 15 hours a week on tasks outside of writing app code including maintaining internal tooling, setting up development environments, debugging pipelines, and waiting for build or test results.
Docker aims to address some of these challenges by making the development process more orchestrated and streamlined for developers, so they can spend more time creating and less time on administrative tasks, therefore decreasing the time needed to get products to market.
“Developing apps today requires so much more than writing code. Multiple languages, frameworks, architectures, and discontinuous interfaces between tools for each lifecycle stage creates enormous complexity,” said Matt Carter, VP of marketing at Docker.
“Docker simplifies and accelerates developer workflow, while giving developers the freedom to innovate with their choice of tools, application stacks and deployment environments for each project,” Carter said.
It’s an approach that the organization says have delivered substantial returns for developers.
“Using Docker development teams release 13 times more frequently, ramp productivity with new technologies in 65% less time, and compress the mean-time-to-remediation (MTTR) of security vulnerabilities by 62% than without Docker,” Carter said.
The container market from above Docker is perhaps the biggest name in the application container market , which researchers anticipate will reach $4.98 billion by 2023 as organizations modernize their business-critical applications and the overall number of applications used increases.
The organization is competing against a number of other tools, including open source project Podman , a container engine that developers can use to develop, manage and run OCI containers on Linux systems.
Another is containerd , a container run time tool that’s available as a daemon on Windows and Linux that’s used by organizations including Docker, IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service, CloudFoundry, Amazon EKS and AWS Fargate.
However, Carter argues that Docker’s position in the market as an end-to-end application container provider is unrivaled.
“No offering provides the end-to-end support for developers who want to build ship and run applications as they do with Docker Business,” Carter said. “The only similar tool to Docker Desktop is minikube, a part of the Kubernetes project, which allows users to run Kubernetes on a macOS, Linux, or Windows desktop.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"What is autonomous AI? A guide for enterprises | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/what-is-autonomous-ai"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages What is autonomous AI? A guide for enterprises Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Autonomous artificial intelligence is defined as routines designed to allow robots, cars, planes and other devices to execute extended sequences of maneuvers without guidance from humans. The revolution in artificial intelligence (AI) has reached a stage when current solutions can reliably complete many simple, coordinated tasks. Now the goal is to extend this capability by developing algorithms that can plan ahead and build a multistep strategy for accomplishing more.
Thinking strategically requires a different approach than many successful well-known applications for AI. Machine vision or speech recognition algorithms, for instance, focus on a particular moment in time and have access to all of the data that they might need. Many applications for machine learning work with training sets that cover all possible outcomes.
Autonomous operation often requires imagining a number of potential outcomes for the future, anticipating possible problems and then setting a course of action that minimizes the dangers while maximizing some other factor like speed or reliability. Learning to play the game of chess is good training for these tasks, both for computers and humans.
The autonomous devices can already rely upon a number of mature technologies that were developed to help humans.
There are already elaborate digital maps of roads as well as well-tested tools for finding the best route through them. Sonar sensors and cameras already warn of potential collisions.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Much of the work of creating autonomy requires attention to strategic algorithms as well as understanding how to build better sensors and interpret their results. Some companies are pushing for better cameras with active lighting from lasers to provide more precise information about the world. Others are trying to use better mathematical models to squeeze better information from standard sensors.
What are the important parts of autonomous AI? The field is still very new and researchers are continually refining their algorithms and their approaches to the problem, but it’s common to break the job into these layers.
Sensing — Building a model of the constantly shifting world requires a collection of sensors that are usually cameras and often controlled lighting from lasers or other sources. The sensors usually also include position information from GPS or some other independent mechanism.
Fusion — The details from the various sensors must be organized into a single, coherent view of what’s happening around the vehicle. Some images may be occluded. Some may be failing. They may not always be consistent. The sensor fusion algorithms must sort through the details and construct a reliable model that can be used in later stages for planning.
Perception — After the model is constructed, the system must begin to identify important areas like any roads or paths or moving objects.
Planning — Finding the best path forward requires studying the model and also importing information from other sources like mapping software, weather forecasts, traffic sensors and more.
Control — After a path is chosen, any device must ensure that the motors and steering work to move along the path without being diverted by bumps or small obstacles.
In general, information flows from the top layer of the sensors down to the control layer as decisions are made. There are feedback loops, though, that bring information from the lower layers back up to the top to improve sensing, planning and perception.
The systems also bring in data from external sources. One big advantage of autonomous systems appears when the devices communicate with each other, exchanging information in a process sometimes called “fleet learning.” Being able to fuse the sensor readings allows the devices to make smarter decisions using historical data from other devices that may have been in the same position earlier. Detecting moving objects like pedestrians can be difficult with only a few seconds of video because people may be standing still but it gets easier when it’s possible to compare the sensor data with similar images taken earlier in the day.
What are some ways to simplify the job? Many autonomous systems are able to work quite well by simplifying the environment and limiting the options. For example, autonomous shuttle trains have operated for years in amusement parks, airports and other industrial settings. Their routes are predetermined, limited and often kept free of moving obstacles. This simplifies each of the stages in the algorithm.
Many plans for creating working autonomous systems depend upon creating this limited environment. Some, for example, speak of autonomous vehicles that circulate on industrial campuses. Others concentrate on warehouses. Minimizing the random obstacles is key.
Another potential solution is to arrange for human override and minimize the amount of time this is needed. Some imagine that the cars might gently pause or freeze if the scene becomes too complex to interpret. Either the passenger or some distant person in some central mission control facility can take over until the issue is resolved.
What are the levels of autonomous AI vehicle guidance? To simplify the progression to fully autonomous AIs guiding vehicles, some AI scientists break apart the transition from human to machine guidance. This allows a legal framework to evolve and people to categorize some of their tools. The frameworks are not fixed and some, for instance, break their hierarchy into five layers and some six. The distinctions are not firm and some algorithms may exhibit behavior from two or three levels at the same time.
The levels are the following: Level 0 — The human makes all decisions except, perhaps, some automatic systems like windshield wipers or heating.
Level 1 — The human is able to start delegating responsibility for either braking or lane following to the car.
Level 2 — The car will handle several major tasks like braking, acceleration or lane following, but the human must remain ready to take control at all times. Some systems may even require the human to keep hands on the steering wheel.
Level 3 — The human may turn away from the road occasionally for a short amount of time but must be ready to respond to an alarm in case they’re needed. The car is able to handle control over well-defined and mapped routes like freeways but not roads or paths that aren’t studied and mapped in advance.
Level 4 — The human can turn to other tasks but can take control at any point. In some cases where the paths aren’t well understood by the AI, the human may be required to take over.
Level 5 — The human can treat the service like a taxi and surrender all control.
The levels are not precise because the success of the AI may depend upon the route. A particular set of algorithms may deliver close to full autonomy on well-defined paths like following freeway lanes with little traffic but may fail in unusual or undefined situations.
How are the giants approaching the challenge? Cruise Automation is a startup owned by General Motors. It’s been building fully autonomous versions of Chevy’s Bolt car and deploying them in cities like San Francisco to sell rides. They’re also running the same cars in Phoenix to deliver goods for Walmart.
Apple has not announced any public products but there have been numerous reports that they’re hiring engineers with expertise in this area. One of the developers of Tesla’s autopilot software, for instance, jumped to Apple.
Alphabet’s division is building a module called the Waymo Driver that can be installed on top of a traditional car and integrated with the control hardware. Their effort is one of the first seen on public streets and the company brags of millions of miles of extended testing. They’re also running a ride hailing service called Waymo One in Phoenix with the technology and working with long-haul trucking companies to test the software on carrying goods on long trips.
Microsoft’s public work is more general and experimental. Their research group is, for instance, sharing the Moab code base under the MIT License to allow anyone to experiment with the higher order challenges of sensing, planning and acting. This is part of a bigger low-code tool called Bonsai which can guide any industrial process, not just drive a truck. Pepsi, for example, is using the technology to improve the quality of their Cheeto snacks.
Oracle is also using the word as part of the name of the latest version of their flagship database, which uses AI algorithms to tune performance, thus saving staff time.
IBM is applying their AI technology to guiding ships. Their AI captain i s being built to avoid collisions while making intelligent decisions about wind, weather and tides.
How are startups impacting autonomous AI? Some startups are building complete systems and creating vertically integrated transportation systems.
Pony.ai , for instance, is building a sensor array that sits on top of existing car models and passes control instructions to guide them. They’ve created versions for a number of models from car manufacturers like Lexus, Hyundai and Lincoln. They also run a Robotaxi service in Guangzhou and Beijing, as well as Irvine and Fremont in California, sending autonomous cars to riders who hail them with a phone app.
Wayve is focusing on bringing agile machine learning algorithms in a similar module. They emphasize a model where the car is constantly improving and adjusting to the neighborhood while sharing information with others in the fleet. They routinely test cars on London streets and are exploring creating autonomous delivery fleets.
Argo is building a platform that bundles together lidar-based sensor hardware, guidance software and any of the mapping information needed for running fully autonomous vehicles. They’ve integrated their autonomous platform with cars from Ford and Volkswagen. They’re also partnering with Walmart to create local delivery vehicles.
Many of the startups are tackling portions of the challenge, from designing better sensors to creating better planning algorithms.
AEye is building 4Sight, an adaptive sensor system built around lidar sensors. They currently make two products, known as M and A, optimized for industrial and automotive applications respectively.
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"How Nvidia is harnessing AI to improve predictive maintenance | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/how-nvidia-is-harnessing-ai-to-improve-predictive-maintenance"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages How Nvidia is harnessing AI to improve predictive maintenance Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Follow along with VentureBeat’s coverage from Nvidia’s GTC 2022 event >> The rapidly growing sectors of edge computing and the industrial metaverse were targeted by new technology developments, like sensor architecture, released by Nvidia last week at its GTC 2022 conference. Last week, the company also debuted the Isaac Nova Orin , its latest computing and sensor architecture powered by Nvidia Jetson AGX Orin hardware.
Nvidia’s main focus is pursuing a tech-stack-based approach starting with new silicon to help manufacturers make sense of the massive amount of asset, machinery, and tools data they generate. In addition, predictive maintenance is core to many organizations’ Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) initiatives.
CEO Jensen Huang said during this keynote that “AI [artificial intelligence] data centers process mountains of continuous data to train and refine AI models.” But, Huang continued, “raw data comes in, is refined, and intelligence goes out — companies are manufacturing intelligence and operating giant AI factories.” VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The complexities of predictive maintenance Accurately pursing predictive maintenance , repair, and overhaul (MRO) right is a complex, data-intensive challenge for any business that relies on assets to serve customers. MRO systems have proven effective in managing the life cycle of machinery, assets, tools, and equipment. However, they haven’t been able to decipher the massive amount of data in real-time that discrete and process manufacturers produce every day.
As a result, IoT Analytics predicts that the global predictive maintenance market will expand from $6.9 billion in 2021 to $28.2 billion by 2026. Edge computing architectures, more contextually intelligent sensors, and advances in AI and machine learning (ML) architectures, including Nvidia’s Isaac Nova Orin, are combining to drive greater adoption across asset-intensive businesses.
IoT Analytics advises that the key performance indicator to watch for is how effective predictive maintenance solutions are, how well they reduce unplanned operational equipment downtime Not knowing what’s in that real-time data slows down how fast manufacturers and services companies can innovate and respond, further driving the demand for AI-based predictive maintenance solutions. Unlocking the insights hidden in real-time asset performance and maintenance data, whether from jet engines, multi-ton production equipment, or robots, isn’t possible for many enterprises today.
Nvidia’s announcement of the Isaac Nova Orin architecture and enhanced edge computing support is noteworthy because it’s purpose-built for the many data challenges predictive maintenance has. The aircraft maintenance and MRO process is a perfect example, notable for its unpredictable process times and material requirements. As a result, airlines and their services partners rely on massive time and inventory buffers to alleviate risk, which further jeopardizes when a jet or any other asset will be available.
Edge Computing is the future of predictive maintenance Nvidia has identified an opportunity in edge computing to update legacy tech stacks that have long lacked support for maintenance or asset performance management with a new AI-driven tech stack that expands their total available market.
As a result, Nvidia is doubling down on edge computing efforts. Approximately one of every four sessions presented during the company’s GTC 2022 event mentioned the concept. CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote also underscored how edge computing is a core use case to the future of their architectures.
IoT and IIoT sensors excel at capturing preventative maintenance data in real-time from machinery, production, and other large-scale assets. AL and ML-based modeling and analysis then happen in the cloud.
For large-scale data sets and models, latency becomes a factor in how quickly the data delivers insights. That’s where edge computing comes in and why it’s predicted to see explosive growth in the near future. Gartner predicts that by 2023, more than 50% of all data analysis by deep neural networks (DNNs) will be at the point of capture in an edge computing network, soaring from less than 5% in 2019. And by year-end 2023, 50% of large enterprises will have a documented edge computing strategy , compared to less than 5% in 2020. As a result, the worldwide edge computing market will reach $250.6 billion in 2024 , attaining a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5% between 2019 and 2024.
Of the many sessions at GTC 2022 that included edge computing, one specifically grabbed attention in this area: Automating Industrial Inspection with Deep Learning and Computer Vision.
The presentation provided an overview of how edge computing can improve manufacturing performance with real-time insights and alerts.
Real-time production and process data interpreted at the edge is proving effective in predicting machinery repair and refurbishment rates already.
Edge computing-based models successfully predicted yield rates for the resin class and machine combination.
Streamlining predictive maintenance Nvidia sees the opportunity to expand its total available market with an integrated platform aimed at streamlining predictive maintenance. Today, many manufacturers and service organizations struggle to gain the insights they need to reduce downtimes, further expanding the total available market.
For many providers that sell the time their machinery and assets are available, predictive maintenance and MRO are central to their business models.
As asset-heavy service industries, including airlines and others, face higher fuel costs and more challenges in operating profitably, AI-based predictive maintenance will become the new technology standard.
Nvidia’s decision to concentrate architectural investments in edge computing to drive predictive maintenance is prescient of where the market is going.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Conversational data platform taps AI for sentiment analysis | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/conversational-data-platform-taps-ai-for-sentiment-analysis"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Conversational data platform taps AI for sentiment analysis Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Reengagement is the name of the ecommerce app game.
Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Communication software platform maker Arena – a provider of a Slack-like chat or bot conversation column to the right side of your screen when you’re on an ecommerce site – is endeavoring to bring more human understanding to online marketing and sales. That, in turn, works to establish better rapport with potential customers for ecommerce businesses.
The San Francisco-based startup’s group chat and messaging application framework for B2C enterprises, having earned the attention of investors, yesterday announced a $13.6 million Series A round led by CRV with Craft Ventures, Artisanal Ventures and Vela Partners also participating.
A key marketing trend in 2022 is for consumer companies to find ways to move beyond social media and third-party cookies as a way of gaining better direct insights into their users and customers. Five-year-old Arena recognized this early and built a SaaS platform to replace the need for third-party referrals and social networks, CEO and founder Paolo Martins told VentureBeat.
This no-code communication platform uses engagement data gained from conversations and combines it with artificial intelligence (AI) to better understand who might want to buy what among its customers, Martins said. Sentiment analysis identifies changes in emotion and behavior during interactions with customers, so the experience can be improved in the future.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Predicting customer movement “We are creating a real-time engagement for every single website and mobile app,” Martins said. “We are helping with a movement by assisting companies such as ecommerce, event organizers, publishers, media, broadcasters and online educators to bring that conversation to their mobile website, increase engagement and help with the conversion of users (into buyers). We have a data platform that understands the customer behavior, and we are able to understand and predict the customer’s behavior.” Proclaiming predictability may be a humanizing component, but it is a pretty bold statement.
“We built a scalable and easy-to-install chat solution that focuses on building communities and increasing transactions such as live shopping, subscriptions and donations,” Martins said. “It all comes with our customer data platform that converts into first-party data and deeply understands customer behavior using AI. We understand how customers think and have a pretty good prediction record.” Founder’s roots in Hulu, NASA Martins previously was one of the first employees at Hulu, where he built ad products to help scale the company to 7 million subscribers and $1.1 billion in revenue. In an eclectic IT career, Martins also was a data engineer at NASA in Houston, where he worked on the algorithm that discovered water and ice on the surface of Mars.
This is a key moment in the world of martech, Martins said. Due to privacy issues and conflicts involving Facebook and Apple, many companies have shifted their data sourcing activity from third-party to first-party data. With the end of the cookie era, brands and consumer enterprises will focus on building social products and gathering their own customer data rather than relying on the Googles, Facebooks, Amazons of this world to provide the information, Martins said.
Since its launch, Arena has focused on building the product-led growth motion and expanding its customer base to 25,000 accounts, all organically, Martins said. Clients include Vans, Vimeo, Adobe, Asana, Avon, Facebook, Microsoft, Fox Sports, Sony Music and a long list of others.
No-code approach appeals to users “We attribute our success to our product-led growth approach because I really believe that product engagement is the ultimate weapon to grow. Now we’re helping every website to build conversations and understand their customers with just one line of code,” Martins said.
And what would that one line of code entail? “It’s simply a line that connects a site to the APIs,” Martins said. “We have a long list of standard ones, plus a lot of others, that can be deployed easily, and you don’t have to be an IT person to do it.” For example, Arena is partnering with Shopify and other key ecommerce players to make quick connections.
Angel investors participating in this round include Datadog founder Olivier Pomel and CPO Amit Agarwal, Intercom founder Des Traynor, Shopify former CMO Jeff Weiser, former VP Growth Segment Guillaume Cabane and former Miro CMO Elena Verna.
The funding will be used to scale the sales and marketing organizations and bring Arena to consumer enterprises looking to increase engagement and conversion, Martins said.
Arena competes in a burgeoning market, according to G2.com , with MyAlice, Voyage, AiTrillion, Chatra, Frizbit, and several others.
Arena’s business model operates on a per-seat basis based on interaction volume, starting at $99/month for a small to medium-size business to $25,000/month enterprise deployments.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"CEA-Leti finds inspiration for edge AI in insect’s nervous systems | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/cea-leta-finds-inspiration-in-insects-nervous-systems-for-edge-ai"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages CEA-Leti finds inspiration for edge AI in insect’s nervous systems Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
CEA-Leti, a French research institute, has received a $3 million grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to build a first-of-a-kind intelligent edge AI system inspired by the insect’s nervous system. The nanoscale system uses novel technologies to boost the performance and energy-efficiency of edge AI. Targeted applications include robotics, such as fruit-picking and for rescuing, medical implants and wearable electronics.
Although classical computing architectures as used in electronics such as the PC, the data center and mobile devices today are ubiquitous, a problem is that most of the energy is actually used for moving data rather than processing data. That’s why researchers over time have attempted to find more optimal approaches, especially given the rise of AI over the last decade. One such alternative is called in-memory computing, where memory is used both for storage and processing.
Buggy inspiration for edge AI However, the issue with in-memory computing is that it requires a fast, non-volatile memory with high endurance. Such a memory currently doesn’t exist, since DRAM is volatile. To circumvent this problem and reduce the memory requirements, CEA-Leti scientists have found inspirations in the insect nervous system.
Senior scientist Elisa Vianello has received a $3 million grant from the ERC to use novel nanoscale memory technologies that mimic the biological mechanisms from insects to create silicon-based, energy-efficient nanoscale systems for edge AI.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “My project is to take inspiration from insects’ nervous systems to relax hardware requirements in terms of memory density and reliability, and to build the new nanosystems we need to enable learning from a very limited volume of noisy data,” said Vianello.
“Crickets make accurate decisions based on sluggish, imprecise, and unreliable neurons and synapses in order to escape their predators. Looking closely at their biology, we identified a diversity of memory-like functions at play in their sensory and nervous systems. By combining these different functions, the cricket’s internal computing system achieves amazing performance and energy efficiency.” The primary goal is to create devices that enable learning from a limited amount of noisy data. Such data could come from sensors such as video cameras, radar, ECG, EMG, bio-impedance streams and brain signals. To that end, Vianello has discovered that various functions of the insect’s nervous system closely resemble those of different memory technologies that are being worked on by CEA-Leti. Hence, the scientists aim to create a “hybrid synapse” that co-integrates these different memory technologies.
The concept of a heterogeneous distributed computing system shows various processing units and sensors that are connected through both spiking and non-spiking links.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Bonitasoft intros devops tool for digital process automation | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/bonitasoft-intros-devops-tool-for-digital-process-automation"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Bonitasoft intros devops tool for digital process automation Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Bonitasoft, an open source business process management (BPM) and low-code tool provider, has introduced several enhancements to simplify testing and operations management for business digital process automation (DPA) workflows. Key enhancements include the new Bonita Test Toolkit, a Docker image with health check features and various performance improvements. The enhancements promise to enable more teams to extend devops workflows that are common in application development into business process automation.
DPA is a type of low-code development tool that helps business users translate new ideas into executable processes — allowing teams to implement new ideas while ensuring compliance with privacy, security and customer regulations.
Re-defining digital process automation For decades, the core ideas have been a linchpin of BPM, but early efforts struggled with scalability and flexibility. Modern DPA variants take advantage of innovations in model-driven programming, low-code development and robotic process automation (RPA) capabilities. These tools have tended to focus on improving the application development side of the equation.
Modern application development teams are increasingly adopting devops practices that improve the coordination across development, testing and operations teams. The new Bonitasoft features are designed to do the same for business processes.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The Bonita Test Toolkit streamlines testing and deployment of complex, core and critical automation projects. Teams can test changes easily at each step and create complex libraries of tests to identify and fix subtle failure modes earlier in the development process. The new tools are also integrated into the Bonita Continuous Delivery add-on to automate testing processes.
Writing tests is a necessity in the world of development, as they are the best way to ensure that a product fulfills its requirements and that existing features will not be broken by new development or improvements. This is also important for critical and core business processes that need to be tested at the business logic level.
Efficiency is key Previously, most of this testing involved a manual process, which could be inefficient and error-prone. The new toolkit allows developers to write automated integration tests on their processes that execute all the steps in a process and then check the corresponding outputs such as status, business data, tasks and authorizations.
The Bonita Platform is provided as a Docker container, simplifying deployment with Kubernetes services on public and private cloud infrastructure. This allows enterprises to take advantage of serverless capabilities in the various cloud environments. Docker enhancements include a leaner runtime and a health check feature that can alert operations teams when something goes wrong.
Competitors in this space include companies with low-code BPM platforms from Pega Systems and Appian.
Philippe Laumay, Bonita Cloud Infrastructure manager, told VentureBeat the new enhancements provide an advantage for deploying new business processes across public and private cloud services. The new architecture can also simplify data integrity, availability, confidentiality and auditability across disparate cloud infrastructures.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Ukraine cyberattacks may have Geneva Convention implications, Microsoft says | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/ukraine-cyberattacks-may-have-geneva-convention-implications-microsoft-says"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Ukraine cyberattacks may have Geneva Convention implications, Microsoft says Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Ukrainian refugees at the Siret border crossing, on the border between Ukraine and northern Romania.
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Cyberattacks targeting civilians in Ukraine “raise serious concerns under the Geneva Convention, ” Microsoft president Brad Smith said in a blog post today.
“We remain especially concerned about recent cyberattacks on Ukrainian civilian digital targets, including the financial sector, agriculture sector, emergency response services, humanitarian aid efforts, and energy sector organizations and enterprises,” Smith wrote. “These attacks on civilian targets raise serious concerns under the Geneva Convention, and we have shared information with the Ukrainian government about each of them.” As the Geneva Convention aims to protect civilians, “these attacks on civilian digital targets are very closely treading the line if not crossing it,” said Danny Lopez, CEO of cybersecurity vendor Glasswall, in an email to VentureBeat. “By targeting innocent bystanders, particularly emergency response and humanitarian aid organizations, that aren’t prepared to defend their cybersecurity infrastructure against a global power, nation-state attackers may have gone a step too far.” The four Geneva Conventions are international treaties that define the rules of war and attempt to limit barbaric behavior during wartime. The fourth Geneva Convention is focused on treatment of civilians in war situations.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! While the term “war crimes” does not appear in the convention itself, the term does appear in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Article 8, which defines “war crimes” as “grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949.” The article lists several acts that would constitute a violation of the Geneva Conventions, including “willfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health.” Other violations include “intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population,” according to Article 8 of the statute.
In terms of the Ukraine cyberattacks, Smith did not specify which incidents he was referring to in the blog when he mentioned cyberattacks that have raised “serious concerns under the Geneva Convention.” Earlier in the post, however, he disclosed that Microsoft had “detected a new round of offensive and destructive cyberattacks directed against Ukraine’s digital infrastructure” on Wednesday, February 24, several hours before Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
The attacks involved a new malware package, which Microsoft has dubbed FoxBlade. A separate Microsoft page , first published on February 23, says that FoxBlade is a trojan that “can use your PC for distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks without your knowledge.” Overall, in Ukraine, “these recent and ongoing cyberattacks have been precisely targeted,” Smith said, noting that the use of “indiscriminate malware technology” such as in the NotPetya attacks of 2017 has not been observed so far.
The Ukrainian government is a customer of Microsoft, and so are “many other organizations” in Ukraine, Smith said.
Microsoft has also “advised the Ukrainian government about recent cyber efforts to steal a wide range of data, including health, insurance, and transportation-related personally identifiable information (PII), as well as other government data sets,” he said.
Attacks on civilians A number of cyberattacks have impacted targets in Ukraine that are not part of the government or military over the past several weeks.
Massive DDoS attacks on February 15 affected the web services of three banks in Ukraine — Privatbank, Oschadbank and Monobank — as well as military websites in the country. The U.S. and U.K. have attributed those attacks to Russia.
DDoS attacks are among the simplest attacks to launch, and Russian threat actors have been known to use them “as a distraction to hide more direct attempts to breach target systems,” said Nathan Einwechter, director of security research at cyber firm Vectra.
In terms of destructive cyberattacks, data-wiping malware was deployed last Wednesday against financial, aviation and IT services companies in Ukraine, along with the defense ministry, just ahead of Russia’s invasion, according to researchers at ESET and Symantec.
That wiper has been referred to as “ HermeticWiper ” by some researchers.
The Washington Post and VentureBeat have reported that data-wiping malware also hit a Ukraine border control station over the weekend, forcing border agents to process refugees fleeing the country with pencil and paper and contributing to long waits for crossing into Romania.
HypaSec CEO Chris Kubecka, who was in Ukraine to assist with potential cyberattacks, and spoke with agents at the border crossing, told VentureBeat and Cybercrime Magazine that she has been attempting to obtain a sample of the malware for researchers to examine. The attack was first reported by the Washington Post.
Meanwhile, the State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection of Ukraine reported on February 25 that phishing emails with suspicious attachments have been targeting civilians. “The enemy forces aim to gain access to the electronic devices of Ukrainians to gather a large amount of information,” the agency said in a tweet.
“When there’s a level of uncertainty about something going on in the world, phishing can be one of the most effective tactics for attackers to use,” said Hank Schless, senior manager for security solutions at security vendor Lookout, in an email.
Other phishing attacks, which have targeted Ukrainian military personnel, have been blamed on “UNC1151″ by Ukraine’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT). The agency said the hacking group consists of officers in the defense ministry at Russian ally Belarus.
Still, even with the cyberattacks that have been launched against Ukraine, experts told the Washington Post that the attacks so far have been far less severe than many expected before the invasion.
In an email response to VentureBeat today, Microsoft declined to specify which cyberattack incidents in Ukraine may raise concerns related to the Geneva Conventions.
“The team at Microsoft is likely seeing cyberattack attempts on digital infrastructure with varying degrees of infiltration success — and was intentionally vague to encompass all of them,” Lopez said.
War crimes? Amid the attacks in Ukraine, experts will undoubtedly provide analysis on whether international laws of armed conflict may have been violated with cyberattacks, said Tim Wade, deputy CTO at Vectra.
“While some of that analysis may be complex or nuanced, one thing is very simple – placing civilian well-being in the crosshairs of a conflict is wholly unacceptable, and must not be the vehicle under which military achievements are made,” Wade said in an email. “The Geneva Convention is explicit in its purpose to protect people not taking part in hostilities.” Crimes against humanity and war crimes are typically defined broadly so that “anything that unduly impacts civilians in a conflict zone” can be considered a war crime, said John Bambenek, principal threat Hunter at IT and security operations firm Netenrich.
“Any intentional targeting of civilians certainly is the kind of thing the Geneva Convention was meant to address,” Bambenek said in an email. “The key concerns are the significance of attacks.” For instance, a cyberattack aiming to impede the movement of refugees would be “both alarming and stunningly inhumane,” Bambenek said.
Ultimately, although it is “clear to say that these actions are harming civilians, it is up to international law and Geneva to make the official judgment on whether it’s a war crime,” said Shmulik Yehezkel, CISO at cybersecurity firm CYE.
But regardless, “we are seeing a significant uptick in the use of cyber capabilities alongside the kinetic operation and it can be assumed that this trend will continue,” Yehezkel said.
In the Microsoft blog post, Smith wrote that “in recent days, we have provided threat intelligence and defensive suggestions to Ukrainian officials regarding attacks on a range of targets, including Ukrainian military institutions and manufacturers and several other Ukrainian government agencies.” “This work is ongoing,” Smith said.
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"Ukraine border control hit with wiper cyberattack, slowing refugee crossing | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/ukraine-border-control-hit-with-wiper-cyberattack-slowing-refugee-crossing"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Ukraine border control hit with wiper cyberattack, slowing refugee crossing Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn People were walking past cars waiting to cross from Ukraine into Romania, on February 25, 2022.
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A Ukraine border control station has been struck with a data wiper cyberattack that has slowed the process of allowing refugees to cross into Romania, a cybersecurity expert who spoke with Ukrainian agents at the border crossing told VentureBeat.
Refugees fleeing Ukraine after Russia’s invasion of the country have faced long waits at the border, sometimes for as long as days. At least part of the reason appears to be the impact of another major wiper attack, according to the cybersecurity expert, Chris Kubecka, who spoke with VentureBeat on Sunday.
“People are stuck because Ukraine cannot process anything except on pencil and paper,” said Kubecka, who was able to cross into Romania on Saturday on a bus with about two dozen people fleeing Ukraine.
The wiper attack at a Ukraine border control station was first reported by the Washington Post.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Kubecka said she believes the wiper attack occurred early on Saturday morning, shortly after 6 a.m. Ukraine time. She says she inquired into the reason for the long delays, and found out that a cyberattack had occurred.
Given her background in cybersecurity, she was able to speak with Ukrainian agents at the border station about what had happened. They told her that it “seems to be the same exact wiper virus that had hit some of the ministries,” Kubecka said.
Last Wednesday, data-wiping malware was deployed against the Ukrainian defense ministry as well as financial, aviation and IT services companies in Ukraine just ahead of Russia’s invasion of the country. The wiper has been referred to as “HermeticWiper” by researchers.
The wiper attack that hit the border crossing on Saturday affected the Ukraine-Romania border crossing at Siret, said Kubecka, who documented her journey in a series of tweets.
The destructive cyberattack appears to have only impacted the Ukrainian border control, and not the Romanian station, she said.
It was not clear if the border crossing has been able to get its computer systems back online. VentureBeat has reached out to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine.
More than 368,000 people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of the country last Thursday, according to the United Nations.
Ukraine has needed to closely verify those leaving the country because of the requirement that males ages 18 to 60 remain in Ukraine. However, at least at the Siret border crossing, that was proving to be a major challenge on Saturday, Kubecka said. “‘We got hit with the wiper virus, we can’t process anything,'” she was told by the authorities at the crossing.
Kubecka said she is trying to obtain a sample of the wiper malware to give it to parties such as the European Union and CERT-EU (the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU). “I’m still waiting for arrangements to be made to hand carry it from the border, if I can,” she said.
Kubecka, a U.S. native and Air Force veteran now residing in The Netherlands, was in Ukraine because of her background and expertise in the area of cyberwarfare. Her resume has included helping to restore systems for Saudi Aramco after a massive cyberattack in 2012, and she is now the founder and CEO of cyber consulting firm HypaSec.
Kubecka says she spent about 28 hours waiting to cross into Romania before being allowed through. “We slept in the bus,” she said.
While some in academia may be saying that “‘ cyberwar has not happened yet — it’s only a cyber crisis,’ that’s BS. It’s happening right now,” Kubecka said. “They’re halting and slowing down the evacuation of so many people.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"U.S. warns about threat of wiper malware being used beyond Ukraine | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/u-s-warns-about-threat-of-wiper-malware-being-used-beyond-ukraine"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages U.S. warns about threat of wiper malware being used beyond Ukraine Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
The FBI and CISA have issued a warning about the possibility that data-wiping malware observed in Ukraine might end up impacting organizations outside the country.
Ukraine, which has been under unprovoked attack by Russia since Thursday, has been struck with a series of wiper cyberattacks since January.
In a joint advisory , the FBI and CISA (the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) cited the wiper attacks against Ukrainian government agencies in January, known as WhisperGate, and those last week against Ukraine’s defense ministry, known as HermeticWiper.
Data-wiping malware can “present a direct threat to an organization’s daily operations, impacting the availability of critical assets and data,” the agencies said in the joint advisory, posted on the CISA website.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “Further disruptive cyberattacks against organizations in Ukraine are likely to occur and may unintentionally spill over to organizations in other countries,” CISA and the FBI said in the advisory. “Organizations should increase vigilance and evaluate their capabilities encompassing planning, preparation, detection, and response for such an event.” The advisory includes details on the wiper malware that has been researched to date, along with indicators of compromise (IOCs) aimed at helping detection and prevention of wiper malware.
On CISA’s separate “ Shields Up ” page, the agency continues to hold that “there are no specific or credible cyber threats to the U.S. homeland at this time” in connection with Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Wiper attacks In January, the wiper malware known as WhisperGate was deployed against a number of Ukrainian agencies. Ukraine has blamed Russia for those attacks.
Last Wednesday, the Ukrainian defense ministry and private sector businesses were hit with the destructive malware, just prior to the Russian invasion. That wiper has been referred to as “HermeticWiper” by researchers, and in some cases included ransomware as a “decoy or distraction,” researchers at Symantec said.
The Washington Post and VentureBeat reported Sunday that data-wiping malware hit a Ukraine border control station over the weekend, forcing border agents to process refugees fleeing the country with pencil and paper and contributing to long waits for crossing through the station into Romania.
The wiper cyberattack appears to have only impacted the Ukrainian border control, and not the Romanian station, according to a cybersecurity expert, Chris Kubecka, who spoke with agents at the border crossing. The Ukraine border control was verifying those leaving the country because of the requirement that males ages 18 to 60 remain in Ukraine, Kubecka said.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine did not respond to email requests for comment from VentureBeat.
Increased risks For western nations, cyber experts are warning of an increased risk of cyberattacks from Russia, as the attacks on Ukraine continue and the west responds with stiff sanctions. As is well known, both the Russian government itself and affiliated cybercriminal gangs possess significant cyberattack capabilities — and Russia has a history of using them in geopolitical contexts. Authorities in the U.S. and U.K.
blamed Russia for massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in Ukraine earlier this month.
In assessing the size and scope of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, “this attack has been in the planning for years,” said Eric Byres, CTO of cyber firm aDolus Technology, in an email. “Efforts to prepare their cyber campaign will have matched the efforts on the ground, so you know that Russia will have cyberattack resources that match their military ones.” In particular, Russian threat actors have almost certainly compromised software supply chains that we don’t know about yet, according to cyber experts.
And in any cyberwar maneuvers targeting the west, they might opt to utilize this access.
“I’m willing to bet that the Russians haven’t used even a fraction of the bullets in their cyber arsenal,” Byres said.
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"Russia will get hit hardest in cyberwar over Ukraine, expert says | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/russia-will-get-hit-hardest-in-cyberwar-over-ukraine-expert-says"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Russia will get hit hardest in cyberwar over Ukraine, expert says Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Vladimir Putin, the president of Russian Federation, on May 29, 2017.
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As substantial as the cyberattack capabilities of Russia’s affiliated hacker groups might be, the worldwide cyber effort to oppose Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine will likely prove to be greater, a former U.S. Cyber Command official told VentureBeat.
Anonymous is the most visible group to pledge a cyber offensive against Russia on behalf of Ukraine, but some of the most sophisticated hacker groups are known to avoid attention as much as possible. Research published earlier this week by a Chinese security firm indicates that a U.S.-affiliated organization, referred to as the Equation Group, is in fact “the world’s leading cyber-attack group” — whose attack capability, paired with zero-day vulnerabilities, is essentially “unstoppable.” The cyber battlefield Meanwhile, in Ukraine itself, a Bloomberg report today said that a hacker group that is now forming to bring counterattacks against Russia has amassed 500 members. And beyond Ukraine, “there are probably 100X that number of hacktivists around the world working against Russia because they are the aggressor,” said Christian Sorensen, former operational planning team lead for the U.S. Cyber Command, in an email to VentureBeat.
Thus, while Russian ransomware gang Conti, the Belarus-based group known as UNC1151 and several other hacker groups may have pledged to assist Russia with its aggression against Ukraine, the cyber forces on Ukraine’s side will likely turn out to have the upper hand, Sorensen said. (And there’s reason to suspect that even some of Conti’s own affiliates aren’t actually willing to support the Russian government in this situation.) VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Looking ahead, “I think things will ramp up against western targets,” Sorensen said. “But Russia and Belarus will be targeted by these groups even more.” ‘Unprecedented’ situation It’s hard to predict exactly how things might develop, given that this is uncharted territory, however.
“It will be unprecedented,” said Marcus Fowler, senior vice president for strategic engagements and threats at Darktrace. “We have not seen a conflict on this scale with such sophisticated offensive cyber capabilities on both sides.” This week, prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chinese cybersecurity firm Pangu Lab posted research on the hacker group known as Equation Group — a name given to the group by Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab in 2015.
The research concerns a backdoor, known as Bvp47, and Pangu contends that its findings suggest that a previous claim about the group — that it is affiliated with the NSA — is correct. (The NSA has never commented on the claim.) Though the backdoor is nearly a decade old, initially discovered in 2013, the Pangu said it is “top-tier” — and evidence that the Equation Group is the “leading” cyberattack group.
“Its network attack capability equipped by 0day vulnerabilities was unstoppable, and its data acquisition under covert control was with little effort,” Pangu Labs wrote in the research. “The Equation Group is in a dominant position in national-level cyberspace confrontation.” All of which is consistent with Kaspersky’s assessment of the Equation Group in 2015 , when the company’s research team wrote that the Equation Group “surpasses anything known in terms of complexity and sophistication of techniques” — and a Kaspersky researcher told Ars Technica that the group is “second to none” in terms of skills and abilities.
Sorensen, who is now founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm SightGain, said the Pangu research on Equation Group is a “very interesting report, with extraordinary timing” in terms of its publication in the midst of the events this week.
And notably, in the report, “the research pointed out a common thread from 10 years ago that also existed in Equation Group report,” Sorensen said. “If that technical detail is still being used, it could slow down or impact operations of people using those tools. Further, it suggests that commonality between toolsets will be a tipoff for initial attribution — and then sometimes watched, and not reported, for 10 or more years.” All in all, with the events of recent days, “we are seeing very clear signs of escalated cyber tensions,” said Stan Golubchik, founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm ContraForce. “We are seeing cyber fully emerge as the fifth domain of war.” Making an impact Ultimately, while it’s not clear how much can be accomplished by anti-Russian cyber forces, there is now the potential for people all around the world to actively participate in trying to thwart a military offensive, Sorensen said.
“This is the new nature of cyberwar,” he said.
“Whether sanctioned or not, official or not, if people have or can get the right information, know-how, and desire — they can make an impact,” Sorensen said. “We’ll have to wait and see what they are able to do.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Russia may use SolarWinds-like hacks in cyberwar over Ukraine | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/russia-may-use-solarwinds-like-hacks-in-cyberwar-over-ukraine"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Russia may use SolarWinds-like hacks in cyberwar over Ukraine Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Stiff sanctions against Russia and Vladimir Putin over Ukraine means a wave of cyberattacks may be headed for the U.S. and other western nations as retaliation, cyber experts say, as part of what could become an escalating “cyberwar.” Security teams, of course, are perpetually on guard for Russian attacks — but the threat this time could be especially difficult to see coming, experts told VentureBeat.
That’s because Russia is believed to have been saving up some of its best options for a moment like this one. Russian threat actors are widely believed to have gained footholds into corporate and government systems — via SolarWinds-like software supply chain breaches, the Log4j vulnerability, or even the SolarWinds hack itself — which just haven’t come to light yet.
But they might soon. Cyber experts are warning of an increased risk of cyberattacks from Russia, following sanctions that booted major Russian banks from the SWIFT financial system. The move essentially prevents the Russian banks from carrying out international transactions, and followed other rounds of sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including some that’ve hit Putin himself.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Breaching supply chains The SWIFT sanctions had previously been described as the “nuclear option,” and are exactly the sort of thing that Putin had vowed to retaliate against. And cyberattacks are his preferred method for hitting back against the west.
In assessing the size and scope of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, “this attack has been in the planning for years,” said Eric Byres, CTO of cyber firm aDolus Technology. “Efforts to prepare their cyber campaign will have matched the efforts on the ground, so you know that Russia will have cyberattack resources that match their military ones.” Russian threat actors — whether in government agencies such as the GRU and SVR, or in sympathetic groups such as Conti — have almost certainly compromised software supply chains that we don’t know about yet, according to cyber experts. And in any cyberwar maneuvers targeting the west, they might opt to utilize this access.
“I’m willing to bet that the Russians haven’t used even a fraction of the bullets in their cyber arsenal,” Byres said in an email.
SolarWinds Uncovered in December 2020, the attack on SolarWinds and customers of its Orion network monitoring platform has been linked to the Russian intelligence agency SVR. The attackers managed to breach the software supply chain and insert malicious code into the application, which was then distributed as an update to thousands of customers.
As a result, the attackers are believed to have gained access for as much as nine months to numerous companies and government agencies, including FireEye, Microsoft and the Departments of Defense, State and Treasury.
Notably, however, SolarWinds was not the first major software supply chain attack attributed to Russia, or even the most damaging.
The 2017 NotPetya attack is believed to have originated through a compromise of an accounting application, MeDoc, which was made by a Ukrainian company and widely used in the country. The malware delivered through updating to the compromised software ended up spreading worldwide. And it remains the costliest cyberattack to date, with damages of $10 billion.
Other high-profile supply chain breaches have included Kaseya and CodeCov — and according to data from Aqua Security, software supply chain attacks surged by more than 300% overall in 2021.
Unknown breaches Russian threat actors have likely carried out many such breaches that remain unknown, for now. “Supply chain penetrations don’t show up on satellite photos like tanks do, so we don’t really know where the Russian cyber implants are lurking,” Byres said.
In the wake of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, the country has most likely been holding off on using its attack capability in the U.S. to see how hard the west would hit back with sanctions and support for Ukraine, Byres said.
Researchers at Cisco Talos have similarly been warning about the heightened risk of Russian attacks originating in the software supply chain in connection with Russia’s aggressions in Ukraine.
“We assess that these actors would likely abuse elements of complex systems to achieve their objectives on targeted environments,” Talos researchers wrote in a blog post.
“Past examples of this include the use of Ukrainian tax software to distribute NotPetya malware in 2017 and, more recently, the abuse of SolarWinds to gain access to high-priority targets.” In all likelihood, the Russian threat actors behind the SolarWinds attack still have access from the breach in many companies that has so far gone unused, experts say.
Privileged access The SolarWinds attack was “unique in that the threat actor targeted and gained persistent, invasive access to select organizations’ enterprise networks, their federated identity solutions, and their Active Directory and Microsoft 365 environments,” said James Turgal, a former 22-year veteran of the FBI, and now a vice president at cybersecurity consulting firm Optiv. “The actor used that privileged access to collect and exfiltrate sensitive data and created backdoors to enable their return.” Turgal, whose time at the FBI included serving as executive assistant director for the Information and Technology Branch, said the risk is from the threat actor’s “deep penetration into the compromised networks.” “Unless each and every server, drive or compromised device was replaced or re-baselined, the probability of complete eviction of the malicious code would be low, due to the high cost and complexity of such a remediation,” he said. “Absent complete replacement or re-baseline remediation actions, those victims’ enterprise networks and cloud environments will be exposed to substantial risk for repeat and long-term undetected Russian threat actor activity, and those compromised organizations could be re-victimized when the threat actor desires to do so.” Ultimately — with SolarWinds, and even NotPetya — “there may be victims that have been compromised by those attacks, and they just don’t know it yet,” Turgal said.
Byres agreed, saying he’s “certain” Russia has access to victims of the SolarWinds campaign that we aren’t aware of yet.
“Back in February 2021, I listened to a briefing by a G7 security agency where the director commented that critical infrastructure companies were still reporting to the agency that they had just discovered compromised SolarWinds software in their systems. This was three months after the malware was uncovered,” Byres said. “Three months is a lifetime in the cyber world and the Russians would have had more than enough time to hide deep inside a system and cover their tracks.” Today, Reuters reported that U.S. banks are making preparations for potential cyberattacks in retaliation for sanctions on Russia such as SWIFT. The report specifically mentions that for banks, the SolarWinds breach “is top of mind.” And SolarWinds is “just one campaign that we know about,” Byres said.
Log4j For instance, the Apache Log4j vulnerability uncovered in December “was a Christmas gift to the Russians,” he said. “The vulnerable software is widespread, and the exploit was easy and powerful.” Russian agencies almost certainly used the vulnerability, which is believed to have appeared in logging software used by practically every company, to gain footholds into critical systems in the U.S. that they haven’t leveraged yet, Byres said. (Researchers have noted that major attacks utilizing Log4j have been lower than expected so far.) In the current threat situation overall, Western companies that have commercial connections to Ukraine are at an especially high risk, according to Byres.
For instance, Maersk reported it lost as much as $300 million in the NotPetya attack. While the shipping firm is based in Denmark, it reportedly used the MeDoc accounting software — “which implied they had business dealings with Ukraine, a fact that was unpopular in Moscow,” Byres said.
And notably, while NotPetya did coincide with a Russia-backed separatist movement in Ukraine, “there wasn’t a full-blown war occurring,” he said. “So anyone in the west dealing with Ukrainian businesses today is facing a much bigger risk than Maersk did in 2017.” Fighting fires That being said, Russia will likely be looking to bring cyberwarfare against companies that don’t directly deal with Ukraine as well, Byres said. Putin has made it clear that the entire western world is his enemy and all options are on the table, he said.
“Any country and its infrastructure is fair game for a cyberattack” if Putin perceives it is interfering with his goals, Byres said.
