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After the Govt’s Big Allocation on Quantum Technologies in 2020, What Next? – The Wire Science

Photograph of a quantum computing chip that a Google team used in their claimed quantum computer. Photo: Nature 574, 505-510 (2019).

The Union finance ministry presented the national budget for 2021 one and a half months ago. One of the prime motivations of a nationalist government should be cyber-security, and it is high time we revisited this technological space from the context of this budget and the last one.

One of the highlights of the 2020 budget was the governments new investment in quantum computing. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharamans words then turned the heads of researchers and developers working in this area: It is proposed to provide an outlay of 8,000 crore rupees over a period of five years for the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications.

Thanks to the pandemic, it is not clear how much funding the government transferred in the first year. The 2021 budget speech made no reference to quantum technologies.

Its important we discuss this topic from a technological perspective. Around four decades ago, physicist Richard Feynman pointed out the possibility of devices like quantum computers in a famous speech. In the early 1990s, Peter Shor and others proved that such computers could easily factor the product of two large prime numbers a task deemed very difficult for the classical computers we are familiar with. This problem, of prime factorisation, underlies the utility of public key crypto-systems, used to secure digital transactions, sensitive information, etc. online.

If we have a practicable quantum computer, the digital security systems currently in use around the world will break down quickly, including that of financial institutions. But commercial quantum computers are still many years away.

On this count, the economically developed nations are on average far ahead of others. Countries like the US, Canada, Australia and China have already made many advancements towards building usable quantum computers with meaningful capabilities. Against this background, the present governments decision in February 2020 to invest such a large sum in quantum technologies was an outstanding development.

The problem now lies with distributing the money and achieving the actual technological advances. So far, there is no clear evidence of this in the public domain.

A logical step in this direction would be to re-invest a large share of the allocation in indigenous development. This is also where the problems lie. One must understand that India has never been successful in fabricating advanced electronic equipment. While we have very good software engineers and theoretical computer scientists, there is no proven expertise in producing chips and circuits. We might have some limited exposure in assembling and testing but nothing beyond that.

So while Atmanirbhar Bharat is an interesting idea, it will surely take a very long time before we find ourselves able to compete with developed nations vis--vis seizing on this extremely sophisticated technology involving quantum physics. In the meantime, just as we import classical computers and networking equipment, so should we proceed by importing quantum equipment, until our indigenous capability in this field matures to a certain extent.

For example, demonstrating a four-qubit quantum system or designing a proof-of-concept quantum key distribution (QKD) circuit might be a nice textbook assignment. However, the outcome will not nearly be competitive to products already available in the international arena. IBM and Google have demonstrated the use of machines with more than 50 qubits. (These groups have participation from Indian scientists working abroad.) IBM has promised a thousand-qubit machine by 2023. ID Quantique has been producing commercial QKD equipment for more than five years.

India must procure such finished products and start testing them for security trapdoors before deploying them at home. Doing so requires us to train our engineers with state-of-the-art equipment as soon as possible.

In sum, indigenous development shouldnt be discontinued but allocating a large sum of money for indigenous development alone may not bring the desired results at this point.

By drafting a plan in the 2020 Union budget to spend Rs 8,000 crore, the government showed that it was farsighted. While the COVID-19 pandemic has made it hard to assess how much of this money has already been allocated, we can hope that there will be renewed interest in the matter as the pandemic fades.

This said, such a huge allocation going to academic institutes and research laboratories for trivial demonstrations might be imprudent. In addition, we must begin by analysing commercially available products, made by international developers, so we can secure Indias security infrastructure against quantum adversaries.

Serious science requires deep political thought, people with strong academic commitment in the government and productive short- as well as long-term planning. I hope the people in power will enable the Indian community of researchers to make this quantum leap.

Subhamoy Maitra is a senior professor at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. His research interests are cryptology and quantum computing.

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After the Govt's Big Allocation on Quantum Technologies in 2020, What Next? - The Wire Science

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Cloud Servers – Data Center Map

Due to the many different definitions of cloud servers, or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), we have limited the requirements to services that are based on virtualization and automatically provisioned. To set more specific requirements for which clouds you would like to see on the map (such as high availability, scalability, utility based billing, short term commitments and support of specific technologies) please use the filtering function in the bottom of the page.

The intention with our database of cloud / IaaS server providers, is the build up a database of providers offering infrastructure as a service with as many relevant details as possible about the various offerings. This enables our users to filter the providers based on their exact needs, and thereby quickly narrowing down the list of providers to those that match their needs.

The entries in our database are primarily added and maintained directly by the service providers themselves, which means that is always updated and growing with new entries. All submissions are pending review before they are included though, to ensure that the quality of the service is not compromised.

Apart from the cloud database for infrastructure as a service solutions (IaaS), our site also features multiple other services such as colocation, managed hosting, dedicated servers etc., many of which can actually be combined with cloud computing. For example a mix of virtualized cloud servers together with dedicated servers, or alternatively a managed hosting solution based on cloud servers.

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Cloud Servers - Data Center Map

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Cloud computing could prevent the emission of 1 billion metric tons of CO2 – Help Net Security

Continued adoption of cloud computing could prevent the emission of more than 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from 2021 through 2024, a forecast from IDC shows.

The forecast uses data on server distribution and cloud and on-premises software use along with third-party information on datacenter power usage, CO2 emissions per kilowatt-hour, and emission comparisons of cloud and non-cloud datacenters.

A key factor in reducing the CO2 emissions associated with cloud computing comes from the greater efficiency of aggregated compute resources. The emissions reductions are driven by the aggregation of computation from discrete enterprise datacenters to larger-scale centers that can more efficiently manage power capacity, optimize cooling, leverage the most power-efficient servers, and increase server utilization rates.

