Technology

Why should organisation's start caring about Metaverse ASAP?

You've probably heard of the term "Metaverse" before, but what exactly? The Metaverse is a virtual world that exists as a layer on top of the physical world, and it's made up of numerous interconnected virtual spaces that people can visit. Imagine it as a giant online multiplayer game where people can interact with each other and digital objects in real-time.

So, why should your corporation invest in the Metaverse? Here are three good reasons:

1) The Metaverse is a great way to boost employee morale and productivity.

2) The Metaverse is an excellent platform for marketing and advertising.

3) The Metaverse has the potential to revolutionize the way we do business entirely.

1) The Metaverse is a great way to boost employee morale and productivity.

When employees are happy and engaged at work, they're more productive. And what better way to engage employees than by giving them a fun and stimulating environment to work in? In the Metaverse, employees can attend virtual team-building exercises, company-wide events, and even after-work social gatherings without ever having to leave their desks. Not only will this boost morale, but it will also increase productivity by keeping employees tethered to their workstations. Win-win!

2) The Metaverse is an excellent platform for marketing and advertising.

The Metaverse offers a unique opportunity for companies to market their products and services in a new way. For example, imagine holding a virtual trade show or product demonstration where attendees can interact with your products or services in real-time. Or what about creating an interactive 3D tour of your company's headquarters that prospective customers can take from the comfort of their homes? The possibilities are endless—they're all extremely exciting from a marketing standpoint.

3) The Metaverse has the potential to revolutionize the way we do business entirely.

The business world is changing rapidly, and those who don't keep up will be left behind. TheMetaverse presents a unique opportunity for companies to stay ahead of the curve by doing new business. For example, imagine being able to close deals remotely by shaking hands with avatars representing your clients or suppliers. Or what about holding board meetings in virtual reality, where directors can walk through proposals and run simulations before making decisions? Again, the possibilities are endless—and they're all extremely exciting from a business standpoint.

As you can see, there are many good reasons your corporation should invest in the Metaverse. Not only is it a great way to boost employee morale and productivity, but it's also an excellent platform for marketing and advertising. Plus, the Metaverse has the potential to revolutionize the way we do business entirely. So what are you waiting for? Invest in the Metaverse today!

The Technology Stack for Metaverse

The Technology Stack for Metaverse

Metaverse is a decentralized, open-source platform that enables the creation of digital assets and smart contracts. The ERC20 token MVT powers it. The Metaverse technology stack consists of the following components:

  1. Decentralized Identity Authentication (DIA) 

  2. Digital Asset Exchange (DAE) 

  3. Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) 

  4. Decentralized Connectivity Protocol (DCP) 

  5. Cross-Chain Smart Contract (CCSC) 

  6. Metaverse Full Node 

  7. Metaverse Light wallet 

  8. Metaverse Block Explorer 

  9. Metaverse Developer SDKs. 

Component 1: Decentralized Identity Authentication (DIA) 

The DIA component is responsible for creating and validating digital identities on the Metaverse platform. These identities can be used to represent individuals, organizations, or things. The MVT token powers the DIA component and utilizes both on-chain and off-chain data to authenticate identities. 

Component 2: Digital Asset Exchange (DAE) 

The DAE component enables the exchange of digital assets on the Metaverse platform. It uses an order book system to match buyers and sellers, and settlement is performed through smart contracts. The MVT token powers the DAE component. 

Component 3: Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) 

The BaaS component provides an easy way for enterprises to build and deploy applications on the Metaverse blockchain. It includes a suite of tools for development, testing, and deployment. The MVT token powers the BaaS component. 

Component 4: Decentralized Connectivity Protocol (DCP) 

The DCP component enablesMetaverseto connect with other blockchains. It uses a gateway system to convert assets from one blockchain to another. The MVT token powers the DCP component. 

Component 5: Cross-Chain Smart Contract (CCSC)

The CCSC component enables cross-chain intelligent contracts to be executed on the Metaverse platform. In addition, these contracts can be used to Atomic Swap tokens between different blockchains. The MVT token powers the CCSC component. 

Component 6: Metaverse Full Node

A full node is a computer that stores a copy of the entire Metaverse blockchain. Full nodes help to validate transactions and keep the network secure. In addition, they are rewarded with MVT tokens for their contributions. 

Component 7: Meta verse Light wallet

A light wallet is a software wallet that does not store a copy of the entire blockchain. Light wallets are lighter and faster than full node wallets but are less secure since they rely on third-party servers for information about the blockchain. 

Component 8: Meta verse Block Explorer

A block explorer is a website that allows users to view information about blocks, transactions, and addresses on the blockchain. The Metaverse Block Explorer also has advanced features such as viewing intelligent contract codes and verifying identity proofs. 

Component 9: Meta verse Developer SDKs

The Metaverse Developer SDKs are a set of tools developers can use to build applications on the Metaverse platform. They include libraries, documentation, and example code.  

Metaverse's technology stack comprises nine components that work together to power the platform. These components include everything from identity authentication to cross-chain intelligent contracts. Together, they provide a complete solution for enterprises looking to build applications on a decentralized platform."

Future of content and what's in it for us.

As content creators, we always look for new and innovative ways to engage our audience. With the advent of new technologies, we now have more platforms and tools than ever to create dynamic and interactive content. From Augmented Reality to Virtual Reality, we have endless possibilities for experimenting and finding new ways to connect with our readers. As we move into the future, it is exciting to think about how content will continue evolving and changing. Who knows what new platforms and technologies will be available for us?

Do the brands still need content?

There is no doubt that content is still the king in online marketing. Despite the rise of new technologies and platforms, content is still the most crucial element of any digital marketing strategy. Why is this?

Firstly, content is a great way to connect with your audience. It allows you to communicate your message clearly and concisely, and it also allows you to build a relationship with your audience. People are more likely to engage with brands they feel connected with, and content is the perfect way to create that connection.

Secondly, content is also great for driving traffic to your website or blog. If you create exciting and informative content, people are more likely to share it, which will help to increase your reach and visibility.

Thirdly, content is a great way to build trust with your audience. If you provide valuable information that helps people solve their problems, they will trust you and your brand more. Trust is essential in any relationship, and it's no different with brands and their customers.

Fourthly, content is a great way to differentiate your brand from competitors. In a world with so many choices, ensuring that your brand stands out from the crowd is essential. Content can help you highlight what makes your brand unique and special.

Finally, content is a great way to stay in mind with your audience. If you regularly create new and exciting content, people are more likely to think of you when they need your product or service.

So, as you can see, content is still an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. However, it's important to note that how we create and consume content is changing. With new technologies and platforms emerging all the time, we now have more opportunities to create more dynamic and interactive content that engages the reader in a whole new way.

What technologies are available to content creators?

There are many new technologies available for content creators to experiment with. These technologies include Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality. VR allows the user to create an immersive virtual environment that can be explored and interacted with. AR will enable users to overlay digital content in the real world, and Mixed Reality combines the two to create a hybrid environment.

These new technologies are changing the way we consume content. We are no longer limited to just reading or watching something; we can now experience it ourselves. This is especially true for VR, which lets us completely immerse ourselves in another world.

As content creators, we now have the opportunity to create more exciting and engaging content than ever before. In addition, we can use these new technologies to create interactive experiences that will keep our audience coming back for more.

Other technologies include:

a) Auto content creation - Blogs and Videos

b) Creating images on your own

c) Creating your audio from text

If you would like to know more about these tools, please drop a comment on the blog, and I would be happy to add to this blog.

What is the future of content?

We expect to see more creators using these new technologies to create innovative and exciting content in the next few years. We will also see more platforms specifically designed for VR and AR content. As these technologies become more mainstream, we will see a broader range of content being created for them.

