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Mobile Cloud Computing – Overview, Challenges and the Future

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Mobile Cloud Computing – Overview, Challenges and the Future ATMECS – Content Team At present, mobile applications have reached a level of advancement that seems almost impossible. Individuals can carry out actions like voice commands, face recognition, and more with a simple handheld device. App developers now possess the ability to create applications that have an impressive degree of user-friendliness. This is only because of the massive proliferation of Mobile Cloud Computing. The Definition of Mobile Cloud Computing Mobile Cloud Computing or MCC, for short, is a conjunction of three technologies, namely, cloud computing, mobile computing, and finally, a wireless network. All three components act together to create an application that provides extensive computational resources to a user. The use of MCC benefits the user as well as the cloud provider. Users get the benefits of high storage and easy access, while the service provider gets the user fee from a good number of users. Being a win-win model, MCC has witnessed a rise in demand and has also emerged as a popular option for app developers. This is so due to the lack of restrictions that the mobile cloud offers during app development. A regular app development faces constraints like the limited space that mobile devices possess as well as the operating system. With the combination of mobile and cloud computing, developers can ensure that tasks like data processing and data storage take place seamlessly. Challenges accompanying mobile cloud computing Though it may sound that the use of MCC to develop applications is like a walk in the park, it is not so in practice. A few challenges that crop up while using this technology to develop apps include, Less network bandwidthCarrying out deployment using MCCs requires the communication to be continuous. This means that a developer may face problems if the network being used is wireless. This is because wireless networks tend to be less reliable or possess low bandwidth. For example, 3G, Wi-Fi, or 4G networks. Therefore, the speed of the applications is much slower in comparison to wired networks. While 5G networks remain a ray of hope, it is much too early to decide its effectiveness. Service availabilityMobile users may attain a very low-frequency signal, hindering the speed, as well as the storage capacity of the application. Moreover, users also experience issues like breakdown, transportation crowding, and lack of coverage. Hardware IssuesMobile phones, even with the latest technology, have a finite source of energy, i.e., batteries. Cloud-based apps increase the use of the battery and would, therefore, drain it much more quickly. This can hinder MCC development as the user base can potentially decline along with an increase of complaints regarding the impact on the battery life. Operating System IssueThe applications created using MCC will function on different operating systems. Therefore, the application must be compatible with operating system platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. To do so, the development team must possess knowledge regarding an IRNA or Intelligent Radio Network Access technique. Security IssuesThe management and identification of threats have proved to be a challenging task. This is because MCCs function on a wireless network. Therefore, there are more chances of overlooking or the general absence of network information. Moreover, with multiple hand-offs within the architecture and a general lack of multi-layer security, vulnerabilities are high. The security related issues stem from vulnerabilities in the MCC architecture. With multiple users accessing the clouds there is a threat to the safety of data. Say if the security of one of the user data is breached then there are risks at other users as well. The future of mobile cloud computing Mobile Cloud Computing is a growing industrial space in itself. As per the stats from Mordor Intelligence by 2020 the global mobile cloud computing market registered a total value of over USD 30 Million. The industry growing at a CAGR of 25.28% is expected to reach USD 118.70 billions by 2026. There would be more scope for startups to rise, as an MCC business doesn’t not require the significant investment amount that goes in setting up a brick and mortar office setup. Moreover, the rise of cloud computing as a need by firms only presents a brighter future for firms starting business in the space. This rise in demand of MCC can be attributed to the following: Real-time easy data accessThe storage of data on the cloud makes it possible for users to easily find their data in a single location, owing to the presence of data synchronization facilities between two devices or a device and a desktop. Therefore, data can be accessed anytime, anywhere on any device in a real-time easy to go manner. Massive space for storageAs mentioned before, computing takes place on a cloud which is known for its high storage capacity. Therefore, users need not worry about shelling out money for external memory cards or using their internal memory. Extension of battery lifeSince data processing takes place on the cloud, the device’s battery need not do much of the heavy lifting. Therefore, there is less strain on the device battery as a cloud-based application runs in the background. Mobile Cloud Computing certainly makes app development easier with its lack of restrictions. Furthermore, it gives users easy access to data and better storage. With these many benefits, there is no surprise that 35% of successful mobile application development projects use cloud-based app development. This demand is only likely to increase in the future as sectors like healthcare and fitness adopt MCC for developing enterprise or consumer-centric applications.

