We spend a lot of time talking about entertainment and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for cars, but we have not focused that much on motorcycles or electric bikes even though they are potentially more dangerous to drive. Qualcomm is changing that as it approaches the market for two and three wheeled vehicles to address their severe safety issues in a move to make all vehicles safer. 

And given it is often our youth that drive these two wheeled vehicles, this effort helps protect our kids, so it’s as important as our efforts to improve safety in cars and trucks. 

Let’s talk about how Qualcomm’s technologies will make motorcycles, bicycles and three wheeled vehicles safer. 

Motorcycles, Bicycles and Tricycles 

Unlike automobiles and trucks, those riding motorcycles, bicycles and tricycles do not have the luxury of the protections afforded to modern 4+ wheeled vehicles. The primary protective gear consists of leather clothing and a certified helmet (required in most places by law to keep medical costs down). There have been efforts to apply airbags to this class of vehicle, and there are products in market that afford better protection, but these are more the exception than the rule. In any collision between one of these smaller vehicles and a car or especially a truck, the lighter vehicle driver is likely to be at a massive disadvantage.  

The smaller vehicles can hide in larger vehicles’ blind spots, tend to do things drivers of larger vehicles are not prepared for (like lane splitting), and, as with other types of vehicles, the drivers do not always adhere to speed limits and like to show off with potentially deadly consequences. 

These smaller vehicles are limited in size and carrying capacity meaning that any automated solution needs to be tiny and lightweight. Otherwise, it will not be viable. 

Qualcomm’s Solution

Qualcomm is adapting its automotive class of entertainment and ADAS solutions to these smaller vehicles. It has an advantage given it started with smartphones and was forced by that market to lead on weight, wireless connectivity and adequate performance. As a result, Qualcomm has a comprehensive solution that begins with basic entertainment and communications and advances to full ADAS support. Granted, the larger the vehicle the more comprehensive the solution, which means that capabilities should scale up as you move from bicycles and motorcycles to three wheeled vehicles that are typically more carlike. 

The coming benefits include better communications and shared entertainment between those riding on the same bike and in groups, the ability to better identify threats like gravel and black ice and both alert the driver and change the vehicle’s driving behavior to help avoid an accident. AI-driven capabilities can locate fuel and charging locations close to the rider and advise that the rider is approaching a dangerous area while automatically reconfiguring the vehicle to better survive it. 

It can alert the vehicle’s owner to an attempted theft and disable the vehicle so that the thief cannot ride off with it or use it once stolen. Collision alerts notify the rider they are in a blind spot and might get hit or alert the driver of the larger vehicle to watch out for the smaller vehicle they may not be aware is close to them. AR solutions are built into glasses and helmets to better navigate the world and to provide additional instrumentation to improve the driver’s on-street performance and avoid accidents. They can provide geo fencing for parents and rental companies to make sure these vehicles do not go places that are not approved or notify parents that a child is sneaking out with the vehicle at night. Automatic purchase capabilities tie back to the various mobile wallets so the rider can more easily pay for tolls and food on the road.

This collection of features should allow these smaller vehicles to better approach the safety of cars and trucks and avoid most of the accidents that take our riders today.

Wrapping Up:

Two and three wheeled vehicles are far less safe than cars, but the same ADAS technology that is being applied to cars and trucks can be applied to these smaller vehicles by reducing theft and making them far safer to ride. I had to stop riding motorcycles because it simply had become too unsafe, and I don’t heal the way I once did. This Qualcomm effort, if successful (and it likely will be), should go a long way to providing a path back to riding motorcycles for me. That alone makes me excited. 

Source: TG Daily – Qualcomm Moves to Make Bikes and Motorcycles Safer

Hey there, folks! If you’re on the hunt for the best customer experience podcasts this year, you’ve hit the jackpot. Whether you’re commuting, hitting the gym, or just chilling out, these podcasts will surely jazz up your routine with a treasure trove of insights, tips, and real-world wisdom. So, grab your headphones, and let’s dive into the top customer experience podcasts of 2024!

How We Choose the Best Customer Experience Podcasts? Our Listing Criteria

When it comes to selecting the crème de la crème of customer experience podcasts, we don’t just go with our gut. There’s a method to our madness, and it’s all about delivering the best of the best to you. Here’s how we do it:

Content Quality: The podcast must provide high-quality, insightful, and actionable content. We look for shows that delve deep into the world of customer experience, offering fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.

Expertise of Hosts and Guests: We prioritize podcasts featuring hosts and guests with proven expertise in the field. This includes industry leaders, seasoned professionals, and trailblazers who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.

Production Value: A great podcast isn’t just about the content; it’s also about how it’s delivered. We consider the production quality, including audio clarity, editing, and overall listening experience.

Relevance and Timeliness: The podcast should be up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in customer experience. We look for shows that are on the pulse of the industry, providing timely and relevant content.

Diversity of Topics and Perspectives: We look for podcasts that cover a wide range of topics within customer experience and present diverse viewpoints, ensuring a well-rounded understanding of the field.

Our picks – The Best Customer Experience Podcasts in 2024

1. Glassix Spotlight
Why It’s #1: Unmatched Expertise and Real Solutions

Leading the pack is “Glassix Spotlight,” a standout podcast that turns conventional wisdom on its head. Each episode is a journey through the intricacies of customer experience, featuring interviews with industry leaders, behind-the-scenes looks at successful companies, and deep dives into topics like emotional intelligence and customer psychology. Their special series on “Revolutionizing Retail CX” is a must-listen, offering unparalleled insights that can be applied in any business setting. This podcast doesn’t just talk theory; it’s about real-world, applicable solutions that listeners can implement right away.

2. Dare To Reimagine
Highlight: Trailblazing Trends and Technologies

“Dare to Reimagine” takes you on a thrilling ride through the latest trends and technologies shaping customer experience. This podcast is your go-to source for understanding how emerging tech like AI, VR, and personalized marketing are revolutionizing the way businesses interact with customers. With their finger on the pulse of innovation, they offer a peek into the future of customer service, making it essential listening for forward-thinking professionals.

3. Service Secrets
Best For: Exclusive Industry Insights

“Service Secrets” is your backstage pass to the strategies that top brands use to achieve customer service excellence. From small startups to multinational corporations, this podcast uncovers the tactics and techniques that make companies stand out in a crowded marketplace. Their special episode featuring a roundtable discussion with CX leaders from various industries is a gold mine of insights, offering practical tips and thought-provoking perspectives.

4. The Empathy Edge
Unique Angle: The Human Heart of Customer Experience

“The Empathy Edge” champions the power of human connection in a tech-driven world. This podcast delves into how empathy, compassion, and understanding are key drivers of customer loyalty and satisfaction. The hosts facilitate intimate conversations with experts who share personal stories and strategies for building stronger customer relationships. Their series on “Empathy in a Digital Age” is both enlightening and heartwarming.

5. CX Unplugged
Why Listen: Real Talk on Real Challenges

“CX Unplugged” offers a candid, no-holds-barred look at the challenges and successes in customer experience. This podcast stands out for its honest discussions, shedding light on the often-unspoken hurdles businesses face in delivering exceptional CX. The episode “Overcoming CX Roadblocks” provides actionable advice for tackling common obstacles, making it a valuable resource for any CX professional.

6. The Loyalty Loop
Focus: Crafting Lasting Customer Bonds

Dive into the art and science of customer retention with “The Loyalty Loop.” This podcast is all about transforming one-time buyers into lifelong fans. It explores innovative loyalty programs, customer engagement strategies, and the psychology behind brand loyalty. The case study episodes, where they dissect successful loyalty initiatives from various industries, are particularly insightful.

7. Omni-Channel Mastery
Great For: Seamless Multi-Platform Experiences

“Omni-Channel Mastery” is your guide to creating cohesive and seamless customer experiences across all channels. This podcast breaks down complex topics like channel integration, customer journey mapping, and digital transformation, making them accessible and actionable. Their series on “The Future of Omni-Channel Retail” is a fascinating exploration of where customer interaction is headed.

8. The Feedback Frontline
Highlight: Turning Customer Feedback into Gold

Learn how to harness the power of customer feedback with “The Feedback Frontline.” This podcast shows businesses how to listen effectively, interpret feedback, and make impactful changes. The episodes featuring real-life case studies where companies turned customer critiques into major improvements are particularly compelling.

9. Data-Driven CX
Top Pick For: Leveraging Analytics for Better CX

“Data-Driven CX” is a treasure trove for anyone looking to use data to enhance customer experience. This podcast demystifies the world of CX analytics, offering insights into customer behavior, predictive modeling, and data visualization. The interviews with data scientists and analytics experts provide a unique perspective on the role of data in crafting exceptional customer experiences.

