The ITAM Roundup: 2/12/24
Sam Altman seeking trillions for AI chip fabrication from UAE, others
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is reportedly seeking a massive investment of $5 to $7 trillion for AI chip manufacturing, aiming to address the scarcity of GPUs crucial for large language models like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Altman's proposal involves a partnership between OpenAI, investors, chip makers, and power providers to build chip foundries, with OpenAI committing to significant purchases from these factories. This ambitious plan, which surpasses the entire semiconductor industry's current sales, has garnered interest from global investors, including the United Arab Emirates, but raises geopolitical concerns regarding foreign influence in critical tech industries.
Microsoft in talks over cloud licensing complaint in the EU
Microsoft is engaged in discussions with the Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE) to address a complaint about its cloud software licensing practices in the European Union. The trade body, consisting of 26 small cloud providers and Amazon Web Services, filed a complaint with the EU's antitrust authority, expressing concerns that Microsoft's licensing terms favor its Azure service and could limit competition in cloud services.
Salesforceās Einstein 1 platform to get new prompt-engineering features
Salesforce is enhancing its Einstein 1 platform with two new prompt engineering features to accelerate the development of generative AI applications in the enterprise. These features, a testing center and prompt engineering suggestions, aim to streamline the manual process of tweaking prompts and refining prompt engineering activities for developers.
Teams & Entra ID New Features, Plus Copilot Adoption in the Real World: The Practical 365 Podcast S4 E13
Practical365 has another podcast out to discuss Teams and Entra ID new features, and also a perspective on 'real world' MS Copilot adoption from a Microsoft MVP Adam Honeycutt.
Microsoft makes Azure OpenAI service available in government cloud platform
Microsoft has made its Azure OpenAI Service available on Azure Government, allowing federal agencies to utilize AI tools in a regulated environment while pursuing FedRAMP authorization for higher-impact data. Candice Ling, Microsoft's senior vice president for federal government business, highlighted the service's data safety measures and potential for productivity and innovation. The move comes as federal agencies increasingly adopt AI technologies, with Microsoft aiming to provide GPT-4 capabilities in a more regulated setting and emphasizing data security measures to protect sensitive information.
IT budget shock: Global IT services firms continue to struggle
The global IT services industry faces significant challenges due to economic uncertainties and slower growth, with major players like Cognizant, Tata Consultancy Services, and Infosys reporting below-expectation results. Layoffs are increasing amid economic pressures, prompting cautious hiring strategies focusing on upskilling and talent transformation. While there's a shift towards AI and other technologies, revenue from generative AI might not see immediate substantial growth, with forecasts indicating uncertainty in FY2025 but potential opportunities for consulting-led IT services providers.
Red Hat Extends Enterprise Java to the Cloud with JBoss EAP 8
Red Hat unveils JBoss EAP 8, the first to support Jakarta EE 10, enabling easier enterprise Java application management across various environments. With Jakarta EE 10, legacy Java apps can be modernized without extensive framework changes, and improved provisioning tools streamline deployment management. The release also includes lightweight OpenShift container images and updates to the JBoss EAP Operator for enhanced container management.
Exclusive: Cisco to cut thousands of jobs as it seeks to focus on high growth areas
Cisco plans a major restructuring, including layoffs, to focus on high-growth areas, sources say. The San Jose-based company, with nearly 85,000 employees, is yet to finalize the number of job cuts. This follows a previous restructuring in November 2022, amidst broader tech industry layoffs.
The do-it-yourself approach to MDM
Open-source tools offer a viable option for mobile device management (MDM), especially with the rise of subscription-only models from commercial providers like VMware. While open-source MDM solutions can cut costs and prevent vendor lock-in, they require careful consideration of factors like platform integration and ongoing support needs. Organizations must weigh the benefits against the added workload and potential challenges, with midsize operations and colleges showing particular interest in the DIY approach to MDM.
Top 9 AssetSonar Alternatives & Competitors
The article discusses the limitations of AssetSonar, a cloud-based IT asset management tool, and presents nine alternatives for better IT asset management. Each alternative offers unique features such as centralized visibility of software licenses, automated device registration and user enrollment, and comprehensive asset tracking. Pros and cons, along with customer ratings, are provided for each alternative to guide organizations in selecting the most suitable IT asset management solution.
How to assess your Java licensing, a short guide.
Staying compliant with Oracle Java licensing is crucial in the realm of software asset management, especially given recent changes in Oracle's terms. Utilizing tools like Licenseware's Oracle Java Discovery Manager (OJDM) and the open-source OJDM Collector can help identify Java installations, assess their license requirements, and categorize usage for efficient management. Exploring alternative JDKs like AdoptOpenJDK and Amazon Corretto offers organizations options to mitigate licensing complexities and costs, ensuring compliance and optimized software investments.
Microsoft Azure HDInsight Bugs Expose Big Data to Breaches
Three high-risk vulnerabilities in Microsoft Azure's HDInsight service expose big data to breaches, including denial-of-service and privilege escalation bugs, compromising sensitive data. These bugs affect Apache Ambari and Apache Oozie, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access and execute malicious actions, emphasizing the importance of diligent patching and migration to the latest platform version for users. These vulnerabilities were addressed by Microsoft, but organizations utilizing HDInsight must take proactive measures to safeguard their data.