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Understanding the Implications of Business Email Compromise Scams

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Understanding the Implications of Business Email Compromise Scams Prabhakaran Parameswaran – Cybersecurity Services Team Enterprises and individuals alike have the potential to fall victim to more than 40 types of frauds. Out of these, frauds that take place when the attacker opts for Business Email Compromise (BEC) methods also pose a significant threat. As per the cybercrime reports compiled by the FBI, BEC scams account for over $1.8 billion cumulative loss globally. BEC attacks are said to be around 64 times more devastating than other cybercrimes due to the losses it incurs. What is a Business Email Compromise scam? A Business Email Compromise belongs to the realm of cybercrime. An attacker is capable of attacking enterprises or corporate email accounts. After doing so, the attacker will move to defraud the company as a whole or individual employee. The reason for their ability to carry out this fraud is that the attacker gains access to specific sensitive information. Mainstream media has also referred to this type of attack as the “man-in-the-mail” attack or the “man-in-the-middle” attack. The reason for this is that these attacks go undetected since the party on the receiving end thinks that they are capable of sending confidential emails to another party. However, the attacker will have gained access to all these emails. Who do BEC attackers target? These scams are directed towards companies the majority of the time. There are five ways this scam can take place: Compromising the account The hacker will gain access to a specific employee’s account and, therefore, use their identity to infiltrate the databases holding sensitive information. Fake invoice The hacker will look to target foreign suppliers in this case. The basis of this attack requires the hacker to act as a supplier then request payments to their account. Impersonation of an attorney Another common tactic is taking the identity of a legal representative. Once the hacker does so, they approach the employees for a fund transfer. Data theft The HR department falls victim to this kind of threat. The hacker will attain access to personal information about employees from the records. The employees are usually CEOs or higher-ups working in management. CEO fraud After the hacker is capable of obtaining access to CEO information, they are capable of assuming the identity of the CEO. Now, these individuals can send out fraudulent emails to the finance department. Steps that attackers utilise One of the best approaches to management security breaches involves tracing the steps of the attacker. This will not only help to examine the existing security measures but also predict potential future steps that the hacker might make. When it comes to BEC attacks, the attack takes place in the steps below: Searching for a target The hacker will first search for an enterprise and then a suitable employee working in the said enterprise. The hacker will attack based on one of the above methods. Hackers use various platforms like LinkedIn or company websites to search for any sort of contact information. Sending out emails The attacker will now send out emails to the targeted employees’ email account. The emails will contain malware and will be known as phishing emails. The links in this email will redirect the employee towards a fake Outlook-365 login webpage. This webpage is created by the attacker and looks exactly like an authentic page. Gathering information Once the attacker plugs in their login credentials in the dummy website, the attacker can then copy down the email address and password of the employee. The next step would be to create a fake domain that resembles the company. In this domain, the hacker will enter the victim’s email address and surpass the web filters. Now the attacker gains access to the email account, and the attacker will look to alter the real domain in a way that will forward all emails from the real account to the attacker. The attacker can now gather information regarding the billing or invoices and wire transfers. Conduct social engineering The hacker is essentially looking for emails that contain information about any kind of payment that took place between the company and the employee. These emails will be doctored so that the attacker can request payments using this email. The altered email will be sent along with the same mail chain to avoid suspicion. The money that is transferred by the employer will now reach the attacker’s account. Collect financial reward Now the attacker can finally profit off the scam. However, in the majority of these cases, the payments that take place do not undergo verification since the employer sees the same mail chain and thinks nothing of it. How can a security team detect a Business Email Compromise Scam attack? Detecting a security breach or, better yet, a phishing email is a best-case scenario in this case. Implementing a proper security policy should be at the forefront of a security team’s efforts. A typical detection process against BEC attacks should include a series of scanning facilities or software that carries out the following: Monitoring: These facilities will provide visibility into the overall activity of the user depending on what email platform they use. This is especially useful for enterprises that deploy on a cloud. Alerts: The software or technology that is used should send out alerts to the security team when there is a login detected. In addition to this, the software can send alerts when there is an alteration in the browser in which the login took place. Audits: Regular audits will ensure that all phishing emails are removed from the inbox. The audits can be automated or manual as well. Redirects and Forwards: Emails can also be checked safely to see if the links are redirecting users to external domains. This will secure all the possible channels that hackers may utilize. Preventive measures that security teams can implement The detection of a BEC scam is only one aspect of the cybersecurity policy that enterprises can implement. In addition to

