According to Marketing Drive, Amazon’s video generator serves as an affordable top-of-funnel channel for small and medium-sized businesses.

Video Generation Process

Amazon says that marketers on the Sponsored Brands platform have to submit product pages to access the video generator. Once the page is submitted, marketers have to select the AI-generated video option on the drop-down menu.

The tool generates and displays several video options for marketers to choose and edit based on their needs. Amazon showcased the video generator at work during the Accelerate Event.
Using a pre-recorded demo, the e-commerce company displayed a lavender-scented lotion image being placed in the video generator.

The tool generated ads with sprawling flower fields and text to highlight the qualities of the product was added to the video. Amazon said that availability of video generator tools is restricted at this time. Its live image capabilities are also limited. However, the company is committed to fine-tuning the AI technology using user feedback.

Journey to Generative AI

Amazon’s journey to develop generative AI solutions for advertisers started last fall when it unveiled its AI image generator. The tool was used by Appliance manufacturer, Whirlpool in its holiday marketing campaign in 2023. The company reported significant results from the campaign, including over 2 million impressions and a 2% click-through rate.

By extending the idea to video generation, Amazon is looking to maximize advertising spend for businesses by boosting their top-of-funnel results. Big tech companies like Meta, have also entered the generative AI space in recent years. On September 23, Google Ads rolled out a video enhancement feature to boost video ad performance even as its advertising technology remains the focus of its ongoing antitrust trial.

With its new AI-powered video generator, Amazon is looking to boost revenue performance for its ad segment. In its quarter two results, the e-commerce reported a 20% revenue growth in this segment but still fell below Wall Street’s estimates.

A Tested Solution

The video generator produces fairly basic videos using available product images. However, Amazon anticipates that the single click aspect that leverages the Sponsored Brands platform and comes at no cost will attract businesses.

French skincare company, Gellé Frères has been testing the new solution as part of its Amazon AI powered holiday marketing campaign. A spokesperson from the company has termed Amazon’s AI-powered video generator as effective in reducing the time that businesses spend producing video ads.

The company also said that the new tool has paved the way for it to advertise more of its products.

The post Amazon Unveils AI-Powered Video Ad Generator to Boost Ad Segment Revenue appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Earlier this month, Kaspersky announced plans to migrate its customers to Pango Group, an American cybersecurity firm that owns the UltraAV software. The move was meant to facilitate smooth continuation of current subscriptions as Kaspersky updates terminate this month.

Panic Waves

TechCrunch reported that social media messages posted by Kaspersky users showed that these updates had been made without prior warning or permission.

“I was using Kaspersky, didn’t realize they’d be shuffling us off to some Pango AV in September. Nearly had a heart attack when I started my pc today and found a program I didn’t download,” one user posted on Reddit.

Another user posted on the Kaspersky support forum saying, “UltraAV automatically installing itself on my PC freaked me out. It still required me to login with my Kaspersky password/account, but no thanks. I have no idea who Pango is, and there is literally no information about their antivirus/credibility.”

Pango Group claimed that Kaspersky users had been informed about the Kaspersky UltraAV software update through an email notification at the start of this month. However, users argued that this form of communication can be unreliable.

Resellers too were disappointed by the Kaspersky antivirus forced updates, particularly the move to replace the antivirus with an entirely different one. A former US government cybersecurity expert termed the move a huge risk.

US Ban

The migration of Kaspersky customers to UltraAV was triggered by the US government ban of the antivirus company. In June this year, the US Department of Commerce banned the Russian firm from marketing and selling its products within the US starting July 20. The government cited increased privacy and security risks that pose a threat to national security as the reason for the ban.

Following the ban, Kaspersky’s security updates to customers were limited; no updates will be allowed after September 29. An exclusive post published on Axios states that newly established cybersecurity firm Pango was acquiring Kaspersky’s US clients.

On September 21, Kaspersky confirmed the shift to UltraAV on its official forum.