At the same time, the magnitude of savings changes based on the degree to which a kilowatt of power generates CO2, and this varies widely from region to region and country to country. Given this, it is not surprising that the greatest opportunity to eliminate CO2 by migrating to cloud datacenters comes in the regions with higher values of CO2 emitted per kilowatt-hour.

The Asia/Pacific region, which utilizes coal for much of its power generation, is expected to account for more than half the CO2 emissions savings over the next four years. Meanwhile EMEA will deliver about 10% of the savings, largely due to its use of power sources with lower CO2 emissions per kilowatt-hour.

While shifting to cleaner sources of energy is very important to lowering emissions, reducing wasted energy use will also play a critical role. Cloud datacenters are doing this through optimizing the physical environment and reducing the amount of energy spent to cool the datacenter environment. The goal of an efficient datacenter is to have more energy spent on running the IT equipment than cooling the environment where the equipment resides.

Another capability of cloud computing that can be used to lower CO2 emissions is the ability to shift workloads to any location around the globe. Developed to deliver IT service wherever it is needed, this capability also enables workloads to be shifted to enable greater use of renewable resources, such as wind and solar power.

The forecast includes upper and lower bounds for the estimated reduction in emissions. If the percentage of green cloud datacenters today stays where it is, just the migration to cloud itself could save 629 million metric tons over the four-year time period. If all datacenters in use in 2024 were designed for sustainability, then 1.6 billion metric tons could be saved.

The projection of more than 1 billion metric tons is based on the assumption that 60% of datacenters will adopt the technology and processes underlying more sustainable smarter datacenters by 2024.

The idea of green IT has been around now for years, but the direct impact of hyperscale computing can have on CO2 emissions is getting increased notice from customers, regulators, and investors and its starting to factor into buying decisions, said Cushing Anderson, program VP at IDC.

For some, going carbon neutral will be achieved using carbon offsets, but designing datacenters from the ground up to be carbon neutral will be the real measure of contribution. And for advanced cloud providers, matching workloads with renewable energy availability will further accelerate their sustainability goals.

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Azure Arc Becomes The Foundation For Microsofts Hybrid And Multi-Cloud Strategy – Forbes

Microsoft continues to expand Azure Arcs capabilities to transform it into a hybrid cloud and multi-cloud platform. At the recent Spring Ignite conference, Microsoft announced the general availability of Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes, and the preview of Arc enabled machine learning.

Wooden Jetty

Initially announced in 2019, Azure Arc is a strategic technology for Microsoft to expand its footprint to the enterprise data center and other public cloud platforms. Azure Arc is the only offering available in the market to manage both the legacy infrastructure based on physical servers and modern infrastructure powered by containers and Kubernetes.

Azure Arc for Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Deployments

With Azure Arc enabled servers, customers can onboard existing Linux and Windows servers running on bare metal servers or virtual machines to Azure Arc to manage them centrally. These servers could be running in on-premises environments or public cloud environments. Once registered with Azure Arc, they can seamlessly extend the Azure-based automation, management, and policy-driven configuration to any server irrespective of their deployment environment. This simplifies the fleet management and governance of infrastructure.

For example, with Azure Arc enabled servers, DevOps teams can roll out a consistent password policy to all the machines running in Azure VMs, on-prem data center, and even to Amazon EC2 or Google Compute Engine instances. They can also audit the compliance and remediate the issues from a centralized control plane.

Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes lets customers register Kubernetes clusters with Azure to take control of the cluster sprawl. Similar to Azure Arc enabled servers, they can apply consistent policies across all the registered clusters. An additional advantage of Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes is the integration of the GitOps-based deployment mechanism. Cluster managers can ensure that every Kubernetes cluster runs the same configuration and workloads across all registered clusters. GitOps provides at-scale deployment of workloads spanning the clusters running in the public cloud, data centers, and the edge.

Azure Stack, the hardware-based hybrid cloud offering from Microsoft, runs both VMs and managed Kubernetes clusters that can be registered with Azure Arc.

Optionally, Azure Arc customers can ingest the logs and metrics from servers and Kubernetes clusters into Azure Monitor - an integrated observability platform.

As of March 2021, Arc enabled servers and Arc enabled Kubernetes offerings are generally available.

Kubernetes has become the level playing field for running modern workloads. Its transforming to become the new operating system for running distributed workloads, including databases and machine learning platforms.

Kubernetes plays a crucial role in Azure Arc by becoming the infrastructure foundation for running managed services such as databases and machine learning. Microsoft is leveraging Kubernetes to abstract the low-level infrastructure to run platform services reliably. Azure Arc enabled data services and Azure Arc enabled machine learning are early indicators of how Microsoft plans to unleash its managed services to run on any Kubernetes cluster.

Kubernetes as the foundation for Azure Arc enabled managed services

Azure Arc enabled data services extends Microsoft Azures managed databases, including PostgreSQL Hyperscale and SQL Managed Instance to Kubernetes clusters running in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Customers can use Azure Portal or the CLI to manage the lifecycle of database servers deployed through Arc enabled data services. The key advantage of this service is the ability to run databases in disconnected environments such as edge locations. Customers can run the databases in a highly secure environment without opening any outbound connections to the cloud.

Having experimented with databases, Microsoft is all set to bring machine learning to Azure Arc. Customers get the familiar Azure ML experience running in on-prem environments and other public cloud environments. Arc enabled machine learning combines the best of Kubernetes with data science and machine learning workflows. DevOps teams can provision workspaces with pre-configured Conda and Jupyter Notebook IDE. Through Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), data scientists and ML engineers can be given access to select operations needed for their job. With Arc enabled machine learning, customers can mix and match CPU hosts and GPU hosts of a Kubernetes cluster to run distributed training jobs. The models can then be deployed in managed Kubernetes clusters in the cloud or at the edge for inference.