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story telling

Story Telling Future: Improvement & Innovation

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Story Telling Future: Improvement & Innovation Jeff Caldwell – Vice President, Digital Integration & Cloud Partners Animation, live action, scripted TV, reality programs, music, and other content creation efforts all center on traditional development, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution activities. Enjoyment, and monetization occur at the end of the process. Over many decades major innovation came in terms of color, sound, cameras, and digitalization. The recent pandemic has accelerated workflow improvement in the areas of cloud compute, storage, and production teams working at home and across the world. But there is more to come on both the innovation and improvement fronts. Improvement will continue to come related to industry anthologies, platform adoption, security advances, cost effective data storage, remote compute, file movement, content transmission, and other necessary creation anywhere cornerstones. But more importantly is how will technology innovation change the way stories and music are created. It’s not enough to simply take old production processes and place them in the cloud.That is just improvement.With all the digital innovation technology capabilities at our fingertips we must followSteve Jobs mandate: “Think Different” Creative Process & Improvement Improvement – Make something that already exists better Let’s take a look at storytelling as part of the overall media creation and consumption process. Songwriters have an idea, often they combine music and words to turn this idea into a story or convey a message and the listener feels an emotion and likes or dislikes. Typically, a movie, tv show, or video comes from an idea that is greenlit, and then teams of creators and talent are assembled, and the final product is created and distributed to the viewer and fan. Very much a creative process where there is a starting point to the process that comes to an end before consumption, revenue, and enjoyment begins. This traditional process allows for little or no interaction from the creators to the consumer until the magical distribution barrier is reached. Our industry has been focused on taking the age-old creation workflow process and adding technology for the most part to improve existing processes, BUT NOT INNOVATING the underlying story telling future in creative process. Color was innovativeSound was innovativeBoth of these capabilities were new and had never been done before Today’s improvement in our creative industry deals with some of the following: what cloud provider or providers should the industry use, what editing toolset(s) are best, what VDI technology is the best to reduce latency, how do we implement better security, how can files be compressed and moved around the globe, how much security is enough, how can AI be added to monitor the process, how can production costs decrease? Story telling future Creative Process & Innovation Innovation – Make something new How we can use technology to drive innovation, not just improvement? Let suppose we want to include the viewer/consumer into the creative process and move media enjoyment from the end of the process to be part of the process. Let’s move enjoyment from a sort of passive experience to an interactive creation experience. Along the way we can make storytelling not a one size fits all but more of a tailored viewer experience. (Also create new revenue streams.) Didn’t like the way Game of Thrones ended?Don’t worry you can make your own ending or endings! What would an innovative interactive workflow look like? Maybe we need an Interactive Media Creation Platform, IMCP. (We have to have a three- or four-letter acronym… it’s part of the technology business) Here is how it would work. First a basic story is conceived. Take for instance a western story set in a galaxy far far away. The storyline is established production and talent teams are assembled and product begins. Consumers can subscribe to the “dailies” via the IMCP, feedback can be discussed in Facebook/Zoom type chat rooms around the world, charactors and scenes could be created or changed in minutes based upon CGI technology, alternative storylines could be conceived, new live action scenes could be shot the next day, the direction and production staff could take this input into consideration and proceed with the original storyline or move the direction of the content to new horizons based upon the interaction. New content could also be localized based upon global input. Another way the IMCP could be used is at the end of the creation process. All of the artifacts and simits of the production that end up on the virtual cutting room floor could be placed within the editing section of the IMCP and allow the consumer to make their own movies, or content. The user and fan community could create a new partial movie, short Quibi type content, or full-length movie based upon the original extras, CGI created video, and then publish it within part of the IMCP for friends and the public at large. Fees could be charged for this engagement process, and also to view the new content. Revenue could go back to the original content rights owners. All of this interaction would be based upon technology and tools we have at our fingertips such as: social media interactive sites, group collaboration room technology, cloud-based content editing and publishing tools, and common device, mouse, swiping, and typing skills. So, the challenge has been thrown down for innovation over improvement. Who will join this quest? Story telling Future – Innovation~ 1910’s – first color filmOctober 6, 1927 – first feature film with soundJuly 4, 2022 first movie created using IMCP technology IMCP… coming soon to a desktop, tablet, or phone near you   Jeff Caldwell is the Vice President of Digital Integration and Cloud Partners with ATMECS. Jeff is well known in the media and entertainment industry, and the technology realm in general, as a business professional with an innovative vision who also has the expertise to make the vision a reality. Currently Jeff is focused on helping organizations achieve five key digital business goals: enterprise efficiency, advanced industry analytics, customer and social engagement, business acceleration and