10. The Personalization Pioneer
Why It’s Cool: Mastering the Art of Tailored Experiences

Wrapping up our top 10 is “The Personalization Pioneer.” This gem of a podcast is all about crafting bespoke experiences that resonate with individual customers. It dives into the psychology of personalization, exploring how tailored interactions can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. The hosts, with their infectious enthusiasm, break down complex personalization strategies into digestible, implementable steps. Their series on “Personalization in E-commerce” is particularly riveting, offering insights into how online retailers can make each customer feel uniquely valued. This podcast is a must-listen for businesses looking to stand out in an increasingly crowded and generic marketplace.

All in all

So, there you have it – our top 10 customer experience podcasts of 2024, handpicked to offer you the best in insights, strategies, and real-world examples. From the deep dives of “Glassix Spotlight” to the personalized focus of “The Personalization Pioneer,” each podcast brings something unique to the table. Whether you’re a CX veteran or just starting, these podcasts are invaluable resources for staying ahead in the ever-evolving world of customer experience. So tune in, get inspired, and start transforming how you engage with your customers today!

Source: TG Daily – Top 10 Customer Experience Podcasts of 2024

This week I’m in New York attending an HP Wolf Security event. I’ve been following HP Wolf Security division since its creation, and it remains unique in the market. What makes this unit different is that it functions as a company within a company and was created to mitigate the fall of more traditional security firms like Symantec and McAfee who were created at a time when Microsoft and the rest of the core PC industry were willing to outsource security to third parties. That changed dramatically in the early 2000s when Microsoft realized that the sales practices of these firms required that they disparage Microsoft’s offerings to sell their own. As you’d expect, Microsoft wasn’t good with that.

So, Microsoft, AMD and Intel stepped up and most of the PC market concluded that this was good enough. It wasn’t. Breaches continued to happen. HP uniquely concluded that it needed to up its game and created Wolf Security. 

Let’s talk about what makes Wolf Security unique in the market this week. 

Security as a Concept

My background in security is unusual. My family owned one of the then largest electronic security firms in the U.S. One of my first jobs was in undercover security for Pinkerton. I ran a security unit in retail for a few years and spent some time as a Deputy Sheriff. I was an internal auditor specializing in security, and I owned security for my unit at IBM. As a researcher, I covered security, and the firm’s security unit reported to me for a while. As a result, I tend to take security very seriously, but I’ve found that most, even those in security, often think about it as just a job. They underfund it and don’t take it seriously because, most of the time, nothing happens. It is often described as extended periods of boredom interspersed with rare instances of absolute terror because if there is a breach, your career is on the line. If you aren’t ready, you’re done. 

People who don’t live and breathe security don’t get this. They think security is something you do. It isn’t. It’s something you live. If you want to create a security defense, you start by building a unit of people who live and breathe the job, who take it seriously, who know that you’ll rarely get credit for the work you’ve done and that if things get exciting, something has gone terribly wrong. It takes people who believe in what they’re doing because they are what stands in the way of folks getting hurt and aren’t motivated by credit or status but by doing a job well. 

This is why Wolf Security was built. The unit consists of people like this who can think out of the box. The result is a unique solution that has been targeted at HP’s largest and most important customers. It involves unique hardware elements, the aggressive use of hypervisors and the rapid development of AI defenses to anticipate the coming wave of threats. They even have a unique hardware component that uses 4G and 5G to remain connected and allow any lost machine to be wiped and even tracked if needed. 

Wrapping Up:

Wolf Security is unique in the market, but it shouldn’t be. HP takes security seriously and has created a set of solutions for PCs that ensure its largest customers are safe. We will be facing an accelerated level of threat in 2024, particularly from AI, and it is heartening to know that Wolf Security stands between that threat and HP customers. Wolf Security fully understands that security should be taken seriously. I’ve had a lot of security experience, and my only regret is that I never worked for a unit as comprehensively focused on doing a quality job as HP Wolf Security is.

Source: TG Daily – HP Wolf Security and Why HP Enterprise PCs Are Uniquely Secure

This week AMD had a major AI announcement that was supported by vendors ranging from the leading server, PC and networking vendors, to Microsoft. But the competition in this space is fierce. NVIDIA is the dominant player, but AMD comes with three unique advantages. First, it is a huge advocate of OpenAi which has been a massive disruptor in the software technology space. Second, it has one of the strongest partnering records in the industry and its custom business is arguably the strongest (having captured two of the three major gaming systems). Finally, AMD’s CEO, Lisa Su, is one of the few who was trained to be a CEO. Lisa Su has been recognized as being one of the strongest leaders in any industry.

These advantages are well known. What isn’t well known is how aggressively AMD has implemented AI internally which has allowed it to massively accelerate its own development process and sales efficiency, and to more accurately forecast its future performance.  

Let’s talk about this secret sauce and how AMD is showcasing that in the AI space. It isn’t just what you build but how what you are building helps you become more effective and competitive going forward in terms of AI. 

The Importance of Dogfooding

One of the terms I learned early in my career was “dogfooding.” This is where a vendor who builds a product can prioritize its use internally. Over the years, I’ve worked for and with companies that didn’t aggressively use their own products and then had to defend this lack of use to customers after telling them that the related products were game changers and would pay for themselves. 

When challenged, one CEO I worked for said something to the effect that he could choose whether to supply the technology internally or sell it to customers. This didn’t play well because companies can do both, and there was no reason why a company building a tool that was presented as delivering massive financial benefits couldn’t justify using it internally at cost.

In addition, when a tool is used internally, people have a personal interest in addressing problems that adversely impact their use which can accelerate fixes that otherwise would have to wait for field reports to make it through to development and then be put into a correction plan. When your people are having issues, the speed at which a problem is identified and addressed is much faster.  

AMD is dogfooding its AI technology. Assuming it works (and based on the partners at the launch event, it truly works), this will massively speed up AMD’s development and increase staff productivity with significant potential benefits to the company’s bottom line. 

Applied AI Benefits

One of the bad experiences I had as an internal auditor at IBM was fixing the forecasting process to create an annual 20% inaccuracy only to find that some idiot had applied the 20% correction to the now accurate number. This resulted in the firing of a CFO who I personally liked. Applying AI to financial performance, if done right, not only should shorten the effort required to make that forecast but increase its accuracy by eliminating the human decisions and potential related mistakes inherent in existing processes. So, you get both higher accuracy and a smaller chance that the CFO will get into trouble by significantly increasing forecast accuracy. The stock market really values forecast accuracy, so this creates a significant potential benefit to AMD’s valuation.

In terms of sales performance, IBM’s tests with Watson have indicated significant improvements in close rates and customer satisfaction, suggesting that AMD’s use of this technology in that process should allow it to better address customer needs, more quickly address customer complaints, and better close new business. This too should have a significant impact on AMD’s bottom line and performance in the long term.  

Wrapping Up:

Microsoft is famous for dogfooding, and it has significantly improved its overall market success, product quality and customer satisfaction. The implementation of its AI Copilot feature across the product set and internally should make Microsoft even more powerful going forward. AMD is following that same path with AI (and Microsoft is helping), suggesting that as successful as it is, it will be even more successful going forward.  

AI has that potential. It’s a game changer, and AMD will become (and already is, in a way) a powerful showcase of how effective AI is in improving overall performance and success.  

Source: TG Daily – AMD’s AI Secret Sauce: Dogfooding

Instagram continues to be a robust platform for people, brands, and influencers to build relationships with their respective communities. However, the platform’s validity has been called into question due to the proliferation of false followers and bots. Instagram growth services are plentiful, but UpGrow stands out as the only one truly dedicated to providing organic expansion.

The Emergence of the Bot Menace

Instagram users have long been concerned about the effects of fake followers and bots on the platform, particularly on the reputation of influencers and companies. These bot accounts can artificially exaggerate metrics like the number of followers, likes, and comments. In addition to misleading people, this dishonest method also discourages genuine participation.

UpGrow is the best Instagram growth Alternative

In the bustling world of Instagram growth, UpGrow emerges as the superior alternative, outshining established names like PathSocial, Plixi, Upleap, Kicksta, and Ampfluence. As the best PathSocial alternative, UpGrow offers a more robust AI-driven strategy for organic engagement. Plixi users looking for a switch will find UpGrow’s targeted interaction methods a breath of fresh air, marking it as the most effective Plixi alternative for genuine growth. As an Upleap alternative, UpGrow stands out with its commitment to fostering real connections rather than just boosting numbers. Those accustomed to Kicksta’s services will see UpGrow as the ideal Kicksta alternative, with its innovative approach to building a loyal follower base. Lastly, as an Ampfluence alternative, UpGrow triumphs with its blend of human touch and advanced analytics, ensuring an authentic increase in followers that truly resonate with your brand’s message. In the competitive arena of Instagram growth, UpGrow’s tailored, data-driven services position it as the prime choice for users seeking impactful and sustainable growth.

