Welcome to this week’s “10 IT Cloud and Cybersecurity News updates” edition by CIO Influence. In this roundup, we bring you the latest developments from the tech giants that happened during the week. These updates offer valuable insights into the evolving digital landscape, from cybersecurity measures to technological innovations.
Intel Reports a $7 Billion Loss in Chip-making Operations
Intel’s foundry unit faces escalating operating losses. This marks a significant setback for the chip giant’s bid to reclaim its technological edge from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC). The company disclosed a $7 billion operational deficit for its manufacturing division in 2023, up from $5.2 billion the prior year, with revenue plummeting 31% to $18.9 billion.
The news triggered a 4.3% drop in Intel’s shares following its submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission. CEO Pat Gelsinger outlined plans to curb losses by 2027, attributing current challenges to past missteps such as forgoing ASML’s EUV machines. Intel aims to cut reliance on external manufacturers like TSMC while transitioning to EUV tools to enhance competitiveness. Despite setbacks, Intel pledges a $100 billion investment in US semiconductor facilities as part of a strategic overhaul to entice foreign clients and close the gap with rivals like TSMC and Samsung Electronics.
Also Read: Updates from Intel’s $8.5 Billion Deal with U.S. Commerce Department
Nvidia’s New SDK 2.4.0 and DLSS 3.7.0 Show Advancements reminiscent of DirectSR
Nvidia has rolled out Streamline SDK 2.4.0 and DLSS 3.7.0, as reported by the creator of DLSSTweaks on Reddit. Similar to Microsoft’s forthcoming DirectSR, Streamline enhances Nvidia’s upscaling capabilities. DLSS 3.7.0 introduces a new “Preset E,” touted for superior motion clarity over its predecessors, particularly Preset C. However, its “Alpha upscaling” feature necessitates manual integration into existing games.
The update also incorporates Nvidia plugins like DLAA and Real-Time Denoisers, emphasizing Nvidia’s broad support for various hardware features. This move mirrors AMD’s separation of Frame Generation from FSR 3 upscaling, indicating a trend toward collaboration with other graphics solutions ahead of DirectSR’s wider adoption. DLSSTweaks emerges as a crucial tool for Nvidia GPU users seeking to optimize DLSS settings, highlighting its utility in exploring DLSS Preset E and C across multiple games.
Also Read: Meet Winners of 2024 Nvidia Partner Network Awards in the Americas
OpenAI Offers ChatGPTs Without Sign-up
OpenAI will now offer f********** to its ChatGPT generative AI chatbot without requiring users to sign up. ChatGPT, which sparked the GenAI trend in late 2022, can mimic human interaction and perform tasks such as summarizing texts and generating creative content like poems and party themes. The initiative aims to democratize AI accessibility, with OpenAI gradually rolling out the feature to cater to users’ curiosity about AI capabilities.
Additionally, OpenAI has introduced new content controls for non-registered users, enhancing filtering options for prompts and generations across different categories. Despite previous growth deceleration, OpenAI continues to offer commercial versions of ChatGPT for individuals, teams, and businesses.
AT&T Changes Passcodes Following Large-scale Customer Data Leak
AT&T has taken action to reset millions of customer account passcodes following a significant data breach. A large cache of AT&T customer records surfaced online, and the leaked data contained encrypted passcodes that could grant access to AT&T customer accounts, prompting the telecom giant to initiate a mass reset of passcodes. Security researchers discovered that the encrypted passcodes were susceptible to decryption, prompting further concerns about the security of customer accounts.
AT&T has launched an investigation and confirmed that the leaked data affects approximately 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders. This breach marks AT&T’s first acknowledgment of such a leak affecting its customers, with compromised data including names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. The telecom company has vowed to contact affected customers and has guided steps to enhance security measures.
Azure Becomes Top Choice for Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workloads
In the era of cloud computing, selecting a platform for hosting Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) workloads is crucial. Microsoft’s Azure has become a compelling option, showcasing its robust support for Linux, particularly RHEL workloads. With over 60% of customer cores in Azure dedicated to Linux, the platform’s compatibility and optimization for open-source operating systems stand out.
Azure’s integration with Red Hat technologies further solidifies its appeal with seamless migration, management, and modernization tools tailored for RHEL workloads. The discussion highlighted Azure’s strengths in integration, efficiency, and flexibility, offering seamless migration, cost-saving options, and diverse compute options for RHEL workloads. Azure’s comprehensive features and deep integration with Red Hat technologies make it the premier choice for enterprises seeking to maximize the potential of their RHEL environments in the cloud.