Arc enabled machine learning is a masterstroke from Microsoft. It essentially brings ML Platform as a Service (PaaS) closer to the origin of the data. Customers may have large datasets uploaded to Amazon S3 while the ML training jobs are running in Azure. In that case, they can launch an Amazon EKS cluster in AWS to run Arc enabled machine learning with the same Jupyter Notebook and Azure ML SDK to train a model on AWS. The machine learning model can then be registered and deployed in Azure ML for inference.

Microsofts investments in Azure Stack-based hardware and Azure Arc platform become the critical differentiating factor. Azure is the only public cloud platform with hardware and software-based choices for implementing an enterprise hybrid cloud and multi-cloud strategy.

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Azure Arc Becomes The Foundation For Microsofts Hybrid And Multi-Cloud Strategy - Forbes

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Exchange Server patching and mitigation race to keep pace with exploitation. A low-tech SMS snooping method. – The CyberWire

Hafniums cyberespionage campaign exploiting now-patched Exchange Server zero days morphed, in late February, into multiple campaigns conducted by both state-directed and criminal threat actors. France 24s account of the incident bears out their headline: its become a global crisis.

Criminal interest in exploiting unpatched Exchange Servers continues unabated. Check Point says its observed attacks increase by an order of magnitude over the past week. KnowBe4 reports a similar rise in account impersonation attempts.

CISA has updated its advice on dealing with Microsoft Exchange Server exploitation to include notes on China Chopper webshells being used against victims. The UKs National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), like its counterparts in the US, Germany, and elsewhere, has urged all organizations, both public and private, to apply Microsofts patches as soon as possible. They also recommend that all organizations look for signs of compromise by threat actors, whether Chinese intelligence services or criminal gangs.

Microsoft itself continues to update guidance on protecting on-premise Exchange Servers from attacks. Yesterday the Microsoft Security Response Center released a new, one-click mitigation tool to help users secure both current and out-of-support versions of Exchange Server.

Vice has a disturbing first-person account of how an SMS marketing tool can be abused to redirect messages to a third-party. Its not an exotic hack: all the bad actors would need to do is sign up for the service (its only $16), falsely claim to be the owner of your number, and then have your messages redirected to a number under their control.

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Exchange Server patching and mitigation race to keep pace with exploitation. A low-tech SMS snooping method. - The CyberWire

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2021 Cloud Outsourcing, Disaster Recovery, and Security Research Bundle – ResearchAndMarkets.com – Business Wire

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Cloud Outsourcing, Disaster Recovery, and Security Bundle" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Cloud Outsourcing, Disaster Recovery, and Security Bundle includes:

Key Topics Covered:

How to Guide for Cloud Processing and Outsourcing

Appendix

What's new

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

1. Plan Introduction 1.1 Recovery Life Cycle - After a "Major Event"1.2 Mission and Objectives1.3 Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Scope1.4 Authorization1.5 Responsibility1.6 Key Plan Assumptions1.7 Disaster Definition1.8 Metrics1.9 Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity and Security Basics

2. Business Impact Analysis 2.1 Scope2.2 Objectives2.3 Analyze Threats2.4 Critical Time Frame2.5 Application System Impact Statements2.6 Information Reporting2.7 Best Data Practices2.8 Summary

3. Backup Strategy 3.1 Site Strategy3.2 Backup Best Practices3.3 Data Capture and Backups3.4 Communication Strategy3.5 Enterprise Data Center Systems - Strategy3.6 Departmental File Servers - Strategy3.7 Wireless Network File Servers - Strategy3.8 Data at Outsourced Sites (Including ISP's) - Strategy3.9 Branch Offices (Remote Offices & Retail Locations) - Strategy3.10 Desktop Workstations (In Office) - Strategy3.11 Desktop Workstations (Off-Site Including At-Home Users) - Strategy3.12 Laptops - Strategy3.13 PDA's and Smartphones - Strategy3.14 Byods - Strategy3.15 IoT Devices - Strategy

4. Recovery Strategy 4.1 Approach4.2 Escalation Plans4.3 Decision Points

5. Disaster Recovery Organization 5.1 Recovery Team Organization Chart5.2 Disaster Recovery Team5.3 Recovery Team Responsibilities5.3.1 Recovery Management5.3.2 Damage Assessment and Salvage Team5.3.3 Physical Security5.3.4 Administration5.3.5 Hardware Installation5.3.6 Systems, Applications, and Network Software5.3.7 Communications5.3.8 Operations

6. Disaster Recovery Emergency Procedures 6.1 General6.2 Recovery Management6.3 Damage Assessment and Salvage6.4 Physical Security6.5 Administration6.6 Hardware Installation6.7 Systems, Applications & Network Software6.8 Communications6.9 Operations

7. Plan Administration 7.1 Disaster Recovery Manager7.2 Distribution of the Disaster Recovery Plan7.3 Maintenance of the Business Impact Analysis7.4 Training of the Disaster Recovery Team7.5 Testing of the Disaster Recovery Plan7.6 Evaluation of the Disaster Recovery Plan Tests7.7 Maintenance of the Disaster Recovery Plan

8. Appendix A - Listing of Attached Materials 8.1 Disaster Recovery Business Continuity - Electronic Forms8.2 Safety Program Forms - Electronic Forms8.3 Business Impact Analysis - Electronic Forms8.4 Job Descriptions8.5 Attached Infrastructure Policies8.6 Other Attachments

9. Appendix B - Reference Materials 9.1 Preventative Measures9.2 Sample Application Systems Impact Statement9.3 Key Customer Notification List9.4 Resources Required for Business Continuity9.5 Critical Resources to Be Retrieved9.6 Business Continuity Off-Site Materials9.7 Work Plan9.8 Audit Disaster Recovery Plan Process9.9 Departmental DRP and BCP Activation Workbook9.10 Web Site Disaster Recovery Planning Form9.11 General Distribution Information9.12 Disaster Recovery Sample Contract9.13 Ransomware - HIPAA Guidance9.14 Power Requirement Planning Check List9.14 Colocation Checklist

