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6 Artificial Intelligence Myths Debunked: Separating Fact from Fiction

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Artificial Intelligence is undoubtedly the buzzword of our time. Its popularity, particularly with the emergence of generative AI applications like ChatGPT, has brought it to the forefront of technological debates.

Everyone is talking about the impact of AI generative apps like ChatGPT and whether it is fair to take advantage of their capabilities. However, amid all this perfect storm, there has been a sudden surge of numerous myths and misconceptions around the term Artificial Intelligence or AI.

I bet you might have heard many of these already! Let’s dive deep into these myths, shatter them, and understand the true nature of AI.

 1. AI is Intelligent

Contrary to popular belief, AI isn’t intelligent at all. Most people nowadays do think that AI-powered models are intelligent indeed. This might be led by the inclusion of the term “intelligence” within the name “artificial intelligence”

But what does intelligence mean?

Intelligence is a trait unique to living organisms defined as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. This means that intelligence allows living organisms to interact with their surroundings, and thus, learn how to survive.

AI, on the other hand, is a machine simulation designed to mimic certain aspects of this natural intelligence. Most AI applications we interact with, especially in business and online platforms, rely on machine learning.

6 Artificial Intelligence Myths Debunked: Separating Fact from Fiction

These are specialized AI systems trained on specific tasks using vast amounts of data. They excel in their designated tasks, whether it’s playing a game, translating languages, or recognizing images.

However, out of their scope, they are usually quite useless…  The concept of an AI possessing human-like intelligence across a spectrum of tasks is termed general AI, and we are far from achieving this milestone.

2. Bigger is Always Better

The race among tech giants often revolves around boasting the sheer size of their AI models. Llama’s 2 open-source LLM launch surprised us with a mighty 70 billion features version, while Google’s Palma stands at 540 billion features and OpenAI’s latest launch ChatGPT4 shines with 1.8 trillion features. However, the LLM’s amount of billion features doesn’t necessarily translate to better performance.

The quality of the data and the training methodology are often more critical determinants of a model’s performance and accuracy. This has already been proved with the Alpaca experiment by Stanford where a simple 7 billion features powered Llama-based LLM could tie the astonishing 176 billion features powered ChatGPT 3.5.

So this is a clear NO!

Bigger is not always better. Optimizing both the size of LLMs and their corresponding performance will democratize the usage of these models locally and allow us to integrate them into our daily devices.

3. Transparency and Accountability in AI

A common misconception is that AI is a mysterious black box, devoid of any transparency. In reality, while AI systems can be complex and are still quite opaque, significant efforts are being made to enhance their transparency and accountability. Regulatory bodies are pushing for ethical and responsible AI utilization. Important movements like the Stanford AI Transparency Report and the European AI Act are aimed to prompt companies to enhance their AI transparency and provide a basis for governments to formulate regulations in this emerging domain?.

Transparent AI has emerged as a focal discussion point in the AI community, encompassing a myriad of issues such as the processes allowing individuals to ascertain the thorough testing of AI models and understanding the rationale behind AI decisions. This is why data professionals all over the world are already working on methods to make AI models more transparent.

So while this might be partially true, it is not as severe as common though!

4. Infallibility of AI

Many believe that AI systems are perfect and incapable of errors. This is far from the truth. Like any system, AI’s performance is contingent on the quality of its training data. And this data is often, not to say always,  created or curated by humans.

If this data contains biases, the AI system will inadvertently perpetuate them.

An MIT team’s analysis of widely-used pretrained language models revealed pronounced biases in associating gender with certain professions and emotions. For example, roles such as flight attendant, or secretary were mainly tied to feminine qualities, while lawyer and  judge were connected to masculine traits. The same behavior has been observed emotion-wise. Other detected biases are regarding race. As LLMs find their way into healthcare systems, fears arise that they might perpetuate detrimental race-based medical practices, mirroring the biases inherent in the training data.

It’s essential for human intervention to oversee and correct these shortcomings, ensuring AI’s reliability. The key lies in using representative and unbiased data and conducting algorithmic audits to counteract these biases.

5. AI and the Job Market

One of the most widespread fears is that AI will lead to mass unemployment.

History, however, suggests that while technology might render certain jobs obsolete, it simultaneously births new industries and opportunities. For instance, the World Economic Forum projected that while AI might replace 85 million jobs by 2025, it will create 97 million new ones.

 6. The AI Takeover

The final and most dystopian one. Popular culture, with movies like The Matrix and Terminator, paints a grim picture of AI’s potential to enslave humanity.

While influential voices like Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have expressed concerns, the current state of AI is far from this dystopian image.

Today’s AI models, such as ChatGPT, are designed to assist with specific tasks and don’t possess the capabilities or motivations depicted in sci-fi tales.

So for now… we are still safe!

Main Conclusions

In conclusion, as AI continues to evolve and integrate into our daily lives, it’s crucial to separate fact from fiction.

Only with a clear understanding can we harness its full potential and address its challenges responsibly. Myths can cloud judgment and impede progress.

Armed with knowledge and a clear understanding of AI’s actual scope, we can move forward, ensuring that the technology serves humanity’s best interests.

Source: 6 Artificial Intelligence Myths Debunked: Separating Fact from Fiction – KDnuggets

The 10 Biggest Cloud Computing Trends In 2024 Everyone Must Be Ready For Now

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Worldwide, spending by businesses on cloud computing infrastructure is forecast to top $1 trillion for the first time in 2024. This will be driven by factors such as a growing need to adopt new platforms and as-a-service offerings, including artificial intelligence (AI) services.

This is because, in 2024, businesses are looking beyond the time-and-money-saving opportunities of cloud migration. Emerging use cases across all industries make it clear that it can often be the key to becoming more innovative, agile and successful.

