Category Archives: Cloud Computing
IBM and American Tower partner on cloud to Edge solution – DatacenterDynamics
IBM and American Tower are partnering on a hybrid, multi-cloud computing platform at the Edge.
The collaboration will make IBM Hybrid Cloud capabilities and Red Hat OpenShift accessible in the American Tower Access Edge Data Center ecosystem. It will give clients access to Edge technologies, IoT, 5G, AI, and network automation.
American Tower has a portfolio of around 226,000 wireless and broadcast towers, rooftops, and in-building systems globally, as well as a collection of US-based data centers after acquiring CoreSite in 2021.
The company will be deploying IBM's hybrid cloud platform and systems at American Tower's distributed real estate locations, creating an "Edge cloud," and will also be able to deploy these on-premise for customers.
The two companies will provide all the necessary infrastructure for enterprises looking to utilize offerings such as AI and 5G networks.
In a statement, IBM said: As a result of this collaboration, we aim to give enterprises more flexibility to deploy applications on public clouds, at the Edge, or on-premises.
This can help to securely process and quickly analyze data closer to the point where it is created.Among those sectors likely to benefit, the automation industry is noted.
American Towers-owned CoreSite has eight data centers in Silicon Valley, three in Los Angeles, five in Virginia and DC, two each in Chicago, Denver, Miami, New York, and Atlanta, and one each in Boston and Orlando.
The company noted in its 2022 earnings calls that it had identified up to 1,000 potential locations for 1MW Edge sites. The company filed to develop an Edge data center in San Antonio, Texas, in July 2023.
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IBM and American Tower partner on cloud to Edge solution - DatacenterDynamics
How green cloud computing works to minimize your carbon footprint – Hey SoCal. Change is our intention.
By Steven Price
We live in an age where environmental consciousness has met the relentless pace of technological advancement. The emergence of green cloud computing stands as a beacon of hope for a sustainable future. Thisinnovative approach to cloud technologynot only empowers businesses but also plays a pivotal role in mitigating the environmental impact of technology.
Cloud computing has undergone a remarkable evolution over the years, driven by the growing need for sustainable technology solutions. Lets delve deeper into its journey and why it has gained widespread adoption:
One of the cornerstones of cloud computing is its focus on energy efficiency. Green cloud providers have made substantial strides in optimizing data centers to minimize energy consumption.
Through advanced cooling techniques, hardware innovations, and data center design improvements, these providers have significantly reduced the carbon footprint associated with data center operations.
Many leading cloud providers have committed to using renewable energy sources topower their data centers. Investments in solar, wind, and hydropower have become increasingly common, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and helping to transition towards a more sustainable energy landscape.
Green cloud providers continuously optimize their data center resources. Through server virtualization, consolidation, and load balancing, they ensure that computing resources are utilized efficiently, reducing both energy consumption and operational costs.
This commitment to resource optimization ensures progressive ethical growth in areas that were previously detrimental.
The adoption of cloud computingoffers a multitude of ethical advantages that resonate with businesses, individuals, and society at large:
By choosing cloud computing, businesses can significantly reduce their carbon emissions. This ethical choice aligns with global efforts to combat climate change and protect the environment for future generations. It reflects a commitment to responsible business practices and corporate social responsibility which can aid you well when picking up new leads.
Green cloud providers prioritize sustainable energy consumption, minimizing the carbon footprint associated with IT operations. This approach contributes to a more sustainable future by reducing the strain on global energy resources.
Traditional on-premise IT infrastructure often leads to electronic waste when hardware becomes obsolete. Out with the old, in with the new doesnt have to be tangiblegreen cloud computing reduces the need for on-site hardware, thereby minimizing electronic waste and its associated environmental impact.
In turn, this aligns with responsible waste management practices and contributes to a circular economy.
Embracing green cloud computing showcases a companys commitment to sustainability. It enhances an organizations reputation, making it more attractive to environmentally conscious customers, partners, and investors. It can also open doors to partnerships and collaborations with like-minded businesses and initiatives.
Cloud computing not only benefits the environment but also delivers cost savings for businesses. Optimizing resource usage and reducing energy consumption aligns with the ethical principle of responsible resource management. This cost-efficiency allows businesses to redirect resources toward innovation and growth.
For businesses seeking to embrace the ethical benefits of green cloud computing and make a positive impact on the environment, Tech Rockstars is your trusted partner. Teck Rockstars specializes in providing sustainable cloud solutions that align with your environmental goals while enhancing efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.Contact Tech Rockstars todayto explore how cloud computing can not only minimize your carbon footprint but also drive sustainable growth and innovation for your organization.
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How green cloud computing works to minimize your carbon footprint - Hey SoCal. Change is our intention.
IBM Is in the Midst of a Cloud Renaissance, Unlocking Secular Growth – Yahoo Finance
International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) is in the midst of a secular revolution. The company headquartered in Armonk, New York, which is commonly called IBM, had a change in its chief executive officer in the middle of the pandemic lockdowns in April 2020, and the change in leadership seems to have paid off.
The technology giant, known for its dividend yield rather than capital appreciation, delivered 15.5% in 2023, outperforming the Dow Jones Index by almost two percentage points. Add in its juicy 4.1% annualized dividend yield, which brings total gains in 2023 to 19.6%, and there are compelling reasons to invest in the company.
Through my research, I illustrate how business fundamentals, cash flows and margins have started to look much better.