So what does that mean for us?

As content creators, we must be aware of these new technologies and how to use them. We need to stay ahead of the curve and be ready to experiment with these new platforms. Only by doing so will we be able to create the best content for our audience.

How will Metaverse revolutionize the content industry?

Metaverse is a VR platform that allows users to create and share their virtual worlds. Metaverse could potentially revolutionize the content industry by enabling users to create more immersive and interactive content. For example, with Metaverse, you could create a virtual world that allows users to explore and interact with your content in a completely new way. The new phase would give content creators a new way to engage their audience and create more dynamic and interactive content.

The future of content is promising, giving rise to new forms of content and providing each of us the flexibility to showcase our capabilities.

Why customer data platforms are still important for businesses?

It's no secret that customers today expect more personalized experiences when they interact with businesses. To keep up with the competition, many companies are turning to customer data platforms (CDPs) to collect and manage customer data more effectively.

CDPs have been in the market for a few years now, but there has been a recent discussion on whether or not they are dying out. There are various opinions on this matter, but most believe that CDPs still have a lot to offer businesses regarding customer engagement and understanding customer behavior.

One of the main benefits of CDPs is that they can help you keep track of customer data even if cookies are deleted or blocked. With the death of cookies looming, this is becoming increasingly important. CDPs can also help you better understand your customers to provide them with the best possible experience.

The benefits of deploying CDP in your customer strategy

There are many benefits to using a CDP for businesses. The most important benefit is that CDPs help companies better understand their customers. By collecting and consolidating customer data, businesses can better understand who their customers are, what they like, what they don't like, and how they behave. This information can then create more targeted marketing campaigns and improve customer experiences.

Another benefit of CDPs is that they help businesses improve customer engagement. CDPs make it easier to identify and target customers who are most likely interested in a particular product or service. They also make it easier to personalize communications with customers, leading to higher conversion rates and longer customer relationships.

With the recent death of cookies, CDPs have become even more critical for businesses. Previously, cookies were used to track customer behavior online and target them with relevant ads. However, they are no longer effective due to new privacy regulations (such as GDPR) and browser changes (such as Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention). This has made it more difficult for businesses to track customers and deliver targeted advertising across the web. CDPs provide a way to overcome these challenges by monitoring customer behavior offline (through purchase histories, loyalty programs, etc.) and online (through website interactions, social media activity, etc.). This gives businesses a complete view of the customer journey, which can be used to deliver more personalized experiences.

Overall, CDPs still have a lot to offer businesses. They are a valuable tool for understanding customers, improving customer engagement, and overcoming the challenges posed by the death of cookies. If you're not using a CDP in your customer strategy, you should consider doing so.

The right way to implement CDPs within your organization

Now that we know that customer data platforms are still important, let's talk about implementing them into your business process. When it comes to CDPs, there is no one-size-fits-all solution; each business will have its own unique needs that must be taken into account. Here are some tips on how to get started:

1. Define your business goals and objectives.

The first step in any CDP implementation is understanding your business goals and objectives. What do you hope to achieve with a CDP? What are your priorities? What are you trying to solve? Once you understand your goals, you can start looking for the right CDP that will fit those needs. 

2. Assess your data.

The next step is to take a closer look at your data. What data do you have? Where is it located? How is it structured? Answering these questions will help you determine which CDP features are most important to you and what kind of data integrations will be necessary.

3. Select the right CDP.

There are a lot of different customer data platforms on the market, so it's essential to select the one that's right for your business. Consider your business goals, assess your data, and read reviews of different CDPs before deciding.

4. Don’t over obsess on lack of enough first-party data

Organizations do not proceed with the deployment of CDP as they mention that there is not enough first-party data to drive their customer strategies forward. Organizations can still develop micro-cohorts with attributes of ICPs (Ideal Customer Profiles) which can be fed into the CDP to drive personalization and targeting programs

5. Implement and test.

Once you've selected a CDP, it's time to implement it into your business processes. This will require some testing to ensure that everything is working. Be sure to document everything so you can reference it later if necessary.

6. Monitor and optimize.

After you've implemented a CDP, it's essential to monitor its performance and make sure it's meeting your expectations. If not, don't be afraid to make changes or adjust your strategy. The goal is to improve your customer engagement and understanding of customer behavior continuously.

Customer data platforms (CDPs) are still crucial for businesses because: 

  • They help businesses understand customer behavior 

  • They improve customer engagement 

  • They provide a better customer experience 

Tips for getting the most out of your CDP

Although customer data platforms may decline, they are still essential for businesses. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your CDP:

  1. Make sure you are using the platform to its full potential. A CDP can do a lot more than collect data. It can help you segment customers, personalize communications, and optimize your marketing strategies.

  2. Integrate the platform with your other systems. This will help you better understand your customers and their behavior.

  3. Use the data to create targeted campaigns. Personalized campaigns are more successful than generic ones.

  4. Experiment with different features of the platform. Try collecting and analyzing data to see what works best for your business.

  5. Keep your CDP up to date. The platform is constantly evolving, so make sure you use the latest features and functionality.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your customer data platform is still working hard for your business.

Are you still struggling and thinking about deploying a CDP?

Deploying a CDP can be highly beneficial for your business. It can help you collect and analyze customer data more effectively, leading to better customer experiences and more sales. However, it is essential to implement CDPs the right way within your organization. Here are some tips for getting started:

  1. Make sure you have a clear goal for what you want the CDP to achieve. Define what you wish the platform to do and how it will fit into your overall customer strategy.

  2. Gather input from all stakeholders who will be using the platform. This includes marketing, sales, IT, and operations staff. They should all be involved in setting up the CDP and determining how it will be used.

  3. Choose the right CDP for your needs. There are many different CDPs on the market, so make sure you select one with the features and functionality you need.

  4. Set up a test environment to try out the CDP before rolling it out to your entire customer base. This will help you ensure that it is working correctly and that everyone knows how to use it.

  5. Train your staff on how to use the platform. They should be familiar with all of the features and functions to make the most of it.

By following these tips, you can successfully deploy a customer data platform within your organization and start reaping the benefits.

Green AI: Why is it essential to develop AI responsibly, considering potential risks and potential benefits?

I was recently invited by CNBC TV-18 on Twitter Spaces with other industry leaders to speak about Sustainability and how tech and AI can help organizations achieve sustainability goals. But preparing for the conversation and also going to the conversation, I started thinking a lot about how today we are creating more need for:

  • Data

  • Technology needs

  • Processing needs

which is putting more stress on the need to consume environmental sources.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that humans can use to make sense of data, manage processes and solve problems. But as AI technology gets more sophisticated, there is a risk that it could also be used to harm. That's why it's essential to ensure that artificial intelligence is developed responsibly and consider the potential risks and benefits.

One way to ensure that AI is developed responsibly is to focus on making it "green." Green AI refers to artificial intelligence that is designed and operated in a way that minimizes its environmental impact. Developing green AI can help ensure that the powerful tool of AI is used sustainably and beneficially for both humans and the environment.

There are many reasons why it's essential to develop green AI. For one, Sustainability is a crucial concern for both individuals and businesses. With the world's population growing and resources becoming more scarce, it's essential to find ways to use resources more efficiently. Green AI can help do this by reducing the energy consumption of data centers and other AI infrastructure.

In addition to being more sustainable, green AI can also be more efficient and cost-effective. For example, using renewable energy to power data centers can save money on energy costs. And designing data centers and other AI infrastructure to be more energy-efficient can further reduce costs.

