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  • Redefining Enterprise Architecture in the AI Era: Insights from Saumya

    Saumya

    In the dynamic field of enterprise architecture, Saumya has emerged as a leading innovator, blending technical expertise and strategic vision to drive transformative business outcomes. With over 16 years of experience, Saumya exemplifies how thoughtful integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into enterprise systems can redefine organizational agility and efficiency.

    Bridging Strategy and Technology
    Saumya’s journey began in Odisha, India, where an early fascination with computers sparked a lifelong passion for problem-solving. From assembling hardware to programming, his curiosity evolved into a career dedicated to bridging technology and business strategy. After earning a degree in computer science during the 2008 recession, Saumya took on roles that placed him at the intersection of technical innovation and strategic impact.

    “I’ve always believed that technology is more than just a tool—it’s a strategic enabler,” he says. This philosophy has driven his career, enabling him to deliver high-stakes projects that align technology with business goals. At Salesforce, his initiatives drove over $30 million in annual revenue growth. At Edelman Financial Engines, his efforts led to $200 million in additional asset inflows. These achievements reflect his ability to turn strategic objectives into measurable results.

    Transforming Enterprise Architecture with AI
    AI has been central to Saumya’s approach to enterprise architecture. Recognizing AI’s potential to optimize processes, enhance decision-making, and modernize legacy systems, he has pioneered its integration into enterprise frameworks.

    At Salesforce, Saumya implemented predictive modeling to improve sales forecast accuracy and increase opportunity close rates. By embedding AI-driven insights into sales processes, he enabled organizations to transform inefficiencies into opportunities for growth.

    Similarly, at Edelman Financial Engines, Saumya led AI integration efforts that revolutionized customer engagement. A modular AI architecture reduced prospect response times from two days to two minutes, resulting in $54 million in asset inflows within three months. His leadership also boosted advisor productivity by 30%, demonstrating AI’s ability to harmonize speed, efficiency, and scalability.

    Overcoming AI Integration Challenges
    While AI offers transformative possibilities, its implementation comes with challenges. Saumya emphasizes the need to address both technical and cultural barriers for successful integration.

    “Legacy systems often lack the infrastructure needed for AI,” he explains. “Upgrades and re-architecting are crucial but must be balanced with organizational readiness.” Saumya also highlights the importance of data quality and model transparency, especially in regulated industries, where trust and compliance are essential.

    To navigate these challenges, Saumya adopts a collaborative approach, fostering partnerships between AI specialists and traditional development teams. “AI is only as powerful as the people who use it,” he notes, underscoring the importance of change management. His ability to align technical strategies with cultural contexts ensures seamless adoption and long-term success.

    Designing Future-Ready Architectures
    Saumya’s contributions go beyond immediate solutions, focusing on creating systems that adapt to evolving business landscapes. During his keynote at the 2024 Open Group Summit, he introduced a roadmap for integrating AI into enterprise systems. His approach emphasized modular architectures, optimized data pipelines, and predictive modeling, enabling organizations to respond proactively to market shifts.

    “AI is fundamentally changing how businesses operate,” Saumya says. “It allows us to predict trends, optimize workflows, and deliver personalized experiences at scale.” His strategies showcase how AI can be a catalyst for agility and innovation, transforming traditional enterprise systems into dynamic, adaptive frameworks.

    Driving Change Through Leadership
    Leadership is central to Saumya’s success. His ability to bridge technical and strategic domains positions him as a trusted advisor to C-suite leaders. At Salesforce, he conducted capability gap analysis, designed future-state architectures, and led workshops on data strategy and governance. These initiatives empowered stakeholders across all organizational levels to embrace AI-driven transformations.

    Saumya’s leadership philosophy emphasizes collaboration and proactive risk management. By fostering mutual understanding between teams and aligning AI initiatives with key performance indicators (KPIs), he ensures that innovations deliver measurable business value.

    Inspiring the Next Generation
    Beyond his technical contributions, Saumya is a dedicated mentor and thought leader. He has shared his expertise at prominent events like DREAMFORCE and The Open Group Summit, inspiring audiences to view technology as a driver of transformation. His presentations provide actionable insights, from leveraging Salesforce to optimize operations to using AI to enhance business agility.

    Looking ahead, Saumya is exploring the potential of generative AI to revolutionize customer engagement and sales performance management. “Generative AI can anticipate customer needs and streamline complex workflows,” he says. He is also focused on emerging technologies like federated learning and edge AI, which promise to address challenges such as privacy and latency.

    A Legacy of Innovation
    Saumya’s work exemplifies the profound impact of aligning technology with strategic goals. From driving revenue growth to fostering cultural change, his contributions have transformed how organizations navigate the complexities of digital transformation.

    In an era defined by rapid technological advancement, Saumya’s ability to combine technical acumen with strategic insight makes him a vital force in enterprise architecture.