For many businesses, there will still be significant challenges – often revolving around security and data protection issues. However, new models that seek to offer best-of-all-worlds solutions, like hybrid cloud and federated cloud systems, will continue to break down barriers.

In 2024, cloud will continue to be a dynamic and exciting driver of innovation and opportunity. Here’s my overview of what will be the most significant trends in this field.

AI As-A-Service

Hybrid And Multi-Cloud

The number of large organizations with a multi-cloud strategy (i.e., they buy cloud services from more than one provider) is predicted to rise from 76% to 85% during 2024. It offers cost and flexibility advantages but adds complexity to data governance and integration with legacy systems. Multi and hybrid cloud (mixing cloud with on-premises infrastructure) are advanced infrastructure solutions that will continue to grow in popularity as organizations seek to balance security with flexibility and pick and choose the services they need.

Real-Time Cloud Infrastructure

During 2024, organizations will increasingly look to leverage real-time data in order to get up-to-the-minute insights rather than acting on outdated, stale information. At the same time, more and more of the data we consume will come in the form of streamed data – movies and music from Netflix and Spotify, video data from Zoom or Teams calls, and new forms of streamed entertainment such as cloud gaming. This means data storage that prioritizes instant access, such as Flash and solid-state storage devices, will become increasingly in demand by cloud customers.

Cloud-Driven Innovation And Transformation

As well as AI mentioned above, adopting cloud computing technology can be a gateway to many other transformative technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and quantum computing. By eliminating the need to invest directly in architecture and infrastructure, businesses are able to launch quick-win/fail-fast initiatives to evaluate the benefits of emerging technologies more easily than ever in 2024, thanks to cloud computing.

Cloud Security And Resilience

Encryption, authentication and disaster recovery are three functions of cloud computing services that will be increasingly in demand as we face up to the evolving threat landscape of 2024. Data thefts and breaches are increasing in frequency and severity as hackers develop new AI-powered forms of attack, and any system that has to be accessible to a human is always going to be at risk from social engineering attacks. This means security and resilience are high on the agenda of all cloud providers and customers.

Sustainable Cloud Computing

The big cloud service providers have all made net-zero commitments, not just for their own operations but in order to help customers who use their services to reduce their carbon footprints. Amazon has pledged to achieve zero emissions by 2040, and Microsoft aims to beat this by ten years. Along with Google, they have also all stated their intention to generate 100 percent of the energy used in their operations from renewable sources. Whether they make it remains to be seen, but the push for greener and less environmentally impactful cloud computing will be a strong trend in 2024.

Simplified Cloud Computing

Today, low-code/ no-code tools are opening up the possibility for non-technical people to create applications that previously would have required trained software engineers. Likewise, cloud providers are leveraging drag-and-drop interfaces and natural language tools to eliminate the need for advanced technical skills and “democratize” the deployment and management of cloud services and infrastructure.

Privacy In The Cloud

Cloud privacy refers to the ongoing development of technological, regulatory and legislative solutions designed to help businesses leverage cloud while ensuring their customers can trust that their data is fully protected. When a business uses a cloud service, it generally involves passing data to a third party – usually the cloud service provider. Managing the privacy implications of this will continue to be an important theme in cloud computing during 2024.

Serverless And Pay-As-You-Go Cloud

Serverless is a model of cloud computing service that eliminates the need for businesses to manage their own servers. While a typical cloud service might charge the business for the number of servers that they want to host their infrastructure on, under a serverless model, the business simply pays for the resources they directly use. This drives efficiency by eliminating the need to pay for servers even when they are not in use and frees up the business’s time to spend on their core activities.

Edge Computing Everywhere

Edge computing is a cloud-related paradigm in which information is processed as close as possible to the location where it’s collected. An example might be a wearable real-time heart monitor designed to pick up arrhythmias. As most of the data it collects would be “normal” heart rhythms, sending it all to the cloud for analysis, then back to the user to tell them everything is fine, would be a waste of bandwidth. Analyzing the data on the device itself eliminates this cost and also means the user can be alerted more quickly if anomalous data is detected. In 2024, smaller, more power-efficient processors, more memory-efficient algorithms, and advanced networks like 5G all contribute to making edge increasingly viable for a growing number of applications.

Source: The 10 Biggest Cloud Computing Trends In 2024 Everyone Must Be Ready For Now (forbes.com)

How are cybersecurity firms adapting to gen AI

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Cybersecurity firms are increasingly looking at integrated platforms to provide holistic online security for both for their B2B and end users as disconnected point tools struggle to support enterprise security requirements

The main reason that cybersecurity companies give for focusing on development of integrated platforms is that they make it easier for companies to provide a comprehensive solution to a problem that is “categorised by its complexity and constant evolution” says Kartik Shahani, Country Manager, Tenable India.

What are integrated cybersecurity platforms?

Integrated platforms provide solutions to this problem. A 2020 IBM survey found that organisations deploy approximately 45 solutions on average, with most requiring coordination across 19 security tools.

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Integrated cybersecurity platforms “equip security teams with a holistic view of the entire attack surface and amalgamates diverse elements, including vulnerability management, cloud security, web app security, identity security, and attack surface management,” Shahani says.

Essentially, integrated platforms are better equipped at identifying threats, filling gaps in security, and mitigating threats due to the ability to collate and use information gathered from different areas of a network.

These platforms offer consolidated risk insights, exposure analytics, prioritises risk, recommends remediation strategies, and quantifies the reduction of cyber risk, he added.

Use of cloud-based computing has further allowed cybersecurity firms to provide access to their integrated platforms without requiring users to upgrade their systems. Integrated platforms from most firms have been designed to be easily integrated into organisation’s existing tech stacks, while also allowing customisations based on the user’s needs.