10. Change History

Security Manual Template

1. Security - Introduction

2. Minimum and Mandated Security Standard Requirements

3. Vulnerability Analysis and Threat Assessment

4. Risk Analysis - IT Applications and Functions

5. Staff Member Roles

6. Physical Security

7. Facility Design, Construction, and Operational Considerations

8. Media and Documentation

10. Data and Software Security

11. Internet and Information Technology Contingency Planning

12. Insurance Requirements

13. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

14. Identity Protection

15. Ransomware - HIPAA Guidance

16. Outsourced Services

17. Waiver Procedures

18. Incident Reporting Procedure

19. Access Control Guidelines

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8lu89r

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2021 Cloud Outsourcing, Disaster Recovery, and Security Research Bundle - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

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DESTINI Estimator Cloud-Based Application Is Accessible Anywhere and Removes Environment Challenges – Business Wire

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Beck Technology, a preconstruction data lifecycle company, has virtualized DESTINI Estimator; an integrated construction estimating software. The cloud-based application removes the frustration of unique construction IT environments while allowing users to access the estimating software anywhere whenever they need it.

Additional benefits include eliminating hardware challenges while enabling team-based estimating and quantification as well as supporting sandbox environments. A sandbox environment allows for testing new workflows without hindering current projects and gives access to Beck Technologys technical support team for troubleshooting without needing to open firewalls thereby reducing risk to cyberattacks.

We needed our project teams to work across multiple offices, and remotely, on the same estimate without the limitations of VPN, internet speed, or varying laptop hardware. We also wanted to continue our focus around leveraging cloud-hosted content and deep integrations, said Andy Leek, VP - Technology & Innovation at PARIC Corporation. We worked closely with the Beck Tech team to develop a solution to host and access DESTINI Estimator in a cloud environment, while supporting our ability to connect remote teams, reduce office space, and improve overall efficiency. Now, if a team member temporarily loses connection, their work is not lost, and once their Internet reconnects, they can continue working without missing a beat. Furthermore, the cloud-hosting of DESTINI Estimator Teams supercharges our ability to establish baseline estimate information in a true project database, and then roundtrip historical information to optimize our future estimate costs and production rates. Its an exponential win!

COVID has required us to work in a unique environment that is disconnected from the office, said Mark Beckler, Director of Estimating at C.E. Floyd Company, Inc. The cloud gives us the flexibility to not have to remote into a server and that is the most beneficial part of it. Additionally, we wont have to update our servers quite so much and our security is improved. We need our technology to be performant and the cloud is proving to be the answer for us.

At Beck Technology, we are always working to support preconstruction teams wherever they are and with todays changing times we continue to take every step necessary to ensure our clients can be successful, said Michael Boren, Chief Technology Officer at Beck Technology. The construction industry is always looking for ways to thwart risk and by moving DESTINI Estimator to a cloud environment ensures we are helping companies reduce their risks while supporting a reduction in IT spending on hardware and maintenance. It is a step in the right direction for construction companies to improve their profit margin and continue to pursue projects with integrated preconstruction technology.

ABOUT BECK TECHNOLOGY

Beck Technology empowers the construction industry to make smarter choices through the preconstruction data lifecycle. Clients, ranging from government agencies to Fortune 500 companies as well as local, regional, and global construction firms, count on Beck Technologys DESTINI platform to conceptualize and estimate projects with unmatched speed, precision, and customization. DESTINI Estimator estimating software is the only purpose-built platform created exclusively for preconstruction and cost estimating professionals. Visit http://www.beck-technology.com, call 888-835-7778, or follow @BeckTechnology.

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DESTINI Estimator Cloud-Based Application Is Accessible Anywhere and Removes Environment Challenges - Business Wire

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Seeking an agile journey to the cloud: Is the future automated? PCR – PCR-online.biz

Steve Law, CTO, Giacom, explains how the role of the channel has evolved in supporting end-users through their transition to the cloud, and what the future holds for MSPs who want toadd more value to their customers cloud adoption.

The unprecedented rate of employees that suddenly needed to collaborate remotely has forced many organisations to turn to cloud-based applications and various communication technologies as a means of survival. This trend is expected to increase over the years according toGartner, which estimates that by 2024, more than 45% of IT spending on system infrastructure, software and business process outsourcing will shift from traditional solutions to the cloud.

Part of this shift means that organisations need to become more agile than ever before. They must adapt and meet demands placed on their infrastructure, while still offering an optimised and seamless user experience. Therefore, IT service providers must be able to offer their customers technology and access to applications that deliver on this promise simply, consistently and cost-effectively.

Communication and collaboration technology will continue to help enable flexibility and productivity across organisations. But, in the future, this will also include greater access to automation and business process management (BPM) technologies, especially for SMBs.

Accelerating to the CloudEven prior to COVID-19, there were many key reasons for businesses to consider a move to the cloud. For instance, flexibility and agility continue to be fundamental drivers for businesses to make this digital transformation, and this has only been accelerated by the pandemic.

Consider this example, traditionally, with on-premise solutions, there are a variety of costs associated with server maintenance, back up and periodic upgrades. However, a shift to the cloud takes away the aggravation or cost of maintaining servers and applications on-premises. With regular updates and cloud support available 24/7, the many benefits of simply moving to the cloud far outweigh the pains of using legacy technologies. As such, if MSPs arent already selling cloud applications, now is the time to reconsider and work with a strong, proven CSP to help develop a cloud proposition and sales strategy.

Diverse Portfolio OfferingsFor MSPs offering cloud alternatives, its not just about meeting a clients immediate cloud needs. Working with the right CSP will enable its partners to add valuable options to its portfolio and identify areas for improvement and further sales. CSPs can also offer MSPs and their clients training and 24/7 support; access to a raft of cloud solutions, including backup and security; and these cloud offerings can significantly help to extend their business model, adding much needed new revenue streams.