If the Russians had managed to subdue all of Ukraine in just a few days, they probably would’ve kept cyber weapons in the U.S. infrastructure under wraps for a rainy day in the future, he noted. But after the sanctions of recent days and stiffer resistance from Ukraine’s forces than expected, that calculus may have changed.
For cyber defenders in the west, “our job is to uncover these attacks quickly and put them out before they spread and do serious damage,” Byres said. “It is a lot like fighting forest fires – the effective response is to spot little fires quickly and extinguish them before they become big fires.” That can only happen when you have visibility of “both the overall forest and the trees within that forest,” he said. “Governments and company management need to be able to see the forest and the trees in our software supply chain.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Nvidia cyberattack not related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, report says | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/nvidia-cyberattack-not-related-to-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-report-says"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Nvidia cyberattack not related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, report says Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn HANGZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 20, 2021 - Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2021 shows the booth of Nvidia at the 2021 Hangzhou Computing Conference in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. Nvidia is abandoning its plan to buy Arm from SoftBank Group due to regulatory objections, ending what would have been the biggest deal in the chip industry. (Photo credit should read Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Nvidia has yet to disclose further details on the cyber “incident” that it has been investigating — but a report Friday said the apparent cyberattack was not tied to the crisis in Ukraine that’s been brought on by Russia.
The unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by its neighbor Russia this week prompted increased sanctions from the U.S. and other western nations on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made repeated threats to take actions against the west if its nations were to “interfere” with Russia’s campaign against Ukraine — something that many believe could include deployment of cyberattacks, given the Putin regime’s frequent use of this tactic.
However, according to a Bloomberg report Friday, the cyberattack against Nvidia was not related to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The breach was “not connected to the crisis in Ukraine,” the report said, citing a source familiar with the matter.
When reached Friday, Nvidia said it could not confirm the report and did not have any additional information to add beyond its prior statement.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The Bloomberg report also said that the incident “appears” to have involved a ransomware attack, and suggests the attack was “relatively minor.” In Nvidia’s statement earlier Friday, a spokesperson said that the company was “investigating an incident” and was “still working to evaluate the nature and scope of the event.” “Our business and commercial activities continue uninterrupted,” the Nvidia spokesperson said in the statement.
Outages reported The statement came in response to a Friday report in The Telegraph that Nvidia, one of the largest producers of graphics chips, has been investigating “a potential cyber attack that has taken parts of its business offline for two days.” Quoting an unnamed “insider” at Nvidia, The Telegraph reported that the potential cyberattack had “completely compromised” internal systems at the company — “although some email services were working on Friday,” the report said.
The potential “malicious network intrusion” has caused outages for the company’s email systems and developer tools, the report says.
In situations such as this, cyber defenders shouldn’t “immediately assume” that attacks are retaliation to western sanctions against Russia, said Rick Holland, CISO at Digital Shadows.
“This response is possible, but it needs to be investigated and validated,” Holland said. “Ransomware crews have been extorting victims for years and will continue to do so.” Retaliation threatened Still, in his addresses in recent days, Putin has made it clear that the entire Western world is his enemy and all options are on the table, according to Eric Byres, a cybersecurity veteran who is now CTO of aDolus Technology.
In his speech on Thursday, Putin said that “for those who may be tempted to interfere in these developments,” that “Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.” RussianRussian cyber offensives have also been playing a role in the country’s build-up to its assault on Ukraine this week. Authorities in the U.S. and U.K.
blamed Russia for last week’s massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in Ukraine. Fresh DDoS attacks, as well as destructive cyberattacks that involved wiper malware , struck Ukraine on Wednesday just ahead of the invasion.
Meanwhile, Russia’s attacks on Ukraine have led hacking groups worldwide to increase their activities — in numerous instances to support one of the two sides, in what some are calling a “cyber proxy war.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"How to make software supply chains resilient to cyber attacks | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/how-to-make-software-supply-chains-resilient-to-cyber-attacks"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community How to make software supply chains resilient to cyber attacks Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Imagine if someone asked you to drink a glass of liquid without telling you what was inside or what the ingredients might do. Would you drink it? Maybe, if it was given to you by someone you trusted, but what if that person said they couldn’t be sure what was inside? You probably wouldn’t partake.
Consuming the unknown is exactly what IT departments do every day. They install software and updates on critical systems without knowing what’s inside or what it does. They trust their suppliers, but the thing that software suppliers don’t tell IT departments is they can’t be sure of all their upstream suppliers. Protecting all of the parts of a software supply chain, including those outside of IT’s control, is nearly impossible. Unfortunately, bad actors are taking full advantage of this large “attack surface” and scoring big wins in cyber breaches.
A big problem getting bigger The most famous example was the hack of Austin, Texas-based business software developer SolarWinds in 2020.
Attackers inserted malicious code into software that was widely used by industry and the federal government. IT departments installed an update containing the malware and large volumes of sensitive and classified data were stolen.
Other software supply chain attacks have happened at companies like Kaseya, an IT Management software company where hackers added code to install ransomware, and Codecov, a tool provider whose software was used to steal data. And compromised versions of “coa” and “rc” open-source packages have been used to steal passwords. These names may not be familiar outside of IT, but they have large user bases to exploit. Coa and rc have tens of millions of downloads.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Quite obviously, attackers have figured out it’s far easier to hack software that people willingly install on thousands of systems than to hack each system individually. Software supply chain attacks increased by 300% from 2020 to 2021, according to an Argon Security report. This problem isn’t going away.
How could this happen? There are two ways hackers attack software supply chains: They compromise software build tools or they compromise third-party components A lot of focus has been placed on securing the source code repositories of build tools. Google’s proposed SLSA (Supply Chain Levels for Software Artifacts) framework allows organizations to benchmark how well they have “locked down” these systems. That’s important because there are now hundreds of commonly used build tools — many of which are easily accessible in the cloud. Just this month, open-source plugin Argo CD was found to have a significant vulnerability , allowing access to the secrets that unlock build and release systems. Argo CD is used by thousands of organizations and has been downloaded over a half a million times.
At SolarWinds, attackers were able to access where source code was stored, and they added extra code that was ultimately used to steal data from SolarWinds users. SolarWinds built its software without realizing that malware was being included. This was like giving an untrusted person access to the ingredients in that glass of liquid.
Even if companies control their own build environments, the use of third-party components creates massive blind spots in software. Gone are the days when companies wrote a complete software package from scratch. Modern software is assembled from components built by others. Some of those third parties use components from fourth and fifth parties. All it takes is for one sub-sub-subcomponent to include malware and the final package now includes that malware.
Examples of compromised components are staggeringly common, especially in the open-source world. “Namespace confusion attacks” are cases where someone uploads a package and simply claims it to be a newer version of something legitimate. Alternatively, hackers submit malicious code to be added to legitimate packages, since open source allows anyone to contribute updates. When a developer adds a compromised component to their code, they inherit all current and future vulnerabilities.
The solution: A permissions framework Industry groups and government agencies like the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) are working on developing a standard and plan to use an executive order to mandate the use of a software bill of materials (SBoM) for government-purchased software. An SBoM is a software ingredients list that helps identify what all of the components are but unfortunately won’t indicate if they were hacked and will misbehave. Hackers won’t list their code in the ingredients.
Developers can improve the security of the build tools they control and list third-party ingredients from their suppliers, but that won’t be enough for them or their users to be sure that none of the ingredients were compromised. IT needs more than an ingredients list. It needs software developers to describe how code and components are expected to behave. IT teams can check those declarations and ensure they are consistent with the software’s purpose. If a program is supposed to be a calculator, for example, it shouldn’t include a behavior that says it will send data to China. Calculators don’t need to do that.
Of course, the compromised calculator might not say that it intends to send data overseas because hackers won’t publicize that software was compromised. A second step is necessary. When the software runs, it should be blocked from doing things it didn’t declare. If the software didn’t say it intended to send data to a foreign country, it wouldn’t be allowed to.
That sounds complicated, but examples already exist with mobile phone apps. When installed, apps ask for permission to access your camera, contacts, or microphone. Any unrequested access is blocked. We need a framework to apply the concept of mobile app-like permissions to data center software. And that’s what companies like mine and many others in our industry are working on. Here are two of the challenges.
One, if a human approves “sending data outside of my company,” do they mean all data? To anywhere? Listing all types of data and all destinations is too much detail to review, so this becomes a linguistic and taxonomy challenge as much as a technical one. How do we describe risky behaviors in a high-level way that makes sense to a human without losing important distinctions or the specific details that a computer needs? Two, developers won’t use tools that slow them down. That’s a fact. Accordingly, much of the work in declaring how software is expected to behave can — and should — be automated. That means scanning code to discover the behaviors it contains to present findings to developers for review. Then, of course, the next challenge for everyone involved is to determine how accurate that scanning and assessment is.
These challenges are not insurmountable. It’s in everyone’s best interests to develop a permissions framework for data center software. Only then will we know it’s safe to take that drink.
Lou Steinberg is Founder and a Managing Partner at CTM Insights , a cybersecurity research lab and incubator. He has been at the leading edge of network security and technology innovation throughout his career. Prior to CTM, he was CTO of TD Ameritrade, where he was responsible for technology innovation, platform architecture, engineering, operations, risk management, and cyber security.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Cyber threat grows after Russia SWIFT sanctions over Ukraine | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/cyber-threat-grows-after-russia-swift-sanctions-over-ukraine"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Cyber threat grows after Russia SWIFT sanctions over Ukraine Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Ukraine is getting international support.
Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Cyber experts warned of increased risk of cyberattacks from Russia, following the latest sanctions announced over Ukraine — which dropped major Russian banks from the SWIFT financial system.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened retaliation against the west for what he perceives as interference in the country’s unprovoked assault on its neighbor Ukraine. And as is well known, both the Russian government itself and affiliated cybercriminal gangs possess significant cyberattack capabilities — and Russia has a history of using them in geopolitical contexts.
Authorities in the U.S. and U.K.
blamed Russia for last week’s massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in Ukraine. And fresh DDoS attacks, as well as destructive cyberattacks that involved wiper malware, struck Ukraine on Wednesday just ahead of the invasion.
But thus far, “I’m willing to bet that the Russians haven’t used even a fraction of the bullets in their cyber arsenal,” said Eric Byres, CTO of cyber firm aDolus Technology, in an email.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Punishing Putin Today, several large Russian banks were removed from SWIFT in a move coordinated by the U.S. and the European Commission, as well as by the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Canada.
SWIFT, which stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, is a messaging system that enables banks to transact with each other internationally. The move essentially prevents the Russian banks from carrying out international transactions, according to reports.
While seen as a necessary step to penalize Putin for his invasion of Ukraine — already responsible for at least hundreds of casualties, including Ukrainian civilians — the move nevertheless raises the likelihood that Putin will respond against the west, including potentially with a wave of cyberattacks. Previously, expelling Russian banks from SWIFT had been characterized by some as the “last resort” and the “nuclear option.” “Putin/Russia [is] getting completely isolated economically & diplomatically,” wrote Dmitri Alperovitch, cofounder and former CTO of CrowdStrike and a Russian expat, in a tweet today.
“The danger: Putin has very little to lose now. He is cornered. May go all out on economic and cyber retaliation,” wrote Alperovitch, who is now executive chairman at the Silverado Policy Accelerator think tank.
‘Shields up’ The expulsion from SWIFT is a “significant escalation from the initial sanctions announced on Thursday,” said Rick Holland, CISO at Digital Shadows, in an email.
“The SWIFT removal significantly increases the risks of state-executed or state-encouraged Russian cyberattacks against the West,” Holland said.
Before the announcement, he noted, ransomware groups including Conti and CoomingProject had pledged to aid Russia from a cyber perspective in its efforts over Ukraine.
“If Russia encourages or even incents cybercriminal targeting against Western companies, the threat level increases dramatically,” Holland said. “There is also a risk of a potential escalatory spiral if the U.S.
retaliates against these attacks.” Ultimately, “as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) says, we need ‘ Shields Up ‘ right now — because the cyber threat level for the financial and energy sectors, in particular, is perhaps the highest it has been in years,” he said.
In the past, many in the west have made the assumption that Putin would stop short of unleashing the full brunt of its cyber capabilities on the west over Ukraine.
“I originally believed that Putin was a rational actor that wouldn’t want to launch major cyberattacks in the U.S., as that would provoke similar attacks in response,” Byres said. “After all, his goal was to subdue Ukraine, not the U.S.” However, “after reading the full translation of his speech on Tuesday, reviewing the commentary from a number of Russian political analysts and talking to cyber analysts looking at known intrusions in the U.S., I’m not so sure anymore,” Byres said. “I worry that Putin believes he is bulletproof and the U.S. is weak.” Putin has made it clear that the entire western world is his enemy and all options are on the table, according to Byres.
Ukraine’s ‘IT army’ Meanwhile, cyber efforts in Ukraine itself appeared to advance further on Saturday. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s vice prime minister, announced on Twitter, “We are creating an IT army.” “We need digital talents,” wrote Fedorov , who also holds the title of minister of digital transformation — sharing a link to a Telegram channel where he said operational tasks will be distributed. “We continue to fight on the cyber front.” Anonymous is the most visible group to pledge a cyber offensive against Russia on behalf of Ukraine, but some of the most sophisticated hacker groups are known to avoid attention as much as possible — including some that are believed to be aligned with the U.S. and western countries.
On Friday, Christian Sorensen, a former U.S. Cyber Command official, told VentureBeat that “hacktivists around the world [will be] working against Russia, because they are the aggressor.” “I think things will ramp up against western targets, but Russia and Belarus will be targeted by these groups even more” said Sorensen, formerly the operational planning team lead for the U.S. Cyber Command.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Report: Two-thirds of consumers would rather use a chatbot than browse a website | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/marketing/report-two-thirds-of-consumers-would-rather-use-a-chatbot-than-browse-a-website"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Report: Two-thirds of consumers would rather use a chatbot than browse a website Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Conversational marketing agents , or chatbots, have become practically ubiquitous on the internet today. According to Botco.ai , not only do eight out of 10 people say they’ve used a chatbot in the past, but the vast majority of consumers — 70% — say that chatbots typically answer all or most of their questions satisfactorily.
Chatbots have become such an important way of navigating websites and finding information that two-thirds of consumers say they would rather use a chatbot than browse a website to find what they’re looking for. Approximately 18% of consumers use chatbots to find business hours, while 17% are interested in learning more about product information, and 16% are looking to find a nearby business location; other use cases include making a customer service request (16%), requesting technical support (12%), requesting a quote (11%) and asking for personalized recommendations (9%).
Meanwhile, marketers are deploying chatbots in greater numbers to enhance the customer journey. Ninety-three percent of marketing professionals say their companies currently use chatbots to interact with prospects and customers, while 87% of companies that don’t currently utilize chatbots expect to do so in the future, with half of them expected to do so in the next year or sooner. Nearly all marketing professionals — 98% — confirm that chatbots have improved the customer journey overall for customers and prospects, as well as increased lead conversions for their companies. The most noted benefit was increased sales conversions, followed by more qualified leads, decreased customer-support requests, a more positive customer experience and increased brand affinity, respectively.
In November 2021, Botco.ai conducted two surveys to gauge the utilization of chatbots in the field of marketing. The first survey was directed towards consumers and had 1,000 participants. The second survey conducted had 250 respondents, all of whom held a title of either chief marketing officer, digital marketing manager, vice president of marketing or director of marketing. The goal of the survey was to evaluate the participants’ familiarity, use of and satisfaction with intelligent chatbots, as well as the appeal of the technology compared to other products currently available. Respondents represented a wide variety of industries, education and income levels.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Read the full report by Botco.ai.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"HTC unveils its Viverse vision of the metaverse | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/htc-unveils-its-viverse-vision-of-the-metaverse"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages HTC unveils its Viverse vision of the metaverse Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
Cher Wang , chairwoman of virtual reality hardware maker HTC , unveiled her company’s vision of the metaverse, known as Viverse.
One the eve of the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Spain, Wang introduced a video and made some announcements related to the Viverse, which will make use of HTC’s Vive VR headsets.
HTC has a demo of an animated virtual world that it calls Viverse, which Wang said would be a safe and secure environment for kids and adults alike. It will be a space to customize, collaborate, and have fun.
“From the beginning, our Vive Reality vision has been to merge humanity with technology to unleash imagination,” Wang said in the video.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! HTC said it is unveiling its latest portable private 5G solution — the Reign Foundation — working closely with new HTC subsidiary, G-Reign, and in collaboration with Supermicro.
HTC also teamed up with Holoride to bring VR entertainment to car passengers. It showed a demo of its Vive Flow immersive VR glasses using Holoride’s immersive technology platform. HTC Vive and Holoride are showcasing their ride-ready glasses and in-car VR experience to select guests at MWC 2022 with a drive around Barcelona.
During the ride, passengers will be able to experience Holoride’s ‘elastic content’ which is able to match car movement so that experiences like games actually adapt in real-time to route length and type, driving styles, and location.
Wang said Viverse is present with VR applications today and will be coming in the future as AR and VR hardware advance further to deliver a “future where the impossible becomes possible.” In the Viverse, you will be able to work out at the gym from your living room, attend virtual concerts, and climb virtual glaciers. The technologies of the metaverse that will matter include VR, AR, AI, blockchain, and 5G, Wang said.
She said the tech should move to the background and experiences should come to the foreground.
“These are technologies that we should continue to innovate to carry us forward,” Wang said.
She said HTC supports Viverse as an open metaverse platform and will work with its partners to deliver the Viverse.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How developers, creators, and brands can tap into the passion of esports fans | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/how-developers-creators-and-brands-can-tap-into-the-passion-of-esports-fans"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Sponsored How developers, creators, and brands can tap into the passion of esports fans Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Presented by Google for Games Catch up on the other articles from Google for Games in this series covering a wide range of topics that help developers take their games to the next level.
Find them all here.
By 2020, esports was an undeniable cultural phenomenon, with growth continuing to surge. By 2021, audience count hit a cool 474 million worldwide. Can this trend continue? That’s a definitive yes, according to the recent Google for Games market research report, “ Beyond 2021: Where does gaming go next? “ Watching esports and live-streamed content ranked highest of all forms of gaming engagement across the world, according to the report. And in the wake of the pandemic, analysts predict a growth to 920.3 million by 2024, which is a CAGR of +9.2%.
“As 2020 ended and we hit such highs for esports, the question was, how can we replicate this in 2021?” says Kendra Johnson, director and global head of gaming publishers at YouTube. “2021 was even bigger in terms of engagement, audience, number of events, and number of games that added a competitive esports element to their content strategy. The growth of content across live-streaming and VOD is an essential aspect of the gaming experience and is only accelerating. Those of us at YouTube and Google are very bullish on what’s to come in 2022 for esports.” The esports audience is a key factor in a game’s success, Google found in the report. That means game developers need to expand their engagement strategies to continuously connect with their content creators and audience, beyond the launch hype — it’s essential to nurture the community that’s in a decisive position to help promote a game. Here’s a closer look at the esports phenomenon, and the opportunities that lie ahead for industry professionals who are in the loop.
The state of the esports world In a world where in-person connection is at a premium, players (and their followers) need to find ways to connect and talk trash more than ever before. To that end, they’re gathering on platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Huya. From NewZoo’s data, game content across YouTube and Twitch generated a combined 25 billion live hours watched in 2020, marking a 76% increase over 2019, Google found. And in 2021’s first five months, fans watched 13.6 billion live hours across YouTube and Twitch. Online video channels have become the second-most trusted source of game discovery after friends and peers, with these channels rising in importance as players reach veteran status — and those veterans are more likely to spend as well.
And about a third of all those surveyed are expecting their consumption of game content to increase in 2022. It’s expected to rise 39% more than current levels in the U.S.
And it’s a global sensation. Esports have been embraced in Latin America, in Asia, southeast Asia, the middle east, and eastern Europe, with its popularity fueled by the rise in mobile gaming. This global expansion of esports super-fandom is meeting a surge in content creation, making it not only a great time to be an esports enthusiast, but offering big opportunity for gamers to get on board, and for developers to retain and engage a passionate audience, Johnson says. And with a game’s viewing audience in such a powerful position to help promote games, it’s crucial for game developers to focus engagement strategies on these fans.
“Developers who are focusing on fostering creation around community and fandom, whether it’s esports or their regular content needs, will find an opportunity for growth,” she says. “They can tap into the community and share that excitement and fandom through the programs they’re building locally, regionally, and nationally.” But beyond the play on the competitive pitch, the boom in investment across the entire esports space is also driving growth. There’s action from the companies that organize the tournaments, like the ESL Gaming and FACEIT merger and purchase.
There’s money pouring into the ecosystem that supports fans, such as esports betting platform Midnite recently raising $16 million.
And for the players, there’s PlayVS, the scholastic esports platform (slash esports talent pipeline) partnering with Activision Blizzard to add Hearthstone to the spring 2022 season lineup.
That’s just for starters.
What’s behind the staying power of esports? The big wave of esports excitement from all corners of the industry during the pandemic shouldn’t be surprising – community has always been a major factor for gaming audiences, and esports fosters community. It’s also never been easier to create that community. During the pandemic, the meteoric rise in gaming as a way to connect virtually has also translated into a rise in audience for streaming, with both long-term fans and new ones finding places to meet each other online, showing up for a variety of content. Google found that fans in North America are watching everything from straight-up gameplay (31%) to esports competitions (19%) and related content. And this across-the-board fandom is what makes esports so sticky.
“Not only are these fans just deeply connected to their regional teams competing on a global stage, but they’re also active players of the game,” Johnson says. “They’re constantly being drawn back into a competitive scene as a viewer and as a player.” There are also so many touch points for fans, and so many opportunities to continue to see competitive play at higher and higher levels, from the local and national to the global, which keeps viewers glued to their screens and returning to their communities regularly.
“We’re seeing the power of community and chat on a streaming platform drives and deepens engagement and stickiness,” she says. “Everybody is watching together and a part of the broader conversation, with even the broadcasters engaging with chat. Those are the kinds of innovations that really make it a much stickier experience for fans.” The opportunities for brands, creators, and publishers Appointment live streaming has offered a great opportunity for brands, creators, and publishers to rouse their fanbase, a clarion call to gather and share the big moments together, which is really powerful in the gaming community, Johnson says.
Streaming platforms have made these appointments even more engaging for viewers. For instance, YouTube rolled out a number of tools to improve the experience of livestreaming on the platform, such as premieres, redirects, and countdown clocks to galvanize audience excitement and bring viewers together.
“We’re really encouraged by how much publishers are able to see the value of Live and connecting with their community,” she says. “From a community side, we’re investing more in live discovery, as well as in our chat functionality. You see chat during live stream really deepening that community engagement.” Part of that is embracing that huge chunk of the gaming audience — about 45% percent strong — that identify as women or girls. There’s a clear opportunity here to attract a long-neglected, undeniably lucrative demographic to competitive play, and significantly broaden the audience along the way. And while male North American viewers outnumber female viewers by almost 2 to 1 (for now), the audience for live-streamed game content is 43% female.
“It’s an undeniable fact that there’s a great proportion of women driving engagement, play, and spend in video games,” Johnson says. “It feels like a real blue-sky opportunity for all the components of the esports ecosystem to dig in.” To crunch the esports numbers and get even more insights into the opportunities opening up for game developers beyond 2021, download the free Google for Games market research reports, “ Beyond 2021: Where does gaming go next ?” Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Without standards, there is no metaverse | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/without-standards-there-is-no-metaverse"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Without standards, there is no metaverse Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
It takes more than a clever speech by Facebook or anyone else to create the metaverse.
Before any of us can begin exploring it, someone — or more likely a combination of many someone’s — needs to begin building it. For that to happen globally and at real scale, we will need the right combination of devices, standards , and network technology — none of which are fully here yet.
We will access the metaverse via different types of devices, with different methods of entry and connectivity and different styles — from fully immersive headsets to fashionable glasses that could be worn all day, every day. And while the device makers will compete for market share and attention based on their differing user interfaces, the virtual worlds they access will need to have many shared and standardized methods of exploring the metaverse experience.
The truth is that currently a lot of those standards and standardized approaches are missing and still need to be created. A simple example of this can be found around mapping and the simultaneous localization that will be essential to create the mix of physical and digital augmented realities that could make up the metaverse. Today, device manufacturers and platforms each have their own proprietary data for this process, and there is nothing that could pass for an agreed standard.
The virtual and mixed reality worlds of the metaverse will be created using spatial mapping — the process by which devices capture and combine the sensory data they collect to construct a three-dimensional rendering of a space. The computational algorithms required to do this can be on the device, in the network, or more likely a combination of the two.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! In this metaverse experience, latency is critical as the space needs to re-render in real-time as you move through it and the real-world surfaces are overlaid with virtualized colors, textures, and images. That makes edge computing key in terms of delivering the metaverse experience because in virtual reality applications, unless latency falls below 20 milliseconds, many users will experience nausea.
Time warping is used to try to combat this, but a lower latency connection would give a much better quality of experience (QoE). Additionally, in augmented reality settings, high network and processing latency will give a poor QoE when tracking or interacting with real world objects.
And for the metaverse to be device and platform-independent, the current fragmented landscape of proprietary mapping solutions will need to merge into accepted standards. The OpenXR community is trying to address this through open APIs, the 3GPP is addressing it through standards in radio and network optimization, and MPEG is looking at a range of compression techniques, including spatial audio, haptics, and higher efficiency video codecs.
But whether it is uplink and downlink transport optimization for all of the XR data streams, video, audio, haptics and point cloud processing, or dedicated network slicing, there is a need to standardize the processes underpinning spatial mapping data to ensure the metaverse is a universally accessible experience, not a proprietary fragmented one.
The devices, too, have a way to go before they can become ubiquitous — especially if we are talking wearable, fashionable, glasses.
The merged reality version of the metaverse involves creating a digital representation of the real world and overlaying textures upon it, potentially inserting virtual objects, or modifying real world objects to create a different appearance. You could turn a real city into one that looks medieval, or you could turn New York into Gotham City — still see real buildings, still see real people, but overlay them with a different appearance. Another version of the metaverse might be entirely virtual and created using a fully immersive headset. Versions would likely be device or platform dependent, but they will all require standards and advances in network technology to deliver those personal experiences.
Of course, while some of this can be delivered using 5G — given the bandwidth, reliability and latency levels available over 5G networks — the ubiquity and scale required is still some way off. Facebook could release some AR glasses and call it the metaverse, but then Apple could release its own cool device and term that the metaverse. Both may develop a business model that works for them, but it will also need to work for the (mostly mobile) network operators that will provide the connectivity.
Additionally, while Facebook’s business model is likely to be platform-based and involve advertising, Apple’s is almost certainly going to be based around the ‘cool’ device and user interface. But the plain fact is that unless the devices talk to and interact with one another, unless all these rendered worlds use the same standards and data sharing techniques, and unless the networks can deliver the capacity and connectivity at an affordable and sustainable price, the metaverse will stall — or fall short of delivering on its full potential as quickly as it could.
No one company owns the internet. No one company owns the commerce on the internet, the access to it, the user interface, the innovation, or the ideas it has unleashed. Yes, some companies are internet giants — but the internet is also home to millions of small and successful companies and individuals. The metaverse must follow that same template to fully succeed for the widest possible global audience of enablers and users.
Chris Phillips is Senior Director of Advanced Research and Development, Media IP at Xperi.
His current focus is on eXtended reality, the metaverse, and cloud gaming research topics. Prior to Xperi, he led Ericsson’s eXtended Reality research and held research positions at AT&T Laboratories and the former AT&T Bell Laboratories. He is also an inventor with over 100 worldwide granted patents.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Why voice assistants could be the future of user experience | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/why-voice-assistants-could-be-the-future-of-user-experience"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Why voice assistants could be the future of user experience Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Ramu Sunkara, CEO and cofounder of Alan AI, and Andrey Ryabov, CTO and cofounder of Alan AI.
You created the next killer app, and you’re a few steps away from making history. As soon as you roll out the first version, users will fall in love with it. They will recommend it to their friends, network effects will kick in, put you ahead of your competitors, and ensure your success. All you have to do is figure out how to make the app user-friendly.
It sounds easy, but that last part, the user-friendliness, is easier said than done. And it happens to be one of the most important and most difficult parts of creating products.
As anyone with experience in the software industry can attest to, users’ reactions to the first version of your application will likely be very different from your expectations. You’ll witness confusion, frustration, and churn as users struggle to figure out how to use your application and experience its true value.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! First impressions are crucial. When you launch a new application, you have a small window of opportunity to learn from your users and adjust. You must identify pain points and continuously adjust the application’s interface to make sure your users receive the optimal experience.
Previously, this endeavor was a painful and slow process, requiring expensive changes to the graphical user interface and hoping that it works out. Fortunately, with the advent of a new generation of app-centric, AI-powered voice assistants , the equation is about to change.
Why do good applications fail? The gap between developer vision and user experience is the reason why many applications die. A relevant case study is Hipstamatic, the application that first brought the idea of photo filters in 2009. While Hipstamatic had an excellent idea, it had poor design choices, the user interface introduced a lot of friction, and it missed features that would have made it appealing to users.
Hipstamatic failed to learn its flaws and fix them in time. As a result, it gave its way to Instagram, a lesser-known app that was much more appealing to users and later became acquired by Facebook for $1 billion.
Hipstamatic is one of many examples of good products that die because their teams don’t learn to adapt to their users’ needs and preferences. Today’s applications — especially in the enterprise and workplace domain — have very complicated user interfaces and features. It is easy to confuse users and hard to find the best layout that will put the right features front and center.
Creating the optimal user interface and experience hinges on two key factors. First, developer and product managers need the right tools to gather relevant data and learn from users’ interactions with their application. And second, they need the tools to quickly iterate and update their user interface.
Wealthy software companies can overcome these challenges by hiring many developers working in parallel on different versions of an application’s user interface. They can roll out and manage complicated A/B/n tests and hire analytics experts to steer their way toward the optimal user interface. They might be able to afford expensive in-person studies and surveys to spot the reasons users leave the conversion funnel.
But for a small startup that is burning investor cash and has limited time and resources, learning can be too expensive — which is why many developers resort to launching their app and praying that it works.
This is about to change with the new generation of voice assistants.
Improving the user journey First impressions and experience of an app will have a profound impact on users’ retention. If a user quickly finds their way around the interface and gets to experience the app’s true value, they will likely use it again and recommend it to their friends. If they get confused, there’s a likely chance they will become disenchanted and divert their attention to something else. The problem is, however, that users come with different backgrounds, experiences, and expectations. You’ll rarely find a user interface that appeals to all your users.
Now imagine a voice assistant that is deeply integrated in your application and can guide the user through the features. If users are struggling to find something in the app, they can just ask the assistant and it will either take them there or guide them to it. This can be extremely helpful in the onboarding process, where users often become confused and need guidance. As users become familiar with the application, the assistant’s role will gradually change from guidance to optimization, helping them automate tasks and take shortcuts to their favorite features. In applications where users need hands-free experience or quick access to information, the in-app voice assistant will become an invaluable interface.
The in-app voice assistant provides unprecedented flexibility to adjust the application with the user’s level of knowledge, experience, and expertise. You can’t create a user interface that appeals to every single user. Accordingly, you would need limitless resources to create numerous versions of your application to appeal to every user. A voice assistant, however, can act as a dynamic interface that can be used in various ways, providing each user with a unique experience.
Basically, instead of having your users adapt themselves to a very convoluted user interface, having an in-app voice assistant makes a simple user interface that adapts to your users.
For both new and experienced users, the voice assistant can be a huge differentiating factor that can improve conversion and retention rates.
Improving product development and management The flipside of the user experience is the product development and management process. Here, time is of the essence. Your success largely depends on how fast you can get feedback from your users, learn from their experience, and adjust your application.
Having an in-app voice assistant is the closest thing you can get to being physically present when users are interacting with your app. As you gather voice and app analytics data, you’ll be able to answer pertinent questions such as “On which pages are users getting stuck?” “What features are they struggling to find?” “What are the most asked questions?” “What features do users expect the app to have?” Through this data, you’ll be able to glean important behavior patterns that will steer you in the right direction.
Discovering users’ needs is one side of the equation. Responding to them is another and equally challenging part of creating good products. The classic product development paradigm requires you to redesign your application’s user interface, submit it to app stores, wait for it to be vetted and published, and then roll it out to users. For web applications, you’ll have to go through multiple designs, run A/B tests, choose the best new design and then roll it out to all users.
With in-app voice assistants, the interface is already there, so in most cases, you won’t need to make any change to the graphical interface and can roll out new features on the server side with minimal friction.
In-app voice assistants provide a smooth shortcut to the finish line. Instead of feeling your way through the dark, you’ll be casting a bright light on your app and will be able to direct your resources in the right direction with a laser focus. A lot of time and money will be saved. Instead of taking weeks or months to deliver new versions of your app, you’ll be able to iterate several times per week or even per day.
Why now? Voice assistants have been around for a decade. So why should you be focusing on in-app voice experience now? There are a couple of reasons. First, the first generation of assistants such as Siri, Alexa and Cortana have helped bring about wide acceptance of voice user interfaces. Today, a wide array of consumer and industrial devices support voice assistants. Millions of families across the world use smart speakers and other voice-enabled devices. Voice accounts for a substantial share of online search queries.
At the same time, first-generation voice assistants have distinct limits that make their use limited to simple tasks such as invoking apps, reading emails, online search, and setting timers. When it comes to specialized, multi-step tasks, classic assistants are of little use and can’t keep track of user context and intent. These assistants live outside applications and are tied to their vendors’ platforms. They are separate from the application’s graphical interface and are blind to the user context, which makes it impossible fully understand user intent and provide visual feedback to users.
The shortcomings of current voice assistants is especially evident in the enterprise sector, where companies are spending millions of dollars to build mobile and web applications for their internal workflows to improve productivity. These applications can largely benefit from voice assistant support but only if it’s tightly integrated into the special workflows that support these businesses.
To solve these challenges, the next generation of voice assistants will live inside applications and will be deeply integrated with the app’s user interface, workflow, taxonomy, and user context. This shift in architecture will enable developers to use various data sources and contexts to improve the quality and precision of in-app voice recognition and language understanding. Users will see the voice assistant leverage the existing UI to confirm that it has understood and documented their input correctly, and this will help to avoid the friction and frustrations that happen when older voice assistants are applied to complex tasks. This new generation of assistants makes it possible for voice to become an integral part of the app experience.
The new era of voice user interface is just beginning. This is a great opportunity for developers and product managers to make sure their great ideas become great and successful applications and create significant ROI, especially in the enterprise sector.
Ramu Sunkara and Andrey Ryabov are the cofounders of Alan AI.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Why the ethical use of data and user privacy concerns matter | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/why-the-ethical-use-of-data-and-user-privacy-concerns-matter"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Why the ethical use of data and user privacy concerns matter Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Charlie Fletcher Data and its uses pervade the digital economy. From online data mining to AI/ML-enhanced analytics, the range of data sources and tools available on the web are boundless. For every digital user accessing applications, however, there are just as many privacy concerns.
Cybercrime has risen exponentially in recent years, leaving online user information more vulnerable than ever. Facing these risks, organizations of every size and purpose must commit to ethical uses of data as they better secure their information systems.
This process starts with understanding the many privacy concerns that affect users as they interact with digital platforms. From fraud to data selling, users fear the exploitation of their information for purposes outside of their own best interests. Understand the privacy concerns inherent in data collection, then explore the ethical use of data through these actionable data applications. Doing so isn’t just good business sense; it’s your moral obligation to consumers.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! User privacy concerns The first step in using data ethically is addressing the privacy concerns that are inherent with data collection and utilization. Applying the wrong data privacy strategy can cost an organization billions in fees and damages amidst ongoing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity efforts and privacy gaps. Meanwhile, attempted cyberattacks have been continuously on the rise.
To address consumer concerns regarding data privacy, businesses must be prepared to combat the biggest challenges involved in data privacy. These challenges include: Embedding data privacy — To best protect user data, identifying factors have to be hidden from the beginning. This requires incorporating privacy as an embedded aspect of data collection, not just an afterthought.
Accommodating a range of devices securely — These days remote work and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies add layers of network security concerns to the average data collection process. To remain secure, data has to travel through various devices and access points while retaining privacy standards.
Protecting a constantly growing range of data — With big data changing the ways we explore and uncover information, scaling protections to match this growth is difficult. Doing so requires a culture of data responsibility, including policies for minimizing data storage and deleting excess or used information.
These are just a few of the many privacy concerns that come with implementing data for any business process. However, the scope of your data privacy concerns can also be influenced by the regulations that exist in your market.
For example, the European Union maintains the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines that enforce principles of transparency and data security on any information collected within the EU. Additionally, a range of other guidelines may apply if you operate in areas like China or California, where additional data collection and privacy standards are emerging.
A failure to protect consumer data leads to all kinds of risks for consumers and companies alike. From compliance failure fees to a damaged reputation, the cost of poorly-managed data is typically too great for businesses to bear. Instead, organizations should adopt a commitment to ethical data use.
Using data ethically An unethical approach to data has contributed to some of the worst accounting scandals in human history. Take WorldCom, for instance. This organization manipulated financial data on income statements and balance sheets to make their company look much better to investors. Through data manipulation, WorldCom ended up costing these investors billions while the company racked up nearly $4 billion in accounting fraud.
Scandals like these damage the reputation of every institution that collects and applies data. Contrary to this belief that’s been built, data can be used ethically. By nature, data supports all kinds of efficiency and quality benefits for virtually any operation. That’s because data represents the facts.
By structuring these raw facts into comprehensive software and silos for data management, researchers are better prepared to make improvements to products, services, financial models, and more.
Ethics, then, is the baseline for integrating these improvements. An ethical approach to data use can be defined as one that intends to improve value to consumers without putting them at greater risk. Such an approach complies with privacy regulations while constantly striving for improvements in an increasingly dangerous digital environment. You too can apply data ethically by striving to incorporate ethics principles in your use of information.
Across the data economy, experts have assembled a consensus when it comes to ethical principles that guide data-driven decision-making. These principles are: Empathy — Data ultimately involves and affects human beings. By focusing on the human being at the center of every data transaction, analysts can make more ethical decisions when it comes to applying that data.
Data control — Our data is an extension of ourselves. In turn, organizations should prioritize user ownership and control of their own data. The user decides what they’re comfortable with, and organizations should support that.
Transparency — Everyone has encountered Terms of Service (ToS) agreements too lengthy and jargon-filled for the average user to understand. An ethical approach to data management makes it clear to the user what data is being collected and why.
Accountability — An organization is responsible for maintaining the security of the information it collects. This means a consistent, cutting-edge security process must be maintained if data is to be utilized.
Equality — You might think that data can’t be biased, and while that might be true, our means of gathering, collecting, and applying data can be. Evaluate your process to ensure that it doesn’t reflect prejudice of any kind, conscious or unconscious.
By considering each instance of data application through the lens of these ethical principles, you can better address every privacy concern that comes with data collection. After all, businesses in the modern economy need the customer trust that comes from a secure data management system. Use these tips and tools to make your use of data more ethical.
Charlie Fletcher is a freelance writer passionate about workplace equity, and whose published works cover sociology, technology, business, education, health, and more.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
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"Web3 holds the promise of decentralized, community-powered social networks | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/web3-holds-the-promise-of-decentralized-community-powered-social-networks"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Web3 holds the promise of decentralized, community-powered social networks Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Sumit Ghosh, founder and CEO of Chingari The growing dominance of cryptocurrencies and blockchain has facilitated the rise of Web3 , powered by decentralized networks.
Designed to restore power to users and creators, this transformative internet movement is beckoning a paradigm shift in how we use social media.
Web3 is an umbrella term that encompasses several ideas and futuristic visions of decentralization where community-powered, advertising-free, and self-monetized content will reign supreme. Although Web3 will disrupt many existing Web2-based business models, the creator economy is positioned as the biggest benefactor of this ongoing revolution vis-à-vis a reinvented social media paradigm.
For instance, in the existing version of the internet, content creators are often subject to the whims and fancies of the platforms they use to share their content. This leads to several problems like unwarranted content censorship, content demonetization, and even deplatforming.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! At present, many Web2 platforms retain full control over the content, severely limiting the creators. Think about it like Facebook owning the pictures you upload to the platform. You might’ve taken the photos, but now Facebook owns them. At the same time, users (consumers) are monetized for their data, deriving even more limited value even though they are the driving force behind these platforms and the primary reason content creators exist.
Web3 solves this dilemma, giving back content creators full control over their content. Harnessing the power of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, Web3 allows creators to tap into numerous monetization opportunities while simultaneously rewarding users for their continued participation and patronage. This creates a circular economy, free from the restraints of centralized platforms and intermediaries.
How a Web3 social network works For a second, consider the concept of rewarding users for using the internet. We spend much of our time using one or more Web2 platforms, be it for reading blogs, watching videos, or just scrolling through the internet. The platforms that we use generate billions of dollars, but the users never receive anything for their loyalty. Web3 changes this drastically by rewarding users for their participation.
Currently, there are several blockchain-powered Web3 platforms, including web browsers, video-sharing platforms, blogging platforms, and social networking, where both creators and consumers are entitled to rewards. Powered by their native tokens, these platforms bring a symbiotic model to the internet where everyone benefits instead of taking a zero-sum approach where one party must win, so the other can lose.
To achieve this, Web3 social networks offer built-in payment layers, reducing unwanted middlemen and unnecessary costs. They are also fully interoperable, granting users the flexibility to easily buy, sell, and trade native assets across different platforms. For example, content creators can monetize their content using NFTs and sell it across marketplaces. They can also set up custom subscription models and add-on features for their communities using the underlying platform’s native token to unlock income generation avenues.
At the same time, Web3 platforms also enable content creators to tap into the growing metaverse by allowing them to implement a diverse range of play-to-earn, learn-to-earn, and other similar incentivized programs for their communities. By participating in these activities, community members can earn platform-native tokens, which they can use to purchase more features within the platform, reward creators, or exchange them for other tokens.
In the context of social networks, a native token can also offer holders the right to decide the future of the network. Unlike Web2, where users have little to no say regarding the platform’s development, Web3 distributes this responsibility to stakeholders.
Token holders can vote on proposals that work best for their communities and shape the platform’s future with their hands. These proposals may cover a wide array of topics, including adding new features to the platform, deciding on future upgrades, making changes in existing teams focused on development and marketing, and much more.
Some closing thoughts Web3 promotes a creator-driven economy while at the same time rewarding consumers for their participation, thus ushering in a new era of social networks. Unlike the Web2 paradigm controlled by Big Tech, Web3 envisions an ecosystem of social (and interoperable) networks where all users can finally own a slice of the financial pie.
Driven by decentralization, Web3 social networks will transfer power back to the community by giving content creators full ownership of their content. In tandem with other Web3 services, these social networks will facilitate censorship-resistant, ad-free, and creative-centric ecosystems, thus offering equal opportunities for all.
Be it the rise of community-driven global social networks, the increasing acceptance of community-focused DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations), or the emergence of AR and VR-powered immersive experiences, Web3 social networks are sparking a transformation focused on the community instead of gatekeeper’s interests alone.
Sumit Ghosh is the founder and CEO of Chingari DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"The future of data science: Trends in a rapidly-growing industry | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/the-future-of-data-science-trends-in-a-rapidly-growing-industry"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community The future of data science: Trends in a rapidly-growing industry Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Michael Burke, lead of the PR Intelligence Lab at BYU.
Worldwide digitization accelerated as the pandemic sent many inside and online, and this digitization continues for the data science industry.
As society has transformed, increased demands must be met at a rapid pace. Customers are online more than ever before, causing a steep increase in data. Now, data science is one of the top careers for recent college graduates as the need for strategic, data-driven decision-making has increased at exponential rates across industries.
Industry and company-wide commitments to data science and digital transformation are not small — in fact, it’s practically a gold rush for talent. Look at Fortune 250 fintech, FIS , as a prime example. In the last year, they have committed $150 million to innovation ventures , internally built an entire real-time payments engine to move business-to-business (B2B) transactions instantly and launched an Impact Labs incubator in Denver that has already yielded a product called GoCart , which transforms the shopping cart experience into a one-click payment.
Finance, healthcare, and other large “old” industries are not typically known for being the fastest to make digital transformations, so when you see these kinds of moves being made, you know that data science is making an impact.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! And that impact will only continue. Data is the backbone of businesses across industries, and some estimates indicate that the total amount of data created, captured, and consumed will likely reach 149 zettabytes by 2024.
This staggering number proves not only how much the field will grow but also why it is so important to identify and stay ahead of the trends. Two big trends now have to do with those that are joining the data science field , and the conflicts in the type of data that larger and smaller companies are prioritizing.
Applicants in the data science industry We are seeing an increase in people who went to school with a math background (or who might have started out in data engineering) wanting to make the switch to data science. This should be comforting news to anyone who got a degree in math (or a STEM-related field) and now wants to make a change in their career to be part of this rapidly growing industry. This may also be good news in that it means that people with a solid understanding of how to interpret statistics properly will be available. While software advances may allow users to more easily create charts, they won’t necessarily be able to understand all the nuances and implications of them. More mathematicians in data science means more grounded decision-making.
“Ten years ago, you would have had to go down a very specific track and make a structured career decision to end up in data science,” says Michael Tarselli, chief scientific officer at TetraScience.
“Nowadays, scientists are coming out of school and saying, ‘You know what? I can do an end around on this. I can do a one-month data science boot camp and school myself up quickly on Python, recursive logic, or neural networks’ and then boom, they are a leading candidate for us.” We are also seeing a lot of applicants who have a data science education or an education compatible with data science but who went into other fields. This is largely because, when these job seekers entered the market, the data science field wasn’t booming the way it is now. This means we have data scientists with broad experience who are only now joining the industry, and the value of this domain expertise cannot be understated. To interpret data relating to, say, a fintech company, you have to understand the language of finance–and this knowledge just isn’t something one gains overnight. Luckily, with the right educational background or certifications (which are now more accessible than ever), many people who have a wealth of domain-specific expertise can consider making the career switch to data science.
The data science divide The other big trend is the divide that we are seeing between what large companies are looking for in data scientists and what smaller companies and startups are looking for — and that divide is growing.
Larger companies already have a lot of the infrastructure in place for managing their data and cleaning it up. They’re looking for data scientists and researchers to come in and go very deep, with a focused and narrow breadth of scope. Large companies are looking for scientists to level all of their focus on specific data science problems.