“Kaspersky has additionally partnered with UltraAV to make the transition to their product as seamless as possible, which is why on 9/19, U.S. Kaspersky antivirus customers received a software update facilitating the transition to UltraAV. This update ensured that users would not experience a gap in protection upon Kaspersky’s exit from the market,” a Kaspersky employee wrote.

The Responsibility Question

As customers come to terms with Kaspersky UltraAV updates, many customers wonder who’s at fault abound.

“I’m annoyed at Kaspersky. Basically, on my computers, Kaspersky pushed an uninstall of the Kaspersky products and pushed an automatic install of UltraAV and UltraVPN onto my computers. They should’ve given me the option to accept UltraAV or not. They should never push software onto someone’s computer without explicit permission,” Kaspersky customer Avi Fleischer said.

Although Kapersky said the intention was to give its customers a seamless transition, most users feel the process was not handled well.

The post Kaspersky’s Forced Antivirus Updates Leave US Customers in Disarray appeared first on Tech Research Online.

In recent days, bidders have been circling Intel after the company registered disastrous financial results in quarter two of this year. Intel reported a $1.6 billion loss in this quarter and announced 15,000 layoffs in the company as part of a strategy to save $10 billion.

Intel’s Struggle

Since the beginning of this year, Intel shares price has dropped by close to 60%. Apollo’s investment in Intel will most likely be in the form of equity.

Last week, the company announced that it was spinning off its processor manufacturing unit, Intel Foundry. Intel made the announcement soon after the unit signed a deal to make Intel AI chips for Amazon Web Services. The announcement gave the company a vote of confidence, causing Intel share prices to rise by 8% following this announcement.

The tech giant also said it was halting construction of two chip factories in Poland and Germany.

Apollo’s Investment in Intel

Intel and Apollo have an ongoing working relationship. Apollo holds a 49% stake in Intel’s Fab 34 factory in Ireland after it invested $11 billion to finance its construction.

Apollo’s attention was captured by Intel’s current financial position. Bloomberg reported that people who are familiar with the discussions between the two firms said Apollo offered $5 Billion to Intel towards the end of last week. Intel executives have been considering Apollo’s offer. However, discussions about the deal are still in preliminary stages.

There is a possibility that the size of Apollo’s investment in Intel may change and that discussions about a deal may fail to materialize. None of the companies has commented about the deal.

Qualcomm’s Interest

Intel’s rival chip manufacturer Qualcomm has been eying Intel for a takeover. The company approached Intel to discuss a possible takeover on Friday, September 20. Though Qualcomm is yet to place a formal bid, its CEO, Cristiano Amon is leading the negotiations.

Qualcomm was previously interested in buying off Intel’s design business. But now it’s going for the entire company. Qualcomm is a fabless chip manufacturer that’s focused on the mobile space. Acquiring Intel would give it manufacturing capabilities and provide it with a pathway into the data center chip market. At the moment, Qualcomm manufactures its devices at TSMC in Taiwan.

Intel and Qualcomm have been caught up in stiff competition in the manufacturing of PC chips. Early this month, Qualcomm unveiled a new AI-powered PC processor. In a bid to overturn Intel’s dominance in the PC processor market.

Intel currently holds huge government contracts. Last week, the company announced that it had signed up to build chips for the US Defence Department worth $3 billion. Intel entered into a preliminary non-binding agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce in March of this year. This agreement paves the way for the company to receive $8.5 billion in direct funding under the Chips and Science Act.

The post Apollo Global to Invest in Intel If New Deal Succeeds appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Freelancer Stability

Jump gives full-time contracts to freelancers who want stability and desire to reap the benefits that full-time jobs offer. Once they sign up with Jump, freelancers can bill clients through the platform at the end of every month.

The company functions as an administrative platform while maintaining the independence of contracts. It allows users to generate payslips and receive a salary. This feature empowers freelancers to define the pay that works for them throughout the year, even during slow months.

