Free AI Technologies for your Machine Learning Project

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are quickly transforming almost every sphere of our lives. AI is disrupting every field from how we communicate to performing diseases in science and healthcare sectors.

Its no wonder everyone is jumping on to the wagon. Because of these rapid advancements, massive amounts of talent and resources are dedicated to accelerating the growth of the technologies. 

So if you want to take a bite at it for your machine learning project, there are free resources available. Look no further, I have consolidated them for you here.

Here is a list of 8 Free AI Technologies for your Machine Learning Project

Tensorflow 

Created by Google for supporting its research and production objectives, TensorFlow is now widely used by several companies, including Dropbox, eBay, Intel, Twitter, and Uber.

TensorFlow is available in Python, C++, Haskell, Java, Go, Rust, and most recently, JavaScript. You can also find third-party packages for other programming languages.

The framework allows you to develop neural networks (and even other computational models) using flowgraphs.

IBM Watson 

IBM Watson is a free, open-source AI software that provides authority to the companies to speed up the research and discovery, calculate disruptions, and improve interactions. Several businesses are taking advantage of this software to study their data, gather intellectual property, insights, and predict their future performance easily. By using the cloud-based IBM platform, organizations can make more informed decisions.

Keras

Keras is known for its user-friendliness, modularity, and ease of extensibility. It is suitable if you need a machine learning library that allows for easy and fast prototyping, supports both convolutional and recurrent networks, and runs optimally on both CPUs (central processing units) and GPUs (graphics processing units). 

Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit

Microsoft says that the open source framework is capable of "training deep learning algorithms to function like the human brain."

Some of the vital features of the Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit include highly optimized components capable of handling data from Python, C++, or BrainScript, ability to provide efficient resource usage, ease of integration with Microsoft Azure, and interoperation with NumPy. 

Theano

Theano is capable of taking your structures and transforming them into very efficient code that integrates with NumPy, efficient native libraries such as BLAS, and native code (C++).

Furthermore, it is optimized for GPUs, provides efficient symbolic differentiation, and comes with extensive code-testing capabilities.

Apache Mahout

Apache Mahout is a distributed framework that efficiently handles the processing of the data. You can proficiently use this free AI tool for data mining in conjunction with Hadoop. Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Yahoo are all massive corporations that make use of this software for data mining.

Amazon and Facebook make use of recommender engines, also known as collaborative filtering to attract users and offer products by mining user behavior. In one place, this open-source artificial intelligence software groups objects of similar nature by making use of the clustering feature. Summly is a Google app that shows the news from different news sites.

Caffe

Created by not for profit organization and supported by grants from Nvidia and Amazon. Caffe can process over 60 million images per day with a single NVIDIA GPU.

Armadillo

Useful for machine learning, pattern recognition, signal processing, bioinformatics, statistics, finance, etc.


Fast C++ library for linear algebra (matrix maths) and scientific computing * Easy to use functions and syntax, deliberately similar to Matlab * Uses template meta-programming techniques * Provides efficient wrappers for LAPACK, BLAS, ATLAS, ARPACK and SuperLU libraries, including high-performance versions such as OpenBLAS and Intel MKL.

While there may certainly be other deep learning frameworks out there, this list is not meant to be exhaustive. I simply wanted to give you a list of AI software tools and frameworks that you can feel confident running with and cost you absolutely nothing to download and start playing with. If you need any help with your AI project, please feel free to contact us at PsiberTech Solutions. Have a great day!

Srivatsan Aravamudan - Sri

Senior Solution Consultant

Mail:  srivatsan@psibertech.com.sg

Call:   +65 62689551

PsiberTech Solutions Private Ltd

Top 6 Features of SharePoint 2019

While most applications today are about the cloud, there are still quite a few enterprises that are using on-premises systems. However, since the beginning of 2019, we were seeing the next generation of Office servers such as SharePoint, Exchange and Teams hit general availability and bringing automation and collaboration for the workforce in the cloud.

SharePoint Online is a collection of cloud- and web-based technologies that help organizations share and collaborate with the team, partners, and clients. From the software perspective, SharePoint is a system designed for businesses to build applications that facilitate the sharing of information and documents on servers. As a server-based platform, it can exist either On-Premises or on the cloud.

Most of the features of SharePoint 2019 revolves around the following three main areas

1. User experiences developed through SharePoint Online.
2. Content engagement across all browsers and devices.
3. Powerful scaling security and compliance capabilities.

Here are the top 6 features of SharePoint 2019.

1. SharePoint Admin Center

The SharePoint Admin Center helps you manage Site Collections, global settings, capabilities, policies, security and more. It’s a powerful console and makes managing your SharePoint online.

