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Comparing Ripple company influence on XRP versus Ethereum’s … – BTC Peers

Cryptocurrencies have exploded in popularity in recent years, with thousands of digital assets emerging. Two of the most prominent are XRP and Ethereum. While they share some similarities as crypto assets, their structures and influences differ considerably. This article will compare and contrast the impact of Ripple on XRP versus the decentralization of Ethereum.

Unlike Bitcoin and Ethereum which are completely decentralized, XRP has an associated company named Ripple that plays a major role in its development and promotion. Ripple labs originally created XRP in 2012 and continues to have significant control over its management.

Ripple owns over half the total supply of XRP and decides how much to sell each month. They promote its use through partnerships with financial institutions and fund development to enhance the XRP ledger. These actions have a major influence on XRP's value and perception.

While Ripple doesn't control the XRP ledger, they have sway over the network rules. The company submits proposals to improve consensus and manages a group of trusted validators. This level of influence is unique among top cryptocurrencies today.

In contrast to Ripple's substantial role, Ethereum strives to be completely decentralized with no central leadership. Vitalik Buterin originally proposed Ethereum in 2013, but he does not directly control the network today.

The Ethereum Foundation oversees development and promotion, but does not own Ether or write the protocol rules. Ethereum has also transitioned to proof-of-stake consensus which is more decentralized than alternatives.

With Ethereum, anyone can run a node or become a validator. There are far more independent validators than Ripple's trusted set. Additionally, protocol changes come through community proposals and upgrades rather than a central company.

This decentralized approach ensures no single entity has outsized control over Ethereum. While the Ethereum Foundation is influential, they don't have authority over the blockchain or Ether supply like Ripple does with XRP.

As cryptocurrencies mature, the tussle between decentralization and commercialization only grows more complex.

Proof-of-work mining has allowed many cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to be decentralized by making it hard for any single miner to control the network. However, mining uses extensive computing power which has raised environmental concerns.

An alternative is proof-of-stake which allows token holders to validate transactions based on how many coins they hold rather than computational work. Staking is viewed as more energy efficient and better for decentralization long-term.

However, transitioning a proof-of-work coin to staking requires a hard fork which has risks. There are also centralization risks if a few entities buy up tokens to control validation. While staking has benefits, replacing current mining would have tradeoffs to consider carefully.

Decentralized finance (DeFi) offers financial services without intermediaries through blockchain networks. However, regulatory uncertainty has hampered mainstream DeFi adoption. Clearer regulations in areas like custody and taxation would support wider use.

Additionally, guidelines on auditing protocols for security, enforcing KYC for on-ramps and clarity around how securities laws apply to tokens would protect consumers. With better guardrails, investors may become more comfortable participating in DeFi.

Strong transparency rules and anti-fraud enforcement would also limit bad actors. Overall, thoughtful regulation and oversight would allow DeFi innovations to expand while protecting users. The ideal regulatory approach balances guidance and flexibility.

Quantum computers can theoretically break current encryption through "Shor's algorithm." Since blockchains rely on cryptography for security, many wonder what risks quantum computing poses.

Once large, stable quantum computers are available, signature schemes and hash functions used in Bitcoin, Ethereum and other blockchains would be vulnerable. However, upgrades to "post-quantum" cryptography that resists quantum attacks are being researched.

It's likely blockchain developers would incorporate new quantum-resistant cryptography once necessary. While quantum computing may one day necessitate security changes, blockchains could adapt to maintain robust protection.

While XRP and Ethereum offer intriguing crypto asset opportunities, their structures fundamentally differ. Ripple's extensive influence over XRP provides advantages like corporate support but raises centralization questions. Meanwhile, Ethereum strives for complete decentralization through community coordination.

Understanding these dynamics provides context on the philosophies behind each network. For traders and investors, weighing the benefits and risks of centralized or decentralized control may inform decisions. As blockchain technology progresses, balancing these factors will likely remain a key consideration.

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Ethereum eyes scalability solutions with Layer Two and rollups By … – Investing.com Nigeria

The Ethereum blockchain, grappling with scalability issues, is eyeing Layer Two (L2) scaling solutions and rollups to enhance its capacity, speed, and efficiency. As the demand for blockchain technology grows, the need for scalable solutions continues to rise, making L2 scaling solutions a promising method to handle this problem.

Neal Tompkins (NYSE:TMP), a prominent figure in the blockchain community, emphasized the importance of L2 scaling in an interview on Thursday. He explained that L2 scaling solutions are supplementary protocols or networks that run on top of Layer One blockchains, thereby enhancing scalability by executing transactions off-chain or via sidechains. This allows transactions to occur faster and at a lower cost since they do not need to be processed directly on the Layer One blockchain.

Tompkins cited examples of L2 scaling solutions such as the Lightning Network for Bitcoin. This protocol establishes a network of payment channels that enable quick and affordable transactions by allowing off-chain transactions, thereby reducing network congestion on Bitcoin.

While these solutions offer numerous benefits like improved throughput of blockchain networks, lower transaction costs, faster confirmation times, and enhanced privacy, challenges persist. Key among them are interoperability across different Layer One blockchains, maintaining high security standards to protect customer funds and data, and ensuring wide adoption by both developers and consumers.

In addition to L2 solutions, Ethereum is exploring the use of rollups as a potential solution to its scalability woes. Rollups process off-chain transactions and only enter the end result onto the blockchain. This approach significantly reduces the amount of data sent to the blockchain, making it more economical.

The so-called danksharding system is emerging as an alternative that will allow rollups to add data to the Ethereum blockchain. Danksharding will bring about vast amounts of free and usable space on the Ethereum blockchain for rollups.

