Home Blog Page 171

AMD extends its AI PC portfolio with new processors

Mohammed Fahad
-
0
AMD extends its AI PC portfolio with new processors
  • AMD Ryzen PRO 8040 Series and AMD Ryzen PRO 8000 Series provide businesses with the world’s fastest and most advanced x86 processors for AI PCs.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) unveiled a series of chips for artificial intelligence-enabled personal computers as it looks to expand its share of the lucrative “AI PCs” market.

The chip designer said its latest Ryzen PRO 8040 Series is built for “business laptops and mobile workstations” while its AMD Ryzen PRO 8000 Series is a desktop processor for business users.

These chips are expected to be available in platforms from HP and Lenovo starting in the second quarter of 2024.

By leveraging the CPU, GPU, and dedicated on-chip neural processing unit (NPU), new Ryzen AI-powered processors provide more dedicated AI processing power than previous generations, with up to 16 dedicated NPU TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second) and up to 39 total system TOPS.

Commercial PCs equipped with new Ryzen AI-enabled processors will help transform user experience, offering next-gen performance for AI-enabled collaboration, content creation, and data and analytics workloads.

Unmatched power

AMD claims that Ryzen PRO 8040 Series mobile processors are the world’s most advanced and fastest x86 processors, designed for enterprise customers seeking superior efficiency and performance.

With up to 30 per cent greater performance compared to competition, integrated AMD Ryzen AI, RDNA 3 graphics, and WiFi-7 technology, these processors redefine mobile workstation standards, offering unmatched power for the most demanding business and AI workloads. 

 “AMD continues to deliver the broadest portfolio of AI technologies to address the needs of the modern business. As we continue to expand our AI PC leadership, we are bringing more power and efficiency to a wide array of desktops and mobile PCs,” Jack Huynh, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics Group at AMD, said.

“Our latest PRO series processors set a new standard for premium computing experiences and help businesses deploy AI capabilities across their PCs with leadership performance and security.” 

Industry partner Microsoft is continuing to expand Microsoft features bringing more AI capabilities to Windows systems powered by AMD unlocking new features for expanded productivity, security and everyday business use.

 “At HP, we’re continuing to spearhead a new era of personalized computing, working hand-in-hand with industry leaders like AMD to shape the future of technology,” Guayente Sanmartin, SVP and Division President, Commercial Systems & Displays Solutions, HP Inc, said recently.

“With our continued collaboration, we’re excited to deliver the latest HP Elite and Pro PCs, and Z by HP mobile workstations, that equip our customers with high-performance computing solutions designed to tackle AI workflows.”

Related Posts:

How does edge-to-cloud support digital transformation?

Naushad K. Cherrayil
-
0
How does edge-to-cloud support digital transformation?
  • Without lightning-fast computing, businesses will struggle to unlock the full data-driven benefits of their newly adopted technologies.
  • Edge-to-cloud is a strategy that involves generating/processing organisational data at the edge of a network and leveraging a centralised cloud platform for data storage and distribution.

Data centres are under increasing pressure as businesses digitise and demand more robust computing capabilities.

This is a significant challenge, especially for mission-critical applications like drones and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) that require real-time processing.

Unfortunately, real-time data processing isn’t always possible when routed through a centralised data centre. 

This is where edge-to-cloud computing comes in, moving processing closer to the source, Yih-Khai Wong, Senior Analyst at ABI Research, said.

What is edge-to-cloud?

Edge-to-cloud is a strategy that involves generating/processing organisational data at the edge of a network and leveraging a centralised cloud platform for data storage and distribution.

Yih-Khai Wong, Senior Analyst at ABI Research.

In the modern business environment, whether it’s an IIoT device or a mobile robot, various applications generate large volumes of data in operations.

To convert these data into actionable insights, data must flow seamlessly between edge devices, the cloud platform, and the centralised data centre.

However, it should be noted that centralised data centres are still needed for further data analysis,” Wong said.

Moreover, he said that edge-to-cloud orchestration will significantly impact the future trajectory of cloud computing.

Already, companies like HPE and VMWare are helping organisations improve their operations through edge-to-cloud solutions.