Developing green AI is also important because it can help to ensure that AI is used responsibly. As AI technology gets more sophisticated, there is a risk that it could be used for nefarious purposes, such as creating biased algorithms or infringing on people's privacy. By ensuring that AI is developed responsibly, we can help avoid these risks and ensure that AI is used for good.

There are many benefits to developing green AI. Sustainability, efficiency, and responsible use are just a few reasons it's essential to focus on making AI more green. In addition, we can help make sure that this powerful tool is used to benefit both humans and the environment.

What is green AI and why is it essential to develop responsibly?

Green AI is an important topic because it refers to how artificial intelligence should be developed to minimize its environmental impact. For example, suppose an artificial intelligence system was tasked with optimizing energy consumption in a data center. In that case, it might decide to run the data center at total capacity all the time to minimize energy consumption. However, this would result in a large carbon footprint and be detrimental to the environment. Therefore, it is crucial to consider AI's potential risks and benefits before implementing it to avoid causing harm.

The benefits of developing green AI

One way to make AI better is to make sure that AI is "green" – designed and operated to minimize its environmental impact. We can help ensure that the technology is used responsibly and sustainably by developing green AI.

There are many potential benefits of green AI. For example, green AI could help us to:

  • Reduce our reliance on fossil fuels: Green AI could help us develop renewable energy sources and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

  • Conserve resources: Green AI can help us use resources more efficiently and conserve them for future generations.

  • Improve agricultural productivity: Green AI can help us improve farm productivity and reduce the need for land, water, and other resources.

  • Combat climate change: Green AI can help us monitor and respond to climate change and develop mitigation and adaptation strategies.

To realize these benefits, green AI must be developed responsibly. This means considering the potential risks and harms resulting from its use. For example, green AI could be used to:

  • Monitor and control our behavior: Green AI could be used to monitor our behavior to improve resource efficiency. However, this could also lead to privacy concerns and a loss of autonomy.

  • Manipulate our emotions: Green AI could be used to manipulate our emotions to influence our behavior. Unfortunately, this could lead to a loss of control over our own lives.

  • Displace human workers: Green AI could be used to replace human workers in various industries. However, this could lead to unemployment and economic insecurity.

Thus, green AI must be developed responsibly, considering both the potential risks and benefits.

How can you make your artificial intelligence more environmentally friendly?

There are a few ways to make your artificial intelligence more environmentally friendly. First, try to use recycled or sustainable materials whenever possible. Second, be conscious of the amount of power your AI system is operating and optimize it for efficiency. Third, ensure that any data you collect is cleansed and organized to minimize its environmental impact. Fourth, refine the need for data and focus on essentials, then hoarding. Fifth, focus on eliminating redundancies on the process within the organization, thereby reducing data and technology needs along the way of a customer/process journey. Finally, consider the potential risks and benefits of AI development before proceeding with any project. By taking these steps, you can help to ensure that your AI system is as green as possible.

Examples of businesses that are using green AI

Several businesses are using green AI to help them become more sustainable. For example, IBM has developed a green AI platform called IBM Watson Earth that helps organizations make more informed decisions about Sustainability. The platform uses cognitive computing to analyze data from satellite imagery, weather information, and other sources to help identify and track environmental trends.

Another business that is using green AI is Google. Google has developed a Green Data Center Calculator tool that helps businesses determine how much energy they can save by making their data centers more efficient. The tool uses machine learning to analyze data from real-world deployments and recommend the most effective energy-saving measures.

These are just a few examples of businesses using green AI to become more sustainable. As the demand for green AI grows, more companies are likely to develop AI tools and services to help achieve sustainability goals.

When it comes to artificial intelligence, many potential benefits and risks need to be considered. As we continue to develop these technologies, it's essential to be aware of how they can help us and harm us. We need to make sure that AI is developed responsibly, taking both the potential benefits and risks. We also need to make sure that AI is "green" – that is, designed and operated in a way that minimizes its environmental impact. By doing all of this, we can ensure that AI helps us solve some of the world's most pressing problems while reducing its risks.

The Importance of Experimentation for Leaders

In a constantly changing world, it's more important than ever for leaders to be able to experiment and learn new things. As industries change and technology advances, it becomes more challenging to stay ahead of the curve. That's why experimentation is vital for leaders; it allows them to explore new possibilities and learn about new technologies. Leaders who can experiment and learn will be better equipped to face future challenges. Experimentation is never too late, so you should never be afraid to try something new. Experimentation could lead to an innovative solution or a discovery that makes life easier for everyone. Experimenting with something new doesn't have to be complicated; all it takes is a little courage and patience. Experimentation can help you grow as a leader and learn more about yourself. Experimenting allows leaders the opportunity to see if their assumptions are correct, which can save time in the long run rather than making mistakes that they will have to change later on. Experimenting with something different is how the best ideas are discovered because people can come up with brilliant solutions by thinking outside of the box and challenging themselves. As we progress through our everyday lives, we need to experiment with things to keep our minds sharp and ready for anything.

Experimentation is a leader's ticket to progress. Experimenting shows your employees that you are willing to try new things and take risks, which can also help motivate them. Experimentation can be applied to any industry or position because it's never too late to learn something new. A good leader knows when to change course and tries new things to stay successful. Experimenting becomes more critical as we enter the age of technology; we need leaders who understand how vital experimenting is with technology if we want the change and improvement this field offers. Experimentation helps us discover what works and what doesn't work, so we know where we stand and what steps we need to take to get to where we want to be. Experimentation can help you discover new ways of doing something, but it's essential to have a vision and understand the bigger picture while experimenting. 

Experimenting is a great way for leaders to explore new possibilities and learn about their employees. Just like anything else in life, experimentation should be done with caution because failure can sometimes lead to regret. Experimentation helps us move forward, so we don't spend too much time on the past, allowing more time to focus on our future. Experimenting with different aspects of your career or business will give you the skills necessary for any challenge that comes your way; we all need to experiment every once in a while to grow and excel. Experimentation is a great way to explore your options and grow as a leader. Experimenting allows leaders to see how their decisions affect other people, which gives them a better understanding of what they do best. Experimenting should be done with another person or group because it can help you learn more about different opinions and make better decisions for everyone involved. Experimentation should be encouraged no matter who you are or where you work because it helps us find new ways of doing things that make life easier for everyone.

With new technology getting introduced every day and so much hype about various new technologies in the market, it is difficult for leaders to keep up and stay ahead of the curve. For leaders to understand the evolution and application of technology within the industry they operate, they must understand and experiment with the new technology. Denial or the thought that the trend/technology will not apply to my industry is a bad strategy. Hence all leaders must drive a culture of experimentation and learning. 

With concepts like Metaverse, Web 3.0, NFTs, Headless Commerce, and many more, what are you experimenting with today? I have started to create my digital art, and it has been a fun and enriching exercise. What is your experimentation?

The future is knowledge economy for enterprises and nations

We usher into a new era where knowledge is far essential (in personal and professional), and complexity continues to scale on how things relate and unrelate to everything we undertake. With technology advancement, the future of nations and enterprises would be to see how they harness and create a knowledge economy to thrive and be successful in highly complex environments. 

One such technology critical to enable the nations and enterprises is Graph technology. The graph has evolved into a significant new class of data structures that model implicit and explicit graphs with nodes, edges, and properties. It’s one of the most important developments in modern computer science, bringing with it many innovative algorithmic results and practical systems for managing complex data relationships on scales unimaginable just ten years ago.

The inspiration for graph theory was found within mathematics, but its applications are now widespread across computer science, social sciences, life sciences, engineering, and beyond. Graph databases have become some of the fastest-growing software products over recent years because they efficiently manage high-volume datasets by enabling users to discover connections between related pieces of information without reading the content of every record. As we move into an era where we ask more and more questions about the relationships in our data, graph databases become a crucial technology in managing complex systems and enabling fast and accurate responses to user queries.