In some cases, “customers are beginning to pay on consumption basis rather than a subscription,” Binod Singh, CEO and Chairman, Cross Identity said.

Why are enterprises increasingly shifting to integrated platforms?

Integrated platforms are also increasingly finding takers in businesses due to their economic advantage, the lack of skilled personnel to manage security apparatus, and improved visibility of gaps in security for enterprises.

Businesses looking to cut costs may pivot to integrated platforms as there is minimal overlap in the implementation and identification of security products. Further, the use of integrated platforms also allows enterprises to sidestep the problem of hiring cybersecurity experts, which can be a problem due to the lack of skilled personnel in the domain.

Are platforms the future of cybersecurity?

With the benefits of integrated platforms, B2B organisations with complex IT environments are increasingly adopting unified platforms for monitoring and responding to security threats.

“B2B organizations are embracing integrated cybersecurity systems because they provide robust protection, simplify management, offer cost savings, adapt to changing needs, support regulatory compliance, and enhance the ability to respond to threats quickly and effectively,” Ritesh Chopra, Director Sales & Field Marketing, India and SAARC Countries, Norton, said.

Small and medium-sized enterprises in India with a view to restrict expenditure, which earlier involved adopting multiple points solutions on individual licenses or subscriptions, are now increasingly turning to integrated platforms.  The adoption of these platforms is aimed at bolstering security posture in accordance with the laws of the land without the overwhelming costs and complexities associated with managing multiple standalone security tools.

An of integrated cybersecurity platforms has its benefits for enterprises, it poses a challenge for startups in the cybersecurity space which may struggle to finding the right constellation of cybersecurity experts to develop all the features needed be truly comprehensive. “Most often, the best experts are specialized in topics such as threat intelligence, malware analysis, application security, data loss prevention, network security, vulnerability management, AI, privacy, etc. Thers is also a shortage of these experts on the market, which indeed presents a challenge to startups,” Chopra said.

For the end users, integrated platforms allow cybersecurity companies to present users with an all-round security solution, which while may not be a silver bullet, ensures protection across devices which may not be possible with point security solutions.

Source: How are cybersecurity firms adapting to gen AI – The Hindu

Here’s Everything You Can Do With Copilot, the Generative AI Assistant on Windows 11

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Despite plenty of misgivings, artificial intelligence—and in particular, generative AI that produces text and images from prompts—continues to be pushed into the hardware and software we use every day.

Microsoft has been active in the space, adding AI chatbot capabilities to its Bing search engine earlier this year, and it’s now previewing an early version of its new Copilot AI assistant in Windows 11.

Copilot has been built to “enhance your creativity and productivity,” Microsoft says, and it works in a similar way to Bing’s chatbot—capable of coming up with everything from travel advice to an original poem.

To get Copilot in Windows 11, make sure you’re running the very latest version of the operating system: Head to Windows Update in Settings to check (you might need to turn on the Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available toggle switch).

By default, you should see a Copilot button on the taskbar, which you can click to launch it (head to Personalization then Taskbar in Settings if you want to change this). You can also launch Copilot with the Win+C keyboard shortcut, or via the Start menu.

Text and Image Generation

If you’re completely new to generative AI, just dive in and try something: You can tell Copilot to compose a short poem, an introduction to a cover letter, or text for an email to a coworker. When you start a new chat, you’ll see you can choose between More Creative, More Balanced, and More Precise conversation styles, just like Bing Chat on the web—so you can tweak how imaginative Copilot gets with its responses.

You’re not just limited to generating text though, because you can ask Copilot questions as well. Thanks to its links to Bing and the web, it can tell you about the must-see sights in a particular place, give you cooking and recipe tips, or offer advice on the best ways to fix a DIY problem around the home. You’ll see that the responses come with links to where the information has been sourced from online.

Screenshot of Copilot on Windows 11

After each response from Copilot, you’ll be given a list of suggested ways to continue the conversation, or you can come up with your own follow-up questions. If you want to start over again, click the New topic button (the blue bubble) at the bottom. Meanwhile, hover over any Copilot output with the cursor and you’ll see you can copy the text (as well as give feedback on how good the response was).

Copilot can code, too. Tell it what you want your code to do, and which language you want it in, and you’ll get formatted code back in return that you can copy and paste elsewhere. As with everything else that the AI bot does, you can ask for edits and tweaks to the original response, without having to start again from scratch.

Screenshot of Copilot on Windows 11

Thanks to Dall-E integration, Copilot is able to generate images as well. Tell it what you want a picture of, and in what style, and after a few moments you’ll get a choice of four options—together with follow-up ideas you can use to change the output (you might want to take something out of the scene or add something in, for example, or change some of the colors used).

Click on any image to see it full size and download it—these links actually open up on the web, showing how closely Copilot is currently linked to Bing Chat. There’s also an Add an image button in the input box, which you can use to upload pictures: Copilot can tell you about what’s in the picture, or use it as the basis of a new image.

Windows 11 Functions

Everything we’ve talked about so far matches what Bing Chat can already do on the web, and it’s really the integration with the Windows 11 operating system itself that sets Copilot apart. This is also the functionality that’s newest and still under construction—bear in mind that you’re using an early preview version of Copilot.

One basic task that Copilot is able to do is open up programs for you—just type “open” followed by the app name, and your bidding is done (you will see a confirmation dialog first, which seems somewhat redundant). Click on the microphone button in the input box, and you can speak out your requests instead, which you might find easier.

Screenshot of Copilot on Windows 11

As well as opening the apps in question, Copilot can also tell you how to use them or help with troubleshooting problems. A few suggestions along these lines will pop up every time you open up a program in Windows 11, so it can be a useful way of exploring what a particular software tool can do for you.