Contractors who use the platform are free to work for multiple customers and negotiate contracts directly.

Healthcare and Pension

Jump freelancer benefits include registration of freelancers with the national healthcare system. The permanent contract that contractors receive enables them to contribute to the national pension scheme. The platform also offers users health insurance contractors, meal vouchers, and employee savings schemes.

Another important Jump employee benefit that freelancers get is a mortgage. Permanent contracts are particularly useful when buying a home and negotiating mortgages with banks in France. To use Jump, freelancers have to pay €99 each month. Corporate contributions are deducted directly from the user’s earnings. To date, 2,000 freelancers use the French startup Jump.

Newbie Offer

Jump recently announced a free offer for contractors who are starting their freelancing career. The newbie offer includes a free bank account with a virtual debit card that’s linked to Google Pay or Apple Pay.

The offer also comes with several software features that enable freelancers to bill their first clients. These features include a dashboard for tracking financial performance and an in-built invoice generator.

“It’s pretty much in line with how freelancers work. They often get started with the basic French freelancer status, and then switch to another status when they begin to feel the limits of their freelancing status and they have enough revenue,” Jump’s Co-founder and CEO, Nicolas Fayon said.

Future Outlook

Moving forward, Jump is looking to support a wide range of independent contractors. Currently, the platform serves data engineers, software developers, sports coaches, project managers, and creative consultants. The French startup also plans to expand to other countries in the future, including the UK.

Like Workday and TalentQuest that leverage technology to streamline human resource functions for businesses, Jump makes it easier for freelancers to manage clients. Last month, Salesforce and Workday announced plans to launch an AI-powered service agent to automate routine tasks, offer data-driven insights, and provide personalized support to users. TalentQuest on the other hand developed an Analytic Solution that helps businesses revolutionize the way they use data to attract and retain employees.

The post Jump Raises Millions in Funding to Support Freelance Contractors appeared first on Tech Research Online.

The Forrester Wave: Low-Code
Platforms for Citizen Developers,
Q1 2024

The post The Forrester Wave™: Low-Code Platforms for Citizen Developers, Q1 2024  appeared first on Tech Research Online.

On September 19, CNBC reported that a beta version of Amelia is only accessible to select US sellers via Amazon’s internal dashboard, Seller Central. The e-commerce giant plans to make it available to all sellers later this year.

AI Solutions

Amazon has launched multiple AI products in recent years. The e-commerce giant has previously introduced an AI shopping assistant called Rufus, a chatbot called dubbed Q, and a generative AI service called Bedrock. Amazon is planning to upgrade its voice assistant, Alexa with generative AI.

Amazon described the new AI tool as an all-in-one selling expert. Amelia is the latest generative AI tool that the e-commerce giant has launched this year as it works to capitalize the ChatGPT hype.

In April this year, Amazon CEO, Andy Jassy said generative AI presents an unprecedented opportunity and that capital is required to leverage it. Amazon has already invested billions of orders in OpenAI’s rival, Anthropic.

Focus on Third-Party Sellers

Third-party sellers form the backbone of Amazon’s e-commerce business. Since 2017, these sellers have accounted for 50% of products that are sold on the website. This number hit the 61% mark in quarter two of this year.

The prevalence of AI on Amazon’s e-commerce website is mostly geared to help third-party sellers grow their businesses. Visitors are now interacting with AI-generated product reviews on the e-commerce platform. The company has also introduced AI features to help third-party sellers generate ad photos and craft product listings.

On September 19, the e-commerce giant said it will be introducing tools that allow sellers to produce bulk AI-generated video ads and listings based on their product catalogs.

During the annual sellers conference, Amazon announced that it already started using AI to personalize product listings and recommendations based on customer shopping history.

According to Dharmesh Mehta, VP of Worldwide Selling Partner Services at Amazon, the number of Amazon sellers who use AI tools is increasing. Over 400K of Amazon sellers have already used it’s AI product listing tool.