Startups and smaller companies, on the other hand, are likely lacking in data infrastructure and determining how to put one in place and then how to use the data it pulls. They’re looking for “jacks of all trades” who can start getting insights out into production and work on more of the stack.
As many people are starting their careers, they need to consider what type (and size) of company they want to work for. Smaller companies give you room to grow and focus on a wider array of issues, and larger companies remain more focused and specified. This gap continues to grow today.
Relationship trends between company and job candidate As the field continues to grow at a rapid pace, the hiring process becomes more competitive on both sides of the spectrum.
Companies have a good number of people to choose from, and applicants know that companies need data scientists now more than ever. The hiring process is contingent upon where any given company is on its data maturity journey.
Smaller companies are seeking employees with more chops who can approach things from a full-stack perspective. Bigger companies are looking for specified knowledge and academic machine learning researchers to build comprehensive models. But regardless of where they are in that continuum, companies and jobseekers alike are trying to find the proper fit. Those early on in their career may be looking for mentorship, growth, and an understanding of how data science fits into a real-world scenario. Whereas, those who are more senior in their positions want to focus on difficult yet achievable problems.
One thing you might hear from a more senior data scientist is that they were brought in to do data science, but the company wasn’t ready for it, so they were saddled with other responsibilities (like data engineering). These data scientists will be brought in to work on projects that sound interesting — but end up being a letdown when the company reveals that they aren’t ready to execute.
Some of this may be due to deficiencies in the hiring process. As most HR departments lack experience hiring data scientists, they often fall into the trap of putting out overly broad job descriptions, and testing applicants for non-relevant skills. Whatever the reasons may be, this leaves data scientists in an interesting spot in their careers (especially if they are unable to do the work they set out to do), and it might inspire them to seek new opportunities. Overall, the trend leans toward favoring data science specialists over generalists , so data science professionals must consider how they can fortify and specify their strengths to excel.
In general, the goal of every business leader should be to unlock human potential — and this is especially true in fields that rely on continued education, innovation, and passion. Few industries are experiencing an explosion of need and innovation quite like this pandemic-prompted industry. Businesses will continue to bolster their digital and eCommerce efforts through data, and we have the opportunity to help steer the economy through our educated efforts. Glassdoor even ranked data science the #2 profession for 2021.
As we continue to grow as an industry, those in the field will be met with more and more opportunities for growth — opportunities that business leaders must strive to enable.
Michael Burke is a data scientist with an MS in Data Analytics. He has written extensively on topics related to machine learning, and has won industry awards for his study of factors affecting SEO. He leads the PR Intelligence Lab at BYU’s School of Communications.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Memento mori, metaverse: How to pass the digital manor on to your kids | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/memento-mori-metaverse-how-to-pass-the-digital-manor-on-to-your-kids"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Memento mori, metaverse: How to pass the digital manor on to your kids Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Asaf Naim, cofounder and CEO of Kirobo Imagine a house — a small house lost in the metaverse , a fantastical landscape made up of all sorts of mansions, cottages, castles, spaceships, caves, any dwelling a human mind can imagine. But as bustling and vibrant as its surroundings are, its windows never light up, and its door never opens. It’s a weird one, and people say weird things about it. The word goes, if you happen to be around it when a full moon is in the digital sky, you may catch a glimpse of a pale woman standing next to the Pepe statue in the backyard.
No, this isn’t a Meta-ghost story. You see, the woman is the heiress to the house’s late owner, and she’s not very fond of the statue. She thinks that an animated Shiba Inu in a spacesuit would work much better. But to remove the (in)famous frog, or, in fact, to exercise any power over the house at all, she’d have to hold the NFT for it. Unfortunately, the token is sitting in the late owner’s crypto wallet, and the private key to that wallet was lost forever with his passing.
Let’s take a quick step back here and clarify something first. Many projects are building their own metaverses now, and in those, a house or a building can have different designs and applications. For all we know about Meta’s own Horizon Worlds, a home there could be just a VR rendition of the home page on your browser, with no NFTs involved. At the same time, on other popular metaverse platforms, such as Decentraland and Sandbox, NFTs are the preferred way for handling ownership over actual virtual properties. And seeing how many companies are already shopping for virtual lands in those , these projects aren’t going anywhere any time soon.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! So with millions worth of Bitcoin and other coins already rendered inaccessible due to lost or forgotten private keys, the above scene isn’t that much of a stretch. Besides blowing up into a $40 billion market over the past year, NFTs are already forcing us to re-think property and ownership as such, with ape JPEGs and virtual coins among people’s most prized possessions. So while we’re at it, we might as well start thinking of how to pass those treasures on to our children.
A house in the metaverse: Why technicalities matter Inheritance is an intricate legal mechanism that oftentimes leaves ample room for lawsuits and family feuds. It typically incorporates various procedural complexities, such as taxes, which vary from country to country. Bringing this concept into the metaverse makes the matter even more convoluted. Should a personal cottage in Decentraland be counted as actual real estate? From today’s perspective, hardly. After all, you don’t often hear of an inheritance tax slapped on someone’s castle in an online video game. But there’s a first for everything, I guess.
In the future, of course, this could change, especially once these castles become both valuable enough and mainstream enough as an asset type to draw attention from the authorities. This is where things could get funky, especially given possible differences in inheritance laws across various jurisdictions. Does a metaverse truly house a piece of real estate, or rather something akin to an artwork? Which laws apply to a Japanese-owned metaverse house or castle hosted on a server in Brazil? What about its backups in Arizona and Switzerland? What if it’s sharded across multiple nodes, with the living room hosted in Equador and the bedroom in Russia? And we haven’t even gotten to the NFT part, which brings a whole new layer of complexities.
In most cases, the NFTs today’s enthusiasts represent assets stored off-chain. In other words, their tokens include links to a server holding the actual ape picture, audio file, video clips, or anything else. Blockchains don’t handle big data chunks too well, and the heavy graphical assets constituting a metaverse house may overwhelm this kind of database.
Assuming that our proverbial digital castle comprises a multitude of graphical assets, as well as their associated logic, and the NFT as the proof of ownership, we can then get started with a few straightforward solutions for inheritance. The first one is to mint tokens for the house on multiple blockchains, or even mint multiple NFTs for the same property on the same chain, much like you can have multiple keys to a real-world house. As long as at least one of them is in a wallet the heir can access, the problem is solved, right? Not exactly, since you might face an uphill struggle selling metaverse platforms on that. Imagine you just bought a CryptoPunk and minted a few more NFTs for the same .jpeg file. What happens next? First, it would likely earn you a copyright infringement claim from the project, since the NFT license it ascribes to is pretty restrictive on commercial use. Second, it would slash the value of your purchase, as there are now literally more tokens of the same Punk, and that is precisely what makes the project unhappy, as it cares about the Punks’ value. The same logic would likely apply to blockchain metaverse platforms, which like to stick to the one NFT per property/land rule. Similarly, they would hardly be too thrilled about issuing a new token for the same property for the heir or making a copy of the underlying assets to effectively launch a new house with a new token. The latter, by the way, is some proper cyberpunk, as it makes one wonder: Is owning an exact copy of a digital house the same as owning the original? Is there any sentimental value baked into the new ones and zeroes? The better way to do it As it often happens, there is a better way to handle inheritance on-chain, at least from the technical standpoint. Legal intricacies aside, a will is a set of instructions — an algorithm, one could say — ordering the distribution of assets owned by the deceased. In the blockchain realm, this algorithm can be codified into a smart contract, an on-chain application that can be set off by a specific condition and is very hard to meddle with.
This is what the process would look like: First, the user has to stake the assets (for example, a house or land in the metaverse) they want to pass on to their heirs into the contract. This is an important step, as the contract won’t be able to manage the assets that aren’t associated with its address, and it does not mean losing access to the assets, as the user can still pull those out at will. Then, the user would have to define the heirs for their assets. Once the user dies, the contract would automatically execute their will by redistributing the staked assets in line with the pre-defined algorithm.
The first problem with this approach is the fact that the smart contract has to first somehow learn about the user’s passing. There are many solutions for that. The simplest option is to set up a timer for auto-executing the will and have the user go through a manual “I’m alive” check every week to renew it. Those with a penchant for the exotic could opt for something more creative, like a heart rate monitor working as a data oracle for the smart contract.
The other problem is that the process ignores the standard legal procedures, skipping the probate and executor to hand out the assets in line with whatever algorithm is being run. Thus, a situation where this algorithm ignores any legal intricacies we’ve already touched upon can result in further litigation. The good news here, though, is that a court can still compel an heir to hand over the held in a breach of the law. It is way harder to imagine a court compelling a blockchain address to hand over anything to anyone if the private key is lost.
Fundamentally, the concept of inheritance is rooted in the human desire to pass on value to the next generation, making sure that your kids do better than yourself and leaving a legacy. As the changing tides of the digital realm reshape our idea of what can hold value, this concept, as well as its associated legal and technological frameworks, must also evolve to encompass this change.
Asaf Naim is the cofounder and CEO of Kirobo.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How to smooth the experience as employees transition back to the office | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/how-to-smooth-the-experience-as-employees-transition-back-to-the-office"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest How to smooth the experience as employees transition back to the office Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Rebecca Corliss, VP of marketing at VergeSense.
The ongoing pandemic has complicated efforts to bring employees back to the physical office, with the Omicron variant further pushing back many companies’ plans.
However, most organizations had already begun the process of at least to some degree even as uncertainty remains.
The pandemic flipped the traditional workplace existing state of affairs on its head, and now business leaders are left to navigate the new world of work. It’s not just a challenge, however; this is also an opportunity to reimagine and re-architect how the workplace is structured and what the future of work looks like. The office must become more than just a place to work – it should be a dynamic, frictionless and social hub with a flexible workplace strategy that puts employee experience at the forefront. Creating this type of workplace environment is also key to remaining competitive.
The employee experience: front and center The move to remote work showed that productivity was still very possible even if employees weren’t coming to a physical office five days a week. In fact, for some, remote work proved more effective. And that means employers and building managers need to rethink what will naturally attract employees back to the office – no longer will employees accept, “Well, this is how we’ve always done it.” VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021; resignations peaked in April and have remained high ever since. Employers are struggling to retain and find talent in this period of the Great Resignation.
And there are also very real considerations around health and safety as the pandemic continues and new variants arise.
All these factors mean organizations are taking a new look at how they incentivize employees to work in an office, what amenities they can offer and so on. In fact, research found that 66% of organizations were concerned about the effect of returning to the office on the employee experience. Older, more legacy institutions are starting to consider offering significant amenities that were previously more likely seen offered by Silicon Valley tech companies and their ilk.
They’re thinking more about the aesthetics of offices and how to create a more welcoming work environment. And they’re also looking more to decentralized offices – having smaller/satellite offices in different locations as opposed to just one main office – to attract and retain talent in other parts of the country.
Building transparency and open communication It’s one thing to understand that the employee experience needs to be front and center – but it’s quite another thing to deliver that experience. How do you ensure you’re acting that has real employee value and that it isn’t just window dressing? Ignoring or misjudging your employees’ new workplace expectations, needs and preferences risks the possibility of sending a negative message to your workforce that could result in a mass employee exit.
A successful return to the office requires creating an atmosphere of open communication and transparency before and during the transition – and this should be an ongoing discussion. Create an open dialog with your employees. Be honest about your thought process related to the return, admit the concerns impacting your decision and be direct about your plan to create a return-to-work strategy based on employee experience.
Take the time to listen to what your employees have to say and how they use space. Collect direct input through: Surveying employees on their expectations and concerns Conducting roundtable discussions facilitated by team leaders to share feedback with higher-ups Hosting a virtual town hall meeting and/or department-wide forums Leveraging spatial intelligence to understand real-time occupancy patterns, serving as impactful validation for what spaces and amenities your employees value most Asking the right questions To really get the right info needed to shape your approach, two key questions to ask employees are: What does your ideal return to the office transition look like? Don’t assume every employee has the same hopes and goals related to hybrid work. It’s useful to start a preliminary data collection period during the initial return to the office, including occupancy data. Then you can find trends to help determine the ideal distribution of employees in on-site spaces.
What are your expectations for the workplace moving forward? To ease the back-to-the-office transition, it’s important for company leaders and employees to have the same expectations for not only the process of returning to the office, but for the future of work as well. The focus now may be on safely and efficiently returning to the office, but what happens after that? It’s essential to establish protocols for analyzing data-driven workplace insights on a regular schedule.
Use of the office should be purposeful – and empowering employees to choose the office when it makes the most sense for the activity they’re tackling that day can go a long way. Of course, you also want to ensure that you don’t wind up with all the employees in the office on just one or two days while the other days are empty – you run the risk of overburdening resources. But this also goes back to the earlier points about speaking with employees. Invest in measuring how often employees come in on their accord and start to observe the patterns. You can then use these patterns to better manage your office and the resources you provide.
This data will help leaders manage another key concern – lack of predictability. Those without data often try to overcome unpredictability by dictating when people should come to the office. This approach comes at a high cost – it completely contradicts the purposeful nature of the office. Instead, you can begin rebuilding predictability by using room and desk booking tools, which facilitates effective space use and provide additional information and data for when and where employees work. If you’re really spending the time to understand how employees use space and what they use it for, you get the best of both worlds – predictability and employee autonomy.
Smoothing out the transition and focusing on employee experience The return to the office is a process that will continue to unfold, and it’s one that necessitates consistent monitoring. Employee surveys and conversations are important, but they don’t provide a complete picture of how employees are experiencing the workplace. Workplace analytics tools will help fill in the usage gaps and round out the insights you need to successfully transition back to office life.
Rebecca Corliss is the VP of marketing at VergeSense.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How to create a sustainable NFT game economy and why it matters | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/how-to-create-a-sustainable-nft-game-economy"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community How to create a sustainable NFT game economy and why it matters Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Derek Lau, game director for Guild of Guardians.
Play-to-earn gaming has flipped the traditional gaming paradigm upside down. Where Web2 publishers and developers often deploy pay-to-win dynamics that skew the playing field in favor of the wealthiest (evidenced by the much-maligned loot box phenomena ), nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain games stand to offer more equitable in-game economies where players can earn tangible rewards for their endeavors.
However, while NFTs and play-to-earn mechanics lay the foundation for a fairer and more lucrative gaming experience for users, these alone are not enough to guarantee a successful and sustainable game economy. Instead, every element of how assets are created, distributed and managed needs to be considered to prevent these virtual economies from collapsing into cash grabs.
Why NFTs? Why bother using NFTs in the construction of a game economy at all? Many mainstream games have implemented built-in economies in recent years using methods that have nothing to do with the blockchain. However, while this may bolster the bottom line of game developers, it does very little to serve the end-user.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The implementation of NFTs, meanwhile, has the potential to deliver certain desirable features that non-blockchain games simply can’t muster, such as verifiable, immutable digital ownership. An in-game asset represented by an NFT gives the player a hard-coded assurance that the item belongs to them — allowing them the right to sell, trade, or swap it as they see fit.
Likewise, the immutable nature of NFTs offers game developers the chance to provide their audience with real, verifiable scarcity. Rather than take the word of the creators that an in-game item is suitably rare, players of blockchain games can rest assured that their NFTs are unique simply by checking the number of issuances on the blockchain’s ledger.
This stands to emphasize a real sense of ownership, not to mention permits players to retain the value they put into a game. With NFTs, when a gamer moves on to a different game, they will have the option to either sell items they created, earned, or purchased on the previous platform or even bring those items with them into the new environment. Either way, the effort or money they spent to get those assets won’t simply be lost to the ether.
Gameplay must build on the promise of NFTs The fact that blockchain opens the door to profitable gameplay is, without a doubt, an attractive prospect. But it also tends to attract opportunists and profiteers instead of a passionate and loyal fanbase.
There are already multiple titles that promote blockchain integration and NFTs, but far too many pander to those in it to work the system for a monetary reward. Not to say there are no worthwhile projects out there, but many put the notion of earning money in front of the other elements of gameplay, which simply isn’t as attractive to gamers as it is to profiteers.
A glance at the top blockchain games by user base reveals projects that have already been overrun by an army of bots programmed solely to manipulate the system and extract value from it.
This is why NFTs must be leveraged in a way that doesn’t defeat the purpose of the game itself and promotes a system where earning and gameplay complement each other. Users should be attracted to a title for its core mechanics first and only then become enchanted by the possibilities of true asset ownership or revenue generation. Anything other than this will always result in a largely money-minded audience, and it is unlikely such a user base will remain sustainable.
Smart token distribution The distribution of tokens also has a significant role in the long-term viability of an in-game economy. Although we’ve observed that monetary incentives are not enough to establish vibrant gaming communities, the unfair distribution of tokens and NFT items could make gaming communities a non-starter.
When developers distribute the majority of their tokens in private sales, it leaves the game’s players with fewer rewards to win through active gameplay. Early financial investors — who may have no intention of interacting with the game directly — collect profits if the game turns out to be a success and the game’s economy becomes unbalanced in the process.
Developers should avoid selling too many game assets in private sales and devise a way to achieve their fund-raising objectives without taking away from the end product. To this end, creators may consider selling only limited edition items in early sales rounds, which would work to incentivize investors while keeping the bulk of in-game assets for players to discover themselves during active gameplay.
It’s also essential to ensure that the majority of blockchain items still demand dedicated gameplay from players who want to acquire them. On top of this, other limitations such as occasional resets to players’ progression (implemented seasonally, for example) stand to go some way to maintaining a more level playing field over time and would reduce the focus on simply farming for profit.
Token utility Even if NFTs form the foundation of a game’s economy, their in-game functionality will provide the basis for real market stability. Assets should largely avoid becoming speculative in nature, and how they benefit gamers beyond their monetary value should determine their viability.
One example of this could be the use of a utility token that is required by gamers to mint in-game NFTs. Then, whenever such tokens are spent, they could be automatically sent to a collective rewards pool and subsequently redistributed in-game via a staking mechanism. This would encourage active gameplay on the part of the player by incentivizing engagement while at the same time bestowing value and demand on the utility token from day one of the title’s launch.
By attaching the creation of new NFTs to a native utility token, the problem of NFT distribution is also addressed: the game world is naturally regulated and protected from saturation by a sudden flood of in-game items.
Vesting periods Then there’s the importance of appropriate vesting periods, a subject already familiar to many cryptocurrency users. Vesting periods are often vital in enticing investors to buy into a particular project’s token sale. Gaming economies also need to be conscious of the vesting periods native to a given GameFi project. A sudden sell-off of tokens will typically result in a crashing token price. This may leave the remaining players mired in a failing game ecosystem while holding tokens that simply bleed away their value.
Game developers also need to be careful when fine-tuning their vesting periods. Asking early supporters to lock up their tokens for too long could repel would-be investors from the very start, meaning developers have fewer resources with which to bring their game worlds to fruition. On the other hand, shorter vesting periods might please seed and private investors but could bring about the aforementioned devaluation of the game’s economic base.
Conclusion In the past decade, gaming has risen to become the primary mode of entertainment, overtaking the music and film industries in the process. With the global gaming industry expected to be worth $250 billion by 2025, the rewards for successful GameFi implementations promise to be immense — but getting there won’t be easy.
There needs to be a careful consideration of many of the fundamental elements of a game’s native economy. There is likely no single model that will work for all games, but rather an array of possibilities that will prove more or less effective. Still, developers who take these variables into careful consideration stand to create platforms with long-term staying power and loyal players. Those who do not may get lucky but likely won’t be able to retain interested gamers and instead run the risk of becoming little more than a glorified gambling platform.
Derek Lau is the game director for Guild of Guardians.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How interactive, real-time AR could change the future of video calling | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/how-interactive-real-time-ar-could-change-the-future-of-video-calling"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community How interactive, real-time AR could change the future of video calling Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Maher Saba, VP of remote presence at Meta.
For many, video calls have become a familiar, if not constant, part of our daily work and personal lives. Whether it’s a virtual happy hour with friends from around the country or a family check-in, there’s a good chance those interactions are happening over a video call. Early in the pandemic when we became more reliant on video calling to power our social interactions, we recognized the opportunity to re-imagine the experience and improve it, changing the way people use video calls across a variety of contexts.
At Meta , we believe video calling can and should be more personal, more connected, and more human. One of the ways we’re approaching this is with the introduction of Group Effects: Interactive, real-time augmented reality (AR) effects that invite people to share moments together through collaborative experiences. To activate an AR effect on one screen, transform, and interact that effect between screens and people on a video call, is a new AR experience that creates a shared connection – the feeling we get when we’re actually in the same room with other people, seeing something unfold before our eyes.
Unlike average AR effects of the past that have largely been one-way broadcasting, these new interactive, real-time effects for video calling allow people to truly connect. They can even be the reason to get on a video call — to play, laugh, or celebrate together and form a new bonding experience for the people involved.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! From creators looking to connect with fans in more intimate and authentic ways to everyday people who want to feel closer to those they communicate with in real-time, AR experiences are reinventing video calling – breaking people out of “boxes” on a screen to enable more dynamic experiences. Here are some ways innovative, interactive, real-time AR effects are redefining the video calling space.
Helping creators engage and strengthen connections For creators looking to not only build an audience but also form meaningful connections, AR can open up a whole world of possibilities. Influencers, developers, public figures and brands can all benefit from AR to feel closer when communicating on video calls.
While Stories on social media platforms can generate millions of impressions for creators, they are asynchronous and one-way: typically a single person expressing themself, which can limit the opportunity for meaningful connection. With interactive and instant AR, however, experiences become more intimate. While these are meant for smaller groups, they inherently inspire more engaged, personal connection, with people participating together through play, bite-sized experiences and conversation starters in real time.
This is an exciting, creative blank canvas for brands and creators alike — a compelling new medium to explore, experiment and define. Opening up a new path for creators to share work with fans and help bridge gaps, this will make establishing meaningful connections with audiences easier to accomplish. And brands are already getting creative: Ellen DeGeneres’ new take on the massively successful mobile charades game, Heads Up! , in which players on a video call try to guess the word on a card on another player’s forehead before they run out of time, or Cosmopolitan’s Magazine’s custom AR effect to help people celebrate New Year’s virtually with champagne and chicken nuggets.
Increasing emotional connection The applications of AR stretch far and wide and at the center of all possibilities is increasing emotional connections.
Whether it’s a first date over video call or a family game night, AR can transform those experiences into something new and deeply meaningful. It can also help break down barriers in social anxiety, creating deeper emotional connections to help make users feel more comfortable and boost confidence. Through dynamic, reactive AR experiences, we can redefine how we connect and communicate with others.
Motivating people to connect through interactive AR It’s still early days, but we believe using AR in this context will both help people feel more comfortable turning on their cameras and encourage them to connect while making interactive layers a new normal. In the not-so-distant future, AR will not just be a feature of video calls, it will be a reason people are making video calls in the first place.
As we look to this new frontier in AR, taking us beyond asynchronous short-video capture to real-time interactions that enhance the way people connect in a personal way, we’re excited to see what else lies ahead, like a use case for innovative products like AR glasses.
Video calling has become an integral part of our lives, but it often leaves us wishing for more of the connection we get when we spend quality time with people in the same physical location. Real-time AR can help bridge that gap, and while nothing can replace getting together in person, we can help people feel close, making it as connective of an experience as possible.
Maher Saba is VP of Remote Presence at Meta.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"20 most popular metrics with enterprise software startup CEOs | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/20-most-popular-metrics-with-enterprise-software-startup-ceos"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest 20 most popular metrics with enterprise software startup CEOs Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Louis Columbus Enterprise software startups are capitalizing on real-time data to continually improve revenue, costs, cash flow, marketing, and sales as their business grows. The majority of software startup CEOs spoken with have designed their businesses to provide real-time data that’s immediately actionable. In addition, they’ve taken the time to design their business structure and systems to deliver the real-time data they need to scale.
The twenty metrics shared in this article are the most popular, with fifteen enterprise software startups founders, CEOs, and startup teams VentureBeat recently interviewed. A common attribute all of them share is that real-time data capture, analysis, and action is hard-wired into the DNA of their businesses from the very beginning. Startups use various analytics applications and platforms to get the real-time data they need, including Adobe Analytics , Clik Sense , Google Analytics , Looker , Microsoft Power BI , R Studio , Tableau Desktop , Zoho Analytics , and others.
Data-driven startups have a head start on growth CEOs and founders say staying data-driven is just as challenging as keeping their prototypes, platforms, and new apps on schedule. Today, most of the startups interviewed have real-time data capture available from their finance, accounting, devops, sales, and marketing systems. However, recruiting team members with advanced analytics expertise are challenging to get the most out of their real-time data. Founders remark that the effort is worth it because real-time data brings greater visibility, control, and accountability across their businesses.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! A startup’s founder concentrating on cloud-based digital asset management software says real-time data made the difference in signing one of their first larger prospects. Here’s her advice to startup CEOs on where to get started: Getting key financial metrics right early pays.
Startup CEOs emphasize the need to know cash flows, cash burn as a percentage of revenue, Gross Contribution Margin, Operating profit, and as the business matures, Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), and Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV).
Resist the urge to get all metrics live immediately.
Startup CEOs warn that it’s easy to allow an analysis-paralysis to set in as startup teams brainstorm on all the possible metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) they could use to run their business. Instead, startup CEOs say the best approach is to get the basic cash flow and revenue generation metrics right first. Next, prioritize metrics in marketing and sales.
Bookings accuracy is crucial for attracting future investment.
Early-stage investors consider billings a more reliable indicator of a software startup’s health versus revenue alone. Billings can sustain a SaaS startup for several quarters, reflected in stable revenue levels and slight growth. Startups say that it’s best to have bookings reported for products and services from the start. Investors look for recurring revenue streams from products first and consider services a one-time event.
The following are the top twenty most popular metrics with startup CEOs, especially those in enterprise software: Most popular finance and cash flow metrics Breakeven analysis.
Startups rely on breakeven analysis to stay on top of how much revenue they need to generate to stay on top of fixed and variable costs. It’s most often used as part of pricing projections and modeling to see the effects of price increases and decreases on gross contribution margins. Startups use this metric and its supporting models daily to test the effects of bundling, subscription, and maintenance pricing for their enterprise cloud apps. The U.S. Small Business Administration offers advice on how to get started with breakeven analysis, including an online calculator.
Burn rate as a percentage of revenue.
One of the best predictors of a startup’s financial stability and financial runway with current funding, burn rate as a percentage of revenue is the most-watched financial and cash flow metrics in startups today. Startup CEOs often track revenue growth rate, their cash runway, and Gross Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) growth rate and report back to their boards and investors on how each of these is trending.
Capital efficiency ratio.
Early stage investors in enterprise software startups prioritize this metric because it immediately says how efficiently a startup uses funding rounds to drive new revenue. It’s an excellent metric to evaluate any business, especially startups, on how efficiently they’re using cash to operate, scale up, and grow. The lower the Capital Efficiency metric, the better. It’s calculated by adding Total Equity and Total Debt, then subtracting Cash, divided by Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Founders and Private Equity investors tell VentureBeat that a rising Capital Efficiency Rate shows cash is more constrained over time. KeyBank Capital Markets’ most recent SaaS Survey finds that it takes on average $52.1M in capital to reach a $100M ARR.
Cash flow forecast.
Getting cash flow right keeps a startup alive, and it’s one of the top three-watched metrics investors and venture capitalists use to evaluate how a startup operates. Startup CEOs say the best lesson learned on this metric is to quantify all assumptions before initially creating the forecast, so capture all possible sources and uses of cash. PwC offers practical, pragmatic advice on how to get started with a cash flow forecast , and there are many templates available online that provide the basics of how to get started creating a cash flow forecast.
Customer acquisition cost (CAC).
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is the total sales and marketing spending to turn a lead into a new customer. It’s a useful metric for measuring all customer acquisition activities’ total return on investment (ROI). Early-stage investors evaluate the performance of startups they fund by CAC, and it’s one of the most used by company leaders to evaluate marketing effectiveness and revenue contributions. HubSpot has a free Customer Acquisition Cost Calculator and Ultimate Guide to CAC that provides insightful guidance and actionable steps.
Customer lifetime value (CLTV).
Defines a customer’s lifetime worth to a business in revenue, and for SaaS-based enterprise software startups, it’s considered a reliable measure of the “stickiness” of a given application or platform. It’s a favorite metric for early-stage investors and boards to evaluate how a startup performs. Enterprise software startup founders say the planned app and platform extensions they’re working on aim to increase CLTV by 30% or more in the next eighteen months. Likewise, startup CEOs say this metric is invaluable for tracking relative levels of customer lifetime value by market segment, distribution channels, and customer segments. When used across multiple quarters, it’s a reliable measure of how customer churn impacts financial performance. David Skok has an excellent post on the true CLTV for your SaaS business that’s worth a read.
Gross profit margin.
How a startup allocates and classifies its costs within Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) will directly affect its gross contribution margin (GCM). The equation for GCM is Net Revenue – COGS/Net Revenue. That’s why it’s important to have real-time financial data and assign costs accurately. When presenting GCM to early-stage and potential investors, it; ‘s always a good idea to identify what’s included in COGS to alleviate any concerns that COGS costs have been reported as operational costs instead.
Gross margins have a major impact on valuations.
Given how active mergers, acquisitions, and private equity investment are, it’s a good idea to have a solid base of cost allocations supporting COGS.
Monthly cash burn rate.
A crucial metric for tracking how many months a startup has before cash runs out. The monthly cash burn rate is often used to estimate short and long-term financing needs and look for new ways to reduce costs. Cash Burn Rate is calculated by taking the following: (Starting Cash – Ending Cash) / Number of Months = Monthly Burn Rate.
Most popular startup revenue and selling metrics Annual recurring revenue (ARR).
ARR is defined as the amount of revenue generated every year over the life of contracts and subscriptions. It’s a useful metric for tracking the momentum a startup is generating with new sales, upsells, and renewals. ARR will fluctuate from one year to the next based on three factors. These include incremental, new ARR, churned ARR, customers who canceled their contracts, expansion ARR, or customers who added new services. Taking all three into account defines the Net ARR for a software company.
Average contract value (ACV).
Calculated by summing up all active contracts’ value and dividing by the number of proposals generated (total of all contract’s value/number of proposals generated), ACV provides a useful benchmark for measuring sales effectiveness. Startups who regularly run sales promotions and pricing discounts need ACV to gain greater insights into how to upsell and cross-sell strategies drive incremental contract revenue.
Average monthly quote volume by sales rep.
Knowing how many quotes are going out and how it impacts the sales pipeline and revenue forecast is where real-time data pays off. Most startups are running lean today, especially in sales, where there’s a talent shortage and a fair amount of sales rep churn. A startup CEO told VentureBeat that she could drill down from quote activity to the sales pipeline than to the revenue forecast in five clicks or less to know exactly what’s going on in every opportunity – and its revenue potential for the month and quarter.
Customer churn rate percentage.
The proportion of a company’s customer base that no longer purchases their services and has opted out of their subscriptions or contracts. Startup founders say that it’s common to see wide fluctuations in churn as their companies have grown, and they fine-tune up-sell, cross-sell, and product line extension strategies.
Annual gross dollar churn as a function of contract length is 12.6% , trending higher the shorter the contract length.
Percent of Opportunities Quoted (POQ).
POQ is calculated by taking the number of quoted opportunities and dividing them by the number of prospect opportunities (number of quoted opportunities/ number of all opportunities). The POQ is a leading indicator that identifies at-risk deals in the pipeline and their impact on sales. Startup CEOs use this and several other sales metrics to measure sales rep, sales team, and selling channel productivity. In addition, real-time data from CRM systems also help to improve sales teams’ forecast accuracy and measure sales effectiveness by stage of the selling lifecycle.
Sales Rep Efficiency.
How efficient the sales force is at converting leads into sales is a core metric that startups and investors watch closely. The goal is to recruit and grow sales teams to deliver solid ARR growth year over year. As of 2020, the median sales rep efficiency is $561K in organizations with 26 fully ramped sales reps. Startups whose reps are reaching this level of efficiency are most often from direct selling organizations with longer sales cycles, based on the insights provided by KeyBanc Capital Markets’ 2021 SaaS Survey Results.
Most popular startup marketing metrics Content Consumption Metrics.
Knowing which types of content and topics generate the most activity is invaluable to marketing in any business. Moreover, it’s essential for running a marketing team in a startup. Identifying which e-books, blog posts, and evergreen content drive the most engagement and activity is a must-have for any startup CMO and their team. Many marketing automation platforms provide content consumption metrics as a standard feature. Startup CMOs revisit these metrics weekly, and if a specific piece of content is performing exceptionally well, they’ll often look to repurpose its core messaging into webinars, more blog posts, and events.
Marketing Qualified Lead (MQLs) Yield by Program.
Knowing which e-mail, social media, and event-based programs yield the most MQLs and why they are core to marketing’s role in any business. Startups need to dedicate the most time and resources to programs that deliver MQLs ready for sales to qualify and start nurturing into sales. Startups rely on lead scoring from HubSpot, Salesforce, and other cloud-based CRM applications to automate each lead stage into MQL status.
Percentage of Customers Marketing Originated.
Knowing how effective marketing is at delivering new customers is an invaluable metric for any CMO to have, and in startups, it’s essential for tracking marketing’s contribution to new sales. Salesforce, Zoho, and other CRM systems can identify how a customer first learned about a company, tracing it back to market campaigns, events, or word-of-mouth. For a startup with an inside sales team supported by lead generation from Marketing , the percent of customers marketing originated can be as high as 40-80%.
The ratio of MQL/SAL/SQL Lead Progression.
Startups need to have a steady stream of Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) that are nurtured with a continual series of programs eventually becoming Sales Accepted Leaders (SALs) and finally, Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs). Using CRM and marketing automation platforms to define the perimeters for each of these lead classifications saves valuable time and provides sales and marketing an opportunity to define benchmarks jointly. First, CMOs and Chief Revenue Officers (CROs) need to agree on the definition of each lead category for this approach to managing a lead and sales pipeline to work. Then, CMOs at startups team up with the CRO to define these and revisit how marketing and selling strategies are helping to drive a faster rate of lead progression.
Real-time website analytics.
Table stakes for any business, real-time website analytics provide insights into how effective a website attracts new prospects by solving their most urgent challenges and problems. While there are many metrics any business can track with website analytics, startups often begin with 12 core engagement metrics.
In addition, CMOs leading startup marketing teams are often highly skilled in using advanced web analytics to fine-tune Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and marketing’s contribution to revenue via digital channels.
Social Media/Digital Engagement Metrics.
Startups often have tight marketing budgets, making Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media accounts especially valuable for increasing their reach and top-of-mind awareness. All startups are tracking how effective their social media efforts are at promoting videos, marketing events including webinars and online conferences, and especially new evergreen content aimed at customers’ highest priority interests.
The future of startups When startups struggle to scale their real-time data, they often run into growth roadblocks faster than those adept at turning data into results. The most severe roadblocks come from cash flow, revenue generation, and devops problems that take longer to solve because the data behind them aren’t as accessible. Starting with a small baseline of cash flow and revenue generation metrics is the best place to start based on advice from startup founders and CEOs. From there, it’s best to branch out with a minimal set of metrics for devops, sales, and marketing. Real-time data provides startups with the insights they need to stay focused on customer satisfaction while continually improving financial, profit, and product quality performance.
Louis Columbus is a contributor for VentureBeat and business professor at Webster University.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Dbt Labs will soon add a semantic layer in the modern data stack | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/data-infrastructure/dbt-labs-will-soon-add-a-semantic-layer-in-the-modern-data-stack"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Dbt Labs will soon add a semantic layer in the modern data stack Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Dbt Labs cofounder and CEO Tristan Handy Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Pennsylvania headquartered dbt Labs (formerly Fishtown Analytics), which offers an open-source data transformation tool called dbt and is known to be a significant part of the modern data stack, is gearing up to take things to the next level with a new semantic layer.
“On our move-the-ecosystem-forward initiatives, there are a bunch of irons in the fire. The biggest one is something we’re calling the semantic layer, which is a brand new way for Business Intelligence (BI) and analytics tools to access a single set of business concepts (metrics, entities, and more),” Tristan Handy, the CEO and founder of the dbt Labs, told VentureBeat.
Current architecture The current architecture of the modern data stack sees information flow from warehouses and lakehouses to AI and BI tools for analytics projects. However, the problem is, organizations (especially big ones with complex structures) tend to have different tools for different analysis needs. This could lead to tools accessing different copies of data from warehouses and lakehouses.
To solve this challenge, a single open semantic layer of dbt code, where business metrics and concepts can be defined and made universally accessible, will sit in between. It will utilize any existing programming construct that dbt authors could express – refs, macros, sources – to offer the same version of the truth to all the BI and analytic tools, simplifying the whole process.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “This will solve, once and for all, one of the biggest problems in our space: the “single source of truth” problem. The reason we’ve been struggling to solve this as an industry for 30+ years is that it keeps being commercial/proprietary vendors that attempt to solve it,” Tristan added.
Possibilities Though the CEO did not share the specifics of the semantic layer planned by dbt Labs, a blog post shared by him did indicate some directions the company may take.
“Imagine being able to ref a model instead of selecting from a physical table name inside your BI tool! With this one change you could get native environment support everywhere you work,” the post read. In addition to this, dbt community members and partners have also suggested leveraging the layer to define semantic entities and to build dynamic governance and privacy tooling, among other things.
Ultimately, the company believes that this move will create a lot of whitespace to help enterprises drive innovation and build better products faster. A large portion of its $222 million series D round will also go toward this effort. The investment was led by Altimeter with multiple participants including Databricks, Snowflake, and Salesforce Ventures.
Dbt Labs’ growth and competition Dbt Labs claims that its transformation tool is currently used by over 9,000 companies. In the last year alone, the company’s customer base has tripled while revenue has grown by six times.
“Dbt takes something that was once arcane, once required a tremendous amount of technical expertise, and turns it into something that anyone with an analytical background can participate in. It removes the barriers between data analysts, who are close to the business and understand its data needs, and data engineers, who are experts in data technology. Enabling both of these user groups to work together in the same tool to build production-grade data infrastructure is dbt’s superpower,” Tristan said.
While there are some companies that offer tools for transforming and preparing the data for analysis, including Datameer and Mozart Data, the company doesn’t see them as “meaningful challengers” at present.
“dbt has become such a standard in the industry — growing its install base by nine times over the past two years to 9000 companies!—that it truly doesn’t have meaningful challengers. This is actually not unusual in the open-source world: the most successful open source technologies end up becoming standards. Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, etc. However, as with many open-source companies, that (also) means that our biggest commercial competition is our own open-source product,” he said.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"EU cracks down on Facebook and Google -- what it means for third-party data collection | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/the-eus-crusade-over-data-collection"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Analysis EU cracks down on Facebook and Google — what it means for third-party data collection Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Last week, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) reached a decision to potentially suspend Facebook’s data transfers from the EU to the U.S., marking one of the latest developments in the EU’s war on transatlantic data collection.
The war that’s been brewing since the release of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came to a head recently when Austria data regulator Datenschutzbehörde said that medical news provider NetDoktor’s uses Google Analytics unlawfully, exposing the data of EU data subjects to U.S. intelligence agencies.
These developments highlight that relying on third-parties to gather data is becoming a losing proposition for tech executives amid the enforcement of international data protection regulations The end of EU Facebook data collection? The EU’s criticism of Facebook and Google Analytics data handling highlights that the regulator is looking to evaluate the way that EU-based organizations share data with downstream U.S. service providers, and are willing to enforce the data protection requirements of EU subjects.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “The eventual result of this decision, and recent decisions for Google Analytics and other cloud services, is that almost all U.S. companies, and U.S. companies with U.S. subsidiaries will have to end data transfer with Europe,” said Jules Polonetsky, CEO Future of Privacy Forum.
“At this point, only a new political and legal agreement for U.S. surveillance oversight and redress will prevent this catastrophic outcome,” Polonetsky said.
“The irony is that Facebook and Google will be fine no matter the outcome, as they and a handful of others has the resources and technical ability to invest in the massive tech changes needed. Healthcare institutions, universities, government agencies, small and medium businesses and their customers are the ones who will suffer if there is no political resolution,” he said.
The implications for third-party data collection When considering Facebook and Google’s run-ins with EU regulators alongside the wider crackdown on third-party data collection, the future looks bleak for third-party advertising.
Not only has Apple given users the choice to opt-out of sharing their data with advertisers, but Google has recently restricted cross-app tracking of Android users, after announcing that they would ban third-party cookies on Google Chrome in 2023.
The combination of the EU regulator’s crackdown on U.S. data sharing and service provider’s phasing out of third-party data collection suggest that organizations and decision makers will need new ways to collect data and gather insights on customers.
“The era of third-party advertising is getting to a close and it remains to be seen if Google is willing to act as an independent internet gatekeeper — via Android and Chrome — or a provider of third-party advertise tech (Topics API),” said Mander Shinde, cofounder and CEO of customer data platform provider Blotout.
“For the past two years, Google has struggled trying to have their cake and eat it too as Apple forced the hand. The announcement with Android is a reflection of those struggles, and so were changes in Chrome that were pushed out to 2023,” he said.
What’s next for advertisers? The most obvious solution for enterprises appears to be first party data, where organizations request permission to collect data directly from users, and use that to develop their insights without relying on a third party like Facebook or Google.
Collecting first-party data has emerged as a priority for many markets after the cookie phase out, with 88% of marketers in 2021 agreeing that collecting first party data was a priority, and 52% saying their organizations had prioritized digital experiences and/or strategies to collect more first-party data.
However, while Shinde believes that first party data will play a role in enabling enterprises to gather user data going forward, he also believes that organizations can still engage in data sharing if they form close relationships as referrers and beneficiaries.
“We believe that two parties, a referrer (say Facebook) and a beneficiary (say advertiser) can still match signals to be able to work with each other. We expect that every party will have their customer and will enable content-based participation between parties. This scenario will drive significant consolidation in the market, as we have seen in the App industry,” he said.
While it remains to be seen whether Facebook will halt data transfers from the EU, the writing on the wall is that enterprises can’t afford to rely on third parties to access insights into their customers, it appears they’ll need to own the insights themselves if they want to work intelligently long term.
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"Serotiny and Tessera Therapeutics enter into collaboration to engineer and optimize programmable Gene Writer proteins | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/serotiny-and-tessera-therapeutics-enter-into-collaboration-to-engineer-and-optimize-programmable-gene-writer-proteins"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Press Release Serotiny and Tessera Therapeutics enter into collaboration to engineer and optimize programmable Gene Writer proteins Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn The collaboration will utilize the Serotiny platform to engineer, analyze, score, and screen Multi-Domain Protein libraries aiming to identify and optimize Tessera’s novel programmable Gene Writer proteins SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–February 28, 2022– Serotiny, a leader in high-throughput therapeutic Multi-Domain Protein (tMDP) engineering, and Tessera Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering a new approach in genetic medicines known as Gene Writing technology, today announced a collaboration to engineer programmable Gene Writer proteins. This collaboration will build on Tessera’s innovations in genome engineering technologies and apply Serotiny’s tMDP mining and design expertise to further optimize Tessera’s programmable Gene Writer proteins, capable of making diverse and directed alterations to the genome.
“We’re extremely excited to be working with the Tessera team,” said Colin Farlow, J.D., Serotiny’s CEO. “It provides Serotiny a unique opportunity to extend the validation of our platform and to continue to advance our efforts in discovering and developing proteins with novel function for the purpose of enhancing the therapeutic utility of next-generation genetic medicines.” Tessera’s Gene Writer candidates can allow the substitution, insertion, or deletion of DNA sequences, as well as the writing of entire genes into the genome, offering the potential for a new category of genetic medicines. By partnering with Serotiny, Tessera will have the ability to identify, screen, and optimize a variety of proteins that can serve as the foundation of future Gene Writer therapies across a variety of disease states.
“Tessera’s mission is to cure disease by writing in the code of life and we’re committed to continuously innovating to improve and expand our Gene Writing platform,” said Geoffrey von Maltzahn, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Tessera. “Our R&D engine seeks to learn from billions of years of mobile genetic element evolution to generate novel Gene Writing systems with the ability to solve important challenges in genetic medicine. Serotiny’s multi-domain engineering expertise has the potential to further optimize our Gene Writer protein libraries and we’re delighted to partner with the Serotiny team.” Under terms of the agreement Serotiny will receive an upfront payment and is eligible for certain future consideration, contingent upon the collaboration achieving pre-specified performance thresholds.
About Serotiny Serotiny is a pre-clinical discovery company building better gene and cell therapies through high-throughput engineering of therapeutic Multi-Domain Proteins (tMDP) such as Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs), CAR alternatives, accessory proteins, and next generation gene editors. At the heart of Serotiny’s technology is a discovery platform that harmonizes computationally aided protein design, high-throughput cellular assays, and next generation sequencing. Serotiny’s platform enables a cross disciplinary approach to engineering large and often unstructured multi-domain proteins, applying expertise from synthetic biology, immunology, machine learning, software engineering and bioinformatics. For more info visit www.serotiny.bio , or contact Colin Farlow at [email protected].
About Tessera’s Gene Writer platform Tessera’s Gene Writer proteins are based on nature’s genome architects, Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs)-the most abundant class of genes across the tree of life, representing approximately half of the human genome. Tessera has evaluated tens of thousands of natural and synthetic MGEs to create Gene Writer candidates in multiple categories including: RNA Gene Writer proteins that use target-primed reverse transcription (TPRT), which evolved in a class of MGEs known as retrotransposons. TPRT uses three steps to make an alteration: DNA-binding, DNA-nicking (without double strand breaks to DNA), and reverse transcription. Tessera’s Gene Writing technology requires a DNA sequence match at all three steps, reducing the likelihood of off-target editing. Tessera’s Gene Writer components can be delivered as therapeutic compositions comprised of RNA molecules within lipid nanoparticles, offering the potential for scalable, re-dosable genetic medicines with the ability to make the full spectrum of small and large edits to genome, from single or multi-base pair corrections, insertions, deletions, to writing entire genes.
DNA Gene Writer proteins are derived from recombinases and integrases and enable permanent integration of whole-gene sequences, delivered as DNA, into the genome without the introduction of double-strand breaks. This opens up the potential for treating pediatric patients leveraging validated delivery modalities Tessera’s research engine further optimizes the discovered Gene Writer candidates for efficiency, specificity, and fidelity-essentially compressing eons of evolution into a few months.
About Tessera Therapeutics Tessera Therapeutics is pioneering Gene Writing technology, which consists of multiple technology platforms designed to offer scientists and clinicians the ability to write therapeutic messages into the human genome, thereby curing diseases at their source. The Gene Writing platform allows the correction of single nucleotides, the deletion or insertion of short sequences of DNA, and the writing of entire genes into the genome, offering the potential for a new category of genetic medicines with broad applications both in vivo and ex vivo.