IBM and Microsoft Team Up for Bangalore Experience Zone Launch
IBM Consulting and Microsoft have unveiled the IBM-Microsoft Experience Zone in Bangalore, India. This launch marks a pioneering venture for their collaboration. This dedicated space allows clients to explore how generative AI, hybrid cloud, and various Microsoft products can accelerate their business transformation endeavors, providing them a strategic edge. Within the Experience Zone, clients can collaborate with IBM Consulting across different technology zones to conceptualize and develop generative AI-powered solutions, leveraging Azure OpenAI Service, Copilot, and other Microsoft technologies.
The facility showcases industry-specific solutions for sectors such as government, retail, and energy, enabling clients to delve into cloud modernization, data analytics, customer relationship management, IoT, and emerging technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality. Moreover, clients gain access to resources to improve employees’ skills and access exemplary case studies, fostering connections with peers navigating the competitive landscape.
Amit Sharma, Managing Partner, Global Delivery at IBM Consulting—emphasized the collaborative spirit behind the Experience Zone, affirming its role as a hub for innovation and partnership. Dinis Couto, General Manager of Global Partner Solutions for Microsoft, echoed the sentiment, highlighting IBM’s vital contribution to deploying AI and hybrid cloud solutions on a large scale, further strengthening their partnership’s progress.
Also Read: CIO Influence Interview with Meredith Stowell, Vice President of IBM Z Ecosystem
AMD announces Ryzen 8000 Series 4nm Embedded Processors featuring Neural Processing Unit
AMD introduces innovation in industrial AI with the Ryzen 8000 series embedded processors, featuring the industry’s first Neural Processing Unit (NPU) based on AMD’s XDNA architecture. This new lineup integrates Zen 4 CPU architecture, RDNA 3 GPU architecture, and the XDNA architecture NPU on a cutting-edge 4nm process. Offering a remarkable 39 TOPS of AI computing power, with the NPU contributing 16 TOPS, these processors also support high-speed PCIe Gen 4 connectivity and dual-channel DDR5 5600 memory with ECC.
With capabilities to drive four independent 4K displays and hardware decoding and encoding for popular video codecs, the Ryzen 8000 series caters to diverse needs. AMD collaborates with embedded ODM partners like Advantech, ASRock, and iBASE to bolster the ecosystem around these processors, reflecting the growing importance of AI in various industries and the increasing demand for advanced AI chips.
Google to Erase Secret Browsing Data of Billions Using Incognito Mode
Google has agreed to erase billions of data records to resolve a lawsuit alleging it covertly tracked internet activity of users who believed they were browsing privately. The settlement terms, filed in an Oakland federal court and awaiting approval by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, are estimated to exceed $5 billion. The class action, initiated in 2020, represents millions of Google users utilizing private browsing modes since June 1, 2016.
Allegations suggest Google’s analytics, cookies, and apps enabled unauthorized tracking of individuals using “Incognito” or “private” browsing. Under the settlement, Google commits to enhanced disclosures on data collection in private browsing, which is already underway, and allows Incognito users to block third-party cookies for five years. Despite supporting the settlement’s final approval, Google disputes plaintiffs’ legal and factual assertions. In contrast, plaintiffs’ counsel views the resolution as a significant step towards ensuring transparency and accountability among dominant tech firms.
Also Read: Boosting Software Development Productivity: Google and Cognizant Extend AI Partnership
Microsoft and OpenAI Plan $100 Billion Data Center Project
Microsoft and OpenAI have joined forces for a groundbreaking data center project, costing up to $100 billion. The project features an artificial intelligence supercomputer, “Stargate,” slated for a 2028 launch. The surge in demand for AI data centers, driven by the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence technology, underscores the necessity for advanced infrastructure capable of handling increasingly complex tasks.
Microsoft is expected to spearhead financing for the project, with plans to create a series of supercomputers over the next six years, starting with Stargate in the United States. The ambitious endeavor, divided into five phases, involves substantial investment in AI chips known for their hefty price tags. The initiative, aimed at pushing the boundaries of AI capability, represents a significant leap forward in infrastructure innovation, with projected expenses potentially exceeding $115 billion, reflecting Microsoft’s commitment to advancing AI technology.
IBM Boosts Network IT Automation with Pliant Acquisition
IBM has announced the acquisition of Pliant, a prominent network and IT infrastructure automation solutions provider. Pliant’s offerings streamline network tasks and improve application layer control, facilitating simplified provisioning and management directly within applications. This move reflects IBM’s commitment to empowering clients with enhanced automation tools to address the evolving complexity of enterprise network environments.
Founded in 2017, Pliant brings a wealth of integrations with third-party vendors and supports deployments in private clouds and on-premises data centers. Its automation approach, delivered as both client-managed software and a SaaS product, aligns with IBM’s strategy to democratize IT tools with low-code and no-code capabilities. This acquisition underscores IBM’s dedication to innovation through strategic acquisitions, further bolstering its portfolio to deliver comprehensive data, AI, and automation solutions for managing intricate network infrastructures in hybrid cloud environments.
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