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Top 3 Reasons AI will be a game Changer for businesses in 2023

IntroductionArtificial intelligence has been responsible for a dramatic upheaval throughout practically all sectors of the economy, particularly as it has become more accessible to company executives and business owners. This trend became most prevalent in 2022 when the technology made significant steps towards a focus on enhancing the flow of customer journeys. In the last couple of years, more companies have started using AI. There are myriad benefits that businesses can realize via the implementation of AI, including improvements to their bottom lines and cost reductions.It is primarily because of these advantages and accessibility that businesses are anticipated to continue pursuing AI adoption in 2023 and beyond. In a recent poll, Salesforce and Vanson Bourne expect that AI-based hyper-automation will be included on the technology roadmaps of 80 percent of enterprises by 2025. This is done to derive new values and make process improvements from existing databases, workforce, and infrastructure with little to no change.Why Do Some Businesses Struggle to Make Artificial Intelligence Work for Them?Even though it has many potential applications, only some companies can make the most of AI, and even more, are still wary of putting it into practice. They frequently have second thoughts on whether or not to invest in artificial intelligence due to the need for more clarity surrounding its integration with pre-existing systems, unclear objectives, and ways to assess providers, among several other factors.Suppose companies do not begin investing in artificial intelligence (AI) as quickly as possible, particularly this year. In that case, they risk slipping behind in the race against their rivals. In addition, there will be a significant divide between early adopters and late adopters, making it difficult for the latter category to catch up in terms of the operational innovation and efficiency that have been achieved. This will also be a disadvantage in scaling up and generating revenue. AI is no longer a choice but a must for businesses, and they need to realize this.Because of this, businesses must keep investing in AI and, more significantly, continue investing in this technology to use it for more smooth operations. Nevertheless, what are the most important reasons for them to understand the grave necessity of artificial intelligence in the workplace? This article will expand on some of the most significant insights for the same as below:Providing a Consistent and Pleasant Experience for the ConsumerIn today’s society, one of the essential overarching goals for organizations is to provide superior customer service and a positive experience for customers in general. AI solutions can offer rapid replies to consumer inquiries and lead them in the appropriate direction for the settlement of their concerns because of the language processing capabilities of these solutions. They can automate actions at various touch points because they have used AI in the operations that manage customer support.Therefore, artificial intelligence has the potential to provide a seamless customer experience by utilizing a variety of forms of engagement with consumers. This helps minimize the time it takes to respond to inquiries, delivers high accuracy when resolving queries, and provides rapid pleasure for consumers overall. As a result, AI will be an absolute necessity for companies beginning in 2023, when all of this will be readily available.Improving Processes That Are Centered on OperationsIn a company, the procedures that are considered to be operation-centric are the ones that control the day-to-day activities that take place in the working environment. Sustaining and implementing IT infrastructure and related operations, managing internal and external communications, monitoring and maintaining goods and services, etc., are some examples of these kinds of responsibilities. A company’s day-to-day operations consist of many moving pieces, particularly in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance industries.Regarding the engagement of customers, these include separate processes in and of themselves, such as the processing of customer inquiries, the resolution of those inquiries through customer relationship management (CRM) and ticketing systems, and the archiving of those inquiries in back-end systems.Companies are compelled to improve the technology that powers their functional designs as operational architectures advance, and there is no better alternative available than artificial intelligence at this time. Due to the rapidly advancing maturity level of AI projects, Gartner forecasts that by the year 2025, 70% of enterprises will have operationalized AI architectures.AI solutions have the potential to shorten the amount of time needed to conduct all of these activities while also improving accuracy and efficiency at each level. This can help companies lower operating costs over the long term and get a good return on their investments while quickly ramping up their operations.Improving Processes That Are Focused on ContentA company’s content-centric processes are the ones that are used to govern operations that require a consistent influx of content. This content can come from various sources, including customer data, product information, emails, and documents, and it must be managed to keep the business running smoothly. Content-centric business processes include:The processing and archiving of these emails and documents.Responding to essential business stakeholders and working with them.Making business decisions for the future.If applied correctly, Artificial Intelligence in the form of intelligent automation can increase the accuracy of these procedures. With quick content or text interpretation, it can significantly cut down on the related manual dependencies and put that information to use to activate particular activities. As a result, artificial intelligence may assist businesses in making better business decisions, which is made possible by the high precision with which it can handle activities that include a lot of material.Wrapping UpInvesting in AI can benefit organizations through increased efficiency, decreased costs, enhanced decision-making, and a more significant advantage over other firms. End users in today’s market are looking for highly individualized services and want the answers to their questions to be provided as quickly as feasible. AI suppliers exist, and they can supply businesses with the appropriate AI technology to cater to their clientele’s specific needs and preferences. Using no-code and low-code automation platforms, the data-safe AI systems of today can be quickly taught without the need for extra coding or programming expertise.This is supported by research conducted by Gartner, which projects that by 2025, 70% of newly created corporate apps will employ low-code or no-code technologies, a significant increase from the 25% used in 2020.This can allow companies to maximize and exploit consumer data while also protecting it by adhering to good data privacy and IT security requirements. Because the future of artificial intelligence is already here, particularly as companies begin to recover from the pandemic two years after it began, they will see a rise in the adoption of technologies like AI, enabling them to automate as many of their processes as is humanly possible.Whether it be on the operations side of businesses or the customer-facing aspect of industries, to stay at the forefront of competition, it is imperative that companies implement AI now and not let it remain an option for the future. This applies to both the customer-facing and the customer-facing aspects of businesses.Let Your Business Take a Leap Forward with Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies)Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies)’ digital services enable you to give your clients new experiences and insights. Our digital solutions modernize end-user experiences with bespoke touchpoints. Our architects will help you create more innovative, better-experienced software.We make your business agile using microservices and ML-powered processes. Our platform-agnostic digital engineers create multichannel experiences. We will increase your data skills by providing robust data governance capabilities, unifying information silos, and developing a non-rigid data architecture.We offer digital services that cover the whole process from start to finish. These services combine mobility, analytics, IoT, AI/ML, and big data to create scalable, intelligent products and custom solutions.Accelerate with MSys today! Get in touch with us at marketing@aziro.com.

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The Digital Finance 2.0: Transforming Cashless and Contactless Payments like a Phoenix

