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IBM Unveils watsonx Generative AI Capabilities to Accelerate Mainframe Application Modernization

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IBM is designing this product to refactor, transform, and validate COBOL code to help speed time-to-value and augment skills for critical application modernization on IBM ZThe product will be enabled by a 20 billion parameter large language model (LLM) for code

ARMONK, N.Y., Aug. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced watsonx Code Assistant for Z, a new generative AI-assisted product that will help enable faster translation of COBOL to Java on IBM Z and enhances developer productivity on the platform. This product will be generally available in Q4 2023, and is being designed to help accelerate COBOL application modernization. Watsonx Code Assistant for Z will preview during TechXchange, IBM’s premier technical learning event in Las Vegas, Sept 11-13.

Watsonx Code Assistant for Z is a new addition to the watsonx Code Assistant product family, along with IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Red Hat Ansible Lightspeed, scheduled for release later this year. These solutions will be powered by IBM’s watsonx.ai code model, which will have knowledge of 115 coding languages1 having learned from 1.5 trillion tokens.2 At 20 billion parameters, it is on target to become one of the largest generative AI foundation models for code automation.3 The watsonx Code Assistant product portfolio will extend over time to address other programming languages, to improve time to value for modernization and address growing skills challenges for developers.

Watsonx Code Assistant for Z is being designed to assist businesses in leveraging generative AI and automated tooling to accelerate their mainframe application modernization – all with the goal of preserving the performance, security and resiliency capabilities of IBM Z.

The COBOL data processing language supports many vital business and operational processes at organizations globally. At scale, using watsonx Code Assistant for Z in comparison to other approaches could make it easier for developers to selectively and incrementally transform COBOL business services into well architected high-quality Java code – with estimated billions of lines of COBOL code as potential candidates for targeted modernization over time. Generative AI can help developers to more quickly assess, update, validate and test the right code, allowing them to more efficiently modernize large applications and focus on higher impact tasks.

IBM is designing these capabilities to provide tooling for each step of the modernization journey. The solution is expected to include IBM’s Application Discovery and Delivery Intelligence (ADDI) inventory and analysis tool. Following ADDI, key steps on the journey include refactoring business services in COBOL, transforming COBOL code to Java code with an optimized design, and validating the resulting outcome, including using automated testing capabilities. Potential benefits for clients include:

Accelerating code development and increasing developer productivity throughout the application modernization lifecycleManaging total cost, complexity, and risk of application modernization initiatives, including translation and optimization of code in-place on IBM ZExpanding access to a broader pool of IT skills and accelerating developer onboardingAchieving high quality, easy to maintain code through model customization and the application of best practices

“Our collaboration with IBM is an important element in our drive to leverage generative AI interfaces to challenge legacy approaches with material productivity gains, and reinvent our Capital Markets solutions,” said Roger Burkhardt, CTO, Capital Markets and AI, Broadridge Financial. “We have had excellent client response to our generative AI investments and we are intrigued by the opportunity to further our efforts by leveraging IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z to address a broader range of platforms.”

AI-assisted mainframe application modernization is an imperative

According to new research from the IBM Institute for Business Value, organizations are 12x more likely to leverage existing mainframe assets rather than rebuild their application estates from scratch in the next two years. At the same time, however, the study shows that the number one challenge for those same organizations is a lack of resources and skills.

“By bringing generative AI capabilities through watsonx to new use cases, we plan to drive real progress for our clients,” said Kareem Yusuf, PhD, Senior Vice President, Product Management and Growth, IBM Software. “IBM is engineering watsonx Code Assistant for Z to take a targeted and optimized approach. It’s built to rapidly and accurately convert code optimized for IBM Z, accelerate time to market and broaden the skills pool. This can help enhance applications and add new capabilities while preserving the performance, resiliency, and security inherent in IBM Z.”

There are many application modernization approaches available today. Some options include rewriting all application code in Java, or migrating everything to public cloud, which may sacrifice capabilities that are core to the IBM Z value proposition while failing to deliver on expected cost reduction. Tools that convert COBOL applications to Java syntax can produce code that is hard to maintain and can be unrecognizable to a Java developer. Generative AI is promising, but current AI-assisted partial re-write technology lacks COBOL support and doesn’t optimize the resulting Java code for the given task.