2023 was a year that most economists and market strategists got wrong. According to Bloomberg, while some economists baked in too much pessimism in the economy, market strategists issued calls for 2023 to be bleak. As the economic slowdown narratives faded with blowout U.S. gross domestic product estimates consistently surprising on the upside, according to Fortune, markets eventually became optimistic and the S&P 500 index notched a 24.7% gain in 2023. The Dow Jones Index underperformed at 13%, but IBM recorded almost 20% gains this year, taking into account its 15.5% stock performance and the 4.1% annualized yield.
While still impressive, many would view IBM as having underperformed the S&P 500 Index last year. However, when looking at larger historical performances and accounting for the severe volatility all investors were subject to in 2022, IBM has actually been outperforming the benchmark index. Its incredible performance is illustrated in the chart below.
IBM Is in the Midst of a Cloud Renaissance, Unlocking Secular Growth
This feat is something that would not have been deemed possible given how severely IBM underperformed between 2012 and 2020.
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While IBM is a popular pick among investors, especially value-focused investors hunting for yield, I will not go too deep into the history of the company. But I will point out that it had trouble retaining its client base, especially in the last decade, as it missed out on the cloud computing era of software development and distribution. With the rise of cloud computing, IBM severely lost market share to cloud hyperscalers such as Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google.
Realizing it missed out on the opportunity, IBM acquired Red Hat, the maker of open-source cloud software products meant for enterprises to build software applications in the cloud, in 2019. This acquisition became pivotal to the technology giant fully pivoting into its cloud business. Later, IBM's new CEO, Arvind Krishna, offered a glimpse of his vision in an open letter in late 2021, where he outlined the key strategies for his vision to take IBM forward. At the center of his vision was to revamp IBM's entire product portfolio around the hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence.
Today, IBM calls itself a hybrid cloud company that helps enterprises build and scale AI, automation and hybrid-cloud-based solutions. As per its latest earnings report, the company makes most of its revenue from its Software and Consulting business verticals. While Software accounts for around 42% of sales, Consulting rakes in about 30% of the company's revenue. Since Software is the highest-margin business segment within IBM, I usually look for upward trends in this segment. Moreover, with Red Hat, Automation and AI part of the Hybrid Cloud subsegment, I want to see continued growth in the Software segment.
The most interesting part about IBM's reversal in business fortunes is that strength has started to return to its core Software segment. The Software segment is not only important to its overall growth narrative, but it also allows the company to leverage its position in the cloud computing space, which is still largely controlled by cloud hyperscalers. Within the Software segment, IBM's Hybrid Cloud business is critical. As can be seen in the chart below, this segment has started delivering consistent accretive growth to IBM's top and bottom lines.
IBM Is in the Midst of a Cloud Renaissance, Unlocking Secular Growth
In the third quarter of 2023, Red Hat and Automation led the year-over-year growth in Hybrid Cloud's 8% growth, with Red Hat up 9% and the Automation segment up 14%. For a company that was expected to grow in the low single digits for a good part of the last two decades, near double-digit growth is quite a welcome change. Typically, its software business is 80% subscription-based, while the remaining 20% is consumption-based. IBM's chief financial officer, James J. Kavanaugh, recently discussed the strength of its Subscriptions software business:
"If I extract out that 20% portfolio of consumption-based services and just look at the core subscription-based businesses of Red Hat, OpenShift and Ansible, we grew 19% overall. 110%-plus NRR on that renewal rate of that business. And within that 19%, OpenShift and Ansible were north of 40%. So, putting all that together, Software is at the high end of our segment model; we're only building in high single digits growth."
Finally, growth in the software segment is critical for IBM because this is a high-margin business, helping IBM book approximately 80% of revenue from this segment as gross profits. In a later section, I will unpack why this is important from a valuation standpoint.
I previously mentioned IBM's Consulting business has started to scale its contributions to the top line in a very meaningful way. What is more interesting to me is that as I looked back over the past two years of available quarterly filings and compared IBM's Consulting business with its closest rival in the space, Accenture (NYSE:ACN), I noticed that IBM's Consulting business has been delivering steady and respectable contributions to its top line. Even better, the company appears to be gaining ground in market share versus Accenture, as can be seen in the chart below.
IBM Is in the Midst of a Cloud Renaissance, Unlocking Secular Growth
A peek under the hood reveals a clearer picture as to why IBM has been able to deliver such consistent gains even as enterprises around the world have been cutting their budgets for consulting projects. At the core of the Consulting business is the Application Operations and Management Consulting segment, which is directly tied to IBM's aspirations to scale capabilities for its clients in the hybrid cloud. As can be seen, Application Operations along with business transformation have formed the bedrock of IBM's consistency on a year-over-year basis in its consulting business.
IBM Is in the Midst of a Cloud Renaissance, Unlocking Secular Growth
On the third-quarter earnings call with analysts, the CFO alluded to the strength in IBM's Consulting Business by adding that most of the growth was because it opened IBM's technology to strategic partnerships, particularly with the cloud hyperscalers. I believe this may have been one of the key reasons why IBM continued to reap benefits from greater cloud ecosystem velocity due to the partnerships. The continued growth in IBM's Consulting business gives me further hope that IBM will be able to achieve its target of 6% to 8% growth this year.
Per its most recent quarterly earnings, IBM's revenue was $14.8 billion, up 4.5% year over year. As I had talked about earlier in the post, the growth in earnings was driven by its Software segment and its Consulting business segment, which grew 7.8% and 5.6% year over year. While Software contributes 42% to IBM's top line, Consulting adds another 33%.