The Digital Finance 2.0: Transforming Cashless and Contactless Payments like a PhoenixIntroductionThe digital transformation in financial services is revolutionizing the way we handle payments. The advent of digital finance has led to a surge in cashless and contactless payments, with electronic and mobile payments taking the lead. This new era of payment innovation has brought about a shift in corporate payment trends, changing the traditional card swiping method to a touchless, no-touch, sleek, and hands-free experience.According to a report, as many as 1.3 billion people might switch to cashless transactions by the end of 2023, with mobile payments being a preferred choice.Source – https://www.pwc.com/This blog, ‘The Digital Finance 2.0: Transforming Cashless and Contactless Payments like a Phoenix,’ will delve into how digital finance 2.0 is transfrming the cashless and contactless payment realms, making individuals and businesses transact hassle-free and seamlessly.What Is Digital FinanceDigital finance refers to the use of technology and digital platforms for financial services and transactions. Cashless and contactless payments are the types of digital finance that enable consumers to make transactions without using physical cash or physical contact with payment terminals.Examples of cashless and contactless payments include mobile payments (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay), card payments (e.g., credit and debit cards), and electronic payments (e.g., PayPal). These payment methods are becoming increasingly popular due to their convenience, speed, and security.How The Digital Surge Is Reshaping FinanceThe digital finance revolution is modernizing and upgrading the traditional financial services industry. The rise of digital finance 2.0 is transforming payment trends and shaping the future of corporate payment practices. The payment industry is undergoing a digital transformation, with payment innovation and the cashless payments bank business model leading the way. The surge in digital finance is reshaping the financial services sector, with an increased focus on electronic payments, mobile payments, and card payments.The trend towards cashless societies and the decreasing reliance on card swiping drive the growth of touchless and no-touch hands-free payment methods. These modern payment options are helping to create a more seamless and efficient payment experience for consumers and are helping to usher in a new era of digital finance.Modernizing Money: The Emergence, Diversification & Phylogenesis of Digital Finance 2.0 into Cashless & Contactless PaymentsThe world of finance is undergoing a massive transformation, with the emergence of digital finance 2.0 leading the charge. The modern payment landscape is being shaped by the diversification and phylogenesis of digital finance into the cashless and contactless payments arena, shaping the future of finance as we know it.With the help of advanced technologies such as mobile payments, card payments, and electronic payments, consumers can now make transactions with ease, speed, and security. The diversification of digital finance has given rise to new and more efficient payment methods, and the industry has seen the growth of payment solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of different consumers and businesses.The shift towards digital finance and cashless and contactless payments has created a more seamless and efficient payment experience for consumers and has also brought about new opportunities for businesses in the payment industry. This new era of digital finance is providing financial services that are faster, more secure, and more accessible and is helping to create a more inclusive and equitable economic ecosystem for all.Let’s scrutinize several components of digital finance.1.Digital BankingDigital banking refers to using digital technology to provide banking services, such as online and mobile banking. With the proliferation of digital banking, the modern payment landscape is becoming increasingly cashless and contactless as consumers and businesses adopt more efficient and convenient payment methods. The use of digital technology in the banking sector has made it possible for banks to provide digital banking services such as online and mobile banking. In 2022, we witnessed incumbent banks taking the lead by launching their own digital banking subsidiaries or partnering with industry players, while challenger banks broadened their offerings from basic accounts and cards to credit, investment, insurance, and crypto services. Some prominent players are ANZ, ANT GROUP, Brex, Nubank, Standard Chartered, GxS, Capital bank, Revolut, and Bunq.In 2023, banks and credit unions continue to partner with FinTechs to revolutionize their digital services landscape, casting a positive impact on the cashless and contactless payments realm with the rise of mobile payments and electronic payment platforms, such as mobile wallets, QR code scanning, and touchless card payments. These payment options offer consumers and businesses faster, more secure, and more accessible transactions, making it easier to pay for goods and services without the need for physical cash.2.Digital InfrastructureDigital infrastructure refers to the technical systems and hardware that support digital finance. In the context of digital finance, it encompasses the technology and systems that allow financial transactions to be conducted electronically.The digital infrastructure improvement has led to an increase in cashless and contactless payments. Financial institutions have formed partnerships with core banking infrastructure providers such as SBM bank, Carbon, MAMBU, Tuum, Stripe, OPEN, LHV, Trust, Tonik, and Thought Machine to accelerate their shift to digital finance. These partnerships aim to streamline time-to-market for product launches and enhance customer experiences by utilizing modern banking technology. By improving the digital infrastructure, financial institutions offer their customers more efficient and convenient payment options.3.Digital PaymentsDigital payments refer to financial transactions that are conducted electronically using digital technology. Digital payments are a vital component that allows individuals and businesses to transact without needing cash.The advancement of digital payments has led to an increase in cashless and contactless transactions. The evolution of digital payments has included launching new payment types, such as person-to-person (A2A) payments, recurring payments, and cross-border payments. Businesses have also benefited from digital payment innovations, with the launch of efficient payment products for accepting and disbursing payments to employees and suppliers. By promoting digital payments, financial institutions are able to offer their customers more convenient and secure payment options. Some prominent examples of innovative payment products include Bizum, Cash App, N26, ABN-AMRO, Adyen, Starling Bank Solutions, Bexs, and YOUNITED.4.Digital LendingDigital payments and digital lending are related concepts in digital finance. Digital payments refer to financial transactions conducted electronically, while digital lending refers to providing credit and loans through digital channels.Digital lending has helped boost cashless and contactless payments by expanding the product offerings of digital banks. Digital banks have introduced various credit line options, such as loans, mortgages, buy now pay later (BNPL), and credit cards, to improve their unit economics and ensure profitability during economic uncertainty. Launching these credit products has made it easier for individuals and businesses to access credit and transact without the need for cash. These popular products include Tonik, Fiinu, TransUnion, Revolut, Atom bank, and JUNI. By offering these digital lending options, financial institutions provide their customers with more convenient and secure payment solutions.Cashless and Contactless Payments LandscapeCashless and contactless payments are payment methods that allow transactions to be made without physical cash or cards. The rapid evolution of digital finance 2.0 has driven the proliferation of cashless and contactless payments.Here is a table depicting different types of cashless and contactless payments and some examples of companies providing such services:Type of PaymentDescriptionCompanies Enabling Cashless & Contactless PaymentsMobile WalletA digital wallet stored on a mobile device, allowing users to make payments via their smartphonesApple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung PayContactless CardA physical card with a chip that uses NFC technology to make paymentsMastercard, Visa, American ExpressOnline PaymentsPayments made through websites or mobile appsPayPal, Amazon Pay, StripeQR Code PaymentsPayments made through scanning QR codesAlipay, WeChat Pay, PaytmSource – https://tappit.com/Cashless and contactless payments are similar in that they both allow for transactions to be made without the use of physical cash. However, they have differences that make them distinct payment methods.Contactless payments, including online payments, are Open Loop Payment Systems that involve a third party, such as a bank or payment processor. On the other hand, cashless payment systems are Closed Loop Payment Systems that operate without any third-party intervention, with end users directly joining the scheme. Closed-loop payment systems give vendors ownership over the entire vendor/customer process, while open-loop techniques involve a third party in the payment process.Digital Finance 2.0 Gird: Challenges & Opportunities of Cashless and Contactless Payment SystemsConstantly evolving within the digital finance 2.0 grid, cashless and contactless payment systems offer challenges and opportunities for businesses as they navigate the rapidly changing payment landscape. The table below categorizes the different dimensions of challenges and opportunities of cashless and contactless payments. Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies) offers full stack-FinTech services to help businesses convert these opportunities into tangible business outcomes and overcome the challenges along the way.DimensionsChallengesOpportunitiesAziro (formerly MSys Technologies) Full stack-FinTech ServicesSecurityRisk of fraud and data breachesImproved security and efficiency through advanced technologies such as encryption and multi-factor authenticationFull stack-FinTech services to implement advanced security measures and technologies to minimize risks of fraud and data breaches. Helping organizations in improving security and efficiency by implementing advanced security measures and technologies, reducing the risk of fraud and data breaches, and providing a secure environment for financial transactions.Regular security assessments and audits to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.Continuous monitoring of security incidents and proactive response to potential threats.Training and awareness programs to educate employees and customers on security best practices.Encryption technologies like SSL/TLS, AES, RSA to secure data in transit and at rest.Multi-factor authentication (MFA) using technologies like biometrics, OTPs, and smartcards to enhance security.Firewall, intrusion detection, and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) protect against unauthorized access and cyber-attacks.Data loss prevention (DLP) solutions prevent sensitive information from being lost or stolen.Full-stack FinTech services to provide immutability and accountability in financial transactions.AccessibilityLack of widespread infrastructure and technologyIncreased accessibility for consumers, particularly for those without access to traditional banking servicesFull stack-FinTech services to expand and improve infrastructure and technology, increasing accessibility for consumers, particularly for those without access to traditional banking services, and providing a more inclusive financial services experience: Mobile technologies like native mobile apps, progressive web apps (PWAs), and SMS-based services reach customers regardless of location or device.Cloud computing provides scalability, availability, and accessibility to services and data from anywhere in the world.Artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide personalized and accessible financial services.APIs to enable integration with other systems and to allow third-party developers to build custom solutions.Design and development of accessible user interfaces, including support for screen readers, keyboard navigation, and high-contrast mode.Integration with alternative payment methods, such as mobile wallets, to provide greater accessibility and convenience.Technical support and training to educate users on how to use the technology and resolve any issues.InteroperabilityDifficulty in integrating with existing systems and processesImproved interoperability through standardized technologies and APIsFull stack-FinTech services to streamline and standardize integration with existing systems and processes, reducing complexity and friction, and providing a more seamless financial services experience: APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to provide a standardized interface for integration with other systems and services.Standards-based technologies like ISO20022, SWIFT, and allied services facilitate data exchange and reduce integration complexity.Microservices architecture to allow for modular and scalable integration with other systems.Integration with legacy systems and processes to reduce friction and improve interoperability.Standardized data formats and protocols to simplify data exchange and integration with other systems.Technical support and training to educate users on how to use the technology and resolve any issues.Customer ExperienceThe complexity of new payment methodsEnhanced customer experience through streamlined and simplified payment processesFull stack-FinTech services to simplify and improve the customer payment experience by streamlining payment processes, providing a more accessible and convenient customer experience, and reducing complexity in financial transactions: Mobile technologies like native mobile apps, progressive web apps (PWAs), and SMS-based services provide a seamless and convenient customer experience.Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics to ensure optimum personalization & accessibility of financial services.Cloud and edge computing for scalability, availability, and accessibility to services and data from anywhere in the world.User-centered and UX/UI-optimized design and development to create an intuitive and accessible customer experience.Integration with alternative payment methods and legacy systems for greater convenience and accessibility.Technical support and training as and when required.Prolific Digitization & Complex Payment Infrastructure MatrixSignificant investment is required in online payment solutions.Reshaping the entire payments infrastructure.1. Shift towards e-commerce2. Move towards real-time payments3. Emergence of new business models in payments4. Advent of Mobile-centric digital economies4. Evolution of front- and back-end parts of the payment system5. Revolution in payment mix and ecosystemFull-stack FinTech development services to support organizations in determining where to play and how to win through technology solutions to seamlessly navigate through the complex payment matrix. Strengthening the competency of clients by providing end-to-end front-end and back-end payment system development by providing services to enable instant payments, digital wallets, mobile wallets, buy now, pay later, disrupting payment services paradigm with super app services, and much more.Regulatory TrendsWith stringent regulations come limitations, and too much contemplation can hinder innovation; compliance costs on FinTechs and digital banks.Regulatory oversight provides stability and inspires trust among customers; it levels the playing field for all FinTechs and digital banks.Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies) is a full-stack FinTech service serving a one-stop-shop solution for various aspects of financial services, such as payments, lending, wealth management, and more. This can help these institutions reduce compliance costs and streamline operations while offering consumers a more seamless and convenient experience. These services add significant value by assisting FinTechs and digital banks to navigate regulatory challenges and capitalize on new opportunities. Furthermore, full-stack FinTech services can leverage their technology and data analytics capabilities to enhance regulatory compliance, for example, by automating compliance processes, monitoring transactions for suspicious activities, and providing greater transparency and reporting. This can help these institutions to stay ahead of regulatory changes and provide excellent protection to consumers.Diversity, Inclusion, and ReliabilityPromoting diversity and inclusivity in the financial services sector can help reach underbanked and unbanked populations, leading to greater financial inclusion and improved access to financial services. This can drive the growth of cashless and contactless payment systems in regions such as Africa, Latin America, and Asia.Ensuring the privacy and security of consumer data is a key concern, as well as building trust in new payment providers and methods.Full-stack FinTech services by Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies) play a crucial role by addressing these challenges to overcome, and to ensure the reliability and stability of cashless and contactless payment systems promoting diversity, inclusion, and reliability. Thus, digital banks and FinTechs can capitalize on the opportunities to drive greater financial inclusion and improved access to financial services.Currency MultipolarityAccording to Pwc, 60% of central banks are exploring digital currencies, and 14% are conducting pilot tests. However, central banks also have concerns about the potential for decentralized finance and private cryptocurrencies to undermine the conduct of monetary policy.Digital currencies, including central bank digital currencies and private cryptocurrencies, offer new possibilities for cashless and contactless payment systems. The rise of digital wallets, such as mobile payments, QR codes, and open banking, is driving the adoption and usage of cashless and contactless payment systems, driven by convenience and ease of use. Digital wallets are also expanding into B2B and digitized supply chain markets, providing new frontiers for growth.Shift to digital wallets backed by open banking will pivot the regulators to stimulate the digital finance realm for better infrastructures, in particular, the domestic cashless and contactless payment methodologies.MSys’ full-stack FinTech engineers their technology and data analytics capabilities to provide an array of financial services, such as fiat-cryptocurrency conversion and storage services, as well as enhance the security and reliability of their services.Cross-border TransactionsThe lack of global standardization for cross-border payments creates obstacles to seamless connectivity and interoperability between different payment systems, including cashless and contactless ones. Security and privacy concerns and regulatory challenges remain central themes.The drive for instant, low-cost cross-border payments is leading to the reinvention of these payment systems, making them more efficient and accessible; parallelly, such an ecosystem involves the proliferation of cashless and contactless payment systems. Regional solutions, particularly in Asia, and global non-bank solutions based on cryptocurrency and digital wallets are emerging as alternatives to traditional cross-border payments. These include cashless and contactless payment systems as popular choices.Leverage Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies) full-stack competency to optimize your digital finance infrastructure for seamless connectivity, streamlined, regularized, secure cross-border transactions, and interoperability between different payment systems.Integrate ‘open loop’ payments with traditional card networks/domestic wallets to seamlessly complete cross-border payments.Realize the power of technology and data analytics to boost businesses globally with FinTech services for hassle-free cross-border transactions. Wrap UpCashless payments, online systems, and digitally enabled transactions have become the norm for many businesses, leading us towards a renewed future powered by a digital finance system – Digital Finance 2.0 – which promises to use emerging technologies like blockchain, AI, voice recognition, machine learning, and biometrics to facilitate secure online and real-time transactions.This uptake in digital transformation in financial services has also been expedited by the Covid-19 pandemic, where social distancing rules have affected traditional methods of transactional behavior such as using physical cash.Digital Finance 2.0 is here to revolutionize and empower cashless societies with cutting-edge technologies. With that, we see new business paradigms emerging in finance attributed to the acceleration in the technological development of the last decade.Modern technology is shaping, evolving, and transforming our cashless and contactless payment experiences like a phoenix rising from the ashes!As open banking and instant alternative payments gain adoption among consumers and businesses, the digital finance landscape is expanding, presenting opportunities for the growth of cashless and contactless payments in particular, but also increasing the threat of organized fraud-as-a-service. To navigate these challenges smoothly and capitalize on opportunities, it’s crucial to adopt full-stack FinTech services like those offered by Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies). These provide a comprehensive solution to address the ever-evolving demands of the digital finance world. Build a resilient FinTech ecosystem with the help of Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies)’ expert full-stack FinTech engineers to navigate even through the most sophisticated security, data privacy, and financial fraud risks.So, don’t be a square peg in a round hole;join the FinTech revolution with Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies). Upgrade Your Payments Game, One Byte at a Time!