The resulting Java code from watsonx Code Assistant for Z will be object-oriented. IBM is designing this solution to be optimized to interoperate with the rest of the COBOL application, with CICS, IMS, DB2, and other z/OS runtimes. Java on Z is designed to be performance-optimized versus a compared x86 platform.4

Building on a foundation of governance and innovation

According to a 2023 Gartner® report (For Gartner Subscribers only), “by 2028, the combination of humans and AI assistants working in tandem could reduce the time to complete coding tasks by 30%.” The report further states that “the use of AI code generation tools is not replacing the quality assurance (QA) processes and security controls that are needed by developers for robust and secure product development, as well as for mitigation of inherited risks from using generative methods for code.”5

Protecting sensitive data and customer intellectual property are critical when it comes to implementing generative AI. IBM for decades has followed core principles, grounded in commitments to Trust and Transparency. With this principle-based approach, the watsonx platform aims to enable enterprises to leverage their own trusted data and IP to build tailored AI solutions that are scalable across operations.

Additionally, IBM Consulting brings deep domain expertise in IBM Z application modernization with a focus on guiding clients that leverage the platform across key industries such as banking, insurance, healthcare and government. These dedicated consultants can help clients identify the right application areas to modernize in order to optimize the potential benefits of watsonx Code Assistant for Z.  

For more information about AI-assisted mainframe application modernization, and to get started with IBM’s optimized, targeted approach, please visit our website here and join us at TechXchange. Register today for our watsonx Code Assistant for Z webinar on Sept. 21 at 11 am ET here and learn how IBM is bringing Gen AI to mainframe application modernization. You can also schedule a live demo with our team here.

IBM’s plans, directions, and intentions may change or be withdrawn at any time at IBM’s discretion without notice. Information about potential future products and improvements is provided to give a general idea of IBM’s goals and objectives and should not be used in making a purchase decision. IBM is not obligated to provide any material, code, or functionality based on this information.

5 Gartner, Emerging Tech: Generative AI Code Assistants Are Becoming Essential to Developer Experience, By Radu Miclaus, Arun Chandrasekaran, Ray Valdes, Mark Driver, Eric Goodness, Published 11 May 2023

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

Media Contact:
Ashley Peterson
ashley.peterson@ibm.com 

1 List of coding languages used in the model can be found here: https://github.ibm.com/ai-models-architectures/Granite-Megatron-LM/blob/starcoder-experiments/sampling_proportions/starcoderdata-90/proportions.txt
2 Number based on proprietary internal data.
3 Previous largest was community model StarCoder at 15B https://www.marktechpost.com/2023/05/07/meet-starcoder-the-biggest-open-source-large-language-models-for-code/
4 For example, as noted during the announcement of IBM z16, using IBM Semeru Runtime Certified Edition 11, run Business Rules Processing with IBM Operational Decision Manager 8.11.00 on Linux on IBM z16 for up to 70% higher throughput per core     versus running the same application on a compared x86 server. DISCLAIMER: Performance results are based on the average of measurements done using IBM Operational Decision Manager (ODM) 8.11.0 with IBM Java 8.0.7.10 and IBM Semeru Runtime Certified Edition 11.0.15.0 on IBM z16 and on a compared x86 server. Two different configurations were tested: executing 2005 rules (from a ruleset containing 14560 rules), and executing 80 rules (from a ruleset containing 300 rules). IBM z16 configuration: Linux on IBM Z LPAR with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.5 (Ootpa) and 4 IFLs (SMT). x86 server configuration: Red Hat Enterprise Linux release 8.6 (Ootpa) and 4 SMT-2 cores (Cascade Lake Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6226R CPU @ 2.90GHz). Results may vary.

 

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Sparrow BioAcoustics closes 13 million in seed financing

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September 20, 2024

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The 13-million-dollar financing was led by Killick Capital, Klister Credit and Pelorus Ventures. Closing of the round represents a huge step forward for the small Canadian medical AI startup, and a big vote of confidence for their rapid progress.

ST. JOHN’S, NL , Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Sparrow BioAcoustics [Sparrow], a pioneer in the field of bioacoustic AI technology, announces the that it has closed its seed financing round. The 13-million-dollar financing was led by Killick Capital, Klister Credit and Pelorus Ventures. Closing of the round represents a huge step forward for the small Canadian medical AI startup, and a big vote of confidence for their rapid progress.