However, achieving this requires updates to the Ethereum protocol, centered around the EIP-4844 proposal, also known as the "Shard Blob Transactions" proposal. Drafted by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin among others and published in February last year, EIP-4844 would introduce a new format for transactions that carry blobs - large amounts of data that cannot be accessed through Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) execution.

Despite the promise of these solutions, achieving the goal of handling 100,000 transactions per second on the Ethereum network is still a long way off. The current on-chain limit is around 25 transactions per second, with an all-time high of 1.9 million transactions per day recorded on December 9, 2022. The journey to this ambitious target will require moving much of the work off-chain, with rollups being the fastest route to ramp up transaction processing speed.

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Crypto Trading vs Forex: Profit Opportunities vs Risks and … – Cryptopolitan

Description

Trading, a widely practiced financial activity, continues to capture the interest of seasoned investors and newcomers, driven by its promise of financial opportunity and excitement. In recent years, the financial world has witnessed the remarkable ascent of cryptocurrency trading, standing shoulder to shoulder with the traditional Forex market. Trading, be it in the established Forex Read more

Trading, a widely practiced financial activity, continues to capture the interest of seasoned investors and newcomers, driven by its promise of financial opportunity and excitement. In recent years, the financial world has witnessed the remarkable ascent of cryptocurrency trading, standing shoulder to shoulder with the traditional Forex market.

Trading, be it in the established Forex market or the dynamic world of cryptocurrencies, has gained immense popularity globally. The allure of potential profits has made trading attractive and appealing to individuals from various backgrounds and financial aspirations. However, the trading landscape has undergone a transformative shift, marked by the meteoric rise of cryptocurrencies as a disruptive force challenging conventional financial norms.

Cryptocurrency trading, borne out of blockchain technologys innovation, has ushered in an era of unparalleled dynamism and volatility in the trading landscape. In stark contrast, Forex, known as foreign exchange trading, remains a steadfast pillar in the financial domain, bearing a rich history that spans decades.

Crypto trading involves the buying and selling digital assets, known as cryptocurrencies, on various online platforms. These cryptocurrencies operate on blockchain technology, a decentralized and secure ledger system that records all transactions transparently. The most prominent cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple, among many others.

Bitcoin, the pioneer cryptocurrency created by an anonymous entity known as Satoshi Nakamoto, has dominated the market since its inception in 2009. It serves as a digital currency and a store of value, often called digital gold due to its scarcity and potential as an alternative to traditional currencies.

Ethereum, introduced in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin, brought a groundbreaking development to the crypto landscape with the concept of smart contracts. Ethereums blockchain allows developers to create decentralized applications (DApps), opening up new possibilities beyond simple transactions.

The crypto market has experienced remarkable growth and gained considerable significance in the global financial landscape. With a total market capitalization measured in trillions, it has attracted attention from institutional investors and garnered mainstream recognition. This growth has been fueled by increased adoption, institutional interest, and the emergence of diverse cryptocurrencies catering to various use cases.

The significance of crypto trading lies in its potential for substantial profits and its role as a catalyst for innovation in the financial sector. The blockchain technology underpinning cryptocurrencies has applications extending beyond finance, including supply chain management, voting systems, and decentralized finance (DeFi).

Crypto trading represents a new frontier in the financial world, offering opportunities for financial gain and technological advancement. Its growth and significance continue to reshape the financial landscape, making it a compelling subject of study and investment for traders and investors worldwide.

Forex trading, short for foreign exchange trading, involves the buying and selling currencies on the foreign exchange market. This global market operates 24 hours a day, five days a week, making it one of the most accessible and liquid financial markets in the world.

In Forex trading, participants trade currency pairs, exchanging one currency for another. The most commonly traded currency pairs include EUR/USD (Euro/US Dollar), USD/JPY (US Dollar/Japanese Yen), and GBP/USD (British Pound/US Dollar).

Each pair represents the exchange rate between two currencies. For example, in the EUR/USD pair, if a trader believes the Euro will strengthen against the US Dollar, they will buy Euros and sell US Dollars.

The Forex market is enormous, with a daily trading volume exceeding $6 trillion, dwarfing other financial markets. It is the foundation of international trade and investment, facilitating global currency exchange for businesses, governments, and investors. Its significance extends beyond trading, as currency values impact global economies, trade balances, and monetary policies.

The Forex markets importance lies in its role as a barometer for global economic health and geopolitical developments. Traders and investors rely on currency movements to make informed decisions, and central banks use Forex reserves and interventions to stabilize their economies. The Forex markets size, liquidity, and influence make it a vital component of the global financial system, impacting everything from interest rates to inflation rates.

Forex trading is the linchpin of international finance, enabling the exchange of currencies that drive the global economy. Its basics, involving currency pairs and exchange rates, provide a foundation for understanding how the Forex market operates. Its vast size and importance underscore its significance in the broader financial landscape, making it an essential topic for traders, investors, and policymakers.

The crypto and Forex markets exhibit fundamental differences significantly influencing trading dynamics and strategies.

In the crypto market, traders exchange digital assets cryptocurrencies, which are decentralized and often subject to rapid price fluctuations. Popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum serve as investment assets and exchange mediums.

In contrast, the Forex market revolves around traditional fiat currencies, including the US Dollar, Euro, and Japanese Yen. Forex traders speculate on currency pairs relative values, influenced by economic indicators, interest rates, and geopolitical events.

The crypto market operates 24/7, providing non-stop trading opportunities. In contrast, Forex follows a global trading session schedule, with the market opening in Asia, followed by Europe and North America. These distinct trading sessions create varying levels of volatility and liquidity during different times of the day.

Cryptocurrencies are renowned for their price volatility, with the potential for substantial gains or losses in a short period. This high volatility attracts risk-tolerant traders seeking opportunities in price swings.

Forex markets are generally less volatile, with currencies influenced by economic stability and central bank policies. While this reduces the potential for massive price spikes, it offers a more stable trading environment.