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How to Save Cost and Time with Reliable Cloud Storage and Backup Services

How to Save Cost and Time with Reliable Cloud Storage and Backup ServicesAre you confident that the backup software can restore all your data, even if you have it ready? Statistics show that 60% of backups are not complete, and 50% are unsuccessful in restoring data.According to Statista, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft’s OneDrive are the leading cloud storage and backup service providers with more than 2+ billion global users. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is another major player in the industry. AWS offers various cloud storage and backup services for businesses of all sizes. AWS customers could choose from different types of storage services, including block storage options such as Elastic Block Storage (EBS) and object-based options such as Simple Storage Service (S3).Choosing the right Cloud Storage and Backup Service can be a difficult decision. With over 15+ years of experience as a Cloud Engineer, I have always leveraged a service provider that meets my needs and budget and offers reliable performance and secure data protection. Many different services are available on the market today, and doing research can become a herculean task before committing.A proper Cloud Storage and Backup Service Provider offers a multitude of benefits, such as:A secure, reliable, and cost-effective way to store and back up large volumes of data.Eliminates the need for expensive, on-premises hardware solutions, allowing companies to save significantly on infrastructure and maintenance costs.Ensures data is stored safely in the cloud with backups automatically taken at regular intervals to guarantee maximum uptime of digital assets.In terms of scalability, it provides the flexibility to quickly expand or contract the available capacity depending on business requirements.Free trials so potential customers can understand how easy it is to use their services before committing to a long-term contract.All these factors combine to make a Right Cloud Storage and Backup Service Provider an ideal choice for businesses looking for secure digital asset storage with ample scalability options and cost savings. The best cloud storage and backup services offer a secure environment for users to store their data. All files are encrypted with robust encryption algorithms during transit and at rest, ensuring no one can access your stored data without permission. The services also come with advanced security features such as two-factor authentication and single sign-on, which help protect against unauthorized access to user accounts.From cost efficiency to collaboration capabilities, the right cloud storage and backup service should provide numerous benefits for its users — whether individuals are backing up personal documents or businesses syncing multiple accounts across multiple devices. Look for services with robust file-sharing capabilities, so you can quickly share documents with colleagues or clients and remote access tools to easily access your files anywhere in the world from any device connected to the internet.Before selecting a service, consider the following factors:Where is Your Data Physically Located?The physical location of a cloud server may affect your backup performance and recovery. So, choosing the exemplary cloud service for your backup needs is one of the key priorities. If the cloud server is far from your primary location, you may experience slow data transfer speeds to/from the cloud server. If the cloud server is too close to your prior site, natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, or power outages can disrupt your business operations, leading to data loss, time, and revenue. Therefore, the location decision should be based on the importance of data, the type of possible disasters, and the cost.In addition, some businesses may have compliance or regulatory requirements on data storage locations. Such organizations should carefully analyze their needs and select a cloud service to transfer and store data in authorized areas your company approves.No Hidden Cost: Pay for Only What You UsePrice is a significant factor when selecting a cloud storage or backup provider. Most providers offer free and paid services; free plans may suffice if only one or two users will access your data or you primarily utilize the service for backups. However, if you’ll need extra storage space or will frequently access files, a paid plan better suits your needs. The availability of features, such as support for multiple devices and platforms, can also affect the price of a project.Choose a provider that can scale up or down based on your storage needs. That way, you can easily purchase more storage space as needed without migrating large amounts of data from one provider to another. Ensure the provider also offers flexibility when upgrading or downgrading plans; most reputable providers will not lock customers into long-term contracts or charge hefty fees for plan changes.Additionally, some services charge based on usage, whereas others charge by subscription; check how much data you expect to store each month before choosing one option.Integration Compatibility with Existing ApplicationsBefore choosing a cloud service, you must ensure it can be easily integrated with other applications. Check if the cloud service provides an Application Program Interface (API) or program to integrate it with other software applications. Also, it can be shared with other legacy applications.Ensure that the cloud server is compatible with the existing applications (or storage devices) in your environment and that data stored on it is easily accessible through different operating systems and web browsers that are used in your organization.Encryption Technologies and Data Security FeaturesSecurity is among the most important considerations when selecting cloud storage or backup services. Encryption Technologies and Security Features: Ensuring your cloud storage provider is using the most up-to-date encryption technologies, as well as additional security features like activity logs and data encryption at rest, can help protect your data from unauthorized access or breaches.Customized Permissions: Setting customized permissions for specific users helps you control who has access to certain files/folders within your account, giving you added peace of mind when it comes to protecting your data.Two-Factor Authentication: Implementing two-factor authentication is an effective way to prevent unauthorized access to your cloud storage or backup services, as well as any sensitive information contained within them. By verifying that someone logging in is who they say they are, two-factor authentication ensures only the right people have access to your data.Multiple Platform Support: Ensuring Accessibility Across All DevicesCloud storage and backup services should be easy to use; otherwise, you may spend too much time setting up accounts and troubleshooting technical issues instead of focusing on other aspects of your business or personal life. Make sure to read user reviews online before committing to any service; this can give you an idea of how easy it is for someone with technology experience to navigate the interface and manage their account effectively.Ensure that the provider supports different platforms/devices (such as iOS vs. Android) so everyone in your household/business can easily access their files on any device they choose.Data Migration and Recovery Services for Cloud Storage and Backup ProvidersIt’s always wise to investigate what kind of migration & recovery services a cloud storage or backup provider offers if your existing system or files become corrupted beyond repair. Many providers have options such as automated file backups that quickly create a local copy of all stored files periodically, so they are not lost in case something unexpected happens with the server hosting them permanently going offline unexpectedly due to an outage, hack, virus attack, Etc.Look for providers offering specialized disaster recovery solutions should more severe issues occur with large numbers of lost data stored across multiple servers simultaneously – this ensures all critical information is recovered quickly without having any negative consequences for business operations/customer satisfaction levels, Etc.24/7 Customer SupportCustomer support is essential when using any online service; make sure that whatever provider you choose offers 24/7 customer assistance via phone, chatbot, and email so there’s always someone available who will be able to help resolve any issues promptly should something go wrong with either their software platform itself or more serious matters involving data loss due to hardware malfunctions.Look out for warranty plans that usually provide free replacements/repair work should any hardware faults occur during normal day-to-day operations. These plans typically cover physical hardware components and associated labor costs, providing peace of mind against unpredictable incidents occurring down the line, potentially leading to significant financial losses beyond expected expenses related to replacing damaged parts and more.Wrap UpWhen choosing a cloud storage and backup service, be sure to select one that meets both your technical requirements (e.g., encryption protocols) and your business needs (e.g., scalability). Doing research ahead of time will help ensure the provider offers quality performance and that it fits within your budget constraints while providing adequate security measures and other helpful features like collaboration tools or remote access capabilities.Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies)’ Data Protection, Back Up, and Recovery services span on-premises, cloud, and Hybrid IT environments. Our Data Engineering services facilitate scalable, cost-optimized, and robust data protection while adhering to security requirements. Our Engineering Architects help Data Protection, Back Up, and Recovery Product providers by developing snapshot-rich features that streamline the data recovery process. These snapshots are responsive to the cloud or on-premises infrastructure. For centralized management and stringent control mechanism, we implement Role Based Access Controls, SLA-based policies, and leverage REST APIs for increased transparency in data management.Right Swipe Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies) and Discover the Possibilities of Cloud Storage and Data Protection.