I mentioned earlier that the performance of IBM's Software business is crucial to the overall growth of the company; not just because it focuses on the hybrid cloud, but also because this is a high-margin business segment with 79.5% of its software business revenue being recognized as gross profit. Software's gross margins saw a nice bump up by 0.5% on a year-over-year basis. In addition, IBM's Consulting business saw a meaningful increase in its gross margins by 1.4% to 27.4%, thus lifting its overall gross margins by 1.7% to 54.4%. The incremental gains in gross margins also helped increase the non-GAAP operating margin by 1.7% to 15.6%.
In terms of free cash flow, its free cash grew by $1 billion to $5.1 billion, aided by strong growth in its operating cash flow, up $3 billion to $9.5 billion.
IBM projects its fiscal 2023 revenue will grow between 6% and 8%, while its non-GAAP earnings per sharewill decline by 5%. In fiscal 2024, consensus estimates project IBM to grow its revenue by 2.9%, with earnings per share rising by 4.4%. Assuming a 4.4% growth in earnings, this would mean IBM is trading at 17.8 times its forward earnings. Given the market estimates the S&P500 to trade at around 20 times its forward earnings, as per FactSet, this would give IBM at least 12% upside.
A major risk to IBM's positive outlook would be if enterprise spend were to suddenly fall, causing many enterprise clients to renegotiate their deals and push out their budget plans into subsequent periods. I use the word "suddenly because, so far,enterprise IT spend is expected to grow 8% into 2024, per Gartner. This is a strong projection, and these forecasts actually bode well for the revenue outlook of IBM into 2024. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, if there is a recession or even a soft landing, as Bank of America predicts, IBM's management may be forced to re-evaluate their forecasts lower for 2024.
A strong dollar could be another factor that could hurt the optimistic outlook for IBM. A majority of the company's consulting and software revenue comes from outside the U.S. If the dollar were to get stronger, it would dent the outlook for IBM to continue its growth into 2024. For example, one of the reasons that could push the dollar higher could be a reorientation by the Federal Reserve toward pushing interest rates higher.
Despite these risks, I still believe IBM would provide even greater opportunities to initiate or add to positions were we to see any downturn in the stock.
With the turnaround at IBM well underway, I believe this company has some great tailwinds that position the stock for upside. The accretive strength of its consulting and software businesses, with a renewed focus on hybrid cloud and AI technologies, has provided some opportunities for meaningful upside.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
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IBM Is in the Midst of a Cloud Renaissance, Unlocking Secular Growth - Yahoo Finance
Can Serverless GPUs Meet the Computing Demands of Artificial Intelligence? – BizTech Magazine
Serverless GPUs Deliver Value at Lower Cost
Serverless technology, often seen as the ultimate incarnation of cloud computing, allows developers to create and run applications in the cloud without provisioning or managing servers or back-end infrastructure.
With serverless GPUs, companies can get the benefits of GPUs while also optimizing for costs and incorporating the scalability of cloud infrastructure to spin capacity up or down as demand requires, Greden says. That is ideal for AI applications that require massive amounts of computing power but arent necessarily being run constantly.
What we now have is a case where the aperture is opening for the market that will want to make use of GPUs, and not just those doing heavy graphical type of computing, she says.
LEARN MORE: How can you use serverless computing to build and modernize applications for scale?
Serverless GPUs essentially operate as a PaaS or even a Function as a Service, allowing organizations to access serverless computing capacity for their applications while avoiding provisioning infrastructure, says Brijesh Kumar, a senior research analyst within IDCs cloud application deployment platforms research practice.
They are ideal for when organizations cannot always predict the traffic load they will have for their cloud computing capacity, he says. The technology can allow them to spin up GPU capacity when requests come in and demand is high, then scale down to zero when requests stop.
The technology also supports multitenancy or multi-instance capabilities, allowing cloud providers to partition serverless GPUs to support multiple workload requests from different users or sources, Kumar notes. Serverless GPUs also reduce costs by removing the need to manage the necessary infrastructure, Kumar says.
WATCH: Discover how DevOps can add speed and efficiency to your process.
However, there are some potential drawbacks to serverless GPUs. Cost can become a constraint, since running a serverless GPU for an extended period of time will rack up charges with an organizations cloud provider. An unexpected spike in requests can also raise costs. And, Greden says, organizations risk being locked in to using a particular cloud provider for serverless GPU capabilities.
Even so, serverless GPUs can quickly deliver answers to users of generative AI applications because of the speed with which they can perform the required computations. And with market demand for GPU chipsets still extremely high, using serverless GPUs could be a critical backstop while silicon providers rush to produce as many GPUs as they can, Greden says.
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Can Serverless GPUs Meet the Computing Demands of Artificial Intelligence? - BizTech Magazine
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Market to Grow at CAGR of 26% through 2032 – Growing Need to Optimize Business … – Yahoo Finance
The Brainy Insights
The global infrastructure as a service (IaaS) market size is anticipated to grow from USD 80 billion to USD 806.85 billion in 10 years. The market will experience rapid growth due to integrating artificial intelligence with IaaS during the forecast period.
Newark, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Brainy Insights estimates that the USD 80 billion in 2022 globalinfrastructure as a service (IaaS) market will reach USD 806.85 billion in 2032. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) refers to outside parties providing cloud services to companies. If they use AIaaS, customers or enterprises can eliminate the requirement to run an on-site data centre. A cloud computing service called Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) gives users access to networking, storage, and processing power when and when needed. It provides enterprises with several advantages. IaaS is highly scalable and adaptable, requiring no significant infrastructure improvements or large upfront expenditures. IaaS makes cloud computing services more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises due to its low cost. Operations are automated, increasing efficiency and production. Other advantages of IaaS include location independence, data security, and remote accessibility. IaaS provides development, testing, recovery, backup, and storage.