Graphs have been used to solve problems such as efficiently routing drivers around traffic jams or allocating tasks among workers when there is limited space on factory floors. The knowledge economy grows by leaps every day because it relies so heavily on the network, but it’s not just businesses that rely on information networks. Transportation, communication, and commerce depend on complex relationships between people and organizations. These networks have been modeled as graphs for over a hundred years now, but it is only since the 2000s that we have had the technology to access much larger charts from the web containing hundreds of billions of nodes and trillions of edges.

The advent of graph technologies creates a massive shift in the technological world. Examples include fraud prevention, managing complex systems, and enabling fast responses to user queries. Other benefits include shorter processing times, smaller datasets that are easier

Graph technology is the future to drive the knowledge economy forward.

Graphs are everywhere. Graphs are just a model for data, but it’s already being widely adopted in the business world because of their many practical uses. Graph technology is now used to search Google, filter Facebook newsfeeds, power recommendation engines, and help scientists understand protein folding patterns. Graph databases are already transforming the way companies do business. Graph databases are faster and more flexible for a wide range of queries, including highly interactive exploration of complex networks and multi-attribute search that returns rich results in milliseconds. Graph technology is already handling large amounts of data with ease.

Graph DBs can handle unstructured, fast-changing, diverse data types such as text, images, geo-location, stock ticker data, etc. Graph databases are already being used in domains ranging from IoT to finance, social media, healthcare/life sciences, logistics/transportation, and retail. Graph technology also has the potential to transform our personal lives. Graphs are an ideal model for human relationships because they can easily capture both direct and indirect connections between people, places, and the things they’ve shared interests. Graphs can also help us easily share our social expertise by identifying key influencers in networks. Graph technology is already being used to improve online dating, recommend products for social shopping, track job referrals, and business opportunities. Graph technology has revolutionized data management; its potential isn’t limited to social media and online networks.  

Graph technology can be applied to a wide variety of challenges and is especially useful in domains with complex data relationships 

  • Transportation: Graphs can help improve traffic flow by modeling vehicle locations as nodes and relationships as edges to model time-delays, congestion, etc. Graph technology is already helping cities such as Los Angeles better manage their transport systems. 

  • Manufacturing: Graphs also have numerous manufacturing applications, especially when it comes to optimizing processes, planning layouts, and forecasting. Graphs can help manufacturers create assembly roadmaps that optimize workflows or reduce the time required to move products through the supply chain. 

  • Astronomy: Graphs can help astronomers better understand the Universe by modeling spectral information as nodes or vertices connected by edges representing shared photonic properties. Graphs also help astronomers visualize and navigate large data sets.

  • Financial industry: Graph technology is also seeing increased application in finance and trading, where it can be used to find relationships between different securities and the overall market. Graph databases allow financial analysts to correlate various data sources and discover new trends that might not otherwise be visible. 

  • Pharma: One domain where graph technology is increasing application in DNA identification. Graphs are an ideal data structure for representing the complex relationships between different parts of a DNA sequence. Graph-based algorithms can quickly identify similar segments of DNA, allowing for a more accurate and efficient comparison of other lines. This makes it easier to identify potential genetic mutations and can even help trace the ancestry of a particular DNA sample.

A more extensive use case for organizations driving eCommerce business

 Graph technology can be used for businesses to drive eCommerce. Graph databases are especially suited to deal with the complexities of eCommerce data, such as products, customers, and orders. Graph technology can help retailers understand and analyze their customer's behavior to create more personalized shopping experiences. In addition, graph technology can also be used to identify patterns in customer behavior that can help businesses improve their marketing strategies and website design. Graph technology is the best way to examine the relationships between customers, products, and sales. Graphs are especially valuable for businesses with complex product catalogs. Graph databases can quickly help eCommerce companies identify market trends and product performance issues. Graph databases are also helpful in maintaining up-to-date product information, including images, prices, specifications, ratings, and related products. Graph technology allows eCommerce retailers to understand better consumer behavior, which can help inform business decisions. Graphs are particularly valuable for analyzing product affinity, cross-selling opportunities, customer preferences, and online behaviors. Charts are handy for analyzing sales data to discover buying patterns between different customer profiles or demographics.

Graphs help analyze how other customers or demographics interact with products. Graph technology can be used to determine which products are commonly bought together, whether there are any gaps in the product catalog, and what other products may need to be added. Graphs can also be used to determine if a product’s price is too high or low or if the product is facing any other issues. Graph technology can also recommend products to customers based on their buying patterns, similar to how Amazon recommends products. Graphs help identify popular items, unwanted items, and what needs improvement.

Ecommerce websites can apply graph technology to search engine optimization (SEO). Graph databases are suitable for understanding how customers interact with products and help businesses maximize website conversion rates. Graph technology can improve the personification of the company’s search engine optimization (SEO) profile. Graph technology can also enhance product placement on eCommerce websites, which will drive increased traffic to the website. Ecommerce companies can use graph technology to improve customer service. Graphs help identify product support issues or common questions that need to be answered or enhanced. Graph databases allow businesses to remember different groups of users to reply more effectively quickly. Graphs are handy for customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Graphs can analyze customers’ interactions with products, brands, stores, purchases, or companies. Graph technology is the future for eCommerce, as this type of technology will make the customer experience more personalized and easier. 

The future is better with Graph technologies

 Graph technology has evolved into a significant new class of data structures that model implicit and explicit graphs with nodes, edges, and properties. Charts are one of the most important developments in modern computer science. They bring many innovative algorithmic results and practical systems for managing complex data relationships on unimaginable scales just ten years ago. It provides insights about patterns hidden within large datasets not easily found by other analytical techniques alone. Graph technologies allow us to detect these connections between entities or events that we would never have seen otherwise, improving our understanding of natural phenomena such as climate change or disease outbreaks. Graph databases offer unprecedented scalability and performance while providing powerful capabilities for managing semi-structured and unstructured data with the ability to traverse complex relationships effortlessly.

For example, Graph databases are ideal for maintaining knowledge graphs, such as the OpenCyc project, which provides an extensive knowledge base consisting of hundreds of thousands of concepts and trillions of facts providing a solid foundation for AI computations. Graph databases can also be used to model the semantic web, an extension of the World Wide Web that unlocks its potential as a data source by making it easier for machines to discover, share, integrate, process, and reuse information on the Web. However, it is essential to note that Graph technology won’t replace all current database systems but rather enhance their capabilities by providing additional options for storing and querying complex data relationships. Graph databases work well with large data sets that do not follow a regular structure, require frequent updates, or support only simple lookups and range scans. 

What I am taking in 2022: The Future Isn't the Future

2021 is coming to an end, and I clearly remembered that same time last year; I was looking forward to 2021 and was hoping to have a better year and get to do things that I missed in 2020. However, as I look back in 2021, not much has changed. I recently made three international trips; the trips were filled with anxiety, stress, and a very different experience than many before the Pandemic. I can keep talking about how the last two years have been for me, and at the same time, I can't believe 2021 is already coming to an end. It has been a transformative experience, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn and grow as a person. The Pandemic is teaching, rethink and providing perspectives that have changed me in ways that will help me better manage my mental and physical health outside of Covid-19, too.

I want to share some key learnings as I look forward to stepping in 2022.

Appreciated humbleness and practiced humility far more than ever

There was a time I would have thought that the answer to such a question was obvious. The truth is that as life unfolds, you experience all sorts of things, and there are many times when we don't think it's here. When those times happen, having an attitude of humility makes it easier to move forward, learn from those experiences, and still find a bit of joy in them. Humbleness through a Pandemic has also been a journey for me. I’veI'verned that it is essential to be tolerant, patient, and respectful of others.