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How Semantic AI Benefits FinTech: 8 Research-Baked Use Cases

IntroductionSemantic AI is a set of techniques, processes, and technologies that automate the generation of digital business applications and services by harnessing the power of machine learning. It allows businesses to focus on delivering end-to-end solutions that are more efficient and effective than traditional methods.Semantic automation is a subset of artificial intelligence that uses machine learning techniques to analyze unstructured or semi-structured data to make predictions. It’s often used in conjunction with other types of AI, such as deep learning, reinforcement learning, and neural networks. The word “semantic” means language and can help FinTech organizations design more accurate customer fidelity models and personas based on the relevant intent levels.Source – https://www.uipath.com/According to blueprism.com, financial services companies that have invested in intelligent automation have witnessed significant increases in their productivity rates, an improvement in their agility and resilience, higher accuracy and speed in areas like compliance, and better customer service. In fact, 87% of the respondents from the research have experienced digital acceleration in some way.The benefits of semantic automation are manifold: it helps companies gain insight into their customer base; it reduces costs by automating repetitive tasks; it increases productivity as humans can automate repetitive tasks so that the ones that are more critical in nature can be offered more attention.So, let’s unravel how semantic AI benefits FinTech companies:1. Cost OptimizationSemantic automation can help you to reduce costs and increase efficiency. For example, it helps you to reduce the cost of compliance.Approximately 75-80% of transactional operations, such as general accounting and payment processing, and up to 40% of strategic operations, such as financial controlling and reporting, financial planning and analysis, and treasury, are expected to be automated over the next ten years, depicts research by McKinsey & Company. AI can also increase the global banking sector’s annual valuation by $1 trillion, primarily by reducing costs.Semantic automation also helps in reducing fraud, customer service, and other operations by automating them through data analysis and machine learning algorithms that are powered by AI machines such as IBM Watson, Google Assistant, etc.2. Transfers Extensive Analog Processes to DigitalSemantic automation facilitates the process of converting analog data into digital data.Semantic automation allows us to transfer our existing processes into a new software system by using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies like deep learning and neural networks, etc., to automate manual tasks.Digital transformation is changing the way business is done. Businesses that have adopted digital transformation have seen significant improvements in performance, efficiency, and cost savings.These benefits are typically achieved with the help of automation.Semantic automation transfers extensive analog processes to digital platforms by using existing manual systems to create new digital solutions. It has many benefits, including:Reducing errors or riskImproving efficiencyImproving quality & security3. Semantic Automation Powers RegTech & InsurTechSemantic automation is a process that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to understand the meaning of data. This understanding allows for the automation of tasks that would otherwise require human input. In the world of RegTech and InsurTech, semantic automation is used to power a number of different processes.One of the ways semantic automation is used in these industries is to help with regulatory compliance. Semantic automation can help identify and track important information that needs to be reported to regulators. The data comprehension abilities can save companies time and money as they no longer must spend resources manually gathering and tracking this data.Semantic automation is also used in risk management. By understanding the risks associated with certain activities, semantic automation can help companies make better decisions about protecting themselves from potential losses. Additionally, semantic automation can be used in underwriting to help identify risk factors and calculate premiums accordingly.Finally, semantic automation is often used in customer service applications. By understanding the meaning of customer inquiries, semantic automation can provide better customer support by automatically routing inquiries to the right person or department. Additionally, semantic automation can be used to create knowledge bases that contain information about commonly asked questions and their answers. These knowledge bases can help customer service representatives provide better support by giving them access to relevant information to the customer’s inquiry.4. Semantic AI is Revamping the Banking SectorSemantic AI is revamping banking and helping banks provide more personalized services. It’s transforming how banks do business by making it easier for them to understand their customers and make better decisions based on that knowledge.Some of the benefits of Semantic AI include:Improved customer service due to more personalized recommendations and offers.Increased efficiency as a result of automating previously manual tasks.Enhanced security as systems become better equipped to identify and prevent fraud; andGreater insights into customer behavior can help banks improve their products and services.For example, using a technology called the knowledge graph, which is employed by tech behemoths like Amazon, Google, and Apple, it’s possible to connect several databases into one cohesive whole where information can be searched across those sources to deliver personalized experiences for each individual user—and all without requiring any human intervention.5. Augments Your Digital Workforce to Empathize, Collaborate, Network & CreateOf course, the most apparent benefit of semantic automation is that it can help you to augment your digital workforce. For example, software and systems are programmed to take on multiple business functions and perform them without human intervention. For example, one program could be responsible for managing customer relationship management (CRM), while another could handle sales lead generation through social media campaigns or email marketing campaigns.Semantic automation also allows companies to scale their workforce as needed by using AI-powered bots instead of hiring new workers every time there’s an increase in demand for labor within their business model.6. Systematically Integrating & Automating End-to-End FinTech OperationsSemantic automation leverages machine learning and AI to automate tasks that humans can do. It’s a great way to streamline your end-to-end FinTech operations, including:Helping you increase customer satisfaction with your servicesImproving the quality of your dataMaking it easier for you to scale up without having to hire more people7. Data-Driven Approach to Improve Customer ExperienceA data-driven strategy is unavertable to improve the quality of services.Semantic AI is a technology that uses machine learning models to analyze data. Semantic AI can help businesses improve customer experience by decrypting diverse data points. For example, Semantic AI can identify customer sentiment from social media data and use this information to improve customer service.Semantic AI can also use data to create personalized recommendations for customers. By understanding a customer’s preferences and past interactions, Semantic AI can recommend products or services that interest the customers more. This approach can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.Overall, Semantic AI can use data to understand customers and their needs better. This understanding leads to improved customer experiences and ultimately increased profits for businesses.8. Securing Services with Better Fraud ManagementSecurity is a top priority for financial services. Consequently, the rise of new regulations and data protection regulations such as GDPR has become the norm, which facilitates companies to protect customer data and avoid its misuse for purposes other than those stated in their privacy policies.Semantic AI secures FinTech services with better fraud management by understanding the meaning and context of data, calling for more accurate identification of fraudulent patterns and potential threats. Additionally, Semantic AI can help to automate the process of fraud detection and prevention. By analyzing data as it comes in, Semantic AI can identify suspicious activity and alert FinTech employees to take appropriate action. As a result, Semantic AI can help to keep FinTech services safe and secure from fraudsters.Not only semantic automation improves security, but it also improves customer experience. A semantic technology system will help you build a better and more secure model using external data sources such as social media posts or emails sent through multiple channels. It also allows you to scale your business quickly across omnichannel, as it does not require any changes in existing systems but instead works alongside them so that they become more intelligent over time.Wrap upSemantic AI is a big deal, and it will only get bigger. It’s already being used by companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook to power their services. But what should a FinTech company do to leverage semantic AI?The answer lies in building an intelligent system that can understand your customers’ or users’ needs better than you do—and then delivering them with the right product or service at the right time. If you’re not doing this now, start looking at how your competitors are doing it; if they have figured out how to do it (well enough for their own benefit), there’s already evidence and a pragmatic roadmap for you to get started.Semantic automation can help you scale your FinTech services by automating the process of understanding and extracting meaningful insights from data. The technique allows you to keep up with the ever-growing demand for data-driven services and to stay competitive in a digital-first world.The future of semantic AI looks very promising. With the rise of big data and the internet of things, there is an increasing demand for services that can make sense of all this data. Semantic AI is well-equipped to handle this challenge, and we expect to see many more innovative FinTech applications utilizing semantic automation in the future.At Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies), we have over 320+ FinTech engineers with 8+ years of experience delivering cutting-edge FinTech services. Best practices and time-tested methodologies drive our DevOps teams so that you can be assured of end-to-end, high-quality FinTech services. Supercharge your FinTech ecosystem with AI; contact Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies) for full-stack FinTech services.

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How-to Build a Remarkable Data Storage in a Cloud-Native Environment

