Your Tech Story

Suhani Jain

I am a student pursuing my bachelor's in information technology. I have a interest in writing so, I am working a freelance content writer because I enjoy writing. I also write poetries. I believe in the quote by anne frank "paper has more patience than person

IBM Shuts Down China R&D Operations, 1,000 Jobs Affected

IBM Shuts Down China R&D Operations, 1,000 Jobs Affected

IBM is laying off over 1,000 workers as a result of closing a sizable research and development facility in China. Local media groups like Yicai commented on the decision, which is indicative of a larger trend of American businesses reducing their activities in the second-largest economy in the world. Two important R&D and testing-focused business divisions will be impacted by the cutbacks.

Strategic Shift

IBM Shuts Down China R&D Operations, 1,000 Jobs Affected

Image Source: verdict.co.uk

IBM Corporation has decided to focus exclusively on helping private companies already established in China as well as a few selected foreign companies. As part of this change in strategy, the company will relocate its research and development services to other international offices, such as Bangalore, India. The action demonstrates IBM’s continued dedication to modifying its business practices to better serve customers globally while preserving support throughout mainland China.

Issues that led to this choice

International Business Machines, or IBM as it is more well known, took this action in response to the growing challenges that Western companies are encountering in China. These difficulties include a faltering economy. However, the story does not end here; there are still more restrictions, and the Chinese government only looks out for its own domestic technology companies, giving little thought to other companies. The number of foreign technology businesses operating in China has decreased as a result of these pressures; similar worries have also prompted numerous Wall Street corporations to relocate their operations outside of China.

Local Competition and Tension in Technology

Particularly in the technology sector, US-China tensions have turned into a war zone centred on vital technologies like artificial intelligence and semiconductors. As China is developing a number of native information technology leaders, such as Huawei, it has become more difficult for American businesses, such as The International Business Machines to position themselves successfully in the Chinese market.

The employment losses were initially reported by local media, underscoring the shifting conditions facing foreign businesses conducting business in China.

Sabeer Bhatia: An Indian Who Built and Sold his Startup to Microsoft for $400 Million in Just 18 Months.

Sabeer Bhatia: An Indian Who Built and Sold his Startup to Microsoft for $400 Million in Just 18 Months.

In 1996, Indian entrepreneur Sabbir Bhatia rose to prominence as one of the co-founders of Hotmail, the original free webmail service, alongside Jack Smith. Bhatia’s persistence paid off when one venture financier recognized his promise and invested $300,000 in Hotmail, despite the roughly 18 rejections he had received. With this first support, Hotmail has been pushed into the digital world, indicating the beginning of the revolution of online communication.

A $ 400 Million Contract with Microsoft

Sabeer Bhatia: An Indian Who Built and Sold his Startup to Microsoft for $400 Million in Just 18 Months.

Image Source: entrepreneur.com

Just 18 months after its release, Hotmail attracted the attention of the Microsoft Technology giant. After several months of negotiations, a 400 million-dollar agreement was reached after Microsoft became aware of the potential of Hotmail and then it gained its first 140 million dollar offer. The acquisition of the company not only proved the value of innovative ideas but also brought about a major shift in the IT industry and made Bhatia an industry legend. A key interaction with Bill Gates in 1997, during which Gates expressed interest in a possible future collaboration, changed the course of Bhatia’s career.

Company After Hotmail: Various Roads

After the sale of Hotmail, BHATIA launched many companies, such as Arzoo INC. and JAXTRSMS, as part of the current company. However, these efforts could not replicate the glory of Hotmail. Despite these setbacks, Bhatia has not given up and continues to explore new avenues in messaging, online shopping and Internet of Things applications.

ShowReel: Empowering Startups and Pioneers

Bhatia’s latest endeavour, ShowReel, demonstrates his unwavering commitment to fostering innovation. The ShowReel is an attempt to clearly show Bhatia’s belief in empowering the coming generations of innovators and ensuring the survival of his legacy in the world of technology. It combines instruction with a startup showcase to help business owners realize their visions.

Engaging in CyberDive: A Future Stage

In June, Bhatia was appointed as an official advisor for CyberDive, the company that manufactures the Aqua One smartphone for kids. The addition of Bhatia to the team is considered a decisive step in expanding global coverage of the company, demonstrating its constant influence in the technological sector.

The trip of Saber Bhatia from the co-founder of Hotmail before becoming a technical consultant at Cyber Dive is proof of his tireless desire for innovation and his influence on the digital world.