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Why is writing a blog worth it?

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Why is writing a blog worth it? Tushar Nayak – ATMECS Content Team ‘Thoughts’ constitute 95% of day-to-day life while a conscious stream of thoughts takes up to 90% out of that 95% and the remaining 5% comes right in between the hours of sleep when the brain goes into the resting state; repairs, re-wires and refreshes. Studies show that our mind never truly rests even when we sleep and to mentally compose yourself to sit down, gather your thoughts and put them on a piece of paper, is quite frankly, daunting. Neurological studies have also shown that humans, by the end of their life journey, have only used 7-10% of their cerebral capacity. Dolphins are the perfect example of what humans can do if they could use 20% of their brain; imagine communicating with each other through sonar. For now, let us not get into the fact-finding of ‘what if’ we used 100% of our brain and let us look at what amazing things we can do with just 7% of cerebral capacity. I read a book sometime back that said, ‘writing has a similar effect to our brain as monks have during their meditative state’. The spikes shown during neurological experiments conducted on both writers and monks have shown results in the same neighborhood. In simple terms, writing puts your brain in a conscious flow of meditative state. Honestly, it would be amazing to see many of the readers pick up writing as a part of their daily chores and in the process, find a way to let off some steam from their stress-filled days. My intent here is simple, to nudge you a little – to push you to take up writing a blog. Here’s a few pointers I picked up reflecting on my own blog experience – 1. Feel good about yourself – Give yourself a pat on your back for taking the initiative of writing your first blog (maybe second or third). 2. Pick an idea or a topic – Pick a topic around your area of interest, something you are passionate about. If you are confused, then ask your supervisor to help you with an idea that can be fronted on a corporate website. 3. Research and multiply – Curiosity is not everything and your writing can only be as strong as your research on the subject, it should add value and give readers a different outlook. 4. Shoot some bullets – While your brain is busy churning on an idea, use that time to narrow down on bullet points that you think will be important. 5. Naturally and emotionally – When you pick a topic, think of yourself as a reader and ask yourself one question – “Would you read something that is devoid of the writer’s emotion?” – Write naturally and fill it up with emotions. 6. Hook your readers – Do not get into the habit of approaching an idea broadly but think of a clear angle. Always think and write a strong opening statement, back it up with facts, figures, and studies. 7. Structure – Match your article with those bullet points to make sure you have infused all the points, read the entire piece as a reader to see whether it free flows, make necessary changes if you think something does not fit and finally, critique yourself as a reader before sharing it for proofread, suggestions and advice. 8. Closure – Close the article with your natural viewpoint; value add, if possible. If you strongly disagree with something, be gentle while offering a negative bias. 9. Every artist seeks credit (yourself included) – The best ways to keep your readers engaged is to ask them to respond. Keep the forum open for people to share their two cents and do not forget to ask them to share it on social media. At the end we all seek reward for our labor! 10. Momentum – Do not be too hard on yourself just because you cannot find an inspiring topic. Momentum is the key; keep at it and I am sure you will keep coming up with great ideas worth writing about. Most people never take up writing with the fear of being criticized for their writing style. I have known people in my professional career who were amazing writers and seen them abandon their passion of writing, languishing in some dark corner now, because they could not find inspiring topics amongst other reasons. It took me a few years to motivate myself to write, so I decided to reach out to experts and my supervisors on how to express myself better and within a few weeks of receiving help, I moved from mute to motivated and realized there was a common thread – “You don’t fear being criticized, you were afraid to reach out.” To end this on a positive note, I know some of the leaders at ATMECS take great pride in expressing themselves through writing. Why can’t you be one of them? Isn’t writing a blog worth your time? Author – Tushar Nayak, ATMECS Content Team