“Emerging technologies such as AI, ML, robotics and smart Internet of Things (IoT) require reliable computing, often on-site. Without lightning-fast computing, businesses will struggle to unlock the full data-driven benefits of their newly adopted technologies,” Wong said.

Moreover, he said that some critical applications can be unsafe if latencies are too slow. For example, an AGV must have real-time data processing capabilities to safely react to obstacles in its navigation path.

Seizing the opportunity

As enterprises continue their digital transformation journeys, Wong said that edge computing will be increasingly necessary.

“By fusing edge applications with cloud computing, organisations can ensure that business applications run without hiccups and those data-rich insights can be retrieved in near real time. Moreover, processing and storing data in the cloud provides a level of scalability that is impossible with just a centralised data centre.”

Key benefits of edge-to-cloud

Efficient data processing: When cloud computing resources are placed at the edge, organisations gain real-time data processing and make business decisions faster.

Operational transparency: Organisations can better monitor/manage hybrid cloud platforms using edge-to-cloud orchestration, removing data silos.

Scalability and flexibility: Cloud computing is inherently scalable, providing organizations greater deployment flexibility for new technology applications (e.g., edge AI, robots, etc.) placed at the edge of a network.

Robust security: Sensitive data are more secure when computing is done locally at the edge. Moreover, some privacy regulations mandate that customer data be stored and analyzed at the edge. An edge-to-cloud platform allows organisations to keep sensitive data at the edge and transfer the rest of the data to the cloud.

Both humans and technology needs to evolve as AI era unfolds

Contributor
-
0
Both humans and technology needs to evolve as AI era unfolds
  • The AI revolution is not just about technological innovation — it’s also about empowering humans to sit successfully at the helm of AI, and use it in ways that are trustworthy and effective.
  • Need to design more powerful, system-wide controls that enable the technology to focus on the high-judgment items that most need their attention.
  • Having a robust audit trail allows customers to assess AI’s track record and pinpoint where their AI assistant went right and wrong.

AI promises to make our jobs easier and our work more productive. The introduction of AI assistants – which are already answering questions, generating content, and automating actions – highlights huge potential to make our businesses more efficient.

However, with each new AI advancement comes new ethical concerns. For example, we can’t always explain why AI does the things that it does — or eliminate every instance of inaccuracy, toxicity, or misinformation.

It’s one thing if AI offers bad product recommendations. It’s another if it takes misguided actions on real-world concerns like personal finances or medical information when the stakes are much higher.

We’ve seen what happens when technologies advance at all cost – people lose or are left behind. The same can happen with AI.

As AI becomes more and more sophisticated, it is imperative that we figure out how to harness the power of its innovations without opening ourselves up to dangerous risks. To do this, we need to put humans at the helm of AI.

Unlocking incredible efficiencies

Thierry Nicault.

It’s sometimes not realistic for us to engage in every AI interaction or review every AI-generated output. But we can design more powerful, system-wide controls that enable the technology to focus on the high-judgment items that most need their attention.

Having a human at the helm, empowering humans to be in control and prioritising human judgement, means designing AI systems that leverage the best of human and machine intelligence.

By tasking AI to review and summarise millions of customer profiles, we can unlock incredible efficiencies. By empowering humans to lean in and use their judgment in ways that AI can’t, we can build trust.

Building AI that is people-centric and aims to augment rather than replace humans, which begins every conversation with data, and includes guardrails for safe implementation is fundamental to us making the most of the AI revolution.

Specifically, here are three ways that we can keep humans at the helm of AI:

1) Effective prompt-building helps automate in authentic ways: Prompts, or the instructions we send to generative AI models, are very powerful with the potential to guide millions of outputs. Crafting effective prompts, and seeing the likely output in near real time, can help organisations ensure they get the AI outcome they want, with the opportunity to tune and revise their prompts so they provide more helpful, accurate, and relevant results.

2) Audit trails can help spot what we’ve missed: Having a robust audit trail allows customers to assess AI’s track record and pinpoint where their AI assistant went right and wrong. It can also help identify issues across large datasets that humans might not spot; and can empower us to use our judgment to make adjustments based on the needs of our organization.

3) Data controls help better guard data: Designing robust controls to help businesses securely action their data will enable organisations to effectively harness their data for AI-powered insights and intelligence. Data controls like permission sets, access controls, and data classification metadata fields empower humans and AI models alike to protect and manage sensitive data.