  • SAP Reaffirms Its Commitment to AI-Driven Innovation at SIT Bengaluru 2024 with 1500+ Community – CRN

    SAP Reaffirms Its Commitment to AI-Driven Innovation at SIT Bengaluru 2024 with 1500+ Community – CRN

    SAP Labs India hosted its mega year-end SAP Inside Track (SIT) Bengaluru 2024, bringing together a large community of technologists, developers, architects, and business leaders to explore the transformative power of AI and digital innovation. SIT brings forth a platform for the community members to showcase the latest offerings from SAP, and help build bridges across the ecosystem of partners and customers. This event, held at SAP Labs India’s Whitefield campus, attracted 1500+ SAP end users, including representatives from organisations such as Capgemini, Bosch, Cognizant, AWS, ExxonMobil, EY, Deloitte, Google, IBM, LTIMindtree, PWC, Schneider Electric, Siemens Engineer, TCS, Wipro, and Yokogawa, among others. The event showcased SAP’s commitment to driving AI-led business transformation through over 100 hours of immersive content delivered by 100+ speakers.

    The agenda featured hands-on workshops, thought-provoking keynotes, and deep-dive sessions tailored to inspire new ideas and advance skills. Participation from institutions like Bangalore University, Christ University, FAU University from Germany, Krupanidhi Group of Institutions, Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education amongst many other further underscored the event’s global appeal.

    The SAP Expert Zone served as a dynamic, interactive space where participants engaged one-on-one with SAP specialists, explored live demos, and discovered cutting-edge tools designed to solve today’s business challenges. Key topics included SAP AI, cloud transformation, and customer-centric strategies, equipping attendees with actionable insights to enhance their projects and workflows. A standout feature of SIT 2024 was the SAP Business AI track, offering participants a deep dive into the latest advancements in Generative AI, SAP’s AI assistant Joule, and the democratisation of AI across the SAP ecosystem. Experts demonstrated how AI is revolutionising business processes with unified setups, enhanced extensibility, and innovative solutions that deliver measurable success across industries. Adding to the innovation narrative was SAP Build, the go-to platform for SAP Extensions, App Development, and Automations, playing a pivotal role in achieving Clean Core goals by minimising customisations and reducing the total cost of operations.

    Further, SAP Build empowers businesses to modernise applications, foster innovation, and automate processes within a single suite of tools. This comprehensive approach enables organisations to outperform business KPIs across key functions like HR, Finance, Procurement, and IT.

    This dialogue helped the audience to witness a 360-degree view of partner and customer journeys. Speaking on the occasion, Sindhu Gangadharan, MD, SAP Labs India, and Chairperson, nasscom said, “SAP Inside Track is a vibrant celebration of the thriving SAP community in India. Driven by the people, for the people, it fosters collaboration, learning, and innovation. This edition highlights cutting-edge AI advancements, offering fresh insights into leveraging AI for business success. As a platform, it empowers end users to forge meaningful connections, stay updated on the latest SAP offerings, and get an outlook of SAP’s AI roadmap. Together, we are building a powerful community dedicated to nurturing the next generation of SAP experts and driving impactful contributions to the business world”.

    Valued customer Vishesh Kaul, CIO of Prestige Constructions, and partner, Saraswathi Kasturirangan, Chief Happiness Officer and Board Member, Deloitte South Asia joined the keynote to share their transformation journey, industry insights on AI, and the long-standing partnership with SAP.

  • Accelerating Outcomes: The Impact of Qlik’s Technology on Accenture’s GenWizard

    Qlik’s technology ensures the real-time, reliable data movement essential for trusted, tangible AI outcomes

    LAS VEGAS, NV:  Qlik®, a global leader in data integration, analytics, and AI, has been selected by Accenture to provide critical technology supporting GenWizard, Accenture’s comprehensive generative AI platform. By incorporating a Qlik data integration solution, GenWizard is set to deliver more accurate, timely, and valuable artificial intelligence (AI)-driven insights across various enterprise functions. This announcement comes during AWS re:Invent, Amazon Web Service’s (AWS) annual technology conference in Las Vegas, where Qlik and Accenture will jointly present how they’re eliminating barriers to AI adoption.

    GenWizard serves as an AI platform for enterprises, helping them scale AI across application management, infrastructure optimization, and software development. The platform enhances productivity, reduces operational costs, and enables smarter decision-making by using generative AI to automate processes and provide actionable insights. Qlik Talend Cloud will underpin GenWizard’s “event fabric,” ensuring seamless data movement across diverse systems to support reliable and responsive AI applications.

    “Strong partnerships are the cornerstone of meaningful innovation,” said David Zember, Senior Vice President, of WW Channels and Alliances at Qlik. “Our collaboration with Accenture highlights how trusted relationships drive transformational outcomes for customers. By combining Qlik’s real-time data integration capabilities with Accenture’s GenWizard platform, we’re enabling enterprises to scale AI initiatives and realize the full potential of their data. Together, we are reducing complexity, enhancing agility, and paving the way for AI success.”