“There is a future where people can screen for cardiac and pulmonary problems anywhere any time, and that future is really close now” – Dr. Yaroslav Shpak, Chief Medical Officer Sparrow BioAcoustics.

“The team at Sparrow pushed past numerous scientific, regulatory and business obstacles to get this stage. They have accomplished things that will lead to helping millions of people in a whole new way” says Killick President Mark Dobbin.

Sparrow is an SaMD (Software as a Medical Device), and the first medically cleared product that uses people’s smartphones to capture and decipher cardiac sounds. “In the last 100 days, normal everyday people successfully made 30,000 medical grade heart recordings” says Chief Product Officer Nadia Ivanova. “People use the system with a 96% success rate on their first try.”

Sparrow has been in the news recently for several breakthroughs in detection of cardiac anomalies, as well as several medical authority clearances including FDA. “There is a future where people can screen for cardiac and pulmonary problems anywhere any time, and that future is really close now” says Dr. Yaroslav Shpak, Chief Medical Officer.

The team at Sparrow is expected to follow up with further announcements in the coming weeks “We have some big things on the horizon, and we are heads-down getting ready” says CEO Mark Attila Opauszky.

To learn more about Stethophone and Sparrow BioAcoustics, please visit https://stethophone.com/.

About Sparrow BioAcoustics

Sparrow BioAcoustics, with offices in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, is leading the Software as a Medical Device industry in new directions for cardiac and pulmonary disease detection. Our team of physicians, engineers and data scientists are working to unlock the richest source of diagnostic information about cardiac and pulmonary conditions. Our mission is to help the millions of people at-risk and suffering from cardiac and respiratory disease to live longer, healthier lives enabled by earlier detection and quicker treatment.

Media Contact

Mark Opauszky, Sparrow BioAcoustics, 1 416 268 8966, mark@sparrowacoustics.com, https://stethophone.com/.

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Huawei Cloud: One Step to Intelligence, One Leap to Excellence

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September 20, 2024

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SHANGHAI, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — During HUAWEI CONNECT 2024, Huawei Cloud hosted a Summit themed “One Step to Intelligence, One Leap to Excellence”, gathering global industry leaders to explore the intelligent transformation trend, share pioneering cases, and assist customers in their journey to cloud-based operational excellence. At the summit, Huawei Cloud and global customers, unveiled the Data Center-to-Cloud solution and the PRIME Framework white paper.

Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud Global Marketing and Sales Service, said: “Customers’ support enables us to innovate with finance, retail, autonomous driving, the Internet and many other sectors. By combining cutting-edge technologies with industry know-how, Huawei Cloud paves your way to digital and intelligence.”

Kevin Gao, President of Huawei Cloud Public Cloud Business, presented a keynote speech “One Step to Intelligence, One Leap to Excellence”. He outlined three critical factors for accelerating cloud migration and AI use: global infrastructure, continuous technological innovation, and lean operations.

In terms of global infrastructure, Huawei Cloud’s global infrastructure, KooVerse, offers extensive coverage, exceptional experience, and excellent quality. With 33 Regions and 93 Availability Zones (AZs) worldwide, Huawei Cloud supports over 10,000 customers in achieving business globalization. Huawei Cloud has interconnected with over 2,400 peers of global carriers, ensuring one hop to cloud and global business deployment for customers. Huawei Cloud data centers achieve Tier IV reliability.

Technological innovation is at the heart of Huawei Cloud’s mission to accelerate enterprise transformation. At this summit, three key areas were highlighted: compute upgrade, data-AI convergence, and application innovation.

The Data Center-to-Cloud solution released by Gao offers data center facilities, intelligent O&M, and DCN as a service, allowing customers to easily relocate and run dedicated compute resources on Huawei Cloud.

Huawei Cloud’s Ascend AI Cloud Service enables training jobs to run non-stop up to 40 days, shortens the fault recovery time to 10 minutes, and increases the linear scalability to 90% (the industry average are 2.8 days, 60 minutes, and 80%, respectively).

Huawei Cloud’s deterministic operations system has been adopted by over 300 global customers, maintaining a strong security record with zero intrusions and zero data breaches. 

DeFacto from Türkiye leverages Huawei Cloud’s cloud native solution with Cloud Container Engine (CCE) and streamlines their services.

Huawei Cloud helps Chery to deploy, use, and manage the cloud. Currently, Huawei Cloud nodes in more than 10 countries and regions are providing services for Chery.