Tessera Therapeutics was founded by Flagship Pioneering, a life sciences enterprise that conceives, resources, and develops first-in-category bioplatform companies to transform human health and sustainability. For more information about Tessera, please visit www.tesseratherapeutics.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220228005181/en/ Colin Farlow, [email protected] VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Report: 78% of consumers say they're likely to promote a brand's AR on social media | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/report-78-of-consumers-say-theyre-likely-to-promote-a-brands-ar-on-social-media"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Report: 78% of consumers say they’re likely to promote a brand’s AR on social media Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
According to a new report by Camera IQ , 76% of consumers have already used AR, and more than half of those who have not yet tried AR say they hope to do so in the future. AR also has the potential to “go viral” — 78% of consumers say they are likely to share a brand’s AR experience on social media. More than four out of 10 say they are more likely to share an AR experience than other types of brand posts.
Augmented reality is the gateway to the metaverse because it transforms social media platforms into co-creative, mixed reality experiences. Camera IQ’s study takes a deep dive into consumer preferences and behavior surrounding augmented reality, social media and ecommerce.
It reveals how brands can leverage AR in marketing today while laying the groundwork for their metaverse strategies.
Funny and flattering effects, AR games and AR product visualizations resonate with consumers. The most common experience consumers encounter is product visualizations at 39%. AR product visualizations also accelerate the buyer’s journey: 59% of consumers say they would be more likely to purchase a product they’ve seen visualized through AR.
Major brands like Bumble, Away, and Smashbox have demonstrated how augmented reality complements mainstream channels like social media, SEO, and influencer marketing campaigns. Mobile commerce and consumer behavior are moving further and further into the metaverse. In that landscape, AR is the missing piece that allows companies to offer the digital experiences that consumers expect.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! To conduct this study, Camera IQ surveyed 1,500 U.S. consumers in December 2021. Respondents’ ages ranged from 16 to 54 and older, with the majority falling between ages 18 and 44. The survey was carried out on a platform called Pollfish, whose global panel includes over 550MM consumers. Camera IQ also leveraged reputable third-party industry and consumer studies to validate the research and provide additional context.
Read the full report by Camera IQ.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"PC manufacturing pioneer Tom Yuen passes away at 70 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/pc-manufacturing-pioneer-tom-yuen-passes-away-at-70"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages PC manufacturing pioneer Tom Yuen passes away at 70 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Tom Yuen was a cofounder of AST Research. He passed away at age 70.
Tom Yuen was on dialysis for 42 years, and I’m sad to learn that the serial entrepreneur who cofounded AST Research passed away at age 70 on February 13. But I’m glad to know that he beat the odds on his kidney disease for far longer than doctors expected.
I met Yuen and the AST Research cofounders back in the 1990s when I worked at the Los Angeles Times in Orange County, California. I wrote a profile about why he was so driven back in 1992.
Yuen was born in Hong Kong and he immigrated to the U.S. in 1970.
Yuen told me back then that he married a Japanese woman. And that was controversial for his Chinese family back in those days. He felt some pressure to be successful. Then, in 1973, he was diagnosed with a kidney disease and was told treatment would cost $15,000 a year. As an engineer at Hughes Aircraft, he was making $12,000 a year at the time.
Yuen was laid off from that job in 1974, and he looked through the images of a corporate annual report and saw mostly white men in the executive ranks. He decided that he would have to start his own company to get ahead and become financially successful in order to save his own life and take care of his family. (He is survived by his wife Misako and their children Jennifer and Constance.
Yuen started AST Research in 1979 with Albert Wong and Safi Qureshey — an act that broke the glass ceiling. In 1980, Yuen’s kidneys failed and he learned he would be on dialysis for the rest of his life. That sent him into overdrive.
The trio of founders had a Three Musketeers ethos, and the name of the company was based on their first-name initials. They created the company just ahead of the dawn of the PC era as IBM launched its PC and opened the door for clone manufacturers to make DOS-based computers. AST started out making components and eventually made its own PCs.
The company went public in 1984 and it grew to thousands of employees and billions in sales. It became a Fortune 500 company and helped put Orange Count on the map for tech industry prowess. Yuen left the company in 1992.
AST was acquired by Samsung in 1997 and eventually shut down in 1999. Yuen also purchased the 3D audio firm SRS labs in 1993 and acquired PrimeGen Biotech, a stem cell research and development firm, in 2002. He also became a prolific and generous donor in Orange County.
“Though he was sick for more than 40 years, the incredible support of his wife and determination to provide his children the best life possible drove Tom to live an extraordinary life. In business, he was brilliant, focused, a bit of a risk taker and ultimately very successful. In life he was caring, compassionate, and had an unyielding desire to help people,” said Wai Szeto, business associate and close friend of Yuen for 40 years, in a statement.
Memorial Services A memorial service for Tom Yuen will be held March 12, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time in Costa Mesa, California. Please RSVP by contacting Stacy Pham at [email protected].
Make a Donation To commemorate Yuen’s passion for philanthropy, the family has asked that instead of sending flowers, friends and family donate to two causes he was truly passionate about: · Support Stem Cell and Kidney Disease Research and UC Irvine – https://secure.give.uci.edu/ThomasYuenMemorialGifts · Support Providence Speech and Hearing Center (affiliate of CHOC Health) – https://raiseup.choc.org/honor/TomYuen Yuen’s influence had a legacy in tech. In 1986, AST acquired a small memory manufacturer called Camintonn, whose principals David Sun and John Tu went on to form Kingston Technology.
“Before AST, Tom and I were college roommates, and it was clear even back then that he was a true visionary. He had a knack for dreaming up big ideas and improving upon existing ideas in ways that were simply fascinating. While some of the innovative things he would propose to create sounded impossible to develop, he had a charismatic approach that inspired and motivated engineers like me to bring his ideas to life,” said Wong, cofounder of AST Research, in a statement.
“Making money was never a primary driver for Tom, instead, he was more interested in taking on significant challenges, learning from them, and seeing if the market would reward the fruits of our labor,” said Qureshey, cofounder of AST, in a statement. “After his chronic kidney disease diagnosis, Tom never slowed down, he just adapted. He was brave to deal with everything he had going on, yet he also managed to maintain a positive attitude and an uncanny desire to succeed.” Among his accolades, he earned a TechAmerica Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and the UCI Alumni Association’s Extraordinarius Award in 2014.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Movandi Collaborates With Qualcomm to Expand 5G mmWave Adoption | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/movandi-collaborates-with-qualcomm-to-expand-5g-mmwave-adoption"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Press Release Movandi Collaborates With Qualcomm to Expand 5G mmWave Adoption Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Companies’ technologies aim to increase mobile network operators’ flexibility in deploying 5G mmWave networks IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–February 28, 2022– MWC Barcelona 2022 – Movandi , a leader in 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) RF technologies and software, today announced that it has plans to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
to expand the adoption of 5G mmWave deployment for indoor and outdoor scenarios. Both companies are strong proponents of 5G mmWave, and the combination of mmWave small cells powered by Qualcomm® FSM™ 5G RAN Platforms and Movandi-powered 5G smart repeaters will entail expanded 5G mmWave adoption and an increased flexibility in operator deployments.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220227005153/en/ Movandi opens Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with Qualcomm collaboration to expand 5G mmWave adoption. Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world’s most influential connectivity industry event where leading companies and trailblazers share the latest thought leadership about the future of connectivity. (Graphic: Business Wire) This combination of small cells based on Qualcomm FSM 5G RAN Platforms and Movandi-powered 5G BeamXR smart repeaters is positioned to offer mobile operators cost-effective and fast deployment of mmWave at scale and help unlock the full potential of 5G.
“Our goal is to innovate and empower our partners to solve the toughest 5G deployment challenges,” said Maryam Rofougaran, CEO and founder at Movandi. “With our industry-leading BeamXR semiconductor and system technology, we are committed to delivering the best and most comprehensive set of capabilities to power indoor and outdoor 5G mmWave networks. We look forward to working with Qualcomm Technologies to help the entire 5G ecosystem unlock the promise of high-speed mmWave connectivity.” Small cells have been at the heart of the global 5G proliferation and Qualcomm Technologies is front and center with its Qualcomm FSM 5G RAN Platforms featuring a flexible and open architecture and industry-leading power efficiency for enterprise-grade.
“This collaboration reflects the next step in both companies’ shared commitment to accelerate 5G mmWave deployments,” said Alex Katouzian, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mobile, Compute and Infrastructure, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Qualcomm Technologies’ core 5G strategy focuses on delivering the most advanced technology and purpose-built solutions. Our work with Movandi will focus on expanding the adoption of 5G mmWave to improve performance and user experience.” Movandi’s BeamXR smart repeater technology helps to close the gap in 5G mmWave deployments by amplifying coverage in public spaces and inside buildings and by penetrating physical barriers in dense urban environments. BeamXR technology combines a fully integrated RF front-end and system-level design to deliver a complete solution with long-range, low power features and unlimited mesh configurations that address mmWave propagation, blocking, and latency challenges.
Movandi BeamXR technology is the industry’s first smart repeater solution engineered to speed up 5G mmWave deployment, extend range and enhance coverage, penetrate physical barriers in indoor, outdoor and mobile environments, and accelerate large-scale 5G commercialization. Movandi BeamXR powered smart repeaters are available today and for additional technical details, please visit Movandi products.
About Movandi Movandi is a 5G and beyond RF semiconductor, system, and software technology company enabling a hyperconnected world, broad 5G adoption and AI applications across multiple industries. Movandi is an innovator with 90 patents filed and 60 patents issued optimizing RF chipset performance, size and power efficiency, and dynamic beamforming and steering beam using intelligent algorithms, software and cloud AI and ML. Founded in 2016 by former world-recognized Broadcom RF and SoC pioneers, the Movandi management team includes proven executives from Cisco, MediaTek, Qualcomm and Samsung. Movandi powered smart repeaters and technology solve the difficult 5G engineering and economic challenges by speeding up 5G mmWave deployment, extending range, enhancing coverage, penetrating physical barriers in indoor, outdoor and mobile environments, and accelerating large-scale 5G commercialization by significantly reducing capital investment and operating expenses. For more information, go to movandi.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Qualcomm and FSM are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.
Qualcomm FSM 5G RAN Platforms is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220227005153/en/ Green Flash Media for Movandi Jeremy Hyatt [email protected] VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Meta calls for collaborative effort to build the metaverse network infrastructure | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/meta-calls-for-collaborative-effort-to-build-the-metaverse-network-infrastructure"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Meta calls for collaborative effort to build the metaverse network infrastructure Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Concept metaverse illustration Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Facebook’s parent company Meta has called for a global collaborative effort to build the necessary infrastructure to support its burgeoning metaverse ambitions.
“Metaverse” emerged as one of the major buzzwords of 2021, driven in large part by Facebook, which went all-in on the metaverse and changed its corporate name to Meta.
The metaverse, essentially, will be a synchronous series of interconnected, interoperable virtual worlds that people “live” inside and move between.
Into the metaverse Meta has plowed considerable resources into connectivity infrastructure over the past 15 years, spanning everything from subsea cables and satellites , to autonomous internet-beaming drones — the goal has been to get as many people online as possible and, ultimately, using Meta’s array of digital services.
The next big challenge for the coming decade, according to Meta, is to build “metaverse-ready networks” to enable the high-speed, ultra-low latency requirements of a mixed reality world where people engage through head-mounted displays.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! “The connectivity industry has spent the last decade focused on building the infrastructure needed to support the billions of people who have come online to a mobile-first internet,” Meta VP Dan Rabinovitsj wrote in a blog post. “The next great connectivity challenge is emerging — reimagining network infrastructure to support the computing platforms of the future.” While low-latency data transfers are necessary today for things like video-calling and cloud gaming, in a world where the graphics will have to be rendered on-screen in direct response to where someone has shifted their gaze, “…things will need to move an order of magnitude faster,” Rabinovitsj said. Single or low double-digit millisecond latency is the goal.
For its metaverse vision to be realized, the world will need “vast enhancements in capacity and fundamental shifts in how networks are architected and deployed,” according to Rabinovitsj, which will mean a huge industry-wide collaboration spanning tech companies, mobile network operators, policymakers, and everyone in between.
Timed to coincide with the annual MWC tradeshow in Barcelona, Meta yesterday revealed a partnership with telecommunications giant Telefónica. The tie-up will initially involve co-building what they’ve dubbed the Metaverse Innovation Hub in the Spanish capital, Madrid — this will be to “accelerate metaverse network and device readiness” through various trials and testing initiatives.
“Through this Metaverse Innovation Hub, Telefónica and Meta plan to provide local startups and developers with access to a groundbreaking 5G laboratory where they will be able to utilize a metaverse end-to-end test bed on Meta and Telefónica’s network infrastructure and equipment,” Rabinovitsj said.
As part of its presence at MWC 2022 this year, Meta will also be hosting a discussion in conjunction with the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), a collaborative industry effort launched by Facebook back in 2016 that’s focused on improving telecom network infrastructure.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Going on offense: Ukraine forms an 'IT army,' Nvidia hacks back | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/going-on-offense-ukraine-forms-an-it-army-nvidia-hacks-back"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Going on offense: Ukraine forms an ‘IT army,’ Nvidia hacks back Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's vice prime minister, announced on Twitter, "We are creating an IT army." Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
It’s not directly related to the emerging cyber resistance against Russia in Ukraine — but the reports that Nvidia has turned the tables on its attacker in a ransomware incident this week does seem to resonate.
Both the Nvidia case, and Ukraine’s effort to launch a cyber offensive against Russia, share a common theme of standing one’s ground and pushing back against aggressors — whether those be power-hungry nation states or cybercriminals.
In Ukraine today, Mykhailo Fedorov, the country’s vice prime minister, announced on Twitter, “We are creating an IT army.” “We need digital talents,” wrote Fedorov, who also holds the title of minister of digital transformation — sharing a link to a Telegram channel where he said operational tasks will be distributed. “We continue to fight on the cyber front.” VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! On the Telegram channel, the IT army reportedly posted its list of Russian targets — which were also translated into English “for all IT specialists from other countries.” Anonymous is the most visible group to pledge a cyber offensive against Russia on behalf of Ukraine, but some of the most sophisticated hacker groups are known to avoid attention as much as possible — including some that are believed to be aligned with the U.S. and western countries.
On Friday, Christian Sorensen, a former U.S. Cyber Command official, told VentureBeat that “hacktivists around the world [will be] working against Russia, because they are the aggressor.” “I think things will ramp up against western targets, but Russia and Belarus will be targeted by these groups even more” said Sorensen, formerly the operational planning team lead for the U.S. Cyber Command.
Hacking back Meanwhile, a ransomware gang that claimed to have attacked Nvidia also reportedly posting a message that the chipmaker had hacked back.
The group, Lapsus$, said on its Telegram channel that 1TB of data was removed by Nvidia, according to screenshots shared by Brett Callow, a threat analyst at Emsisoft. The ransomware group, believed to operate in South America, also said that Nvidia had encrypted the group’s data (though the group says it had a backup), according to the screenshots.
Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.
On Friday, a spokesperson said that Nvidia was “investigating an incident” and was “still working to evaluate the nature and scope of the event.” “Our business and commercial activities continue uninterrupted,” the Nvidia spokesperson said in the statement.
The statement came in response to a Friday report in The Telegraph that Nvidia, one of the largest producers of graphics chips, has been investigating “a potential cyber attack that has taken parts of its business offline for two days.” Quoting an unnamed “insider” at Nvidia, The Telegraph reported that the potential cyberattack had “completely compromised” internal systems at the company — “although some email services were working on Friday,” the report said.
Preventing leaks Hacking back is “unusual, but certainly not unheard of,” Callow said in a message to VentureBeat. Often the goal is to prevent leaks of stolen data, he said.
“I wouldn’t assume any connection to the conflict” in Ukraine, Callow added.
Still, you can’t help but notice a common theme in terms of pushing back against cyberattacks.
Russian cyber offensives have already been playing a role in the country’s build-up to its assault on Ukraine this week. Authorities in the U.S. and U.K.
blamed Russia for last week’s massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in Ukraine. Fresh DDoS attacks, as well as destructive cyberattacks that involved wiper malware, struck Ukraine on Wednesday just ahead of the invasion.
But on Friday, a Bloomberg report said that a hacker group that was now forming to bring counterattacks against Russia had amassed 500 members. And today, we have the announcement of Ukraine’s IT army — potentially including assistance from hackers around the globe.
“Whether sanctioned or not, official or not, if people have or can get the right information, know-how, and desire — they can make an impact,” Sorensen said on Friday, prior to the announcement of Ukraine’s IT army. “We’ll have to wait and see what they are able to do.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Cortical.io adds contract intelligence to document processing | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/cortical-io-adds-contract-intelligence-to-document-processing"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Cortical.io adds contract intelligence to document processing Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Businesses have countless documents to keep track of. And organizing, maintaining and updating them can be a challenge, both from a volume and a manpower standpoint.
Intelligent document processing (IDP) tools are increasingly applied to process and analyze structured and semi-structured documents such as forms and invoices. This technology leverages such tools as computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing, and optical character recognition.
But when it comes to delving deeper into more complex documents and assessing and parsing their contents for consistency, clarity and errors, these systems can often be simplistic in nature.
Contract intelligence (CI) picks up where IDP leaves off. Using a branch of ML known as natural language understanding, CI provides meaningful insights from extracted data in more complicated contracts, agreements, and other business documents.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “The goal is to get computers to use language like humans use language,” said Francisco Webber, cofounder and CEO of NLU company Cortical.io.
According to KBV Research, the IDP market will reach $4.1 billion by 2027, representing a compound annual growth rate of more than 29%. The CI market is expected to grow exponentially along with that, and its top players include Cortical.io, Conga, HG Insights, Evisort and IntelAgree.
Cortical.io, Webber contends, has the unique tools to be able to take the industry to the next level. The differentiator is in the company’s semantic folding technique. This technology converts a piece of text, whatever that may be and in whatever language, into a bitmap — essentially a “semantic fingerprint” of the text.
“It precisely converts text into a specific representation that makes it very easy to apply machine learning on top of it,” Webber said.
Models built out from the technology can then be given examples of various documents. Based on those examples, they can search, extract and classify important information, even when this requires interpreting, or if the phraseology varies. Models can be used for any document-based standard, including contracts, lease agreements, quotes or commercial offers from insurance companies.
Cortical.io has applied this technique, which is inspired by neuroscience, to its two newest products. Contract Intelligence 4.6 automatically searches, extracts, classifies and compares key information in documents such as contracts, insurance policies, financial reports and requests for proposals. Message Intelligence 2.4 automatically classifies and processes messages, attachments and unstructured text based on meaning. When used with Contract Intelligence, it can also extract and leverage buried information, Webber explained.
Cortical.io’s technology can calculate similarities between texts effortlessly. With a termination clause, for example, models use information from previously provided examples to process what terminology and phraseology is used, and the context around that. It can then examine another clause and predict if it matches.
Models could also be applied to search and classification, Webber said. For example, after processing previous examples of email or social media complaints or other feedback coming in at high frequency, models can create specific filters so that these messages are immediately forwarded along to the correct department.
Cortical.io’s models are easy to train, tune and apply across different languages, he explained. They can achieve accuracy with as few as 20 examples of a certain type of clause, contract or other business document. And the process does not require a data scientist or AI expertise. It is wholly between the subject-matter expert and the automation model.
“It needs so few examples that you could literally ask a subject-matter expert ‘Show me a handful of things you are spotting for in your contracts,’” and the system will pick it up, Webber explained. “We want to put the subject-matter experts in the driver’s seat. That’s where the future is. Models will be modeled around humans.” This technique allows users to train their document extraction models and maintain their IP. From there, they can start a new type of document model without having to go back and build out a whole new system. The tool can adapt as an organization grows and evolves, allowing “much more strategic digitalization movement in a company,” Webber said.
Models can analyze relevant information from a document quickly and accurately and achieve at scale what is otherwise difficult for other contract analysis tools, he added. This helps to increase efficiencies and benefits companies by saving time, money and manpower and reducing turnaround time.
“There is an incredible amount of gain in terms of speed and quality,” he said. Cortical.io uses it too, he added — for example, to annotate training data for classified models.
Ultimately, there are significant implications for CI, he said. AI models are much less expensive than big language machines and can continue to be scaled with fewer computational obstacles, thus allowing them to quickly evolve.
“There has to be a new orientation, specifically on the business AI side,” Webber said. “The main criterion for evolution is efficiency. In nature, if a creature isn’t efficient, it won’t survive.” The industry had to wait for machines to become strong enough to be able to tackle such challenges, he added. It is “computer intense,” and the focus to this point has been on algorithms.
But, he noted, “it’s not so much an algorithmic problem as it is a representational problem.” A native of Vienna with a background in bioscience, Webber has always been interested in the link between how the brain works with language and what we then do with that information, he said. In beginning to tackle CI, he was inspired by the book On Intelligence: How a New Understanding of the Brain Will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines by Jeff Hawkins and Sandra Blakeslee.
According to Webber, the company is getting closer to finding that answer. “We are a company working in efficient AI,” he said. “Now we have taken that technology to provide real-world tools. We have developed a highly efficient method of representing language.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Bluehole Publishes an Article on the World's Thinnest Ceramic Coil Vape Pod Solution, FEELM Air | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/bluehole-publishes-an-article-on-the-worlds-thinnest-ceramic-coil-vape-pod-solution-feelm-air"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Press Release Bluehole Publishes an Article on the World’s Thinnest Ceramic Coil Vape Pod Solution, FEELM Air Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn SHENZHEN, China–(BUSINESS WIRE)–February 28, 2022– China’s leading vaping media, Bluehole New Consumption, today publishes an article on the world’s thinnest ceramic coil vape pod solution, FEELM Air.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220227005195/en/ FEELM Air, equipped with the world’s smallest linear motor (Photo: Business Wire) Here below is the full article in English: “E-cigarettes look simple, but are actually very sophisticated. Small alterations in structure and technique could bring profound changes to the product experience”— Christ Lee, Product Manager of FEELM Air.
On Jan 18, 2022, FEELM, the flagship atomization tech brand belonging to SMOORE, has unveiled the world’s thinnest vape pod solution with ceramic coil, FEELM Air in London. It has been 6 years since the launch of first generation of FEELM vaping solution. Compared with previous generation, the thickness of FEELM Air is reduced by 25% to 7.8 mm. It features 7 major breakthroughs in vaping experience, including ultimate design, improved harm reduction performance, authentic flavor reproduction and joyful interactive experience. This solution is expected to lead a new trend of ultra-slim smart device in the global vaping industry.
As the world’s largest vaping manufacturer, SMOORE has conducted a number of global consumer researches by virtue of its worldwide customer base and partnership with world’s leading vape brands. With in-depth insights into consumer behaviors, SMOORE found that the ultra-slim device will be the future of the industry.
As a new tech gadget, the vaping device nowadays has been accepted as a consumer electronics product, more than a tobacco product. “The evolution of mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and all other consumer electronics shows a trend towards miniaturization and sophistication,” said Christ Lee, Product Manager of FEELM Air. “Based on our understanding on consumer electronics, we came up with the idea of making an ultra-slim closed system vaping product.” Bringing the Idea into Being It is feasible to create the world’s thinnest vape pod solution only under the premise of developing a compact but powerful ceramic coil. Therefore, FEELM has involved over 500 scientists for more than 2,500 days to bring such heater into being.
FEELM has overcome a series of technical challenges during the development. Most of them come from the requirement for better performance while the available space in the 7.5 mm device is very limited.
Above all, it is challenging to design a smooth airflow passage in such compact pod since e-liquid and the heater have already occupied certain space, thus FEELM has applied Computational Fluid Dynamics to optimize its airflow passage structure.
Moreover, it has higher requirement for the forming technique to make an Ultra-slim Bionic Film Ceramic Coil. FEELM Air has leveraged Nanoscale Vacuumed Film-forming Technique to make the heating film of the coil distributed more evenly. Besides, it has the world’s first 7-layer composite heating film made of bionic materials, with each layer leading to a correspondingly enhanced functionality.
In order to utilize the compact space, FEELM also managed to create the world’s smallest linear motor with an ultra-long lifespan of 150 million cycles along with suppliers, thereby facilitating the technological innovations of the supply chain.
Meanwhile, FEELM Air is equipped with the industry’s first super power management system “TOPOWER™”, which allows 10-minute charge for 8-hour vaping. Its energy density is increased by 20% and battery life is increased by 30%. More importantly, FEELM Air improves an overall harm reduction performance by 80%, compared with last generation.
Changing the Vaping Industry As a revolutionary vaping solution, FEELM Air could reverse the underestimation of the technological sophistication of vaping devices, convincing the public that electronic atomization products are high-tech innovations.
In a bid to develop this cutting-edge vaping solution, SMOORE has been fully committed to fundamental research. Since 2015, SMOORE has been acquiring global talents from different scientific backgrounds, including aerosol science, engineering thermophysics, biomedicine, and Materials chemistry; and has established 15 research centers around the world for the cross-disciplinary research on atomization science.
Moreover, in December 2020, FEELM introduced the world’s first Taste Evaluation Model, establishing a scientific system to evaluate vaping experience. In 2022, FEELM sensory evaluation team has further developed the model. Now, the second generation of FEELM Taste Evaluation Model is composed of 5 dimensions, namely Aroma, Vapor Property, Impact, Taste/Mouthfeel, and Aftertaste, with 65 specific indexes.
Furthermore, FEELM Air has improved the intelligence of electronic atomization products, thereby leading a revolution of human-device interaction in the industry. Just like the debut of Siri on iPhone 4s in 2011, it is the industry’s first to adopt a linear motor in vaping devices. In contrast to traditional rotor motors, FEELM Air’s linear motor can provide more delicate and customized vibration modes for different scenarios, such as charging and puffing.
“The industry is already full of homogenous products,” said Steven Yang, Senior Director of FEELM R&D. “FEELM attempts to distinguish itself from others by taking a differentiation strategy to develop an ultra-slim and exquisite solution. Committed to minimalist aesthetic and ultimate design, we benchmark ourselves against Apple in the consumer electronics sector.” As a consequence, FEELM Air has been granted “Silver Winner” of MUSE Design Awards 2021.
For years, FEELM has focused on exploring more human-device interactions on vaping devices. According to Steven Yang, future FEELM products will adopt more advanced algorithms to enable intelligent heating and temperature control, so as to match with different e-liquids for better flavor reproduction and further improve harm reduction performance by preventing localized over-heating.
The Future with FEELM As an industry pioneer, FEELM has been taking the lead in conceiving the next generation of product form. Since the launch of the first black metallic film ceramic coil in 2016, FEELM has a significant impact on the research and manufacturing of closed system vaping products, ushering in a new era of ceramic coil.
As Steven Yang said, the technology strategy of FEELM is commercializing a generation with the next generation in development and a cutting-edge technology as backup. Early in 2015, FEELM has already initiated the development of FEELM Air and its Ultra-slim Bionic Film Ceramic Coil.
FEELM Air is the just the beginning of FEELM’s self-revolution. Moving forward, FEELM will expedite the launch of new technologies, aiming to introduce at least a new one every year. As the future vaping market becomes more segmented, FEELM is going to cater for diversified market segments and different customer groups by expanding its technology portfolio.
The following is the original article in Chinese: https://bluehole.com.cn/news/detail/48542 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220227005195/en/ Bluehole New Consumption Chen Bianji (86)13530848319 VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"AT&T Partners with Microsoft to develop new 5G edge computing ecosystem | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/att-partners-with-microsoft-to-develop-new-5g-edge-computing-ecosystem"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages AT&T Partners with Microsoft to develop new 5G edge computing ecosystem Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Last week, telecommunications provider AT&T Business announced it was collaborating with Microsoft to integrate the AT&T 5G network with Azure private MEC to help enterprises rapidly deploy private networks across the U.S.
During the partnership, the two organizations will be working on AT&T Private Edge to enable users to roam outside their organization’s private network while remaining connected through AT&T’s U.S.-based public mobile network.
For enterprise and technical decision makers, AT&T and Microsoft’s solution has the potential to give employees the ability to move outside of the private network while laying the foundation for ensuring minimal latency in edge applications.
“Seure private 5G networks enable organizations to deliver latency-sensitive applications. Together with Microsoft, AT&T is streamlining the integration of the multiple elements private wireless solutions require, simplifying the application creation environment, and accelerating the speed of deployment,” said Tad Brockway, corporate Vice President, Azure for Operators at Microsoft.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The 5G edge compute ecosystem revolution The announcement comes shortly after Verizon announced it would be working with Google Cloud to provide enterprises with computing and storage services at the network’s edge to support real-time enterprise applications, including mobile robots, intelligent logistics and factor automation.
AT&T’s early use cases also share a similar practical focus in developing real-time applications across manufacturing, car dealerships, and medical clinics.
For instance, the provider aims to develop their solution to create cameras and AI tools that can assist with tasks such as robotic assembly and event detection, and notify the emergency services if an employee is injured or there’s a fire in the environment.
The new service complimnents Microsoft’s existing Azure Edge Zones solution, and offers enterprises a foundation for testing, building, and deploying 5G apps and services while maintaining connectivity in and outside the perimeter network.
“The combination of 5G and edge compute can utterly transform how businesses are run, no matter the size, and we’re proactively engaging with those businesses to identify the right compelling opportunities. Our collaboration with Microsoft is exciting because it combines technology with an adaptable business model and brings innovation to life — for any customer,” said Rupesh Chokshi, vice president of product strategy and innovation at AT&T business in the official announcement.
Edge Computing Meets 5G The organization’s announcement comes as edge computing market is expected to grow from $36.5 billion in 2021 to $87 billion in 2026, following the COVID-19 pandemic and explosion in enterprises experimenting with technologies to enable remote operations.
In the realm of 5G development, AT&T Business’s main competitor is Verizon, who’ve not only partnered with Google Cloud but have also begun designing a suite of solutions for smart cities including GridWide Intelligent Lighting and Intelligent Video. They also successfully raised an operating revenue of $34 billion in 2021.
However, AT&T Business is working hard to establish relationships to differentiate itself from other telecoms providers dabbling with 5G technologies.
Recently, the organization announced its partnership with Google Cloud to build 5G and edge computing solutions, and a year earlier, announced it had partnered with U.S.-based property developer JBG Smith to create a 5G smart city in a 6.8 million square foot development in Arlington, Virginia.
After generating consolidated revenue of $41 billion in 2021, and placing a growing emphasis on 5G technologies, AT&T Business is in a strong position to step up as the one of core technology providers bringing together 5G and edge computing.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Why AI is a small business’s best friend | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/why-ai-is-a-small-businesss-best-friend"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Why AI is a small business’s best friend Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly making its way into the small-and-medium business (SMB) layer of the economy, with the same promises and pitfalls that it has brought to large organizations.
Both on the cloud and in the traditional data center, new services and software releases are bringing advanced AI tools to the less-than-mighty in low-cost, easy-to-use formats that don’t require rare and expensive skill sets to operate.
While these tools provide the capability to push numerous SMB processes into the fast lane, offering a lifeline to businesses that need all the help they can get when competing against the giants of ecommerce, they’re still like any other technology: there is a right way to use them and a wrong way.
But with developments happening so quickly and AI’s use case for SMBs still unclear, how can small business owners choose the platforms with the highest potential? And how easy will it be to change direction if need be? VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! AI at the ready Mihai-Alexendru Cristea, of Romania’s Business Review , recently highlighted a number of ways AI is unfolding on the SMB stage. Applications ranging from CRM and HR to web and logo design are readily available, allowing organizations to rapidly adjust to changing business conditions. In some cases, these tools are built on low-code/no-code architectures, allowing non-technical staff to simply power it up and start using it. At the same time, chatbot platforms are allowing workers to dispense with drag-and-drop menus and other artifacts of the traditional user interface in favor of a more conversational approach.
While the help AI brings to employees is commendable, most small businesses are expected to leverage the technology to improve the customer experience.
Grace Lau , director of growth content at communications platform Dialpad, noted recently that AI can help SMBs rapidly scale up their CX capabilities without breaking the budget.
AI-backed chatbot and self-help solutions operate 24/7 and have proven to be highly adept at addressing the vast majority of customer interactions or quickly directing callers to the appropriate expert or decision-maker. As well, AI outperforms traditional solutions in terms of speed, accuracy and overall satisfaction, leading to improved brand loyalty, more efficient processes and increased sales.
To achieve this level of success, however, the AI platform must be designed and trained properly. This requires a clear implementation strategy, including a well-mapped-out user journey and an efficient means of tracking performance and correcting processes that result in bad outcomes. On a fundamental level, one of the key advantages that AI provides over traditional software is the ability to learn from its mistakes and steadily optimize processes pursuing better, more personalized experiences.
The right AI for small business Small business owners should also understand that there are different kinds of AI, and not all of them are suited to the needs of the typical enterprise. In most cases, says tech consultant Xavier Finch , SMBs will deploy some version of narrow AI, which is derived from highly specialized programs designed to accomplish specific tasks. These are the kinds of systems that save time and money performing tedious, time-consuming operations and even help identify new markets and new business opportunities. General AI, on the other hand, is the technology behind the thinking machines that seek to mimic the electrochemical processes of the human brain. This is far more heady stuff and is still under development in various forms.
Because small businesses generally lack the resources and the skill sets to handle full-blown AI ecosystems, most will turn to out-of-the-box solutions either as cloud-based services or locally hosted platforms with extensive cloud support. While these might not offer the level of customization and flexibility as a tailored system, time-tracking software developer Timely points out that they do provide quick and easy implementation to put small businesses on the road to automation. Often, these tools are available on subscription for as little as $10 per month per user, with more feature-rich options available for under $20 per month per user, and this allows organizations to scale deployments at their pace.
The good news for SMBs is that it’s not too late to get started with AI. In fact, those who act now can still be considered to be on the cutting-edge of this technology wave when compared to most others at this economic level. And for any small organization that hopes to one day become one of the giants, failing to employ AI as soon as possible is probably the biggest mistake in the business plan.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How Testsigma simplifies software test automation with open source | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/how-testsigma-simplifies-software-test-automation-with-open-source"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages How Testsigma simplifies software test automation with open source Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Testsigma Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
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While every company might well be a software company these days, the pressure to ship new features and products as part of a continuous delivery cycle vastly increases the likelihood of bugs entering the production codebase. This is partly why the global test automation market was pegged as a $20.7 billion sector in 2021 , a figure that’s touted to more than double within four years.
Test automation, for the uninitiated, is the process of carrying out repeatable tests on software automatically, saving valuable time and resources — this could involve so-called “regression testing,” which checks that previously tested software still works as intended after a change is made to the codebase, or “cross-browser” testing to verify that an application works equally across different browser and device configurations.
There are no shortage of test automation products out there in the wild already, but one fledgling company is setting out to expedite testing by five times, and shorten software delivery cycles by at least 30 percent — with open source playing a pivotal part.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Founded in 2019, Testsigma pitches itself as an open source test automation platform “for modern developer and quality assurance” teams, one devoid of complex setups that works entirely out-of-the-box. Ultimately, it’s all about “simplifying test automation at scale,” Testsigma cofounder and CEO Rukmangada Kandyala told VentureBeat. “Testsigma replaces the complete broken test stack.” The open source Testsigma platform offers all the company’s core test automation features, including a no-code test design approach that allows anyone to design tests using plain-English scripts, powered by natural language processing (NLP).
A separate Testsigma cloud service ushers several additional features and tools into the mix, including hosting, pre-built integrations, and technical support. Elsewhere, a self-hosted Testsigma edition brings all of these benefits to a company’s own infrastructure.
The open source factor Proprietary alternatives such as Tricentis have gained solid reputations for what they bring to the test automation sphere, but Testsigma founder and CEO Rukmangada Kandyala argues that such tools are too vendor-dependent, don’t support a great deal of customization, and ultimately “don’t scale for complex setups.” Other open source projects such as Selenium and Appium , which companies use to build custom testing frameworks, often require too much configuration and “stitching together”, with different technical skillsets often required too.
“Given there are so many use cases, languages and app types, test automation becomes overwhelmingly complex and time-consuming to the point where it becomes its own — or parallel — development project,” Kandyala said. “The platform that we choose, should have the flexibility to add more to it as needed, which is possible only through open source frameworks, but it’s [other existing open source solutions] too complex to set up and scale.” And that, essentially, is where Testsigma enters the fray — it promises the flexibility, customizability, and extensibility of open source, but with the simplicity of an off-the-shelf solution.
“The current test stack is complex, time-consuming to build, and just doesn’t scale like you would want it to,” Kandyala explained. “We want to change that by standardizing the fragmented test stack, and coalesce it into an easy-to-use platform that combines the flexibility of open source test automation tools but with the ease of existing closed source low-code solutions.” In its two-plus years in existence, Testsigma has managed to amass a fairly impressive roster of commercial enterprise customers, including Sage, HPE, and Netgear. To take the company to the next level, where it sees itself being used by as many as 25 million developers and QA personnel, Testsigma today announced that it has raised $4.6 million in a seed round of funding led by Accel and Strive, with participation from BoldCap and a slew of angel investors.
Kandyala said that the company plans to use its fresh cash injection to bolster its internal team, and develop a host of new features.
“What we’re trying to do at Testsigma is not just simplify test automation to speed up the testing, but also make it a sustainable, scalable process in which the tools don’t require ongoing maintenance, freeing up the teams to focus on value-delivery instead of building and maintaining scripts and frameworks,” Kandyala said.
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"How Levi’s uses AI to accelerate its design process and digital transformation | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/how-levis-uses-ai-to-accelerate-its-design-process-and-digital-transformation"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages How Levi’s uses AI to accelerate its design process and digital transformation Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn CHINA - 2021/12/09: In this photo illustration the American clothing brand Levi's logo seen displayed on a smartphone with an economic stock exchange index graph in the background. (Photo Illustration by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
As ubiquitous as machine learning is in the enterprise, Levi’s might not be the first brand that comes to mind when you think of AI smarts. As a company that has been producing jeans and other denim apparel since 1853, Levi Strauss & Co.
seemed to be doing just fine without the intervention of neural networks and machine learning algorithms. But like so many large companies, Levi’s has found plenty of uses for AI technology, from automating mundane tasks and analyzing denim-related data sets to helping its designers create new denim jacket designs.
In 2019, Levi’s formalized its years-long flirtation with AI by hiring Katia Walsh as the company’s chief AI and strategy officer to lead its new global AI team. As part of her effort to integrate this bleeding edge tech into an established legacy brand, Walsh launched the company’s first-ever Machine Learning Bootcamp in early 2021. The intensive, eight-week program invited 40 Levi’s employees from across the organization to learn about machine learning, agile development methods and of course, how to write code.
Design coordinator Ron Pritipaul was one of the Levi’s employees who signed up for the inaugural AI-focused bootcamp, a decision that he says has had a major impact on the way he approaches design, collaborates across teams and thinks about the future. VentureBeat talked to Pritipaul to learn more.
VentureBeat: Tell us a bit about your role at Levi’s. How did a designer like you wind up working on machine learning algorithms? VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Ron Pritipaul: I’ve been working at Levi’s for a little over three years. I’m a huge denim head. Growing up, I used to collect vintage jeans. In college, I created my own concentration about the history of denim. After I graduated, my dream was to work for the oldest and coolest denim company. So, I emailed everyone I could find at Levi’s asking for a job. I got a temp position doing manual labor around the office. Eventually, I worked my way into a position on the design team as a design coordinator. In that role, I assisted with helping the designers bring Trucker jackets and other products to life and did lots of little tasks to help out the design department.
Just from being on that ground level, I knew that a lot of our processes were very manual and painful. Fashion is still a very analog industry. When I saw the Machine Learning Bootcamp opportunity posted on our internal website, I applied. That decision was completely transformative of how I saw myself and my career. I started developing algorithms and programs that automated work, allowed us to be more creative, and unlocked growth for the design department. Eventually, all of that work led me to coming into my new role as an associate data product manager for computer vision.
VentureBeat: Fashion and garment design may seem like an unexpected use case for AI. What did you wind up building and how has it impacted the design process? Pritipaul: A lot of people think AI is going to replace human beings or something. I don’t believe that to be the case. Fashion is a very intimate field. You’re clothing another person, which is probably one of the most intimate things you can do. It’s a very personal, human connection. Fundamentally, it’s always going to be humans at the heart of this industry, but AI can unlock growth and automate tasks that humans shouldn’t be spending time doing. For example, I spent a lot of time in my design role color-matching threads to fabrics. That’s a lot of hours that are wasted when we could just have a computer do that. So, I wrote a program to help automate our color-matching process to free up time, so designers can be more creative.
I also did some neural network work that takes art and makes Trucker jackets. This unlocks a new form of creativity where people can be inspired by more than just what’s in Vogue or on Instagram, and instead take inspiration from art pieces or photographs and see how a computer might interpret it to help us create new designs. That’s something that can really shift the way you see fashion design and think about creative inspiration. I really see AI as a tool for creatives that lets them spend more time being creatives and develop more creative designs.
It was cool to work on these things, to think of new ideas, rapidly prototype them and just play around. There are so many cool projects that I worked on in the boot camp that now we’re turning into actual work processes.
What are some examples of boot camp projects that are now being utilized by the company? Pritipaul: The neural network stuff that I’ve done turning paintings into jackets is definitely one. Another example is a Levi’s store manager who used her learnings to create an algorithm to help with in-store product recommendations. It can help customers by building an outfit based on their past shopping history, and also what’s trending generally.
With my design background, I’ve looked at data collection differently than how a data scientist might. We’ve been producing jeans for almost 150 years now. Each piece of denim is a piece of data. We have an archive of thousands of jeans and data on how each one fades over time. If we load that into a program, we can start unlocking insights about denim that no human could ever see.
A company like Levi’s must be sitting on other untapped troves of data. Are there any other historical data sets that you’ve considered running algorithms on? Pritipaul: We’ve been discussing things as a team like, how would we take our fabric library of all the fabrics that we’ve ever used and extract data from that to understand more about them? For example, how they react to different processes, washing techniques and things like that. If we’re talking about data sources, we have fabrics, we have sundries–things like buttons, zippers, etcetera — we have all these things. There are definitely insights that we can glean if we take that data and work with it, as opposed to just storing it.
AI can unlock so much insight in so many different areas, like sustainability. If we know our fabrics really well, and we know what happens when we wash them, we can start thinking about how we can optimize things, so our products are aesthetically beautiful, but also good for the environment. We can also use this technology to predict how things might look in the future when we’re producing them, so we don’t have to produce as many samples.
VentureBeat: What specific technologies, tools and platforms are being used here? Pritipaul: In the bootcamp, we learned everything in Python. So there was a one-week introduction to Python. Then we went straight into machine learning. I’ve personally been using Pytorch a lot, which is for neural networks. My thread color-matching stuff was originally a neural network that I trained.
The [Trucker jacket] style transfer stuff was also a neural network, and it’s done by freezing different layers. The backend of that has been around since 2017, but what I did was just segment the images so that we are style-transferring only on the trucker jacket and not the background, small things like that.
Most of what we’re doing is just writing Python codes that connect things. We’re using home-built tools and building out platforms ourselves. We’ve found that off-the-shelf tools are helpful to get us to the first stage, but after that, we need to build our own tools. That unlocks a lot of growth for us because we can build tools for exactly what we need. When we need image processing, instead of opening up Photoshop, we can write a Python script that processes the images exactly how we want as efficiently as possible and push through hundreds of images.
VentureBeat: Beyond your own role, how do you think a program like this AI boot camp impacts the organization more broadly? Pritipaul: During the boot camp application process, employees can choose whether after the graduation if they’d like to be considered for a new role under the AI department or if they’d like to go back to their previous role with these learnings and figure out what they can do with ongoing mentorship and tools to take what they’ve learned and implement it.
Since we all did the boot camp and are all on the same email lists, there’s a lot more cross department collaboration. It’s creating this big network of people who all speak the same language. I can work with IT, with merchandising, or with product developers, who have all been through the boot camp. So, we’re not as siloed as we were before.
VentureBeat: What do you think other companies can learn from Levi’s experience here? Any takeaways for tech decision-makers and other leaders in the enterprise? Pritipaul: Not every company can do a boot camp, but every company can bring non-technical people into those technical conversations. The level of domain expertise that they can unlock is so much more than they can get from just putting a bunch of programmers on a problem. Someone from the boot camp who works at our distribution facility wrote a program for predicting when machines would break in the distribution center. That comes from the data, but it also comes from the insight of working there hands-on. If you have our data programmer, who’s based in San Francisco, trying to solve that problem in our plant, they’re not there with the machines. They’re not seeing what actually happens.
You can throw the best data programmers at a problem, but sometimes if you just give non-technical people the tools and the language to speak about these problems and give them an understanding of what machine learning can do, there will be so many things that you can accomplish. I’ve been sort of acting as a liaison for the data science department to design, merchandising, and product development. People have been coming up to me and telling me all about these problems that are actually really easy to fix with artificial intelligence, but someone with a strict data science background would never even think about these problems. Tapping into your domain field experts and really looping them into the design of things can really unlock so much potential for companies.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Zscaler CEO: Network security firms have ‘hijacked’ zero trust | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/zscaler-ceo-network-security-firms-have-hijacked-zero-trust"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Zscaler CEO: Network security firms have ‘hijacked’ zero trust Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Zscaler CEO Jay Chaudhry says the company's zero trust security offerings have been adopted by 35% of the Fortune 500.
Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
While the zero trust approach to security continues to gain traction with customers, the concept is increasingly being misapplied by “legacy” cybersecurity vendors, Zscaler CEO Jay Chaudhry told VentureBeat.
Chaudhry, who founded the company in 2007 and took it public in 2018, said in an interview that he’s been unhappy to see some vendors claiming their network security offerings enable zero trust.
“Either you’re zero trust or you’re network security. You don’t do both,” Chaudhry said.
True zero trust involves connecting users directly to applications without going over the network at all, he said. And that type of architecture “is the opposite of network security,” Chaudhry said.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! When it comes to the zero trust concept, “legacy companies have hijacked the term,” he said. “It has lost its meaning.” Growth surge Zscaler has continued to find strong demand for its zero trust offerings: Revenue for the company’s first fiscal quarter of 2022 surged 62% to $230.5 million — marking an acceleration from the previous quarter, when revenue jumped 57%. The vendor is now generating more than $1 billion in annual recurring revenue, and counts 35% of the Fortune 500 in its customer base, with more than 5,600 customers in all.