Cloud is an ever-changing model too. And, its the role of CSPs to work with the channel to help partners keep up to date with the latest technologies and ensure access to the latest products, training and sales collateral that will enhance their customers businesses.

Automation is KeyFor many organisations, the desire for agility stems from a need for business resilience and to stay competitive. This is especially important in todays economic environment, where organisations focus on balancing a reduction of costs against managing operational complexity across their IT estates. As the uptake in cloud accelerates, organisations, especially SMBs, will start to explore how they can interlink various technologies via APIs to improve business processes and drive greater business value across their organisations. For example, linking accounting CRM and manufacturing systems and more. This automation of processes (e.g. BPM) presents a great opportunity for the channel to deliver more value.

The cloud isnt just about keeping business information stored online MSPs roles will evolve and they will need to demonstrate how they can help customers to automate aspects of their operations. By utilisingMicrosoft Power Apps, for example, they can help build specific business applications for their customers to automate processes and connect systems together.

Further, with analytics tools, such asPower BI, MSPs can bring data from multiple platforms together and express this information across various dashboards for clients to draw insights on. By helping clients form a holistic view of data from connected applications, partners can become more forward-thinking and innovative, enabling them to drive a different kind of value for clients, that allows them to unlock new revenue streams. Long-term, it positions the MSP as more than just a tech supplier.

Added EducationWith the opportunity of being able to offer new services to clients, comes the wider need for the channel to become better trained and educated around automation too. So, if the channel wants to tap into revenue here, it must upskill itself in order to advise its customers how to benefit from integrating various cloud applications in the most effective way.

As part of this, MSPs need to shift their thinking from server maintenance, replacement and upgrades, towards adding business value by integrating cloud applications into their sales model.

Importantly, though, its crucial to acknowledge the need for relevant hardware, connectivity, collaboration and voice will not go away. Selling these tools and applications remains a dominant market; but further down the line, automation and opportunities for BPM technology will grow.

The opportunity for the channel remains in the cloud. But, in the future, MSPs will need to consider how they can derive profit from not just the fundamentals of cloud e.g. voice, data, storage, collaboration, backup and security technology but also through selling automation and BPM-based technologies, to help drive innovation, business efficiency and productivity across organisations.

MSPs can now personalise the customer experience even more than before; differentiating themselves to stand out from the crowd by providing additional value via the cloud. Their role is to make their customers more efficient, and by utilising automation to make digital software even more streamlined, the channel can unlock additional benefits for customers during their cloud journey.

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Seeking an agile journey to the cloud: Is the future automated? PCR - PCR-online.biz

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20 Best Machine Learning Books for Beginner & Experts in 2021

Machine learning has bestowed humanity the power to run tasks in an automated manner. It allows improving things that we already do by studying a continuous stream of data related to that same task. Machine learning has a wide array of applications that belongs to different fields, ranging from space research to digital marketing.

Machine learning also forms the basis of artificial intelligence. Were not yet flooded with machines capable of throwing judgments on their own. Its still a long way to reach there. But the possibilities generated along the way are endless.

So, it is the best time to pick up and learn machine learning. Of course, machine learning is a complex field but that doesnt mean that it cant be learned in an easy way. To help you through, here we are with our pick of the 20 best machine learning books:

Author Andriy BurkovLatest Edition FirstPublisher Andriy BurkovFormat ebook (Leanpub)/Hardcover/Paperback

Is it possible to explain various machine learning topics in a mere 100 pages? The Hundred-Page Machine Learning Book by Andriy Burkov is an effort to realize the same. Written in an easy-to-comprehend manner, the machine learning book is endorsed by reputed thought leaders to the likes of the Director of Research at Google, Peter Norvig and Sujeet Varakhedi, Head of Engineering at eBay. It is the best books for Machine Learning to start with.

Post a thorough reading of the book, you will be able to build and appreciate complex AI systems, clear an ML-based interview, and even start your very own ml-based business. The book, however, is not meant for absolute machine learning beginners. If youre looking for something more fundamental look somewhere else.

Topics covered

You can buy this book here.

Author Toby SegaranLatest Edition FirstPublisher OReilly MediaFormat Kindle/Paperback

Regarded among the best books to begin understanding machine learning, the Programming Collective Intelligence by Toby Segaran was written way before, in 2007, data science and machine learning reached its present status of top career avenues. The book makes use of Python as the vehicle of delivering the knowledge to its readers.

The Programming Collective Intelligence is less of an introduction to machine learning and more of a guide for implementing ml. The book details on creating efficient ml algorithms for gathering data from applications, creating programs for accessing data from websites, and inferring the gathered data. Each chapter features exercises for extending the stated algorithms and further improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

Topics covered

You can buy this book here.

Author Drew Conway and John Myles WhiteLatest Edition FirstPublisher OReilly MediaFormat Kindle/Paperback

The Machine Learning for Hackers book is meant for the experienced programmer interested in crunching data. Here, the word hackers refer to adroit mathematicians. As most of the book is based on data analysis in R, it is an excellent option for those with a good knowledge of R. The book also details using advanced R in data wrangling.

Perhaps the most important highlight of the Machine Learning for Hackers book is the inclusion of apposite case studies highlighting the importance of using machine learning algorithms. Rather than delving deeper into the mathematical theory of machine learning, the book explains numerous real-life examples to make learning ml easier and faster.

Topics covered

You can buy this book here.

Author Tom M. MitchellLatest Edition FirstPublisher McGraw Hill EducationFormat Paperback

Machine Learning by Tom M. Mitchell is a fitting book for getting started with machine learning. It offers a comprehensive overview of machine learning theorems with pseudocode summaries of the respective algorithms. The Machine Learning book is full of examples and case studies to ease a readers effort for learning and grasping ml algorithms.