A variety of Windows 11 commands work in Copilot as well: Try “mute volume” for example, though it seems a rather convoluted way of doing it compared with just tapping an icon or pressing a button on your keyboard. Again, you’ll get a prompt dialog on screen, to make sure the AI bot is exactly sure about what it is you want to do

MICROSOFT VIA DAVID NIELD

Other commands that work include “turn on do not disturb” and “turn on dark mode,” which both save you a trip through the Settings screens. Speaking of Settings, you can ask Copilot to bring up a particular options screen—relating to Wi-Fi, for example, or changing the configuration of the Start menu—and it’ll appear in a second or two (together with related instructions about how to use it).

What Copilot can’t do yet is much inside your programs—even the ones developed by Microsoft. For it to be a truly useful digital AI assistant, it would be helpful for it to be able to view and manipulate elements inside apps: Right now, this only works with Edge, and you can enable this by clicking the three dots (top right), then Settings, and turning on the Let Copilot in Windows use Microsoft Edge content toggle switch.

Source: Here’s Everything You Can Do With Copilot, the Generative AI Assistant on Windows 11 | WIRED UK

These Are the Top Five Cloud Security Risks, Qualys Says

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Cloud security specialist Qualys has provided its view of the top five cloud security risks, drawing insights and data from its own platform and third parties.

The five key risk areas are misconfigurations, external-facing vulnerabilities, weaponized vulnerabilities, malware inside a cloud environment, and remediation lag (that is, delays in patching).

The 2023 Qualys Cloud Security Insights report (PDF) provides more details on these risk areas. It will surprise no-one that misconfiguration is the first. As long ago as January 2020, the NSA warned that misconfiguration is a primary risk area for cloud assets – and little seems to have changed. Both Qualys and the NSA cite misunderstanding or avoidance of the concept of shared responsibility between cloud service providers (CSP) and cloud consumers is a primary cause of misconfiguration.

“Under the shared responsibility model,” explains Utpal Bhatt, CMO at Tigera, “CSPs are responsible for monitoring and responding to threats to the cloud and infrastructure, including servers and connections. They are also expected to provide customers with the capabilities needed to secure their workloads and data. The organization using the cloud is responsible for the protection of workloads running in the cloud. Workload protection includes secure workload posture, runtime protection, threat detection, incident response and risk mitigation.”

While CSPs provide security settings, the speed and simplicity of deploying data to the cloud often lead to these controls being ignored, while compensating consumer controls are inadequate. Misunderstanding or misusing the delineation of shared responsibility leaves cracks in the defense; and Qualys notes “these security ‘cracks’ can quickly open a cloud environment and expose sensitive data and resources to attackers.”

Qualys finds that misconfiguration (measured against the CIS benchmarks) is present in 60% of Google Cloud Platform (GCP) usage, 57% of Azure, and 34% of Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Travis Smith, VP of the Qualys threat research unit, suggests, “The reason AWS configurations are more secure than their counterparts at Azure and GCP can likely be attributed to the larger market share… there is more material on securing AWS compared to other CSPs in the market.”

The report urges greater use of the Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks to harden cloud environments. “No organization will deploy 100% coverage,” adds Smith, “but the [CIS benchmarks mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques] should be strongly considered as a baseline if organizations want to reduce the risk of experiencing a security incident in their cloud deployments.”

The second big risk comes from external facing assets that contain a known vulnerability. Cloud assets with a public IP can be scanned by attackers looking for vulnerabilities. Log4Shell, an external facing vulnerability, is used as an example. “Today, patches exist for Log4Shell and its known secondary vulnerabilities,” says Qualys. “But Log4Shell is still woefully under remediated with 68.44% of detections being unpatched on external-facing cloud assets.”

Log4Shell also illustrates the third risk: weaponized vulnerabilities. “The existence of weaponized vulnerabilities is like handing anyone a key to your cloud,” says the report. Log4Shell allows attackers to execute arbitrary Java code or leak sensitive information by manipulating specific string substitution expressions when logging a string. It is easy to exploit and ubiquitous across clouds.

“Log4Shell was first detected in December 2021 and continues to plague enterprises globally. We have detected one million Log4Shell vulnerabilities, with a mere 30% successfully fixed. Due to complexity, remediating Log4Shell vulnerabilities takes, on average, 136.36 days (about four and a half months).”

The fourth risk is the presence of malware already in your cloud. While this doesn’t automatically imply ‘game over’, it will be soon if nothing is done. “The two greatest threats to cloud assets are cryptomining and malware; both are designed to provide a foothold in your environment or facilitate lateral movement,” says the report. “The key damage caused by cryptomining is based on wasted cost of compute cycles.”

While this may be true for miners, it is worth remembering that the miners found a way in. Given the efficiency of information sharing in the dark web, that route is likely to become known to other criminals. In August 2022, Sophos reported on ‘multiple adversary’ attacks, with miners often leading the charge. “Cryptominers,” Sophos told SecurityWeek at the time, “should be considered as the canary in the coal mine – an initial indicator of almost inevitable further attacks.”

In short, if you find a cryptominer in your cloud, start looking for additional malware, and find and fix the miner’s route in.

The fifth risk is slow vulnerability remediation – that is, an overlong patch timeframe. We have already seen that Log4Shell has a remediation time of more than 136 days, if it is done at all. The same general principle will apply to other patchable vulnerabilities.

Effective patching quickly lowers the quantity of vulnerabilities in your system and improves your security. Statistics show that this is more effectively performed by some automated method. “In almost every instance,” says the report, “automated patching proves to be a more effective remediation path than hoping manual efforts will effectively deploy critical patches and keep your business safer.”