    Qlik Talend Cloud is supporting GenWizard’s core values through:

    Real-Time Data Integration: Continuous data synchronization ensures that GenWizard maintains a real-time environment, essential for accurate AI predictions and insights. By reducing latency, the platform allows faster, more reliable decision-making across various enterprise functions​.

    Scalable, Flexible Architecture: Qlik’s technology integrates seamlessly across cloud and on-premises systems, enabling GenWizard to scale effortlessly across different environments. This adaptability is crucial for enterprises managing complex, evolving data environments​.

    Data Integrity and Security: Trusted data validation and security measures ensure that data processed by GenWizard is accurate, consistent, and compliant. This reliability is a key component in building trust in AI-generated outputs and maintaining data quality throughout the AI pipeline.

    Accenture’s GenWizard has been designed to help businesses harness the full potential of generative AI, integrating various use cases such as software modernization, infrastructure management, and enhanced data insights. For these AI applications to be effective, a sound data foundation is crucial. Qlik Replicate, part of Qlik Talend Cloud, solution streamlines data replication and ingestion, ensuring GenWizard can draw from a consistent, high-quality data pool across different sources.

    Accenture and Qlik will be showcasing the integration of Qlik’s data solutions with GenWizard at AWS re:Invent on December 2, 2024, at 4:00 PM at the MGM Grand, Chairmans 366. The session, titled “Eliminating AI Adoption Barriers: Moving From Hype to Empiric Success,” will feature speakers from both companies sharing insights on building real-time AI data pipelines, creating trusted data foundations, and optimizing AI outputs. Attendees will learn practical approaches to leveraging AI across their enterprises.

    For more details on this session and to schedule a meeting with Qlik’s team at AWS re:Invent, please visit this link.

  • Untether teachers from the front of the room with collaborative technology

    icon of a clockBy:

    Today’s students are digital natives who want engaging, interactive classroom experiences. They do not want to sit passively at their desks while teachers lecture in front of the class.

    To teach students more effectively, many schools and districts are modernizing their classrooms by equipping teachers with education technology, notebook computers, Wi-Fi access and other digital classroom tools, such as digital displays or interactive whiteboards.

    They are livening up their classrooms with multimedia lessons and enhancing student engagement through active learning activities. For example, educators can use laptops to show a video on the large classroom TV display or roam around the classroom and do small-group instruction.

    As most schools provide students with laptops, educators can take advantage of this by encouraging students to use them for independent learning or collaborating on group projects. After school, students can turn in assignments or ask questions through an online learning management system (LMS), and teachers can review the work and respond from their laptops.

    A survey by the American Federation of Teachers shows a whopping 97% of teachers use laptops, and 83% use them daily. It’s clear teachers have fully embraced educational technology for communication, planning, preparation, and instruction. Meanwhile, 74% of parents say educational technology has positively impacted their children’s learning, and 86% support the continued integration of technology in their children’s education.

    A teacher’s laptop is a central tool for modern education, and it should be thin, lightweight, and have a long battery life to support their teaching needs. A flexible tablet form factor also enables them to walk around the classroom and continue to teach.

    A two-in-one device — a laptop that doubles as a tablet, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Book4 360 — provides the flexibility and versatility teachers need.

    What is Galaxy Book4 360, and why is it ideal for education?

    Galaxy Book4 360, part of Samsung’s Galaxy Book4 Series, gives teachers a fully functional laptop and tablet, so they get the best of both worlds in one device. A 360-degree hinge enables faculty to convert the device from a laptop to a tablet — and back again.

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    The mobile device, which runs the latest Windows 11 operating system, features a fast Intel Core i5/i7 processor, a 15.6-inch screen, 16GB of RAM and 256GB/512GB of SSD storage.

    It’s fast and powerful enough for teachers’ needs inside and outside the classroom. The laptop allows teachers to design and build lessons and multitask outside the classroom. Inside the classroom, they can quickly access and simultaneously run multiple educational apps and websites without system lags or slowdown in performance.

    The 15.6-inch Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) display provides rich, colorful visuals. With the touchscreen display and a Samsung S Pen (not included but optional), teachers can jot down ideas or make annotations on the screen.

    Galaxy Book4 360 also features a high-resolution, 1080p wide-angle webcam with a high-quality microphone and AI noise cancellation, so teachers can record short video lectures and upload them to the LMS for students to review.

    Similarly, they can use the webcam to record class sessions and upload them to the LMS, so students who missed class or want to review lessons can watch them online.

    The laptop’s keyboard also includes a Microsoft Copilot key, allowing teachers to chat with the AI assistant to boost their productivity.

    3 key features Galaxy Book4 360 provides educators

    Here are three more key features Galaxy Book4 360 provides educators:

    1. Wireless casting

    Teachers can wirelessly share their laptop screens to large digital displays or interactive whiteboards from anywhere in their classrooms.