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Key Insight of the Global Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Market
North America will dominate the market during the forecast period.
The region is home to the headquarters of major IaaS providers, which propels innovation in the industry. Due to the region's established IT and telecom sector and the readily available resources, new technology is adopted faster in the region.
In 2022, the hybrid segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 42% and market revenue of 33.60 billion.
The deployment type segment is divided into public, private and hybrid. In 2022, the hybrid segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 42% and market revenue of 33.60 billion.
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In 2022, the computing segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 37% and market revenue of 29.60 billion.
The service segment is divided into computing, storage, networking and others. In 2022, the computing segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 37% and market revenue of 29.60 billion.
In 2022, the IT and telecom segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 27% and market revenue of 21.60 billion.
The industry segment is divided into BFSI, healthcare, manufacturing, retail and e-commerce, education, IT and telecom and others. In 2022, the IT and telecom segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 27% and market revenue of 21.60 billion.
Advancement in market
The market-leading cloud services platform from HPE, the HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform, was chosen by Fastweb, one of the top telecom operators in Italy, to modernize its Fastcloud Business Unit and boost agility by accelerating the rollout of new services. The new platform improves operations, security, and governance with better utilization and cost visibility. Three million users use Fastweb's mobile network, while 3.1 million use its fixed network. Its commercial unit, Fastcloud, offers government agencies and businesses cloud solutions, including software as a service (SaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS).
Market Dynamics
Driver: The increasing demand for business process optimization.
Due to the growing competition, businesses are being forced to examine their operations and make changes. Automation and digitization across industries have allowed maximisers to completely change their operations by digitizating monotonous jobs and repetitive processes to maximize resources and boost revenue. Given the modern digital environment in which producers and consumers live, IaaS services have played a critical role in bringing about this shift. Flexibility, scalability, cost-effectiveness, rapid upgrades, downtime, security, and dependability have all been provided by IaaS. Therefore, IaaS adoption will rise and contribute to its global expansion due to the increasing requirement to optimise corporate processes to survive market competition and enhance customer happiness and retention.
Restraints: Threats and hazards to cyber-security have increased.
Given that IaaS provides networking and computing services, Threats and cyber-security hazards have increased. Because thousands of people use the internet to access computing, networking, and storage services provided by IaaS, there is an increased danger of cyberattacks. Businesses risk collapsing due to data breaches, thefts, and other hacking incidents. Other consequences include lost time, money, and client confidence. There may occasionally be some danger involved in using third-party IaaS services. As a result, worries about data privacy and other security issues will impede the market's expansion.
Opportunities: The combination of large data and AI.
The development of AI, IoT, and big data technologies has given market participants new options. When these technologies are combined with IaaS, automating tasks, increasing productivity, decreasing redundancy, saving money, and gaining new insights previously unattainable with outdated computing algorithms will be feasible. These would create new business channels and chances for enterprises, propelling market expansion over the projection time.
Challenges: the regulations governing the use of IaaS.
The IaaS providers are responsible for the data they store or share. A set of rules and regulations by relevant authorities governs them. These regulations might be different for each country. However, the virtual nature of IaaS makes it difficult for the provider to standardize their checks and balances to incorporate each country's guidelines. Therefore, the regulations governing IaaS will challenge the market's growth.
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Some of the major players operating in the global infrastructure as a service (IaaS) market are:
Alibaba Group Holding Limited Amazon Web Services, Inc. Dell EMC Google LLC Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP International Business Machines Corporation Microsoft Corporation Oracle Corporation Rackspace Hosting, Inc. Redcentric Plc
Key Segments covered in the market:
By Deployment Type
Public Private Hybrid
By Service
Computing Networking Storage Others
By Industry
BFSI Healthcare Manufacturing Retail and E-Commerce Education IT and Telecom Others
By Region
North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of APAC) South America (Brazil and the Rest of South America) The Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA)
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About the report:
The market is analysed based on value (USD Billion). All the segments have been analyzed on a worldwide, regional, and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each part. The report analyses driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges to gain critical market insight. The study includes Porter's five forces model, attractiveness analysis, Product analysis, supply and demand analysis, competitor position grid analysis, distribution, and marketing channels analysis.
About The Brainy Insights:
The Brainy Insights is a market research company, aimed at providing actionable insights through data analytics to companies to improve their business acumen. We have a robust forecasting and estimation model to meet the clients' objectives of high-quality output within a short span of time. We provide both customized (clients' specific) and syndicate reports. Our repository of syndicate reports is diverse across all the categories and sub-categories across domains. Our customized solutions are tailored to meet the clients' requirement whether they are looking to expand or planning to launch a new product in the global market.
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Avinash DHead of Business DevelopmentPhone: +1-315-215-1633Email: sales@thebrainyinsights.comWeb: http://www.thebrainyinsights.com
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Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Market to Grow at CAGR of 26% through 2032 - Growing Need to Optimize Business ... - Yahoo Finance
As governments hop onto cloud does it help solve data problems? – The Financial Express
Government on cloud
In 2024, Indias spending on public cloud services might reach $13.6 billion, an increase from 2020s $4.2 billion, as per insights from Statista, a market research platform. Reportedly, the leading public cloud service was the cloud application infrastructure services, with about over $4.8 billion in end-user spending in 2024. By 2025, newly created data is expected to be 175 zettabytes, a 146-fold increase in the 15 years between 2010 and 2025. The data processing and storage market is estimated to grow from $56 billion in 2020 to $90 billion by 2025, as per insights from IDC, a market research platform.