The AI revolution is not just about technological innovation — it’s also about empowering humans to sit successfully at the helm of AI, and use it in ways that are trustworthy and effective.

With AI and humans evolving and working together, we can lean into AI’s capabilities and free up humans to do what they do best: be creative, exercise their judgment, and connect more deeply with one another.

This combination will create more productive businesses, more empowered employees, and ultimately, more trustworthy AI.

  • By Thierry Nicault, Area Vice President and General Manager for Saleforce Middle East.

Du to deliver secure global smart network connectivity in UAE

TCN Bureau
-
0
Du to deliver secure global smart network connectivity in UAE
  • Collaboration aims to empower customers with enhanced services, improved connectivity, innovative solutions, and exceptional customer experiences.
  • Enterprises and government entities in the UAE will have access to a full suite of global network services, tailored to their specific needs.

Dubai-based telecom operator -du – set to deliver secure global smart network connectivity to enterprises and government entities by signing a deal with Amsterdam–based Expereo.

This collaboration will enable du to deliver secure global smart network connectivity to enterprises and government entities, meeting the business demands of today’s digital world.

With an unmatched global reach, Expereo provide secure network connectivity to enterprise and government sites in over 190 countries.

Now, with the partnership between Expereo and du, enterprises and government entities in the UAE will have access to a full suite of global network services, tailored to their specific needs.

Offering superior customer experiences

“The partnership will enhance our global network infrastructure and expand our service offerings. This collaboration opens the doors for us to deliver cutting-edge technologies and superior customer experiences, addressing the global networking demands of our customers in the UAE and government sector,” Karim Benkirane. Chief Commercial Officer at du, said.

Customers can easily access the new services and offerings through du enterprise sales channels, further solidifying the accessibility and reach of this groundbreaking partnership.

Key objectives of the partnership focus on expanding service offerings, enhancing network infrastructure, and fostering innovation.  

“Enabling multi-national companies to succeed in the hyperconnected world of the future is what Expereo deliver, and ensuring that no matter where in the world our customers are, we can offer a network that matches both user expectations and business needs, is key,” Dan Beevers, Managing Director EMEA, at Expereo, said.

Microsoft invests $1.5b in Abu Dhabi’s G42 to rev up AI development

Ana Mary Joseph
-
0
Microsoft invests $1.5b in Abu Dhabi’s G42 to rev up AI development
  •  G42 and Microsoft will collaborate to ensure the benefits of secure AI technologies and cloud capabilities are responsibly shared with growing economies globally.
  • Microsoft’s Vice Chair and President Brad Smith will take a seat on the G42 Board.
  • Both companies will support the establishment of a $1B fund for developers.
  • The partnership includes a first of its kind Intergovernmental Assurance Agreement as both parties commit to world-leading standards in AI safety and security.

​​​​​Microsoft is investing $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi’s G42 to accelerate AI development and spread wings.

As part of this expanded partnership Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, will join the G42 Board of Directors

The investment will strengthen the two companies’ collaboration on bringing the latest Microsoft AI technologies and skilling initiatives to the UAE and other countries while G42 will run its AI applications and services on Microsoft Azure and partner to deliver advanced AI solutions to global public sector clients and large enterprises.

“Microsoft’s investment in G42 marks a pivotal moment in our company’s journey of growth and innovation. The partnership is a testament to the shared values and aspirations for progress, fostering greater cooperation and synergy globally,”   Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of G42, said.

“The partnership will also support the development of a skilled and diverse AI workforce and talent pool that will drive innovation and competitiveness for the UAE and broader region with the investment of $1B in a development fund for developers. ” 

Cementing ties

The collaboration between G42 and Microsoft has expanded through several milestones over the last year. This includes a joint plan announced in April 2023 to develop AI solutions tailored for the public sector and industry, leveraging Microsoft’s extensive partner ecosystem and cloud capabilities.

In September 2023, the companies entered into an agreement to introduce sovereign cloud offerings and collaborate on unlocking the potential of advanced AI capabilities on the Azure public cloud platform. Lastly, in November 2023, Microsoft announced the availability of G42’s Jais Arabic Large Language Model on the new Azure AI Cloud Model-as-a-Service offering.