Data storage is one of the most important aspects of any IT infrastructure, and cloud-native environments are no different.47% of enterprises cite data growth as one of their top three challenges.Managing storage growth is the dominant pain point for 79% of IT professionals.Data storage requirements are growing at 40% per year.Cloud-native environments are quickly becoming the go-to choice for corporations of all sizes regarding scalability, flexibility, and cost savings. And yet, with these opportunities come unique challenges such as security, governance, and integration that need to be managed effectively to get the most out of the platform–especially when working with mission-critical data.If you’re an IT professional or leader in the cloud-native environment, you’ve had to confront the data storage issue. Finding a robust and reliable solution for storing your important business assets can be challenging and time-consuming – but it doesn’t have to be.In this article, we’ll share our know-how on creating and managing a unique data storage system that will serve your enterprise needs now and into the future. So, stick around–you’ll leave equipped with knowledge on how to build your own robust environment and tips for getting past those common kinks so that nothing gets in the way of achieving success!Be Honest About Your Data Storage RequirementsDefining the requirements for your data storage is an important part of maintaining a secure and efficient system. Source : TechTargetThe process begins with identifying the types of data that need to be stored, ranging from structured or unstructured information such as customer records, financial transaction records, confidential documents, or any other form of digital information. Once the data type has been identified, it is necessary to consider what techniques or systems should be used for storage and processing. These could include cloud-based solutions, on-premises hardware, virtualization technology, or software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.Forrester estimates that storage capacity requirements are growingat a rate of between 15% and 25% per year.You also need to consider the size and complexity of your data. Smaller datasets can be stored in traditional relational databases like MySQL, while larger datasets may require a more sophisticated solution such as Apache Cassandra or Google Cloud Bigtable. Next, you’ll need to consider how often your data will be accessed and whether it needs to be accessed from multiple locations. A distributed storage solution such as Apache Cassandra may be the best option if your data is updated regularly and needs to be available from various places.Planning and Designing Your Data Storage InfrastructurePlanning and Designing Your Data Storage Infrastructure is critical for any organization. To ensure that data is appropriately stored, secure, and accessible, organizations must create an infrastructure that meets their needs. You’ve got to get creative when planning and designing your data storage infrastructure. How do you maximize performance while creating secure backup? You’ll want a balance of cost-effectiveness and storage capacity. But no worries – with some preparation and technology prowess, you can create an infrastructure that works for you. After all, multiple types of data must always be available quickly and safely for your business to operate optimally.When planning the architecture of your data storage system, here are some questions to ask yourself:How Often Do I Need to Access My Data?38% of public cloud storage users keep inactive data in the cloud.It’s important to consider the frequency at which you need to access the data and its sensitivity and criticality. If the data is highly sensitive or mission-critical, it is recommended that regular backups are made and stored in a secure location with frequent updates. Operational purposes data should be stored in an easily accessible format so it can be accessed quickly and regularly. Lastly, if you need to access your data infrequently, then long-term archiving solutions should be put into place to store your data securely while minimizing any retrieval time associated with accessing the information when needed.What are my Security and Scalability Requirements?This includes choosing the appropriate hardware and software solutions and developing a network architecture that ensures effective communication between computing resources. Additionally, organizations must consider security protocols that suit their environment to protect their data from unauthorized access or misuse. Organizations should also consider future scalability when designing their data storage infrastructure to accommodate increased demand should it arise.Which Service Provider Should I choose?The next step in planning and designing your data storage infrastructure involves selecting one or more service models depending on the organization’s needs and budget restrictions. Examples of service models include public cloud computing services such as Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure; virtual private cloud (VPC) services; private cloud services such as OpenStack; or hybrid cloud services, which combine public cloud resources with existing internal IT infrastructures to meet specific organizational goals. Source : TechTargetSo, roll up your sleeves and get ready for intelligent system tweaking – now is the time to create an optimized data storage infrastructure!Securing Your Data Storage InfrastructureAt the heart of any effective plan for securing data storage infrastructure is understanding the different types of threats that can affect an organization’s data assets. These may include external attackers, malware, ransomware, internal users with malicious intent, or even natural disasters or accidents such as fires or floods. Understanding the different threat scenarios allows organizations to develop a tailored security plan that specifically addresses each type of risk. Source : TechTargetEncrypt Data at Rest and in MotionData encryption is a vital component of any secure data storage infrastructure. Encryption algorithms are used to scramble the contents of a file or database so that it cannot be read without having the appropriate decryption key. This protects against malicious actors trying to gain access to sensitive information by bypassing authentication protocols and gaining unauthorized access to data files.Additionally, encryption can help prevent accidental leakage of confidential information by ensuring that if it does make its way out into the public domain, it is unreadable and, therefore, useless to attackers.Protect Sensitive Data Against LeakageIT teams should adopt a data loss prevention (DLP) system to detect the unauthorized transmission of confidential information such as customer records, financial data, intellectual property, or other proprietary information. The system can be configured to recognize patterns in data transfers and alert administrators if it detects any potential threats. The system can also be configured to prevent the transfer of sensitive data by blocking specific websites or emails containing suspicious content.Implement Authentication SystemsAuthentication systems are also critical for protecting stored data assets. Authentication protocols require users attempting access to enter credentials such as usernames and passwords to prove their identity before being allowed access to sensitive information. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) takes this process further by requiring additional forms of identification, such as biometric scans or token codes, in addition to traditional username/password combinations, for greater levels of protection against potential intruders attempting access with stolen credentials.Install Physical SecurityIt’s also essential for organizations to implement physical security measures around their data storage infrastructure to protect against unauthorized entry into restricted areas where sensitive information is housed. This could include controlling access using card readers and CCTV surveillance systems, using reinforced locks on server equipment cabinets, and designating specific personnel with authorized clearance levels required for accessing certain resources within the network environment.Data storage is only as secure as its weakest link, so knowing where those weak points are will give you confidence in your project in the future. Stepping back and defining the rules of engagement for data security and overall data storage may sound like it could be more entertaining, but it will save you time (and money!) in the long run.Creating a Cloud-Native Data Storage InfrastructureIf you’re ready to get serious about your data storage infrastructure, it’s time to buckle down and roll up your sleeves. It won’t happen in a snap, but don’t worry — before you know it, you’ll be ready to store enormous amounts of data without having to worry about buffering or bandwidth issues. After all, who says infrastructure building can’t be fun? Enjoy the process as you schmeer some technology glue around and put together the pieces to make your storage dreams come true!For a cloud-native environment, you’ll need to use open-source tools like Apache Cassandra and ZooKeeper. Apache Cassandra is a distributed NoSQL database that is well-suited for storing large amounts of data in a highly available manner. Here are some of the steps involved in creating a cloud-native data storage system:Start by selecting the desired cloud storage technology for your data. This can include block, object, or file storage options such as Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage and Rackspace Cloud Files. Once you have chosen the storage system that best fits your application requirements, you will need to configure it with your cloud environment.Create a secure connection between your on-premises resources and the cloud storage service by setting up a virtual private cloud (VPC) or configuring a public IP address. Configure Network Access Control Lists (ACLs) to restrict access to specific IP addresses and ports to ensure that data is transferred over a secure network connection.Set up the necessary authorization settings to ensure that only authorized users can access the data stored in the cloud.This might involve setting up user accounts with different permission levels or using identity management solutions like Active Directory or LDAP for authentication and authorization purposes.Design an architecture suitable for storing large amounts of data in the cloudwhile also considering scalability needs to handle future increases in demand. Depending on the type of data being stored and its size, different databases may be required, such as NoSQL databases like MongoDB or relational databases like Oracle Database Exadata Cloud Service.Set up an automated backup process for regularly backing up valuable data stored in the cloud to be easily recovered in case of disaster or other unexpected events. Data synchronization should also be used to keep multiple data sets updated with any changes made in real time across different regions and locations worldwide, ensuring high availability and reliability.Monitor usage regularly to measure performance levels and identify potential problems associated with storage capacity constraints or latency issues caused by variations in network traffic conditions across different regions/locations worldwide, where applicable. You should also monitor security threats from malicious actors trying to gain unauthorized access to your cloud service.Finally, it would be best if you implemented complex security measures such as encryption at rest, encryption of network traffic, user authentication, key management, vulnerability scanning, patching, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), etc., to protect valuable data stored within your cloud environment as well as any administrative activities are done by users/administrators who manage it.Maintaining and Troubleshooting Your Data Storage InfrastructureMaintaining and troubleshooting your data storage infrastructure is like playing a real-life game of Jenga: one wrong move and everything comes tumbling down. Constant savvy monitoring and preventive maintenance are crucial to ensuring that your data storage infrastructure remains stable and secure. Put yourself in the driver’s seat by establishing preventative care plans that include regular system health checks and tests, firmware updates, configuration changes, etc. Keep it running smoothly with reliable and tested backup solutions. If a problem occurs, the show must go on! Respond quickly and proactively to keep those pesky computer bugs at bay while minimizing downtime so there will be no tears when you come to take away their toys!Maintaining and troubleshooting data storage infrastructure requires a suite of technology solutions to keep the system performing optimally and detect and address any problems that may arise. The most common technologies used for this purpose are RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), SAN (Storage Area Network) systems, NAS (Network Attached Storage) systems, and backup software.RAIDRAID is typically used as a form of data redundancy to ensure data availability if one or more disks fail. It works by writing the same data to multiple drives in parallel, ensuring that the other drives will still have the required information even if a drive fails. Different RAID levels can be used to optimize performance and provide varying levels of protection; these include RAID 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.Storage Area NetworkSANs are also commonly used for highly available storage networks due to their ability to separate physical hardware from logical partitions/volumes. They allow administrators to configure different types of virtualized storage across multiple disk arrays without requiring them to move physical hard disks. Additionally, this type of system provides high scalability because it allows for shared access across various hosts without reconfiguring anything else on the network.Network Attached StorageIn many respects, NAS systems are similar to SANs; however, they are designed explicitly for file-level access over local area networks rather than block-level access over wide area networks. This solution is usually preferred when storing larger files, such as multimedia or virtual machine images that require high throughput speeds. It is also beneficial when dealing with more users who simultaneously need access to the same files over a LAN or WAN connection.Backup SolutionsFinally, backup software is essential for keeping an up-to-date copy of all stored data should disaster strike and make it impossible for users or administrators to access it directly from its native location on the network. Many backup solutions are available these days that offer incremental backups as well as complete system restores; these solutions often include cloud-based options, which further increase reliability since it ensures that copies of your data will be kept offsite at remote locations in case something happens locally that renders your primary storage inaccessible or destroyed altogether.Wrap UpNow that we’ve gone through phases of data storage requirements, planning, designing, building, and maintaining, you should have a much better understanding of how to approach this important task for your business. Remember that choosing the right solution for your needs is critical to ensure optimal performance and accessibility to your data.Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies)’ Managed Storage Services enable your IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives while our engineers meet your end-to-end storage demands. The experts at Aziro (formerly MSys Technologies) can help your business to simplify complex and heterogeneous storage environments. Our scalable data storage infrastructure ensures that your company has the winning edge over your competitors.Contact us to help you find the best solution for your Data Storage needs.

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Aziro Predictions 2022: AI/ML to Disrupt SNVC Space as DevOps Specialization and Metaverse Play Their Part