From what it is understood cloud service providers host their information technology (IT) infrastructure in data centres to provide cloud computing services to the end users. For instance, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) introduced state-of-the-art National Data Centres at NIC headquarters in Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar and 37 small data centres at various state capitals to provide services to the government at all levels. The National Data Centres form the core of the e-governance infrastructure in India by providing services to various e-governance initiatives undertaken by the Government of India.
Boon or Bane
Governments had implemented private cloud at twice the rate of public cloud through 2021, as per insights from Gartner, a market research firm. Case in point, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBIs) Counterterrorism Division moved its data centres to a cloud provider, it measured success in terms of how the cloud helped agents achieve their mission. By making tasks such as information sharing, data entry, and security of information easier, the transition to the cloud resulted in a 98% reduction in time spent on manual work, as per Fedscoop.
Critics argue that while public cloud growth can be healthy in government, concerns around faster adoption still stand questionable. The top three objections to public cloud in government are security or privacy issues, lack of features and concerns about vendor lock-in, among others. Reportedly, the complexity of cloud environments presents an attack surface for hackers. This includes various applications, that can lead to misconfigurations and vulnerabilities, which have made it almost too easy for a hacker to avoid detection. In 2023, about 50% of the attacks focused on defence evasion, as per insights from Aqua Nautilus 2023 Threat Report. There needs to be a balance for a successful cloud transition, advocating for a strategic approach that integrates cyber-security measures and clear governance protocol, Pallav Agarwal, founder, HTS Solutions Private Limited, a cloud computing services provider, explained, adding that policymakers also plays a role in harnessing the benefits of cloud technology while managing associated risks in the governmental context.
Above the cloud
Adopting cloud-based government can be a paradigm change that sits at the nexus of innovation and governance. However, determining whether the cloud is a benefit or a curse for the public sector becomes crucial. Ensuring the secure storage of private data on government cloud is a multifaceted consideration. The potential drawbacks involve concerns about data security and privacy, particularly when dealing with sensitive information such as identity-related data. The principles of zero trust architecture, cyber resilience, data resilience, continuous monitoring and verifying, apply aptly to cloud security, Sunil Gupta, co-founder and CEO, Yotta, a cloud infrastructure service provider, explained, adding that solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, big data powered tools and frameworks, among others are crucial in averting evolving risks.
As per several reports, the government of India developed Meghraj, a public cloud platform designed to harness the advantages of cloud computing and serve as a foundation for artificial intelligence (AI) models. It also launched Digilocker, a cloud storage platform, facilitating the storage, retrieval, and secure transfer of sensitive data and individual documents. It is believed that the governments cloud servers and their access points remain open to multiple users, both nationally and internationally, making it vulnerable to breaches. Furthermore, these servers are also targeted by hackers seeking to undermine public trust in the government and its institutions.While government-appointed engineers and consultants implement state-of-the-art technological measures and develop protocols for enhanced protection, there is a need for training and awareness programs. These initiatives need to emphasise the importance of data security, the potential threat of reputational, financial, and legal damages, and proper post-incident protocols, Arpit Sharma, senior manager, technology research and advisory, Aranca, a research, analytics, and advisory firm, concluded.
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As governments hop onto cloud does it help solve data problems? - The Financial Express
The Best Artificial Intelligence (AI) Growth Stock to Buy, According to Several Wall Street Analysts — No, It’s Not Nvidia – The Motley Fool
Bloomberg expects the generative artificial intelligence (AI) market to compound at 42% annually to reach $1.3 trillion by 2032. Investors might assume Nvidia is best positioned to benefit given its leadership in machine learning processors. But some Wall Street analysts see Microsoft (MSFT 1.86%) as the bigger winner because it can monetize AI across a broader range of infrastructure and software products.
Indeed, CFRA analyst Angelo Zino recently wrote that Microsoft is "best positioned to monetize generative AI given its ample offerings and pricing power." He listed cloud services, software copilots, and OpenAI large language models (LLMs) as key AI revenue streams in the future.
Likewise, Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss believes Microsoft is "best positioned in software to monetize GenAI across infrastructure and apps." And Oppenheimer analyst Timothy Horan recently noted that "Microsoft stands alone by having the best AI infrastructure and LLMs."
Here's what investors should know.
Microsoft has a strong presence in several enterprise software categories. Most notably, Microsoft Teams is the leading unified communications platform, Microsoft Dynamics is the leading enterprise resource planning platform, and Microsoft 365 is the leading office productivity suite.
That list is by no means exhaustive. For instance, Microsoft Power BI holds the top spot in business intelligence software, and industry analysts have recognized the company as a leader in several cybersecurity software verticals, including corporate endpoint security. But the upshot is that Microsoft has a massive customer base.
In fact, the company accounts for more than 16% of all software-as-a-service (SaaS) revenue, nearly twice as much as its closest competitor Salesforce. That supports the idea of Microsoft being the software company best positioned to monetize AI, and the company is leaning into that opportunity with new copilot products.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is a generative AI assistant that automates workflows across its office productivity applications. It can draft and rewrite text in Word, create content and presentations in PowerPoint, organize and analyze data in Excel, and summarize conversations in Teams. Microsoft 365 Copilot became generally available in November.