Rather than living in the future, I choose to live more in the present. Because of this, I believe we can all find some good in any situation if we are willing to look for it. Humbleness through Pandemic has been a journey for me. I always wanted to control the outcomes of the situations or processes in which I got involved, but the Pandemic taught me a great lesson that there are things more significant than you; we all are just here to do our part, rather than control a more powerful thing than what we intended were to do.

In Technology thought I am a nerd and know it all.

The future isn't the future- it's now; I have learned so much about Technology advancements in the last two years. I would never have thought that we would be seeing virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence becoming more mainstream. However, these technologies are developing faster than I expected and changing how we live and work.

I have learned that it is essential to stay up to date with the latest trends in technoloTechnology almost everything we do every day involves using some gadget. I would never have thought there were so many apps for smartphones, significantly how each app can help make our lives easier. The more technologies advance, the fewer time people spend doing tasks manually, which means fewer jobs are available- or will be available in 2022. Pandemics are becoming a big issue since viruses constantly mutate while spreading around the world faster than ever before due to advances in transportation and communications systems. Technology is not slowing down, with Web 3.0, Crypto, NFTs, Industry 5.0, 6G, and many such advances are just around the corner. I feel so quickly out of date on my knowledge that I have now ensured that I would dedicate at least 2 hours of the week to keep myself abreast of the new technology.

More minor but frequent pauses in life

I've learned that it's essential to take more minor but frequent pauses in life. This can help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. Pauses can also give you time to reflect on your goals and priorities and develop a plan to achieve them. Taking time to reflect can help you refocus on your goals and establish a plan to achieve them. During the Pandemic, I took many pauses that helped me become more productive in life. Work would never stop; often more than not, I have always planned for longer breaks but only fewer times in the year, which never gave me enough energy and mental balance. Shorter and frequent breaks, whether in a day or a month, have helped me enhance my mental focus and drive better outcomes for my personal and professional life. In addition:

  • Get better at managing my mental health by taking regular breaks from work

  • Get better at taking care of myself so I don't get sick as often

  • Be able to focus on what is essential right now rather than having an overwhelming sense of urgency about future deadlines or upcoming events

  • Learn to be more mindful about how I spend my time and take breaks from work

  • Get better at learning new skills and practicing them regularly, rather than just letting them fade away over time due to lack of practice

  • Have the courage to start writing even if it's challenging or scary sometimes because that will help me improve as a writer in the long run

I also learned some new skills during Covid-19, which will be helpful for both personal growth topics like mindfulness, sound editing, creating and launching Podcasts, social media marketing, and Zoho ERP enterprise platform deployment - to name a few.

Not just trying to get books completed, but reading with a purpose

I have never been an avid book reader; more so, I hated reading non-fiction books in the past. The only books I read were Lee Child (Jack Reacher series), James Patterson, and similar to the writers. However, this year has been a significant sea change for me; I not only started reading books but leveraging my Amazon Audible subscription; I have been able to get quite a few of the books completed.

This is one of the ways that I have been able to combat my procrastination in the last two years. It's hard for me to be productive when I only have a specific time slot for reading, so reading with a purpose helps me focus on what I am teaching myself and helps me stay true to my goal of being productive in my professional life.

In 2021, I wanted to continue reading with a purpose and learn as much as possible to be successful in my future endeavors. As someone looking towards the future, I know that continuing my education is important to me and will help me reach my goals. And reading with a purpose allows me to do just that. What I mean by reading with a purpose, I don't know about you, but I can go through a book and forget the content or critical learnings after a day or two. Highlighting or sticky notes didn't help, so I created my own "Life Operating System," which helped build a knowledge vault section. The system has helped me retain my learnings from the books, which I can remember and fall back on as a system to leverage in my day-to-day life.

Rather than leaving in the future, I want to live more in the present. This has been one of the biggest lessons I have learned from Covid-19. It's easy to get wrapped up in what could happen or what we think might happen, but if we don't take the time to enjoy what is happening at the moment, then we are missing out.

So when I read a book with a purpose, it has taught me that there are steps to get where you need to be, and taking these small steps towards my goals will allow me to live more in the present rather than worrying about becoming successful at some point down the line. It's not just trying to get books completed but reading with a purpose that has helped me become productive this year.

I started taking masterclasses to learn

In the last two years, I had the opportunity to conduct a variety of masterclasses for about 2000+ individuals across various topics. The topics I covered gave me a chance to learn more about them; it's helped me teach and learn simultaneously. I have covered different topics during such masterclasses: Product Management Strategy, Driving Cloud Strategies, Digital Transformation in eCommerce and Retail business, Driving Product Management leveraging data, building strategic business models leveraging AI, and many more. The essential skills and learning which I have captured by conducting the masterclasses:

  • Structuring my thoughts in a flow that would align with learners need

  • Keeping the engagement level high during virtual sessions

  • Deep research skills to help structure my content

  • Planning and time management

  • Content development skills

The skills I'm learning will help me in my professional career and personal life.

I'm looking to learn more skills in 2022 and improve some of the ones I've already learned. It's not about leaving my life behind but living more in the present.

Is your organization ready to embrace MetaVerse?

It is no secret that the global economy is changing. The internet has given rise to new industries, disrupted old ones, and increased economic opportunities for small businesses. People want to share their lives with others in real life and virtual reality. 

They have changed to accommodate people who live their lives online and offline.

With Metaverse becoming a reality and hybrid culture is here to stay, organizations need to prepare better to augment the physical world in the Metaverse, keeping the culture in mind. 

Recently Bill Gates, predicted our work meetings would move to Metaverse in 2-3 years.

Building a business case for Metaverse within your organization

To ensure that your Metaverse is a reality, you will need to create a business case for Metaverse within your organization.

Metaverse is a digital representation of physical space. It could be used as a destination to meet up with friends and family, explore new places, and gather information.

Metaverse can be structured to resemble physical locations and objects and augmented with digital content such as pictures, videos, and text. Metaverse requires an internet connection, but it can be accessed anywhere in the world at any given time – which is perfect for those who travel extensively for work or pleasure. Metaverse can even be accessed using Virtual Reality (VR) devices. Metaverse is the foundation for a Metaverse economy, where commerce can occur, skills could be exchanged, and experiences shared between users/customers.

To successfully build your Metaverse business case, you will need to analyze how Metaverse will affect customer behavior if it were to exist or how employees engage and integrate with creating a better customer experience. Customers are already interested in Metaverses – they use social media platforms, where content is posted online for their friends to view.

Metaverses break down barriers of physical distance, allowing everyone to communicate with each other easily through digital means across any location and time zone. Metaverses also empower small businesses and entrepreneurs by leveling the playing field against more giant corporations since all Metaverses require an internet connection and a Metaverse-enabled computer device. Metaverses have the power to transform traditional businesses into new, digital business models that are more relevant for this day and age.

An example of a Metaverse-enabled business is Second Life. In Second Life, users create their character, which people choose – either as cartoonish or realistic-looking avatars and interact with each other in a 3D virtual world where they share ideas, buy/sell products from one another or pay to access areas on the Metaverse such as nightclubs and shopping centers. If Metaverses become more mainstream, this would allow businesses to reach new customers and provide them with novel means of conducting business.

Perhaps Metaverse will be the platform that enables everyone to achieve their goals in life.

The business case for Metaverse needs to be convincing enough to get management on board with the idea of allocating resources – whether it be financial, human, or technological – towards developing this new platform. In addition, management will need to see how Metaverse can improve customer and employee experience and increase revenue streams.