Solving the Troubleshooting Challenge

With its new AI-based selling assistant tool, Amazon is looking to address the account troubleshooting challenge for third-party sellers. Currently, the company relies on large seller support teams to resolve inventory and account suspension issues for sellers.

Merchants have been complaining about delays they experience in getting their issues resolved or reaching customer service agents. The company says, Amelia can investigate account issues. In future, the Amazon AI tool will be able to fix problems on behalf of the seller. Instead of filing a missing inventory form, sellers will be able to ask Amelia to file the claim or get the tool to automatically resolve the issue.

“There are going to be places where, hey, instead of chatting with seller support or getting on the phone with someone, maybe Amelia is able to do that and do that faster. I don’t need to send an email to someone and wait for a response,” Mehta said.

According to Amazon, the AI selling assistant is built on Bedrock, a software that allows users to access the company’s large language models as well as those that belong to other AI companies including Anthropic and Stability.

The post Amazon Introduces Project Amelia to Support Third-Party Merchants appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Advancements in cloud computing and migrating sensitive financial data to cloud-based software have seen a rise in cybersecurity threats for accounting firms. Financial institutions must understand that the sensitivity and confidentiality of their database make them a top target. Therefore, carelessly clicking an unverified link with the company’s device can compromise the firm and cause data breaches within seconds.

This guide explains the leading cyber threats that accountants must watch out for to prevent granting access to hackers. What are these possible data breaches or IT security loopholes that expose your certified public accountant (CPA) firm to the risk of infiltration by cybercriminals?

1. Phishing Attacks

The common phishing technique by cybercriminals is sending a malicious email as if it were from a trusted source. This cybersecurity threat to accounting firms is to trick the recipient into clicking a link that might compromise their security frameworks. The hacker’s objective is to get them to divulge sensitive or highly classified information.

CPA firms must train their accountants on identifying phishing scams and security procedures like checking for possible spoofing or hovering over links to confirm the source. Additional security protocols include cross-checking the source through calls or other secondary verification methods before sharing confidential accounting data. Falling victim to a phishing attempt can lead to the download of corruptible data that infiltrates your cybersecurity walls.

2. Outdated Software and Patching

Running on outdated accounting software or security patches is another of the top cybersecurity threats for accounting firms. Large companies entrusted with multiple customer data must be ready to continually invest in the best cloud security tools.

Otherwise, they become easy targets to cybercriminals who can take advantage of the security risks of using outdated operating systems and cloud-based accounting software. End-to-end point encryption is also essential if you want to prevent risks of cyber hacking. Maintaining updated software, browsers and other financial tools makes it easy for your security service providers to identify potential data breaches before an issue occurs.

3. Ransomware

Imagine encrypting your files with a password and forgetting it. Well, that is how ransomware works. The only difference is this time, the cybercriminal is the one encrypting the accounting files or software. The objective of ransomware attacks is to corrupt financial systems, making the data impossible to access.

Ransomware hackers usually demand money as “ransom” which is tricky because paying the anonymous cybercriminals is likely another scam. There is no guarantee of receiving an encryption key from them. In severe cases of these cybersecurity threats for accounting firms, the hackers can threaten to destroy the data or leak it on unwanted databases. Common modes of ransomware cyber-attacks are phishing scams or downloading from untrusted websites. Unprotected downloads should never be carried out from your company’s computers.

4. Insider Threats

By “insider threats”, we refer to cybersecurity threats due to unsuspecting employees mostly through unsafe but unintentional actions. Examples include connecting personal work computers to a public network while working on sensitive data. Setting up weak passwords through which hackers can access other linked accounts also falls on the list of insider cybersecurity threats for accounting firms.

On the other hand, intentional cyber threats are when an employee or someone with privileged data access deliberately makes the security framework vulnerable to hackers. This could involve connecting a spoofed hardware or installation of malware. IT security departments can try employing the principle of least privilege to limit the possibilities of unintentional insider threats.