The drive for progress in Information Technology (IT) for the year 2022 will emerge from the anxieties churned up by 2020 and 2021. No matter what plans and vision accompanied us as we entered this decade, things have uniformly aligned themselves to a single human goal – Sustainability. This is the umbrella under which our experts from various technology fields have predicted the course for 2022. The preamble is majorly centered on – Security, Decision Intelligence, Global accessibility, and Work-strength. 1. Storage 1.1 Storage Sustenance to Find Data Protection and Storage Security at its Core If there was one lesson that 2021 rather harshly taught the IT world it was to never underestimate the cyber attackers. Failing to keep up with their creativity, 2021 saw many major businesses falling prey to Ransomware attacks, or worse, supply-chain attacks. Every incident was heavier on the wallet than the last one. Therefore, while Storage sustenance is touching upon newer avenues, 2022 will see a better investment in security and protection of storage systems and backup infrastructures. Cyberattacks already seem to have found vulnerabilities in Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Intrusion Detection tools which is working in favor of their easy evasion. Therefore, 2022 will initiate a long-term collaboration between security and IT teams. AI/ML will play a major role in working out automated security and vulnerability detection solutions along with faster threat remediation. Solutions like XDR (Extended Detection & Response), SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response) and multifaceted security infrastructures are highly awaited this year. 1.2 Decentralized Cloud Storage Amped Up To Take the Reins The world was forced to explore remote accessibility and now turning back doesn’t seem a popular choice. With Cloud computing at an all-time peak, organizations don’t want their storage ecosystems to stay behind. Software-Defined Storage has already proved its mettle for flexible and automation savvy storage. DevOps experts also seem to heavily favor the hybrid cloud infrastructures because of eliminated vendor lock-ins and application portability. This means that 2022 is all set to welcome Cloud Storage backed with Software-Defined Storage to take up the center stage in data persistence. Open-standards based decentralized storage systems would come forward to leverage physical and virtualized resources and interoperable containerized platform making data management easier and more business-friendly than ever. 2. Networking 2.1 AI-Driven Network Automation For Secure Remote Accessibility The radical breakthroughs in Networking are more in terms of extending the capabilities of Software-Defined WANs (SD-WAN) to make the network more automation friendly. AI-driven network resources and wireless innovations seem to assert their position as key players in the networking domain for 2022. Design intent metadata metrics, domain-specific actionable ML, and virtual network assistants are likely to latch on to the network edge and make their way into the mainstream. As the network edge undergoes a more distributed fidelity for their employees, the organizations are keenly seeking networking solutions that are easily manageable but uncompromising when it comes to security. Anti-Malware and Firewall solutions will also attract more resource investment for more reliable and breach-proof networks. 2.2 Cloud-Managed Networking Architectures and AIOps While secure accessibility goes beyond than just testing the AI waters, Cloud infrastructure is vigorously keeping up too. Cloud-managed networking utilities will continue to grow in 2022 and so will the ease of client telemetry and infrastructure maintenance. The adoption of AIOps has the digital transformation streets paved for it with a rolled-out carpet leading towards network troubleshooting, client behavior visibility, global network optimization, and enhanced wireless user experience. 3. Virtualization 3.1 Metaverse and Industry Virtualization Thanks to virtualization the global economy was able to manage one of its most drastic derailments in a slightly better way. 2020 and 2021 had the workforces locked inside their homes and only the organizations that had their digital accessibility resources in place could possibly push for business continuity. Thus, the virtualization trends that might’ve taken a better half of this decade to be fully implemented already seem to be a part of day-to-day work culture in most of the modern organizations. 2022 would carry on these trends further with technologies like the “Metaverse” already in place. With VR datafication based feedback systems and immersive simulations testing waters for better customer experience this year is sure to lay the foundation for long-term industry virtualization solutions. 3.2 Enhance Virtualization Performance with 5G Another aid that emerged in favor of speeding up the virtualization innovations was 5G wireless. Virtualization service providers couldn’t have asked for a better timing for 5G to turn up. 2022 would see organizations enjoy better network slicing, QoS, and Open API integration for network functions. The virtualized infrastructures would be able to stream and perform at better speeds while the DevOps teams leverage virtual and augmented storage, networking, and CI/CD resources for their innovative solutions. This is also a great news for Hybrid cloud infrastructure and AI-based solutions as now they can have a uniform playfield for public and private business clouds and datacenters to operate upon. Virtualization tools for cloud computing, configuration management, and application discovery management would be able to seamlessly manage the Kubernetes environments while enabling remote collaborations for hybrid workspaces. 4. Cloud 4.1 Encouraging Hybrid and Multi Clouds with Consolidated Security Platforms With 5G and AI enhancing our network and virtualization capabilities, Cloud platforms will also have to gear up against the cyber threats. 2022 will see the IT security teams and digital think tanks to come together and develop consolidated security platforms for multi-level security and minimal management complexities. While more and more organization are tempted to engage hybrid cloud and multi cloud environments, it would make sense for Security Service Edge (SSE) platforms to come out at the front and rise to the security challenges related to surface exposure, access management, and legacy infrastructure silos. Data security being of utmost priority, these consolidated security platforms would layout phase-wise security solutions to tackle the fresh cyber threats that created a menace in the yesteryear. 4.2 Flexible and Smart Cloud Migrations The reason organization are keen to move towards hybrid and multi cloud environments in the first place, is the promised flexibility. Therefore, in 2022, along with all the security work being done at its pace, organizations will also focus on more flexible cloud deployment models, and infrastructure optimization for more mature cloud capabilities. As a lot of organization may want to regulate the pace for their cloud migration and operation, hybrid clouds would be just the right fit. Companies will now be able to architect, optimize and streamline their cloud infrastructure offering better DevOps capabilities and digital transformation solutions to their customers. Moreover, here too AI/ML would be employed to incorporate the require automation for better management of cloud native services, data analytics, and business intelligence. 5. DevOps 5.1 Ease of DevOps with Low-Code and AI While DevSecOps and Shift Left will continue to grow and AIOps, as we discussed above, will make its way to mainstream market, 2022 will also see DevOps democratizing and demystifying software development. The Low Code practices will be encouraged for rapid innovations with shorter test cycles and quicker deployments through the CI/CD pipelines. Even the organization sceptical about AIOps or MLOps, would be willing to integrate varying extents of AI-enabled services into their agile development methodologies to eliminate downtimes, quick troubleshoots, and faster change management workflow. As see above, with better datacentre and cloud capabilities, DevOps team would find more space to enable data-driven business intelligence and improved operational metrics for people, technology and execution. 5.2 DevOps Specializations Ahead We have discussed AIOps and DevSecOps so far but these aren’t the only specializations that DevOps would explore this year. Most of the organization already have basic DevOps machinery in place and therefore with all the developments in cloud and datacentre technology, will be able to work on specializing DevOps for their needs. SRE, CloudOps, and DataOps would be a few important names that the companies would be keen to adopt in 2022. DevOps teams would start edging toward more specialised data and intelligence needs to streamline more business oriented processes for their organizations. Such specialization cannot be limited to just DevOps process but would also affect the DevOps teams that would incorporate new divisions and roles to accommodate their specialized DevOps needs. For instance SRE engineers would be required by DevOps pipelines that require better recovery processes in places while DataOps would be more keen to hire data analysts and specific developers with experience in developing data-driven solutions. Moreover, with its increasing popularity, GitOps might be a game changer in 2022 by engaging microservices development for better developer platform strategies, deployment processes and network utilization. 6. Kubernetes and Infrastructure Automation 6.1 Closing the gap between Kubernetes and Cloud-Native SaaS and Containerization are ascending towards their prime and Kubernetes seems to be all the push they need. In 2022 organizations will be keen to make this push more cost-optimized by bringing Kubernetes and cloud-native development closer than ever. Containerization being the key, Kubernetes will aid cloud-native DevOps to integrate with more futuristic technologies like AWS lambda, Service Mesh and Azure Functions. This is a happy news for infrastructure management that seems to be weighing light on either abstraction or security over the past few years. In 2022, organizations won’t have to make a choice and they can see their flexible could environments working in a better synergy with Kubernetes. 6.2 Infrastructure Automation With Kubernetes and Cloud-Native gaining upon their friendship, Infrastructure automation would be happy to venture upon fresher avenues in 2022. Containerization and hybrid cloud flexibility would allow infrastructure virtualization to be more agreeable with intelligent data-driven and ML-based tools allowing for automated infrastructure management. Technologies like Internet of Things, Infrastructure as a Service, Software Defined storage would have all the right catalysts in 2022 to bring about the change reaction for more autonomous risk analysis, downtime troubleshooting and intelligent container orchestration. 7. QA 7.1 Data-Driven, Intelligent QA Automation QA automation already has some of its processes like Continuous Testing and RPA testing in place and they will continue to grow in 2022 as well. What seems like a remarkable trend for 2022 QA is the data-driven approach that it’s edging towards. QA engineers will loop in some data-driven tools to monitor and act upon critical quality indicators for a more targeted test automation and optimization throughout the DevOps pipeline. Again, Artificial Intelligence will have a major role to play here especially with all the momentum it will build up with specialized DevOps and automated infrastructures. In 2022, companies across scales and sizes will be willing to incorporate AI into the creation of automated QA scripts, test prioritization, test environment management, and early prediction of issues. Therefore, an end-to-end integration of QA and AI resources would not only result in lower delivery time and defect detection, but a more secure testing process owing to the transparency and continuous monitoring capabilities it will provide. 8. UI/UX 8.1 Virtualization and UI/UX grow together We talked about Metaverse and its effects on Virtualization. 2022 will also see Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) having similar effects on UI/UX innovations. Many giant organization have already been setting up consolidated XR hubs for such innovations where augmented environments and simulations can be deployed to incorporate feedbacks from the end-users. Such User Experience avenues will extend much beyond this decade but 2022 will be the year to lay down the foundation stone especially with regards to minimizing UI complexity and integrating multi-faceted interfaces for the ease of use. 8.2 Reusable Design Libraries The stay at home services have also forced the UI/UX thought leaders to set up a design system that enables engineers to develop proactive libraries for easily reusable design templates based on user feedback. Such a systems is essential for rapid UI changes that are heavily required now more than ever. Especially with the pace at which the “Metaverse” is expected to move ahead, such reusable libraries would ease the extension of UI to multiple devices, varying resolutions and at the end a comfortable experience to the end-user. 9. Artificial Intelligence (AI) 9.1 Double-down on AI Inside Artificial Intelligence in 2022 will thrive deeper into more traditional markets as more and more enterprises leap towards digital transformation. The more “AI inside” platforms will emerge as organization strive to narrow the latency between insights, decisions, and outcomes. 9.2 Responsible AI will become the norm In 2022, we expect the demand for responsible AI solutions to extend past their regular industries to other verticals using artificial intelligence for critical business operations. Its high time AI/ML vendors had their chance to explore newer specializations and 2022 seems the perfect year to start that journey with interpretability, bias detection, and model lineage capabilities already making their way to mainstream digital market. 9.3 Creative AI will win several patents This AI reached South Africa for its first patent in the country. A privilege that was reserved for Humans so far, especially in EU and US, was finally extended to an Artificially Intelligent System. This means that 2022 is going to be a big leap for creative AI systems especially in terms of legal recognition and mainstream opportunities. 10. Dashboard and Data Analytics 10.1 Natural Language Querying for Data Visualisation Dashboards have been efficiently helping organizations to put in their data analytics, UI/UX, and Microservices skills together among other for a clean and insightful surface visibility. Therefore, taking their capabilities a step further, Natural Language Querying (NLQ) would enhance their ease of use with an obviously easy interface. This is a good news for both business leaders and the BI professionals working tirelessly at the backend to ensure insightful data visualization on-demand. 2022 would see notable development in this direction making NLQ and Data I synergize for a never seen before branch of Dashboard innovation. NLQ-based Dashboard will be able to proactively train for instructions while gradually adapting to the key user delivery for an even better data insights and actionable intelligence. 10.2 Higher Adoption of Business Intelligence Tools Business Intelligence tools themselves have been moving at a rather slower pace than expected. However, the events of 2020 and 2021 and the need for better business continuity resources has motivated different industries including retail and manufacturing to actively look for suitable BI tools and technologies in the coming years. Predictive Data Analytics is being vehemently explored for its promises to mine the business data and optimize the business processes as per the market needs. If nothing else, predictive analysis itself would spend the tenure of 2022 finding its way into various digital transformation projects and integrating with various BI tools. The critical variable would be the ease with which the users from minimal to no technology background can operate on such tools for decision-worthy insights and reports. 11. Fintech 11.1 Modernizing the Finances Fintech is in for a pretty happening time starting this year. There’s embedded solutions like in-built payment gateways that are already integrating with the traditional finance platforms for better customer experience. Then there are the pay-later solutions that a lot of tech giants are already offering. But the spotlight still seems to be fixed upon Crypto and NFTs that are going through an adventure of their lifetime. Blockchain technology has already had heads turned in the past few years, but the traditional institutions are now looking upon drawing suitable derivations from the existing crypto technologies. Traditional stock exchange firms are looking upon harbouring the time optimization and ease of use and security offered by blockchain to accelerate asset transfers, investments and transactions. With the innovations emerging in data analytics and better Fintech resources, organizations are also looking to enable better fraud detection and reliable customer experience. 12. On-Demand Talent Acquisition 12.1 Flexibility will drive acquisition and retention amid the Great Reshuffle While the “great reshuffle” baffled a lot of companies, talent acquisition and retention was bearing a big question mark in the yesteryear. Therefore, 2022 would see some big workplace policy changes for a better talent pool maintenance. Along with hybrid work models, on-demand hiring would be a more welcome option for organizations that are now looking for flexible workforce to serve their end-clients. On-demand acquisition would be the most flexible option for both the employer as well as the workforce owing to its promises of better upskilling opportunities and optimized costs and time management. This is also a good news for internal mobility programs where the talent resources would get to work on a wider domain for technologies while the organizations get to leverage their skills in a much productive way. 13. Quantum Computing and RPA 13.1 Quantum Computing to the Rescue In 2022, we predict that several organizations making quantum computers will double their QCs’ quantum volume—the number and reliability of the quantum bits available for computation—from what it was in 2021. Restrained only by the laws of physics, quantum computing will potentially extend Moore’s Law into the next decade. As the commercialized version of quantum computing comes within our range, breakthroughs will occur at a speedy rate. More and more enterprises will utilize these larger quantum computers to resolve real-world issues. They will unite experts, choose exciting and valuable use cases, survey the academic literature, and pick problems they want to tackle. The quantum model is expected to evolve more in terms of size and performance as per the scale of these use cases. 13.2 Data Safety Paramount for RPA RPA will move ahead of the initiation phase, which it has been lurking in all this while now. In 2022, RPA will explore more use cases that would help augment overall business operations. With better optimization through RPA, enterprises will have rich data sets to get critical insights. But, the focus will largely remain in ensuring that security architecture surrounding the operations meets the most rigorous industry standards. This is to safeguard data from hackers and identity thieves for sectors like FinTech and healthcare and consumer. 14. Cybersecurity and Blockchain 14.1 Proactive prevention of threats will change in regards to the present data Data on threats was always available previously, just that the proactive prevention methods weren’t workable earlier. However, this will change in 2022 due to the implementation of cybersecurity threats all over the world. More businesses are increasingly adopting analytical techniques like machine learning to deal with cybercrimes and threats to prevent from further damage. Most of these organizations will opt to hire professionals. 14.2 Blockchain Technology For Secure Interactions 2022 is going to be the year when blockchain is accepted with open arms even by the traditional and more sceptical players in industries like Fintech. Its vast compatibility with IoT (internet of Things) and secure interaction among different systems makes it just the right contender for existing security and accessibility challenges. A lot of Blockcahin pilot project will be initiated owing to its promise of helping resolve issues around security and scalability due to its encrypted, automated, and stable nature. We might need to travel a little further before it starts impacting our day-to-day lives, but 2022 will be the year when we’ll look back to see where it all started. 15. Virtual and augmented reality 15.1 Use of artificial intelligence (AI) into the AR/VR environment Global Enterprises and ISVs are already impressed by the little offering from AI and Virtual Reality that they got to enjoy so far. The gateways to more disruptive AR/VR solutions in the market are now open with a red carpet. They’ll look at how progressive machine learning algorithms and other AI approaches can assist computers and other gadgets to observe and understand things efficiently. As a result, highly engaging workplaces and improved picture recognition abilities will develop. Conclusions The 20’s are going to be an important decade in deciding the relationship between the man and the machine. While Storage, Networking and Cloud are all concerned about security before anything else but the promises or AI/ML and Blockchain are lucrative enough to allow them some space for exploring new industrial innovation and digital transformation opportunities. Moreover, with the Metaverse turning heads, it’s only a matter of time before our on-demand talent for Data Analytics, DevOps, UI/UX etc. is pushed to re-skill for some completely unheard of avenues in the digital industry. With the world coming back to track after a big halt, 2022 will catalyze a lot of long term chain reactions that would go on to entirely change the face of IT and business for the coming decades.