For non-Windows systems, the effect of automated patching is an 8% improvement in the patch rate, and a two-day reduction in the time to remediate.

Related to the remediation risk is the concept of technical debt – the continued use of end-of-support (EOS) or end-of-life (EOL) products. These products are no longer supported by the supplier – there will be no patches to implement, and future vulnerabilities will automatically become zero day threats unless you can otherwise remediate. 

“More than 60 million applications discovered during our investigation are end-of-support (EOS) and end-of-life (EOL),” notes the report. Furthermore, “During the next 12 months, more than 35,000 applications will go end-of-support.”

Each of these risks need to be prioritized by defense teams. The speed of cloud use by consumers and abuse by attackers suggests that wherever possible defenders should employ automation and artificial intelligence to protect their cloud assets. “Automation is central to cloud security,” comments Bhatt, “because in the cloud, computing resources are numerous and in constant flux.”

Source: These Are the Top Five Cloud Security Risks, Qualys Says – SecurityWeek

The Personal Benefits of Digital Transformation in Everyday Life

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Digital transformation is not limited to the world of business, it has also revolutionised our everyday lives. The persuasive use of digital technologies has brought about significant changes in how we communicate, access information, and carry out daily tasks. We would be a different society without it. In this blog, we will explore the personal benefits of digital transformation and how it has improved our lives in many ways.

Greater Convenience

Where would we be without digital transformation? It has quite literally changed our lives and how we live it. Many of us don’t even realise how prominent technology is in our everyday lives. We wake up to the alarm on our phone, communicate virtually and spend a lot of our time binge watching tv, listening to podcasts or being sucked into the latest video game. From the proliferation of phones to the increased use of AI in everyday life, we really do live in a technology-based world.

We have the ability to access a pool of information at our fingertips, any time, any place. Services and activities such as online shopping, online banking and food delivery apps, digital technologies have simplified and expedited many aspects of our daily routines. Tasks that used to require physical presence or manual processes can now be completed with just a few taps on a screen, saving us time and effort. Some may view it as laziness, but if the services are there to be me used, why not embrace them, and make the most of them?

Seamless Communication

Digital transformation has revolutionised the way we communicate with one another. It has enables to connect with anyone, regardless of geographical location. A hundred years ago, this would seem like the impossible. Platforms like email, social media, and instant messaging apps have transformed the way we stay in touch with friends, family, and colleagues.

The introduction to video conferencing tools have made remote collaboration and virtual meetings possible, facilitating seamless communication and collaboration across borders. This enhanced connectivity has fostered stronger relationships and improved productivity in both personal and professional spheres.

Access to Information

The digital age has adjusted access to information to the extreme. With search engines and online databases, we can instantly find answers to our questions, research topics of interest, and explore a vast array of knowledge. This easy access to information has empowered individuals to become lifelong learners, acquiring new skills and knowledge at their own pace. Digital platforms also provide opportunities for online education, enabling people to access educational resources and courses from renowned institutions around the world.

Personalisation and Customisation

Digital transformation has enabled a higher level of personalisation and customisation. For example, we have access to recommended music, tv shows and movies based on what we have previously engaged with. We also get customised adverts based on our interests and needs. This has allowed for businesses to gain new customers like never before. They can alter their content to fulfil the needs for specific demographics and psychographics, giving them the ability to expand their clientele.

This personalisation also extends to healthcare, where digital tools facilitate personalised treatment plans and remote monitoring, improving the quality of care and empowering individuals to take charge of their well-being.

Entertainment and Leisure

Due to digital transformation, our entertainment and leisure activities have been enriched. There is no way you can get bored anymore! Streaming services offer on-demand access to a vast library of movies, TV shows, and music, allowing us to enjoy entertainment anytime, anywhere. We can even download content so it can be accessed without Wi-Fi.

Social media platforms and online communities enable us to connect with like-minded individuals, share experiences, and discover new interests. People’s lives have been transformed by social media as we create identities based on what we see online and was resonates with us. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies provide immersive gaming and interactive experiences, blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds.

In conclusion, digital transformation has had a profound impact on our personal lives, bringing greater convenience, connectivity, and access to information. It has transformed how we communicate, access entertainment, and carry out daily tasks. While digital technologies come with their own set of challenges, the personal benefits they offer are undeniable, enhancing our lives and empowering us to navigate the digital age with ease and confidence.

The Advantages of Digital Transformation for Businesses

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For companies looking for ways to stay competitive and flourish in today’s rapidly evolving business environment, implementing digital transformation is now seen as an essential step. The term “digital transformation” describes the integration of digital technologies into various company operations, significantly changing how the firm runs and provides value to its customers. The process may demand a lot of money and work, but it’s worth it due to the benefits that it brings. In this blog, we will be discussing the main advantages and benefits that digital transformation can bring to your business.

Enhanced Operational Efficiency

operational efficiency is crucial for organisations to stay competitive and deliver exceptional products and services. Digital transformation plays a pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiency by streamlining processes and leveraging technology to automate tasks. Here are some key points elaborating on the benefits of enhanced operational efficiency through digital transformation:

  • Process streamlining – Businesses can find and get rid of inefficiencies in their processes thanks to digital transformation. Organisations may optimise operations, remove bottlenecks, and streamline processes by mapping out existing workflows and utilising technology solutions. This streamlining assures more efficient processes and decreases manual errors and delays.
  • Automation of Routine Tasks: Many business processes involve repetitive, mundane tasks that are prone to human error. Digital transformation allows organisations to automate these routine tasks, freeing up employees’ time and energy. Through the use of robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML), businesses can automate data entry, report generation, inventory management, and other repetitive tasks. Automation reduces the risk of errors, increases accuracy, and allows employees to focus on more critical and strategic activities, which enhances efficiency.
  • Improved Collaboration and Communication – Digital transformation facilitates enhanced collaboration and communication among employees, teams, and departments. Collaborative tools, project management platforms, and cloud-based document sharing enable seamless communication, knowledge sharing, and teamwork, irrespective of geographical locations. By adopting a collaborative work environment, organisations can improve cross-functional coordination, reduce duplication of efforts, and accelerate decision-making processes.