At the core of the company’s products is its Zero Trust Exchange, which combines a cloud-based secure web gateway with cloud-delivered zero trust network access (ZTNA) — ultimately ensuring that only authorized users can connect to applications. The approach is described as “zero trust” because it essentially assumes that users are unauthorized, and requires more proof of their legitimacy than traditional methods.
To achieve this, Zscaler’s Zero Trust Exchange considers additional factors beyond just authentication of identity, such as the user’s location, security posture of their device, and the application or data they’re trying to access.
With this stronger approach to verification, Zscaler says its Zero Trust Exchange prevents unauthorized users from accessing applications–and prevents lateral movement by attackers since they can’t even enter the network in the first place.
With Zscaler’s platform, “your applications are hidden behind us,” Chaudhry said. “This is totally opposite of firewalls and VPN and network security.” Breaches such as the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack have shown that standard network security tools such as VPNs can be “dangerous,” he said. And yet, Chaudhry said he’s now seeing vendors that claim to offer “zero trust network security.” “Either you’re zero trust or you’re network security. You don’t do both,” he said. “Your firewall is designed as a network device. The architecture has to be opposite [from zero trust]. There’s no such thing as a ‘zero trust firewall’–they don’t go together.” Secure access The company has two main products: Zscaler Internet Access brings a zero trust approach for securing access to the web and software-as-a-service applications, while Zscaler Private Access covers access to a company’s private applications. Both go through the Zero Trust Exchange. In 2021, Zscaler expanded its offerings to provide zero trust for workloads.
“Just like users need to access applications, applications need to access applications–workloads need to access workloads,” Chaudhry said. “So that’s a new offering we brought to the market, and there’s tons of interest in it. I don’t even know anyone offering zero trust workloads at this stage.” An illustration of Zscaler’s approach can be seen in how it’s protected customers from exploits of the remote code execution vulnerability in Log4j , he said. The vulnerability, disclosed in December, has affected a broad swath of enterprise applications and is considered trivial to exploit.
The flaw is the “most dangerous vulnerability” imaginable – but Zscaler customers have benefited from keeping their applications hidden by the Zero Trust Exchange, Chaudhry said.
“I had a number of customers who reached out to me and said, ‘Thank God I am hidden behind Zscaler. I need to patch my systems, but I’m not sweating. I have time to patch them, because they can’t be discovered and seen from the internet,’” he said. “So the faster the market embraces zero trust, the safer we will get.” What follows is an edited portion of the interview with Chaudhry.
What’s your message on why zero trust security is so important for customers to focus on? Zero trust is the architecture that’s more badly needed in cybersecurity than anything else out there. I’ve been excited to see that it’s picking up. But I’m very disappointed to see that the term has become a buzzword. Legacy companies have hijacked the term. It has lost its meaning. The whole thing started with zero trust network access. The notion was, do not put users on the network–because if you do, they can move laterally and go anywhere. And that’s the biggest security risk today. If you look at Colonial Pipeline , they stole some VPN credentials, got on the network, moved laterally, found a high-value billing application–and then encrypted it and stole the data. It highlighted two things. It highlighted the notion that VPNs [can be] dangerous–dangerous because they put you on the network, and then you can move laterally. So the notion [of zero trust] was, connect users to applications–just applications, not to the network.
What are the legacy vendors claiming is zero trust, but really isn’t in your view? A few weeks ago, this vendor said, “We are the best zero trust network security vendor.” Either you’re zero trust or you’re network security. You don’t do both. Your firewall is designed as a network device. The architecture has to be opposite. There’s no such thing as a “zero trust firewall”–they don’t go together … [With internal applications] we open an inside-out connection, so there’s no outside-in connection allowed. That means your applications are hidden behind us. This is totally opposite of firewalls and VPN and network security.
In 2021, what did you see in terms of customer adoption of zero trust? Did you see a major pickup in zero trust displacing VPN in 2021? [Zero trust] started replacing VPN in 2020. In 2021, it became more than just a VPN replacement–it became their entire DMZ. Because if zero trust is only [replacing] VPN, then zero trust is too narrow. When customers deploy a zero trust [platform] like Zscaler, they replace all of their old-school appliances. Typically, in the DMZ they’ve got their global load balancers, their DDoS protection, their external layer of firewalls, IPS, and VPNs. With Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange, all of that goes away. We do all of that … I think zero trust is now driven by every CIO and CISO I talk to. Fifteen months ago, when I talked to CIOs or CISOs, probably a third would say, “Yeah, I’m interested in zero trust.” Now it’s nine out of 10 that would say, “I’m interested, and I have a budget for the project.” What metrics can you point to around the adoption of zero trust in your customer base in 2021? We essentially are a zero trust company. We have two main products–Zscaler Internet Access and Zscaler Private Access. Both go through what we call our Zero Trust Exchange. Our revenue last year grew about 56%-57%. Billings were in the 70% range. That’s on a large scale. Our ARR now is over a billion dollars. So to be able to grow at that kind of rate, at a large scale, is proof of the interest in our zero trust offerings.
How do you connect users to applications without going through a network? I came up with an analogy that people appreciate. So if I come to see you at your headquarters, I come to reception. And they stop me, check my ID, give me a badge. And then they let me go unescorted to Room 22. If they did so, I could go anywhere, to any room that’s open–Room 21, Room 19. I could move to adjacent buildings that are interconnected. That’s exactly what happens when you put people on the network, either by being in the branch office, or by being on a VPN. Not very good.
How do you solve it? Well, borrowing from the same analogy, first of all, you remove the names of the buildings. They can’t even see where you are. You go dark. Two, you remove interconnection. Each building is an independent building. You don’t even know where those buildings are. You come to the reception again, they check your ID and give you a badge. And they’ll say, “you will be escorted to Room 22–and 22 only–after being blindfolded.” You don’t even need to know when the room is. We take you there, the meeting happens–then you get blindfolded and you get escorted out. So the notion is to connect users to applications, not to the network.
The [reason] I’m saying the term is hijacked is that this is the opposite of network security. In network security, users and applications are all secured there on the trusted network. But in [the zero trust] model, it’s the opposite.
For zero trust, what factors do you check before allowing access to applications? First it’s, who are you? I need to check your identity. If that passes, we check device trust. Can we trust your device? Is it compromised, not compromised, managed, unmanaged? Perhaps I can do a different policy for an unmanaged device, but managed, I can let you go to my crown jewel application. If that passes, we do a security status check. We’re checking for malicious content. We’re checking anomalous behavior of the traffic, to see if a user is doing some crazy thing, and then we can stop them dynamically. If that’s good, we say where are you? We’re checking your destination. We can select which applications they can go to. Some people can only go to SAP, some people can only go to certain sites. If all that is good, then we connect you to the application.
What were the biggest updates for your product portfolio in 2021? We built zero trust for users [with] our two main product lines, ZIA and ZPA. So as users can access internal or external applications, this has been our flagship product. Then it was natural for us to extend it to zero trust for workloads. Just like users need to access applications, applications need to access applications–workloads need to access workloads. So that’s a new offering we brought to the market, and there’s tons of interest in it. I don’t even know anyone offering zero trust workloads at this stage.
Then Siemens came and said, “This is wonderful, but I want to do the same thing for IoT and OT.” They have lots of plants and factories, lots of these IoT devices, lots of OT systems. And they want to enable them for zero trust. So we have some of the core offerings available [in IoT/OT]. Probably in the next three months, we’ll have the next release coming up with some additional key functions.
What parts of zero trust for IoT/OT are already available, and what’s coming next? If you look at IoT and OT, they’re two [different] things. IoT collects telemetry and sends information to a data lake. It could be about the health of the system and whatnot. We have our solution available [so that] when IoT devices talk to our cloud, they get connected to the right application. That’s one part. OT is generally the opposite. OT systems are control systems. They could be X-ray machines, could be MRI machines. Or they could be a power plant, and [the customer] needs to access those power plants remotely. Traditionally, they’re done VPN kind of stuff to get there–but they’re worried about it. And they use Zscaler. That’s available today. Now they want next-level functionality–they want session recording, and some of the more sophisticated security [capabilities]. Those things are under development.
Overall, what is 2022 about for Zscaler? What are your big goals and what do you hope to accomplish? Our primary business is about helping drive customers’ digital transformation. It’s a buzzword, but it’s still a meaningful buzzword. Because everyone starts with transformational applications by embracing SaaS, by embracing Azure, AWS, so they can build and deploy applications at a faster pace. They can use big data lakes for analytics or AI and ML–that’s happening. But once that happens, they must change the network that’s designed as a hub-and-spoke network to come to the data center, which used to be the center of gravity. That needs to go direct, but it can’t go direct unless it’s secure. So security must be changed. Our customers are going through this transformation journey. In 2022, we expect this to be a big year for adoption of zero trust for workloads. Because that’s a relatively new area.
More and more customers this year want to solve the performance problem. Because when something goes wrong, and a user is experiencing slowness, where do you even start? IT has no tools to work with, because all the performance monitoring tools for users sat in the branch and the data center.
At Zscaler, we have a lightweight agent on the endpoint. We take you to the application and back. We actually are sitting in the ideal place, sitting in the data path, to check your end-to-end response time. So we have an offering, called Zscaler Digital Experience, that actually tells you where the problem is and how to go about resolving it. We are seeing a lot of adoption in that area as well. So user performance, [zero trust for] workloads, and some of the IoT/OT areas, are some big growth areas we see.
How does the opportunity around zero trust for workloads compare to the remaining opportunity you have around zero trust for users? It’s sizable, but it’s also going fast. We did the bottom-up market sizing about eight months ago for our analyst day [looking at] companies with over 2,000 employees. The [total addressable] market for zero trust for the user that we’re pursuing is about $49 billion. The TAM for workloads we are pursuing right now is about $22 billion. So it’s about a $72 billion total market we are pursuing. And we are very much leading – especially on the higher end. You take Fortune 500 companies, and 35% of them are Zscaler customers. And the number is growing pretty well. With Global 2000 companies, we’re over 25%. But there’s still a big market ahead of us.
What are some of the major threats you’ve seen where Zscaler’s zero trust approach has made a difference for customers? Think of Log4j. It’s the most dangerous vulnerability. You can scan the internet, you can find all kinds of servers, you can find which ones are [vulnerable], and you can get in. Not even a password needs to be guessed. In the case of zero trust, all those applications will be hidden behind [Zscaler Zero Trust] Exchange. I had a number of customers who reached out to me and said, “Thank God I am hidden behind Zscaler. I need to patch my systems, but I’m not sweating. I have time to patch them, because they can’t be discovered and seen from the internet.” So the faster the market embraces zero trust, the safer we will get.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Business intelligence startup Forwrd emerges from stealth with $3.5M | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/enterprise/business-intelligence-startup-forwrd-emerges-from-stealth-with-3-5m"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Business intelligence startup Forwrd emerges from stealth with $3.5M Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Israeli startup Forwrd , which offers an AI-driven business intelligence platform to identify hot leads from business data and act upon them, has come out of stealth mode with $3.5 million in seed funding from Angular Ventures. The company said it plans to use the round to build its team and accelerate its go-to-market efforts.
Today, organizations around the world are leveraging data to make business-critical decisions and improve processes. The effort has particularly accelerated in light of the pandemic, however, the current scheme of things requires frontline employees – those actually responsible for making the decisions (like sales development reps) – to depend on business analysts, integration developers, and other gatekeepers who first derive value/insights from data. This creates friction and slows down the frontline employees’ ability to execute plans aimed at driving marketing, sales, and customer retention.
Forwrd’s no-code business intelligence solution To solve this problem, Tel Aviv-based Forwrd offers a self-service, no-code platform that allows managers to define their business objectives (e.g., marketing qualified lead conversion) and instantly identify hidden opportunities and critical risks in their data pipeline as well as the response measures with the help of AI.
“Forwrd is a native cloud application (built on AWS) with an integration layer that connects to multiple business applications. Through proprietary ETL, data is sent to a machine learning engine that runs statistical and mathematical algorithms to clean and qualify the data, to be later used to extract (the) insights,” Kobi Stok, the CEO of the company, told Venturebeat.
In particular, the platform uses a combination of a scoring technology that ranks potential leads and customers, a smart prioritization engine that organizes which leads to pursue first, and an AI-driven engine to recommend the best actions that could improve the user’s originally defined business objectives.
“These recommended actions can then be shared as push notifications across teams and used as a powerful enablement mechanism to empower frontline employees to better prioritize their workload and plan their outreach,” Stok said. The notifications go right inside the business applications (Salesforce, Slack, Google Chrome) of frontline employees, enabling them to base decisions on hard data in minutes, instead of days and weeks.
Competitors A number of companies have started offering tools and platforms to accelerate value generation from data, including players like DataRobot and Dataiku.
However, Forwrd claims to offer a more comprehensive product.
“We have 2 buckets of competitors. One is enterprise AI, where companies like DataRobot and Dataiku offer solutions geared towards data analysts with the premise to adopt machine learning. The other consists of companies like Mintigo, which are point solutions that run AI for a specific funnel stage. We connect both worlds, enabling non-technical business users to generate insights and predictions for every stage of the funnel, without any prior knowledge in data science, significantly accelerating sales, marketing, and success velocity,” Stok said.
Moving ahead, the company plans to focus on growing its customer base by expanding its team, particularly in the research and development department, and accelerating the go-to-market strategy. At present, it claims to have roped in about seven customers with its business intelligence platform, including private and public players with hundreds of employees.
“The most notable feedback is that we save them tremendous time and effort on processes that currently take weeks, and sometimes months,” the CEO added.
Globally, the business intelligence software market was valued at $18.33 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $35.18 billion by 2028.
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"5 tips for acquiring app users in China | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/enterprise/5-tips-for-acquiring-app-users-in-china"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest 5 tips for acquiring app users in China Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
By Matt Tubergen, EVP of global strategy and corporate development at Digital Turbine.
China has seen a tremendous rise in its manufacturing of mobile phones, part of a nationwide push to raise spending on research and development for major technology breakthroughs by 7% annually from 2021 through 2025. It’s part of the country’s “century transition,” which aims to pull ahead in economic growth.
The average smartphone in China has more than 60 apps.
Users there spend 5.1 hours a day consuming and creating content. There’s a lot of opportunity for app developers and advertisers in terms of China smartphones.
Here are five tips for acquiring smartphone users in China: VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! 1. Understand privacy laws One of the challenges marketers face when it comes to acquiring users in the China market has to do with privacy laws, which may soon be even stronger than in the U.S. when it comes to collecting data. The country’s new Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), similar to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, went into effect on November 1, 2021, and changed how data can be used.
It not only dictates how data is collected, stored, and used in China, but also lays out requirements for companies based outside of China. That includes passing a security assessment conducted by state authorities.
It also requires that foreign companies processing personal data to provide products and services to Chinese consumers, and analyzing the behavior of Chinese consumers, must have designated agencies or representatives in China to manage personal data protection.
2. Localize, localize, localize There are some unique barriers for app developers and advertisers wanting to enter the China market. It’s critical to carefully research an app’s user interface and experience to localize it appropriately for China.
Developers should note that apps in China have a very different look than we are used to in the U.S. Even professional apps designed for business have a busier look and use toy-like design and anime-like characters.
Apps designed for a Western audience don’t “look right” to a China audience and aren’t as well used.
In addition to different app standards, apps require at least six licenses and permits. Because almost everything in China goes through WeChat, for instance, an app needs a WeChat login, which requires a permit. Apps also need to be in Mandarin, though they might also have an English interface.
3. Navigating different app stores in China Because China-based OEMs are banned from Google Play along with many core Google Play Services, they are developing their own ecosystems. They are creating their own app stores, ad networks, payment platforms, and distribution services.
Android has more than 70% of market share in China, and there are many different app stores to download Android apps from. None, though, are Google Play, which isn’t even pre-installed on Android phones sold in China. It’s a challenge for developers to support dozens of distribution models instead of primarily relying on the Apple Store and Google Play.
There are services and providers that can help developers port games and apps across a series of app stores, such as Flexion. They handle much of the complexities and challenges.
Other challenges: Having to publish multiple Android Package Kits (APKs) per app store will make their management more complex.
Different app stores’ support can mean different billing platforms that are separate and distinct from each other.
Each app store may have different merchandise price points.
It’s possible that further embargoes could mean more blockades.
4. Payment methods in China It’s important to realize how payments are made in China. Chinese citizens rarely use debit cards, credit cards, or cash. They almost exclusively pay using a QR code on their phone, whether it’s for a big-ticket item, a utility bill, or a snack on the street.
A PWC survey found that in 2019, 86% of China’s population used mobile payment apps. That’s by far the highest rate in the world.
More than 90% of mobile payments go through the “super apps” Alipay and WeChat Pay, and they’re inexpensive and easy to use. Super apps are well-used platforms that provide access to a large variety of services — everything from ordering groceries to making a doctor’s appointment, calling a taxi, reimbursing a friend, and managing your finances. They eliminate the need to have multiple apps for various services.
5. Capture the China app user experience In addition to “all in one” apps, which combine a variety of services in one app, the user experience in China differs in other ways. For example: Chinese apps tend to use brighter colors than we’re used to in the U.S.
QR codes are everywhere — for adding someone to your contacts, paying, logging into websites, and on ads. Even street vendors accept payment by QR code.
Chinese apps accept Latin characters as search terms and return Chinese-language results.
You can use both voice and messaging with chatbots.
Taking advantage of the strategies above — by localizing content, designing an app specifically to China standards, researching necessary licenses and permits, and understanding Chinese payment methods, to name just a few — can help app developers and advertisers acquire users in the enormous China market.
Matt Tubergen is the EVP of global strategy and corporate development Digital Turbine.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Why the metaverse experience isn't quite a CX revolution yet | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/why-the-metaverse-experience-isnt-quite-a-cx-revolution-yet"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Why the metaverse experience isn’t quite a CX revolution yet Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Valerias Bangert, strategy and innovation consultant, founder of three media outlets. Bangert is also a published author.
Perhaps no other term is as bandied about in customer experience (CX) circles as the “ metaverse.
” First coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel Snow Crash , the metaverse is a digital space where users can interact and create content.
In theory, it could be a revolutionary platform for CX. After all, the metaverse is largely a representation of the data that companies collect about their customers, and customer data is a top CX priority for executives. The metaverse could be used to better understand customer behavior and preferences, and to create a more personalized customer experience. The metaverse could also be used to identify trends and to make predictions about customer behavior.
But in practice, the metaverse has yet to take off. There are a few reasons for this.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! First, the user experience (UX) of most metaverse platforms is often clunky and difficult to navigate. Second, there’s a lack of compelling reasons for users to spend time in the metaverse. Finally, most metaverse platforms are geared toward developers or niche audiences rather than day-to-day business users.
Today’s metaverse experience: A gaming hub Consider Roblox. It’s more than a children’s video game, it’s perhaps the biggest metaverse on the planet. There are nearly 50 million daily active users, which includes over half of American children. It’s also a great example of why the metaverse hasn’t taken off for everyday use-cases, from shopping to banking. The Roblox platform attracts gamers because it’s fun and easy to use, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of utility for everyday activities.
So, what would it take for the metaverse to become a mainstream customer experience platform? There are a few key ingredients. First, the UX needs to be much more user-friendly. Second, the metaverse has to offer compelling reasons for users to spend time there. Finally, it must be accessible to mainstream users, not just developers.
If these things can be addressed, the metaverse could very well become the customer experience revolution we’re waiting for. Until then, it’s likely to remain a niche space for gamers and other enthusiasts.
This isn’t to imply that the metaverse won’t one day take off. It’s simply important to remember that it’s not the only game in town when it comes to customer experience innovation.
The alternative: A better internet, powered by data The metaverse aims to solve a key CX sticking point with the current state of the Internet, which is a lack of interactive, engaging, and immersive experiences.
But there are a number of startups and companies working on improving the Internet experience without the need for a metaverse.
From interactive content to immersive experiences, the future of the Internet is looking a lot more interesting, and it all relies on data. In other words, we can use data to create innovative customer experiences, the metaverse notwithstanding.
The interactive content revolution For one, the current state of internet content is largely static. Websites are filled with text, images, and videos, and there’s very little that allows users to deeply interact with and change the course of the content.
This is changing with the rise of interactive content, such as quizzes, polls, surveys, and games. One of the best ways to use interactive content is to create customer feedback loops. This involves using interactive content as a way to gather customer data, which can then be used to improve the customer experience.
There are several ways to do this, but one of the most common is to use quizzes and surveys. You can gather data on customer preferences, demographics, and even purchase history. This information can then be used to create targeted advertisements, improve website design, and create more personalized content.
You’ve likely seen these types of content before, as they’re growing in popularity on websites like BuzzFeed and Upworthy.
That said, everyday creators and businesses are using these techniques more and more. For instance, involve.me bills itself as a no-code tool for interactive content like quizzes, surveys, calculators, and so on. Essentially, it’s a form of gamification that’s useful for everything from customer retention to engagement.
Interactive content is more engaging and immersive, and it allows users to participate in the content in a way that static content doesn’t. This is helping to revolutionize the way we consume information and entertainment online.
Sure, interactive content isn’t as “sexy” as the metaverse.
But it’s a more realistic way to improve the Internet experience, and it’s already making a big impact.
Immersive experiences are making waves and could impact the metaverse While the metaverse and virtual reality are very intertwined concepts, there are alternate formats of digital reality that are gaining traction. Immersive experiences, which combine digital content with the real world, is one such example.
As a VentureBeat article recently explored , immersive experiences are already used in many industries, from airlines to ecommerce. And it’s only going to become more prevalent in the years ahead, with 80% of customers and businesses agreeing that “ the experience a company provides is as important as its product or services.
” For example, online retailers are using immersive experiences to create a more personal shopping experience. For example, Amazon allows customers to virtually try on clothes by superimposing them onto a selfie. This helps customers avoid buying clothes that don’t fit and makes it more likely that they’ll buy something they’re actually interested in.
In the case of Amazon, the data they’re using to create these immersive experiences comes both from customers and their own product images. This data is used to boost sales, and also recommend similar or complementary products to customers.
The bottom line The data age is changing the way businesses interact with customers. While the metaverse isn’t yet the customer experience revolution we’ve been waiting for, interactive content and immersive experiences are already changing how customers interact with brands.
Valerias Bangert is a strategy and innovation consultant, founder of three media outlets, and published author.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
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"What 20 years in Silicon Valley’s security sector teaches you about launching a successful startup | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/what-20-years-in-silicon-valleys-security-sector-teaches-you-about-launching-a-successful-startup"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest What 20 years in Silicon Valley’s security sector teaches you about launching a successful startup Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
By Tina D’Agostin, CEO of Alcatraz AI.
The startup space is known for its successes and failures. For every Apple or Microsoft that bootstrapped its way from a scrappy startup operating in a garage to a global behemoth, there are thousands of innovative ideas, compelling platforms, and exciting services that launch and quickly crash. I’ve seen firsthand during my last 20 years spent in Silicon Valley watching such startups rise to potential, with many not able to cross the finish line.
This is especially true for security startups that launch and operate in a unique niche ripe for innovation but riddled by failure. Whether security startups misalign innovative products and consumer expectations or they fail to attract sufficient funding, establishing a sustainable operation is incredibly difficult.
For starters, deep tech and hardware investors are a specialized niche, and it can be challenging for innovators to connect with the right venture capital (VC) opportunities. What’s more, since the pool of potential VCs is small, founders have to prepare and perfect every pitch, knowing that they have a narrow path to success. This isn’t an easy task, especially when VCs may be unaware of the industry’s idiocracies, challenges, and growth potential.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! While this can feel like an Everest-sized mountain to climb for founders, it’s a trek worth making to serve the needs of buyers who need to stay ahead of threats to their valuable personal and business assets alike from physical spaces to digital infrastructure. Having spent decades on journeys like this one, here’s what I’ve seen as the most important to have the possibility to succeed at launching and establishing a sustainable security startup.
New ideas spark market demand The security sector isn’t new. Residential and commercial security systems have been around for more than half a century, reflecting people’s desire to protect their people and property.
Therefore, successful startups need a new idea – a fresh take on this long-standing sector. For example, the latest technologies allow security startups to go beyond existing capabilities to provide enhanced security features without significantly increasing end-user expenses.
In addition, security startups must provide a novel user experience. Several efforts, including subscription-based services and easy-to-use DIY home security products, have gained traction recently, proving it’s possible to innovate even in an established sector.
To achieve this, build products with the voice of the customer (VOC) in mind. Many entrepreneurs rely on prototyping and market analysis. Still, they don’t spend enough time seeking advice from their target audience, providing invaluable insights that will help influence the product prototype and development.
Building the solution to the customer’s specific needs will significantly increase the probability of product-market fit and speed to market.
At the same time, rely on cutting-edge advisors who will often consult for stock, so it doesn’t affect the company’s burn rate. These relationships allow founders to get advice from experts who are then vested in helping the company succeed. Well-rounded, diverse viewpoints will make it less likely that developmental blind spots don’t hinder great ideas.
Finally, find the right software tools to track your ideas. Capturing all the ideas that are the output of ideation is critical. Readily-available tools like Trello and Confluence ensure that teams have a place to communicate and collaborate on existing projects and new ideas.
R&D breaks new ground Investing in product development can be difficult when resources are tight and the clock is ticking. However, innovation happens slowly and all-at-once, making R&D a critical component of a successful, sustainable security startup.
Of course, startups are operating with limited budgets and short timelines, meaning R&D initiatives need to break new ground quickly.
To begin, identify the specifications for a minimum viable product (MVP). It is important that leaders clearly define MVP for their different teams, including sales, engineering, product, and marketing, which need to be aligned on the feature sets that define a product or service.
To optimize effectiveness, consider constraining this definition. It will be difficult to resist the urge to keep adding features to an MVP, but it’s more efficient to launch the first version while iterating and improving the product over time.
In addition, establish all the gates for product development.
Having a clear plan will allow leaders to communicate with their teams, allocate resources appropriately, and manage resources effectively.
Finally, consider hiring a Head of Product or product marketing manager to lead R&D teams and oversee this critical priority.
Sales maintain security startup viability First, security startups need to decide if they are going to sell directly to consumers, through system integrators, or through distribution and OEM channels.
If relying on channel partners, build or purchase a partner portal that enables leaders to communicate, share content, train, and manage pipelines with partners. Building it in-house will take time and incur cost. Therefore, it’s often cheaper to use a third-party or SaaS solution that enables this functionality.
Perhaps most importantly, choose a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that supports sales initiatives. A startup’s CRM becomes the primary data repository, so choosing the right one is paramount, allowing startups to automate many sales and marketing activities.
Success is possible when launching a security startup Safety and security are fundamental human needs, and there is a broad market for new, more effective solutions. While getting great ideas off the ground can be challenging, it’s not impossible, and the rewards are immense.
When startups align their compelling ideas with fruitful R&D and sales initiatives, they are on the path to establishing a sustainable security startup that lasts. Many founders attempt to produce incredible outcomes with haphazard methodologies and misguided intuition. Meanwhile, the priorities above position founders to launch and grow a successful security startup that transforms an enduring sector with continued relevance now and in the years ahead.
Tina D’Agostin is CEO of Alcatraz AI DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
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"Monetizing and protecting an AI-powered virtual identity in today’s world | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/monetizing-and-protecting-an-ai-powered-virtual-identity-in-todays-world"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Monetizing and protecting an AI-powered virtual identity in today’s world Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Taesu Kim, CEO of Neosapience.
An AI revolution is going on in the area of content creation.
Voice technologies in particular have made tremendous leaps forward in the past few years. While this could lead to a myriad of new content experiences, not to mention dramatically reduced costs associated with content development and localization, there are ample concerns about what the future holds.
Imagine if you are known for your distinctive voice and rely on it for your livelihood — actors like James Earl Jones, Christopher Walken, Samuel L. Jackson, Fran Drescher, and Kathleen Turner, or musicians such as Adele, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, or Harry Styles. If a machine were trained to replicate them, would they lose all artistic control? Would they suddenly be providing voice-overs for a YouTube channel in Russia? And, practically speaking, would they miss out on potential royalties? What about the person who’s looking for a break, or maybe just a way to make some extra cash by licensing their voice or likeness digitally? A voice is more than a compilation of sounds There is something tremendously exciting that happens when you can type a series of words, click a button, and hear your favorite superstar read them back, sounding like an actual human with natural rises and falls in their speech, changes in pitch, and intonation. This is not something robotic, as we’ve become accustomed to with characters created from AI. Instead, the character you build comes to life with all of its layered dimensions.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! This depth is what had been lacking from virtual actors and virtual identities previously; the experience was, quite frankly, underwhelming. But modern AI-based voice technology can reveal the construction of an identity whose intricate characteristics come out through the sound of a voice. The same can be true of AI-based video actors that move, gesture, and use facial expressions identical to those of humans, providing the nuances inherent in a being without which characters fall flat.
As technology improves to the point that it can acquire true knowledge of each of the characteristics of a person’s surface identity — such as their looks, sounds, mannerisms, ticks, and anything else that makes up what you see and hear from another, excluding their thoughts and feelings — that identity becomes an actor that can be deployed not only by major studios in big-budget films or album releases. Anyone can select that virtual actor using a service like Typecast and put it to work. The key here is that it is an actor, and even novice actors get paid.
Understandably, there is some fear about how such likenesses can be co-opted and used without licensing, consent, or payment. I would liken this to the issues we’ve seen as any new medium has come onto the scene. For example, digital music and video content that were once thought to rob artists and studios of revenue have become thriving businesses and new money-makers that are indispensable to today’s bottom line. Solutions were developed that led to the advancement of technology, and the same holds true again.
Preservation of your digital and virtual identity Each human voice — as well as face — has its own unique footprint, comprised of tens of thousands of characteristics. This makes it very, very difficult to replicate. In a world of deep fakes, misrepresentation, and identity theft, a number of technologies can be put to work to prevent the misuse of AI speech synthesis or video synthesis.
Voice identity or speaker search is one example.
Researchers and data scientists can identify and break down the characteristics of a specific speaker’s voice. In doing so, they can determine whose unique voice was used in a video or audio snippet, or whether it was a combination of many voices blended together and converted through text-to-speech technology. Ultimately, such identification capabilities can be applied in a Shazam-like app. With this technology, AI-powered voice and video companies can detect if their text-to-speech technology has been misused. Content can then be flagged and removed. Think of it as a new type of copyright monitoring system. Companies including YouTube and Facebook are already developing such technologies for music and video clips, and it won’t be long until they become the norm.
Deep fake detection is another area where significant research is being conducted. Technology is being developed to distinguish whether a face in a video is an actual human or one that has been digitally manipulated. For instance, one research team has created a system based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) to pull features at a frame-by-frame level. It can then compare them and train a recurrent neural network (RNN) to classify videos that have been digitally manipulated — and it can do this rapidly and at scale.
These solutions may make some people feel uneasy, as many are still in the works, but let’s put these fears to rest. Detection technologies are being created proactively, with an eye towards future need. In the interim, we have to consider where we are right now and synthesized audio and video must be very sophisticated to clone and deceive.
An AI system designed to produce voice and/or video can only learn from a clean dataset.
Today, this means it can pretty much only come from filming or recording that’s done in a studio. It is remarkably difficult to have data recorded in a professional studio without the consent of the data subject; studios are not willing to risk a lawsuit. Data crawled on YouTube or other sites, by contrast, provides such a noisy dataset that it is only capable of producing low-quality audio or video, which makes it simple to spot and remove illegitimate content. This automatically subtracts the suspects most likely to manipulate and misuse digital and virtual identities. While it will be possible to create high-quality audio and video with noisy datasets eventually, detection technologies will be ready well in advance, providing ample defense.
Virtual AI actors are still part of a nascent space, but one that is accelerating quickly. New revenue streams and content development possibilities will continue to push virtual characters forward. This, in turn, will provide ample motivation to apply sophisticated detection and a new breed of digital rights management tools to govern the use of AI-powered virtual identities.
Taesu Kim is the CEO of Neosapience.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
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"Tackle big opportunities for a successful big data career | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/how-to-tackle-big-opportunities-for-big-data-careers"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Tackle big opportunities for a successful big data career Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Carolyn Duby, field CTO and cybersecurity lead at Cloudera.
Digital transformation, big data analytics , the rise of AI, and a desperate demand for cybersecurity expertise make this a great time to be in tech. In a way, the opportunity for anyone looking to grow into a tech career or data career this year feels a lot like it did more than 30 years ago.
In those early days, the potential for a computer revolution was obvious, and while no one had any idea just how quickly computers would become dominant, there were tremendous career opportunities.
Today, we are living in a time of tremendous change. The pandemic’s impact on digital transformation has been well documented. Overwhelmingly, both businesses and consumers have embraced technology as the infrastructure for every interaction in our lives.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! From a data career perspective, 2022 looks similar to the mid-1980s. With all of the technological advances and social disruption comes tremendous opportunity. Cloud, big data, and AI technologies are already reshaping businesses, and with ever-rising cybersecurity threats, no one can quite say exactly what the future holds. But I promise you this: big data will be in big demand, and data career opportunities abound.
How can you take advantage of these opportunities? Be open to change, be adaptable I started college with the goal of becoming a doctor and was studying medicine at Brown University. Computing was new at the time. There was no internet, and people were just beginning to rely on email for business and academic communication. No one ever talked about cybersecurity.
Programming was frustrating in those days. You had to do most of your programming on paper because you had to wait for a limited time on slow computers. But something so new was exhilarating. I left the more traditional route to a medical career and would intern at a startup working on the hypertext system that became a foundation of the internet.
The most important takeaway from those early years is that technology is changing so fast that you can’t know where you’ll end up when you start your career. To be successful, you need to build base skills that can be applied to diverse areas throughout your career. Fundamental skill sets like problem-solving, logical thinking, troubleshooting, investigation, and design are broadly relevant to many different job roles and industries.
You need to be flexible and adaptable, open to new possibilities, and constantly learn new things.
Be a problem solver, be persistent, and succeed in a data career Being open to change is just as important once you establish a career in a particular field, especially in technology. If you don’t love change, don’t go into tech. However, it’s important not to confuse being open to change with looking to avoid a challenge.
You need to learn from challenges, no matter what position you’re in. From the pressure of responding to frantic calls in tech support, to suddenly managing a large team at a big company, to doing everything yourself at a startup you launch – taking out the trash, dealing with angry customers, developing a business plan, etc. – the key to successfully confronting a new challenge is to be persistent. Every problem you solve, and every hurdle you leap over, becomes an unforgettable lesson.
Learn to be a leader While advancing at Hortonworks, and eventually at Cloudera following the merger of the companies, I have been challenged once again to learn and adapt. Leadership must always be a learning process – when you make that shift to senior leadership, you become responsible for new people with different mindsets and backgrounds, new processes, and new strategic goals.
With more experience comes more responsibility to learn. You have to move beyond what you’ve already achieved to build skills that might be atypical for your education, background, or even personality.
The three biggest things that have helped me to succeed so far are: Support tech experience with great communication and presentation skills.
It is not enough to master the technical aspects of your job. As a leader, you must be able to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with your peers and with your teams. You must be able to present your ideas clearly and argue for them logically. You must be able to explain to your staff what you want done and, if necessary, how to do it. Most importantly, you must be able to listen. Effective communication is always two-way.
Learn about business issues.
As a business leader, your decisions are no longer purely technical. They must take into account the business issues your organization faces, from finance to human resources to sales and support issues. Whether it’s through courses or certificate programs or interaction with your peers, absorb everything you can about how the business works and what the business needs.
Understand how to use all the organizational levers to get things done.
Similar to learning about business issues, it’s important to learn how a large organization works. If you want to achieve something (say, create a new product), or if you want to change something (how your organization approaches diversity for example), you need to understand all the mechanisms that enable change to happen. Who makes the decisions? Who controls the money? Who controls the data? What are the legal, compliance, and governance issues? No matter what stage you are at in your data career, and no matter your background and level of hands-on experience with tech, a big data career offers many opportunities over both the short and long term. The important thing is not to be intimidated by the challenges ahead. Broaden your skillset, embrace new experiences, and be ready to go.
Carolyn Duby is the field CTO and cybersecurity lead at Cloudera.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How data science can boost SEO strategy | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/how-data-science-can-boost-seo-strategy"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community How data science can boost SEO strategy Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Atul Jindal, web design and marketing specialist.
Data science is trending among modern ways of digital marketing.
It helps businesses make data-driven decisions.
Every two out of three marketers believe that these decisions are superior to their non-data-driven counterparts. Data science augments various areas of digital marketing, making these processes more effective and less time-consuming. Search engine optimization is one of these processes.
Traditionally, SEO has relied on assumption-based best practices. And it still does. However, with the presence of massive amounts of data, it makes no sense as to why marketers won’t use it to streamline their SEO efforts. Data uplifts SEO by helping marketers see what previous strategies have worked and enabling them to predict what will work in the future.
In this article, I’ll share some data-driven SEO strategies so you can uplift your SEO efforts with data.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! How to use data science to boost your SEO Data science deploys modern tools, technologies, and practices to analyze large volumes of data and extract meaningful information out of it. Data itself is nothing but numbers — it’s the science that makes it insightful, helping businesses to make informed decisions. Data science consequently makes data the valuable resource it’s considered to be today.
Data science can also boost your SEO by helping you make more data-driven decisions. Here are some data-driven SEO strategies you can incorporate in your SEO campaign: Customer behavior analysis Customer behavior analysis is a process that helps you find and analyze your target audience’s data, enabling you to learn more about your audience and build highly targeted buyer personas. Through customer behavior analytics, you can get critical customer demographic data that can guide not only your SEO strategy but your entire marketing campaign.
The search engine landscape has changed a lot in the last decade. You can no longer get to the top of the SERP by stuffing a bunch of keywords in your content and creating keyword-heavy metadata. Search engines now give weight to the experience your website offers. Do the users find it helpful? Are they satisfied with it? They want to ensure that the website they rank aligns perfectly with the user’s search intent. Therefore, you have to take the time to understand your target audience and know what they are looking for when they type a certain keyword.
Furthermore, you have to ensure that your website answers the questions your users are struggling to find. In short, you have to be intuitive and proactive with your solutions. Therefore, you need customer behavior analysis to understand your audience better and shape your SEO strategy accordingly. This helps you build a website that aligns with the user’s search intent and answers their question or solves their problems in the best way possible, ultimately offering the kind of UX that Google is looking to rank websites.
Customer behavior analysis helps you be relevant to users, which in turn drives your SEO metrics.
Mario Deal , an SEO expert, was tasked with increasing the traffic on a health and fitness website. He optimized the business’s website to make the headlines more relevant to the users, increased the overall relevance of the website, and implemented a bunch of other SEO techniques.
As a result, the site started generating 4x their competitors’ traffic. So, never ignore the power of data-driven relevance that stems from a thorough customer behavior analysis.
Improve the website user experience As said earlier, Google’s most recent updates indicated that they tend to rank the websites offering good UX higher than those offering bad UX.
In the previous section, we talked about optimizing a website’s experience through content. But content is just one aspect of the entire website experience spectrum. Content works to increase the utility of the website. You need usability to truly uplift your website’s reputation in the eyes of your users and the search engines. The usability of your website is defined by how easy it is for the users to navigate through. Therefore, it largely relies on web design.
Apart from usability, website performance is another important piece that adds to the overall experience. The probability of a user bouncing from your website increases by 32% as your load time goes from one to three seconds. Additionally, 48% of users are annoyed when a website isn’t optimized for mobile. These variables are some of the major elements that shape your website’s user experience. And with a data-backed approach, you can optimize all of them to uplift your UX.
With a data-driven design, you can develop an intuitive web design that addresses your user’s queries and presents the solution prominently. Data-driven design is a design approach that builds on user data and guides your web design decisions. This approach uplifts the website’s UX by ensuring that it aligns with the user’s search intent, is easy to navigate, and solves the user’s problems quickly.
Apart from that, you can track your web analytics to uncover website performance data and see if your website is taking too long to load. Google Analytics is a very valuable tool to make data-driven decisions; for example, it can tell you if most of your users are coming from mobile devices. With this data, you can optimize your website’s load speed and optimize it for mobile devices to ensure that you leave no stone unturned when trying to uplift your UX, and consequently, improve your website rankings.
Tracking and optimizing user behavior metrics Google representatives have denied any correlation between user behavior metrics and rankings. But we all agree that Google uses a website’s UX when deciding its rank. Therefore, I believe it must give some importance to user behavior metrics. How else would it determine page experience otherwise? There are many different variables that search engines like Google may rely upon when judging a website’s UX. These metrics include CTR, Dwell Time, Bounce Rate, Time On Site, Pages Per Visit, Repeat Visits, etc. Track these metrics and compare them with industry benchmarks to identify improvement areas. Then use your audience analysis data to optimize them for (potentially) better rankings in search engines.
Neil Patel notes, “If your CTR is high and your users actually spend more time on your page, Google concludes that users are finding the information on your web page useful, making [optimizing] it an effective on-page SEO strategy. Google will then push your rankings to the top.” SEO competitor analysis Competitor analysis involves collecting SEO data from your competitor’s websites and then using said data to guide your own SEO strategy.
An effective SEO competitor analysis gives you a head start when doing your own SEO. You no longer have to implement strategies based on assumptions and optimize them from there. You can get real, proven-to-work strategies from your competitor’s data, implement them, and hit the ground running.
The first step towards performing a successful competitor analysis is identifying your competitors. Next, you can use various tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to perform a thorough page and backlink analysis and complete your competitor research. Generate a competitor analysis report based on this research and develop your SEO strategy based on this report.
Data-driven content marketing and SEO Content marketing and SEO have always been closely related. But the lines between the two have blurred even further with the search engines becoming more content-driven.
Data-driven content in SEO brings magic to your marketing strategy. Conversions and user engagements are key ranking factors for organic results. Nearly 64% of online visitors expect personalized engagement as part of their conversions. You can have an SEO-optimized website, but unless it is supported by user-focused and valuable content, it will be useless. Therefore, you must create content that resonates with the users. And for that, you need data.
Data-driven content marketing builds on customer preferences and helps you deliver content tailored to your audience’s needs and interests. It enhances the performance of your website content and reduces your reliance on assumptions when developing a content strategy.
When you know the type of content your users prefer, the tone they like, and other granular details, you’re more equipped to create content that engages your prospects and drives the user behavior metrics.
Data-driven link building for SEO Link building is another SEO strategy that aims to acquire high-quality backlinks from other high authority domains on the internet. It aims to build your website’s authority in the eyes of search engines. Despite all the updates, Google still gives much importance to the quality and quantity of backlinks a website has, so backlinks are one of the top ranking factors.
Similarly, you can use data to enhance the efficiency of your link-building campaign. There are many tools that provide data for highly valuable backlinking opportunities. This data cuts down the tedious outreach process and provides a list of websites that have opportunities to acquire good backlinks. When exploring the link profiles of your competitors, you can identify which links can be most relevant, hold most of the value to grow organically faster.
This data-driven backlinking approach can boost your link-building effort, consequently increasing your SEO results. Trond Nyland, founder and CEO of Mattress Review, wanted to boost his website SEO. He deployed a data-driven backlinking strategy and uncovered data about the websites that offered high-quality backlinking opportunities.
With his data-driven approach, he quickly acquired 170 backlinks from high-potential websites, significantly higher than the eight backlinks he got from his non-data-driven backlinking approach. Quick math tells us that data-driven backlinking was almost 400% more accurate than non-data-driven. What more evidence do you need to start using data to inform your backlinking strategy? Conclusion The benefits of data science for SEO are undeniable. It can uplift the website’s user experience by deriving insights from the customer behavior and preferences data. Additionally, it can give your SEO efforts a head start by extracting meaningful information from your competitor analysis data and increasing the efficiency of your link-building process. However, you should note that the benefits of data science rely on the accuracy of your data and how you choose to analyze it.
Therefore, pay special attention while selecting your data sources. Never rely on a single source and analyze and implement quantitative data using qualitative information and heuristics to ensure that your results are accurate.
Atul Jindal is a web design and marketing specialist.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
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3,579 | 2,022 |
"Drive smarter decision-making with explainable machine learning | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/drive-smarter-decision-making-with-explainable-machine-learning"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Drive smarter decision-making with explainable machine learning Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Berk Birand, CEO of Fero Labs.
Is the hype around AI finally cooling? That’s what some recent surveys would suggest. Most executives now say the technology is more hype than reality— and 65% report zero value from their AI and machine learning investments.
However, these statements often reflect a fundamental misunderstanding. Many executives don’t differentiate generic black box AI from related technologies such as explainable machine learning. As a result, they’re missing out on a crucial pathway to smarter and more efficient decision-making that can drive more enterprise value.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Black boxes, or software programs that spit out mysterious answers without revealing how they got there, are the algorithms that power the world’s top tech companies. You have no way to know how a black box comes up with its result. Occasionally, the results are amusing, as when Google’s image recognition software erroneously identifies a cat as guacamole , or when Netflix recommends a bad show. In those cases, the stakes are low. A mistake on Netflix’s part costs, at most, a few wasted minutes.
But for complex, high-stakes sectors like healthcare , criminal justice, and manufacturing, it’s a different story. If AI technology informs a steel engineer to add the wrong quantity of alloys, producing a metal with the wrong density, buildings could collapse.
In areas like healthcare, where a single decision literally makes the difference between life and death, professionals may be particularly reluctant to trust the recommendations of a mysterious black box algorithm. Or, even worse, they might adopt them, leading to potentially catastrophic results.
Explainable machine learning Unlike black box software, any AI solution that can properly call itself “explainable” should reveal how various inputs affect the output. Take an autopilot software, for example — the algorithm controlling the steering needs to know how much the aircraft will tilt if a sensor detects northwest winds of 50 miles per hour, and the user must be able to understand how this information impacts the algorithm’s predictions. Without this ability, the software would fail to serve its intended purpose, and thus would result in negative value.
Furthermore, explainable software should provide some kind of measurement indicating its confidence in each prediction, allowing for safe and precise decision-making. In healthcare, for example, a doctor wouldn’t just be told to use a certain treatment. Rather, they’d be told the probability of the desired result, as well as the confidence level. In other words, is the software very confident in its prediction, or is the prediction more of a guess? Only with this kind of information can the doctor make informed and safe decisions.
How can you apply explainable machine learning to drive smarter decision-making in your company? If you want to build a tool internally, know that it is difficult. Explainable, machine learning is complex and requires deep statistical knowledge to develop. One sector that’s done this well is pharmaceuticals, where companies often have scores of Ph.D.s doing in-house explainable data science and analysis.