The differences between these markets lead to distinct trading strategies. In the crypto market, traders often employ technical analysis to capitalize on price fluctuations. They use charts, indicators, and patterns to predict crypto price movements.

Forex traders may focus more on fundamental analysis, considering economic data, interest rates, and geopolitical events. Risk management is crucial in both markets, but crypto traders must be especially vigilant due to the asset classs inherent volatility.

Crypto and Forex Trading are two dynamic financial markets that offer profit opportunities but also have unique Risks and Challenges. Understanding and managing these risks is essential for traders and investors to navigate these markets successfully.

Price Volatility: Cryptocurrencies are notorious for their price volatility. Prices can fluctuate dramatically within minutes, leading to potential significant gains or losses.

Lack of Regulation: The crypto market is relatively young and less regulated than traditional financial markets. This can expose investors to risks such as fraud, market manipulation, and scams.

Security Concerns: Crypto assets are stored in digital wallets, and if these wallets are not adequately secured, they can be vulnerable to hacking and theft.

Liquidity Risk: Some smaller cryptocurrencies may need more liquidity, making it challenging to buy or sell large amounts without significantly impacting the price.

Regulatory Changes: Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are still developing their approaches to cryptocurrency regulation. Sudden regulatory changes can impact the market and investor sentiment.

Market Risk: Many economic, political, and geopolitical factors influence the foreign exchange market. Unexpected events can lead to rapid currency value changes.

Leverage Risk: Forex trading often involves using leverage, which can amplify gains and losses. While it can enhance profits, it also increases the potential for significant losses.

Interest Rate Risk: Changes in interest rates by central banks can profoundly impact currency values. Traders need to stay informed about these policy shifts.

Counterparty Risk: In Forex trading, there is a risk that the broker or financial institution involved may default or become insolvent, potentially leading to a loss of funds.

Political and Economic Stability: Currency values can be influenced by political instability or economic crises in a country. Traders must stay updated on global events that can impact currencies.

Volatility: Crypto trading is known for its extreme price volatility, whereas Forex trading also involves volatility but on a generally lower scale.

Regulation: Crypto markets are less regulated and more susceptible to fraud, while Forex markets are more established and heavily regulated in most countries.

Security: Crypto assets require secure digital storage, increasing the risk of hacking. In contrast, Forex trading is conducted through established financial institutions with solid security measures.

Liquidity: Forex markets are highly liquid, allowing large trades with minimal price impact. Some cryptocurrencies may suffer from liquidity issues, making large trades riskier.

Leverage: Both markets offer leverage, but in Forex, it is more commonly used, increasing the potential for substantial losses.

Choosing between them depends on risk tolerance, investment goals, and market knowledge. Both markets require careful risk management and education for successful trading.

In financial markets, strategies are the compass that guides traders through the complexities of Crypto and Forex Trading. These strategies are designed to maximize profit potential while managing risks. Lets explore the common trading strategies employed in both domains and understand how they may differ due to market characteristics.

Crypto trading strategies often embrace the volatility and rapid price movements that characterize the cryptocurrency market. Here are some common approaches:

Day Trading: Crypto-day traders seek to profit from short-term price fluctuations by opening and closing positions within the same day. This strategy requires constant monitoring of market trends.

HODLing: This strategy involves holding cryptocurrencies for the long term, regardless of short-term price fluctuations. Its based on the belief that cryptocurrencies will appreciate significantly over time.

Swing Trading: Swing traders aim to capitalize on price swings by holding positions for several days or weeks. They analyze charts and technical indicators to identify potential entry and exit points.

Arbitrage: Cryptocurrency arbitrage involves exploiting price differences for the same asset on different exchanges. Traders buy low on one exchange and sell high on another, profiting from the price gap.

Forex trading strategies revolve around currency pairs and the macroeconomic factors influencing them. Here are some common Forex strategies:

Scalping: Forex scalpers aim to make small profits from numerous trades executed within seconds or minutes. This strategy requires quick decision-making and a keen understanding of market trends.

Trend Trading: Trend traders identify and follow prevailing market trends, buying during uptrends and selling during downtrends. They use technical analysis to spot potential trends.

Carry Trading: Carry traders capitalize on interest rate differentials between currencies. They borrow funds in a currency with a low interest rate and invest in a currency with a higher interest rate, profiting from the interest rate spread.

Range Trading: Range traders operate in sideways or consolidating markets. They identify price ranges and execute buy and sell orders at support and resistance levels.

The main difference in trading strategies between Crypto and Forex is market characteristics. Cryptos high volatility often leads to short-term trading strategies, while Forex, driven by economic events, accommodates both short-term and long-term approaches.

Additionally, risk management plays a crucial role in adapting these strategies to the respective markets challenges and opportunities. Traders must select strategies that align with their risk tolerance and market understanding, recognizing that both Crypto and Forex markets offer diverse avenues for profit.

When choosing between cryptocurrency (Crypto) and Forex trading, traders should base their decisions on various factors that align with their goals, risk tolerance, and trading style. Here, we guide you in making the right choice and offer tips on diversifying portfolios across both markets.

First and foremost, traders should assess their risk tolerance. Crypto markets are known for their high volatility, which can lead to significant price swings in a short period. If you are comfortable with high-risk, high-reward scenarios, crypto trading may suit you. On the other hand, Forex markets are comparatively more stable, making them a choice for those who prefer lower volatility.

Clearly defined trading goals are essential. Crypto tradings rapid price movements might be appealing if your objective is quick, speculative gains. However, if you aim for long-term wealth preservation and steady growth, Forex tradings stability could align better with your goals.

Your trading style matters. Day traders and scalpers may thrive in the Crypto markets fast-paced environment, where opportunities emerge and vanish swiftly. Conversely, swing traders and investors may find Forexs slower pace and macroeconomic factors more suitable.