2. Modern SharePoint team sites

Modern Team sites are responsive by default, include an out of the box news publishing engine, allowing users to share the news with the rest of the team. Unlike Office 365 where most modern team sites are connected to an Office 365 Group

3. One Drive

Organizations with large on-premises libraries will be pleased to know that SharePoint 2019 brings a significantly improved OneDrive Sync Client. The new iteration features OneDrive Sync Client support for personal and team sites, including files on demand. It also includes push notifications to help create a fast, reliable synchronization experience.

4. Fewer file restrictions

SharePoint Server 2019 removes several annoying restrictions when it comes to file and folder names and sizes:

File and folder names now support all special characters (including # and %, which were missing in previous versions)

The file path length limit has been increased to 400 characters and now supports # and %

SharePoint document libraries now support files up to 15GB (up from 10GB in SharePoint 2016), which is on par (finally!) with SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business


5. Lists and Libraries

The new preview contains the modern experiences for lists and libraries in team sites. This brings the experience up to date with SharePoint Online. The default lists and library experience is optimized for the most common tasks, allowing users to copy and move files using the command bar as well as pin documents, add files as links, filter, and sort easily and apply formatting to columns.

6. Improved Hybrid App Launcher

The Hybrid App launcher in SharePoint 2019 is more aligned with the one in Office 365, allowing users to have an even more seamless experience between their On-Premises and Online environments in a hybrid model.

Now, that's a pretty well stocked toolbox right there! What do you use already for your file sharing and collaborative environment? Are you looking to build your site in SharePoint 2019? Hit me up to have a free consultation about what PsiberTech solution can help with your SharePoint goals. Have a fantastic day!

Srivatsan Aravamudan - Sri

Senior Solution Consultant

Mail:  srivatsan@psibertech.com.sg

Call:   +65 62689551

PsiberTech Solutions Private Ltd

When customers deserve better – Disney plus or Minus?

 Image credits - digitaltrends.com

This is a review of the Disney Plus streaming service 

Well before we go any further let me confess. I am a diehard Disney fan.  And just like many others, I jumped on the Disney plus wagon, no questions asked.  Disney’s heavily marketed launch into the realm of entertainment streaming ended up literally "Frozen" on my TV.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one under the spell.

The problems started just after a few hours of launch, according to downdetector.com, a website that tracks outages. It received more than 8,000 reports of difficulties, mostly with video streaming just like mine. Others have also reported problems logging in. Disney said it was working to resolve the issue after consumer demand exceeded its expectations, said spokeswoman Karen Hobson. The company did not say what caused the problem.  

Disney said it had spent millions of dollars on content and technology to ensure its success in streaming. It also hopes to get 90 million subscribers by 2024.  I know it's hard to go against Netflix who has clearly set a benchmark in streaming, however, I can’t believe a brand like Disney would have not anticipated the demand. I wish they had put more thought into customer onboarding than their marketing.

My disappointment not just stops with the technical glitches in the launch. I have used way too many streaming services and had set expectations with the features of Disney plus. For example, I couldn’t resume playing a movie, it starts from the beginning and I must seek the spot where I was before.  This wouldn’t be a problem if the seeking worked as smoothly as Netflix. Just like an old VCR,  I had to fast forward by time and have no precise control over the exact scene to stop.

It all comes back to the fundamentals of creating an innovative digital experience for the customer. Usability, design coupled with efficient technology, an amalgam of three if done right would make or break a product.

As for me, I would continue to subscribe to Disney minus(pun intended) because I am still a believer. What you think about Disney Plus? Or about creating a seamless customer experience. What components would you consider in creating a good digital experience for your customers? Feel free to comment on them below and have a fantastic day!

Srivatsan Aravamudan - Sri

Senior Solution Consultant

Mail:  srivatsan@psibertech.com.sg

Call:   +65 62689551

PsiberTech Solutions Private Ltd

5 ways Robotic Process Automation Improve eficiency

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology, although a relatively new technology, has managed to gain a lot of attention in the corporate world over the past couple of years. The traction is mainly on its promise of improving business efficiency, making employees more productive, and leading to an overall increase in profit.

For many companies, RPA is a game changer; saving them time and money on repetitive manual tasks. From attended automation, where your human workforce uses RPA to accelerate work, to unattended and hybrid human/robot RPA, robotic process automation offers a real-world solution to a real-world problem.

Here are the top 5 ways RPA improves efficiency 

Cost savings:

Reduce operating costs and increase throughput. Cost savings could be approximately 80-90% when a business process performed by a full-time employee is taken over by a software robot.

Better customer experience: Deploying RPA frees up your high-value resources to be put back on customer service. Moreover, it can also eliminate customer pain points such as filling out several application forms and going through touch points of reviews and approvals from multiple human touch points. RPA can take over the entire process, reducing the turnaround time and provide better customer experience.