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    Teachers can show videos or presentations or have students attend a virtual field trip. They can also have guest speakers speak to students from anywhere in the world through a videoconference. In this scenario, teachers can mirror their laptop screen onto a TV for students to view the guest speaker while positioning the laptop’s webcam to allow the speaker to see the class.

    Teachers can also use their finger or S Pen to write on the Galaxy Book4 360’s touchscreen and project the content onto the classroom display, allowing them to annotate websites or graphics in real time.

    Using Samsung’s Screen Share app, teachers have the option of simply sharing their laptop screen directly to student devices in the classroom.

    2. Portable, thin and compact

    Galaxy Book4 360 is designed for mobility. Teachers can use it as a laptop on the teacher’s desk, then turn the device into a tablet and walk around the class, either for small-group or whole-group instruction.

    The two-in-one device is extremely thin and light — 13.7mm and only 3.2 pounds — making it easy for faculty members to roam around the room and teach.

    3. Long battery life and fast charging

    Galaxy Book4 360’s battery lasts up to 22 hours so teachers can teach and work all day on a single charge. But if the battery runs low, teachers can use a compact charger to charge the laptop up to 39% in just 30 minutes.

    Modernizing classrooms with Galaxy Book4 360

    Schools and districts are investing in educational technology to transform classroom instruction, prepare students for their future, and teach them technology and other important skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.

    With laptops and other digital tools, teachers can adopt a blended learning approach that goes beyond traditional lectures, incorporating multimedia activities and collaborative small-group projects.

    Two-in-one laptops like Samsung Galaxy Book4 360 enable teachers to create a dynamic, agile classroom experience and keep students active, interested and engaged in learning.

    Learn more about Samsung’s education technology, including interactive whiteboards. And learn how to create engaging and inclusive learning environments with interactive technology.

  • Driving Industry Transformation: Ishneet Kaur’s Impact on Energy Sector Innovation

    Ishneet Kaur

    Ishneet Kaur

    When it comes to light bulb moments of bright ideas, the spotlight shines on one of the energy sector’s rising innovators: Ishneet Kaur.

    “Innovation transcends introducing new technologies alone. Instead, this is about rethinking how we can transform our energy systems to meet future demands,” says Kaur, the director of innovation at National Grid Partners, the Corporate Venture Capital and Innovation arm of National Grid. This serves as one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the US—catering to more than 20 million people throughout New York and Massachusetts.

    Kaur’s role coincides with the rising trend within the energy sector, where innovation is no longer just a choice but a requirement. The energy industry is under increasing pressure to evolve as the world faces skyrocketing energy demand due to the rise of data centers and artificial intelligence (AI), increasing domestic manufacturing and electrification. A report by US Department of Energy predicts that electricity demand could increase between 15-20% in the next decade. Kaur’s work significantly contributes to this change.

    Bringing the Innovation Imperative to the Utilities

    Utilities are designed for safety and reliability, with the day-to-day operations being the primary focus. However, the electric industry is at an inflection point, where the focus on building for tomorrow is becoming as important as business-as-usual operations.

    To innovate, there is a need to adopt new technologies, tweak soft and hard incentives for utilities, and consider new business models. Innovation can be challenging because it is not a project or a technology. It is, fundamentally, a new way of thinking and doing business differently.

    What makes utilities unique is that they are regulated monopolies. To illustrate, utilities are not in direct competition with one another. This makes sharing best practices easier and collaborating in ways other industries cannot. In this aspect, specialists like Kaur have been able to make a significant mark across the US utility industry.

    Kaur’s dedication to industry-wide progress is displayed through her work on the Industry Innovation Survey. First conducted in 2021, it involved surveying 20 gas and electric utilities globally to foster cross-utility collaboration and provide valuable insights into budding energy technologies.

    Kaur recently published a renewed Utility Innovation Survey report, with input from 219 innovation leaders across the US utility industry. This one-of-a-kind report offers a comprehensive overview of current trends and future directions in the energy sector. Kaur presented this work to an esteemed audience of startups, utilities, regulators, and policymakers who are leading the charge on clean energy.

    Driving Growth with High-Value Strategic Projects

    As part of her role as director of innovation, Kaur has many responsibilities covering the end-to-end innovation process. Firstly, she leads the work on consolidating and providing an assessment of the existing innovation portfolio. As any big corporation knows, understanding the ongoing efforts across the organization is key to removing siloes, encouraging cross-collaboration across teams, and aligning them toward strategic goals.

    Understanding the current portfolio feeds into building innovation priorities for the next year, which ensures efficient resource use and enables the strategically aligned projects to have a clear route for scaling up. This is crucial, as startups can often get stuck in proof-of-concept (POC) purgatory.

    Kaur is also tasked with delivering high-impact strategic innovation projects. These projects involve developing new products and business models that wield emerging technologies to achieve strategic and financial goals.

    Charging Ahead: Kaur’s Vision for a Powered Tomorrow

    Kaur’s role embodies an advanced viewpoint that revamps how the energy sector handles the complexities of modern advancements. With each initiative—from dismantling silos to pioneering innovative projects—Kaur is helping drive the industry’s evolution.

