Model Quantization for Edge AI

Deep learning is witnessing a growing history of success. However, the large/heavy models that must be run on a high-performance computing system are far from optimal. Artificial intelligence is already widely used in business applications. The computational demands of AI inference and training are increasing. As a result, a relatively new class of deep learning approaches known as quantized neural network models has emerged to address this disparity. Memory has been one of the biggest challenges for deep learning architectures. It was an evolution of the gaming industry that led to the rapid development of hardware leading to GPUs, enabling 50 layer networks of today. Still, the hunger for memory by newer and powerful networks is now pushing for evolutions of Deep Learning model compression techniques to put a leash on this requirement, as AI is quickly moving towards edge devices to give near to real-time results for captured data. Model quantization is one such rapidly growing technology that has allowed deep learning models to be deployed on edge devices with less power, memory, and computational capacity than a full-fledged computer.

How Did AI Migrate From Cloud to Edge?

Many businesses use clouds as their primary AI engine. It can host required data via a cloud data center for performing intelligent decisions. This process of uploading data to cloud storage and interaction with data centers induces a delay in making real-time decisions. The cloud will not be a viable choice in the future as demand for IoT applications and their real-time responses grows. As a result, AI on the edge is becoming more popular.

Data Mining in IoT: From Sensors to Insights

In a typical enterprise use case, you always start from something small to evaluate the technology and the solution you would like to implement, a so-called “Proof Of Concept” (POC). This very first step is fundamental to understanding technology’s potential and limits, checking the project's feasibility, and estimating the possible Return on Investment (ROI).

This is exactly what we did in the use-case of a people counting solution for a university. This first project phase aimed to identify how the solution's architecture should look and what kind of data insights are relevant to provide.

12 Secrets for Successful Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation reforms the way an enterprise functions. An Everest Group research found that 73% of companies failed to see any addition to their business value from their digital transformation efforts. In this blog, I will reveal 12 secrets to a perfectly executed digital transformation journey. 

1. Define Your Ambition

Success starts when your organization can answer questions like — What is the desired outcome of your transformation? Are you looking for more sales, revenue, cost-saving, or selling to new/existing customers? Where is your transformation headed in the future?

IoT World Today: Why Do We Need to Build IoT Projects?

This article is about the prospects of IoT and why we need to build IoT projects. You may think the reason is new technologies like 5G but that is not the case. After the pandemic of last year, we witness an unprecedented usage of the internet and heavy reliance on network-based applications. Today, in 2021, we can say that consumer behavior has changed and it has changed for good. Consumers start relying on IoT devices and that's why you need to build one today. Here is why.

Technology Diversity Drives IoT Growth

The Covid-19 pandemic drove companies and consumers to become more technology-reliant. No wonder the IoT grew by double-digit. We witness increasing sophistication of the IoT technology and this trend is going to dominate in the upcoming years. In this part, we will talk about some of the challenges and advantages of technology when it comes to IoT.

Top IoT App Development Trends in 2021

More Focus on Container Technologies in IoT Platforms

Gartner projects that over 75% of global organizations will be using containerized apps in production by 2022. So far, container technologies have been part of traditional enterprise IT environments and cloud architectures. Recent developments in industrial IoT platforms and the increased demand for vendor-neutral IoT technologies, however, have made containers increasingly relevant for the Internet of Things. 

Defining Containers

What is a container? It is a lightweight virtualization technology that includes an entire runtime environment. This means an application and all its dependencies, plus the libraries and configuration files required to run the application. Container technologies help you abstract differences in operating systems and underlying infrastructures. This is why they are often embedded in IoT platforms so that you can connect to any device and make virtually any machine or piece of legacy equipment IoT-ready. 

Everything You Need to Know About Cellular IoT

Valued at around $212bn globally, the Internet Of Things (IoT) is one of the fastest-growing tech sectors in the world. With over 35 billion devices anticipated to be connected to the internet by the end of 2021 and 75 billion by 2025, an average household will have over 50 devices connected to an IoT infrastructure at any point in time.

With its rapid adoption rates, what's becoming evident is its inevitability. As people and businesses both equally benefit from connected devices, insights, and user experience, they would want to utilize the tech concept to its full potential.

SAP Leonardo, IoT, and Industry 4.0

Introduction

In this article, we'll take a look at the definition of Industry 4.0 and the role of IoT within it. Then we'll discuss the adoption of IoT in SAP and how it plays an important role. Finally, we will briefly discuss automatic inventory replenishment using SAP IoT.

Industrial Revolutions 1.0 to 4.0

The picture below describes how the industries transformed from mechanical power to the Internet of Things.

Think Beyond Cloud: Intelligent Edge Is the Future of Computing and AI

The average inference speed for cloud-based AI hovers around 1.5 seconds. The intelligence edge cuts it down sharply to 10-15 milliseconds. This drastic reduction in latency alone makes a number of futuristic technologies – such as autonomous vehicles – possible.

The advent of cloud computing set off a colossal centralization fever that has caught almost every business that understands the importance of a digital-first business strategy. Even the world’s governments and public sector organizations are leveraging the advantages offered by cloud computing. Easy access to data, powerful analytical tools, and improved business agility have enabled organizations to make more “intelligent” and informed decisions than ever before.

Understanding the Impact of IoT and Edge Computing Through  Popular Use Cases

IoT is already affecting every segment in industrial, enterprise, health, and consumer products. It is important to understand the impact, as well as why these disparate industries will be forced to change in the ways they build products and provide services. 

There is an opinion that the impact of IoT-related industries, services, and trade will affect 3% (The Route to a Trillion Devices, ARM Ltd 2017) to 4% (The Internet of Things: Mapping Value Beyond the Hype, McKinsey and Company 2015) of global GDP by 2020 (extrapolated). Global GDP for 2016 was $75.64 trillion dollars with an estimate that by 2020 it will rise to $81.5 trillion. That provides a range of value of IoT solutions from $2.4 trillion to about $4.9 trillion.

IoT Platform Comparison: Six Vendors to Keep Watching in 2021

We compare some of the most exciting IoT platforms on the market right now, the ones that check all the boxes when it comes to innovation: Balena.io, Particle.io, Thingworx, Siemens Mindsphere, Adamos, and Record Evolution.

What Is an IoT Platform?

An IoT platform is the middleware and the infrastructure that enables end-users to interact with smart objects. They function as the software bridge between the hardware and application layers. The IoT platform orchestrates the movement of data between IoT devices and IoT applications, providing application-level capabilities for humans to interact with the IoT system.