Rather than choosing one market over the other, diversifying across Crypto and Forex can be prudent. Diversification spreads risk and allows you to benefit from different market dynamics. You can create a more resilient portfolio by balancing high-risk Crypto assets with more stable Forex currency pairs.

The comparison between Crypto and Forex trading reveals two distinct yet enticing financial landscapes. Crypto trading offers high volatility and the potential for rapid gains, making it attractive to risk-tolerant individuals seeking short-term opportunities. On the other hand, Forex trading provides a stable and established market for those prioritizing wealth preservation and steady growth.

The future of both markets is promising. Crypto continues to gain mainstream acceptance, with innovative projects and decentralized finance (DeFi) driving its growth. Meanwhile, Forex remains a fundamental component of the global financial system, evolving alongside technological advancements.

Traders and investors are encouraged to align their choices with their financial objectives, risk tolerance, and trading styles. Diversifying across both markets can offer a balanced approach to wealth accumulation.

Both Crypto and Forex markets entail risks. Crypto is known for high volatility, while Forex offers more stability. Risk varies based on individual preferences and strategies.

Yes, many traders diversify their portfolios by trading in both markets. It allows them to balance risk and capitalize on diverse opportunities.

Yes, regulations vary by country and region. Cryptocurrency regulations are evolving, while Forex is generally well-regulated worldwide.

Market sentiment, adoption, technological developments, and macroeconomic events influence cryptocurrency prices.

Yes, both Crypto and Forex offer opportunities for long-term investments. Crypto has gained traction as a store of value, while Forex is used for hedging and long-term currency holdings.

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AI won’t be replacing your priest, minister, rabbi or imam any time soon – The Conversation

Early in the summer of 2023, robots projected on a screen delivered sermons to about 300 congregants at St. Pauls Church in Bavaria, Germany. Created by ChatGPT and Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna, the experimental church service drew immense interest.

The deadpan sermon delivery prompted many to doubt whether AI can really displace priests and pastoral instruction. At the end of the service, an attendee remarked, There was no heart and no soul.

But the growing use of AI may prompt more churches to debut AI-generated worship services. A church in Austin, Texas, for example, has put a banner out advertising a service with an AI-generated sermon. The church worship will also include an AI-generated call to worship and pastoral prayer. Yet this use of AI has prompted concerns, as these technologies are believed to disrupt authentic human presence and leadership in religious life.

My research, alongside others in the interdisciplinary fields of digital religion and human-machine communication, illuminates what is missing in discussions of AI, which tend to be machine-centric and focused on extreme bright or dark outcomes.

It points to how religious leaders are still the ones influencing the latest technologies within their organizations. AI cannot simply displace humans, since storytelling and programming continue to be critical for its development and deployment.

Here are three ways in which machines will need a priest.

Given rapid changes in emerging technologies, priests have historically served as gatekeepers to endorse and invest in new digital applications. In 2015, in China, the adoption of Xian'er, the robot monk, was promoted as a pathway to spiritual engagement by the master priest of the Buddhist Longquan Temple in Beijing.

The priest rejected claims that religious AI was sacrilegious and described innovation in AI as spiritually compatible with religious values. He encouraged the incorporation of AI into religious practices to help believers gain spiritual insight and to elevate the temples outreach efforts in spreading Buddhist teachings.

Similarly, in 2019, the head priest of the Kodai-ji Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan, named an adult-size android Kannon Mindar, after the revered Goddess of Mercy.

This robotic deity, who can preach the Heart Sutra, a classic and popular Buddhist scripture, was intentionally built in partnership with Osaka University, with a cost of about US$1 million. The idea behind it was to stimulate public interest and connect religious seekers and practitioners with Buddhist teachings.

By naming and affirming AI use in religious life, religious leaders are acting as key influencers in the development and application of robots in spiritual practice.

Today, much of AI data operations remain invisible or opaque. Many adults do not recognize how much AI is already a part of our daily lives, for example in customer service chatbots and custom product recommendations.

But human decision making and judgment about technical processes, including providing feedback for reinforcement learning and interface design, is vital for the day-to-day operations of AI.

Consider the recent robotic initiatives at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia. At this mosque, multilingual robots are being deployed for multiple purposes, including providing answers to questions related to ritual performances in 11 languages.

Notably, while these robots stationed at the Grand Mosque can recite the Holy Quran, they also provide visitors with connections to local imams. Their touch-screen interfaces are equipped with bar codes, allowing users to learn more about the weekly schedules of mosque staff, including clerics who lead Friday sermons. In addition, these robots can connect visitors with Islamic scholars via video interactions to answer their queries around the clock.

What this shows is that while robots can serve as valuable sources of religious knowledge, the strategic channeling of inquiries back to established religious leaders is reinforcing the credibility of priestly authority.

Clergy are trying to raise awareness of AIs potential for human flourishing and well-being. For example, in recent years, Pope Francis has been vocal in addressing the potential benefits and disruptive dangers of the new AI technologies.

The Vatican has hosted technology industry leaders and called for ethical guidelines to safeguard the good of the human family and maintain vigilance against technology misuse. The ethical use of AI for religion includes a concern for human bias in programming, which can result in inaccuracies and unsafe outcomes.

In June 2023, the Vaticans culture and education body, in partnership with Santa Clara University, released a 140-page AI ethics handbook for technology organizations. The handbook stressed the importance of embedding moral ideals in the development of AI, including respect for human dignity and rights in data privacy, machine learning and facial recognition technologies.

By creating and sharing ethical guidelines on AI, religious leaders can speak to future AI development from its inception, to guide design and consumer implementation toward cherished values.