Microsoft has taken a similar tack with its other software products. For instance, Dynamics 365 Copilot automates workflows across sales, marketing, customer service, and supply chain management. Likewise, Security Copilot automates workflows across various cybersecurity software products.
Those generative AI assistants should ultimately help Microsoft better monetize its market-leading enterprise software.
Microsoft is also well positioned to monetize AI with its cloud computing platform. Azure captured 23% market share in cloud infrastructure and platform services in the third quarter, second only to Amazon Web Services. But Azure has steadily gained share over the past five years because of strength in AI infrastructure and developer services.
In fact, CEO Satya Nadella says Azure has the "best AI infrastructure for both training and inference." He also believes Microsoft's exclusive partnership with OpenAI has positioned the company as the market leader in cloud-based AI services.
Per that partnership, Microsoft is the exclusive cloud provider for all OpenAI workloads, meaning the company earns revenue from ChatGPT because the application runs on Azure infrastructure. Microsoft is also the only cloud provider that offers access to OpenAI machine learning models. Businesses can use those models, including the GPT models that power ChatGPT, to build custom generative AI applications.
That could certainly draw customers to Azure in the future, possibly helping Microsoft gain more ground on Amazon. In any case, JPMorgan Chase analysts have opined that "Microsoft's investment into OpenAI, which started years ago, could potentially prove to be some of the best money ever spent."
To summarize the key points, Microsoft has a strong presence in enterprise software and cloud computing, and the company is levering AI to improve its products and create new revenue streams across both business segments.
With that in mind, enterprise SaaS spending is forecasted to increase at 13.7% annually through 2030, while cloud spending is projected to increase at 14.1% annually during the same period. That gives Microsoft a good shot at low-double-digit revenue growth through the end of the decade, which should translate into similar earnings growth.
Indeed, the Wall Street consensus calls for annual earnings-per-share growth of 14.6% over the next three to five years. That forecast makes its current valuation of 35.6 times earnings seems tolerable, despite being a premium to the three-year average of 32.2 times earnings. Patient investors should consider buying a small position in this stock today.
As a caveat, while some analysts have intimated that Microsoft is the best AI stock, it would be foolish for investors to put all their chips on one company. Building a basket of AI stocks is a more prudent strategy. I believe Microsoft has a place in such a basket, but given its market capitalization of $2.7 trillion, other AI stocks (smaller companies) probably have more upside.
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. Trevor Jennewine has positions in Amazon and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Salesforce. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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The Best Artificial Intelligence (AI) Growth Stock to Buy, According to Several Wall Street Analysts -- No, It's Not Nvidia - The Motley Fool
Unveiling the Significance of Ethical Hacking in Cloud Computing – EC-Council
Cloud computing is gaining prominence across all industries because of its scalability, adaptability, and many other advantages. These benefits include cost reductions through efficient virtualization, enhanced peer collaborative capabilities, swift access to documents, transactions, and updates, and extensive scalability. However, as businesses increasingly rely on cloud hosting for storage and computational needs, the vulnerability of their cloud services to cyber attacks rises as well (Jayanti, 2022).
Inadequate security measures pose a financial threat to organizations and carry the potential for severe reputational harm when customer data is compromised, leading to a loss of trust and business opportunities. Consequently, while security experts diligently devise new strategies and policies to combat cyber threats and fortify applications, systems, and networks across their cloud infrastructure, ethical hacking emerges as a proactive means of ensuring security. This blog post delves into the significance of ethical hacking in cloud computing.
Ethical hackers need to understand the specific cloud-based vulnerabilities that require consistent identification, mitigation, and maintenance. This diligence is essential to prevent any potential breaches or related complications that could occur (James, 2023). Although security threats are often intertwined with discussions on vulnerabilities, the ethical hackers perspective on vulnerabilities is nuanced. From the standpoint of penetration testing, the following list encapsulates some of the vulnerabilities to be considered.
Misconfigurations represent a significant factor contributing to substantial data breaches in cloud environments. These misconfigurations include errors or oversights in the security protocols implemented, potentially exposing valuable data to vulnerabilities. Such lapses typically result from a lack of familiarity with best practices or the need for more peer review within the clients DevOps or infrastructure team. Misconfigurations within security groups on the service providers end can grant unauthorized access to the cloud platform and its data, culminating in data theft or loss.
The expansive nature of cloud architecture, spanning diverse environments, introduces intricate pathways for networking and data transit. Vulnerabilities in connection security and access management can result in critical data loss. Human errors, such as weak credentials, insufficient security awareness, susceptibility to phishing attacks, and improper data storage and sharing practices, can all contribute to data theft, putting the data and applications hosted on cloud servers at risk. Subsequently, malicious actions like data deletion, access denial, and data manipulation may contribute to data loss.
Inadequate coding practices have posed a significant challenge in cloud infrastructures for years. A single line of flawed code has the potential to expose many risks and vulnerabilities. Prominent among these vulnerabilities are SQL injections, cross-site request forgery (CSRF), and cross-site scripting (XSS), all of which provide opportunities for attackers to compromise cloud infrastructures due to the presence of insecure coding practices.
A prevalent vulnerability in cloud systems is the presence of insecure identity and access management (IAM). In essence, this occurs when a user or a service within your infrastructure gains access to resources that they should not or do not need to access. Recently, most software and cloud applications mandate robust security measures such as strong passwords, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and single sign-on (SSO). Cloud applications lacking these robust access management systems are susceptible to data breaches. Security experts strongly endorse implementing organization-wide policies like the principle of least privilege or the zero-trust model as effective measures against potential threats.