Creating a culture that embraces Metaverse

Once you have created your business case for Metaverse, you will need to create a culture that embraces Metaverse. This means that everyone in your organization must buy into the idea and be willing to work together to make it a reality.

Metaverse must be a collaborative effort between your organization and customers to succeed.

Metaverse can even affect product creation. For Metaverses to become mainstream, they will need more than just casual users – organizations need to build communities around Metaverses by creating content on Metaverses themselves that their target audience wants.

Metaverses are all about sharing information and experiences with other people in real-time or asynchronous times - a concept referred to as hybrid reality. For example, educational institutions have used metaverses through virtual lectures where students could participate remotely via Metaverses while also seeing the professor and classmates in the Metaverse.

For organizations to prepare for Metaverse, they need first to assess their current culture. Metaverse can improve customer experience, but it can also be used to disrupt how your organization conducts business. Management will need to be on board with the idea of change. Otherwise, Metaverse will not be successful.

All employees must be aware of Metaverse and improve its operations. Metaverse is a new platform that can completely change how people interact online and offline.

Metaverse can allow organizations to reach new customers and provide them with novel business means. Metaverse works depend on what you want to do with them. For example, Metaverses can be used for socializing or simply exploring different worlds without interacting with other users while in Metaverses.

Metaverse transforms people's lives, work, and play by connecting the real-world physical with digital space. Metaverse is an online world where you can buy physical products with virtual cash, chat with friends via avatar, share thoughts on blogs or social networks or run your own business. Metaverse is another platform where you can consume content and create content. Metaverse is a new reality or Meta Reality.

Now that Metaverse is ready for prime time, organizations must be prepared to fit their culture into this new Metaverse reality. Here are some tips on how to do so:

  1. Understand the Metaverse culture – What is the Metaverse culture? What are the norms and values? How do people communicate and behave? What is etiquette? Etc. Metaverse will have its own set of cultural norms that need to be understood to conduct business within it properly.

  2. Adapt your company's culture – If your culture does not fit the Metaverse culture, adapt it to work. This may require some changes in how your company operates. For example, if your company is hierarchical and Metaverse is more egalitarian, you must adjust.

  3. Train your employees – Employees unfamiliar with Metaverse culture may not conduct business within it properly. Therefore, it is essential to train them on the proper etiquette and behavior so that they do not inadvertently offend someone or damage the company's reputation.

  4. Create a strategic plan – Metaverse is still evolving rapidly in its early stages. Therefore, it is essential to have a strategic plan in place so that your organization can adapt as needed. The plan should include how the company plans to use Metaverse, the Metaverse strategy, and what resources need to be allocated to the Metaverse initiative.

  5. Prepare for new opportunities – Metaverse is a new way of living that will change how people play, work, and interact with others. It opens up a whole realm of new business opportunities where companies can create Metaverse-specific products or tailor existing ones to fit Metaverse needs. This represents a new market segment ripe with possibilities for businesses willing to try it out.

Metaverse is still in its early stages and evolving rapidly, so it has a strategic plan to adapt as needed. Nevertheless, the Metaverse is the next step in the evolution of the internet.

Impact of Metaverse on organizations not ready

As the Metaverse continues to evolve, more and more organizations are preparing for the inevitable impact that it will have on their business. However, many companies are still not ready for the Metaverse, and they may be in for a rude awakening.

The Metaverse is a virtual world built on top of the internet. It allows people to connect with others in a virtual environment, and it is growing in popularity. The Metaverse offers many business opportunities, but it can also be disruptive.

The Metaverse is already starting to impact businesses, and it will only become more prevalent in the future. Companies that are not prepared for the Metaverse will find themselves at a disadvantage against competitors.

Metaverse is essential to business. The Metaverse is not something that companies can afford to ignore. Experts believe that the Metaverse will eventually become as popular as social networks like Facebook and Twitter, with significant implications for businesses. The Metaverse offers the potential for more direct interactions with customers. Still, it also gives companies a way to bring their products and services directly to people in a virtual environment.

Companies need to be ready for the Metaverse to avoid getting left behind as it expands and becomes more popular. Metaverse is vital for business, but organizations must prepare themselves before fully taking advantage of it.

The Metaverse is not just about gaming and entertainment. People are already using Metaverse to connect, share information, conduct business, and more. In addition, the Metaverse offers people the chance to communicate in different ways than they can in the real world, which has led to some interesting cultural changes.

People who spend much time in the Metaverse tend to be even more isolated from their physical lives than some internet users today. This disconnection from society has created a unique Metaverse culture that does not exist anywhere else.

People in the Metaverse have some characteristics that make them stand out from other online communities:

  1. Inclusiveness - Metaverse users are very friendly, and they often want to help others learn about Metaverse.

  2. Sociability - Metaverse is used for social interaction almost as much as for entertainment purposes. Metaverse users frequently connect to create new friendships or strengthen old ones.

  3. Competition - Metaverse is similar to physical games in some ways because people use it for playing games. Still, Metaverse also offers many opportunities for competition with others in the Metaverse community.

  4. Privacy concerns - Metaversians tend to be more private than their real-life counterparts because all interactions take place online, where nothing can be hidden from strangers who share the same cyber world with them.

  5. Metaversians can create different virtual identities, allowing them to express themselves in ways that would be impossible in the real world.

  6. Metaversians tend to be more creative than people who do not spend much time in Metaverse.

Metaverse brings about several other cultural changes. However, many Metaversians relate very closely with their online counterparts and make a point to look out for each other to ensure their safety while sharing information or conducting business together.

If your organization is unprepared for Metaverse, you risk alienating customers and employees. By understanding the culture and preparing your company's culture for Metaverse, you will capitalize on this exciting new technology.

The last call to adopt AI

To use AI tomorrow, you need to embark or extrapolate on your AI journey today—a journey that begins with a fundamental decision to remodel and repurpose your business with AI at the core.
— Anees Merchant

The coming decade will have no patience for businesses with old ways of working. Companies that continue to deliberate on adopting AI technologies will find themselves brutally snared between digital-born companies with inherent AI drivers and early adopters with highly operational AI, steadily losing customers over a widening gap in quality and intuitiveness of offerings. The time for organizations to be on the fence with AI is over.

The Covid pandemic has come when AI technologies have started maturing, with even scaled use-cases in several companies. Many businesses that had barely dabbled with AI as experiments before 2020 are now turning to rapid digital and AI-led transformations to tide over new economic challenges. As these small and local to large and multinational businesses accelerate their digital journeys, their capabilities have started to surpass their peers. Meanwhile, consumers with fast-growing digital savvy are increasingly choosing to interact with companies that provide more value, faster delivery, and a more intuitive purchase journey – all of which are enhanced by AI in a digital world. The AI Divide – that differentiates businesses that use AI intelligently versus those that don’t – is growing wider each day and will increasingly determine business success in every market and industry.

To survive and thrive in the next decade, businesses are going to adopt AI. And to use AI tomorrow, you need to embark or extrapolate on your AI journey today—a journey that begins with a fundamental decision to remodel and repurpose your business with AI at the core.

Let’s take a look at what’s holding many traditional businesses back and how the hurdles can be overcome.

The Building (or Stumbling) Blocks of AI Adoption 

  1. Culture – There was a time when people said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast, ” which implied that no amount of strategy change would work until you first changed your organization’s culture. But today, if you wait for the culture to change, there may be no breakfast left to eat! People often question their organization’s culture or their executives for failure to change. Remember, if your organization lasted and thrived the pandemic, there must be some goodness in it that has brought you this far. Why not focus on the good and use that as a starting point – How can you use AI to make your organizational strengths even more substantial? This way, you are augmenting what’s already there, and it’s easier because radically changing culture, attitudes, and perceptions is the most challenging thing to do in the world – and you can’t afford to let that process hold you back.