In sum, while religious leaders appear to be undervalued in AI development and discourse, I argue that it is important to recognize the ways in which clergy are contributing to skillful communication involving AI technologies. In the process, they are co-constructing the conversations that chatbots such as the one at the church in Bavaria are having with congregants.

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Google nears release of AI software Gemini, The Information reports – Reuters

A logo is pictured at Google's European Engineering Center in Zurich, Switzerland July 19, 2018 REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

Sept 14 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google has given a small group of companies access to an early version of Gemini, its conversational artificial intelligence software, The Information reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Gemini is intended to compete with OpenAI's GPT-4 model, according to the report.

For Google, the stakes of Gemini's launch are high. Google has intensified investments in generative AI this year as it plays catch-up after Microsoft-backed OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT last year took the tech world by storm.

Gemini is a collection of large-language models that power everything from chatbots to features that either summarize text or generate original text based on what users want to read like email drafts, music lyrics, or news stories, the report said.

It is also expected to help software engineers write code and generate original images based on what users ask to see.

Google is currently giving developers access to a relatively large version of Gemini, but not the largest version it is developing which would be more on par with GPT-4, the report said.

The search and advertising giant plans to make Gemini available to companies through its Google Cloud Vertex AI service.

Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Last month, the company introduced generative AI to its Search tool for users in India and Japan that will show text or visual results to prompts, including summaries. It had also made its AI-powered tools available to enterprise customers at a monthly price of $30 per user.

Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Cloud Infrastructure Options: How to Choose – Cloud Infrastructure … – InformationWeek

When choosing a cloud infrastructure direction, its important to weigh the advantages of three types, which include traditional, hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), and distributed cloud architectures.

Traditional or three-tier infrastructure refers to the combination of disaggregated servers, storage arrays, and networking infrastructure.

Hyperconvergence provides a building block software-defined approach to compute, network, and storage on standard server hardware under unified management.

The third option, distributed cloud, refers to the distribution of public cloud services to different physical locations.

Pavel Despot, senior product manager at Akamai, explains the main differences between hyperconverged, traditional, and distributed cloud infrastructures come down to location.

A traditional cloud infrastructure, which contains the delivery of computing services, like servers, databases, and networking over the internet, is bound to a chosen location or locations, he says. Hyperconverged cloud infrastructures keep hardware components in a single integrated cluster.

On the other hand, he notes a distributed cloud infrastructure doesnt take the approach that workloads are built for specific locations; instead, workloads and applications can be deployed to multiple geographical endpoints.

Distributed clouds solve common pain points of the traditional cloud, such as high costs, latency and limited global reach, he says.

While all three operate on the idea that pools of resources can be drawn upon as needed, the nature and breadth of those pools are different.

Hyperconverged solutions use commonly available hypervisors to allocate resources available for various compute, storage, and networking functions.

As a result, youre limited by how much hardware you have in that location, Despot says. So, management requires you to keep an eye on how much capacity youre using and plan ahead.

He notes its important to remember that HCI solutions generate significant overhead costs, further eating into how much you have available for your workload.

Cory Peters, vice president of cloud services at SHI International, explains hyperconverged, traditional, and distributed cloud differ in terms of scalability and flexibility.

Hyperconverged infrastructure offers seamless scalability and flexibility through its integrated approach and software-defined resource allocation, he says. Traditional infrastructure presents limitations in scalability and flexibility due to its fragmented nature and manual configuration processes.

Distributed cloud infrastructure provides scalability and flexibility benefits, particularly in edge computing scenarios, by distributing resources closer to end-users and enabling dynamic resource allocation.

One industry example of this could be an autonomous vehicle company employing a distributed cloud infrastructure to support its fleet, Peters explains.

Edge computing capabilities lets vehicles process sensor data on-board and make instantaneous decisions.

This process ensures safety and responsiveness without relying on a centralized cloud infrastructure.

Understanding these differences is essential for organizations to make informed decisions about which infrastructure model aligns best with their scalability and flexibility requirements, Peters says. By selecting the right model, businesses can ensure they have the necessary agility and adaptability to meet evolving demands and drive innovation.

Swaminathan Chandrasekaran, principal and global cloud CoE lead at KMPG, cautions distributed cloud infrastructure can raise costs if not properly managed.

You need to consider data transfer costs for network ingress and egress between clouds as well as properly utilizing commitment discounts for workload placement on provider contracts, he says.

The biggest difference from a cost perspective between traditional infrastructure in your own data center and moving to public cloud is shifting from a CapEx model of owning your own infrastructure assets to an OpEx model where you pay for what you use.

You can further optimize costs in an OpEx model with burst-capacity scenarios that have high resource demands in short or infrequent intervals, Chandrasekaran adds.

He says with traditional infrastructure, organizations must plan for, procure, deploy, and provision hardware for each new use case or increase in capacity demand from the business.

This can generally take weeks to months for an environment that can be delivered before it can even be made fit-for-purpose for an application for the business, he explains. Applications and systems are at greater risk of impact from hardware failure and could see longer mean time to recovery in such situations.

He points out HCI and distributed cloud infrastructures allow for on-demand provisioning, greatly reducing the time to market for new solutions to power the business.

By centralizing these virtual resources behind a single control plane, you also gain efficiencies in managing and maintaining these IT resources, he says. With built-in levels of resiliency and greater portability of virtual environments, mean time to recovery at times of failure are greatly reduced.

Peters says the choice of infrastructure type has a significant impact on the agility and speed of IT applications within an organization.

Hyperconverged infrastructure stands out in terms of agility and speed, thanks to its integrated architecture and software-defined resource allocation, he says.

Traditional infrastructure presents challenges in both agility and speed due to its fragmented nature and manual configuration processes.

Distributed cloud infrastructure excels in agility and speed, especially in edge computing scenarios, by bringing resources closer to end-users and reducing network latency.