Embracing digital transformation as a strategic initiative paves the way for operational excellence and positions businesses for success in today’s digital age.

Improved Customer Experience

Digital transformation enables businesses to deliver enhanced customer experiences across multiple touchpoints. Through the use of data analytics, companies can gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, preferences, and needs. This data can then be leveraged to personalise interactions, provide targeted marketing campaigns, and offer tailored products or services. With digital channels and self-service options, customers can enjoy greater convenience and seamless interactions with businesses, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.

Expanded Market Reach

In an increasingly digital and interconnected world, expanding market reach is a key advantage of digital transformation for businesses. For example, digital transformation eliminates geographical barriers and enables businesses to connect with a global audience. Online platforms, websites, and e-commerce stores provide businesses with a 24/7 online presence, allowing customers from around the world to access their products or services. This expanded reach opens up new market opportunities and potential revenue streams beyond the limitations of physical locations.

It also opens doors for partnerships and collaborations with other businesses or influencers in the digital space. Through strategic alliances, businesses can access new markets, leverage complementary expertise, and expand their reach through co-marketing efforts. Collaboration with digital influencers or industry thought leaders can help amplify brand awareness and tap into their existing audience base, driving increased visibility and customer engagement.

Agile Decision Making

Businesses are able to rapidly make data-driven decisions due to the real-time data and analytics provided by digital transformation. Leaders can gain important insights into market trends, consumer behaviour, and operational performance with access to accurate and current information. Decision-makers are better equipped with this knowledge to react rapidly to shifting market dynamics, spot opportunities, and handle potential difficulties. As a result, companies are better able to adapt and change their plans, remaining competitive in the digital era.

Collaboration and connectivity

Digital transformation has revolutionised collaboration and connectivity within organizations, leading to numerous benefits for businesses. There are many advantages of this including seamless communication with organisations. collaboration platforms provide a centralised space where employees can share ideas, best practices, and lessons learned. This knowledge sharing fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement, leading to innovative solutions and approaches. Additionally, digital tools allow for real-time feedback and brainstorming, enabling teams to iterate and refine their ideas more efficiently.

Digital transformation has also facilitated the rise of remote work and flexible work arrangements. Cloud-based collaboration tools and communication platforms enable employees to work from anywhere, promoting work-life balance and attracting top talent. Remote work also opens up opportunities to hire global talent, further enhancing the diversity and expertise within teams. The flexibility provided by digital transformation tools contributes to employee satisfaction and productivity.

Summary

In conclusion, digital transformation offers numerous benefits for businesses willing to embrace the digital age. From increased operational efficiency and improved customer experiences to expanded market reach and agile decision making, the advantages are undeniable. While the journey may present challenges, organisations that successfully navigate the digital transformation process are well-positioned to thrive in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.

Use VoIP for your business’ Modern form of Communication

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The old communication methods that we all use and are extremely accustomed to were examined in the first piece, and it was stated why those methods just don’t function as well any more in the contemporary, prosperous world that we are fortunate enough to be living in. They no longer contribute to productivity, make efficient use of time, or fulfil their original intent. A change is necessary at this time.

Communication is unquestionably the most important piece of the puzzle that is your organisation. Regardless of the business you operate in, it is imperative that your staff always engages in effective and professional communication with both your clientele and one another. Customers want to be able to contact you whenever they need to in the modern world because there are no longer any established working hours.

The rest of this piece will go through modern communication tactics that could one day assist you and your team give clients better service.

VoIP – The modern replacement for traditional Telephony

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. You can make direct calls with VoIP from a computer or VoIP phone from any location. Even if you keep the same contact number that your customers are used to, calls are automatically redirected to various devices. You can pretend to be somewhere even though you are not thanks to this clever trick. We’ll go into more depth about this later.

The ‘office setting’, from anywhere

Using VoIP, you can project a particular image onto your clientele. With VoIP, your employees can appear to be at their workstations while actually being on the golf course, in a coffee shop, or at the in-laws for supper. They are constantly susceptible to some deception. Professionalism is achievable in even the most relaxed circumstances. By using VoIP, you may improve your professional standards to levels they have never been while keeping your customers unaware of any changes in how business is conducted. The same reliable firm’s phone number will still be used, and when someone answers, the standard “Hey,…., how may I help?” will be stated. For your clients, all of this is essential; consistency is critical since it builds their familiarity with and trust in your company as a whole and adds to its success.

Mobility

Since all conventional phone lines are ordinary phone lines, just one phone number has been issued to them. As you are aware, the Covid-19 pandemic’s ongoing impacts and its suffocating repercussions have surprisingly enhanced the appeal of remote work over the past year or so. If traditional connectivity is still utilised, your staff will need to memorise complex codes and keys to dial so that their device appears as the office number. This task takes a lot of time, and there is a lot of room for confusion and mistakes.

Relationships

We may all agree that voicemail is an excellent piece of technology, ostensibly allowing us to “never” miss a message, but it is unable to keep up with how we work in the modern office. VoIP is a better option because it allows you to decide where and for how long calls ring. You have complete control over how calls are received; for instance, you may want the first ring to originate from your workplace, the second from your home, and the third from your mobile. This gives you the opportunity to make a very specific promise to your clients: that you won’t ever miss one of their calls.