UpGrow’s Pledge to Authenticity

When UpGrow came onto the scene, it was like a breath of fresh air for Instagram users aiming to gain more followers.

UpGrow sets itself apart by avoiding the use of bots and phony followers in its growth techniques, demonstrating a firm dedication to authenticity. The company’s stance on bots, spam, and other marketing tricks is crystal clear.

The company has a strict policy of not using any automated systems, spam, or other tricks.

The Human Touch in UpGrow’s Approach

UpGrow combines the efficiency of AI with the knowledge of human IG specialists, setting it apart from services that rely primarily on automation. This novel combination guarantees that the growth techniques used are consistent with authentic user interactions and are thus both effective and efficient. Unlike many competing automated solutions, UpGrow prioritizes authenticity by incorporating human input.

Guaranteed Growth or Money Back

UpGrow takes a bold step by offering a money-back guarantee on its growth services. This guarantee demonstrates the firm’s conviction in its potential to achieve genuine organic expansion. UpGrow is so confident in the efficacy of its AI-powered growth engine that it offers a 100% money-back guarantee.

Smart AI-Targeting: Quality Over Quantity

UpGrow employs savvy AI-targeting as one of its primary weapons in the war against bots. The platform’s primary goal isn’t merely to amass a large number of followers, but rather to attract genuine users who will take an active interest in the content being shared. Through UpGrow’s AI, users may apply filters based on demographic information such as location, age, gender, language, interests, and hashtags to ensure that their Instagram account is growing in a way that is most beneficial to it.

Active and Engaging Followers: The UpGrow Difference

Fostering a community of active and engaged followers is more important than focusing on raw statistics in the fight against phony followers. UpGrow prides itself on recruiting followers who go beyond being mere spectators. These are the people that are always ready to comment on and share a user’s Instagram posts and stories, making for a lively and active audience.

UpGrow Boost: Accelerating Authentic Growth

UpGrow presents the Boost function as part of its ongoing effort to promote real Instagram expansion. This AI-powered breakthrough expedites monthly follower increases by utilizing sophisticated pattern identification and clever real Instagram growth. A startling 275% rise in monthly followers has been reported by early adopters of UpGrow Boost, demonstrating the efficacy of this cutting-edge growth technology.

Instagram Compliance and User Safety

UpGrow’s dedication to Instagram’s policies and its users’ security remains unwavering as the war against fraudulent engagement heats up. Since its launch in 2016, the service has helped Instagrammers achieve millions of organic followers without violating any of the platform’s rules. With UpGrow, users may experience growth without fear of jeopardizing the security of their accounts.

Final Verdict

UpGrow triumphs over false followers on Instagram and takes center stage as the champion of true growth. UpGrow provides customers with a growth solution that not only meets but exceeds their expectations by combining the power of AI with the knowledge and experience of real humans and a commitment to Instagram’s policies and guidelines.

Navigating the complexities of Instagram growth can be daunting, but UpGrow’s suite of free Instagram AI tools offers a helping hand. These tools harness artificial intelligence to provide users with actionable insights and analytics that can inform their content strategies. From generating relevant hashtags that aim to increase discoverability to analyzing engagement data for better audience understanding, these resources are designed for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of their Instagram metrics. UpGrow’s AI tools are a resource for those who prefer data-backed decisions, offering a level of analysis that could potentially enhance the quality of interactions on their posts. For creators and businesses alike, tapping into AI capabilities could be a game-changer in managing and growing their Instagram presence effectively.

UpGrow is a shining example of honesty and dependability in a social media world overrun by bots. As Instagram users seek real relationships and meaningful engagement, UpGrow’s fight against phony followers is a demonstration of the company’s dedication to the true meaning of social media.

Source: TG Daily – Real vs. Fake: We compared all Instagram Growth Services – The Results

OpenAI’s old board of directors made a huge mistake and nearly destroyed the company. Had it not been able to reverse that position, the resulting litigation would have likely destroyed each of the board members, showcasing how incredibly foolish their decision was.

But now OpenAI is a wounded company. There’s a cloud of distrust both internally and externally that will need to be overcome, a new Board selected and the brand recovered.

Let’s talk about how that can be done.  

Building a New Board of Directors

Boards are often taken for granted and are poorly staffed by people that are either unqualified or are unable to work with each other. The result is a company that underperforms. OpenAI’s past board was both too small and made up of people who didn’t understand their role which is to prioritize the health of the company over nearly all else. They also clearly didn’t understand the potential liability that goes with the role. 

In building a new board for OpenAI (now expected to be a more diverse nine-member group), care should be taken to assure that each of the major potential customer groups are represented by board members (retail, pharma, legal, government, manufacturing, marketing, sales, military and healthcare). Each should also have some background in AI as applied to their individual industries as they will then be better able to assist the CEO in their efforts to grow the company.

The government-focused member must be influential and, much like Al Gore did for Apple, not provide insight into the unique needs of government so much as have influence with government so that any resulting legislation doesn’t adversely impact the company.

In addition, board members should not be selected based on personal fame but on their competence and willingness to collaborate to reach common solutions. Too many boards tend to be made up of people who want to lead but not follow, making them functionally unable to perform their critical duties.  

The chairman of the board should either be one of the founders of the company or be someone with mediation experience so that they can help the board drive collaborative conclusions. To keep with the times, the board should also be diverse, but diversity shouldn’t take the place of competence and the willingness to collaborate. 

Rebuilding Trust

Trust is hard to create, easy to lose and very difficult to recover. Part of rebuilding trust will be to make the board and executive team visible and to ensure there are no other major mistakes made by either company leadership or the board. In addition, OpenAI should staff a marketing function if only to take stronger control over the firm’s public image and to dispel any lingering doubt that the firm can execute. 

AI is an incredibly competitive environment. If trust isn’t restored, employee turnover and customer defections will be high, and the firm’s competitive position as a market leader will erode rapidly in the face of firms that appear to have their act together. 

Appear is the operative word here. The sooner OpenAI “appears” to have its act together again, the sooner any bleeding of employees or customers can be arrested, and the firm returned to its growth trajectory.  

People are connecting the brand to the recent drama, which is creating doubt about OpenAI’s future. Restoring the brand as the fastest growing AI company would significantly increase the probability that the firm will return to that prior success.

Wrapping Up:

Open AI is the current leader in generative AI which is the current hottest AI category. However, competition is fierce, and the past board temporarily crippled the company. But this has created an opportunity to create a stronger board, a better defended brand, and to actively work on restoring and sustaining trust with marketing.  

The company is well funded. If it can create a larger, more diverse and collaborative board and build a marketing program that can better husband OpenAI’s image, there is no reason why the company can not only return to its prior growth trajectory but exceed it.  

Now it is just a question of execution.  

Source: TG Daily – OpenAI: Rebuilding the Brand, the Board and Restoring Trust

With things getting more and more expensive in Australia, it is paramount to ensure you’re getting the best out of everything you pay for. Life insurance is simply something we see going out of our accounts every month, but what are we actually paying for, and how do we know we need it? No matter how many comparison sites we head to and people we speak with, the only thing that gets you your money’s worth with life insurance in Australia is finding a tailored solution. 

We want to walk you through a few things you should definitely consider when purchasing or reviewing your life insurance policy. Firstly, we will start with what a basic policy should cover, discuss some essential additions, and explain how you can avoid paying over the odds.

Basic life insurance policies: What it will usually cover

Standard life insurance in Australia is usually a pretty self-explanatory package. There are always a few things included that may not be essential, but every basic policy should at least include death cover, terminal illness cover, and funeral advancement benefit.

Death cover – This is the single payment that will be paid to loved ones after your passing.

Terminal illness cover – You are entitled to an early payment if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness. 

Funeral advancement benefit – This takes a portion of the final payout and releases an advanced payment to cover funeral costs. 

What else should be included in a good life insurance policy?

While the fundamental components of a basic policy offer security and peace of mind in case of death or critical illness, there are things you can do to comprehensively safeguard yourself and your loved ones. Australians may have some of these additions included in their work insurance policy or Super, but it doesn’t hurt being extra safe. 

TPD cover – This cover offers a lump sum payment if injury or illness causes a disability and you cannot work anymore. 

Income protection – This can subsidise a percentage of your salary if you cannot work.

Trauma – This cover provides a lump sum payment upon diagnosis of terminal illness or if you suffer from a stroke, heart attack, or something similar. 

Dependents – If you have children, it doesn’t cost much more to include them in your insurance package. 