Opkey Secures $47M to Transform ERP Testing with AI Innovation

Opkey Secures $47M to Transform ERP Testing with AI Innovation

Opkey has raised 47 million dollars to advance artificial intelligence-powered development for enhancing their platform for the workers and also make it less complex, so this is a noteworthy achievement for the business software industry. The company views the financing round as a turning point, it will significantly help them in its mission to transform the way that companies approach ERP migration and testing.

Genesis Opkey

Opkey Secures $47M to Transform ERP Testing with AI Innovation

Image Source: opkey.com

Founded in 2015 by industry veterans Pankaj Goel, Avinash Tiwari and Lalit Jain, Opkey was born out of a shared vision to address the shortcomings of existing ERP testing tools. The founders recognized a gap in the market: available solutions were either too technically complex to be widely adopted or lacked the robustness required for comprehensive automated testing.

An AI-Powered Revolution in ERP Testing

Artificial intelligence is used by the Opkey platform to speed up the ERP software testing since that was one of the main points of why they wanted to use AI which is for rapid production, particularly in the human resources and finance departments. The company made testing automation more accessible to a larger group of workers which also enhanced their productivity by reducing the requirement for deep coding expertise through the use of an intuitive interface.

The AI-powered assistant uses the proprietary genAI Test data mining algorithm to create dynamic tests based on customer configurations and preferences.

Distribution of Investments and Upcoming Projects

The recently acquired monies will be dispersed carefully across several important areas:

Product advancement: Opkey wants to put more work into this area by putting a particular emphasis on significantly improving its ability to use artificial intelligence and increasing its support by this method for other types of ERP systems.

Global Expansion: The business will spend money on training in marketing sector because it also plays a significant role and also to advertising to bolster its standing in the global market.

Investment in research and development: To preserve Opkey’s competitive edge in ERP testing, a certain amount of the funds will be devoted to R&D.

Impact on ERP Modernization

Opkey’s innovative approach has already demonstrated significant benefits for companies undergoing ERP transformation. This platform allows the organization to implement the ERP change by 50 % faster and reduce defects by more than 70 %. This increase in effectiveness is important for the main information employees (IT).

Sector Prospects

PeakSpan Capital Partner Sanket Merchant stated, "We are excited to partner with Pankaj and the Opkey team as they provide unparalleled assurance through continuous test automation and pioneer the next frontier of innovation in ERP modernization with artificial intelligence." Merchant was enthusiastic about Opkey's potential.

techfundingnews.com

Opkey is positioned to have a significant impact on how ERP testing and migration strategies are implemented by businesses worldwide as it expands its operations and develops its platform further.

Construction Startup Trunk Tools Raises $20M, Introduces AI-Driven Scheduling Agent

Construction Startup Trunk Tools Raises $20M, Introduces AI-Driven Scheduling Agent

The construction industry’s AI solutions provider, Trunk Tools, a New York-based firm, has raised $20 million in a Series A fundraising round. Redpoint Ventures led the investment, and Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors made a significant contribution. Following a prior $10 million fundraising, this investment brings the total money raised for the three-year-old company, created by Austrian-born entrepreneur Sarah Buchner, to $30 million.

Support from Leading Industry Figures

Construction Startup Trunk Tools Raises $20M, Introduces AI-Driven Scheduling Agent

Image Source: linkedin.com

The most recent fundraising round demonstrates the robust backing of important figures in the technology and construction industries. WND Ventures in California, Suffolk Technologies in Boston, Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures, AEC Angels in New York, STO Building Group, Thornton Tomasetti/TTWiiN, and Charps in Minnesota are some of the current and potential sponsors of Trunk Tools. Buchner, who graduated from Stanford University with an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in civil systems engineering, thanked industry leaders for their ongoing support, seeing it as a testament to Trunk Tools’ goal of using AI to transform the construction industry.

Inventive Automation in the Building Sector

Trunk Tools is employing AI to automate time-consuming and repetitive operations in order to revolutionize the way construction projects are managed. The business’ artificial intelligence platform serves as a “brain” that can interpret millions of unstructured project data points, greatly simplifying procedures for those in the construction industry. Buchner stressed that Trunk Tools will be able to establish itself as a leader in generative AI for the construction sector by speeding up the creation of new products through the relationship with Redpoint Ventures.

She emphasised the company’s emphasis on “intelligence augmentation,” which aims to increase worker productivity through the automation of manual labour.