Reliability

No of the industry you work in, making promises to clients is perilous. If you make promises to customers, you must be very certain that you can keep them since doing otherwise could harm the reputation of your company as a whole or, even worse, cause you to lose revenue. By having the opportunity to direct your calls to specified locations, you can guarantee that a certain quality of service is delivered. Whatever the circumstance, there is never a reason for business to stop.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular business tools today. It is well known for being a major player in the Microsoft toolset. Microsoft Teams was first released in 2017, although it did not initially acquire popularity at the rate it has recently. However, due to the epidemic, Teams has now satisfied a demand that was desperately in need of being satisfied. With an astounding 250 million daily active users, it currently commands a significant global following. Teams is fully integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and makes it simple for your team to share files and organise work (if we listed all of its features, we’d be here all day). By consolidating all of your tasks in one easy-to-use spot, you can do away with internal emailing and lead your business into the future of work.

Meetings made easier by Teams

In the previous article, this was briefly discussed. In order to make room for everyone, meetings have generally been held in a drab office with a crowded staff. This may be the cause of the infrequent meetings that many organisation have had recently. The modern period has made it possible to have effective meeting settings, but that doesn’t even consider how difficult they might be for people who have a somewhat larger staff.

Teams Meetings allow you to choose a time that works for the attendees and instantly add it to their calendars, allowing you to plan a meeting in advance. It is a ground-breaking tool since it completely eliminates the hours it used to take to organise a time that worked with everyone’s busy work schedules. Microsoft Teams eliminates the concern of losing a critical team member or one who travels regularly for work by enabling your team to participate in meetings from any location in the world with an internet connection.

Since using these tools can be scary at first, consultation may be the best option if you don’t think you can do it on your own.

Being aware of how the workplace’s technology landscape is constantly changing is essential if you want your own business to prosper in the current era. You may rest easy knowing that your team is well-equipped with the skills and knowledge essential to not only execute their jobs well, but also progress your company, if you use the tried-and-true tactics that are acceptable for your business.

Quality IT Support

4TC take time to understand the daily challenges that your business faces. We then provide cost-effective tech solutions to these issues that will help you save time, protect vital data, and enable you and your staff to be more effective with your time management. Utilising your IT to its full potential is essential to guarantee that you and your business can thrive and grow into the future. If you would like to find out more on how 4TC Services can provide affordable tech management to your business, drop us an email or call us now for a full demonstration.

Get more from remote working with VoIP

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The classic office was permanently gone from the contemporary workplace only a few years ago. It is no accident that our reliance on technology has increased as it has developed quickly. A completely new mode of functioning has emerged as a result of this reliance. We all know that technology will develop and evolve in ways that the majority of us cannot fathom, but are you sure you’re constantly making the most of it to benefit from this evolution?

Any company in the world is free to invest money in the newest technology developments, but certain aspects of business operations must always remain the same. Communication is without a doubt one of the most crucial elements since a successful communication system is essential to the continued survival of every organisation today. The strict requirements of your clients must constantly be followed by all internal and external communication channels.

Our reliance on technology has led to a huge number of businesses marketing their goods as the best communication tools available. Now that we have a better understanding of some existing business communication practises, let’s get a sneak peek at some potential developments that could occur in the future.

The Conventional Method of Communication

Email

Email has steadily become the most significant corporate communication tool. Because it has been doing this since the 1970s, we could say that it is more than tried and tested. It has been successful in connecting the office as well as people and businesses all around the world since its creation. Rarely does technology have such a long shelf life. Email is a miracle, making it arguably the best method of business communication ever. The ability to transfer a crucial communication or document across an entire workplace and halfway around the world, with both recipients receiving it at the same time, was revolutionary in the 1970s. In contrast to today, when instant texting, simple video conferencing, and other technological marvels are ubiquitous, communication techniques were still developing in the 1970s. Though the question is no longer “Wow, how amazing is email? “, but rather “Is email good enough?

While it wasn’t always the case, most of the emails we get on a daily basis these days are simply not valuable enough. In today’s workplace, they are typically ineffective, time-consuming, and distracting. There is no place in business for scrolling through multiple pages of spam to find the vital ones.

Email can be tiresome at times; you might have to exchange messages back and forth for hours before you finally get to the point. Whatever the reason, as we have indicated, squandering time at work nowadays is unpleasant.

The phone

Since the phone was first created, not much has changed, and its significance in the workplace hasn’t altered either. Nothing beats interacting with your clients while using your tone of voice and deliberate word choice, as you are definitely aware. These approaches are almost usually much more efficient than sending an email. The phone is still not only the first but also by far the greatest option for a spontaneous encounter that is of the utmost necessity and urgency, even though there are fantastic alternatives for planned business meetings, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

Don’t go too far and quit using phones altogether when conducting business. There is just one option left since modern alternatives cannot be entirely rejected: a combination of the two.

It’s time to move on because landline technology is obsolete in compared to contemporary alternatives and can no longer significantly increase business productivity. There are no exceptions; if you want to manage a prosperous modern firm, you must always be reachable. Since everything is instantaneous and there is always someone else offering the same goods or services with the promise of being cheaper or of higher quality, customers are no longer the trustworthy, dependable group they once were. They are now much more erratic than they were before. Does conducting research actually violate morality? In other words, your clients will go somewhere else if they can’t get in touch with you. The worst conceivable way to begin your connection is when a new prospective client tries to contact you but is unable to do so. If you are not constantly reachable by phone for any reason, the connection between you, your suppliers, and your customers may break, which could lead to the failure of your firm.