One final tip to get the most out of life insurance in Australia

To put it simply, the best thing you can do to reduce costs is to get life insurance while you are young and do your best to be healthy. In Australia, multiple things can affect the price of life insurance, but the primary ones are age & gender, health & lifestyle, and work. Of course, the more you want out of your policy, the more the price will increase. It is essential to go with an Australian insurance provider you can trust, so do some research. We hope this article can guide you if you are considering purchasing or reviewing your policy. Remember, it may not always feel worth it, but life insurance may be the wisest purchase of your life. 

Source: TG Daily – How To Know You’re Getting The Best Out Of Your Life Insurance Policy

I’ve been a technology analyst since the early 90s and I’ve seen company boards do a lot of stupid things mostly having to do with hiring the wrong CEO, then not recognizing the mistake soon enough to mitigate the resulting damage. Normally, the issue is that the board isn’t independent enough to do the job. But  firing OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman sets the record for bone headed stupidity.  

OpenAI is a company of around 700 employees that was on track to become the most valuable company in the world, and in one move, the board of directors effectively killed it. Yes, it will take months or maybe more than a year for the company to fully fail, but already 500 of the 700 employees are threatening to leave due to this insane move unless Altman is brought back.

But now Altman can’t come back because, over the weekend, the OpenAI board didn’t agree with his reasonable (given what happened) demands, and now he is effectively building an OpenAI clone inside of Microsoft.  

In the end, this should be a huge boon to Microsoft, and it will certainly provide a more stable environment for both OpenAI employees and customers, but right now, OpenAI is effectively redundant. 

Let’s talk about that this week.

Killing the Golden Goose

There is an old fairy tale about a goose that laid golden eggs that I think defines what happened here. The OpenAI board was concerned about Altman’s direction. Whether that had to do with money or concerns that AI safety weren’t being properly addressed, the board moved decisively to remove Altman without first testing the waters in terms of how major clients like Microsoft would react (they were pissed), how investors would react, or how this news would be accepted by the employees, most of which are now planning to leave.

The kind of success that OpenAI has achieved is exceedingly rare. In terms of valuation, it was growing faster than any company of its type in history. You don’t muck with that kind of success, and you typically don’t get that kind of success unless a founder is involved.  

Altman and his team were critical to the success of OpenAI and to the continued operation of the company. More important is that there is a massive shortage of people that understand and can work with generative AI, so operational employees are incredibly valuable. The removal of OpenAI’s leadership put a recruitment target on their backs and made them far more willing to take the related call and consider leaving.

Microsoft vs. OpenAI

OpenAI is a relatively small company despite its massive, estimated valuation. This means its ability to hold off competitors was limited. The Microsoft partnership did mitigate this somewhat but the decision, which Microsoft was left out of, to remove OpenAI’s leadership was likely seen as a breach of trust by that company.  

To partially address this, Microsoft has hired Sam Altman to form what appears to be an OpenAI clone inside of Microsoft. Microsoft clearly has far more resources and is all in on ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI product, and they should be far more capable of defending ChatGPT as a product than OpenAI could due to its size, reach, sales channels and government lobbying efforts. In effect, Microsoft is doing a very inexpensive (depending on any subsequent litigation) company acquisition where it’s only getting the people, but it has licensed the technology and should be clear to advance it.  

Given this was predicated by an ill-advised move by OpenAI’s board of directors, Microsoft’s $10B investment in OpenAI (which it may not want to divest), and the willingness of OpenAI’s employees to make a move to another company, this was an impressive coup. 

Microsoft moving decisively on what was likely a very tight window of opportunity is to its credit as, had it stopped to consider, Altman might have eventually either been hired by someone else or gone back to OpenAI.  

Wrapping Up: The Litigation Wave

I expect there will be an impressive amount of litigation that will result from these moves. Given Microsoft has a relatively large and well-regarded legal team, it should be able to navigate this reasonably well. However, investors in OpenAI are undoubtedly pissed as their board effectively killed their golden goose. 

There is a good chance that not only did OpenAI’s board end its company, but they may have ended their careers given the amount of visible damage this decision did to the firm and how it is now almost exclusively focused on this massive board mistake and not on Altman or anyone else.  

This is a good lesson in tactical vs. strategic thinking. The OpenAI board clearly hadn’t thought things through and decided to use power to get Sam Altman to do something he didn’t want to do. Then, not realizing they should have been bluffing, terminated Altman doing potential terminal damage to OpenAI.  

In short, Microsoft and Satya Nadella get praise for turning lemons into lemonade, and the OpenAI Board gets credit for potentially killing what might have been the most lucrative golden goose ever to have existed. 

Source: TG Daily – Sam Altman vs. the OpenAI Board vs. Microsoft: How to Kill the Golden Goose

Edge computing is emerging as complementary to centralized cloud models by distributing processing and data storage closer to endpoints. This helps drive faster response times for latency-sensitive devices and reduces back-end workloads. As IoT adoption grows across industries, edge infrastructure plays an increasingly vital role.

Processing Moves to the Network Edge

With edge deployments of micro data centers, virtual private servers instances, and fog nodes located near IoT sensors and user devices, organizations can now execute data processing, analytics and action responses locally at the edge rather than needing to transport all raw sensor data and computing back to centralized core data centers. By pushing compute and storage resources out to the network edge using technologies like micro data centers, organizations have the capability to carry out initial processing, filtering and analysis of data closer to where it is generated and where responsive actions are required.

This localized edge computing provides several key benefits to applications. Firstly, by processing data locally rather than transporting it long distances over the network to core data centers, applications avoid bandwidth constraints and experience reduced latency. This localized compute power allows data to be transformed into insights much closer to where, and when, it is captured without straining network capacity. Additionally, as the data no longer needs to travel to a distant core for processing, applications see significantly improved response times for any actions that may need to occur.

Edge computing therefore greatly enhances the performance of latency-sensitive applications, particularly in real-time domains like industrial IoT systems requiring fast diagnosis/control, mobile augmented reality needing immediate computation, and telemedicine relying on instant analysis. With edge resources and fog deployments, these time-critical applications that demand single-digit millisecond responses can now be efficiently supported by leveraging distributed processing at the network edge instead of transporting all data to a centralized core.

New Network Architectures Emerge

The edge computing model necessitates architectural changes, with some centralized systems connecting many distributed edge sites. This gives rise to hybrid connectivity architectures that incorporate:

• Backhaul links between edge locations and core data centers using high-bandwidth networks to upload aggregated insights and push updates.
• Low-power wide-area radios deployable anywhere for long-range connectivity between geographically dispersed edge nodes and fog servers.
• Cellular technologies like 5G acting as “foggy clouds” that can seamlessly integrate edge infrastructure at the network level, whether in industrial machines, buildings or telecom towers.
• Local area networks within factories, offices and cell towers facilitating fast communication between co-located edge devices, gateways and controllers.
• Edge servers, fog nodes and micro data centers distributed across wide footprints yet integrated centrally for management and oversight.

With such diverse infrastructures, edge traffic originating from IoT, mobile and other latency-sensitive systems can often be processed, routed and managed locally without needing to return to centralized core networks. This distributed architecture improves resiliency by preventing single points of failure and helps scale overall throughput by balancing load locally across edge resources. Application response times and network bandwidth utilization benefit as core infrastructure remains unburdened by real-time data transmissions and processing.

Management Challenges at the Edge

As the number of edge nodes proliferates, it introduces new operational challenges for IT teams. Edge sites are often in small remote locations with unreliable or intermittent connectivity. This can make tasks like patching, security updates, and remote hands management of edge hardware more difficult compared to centralized data centers.

However, VPS provides a scalable and cost-effective way to deploy edge computing resources. Their virtualization allows optimizing available hardware to host multiple edge workloads. Organizations can leverage VPS at the network edge to execute latency-sensitive functions closer to endpoints, improving performance for real-time applications. This localized compute using VPS addresses bandwidth constraints. You can try a virtual private server today: choose a location, for example, Bulgaria, and place an order, after which you will be able to fully experience the possibilities of this type of hosting.

To help address these issues, standardized hardware deployment across edge tiers assists in simplified life-cycle management. Tools for integrated monitoring of decentralized infrastructure also improve visibility. Additionally, edge demands simplified orchestration software compared to data centers since automating tasks like patching, backups and scaling must function reliably even in low-bandwidth environments.

In summary, edge computing is revolutionizing IT infrastructure design by pushing data processing closer to endpoints. This improves performance for latency-sensitive applications and reduces back-end load, though standardized edge management must still evolve to scale decentralized systems.

Written by Scott Weathers

Source: TG Daily – Revolutionizing IT: Navigating the Transformative Impact of Edge Computing

This week I’m at Microsoft Ignite. There was a video at the end of the second keynote that spoke to how Copilot could be used by folks who were severely disabled to help make them productive. The video featured a guy in Ukraine where the massive number of civilians who have been critically injured need technologies to help their now heavily injured and disabled population return to work.  