He says understanding the impact of different infrastructure types on the agility and speed of IT applications helps organizations make informed decisions that align with their application requirements and business objectives.

By choosing the right infrastructure model, businesses can optimize the agility and speed of their IT applications, leading to improved productivity, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage, Peters says.

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LinkedIn Leads Standardized Cloud Gear Alliance – LinkedIn Leads … – InformationWeek

LinkedIn is leading a project with muscular industry backers to produce componentized and standardized data center hardware that will be useful in small and medium-sized enterprise data centers as well as large cloud centers.

LinkedIn announced the Open19 Project in July last year. Yesterday it announcedthat HPE, GE Digital, Flexj and Vapor IO have said they're backing the Open19 Project and forming a foundation to support it. Vapor IO is a firm with products to manage edge computing, hybrid cloud computing and decentralized data centers collecting device data and sensor information flow. Flex supplies customizable manufacturing of electronics equipment.

Open19 data center gear includes a data center switch and is expected to include standardized storage options. Curt Belusar, senior director of hyper-scale engineering at HPE, said in a blog yesterday, "Open19 community members can 'mix and match components in the way that best meets their data center needs to increase operational efficiency and reduce cost." The Open19 project gets its name from its reliance on a standard 19-inch wide rack for mounting servers and other devices.

Want to learn more about open source hardware? See Battle Intensifies To Become Cloud Hardware Leader.

Open19 is as much about having a standard networking environment in multiple cloud data centers as it is about gear. In a blog May 23, Darren Haas, senior VP, cloud and data for GE Digital, said it was difficult to implement Predix when cloud environments constantly varied in their hardware and networking: "The ability to use an open network stack with a mix of simple interchangeable solutions sharing the same standard will help allow us to deliver racks quickly, reduce deployment costs and have a wider inventory..."

Open 19 has several smaller backers, such as Inspur and Cumulus Networks, who were already part of the open source hardware project. Cumulus joined in April. Inspur is a 19-inch rack and "brick" supplier with ties to the Chinese technology companies Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent.

Open19 is a younger project than Open Compute, which was founded by Facebook in 2009 and was the first to apply the principles of open source code sharing and development to hardware design. Open Compute's first task was to popularize a standardize server and server switch design originated by Facebook and used in its hyper-scale data centers.

With Open19, the emphasis is more on useful components that can be assembled in large or small data processing centers, including some at the edge of the network or aggregators on the Internet of Things. Both projects share the goal of coming up with industry standard designs that can be stamped out by a number of low name recognition producers to minimize costs and maximize their usefulness in the data center.

In a blog on July 19 last year, Yuval Bachar, a veteran of engineering organizations at Cisco and Facebook and then the principal engineer for global infrastructure architecture at Linked in, wrote: "This new project aims to establish a new open standard for servers based on a common form factor. The goals of Open19 are to provide lower cost per rack, lower cost per server, optimized power utilization, and (eventually) an open standard that everyone can contribute to and participate in."

LinkedIn, of course, was acquired by Microsoft, so Open19 designs and products may find a future in Azure data centers as well as in LinkedIn's. But Microsoft is also a backer of Open Compute. For now, the initiative lies with LinkedIn engineers such as Bachar to make something distinctive of the project and allow it to serve complementary objectives.

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Supermicro Announces Future Support and Upcoming Early Access … – PR Newswire

Supermicro's Advanced GPU Systems for Generative AI Applications with Dual 5th Gen Intel Xeon Processors Will Take Advantage of the Increased Number of Cores, Performance, and Performance Per Watt in The Same Power Envelope

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Intel Innovation 2023 -- Supermicro, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI), a Total IT Solution Provider for Cloud, AI/ML, Storage, and 5G/Edge, is announcing future support for the upcoming 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors. In addition, Supermicro will soon offer early shipping and free remote early access testing of the new Systems via its JumpStart Programfor qualified customers. To learn more, go to http://www.supermicro.com/x13for details. The Supermicro 8x GPU optimized servers, the SuperBlade servers, and the Hyper Series will soon be ready for customers to test their workloads on the new CPU.

"Supermicro's range of Generative High-Performance AI systems, including recently launched GPUs, continues to lead the industry in AI offerings with its broad range of X13 family of servers designed for various workloads, from the edge to the cloud," said Charles Liang, president, and CEO, Supermicro. "Our support for the upcoming 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors, with more cores, an increased performance per watt, and the latest DDR5-5600MHz memory, will allow our customers to realize even greater application performance and power efficiency for AI, Cloud, 5G Edge, and Enterprise workloads. These new features will help customers accelerate their business and maximize their competitive advantage."

Watch the Supermicro TechTALK about how Supermicro is working with Intel to bring to market new X13 servers with the 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors.

Supermicro X13 systems will be able to take advantage of the new processors' built-in workload accelerators, enhanced security features, and increased performance within the same power envelope as the previous generation of 4th Gen Intel Xeon processors. Using PCIe 5.0, the latest peripheral devices using CXL 1.1, NVMe storage, and the latest GPU accelerators deliver reduced application execution times. Customers will soon be able to leverage the new 5th Gen Intel Xeonprocessors in the tried-and-tested Supermicro X13 servers, with no software redesign or architectural changes required, reducing the lead times associated with completely new platforms and CPU designs, resulting in a faster time to productivity.

"5th Gen Intel Xeon processors build on the success of the Xeon platform, which has been leading the way in data center compute for several generations," said Lisa Spelman, CVP and GM Xeon Products & Solutions at Intel. "Our strong partnership with Supermicro will help deliver the benefits of 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors to customers soon and on platforms already proven in the data center."

The Supermicro portfolio of X13 systems is performance optimized, energy efficient, incorporates improved manageability and security, supports open industry standards, and is rack-scale optimized.