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NVMe and Cloud Storage: The Fellowship Entrusted With The Powerful IoT

The journey of Mordor was never for the incautious. The all-powerful and omniscient Eye of Sauron could wreak havoc in split seconds, and fast decisions were to be made at that granularity. That is why Frodo Baggins, instead of going all alone, was accompanied by Samwise Gamgee, who stood up against all odds to make their journey worthwhile. If you’re wondering why an article about the Internet of Things lays out the plot for J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, have faith because it will be worth it. Amidst his complex yet fantastic universe, Tolkien offered us a pearl of essential wisdom – Two is not just company, two is a team. Internet of Things has just begun unfolding its life-changing features. The smart speakers and the wifi-operated home devices are just the introductions to the disruptive changes that IoT would bring for the digital age. We’re talking complex surgeries, sensitive gas pipelines, air traffic control, and much, much more. Sooner or later, industries would be readily accepting IoT for its unparalleled offerings. This is possibly why the IDC report suggests that by 2025 an average connected person would be practically engaged in one interaction with an IoT device every 18 seconds! Therefore, the IoT data, which is most crucial for such far-reaching implications, cannot be left to be minded by just a singular storage and data management infrastructure. We need a Sam for when Frodo can no longer operate coherently. Fellowship for the ‘Things’ Based on the presently available scope for the Internet of Things, we have two main concerns regarding Data Management. Latency – As the performance granularity gets down to milliseconds, we would need as low latency as possible. The slightest delay in the decision, and we might find ourselves dealing with a global crisis. Durability – While scalable performance is indispensable, we would also need a durable infrastructure that could store the massive amounts of data (we’re easily talking zettabytes here) Cloud Storage is a powerful storage infrastructure for scalable data processing and persistence. However, the intense data processing situations that the IoT networks would be working with may cause network congestions while interacting with the clouds. This may lead to unaffordable delays, not to mention the risk for Stuxnet-level cyberattacks. On the other hand, the NVMe-based edge computing can easily interact with the IoT sensors and processors and provide them the required latency, but it would be a nightmare if chosen for ultimate data persistence. Alone, either of the architectures would ridiculously fail to serve the glorious purpose of IoT. However, together these two can provide the best ecosystem for Industrial Revolution 4.0. The Symbiotic Architecture The collection, management, and response of the data in real-time are all that IoT is about. In addition to that, we would also need a powerful architecture to make system-wide actions as and when needed. These are the grounds that project the necessity for the Cloud-Edge interdependence we talked about earlier. Cloud Storage, with its global connectivity and peer-to-peer architecture, can easily deploy high-volume data objects at the edge locations. Similarly, the NVMe-based edge devices can collect real-time actionable data from the IoT network and dump them on the cloud at regular intervals. We will now breakdown the utility of the system Data Collection The actionable data will be generated by devices like sensors that would essentially observe the behaviors like air traffic or pressure in gas pipelines. Such data cannot be trusted with the cloud because of network security and latency risks. Therefore the NVMe-edge layer would provide the necessary data collection hub with the required speed and scalability needed to make real-time decisions. With advantages like multipath I/O, multi-stream writes, and asynchronous events capture, NVMe serves as the best option for edge data collection and processing with just the right precision and efficiency. This architecture can also serve as temporary storage for the collected data before it is dumped at a more permanent location. Data Persistence Even if the cloud storage cannot provide the extreme processing speed and precision required by the IoT devices, it will still be needed to store the humongous data volumes that would be collected at the edge. Moreover, object storage is known for its scalability, durability, and availability. This means that once the data object are stored on the cloud, they can be computed for more long-term analysis and behaviors that would help the industries predict and avert macro-level threats and inconsistencies. The cloud architecture promises higher protection standards for the data owing to its backup automation and data recovery advantages. Data Visibility Finally, the analyzed data needs to be visualized and presented in structures that would help the organizations make important decisions for ongoing and future projects. For this, we would need a dashboard both at the edge as well as cloud networks. At the edge, the dashboards would ensure the autonomy of the IoT devices by taking appropriate actions in real-time. While at the cloud level, we can trust the dashboard to help us with system-wide alerts, important notifications, distributed data structures, and global data visibility. Final Thoughts As per a report, the global IoT market is almost certain to reach higher than US$13 billion by 2026. Even during the pandemic, we saw the inefficiency of healthcare infrastructure that can only be handled with technologies like Edge computing. Therefore, we need to start working towards an end-to-end architecture for incorporating the Internet of Things at the industrial level. This article aims at providing the basis for such architecture. One where different storage resources can come together to serve a greater purpose. Cloud storage and NVMe-based storage can be the Sam and Frodo we need for this arduous journey. Alone, they might not be enough, but together they can certainly defeat even the most powerful threats.

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How to Secure Your Application Layer in PaaS?