This made me think about how this technology could change education and result in kids who enjoyed school more and could develop skills that would put them in high demand when they graduate regardless of the industry they go into.  

This technology is a massive game changer, and the operational sessions were standing-room-only as developers and service providers race to understand and learn to deploy it effectively.  

Helping the Severely Disabled

If you watch the video I linked to above, you’ll see a guy who would have been severely limited in his ability to earn a living as a developer. He clearly knew the technology and had the mental acuity to do an excellent job, but he was so physically compromised that his normal typing speed was reduced to a few letters a minute. Even a short utility program that might take someone minutes to create would likely take him hours or even days. He was also speech impaired, so simple voice-to-text technology wouldn’t work, either. 

Copilot is a Large Language Model (LLM) that is now being applied across Microsoft’s product set, ranging from productivity and communications tools to coding tools. It is an increasingly advanced AI that can determine intent and then execute against that intent automatically.  

As a result, it was able to not only mitigate the disabled developer’s disability but provide capabilities that a developer without a disability not using Copilot wouldn’t normally have in terms of immediate error checking and code optimization. 

In fact, as this technology advances, it may allow extremely disabled people whose minds are still intact to outperform any other developers who don’t have access to this technology. 

This is huge because most of us don’t want to be a burden on our families. If you were born with a disability or were disabled in a war zone, you’d tend to question whether you should even be alive. Your existence, which was already painful, would lack meaning and, depending on your caregiver, would be incredibly lonely. 

With this technology, the disabled can not only work effectively and mitigate their inability to work but be able to better communicate and collaborate with others and gain what we all often take for granted: a purpose in life, not to mention that society gets another productive member rather than a lifelong dependent. The disabled person is better off, their families are better off and society is better off as a result.  

Given Copilot is being applied to every industry, its impact on the victims in Ukraine would be huge, not only helping them have meaningful lives but helping the country post-war by shifting dependents that were created into productive members who can help rebuild the country and its economy. In fact, once that war is over, I expect Ukraine will be one of the leading technological countries with expertise in disaster recovery and low-cost autonomous weapons. Like Japan after World War II, Ukraine could become far more capable than it was before the war.

Kids

As I watched the video, it occurred to me that kids are often far more creative and imaginative than adults are, but they lack the skills needed to create the art, fill out the stories, and communicate the concepts that their less restricted minds might otherwise create. A child raised with a tool like Copilot will be capable of creating things that an adult might never think of because, as we age, our imaginations become more restricted and our fear of failure more pronounced. 

Think of kids creating programming for other kids, creating art that isn’t yet corrupted by the environment and coming up with ideas and concepts that people believe are impossible but aren’t. And as they advance with AI, once they become adults, they’ll have a depth of understanding regarding how to use AI that should eclipse what anyone from a prior, non-AI enabled generation might be able to do. 

It would be the difference between someone that started dancing or playing an instrument at an early age and someone that learned later in life, but their instrument will be AI. They’ll lack the fear of using something new because, to them, it has always existed. What they create as kids and adults will challenge our current limitations and make it far less likely they’ll boomerang back home once they become adults.  

Can you imagine what an AI Savant would be worth in an AI-driven world? And using AI is a lot of fun. It engages the mind and sets the child up for a far more successful and lucrative future.  

Wrapping Up:

When I came to Microsoft Ignite, I knew Copilot was going to be a game changer. But seeing that developer in Ukraine made me realize it would be far more than that for the severely disabled who are unable to work or even communicate. Applied broadly, this could be a huge benefit to our disabled soldiers, those born with severe defects, or those who have been injured in accidents and might be looking at a depressing and unproductive future. And we are still at the beginning of this AI wave. Imagine what the world will be like in 5 to 10 years when this technology begins to approach its full potential. The world is going to be very different with the firms and countries that have embraced this technology rapidly outpacing those that do not.   

AI will make us better, faster and much more productive, and make a massive difference in quality of life. That alone would change the world for the better, raising voices and imaginations that are currently unheard to true powers for positive change.  

Source: TG Daily – Microsoft Copilot: Enabling the Disabled and Supercharging Kids

What happens when human resources is no longer run by humans? We may soon find out. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have been creeping into our working lives for the past few decades via process automation, data analysis and virtual chatbots. But it wasn’t until ChatGPT entered the market in 2022 that questions really started being asked about the future of mankind’s involvement in long-standing business activities — recruitment included.

AI models are now widely leveraged to carry out duties like copywriting and coding. But could they really find their way into hiring practices? AI has been touted to streamline sifting and increase interviewing efficiency — but the jury’s out on whether these intelligent tools could eliminate bias in recruiting or exacerbate it further.

Here, we’ll explore some of the challenges surrounding AI and its implications for recruitment.

What is bias in recruitment?

Bias in recruitment refers to unfair and prejudiced attitudes or preferences that influence hiring decisions. These biases can be conscious or unconscious — they are generally based on a candidate’s individual characteristics, such as race, gender, age, ethnicity, disability, or sexuality.

They can also manifest as ‘affinity bias’, the tendency to favour people with similar interests, backgrounds and experiences as us.

It’s widely understood that all people are affected by some form of unconscious bias. For example, we might refer to associations and stereotypes to ‘fill in the gaps’ when trying to get to know somebody new, or treat them more kindly if we see similarities to ourselves in them.

However, this can have detrimental effects for hiring practices.

Why is bias in recruitment an issue?

Bias in recruitment has a number of consequences. It can lead to the unfair exclusion of qualified candidates, reinforcement of harmful stereotypes, and limitations on workplace diversity.

And this is a problem. Diversity consultants EW Group explain that “workforce diversity has a measurable effect on business performance”, on account that “diverse teams are more innovative, more productive and perform better in problem-solving”. As a result, many organisations are striving to promote fair and inclusive hiring practices for better business as well as ethics.

Some companies aim to identify and mitigate recruitment bias through standardised processes, diverse interview panels, and dedicated recruitment and selection training.

How could AI help reduce bias in recruitment?

According to a 2022 study, 65% of recruiters already use AI in the hiring process. But how is it being implemented?

Advocates claim that AI can reduce bias in recruitment by introducing objectivity and consistency into candidate screening. Talent acquisition platform Jobylon posits that “AI is able to screen candidates objectively based on factors such as qualifications and experience without relying on subjective factors such as age, gender, and race” — while human recruiters are inherently influenced by these.

It’s also suggested that AI could help craft unbiased job descriptions by identifying and suggesting neutral language to use.

By minimising human intervention and relying on data-driven decision-making, AI may have the potential to reduce bias and precipitate more equitable hiring outcomes for organisations.

What are the risks of leveraging AI in recruitment?

But in spite of the prospective benefits, AI also carries inherent risks, including the potential to exacerbate biases.

One concern is that AI algorithms may ‘inherit’ biases when they are trained with historical data. If previous hiring decisions were skewed against specific characteristics, AI systems trained on this data may inadvertently perpetuate those same biases.

For example, if women have been historically underrepresented in a company’s workforce, the AI system trained on previous hiring data may lean in favour of men who resemble the existing workforce, further marginalising women.

In one study, researchers from Cambridge University argued that leveraging AI to reduce recruitment bias is counter-productive. In a statement to the BBC, Dr Kerry Mackereth explained that “tools can’t be trained to only identify job-related characteristics and strip out gender and race from the hiring process, because the kinds of attributes we think are essential for being a good employee are inherently bound up with gender and race”.

Additionally, AI algorithms can inadvertently identify proxy variables correlated with certain characteristics — for example, a postcode or school attended to indicate socioeconomic class. This means they could indirectly introduce biases into decision-making — even in ways that human hiring managers don’t.

The takeaway

There’s no doubt about it, artificial intelligence is here to stay — and it certainly has useful applications in the recruitment process. However, it’s crucial that it doesn’t go unchecked by a human. Ultimately, AI’s effectiveness in eliminating bias depends on the quality and diversity of the data it is trained on, as well as the ongoing monitoring by host organisations to ensure fairness.

When leveraging AI, HR teams should be prepared to regularly update training data and employ techniques to de-bias algorithms. Only then can they ensure that AI truly contributes to fair and inclusive recruitment processes, rather than reinforcing existing biases.

Written by Adam Eaton

Source: TG Daily – Could AI Eliminate Bias In Recruitment – Or Make It Worse?

Like many cultures throughout history, the Lydians didn’t survive but were eventually assimilated into another society following defeat — in this case, by the Persian Empire. Even so, according to enthusiast Rory Brown, Lydians left a lasting mark on history during their roughly six centuries of existence, dating from about 1180 B.C.E. to the middle of the 6^th century B.C.E. 

While very little in the way of firsthand Lydian history remains, historians of the time, most notably Herodotus, wrote about Lydian culture and society, and artifacts unearthed from Iron Age burial mounds help to paint a picture of this once-thriving civilization. Here, Rory Brown explores the lasting influence and legacy of these ancient people.