If you wish to start your career in machine learning, then this book is a must-have. Thanks to a well-explained narrative, a thorough explanation of ml basics, and project-oriented homework assignments, the book on machine learning is a suitable candidate to be included in any machine learning course or program.

Topics covered

You can buy this book here.

Author Trevor Hastie, Robert Tibshirani, and Jerome FriedmanLatest Edition SecondPublisher SpringerFormat Hardcover/Kindle

If you like statistics and want to learn machine learning from the perspective of stats then The Elements of Statistical Learning is the book that you must read. The machine learning book emphasizes mathematical derivations for defining the underlying logic of an ml algorithm. Before picking up this book, ensure that you have at least a basic understanding of linear algebra.

The concepts explained in The Elements of Statistical Learning book arent beginner-friendly. Hence, you might find it complex to digest. If you still, however, want to learn them then you can check out the An Introduction to Statistical Learning book. It explains the same concepts but in a beginner-friendly way.

Topics covered

You can buy this book here.

Author Yaser Abu Mostafa, Malik Magdon-Ismail, and Hsuan-Tien LinLatest Edition FirstPublisher AMLBookFormat Hardcover/Kindle

Want to get a comprehensive introduction to machine learning in less time? And have a good understanding of engineering mathematics? Try the Learning from Data: A Short Coursebook. Instead of imparting knowledge about the various advanced concepts pertaining to machine learning, the book prepares its readers to better comprehend the complex machine learning concepts.

The Learning from Data: A Short Coursebook ditches lengthy and beating around the bush explanations for succinct, to the points explanations. To reinforce learning from this machine learning book, you can also refer to the online tutorials from the author Yaser Abu Mostafa.

Topics covered

You can buy this book here.

Author Christopher M. BishopLatest Edition SecondPublisher SpringerFormat Hardcover/Kindle/Paperback

Written by Christopher M. Bishop, the Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning book serves as an excellent reference for understanding and using statistical techniques in machine learning and pattern recognition. A sound understanding of linear algebra and multivariate calculus are prerequisites for going through the machine learning book.

The Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning book present detailed practice exercises for offering a comprehensive introduction to statistical pattern recognition techniques. The book leverages graphical models in a unique way of describing probability distributions. Though not mandatory, some experience with probability will hasten the learning process.

Topics covered

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Author Steven Bird, Ewan Klein, and Edward LoperLatest Edition FirstPublisher OReilly MediaFormat Available

Natural language processing is the backbone of machine learning systems. The Natural Language Processing with Python book uses the Python programming language to guide you into using NLTK, the popular suite of Python libraries and programs for symbolic and statistical natural language processing for English and NLP in general.

The Natural Language Processing with Python book presents powerful Python codes demonstrating NLP in a clear, precise manner. Readers are able to access well-annotated datasets for analyzing and dealing with unstructured data, linguistic structure in text, and other NLP-oriented aspects.

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Author David BarberLatest Edition FirstPublisher Cambridge University PressFormat Hardcover/Kindle/Paperback

For anyone interested in entering the field of machine learning, Bayesian Reasoning and Machine Learning is a must-have. The book is a fitting solution for computer scientists interested in learning ml but doesnt have a background in calculus and linear algebra.

There is no scarcity of well-explained examples and exercises in the Bayesian Reasoning and Machine Learning book. This makes the book also ideal for undergraduate and graduate computer science students. The machine learning book comes with additional online resources and a comprehensive software package that includes demos and teaching materials for instructors.

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Author Shai Shalev-Shwartz and Shai Ben-DavidLatest Edition FirstPublisher Cambridge University PressFormat Hardcover/Kindle/Paperback

The Understanding Machine Learning book offers a structured introduction to machine learning. The book dives into the fundamental theories and algorithmic paradigms of machine learning, and mathematical derivations.

The machine learning presents a wide array of machine learning topics in an easy-to-understand way. The Understanding Machine Learning book is fitting for anyone ranging from computer science students to non-expert readers in computer science, engineering, mathematics, and statistics.

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Author Oliver TheobaldLatest Edition SecondPublisher Scatterplot PressFormat Kindle/Paperback

Have no prior experience and exposure to machine learning? But still, want to learn it? Then you must not miss out on the Machine Learning for Absolute Beginners book by Oliver Theobald. Obviously, no coding or mathematical background is required to benefit from this machine learning book.

For anyone looking to get the most toned-down definition of machine learning and related concepts, the Machine Learning for Absolute Beginners book is one of the most fitting options. In order to ensure that the readers follow everything mentioned in the book easily, clear explanations and visual examples accompany various ml algorithms.

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Author John Paul Mueller and Luca MassaronLatest Edition FirstPublisher For DummiesFormat Kindle/Paperback

The Machine Learning for Dummies book aims to make the readers familiar with the basic concepts and theories pertaining to machine learning in an easy way. Also, the book focuses on the practical, real-world applications of machine learning.

The machine learning book from John Paul Mueller and Luca Massaron uses Python and R code to demonstrate how to train machines to find patterns and analyze results. The book also explains how ml facilitates email filters, fraud detection, internet ads, web searches, etc.

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Author John D. Kelleher, Brian Mac Namee, and Aoife DArcyLatest Edition FirstPublisher The MIT PressFormat Hardcover/Kindle

Predictive analytics makes use of an array of statistical techniques that helps in analyzing the past and current events to make future predictions based on the same. The Fundamentals of Machine Learning for Predictive Data Analytics book dives into the basics of machine learning required to do better predictive data analytics.

Obviously, you need to have at least a sound understanding of the basics of predictive data analytics to benefit from the machine learning book. Each machine learning concept explained in the machine learning book comes with suitable algorithms, models, and well-explained examples.

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Author Peter HarringtonLatest Edition FirstPublisher Manning PublicationsFormat Paperback

The Machine Learning in Action is yet another opportune machine learning book preferred by a variety of people ranging from undergraduates to professionals. It not only details machine learning techniques but the concepts underlying them as well as in a thoroughly-explained way.