If you want to buy software, you’ll need to do some due diligence. Look at real use cases that the vendor provides, not just taglines. Look at the background of the science/research team — are they proficient in explainable machine learning? What evidence are they showing off their technology? Most importantly? Use your judgment. The great thing about explainable machine learning is that it can be, well, explained. If you don’t get it, it probably won’t drive value for your company.
Berk Birand is the CEO of Fero Labs , an industrial AI software company based in New York.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
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"Building global AI with local impact in an AI economy | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/building-global-ai-with-local-impact-in-an-ai-economy"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Building global AI with local impact in an AI economy Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Wilson Pang, CTO at Appen.
Flexible remote work creates a new freelance category in the AI economy The new foundation of the artificial intelligence (AI) economy is flexible, remote work.
Thanks to advances in technology that enable remote work at an unimaginable scale, organizations developing AI can now collaborate with people from almost anywhere, including previously inaccessible areas. People across the globe can now contribute to building AI in meaningful ways, particularly through data preparation and annotation work. This has led to the emergence of a new and growing freelance category — focused on AI training data annotation and collection.
While many AI economy participants join searching for additional income, a good portion of data annotators join the AI economy because they are seeking challenging opportunities. Whatever their reason, contributors benefit positively from the new opportunities flexible work affords. Geography is no longer an impediment to skill development or participation in projects that they’re enthusiastic about.
Accessibility in the AI economy Organizations building AI are embracing remote contracting arrangements in order to access the contributions of people around the world. These contributors may not necessarily live in technology hubs, nor have had the opportunity to participate in AI before the arrival of these remote options. In fact, professional options in their locale may be limited as a whole. Appen recently released their Impact Pulse survey of the crowd and found that 40% of contributors rely on the work from home model due to barriers of accessing traditional work. Thirty-two percent were living below the global poverty line before starting with Appen, and of those, 53% have been lifted above due to their work in the AI Economy.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! With the increasingly flexible reach of the AI economy, however, companies in the space can recruit these people from the globe’s furthest reaches. Residents from remote villages are now co-producing with people from the largest tech hubs. This cross-collaboration has an extremely sizable impact on the development of AI solutions that work for everyone.
More than money Participants in the AI economy join the space for a myriad of reasons, and not exclusively for additional income. Contributors often seek out this work for a chance to learn new skills, to explore an interest in AI, or to take part in impactful projects. One contributor from the United States said: “I’m a graduate in electronics engineering and I hope to work in a tech giant company in the near future. I think working on AI projects can help me a lot during my interviews and it’ll be a highlight on my resume.” Contributors learn both language and technical skills through this flexible participation in the AI economy. Often, these are skills they’d be unable to practice or gain in their local geography. “I have improved my level of English a lot by having to read and study the project guides and use it every day,” expressed one contributor from Spain. “I have managed to learn new vocabulary and am more fluent.” Engaging in data annotation for AI helps contributors practice and become more fluent in their second or third languages, as they work on data to help improve global AI solutions. In a recent survey of contributors, we found that 77% of the respondents speak at least two languages, with 33% speaking at least three languages.
Accessing skills across borders is an imperative nowadays, where AI products and services are expected to work for everyone, no matter the language or local specificities. With this growing group of people working on data and AI projects comes much-needed new and diverse perspectives.
It also goes beyond new skills for those workers with disabilities. Participating in the AI economy provides the opportunity for them to make an income and provide a positive impact to the disability community. For example, those with hearing impairments are working on projects that will improve translations with sign language and help improve the lives of those living with similar disabilities. Providing them with a safe, inclusive space to utilize and hone their skills is invaluable to the AI economy and continues to make a positive impact on society.
Making an impact Numerous contributors express interest in AI and skill development, but some are simply enthusiastic about being a part of something impactful to society. “Working gives me satisfaction and a sense of purpose; I can contribute to the improvement of artificial intelligence and thereby help countless people around the world who use these technologies,” shared one Appen contributor from Brazil. Intrinsic motivation is a driving factor for many who participate in creating and preparing data that is used in building AI. After all, the technology has major societal implications, and contributors are on the ground floor of shaping what that experience looks like.
While the increase in remote work opportunities has a positive impact on the AI economy, there are also changes happening with the AI projects themselves. Projects are looked at from a responsible angle and answer the question: “Will this project have a positive impact on society?” With more questions being raised in the building process, the purpose of each AI project is more defined. Contributors are seeing their skills and input being used to successfully launch AI projects which are having a positive impact on society.
Certainly, being a part of a global network of collaborators within the AI economy has its advantages for the individuals. But also, this global network benefits the AI teams who rely on it. People around the world enable the scaling of AI solutions in ways that were unimaginable before the growth of the AI economy. With the massive amounts of data required for each project, AI teams looking to have a global impact must rely on a diverse set of global contributors.
This collaboration is a great thing: contributors bring diverse perspectives, skills, and experiences that all shape the AI we interact with every day. Without contributors and flexible work arrangements that enable them to contribute, AI wouldn’t exist as we know it. In a world where everyone can participate, we all benefit.
Wilson Pang is the CTO of Appen.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
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3,581 | 2,022 |
"Bias in AI is spreading and it's time to fix the problem | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/bias-in-ai-is-spreading-and-its-time-to-fix-the-problem"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Bias in AI is spreading and it’s time to fix the problem Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Loren Goodman, cofounder and CTO at InRule Technology.
Traditional machine learning (ML) does only one thing: it makes a prediction based on historical data.
Machine learning starts with analyzing a table of historical data and producing what is called a model; this is known as training. After the model is created, a new row of data can be fed into the model and a prediction is returned. For example, you could train a model from a list of housing transactions and then use the model to predict the sale price of a house that has not sold yet.
There are two primary problems with machine learning today. First is the “black box” problem. Machine learning models make highly accurate predictions, but they lack the ability to explain the reasoning behind a prediction in terms that are comprehensible to humans. Machine learning models just give you a prediction and a score indicating confidence in that prediction.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Second, machine learning cannot think beyond the data that was used to train it. If historical bias exists in the training data, then, if left unchecked, that bias will be present in the predictions. While machine learning offers exciting opportunities for both consumers and businesses, the historical data on which these algorithms are built can be laden with inherent biases.
The cause for alarm is that business decision-makers do not have an effective way to see biased practices that are encoded into their models. For this reason, there is an urgent need to understand what biases lurk within source data. In concert with that, there needs to be human-managed governors installed as a safeguard against actions resulting from machine learning predictions.
Biased predictions lead to biased behaviors and as a result, we “breathe our own exhaust.” We are continually building on biased actions resulting from biased decisions. This creates a cycle that builds upon itself, creating a problem that compounds over time with every prediction. The earlier that you detect and eliminate bias, the faster you mitigate risk and expand your market to previously rejected opportunities. Those who are not addressing bias now are exposing themselves to a myriad of future unknowns related to risk, penalties, and lost revenue.
Demographic patterns in financial services Demographic patterns and trends can also feed further biases in the financial services industry. There’s a famous example from 2019 , where web programmer and author David Heinemeier took to Twitter to share his outrage that Apple’s credit card offered him 20 times the credit limit of his wife, even though they file joint taxes.
Two things to keep in mind about this example: The underwriting process was found to be compliant with the law. Why? Because there aren’t currently any laws in the U.S. around bias in AI since the topic is seen as highly subjective.
To train these models correctly, historical biases will need to be included in the algorithms. Otherwise, the AI won’t know why it’s biased and can’t correct its mistakes. Doing so fixes the “breathing our own exhaust” problem and provides better predictions for tomorrow.
Real-world cost of AI bias Machine learning is used across a variety of applications impacting the public. Specifically, there is growing scrutiny with social service programs, such as Medicaid, housing assistance, or supplemental social security income. Historical data that these programs rely on may be plagued with biased data, and reliance on biased data in machine learning models perpetuates bias. However, awareness of potential bias is the first step in correcting it.
A popular algorithm used by many large U.S.-based health care systems to screen patients for high-risk care management intervention programs was revealed to discriminate against Black patients as it was based on data related to the cost of treating patients. However, the model did not take into consideration racial disparities in access to healthcare, which contribute to lower spending on Black patients than similarly diagnosed white patients. According to Ziad Obermeyer, an acting associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who worked on the study, “Cost is a reasonable proxy for health, but it’s a biased one, and that choice is actually what introduces bias into the algorithm.” Additionally, a widely cited case showed that judges in Florida and several other states were relying on a machine learning-powered tool called COMPAS (Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions) to estimate recidivism rates for inmates. However, numerous studies challenged the accuracy of the algorithm and uncovered racial bias – even though race was not included as an input into the model.
Overcoming bias The solution to AI bias in models? Put people at the helm of deciding when to take or not take real-world actions based on a machine learning prediction. Explainability and transparency are critical for allowing people to understand AI and why technology makes certain decisions and predictions. By expanding on the reasoning and factors impacting ML predictions, algorithmic biases can be brought to the surface, and decisioning can be adjusted to avoid costly penalties or harsh feedback via social media.
Businesses and technologists need to focus on explainability and transparency within AI.
There is limited but growing regulation and guidance from lawmakers for mitigating biased AI practices. Recently, the UK government issued an Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability Framework for Automated Decision-Making to produce more precise guidance on using artificial intelligence ethically in the public sector. This seven-point framework will help government departments create safe, sustainable, and ethical algorithmic decision-making systems.
To unlock the full power of automation and create equitable change, humans need to understand how and why AI bias leads to certain outcomes and what that means for us all.
Loren Goodman is cofounder and CTO at InRule Technology.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Are there holes in your cybersecurity map? | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/are-there-holes-in-your-cybersecurity-map"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Community Are there holes in your cybersecurity map? Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
This article was contributed by Rob Gurzeev, CEO of CyCognito.
You wouldn’t expect the mention of ancient cartographers, or famous names like Vespucci, to evoke thoughts of cybersecurity. But cybersecurity truths are like cyberattackers — they pop up in unexpected places. Recently, while reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, that’s precisely what happened. I was struck by the parallels between ancient cartography and modern cybersecurity.
In the chapter titled “The Marriage of Science and Empire,” Harari notes that ancient cartographers had only partial knowledge of the world. Their understanding of Asia and Europe was extensive. Yet, there were considerable sections of the world that they knew nothing about. Because they believed their information was complete, it led to misconceptions, inaccurately labeled discoveries, and missed opportunities.
Security professionals and even executives often fall prey to similar erroneous beliefs. As experienced and dedicated leaders, it’s easy to buy into the mentality that because we’re experts and know more than most people about a topic, we know all we need to know, and anything we don’t know isn’t important.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Attackers understand this phenomenon and probe relentlessly to map out the cybersecurity of an organization before they strike. Using this information, they determine the path of the least resistance into your organization that results in the most reward. There is no reason to summit a digital mountain range if you can find the hidden mountain pass. As an organization, you can’t guard a security gap in your cybersecurity map if you don’t know one exists.
To stay ahead of attackers, we’d be well served when mapping our external attack surface to take a few key lessons from the adventurers who mapped the world.
‘I don’t know’ is the foundation of the future Knowledge is power. This maxim has been accepted for centuries, but the source of the power is less well-known: it comes from an awareness of one’s own ignorance. Recognizing that “the unknown” exists grants us the ability to improve choices by seeking new information. Knowing there are “empty spaces” on the cybersecurity map motivates us to seek them out and make them known.
Ancient cartographers had many misconceptions about what existed in the world. Even the shape of the earth was a matter of debate. Yet, their maps never had any empty space.
Similarly, organizations need to recognize that their understanding of their IT environment has empty spaces. Many IT departments claim to fully understand what assets exist and how they interact, but few actually do. If you don’t acknowledge that there are things you don’t know, there is no reason to dedicate time and resources to discover or explore them. This is where attackers gain the upper hand as they work to discover and analyze your extended IT ecosystem and find the gaps.
Explore the empty spaces of your cybersecurity map Know and protect your digital assets: that’s the mission of cybersecurity summed up in one sentence. I’ve noticed that organizations often focus more on the “protect” aspect than the “know” aspect. The belief that knowing is a secondary function is a fundamental misconception. A complete picture of your digital assets is the foundational piece of a healthy cybersecurity program because you can’t protect anything if you don’t know about it.
Many organizations know “most” of their IT assets and have a general idea of how they interconnect, but not the full picture. The holes in their knowledge leave huge gaps for attackers to step into, and prevent organizations from choosing and implementing the right security controls.
Attackers begin with an awareness that they don’t know your organization well, but that you probably have an incomplete or outdated cybersecurity map. So, they explore, looking for things that might be interesting — assets that belong to abandoned projects, solutions that integrate with partners, or assets with misconfiguration. Like explorers of the past, it is a race for discovery, as the first one to find a valuable resource is the first to lay claim. Whether that will result in remediation or exploitation depends on who gets there first.
Limited tools offer limited results Ancient cartographers had limited tools, which prevented them from seeing a complete picture. Similarly, security professionals focus on specified, known areas or use a set of tools that can’t see the full map of their assets. They also aren’t able to fill in all the details like ownership and business purpose of assets, or create a prioritized list of the risks to those assets.
What often prevents security teams from knowing the unknown and seeing the full picture is that they approach the problem piecemeal, and only utilize their preconceived map. They typically combine disparate tools like network scanners, pen testing, and vulnerability scanners with “human glue” to integrate the siloed data and act on it. The challenge with all of those technologies is that they rely on the security team to designate which assets to scan or test, and the team is limited to the assets and entities that are already known to them.
Exploring helps us draw better cybersecurity maps Like cartographers of old, we need to take steps to improve the maps that we have. Once we acknowledge there are things we don’t know lurking out there, and additional details that we need to uncover, we must explore to ensure a more accurate picture of our attack surface.
Legacy tools help organizations find and manage known attack surfaces, but organizations need to be forward-thinking like explorers to find any unknown assets and business relationships. Attackers pursue the path of the least resistance and look for areas that are “empty spaces” on your map. Legacy technologies that only or mainly look for machines and websites within known boundaries not only don’t solve the problem — they worsen it by offering a false sense of confidence.
New ways of looking at the attack surface and mapping the full breadth of all the assets, known and unknown, will help fill in the true security map. By creating more in-depth maps, we uncover our security gaps, which is critical. You cannot protect what you cannot see.
Rob Gurzeev is the CEO of CyCognito.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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3,583 | 2,022 |
"5 pieces of advice for today’s technology entrepreneurs | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/5-pieces-of-advice-for-todays-technology-entrepreneurs"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest 5 pieces of advice for today’s technology entrepreneurs Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
It’s a fortunate time to be a technology startup.
Global venture capital investments reached over $157 billion in fiscal year 2021 alone, a record high. Despite the unpredictable economic landscape brought about by the pandemic, or perhaps because of it, investors have demonstrated a nearly insatiable appetite to back technology companies —searching for the next unicorn. But while there is currently a surplus of capital available to technology startups, the onus is on founders to not only successfully engage with financing partners, but the right financing partners.
As cofounder of software startup Island, I have seen firsthand how partnering with forward-thinking investors with sterling reputations can radically change a startup’s trajectory, and even attract like-minded financing partners. While there’s no shortage of playbooks out there on the basics of fundraising, the guidance I received from my fellow founders proved to be invaluable during the financing process. Below are five pieces of advice that can be leveraged by technology entrepreneurs in the early stages of funding to attract top-tier investors.
Build a peer advisory group to improve your technology startup While there is cash available to startups, investment firms receive on average 1,000 proposals each year , meaning there is stiff competition when targeting a specific venture capital firm. Before a start-up ever approaches an investor, they need to validate their idea and take a game theory approach to their funding strategy. They must anticipate every possible question, objection, or suggestion they could receive during the funding process to ensure they are bringing forth a fully formed vision. The most effective way to do so is by building a peer advisory group.
By consulting the best and brightest minds in their network, startup founders gain access to a host of objective perspectives that can help them solidify, or in some cases completely reimagine, their businesses. Founders must enter these meetings with an open mind, and be prepared to listen and pivot quickly based on their advisors’ feedback. For Island, we spoke with over 100 industry experts to validate what use cases and core functionality was essential to our early design partners.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! During this consultation process, it’s critical that founders avoid the mistake of confusing “peers” with “buddies.” Their advisory group should be made up of respected thought leaders who will challenge the founder’s ideas when necessary, and who genuinely wish to see the industry improve. Founders must also resist the urge to treat their advisors as future buyers. The guidance they provide in a start-up’s infancy can be infinitely more valuable than any potential sale down the line.
A technology startup’s founding team matters more than you may realize There’s a reason it takes some startups approximately six months to hire an employee. A founding team is the engine of a new technology company and can make or break its success. However, many startups fail to realize how much impact the team’s makeup can have during the funding process. In the early stages of a company, before there is even a tangible product, the founding team is a startup’s greatest asset when approaching investors, and every team member should be selected with this partially in mind. Technology vision and products naturally morph over time, but a good founding team can be relied upon to succeed through these changes. In some of Island’s early funding meetings, investors spent more time reviewing our founding team’s backgrounds and expertise as they did to evaluate our offering.
Having the right founding team gives investors confidence. Therefore, it’s important to take a people-first, roles-second approach. Founders can start with a list of everyone in their network who has proven to be rock stars with the passion and selflessness to build a company from the ground up. They should then cross-reference that roster with a list of needed skills and expertise that will complement founders and speak to investors. The overlap will provide a solid prospect list with which to start the recruitment process.
Strive to demonstrate market fit Post-mortem studies by CBInsights found that 38% of startups fail due to a lack of cash flow or capital, while 35% of startups never deliver a positive return for investors due to insignificant market demand. Unsurprisingly, these two causes of new business death are linked, making it vital to demonstrate a high likelihood of market fit to potential investors early in the funding process.
Technology startups must first establish what market fit and demand look like for their company. Is it displacing competitors? Is it producing tangible results for a key customer set? Or, in the case of Island, proving demand for a new category based on repeatable use cases? Once a startup has set a goalpost for market fit, it’s much more evident to potential investors how and when it has been reached. To further assuage any hesitation, founders should come prepared with the customer data to prove to financing partners that there is a market need. By defining their total addressable market (TAM) and then demonstrating step-by-step how they will penetrate that TAM and monetize their product, startups will tangibly illustrate a market need through hard data.
Discerning investors will be looking for market fit red flags during the proposal process, including a low barrier of entry. We found investors were less concerned with whether we could build what we were pitching and more focused on whether the market would be there if we did. Top-tier investors are comfortable funding hard problems; in fact, they welcome it. They understand a high barrier to entry creates a sustainable advantage. Building a great new company is packed with risk, but if you succeed, the win is worth it to everyone who took on the risk with you.
Identify and engage with investors thoughtfully Startups must identify the investors who are not just willing to fund them, but can actively help shape their technology company with their unique knowledge and experience. In the early stages, too much emphasis is often placed on the terms of the money and not enough on the firm you are receiving it from. While economics matter, they mean nothing if the company is not successful. So partnering with the investment team that raises your chance to be successful should be at the forefront of the decision process, ahead of valuation. After all, owning a larger percentage of a failed company does not pay well.
Performing an internal audit, founders can identify their strengths and where they need support, allowing them to partner with the investors who can augment any weak points. Each founding team is different — for instance, I, personally, wanted investors that could collaborate with us on building our category and provide guidance on how aggressively we should apply funding against the efforts. Other founders may need help in building out their team, product design, or messaging. Firms may have different expertise, but the board member who joins you also adds to the dynamic and should be in consideration.
As the startup engages with investors, it is tempting to treat it like a common sales process, but the reality is, it is a team-building process. The goal is not a round of funding. Rather, it is to find the partners who will make your company successful, especially in early rounds where hundreds of decisions will be made at the board level that could make or break the company.
Early alignment makes a difference In my experience, different founders can have completely different experiences with the same investors. The difference was one of alignment. Not just picking the right investor but the right board member can have a dramatic impact on the value that can be delivered to the startup. During the process of selection, we discovered that the best firms actually add value with great feedback and insight from the first meeting on. The line of questioning they engage in is often a clear indication of their expertise and a harbinger of your future collaborative process.
After the term sheet is signed, both parties are now on the same team. As such, expectations must be aligned before a cent is invested. For example, some technology products can go to market in six months, while others may take years. Without setting expectations early on, it’s easy for both sides to get frustrated. Firm leaders should share the returns they expect, while startup founders must propose when and how they can deliver them. Through a frank and open conversation, a timeline and KPIs can be reached to ensure all parties are satisfied with the business strategy.
The right strategy attracts the right investors With the market seemingly saturated with firms ready to invest, there’s no shortage of capital available to today’s technology startups. The challenge no longer lies in scarcity, but in engaging with the right investors through the right channels. By taking the necessary time to deliver a refined offering and approach every step of the funding process with intention, startups can reach the investors who are true believers in their vision and have the capacity and capability to help them achieve it. As founders, we can never lose sight that the goal is not just to fundraise, it’s to build a successful business. Each step we take should be measured on that progression.
Mike Fey is the CEO and cofounder of Island.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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3,584 | 2,022 |
"How the data infrastructure stack will change this year | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/data-infrastructure/how-the-data-infrastructure-stack-will-change-this-year"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest How the data infrastructure stack will change this year Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
In 2022 the digital advertising industry will be faced with further depreciation of third-party identifiers.
Brands, agencies, publishers and technology companies will start to scramble to implement infrastructure to support connectivity of consented data. As the need for data connectivity starts to accelerate, a new technology stack will start to emerge. This “data connectivity infrastructure” stack will become a key investment category and we can expect to see major consolidation (read: M&A and key partnerships) in 2022 as a result.
Components of the data connectivity infrastructure stack There are currently three major types of infrastructure for data connectivity: CDPs and DMPs — the software to manage audience data Data clean rooms and data sanctuaries — the software to safely port the data Identity technology — tools that marry and enrich piecemeal people data across silos and partners so that the data used is complete and correct.
In 2021, we first started to see these solutions being packaged together, which makes sense because they are all part of the same “data connectivity” value chain. We’re also already seeing a consolidation, or at least a partnership trend. LiveRamp already offers all three solutions: identity, Safe Haven (clean room) and Data Marketplace (DMP/CDP). It’s not a perfect trifecta by any means, but the three-in-one packaging makes it highly competitive with the point solutions and is bound to trigger consolidation from the other infrastructure competitors. Meanwhile clean room InfoSum has launched InfoSum Bridge to link with identity providers.
In 2022 the larger players like Adobe, Oracle, and Salesforce will start to stack the deck in their favor by eating up companies to support their ability to power end-to-end data connectivity for first-party data. Eventually, these partnerships will lead to M&A. While the timeline is contingent on when Google and Apple finally pull the plug on accelerating the need for first-party cookies, the change is happening already and is bound to come to a head in 2022.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! M&A may dictate changes to the stack For marketers, this means that the point solution data connectivity products they’re using today (currently offered by various providers) are likely to become features of a consolidated product tomorrow. Marketers will need to make a decision of whether to stick with many partners or consolidate. Some brands will continue to work with multiple point solutions because they want to create their own customized stack, and consolidation will take some of that flexibility away. Other brands may ultimately want a full suite, but will want to have more say in which suite they adopt and when.
There certainly are pros to accepting wherever consolidated offering emerges. A larger suite solution may offer better customer data sharing — for example an identifier like a loyalty ID that can be used across the components of the solution. They may offer higher data sharing frequency as it’s ultimately going to be the favored system to build out real time updates vs. batch updates. This can be a major game changer for many brands who need real time data for dynamic customer experiences, for example. And the larger solution is likely going to offer a higher level of service and handholding just based on the complexity of their offering and the likely larger size of their typical customer.
The cons to accepting a full suite offering are mostly for brands with their own complex data needs that require a high level of flexibility. Some big tech companies build for their average customer, providing off-the-shelf options with little customization available. While other companies like Adobe and Salesforce have great resources in place for custom builds and services, they would of course still be built out of their own suite. Brands need to determine what level of customization, independence, and flexibility they need and proceed with the understanding that in the future they may need to find a new partner if M&A changes things.
Customers building their own stacks and using pieces of the consolidated offerings as point solutions will probably get the “standard package.” This equates to standard data integration with other point solutions, batch updates, and a lot less hand-holding. At that point, data interoperability becomes a problem — an issue we need to solve as an industry. For example, if a brand is using LiveRamp for identity today and Salesforce’s CDP, everything plays well together today. But if Salesforce gains its own identity layer, will it have the same incentive to play well with LiveRamp? It will likely build out better functionality for its own suite first.
When an independent player is bought by a larger tech company, it often adopts the product and service approach of that larger company. This might mean that customization becomes impossible, or that there is little support for a specific vertical, or little experience with a certain element of the business such as loyalty data or non-programmatic marketing needs.
Brands need to know what matters most While the ultimate endgame is impossible to forecast, it’s clear that major change is on the horizon. Brands of all sizes and levels of data maturity need to do some scenario planning and create a prioritized list of what matters most to them when it comes to identity. These “must haves” will make it easier to make a decision in case one of their partners does get acquired, or to integrate deeply with a specific partner.
The CIO and CMO should be aligned on their priorities, of course, but they also should work together to discuss the implications of different moves — for example, estimating the cost of switching a major component of their product, or estimating the reduction in ROI if dynamic advertising is no longer possible. All of these different what-if scenarios can help the entire team prepare to make smart decisions more quickly, before they are too entrenched with an approach that may or may not work in the future.
Nancy Marzouk is CEO and Founder of MediaWallah.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Satisfy your wanderlust while making money with this TEFL certification | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/commerce/satisfy-your-wanderlust-while-making-money-with-this-tefl-certification"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Satisfy your wanderlust while making money with this TEFL certification Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Backpacking through Europe may have been your teenage dream, but it seems that ship has now sailed and you’re exploring other avenues to fulfill your wanderlust. What if you could work your way around the world while teaching others how to speak the language that’s your mother tongue? With a TEFL certification , you can combine your love of travel while earning a potentially lucrative salary.
As the world becomes smaller (figuratively, of course) thanks to ease of travel, organizations are growing globally, and international trade is ever-expanding. Being the most spoken language in the world, with over 1.1 billion speakers , and the prevailing language in more than 60 countries, it is not shocking that English has dominated. It should also come as no surprise that, according to the International TEFL Academy, there are 1.5 billion people yearning to learn the language.
Sounds like an opportunity to us. All those students need a teacher, and it could be you. While there is software out there that can teach English , that hasn’t diminished the demand for TEFL teachers. The TEFL Academy estimates that over 100,000 positions open up every year and most pay very well.
The added bonus is that you can work practically anywhere you want. Of course, if you’d rather keep your two feet on home soil, you could also opt to teach online.
Whatever your choice, this training bundle is going to prepare you to become certified to teach English as a foreign language.
With over 100 hours of content and 18 modules, you will develop the skills you need in order to teach a range of multi-language learners using the latest teaching methodologies. You will learn how to make grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, reading, and writing for the non-English speaking student easy and fun, while gaining understanding of lesson planning and classroom management. Through the additional two courses in the bundle, you will gain a deeper insight of learning styles and training techniques, as well as developing coaching and mentoring skills that could serve you well whatever you do in life.
Available today for 84 percent off the retail price, this Complete 2021 TEFL Certification Training Bundle can be yours for only $39.99.
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VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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3,586 | 2,022 |
"Why Nvidia’s bottom-up approach to the metaverse will win | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/why-nvidias-bottom-up-approach-to-the-metaverse-will-win"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest Why Nvidia’s bottom-up approach to the metaverse will win Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn As Big Tech places more resources and funding in the metaverse, the most significant metaverse investment will be in empowering people to create in it. Nvidia kicked off 2022 with an announcement: It will be granting free licenses for its Omniverse software to artists and other creatives, who will help build virtual worlds for the metaverse. These licenses (which cost at least $9,000 annually for corporate customers) will be offered not to arts organizations but to individual creators. They’re not being given away as charity, though; they’re an investment in the bottom-up, grassroots growth of the metaverse.
The brilliance of this move by Nvidia is its widescale empowerment of content producers. It’s a welcome contrast to the “ control all the data ” approach inherent to Facebook/Meta. Everything Facebook does is inside a closed experience controlled by its engineers and admins.
In taking the opposite approach, Nvidia shows that it grasps the free spirit and creative energy that will help existing virtual worlds blossom into a connected and open metaverse. Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) already dominate in gaming and 3D simulation, setting the company up as a key player in the metaverse. If it is also successful in making Omniverse the dominant software platform for creating and sharing 3D designs inside a connected metaverse, its valuation will skyrocket.
Empowering individual creators, as Nvidia is doing, is essential to the metaverse’s success. Here’s why: Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Timberwolves, toy poodles, and the right approach to the metaverse Would you rather be a timberwolf or a toy poodle? The timberwolf is the apex predator of its habitat—it goes where it wants, eats what it wants, and all other animals respect it. But it can only thrive as long as it can sustain itself in its habitat.
In contrast, the toy poodle lives a kept life. Completely dependent on its owner to carry it around and feed it, the toy poodle has essentially no agency or power. However, it usually wants for nothing and always outlives the timberwolf.
Most of us are going to pick the timberwolf, because the idea of living a comfortable but captivated life sounds stifling. The artists, engineers and other creators whose work will make or break the metaverse are the same way—they want to be empowered to do creative work the way they see fit.
Nvidia’s grassroots approach treats creatives like timberwolves, providing them the habitat and tools they need to create, thrive, and make a living. In contrast, the top-down control of companies like Meta treats creatives like toy poodles who need to be supervised inside a closed environment. They monitor the everyday transactions of users to mine their data, and prevent creatives from coloring outside the lines or making money outside of an approved digital economy.
The metaverse will make or break based on creative buy-in It’s difficult to imagine what our world would be like without the work of artists and creatives. The latest plot developments on hit TV shows like “Succession” and “Game of Thrones” dominate our conversations. Designers influence everything from our fashion choices to how we decorate our homes. Musicians compose the tunes we hear in the background as we work, socialize, and relax.
So much of what it means to be human comes from art in all its forms. For the metaverse to take off as a true cultural phenomenon, we need visionary artists and creatives to fill it with real culture. That means empowering these creatives to make all kinds of content for virtual environments, from NFTs to music to livestreaming shows, and ensuring they’re fairly compensated for their work.
This is why Nvidia’s Omniverse software license giveaway to artists is such a big deal. Nvidia understands unleashing creative energy to make products and experiences in the metaverse is what will make it exciting and attractive to consumers. New arrivals in these virtual worlds will seek creative and artistic experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. Besides making the metaverse a more lively and engaging place to spend time, this will also be crucial to establishing the commercial viability of any new virtual world.
And it’s not just artists who will benefit from this approach. As a longtime advocate for the open-source community, I can attest that the creative work of developers and software engineers will also be crucial to the success of the metaverse. By providing flexible tools without telling developers how they must use them, we can empower curious experts to experiment and iterate with what’s possible in livestreaming and virtual environments.
In short, no company should seek to own the metaverse; rather they should strive to open up all that’s possible within it. Let’s all embrace our inner timberwolves, boldly exploring all the metaverse can be.
Jerod Venema is founder and CEO of real-time video communication company LiveSwitch.
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"Report: More than half of execs see digital transformation as critical to business growth for 2022 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/report-more-than-half-of-execs-see-digital-transformation-as-critical-to-business-growth-for-2022"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Report: More than half of execs see digital transformation as critical to business growth for 2022 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
New data from PwC finds that 70% of business leaders believe COVID-19 will turn from a pandemic to an endemic in 2022. The report unveils how companies are tackling today’s unprecedented environment and offers a glimpse into how CIOs are planning for the long-term.
Despite the uncertainties ahead, there is one thing technology and business leaders are certain about: digital transformation and its acceleration to support their business strategy. In fact, 60% of executives said digital transformation is their most critical growth driver in 2022.
CIOs are playing a significant role in guiding leadership teams to make the technology investments that will be essential to long-term strategy, especially cloud-related transformation. This comes at a crucial time when 30% of business leaders plan to make remote work a permanent option. To meet the needs of a remote environment, 43% of CIOs are refining their IT strategy and operating model to be more agile. This requires taking a holistic approach when addressing people, process, automation, and suppliers.
To deliver on the promises of digital transformation, 35% of CIOs said they will prioritize leveraging infrastructure investments to move from traditional data centers to cloud-based, or leveraging enterprise-wide data and analytics to drive strategic decision-making. When it comes to their transformation strategy, CIOs are betting on trends and technology like AI, digital identity, 5G, and IoT, more than they are on the metaverse or crypto.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Looking ahead, the report highlights that companies will face evolving global data and privacy regulations. The relatively higher concern about tech and data regulations is likely being driven by ongoing cloud transformations that involve moving data outside an organization’s four walls and relying on third-party service providers. Global data and privacy laws are adding to the complexity and risk.
PwC’s report surveyed more than 650 business executives, including 89 chief information and chief technology officers.
Read the full report by PwC.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Report: 80% of execs say their orgs' tech needs not met | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/report-80-of-execs-say-their-orgs-tech-needs-not-met"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Report: 80% of execs say their orgs’ tech needs not met Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
According to CXOs surveyed by Pipefy, about 80% of technical needs remained unfulfilled in their organization. Waiting for IT to build internal applications can hold teams back from realizing value. However, time that IT spends away from mission-critical tasks can also slow down the organization.
The largest takeaway from the report? Strong support from management teams for low-code/no-code solutions indicates that the U.S. may soon see a hybrid model where business process development becomes more diffused, and individual teams will take control of their own processes using low-code/no-code tools.
Most upper management and middle management executives believe that 40% or more of requests to IT are backlogged due to conflicting priorities and constraints. Midsized companies are most likely to find themselves held back by overloaded IT teams, with most of the managers of midsized firms stating 60% or more of their department’s requests to IT remain unfulfilled. Even in small-sized firms, which are expected to be more agile, 75% of managers reported more than half of their IT needs remain unfulfilled due to time, budget, and other constraints.
Using low-code/no-code solutions, citizen developers can take control of business processes, customizing functions according to their needs at a fraction of the time and cost.
Large firms with better-funded IT teams fare better, with only about a half of managers concerned about significant IT backlogs of 60% or more. However, there is significant scope for efficiency, as only 11% of respondents stated that less than 20% of their requests were caught in an IT bottleneck.
For teams that need to adapt quickly, long IT wait times can prove frustrating. Seventy-one percent of managers stated lack of time was the main hindrance to IT delivering on projects.
Expanding the in-house IT department is an expensive proposition for most enterprises, given the shortage of talented developers.
Using no-code platforms , teams can automate simpler and more straightforward processes themselves, freeing up IT to focus on mission-critical tasks and making interactions with clients and vendors seamless.
To understand the potential for low-code/no-code applications to transform workplaces, Pipefy surveyed 100 CXOs and 100 managers in the U.S.
Read the full report by Pipefy.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Report: 62% of orgs use voice technology to increase revenue | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/report-62-of-orgs-use-voice-technology-to-increase-revenue"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Report: 62% of orgs use voice technology to increase revenue Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
According to a new report by Deepgram and Opus Research, 77% of companies are using voice technology to identify new business opportunities, and 62% are using it to increase revenues.
Last year’s report examined how companies of all sizes leveraged voice technologies built on Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to drive efficiencies and productivity. As businesses increasingly recognize the inherent value of voice and the data it holds, the companies set out to expand the report’s focus beyond ASR to the entire speech technology industry to unearth the motivations for using voice technology within businesses.
A big change from last year’s report is that voice technology has moved from a cost-saving technology focused primarily on uses like compliance to a revenue generating tool that can open new business opportunities. The report found that 77% of companies are using voice technology to identify new business opportunities, and 62% are using it to increase revenues. To fuel this innovation, 75% of respondents plan to increase their speech technology budget in 2022, and 92% believe this will drive widespread use of voice technology within five years.
Interestingly, 24% of respondents from companies with fewer than 500 employees believe adoption could take longer, between five and ten years. This surprised us and may be attributed to the fact larger organizations recognize the immediate impact that voice technology can have on their business through automating processes such as agent enablement or customer experience with conversational AI, whereas smaller companies that are automating other use cases have less confidence in near term market adoption.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The report also confirmed that customer loyalty continues to be top of mind for companies in 2022. But this is more challenging to secure than ever, especially with unstructured data like audio, images and video making up 90% of all available intel. As such, 73% of respondents noted customer experience analysis as the most impactful use of speech technology.
With opportunities increasing and a widespread voice-enabled future on the horizon, now is the time for enterprises to invest in and prioritize voice technology.
Deepgram and Opus surveyed 400 decision-makers from managers to the C-suite to uncover the key motivators for speech technology use among enterprise companies.
Read the full report by Deepgram.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Report: 4 critical growth areas for companies in 2022 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/report-4-critical-growth-areas-for-companies-in-2022"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Report: 4 critical growth areas for companies in 2022 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
The latest report from Deloitte focuses on where companies find themselves nearly two years into the pandemic and what it will take for them to enable the next wave of growth. There’s a need to rededicate efforts to improve transparency, agility, collaboration, sustainability, and digital innovation.
The first growth area is taking cloud and everything-as-a-service ( XaaS ) to the next level. As more companies embrace cloud and service-based IT to drive innovation and transformation, and as XaaS providers multiply, it is expected that more work will be needed to manage the technical and operational complexities of hybrid, multicloud approaches. XaaS will be critical to digital transformation, particularly for new solutions and business models.
The second growth area is creating the supply chains of the future.
Semiconductor chips and components were in short supply in 2021, and while lead times are marginally expected to improve by the second half of 2022, supply chain challenges may not fully untangle until 2023. As technology companies continue to recover from pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions, they will start proactively preparing for future uncertainty and other systemic risks.
The third growth area is building the next iteration of the hybrid workforce. Changing attitudes and expectations created the “ Great Resignation ” of 2021. With more experience utilizing a hybrid workforce, tech companies are expected to evolve their cultures, accelerate experimentation with collaboration solutions, and develop better approaches to managing tax implications.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The fourth and final growth area is leading the charge to create a sustainable future. The tech industry is working to address critical sustainability issues, but there is growing pressure from stakeholders and potential changes coming to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting rules, which may incite tech companies to heighten their focus on reducing and reversing environmental impact.
Deloitte’s 2022 technology industry outlook seeks to identify the strategic issues and opportunities for tech organizations to consider in the coming year, including their impacts, key actions to take, and critical questions to ask. The goal is to equip US technology organizations with the information and foresight they need to position themselves for a robust and resilient future.
Read the full report by Deloitte.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Komodo Health to Provide Powerful Insights Platform to Rare Disease Patient Advocacy Organizations | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/komodo-health-to-provide-powerful-insights-platform-to-rare-disease-patient-advocacy-organizations"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Press Release Komodo Health to Provide Powerful Insights Platform to Rare Disease Patient Advocacy Organizations Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Rare as One Network will gain access to Komodo’s Healthcare Map to advance research and better understand care gaps SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–January 31, 2022– Komodo Health today announced it will be enabling rare disease patient advocacy organizations in the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Rare As One Network with the software and analytics firepower needed to help improve earlier diagnoses, close gaps in care, and accelerate research across some of the world’s most complex and difficult diseases.
The 50 organizations in CZI’s Rare as One Network will now have access to Komodo technology, enabling patient advocacy leaders to more clearly identify patient cohorts, better understand the diagnostic odyssey for rare disease patients and how to shorten this journey, identify demographic disparities, and connect patients to appropriate healthcare providers and clinical researchers. The technology and insights will also help accelerate research opportunities for rare diseases that are often overlooked.
“We are excited to support the Rare As One Network organizations as they utilize Komodo’s software to address unanswered questions in their disease areas and better understand the diagnostic journey and impact of these rare diseases,” said Heidi Bjornson-Pennell, CZI Rare As One Program Manager. “We believe in the power of data and technology to unearth the critical insights needed to address the unmet needs of these patient communities.” One member of CZI’s Rare as One Network, PSC Partners Seeking a Cure, utilized Komodo’s software and data to provide education to medical providers about the new PSC ICD-10 code and promote other initiatives in the search for a cure for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) – a rare liver disease. The nonprofit is looking forward to exploring what will be offered through the Komodo-CZI partnership.
“Our work with CZI’s Rare as One Network gives us an incredible opportunity to empower over 50 patient-led organizations with data-driven software and intelligence that can enhance their work to accelerate research, unlocking treatments and cures for rare disease,” said Web Sun, President and Co-founder of Komodo Health. “Komodo will now be providing the critical insights needed for these advocacy groups to dig deeper into patient behaviors and patterns of care and put breakthroughs into the hands of patients faster.” Komodo’s Healthcare Map offers the industry’s largest and most complete longitudinal view of real-world patient journeys, representing encounters with the healthcare system for more than 330 million patients. Access to Komodo software such as Prism enables advocacy organizations to quickly surface insights, powered by the Healthcare Map, on specific patient populations to understand nuances in disease patterns and care trends. As one example, these tools unlock detailed information based on geography, demographics, and disease stage to better identify rare disease patients and relevant provider populations to support earlier diagnosis and treatment in a privacy-safe, de-identified manner.
About Komodo Health Komodo Health builds groundbreaking software solutions powered by our Healthcare Map™ – the industry’s largest and most comprehensive view of real-world, patient journey data. Komodo’s next-generation analytics make it easy to unlock meaningful insights and create more cost-effective, value-driven solutions that improve patient outcomes. In our mission to reduce the global burden of disease, we help healthcare and Life Sciences enterprises answer healthcare’s most complex questions. For more information, visit komodohealth.com.
About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded in 2015 to help solve some of society’s toughest challenges – from eradicating disease and improving education, to addressing the needs of our local communities. Our mission is to build a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for everyone. For more information, please visit www.chanzuckerberg.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220131005034/en/ Kristi Bond Komodo Health [email protected] VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Even early enterprise metaverse solutions are at least 3-5 years away | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/even-early-enterprise-metaverse-solutions-are-at-least-3-5-years-away"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest Even early enterprise metaverse solutions are at least 3-5 years away Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
It’s going to take many years and lots of technology breakthroughs to actually make the metaverse happen.
The challenge is, the metaverse is really not one thing any more than computing is one thing. It’s more of a concept than an architecture. A whole series of components are needed to make it work, and those components will differ across use cases. For example, the kind of enterprise metaverse environment needed in a manufacturing or health care setting is very different from the kind needed to collaborate on a piece of software in a workgroup setting.
The metaverse will be driven in the next several years by solutions to particular problems, and not by a blanket, horizontal capability, although obviously there will be some horizontal components that cross the solution boundaries.
The metaverse will require vastly expanded bandwidth, but more importantly vastly reduced latency. That’s really the key to metaverse connectivity. Anything beyond a millisecond or two will make it untenable. That’s why true 5G connectivity for mobile users with its low latency is so critical. Another major challenge with the metaverse is that it requires a totally redesigned user interface. And such a UI will not be created quickly, nor likely universally (each major provider may have their own unique version). Look how long it took to get to Windows 10 from CP/M and DOS, and that will give you some idea of the amount of work the UI will take (although obviously it won’t take decades). And it won’t just be one UI – there will be several optimized for different things (gaming, collaboration, AI-assisted VR/AR, etc.).
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! The metaverse will need massive amounts of compute power in CPU, GPU, and special AI acceleration components. There is little concern of those being available in the relatively short term, since the progression of compute power remains strong and is actually accelerating (more processing power in shorter periods of time). But using the technology in the most effective way is not straightforward. And new technologies need to be perfected for more sensually stimulating and immersive capabilities for the metaverse like touch, heat and cold, smell, and even taste. While not happening soon, there is work underway to make this a reality.
With all of the above needing to be created and perfected, it’s not easy to define a timeframe for the metaverse. It will take at least 4-5 years, maybe more, to get a large number of the needed solutions in place. There will be components that come on line sooner (like AR/VR gaming, digital twins for multiple uses beyond factories, and systems enabling some level of collaboration). But fully AI-driven metaverse capabilities will take a large number of breakthroughs that aren’t even on the horizon yet, and that will take time.
All of the major platform vendors are pushing a metaverse vision (e.g., Meta, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Nvidia, etc.), but if these big players are going to be a part of the new metaverse, they will be acquiring startups that have cornered a niche technology they need (much like the progression of so many other technologies that the big players have acquired over the years). I expect to see a lot of M&A activity in metaverse over the next 3-5 years – not all of it successful. But before then, we’ll need to see a number of big breakthrough tech from startups, many of which are still in the conceptual phase or just starting their journey.
I expect the metaverse as a whole to take at least a decade to realize, but subsets of it will come sooner. As with any new technology area, most people are better at signing on to the hype than understanding the difficulty in creating the reality. So we will continue to hear a lot of inflated messaging around the metaverse and the kind of value it can deliver.
I do expect the metaverse to ultimately add business value, but it will take some experimentation before we know exactly how much. We could certainly see AR/VR/AI adding to the ability to repair equipment, assist in the setup and building of products and facilities, help with surgery, train people in new skills, etc. But we’re talking about a new user interface and a new way of interacting with the technology — new psychological and physiological experiences — and that’s going to take some time to get right.
Bottom line: Companies should be looking into how to use metaverse solutions even if they won’t be deployed for 3-5 years or more. Getting ahead of the curve with experimentation as new options become available is always a good course of action, especially for companies that want to be on the leading edge. But large-scale deployments will take several years, and enterprises should expect that, as with any emerging technology, not all installations will be successful. It’s important to remain flexible.
Jack Gold is the founder and principal analyst at J.Gold Associates, LLC., an information technology analyst firm based in Northborough, MA., covering the many aspects of business and consumer computing and emerging technologies. Follow him on Twitter @jckgld or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jckgld.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Cyara looks to improve customer interactions by automating CX testing | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/cyara-looks-to-improve-customer-interactions-by-automating-cx-testing"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Cyara looks to improve customer interactions by automating CX testing Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Customer service is everything: all it takes is one bad experience with a company for customers to take their business elsewhere.
This means that companies must be on point with digital customer interactions , according to Cyara CEO and cofounder Alok Kulkarni, making automated customer experience (CX) and contact center testing essential.
Cyara, which today announced it secured $350 million in funding, looks to optimize the shift to automated CX by testing omnichannel customer journeys and their various transition points. These techniques include functional, regression and load performance testing, whether the customer contacts the company via phone, web, web chat, SMS, email, or other channels.
What makes Cyara different? Founded in 2006 by Kulkarni, Bonny Malik, and Luan Tran, the Redwood City, California-based Cyara claims to differentiate itself with its Automated CX Assurance Platform. This platform aims to assure and enhance omnichannel customer experiences by accelerating CX testing, improving quality, and reducing risk of defects impacting end users, Kulkarni told VentureBeat.