Overlap With Greek Society

Greek and Lydian societies, both prominent during the Iron Age, shared a range of cultural features. While not well understood due to few existing samples, Lydian writing is similar to Greek, although it has distinctive characteristics.

Greeks and Lydians were both polytheistic, and Lydian religious figures like Artimu, Pldans, and Baki strongly resemble Greek counterparts Artemis, Apollo, and Dionysus, respectively. Sharing between the two cultures and limited first-hand historical accounts from Lydia makes it hard to know where some concepts originated and who adopted what.

Among the most notable exchanges was the Greek assimilation of Lydian commercial practices. Lydians are credited with being the first culture to establish retail shops and a monetary system featuring gold and silver currency in the form of coins. The Greeks adopted these practices in the 6^th century B.C.E., sparking the Greek commercial revolution.

The royal emblem displayed on Lydian coins featured lion iconography, starting with two lion heads and later switching to just one. Some of the earliest archaic Greek coins also featured animals and images of religious figures like Athena.

Influence on the Persians

Croesus, the last of Lydian kings, was known for extravagant wealth and a penchant for war. Upon coming to power, he immediately started attacking the Greek empire, conquering the western half of Asia Minor before eventually setting his sights on the threat of the expanding Persian Empire.

Allying with Egypt, Babylonia, and Sparta, he launched an attack on Persia, which ultimately led to Lydian defeat. Lydia was then integrated into the Persian Empire, although the area would fall to Alexander the Great and Roman rule just two centuries later.

That said, the Persians adopted one aspect of the Lydian culture of particular interest to Rory Brown: Lydian use of rare metal coins as currency. Almost immediately following Persian success, Cyrus the Great introduced coinage to the Persian people. Interestingly, this was roughly a century after the Greeks adopted the practice.

Modern Impact

Although the duration of the Lydian civilization was relatively short in the span of human history, there’s no denying the lasting contributions this society produced. Not only were Lydians an integral part of the ancient world, sharing concepts and customs with neighboring cultures, but their influence also remains in countries across the globe that still rely on coinage as a form of currency today.

About Rory Brown, Lydian Enthusiast

Rory Brown is a Managing Partner at Nicklaus Brown & Company. He is the Executive Chair of Goods and Services at Blueriver. Providing excellence in the industry for over two decades, Mr. Brown was chosen as the Financial Services Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, and he has founded several companies in the Inc. 500. Mr. Brown researches the Lydian Kingdom and ancient currencies in his spare time.

Source: TG Daily – Rory Brown Details How Lydian’s Influence and Legacy Survives Today

One of the things we’re learning this decade is that we aren’t at all prepared for the many manmade and environmental disasters that are emerging word wide. It has become very clear that for critical systems that must remain viable during these disasters, DIY (Do It Yourself) just didn’t work. As is often the case, the DIY workarounds weren’t even less expensive. Such efforts don’t usually build on prior experience. As a result, the firm doing the implementation learns on the job, which is arguably the most expensive way to learn about any complex thing you are creating. 

IBM just released a comprehensive blog post surrounding its Power platform by Tom McPherson (GM for IBM Power) in which he indicated that IBM recognized that the DIY thing just wasn’t working for critical HA/DR (High Availability/Disaster Recovery) events. In those cases, you need a more prescriptive and automated solution that works out of the box and can work even if you can’t get staff into the site (thus the need for automation). There is a bit of old IBM in this change, and that is a good thing.

Let’s talk about that this week.

The HA/DR Problem

The big problem with High Availability Disaster Recovery systems is that they need to be bulletproof and able to operate for extended periods without human intervention. The last thing you need when you are already dealing with some kind of localized or global disaster (like a pandemic) is to have to go to the office and make a service call or have people on premises that should have been evacuated. 

You need systems consistent with that old Timex wristwatch slogan: they can “take a licking and keep on ticking.” These systems will be used to keep the company and government running during a disaster and will be critical to providing the services companies and people need during a disaster.  

Many if not most of the existing systems were built from parts by people who wanted to save money and do it themselves. But in most cases, these people are just making assumptions and guesses about what is needed. They don’t have the depth of experience and understanding of a global vendor that has run into problems like this before and can come to the table with compelling solutions from what they learned.  

IBM’s Advantage

Given IBM’s Mainframe and AS400 background, IBM understands high availability. A few years back there was a site in which constructions workers opened up a wall and found an AS400. It hadn’t been touched in years, but it was still running. These machines had several usability issues when compared to current generation hardware, but one thing they did extremely well was keep running and require lower levels of maintenance than their alternatives.  

IBM is historically expert on what is needed to create a HA/DR solution that is more purpose built and automated, and the company showcases that experience. IBM knows that the only way to create a true solution in this unique space is to use all the company’s experience from supporting firms, and itself, in disasters to create a solution that could survive those disasters even if people are not coming into work.  

Wrapping Up:

In his recent blog post, Tom McPherson pointed to IBM’s pivot from DIY approaches to the far more reliable, high-performing appliances like plug and play alternatives. By making this move, IBM is showcasing decades of understanding products like this and its unmatched experience in providing related solutions.   

This is why banks favor IBM. Financial institutions can lose millions in mere seconds of downtime. IBM’s reliability is even more critical for infrastructure and communications during disasters and for efforts related to national defense, two areas in which IBM is also well known for providing uniquely robust solutions. 

In the end, I doubt there is any company (outside of perhaps a specialist in the segment) that would better understand the needs for a HA/DR solution. As this solution rolls out, I expect the firms that use it will be praised for their prowess while the firms that don’t will be criticized for being down at those critical times.  

Source: TG Daily – IBM and Why it Was Important to Move From DIY to Prescriptive/Automated HA/DR

Outsourcing your work to IT companies in Argentina can be a great idea and it can help you speed up your workflow. The value you can get from outsourcing can be incredible, and it always comes down to pushing the limits and bringing in an excellent result. With that in mind, it always makes sense to find a good outsourcing business, and we are here to assist.

3XM Group

3XM Group is widely known for their focus on the latest technologies. The company offers custom software development, staff augmentation and product development. It’s an excellent option to consider, and the value you can obtain is nothing short of incredible in the long term. 

BairesDev

BairesDev has a large talent pool of over 4000 developers. That means they can easily scale according to your needs and requirements. The value you obtain is second to none, and you will find them to deliver an excellent set of benefits all the time. 

NaNLabs

NaNLabs was created over 10 years ago, and it has great full stack developers. They also include consultancy services, aside from the regular software development solutions. 

Azumo 

Azumo has a true focus on AI and cloud services, but also data, web and mobile. It encompasses everything you need from development outsourcing, along with state of the art solutions. 

Svitla Systems

Svitla Systems has locations in Argentina and Mexico too. They do an excellent job at innovating, while introducing IoT, AI, QA and consulting, along with development services. They are very efficient and convey an excellent value for money.

Artelogic

Artelogic specializes in custom development and they also have a huge range of services. They are easy to access and have teams in Argentina too. On top of that, their quality is excellent and they know how to deliver exceptional value.

Innowise Group

Innowise Group does an excellent job when it comes to completing projects of any complexity within the IT world. They are known for handling every step of development, while allowing you to save a lot of time and money. It’s an amazing solution for anyone that wants comprehensive, professional services. 

DePalma Studios

DePalma Studios is also a company that’s very good at development outsourcing. They are veteran owned, and they can help you with a vast number of different solutions. 

Virtualmind

Virtualmind is close to 20 years old in this industry and they can help with mobile and web development. Virtualmind can also assist with custom development, along with UI and UX design services, among many others.

POSSUMUS

POSSUMUS is a popular IT staff augmentation business, and it’s also present in the US. They can assist with ecommerce and custom software development along with a variety of other services and solutions. 

As you can see in this article, Argentina has many great software development services. Some of them are completely local, others are just a part of a larger brand. Regardless, you will always have access to great services and exceptional results, not to mention it becomes a lot easier to outsource any type of project quickly and with great ease.

Written by Scott Weathers

Source: TG Daily – Top 10 of the Best Companies for Software Development Outsourcing in Argentina

AMD continues to showcase the benefits of focused management and solid execution. This quarter, (3^rd quarter 2023), represents impressively strong results in what has been an uneven market with nervous customers and ever higher interest rates collectively creating a drag on sales outside of AMD’s control. And this wasn’t a one-shot, either. AMD’s outlook is also very positive and aggressive. Given AMD CEO’s Lisa Su tends to be conservative in her outlook, that is a good thing. 

Let’s talk about some of the high and lowlights of AMD’s financial results.