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The Growing Impact of AI in today’s Sports, Media & Entertainment Industries

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The Growing Impact of AI in today’s Sports, Media & Entertainment Industries   ATMECS – Content Team Fifteen years ago, the term AI or artificial intelligence was labeled a dream concept. A lot of individuals linked this to the various movies and shows from the sci-fi world. A good example would be the Steven Speilberg movie, A.I, where a highly-advanced robot boy dreamed to be human to regain his mother’s love. However, as the years have changed, so has humanity’s stance about this idea. AI is the process of inserting human intelligence into machines allowing them to think and learn as humans do. In addition, it has helped the continuously growing amount of data generated and stored, as well as capitalized on it. On a global scale, 54% of CEOs have attested to an increase and improvement in their productivity after introducing AI solutions in businesses. Not only does it help improve work efficiency in all industries, but it also reduces the risk factors that a person might face in dangerous circumstances. Apart from the health and finance industries, there are a lot of other industries that have also faced a growing impact of AI solutions. The growing impact of AI on sports Based on recent reports, the AI market in the sports industry is expected to see a growth rate of 28.7% CAGR between 2021 and 2026. This is based on the increase in the use of technologies like loT, and the commoditization of cloud tech, helping with the storage and processing of big data obtained from various sports. Over the years, there has been an increase in the use of AI to help players maintain their health and increase their performance. From one aspect, this can be seen through the use of artificial intelligence-based coaching (mapping motion of an athlete to spatial analytics & machine learning). This way, a player receives different types and forms of coaching compared to one coach’s style. The system can also analyze the game plan of other teams, coming up with the best possible solution to win a game. While sports are competitive on the field, they have also become competitive in the front office, using AI obtained data like the game’s complexity and speed to create a competitive advantage. Apart from the actual game, AI has also affected the sportswear and equipment industry. Through smart apparel that can monitor and increase a player’s performance, a lot of manufacturing companies are looking forward to major distribution. AI has also had a major growth impact on fans and their level of engagement in the sports industry. Unlike where everything was done by hand, with voice technology and chatbots, teams and clubs can learn more about their fans, what they expect, and vice versa. This, in turn, provides richer content for fans, making it more personalized and engaging. As a whole, content moderation and content recommendation software have now become dependent on AI to strive due to the sheer global scale of digital content adoption. The growing impact of AI on media & entertainment From 2011 to 2020, many media and entertainment companies have adopted AI solutions to push for investments and produce high-end content that can draw the audience’s attention. This includes major companies like Google, Walt Disney, Microsoft, Intel, Amazon, Netflix, and many more. A lot of professionals in the media and entertainment industry use AI as a new approach to creativity. A major area where AI has impacted the entertainment world is increasing user experience and personalization. A lot of individuals rely on online sources like Netflix to watch movies and shows. With over 93 million people across the world streaming movies, an AI system has made it possible to personalize and recommend movies and shows to each person. During the next five years, 72% of media and telecommunication companies expect their product offerings to receive a major impact due to AI solutions. This revolves around the designing, advertising, and planning areas. With the help of certain predictive measures and AI solutions, media marketing processes occur faster and more efficiently. For those looking to change their future through AI and next-gen technology, ATMECS is the place to go. Considered a technology accelerator, the company provides AI services that benefit clients and their end customers. With the continuous growth of AI in various fields, the world will soon reach a stance where one’s life experience will be enhanced due to AI solutions. Even with a significant impact on daily work life, 72% of business owners have stated that digital assistants have made life easier. Gaining a global scale audience, individuals who didn’t have easy access to AI, are now able to do so with today’s cloud technologies. ATMECS can help you – Let’s, Partner.