APIs serve as meticulously documented interfaces that cloud service providers furnish to their clientele, offering a straightforward means to access their services. In cloud computing, APIs are pivotal in efficiently managing data for the cloud infrastructure and the applications it hosts. However, when these interfaces lack proper security measures, they become a substantial vulnerability, potentially exposing systems to malware attacks. Insecure APIs pose a significant threat by creating avenues of communication that malicious actors can exploit to compromise the systems integrity (Jackson-Barnes, 2022).
This vulnerability arises when a specific data repository, such as an S3 bucket or, less commonly, an SQL database, becomes partially or entirely accessible to the public. Alternatively, it can occur when data is stored with a third-party service provider whose storage security standards are suboptimal. While data privacy is safeguarded by compliance and governance standards, navigating the complexities of cloud compliance can be challenging, especially when dealing with multiple cloud service providers. Therefore, businesses must select a cloud service provider equipped with the necessary security tools to ensure the protection and security of their data.
Lack of visibility in cloud assets and associated telemetries leads to challenges in detecting and identifying probable risks across the cloud infrastructure of an organization. With the expanding adoption of cloud services, the scale of an organizations infrastructure grows proportionally. Managing thousands of instances of cloud services can lead to confusion or oversight of certain active instances. This complexity is exacerbated when multiple service providers and hybrid cloud models are employed. Therefore, having effortless and readily accessible visibility in an organizations Infrastructure is essential to mitigate this risk effectively.
Unauthorized access transpires when an individual gains entry to a portion of your organizations cloud assets. As highlighted in the section about cloud misconfigurations, this can stem from overly permissive access rules or former employees retention of valid credentials. Malicious insiders can also infiltrate your cloud resources by exploiting account hijacking following a successful phishing attack or exploiting weak credential security. This vulnerability is especially dangerous, as it places data and intellectual property at risk of theft or tampering (Alvarenga, 2022).
Ethical hacking is a sanctioned and lawful procedure involving deliberate circumvention of an IT or network infrastructures security measures. Its purpose is to identify vulnerabilities and potential points of weakness that could lead to a security breach. The primary objective of ethical hacking is to enhance an organizations overall safety by pinpointing vulnerabilities within its network and identifying potential openings that could be exploited by cyber attacks, ultimately preventing data loss and security breaches. Ethical hacking professionals adopt the mindset and tactics of potential attackers to uncover all vulnerabilities within the organizations systems.
Before delving deeper, it is crucial to delve into service level agreements (SLAs) and shared responsibility models, as these significantly shape the landscape of cloud penetration testing. Ethical hacking in a cloud environment is intricately tied to these SLAs and shared security responsibilities.
Within the shared responsibility model framework, the cloud service provider allows for examining cloud security to the extent that the client is authorized. To illustrate, assessing vulnerabilities related to virtualization, network, and Infrastructure is typically outside the purview of the clients responsibilities. This results in ethical hacking capabilities being constrained to access data and applications, except for the infrastructure as a service (IaaS) model, wherein the operating systems security falls under the clients jurisdiction.
Here are various hacking and penetration testing methodologies tailored for the cloud environment (Varghese, 2023), ensuring a comprehensive and authentic assessment of critical aspects within the cloud platform and applications:
By leveraging these methodologies, ethical hackers can ensure their penetration tests are thorough, reflective of real-world scenarios, and equipped to uncover vulnerabilities across the cloud infrastructure and applications.
Fundamentally, the ethical hacking approach revolves around three key steps: identifying vulnerabilities, exploiting weaknesses, and proposing improvement solutions (Guide et al., 2021). In cloud environments, the testing scope encompasses the cloud perimeter, internal cloud systems, and the management, administration, and development infrastructure for on-premises cloud solutions.
Here are some best practices in ethical hacking that can help ensure the highest level of security for your organization:
By adhering to these ethical hacking best practices, organizations can enhance their security posture and be better prepared to defend against potential threats in the dynamic landscape of cloud computing.
ConclusionCloud computings reach is undeniable, attracting IT professionals, enterprises across industries, and cyber security experts. However, with great convenience comes great responsibility, and the increasing reliance on cloud services exposes organizations to heightened cyber threats. Ethical hacking emerges as a proactive and essential approach to safeguarding cloud environments. By thinking and acting like potential adversaries, ethical hackers identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them, strengthening the defenses of cloud systems.
References
Alvarenga, G. (2022, June 28). Top 6 Cloud Vulnerabilities. Crowdstrike. https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/cloud-security/cloud-vulnerabilities/
Guide Point Security. (2021, March 11). Cloud Penetration Testing. Retrieved from: https://www.guidepointsecurity.com/education-center/cloud-penetration-testing/
Jackson-Barnes, S. (2022, November 11). Cloud Computing: Common Vulnerabilities and How to Overcome Them. Orientsoftware. https://www.orientsoftware.com/blog/vulnerability-in-cloud-computing/
James, N. (2023, July 07). Cloud Vulnerability Management: The Detailed Guide. Getastra. https://www.getastra.com/blog/security-audit/cloud-vulnerability-management/
Jayanti. (2022, October 23). Everything you Need to Know about Cloud Hacking and its Methodologies. Analytics Insight. https://www.analyticsinsight.net/everything-you-need-to-know-about-cloud-hacking-and-its-methodologies/
Varghese, J. (2023, August 22). Cloud Penetration Testing: A Complete Guide. Getastra. https://www.getastra.com/blog/security-audit/cloud-penetration-testing/
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Unveiling the Significance of Ethical Hacking in Cloud Computing - EC-Council
How Edge Computing Is Transforming Data Processing and Cloud Architectures – Medium
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Edge computing is fundamentally transforming traditional cloud-based data frameworks. By enabling data processing and analysis closer to the source, edge paradigms allow for faster and more efficient architectures while expanding whats possible.