The machine learning book can also act as a walkthrough for developers for writing their own programs meant for acquiring data with the aim of analysis. The Machine Learning in Action book goes in-depth in discussing the algorithms forming the basis of various machine learning techniques. Most examples mentioned in the machine learning book use Python code.

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Author Ian H. Witten, Eibe Frank, and Mark A. HallLatest Edition FourthPublisher Morgan KaufmannFormat Kindle/Paperback

Data mining techniques help us discover patterns in large data sets by means of methods that belong to the fields of database systems, machine learning, and statistics. If you need to or plan to learn data mining techniques, in particular, and machine learning, in general then you must pick up the Data Mining: Practical Machine Learning Tools and Techniques book.

The top machine learning book focuses more on the technical aspect of machine learning. It dives deeper into the technical details of machine learning, methods for obtaining data, and using different inputs and outputs for evaluating results.

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Author Nishant ShuklaLatest Edition FirstPublisher Manning PublicationsFormat ebook (free)/Paperback

TensorFlow is a symbolic math library, and one of the top data science Python libraries, that is used for machine learning applications, most notably neural networks. The Machine Learning with TensorFlow book offers readers a robust explanation of machine learning concepts and practical coding experience.

The Machine Learning with TensorFlow book explains the ml basics with traditional classification, clustering, and prediction algorithms. The book all dives deeper into deep learning concepts making the readers ready for any kind of machine learning task using the free and open-source TensorFlow library.

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Author Aurlien GronLatest Edition SecondPublisher OReilly MediaFormat Kindle/Paperback

The second edition of the Hands-On Machine Learning adds Keras to its content list, alongside Scikit-Learn and TensorFlow. The machine learning book gives an intuitive understanding of the various concepts and tools that you need to develop smart, intelligent systems.

You need programming experience to get started with the Hands-On Machine Learning book. Each chapter in the machine learning book features numerous exercises that will help you apply what youve learned till that time. Post successful reading of the book, one should be able to implement intelligent programs capable of learning from data gained.

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Author Andreas C. Mller & Sarah GuidoLatest Edition FirstPublisher OReilly MediaFormat Kindle/Paperback

Are you a data scientist proficient in using Python and interested in learning ML? Then the Introduction to Machine Learning with Python: A Guide for Data Scientists is the ideal book for you to pick up and kickstart your machine learning journey.

The Introduction to Machine Learning with Python: A Guide for Data Scientists book will teach you various practical ways of building your very own machine learning solutions.

You will get to know all the important steps for creating robust machine learning applications using Python and Scikit-learn library. Having a good understanding of matplotlib and NumPy libraries will help the learning process even better.

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Author Kevin P. MurphyLatest Edition FirstPublisher The MIT PressFormat eTextbook/Hardcover

Full of informal writing and pseudocode for important algorithms, the Machine Learning: A Probabilistic Perspective is a fun machine learning book that flaunts nostalgic color images and practical, real-world examples belonging to various domains like biology, computer vision, robotics, and text processing.

Unlike other machine learning books that are written like a cookbook explaining several heuristic methods, the Machine Learning: A Probabilistic Perspective focuses on a principled model-based approach. It uses graphical models for specifying ml models in a concise, intuitive way.

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Author Leonard EddisonLatest Edition FirstPublisher CreateSpace Independent Publishing PlatformFormat Audiobook/Paperback

Read more:
20 Best Machine Learning Books for Beginner & Experts in 2021

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Machine Learning Engineer vs. Data Scientist | Springboard …

Theres some confusion surrounding the roles of machine learning engineer vs. data scientist, primarily because they are both relatively new. However, if you parse things out and examine the semantics, the distinctions become clear.

At a high level, were talking about scientists and engineers. While a scientist needs to fully understand the, well, science behind their work, an engineer is tasked with building something.

But before we go any further, lets address the difference between machine learning and data science.

It starts with having a solid definition of artificial intelligence. This term was first coined by John McCarthy in 1956 to discuss and develop the concept of thinking machines, which included the following:

Approximately six decades later, artificial intelligence is now perceived to be a sub-field of computer science where computer systems are developed to perform tasks that would typically demand human intervention. These include:

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence where a class of data-driven algorithms enables software applications to become highly accurate in predicting outcomes without any need for explicit programming.

The basic premise here is to develop algorithms that can receive input data and leverage statistical models to predict an output while updating outputs as new data becomes available.

The processes involved have a lot in common with predictive modeling and data mining. This is because both approaches demand one to search through the data to identify patterns and adjust the program accordingly.

Most of us have experienced machine learning in action in one form or another. If you have shopped on Amazon or watched something on Netflix, those personalized (product or movie) recommendations are machine learning in action.

Data science can be described as the description, prediction, and causal inference from both structured and unstructured data. This discipline helps individuals and enterprises make better business decisions.

Its also a study of where data originates, what it represents, and how it could be transformed into a valuable resource. To achieve the latter, a massive amount of data has to be mined to identify patterns to help businesses:

The field of data science employs computer science disciplines like mathematics and statistics and incorporates techniques like data mining, cluster analysis, visualization, andyesmachine learning.

Having said all of that, this post aims to answer the following questions:

If youre looking for a more comprehensive insight into machine learning career options, check out our guides on how to become a data scientist and how to become a data engineer.

As mentioned above, there are some similarities when it comes to the roles of machine learning engineers and data scientists.

However, if you look at the two roles as members of the same team, a data scientist does the statistical analysis required to determine which machine learning approach to use, then they model the algorithm and prototype it for testing. At that point, a machine learning engineer takes the prototyped model and makes it work in a production environment at scale.

Going back to the scientist vs. engineer split, a machine learning engineer isnt necessarily expected to understand the predictive models and their underlying mathematics the way a data scientist is. A machine learning engineer is, however, expected to master the software tools that make these models usable.

