With so much emphasis placed on the software in software-defined infrastructures, the hardware is often overlooked. Don’t make this mistake. It takes real work to make components behave as a system. With software-defined approaches changing the way today’s data centers are being constructed, some IT leaders might believe that the underlying hardware is inconsequential for […]
9 Best Practices for Managing Infrastructure in a Containerized Environment
IT infrastructure professionals, particularly those who work on DevOps teams, are increasingly being asked to support containerized environments. But while tools like Docker and Kubernetes can make life easier for application developers, they place new demands on the people in charge of managing and monitoring hardware. According to Gartner, “by 2020, more than 50 percent […]
A new investment thesis for AI-first SaaS startups
Awesome, not awesome. #Awesome“…Today Iron Ox is opening its first production facility in San Carlos, near San Francisco. The 8,000-square-foot indoor hydroponic facility — which is attached to the startup’s offices — will be producing leafy greens at a rate of roughly 26,000 heads a year. That’s the production level of a typical outdoor farm that might be five times […]
Why Orchestration Does Not Equal Automation
Orchestration is often used interchangeably with automation. The reality is these terms are very different. Understanding the distinction is important. It’s time to set the record straight. Network orchestration is a policy-driven approach to network automation that coordinates the hardware and software components required to run a software application or service. An orchestrator functions to […]
CompTIA Names Top 10 Emerging Technologies
New technologies keep on coming, but which are better to invest in now versus later? CompTIA’s recently released a prioritized list of top 10 emerging technologies. CompTIA’s newly-formed Emerging Technology Community recently announced a Top 10 list of emerging technologies it believes will have the greatest near-term impact on vendors’ bottom lines, channel opportunities, and end users’ […]
The AI-first SaaS Funding Napkin
What does it take to raise seed funding as an AI-first SaaS startup? (Seed Edition —the 0.9 version ) Sep 30, 2018 At Point Nine, we have been focused on investing in SaaS companies and have been fortunate to work with several generations of successful businesses in this segment over the years. Since joining the firm […]
5 Ways To Remove In-Store Friction With Computer Vision
The retail landscape is rapidly changing as consumers expect more convenience and better service across the entire retail customer journey. Research shows that 98% of retailers think their stores have to remove friction to survive in a new competitive landscape where seamless in-store experiences are expected. In the e-commerce world, companies like Stitch Fix, Warby […]
Artificial Intelligence is the next battleground for civil rights
Awesome, not awesome. #Awesome“In a hospital in China, human doctors diagnosed a number of patients in a vegetative state as unlikely to ever wake up — but a second opinion from an algorithm said they would recover in less than a year. In seven cases, the algorithm was right. The AI algorithm, developed by the Chinese Academy of […]
Artificial Intelligence could make good health-care available to everyone in the world…
Awesome, not awesome. #Awesome“…a recent paper made the case that AI advances could help decrease global health-care discrepancies, particularly for people who live far away from urban centers. Researchers from Georgetown University and the nonprofit Washington Institute for Health Sciences noted that maternal mortality rate (often used as a signal for overall quality of health-care availability), […]
Using DevOps to Simplify Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery plans are quickly outdated in today’s changing environments. One way to keep DR plans updated and tested is to incorporate DevOps practices. Maintaining up to date and correct disaster recovery (DR) plans is a constant challenge within an IT environment. Many companies struggle to maintain and validate their DR Plans, decreasing the likelihood […]