    Through the facilitation of collaboration and shared insights, Kaur’s strategies are setting the pace for what comes next in a sector ready for industry-changing shifts. “We are not merely adapting to changes; we are bringing them. The future of energy demands audacious innovation and bold steps forward,” notes Ishneet Kaur.

  • 3000% Surge on API Attacks, Indusface’s Research on 1.26 Billion attacks in Q3, 2024 – CRN

    3000% Surge on API Attacks, Indusface’s Research on 1.26 Billion attacks in Q3, 2024 – CRN

    Ashish Tandon

    Indusface, a globally trusted Application Security SaaS provider serving over 5,000 customers in 95 countries, has unveiled its latest findings in the “State of Application Security Report” for Q3 2024. The report captures a critical shift in cybersecurity dynamics, with a marked increase in cyber threats, particularly those targeting APIs.

    As digital operations pivot increasingly towards API integration, the report documents over 1.2 billion attacks that include 271 million API attacks lastquarter.

    The study notes a remarkable 3000% increase in DDoS attacks on APIs compared to traditional web assets. API-focused attacks were also 85% more frequent than those on websites, revealing the heightened risk landscape for organisations relying heavily on API gateways, which are often underprepared for such sophisticated threats.

    Throughout the digital ecosystem, DDoS and bot attacks have increased substantially, with Indusface’sAppTrana Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) platform intercepting more than 377 million DDoS incidents and 215 million bot attacks in Q3 alone. This significant activity marks a 145% year-over-year increase in bot activity, with DDoS attacks affecting 60% of websites and bot-driven threats impacting 90%. This widespread prevalence underscores the critical need for advanced security solutions that are effective against these extensive threats.

    “Attackers have traditionally targeted industries using various methods like DDoS attacks and bots. However, we’re now witnessing an evolution in their tactics, with a focus on exploiting websites and APIs using diverse attack vectors. The rise of LLMs has significantly lowered the barrier for executing vulnerability attacks, as reflected in our data, which shows triple-digit growth in such incidents. Alarmingly, over 30% of critical and high-severity CVSS vulnerabilities remain unpatched even six months after discovery,” said Ashish Tandon, Founder and CEO of Indusface.

    “Over 60% of sites with open vulnerabilities subscribed to AppTrana, faced an onslaught of over 5 million hacking attempts against these vulnerabilities. We were able to successfully mitigate these using our SwyftComply feature. In the absence of our solution, these attacks could have potentially led to losses in the billions of dollars for our customers”. Added Ashish.

    The report also details the disproportionate impact of cyber threats on Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs), which suffer from a 175% higher rate of DDoS attacks per site compared to their larger counterparts, due to budget constraints. Over 354 million attacks targeted SMBs this quarter, underscoring the essential role of comprehensive, managed security solutions like AppTrana in protecting these businesses.

    Sector-specific trends reveal:
    Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI): Double the industry average in bot attacks, with financial data increasingly targeted for theft and fraud.
    Healthcare: Every healthcare site experienced bot attacks, exposing significant risks of credential abuse and data theft.
    Retail & E-commerce: Bot-driven attacks led to a 50% higher rate of vulnerability exploitation compared to DDoS attacks, indicating a broad spectrum of cyber threats.
    Power & Energy: The frequency of attacks quadrupled as attackers exploit lesser-regulated sectors for ransom-focused intrusions.

    The increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, particularly those targeting APIs, highlight the urgent need for advanced, managed security solutions. As these threats evolve, safeguarding digital assets across industries becomes paramount, underscoring the essential role of dynamic security strategies in the global cybersecurity ecosystem.

  • Innovations in Edge AI: Redefining Customer Experience

    AI and edge

    The integration of AI and edge computing is revolutionizing customer interactions across industries. Highlighting this transformative synergy,  Mayank Choubey, an accomplished technology innovator, examines how real-time responsiveness, enhanced privacy, and personalized engagements are redefining customer experience (CX). His analysis offers valuable insights into how these advancements are setting new benchmarks for industry excellence and innovation.

    The Shift to Localized Data Processing

    Edge computing marks a major shift from traditional cloud-based processing by enabling data analysis closer to its source, such as IoT sensors or smart devices. This approach reduces response times and enhances data security, overcoming latency and bandwidth challenges linked to distant data centers. With AI-powered decision-making at the edge, real-time responsiveness is ensured. This localized processing is crucial for industries handling sensitive information, as it bolsters user privacy and meets strict compliance standards.

    Optimized AI Models for the Edge

    A key challenge in deploying AI at the edge is balancing the need for computational power with the limited resources of many edge devices. Innovations in lightweight AI models have focused on maintaining efficiency without losing accuracy. Techniques like model pruning, quantization, and knowledge distillation help compress AI architectures for smooth execution on low-power devices. Adaptive computation further enables models to adjust complexity based on input and resources, ensuring strong performance across diverse hardware, from powerful edge servers to small IoT devices.