Performance Optimized

Energy Efficient - Reduces Datacenter OPEX

Improved Security and Manageability

Support for Open Industry Standards

Supermicro will offer early access availability of X13 systems powered by 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors to qualified customers through its remote JumpStart and Early Ship programs. The Supermicro JumpStart program allows qualified customers to perform workload validation with the new Supermicro systems. Go to supermicro.com/x13 for details.

The Supermicro X13 Portfolio Includes the following:

SuperBlade Supermicro's high-performance, density-optimized, and energy-efficient multi-node platform optimized for AI, Data Analytics, HPC, Cloud, and Enterprise workloads.

GPU Servers with PCIe GPUs Systems supporting advanced accelerators to deliver dramatic performance gains and cost savings. These systems are designed for HPC, AI/ML, rendering, and VDI workloads.

Universal GPU Servers Open, modular, standards-based servers that provide superior performance and serviceability with GPU options, including the latest PCIe, OAM, and NVIDIA SXM technologies.

Petascale Storage Industry-leading storage density and performance with EDSFF E1.S and E3.S drives, allowing unprecedented capacity and performance in a single 1U or 2U chassis.

Hyper Flagship performance rackmount servers are built to take on the most demanding workloads along with the storage & I/O flexibility that provides a custom fit for a wide range of application needs.

Hyper-E Delivers the power and flexibility of our flagship Hyper family optimized for deployment in edge environments. Edge-friendly features include a short-depth chassis and front I/O, making Hyper-E suitable for edge data centers and telco cabinets.

BigTwin 2U 2-Node or 2U 4-Node platform providing superior density, performance, and serviceability with dual processors per node and hot-swappable tool-less design. These systems are ideal for cloud, storage and media workloads.

GrandTwin Purpose-built for single-processor performance and memory density, featuring front (cold aisle) hot-swappable nodes and front or rear I/O for easier serviceability.

FatTwin Advanced, high density multi-node 4U twin architecture with 8 or 4 single-processor nodes optimized for data center compute or storage density.

Edge Servers High-density processing power in compact form factors optimized for telco cabinet and Edge data center installation. Optional DC power configurations and enhanced operating temperatures up to 55 C (131 F).

CloudDC All-in-one platform for cloud data centers, with flexible I/O and storage configurations and dual AIOM slots (PCIe 5.0; OCP 3.0 compliant) for maximum data throughput.

WIO Offers a wide range of I/O options to deliver truly optimized systems for specific enterprise requirements.

Mainstream- Cost-effective dual processor platforms for everyday enterprise workloads

Enterprise Storage Optimized for large-scale object storage workloads, utilizing 3.5" spinning media for high density and exceptional TCO. Front and front/rear loading configurations provide easy access to drives, while tool-less brackets simplify maintenance.

Workstations Delivering data center performance in portable, under-desk form factors, Supermicro X13 workstations are ideal for AI, 3D design, and media & entertainment workloads in offices, research labs, and field offices.

For more information about Supermicro's X13 family of servers, please visit Supermicro.com/X13

About Super Micro Computer, Inc.

Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI) is a global leader in Application-Optimized Total IT Solutions. Founded and operating in San Jose, California, Supermicro is committed to delivering first-to-market innovation for Enterprise, Cloud, AI, and 5G Telco/Edge IT Infrastructure. We are transforming into a Total IT Solutions provider with server, AI, storage, IoT, and switch systems, software, and services while delivering advanced high-volume motherboard, power, and chassis products. The products are designed and manufactured in-house (in the US, Taiwan, and the Netherlands), leveraging global operations for scale and efficiency and optimized to improve TCO and reduce environmental impact (Green Computing). The award-winning portfolio of Server Building Block Solutions allows customers to optimize for their exact workload and application by selecting from a broad family of systems built from our flexible and reusable building blocks that support a comprehensive set of form factors, processors, memory, GPUs, storage, networking, power, and cooling solutions (air-conditioned, free air cooling or liquid cooling).

Supermicro, Server Building Block Solutions, and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer, Inc.

Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.

All other brands, names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2214847/Picture1.jpgLogo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1443241/Supermicro_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Super Micro Computer, Inc.

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Inside Intermaxs ambitious journey to be a sustainable cloud leader – CIO

A fleet of green data centers and a well-advanced plan to stop using fossil-fuel powered vehicles are among the key steps driving Intermaxs mission to be the most sustainable cloud services provider in the Netherlands.

Ludo Baauw founder, corporate social responsibility lead and CEO of Intermax Group, sees firsthand the direct impact that sustainability initiatives have on the environment and biodiversity. Its a perspective that shaped his goals for Intermax, and which can be seen in small things and big efforts.

Intermax, which provides managed cloud services, infrastructure-as-a-service, a broad array of application services, and robust security offerings among them Security Information and Event Management services and a complete Security Operations Center solution has big sustainability ambitions.

It aims to become carbon neutral in 2027 and carbon negative by 2030. Notably, all five of the companys data centers are already 100% powered by Dutch solar and wind sources. The company also just deployed its most advanced, most environmentally friendly, data center.

Our newest data center reflects our decision to fully commit to sustainability, while ensuring a seamless transition without any disruption or inconvenience for our customers, says Baauw. That move required months of meticulous planning, but was made much easier with our VMware-driven clouds, which are entirely 2N, fully redundant systems mirrored across two regional DCs. It was a significant task for our technical team, and we are still evaluating the outcome, but we estimate that the new center is saving 30% on cooling power and delivering significant improvements in power usage effectiveness.

Intermax is also now initiating a proof-of-concept to repurpose the residual heat from the new data centers servers through immersion cooling with the aim of reintroducing that heat into the local districts network.

The company began its sustainability journey more than a decade ago.