Other companies in the rapidly growing contact testing market include globalCX, Occam, and Klearcom. According to Forrester estimates, the market will reach $2.4 billion by 2024. This growth has been fueled not only by accelerated cloud migrations, but adoption of DevOps strategies, deployment of new innovations, and a boom in ecommerce. The pandemic has also increased the need to bring more innovation into customer experience and engagement, Kulkarni said.
Testing CX at scale Oftentimes, companies attempt to perform local, in-house testing by “just throwing people at it,” Kulkarni said, but manual testing is difficult to scale, measure, and replicate. It’s also not as fast or precise as automated testing. With more end users doing business with and contacting companies digitally, it is essential to keep pace with demand and not lose customers when making the shift to CX.
Any transitions in CX capabilitie s must be seamless and work well for the end user.
Underscoring that, PricewaterhouseCoopers reports that 32% of customers may abandon a company after just one negative experience.
“It’s really not an option for businesses not to have a digital engagement strategy,” Kulkarni said. This not only makes for better customer service and overall customer experiences, but it enables companies to accelerate innovations elsewhere.
“When companies look at automation, the return on investment is great, the payback period is quick,” Kulkarni continued. “You can apply resources to other areas to do things that are harder, rather than doing tasks that are mundane.” Leveraging capabilities such as predictive analytics and AI, Kulkarni said, can help companies detect issues, identify their root causes, and proactively address and prevent them. And because the market is experiencing such rapid expansion and heavy investment, he stressed the importance of recruiting more talent.
Cyara says its proprietary SaaS platform performs monitoring and testing of call routing, voice quality and biometrics, speed, load performance, agent handoff and agent desktop, and global in-country dialing. Its testing management can be integrated into third-party tools, and problems are troubleshot in real-time. The company touts that its technology as comprehensive, easy to use, and provides maximum automation around testing and monitoring. The result, Kulkarni said, is faster time-to-market, faster time per test, and increased test quality.
The platform is used by blue chip companies including Oracle, AT&T, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and eBay, as well as roughly 250 other top-rated global companies, notably in the technology and insurance spaces.
Cyara lands funding to expand and innovate Bolstering its success, Cyara today announced that it has received more than $350 million in funding from K1 Investment Management (K1). K1 joins Cyara’s long-term investors PeakSpan and Greenspring Associates.
According to Kulkarni, the new investment will help Cyara pursue its growth plan and expansion into international markets. It will also support and accelerate its product innovation, expansion of its CX assurance tools into emerging digital channels, and its strategic acquisitions of complementary technologies.
“Organizations can succeed or fail based on their customer experience,” Kulkarni said. “More and more companies are realizing the business-critical nature of the work we do, and we’re excited to have the firepower to grow and continue to attract the best people globally. We’re at the beginning of a very exciting new chapter.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Cloud computing and virtualization company Citrix to be acquired for $16.5B | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/cloud-computing-and-virtualization-company-citrix-to-be-acquired-for-16-5b"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Cloud computing and virtualization company Citrix to be acquired for $16.5B Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Signage with logo at the Silicon Valley headquarters of cloud computing and virtualization company Citrix, Santa Clara, California, August 17, 2017. ( Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Citrix , a cloud computing and virtualization company used by companies including Microsoft, Google, and SAP, has revealed plans to be acquired by affiliates of global investment firm Vista Equity Partners, and an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management called Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation.
The all-cash deal is valued at $16.5 billion, representing a near 30 percent premium on Citrix’s market capitalization before rumors of a possible deal first started to emerge last month.
Founded in 1989, Citrix was originally known for its Windows-based remote access products, but over the past few decades the company has endeavored to move with the times, and now offers myriad technologies spanning cloud computing, servers, networking, and more. One of its flagship products is Citrix Workspace , a virtualization platform that helps enterprises deploy apps and desktops remotely, including securing all the devices that connect to a network.
Put simply, Citrix Workspace is well-positioned to flourish in a world that has had to rapidly embrace remote and hybrid working.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “Over the past three decades, Citrix has established itself as the clear leader in secure hybrid work,” Citrix’s interim CEO and president Bob Calderoni said in a statement.
Remote workspace Workspace has been a core focus for Citrix as it evolves in an increasingly cloud-first world.
Last year, Citrix doled out more than $2 billion for project management platform Wrike, so that Citrix could offer cloud-based collaborative work management smarts to its thousands of enterprise customers. This has also led Vista and Evergreen to Citrix’s door with wallets wide open.
Vista and Evergreen have indicated that they plan to combine Citrix with Tibco Software , a business intelligence and enterprise data management company that Vista acquired back in 2014 , to create what they call a “global digital workspace and data analytics leader.” “Together with Tibco, we will be able to operate with greater scale and provide a larger customer base with a broader range of solutions to accelerate their digital transformations and enable them to deliver the future of hybrid work,” Calderoni said.
But perhaps more important than that, Citrix will no longer be a publicly-traded company, which could afford it greater agility as it recalibrates for the future of work.
“As a private company, we will have increased financial and strategic flexibility to invest in high-growth opportunities, such as DaaS (desktop-as-service), and accelerate its ongoing cloud transition,” Calderoni added.
The deal — should it receive shareholder and regulatory approval — is expected to close by the middle of 2022.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Budibase brings open source to low-code web app development | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/budibase-brings-open-source-to-low-code-web-app-development"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Budibase brings open source to low-code web app development Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Budibase Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Let the OSS Enterprise newsletter guide your open source journey! Sign up here.
The burgeoning no-code / low-code movement is showing little sign of slowing down. There are countless new products and companies hitting the market to help coders and non-coders alike make the most of the skills that they have.
By way of example, at the tail-end of last year, Amazon launched a no-code AI model development tool called SageMaker Canvas aimed at business analysts.
Softr , meanwhile, recently raised $13.5 million to help non-technical users create business apps atop Airtable.
While no-code platforms go some way toward democratizing the software development process, low-code holds the potential to be just as transformative in terms of how it allows developers to create without having to hand-code everything from scratch. IDC estimates that 40% of “low-code developers” are already full-time developers, while Gartner predicts that by 2025, 70% of new applications will use low-code or no-code technologies — up from 25% in 2020.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! It’s against that backdrop that Budibase went to market with a low-code platform that helps developers and IT professionals build business apps in minutes. This could be anything from inventory management platforms and applicant tracking systems (ATS) to customer help desk applications.
Anyone who has followed this space of late will be well aware of the myriad website and web app building tools out there aimed at the less technically minded people, from the well-funded Webflow through to Stacker and Softr. But Budibase is approaching things from a slightly different angle.
Open source meets low-code Budibase is open source , meaning that companies are able to host everything themselves on their infrastructure and retain full control of their data and applications while avoiding proprietary lock-in. Moreover, the GPLv3 license means that there is low friction for adoption. “Users don’t have to ask their legal team to install the software,” Budibase cofounder Joe Johnston told VentureBeat.
On top of the free open source Budibase incarnation, the company also offers an enterprise version which includes several premium features such as service-level agreements (SLAs); a dedicated account manager; and onboarding support. And back in November, Budibase launched a hosted cloud service, which has gone on to garner some 10,000 paying customers, including waste-management giant Covanta.
Covanta was forced to quickly build its own timesheet app after its usual service provider Kronos was impacted by the widely-reported Log4j vulnerability — and this is where Budibase entered the fray. “With a week to Christmas, Covanta employees had no way to record their working hours, which was critical for the Christmas bonus,” Johnston explained. “Thankfully, the IT team was able to build a replacement app with Budibase in just a few hours.” It’s worth noting that Budibase also claims open source users from mega tech giant such as Microsoft, Apple, and Google, though it’s not clear to what extent these companies are using the product.
A glance across the competitive landscape reveals some similar propositions, including Joget which recently closed a $2.2 million pre-Series A round of funding, while Appsmith disclosed $10.5 million in funding. So, it’s clear that there is growing demand to bring the benefits of open source technologies to the low-code development realm.
Budibase’s open source credentials are only part of its appeal. The likes of Webflow aim to help non-technical citizen developers build fairly non-dynamic websites, and Softr and Stacker target non-technical users with what is effectively an interface-builder on top of Airtable. Budibase can be used in a similar way, but it’s ultimately targeting developers, as it allow them to add their own JavaScript to extend the utility of the built-in features, for example.
With Budibase, technical users can connect to external sources such as MySQL, CouchDB, PostrgreSQL, MongoDB, Rest API, Airtable and more. And if they don’t have their own existing data, they can tap Budibase’s built-in database and tables to build apps from scratch.
Elsewhere, Budibase packs a pretty powerful arsenal of tools spanning the data, design, and admin spheres, while users can tap pre-built automations powered by webhooks, triggers, and actions which can be tailored if the developer wants to add their own scripts to the mix.
Target market While Budibase could appeal to companies of just about any size, it’s ultimately vying for the mid-sized to enterprise market. “Larger organizations have more internal operations, [and] therefore they need ways to build internal apps to automate and digitize these operations,” Johnston said.
Moreover, as the developer talent shortage continues, this will mean that companies have to use their existing resources more intelligently — which is where Budibase and its ilk stand to benefit.
“There’s simply not enough development resource to meet demand, plus developers are expensive and hard to source,” Johnston said. “Budibase allows these companies to develop more internal apps, using less development resource.” Budibase last year raised $1.8 million in seed funding from Angular Ventures , Snyk cofounder Guy Podjarny, and Product Hunt founder Ryan Hoover, and the company said that it plans to raise its series A round later this year.
The company is also gearing up to launch a host of new features in the coming months, including auditing capabilities and a “global design system” that helps ensure companies remain on-brand through the app development process.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"3D Glass Solutions Raises Additional $4 Million in Series B1 Round Extension | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/3d-glass-solutions-raises-additional-4-million-in-series-b1-round-extension"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Press Release 3D Glass Solutions Raises Additional $4 Million in Series B1 Round Extension Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn New Investments Bring the Series B1 Total to $24 Million ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–January 31, 2022– 3D Glass Solutions Inc. (3DGS), a leading innovator of glass-based three-dimensional passive radio frequency (RF) devices, announced today it has raised an additional $4 million in an extended Series B1 funding round. 3DGS welcomed new investor Menlo Microsystems Inc., as well as follow-on investments from both Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) and Sun Mountain Capital, bringing the total Series B1 raise to $24 million.
“The Series B1 round extension highlights the enthusiasm of both existing and new investors in 3DGS technology and growth initiatives,” said Mark Popovich, CEO and president of 3DGS.
The extended Series B1 round comes on the heels of 3DGS securing a licensing agreement with Corning for process and know-how related to forming through glass vias (TGV) in Corning® HPFS® Fused Silica, as well as a corresponding long term supply agreement for glass wafers. The addition of this technology complements 3DGS’ existing portfolio and provides entry into adjacent market areas. The initial use of the technology will be for supply of components to Menlo Microsystems for its Ideal Switch™, under a long-term supply agreement between 3DGS and Menlo Microsystems.
“Corning continues to believe in the versatility and benefits of through glass vias, or TGV, technology that will support the progression of glass use in the semiconductor industry, enabling the industry to facilitate innovative solutions supporting Moore’s Law,” said David Velasquez, vice president and general manager, Corning Advanced Optics. “We are looking forward to furthering our long-term partnership with 3DGS and its novel product and process capability that will advance this unique technology.” “We are excited to strengthen our partnership with 3DGS and it underscores the importance of our longstanding strategic relationship in driving our Ideal Switch™ technology into many different segments,” said Russ Garcia, CEO of Menlo Micro. “As we continue to advance the most important electronic component since the transistor, the synergies between Menlo and 3DGS are growing. The development of glass processing and advanced glass packaging has become a critical element of the semiconductor supply chain, and we look forward to working together to bring exciting new products to the market in the years ahead.” For more information about custom design and fabrication using TGVs, contact [email protected] or (505) 916-5590.
About 3D Glass Solutions 3D Glass Solutions (3DGS) is a world-class expert on the fabrication of electronic packages and devices using photo-definable glass-ceramics. The company manufactures a wide variety of glass-based, system-in-package (SiP) devices and components using its patented low-loss photosensitive APEX® glass ceramic technology for applications in RF electronics and photonics used in automotive radar, IC electronics, medical, aerospace, defense, wireless infrastructure, mobile handset and IoT industries. 3DGS offers high-precision products with exceptional high-frequency and low-loss properties. 3DGS glass ceramic-based RF products can be combined with any number of designs or devices to create incredibly unique and valuable SiP products. The company has created foundational patent positions related to all photosensitive glass- ceramic materials and devices and owns the fundamental intellectual property for all four positions (materials, design, systems and manufacturing) related to glass-ceramic devices for the electronics packaging industry. 3DGS leverages its unique product solutions to provide device manufacturing and systems integration services for several standard and custom products. To learn more about 3DGS, visit www.3DGSinc.com.
APEX® is a registered trademark of 3D Glass Solutions Inc.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220131005011/en/ Jackie Townsend Townsend Team [email protected] VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Report: Tech leaders worry the industry may run out of compute power in the next decade | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/report-tech-leaders-worry-the-industry-may-run-out-of-compute-power-in-the-next-decade"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Report: Tech leaders worry the industry may run out of compute power in the next decade Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Fifty-three percent of enterprise technology leaders are worried they will run out of computing power in the next decade — one of several challenges hindering organizations as they look to scale up artificial intelligence initiatives, according to a new report by SambaNova Systems.
With AI and ML becoming ubiquitous across industries, it has the same potential to refactor the Fortune 500 as the internet has had over the past several decades. But as the AI revolution accelerates, there’s a burgeoning gulf between the haves and the have-nots. That is, a growing number of top companies have figured out how to deploy AI initiatives at scale, gaining a competitive edge against businesses that have yet to do so.
So, why are some enterprises reaping the benefits of AI, while others are at risk of being left behind? The report’s findings show most people are hopeful about the potential of AI and ML technologies; two-thirds of technology leaders plan to significantly increase their AI and ML investments over the next five years. Furthermore, more than three-quarters (78%) say that AI and ML is critical for driving revenue.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! But even as organizations look to AI to drive innovation and revenue, many remain in the early stages of implementing AI and ML initiatives — with plenty of barriers holding them back. More than half cite customizing AI models as their top challenge, while around one-third blame insufficient computing infrastructure (35%) or a lack of trained talent (28%).
In the years ahead, enterprises are tasked with untangling the complexities of scaling AI/ML to keep pace with competitors. AI will only continue to rapidly expand and evolve, leaving technology leaders to determine which use cases will drive revenue and innovation for their business, and identify how to deploy AI technologies at an enterprise level.
For this report, SambaNova surveyed 600 AI and ML, data, research, customer experience and cloud infrastructure leaders across six industries.
Read the full report by SambaNova.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Now for the hard part: Deploying AI at scale | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/now-for-the-hard-part-deploying-ai-at-scale"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Now for the hard part: Deploying AI at scale Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
The enterprise is quickly discovering the many ways AI can streamline and improve processes, but so far, most of these successes are happening at limited scale. Like any technology, AI functions well in controlled situations, but pushing it far and wide throughout an increasingly diversified data ecosystem is not without its perils.
At scale, the enterprise is no longer a cohesive, fully integrated digital environment, but a loose collection of processes, platforms, and cultures. Of course, AI promises to change all that (or at least paper it over), but in a Catch-22, it really can’t function at scale until it achieves scale — meaning there is still a lot of work to do before organizations can push the value proposition of AI to its limits.
Assembly-line AI Researchers at McKinsey & Co.
liken this problem to a company that builds each product from scratch, with no standardization or consistency among components, processes, or quality control. For AI to scale across the enterprise, it must be placed on the digital equivalent of a production line where teams across the organization can turn out production-ready, risk-compliant, and reliable models.
Fortunately, AI tools and platforms have evolved to the point in which more governable, assembly-line approaches to development are possible, most of which are being harnessed under the still-evolving MLOps model. MLOps is already helping to cut the development cycle for AI projects from months, and sometimes years, down to as little as two weeks. Using standardized components and other reusable assets, organizations are able to create consistently reliable products with all the embedded security and governance policies needed to scale them up quickly and easily.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Full scalability will not happen overnight, of course.
Accenture’s Michael Lyman , North American lead for strategy and consulting, says there are three phases of AI implementation. It begins with the initial proof of concept, followed by a period of strategic scaling, and finally a point at which the organization is “industrialized for growth.” Each phase will require further refinement of three key principles: Driving “intentional AI” by managing expectations and establishing clearly defined strategies, operating models and timelines Turning off data noise by carefully managing both the internal and external data being used to train AI. Like any other technology, AI is subject to garbage-in/garbage-out Treating AI as a team sport by encouraging cross-platform and multi-disciplinary deployment Among a recent survey of 1,500 CXOs, Accenture found that the two common denominators among companies that have industrialized AI for growth are broad democratization across the workforce and tight alignment with growth priorities.
Unique enterprise, unique problems No two companies are alike, however, so everyone’s transition to full-scale AI will be different.
Josh Perkins, CTO of business platform developer AHEAD , notes that the key to a successful scaling strategy is to identify your specific challenges ahead of time so you can start plotting the solution. To accelerate this process, he recommends a series of steps, such as starting out with the best use cases and then drafting a playbook to help guide managers through the training and development process. From there, you’ll need to hone your institutional skills around key functions like data and security analysis, process automation and the like. Improving data delivery and quality assurance will also come into play, as will anticipating the cultural shift that will arise under this new working environment. And, of course, all of this will require continual monitoring and evaluation to ensure the program remains aligned with goals and objectives.
Clearly, this will be nowhere near as easy as it sounds. As Sumanth Vakada, founder and CEO of Qualetics Data Machines explained recently, it involves not just the transformation of the organizational operating model, but a bi-directional implementation framework that enables key actions to flow from both the top down and the bottom up.
And don’t expect all of this to happen on a limited budget, either. Few organizations are starting this journey from an ideal place to begin with. Most are saddled with insufficient data structure, dedicated resources, siloed work cultures, and a host of other limiting factors.
But this transformation is not optional. The world is moving in this direction, so to delay is to risk being left behind. This means the question facing enterprise executives today is not whether to scale AI, but how to do it in the least disruptive manner and with maximum ROI.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How to train ML models more efficiently with active learning | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/how-to-train-ml-models-more-efficiently-with-active-learning"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Sponsored How to train ML models more efficiently with active learning Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Presented by Labelbox How much time is your machine learning team spending on labeling data — and how much of that data is actually improving model performance? Creating effective training data is a challenge that many ML teams today struggle with. It affects nearly every aspect of the ML process.
Time: Today, ML teams spend up to 80% of their time on curating, creating, and managing data. This includes time spent labeling, maintaining infrastructure, preparing data, training labeling teams, and other administrative tasks. This leaves very little time for ML engineers to engineer their models.
Quality: A model can only become as good as the data it trains on, so producing high quality training data is an imperative for advanced ML teams. Ensuring that every asset in a large dataset is labeled accurately takes even more time and resources, from getting input from domain experts to creating review processes for training data.
The iterative cycle: Machine learning, like software development, requires an iterative process to produce successful results. While software developers can iterate on an application multiple times a day, the iterative cycle for ML teams can take weeks or months. This is mostly due to the amount of training data required to get an algorithm up to the required level of accuracy.
Data: Usually, ML teams simply label all the data they have available to train their model — which not only takes time and resources to label well, but also requires more complicated labeling infrastructure to support higher volumes of data. As their slow cycles progress, ML teams also typically experience diminishing performance gains, so that even larger amounts of training data are required for small improvements in performance.
Above: While the number of annotations and costs increase over time as a model is trained, its performance sees diminishing returns.
Teams struggling to speed up their iteration cycle and better allocate their resources between producing training data and evaluating and debugging model performance can benefit from using active learning workflows for training their models faster and more efficiently.
Benefits of active learning Active learning is an ML method in which models “ask” for the information they need to perform better. This method ensures that a model is trained only on the data most likely to increase its performance. It can help ML teams make significant improvements in speed and efficiency. Teams that embrace this method: Generate less training data, saving labeling time and costs, making it easier to produce high quality labels, and reducing the time between iterations Have a better understanding of how their models perform, so that engineers can make data-driven decisions when developing their algorithm Curate training datasets more easily based on model performance Better data, not more data Active learning shifts focus from the quantity of training data to the quality of training data. A data-centric approach to ML has been lauded as a necessary pivot in AI by leaders in the space, including Andrew Ng of DeepLearning.ai.
If the model is only as good as the data it’s trained on, the key to a highly performant model is high-quality training data. And while the quality of a labeled asset depends partially on how well it has been labeled and how it was labeled compared to the specific use case or problem the model is being created to solve, it also depends on whether the labeled asset will actually improve model performance.
Employing active learning requires that teams curate their training datasets based on where the model is least confident after its latest training cycle — a practice that, according to my experience at Labelbox and recent research from Stanford University , can lead to equivalent model performance with 10% to 50% less training data, depending on your previous data selection methods. With less data to label for each iteration, the resources required to label training data will reduce significantly. These resources can then be allocated to ensure that the labels created are of high quality.
A smaller dataset will also take less time to label, reducing the time between iterations and enabling teams to train their models at a much faster pace. Teams will also realize more significant time savings from ensuring that each dataset boosts model performance, getting the model to production-level performance much faster than with other data selection methods.
Understanding model performance A vital aspect of active learning is evaluating and understanding model performance after every iteration. It’s impossible to effectively curate the next training dataset without first finding areas of low confidence and edge cases. ML teams dedicated to an active learning process will need to track all performance metrics in one place to better monitor progress. They’ll also benefit from visually comparing model predictions with ground truth, particularly for computer vision and text use cases.
Above: The Model Diagnostics tool from Labelbox enables ML teams to visualize model performance and easily find errors.
Once the team has these systems in place that enable fast and easy model error analysis, they can make informed decisions when putting together the next batch of training data and prioritize assets that exemplify classes and edge cases that the model needs to improve on. This process will ensure that models reach high levels of confidence at a much faster rate than a typical procedure involving large datasets and/or datasets created through random sampling techniques.
Challenges of active learning While active learning provides many benefits, it requires specific infrastructure to ensure a smooth, repeatable process over multiple iterations and models. ML teams need one place to monitor model performance metrics and drill down into the data for specific information, rather than the patchwork of tools and analysis methods that are typically used. For those working on computer vision or text use cases, a way to visualize model predictions and compare them to ground truth data can be helpful in identifying errors and prioritizing assets for the next training dataset.
“When you have millions, maybe tens of millions, of unstructured pieces of data, you need a way of sampling those, finding which ones you’re going to queue for labeling,” said Matthew McAuley, Senior Data Scientist at Allstate during a recent webinar with Labelbox and VentureBeat.
Teams will also need a training data pipeline that gives them complete visibility and control over their assets to produce high-quality training data for their models.
“You need tooling around that [annotation], and you need that tooling integrated with your unstructured data store,” said McAuley.
ML teams that use Labelbox have access to the aforementioned infrastructure, all within one training data platform.
Watch this short demo to see how it works.
Gareth Jones is Head of Model Diagnostics & Catalog at Labelbox.
Sponsored articles are content produced by a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they’re always clearly marked. Content produced by our editorial team is never influenced by advertisers or sponsors in any way. For more information, contact [email protected].
</em The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"AI Weekly: AI supercomputers and facial recognition to verify taxpayers' identities | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/ai-weekly-ai-supercomputers-and-facial-recognition-to-verify-taxpayers-identities"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages AI Weekly: AI supercomputers and facial recognition to verify taxpayers’ identities Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Supercomputers and facial recognition dominated the headlines this week in AI — but not necessarily in equal measure. Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, announced it’s building a server cluster for AI research that it claims will be among the fastest of its kind. Meanwhile, the IRS quietly implemented a new program with a vendor, ID.me, that controversially uses facial recognition technology to verify the identity of taxpayers.
Meta’s new “AI supercomputer” — called AI Research SuperCluster (RSC) — is impressive, to be sure. Work on it began a year and a half ago, with phase one reaching the operational stage within the past few weeks. Currently, RSC features 760 Nvidia GGX A100 systems containing 6,080 connected GPUs as well as custom cooling, power, networking, and cabling systems. Phase two will be completed by 2022, bringing RSC up to 16,000 total GPUs and the capacity to train AI systems “on datasets as large as an exabyte.” Meta says RSC will be applied to training a range of systems across Meta’s businesses, including content moderation algorithms, augmented reality features, and experiences for the metaverse. But the company hasn’t announced plans to make RSC’s capabilities public, which many experts say highlight the resource inequalities in the AI industry.
“I think it’s important to remember that Meta spends money on big expensive spectacles because money is their strength — they can outspend people and get the big results, the big headlines they want that way,” Mike Cook, an AI researcher at Queen Mary University in London, told VentureBeat via email. “I absolutely hope Meta manages to do something interesting with this and we all get to benefit, but it’s really important that we put this in context — private labs like [Meta’s] redefine progress along these narrow lines that they excel at, so that they can position themselves as leaders.” VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Large corporations dominate the list of “AI supercomputers,” unsurprisingly, given the costs involved in building such systems. Microsoft two years ago announced that it created a 10,000-GPU AI supercomputer running on its Azure platform with research lab OpenAI. Nvidia has its own in-house supercomputer, Selene, that it uses for AI research including training natural language and computer vision models.
Os Keyes, an AI ethicist at the University of Washington, characterized the trend as “worrying.” Keyes says that the direction of larger and more expensive AI compute infrastructure wrongly rewards “scale and hegemony,” while locking in “monolithic organizational forms” as the logical or efficient way of doing things.
“It says some interesting things about Meta — about where it’s choosing to focus efforts,” Keyes said. “That Meta’s direction of investment is in algorithmic systems demonstrates exactly how hard they’ve pinned themselves to ‘technosolutionism’ … It’s change driven by what impresses shareholders and what impresses the ‘California ideology,’ and that isn’t change at all.” Aiden Gomez, the CEO of Cohere, a startup developing large language models for a range of use cases, called RSC a “major accomplishment.” But he stressed that it’s “another piece of evidence that only the largest organizations are able to develop upon and benefit from this technology.” While language models in particular have become more accessible in recent years, thanks to efforts like Hugging Face’s BigScience and EleutherAI , cutting-edge AI systems remain expensive to train and deploy. For example, training language models like Nvidia’s and Microsoft’s Megatron 530B can cost up to millions of dollars — not accounting for storage expenses. Inference — actually running the trained model — is another barrier. One estimate pegs the cost of running GPT-3 on a single Amazon Web Services instance at a minimum of $87,000 per year.
“The big push for us at Cohere is changing this and broadening access to the outputs of powerful supercomputer advances – large language models – through an affordable platform,” Gomez said. “Ultimately, we want to avoid the extremely resource-intensive situation where everyone needs to build their own supercomputer in order to get access to high quality AI.” Facial recognition for taxes In other news, the IRS this year announced that it’s contracting with ID.me, a Virgnia-based facial recognition company, to verify taxpayers’ identities online. As reported by Gizmodo, users with an IRS.gov account will need to provide a government ID, a selfie, and copies of their bills starting this summer perform certain tasks, like getting a transcript online (but not to e-file taxes).
The IRS pitches the new measures as a way to “protect the security of taxpayers.” But ID.me has a problematic history, as evidenced by complaints from residents in the roughly 30 states that contracted with the company for unemployment benefit verification.
In New York, News10NBC detailed accounts of residents struggling to navigate through ID.me’s system, including one woman who claimed she’d waited 19 weeks for her benefits. Some have suggested that people of color are more likely to be misidentified by the system — which wouldn’t be surprising or unprecedented. Gender and racial prejudices are a well – documented phenomenon in facial analysis algorithms , attributable to imbalances in the datasets used to train the algorithms. In a 2020 study , researchers showed that algorithms could even become biased toward facial expressions, like smiling, or different outfits — which might reduce their recognition accuracy.
Worryingly, ID.me hasn’t been fully honest about its technology’s capabilities. Contrary to some of ID.me’s public statements, the company matches faces against a large database — a practice that privacy advocates fear poses a security risk and could lead to “mission creep” from government agencies.
“This dramatically expands the risk of racial and gender bias on the platform,” Surveillance Technology Oversight Project executive director Albert Fox Cahn told Gizmodo. “More fundamentally, we have to ask why Americans should trust this company with our data if they are not honest about how our data is used. The IRS shouldn’t be giving any company this much power to decide how our biometric data is stored.” For AI coverage, send news tips to Kyle Wiggers — and be sure to subscribe to the AI Weekly newsletter and bookmark our AI channel, The Machine.
Thanks for reading, Kyle Wiggers AI Staff Writer VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Inclusivity, the new accessibility, is a norm and not a novelty | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/virtual/inclusivity-the-new-accessibility-is-a-norm-and-not-a-novelty"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest Inclusivity, the new accessibility, is a norm and not a novelty Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
‘Accessibility’ has become a favorite buzzword in all aspects of technology across every industry. However, by narrowing in on accessibility alone, we’re missing the entire purpose behind striving for accessibility in tech. Technology has the capability to be naturally inclusive , offering solutions that are innately accessible to everyone. Inclusivity shouldn’t just be about checking an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) box, but rather designing the experience from the beginning for every group or individual, ultimately normalizing inclusivity in technology development to expand accessibility.
Here’s the thing: It’s nearly impossible to separate accessibility and inclusivity from one another. Especially given that we’re living in a time of heightened sensitivity and scrutiny, answering the call to promote and practice inclusivity while trying to educate and encourage those who express resistance or refusal to do so is imperative. Whether an individual expression on a personal social media account or a public statement from a large corporation, we are holding each other to a higher standard.
Models can provide simple but significant impact Given the current urge for inclusive communities and environments, inclusivity and accessibility — as they pertain to products or services — aren’t as prolific as one may think or hope. Certain industries are feeling increased demand to create ADA-compliant features; we’re seeing this in performance venues, professional sports stadiums, and hardware developers. Inclusivity is dominating the conversation in online platforms, web design, and new immersive experiences in the arts.
Microsoft has been a pioneer in this way for years. They have a designated department intended to focus solely on accessibility, producing keyboards and computers that offer inclusive modalities from the beginning. This is a perfect example of fusing accessibility and inclusivity ; there isn’t any delineation separating products with these features from a generic model. And as a result, more companies are starting to follow suit, establishing protocols and procedures that ensure products and services are built with accessibility in mind — seamlessly promoting inclusivity by doing so.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! These efforts have a simple yet enormous impact on the consumer-facing markets. Individuals with any number of disabilities or accessibility needs can shop right off of the shelf with the rest of the population. There’s no disruption in that experience, having to seek help or search in a different area from the mainstream product line.
Not just slapping on a “disability” label Technology has always enabled humanity. Aqueducts, smelting, vaccines, mass production, the internet: These are all transformative technologies that have fundamentally enabled a new mode of human existence through the development of cities, diversification of how and where we live, and advancements that improve sanitization to prevent mass extermination from our own byproducts.
At first, technology was needed to help humanity persevere. While there is much work to be done in underdeveloped parts of the world, technology in first-world countries has surpassed the goal of survival and is helping humans thrive. Innovations in technology are forcing questions such as, what good are stairs or escalators for paraplegics? What good is virtual reality for the blind? What good are speaker systems for the deaf or hard of hearing? While answers have not yet surfaced, they lie somewhere in the marriage of accessibility and inclusivity.
The goal cannot be limited to slapping on an “accessibility” label to satisfy ADA regulations. Instead, how can the limitless capabilities of technology drive inclusivity initiatives to bridge the experiential gap between individuals of various diverse backgrounds? Fostering human connection To illustrate, take something as mundane as moving from one floor to another; elevators simply do not have the same experience as stairs. Consider the experience of two differently-abled people: One can jump down stairs quickly, take two at a time, hold the banister, hear and feel the sound of each step — and all these senses contribute to the experience that is noticeably absent in the mechanized alternatives. Unless we fundamentally reproach how we move people from two altitudes, two differently-abled people will not experience parity in that setting.
Expanding and prioritizing inclusivity in any product, service, organization, or industry goes beyond a smart marketing tactic or means to boost profit. It’s the direction society is headed. Not only will it benefit the organization, but it will empower diverse populations to connect and thrive through richer experiences and discover new ones together.
Let us leverage the endless possibilities of technology to increase our access to each other and expand our shared consciousness with the richness of perspectives that can only come from those who perceive the world a little differently.
Ethan Castro is the co-founder and CTO of Edge Sound Research.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"4 strategies for enabling a culture of workforce flexibility | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/virtual/4-strategies-for-enabling-a-culture-of-workforce-flexibility"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest 4 strategies for enabling a culture of workforce flexibility Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
The proliferation of remote work during the global pandemic proved that working from home is a viable workplace model with little downside. Yet, businesses continue to encourage or even require their employees to return to the office — often to their own detriment. For instance, PwC’s Pulse Survey: Cautious to Confident found that 64% of executives agree that their company needs as many people back on-site as possible.
As remote work continues to top employees’ wish lists, it’s clear that many business leaders need to do a better job of embracing a culture of flexibility in their organizations to retain and attract workers.
Employees continue to demand workplace flexibility According to our Global Workforce Survey , today’s workers crave (and need) variety in how they work. Nearly two-thirds say they prefer a mix of in-person and remote work. This flexibility sits at the core of job satisfaction. Only 45% of in-person employees say they are satisfied with their job, compared to 50% of hybrid employees and 63% of fully-remote workers.
Maintaining connectivity and culture is important, but inflexibility risks breeding resentment. While 26% of people in PwC’s survey would prefer full-time remote work, only 18% said their employer is likely to adopt that model. Only 11% of employees prefer full-time in-person work, but 18% say their employer is likely to require them to go into the office every day.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Workforce agility is critical to competing in a highly fluid and competitive marketplace. Organizations, therefore, need to both respond to employee expectations and put their workers in a position to perform at a high level. Otherwise, they may face high turnover, low productivity and a loss of business agility.
A workplace strategy that benefits the organization and employees It’s clear that most employers still have not perfected a new way of working in the post-pandemic world, a way that addresses benefits for both employees and the company. Leading organizations, however, are embracing a culture of flexibility in the workplace by implementing policies and tools that meet employees where they are. Success in this new hybrid model requires engaging employees and giving them a sense of personalization and ownership in how they work.
Here are four strategies for business leaders to enable a culture of workforce flexibility that benefits the organization and employees.
1. Offer personalized flexibility Workplace flexibility isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. People have different needs, workstyles and preferences for how they work, and personalization helps put people in the best position to succeed. Giving workers the power to work in a way that best suits them provides a sense of responsibility and incentive to perform.
Some people may need to work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. to handle child care or other personal responsibilities. Others may feel that they’d perform better in a four-day workweek. Some may opt to give up some salary for more vacation or personal days. Flexibility allows people to work how they want and when they want in the most optimal manner.
Meanwhile, don’t forget the power of connectivity and coaching that happens in person. Some people simply don’t know what they’re missing. Making it real for them by bringing teams together regularly and using connectivity as an in-person incentive can help make the value clear.
2. Lay out the rules in advance Whatever people’s individual needs and preferences, it’s up to managers and business leaders to determine whether it’s in the organization’s best interests to let people personalize how they work. This requires open communication channels among managers, employees and HR as well as formal plans around in-person, remote and hybrid working.
People need to know what the job expectations are regardless of how they choose to work, and managers need to know where the boundaries lie. Clear rules of engagement need to be laid out, formalized and communicated to stakeholders, along with clear accountabilities.
3. Empower different work styles with advanced tools for collaboration and connectivity A flexible workforce is only as effective as its toolset. Wherever they work, employees need to be armed with tools that allow them to effectively connect to corporate resources and collaborate with colleagues, customers and partners.
We need to go beyond video conferencing to give people interactive tools such as whiteboarding, real-time polling and the ability to break into teams. Remote employees need office-like connectivity, so they are able to work how they expect without latency or bandwidth issues. And people who work in the office shouldn’t be left out either. A complete rethinking of how offices and shared spaces are laid out can entice people to come into the office more and be more productive.
4. Encourage growth and career advancement Every employee should feel challenged in their role and want to grow their career with the company. Upskilling and opportunities for advancement are great ways to retain and attract employees. Investing in people through learning and development programs enhanced by recognition, badging and incentives creates the type of work environment people can get excited about.
High performers crave opportunities that challenge and excite them. It’s just a matter of giving them opportunities to excel and demonstrate what they can do.
Put people in a position to excel Hybrid work models are not going away. Retaining and attracting productive workers requires flexibility in how they work and empathy from business leaders regarding what the “new normal” looks like for employees. Business leaders have an opportunity to step up and encourage workforce flexibility — working with employees to give them the opportunities, processes and tools they need to do their jobs well and deliver the classic win-win.
Joe Atkinson is chief products and technology officer at PwC US DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"ZTNA 2.0 gains multicloud momentum in Palo Alto Networks' customer base | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/ztna-2-0-gains-multicloud-momentum-in-palo-alto-networks-customer-base"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages ZTNA 2.0 gains multicloud momentum in Palo Alto Networks’ customer base Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Citing the security, scale and speed advantages of deploying zero-trust network access 2.0 (ZTNA) in multicloud environments, Palo Alto Networks’ Ignite ’22 keynotes and breakouts claim the new standard is gaining momentum.
“All of the intelligence that goes behind zero trust is actually in the cloud, which means that once you operationalize us (Palo Alto Networks) in one place or one form factor, the next one is really easy,” Lee Klarich, chief product officer for Palo Alto Networks , said during his keynote “Out-Innovating the Attackers” at Ignite ’22 last week.
ZTNA 2.0 is a new industry standard proposed by Palo Alto Networks earlier this year, based on their belief that the existing zero-trust standard is too trusting, allowing for implicit trust gaps to happen on persistent connections.
Security leaders who are advocates of ZTNA 2.0 say there needs to be more stringent enforcement of least-privileged access from the third to the seventh layer of the OSI Model. Advocates point to the lack of real-time trust verification across the upper layers of the model.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! With more than 61,000 active firewall customers according to their Q1, FY 2023 quarterly results presentation, Palo Alto Networks is ideally positioned to promote a new zero-trust standard that capitalizes on continuous monitoring and their expertise in analyzing real-time network traffic.
Level-setting expectations on ZTNA 2.0 It’s important to keep the broader strategic initiatives of an organization in mind when assessing ZTNA, ZTNA 2.0, and zero trust in general.
Zero-trust frameworks are most effective when they support, strengthen and protect new digital business initiatives and secure virtual organizations. Investing in cybersecurity and zero trust is a business decision integral to the future growth of any organization. Getting it right means tailoring zero trust to a business’s unique security and risk management needs.
VentureBeat spoke with several IT leaders at Ignite ‘22 who said they have implemented Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Cloud and are pursuing ZTNA 2.0 report progress. Most of them deal with multicloud and hybrid cloud infrastructure challenges that the combination of Prisma Cloud and ZTNA 2.0 help solve.
None, however, consider ZTNA 2.0 the one-and-done solution to their zero-trust framework objectives. Rather, they need Prisma Cloud and ZTNA 2.0 to solve complex multicloud and hybrid cloud security challenges that demand scale and speed.
SASE, multicloud deployments help ZTNA 2.0 adoption Palo Alto Networks contends that ZTNA 2.0 also allows users access to network sources from anywhere via secured access service edge (SASE) , simplifies the need for traditional network perimeter controls, and that cloud-based deployment helps speed up implementation times. The company also claims that ZTNA 2.0 is better suited for integrating with identity access management (IAM), privileged access management (PAM), multifactor authentication (MFA), and other security technologies all on a single platform.
That’s consistent with one of the key messages to customers at Ignite ’22: That Palo Alto Networks needs to be their vendor partner for consolidating their tech stacks.
Palo Alto Networks also contends that its cloud platform approach to ZTNA 2.0 simplifies zero trust by providing consistent least privileged access and continuous monitoring across every identity and endpoint, or as Klarich said in his keynote, form factors.
“So when you think about this approach, what it means is you get the same security outcomes,” said Klarich. “You get consistent security operations and management. It’s optimizing the end-user experience because the users get the same experience, no matter where they’re working from, which, of course, is even more important today than ever before.” Klarich also explained in his keynote how zero-trust cloud architecture combines the company’s third and fourth generation hardware architecture advances to provide performance gains continually. Palo Alto Networks sees ZTNA 2.0 as more than a framework; it’s their ecosystem for future growth where their hardware, software and cloud advances combine to deliver greater value than each component sold alone.
Why ZTNA 2.0 is gaining multicloud momentum The most common reason that customers say they adopt ZTNA 2.0 is to gain greater visibility and control across multiple hyperscalers and cloud platforms while ensuring a consistent security policy and security posture. The Palo Alto customers that VentureBeat interviewed at Ignite ’22 said their organizations adopted zero trust to improve compliance and risk management, increase process agility, and consolidate their legacy tech stacks.
Interviews and surveys validate that getting integration right with ZTNA 2.0 is challenging, as is the process of implementing it as a framework across large-scale, distributed organizations. CISOs that VentureBeat spoke with at Ignite ’22 say it can be challenging to build an entire zero-trust framework with just one vendor, especially regarding endpoint security.
As David Holmes, Forrester senior analyst, writes in The Forrester New Wave: Zero Trust Network Access, Q3 2021, Palo Alto Networks “still needs to improve endpoint offering, including mobile. Customers say the mobile experience Prisma Access still needs improvement, and they report some technical challenges with the endpoint software for desktops and laptops.” Integration using APIs is one of the most challenging aspects of implementing ZTNA 2.0 based on customer interviews at Ignite ’22.
Despite the many promoted benefits of ZTNA 2.0, getting implementations streamlined to deliver results can be challenging, according to a recent survey and conversations with customers at Inspire ’22.
Source: Palo Alto Network’s 2022 What’s Next in Cyber survey What customers are saying about Prism Cloud and ZTNA 2.0 Overall, customers that VentureBeat spoke with are optimistic about their experiences with Prisma Cloud and ZTNA 2.0. One IT director told VentureBeat that overcoming the challenges of integrating Prisma Cloud with other apps and tools in the security tech stack was the most challenging piece. However, SASE was also core to their ZTNA 2.0 strategy, and the implementation of that across remote offices went smoothly.
Other IT leaders told VentureBeat that Prisma Cloud is automating the millions of security updates per day compared to relying on patch prep and deployment automation. This alleviates the need to maintain the infrastructure with time-consuming processes and manual procedures.
One CISO that VentureBeat spoke with says the subscription model for Prisma Access can be challenging, and it’s best to get help if you’re a first-time customer trying to figure it out. She also advised that IT leaders be careful troubleshooting Prisma Access because it’s easy to accidentally create a service interruption. Also, the CISO said, Okta integration could be challenging, and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) queries have been known to bog down if API integrations aren’t optimized.
The bottom line is that Palo Alto Networks is succeeding with its consolidation strategy of selling ZTNA 2.0 within its customer base, emphasizing the security, scale and speed of Prisma Cloud as the deployment strategy.
CISOs and IT directors are after more granular access policies that can be customized to fit the needs of specific users, groups and devices, giving them greater control over who can access what resources. They’re also after simplified access, improved usability, and more effective compliance reporting across their multicloud infrastructure.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Why next-generation firewalls will be essential to a zero-trust world | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/why-next-generation-firewalls-will-be-essential-to-a-zero-trust-world"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Why next-generation firewalls will be essential to a zero-trust world Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Firewall Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) are integral to the future of zero-trust security. Gartner defines NGFWs as “deep-packet inspection firewalls that move beyond port/protocol inspection and blocking to add application-level inspection, intrusion prevention, and bringing intelligence from outside the firewall.” Continuing its definition, Gartner advises that “an NGFW should not be confused with a stand-alone network intrusion prevention system (IPS), which includes a commodity or nonenterprise firewall, or a firewall and IPS in the same appliance that is not closely integrated.” As noted by Forrester , “NGFWs are the cornerstone of zero trust.” In a zero-trust network, NGFWs act as segmentation gateways , “taking security controls found in individual point products (firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, web application firewalls, content filtering gateways, network access controls, VPN gateways, and other encryption products) and embedding them in a single solution.” Investing heavily in AI and machine learning NGFW vendors are doubling down on R&D investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to differentiate themselves and deliver more value as part of enterprise zero-trust security initiatives. The focus areas of development are automated threat detection and response; user and device behavior analysis; advanced application control; and predictive analytics to identify potential security threats before they occur. By leveraging AI and ML, NGFWs can continuously learn and adapt to the changing threat landscape, providing a more effective zero-trust approach to protecting against cyberattacks.
>>Don’t miss our special issue: Zero trust: The new security paradigm.
<< VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “Firewall vendors retooled their portfolios to apply artificial intelligence, vendor-delivered services, and partner service for network security. Artificial intelligence is starting to deliver both security efficacy and configuration guidance,” said David Holmes, senior analyst in The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Firewalls Q4 2022 report.
“ Palo Alto Networks ‘ new policy-creation wizards use AIops to continuously recommend best practices on any change, effectively providing real-time guardrails to the user,” Holmes writes in the Forrester report.
Leading providers of NGFWs that support zero trust include Barracuda Networks , Check Point Software Technologies , Cisco , Forcepoint , Fortinet , Juniper Networks , Palo Alto Networks , SonicWall , Sophos and WatchGuard.
How firewalls contribute to zero trust Overall, next-generation firewalls are essential for enterprises pursuing zero-trust security; they help enforce strict access controls, segment the network and protect against cyberthreats.
NGFWs contribute to zero-trust security by providing the following: Advanced threat protection and visibility to enforce least privileged access NGFWs’ device firmware and, for many vendors, native silicon, too, are designed to be continually updated with improvements toward more granular control over who has access to a given resource, for how long, from which devices and using which specific privileged access credential. Updates are delivered in milliseconds and transparent to administrators, alleviating the need for IT teams to perform patch management.
NGFWs that can integrate into zero-trust environments have automated patch updates to their firmware, which keep current their IPS, application control, automated malware analysis, IPsec tunneling, TLS decryption, IoT security and network traffic management (SD-WAN).
Providing microsegmentation to reduce the attack surface of an enterprise network Next-generation firewalls can be configured to provide microsegmentation, organizing networks into smaller, more granular security zones that reduce the attack surface of an enterprise’s network.
NGFWs monitor and inspect traffic for threats and anomalies in real time, then act on them based on the logic and rules defined during implementation.
This can include blocking malicious traffic, quarantining infected devices and alerting security personnel to potential threats.
Integration with other zero-trust security platforms, apps and tools Leading NGFW providers commonly publish open APIs designed to streamline the integration of their systems across enterprise tech stacks. NGFWs are most often integrated with application gateways and security information and event management (SIEM) systems so security teams can gain a more comprehensive view of the network and its security posture. This can help enterprises to detect and respond to security threats more effectively.