5. Cloud Security Vulnerabilities

Preventing the use of unauthorized devices to access financial information on an accounting firm’s database can reduce cloud security risks. This goes against the common “bring your own device” policy used in some organizations that work with very little sensitive information.

For accounting companies that use cloud-based software, managing sensitive customer information requires working on only recognized devices. This includes using only approved software or cloud computing platforms to access accounting data. Compliance with industry-regulated data policies is the best step to securing cloud-native applications from cybersecurity threats for accounting firms.

6. Third-Party Vendors

CPA firms should go beyond enforcing stringent cybersecurity practices within their accounting firewalls. Learning how to manage sensitive data with third-party vendors is equally important. Otherwise, it is like building a high fence but leaving a small passage without a gate. You must secure how third parties interact with your cybersecurity systems and the level of permission you grant them.

Another way to prevent third-party cybersecurity threats for accounting firms is to ensure they also have security compliance and incident response strategies. You can use cyber risk management auditors to assess fourth-party compliance. A zero-trust data access is also a continuous cyber risk assessment method to verify third-party access to security systems.

7. DNS Spoofing

Lack of DNS security extensions (DNSSEC) or poor encryption of your DNS traffic over HTTP or TLS can make it easy for cyber attackers to spoof DNS queries. DNS spoofing, also known as DNS cache poisoning, is a cyber threat where hackers corrupt the domain name system (DNS) to redirect traffic to a malicious website. Proper DNS spoofing scams are difficult to detect because the redirected website appears exactly as legitimate.

DNS spoofing cybersecurity threats for accounting firms usually aims to steal clients’ data like tax portal information or sensitive login credentials. Information from DNS spoofing scams could even be used for phishing to impersonate employees and intercept email communications or financial transactions.

Updating Employees on Cybersecurity Threats for Accounting Firms

Training your employees on the latest cybersecurity practices is important, regardless of whether you run a cloud accounting or traditional accounting system. However, CPA accounting firms on cloud-based solutions must be vigilant since they stand a higher risk of ransomware or malicious data access. The best cybersecurity practices include establishing hierarchical access to financial data among your employees.

Additionally, ensure that employees gain the necessary knowledge on how to identify cyber scams before they are granted clearance to more sensitive financial information.

Conclusion

Understanding the top cybersecurity threats for accounting firms is the first step towards preventing revenue or financial data loss to cyber scammers. This is why we encourage CPA firms to invest in continuous training programs for their accountants on the best cybersecurity practices.

The easiest way to avoid a cyber scam is to limit the possibilities by avoiding loopholes in your internal security frameworks. Data sharing with third parties and accessibility through outside devices must be controlled. Enforcing cyber safety practices is easier when you get started with our guide on overcoming the challenges of cyber resilience.

The post Top Cybersecurity Threats for Accounting Firms and How to Prevent Them appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Reuters reported that the deal to produce custom AI chips for Amazon was signed by Intel’s foundry business, giving the chip manufacturer a vote of confidence.

A Struggling Unit

Intel’s decision to make custom artificial intelligence chips for AWS through its foundry business has been viewed as an attempt to reinvigorate the struggling unit that is set to become Intel’s subsidiary.

In a memo sent to employees, Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger said, “A subsidiary structure will unlock important benefits. It provides our external foundry customers and suppliers with clearer separation and independence from the rest of Intel. Importantly, it also gives us future flexibility to evaluate independent sources of funding and optimize the capital structure of each business to maximize growth and shareholder value creation.”

Gelsinger’s memo also indicated that Intel will design and manufacture the AI chips for Amazon.

AI Fabric Chip

Amazon already designs chips for its data centers through its AWS cloud computing division. In July this year, the company unveiled its non-AI Graviton4 chip that the e-commerce giant said offers superior efficiency, performance, memory, and higher computing power.