    Real-Time Personalization in CX

    Edge AI’s main appeal is its potential for real-time personalization. By processing data instantly, businesses can deliver context-aware and tailored experiences aligned with customer behaviors and preferences. In retail, smart mirrors can suggest products based on prior interactions and current choices, while AI-powered kiosks offer quick service and localized recommendations without cloud-related delays. This extends to hospitality and automotive sectors, with in-room voice assistants adapting to guest needs and in-vehicle AI systems providing real-time route updates and personalized entertainment, redefining convenience and user engagement standards.

    Enhanced Security and Privacy

    Processing data at the edge offers enhanced security by keeping sensitive information local, reducing the risk of breaches and unauthorized access associated with transmitting data to cloud servers. This local approach ensures personal data remains on the device, boosting user trust and compliance with data protection regulations. Additionally, edge devices improve reliability, functioning independently of internet connectivity. This resilience ensures continued operations during network interruptions, making it particularly valuable in environments where uninterrupted service is crucial. The combination of security and reliability enhances overall system performance and trustworthiness.

    Challenges and Considerations

    Despite its promising potential, implementing edge AI is not without challenges. Hardware limitations are a common hurdle, with edge devices often constrained by limited processing power and memory compared to centralized cloud servers. The deployment of sophisticated AI models on these devices requires careful optimization to strike the right balance between resource efficiency and functional accuracy.

    Moreover, integrating edge AI into existing customer experience infrastructures can be complex. Businesses that have invested heavily in cloud solutions must navigate the intricacies of creating a hybrid model that seamlessly connects edge, cloud, and on-premises systems. Effective strategies must ensure consistent data flow and functionality while training staff to manage these new systems.

    The Future Landscape

    The future of edge AI holds several promising developments. The rise of neuromorphic computing architectures modeled after the human brain could vastly improve the energy efficiency of edge AI systems, enabling more complex algorithms on smaller, more resource-constrained devices.

    Additionally, advancements in federated learning will bolster collaborative AI training across distributed edge nodes, ensuring data privacy and improving overall model performance.
    Ethical considerations must accompany these technological strides. Ensuring fairness, transparency, and minimizing algorithmic bias are crucial to deploying responsible edge AI solutions. As these systems become integral to daily life, embedding strong ethical practices into their design and implementation will be vital.

    In conclusion, exploring edge AI underscores a transformative phase in customer experience.  Mayank Choubey illustrates how real-time responsiveness, security, and personalization blend to create seamless, intuitive, and private interactions. As industries adopt these advancements, customer engagement standards will be redefined, offering tailored, context-aware experiences that align with modern user expectations. This evolution marks a new era where businesses can effectively meet customer needs.

  • Get Ready for Bigger, Bolder, AI-Driven Cyber-Attacks in 2025 – CRN

    Get Ready for Bigger, Bolder, AI-Driven Cyber-Attacks in 2025 – CRN

    Fortinet, has unveiled its 2025 Cyberthreat Predictions Report, offering critical insights into the evolving cyber-attack landscape. While adversaries continue to leverage classic tactics that have persisted for decades, the report predicts a shift towards more ambitious, sophisticated, and destructive strategies. Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) groups will become increasingly specialised, with attackers adopting playbooks that blend digital and physical threats to execute highly targeted and impactful attacks.

    Developed by FortiGuard Labs, the report examines the evolution of traditional attack methods, emerging trends shaping the future of cybercrime, and actionable recommendations for organisations to strengthen their resilience. It provides a forward-looking view of the challenges posed by a rapidly changing threat landscape and equips businesses with the insights needed to proactively defend against advanced cyber threats.

    Emerging Threat Trends to Watch for in 2025 and Beyond
    As cybercrime evolves, we anticipate seeing several unique trends emerge in 2025 and beyond. Here’s a glimpse of what we expect.

    More Attack Chain Expertise Emerges: In recent years, cybercriminals have been spending more time “left of boom” on the reconnaissance and weaponisation phases of the cyber kill chain. As a result, threat actors can carry out targeted attacks quickly and more precisely. In the past, we’ve observed many CaaS providers serving as jacks of all trades—offering buyers everything needed to execute an attack, from phishing kits to payloads. However, we expect that CaaS groups will increasingly embrace specialisation, with many groups focusing on providing offerings that home in on just one segment of the attack chain.

    It’s Cloud(y) With a Chance of Cyberattacks: While targets like edge devices will continue to capture the attention of threat actors, there’s another part of the attack surface that defenders must pay close attention to over the next few years: their cloud environments. Although cloud isn’t new, it’s increasingly piquing the interest of cybercriminals. Given that most organisations rely on multiple cloud providers, it’s not surprising that we’re observing more cloud-specific vulnerabilities being leveraged by attackers, anticipating that this trend will grow in the future.