Do you know why several serverless and platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) services are favored today? The answer is because they eliminate several operational burdens and create budget efficiency. Though this sounds simple enough, when it comes to security, things can get a little complex.Companies make use of PaaS to streamline the development of application services, RESTful APIs, and all components that provide business logic. While some definitions involve traditional web hosting or a few elements of it in the PaaS bucket, from a security-oriented point of view, securing your PaaS use is closely tied to securing the underlying application supported by PaaS.To start with, your PaaS security checklist must include contractual negotiations with your provider and review and validation of the vendor environments and processes. This will also enable the vendor to identify your existing security models and security-relevant tools available to you.You must know that all cloud use cases require similar security precautions, and these are not unique to protecting PaaS. However, on top of these, IT security teams must focus equally on the application itself. This makes PaaS much more challenging to secure than any other cloud model.PaaS security strategies can vary from accommodating the business environment to business context to industry usage. However, here are a few PaaS security best practices that can be applied in almost every situation. Implementing these five steps can help to ensure that your applications are built and run safely in a cost-efficient way.Source – https://searchcloudsecurity.techtarget.com/Threat ModelingYour application security or PaaS must start with threat modeling. This systematic approach deconstructs your application design into multiple component parts and analyzes how these parts communicate through a cyber attacker’s eye. In assessing the application’s components and associated risks, threat modelers can map mitigation steps to remediate unknown vulnerabilities.Irrespective of which PaaS providers you are dealing with or for what purpose, building a well-organized threat model adds value. If required, your InfoSec team can update application security testing approaches to extend threat modeling to microservices and mesh architecture.Data Encryption at rest and in transitMost providers offering PaaS services either enable or require the client to encrypt data in transit. REST APIs, which interact making use of HTTPS as the transport, are the gold standard architectural style in application development, particularly in a cloud computing scenario. In contrast, “stored data” is less ubiquitously approached. Wherever possible, encrypt your stored data, irrespective of your customer data or configuration or session information. In PaaS, encrypting data at rest requires your security teams to embrace tools specific to the PaaS providers’ APIs.Finally, after encrypting the data at rest and in transit, you must pay sufficient attention to secrets management. This refers to the keys generated and used to implement at-rest encryption, as well as API tokens, passwords, and other artifacts that must be kept secure.Mapping and testing interactions across the business flowMaking use of multiple cloud service providers is no longer a rarity but the norm today. For instance, an enterprise can employ serverless at the edge for its A/B testing, AWS Lambda to execute business logic, Heroku to serve the UI, and more for different tasks. Therefore, creating and consistently updating a complete diagram of interactions is crucial. This process can support PaaS security best practice as threat modeling involves creating a data flow diagram to depict how components communicate.To ensure all elements are adequately covered during penetration testing, your InfoSec team must systematically test every component holistically and in isolation.Portability to Avoid Vendor Lock-inPaaS faces an unusual challenge because its supported features (security services, underlying APIs, and language choice) depend on the particular PaaS in use. For instance, one PaaS provider supports Java and Python, while another supports C#, Go, and JavaScript.PaaS consumers rarely can “drop in and replace” because of the underlying platform APIs. Therefore, it is necessary to use a language that is commonly supported across all providers. This helps in maximizing portability and minimizing vendor lock-in. Like Python, C#, and Java, frequently used languages are supported by all providers. Hence, it would be best to create wrappers around niche APIs to execute a layer of abstraction between an application or service and the underlying niche APIs. This indicates that, while changing providers, only one change needs to be made instead of making hundreds or thousands of changes.Advantage of Platform-specific Security FeaturesPaaS offerings are also different from each other in terms of the security features they provide. A user must understand what options are available and, wherever possible, it is imperative to enable them. Few PaaS platforms offer a web application firewall or application gateway that can be turned on to protect applications and services better. At the same time, others can offer improved logging and monitoring capacities. Here’s why InfoSec leaders must identify which security options are offered and then take advantage of them.Final ThoughtsA PaaS model requires an identity-centric security process that varies from enterprises’ strategies in traditional on premise data centers. Effective measures such as developing security into the applications, providing adequate internal and external protection, and monitoring and auditing the activities must be included in PaaS security approaches to win your war against the security risks. Evaluating the logs helps you to identify security vulnerabilities as well as improve opportunities. Ideally speaking, your InfoSec team must address any threat or vulnerability beforehand so that no attackers can see and exploit them.

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Decoding Disaster Recovery (DR) Scenarios in AWS

AWS is known to be a high-performance, scalable computing infrastructure, which more and more organizations are adapting to modernize their IT. However, one must be aware that no system is secure enough to ensure business continuity! Hence, you must have some kind of plan in place for your disaster recovery. With this article, we aim to discuss the top three Disaster Recovery scenarios that show the use of AWS:Backup and RestorePilot Light for Simple Recovery into AWSMulti-site SolutionAmazon Web Services (AWS) enables you to operate each of these three examples of DR strategies, and that too cost-effectively. However, it’s also essential to note that these are only examples of the potential approaches, but variations and combinations of these are also possible.Backup and RestoreIn most of the common environments, the data is usually backed up to tape and sent off-site on a regular basis. Also, using this method, the recovery time will be the longest. Amazon S3 is the perfect destination for backup data. It is designed to offer nearly 99.999999999% (11 9s) durability of objects over a year. Transferring data across Amazon S3 is mainly done through the network to make it accessible from any location. Numerous commercial and open-source backup solutions provide backup to Amazon S3. In addition, the AWS Import/Export service allows the transfer of vast data sets by just shipping storage devices directly to AWS.The AWS Storage Gateway service facilitates snapshots of on-premise data volumes to be copied transparently into Amazon S3 for backup. You can consequently create local volumes or AWS EBS volumes from these snapshots.For the systems that are operating on AWS, clients can also back up into Amazon S3. For example, snapshots of Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes and backups of Amazon RDS are stored in Amazon S3. Also, you can copy the files straight into Amazon S3 or choose to create backup files and copy them to Amazon S3. Numerous backup solutions store your backup data in Amazon S3, and these can also be used from Amazon EC2 systems.Figure 1: Data backup options to S3 from on-site infrastructure, or from AWS.Source – Disaster Recovery OverviewHowever, backing up the data is just half the story. The recovery of the data in a disaster scenario needs to be tested and achieved quickly and reliably. Clients must make sure that their systems are configured to appropriate retention of data, security of data, and have tested their data recovery processes.Figure 2: Restoration from S3 backups to AWS EC2Source – Disaster Recovery OverviewHere are some essential steps for backup and restore:Pick a suitable tool or approach to back up your data into AWS.Make sure that you have a proper retention policy in place for this data.Make sure that suitable security measures are taken for this data, involving encryption and access policies.Constantly test the recovery of this data and restoration of your system.Pilot Light for Faster Recovery into AWSThe word “Pilot light” came into picture from a “gas heater.” Imagine, a gas heater is a small idle flame that’s always on, which can instantly ignite the furnace to heat up a house as and when required. The backup and restore scenario is similar to this gas heater scenario. However, you must also make sure that the most critical core elements of your system are already configured and operating in AWS (the pilot light).Infrastructure components for the pilot light usually involve database servers, which can replicate data to Amazon EC2. Depending on the system, other crucial data outside the database must be replicated to AWS. This is the decisive core of the system (the pilot light) around which all other infrastructure elements in AWS can instantly be provisioned (the rest of the furnace) to restore the entire system.The ‘Pilot Light’ approach gives a quicker ‘Recovery Time’ than the “Backup and Restore” scenario mentioned above because the core sections of the system are already operating and are continuously kept up to date. However, there are still some installation and configuration tasks to recover the applications completely. AWS allows you to automate the provisioning and configuration of the infrastructure resources, which can be an essential benefit to save time and improve protection against human errors.Preparation PhaseHere are some essential points to remember during preparation phase:Set up your EC2 instances to mirror or replicate data.Make sure that all supporting customized software packages are available in AWS.Creating and Maintaining Amazon Machine Images (AMI) of key servers where faster recovery is needed.Continuously run these servers, test them, and implement any software updates and configuration modifications.Automate the provisioning of AWS resources.Figure 3: The preparation phase of Pilot Light.Source – Disaster Recovery OverviewRecovery PhaseIn the recovery phase of the Pilot light scenario, key points for recovery:Begin application EC2 instances from customized AMIs.Resize and/or scale any database/data store instances, where required.Modify DNS to point at the EC2 servers.Install and configure any non-AMI-driven systems, typically in an automated fashion.Figure 4: The recovery phase of the Pilot light.Source – Disaster Recovery OverviewMulti-Site Solution deployed on AWS and on-SiteA multi-site solution operates in AWS and on existing on-site infrastructure in an active-active configuration. The data replication approach that you should employ can be defined by the selected recovery point (RPO). Like Amazon Route 53, a weighted DNS service is employed to route production traffic to different sites. A portion of traffic will go to the infrastructure in AWS, and the rest goes to the on-site infrastructure.In case of an on-site disaster, you can modify the DNS weighting and send all traffic to the AWS servers. Thus, the capacity of the AWS service can be rapidly expanded to maintain the entire production load. EC2 Auto Scaling can be employed to automate this process. You might require some application logic to identify the failure of the primary database services and cut over to the parallel database services operating in AWS.The expense of this scenario is defined by the production traffic, which is handled by AWS in regular operation. In the recovery phase, you need to only pay for what you use in addition and for the duration that the Disaster Recovery environment is utilized at full scale. You can considerably reduce costs by purchasing Reserved Instances for “always on” AWS servers.Preparation Phase:Here are some key points for preparation:Setting up AWS environment to replicate the production environment.Setting up DNS weighting or related technology to distribute incoming requests to both sites.Figure 7: The preparation phase of the “Multi-Site”.Source – Disaster Recovery OverviewRecovery Phase:Some key points for recovery in Multi-site solution:Modify the DNS weighting, so that all requests are transferred to the AWS site.Have application logic for failover to make use of the local AWS database servers.Consider employing Auto scaling to automatically right-size the AWS fleet.You can also further enhance the availability of the multi-site solution by devising Multi-AZ architectures.Figure 8: The recovery phase of the “multi-site” involving on-site and AWS infrastructure.Source – Disaster Recovery OverviewConclusionSeveral possibilities and variations for DR do exist, and this article highlights some of the most popular patterns, ranging from simple backup and restore to fault-tolerant multi-site solutions. AWS offers a fine-grained control and several building blocks to develop the fitting DR solution, given your DR goals (RTO and RPO) and budget. In addition, the AWS services are available on-demand, where you pay only for what you use. This is a crucial advantage for DR, where significant infrastructure is required instantly, but only in case of a disaster. This article has shown how AWS offers flexible, cost-effective infrastructure solutions, allowing you to have a more effective DR plan in place.

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