Meetings

Meetings are now different in kind. Everyone can recall the days when the boss would assemble everyone in one location around a desk and whiteboard while someone took minutes. Typically, this included a time-consuming process that was repeated repeatedly. It seems sense that since these types of gatherings have a negative past, they are more likely to occur under difficult conditions or when there is a particular motive for them. With the proper technology in place, businesses may embrace a new solution that eliminates the time and effort needed to schedule meetings. Many organisations today may struggle to find a day and time that works for their huge staff.

In the article that follows, we’ll take a closer look at a few of the numerous modern communication techniques that are currently in use and examine how, when used effectively, they can completely transform your business’s communication capabilities and propel you into a much more prosperous future with carefully chosen technology at the core of your company’s success.

Quality IT Support

4TC take time to understand the daily challenges that your business faces. We then provide cost-effective tech solutions to these issues that will help you save time, protect vital data, and enable you and your staff to be more effective with your time management. Utilising your IT to its full potential is essential to guarantee that you and your business can thrive and grow into the future. If you would like to find out more on how 4TC Services can provide affordable tech management to your business, drop us an email or call us now for a full demonstration.

Get more from remote working with MS Teams – The Other Features

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In the previous article, we discussed using Microsoft Teams to your fullest potential when working remotely. In that article, we focused on Microsoft Teams’ messaging functionality. We’ll examine a few additional aspects that help it stand out as a top option for remote work in this article.

Video Conferencing

Because they enable up to 1000 active meeting participants and an incredible 10,000 in “watch only” mode, Teams’ exceptional video conferencing features are generally acknowledged as a crucial contributor in the platform’s popularity. What are some of the best justifications for choosing Teams as your preferred video conferencing software?

Meetings with internal and external participants can be held

Teams provides many options for setting up and running video/audio meetings.

Meetings can be scheduled using the calendar app, which is accessed from the Teams window’s side. A helpful programme called “schedule aid” can be used to find a time when everyone can participate. The “meet now” buttons that are visible in chat threads and Teams channels give users the opportunity to start meetings immediately in case of an emergency.

Everyone, including people from outside your organisation who do not use Microsoft 365, may be invited to a Teams meeting. Simply provide their full email address, and Teams will send them a link to your meeting invitation so they can join.

Chat, screen sharing, file sharing, and group work on “virtual whiteboards”

Teams meetings involve a lot more than just talking into a camera.

A chat component can be added to each meeting you start. This can be used to share thoughts or concerns as well as essential files as the audio-visual discussion progresses.

In order to illustrate a subject, speakers may also permit audience members to share their screens with them. You may access this function from the main meeting control panel, as shown in the example below. This button can be used to distribute documents of all kinds, including PowerPoint presentations.

Meeting participants can contribute their thoughts in a collaborative manner in another way by utilising Microsoft’s user-friendly whiteboard technology. This effectively serves as a digital whiteboard and provides a free-form digital canvas for the exchange of ideas (without some of the practical limits).

‘Meeting Recap’ lets you review your meetings after the fact.

To make meeting analysis simple and help ensure that they are interesting and productive, Teams gathers shared files, meeting notes, attendance statistics, transcripts, and recordings in one place. Visit the meeting item in your Teams calendar after the event to find all the resources you need in one place. Just make sure they are on during the meeting if you want to use the tools for transcripts and recordings.

Using Microsoft Teams Phone for hosted VoIP

It is well known that Microsoft Teams offers video conferencing and chat tools. The platform’s capacity to act as a fully working commercial phone system is less widely known.

The majority of Microsoft 365 subscribers can access the “Microsoft Teams phone” service for an additional monthly membership charge; users of the 365 E5 plan get free access to the service.

So, how does it work?

Teams Phone integrates phone system features into the Teams UI, enabling Microsoft Teams to act as a portal to a feature-rich, hosted VoIP phone system. You can use the current technology (laptops, desktop computers, and mobile phones) to make and receive calls using the main contact number of your business.

Take your telephone system with you.

Customers, coworkers, and suppliers won’t be aware that you are on the phone while at work. Teams Phone offers all the features of an on-premise PBX without the limitations of permanent infrastructure. To transfer, forward, and hold calls in the same way as you would with a traditional phone system, use a single contact number.

Easily manage high call volume

Teams Phone comes with what are commonly referred to as “call centre features,” which ease the burden of handling high call volumes on your team and reduce the aggravation of incoming callers. You may reduce the work of call handlers and guarantee that incoming calls are always directed to the proper department by having the freedom to offer “self serve” options. With the “call queue” feature, you can distribute the workload of incoming calls among team members. You can also utilise the “call park” tool to temporarily pause a call if you need to transfer devices.

Infrastructure-light, heavy on features

Making use of “softphones,” Microsoft Teams Phone does not need the PBX servers or wiring infrastructure present in traditional phone systems because it is hosted in the cloud. Also, it functions with the gadgets you now use to access Microsoft Teams. Teams-compatible desktop phones are available for a more conventional phone system-like experience with the added benefit of video conferencing and chat functionality for a fully unified communication experience.

Conclusion

Because it combines intuitive instant messaging, feature-rich video conferencing, easy file sharing, the opportunity to incorporate your favourite apps and services, as well as the possibility to link your company phone system into the UI, Microsoft Teams is a truly unique communication platform. Consequently, if you’re still using a variety of technologies for business communications, why not ditch the clutter and switch to Microsoft Teams, a platform that can handle everything.

Consolidate apps with Microsoft Teams

4TC take time to understand the daily challenges that your business faces. We then provide cost-effective tech solutions to these issues that will help you save time, protect vital data, and enable you and your staff to be more effective with your time management. Utilising your IT to its full potential is essential to guarantee that you and your business can thrive and grow into the future. If you would like to find out more on how 4TC Services can provide affordable tech management to your business, drop us an email or call us now for a full demonstration.