Data Center

AMD’s data center efforts were particularly powerful in what has been a relatively soft market due to high capital costs and concerns about consumer demand (which has stayed surprisingly strong).  While the related revenue was flat year-over-year, it was up 21% sequentially, showcasing impressive sales performance last quarter in a soft market. AMD reported double digit growth in the Cloud. 

In addition, AMD reported that Dell, Lenovo, Supermicro and several others launched new EPYC CPU platforms, increasing the total available market for the parts in telco, retail and manufacturing applications. 

EPYC has been doing surprisingly well and I’ve heard from several OEMs that they are impressed not only with the part but with AMD’s execution over the last 5 to 10 years. While other firms seemed to struggle through downturns and were forced to downsize, AMD just plugged along, and this resulted in consistency, reliability and increased trust between AMD and the OEMs it services. 

AMD’s MI300X AI-focused GPU platform also saw a huge uptick to around $300M against an earlier estimate closer to $200M.  MI300a GPUs weren’t material in volume given they just started production recently, but demand is reported to be high and projections for these products are expected to be very strong well into 2024, especially given AI demand is through the roof.  

AMD got some good news from Lamini which announced the achievement of software parity with NVIDIA’s CUDA when running AMD’s MI250 AI GPU accelerators. Since the newer parts perform at even higher levels, competition in this segment is clearly speeding up.

As a result, AMD expects that the MI300 family will be the fastest product to ramp up to $1B in revenue in AMD’s history. 

PC Business

AMD hit the ball out of the park in this segment with annual revenue growth (year-over-year) of a whopping 42% (46% sequentially) doing $1.5B in related revenue. It drove down inventory levels sharply as the Ryzen 7000 was particularly strong.  Client CPUs powered by the Zen 4 core increased by more than 100% sequentially and AMD continues to dominate in the high-end workstation segment with its new Threadripper Pro workstation CPUs (also based on the Zen 4 core). These Threadripper Pro workstations are amazingly powerful. Bringing them to market represented a substantial risk that obviously paid off. Again, this shows that it often takes big risks to move against an entrenched powerful competitor and Intel is both. Dell, HP and Lenovo (who pioneered these machines) have all announced new workstations based on the latest version of Threadripper.

Looking forward, AMD is in lockstep with Intel and Qualcomm about AI and hybrid AI growth in the enterprise and anticipate a huge amount of demand once buyers fully understand the productivity increases associated with using advanced generative computing solutions like Microsoft’s Copilot.  

Gaming

Gaming took a hit with an 8% decline largely due to aging gaming consoles. This is unlikely to recover until the consoles are refreshed but a full refresh isn’t due until 2025/26 (though Microsoft is expected to have an update in 2024 which could result in more demand next year for that platform).  

It’s just the nature of the console market, which is a razor and blade market. The consoles are sold at or near cost and the vendors make their money off content. There is no real incentive to fast refresh, so you get these typical hills and valleys which AMD has no control over.  

Wrapping Up:

AMD had an impressively strong quarter due to high focus, impressive execution, and willingness to take risks with products like Threadripper Pro (I still wonder what would happen if it had created a similar product in its graphics line.) Since engineers and gamers chase performance, the upside should be equally fascinating were this done like Threadripper was done.  

In the end, AMD leaves the quarter stronger than when it began and well positioned for the coming wave of hybrid AI and the amazing things we’ll be doing with these LLM (Large Language Models) for our near-term AI future. 

Source: TG Daily – AMD’s Amazingly Strong Q3 Results

This week I’m at Qualcomm’s Summit 2023 where I get to work while my wife gets to enjoy Hawaii. But given I love tech more than I love swimming or sunbathing, I’m okay with this. This year, Qualcomm’s event is all about AI, whether it is new smartphones like the amazing Xiaomi 14 launching this week, or PCs like the coming batch of category-blasting products based on the Snapdragon X Elite 2024 (2024 is when the PCs using this technology will show up), the potential for AI disruption has never been greater, and Qualcomm has jumped into this technology with both feet.

Let’s talk about what is coming with Snapdragon X Elite laptops this week.

A Revolution in Laptops

Qualcomm is the major player in smartphones and has promised a massive improvement with Snapdragon 8, but the new Snapdragon X Elite solution has made the biggest jump. My favorite laptop is the last-generation HP Folio which, while a bit slow in use, sported almost unbelievable battery life and a design that had me leaving my backpack at home or at the hotel most of the time. Having all the battery life you need made me want to scream “freedom” every time I used the device, so I’ve been looking forward to the next-generation part that would address the performance issue and at least make it competitive with products using chips from other providers.

As most know, the ARM-based Apple M2 chip has been surprising the market with its market-leading efficiency and adequate performance, leading many to conclude that Apple laptops using this unique part are the best in the market. Well, Qualcomm represents this latest chip that outperforms the Intel I9 monster chip while using 30% less energy than Apple’s M2 chip. That is so far beyond my expectations that I’m truly looking forward to trying this myself.  

Be aware that there are huge improvements coming from AMD and Intel as well, but these changes likely wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Qualcomm driving this change. It is very unusual for a vendor that isn’t in the PC segment to wake up the vendors who are, but this entire segment is about to get one hell of an adjustment thanks largely to Qualcomm and Microsoft which collectively are driving this move to create solutions that are better on paper than what Apple has. I expect Apple won’t be standing still either. 

Wi-Fi 7 and 5G are part of this platform, and the laptops will have things like screen sensing to keep your stuff private. Think near-instant photo editing, AI on the desktop with a massive AI performance boost, and the ability to not only use AI to alter pictures but being able to use AI to identify when AI was used to alter pictures (so you can better determine whether someone is trying to trick you).

Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s amazing Copilot running natively on your laptop helping you edit, create, and alter content at unheard of speeds and being able to have a conversation with your PC are all coming with these new PCs that promise to change dramatically both how we use these machines and what we use them for. They’ll be able to run LLMs with 13B+ parameters and still be able to respond near instantly, which is another amazing advance for this new platform.

Higher integration with tablets and smartphones allows the seamless use (the feature is called Snapdragon Seamless) of all three products together as combined screen real estate.  

Wrapping Up: Holy Crap

That is really the only comment that came to mind as I was being briefed on this platform. Talk about a revolution! Laptops with better battery life than most smartphones that significantly outperform  most non-gaming laptops for typical tasks and that outperform even gaming laptops with AI is pretty much unbelievable, but Qualcomm is known for doing the unbelievable, so this shouldn’t be a surprise (though I was, frankly, very surprised).  

This year in Hawaii at the Qualcomm Summit I saw the future, and I can hardly wait until next year to try out for myself the coming Snapdragon X Elite laptops as they drive a revolution into the laptop market worldwide.   

Source: TG Daily – Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite:  Your Personal AI and the Laptop Revolution

I’m at a fascinating event this week at Lenovo. For the first time, Lenovo brought all the analysts that cover the company together as a group not to talk about each individual Lenovo product or service, but to chat about how Lenovo is executing its One Lenovo plan and creating an Apple-like experience that drives a “better together” concept. It’s the basis of why the company has become such a huge global success.  

This is in contrast to Dell which has also been built from similar components but still appears largely siloed and defined more by internal conflicts than being a showcase of how to bring the full power of the company to bear on what remains a troubled market that’s struggling with how to deal with generative AI, foundation models, the metaverse, and whether employees come to work or work from home.  

The contrast between the companies reminds me of my time at IBM when I could see what IBM was and how it originally became dominant, but experienced what IBM became while I was there in the 80s and 90s which was more a dysfunctional family that had lost market focus and customers and was struggling to keep the lights on.  

In short, I see Lenovo transitioning to what IBM was at its peak, and Dell transitioning to what nearly put IBM out of business. And Dell is hardly alone in this trend. I’m somewhat of an expert on IBM’s decline because I got so frustrated with what was happening back then I researched and wrote a report on the causes of IBM’s decline, which had me both up for an award and nearly got me fired. 

The Problem with Umbrella Companies

IBM was and both Lenovo and Dell are umbrella companies. An umbrella company is a firm often, but not always, formed through acquisitions that places each somewhat independent unit under a single brand. From the outside, it looks like one company, but inside, problems emerge when each unit competes with each peer unit for resources while the executives compete in terms of clout, status and the likelihood to lead the combined unit.  

Customer needs tend to be subordinate to the conflict. You can see this play out in the market as Lenovo gradually has advanced on Dell and now tops that company in a growing number of areas, largely due to bringing the full power of the company against a growing list of customers that increasingly want suppliers to reduce, not increase, complexity in an increasingly complex world. 

In short, the reasons that IBM nearly failed and Lenovo is out-executing Dell are tied to customer focus and using the power of the parent company so that the umbrella company becomes a competitive advantage instead of a disadvantage against smaller, more focused, efforts. 