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av/vr

Current & Future State of Mainstream Adoption of AR/VR Tech in Industry

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Current & Future State of Mainstream Adoption of AR/VR Technology in Industry ATMECS – Content Team Considering how crucial digital technology has become to daily life, technologies like Augmented and Virtual Reality have received mixed results in their adoption level and also evolved quite a bit since its first depiction in 1920. Augmented reality is an enhanced state of experience, where virtual elements are infused into the real world and are amplified by computer-generated information that can affect various senses. With the introduction of smartphones and smart wearables, the demand and opportunities for mass customization of AR have risen. On the other hand, the applications of virtual reality function entirely online. This is where human elements are infused into the virtual world, and through the use of special gloves or goggles, a person can interact with it. Though the idea was established earlier, the adoption of these technologies took a while due to many reasons like production costs, or poor user experience design. However, slowly but steadily, a comeback is being made as niche-level applications are gaining global attraction. At present, 71% of customers are willing to shop more if they can use AR. Current challenges in the adoption of Adoption of AR/VR Technology in Industry Though the adoption of AR/VR is making smooth progress, certain current challenges have created an issue in its adoption into various industries. ⦁ Managing the high production prices Like any other technology, a certain amount is set aside to produce AR/VR devices. However, due to AR/VR still being a new concept, the technological world has to evolve more to create an easier production process, thus reducing cost factors, before becoming mainstream and requiring more capital. The first way a manufacturer makes their money back is through sales. However, due to its high prices, not many are inclined to buy it. Unlike a smartphone which has become a necessity to daily life, AR/VR devices are still considered a luxury. ⦁ Consumer electronics are not up to par Even though many individuals may have the latest model in terms of smartphones and other devices, they still cannot enjoy the full AR/VR experience. This is mainly due to the poor visual quality and minimal focal view. While a person might taste the AR/VR world through their electronics, it will not provide the best immersive experience. ⦁ Internet connection Having an internet connection is critical to make it through daily life. However, most have up to 4G connectivity. 5G connectivity is recommended to enjoy the AR/VR experience and provide the best form of stability. However, not much is known and accepted about it. Most individuals are likely to avoid 5G connections as there is more negative feedback to one’s health and smartphone. The future in Adoption of AR/VR Technology in Industry At present, there are a wide number of products and devices like optical projection displays and head-mounted display devices that function through the use of AR/VR software in the market. Though this brings a new level of experience to those who use it, certain limitations are also present like poor visual quality and poor field of view. On the VR platform, many of the VR devices rely on smartphones to function daily. Though these devices are easy to use and portable, it does not allow for an immersive experience due to the small screen and lack of visual quality. Considering that a lot of people now watch movies and play games on their smartphones, the next stage is to see how an immersive experience can be reached to help maximize a user’s experience. Though the future of AR/VR has a lot of potentials, due to the current challenges that it faces, it is underperforming. With the continuous evolution and systematic changes that are being made to help improve these technologies, the future is starting to look more promising in its mainstream adoption. Though in the early stages, manufacturers are already showing interest in producing a mixture of both units. 67% of advertising agencies have stated that they are using AR technology more. At the moment, AR/VR devices lack a natural and personalized aspect that gives the users a completely immersive experience. However, with how fast the technology world evolves through the emergence of cloud tech, 5G tech, and data and content ubiquity, it will be just a matter of a few years before one can enjoy an unconstrained AR/VR experience. Providing the latest technological services, ATMECS is a company that brings visible digital transformation for their clients to embrace AR/VR experiences and technologies. Though AR/VR is widely accepted, there are many ways to improve these technologies with the help of the latest technological advances in the market. Based on the Grand View Research 2020 report, VR will have a 21.6% compound annual growth rate from 2020 to 2027. That is why the future adoption of AR/VR technologies in various industries will become mainstream as it continues to improve and assist with daily life functions. ATMECS can help you – Let’s Partner. Sources:https://insights.dice.comhttps://techcrunch.comhttps://www.jabil.comhttps://www.oberlo.in