In this article, Ill cover:
Up until recently, most data pipelines relied on a centralized cloud model. Data from endpoints like mobile devices, autonomous vehicles and IoT sensors flowed upwards into cloud data centers for processing, analysis and storage before sending back results.
This model introduced latency since data had to traverse wide area networks to move back and forth from the cloud. It also led to exorbitant costs when huge numbers of devices simultaneously communicated with cloud servers.
Maintaining constant connectivity to the cloud from swarms of distributed endpoints proved challenging. Real-time responsiveness was difficult when it took data multiple seconds to do the round trip from endpoint to cloud and back again.
For innovations on the edge like self-driving cars and industrial automation, milliseconds matter. Complex analytics on massive datasets also pushed cloud infrastructure to its limits in both compute performance and expenditure.
Finally, consolidating sensitive data like medical records or proprietary telemetry data in centralized clouds also raised privacy and security issues.
Edge computing solutions have emerged to sidestep the limitations of cloud-centric models. Instead of routing all data and compute operations through centralized servers, edge
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How Edge Computing Is Transforming Data Processing and Cloud Architectures - Medium
Why Automakers Embrace Cloud Technology For Digital Transformation – Mobility Outlook
In a paradigm shift for the automotive industry, dedicated automotive cloud platforms are taking centre stage, ushering in a phase of differentiated competition. As automakers increasingly migrate to cloud platforms, a foundation for digital transformation is laid, marking a pivotal moment in automotive technology. This analysis, based on the 'Automotive Cloud Service Platform Industry Report, 2023' from ResearchAndMarkets, delves into the evolving landscape, spotlighting key trends, innovations, and competitive strategies.
Cloud Capabilities Reshaping Automotive Ecosystem
The report highlights the escalating demand for cloud services, with China carving out a distinctive path in cloud service development. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are driving changes in cloud service demand, with a particular focus on cloud applications and business models. The automotive cloud landscape is witnessing a transformative shift in computing architecture, especially in Electric/Electronic (E/E) architecture for vehicle cloud computing.
Data Lake & Cloud Native
Exploring the synergy between Data Lake and Cloud Native technologies, cloud platform companies are creating novel storage and computing systems. Notably, Data Lake Cloud Native architecture gains prominence, exemplified by real-world applications in autonomous driving data lakes from industry giants like AWS and Alibaba Cloud. This trend underscores the industry's commitment to leveraging cloud-native solutions for enhanced functionality and security.
From Single Cloud Adoption To Multi-Cloud Strategies
The industry is experiencing a transition from single cloud adoption to a multi-cloud approach, emphasising versatility and resilience. Distributed edge cloud applications are expanding, magnifying the role of telematics cloud control platforms and integrating cloud intelligence into automotive systems. In this dynamic landscape, cloud-native security undergoes evolution, ensuring robust protection for the connected vehicles' ecosystem.
Exponential Vehicle Data Fuelling Cloud Migration
The report underlines the inevitability of cloud migration, driven by the exponentially increasing volume of vehicle data. Companies aim to digitise the entire vehicle life cycle, from R&D and production to sale, operation, and after-sales service. Cloud migration becomes imperative as vehicle intelligence and connectivity surge, especially with the evolution of autonomous driving functions.
Market Insights & Competition Dynamics
In 2022, China's automotive cloud service market surpassed RMB 15 billion and is anticipated to sustain a growth rate of 30-40% over the next five years. The industry witnesses a fierce competition with major players like Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei, and Douyin entering the market, each launching dedicated automotive cloud platforms. Differentiated competitive edges are crucial, focusing on basic resource layer services and upper-layer R&D tool chains.
Advancements In Basic Resource Layer Services
The report highlights the significance of supercomputing centres as a vital indicator of service capabilities. Alibaba and Baidu lead the deployment of supercomputing centres, enhancing their intelligent computing solutions. The emphasis on constructing intelligent computing centres underscores the industry's commitment to advanced computing infrastructure.
Innovations In R&D Tool Chains
Cloud service providers are committed to creating fully furnished service experiences for users, offering full-process and fully closed-loop services. Examples include Tencent's autonomous driving cloud platform, Huawei's autonomous driving cloud platform 'Octopus,' and Baidu's full-stack layout. These innovations aim to provide comprehensive solutions for AI software and hardware ecosystems.
Shift To Multi-Cloud Strategies
As OEMs transition to the cloud, the report identifies a shift in underlying cloud strategy logic from resource pursuit to efficiency. OEMs are adopting a multi-cloud strategy, placing different business types on different cloud platforms to integrate advantages, deploy business more precisely, and reduce costs. Challenges, however, include storage/computing power allocation, cross-cloud data synchronization, and the impact of costs and network delays, the report added.
Courtesy: ResearchAndMarkets. Photo is representational; courtesy: Continental.
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Why Automakers Embrace Cloud Technology For Digital Transformation - Mobility Outlook