Improved productivity:

Well implemented RPA can minimize manual, error-prone processes. We could quickly expand the virtual workforce and address the needs of the business easily. In the insurance sector, for example, a virtual workforce can be ramped up in order to process snow/hail claims in the winter, flooding in the summer, etc.

Improved Insights and Analytics

When RPA takes over data and analytics, there are lesser risks of data leakages, obsolete information, and incorrect analytics. Robots can help collect data where it wasn’t feasible for humans. RPA can help companies see right through their data and get actionable/verified insights with minimal error.

Leverage on existing infrastructure

One of the biggest concerns over implementing RPA is that it might replace the existing IT systems. You don’t have to replace the existing systems ( unless you are running on Windows XP of course!) . RPA could leverage on your existing IT systems the same way any of your employee would do.

RPA is a cutting-edge technology that is dramatically changing back-office operations enabling greater innovation by freeing up human labour to focus on idea-generating.

                                  
PsiberTech Solutions can help to improve your services by connecting to your existing systems to robot-aware technologies, that increase speed and efficiency and pave the way for your digital transformation. To learn more about how PsiberTech Solution can help streamline your processes with RPA, or for pricing details, drop a comment below or contact us today.

Srivatsan Aravamudan - Sri

Senior Solution Consultant

Mail:  srivatsan@psibertech.com.sg

Call:   +65 62689551

PsiberTech Solutions Private Ltd

Fix time management issues and increase employee productivity

These days, employees are spending more and more time at the office–certainly exceeding the typical 40-hour workweek. Thanks to mobility and communication apps employees are available and ready to spring to action when needed. However, increased hours and availability do not necessarily translate to increased efficiency. This article would provide you tips to fix time management issues and increase employee productivity.

Pat Burns in his book “Master The Moment “ interviewed employees at 50 companies and discovered that many of the time management issues employees face can be traced back to poor leadership, including:

· Not knowing what work to prioritize
· Having trouble saying no even when their workload is full
· Feeling overwhelmed with too many tasks
· Procrastinating or not finishing what they start because timelines aren't clearly set
· Always being in reactive mode due to an unclear strategy

If I could put it on one powerful sentence.

One thing great manager do for his employees so they can excel at their job is to ‘encourage them to be their own leader’

when things are going smoothly, they tend to continue without much intervention. And that’s a good thing. But how do you get to that point? What turns a poor performer into a productivity powerhouse? How do you make your employees more productive?

Here are the top 5 hacks you need to know about how to fix time management issues and increase employee productivity at work.

1. Time audit

Help employees discover where their time is going with a time audit. This involves your team writing down their intentions and beliefs about how they spend their time and then actually tracking how they work. In most cases, the difference between intentions and actions will be staggering. Collect data and discuss red flags such as: are they are overloaded, are they interrupted throughout the day or Do they need to delegate some of the tasks, etc.

2.Planning Fallacy

Planning fallacy (as psychologists call it) is when you make a plan for how long a task or project will take (which is usually a best-case scenario), and then assume the outcome will follow your plans, even when you know the chances of that happening is likely low. One way to tackle this problem is by making them accountable for the work they’re doing and reviewing their daily/weekly plans.

3.Training

Often lack of skill in carrying out the task also hinders the time management of the employee. A 2013 study in the International Journal of Science and Research found that training greatly benefits both employers and employees. Proper training also leads to greater efficiency and productivity. Improve employee skills with training to carry out the tasks smarter.

4. Culture and expectations

It's vital that you shift your cultural approach to ‘yes’ people. Many companies celebrate people who get stuff done. These employees are often perceived as hard workers or that they’ve got grit. In reality, they’re most likely overworked, stressed, and on the road to burnout. A culture that keeps expecting employees to measure up without reciprocated interest in they're well being in a ticking time bomb. Create a work culture where employees are encouraged to talk about expectations imposed on them and the reality that they are dealing with. Encourage self-care and personal time offs.

5.Tools

Finally, the tools that we use in our work environment would also help to fix time management issues and increase the productivity of the employees. Some of the tools that need to be implemented are

Time and productivity tracking apps – Consider time logging and apps that maintain tasks and priority.

Collaboration tools – Consider storage, accessibility and

Communication apps – Consider tools that enable file sharing, video/audio/chat, screen sharing, and session recording.

It would also be a good idea to automate the repetitive tasks that take up most of your employee’s time. If you can’t find off the shelf product to address your needs, custom software developed specifically for your requirement would be a perfect fit for you.

I am also interested to know how you create a productive environment at your workplace. Do you focus on engagement? Increase productivity? Encourage remote work? Share your best tips in the comments below!

Srivatsan Aravamudan - Sri

Senior Solution Consultant

Mail:  srivatsan@psibertech.com.sg

Call:   +65 62689551

PsiberTech Solutions Private Ltd