We founded the company in 1994 and in 2009 made the commitment to become the most secure cloud service provider in the country with the highest degree of certification, Baauw says. We achieved that goal within a few years and in 2013 we committed to phasing out all of our fossil-fuel powered vehicles, an effort we are on the brink of achieving as we prepare to retire the older ones in our fleet. Now we are raising the bar and aiming to become the most sustainable cloud provider.

It is a goal Baauw sees customers embracing as well. Intermaxs customers, which include leading organizations across industries, are increasingly concerned with their own environmental impact.

We have a lot of customers in government and healthcare, among them many hospitals, he adds. They ask us specifically if we can help them reach their goal of becoming carbon neutral. We can of course do so while empowering them with IT services that draw on the inherent capabilities of the cloud and enable them to focus more on their mission while working smarter and more efficiently. To do that though, our cloud services must be as sustainable as possible.

Baauw believes actions in his own life have helped to drive his companys sustainability mission.

My colleagues and I drink a lot of coffee together at the office and the grounds used to go to the bin, says Baauw. Now we take that home for composting in our gardens. I use it in my meadows, where it ultimately helps to sustain my beehives, which provide the honey I often bring back to the office for our tea. Thats about as circular as you can get, and while but a small effort, is consistent with the mindset that has led us to take on some very big challenges in our drive to make Intermax a company that makes a difference for the environment.

Baauw also stresses that making sustainability gains in any organization is an effort that is inherently collaborative. Spreading the word is essential.

Achieving carbon neutrality is a goal that requires the collective support of vendors and customers, he says. At Intermax, we are deeply committed to becoming a CO2-negative organization as swiftly as possible. We are also very appreciative that VMware shares our passion and commitment to address the issue of climate change, and are honored to join the VMware Zero Carbon Committed initiative. Our industry can make a great difference when we all work together.

Not surprisingly, Baauw is optimistic. He believes great gains are right around the corner.

Cloud computing has the potential to significantly improve power usage efficiency, reduce e-waste and employ new technologies like immersion cooling on a vast scale all while enabling many of the technological solutions that will help us collectively address climate change, adds Baauw. Sustainability and opportunity are intertwined and should be pursued simultaneously. Fine details matter for example, we eliminated plastic and single-use giveaways to promote more sustainable corporate events and we also provide each employee with complimentary public transport and a leased bike. Most importantly though, you have to act and remember that every little bit helps.

Learn more about Intermax and its partnership with VMware here.

Learn more about Intermax and its CSR program in Dutch at https://www.intermax.nl/over-intermax/mvo/

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Anyscale launches Endpoints, a more cost-effective platform for fine … – SiliconANGLE News

Anyscale Inc., creator of the open-source distributed computing platform Ray, is launching a new service called Anyscale Endpoints that it says will help developers integrate fast, cost-effective and scalable large language models into their applications.

The service was announced today at the 2023 Ray Summit, the projects annual user conference, which is targeting generative artificial intelligence developers.

Anyscales open-source Python framework Ray is software thats used to run distributed computing projects powered by multiple cloud servers. It features a universal serverless compute application programming interface and an expanded ecosystem of libraries. Using them together, developers can build scalable applications that run on multicloud platforms without needing to worry about the underlying infrastructure. Thats because Ray eliminates the need for in-house distributed computing expertise.

As for the Anyscale cloud platform, its a managed version of Ray that makes the software more accessible. It runs on Amazon Web Services and solves the difficulty of bringing artificial intelligence prototypes built on a laptop to the cloud, where they can be scaled across hundreds of machines.

With the launch of Anyscale Endpoints, developers now have a simple way to build distributed applications that leverage the most advanced generative AI capabilities using the application programming interfaces of popular LLMs such as OpenAI LPs GPT-4. Doing so was impossible before. The only option was for developers to create their own AI models. They required to assemble their own machine learning pipelines, train AI models from scratch, then securely deploy them at large scale.Now, Anyscale said, developers can seamlessly add LLM superpowers to their distributed applications without needing to build a custom AI platform. Whats more, Anyscale said, they can do so at much lower cost, with Endpoints said to cost less than half the price of comparable proprietary solutions.

Robert Nishihara, co-founder and chief executive at Anyscale, said the infrastructure complexity, compute resources and costs have limited the possibilities of AI for developers. With seamless access via a simple API to powerful GPUs at a market-leading price, Endpoints lets developers take advantage of open-source LLMs without the complexity of traditional ML infrastructure, he said.

Anyscale said LLMs provide strong value to applications thanks to their flexibility. They can be fine-tuned with an organizations own data to perform very specific tasks, acting as a customer service bot or a knowledge base for internal workers, and performing many other jobs.

The company said users will be able to run Endpoints on their existing cloud accounts within AWS or Google Cloud, improving security for activities such as fine-tuning. Customers can also use existing security controls and policies. Endpoints integrates with most popular Python, plus machine learning libraries and frameworks such as Hugging Face and Weights & Biases.

In addition, users who upgrade from the open-source Ray to the full Anyscale AI Application Platform will get better controls to fully customize LLMs, and the ability to deploy dozens of AI-infused applications on the same infrastructure.

Perhaps the most appealing feature is the price, with Endpoints available at a cost of $1 per million tokens for LLMs such as Llama 2, and even less for some other models. Anyscale said this is less than half the cost of other, proprietary AI systems, making LLMs much more accessible to developers.

Anyscale Endpoints is available today, and the company promised it will continue to evolve the service rapidly.

Back in March, Nishihara appeared on theCUBE, SiliconANGLEs mobile livestreaming studio, where he talked in depth about the Anyscale platform and its ability to simplify AI workloads and harness machine learning frameworks at scale:

TheCUBEis an important partner to the industry. You guys really are a part of our events and we really appreciate you coming and I know people appreciate thecontent you create as well Andy Jassy

THANK YOU

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