User- and device identity-based controls restrict access to specific areas of a corporate network NGFWs use access controls that are based on the identity of the user or device attempting to access the network.
For example, an NGFW can be configured to allow or block access to certain resources or areas of the network based on the user’s role, job function or the type of device being used. This helps ensure that only authorized users and devices have access to sensitive resources, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.
Device- and identity-based authentication for every resource request Traditional firewalls often rely on network location to determine trust. NGFWs integrated into a zero-trust framework use identity-based policies and multifactor authentication to verify devices’ and users’ trustworthiness. This is a more granular and dynamic approach to granting access to network resources, endpoints and devices.
Microsoft Azure relies on NGFWs to deliver zero trust Microsoft Azure uses next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) to provide zero-trust security by allowing enterprises to enforce strict access controls and segment their networks into separate security zones, improving the networks’ overall security posture.
With Azure Firewall, enterprises can create and enforce rules to control inbound and outbound traffic to and from their Azure virtual networks. This includes allowing or blocking traffic based on various criteria, such as the traffic type, the traffic’s source and destination, and the identity of the user or device initiating the traffic.
By using Azure Firewall to segment the network into separate security zones, enterprises can better secure sensitive areas of the network, such as servers or databases, and isolate them from other parts of the network that may not need access to those resources.
In addition to controlling traffic flow, Azure Firewall can be configured to monitor and inspect traffic for threats and anomalies and respond appropriately. This can include blocking malicious traffic, quarantining infected devices and alerting security personnel to potential threats.
In addition to Azure Firewall, Microsoft Azure offers other security solutions supporting zero-trust principles, such as Azure Private Link. This service enables enterprises to securely access Azure PaaS services and Azure-hosted APIs over a private network connection, helping to protect against data exfiltration and other types of cyberthreats.
By using Azure Private Link and other security solutions, enterprises can establish secure, private network connections to resources in Azure, further reducing the risk of data breaches and other security incidents.
NGFWs and zero trust are on a collaborative path Look for NGFW vendors to continue investing in AI and ML technologies to differentiate their platforms further. Look for them to also opportunistically identify specific areas of the tech stack that they can actively consolidate into their product and service strategies. NGFWs will increasingly be designed to slot into zero-trust network access (ZTNA) networks and play a cooperative role in zero-trust frameworks.
Vendors will need to further improve API integrations, primarily with IPS, SIEM systems and data-loss prevention (DLP) systems, to provide a more comprehensive approach to security. They’ll also need to concentrate on how software-defined networking (SDN) can be more adaptive while providing more granular control over network traffic.
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"Report: Nearly 50% of phishing attacks in 2021 aimed at government employees were attempted credential theft | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/report-nearly-50-of-phishing-attacks-in-2021-aimed-at-government-employees-were-attempted-credential-theft"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Report: Nearly 50% of phishing attacks in 2021 aimed at government employees were attempted credential theft Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
According to Lookout’s 2022 Government Threat Report, mobile phishing and device vulnerability risk within U.S. government agencies (federal, state and local) is on the rise. In fact, almost 50% of all phishing attacks aimed at government personnel in 2021 sought to steal employees’ credentials, up from 30% in 2020.
In addition to the increase in phishing attacks on government employees, the report’s findings include: Federal, state, and local governments increased their reliance on unmanaged mobile devices at a rate of 55% from 2020 to 2021, indicating a move toward BYOD to support a larger remote workforce.
One in eight government employees were exposed to phishing threats. With more than two million federal government employees alone, this represents a significant potential attack surface as it only takes one successful phishing attempt to compromise an entire agency.
There was a steady rise in mobile phishing encounter rates for state and local governments across both managed and unmanaged devices, increasing at rates of 48% and 25% respectively from 2020 to 2021. This steady climb continued through the first half of 2022.
Threat actors are gaining in sophistication, with 16% of phishing attacks also attempting to deliver malware.
Nearly 50% of state and local government employees are running outdated Android operating systems, exposing them to hundreds of device vulnerabilities. However, this is an improvement over 99% in 2021.
Phishing attacks on government are especially impactful Government organizations store and transmit a variety of sensitive data, the security of which is essential to the wellbeing of hundreds of millions of people. A breach of a government agency that results in leaked data, stolen credentials or a forced halt to operations due to ransomware can have a disproportionate impact compared to a typical cybersecurity incident.
Additionally, government employees use iOS, Android and ChromeOS devices every day to stay productive and increase efficiency. This makes them targets for cyberattackers as their devices are a treasure trove of data and a gateway to government infrastructure. Because of the personal nature of smartphones, tablets and Chromebooks, endpoint security must protect the user, the device and the organization while respecting user privacy.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “It’s more important than ever for government agencies to keep pace with the evolution of the cyber threat environment,” said Tony D’Angelo, vice president, Americas Public Sector, Lookout. “Regardless of whether devices are managed, protecting these modern endpoints requires a different approach — one that is built from the ground up for mobile. Only a modern endpoint protection solution can detect mobile threats in apps, device operating systems, and network connections while also protecting against phishing attacks that steal credentials and deliver malware.” Methodology The Lookout Government Threat Report is based on analysis of data specific to federal, state, and local government organizations from the Lookout Security Graph. The graph, which includes telemetry data from analysis of more than 205 million devices and more than 175 million apps, enabled Lookout to identify and break down the most prominent mobile threats agencies faced in 2021 and the first half of 2022. Information used in this report was compiled from de-identified, aggregated Lookout data.
Read the full report from Lookout.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How leading endpoint security providers compare on enterprise performance | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/how-leading-endpoint-security-providers-compare-on-enterprise-performance"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages How leading endpoint security providers compare on enterprise performance Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
A skilled attacker can scan and find unprotected endpoints on an enterprise network in seconds, taking just one hour and 24 minutes to move from the initial point of compromise to other systems. That’s 14 minutes faster than last year, based on Falcon OverWatch’s findings in the 2022 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report.
Over-configured endpoints are just as vulnerable, creating threat surfaces as they decay. A typical endpoint has, on average, 11.7 security controls installed, and each is decaying at a different rate. Absolute Software’s Endpoint Risk Report found that 52% of endpoints have installed three or more endpoint management clients, and 59% have installed at least one identity access management (IAM) client.
Unprotected and overprotected endpoints not managed well are a breach waiting to happen. Endpoint intrusions often lead to months-long breaches costing millions of dollars. The Ponemon I nstitute and Adaptiva’s 2022 report, Managing Risks and Costs At The Edge, found that 54% of organizations have had an average of five attacks on their endpoints in the past year. The annual cost of these annual attacks is $1.8 million, or $360,000 per attack.
Only 20% of CISOs and cybersecurity leaders say they could prevent a damaging breach today, despite 97% believing their enterprises are as prepared or more prepared for a cyberattack than a year ago.
Ivanti’s State of Security Preparedness 2023 Report reflects enterprises’ urgent need to upscale their tech stacks, consolidating applications to improve performance while reducing costs.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! What’s driving more spending on endpoint security CISOs deal with a threatscape where endpoint sprawl creates more human and machine identities than many enterprise security teams can track and protect. The typical enterprise reports having more than 250,000 machine identities. It’s no surprise that in many enterprises, machine identities outnumber human identities by 45 times.
Cybercriminal gangs are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to go on the offensive. Critical targets for these technologies are identifying unprotected, weak endpoints in milliseconds, inventing new ways to evade detection so malware can be installed on enterprise servers, and automating phishing attacks, while also performing ongoing network reconnaissance.
“Security experts have noted that AI-generated phishing emails have higher rates of being opened — [for example] tricking possible victims into clicking on them and thus generating attacks — than manually crafted phishing emails,” said Brian Finch, co-leader of the cybersecurity, data protection and privacy practice at law firm Pillsbury Law.
“AI can also be used to design malware that is constantly changing, to avoid detection by automated defensive tools.” The combination of offensive AI techniques that are nearly impossible to identify and stop with legacy endpoint systems combined with the need to update tech stacks to zero trust are driving spending. CISOs tell VentureBeat that they’re relying on zero-trust wins they can quickly achieve to save next year’s budget. Ivanti’s study validates that cybersecurity budgets are growing next year, finding that 71% of CISOs and security professionals predict their budgets will jump an average of 11%.
Gartner’s forecast is equally optimistic, predicting worldwide spending on information security and risk management will grow from $157.7 billion in 2021 to $261.5 billion in 2026, attaining a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1%.
Endpoint protection platform spending worldwide is projected to increase from $11.9 billion in 2021 to $25.8 billion in 2026, more than doubling in size in five years.
Frost and Sullivan’s Endpoint Security Forecast predicts that the global endpoint security market will reach $31.1 billion by 2026, up from $17.4 billion in 2021, attaining a 12.3% CAGR.
Comparing leading endpoint security vendors CISOs need endpoint security providers to go on the offensive and provide cloud-based platforms capable of interpreting and taking action on a broader base of telemetry data in real-time.
CrowdStrike’s 2022 Falcon OverWatch Threat Hunting Report discovered that 71% of all detections indexed by the CrowdStrike Threat Graph are malware-free intrusions.
“A key finding from the report was that upwards of 60% of interactive intrusions observed by OverWatch involved the use of valid credentials, which continue to be abused by adversaries to facilitate initial access and lateral movement,” said Param Singh, VP of Falcon OverWatch at CrowdStrike.
The Omdia Market Radar: Endpoint Security Platforms 2022 report looks at six core areas of endpoint security platform performance. These measure how well an endpoint platform will scale and meet the four core areas of preventing and protecting against file-based and file-less malware exploits; allowing or blocking processes, scripts and software; detecting and preventing threats using behavioral analysis; and tools to investigate incidents and define remediation strategies.
Omdia’s analysis found that Bitdefender , Cisco , CrowdStrike , Microsoft , SentinelOne , Sophos and Trellix are the highest-performing endpoint providers on the market.
Absolute Software , Morphisec and Trend Micro are vendors to watch.
“Cyberthreats and compliance challenges have accelerated alongside explosive growth in remote work, creating new challenges for enterprises that are trying to mitigate the heightened risk that traditional security tools can no longer address,” said Rik Turner, principal analyst for cybersecurity at Omdia.
“This new Radar identifies the latest innovations that effectively defend modern enterprise edge environments without disrupting business operations. Because all organizations have unique requirements, we profiled additional vendors delivering highly differentiated capabilities to the market.” Comparing vendors’ strengths and weaknesses Bitdefender, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Microsoft, SentinelOne, Sophos and Trellix are proven enterprise-grade endpoint security platforms that contribute to zero-trust initiatives today. Absolute Software, Morphisec, and Trend Micro also have proven their platforms enterprise-ready across a broad spectrum of companies and use cases. Omdia’s conclusion that these three endpoint platform providers are the ones to watch reflects what VentureBeat hears from CISOs with experience on these platforms.
Bitdefender excels at Active Directory integration, and dashboards have more than enough options Bitdefender customers tell VentureBeat that integrating with Active Directory is one of the platform’s strongest features, along with solid performance managing passwords, keys and policies. Users also say that Bitdefender’s GravityZone Email Security helps stop phishing attacks.
Weaknesses include having too many options to configure dashboards with, which one CISO told VentureBeat tempts security teams to “boil the secops ocean” given how many options there are. Customers also say Windows support is the most comprehensive, with Linux and macOS needing an equitable amount of support.
Cisco Secure Endpoint gets higher user marks for its scalability and threat detection, while scanning needs to be improved Cisco’s customers appreciate how well Secure Endpoint is integrated into the broader Cisco Security Suite. Customers also praise Cisco’s approach to cloud services and secured endpoints, ThreadGrid integration and well-designed dashboards. Users also have high regard for Cisco Secure Endpoint and Cisco Talos, which provide real-time threat intelligence that helps detect new threats and malware.
Users want to see Cisco move faster to mature their endpoint and detection response (EDR) systems and broader stack and do more to reduce false positives the system creates. Another customer complaint is how much memory endpoint agents can take if not optimally configured and how scanning sometimes produces false positives.
CrowdStrike’s many strengths have attracted the most enthusiastic customer base in endpoint security, with Indicators of Compromise (IOC) being an area they want more training on VentureBeat has spoken with more than a dozen CrowdStrike customers this year and found that their favorite features of the CrowdStrike Falcon platform include how easy it is to deploy users’ machines, how fast and responsive the company’s EDR support teams are, and how its cloud console manageability delivers solid, trustworthy results. Customers also recommend behavioral analysis of devices, real-time threat detection, and customized dashboards.
Customers want more guidance on configuring Indicators of Compromise (IOC). One customer told VentureBeat that installing Falcon in complex enterprise networks requires technical expertise from CrowdStrike’s dedicated account team.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint gets high praise for solid antivirus, malware and threat protection, with users asking for improved vulnerability reporting Defender for Endpoint users told VentureBeat that they consider Microsoft’s endpoint security solution the best for combating malware, ransomware and spyware threats. For example, they’ve seen Defender for Endpoint stop breach attempts embedded in unrecognizable .exe files. They’re also seeing how effective application control, exploit protection, hardware-based isolation, network protection, web protection and network firewall support is.
The most common complaint from Defender from Endpoint is how the integration for remediation and patch management is less advanced than other platform areas.
SentinelOne Singularity Platform is one of the most highly regarded in endpoint security, yet customers complain about persistence of endpoints VentureBeat spoke with several SentinelOne customers who replaced on-premises systems with SentinelOne to gain greater detection and cloud management, and more visibility and control across enterprise-scale threatscapes. Customers tell VentureBeat that the deployment went smoothly, and the teams from SentinelOne helped define the best possible configuration given their budget constraints.
A typical customer complaint is that the scanning engine can be challenging to configure for optimal performance, leading to too many false positives. Customers say this leads to many threats being labeled ambiguously, making analysts’ tasks in the security operations centers (SOC) more challenging.
Sophos Intercept X is highly regarded for its use of ML to detect malware, yet it needs to improve scanning alert accuracy Customers tell VentureBeat that Sophos Intercept X excels at using ML to detect malware and prioritize the most urgent threats. Sophos XDR integrated quickly with cloud, network and server infrastructure — including mobile and email systems — all in a single platform, which improves accuracy. Customers also praise a crypto guard feature that allows reversing the encryption of unauthorized files, preventing attackers from publishing a company’s information for ransom.
Like other endpoint platforms, customers say Sophos needs to improve the level of customization for scanning and provide greater control over disk utilization of the scan, along with more control over asset management at the endpoint level.
Trellix Endpoint Security is recognized as a solid integrated suite, yet endpoints aren’t configured to self-heal Known for having a well-integrated suite of endpoint security tools, Trellix is a market leader in the endpoint protection market, Their integration of asset management, application control, endpoint intelligence, behavioral analysis and automated remediation are considered among the best in the industry. Their cloud portal supports and streamlines using multifactor authentication (MFA) on an enterprise scale.
Weaknesses include too many false positives if scanning is not optimized for a given corporate environment, and challenges getting the platform integrated with legacy security information and event management (SIEM) platforms. Customers also tell VentureBeat that their endpoints are not as self-healing as they’d hoped and would like to see that improved.
Comparing Omdia’s companies to watch Absolute Software Absolute’s Resilience platform provides real-time visibility and control of any device on a network or not, along with detailed asset management data. It’s also the industry’s first self-healing zero-trust platform that provides asset management, device and application control, endpoint intelligence, incident reporting, resilience and compliance.
What’s also noteworthy about Absolute is how they have collaborated with 28 device manufacturers who have embedded Absolute firmware in their devices to enable an undeletable digital tether to every device to help ensure the highest levels of resiliency. Omdia notes how successful Absolute’s partnerships continue to be, with leading device manufacturers embedding its patented Persistence technology into their devices’ firmware. According to the Omdia analysis, the company is embedded in over half a billion laptops. It offers three product lines: Secure Endpoint, Secure Access and Application Persistence-as-a-Service.
The Secure Endpoint product portfolio enables IT and security personnel to monitor and address laptop computer problems and enables the laptops and their mission-critical applications to self-heal. This helps with IT management, strengthening a company’s security posture, and maintaining compliance. The company offers three tiered Secure Endpoint options: Absolute Visibility , Absolute Control and Absolute Resilience.
All three tiers are managed from a cloud-based, configurable dashboard with predefined and custom reports and alerts. It can be integrated with ServiceNow and third-party SIEM tools. Absolute Insights for Endpoints, an add-on module for anomaly detection using real-time and historic data across devices, is also available as an option for any tier.
Omdia notes that Absolute launched Absolute Ransomware Response in April 2022, which repackages its Absolute Resilience offering with additional recovery services focused on assessing ransomware preparedness and response. This is also offered as an add-on to Absolute Visibility or Absolute Control, but is only available for Windows devices in all cases. All Secure Endpoint solutions take advantage of the patented Absolute Persistence technology.
In November 2021, Absolute launched a new product line called Application Persistence-as-a-Service (APaaS), enabling independent software vendors (ISVs) to embed Absolute’s self-healing application capabilities into their security and business applications — helping ensure they stay installed, healthy and working across their entire customer base. Absolute’s route to market follows a “land and expand” approach, using channel partners at the outset and expanding through its direct sales force to expand or renew.
Absolute also has its Secure Access portfolio, which was added through the acquisition of NetMotion in May 2021, and comprises Absolute VPN, which is an enterprise VPN; Absolute ZTNA, which provides a software-defined perimeter with access policies defined at the endpoint; and Absolute Insights for Network, which has diagnostics and experience monitoring across endpoints and network.
Morphisec Morphisec is a cybersecurity company that offers endpoint security solutions through its Moving Target Defense (MTD) technology. MTD works by constantly changing the real-time memory structure of an application unpredictably, making it difficult for attackers to inject code and carry out attacks. Morphisec’s technology can protect against various attacks, including polymorphic, file-less, APT and ransomware.
The company offers Windows and Linux operating systems products and can be integrated with other endpoint protection and EDR platforms.
Morphisec’s technology has minimal impact on system performance and can be deployed without requiring a system restart. The company plans to release versions for containers and serverless environments.
Omdia notes that, while it is in the endpoint security market, Morphisec offers neither an EPP nor an EDR platform. Rather, it complements and augments either of these types of platforms. Its technology offering is attractive because it does not rely on prior knowledge, unlike the signatures that traditionally underpin EPPs and the behavioral analysis used by EDR, since normal behavior must be modeled beforehand to detect anomalies.
Instead, it seeks to reduce an organization’s attack surface by using what it calls Moving Target Defense (MTD), which is one way of delivering the proactive security that Omdia has been highlighting as a growing trend in the market over recent months.
Morphisec has released a version of its MTD technology for Linux operating systems called Morphisec Knight, specifically designed to protect against sophisticated attacks that have become more prevalent on the Linux platform. Morphisec Knight offers runtime exploit prevention and attack surface reduction for legacy or unprotected systems, with minimal impact on system performance. It is the only solution that can block most supply-chain attack variations in real time without prior knowledge, addressing a common problem in the cybersecurity industry.
The Linux version of the technology operates differently than the version for Windows, using an agent in the kernel to change the system’s functioning so that only trusted apps have access. A container version is planned for release later this year, with a version for serverless environments planned for 2023.
As of mid-2022, Morphisec offered its cloud-based cybersecurity technology to more than 5,000 companies across 8.7 million endpoints through a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model and on-premises deployment. The company charges on a per-server/endpoint/virtual machine/virtual desktop basis.
The company has raised a total of $50 million in funding, with its most recent $31 million series C in March 2021, led by Jerusalem Venture Partners with participation from existing investors Orange Ventures, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners and OurCrowd.
Trend Micro Trend Micro is a well-established company in the endpoint security market, has been a significant player in the endpoint protection platform (EPP) space, and is one of the first vendors to expand into EDR. However, Omdia included it as a vendor to watch because its product offering is undergoing significant changes, making it unfair to compare its existing product to those of other vendors.
Omdia notes that Trend Micro is consolidating its endpoint, server and cloud workload security technologies onto a single platform called Cloud One. This platform already delivers all of the company’s cloud security technologies, such as workload protection, security posture management and software composition analysis, through a partnership with Snyk.
The move to Cloud One will allow for greater scalability, enabling the platform to handle large amounts of telemetry from current and future endpoint systems. While Trend’s existing endpoint security product, Apex One, has both on-premises and SaaS versions, the latter lacks the scalability of the new Cloud One platform.
Trend Micro plans to gradually roll out its new endpoint security offering, the Endpoint Security Service, to avoid disruption for existing Apex One customers. The new offering will be the next version of the company’s endpoint security technology, with enhanced user interface and workflows, improved performance and consolidated capabilities across endpoint, server and workload security.
What’s in store for 2023 Endpoint security platforms need to accelerate product development and R&D to keep up with an increasingly lethal threatscape. Vendors need to follow CrowdStrike’s and Ivanti’s lead on integrating AI and ML into their core platforms, using both technologies to defend against attackers and trying to innovate with these technologies quickly.
Secondly, it’s clear that the cloud has won the endpoint security market and will continue to be a core part of any future product strategy. Thirdly, there will be a greater focus on user behavior and risk management to help better identify and take action on threats in 2023.
Also, the core elements of a zero-trust framework will become more compliant across the more than 100 different endpoint security platforms available today. Finally, data protection and privacy will define how endpoint security providers meet compliance, regulatory and customer requirements.
“Endpoint management and self-healing capabilities allow IT teams to discover every device on their network, and then manage and secure each device using modern, best-practice techniques that ensure end users are productive and company resources are safe,” Srinivas Mukkamala, chief product officer at Ivanti told VentureBeat.
“Automation and self-healing improve employee productivity, simplify device management and improve security posture by providing complete visibility into an organization’s entire asset estate and delivering automation across a broad range of devices.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Government inaction adds pressure to IoMT device and data security | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/government-inaction-adds-pressure-to-iomt-device-and-data-security"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest Government inaction adds pressure to IoMT device and data security Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
It’s now become an unfortunate reality that U.S. hospital systems and other healthcare delivery organizations must look solely to their own leadership on Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) device and data security, as new legislation won’t be doing them any favors. With vulnerable IoMT devices a particularly popular pathway for ransomware and malware, the government’s relative inaction is worrisome.
Healthcare security legislation, watered down Many hospitals have championed the inclusion of medical device security provisions in this year’s appropriations bill responsible for funding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and reauthorizing FDA user fee programs.
In June, a version of the bill that would have placed new legally binding security requirements on IoMT device manufacturers easily passed in the House of Representatives. That bill would have — and should have — held manufacturers responsible for assessing the cybersecurity of their internet-connected devices before bringing them to market. It would also have required them to provide a software bill of materials ( SBOM ) for transparency and greater security insights into device software components and vulnerabilities.
However, those device security provisions were stripped out of the version of the bill that passed at the end of September, as FDA funding was set to expire and disappointing compromises were carried out against the clock.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The PATCH Act Hope isn’t lost for IoMT security requirements at the federal level. Introduced in March, the Protecting and Transforming Cyber Health Care (PATCH) Act would impose similar requirements. Device manufacturers would have to demonstrate cybersecurity precautions to the FDA before going to market; provide transparent SBOMs; and deliver timely device security updates throughout their products’ lifecycles.
In June, the PATCH Act was endorsed by the American Hospital Association , which represents nearly 5,000 healthcare delivery organizations and millions of healthcare professionals.
While medical device security proponents rightfully view the watered-down FDA appropriations bill as a frustrating missed opportunity, efforts such as the PATCH Act and others that enforce security at the manufacturer level will certainly continue.
But attackers aren’t waiting patiently while lawmakers get their act together (whether it’s PATCH or another measure). They are continuing to launch daily attacks on IoMT devices rife with vulnerabilities.
With the government cavalry not coming to the rescue, the industry needs to rely on its own wherewithal to secure its internet-connected devices and systems as effectively as possible.
Healthcare security faces daunting IoMT challenges Healthcare security teams are up against challenging limits. The industry largely depends on especially heterogeneous fleets of medical devices, with technology implementations ranging from the state-of-the-art to the woefully outdated. Traditional device security scanning to detect threats is often inapplicable because such scans will crash legacy devices.
Among the IoMT devices increasingly ubiquitous in many healthcare delivery environments, device manufacturers publish 2,000 to 3,000 vulnerabilities in an average month. But publishing vulnerabilities is one thing; actually patching them is another story. Even the most dutiful manufacturers patch just one in 50 of those vulnerabilities.
Network segmentation isn’t a strong option either since, without frequent maintenance, the addition of new devices inevitably erodes segmentation into a flat network.
The biggest limitation of all is one that distinguishes healthcare security from any other industry: Security teams can’t unilaterally deactivate vulnerable IoMT devices. Instead, they must balance their concerns with clinicians, because devices may be essential to patient experiences; even outcomes.
Security teams can easily exhaust their resources attempting to mitigate every device vulnerability in their environments, without achieving comprehensive results.
Zeroing in on the true IoMT threats That said, there’s a great opportunity for healthcare delivery organizations’ cybersecurity teams to efficiently solve these security issues. According to exploit analysis, 90% of vulnerabilities in a given IoMT environment don’t actually present any risk.
This is because medical device exploits closely depend on the use case and the software components that are used in normal operation.
Attackers carefully explore these factors, and will exploit the same vulnerability using different tactics based on what’s possible in a given scenario. Security teams can use the same approach to vastly narrow the battleground they must defend, accurately recognizing their true risks and concentrating resources on addressing the actual threats at hand.
The future of government leadership on enforcing medical device security at the manufacturer level is up in the air, and, realistically, it may remain so for some time.
So, healthcare delivery organizations must seize the initiative to protect their environments from attacks. They must do so by strategically optimizing security practices and prioritizing the true threats among the myriad IoMT device vulnerabilities they have to live with.
Shankar Somasundaram is CEO of Asimily DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Google AdWords scam epidemic shows social engineering is evolving | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/google-adwords-scam-epidemic-shows-social-engineering-is-evolving"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Google AdWords scam epidemic shows social engineering is evolving Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Social engineering scams are everywhere. Every day, cybercriminals are using whatever medium they can to trick users into handing over their data. This not only includes email, SMS and messaging services, but also online advertising services.
Today, security browser extension provider Guardio Labs unveiled new research as part of a blog post warning that the Google AdWords advertising platform is “spreading rogue promoted search results en mass.” As part of these scams, dubbed “MasquerAds,” fraudsters produce fake advertisements designed to rank on search engines and direct targeted users toward malicious phishing sites. These sites are designed to direct users to download malicious payloads hidden with file sharing or code hosting servers like GitHub or Dropbox.
Above all, the research indicates that social engineering scams are continuously evolving, and that malicious advertising is one of the go-to mediums for harvesting the details of unsuspecting users.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The evolution of social engineering The report comes shortly after the FBI released a warning that cybercriminals were using search engine advertisement services to impersonate trusted brands and direct users to malicious websites to infect their devices with ransomware or steal their login credentials.
In this latest research, one of the biggest threat actors, known as Vermux, uses hundreds of social engineering sites and domains, mostly served from Russia, to target the GPUs and cryptowallets of U.S. and Canadian residents.
Given the prominence of these attacks, organizations need to double-down on security awareness training and endpoint-protection tools, to ensure that employees are equipped to deal with malicious advertising, the same way they are with phishing emails.
“Making mistakes is human, and you only need one to compromise the entire company so other layers of security are mandatory,” said Nati Tal, head of Guardio Labs.
“Integrating EDRs [endpoint detection and response] is a must, but this also is not enough — threat actors keep on evolving and testing their capabilities against enterprise EDR algorithms so we can also see in our research here — refactoring malware payloads, and combining with real software, short operation times and user trust and intent is almost fully resistant to detection,” Tal said.
Tal also notes that preemptive detection inside the browser is a must-have, as it’s the “gateway” to many phishing, malvertising and scams. In-browser protection can help users detect threats before malicious payloads and malware can be downloaded to their system.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"5 ways CISOs can secure BYOD and remote work without increasing security budgets | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/5-ways-cisos-can-secure-byod-and-remote-work-without-increasing-security-budgets"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest 5 ways CISOs can secure BYOD and remote work without increasing security budgets Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Remote and hybrid work models have quickly become ubiquitous. The rapid shift to this new mode of work jumpstarted attempts to address the new security risks that accompany it.
Now, with 2023 around the corner and the fear of recession creeping into enterprise planning, security organizations must find ways to protect dispersed data and resources without driving up costs. But, they also need to continue supporting remote work and Bring Your Own Device ( BYOD ), which are key drivers for business flexibility, agility and accessibility to a wide range of human talent.
Here are five methods and controls for remote work security that can be implemented at minimal costs — and in some cases, even lead to cut costs.
1. Replace virtual desktops Virtual desktops (VD) are virtual PCs in the cloud that enable remote accessibility to on-premises physical devices. After installing the virtual device software on the remote endpoint device, users can connect to their in-office workstations. This solution was designed for legacy architectures and was a good option when users needed to leverage their on-premises computers to access on-premises company resources and continue working.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! In today’s cloud-driven architecture, though, connecting through virtual desktops has become cumbersome and expensive. Using a VD to access SaaS applications and websites and to process files locally is inefficient, subject to poor performance and latency, and creates significant IT overhead. These all contribute to poor employee experience that reduces productivity.
Additionally, VDs cost approximately twice as much as leaner, cloud-driven browser security solutions, which are also better equipped to deal with web-borne threats. By replacing VDs with modern solutions, security teams can cut costs, drive productivity, and enhance security — all in one.
2. Implement a zero-trust approach Cloud architectures prompted security teams to find new methods for permissions provisioning. With users dispersed globally, the traditional castle-and-moat approach could no longer suffice. Alternatively, identity became the new perimeter, requiring security teams to manage their access in a new and modern manner.
The leading identity-based security approach for distributed architecture is that of zero trust, which consists of ongoing user authentication and authorization, rather than trusting them based on their originating network or IP. According to the recent IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2022 , zero trust deployment saved organizations an average of $1 million in breach costs.
Any given security solution should offer a zero-trust approach as part of its solution to help curtail the attack window for gaining access or moving laterally and to cut the costs of data breaches. Procuring any other solution would be a waste of valuable budget dollars.
3. Manage access through granular conditions Access management and user verification is derived from a clear set of policies. These policies will determine which identities can access which resources, and which actions they can perform. But keeping policies at a high level will give users too many privileges and could result in a costly data breach.
Authorization policies should be as granular as possible to ensure no excessive access privileges are given to users. These policies should be consistent across all SaaS apps and local applications and enforced on both managed and unmanaged devices (see above).
In addition to policies based on user roles or attributes, policies can be based on browsing events. Advanced analysis of website sessions can enable blocking access to specific malicious web pages to neutralize them without hurting user experience that will result from blocking access altogether.
By providing broad security coverage at a granular level without damaging users’ ability to work, security teams can achieve security and productivity, ensuring a high ROI for their security solution.
4. Train employees to raise security awareness According to Verizon’s 2022 DBIR report , “82% of breaches involved the human element. Whether it is the use of stolen credentials, phishing, misuse, or simply an error, people continue to play a very large role in incidents and breaches alike.” Remote work has only enhanced the use of phishing attacks and their sophistication, with 62% of security professionals stating that phishing campaigns were the most increased threat during COVID-19, per Microsoft’s The New Future of Work report.
No given security solution will be complete without training users and raising awareness on the abundance and severity of cyber attacks. Employees must be trained on the importance of being alert to web-borne threats and risks, like phishing emails or websites, malware injections and accidental private data mis-delivery. Conduct phishing drills, show demos, and continuously remind employees that organizational security is literally in their hands.
Getting employees excited about security and turning them into champions is the way to stretch the value of training dollars and reduce spending on unnecessary security controls.
5. Deploy modern alternatives to costly network solutions Network security solutions like VPNs, CASBs, SWGs and endpoint detection and response (EDR) are costly and require IT management and maintenance, which also come at a business cost. They are hard to deploy, disturb the user experience and do not provide an immediate solution for the business’s need to scale.
On top of these operational shortcomings, network solutions do not provide comprehensive security from web-borne threats. For example, CASBs cannot secure unsanctioned applications, SWGs cannot fully secure malicious websites, EDRs might miss malware downloads, and VPNs tunnel users into networks rather than employing zero trust.
Modern alternatives that provide conditional access to resources have the potential to provide a higher level of security without the operational cost and overhead of managing the network traffic.
What’s in store for security teams in 2023? Whether or not a recession is around the corner, teams will be expected to work extra hard to prove their worth without incurring extra costs on the business. Security teams, which have traditionally found it difficult to justify the need for budgets as it is, will have to evangelize their plans and explain how they’ve done everything in their power to cut costs. Lean and effective security controls are key for treading through 2023 and making it out on the other end.
Or Eshed is CEO and cofounder of LayerX DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"3 KPMG cybersecurity predictions for 2023 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/3-kpmg-cybersecurity-predictions-for-2023"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages 3 KPMG cybersecurity predictions for 2023 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
No one can tell the future, and with so many cybersecurity predictions around, it’s difficult to know exactly what to expect as we move forward into 2023. However, KPMG International’s analysts have managed to pinpoint a handful of ways the cybersecurity landscape will evolve over the next year or so.
Recently, KPMG analysts shared their top 3 cybersecurity predictions for 2023 with VentureBeat, to flag how organizations can adapt to keep up with the onslaught of current threats.
Predictions include big tech firms emphasizing digital trust to keep up with cyber regulation , the incident response window decreasing as threat actors leverage automation, and approaches to zero trust moving from idle evangelism to active implementation.
Below is an edited transcript of their responses.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! 1. Big tech will look to digital trust to keep up with cyber regulation “Leading organizations in 2023 will realize the benefits of building and maintaining digital trust — and its importance for brand, reputation and customer retention in a world where cybersecurity breaches are becoming increasingly inevitable.
“Expect two big tech firms to embrace this idea — in part anticipating regulation ahead — but, more importantly, recognizing the growing societal expectations over trust.
“2023 brings a perfect storm of cyber regulation as regulators worldwide bring forward rules on the security and ethics of AI , supply chain and digital infrastructure security, and corporate transparency around security and ransomware.
“It will take time for these regimes to bed in and for supervisory competence to build — but the direction of travel is clear — cybersecurity is no longer an optional retrofitted extra. The challenge will be to avoid compliance-driven approaches and stay focused on enabling the business.” Akhilesh Tuteja, global cyber security leader, KPMG International and Partner, KPMG India 2. The window to respond to cyberattacks will decrease as attackers turn to automation “The time window to respond to cyberattacks will continue to shrink with a never-ending race between attackers and defenders. AI will play a part in automating corporate and national defenses, but organized crime groups will ramp up their automation, too, to scale and accelerate their attacks.
“In 2023, a day becomes a long time in cybersecurity — and only by integrating cyberthreat management will the defenders be able to stay ahead. Our resilience will be tested, demanding that governments and corporations work together to counter the changing threat.” Dani Michaux , EMA cyber security leader and partner, KPMG in Ireland 3. Zero-trust hype will shift from evangelism to implementation “In 2023, zero trust will shift from evangelism to practical implementation as firms take the concept to heart and reengineer their security solutions for a perimeter-less organization. As we do so, pressure is growing to reduce the security burden and adopt more usable and less intrusive security measures.
“Simply layering more and more protecting controls increasingly risks impeding the business. Getting the right balance between protection and rapid detection and response will be key to success — and people need to be at the heart of that design.” Kyle Kappel, cyber security leader, KPMG US VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Use no-code tech to unlock the power of your workforce | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/programming-development/use-no-code-tech-to-unlock-the-power-of-your-workforce"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest Use no-code tech to unlock the power of your workforce Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
2023 is going to be the year of employee experience, and you need to be here for it.
Today, the speed at which companies are transforming has broken new ground. In Gartner’s 2022-2023 surveys, 69% of CFOs plan to increase their spend on digital technologies, and CIOs are doubling down on accelerating time to value on digital investments. Some digital initiatives that would have typically taken over a year to complete have been stood up in weeks. This leaves no room for miscoordination and wasted time.
This new velocity of work, coupled with old ways of managing it, has accelerated another macro trend: Employee burnout. The present economic downturn has put extra pressure on employees to do more, faster, in an increasingly noisy and convoluted digital work environment.
How can employees keep up? Better yet, what can organizations do now to truly unlock the power of their workforce and enable their employees to do their best work with speed, success and satisfaction? VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Embracing the next big thing Say hello to a new way of enabling workflows.
No-code/low-code technology is a star that has been on the rise for the past few years and is expected to shine bright next year. In fact, VMR Research estimates that the low-code development platform market size is projected to increase nearly 2,000% over the course of eight years, rising from $12.43 billion in 2020 to $233.43 billion by 2028.
This new approach makes software development easier, faster and democratized. It allows the everyday worker to create technical solutions and software applications easily, with little-to-no programming (coding) knowledge. For example, when your employees use spreadsheets or boards, they are not thinking about complex technology. They are using a simple tool that is actually very powerful underneath the hood. Eventually, step by step, they begin to automate a very intrinsic and complicated workflow without even noticing.
Putting no-code solutions in the hands of employees gives them the ability to do the types of things previously reserved for developers and deep tech experts. We call these employees “ citizen developers ,” and thanks to new technologies, it is easier than ever to achieve collaborative work structures built by employees and for employees to keep work flowing.
Empowering citizen developers Empowering employees with no-code technology can make their lives much easier. They can automate mundane tasks and home in on their most important work instead of spending a disproportionate amount of time logging activities they’ve already completed into a software database. Moreover, citizen developers speed things up because they have the power to solve their own problems in an agile way without having to wait for IT departments or the deployment of point solutions.
Another critical aspect of no-code software that makes workflows function effectively is that employees are able to collaborate in a more sophisticated way. Any piece of software out there that doesn’t have best-in-class collaboration embedded into it is going to be subsumed in the market. Without collaboration in your work systems — and collaboration is typically missing in legacy tools — it’s a dead end. That’s partly because it doesn’t help you unlock the power of your company or its employees. Collaboration is an essential component.
Putting no-code in the right hands How can you get no-code tech into the hands of your employees? IT departments have guided us on an accelerated digital transformation journey over the past few years, and they will continue to see it through.
While administrative employees and workers are the ones who can really see an impact from no-code solutions, IT departments are typically in charge of the acquisition decisions. Take heed, though. Often, an IT department will purchase an end-to-end software solution to which employees must retrofit their workflows in order to execute them effectively.
However, with citizen developers, this equation gets flipped on its head. Employees get to craft their own solutions around their existing workflows, making the software complementary to their work instead of burdensome.
To maximize effectiveness from these buying decisions, IT departments must consult with their staff, especially administrative and junior-level employees, to determine technology needs from an execution perspective.
Planning for a bright future 2021 was the year of digital transformation, and 2022 the year of hybrid work. If organizations want to be successful in 2023, they need to begin strategizing for an improved employee experience. By focusing on your people — the core of every company — you can innovate, outsmart the competition and build robust cultures.
Unlock the power of your employees by giving them the ability to self-remedy, self-automate, and create and change their own workflows on the fly. When businesses equip their employees with self-driving no-code technology, it has proven to help democratize workflows, automate previously stagnant processes and ultimately optimize business operations.
We’re facing a recession and a need to increase productivity, time to market and business results, all while reducing burnout. Giving employees a hand-up to drive work themselves will become critical in the new year.
Andrew Filev is founder and CEO of Wrike.
DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.
You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! DataDecisionMakers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How the quantum realm will go beyond computing | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/programming-development/how-the-quantum-realm-will-go-beyond-computing"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest How the quantum realm will go beyond computing Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Over the last half-decade, quantum computing has attracted tremendous media attention. Why? After all, we have computers already, which have been around since the 1940s. Is the interest because of the use cases? Better AI ? Faster and more accurate pricing for financial services firms and hedge funds? Better medicines once quantum computers get a thousand times bigger? Making currently intractable problems — those that are not impossible to solve but just not yet solvable with today’s technology — is fundamentally why we care about quantum.
Over time, we expect quantum computers to be in the cloud and at the edge. Their use will be invisible to most users, but the value they provide will benefit many.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The fascination of the “quantum realm” I think the word “quantum” is a big part of the allure of this new kind of computing. Some of you may remember the television show Quantum Leap starring Scott Bakula from around 1990. Twenty-five years later, we got the first Ant-Man movie with Paul Rudd. These stories introduced us to the “quantum realm.” All fiction, but fun.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that talk of “superposition,” “entanglement” and “spooky action” attracts attention. Quantum computing is based on quantum mechanics, one of the weirdest and most surprising aspects of physics, if not all of science. Talk of “quantum” pulls people in, and they want to learn more. It almost sells itself.
If computing were all we could do with this quantum business, it would be worthwhile, but there are many more areas in which it plays a role. You, for example. Quantum mechanics describes the behavior of the smallest particles of matter, including atoms, electrons and photons.
Quantum rules much of everything in and around you.
If you have ever had a knee or shoulder injury, you may have gotten an MRI so medical staff could determine the exact problem. MRI stands for “magnetic resonance imaging” and works by detecting energy released by hydrogen atoms under the influence of strong magnetic fields and radio waves. Luckily, the human body has many hydrogen atoms in water and fat, so MRI can produce high-resolution images of the areas of concern. This is a quantum process, and the application dates to the work of Felix Bloch and others starting in the 1940s.
Note my use of “high-resolution.” Since quantum science deals with the very small, we can obtain fine-grained information and details if we can use it well. In some cases, it may be the best way we can hope to measure.
A sea change in positioning Here’s another example, although it is not quantum to start. In the old days of wooden ships, it was challenging to determine your location at sea. Latitude was relatively easy to find because of the position of stars and planets, but the earth’s rotation made longitude much trickier. Recall that if you look at a globe, the longitudinal lines go north and south, and the latitudinal ones go east and west.
One way to find your position and navigate was “dead reckoning.” Suppose you accurately knew your initial location. Then you started moving in a particular direction and speed. That is, you sailed with a given velocity. After a given amount of time, you could calculate your new position.
In this simple model, we assume that your direction did not change. This assumption is somewhat suspect because the wind blew you along, but let’s go with it. Your compass could establish your direction and changes to it.
Speed and elapsed time were more complex. One way to measure your speed was to throw a log on a rope into the water from the front of the ship and then measure how long it took to get to the back. Since you knew the ship’s length, you could calculate your speed. Aside from the measurement coarseness of watching a log move in the water, accurate timekeeping was critical for accuracy.
From clocks to GPS It wasn’t until the 18 th century that John Harrison invented a clock so accurate it allowed sailors to measure their position precisely enough to avoid unintentionally ending up on the rocks or being hundreds of miles off course. The story of the development of this “marine chronometer” is well told in the book Longitude by Dava Sobel. It’s a saga not just of technology but of intrigue, politics and questionable competitive behavior.
Time showed up in two places in dead reckoning: once to measure the speed, then again to measure the longer elapsed time of a trip segment. In practice, any trip involved many segments as the ship tacked and jibed back and forth.
This development was not just convenient; it saved lives and revolutionized travel by sea.
Now we have GPS, so the problem is solved.
Not quite.
GPS: A panacea? GPS, or the Global Positioning System, is a system of more than 30 satellites that send signals to devices such as your smartphone. If your phone picks up four or more of these signals, it can determine your position within a few meters or yards. You may be familiar with “triangulation,” or the more appropriate term “trilateration,” to calculate location. Instead of needing three sources, we need four or more for accuracy because of the earth’s curvature and altitude.
GPS works well with mapping software, although the GPS signals can be affected by weather and other atmospheric conditions. More significant problems, especially for those concerned with security, are “GPS jamming” or “denial,” where a signal is turned into noise, or “GPS spoofing,” where a valid signal is replaced by a stronger but wrong one. You don’t want to be on a plane that thinks it is hundreds of kilometers or miles away from its actual location.
A web search will help you find examples of each used in war zones or by domestic security forces. Denial or spoofing of GPS in a major city could snarl much of its transportation, with implications for safety and commerce.
Aside from positioning and navigation, GPS has another vital function: time.
GPS and time synchronization If you’ve been to an ATM recently, look at your receipt. The time stamp probably came from data from GPS. Have you listened to a weather report and wondered about the accuracy of the prediction? The synchronization of the times at the distributed weather stations likely came from GPS.
Financial transactions across networks often get their time stamps from GPS. Accuracy is essential in high-speed financial applications to know the exact sequence of transactions.
Cellular base stations may use GPS to synchronize their times so as to use the broadband spectrum more precisely. You may have known you used GPS on your phone to drive to the pizza parlor for a pick-up, but GPS was also involved when you called them to place your order. If GPS fails when you are en route, several features of your phone could stop working until they resynchronize with the satellites.
Power networks are complicated these days, with multiple energy sources and often, bidirectional flow. Time synchronization from GPS is used in some grids to optimize and balance electricity distribution.
Humans lived without GPS and accurate timekeeping for thousands of years, but we have become dependent on both in our modern lives. As a thought experiment, what would your day be like without GPS? Quantum clocks, sensors, gyroscopes and more It turns out we can, and likely will, migrate to quantum-based solutions for PNT — positioning, navigation, and timing. The military and defense may use these solutions at first, but as with GPS, businesses can commercialize them, and we could use them in our everyday lives.
Quantum atomic clocks are used today in GPS satellites, and will eventually become pervasive as they become smaller and less expensive. They will show up in our networks, cloud data centers, cell phone towers, planes and ships, as well as in our cars and phones. Not only will they operate independently or in ensembles and be highly accurate, they will maintain that accuracy for weeks or months before resynchronizing.
Quantum sensors will measure our speed and any variations with extraordinary precision, eventually replacing the inexpensive but not very accurate accelerometers in our phones and other devices. Quantum gyroscopes will finely determine any changes in our angular movement in three dimensions, yaw, roll and pitch.
Fascinating capabilities to come Remember that ship tacking and jibing with the wind? The computer in a self-driving car or truck will take into account the direction, slope and altitude changes of the roads. Advancing from that overboard log of hundreds of years ago, we’ll soon be able to measure all these changes hundreds of times a second.
We can even measure gravity fluctuations with a quantum gravimeter. This can determine changes in the earth’s density and help discover new resources. Other applications include safety and recovery operations, such as finding voids in collapsed buildings. We might even get early alerts for natural disasters such as landslides and sinkholes.
Like MRI, all these quantum applications have extraordinarily better resolution than the technologies they replace. MRI is often safer than previous technologies, such as x-ray. We’ve mentioned several instances in which these newer quantum measuring devices too will increase our safety.
Quantum computing is coming, and promises to make some currently intractable problems solvable. Quantum sensing and timekeeping are here today. As we drive down the costs and footprints of these devices, they will slide into our everyday lives and open up fascinating and new essential services for us all.
Bob Sutor is VP and chief quantum advocate for Infleqtion DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.
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