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AI Bands Together with Humans in the War against Pandemic

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AI Bands Together with Humans in the War against Pandemic Tushar Nayak – ATMECS Content Team Mother nature remains indomitable and unconquerable, but she also gave birth to human beings, our known universe’s most ingenious species. Looking back, we (humans) have been challenged time and time again, from surviving the ice age, to fighting the Antonine Plague of 165AD, The Black Death caused by the Bubonic plague of 1346 with a death toll of 200 million or Spanish flu of 1918 and the latest – Covid-19, we fought back with everything at our disposal and we have just begun to talk about wits and intelligence of humans. It was the creative spark in our ancestors, to do things efficiently, that brought about a change in human evolution no one ever anticipated; healing and healthcare being one of them. Yet, we cannot be ignorant of the fact that we have always remained a step behind and it is either because we are wired only to solve the problem(s) or maybe, mother nature does not trust us with 100% of our cerebral capacity yet she continues to leave a trail of breadcrumbs for us to look at the bigger picture. This concept of idea will remain debatable for years to come. Now that we have talked about healthcare we feel that we need help from an epidemiological level application that can not only solve problems but screen, diagnose and treat health problems while forecasting the future quicker than ever, in short, we need Artificial Intelligence to be the front runner. And, what’s more, surprising is that it was not humans who brought us news on Covid-19 first but an AI platform that scoured every inch of the internet and search indexes to find us a title that said, “7 found critically ill in Wuhan Province”. Unlike healthcare, AI has seen its rise in every sector from retail to banking from e-commerce to supermarkets, and continues to ease the stress on both organizations and end-customers. That said, “don’t you think that it will ease the burden of health workers and fight deadly viruses at the same time?” Seems like a crazy idea, well – “Every idea is crazy until it’s not.” Elon Musk. Let us look at the most critical elements Artificial Intelligence can take care of and believe us, we have factored in historical data against AI’s presence in the last few years and this is how it did (or, set out to do). With its strings of ever-evolving algorithms followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or Computed Tomography (CT) scan symptoms of ‘red flags’ thus alarm healthcare authorities. As humans, we are constantly looking for cost-effective solutions and AI can do just that by providing solutions on the go for faster decision making thus saving the life of the patients. Let us look at another scenario, the next time a patient comes knocking at the doctor’s office he or she can successfully trace the contact and monitor them for the future course of the disease and its reappearance, if at all. AI can track and predict the nature of the virus, its risk of infection, number of cases and death in a region, identify the most vulnerable regions through the available data and media platforms to find appropriate measures. It is also being used by research centres to analyze available data to fight Covid-19 thus speeding up drug testing in real-time. It is now a powerful tool to analyze, diagnose and test vaccination under-development. One of the areas where doctors and nurses spend most of their time is in the file room. Now, imagine finding all the information of a patient’s history on the click of a button. Then, multiply that times the number of walk-ins/interactions each day. It is hard to quantify the exponential savings AI could yield in terms of time and scale at which modern healthcare can impact saving lives and our communities. As a result oriented full-service engineering and R&D organization, all of us at ATMECS believe that Artificial Intelligence has been brought to existence for the good of humanity. It is our submission that AI, if nurtured right, will continue to become an essential part of our day to day lives and play a pivotal role in how we manage health care. We believe AI will increasingly become an enabler in detection, tracking and monitoring diagnosis not only on ground level but also on a scientific, systematic, and data-driven level reading through frequencies and patterns of health-related states and events (not limited to disease control). With that in mind, we strongly believe in bringing visible transformation for our clients through Automation, AI, adoption of leading edge integrated development platforms, CI/CD, DevOps, Cloud, and Big Data. To conclude, it is our humble belief that, through the above, neither are we overestimating AI’s presence in human life nor are we trying to undermine human intelligence but we are merely stating our opinion based on empirical evidence. Author – Tushar Nayak, ATMECS Content Team

