Exhort Tech Headlines & Highlights - 4/15/2024

Welcome to the latest from Exhort Technologies, LLC!

In the public cloud sector, AWS is a top player, showcasing new storage products and a managed service for render management, while all the public cloud giants are focusing on private cloud strategies to offer more flexibility for businesses transitioning to cloud-based solutions.

In the AI world, AWS has launched Guardrails for Amazon Bedrock, a new AI security offering, to boost customer confidence in deploying generative AI solutions. Microsoft is enhancing partner benefits with tools like Copilot, AI, GenAI, and Azure. Innovative Solutions is introducing a GenAI service leveraging AWS Bedrock, IBM Watson, and Anthropic technologies.

In the modern workplace, Microsoft has separated Teams from Office 365 and Microsoft 365, offering customers more flexibility in software purchasing. Despite antitrust scrutiny, new customers can now choose business versions of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 without Teams. Google Workspace is introducing AI-driven features to enhance user experience and productivity.

Blockchain technology is seen as a game-changer in healthcare, offering transparency and security for medical data. Video technology is set to reshape healthcare by assisting nurses with patient care tasks, but privacy concerns need addressing.

Overall, the tech landscape is evolving rapidly with advancements in AI, cloud computing, and healthcare technology, offering exciting opportunities for innovation and growth.

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Public Cloud

Related to Public Cloud

Microsoft

All things related to Azure compute, data and application services.

Get end-to-end protection with Microsoft’s unified security operations platform, now in public preview

Microsoft has announced the public preview of their unified security operations platform, which combines the capabilities of XDR, SIEM, and generative AI for cybersecurity. This platform aims to streamline the analyst experience in the security operations center (SOC) by providing comprehensive tools for managing cyberthreats from prevention to response. By unifying features like incident views, exposure management, and threat intelligence, Microsoft is empowering security teams to work more efficiently and effectively across their digital estate. With added capabilities like automatic attack disruption and unified incident queues, the platform is designed to help security analysts investigate and respond to threats faster, ultimately improving overall security outcomes.

How Private Is Your Public Cloud? Stacking Up Google, Microsoft And AWS Data Privacy

The battle for data privacy is shifting to the cloud, with concerns at an all-time high in 2016 due to various factors like the Apple-FBI encryption debate and new regulations in Europe. Companies are increasingly worried about privacy and security when moving to the cloud, but major cloud providers like Microsoft and Google emphasize that customer data is treated with utmost respect and privacy. Solution providers play a crucial role in educating customers about data privacy risks and helping them make informed decisions to protect their data in the public cloud.

Microsoft’s Nadella: Public Cloud Will Be ‘The Big Winner’ In Down Economy

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella believes that a weaker global economy presents an opportunity to showcase the benefits of public cloud services, which allow customers to adjust their usage based on demand and potentially save on energy costs. Despite acknowledging the impact of the slowing economy on profits, Nadella highlighted the growth of Azure Arc, Azure Machine Learning, and GitHub during Microsoft's latest earnings report. Investment banks express confidence in Microsoft's long-term prospects, emphasizing the potential for continued growth in the cloud and business application sectors. Overall, Microsoft appears well-positioned to weather economic challenges and emerge stronger with strategic measures in place.

Google

GCP

10 New Google Gemini AI Launches For GCP, Security And Cloud: Google Cloud Next 2024

At Google Cloud Next 2024, Google introduced a range of new Gemini AI offerings, such as Gemini Code Assist for Google Cloud and Gemini 1.5 Pro, aiming to elevate artificial intelligence and GenAI capabilities. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian highlighted that Google Cloud is the sole major cloud provider offering both first-party and partner-enabled solutions across the AI stack. The integration of Gemini AI into popular Google Cloud products like BigQuery, Cloud Databases, and Vertex AI, as well as cybersecurity solutions, underscores Google's commitment to enhancing security outcomes and making AI accessible to all organizations. The annual Google Cloud Next 2024 conference in Las Vegas showcased Google's focus on AI and generative AI, with the company emphasizing innovation and collaboration to empower customers in building new GenAI applications and driving business value through technology.