Previously, Amazon has hired Intel to package its chip versions. Under the new contract, Intel will design an artificial intelligence fabric chip for AWS using the 18A process. This will be the most advanced AI chip version that AWS will make available to its external customers. Intel expects to create additional designs from Amazon on its upcoming 18AP and 14A manufacturing process.

Staying Afloat

The memo sent by Gelsinger outlined the steps that Intel will take to revive itself, including cost cutting measures. Some of the measures highlighted in the memo included voluntary early retirement offerings to reduce its workforce to about 15,000 employees by the end of 2024.

The CEO said the company will still be making difficult decisions and that affected employees will be informed in mid October. Last month, the tech giant reported a dip in its quarter two earnings.

“The board and I agreed that we have a lot of work ahead to drive greater efficiency, improve our profitability, and enhance our market competitiveness,” Gelsinger said in the memo.

One of the steps that the Intel board has decided to take is selling the company’s stake in Altera, a programmable chip business the company owns. Intel will also pause its chip factory construction project in Germany for about two years and halt the Poland project as well.

In March this year, Intel signed a preliminary non-binding agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce. Under this agreement, Intel expects to receive direct funding amounting up to $8.5 billion under the Chips and Science Act. This funding will enable the chip maker to advance its commercial semiconductor projects across four states.

Intel had announced plans to invest over $100 billion to expand its US chip making capabilities and capacity, which are critical to national security, economic security, and acceleration of emerging technologies like AI. Collectively, Intel’s investments are expected to generate tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

The post Intel’s Foundry Unit to Make Intel AI Chip for Amazon appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Understanding the
rise of China's OEMs: Key players,
global ties, and future potential

In this new report, automotive industry analyst, Felipe Munoz, analyses the rapidly evolving landscape within China, alongside an overview of the main players emerging from China’s burgeoning automotive industry.

Learn about the key players, global ties, and future potential of Chinese car brands, and access the latest market data and intelligence.

The post Understanding the rise of China’s OEMs: Key players, global ties, and future potential appeared first on Tech Research Online.

6 Best Practices für die
Demokratisierung von
Cloud-Daten

Willkommen bei der Demokratisierung von Daten – wo Ihre Reise hin zu einem vollständig befähigten, datengestützten Unternehmen beginnt. Unser neuer Guide stellt sechs Best Practices vor, damit Sie Daten-Assets im gesamten Unternehmen nahtlos teilen und verwalten können.

Das umfassende Workbook hilft Ihnen bei jedem Schritt, damit Sie Datenchaos in Datentransparenz umwandeln können:

• Festlegung einer soliden Datenstrategie, die auf Geschäftsziele abgestimmt ist
• Festlegung und Ausführung eines Pilotprojekts, um Mehrwert aufzuzeigen
• Bereitstellung von erforderlichen Tools und Wissen für Stakeholder

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6 best practices for
cloud data
democratization

Welcome to the forefront of data democratization—where your journey to a fully empowered, data-driven organization begins. Our latest adoption guide equips you with six best practices to seamlessly share and manage data assets across your enterprise.

Navigate through each step with a comprehensive workbook and turn data chaos into data clarity by:

• Formulating a robust data strategy aligned with business goals
• Defining and executing a pilot project to demonstrate value
• Equipping stakeholders with the tools and knowledge they need

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Enhance data
governance and
business results with
AI-powered data lineage

With ever-evolving regulations and 38% of CDOs prioritizing data governance improvements this year, understanding and managing the lifecycle and integrity of data has never been more important. This usually involves many manual, error-prone processes that take time and effort – which is why forward-thinking enterprises are now looking to AI-powered data lineage tools.

Not only does this type of technology streamline operations, but it also prevents AI-related bias, elevates the accuracy of tracing data to its origins and makes it easier to demonstrate compliance with laws like the EU AI Act, GDPR and the CCPA.

In this eBook, you’ll learn:

• The benefits of these tools, like improved efficiency and enhanced data governance
• Four core data lineage use cases
• Eight features to look for in a solution

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