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Blockchain – State of POCs

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Blockchain – State of POCs Bhanu Prakash – Director – Engineering By now, this may be the 100th time you are hearing the word ‘Blockchain’ within a week. There are scores of organizations that are trying to build Proofs-Of-Concept (POC) across diverse domains. But among all these, still, there are questions being raised on the scalability of Blockchain technologies. Challenges with Current Blockchain Technologies The biggest challenge with the current Blockchain technologies is transaction speed. You can say that this is the only reason for Blockchain technologies not going mainstream. But how much of these transaction speeds affect your plans? Is there a way out? Is it possible that you can continue working on POCs without worrying whether you can take it mainstream? Do transaction speeds affect your POC? Yes, if you are building a Dapp on the ‘Main Ethereum Network’ and if you plan to use ethers (Cryptocurrency of Ethereum) as part of your functionality. Transaction speeds depend on a few factors like block size, block time, transaction traffic, and transaction fees (Gas), etc. “Ethereum has a block size limit due to the block gas limit enforced by the consensus protocol. The block gas limit is dynamically adjusted by miners. In each block, miners can increase or decrease the block size by a maximum of the previous block size divided by 1024.” So, it is next to impossible for any changes to take place in the way blocks are added to Blockchain currently. Even if someone wants to change, there are other complications. There are efforts to find a way out. There is Lightning Network among others. So, if you are currently building a PoC on the main Ethereum chain then you should think it over. Ethereum Private Consortium If you have been working on PoCs around private Ethereum blockchain either on Azure Cloud (Azure provides templates to spin private consortium) or an in-house chain, then you are at least safe from transaction speeds. From a scalability point-of-view, you can always add more nodes to your network and also deploy your Dapp based on your Peer network. In this sense, you can have multiple deployments of Dapp connecting to the nearest Blockchain node and then redirect users accordingly. The consensus logic, either Proof-of-Work or Proof-of-Stake, also doesn’t really affect your Dapp. Ethereum Blockchain Vs Hyperledger I have come across this argument multiple times. Also, there is an argument on ‘Permissioned’ & ‘Permissionless’. If you are building a Dapp on public Ethereum Blockchain then it is ‘Permissionless’ but if you are setting up your own private consortium then it is, in the way a, ‘Permissioned’. You cannot really compare a Public Ethereum Blockchain to a Hyperledger. The only big difference between a Hyperledger and a PRIVATE Ethereum Blockchain is that Hyperledger doesn’t have any provision for Cryptocurrency. Both of them differ on consensus mechanism and a few other aspects. So, if you are building an enterprise Dapp then you have a choice of using either Hyperledger or Private Ethereum Blockchain.

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