NavInfo has adopted Huawei Cloud’s R&D expertise and CodeArts software development pipeline to establish efficient development management standards and efficiency measurement systems.

Kingsoft and Huawei Cloud have collaboratively developed an excellence framework to optimize cost management.

Tencent Music’s Tianqin Lab has developed the MUSELight AI model acceleration framework, utilizing Huawei Cloud’s Ascend AI Cloud Service.

At the end of the summit, Huawei Cloud and global customers jointly released the Enterprise Excellence PRIME Model White Paper. This white paper offers a reference framework for enterprises to leap to excellence with digital and intelligent technologies.

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Spatial Labs Unveils Fashion Collection: Core Powered by Circle: A New Way to Connect

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September 20, 2024

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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Spatial Labs, a cutting-edge technology and design company, introduces their first fashion collection – Core Powered by Circle—a revolutionary step forward in fashion and how we connect with each other.

The Core collection is the first to leverage the new innovative platform Circle, which transforms the way we engage, share, and build relationships. Core marks the beginning of a new era in personal expression and connection – setting a new standard for fashion and for global brands.

The Core collection embodies Spatial Labs’ commitment to innovation, self-expression, and cultural impact. Each piece offers a new way to interact, making fashion a living reflection of personal identity.

The debut Core collection features essential pieces including Core Tee $120, Core Crewneck $220, Core pants $250 and Core Hoodie $320. The collection comes in five colorways including: Arctic, Titanium, Carbon, Rust, and Moss. The Core collection is made in Los Angeles and debuts online and at the flagship store in Culver City at The Platform, where customers can explore the future of fashion and experience the technology firsthand.

“Our vision with Circle is to build a platform that allows people to interact with the world around them in ways never before possible,” said Iddris Sandu, Founder & CEO of Spatial Labs.

“In a world where our connections have become fragmented and often impersonal, Circle is reimagining how we share and preserve moments. It’s not just about social networks; it’s about building a new interaction layer where everyday objects and experiences tell our stories in real-time.”

Sandu continued: “With Core and Circle, we’re pioneering a future where the objects we own,wear and touch are gateways to personal memories and shared experiences. This is not some far-off vision—it’s here, today, and it’s creating opportunities for everyone to showcase their lives in ways that feel more intimate, more authentic, and ultimately more human.”

Each item in the Core collection is embedded with smart chip technology linked to Circle which allows users to personalize their clothing. Circle users can post to their feed using “Tiles” to share photos, videos, links, playlists, and more moments from their daily life, creating deeper connections and fostering a sense of community. And it all comes to life when users tap the Tag on each other’s clothing.

Circle offers an alternative space for individuals to express themselves, allowing users to share their lives more authentically and intimately. Unlike traditional social media sharing tools that often feel impersonal, overly curated, and limiting, Circle keeps you and your close circle of friends connected, enabling a depth of presence to share your stories in real time without any expectations of maintaining a perfect image.

To learn more about Spatial Labs and to purchase the Core collection please visit www.spatial-labs.com or explore at the flagship store located at Spatial Labs Store – #104, 8840 Washington Blvd, Suite 104, Culver City, CA 90232, and engage with the future of interactivity.

About Spatial Labs

Founded in 2019, Spatial Labs exists to simplify and enhance people’s lives by bringing the digital and physical worlds together. Through innovative products and services, we help people create and enjoy experiences that inspire joy. Our mission is to make technology a natural part of the human experience and empower people to shape the world they want to see.

Founder and CEO, Iddris Sandu is a visionary technologist and designer who has been at the intersection of technology and fashion for many years. He has collaborated with leading tech companies like Google, Meta, and Twitter, and at only 19, Iddris became the CTO for Nipsey Hussle – creating The Marathon Store which was the world’s first Smart Store powered by augmented reality and geofencing technology.

His unique blend of technology and culture led him to create Spatial Labs in 2019, backed by Blockchain Capital and JAY-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners. In 2019, he founded Spatial Labs where he has collaborated with brands like Rihanna’s Fenty, Beyoncé’s IVY PARK, Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack, Vogue, Prada, and Adidas. At only 27 years old, Sandu is one of the youngest founders ever to raise an eight figure seed round for his technology company, Spatial Labs. 

Technologies developed at Spatial Labs helps people, brands, and communities tell richer, more meaningful stories.

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Spatial Labs
press@spatial-labs.com

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