“Our two companies will work together not only in the UAE, but to bring AI and digital infrastructure and services to underserved nations,” Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President, said.

“We will combine world-class technology with world-leading standards for safe, trusted, and responsible AI, in close coordination with the governments of both the UAE and the United States.”  

Mobile apps to outpace games in consumer spending by 2030

Mohammed Fahad
-
0
Mobile apps to outpace games in consumer spending by 2030
  • App users in developing markets are expected to contribute the most dramatic rises in spending, attention and downloads.
  • Consumers will spend more than $40B in entertainment apps in 2030.

So far, the games sector has pulled in the big bucks for the mobile apps history and that tide is about to shift.

According to data.ai’s Mobile App Market Forecast 2030, mobile apps are set to outpace games in consumer spending by 2030.

By 2030, the annual spend on apps will be 50.3 per cent of the market, up from 37.4 per cent in 2023 while the annual spend on apps will be 49.7 per cent of the market, down from 62.6 per cent in 2023.

Jonathan Briskman, Principal Market Insights Manager at data.ai, said in the blog that mobile consumers are set to spend 58 trillion hours using apps over the decade and spend $2 trillion while the app economy is projected to soar to $2.2 trillion by 2030, with a staggering $288 billion anticipated in 2030 alone.

“It’s a truly remarkable performance – and a testament to the enduring pull of the app as an entertainment and utility platform. And don’t forget the $2.2 trillion revenue haul only reflects direct spending. It doesn’t account for the vast sums earned by in-app advertising (which hit $362 billion in 2023 alone),” he said.

The positive forecast shows how robustly the app economy has shaken off its only “blip” in 15 years, he said.

“That came last year due to a combination of global inflation, shrinking disposable income, privacy changes and a pandemic market correction.”

Weathering the storm

Mobile games spending saw huge growth in 2020 and 2021 as consumers were stuck at home during the pandemic with limited options for entertainment. This corrected in 2022 as consumer spending declined across most genres, including particularly large declines in RPG, Strategy and Simulation.

After a slight dip in 2023, mobile games are expected to bounce back in 2024 and beyond. Mobile game downloads will climb from 87.9 billion in 2023 to 119.7 billion in 2030, a CAGR of 4.8 per cent.

Lexi Sydow, Corporate Marketing Director at Sensor Tower, said that mobile continues to weather the storm.

“Mobile is creating the wave of consumer transformation and by 2030, will unlock trillions in economic value.”

The global surge in mobile device ownership and the affordability of data has driven demand for Short Video apps.

The report forecasts that global spending on entertainment category apps such as OTT and Short Videos will make up 18 per cent of annual consumer spend in 2030, driven by 120 per cent growth between 2023 and 2030.

It adds that app users in developing markets are expected to contribute the most dramatic rises in spending, attention and downloads.

Entertainment is king

Mature market consumers will spend the most (the United States, China, Japan and Korea will make up two-thirds of consumer spending in 2030), but growth will come from other regions, with Central America, South America and Africa registering 12.0 per cent, 10.9 per cent and 10.8 per cent seven-year compound annual growth rates, respectively.

“Entertainment is the top app genre by consumer spending, with apps like TikTok and YouTube leading the field. TikTok has continued to raise the bar and became the first app to surpass $1 billion in consumer spend in a single quarter in the first quarter of 2023.” The report said.

Other top genres are also expected to see strong growth of around 12-13 per cent between 2023 and 2030.

Examples of top apps include Tinder (Social Media – Dating), Google One (Utilities & Productivity – File Management) and Piccoma (Books & Reference – Comics).

Downloads in Asia will climb from 177 billion in 2023 to 245 billion in 2030, averaging 4.7 per cent annual growth, Briskman said and added that Asia includes three of the top five markets (#1 China Mainland, #2 India and #5 Indonesia).

“Asia’s growth will outperform other top regions like Europe and North America. South America will surpass North America to rank as the third region by 2030. South America’s downloads will climb 37 per cent between 2023 and 2030 (4.6 per cent CAGR), exceeding North America’s 25 per cent growth (3.2 per cent CAGR).”

1...170171172...271Page 171 of 271