Google Cloud Next 2024: New Data Center Chip and Chrome Enterprise Premium Join the Ecosystem

The article is a registration page for TechRepublic, a website offering business technology news, tutorials, reviews, trends, and analysis. It prompts users to create an account or sign in to access the content. Users can provide their information such as name, job title, company size, and industry for a customized experience.

Google’s GDC Hosted private cloud platform can now run more public sector workloads

Google's GDC Hosted private cloud platform has expanded its capabilities to run a wider range of sensitive public sector workloads, including Secret and Top Secret data for U.S. intelligence agencies and the Defense Department. This platform, designed for stringent security requirements, offers advanced cloud capabilities while ensuring data protection using encryption algorithms approved by the NSA. In addition to enhanced breach prevention features, GDC Hosted provides access to various Google Cloud services, such as storage options, virtual machines, containers, and artificial intelligence tools. The platform is compliant with cybersecurity requirements for public sector modules and offers application building blocks for software development teams.

AWS

All things AWS and public cloud!

Storage For The AWS World: 10 Hot Products You Need To Check Out

Amazon Web Services (AWS) remains the top player in the cloud market, with a 32 percent share in the second quarter of 2023. As the demand for storing, managing, and protecting data on the cloud grows, storage vendors showcase their latest offerings at AWS events like the recent AWS re:Invent 2023 conference. With a variety of storage options available, customers can easily move data between cloud and on-premises storage based on their needs for cost, access speed, and flexibility. The article highlights 10 new storage products introduced at the conference that leverage AWS cloud technology to provide innovative capabilities.

AWS launches Deadline Cloud for content rendering

AWS has launched Deadline Cloud, a managed service for render management tasks for teams creating computer-generated 2D or 3D graphics and visual effects. This offering simplifies the setup process compared to the previous free software, Thinkbox Deadline. Deadline Cloud provides a web-based portal for managing render farms, previewing renders, tracking costs, and analyzing render logs. Teams can easily move from Thinkbox Deadline 10 to Deadline Cloud to take advantage of cost tracking features and streamline rendering pipelines.

Public Cloud Giants Turn Their Attention To Private Clouds

The article discusses how public cloud giants like Alibaba, Amazon, Baidu, Google, Microsoft, and Tencent are focusing on private cloud strategies to sustain their growth. Each company has its own approach to offering private cloud solutions, targeting different markets and industries. For example, Alibaba's Apsara Stack Enterprise, Google's Kubernetes Engine On-Prem, and Microsoft's Azure Stack are some of the private cloud products being developed to cater to specific customer needs. These initiatives aim to provide more flexibility and options for businesses looking to transition to cloud-based solutions for their operations.

AI / AGI / GenAI

All things AI

Microsoft

AI + MS

Microsoft’s Copilot AI set to operate locally on future PCs, says Intel

Microsoft's Copilot AI is set to operate locally on future PCs, potentially boosting performance and privacy by handling more genAI tasks directly on the machine. Intel mentioned that these AI PCs would incorporate neural processing units capable of exceeding 40 trillion operations per second, surpassing current consumer processors. The shift towards local computing power is expected to reduce delays caused by cloud processing, leading to improved performance and privacy. This advancement aligns with the trend of integrating AI capabilities into devices like smartphones, enhancing cybersecurity and data control for users.

Microsoft Launches New Partner Benefits Packages

Microsoft has introduced new benefits packages for its partners, offering access to tools like Copilot, AI, GenAI, and Azure. The packages are tailored for solution providers at different growth stages, with options like Partner Launch Benefits, Partner Success Core Benefits, and Partner Success Expanded Benefits. These packages include various resources such as product licenses, Azure credits, technical consultation services, and more, aiming to support partners in their growth and success. With these new offerings, Microsoft is providing a range of options to meet partners where they are and help them leverage innovative technologies to deliver value to their customers.