It Starts with the CEO

In looking back at IBM, that company started to break when Thomas Watson, Jr. retired. Until then succession appeared to be in the family so you had a leader that no one was likely to challenge and who could say “jump” and everyone in the company would ask how high. This is what Dell used to have when Michael Dell was more active and what Lenovo still seems to have. At Lenovo, the leadership is crystal clear. At Dell, not so much.  

Succession is always an issue, but it only becomes a big issue should the CEO leave or when leadership is uncertain. What I’m seeing at Lenovo is that leadership is as strong as it was at IBM under Thomas Watson, Jr. (or Sr.). At Dell, leadership started to degrade when Michael Dell first tried to retire in the early 90s. Now it seems divided across a number of people while Michael Dell seems to be taking a far less active role.

This lack of focused and singular leadership is problematic in an umbrella company because each division leader then attempts to fill the leadership vacuum, and the resulting lack of a global authority and vision means they are often working at cross purposes rather than acting like they are on the same team.  

Wrapping Up: Lenovo’s Competitive Advantage Is CEO Yang Yuanqing

While this starts with a clear and growing problem at Dell and uncertain leadership, Lenovo may experience this problem in the future should its current CEO either repeat Dell’s mistake or depart without assuring a similar concept of leadership that he enjoys. The Watsons clearly didn’t anticipate well enough what would happen when the family no longer led the company, and companies that remain in business over 100 years are the exception, not the rule.  It is not uncommon for a firm to lose its way when a strong leader is replaced by someone that lacks experience, leadership skills, implicit/explicit authority, or market understanding.

This may be the strongest argument for why AI needs to focus on assuring the CEO job because that isn’t only the most highly compensated position, but it is the one position that, when it degrades, can put the company into decline. CEOs like Michael Dell, Yang Yuanqing, and Thomas Watson, Jr. are rare, yet we do little to assure the aspects that made them successful are sustained after they leave. Perhaps the most powerful use of AI will be to assure that a CEO who is exceptional is also virtually immortal, then use this to create that same dynamic so that every exceptional employee is also virtually immortal, thus ensuring the immortality and success of the company. 

Source: TG Daily – Lenovo vs. Dell: Size vs. Focus and Synergy

Every chip vendor is in a race to provide the best hardware to compete in the massively accelerating AI market. While hype may be a bit ahead of reality now regarding AI capabilities, the speed of AI advancement is closing that gap surprisingly rapidly. Chip vendors like AMD, Intel, Qualcomm and the current AI market leader, NVIDIA, are moving very rapidly to understand and embrace this opportunity.

What is quickly becoming evident is that just focusing on the hardware isn’t good enough. These vendors must also develop AI software competence which was demonstrated early on with NVIDIA’s massive two-decades-long effort to bring AI to the market at scale. Intel is significantly increasing its own software capabilities, and AMD, not wanting to be left behind, has been ramping up, as well.  

AMD’s recent move to acquire Nod.ai is a case in point and should significantly and very rapidly advance AMD’s AI capabilities.

Let me explain. 

NPUs and GPUs + Software

AMD is one of several vendors that will have a complete hardware set for AI shortly, including low-performance, highly efficient NPUs (Neural Processing Units) and high-performance, less efficient GPU solutions. Used in concert, they should provide the breadth of hardware needed to both run high-performance AI workloads as well as persistent low-performance edge AI workloads where energy efficiency is more important. 

To do this effectively, they will need to both understand the AI engines intimately and better understand the AI software that will run on it, otherwise the solutions are likely to underperform hardware vendors who have developed a stronger AI software proficiency and are better able to tune their products to meet related demand.  

If AMD doesn’t understand deeply the AI solutions and can’t provide the necessary performance advantages, the AI market will pass it by. But AMD isn’t a company that intends to let that happen, so it acquired the AI software-enabling company, Nod.ai.  

This fits with AMD’s award-winning CEO Lisa Su’s IBM training. One of IBM’s historic advantages is co-developing hardware and software together. It’s still arguably the market leader in mature tested AI technology with its watson.x solution.  

Nod.ai

Nod.ai creates enabling software for future AI deployments. In other words, it makes AI run better, but doesn’t generally compete with AI vendors like OpenAI, allowing it to move between AI providers to create solutions that significantly enhance the performance of third-party AIs in a way that shouldn’t upset the AI providers.  

Tying Nod.ai to AMD makes a lot of competitive sense. If an AI can be made to run better on a vendor’s hardware, those that buy that AI are likely to favor the hardware it runs best on, and Nod.ai will assure that AI software runs best on AMD.

This should provide a strong competitive advantage to AMD once the company is acquired and merged because not only will AMD have unparalleled access to Nod.ai’s tools, but the two companies will then work harder together to create a unique and powerful solution.

In addition, Nod.ai has been favoring AMD for some time in its solutions, suggesting that this greater integration resulting from the merger already exists due to Nod.ai seeming to favor AMD, providing a far faster path to market with a related AMD/Nod.ai blended solution.  

In short, the two companies already seem to be working together well, suggesting the benefits to AMD for this merger should emerge unusually rapidly. 

Wrapping Up:

Vendors like AMD are rapidly adjusting to the AI opportunity, but those with enhancing software will likely have the strongest market advantage. Anticipating this, AMD has moved to acquire Nod.ai, an AI enabling software company that has the potential to give AMD a significant advantage in creating and providing advanced AI solutions. 

This acquisition again shows that AMD is here to play and plans to aggressively go after and seize this new AI opportunity and make it theirs. 

Source: TG Daily – AMD Moves to Acquire Nod.ai to Build Out AMD’s AI Solution

When setting up for hybrid work, you first select a platform for collaboration and conferencing and then choose the hardware that will be used both in the conference room and by the employees who are attending remotely. At Zoomtopia this week, Poly showcased an impressive lineup of hardware for both those in the conference room and for those attending remotely.  

Let’s talk about Poly and Zoomtopia this week.

Zoom

Zoom and Microsoft Teams are the most common platforms I see in use in the market. I’ve long thought that with Cisco’s telephony background, all it needs to do to dominate this space is integrate WebEx with its telephone solutions. This would make moving from an audio to a video call seamless. But the company doesn’t interoperate well even with its own solutions, which has largely eliminated this advantage and significantly reduced Cisco’s total available market. 

Zoom is popular because it is relatively inexpensive, very easy to operate and interoperates with a lot of different hardware. It reminds me a bit of how Microsoft became so powerful by leveraging partners and interoperability. It is somewhat ironic that Zoom appears to be doing an even better job at this than Microsoft, which allows Zoom to compete with these two much larger and more powerful companies effectively.  

AI will certainly shake up this segment. Since Microsoft is the most aggressive with AI technology now, it could change this dynamic, but for now, Zoom stands out, much like Microsoft once did, by being willing to work with anyone.  

Poly

A case in point is Poly which announced several compelling new products at Zoomtopia. Leading the charge was the Poly Studio Bundle with smart E70 cameras, the TC10 controller, and an integrated HP Mini Conference Room PC. This relatively easy-to-use solution sets up larger conference rooms with full camera coverage and automated camera switching.  This is an effective solution when coupled with Poly sound bars for small and medium rooms.  For large rooms, you might consider a far more powerful soundbar solution from Poly partner Nureva.  I had a chance to try out the Nureva large-room solution, and it is impressive.  

For those calling into a meeting from home, in transit, from a cubicle or in a conference room with a lot of ambient noise, the Poly Voyager Surround 85 Unified Communications Bluetooth headset stands out. With cradle charging and wireless support, this is an impressive noise cancelling headset. With 21 hours of talk time, it’ll even work on an overseas air trip without needing to charge it. And it doesn’t hurt that the headset is nice looking.  

In concert with HP, Poly announced two desktop webcams, the 430 and the 435. These are relatively inexpensive HD (not 4K) headsets that look good on top of your monitor and can travel with you on the road if you don’t like your PC camera.  Both have dual built-in microphones for sound and come with long USB cords.  

Finally Poly and HP announced two keyboards and two mice. A lot of PCs purchased over the pandemic will now likely need a new keyboard and mouse due to the abuse these things have been getting over the last several years.

Overall, it was an impressive showing from HP, Poly and Nureva at the Zoomtopia event.

Wrapping up:

Zoom is fascinating because, as a far smaller company than either Microsoft or Cisco, it should have been competitively wiped out. Instead, it seems to be doing fine because of a tighter focus on its customers’ needs coupled with decent execution. Zoomtopia was a showcase of that execution. Partners like HP, Poly and Nureva highlight this advantage through strong interoperation and ongoing impressive improvements on usability.

We don’t really know where this remote work thing is going to end up, but as long as companies like Zoom, Poly, HP and Nureva keep stepping up with impressive hybrid work conferencing systems when it comes to meetings and collaboration, we know the end will be productive. 

Source: TG Daily – Poly Brings Hardware into the Future at Zoomtopia