🗞 Microsoft Partners with Lumen Technologies

In today's email

1. 🤖 How to increase service efficiency with Artificial Intelligence

2. 🤝 Microsoft and Lumen Technologies Partner for Digital Transformation

3. 📈 IBM's Strong Q2 Performance Boosted by AI Investments

4. 🤯 Quick Takes

Read Time: 5 Minutes

How to increase service efficiency with Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing customer service and this helps you offer faster, more personal, and more efficient customer service.

With AI, you can increase customer service productivity, cut costs, and increase customer satisfaction. How can you maximize the impact of AI for your business?

In the Know​

Microsoft and Lumen Technologies Partner for Digital Transformation

​Microsoft has launched a significant partnership with telecommunications company Lumen Technologies, aiming to leverage each other’s strengths for mutual benefit in the evolving digital landscape.

Key Points

• Lumen will utilize Microsoft’s cloud technology to cut technology costs, remove legacy systems, improve offerings, and create new customer solutions.

• Microsoft will rely on Lumen to expand its network capacity and capabilities to meet the growing demand on its data centers driven by AI advancements.

• The partnership is expected to improve Lumen’s cash flow by over $20 million in the next 12 months while enhancing customer experience through better network infrastructure and digital capabilities.

• Both companies are focusing on AI’s impact on daily lives and business operations, with Microsoft emphasizing the potential for customers today and the future of network infrastructure.

As both companies focus on the future of AI and digital infrastructure, this partnership is poised to drive significant advancements in technology and business operations.

IBM's Strong Q2 Performance Boosted by AI Investments

IBM beat analysts' expectations for second-quarter revenue and raised its annual growth forecast for its software business, driven by increased AI-related spending by clients eager to adopt the technology. The company has strategically expanded its Watsonx platform, which allows users to deploy chatbots and enhance AI program code, and has made its Granite family of AI models open-source to further popularize its AI services. This focus on AI has contributed to a 7% increase in software revenue, reaching $6.74 billion. Consequently, IBM now expects its software segment to grow at a high-single-digit percentage in 2024. The company's AI Book of Business, encompassing bookings and sales across various products, grew to $2 billion, with $1 billion added in the second quarter. Despite this, IBM has lowered its annual consulting revenue growth expectations due to clients cutting back on discretionary spending amid economic uncertainties. Nonetheless, IBM's total revenue of $15.77 billion and adjusted profit of $2.43 per share exceeded estimates, buoyed by robust sales in its high-margin software business.

Quick Takes

• SK Hynix Reports Highest Profit in 6 Years: SK Hynix announced its highest second-quarter profit in six years, driven by strong demand for AI memory chips and a significant revenue increase of 124.7% from the previous year. Despite the record-breaking performance, the company's shares fell due to broader market declines, with expectations of continued strong demand for AI servers and upcoming advancements in high-bandwidth memory products.

• MIT CSAIL Develops New Robot Training Method Using Home Scans: MIT CSAIL researchers have unveiled a method for training home robots through simulation by using an iPhone to scan parts of a home, which are then uploaded into a virtual environment. This approach allows robots to practice tasks extensively in simulation, improving their adaptability to dynamic and ever-changing home environments while reducing the risks and costs associated with real-world training.

• X’s New AI Feature Falls Short with Grok: Elon Musk's xAI has introduced a new feature on X called "More About This Account," which uses the Grok model to provide AI-generated summaries about users. Despite its potential, the feature often delivers generic or incorrect information, indicating that it needs significant improvement to be genuinely useful.

That’s all for Today!

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