Microsoft hires ex-DeepMind co-founder to lead Copilot AI initiatives

Microsoft has hired Mustafa Suleyman, former co-founder of DeepMind, to lead its AI initiatives as the executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft AI, reporting directly to CEO Satya Nadella. Suleyman's move to Microsoft underscores the company's focus on AI as a core strategy, according to Bugcrowd's founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Casey Ellis. The newly formed Microsoft AI group will focus on developing the Copilot chatbot integrated into various Microsoft products, with Karén Simonyan joining as the chief scientist for Microsoft AI.

Google

Gemini and all that

How GenAI use is evolving for Google Cloud customers

Google Cloud customers, including companies like Goldman Sachs, Uber, Mercedes Benz, and Wayfair, are now moving beyond experimentation and developing their own generative AI agents using Google's Gemini and Vertex technologies. These agents are being used for various purposes, such as enhancing customer experiences, improving employee productivity, and streamlining data analysis and application design processes. The annual Google Cloud Next conference highlighted how businesses are leveraging generative AI to create intelligent entities that can help achieve specific goals, signaling a new era of AI innovation.

Google Gemini: Everything you need to know about the new generative AI platform

Google has introduced Gemini, a suite of generative AI models, apps, and services that show promise in some areas but fall short in others, according to an informal review. Gemini, developed by Google's AI research labs DeepMind and Google Research, consists of three models: Ultra, Pro, and Nano, each with unique capabilities like multimodal tasks and improved reasoning and understanding. While Gemini's capabilities are still evolving, it aims to offer features such as transcribing speech, captioning images and videos, and generating artwork. Stay updated with the latest Gemini developments through this guide, as Google continues to enhance and expand the capabilities of its GenAI models.

Google Cloud Unveils Vertex AI Agent Builder for GenAI Agent Development

Google Cloud has introduced Vertex AI Agent Builder, a new tool that combines Vertex AI Search and Conversation products to aid in generative AI agent development. The tool offers a range of features to help developers create and deploy AI applications suitable for enterprise use, catering to different expertise levels. Vertex AI Agent Builder simplifies the process of integrating generative AI output into enterprise data, providing tools for document processing, vector search capabilities, and enhanced security controls. The tool aims to streamline the integration of model capabilities with external systems for personalized user interactions.

AWS

All Things AWS AI.

AWS’ New AI Security ‘A Huge Confidence Boost’ For GenAI Customer Adoption

AWS has introduced Guardrails for Amazon Bedrock, a new AI security offering that aims to boost customer confidence in deploying generative AI solutions. This launch addresses security concerns that have made some businesses hesitant to adopt GenAI, providing guardrails and governance to ensure responsible AI development. The customizable safeguards offered by Guardrails for Amazon Bedrock enable enterprises to implement secure and scalable GenAI applications, positioning AWS as a leader in the generative AI market with a focus on security and responsible AI development.

AWS Partner Innovative Solutions Launches GenAI Service On Bedrock, IBM And Anthropic

Innovative Solutions, an AWS partner, has launched a new GenAI service that leverages AWS Bedrock, IBM Watson, and Anthropic technologies to securely manage customer data and enable AI-based business outcomes. This service aims to provide customers with highly scalable and secure tools like Anthropic's ChatGPT for improved data management and AI integration. Additionally, Innovative Solutions has introduced a new AI assistant called Tailwinds ChitChat, offering features such as access to documentation sources and integration with their Security Operations Center and Network Operations Center teams. The company has seen significant success with over 50 new customers adopting their GenAI solutions since launching Tailwinds, making it their fastest-growing IT service to date.

AWS’ AI blueprint emphasizes optionality, trust and scalable industry solutions

The article discusses Amazon Web Services Inc.'s artificial intelligence strategy, focusing on optionality, trust, and scalable industry solutions. The AWS AI blueprint involves a three-layered gen AI stack, with core infrastructure, Bedrock for managing multiple foundation models, and Q for simplified gen AI adoption. The article also touches on the competition in the AI sector, highlighting OpenAI and Microsoft's dominance, and discusses AWS' opportunities and challenges in the evolving AI landscape.

OpenAI

And OpenAI too

Modern Workplace

Everything about how you get work done, wherever you are!