Machine learning engineers sit at the intersection of software engineering and data science. They leverage big data tools and programming frameworks to ensure that the raw data gathered from data pipelines are redefined as data science models that are ready to scale as needed.

Machine learning engineers feed data into models defined by data scientists. Theyre also responsible for taking theoretical data science models and helping scale them out to production-level models that can handle terabytes of real-time data.

Machine learning engineers also build programs that control computers and robots. The algorithms developed by machine learning engineers enable a machine to identify patterns in its own programming data and teach itself to understand commands and even think for itself.

When a business needs to answer a question or solve a problem, they turn to a data scientist to gather, process, and derive valuable insights from the data. Whenever data scientists are hired by an organization, they will explore all aspects of the business and develop programs using programming languages like Java to perform robust analytics.

They will also use online experiments along with other methods to help businesses achieve sustainable growth. Additionally, they can develop personalized data products to help companies better understand themselves and their customers to make better business decisions.

As previously mentioned, data scientists focus on the statistical analysis and research needed to determine which machine learning approach to use, then they model the algorithm and prototype it for testing.

Springboard recently asked two working professionals for their definitions of machine learning engineer vs. data scientist.

Mansha Mahtani, a data scientist at Instagram, said:

Given both professions are relatively new, there tends to be a little bit of fluidity on how you define what a machine learning engineer is and what a data scientist is. My experience has been that machine learning engineers tend to write production-level code. For example, if you were a machine learning engineer creating a product to give recommendations to the user, youd be actually writing live code that would eventually reach your user. The data scientist would be probably part of that processmaybe helping the machine learning engineer determine what are the features that go into that modelbut usually data scientists tend to be a little bit more ad hoc to drive a business decision as opposed to writing production-level code.

Shubhankar Jain, a machine learning engineer at SurveyMonkey, said:

A data scientist today would primarily be responsible for translating this business problem of, for example, we want to figure out what product we should sell next to our customers if theyve already bought a product from us. And translating that business problem into more of a technical model and being able to then output a model that can take in a certain set of attributes about a customer and then spit out some sort of result. An ML engineer would probably then take that model that this data scientist developed and integrate it in with the rest of the companys platformand that could involve building, say, an API around this model so that it can be served and consumed, and then being able to maintain the integrity and quality of this model so that it continues to serve really accurate predictions.

To work as a machine learning engineer, most companies prefer candidates who have a masters degree in computer science. However, as this field is relatively new and there is a shortage of top tech talent, many employers will be willing to make exceptions.

Related: How to Build a Strong Machine Learning Resume

However, to stand a chance, potential candidates need to be familiar with the standard implementation of machine learning algorithms which are freely available through APIs, libraries, and packages (along with the advantages and disadvantages of each approach).

According to a report by IBM, machine learning engineers should know the following programming languages (as listed by rank):

Heres what youll need to get the job, based on current job postings:

Like machine learning engineers, data scientists also need to be highly educated. In fact, many have a masters degree or a Ph.D. Based on one recent report, most data scientists have an advanced degree in engineering (16 percent), computer science (19 percent), or mathematics and statistics (32 percent).

Related: A Guide to Becoming a Data Scientist

That being said, according to Paula Griffin, product manager at Quora, There are large swaths of data science that dont require [advanced degree] research-oriented skills. Theres a huge amount of impact that you can have by leveraging the skills that are better built through industry settings as well.

(Source.)

Heres what youll need to get the job:

The responsibilities of a machine learning engineer will be relative to the project theyre working on. However, if you explore the job postings, youll notice that for the most part, machine learning engineers will be responsible for building algorithms that are based on statistical modeling procedures and maintaining scalable machine learning solutions in production.

Heres what these roles typically demand:

To get an idea of the variance of machine learning engineering jobs, we took a look at job postings on several different sites.

Heres a recent posting for a New York City-based machine learning engineer role at Twitter:

(Source.)

Heres a recent posting for a San Francisco-based machine learning engineer role at Adobe:

(Source.)

When compared to a statistician, a data scientist knows a lot more about programming. However, when compared to a software engineer, they know much more about statistics than coding.

Data scientists are well-equipped to store and clean large amounts of data, explore data sets to identify valuable insights, build predictive models, and run data science projects from end to end. More often than not, many data scientists once worked as data analysts.

Heres what the role typically demands:

Heres a recent posting for a New York City-based data scientist role at Asana:

(Source.)

Heres another recent posting for a San Francisco-based data scientist role at Metromile:

(Source.)

The wages commanded by machine learning engineers can vary depending on the type of role and where its located. According to Indeed, the average salary for a machine learning engineer is about $145,000 per year.

What data scientists make annually also depends on the type of job and where its located. Remember, it is a much broader role than machine learning engineer. That said, according to Glassdoor, a data scientist role with a median salary of $110,000 is now the hottest job in America.

As the demand for data scientists and machine learning engineers grows, you can also expect these numbers to rise.

Related:Machine Learning Engineer Salary Guide

If you take a step back and look at both of these jobs, youll see that its not a question of machine learning vs. data science. Instead, its all about what youre interested in working with and where you see yourself many years from now.

Lets summarize the questions posed at the beginning of this article:

Whether you become a machine learning engineer or a data scientist, youre going to be working at the cutting edge of business and technology. And since the demand for top tech talent far outpaces supply, the competition for bright minds within this space will continue to be fierce for years to come. So you really cant go wrong no matter which path you choose.

Looking to prepare for broader data science roles? Check out Springboards Data Science Career Track. Its a self-guided, mentor-led bootcamp with a job guarantee!

If youre more narrowly focused on becoming a machine learning engineer, consider Springboards machine learning bootcamp, the first of its kind to come with a job guarantee.

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Machine Learning Engineer vs. Data Scientist | Springboard ...

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