    Automated Hacking Tools Make Their Way to the Dark Web Marketplace: A seemingly endless number of attack vectors and associated code are now available through the CaaS market, such as phishing kits, Ransomware-as-a-Service, DDoS-as-a-Service, and more. While we’re already seeing some cybercrime groups rely on AI to power CaaS offerings, we expect this trend to flourish. We anticipate that attackers will use the automated output from LLMs to power CaaS offerings and grow the market, such as taking social media reconnaissance and automating that intelligence into neatly packaged phishing kits.

    Playbooks Grow to Include Real-Life Threats: Cybercriminals continually advance their playbooks, with attacks becoming more aggressive and destructive. We predict that adversaries will expand their playbooks to combine cyberattacks with physical, real-life threats. We’re already seeing some cybercrime groups physically threaten an organisation’s executives and employees in some instances and anticipate that this will become a regular part of many playbooks. We also anticipate that transnational crime—such as drug trafficking, smuggling people or goods, and more—will become a regular component of more sophisticated playbooks, with cybercrime groups and transnational crime organisations working together.

    Anti-Adversary Frameworks Will Expand: As attackers continually evolve their strategies, the cybersecurity community at large can do the same in response. Pursuing global collaborations, creating public-private partnerships, and developing frameworks to combat threats are all vital to enhancing our collective resilience. Many related efforts—like the World Economic Forum Cybercrime Atlas initiative, of which Fortinet is a founding member—are already underway, and we anticipate that more collaborative initiatives will emerge to meaningfully disrupt cybercrime.

    Enhancing Collective Resilience Against an Evolving Threat Landscape
    Cybercriminals will always find new ways to infiltrate organisations. Yet there are numerous opportunities for the cybersecurity community to collaborate to better anticipate adversaries’ next moves and interrupt their activities in a meaningful way.

    The value of industry-wide efforts and public-private partnerships cannot be overstated, and we anticipate that the number of organisations participating in these collaborations will grow in the coming years. Additionally, organisations must remember that cybersecurity is everyone’s job, not just the responsibility of the security and IT teams. Implementing enterprise-wide security awareness and training, for example, is a vital component of managing risk. And finally, other entities have a responsibility to promote and adhere to robust cybersecurity practices, ranging from governments to the vendors that manufacture the security products we rely on.

    No single organisation or security team can disrupt cybercrime alone. By working together and sharing intelligence across the industry, we’re collectively better positioned to fight back against adversaries and effectively protect society at large.

  • Artificial Intelligence: Building Resilience in Global Supply Chains

    supply chains

    As global supply chain disruptions intensify, author  Madhusudan Sharma Vadigicherla, an expert in enterprise AI applications, examines how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fostering resilience in supply chains. This article highlights AI-driven innovations that address data overload, improve predictive accuracy, and enhance risk management within supply chain networks.

    Addressing Complexity with AI

    Modern supply chains are increasingly complex, often involving hundreds of interconnected systems. AI steps in to manage this complexity by sifting through vast amounts of data to identify patterns and trends. By processing supply chain data rapidly, AI reduces the burden on human analysts, improving operational efficiency and decision-making speed. This ability to handle vast data sets allows organizations to make sense of their operations in real-time, which is crucial in today’s fast-paced digital environment.

    Predictive Analytics for Demand and Inventory Management

    AI’s predictive power revolutionizes demand forecasting and inventory management by accurately anticipating demand shifts through analysis of historical data and real-time market trends. This capability enables companies to maintain optimal inventory levels, minimizing risks of shortages or overstock. With AI-driven demand sensing, supply chain managers can swiftly adapt to fluctuations, enhancing service quality while reducing costs tied to excess or insufficient inventory, thus achieving greater operational efficiency.

    Improved Forecasting with Regression Models

    AI improves forecasting accuracy by utilizing advanced regression models that identify relationships between key supply chain factors. By analyzing historical and real-time data, these models predict future trends with greater precision, effectively managing consumer demand volatility that traditional methods often miss. Consequently, AI-driven forecasts enable supply chain managers to make well-informed decisions, ensuring smoother operations, optimized inventory levels, and fewer disruptions, ultimately enhancing supply chain resilience and responsiveness.

    Real-Time Decision Making

    AI’s capacity for real-time decision-making marks a significant advancement in supply chain management. Through machine learning algorithms, AI autonomously handles tasks like reordering stock or adjusting delivery schedules based on live data inputs. This capability not only accelerates decision-making speed and accuracy but also enables instant response to market changes, minimizing delays, reducing stockouts, and upholding service levels to meet customer expectations effectively.

    Enhancing Resilience Through Supplier Network Optimization

    The resilience of supply chains depends heavily on the strength of supplier networks. AI aids in assessing supplier performance and identifying potential risks. By continuously analyzing supplier data, AI detects patterns suggesting future disruptions or quality issues, allowing companies to optimize relationships and ensure network stability and reliability.