The AI Scheduling Agent's Launch

Trunk Tools unveiled the Trunk Tools Schedule Agent, their most recent invention, along with the funding announcement. Specifically created for the construction industry, this fully autonomous AI-powered solution establishes a dynamic link between planned actions and accompanying paperwork. Anticipatedly, this new agent will be crucial in ensuring that projects remain within budget, on schedule, and in accordance with the original design. Numerous Fortune 500 businesses and large general contractors currently use Trunk Tools’ AI platform, indicating the technology’s increasing influence in the market.

US Agency Invests $225 Million to Expand Africa’s Fiber Infrastructure

US Agency Invests $225 Million to Expand Africa’s Fiber Infrastructure

A major investment in Africa’s digital infrastructure is expected to be made, with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) playing a key role. In the upcoming weeks, the DFC will make a $90 million tranche toward a larger $225 million investment intended to increase fibre-optic access throughout the continent. This project highlights the growing geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States in Africa, a continent with abundant natural resources and a growing population.

Closing the Digital Connectivity Gaps in Africa

US Agency Invests $225 Million to Expand Africa’s Fiber Infrastructure

Image Source: techpoint.africa

Africa continues to be the least connected continent in the world even though digital services are quickly filling up infrastructure gaps in nations with little to no legacy networks.  Leading infrastructure company Liquid will be better able to handle its impending debt, which includes a $156 million term loan and $620 million in bonds that mature in 2026, thanks to the new capital infusion. Liquid needs this financial assistance in order to keep growing its network and provide services throughout Africa.

Partnerships with the US Tech Giants

To improve internet connectivity in East Africa, Liquid is working with Microsoft and Google, two of the biggest tech companies in the United States. The goal of the collaboration with Microsoft is to give 20 million people in Kenya and Zambia access to reasonably priced last-mile connectivity. Concurrently, the partnership with Google entails constructing terrestrial fiber networks across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa. In addition to connecting numerous data centers, this vast network will provide a fallback alternative for managing traffic in the event of subsea cable disruptions.

Increasing The Fiber Network of Africa

Liquid has already installed more than 110,000 kilometers (68,000 miles) of fiber throughout Africa in response to the rising demand for data storage and high-speed internet services. These kinds of investments, which give millions of people access to dependable, high-speed internet, are essential to promoting economic growth and development as the digital landscape of the continent changes.

Logically Expands Its AI Operations with the Acquisition of Insikt AI

Logically Expands Its AI Operations with the Acquisition of Insikt AI

The strategic acquisition of London-based Insikt AI by Logically The purchase of Barcelona-based AI startup Insikt AI has been announced by Logically, a pioneer in the application of AI to block harmful internet content. Through the integration of Insikt’s cutting-edge technology into its current platform, Logically hopes to improve its intelligence operations.

Increasing Capabilities Using Insikt AI

Logically Expands Its AI Operations with the Acquisition of Insikt AI

Image Source: tech.eu

Insikt AI was established in 2016 and focuses on creating machine learning models that are designed to identify and reduce hazardous content. Their Social Network Analysis (SNA) capabilities and domain-specific models have enabled governments and private businesses to assess intricate web networks and recognise new dangers. With the recent integration of Insikt’s technology into Logically Intelligence®, the company’s flagship platform, users will have access to state-of-the-art solutions for combating a wider variety of online threats, such as terrorism and extremism.

Integration of Leadership and Expertise

Jennifer Woodard and Guillem Garcia, the co-founders of Insikt, will join Logically as part of the acquisition. As VP of AI at Logically, Jennifer, a specialist in AI for counterterrorism, will lead the company with her wealth of knowledge in moral AI applications. In his new position as Head of Data Science, Guillem will leverage Deep Learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP) research to scale Logically’s data science capabilities.

Improving Detection of Internet Threats

The CEO of Logically, Lyric Jain, emphasised the importance of the acquisition by pointing out that Logically’s goal of preventing harmful online information is ideally aligned with Insikt’s creative use of AI and SNA. It is anticipated that the incorporation of Insikt’s skills will improve Logically’s capacity to identify and address attacks at an early stage, offering a strong defence against more cunning cybercriminals.

A Novel Chapter in Intelligence Driven by AI

This acquisition demonstrates Logically’s dedication to furthering AI research while also enhancing its technological advantage. Logically is positioned to provide even more value to its clients by leveraging Insikt’s AI know-how, enabling them to manage the intricacies of the digital world while preserving free expression and halting the dissemination of damaging content.