  2. People – The people who enable your AI processes are the fundamental blocks of your AI journey. Currently, there is a talent war growing, and there are severe talent shortages. Companies need to adopt a multi-level strategy to build teams. Organizations need to take a multi-pronged approach, assign a champion to lead the organization’s AI strategy, hire individuals (only if there are no available resources in-house), and infuse the team with business team members, ensuring the culture and actual business alignments. However, it is not always essential or feasible to hire AI specialists for everything. Businesses must realize you cannot do everything in-house, and you should not reinvent the wheel. It would be best to have an ecosystem with partner organizations to support your business’s exact needs and nature. These partner organizations could either be strategic business partners, technology platform providers, academia, or industry cohorts. The important thing is to not allow a shortage of internal resources to become a stumbling block and to move ahead by building your ecosystem.

  3. Technology – As a company, once you have made a fundamental decision to start actively adopting AI in your business process or model, the actual move to AI need not involve a complete one-time overhaul of systems or migration to one large platform that requires massive investment. Companies must take a “Lego approach,” that is, they must build their AI capabilities as a Lego structure within the organization. That way, you can quickly replace the systems or completely change your “Lego” structure pretty promptly and efficiently, and you don’t have to incur massive spending and drive wide-scale adoption all at one go. You could also leverage open source technologies like Python, R, Java, etc., making it easier to experiment and switch – unlike when you invest in a paid technology, you get tied to that company and are limited by what that company or technology can do. The key to technology adoption is to adopt a phased approach to derive the maximum business benefits that current technology can offer while keeping the door open to adopting new and evolving technologies in the future.

    The other important thing is to avoid benchmarking with substantial companies like Google or Amazon because their entire scale and journey are different. You have to identify what’s right for your organization, what AI means for you and keep evolving that statement as your organization matures.

  4. Data – When considering the prospect of using advanced analytics or AI, people often say, “we don’t have the data” or “we have bad data” to begin with. Yet, it’s rare that companies have no usable data. There is always enough data, to begin with. The real problem is when people have not identified the best use cases for AI or the most critical business challenges, to which existing data can then be mapped. It’s always the data inventory and data cataloging exercise that is vital for an organization to push forward. And you can always reach out to external consultants to do that for you.

Setting the Parameters of Success

  1. Accountability – Eventually, all AI strategy starts at the top. And this means that the CEO, CAOs, CDOs, and CIOs must be held accountable for AI investments. As this is your senior leadership, there’s no one else within the organization who can assess the investments’ value and success. Also, a CEO may only think they are answerable to shareholders who may not think long-term, while the AI journey requires a short-, mid-and long-term approach. One solution would be to have an additional board member or an advisor who focuses on this aspect. The other solution would be to have a ‘business performance scorecard’ that is entirely transparent within the organization, so the success parameters are well established and work as a clear guide and yardstick for the company’s AI initiatives. Most importantly, these parameters should provide room for failure because the trial is the only way to find what works best for your organization. And that brings us to ROI.

  2. Return on Investment (ROI) – In my opinion, when you define your company’s budget for AI, at least half the budget should be allocated for ‘learning’ in the first couple of years. So, for instance, if you assign $100 for AI initiatives, you must expect ROI on only $50 and consider the other $50 as a “learning budget” that, in turn, helps you recover your additional $50. That sort of equal focus on immediate returns and continuous learning helps build a genuinely workable, valuable AI journey.  

Conclusion

Today there are many well-recognized, proven use-cases in every part of the organization, from sales and marketing to supply chain, finance, HR, customer service, and others. And these are not small use-cases; many organizations have been able to scale them pretty effectively. All you need to do is begin somewhere.   

2020 has proven that businesses cannot afford to be in the deliberation stage over digital transformation anymore. The time to wait and watch on AI is over. Start or perish…

Digital Transformation: Not about Technology

The last decade gave birth to technologies, sciences, and business models which have brought in 

  • Companies which are challenging the norm

  • Forced companies to transform or evolve their business models

  • Perished or close to being non-existence large companies which at one point were industry leaders

A more significant and higher-order business transformation program that came to light was the term "Digital Transformation." Industry leaders, academia, and many other leaders defined their own versions of how organizations should approach digital transformation. The concept started taking many forms, and technology-led organizations started positioning as their product as the lead to drive digital transformation. The positioning enabled and excited board members and executives to embark on the "Blue Pill" that adopting such technologies would be to position the company completing a digital transformation program. The order was short-lived, the companies faced the following:

  • Technologies weren't able to scale organization-wide

  • It solved a specific and not a more significant organization-specific use cases

Hence adopting technologies is just one of the cog in the wheel and not the entire picture. The recommended approach to the right digital transformation program is to define your strategy based on:

  1. Redefining the business 

  2. Enhancing customer-facing programs

  3. Improving employee engagement and increasing efficiencies

  4. Generating and evaluating new business models

  5. Setting the machine to machine engagement models

With the solve objectives to strengthen and transform the business into its entirety. In addition to core strategic framework, the essential layers which enable a digital transformation are:

  1. Data - the fundamental asset of the companies to drive, prioritize and simulate the programs

  2. People - a multi-faceted and multi-skilled team

  3. Technology - an appropriate tech stack and not a single ecosystem with a balanced subscription and open tech ecosystem

  4. Agile and DevOps - the sharp and continuous delivery mechanism

  5. AI - an enabler to exponentially impact the program

  6. Consulting - an in-house group to define, refine and project outcomes

  7. Engineering - a robust technology-enabled approach

  8. Knowledge Management - ensure retention of organizational knowledge

The layers are not independent and are like lego blocks that come together to form a structure. 

Recommended books for further reading:

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Hit Refresh

Book by Satya Nadella covering his personal life and transformation of Microsoft

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Driving Digital Strategy

One of my favorite books on Digital Transformation

Product Review: Bose Noise Cancelling Wireless Bluetooth Headphones 700, with Alexa Voice Control, Black

I am a big fan of Bose for over the last decade and have always loved their engineering, focus on improving sound and enhancing the experience for the buyers of the platform. Though with every version they have evolved and Bose has been a market leader in the noise-canceling category for a long time. Though they have faced stiff competition from other big technology giants however they never were uprooted from the throne. It was saddening for me to see they shutting most of their physical stores in the United States, but it is definitely a great strategy as they have strategic tie-ups with key technology focussed retailers who have excellent shelf space for Bose. 

The brand Bose is synonymous with noise-canceling, and if you are an avid traveler, I would highly recommend the Bose headsets over any other brands. I have used other brands like Sony, Audio Technica, Jabra, Beats, etc. but none of them come closer to the sound technology as Bose. Why choose a noise-canceling headset? Well, if you are someone like me, who needs to be in their zone and want to cut off the outside noise, then it is beneficial to get one headset. However, the issue with the previous generations of Bose headset has been that you aren't able to control the noise levels as well as you need your phone or other devices to control the audio. With the newer generations, Bose has evolved the technology to include the sound management feature on the headset itself. In the new Bose 700 NC, with the technology enabling Audio Augmented Reality Headphones, the experience is of the next level. You can control the audio with swipe gestures on the right mic. 

I have used Bose Quite 35 before, but my biggest issue with that was:

  1. My ears would be warm and ache after wearing for a few hours

  2. It was bulkier for me, and I started getting headaches

  3. The foam on the headband had completely deteriorated 

Some of the great features of the new Bose 700 NC are which has made me write this product review:

  1. Battery life: Yes, it can go up to 20 hours of continuous playback. With just 15 minutes of charge, it can give you a juice of 2 hours plus. 