    Combatting Fraud and Ensuring Compliance

    AI excels in fraud detection and compliance management, critical in global supply chains. By analyzing transaction data and supplier behaviors, AI identifies anomalies signaling potential fraud, enabling proactive measures. AI-powered systems also swiftly adapt to regulatory changes, ensuring compliance and reinforcing supply chain integrity across international standards.

    Integration of Biometric and Secure Authentication

    AI enhances supply chain resilience by securing data management and authentication. Advanced biometric and cryptographic systems provide secure access to sensitive information, critical for organizations managing data across platforms. This reduces unauthorized access risks, strengthens protection against data breaches, and increases trust in digital operations.

    AI’s Future Impact on Supply Chain Management

    AI’s role in supply chain management is set to deepen, with advancements in predictive power, autonomous decision-making, and fraud detection enhancing resilience and efficiency. As AI adoption grows, it will drive increased collaboration across supply chain networks, fostering innovation and providing companies with a competitive edge.

    In conclusion,  Madhusudan Sharma Vadigicherla emphasizes AI as essential for modernizing and strengthening global supply chains. Through advanced analytics, secure data handling, and predictive insights, AI equips organizations to tackle key challenges—from demand forecasting to fraud detection. As AI progresses, it is set to redefine operational resilience, guiding businesses through global complexities with confidence.

  • Transforming Banking and Clinical Research with Scalable SaaS Solutions

    Sid Parakh

    Enterprise SaaS solutions have revolutionized industries, enabling businesses to optimize operations, enhance decision-making, and achieve greater scalability. With a focus on data-driven transformation and compliance-centric engineering, experts like Sid Parakh are contributing to advancements in sectors such as banking and clinical research. Through innovative approaches, these professionals are addressing the unique challenges and opportunities these industries face.

    Leveraging SaaS to Address Challenges in Banking

    The banking sector faces increasing pressure to balance profitability with regulatory compliance and customer-centric strategies. SaaS solutions play a vital role in meeting these demands, offering tools for predictive analytics, risk management, and streamlined operations.

    During his tenure at Nomis Solutions, Sid Parakh contributed to the development of platforms that helped banks integrate data-driven insights into their decision-making processes. For example, tools like the Nomis Optimizer enabled institutions to align pricing strategies with profitability objectives. Such advancements demonstrate the potential of SaaS to bridge the gap between complex data systems and actionable business insights.

    Industry-wide, the adoption of scalable SaaS solutions has led to improvements in operational efficiency and risk-adjusted margins. By optimizing implementation processes, organizations can further maximize the value of these technologies, reducing delivery timelines and improving project outcomes.

    Transforming Clinical Research with Digital Innovation

    In healthcare, particularly clinical research, digital transformation is reshaping the landscape. The integration of SaaS platforms with advanced data analytics and connected devices offers opportunities to enhance trial efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and ensure regulatory compliance.

    At Medable, professionals like Parakh have been instrumental in developing tools that streamline clinical trial processes. For example, self-serve data transformation solutions have significantly reduced data processing times, enabling faster decision-making and improving data accuracy.

    Moreover, the integration of Bluetooth-enabled medical devices facilitates real-time patient monitoring, a development that is becoming increasingly critical in modern healthcare settings.
    According to industry reports, digital health solutions are growing annually by 10-15%, signaling the increasing reliance on scalable SaaS platforms to drive innovation in clinical trials.

    Meeting Scalability Demands in High-Pressure Environments

    Scalability remains a cornerstone of effective SaaS solutions, particularly in environments where uptime and reliability are non-negotiable. From financial institutions to eCommerce giants, businesses depend on scalable systems to handle high transaction volumes and dynamic operational demands.

    Drawing from his experience at Amazon, Parakh highlights the importance of robust architecture in supporting mission-critical systems. The ability to adapt SaaS principles to high-demand environments ensures these platforms can meet stringent service-level agreements while maintaining flexibility for future growth.

    Compliance and Trust: Cornerstones of SaaS Engineering

    The success of SaaS solutions in regulated industries like banking and healthcare hinges on their ability to meet rigorous compliance standards. Building systems that prioritize security, precision, and regulatory adherence fosters trust and operational reliability.

    Professionals in the field advocate for principles such as Precision Integration, which ensures seamless interoperability across enterprise systems. By embedding compliance into every stage of development, SaaS platforms not only meet but often exceed industry standards.

    The Future of SaaS in Banking and Healthcare

    Looking ahead, the potential for SaaS to drive innovation in banking and healthcare continues to expand. Advanced platforms capable of integrating predictive analytics with operational systems are poised to enhance decision-making and efficiency. In clinical research, SaaS solutions could accelerate drug development timelines and improve trial outcomes through enhanced data analytics and patient monitoring capabilities.

    As the demand for adaptable, compliant, and scalable solutions grows, the role of SaaS in addressing industry challenges will become even more significant. By leveraging the expertise of industry leaders and aligning innovation with operational rigor, organizations can harness the full potential of enterprise software to shape the future of their industries.