Microsoft

All things Office 365 and productivity tools

Microsoft unbundles Teams from Office 365 and Microsoft 365 worldwide

Microsoft has globally unbundled Teams from Office 365 and Microsoft 365, following a similar move made in the European Union a few months ago. This change comes amidst scrutiny from regional regulators over antitrust concerns. New customers can now purchase business versions of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 without Teams included, offering more flexibility in software purchasing. Despite these changes, Microsoft may still face antitrust charges in the EU in the coming months.

Microsoft Teams and Office 365 are breaking up

Microsoft Teams and Office 365 are being separated due to an antitrust investigation in Europe, leading to a global software break-up. Customers now have the option to choose a separate Teams-only subscription, an Office package without Teams, or stick with their current package. While this change may impact corporate users relying on Teams, home users are unlikely to notice a difference, as the free version of Microsoft Teams remains available with its features intact.

Microsoft's Copilot - Aiming For Ubiquity In The Modern Workplace

At the recent Morgan Stanley Technology Conference, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President, Jared Spataro, discussed the growth trajectory of Microsoft 365, highlighting its success with over 400 million licenses and potential growth in sectors like small businesses and front-line workers. The focus was on integrating front-line workers into the digital infrastructure through tools like Teams and the AI-driven feature, Copilot, which has received positive feedback for its productivity gains. Microsoft's strategy involves upselling to increase revenue per user and aims for Copilot to become essential in the workplace, showcasing their commitment to innovation in the modern work environment.

Google Workspace

All things Google and productivity

Google Workspace users will soon get voice prompting in Gmail and tabs in Docs

Google is introducing new AI-driven features to its Workspace productivity applications, such as voice prompts to initiate the "Help me write" feature in Gmail and the ability to transform rough email drafts into polished emails. These features will initially be available to paying subscribers, with potential expansion to all users in the future. In addition to AI enhancements, Workspace is adding capabilities like customizable alerts in Sheets and support for tabs in Docs to streamline workflows and improve organization. The updates aim to enhance user experience and productivity for the millions of Workspace users worldwide.

Google Workspace gets new genAI pricing options, Vids app

Google Workspace has introduced new pricing options for generative AI features, allowing users to pay $10 per user per month to access features in Meet and Chat without a full subscription to its Gemini AI assistant. The AI Meetings and Messaging add-on offers various features such as generative backgrounds, video quality enhancements, and automated note-taking during meetings. Additionally, Google unveiled a new video creation app called Vids, which provides guidance for producing and editing video content for the workplace. These new offerings aim to provide more affordable access to AI features and enhance collaboration within Workspace.

Google Workspace coupon codes

The article provides information about Google Workspace, including how to contact support, the availability of a free trial, and what is included in the plans. It also offers hints and tips on signing up for the newsletter, following Google Workspace on social media, and using the Education Suite for students. Additionally, the article explains how to use a Google Workspace coupon code to enjoy savings when purchasing a plan.

Futuristic

What else is happening in the tech world we should know about?

Future Computing in Healthcare

The future is coming soon!

Blockchain Technology May Transform The Future Of Healthcare

Blockchain technology has the potential to transform healthcare by decentralizing data control, enhancing transparency, trust, and security. The United States Department of Health and Human Services has explored various use cases for blockchain in healthcare, such as supply chain transparency and securing medical records. While some are cautious about adopting this technology due to limited understanding and use cases, blockchain enthusiasts believe it can revolutionize data exchange and patient care in a safe and patient-centric manner.

Video Technology Can Reshape The Future Of Healthcare—If Used Responsibly

The article discusses how video technology can revolutionize healthcare by helping nurses spend more time caring for patients and less time on routine tasks. Data-driven video technology can alert nurses to falls, assist with patient transportation, and enhance safety by detecting potential conflicts. However, privacy concerns must be addressed through safeguards and legislation to ensure responsible use of this technology. The article emphasizes the importance of balancing regulation with innovation and collaboration between technology leaders and policymakers to maximize the benefits of video technology in healthcare.