  2. Gesture Control:  I really like the gesture control to manage volume, playback and switching the audio as necessary

  3. Controllable Noise Cancellation: It is required many times when you want to be aware of the surrounding sounds or when you have just sat in the plane. You would like to keep a tab of the announcements or conversations around you. For, e.g., in the flight, the announcements by a flight attendant or the captain. Bose 700 NC has three levels 0, 5, and 10. 

  4. Virtual Assistant: Another cool feature of the new Bose headset is the integration of your favorite Google or Alexa voice assistant. 

The only drawback of the Bose headphones is the Bose App. I am not a big fan of it, and it doesn't add much value. Though on the expensive side, the headphone is a big win for me personally and would recommend anyone who is looking to make an investment in 2020 for noise-canceling headphones. If you have bought this headset, do share your experience by leaving a comment or two, Chao.. #BoseHeadphones

2010: The decade of AI birth, 2020: The decade of AI Maturity

Last decade can be touted as the “Birth of AI”

  • 36M+ results on Google on Artificial Intelligence

  • 300+ books on Amazon

  • 11M+ scholar search results on Google Scholar search

  • 4k+ courses on Coursera.org and Udemy.com

  • Hollywood movies (Her, Iron Man and the series of Avengers, El Machina, etc.) and many more short series on subscription platforms.

  • Interest over time increased from 36 to 88 - from Google Trends

  • ~811k results on LinkedIn People Search with Artificial Intelligence term

The stats are staggering and continue to grow, overwhelm and leave each one of us wondering where would this lead to. The growth in AI (Artificial Intelligence) and its applications has given birth to many companies, conferences, academia, government, and organization led socio-political-economic initiatives, universities introducing MDPs, graduate and post-graduate programs to enable current and future students to be better equipped to manage this tsunami.

In the last 10 years, watching and being part of the industry, it feels like the industry has seen birth and growth of new kid on the block - “AI”. It almost feels like the birth of a new species which brings in opportunities and raises concerns across the various groups involved. The initial applications, actual deployments, and semi-success have instilled confidence in the possibilities this stream of technology can have on humans’ socio, political and economic growth.

The decade has also raised legitimate concerns on the applications of AI as well due to misuse or inappropriate usage. Concerns like

  1. Deep Fake

  2. Cambridge Analytica

  3. Data Privacy

  4. Technology mimicking or displacing humans

The industry has recognized such fears and incidents, and steps initiated to be put in place by authorities in power to ensure no further misuse of technology or misappropriation of facts. GDPR, PDP, CCPA are some of the data protection norms being instilled by the government and other authorities to protect consumer rights.

But the most interesting fact in the last decade has been a heightened awareness by most of the consumer groups across developed and emerging markets, which makes the AI as a center point of discussions. Today most of the AI applications have become so inconspicuous that a naked eye or an ordinary consumer that most of the apps go undetected.

The new decade is going to transform how applications of AI would be leveraged in our day to day life either personally or professionally. As technology and screens have become synonym to our day to day life, similarly, applications of AI would be seen across the human touchpoints. Here is my top 10 wishlist for AI applications for the new decade:

  1. Natural calamities and global warming

  2. Conversation and enhancement of natural resources and species

  3. Education and skilling of global citizens

  4. Personalized Medicine and Care

  5. Personalized Travel and Hospitality needs

  6. Ease of doing business or interactions with local/global government institutions

  7. DIY products and services

  8. Increased robots amongst humans

  9. Better technology and data governance

  10. Enhanced and Choice to the everyday consumer on how applications AI, technology and data usage

This is my personal perspective on how applications of AI would evolve in the new decade if you have an interesting 11 and 12 or more would like to hear about them. Chao..


Product Review: IPad Pro 12.9 with 1 TB

My family and friends call me a gadget freak or “gadget man”.

Over the years, I have made significant investments in technology, not to hoard or to succumb to FOMO (fear of missing out). Still, I look at technology to exponentially simplify and enhance my personal and professional life.

When I first made a tablet investment, I had Samsung products. But post my switch to an IOS ecosystem, I moved my tablet preference over to Apple when the Pencil got introduced. I am a big note taker as I like to scribble my notes, thoughts, and perspectives in personal and professional life. But the investment in a Tablet has not just been for records and to replace the planners/journals, but as the usage and technology improved, it has moved in many other forms.

With the latest updates to IOS, the tablet software has far improved, and earlier this year, I made a switch to the beast tablet (it is also called the Cadillac of Tablets) the IPAD Pro 12.9 with 1 TB WIFI only product. The investment in technology has been one of the best to date. Here are some features which I am often using on my IPad.

  1. Sidecar: I am a big believer in leveraging dual screen to get work optimized. More so, if you are in writing, I would highly recommend leveraging screens as it allows you to focus your effort on writing, and all research and reference content can be managed on the second/extended screen.

  2. Note Taking: I am a big scribbler of my thoughts, notes, and perspectives from personal and professional life. Note-taking helps me remember, immediately document my thoughts and ideas, and, more importantly, help me be focussed. I would do a thorough review of the note-taking apps, and over the years, have used a variety of them - Evernote, Apple Notes, NotesPro, GoodNotes, etc.

  3. Reading: Though I like the feeling of holding and reading physical books and hardcovers, my travel schedule doesn’t allow me to lag the books around. I would share my travel light concepts latter; however, for me, every gram of weight makes a big difference. Hence my IPad doubles up as my reading companion. My subscription to Amazon Kindle allows me to read books and also gain information.

  4. Audiobooks: Let me be honest, I cannot spend a lot of time reading non-fiction books, and Amazon Audible has been a big rescue for me. Listening to books on airplanes, car rides or my morning walks has really helped me get through the knowledge or listen to books which I would have not been able to spend time reading them. Naturally, all books would never make it to Audible as some books are definitely meant to be read in a physical format.

  5. Podcast: I was introduced to Podcast last year, and since then I have been binging on it for quite a while now. I have over a period of time subscribed to a few of the podcasts, which I like to listen to. I would put together a list of podcasts on a separate list. Podcasts a great medium to gain knowledge, some of them also go deeper into a specific domain or knowledge area.

  6. Watching: This is last on my list and it only comes to me on the IPad only if I do want to take a break and watch something which can take my mind away from day-to-day work. I would recommend keep all your Netflix or Amazon Video apps on the IPAD on 3rd Screen (if you have too many apps) or buried in a folder to ensure they are not there on your face.

Naturally, the IPad has many accessories, and if you are serious about getting the accessories my recommendation is here.

  • Apple Pencil

  • IPad Cover: I would highly recommend the product and do not go in for the Apple Original Cover as with 1/5th the cost you are able to protect your IPad without adding too much weight. If you plan to have a keyboard with your IPad then this is not for you.

  • HyperDrive Hub - This really helps to take the IPad to the next level. You can add external devices or transfer media/content from your IPad to another platform pretty easy.

Another hack that I would like to share which I did when buying an Apple IPad Pro, I would recommend you to look at ‘Renewed’ products on Amazon.com (the US only) or Facebook Marketplace to see if you can pick an open box or seldom-used product. I myself bought my IPad as a renewed product and to my surprise, it was net new without any signs of used or renewed. Here is the link to the renewed product on Amazon.com. I bought mine $700 cheaper so was a great deal and with all the money saved I was able to buy the accessories. You can also buy the Asurion product protection which gives you peace of mind from an insurance perspective.

Let me know your experience of using IPad Pro and any unique usage scenarios. Chao..