Data Access Archives - gettectonic.com - Page 3
Embedded Salesforce Einstein
21Sep

Embedded Salesforce Einstein

In a world where data is everything, businesses are constantly seeking ways to better understand their customers, streamline operations, and make smarter decisions. Enter Salesforce Einstein—a powerful AI solution embedded within the Salesforce platform that is revolutionizing how companies operate, regardless of size. By leveraging advanced analytics, automation, and machine learning, Einstein helps businesses boost efficiency, drive innovation, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. Embedded Salesforce Einstein is the answer. Here’s how Salesforce Einstein is transforming business: Imagine anticipating customer needs, market trends, or operational challenges before they happen. While it’s not magic, Salesforce Einstein’s AI-powered insights and predictions come remarkably close. By transforming vast amounts of data into actionable insights, Einstein enables businesses to anticipate future scenarios and make well-informed decisions. Industry insight: In financial services, success hinges on anticipating market shifts and client needs. Banks and investment firms leverage Einstein to analyze historical market data and client behavior, predicting which financial products will resonate next. For example, investment advisors might receive AI-driven recommendations tailored to individual clients, boosting engagement and satisfaction. Manufacturers also benefit from Einstein’s predictive maintenance tools, which analyze data from machinery to anticipate equipment failures. A car manufacturer, for instance, could use these insights to schedule maintenance during off-peak hours, minimizing downtime and preventing costly disruptions. Personalization is now a necessity. Salesforce Einstein elevates personalization by analyzing customer data to offer tailored recommendations, messages, and services. Industry insight: In e-commerce, personalized recommendations are often the key to converting browsers into loyal customers. An online bookstore using Einstein might analyze browsing history and past purchases to suggest new releases in genres the customer loves, driving repeat sales. In healthcare, Einstein’s personalization can improve patient outcomes by providing customized follow-up care. Hospitals can use Einstein to analyze patient histories and treatment data, offering reminders tailored to each patient’s needs, improving adherence to care plans and speeding recovery. Salesforce Einstein’s sales intelligence tools, such as Lead Scoring and Opportunity Insights, enable sales teams to focus on the most promising leads. This targeted approach drives higher conversion rates and more efficient sales processes. Industry insight: In real estate, Einstein helps agents manage numerous leads by scoring potential buyers based on their engagement with property listings. A buyer who repeatedly views homes in a specific area is flagged, prompting agents to prioritize their outreach, accelerating the sales process. In the automotive industry, Einstein identifies leads closer to purchasing by analyzing behaviors such as online vehicle configuration and test drive bookings. This allows sales teams to focus on high-potential buyers, closing deals faster. Automation is at the heart of Salesforce Einstein’s ability to streamline processes and boost productivity. By automating repetitive tasks like data entry and customer inquiries, Einstein frees employees to focus on strategic activities, improving overall efficiency. Industry insight: In insurance, Einstein Bots can handle routine tasks like policy inquiries and claim submissions, freeing up human agents for more complex issues. This leads to faster response times and reduced operational costs. In banking, Einstein-powered chatbots manage routine inquiries such as balance checks or transaction histories. By automating these interactions, banks reduce the workload on call centers, allowing agents to provide more personalized financial advice. Einstein Discovery democratizes data analytics, making it easier for non-technical users to explore data and uncover actionable insights. This tool identifies key business drivers and provides recommendations, making data accessible for all. Industry insight: In healthcare, predictive insights are helping providers identify patients at risk of chronic conditions like diabetes. With Einstein Discovery, healthcare providers can flag at-risk individuals early, implementing targeted care plans that improve outcomes and reduce long-term costs. For energy companies, Einstein Discovery analyzes data from sensors and weather patterns to predict equipment failures and optimize resource management. A utility company might use these insights to schedule preventive maintenance ahead of storms, reducing outages and enhancing service reliability. More Than a Tool – Embedded Salesforce Einstein Salesforce Einstein is more than just an AI tool—it’s a transformative force enabling businesses to unlock the full potential of their data. From predicting trends and personalizing customer experiences to automating tasks and democratizing insights, Einstein equips companies to make smarter decisions and enhance performance across industries. Whether in retail, healthcare, or technology, Einstein delivers the tools needed to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. Tectonic empowers organizations with Salesforce solutions that drive organizational excellence. Contact Tectonic today. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

Read More
September 21, 2024in Salesforce Einstein
Collaborative Business Intelligence
20Sep

Collaborative Business Intelligence

Collaborative Business Intelligence: Connecting Data and Teams In today’s data-driven world, the ability to interact with business intelligence (BI) tools is essential for making informed decisions. Collaborative business intelligence (BI), also known as social BI, allows users to engage with their organization’s data and communicate with data experts through the same platforms where they already collaborate. While self-service BI empowers users to generate insights, understanding the data’s context is critical to avoid misunderstandings that can derail decision-making. Collaborative BI integrates BI tools with collaboration platforms to bridge the gap between data analysis and communication, reducing the risks of misinterpretation. Traditional Business Intelligence Traditional BI involves the use of technology to analyze data and present insights clearly. Before BI platforms became widespread, data scientists and statisticians handled data analysis, making it challenging for non-technical professionals to digest the insights. BI evolved to automate visualizations, such as charts and dashboards, making data more accessible to business users. Previously, BI reports were typically available only to high-level executives. However, modern self-service BI tools democratize access, enabling more users—regardless of technical expertise—to create reports and visualize data, fostering better decision-making across the organization. The Emergence of Collaborative BI Collaborative BI is a growing trend, combining BI applications with collaboration tools. This approach allows users to work together synchronously or asynchronously within a shared platform, making it easier to discuss data reports in real time or leave comments for others to review. Whether it’s through Slack, Microsoft Teams, or social media apps, users can receive and discuss BI insights within their usual communication channels. This seamless integration of BI and collaboration tools offers a competitive edge, simplifying the process of sharing knowledge and clarifying data without switching between applications. Key Benefits of Collaborative Business Intelligence Leading Collaborative BI Platforms Here’s a look at some of the top collaborative BI platforms driving innovation in the market: Conclusion Collaborative BI empowers organizations by improving decision-making, democratizing data access, optimizing data quality, and ensuring data security. By integrating BI tools with collaboration platforms, businesses can streamline their operations, foster a culture of data-driven decision-making, and enhance overall efficiency. Choosing the right platform is key to maximizing the benefits of collaborative BI. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

Read More
September 20, 2024in Data, Google, Salesforce, Technology
Salesforce AI Agents and New Data Cloud Features
19Sep

Salesforce AI Agents and New Data Cloud Features

Salesforce has announced several major updates to its Data Cloud at the annual Dreamforce conference, aimed at enhancing data analysis and boosting the capabilities of its new AI agents, Agentforce. These updates include support for unstructured data in audio and video formats, 50 new data connectors, and a low-latency pipeline to ensure faster AI responses. Salesforce describes Data Cloud as a customer data platform designed to unify data from various sources, providing actionable insights for sales, service, and marketing teams. The latest features will further improve this functionality, according to Rahul Auradkar, Salesforce’s General Manager of Unified Data Services and Einstein. Key Updates 1. Unstructured Data Support: Audio and Video Formats Salesforce has introduced the ability to process unstructured audio and video data. This allows enterprises to analyze information from sources like customer calls, training sessions, product demos, and webinars. The unstructured data can enrich customer profiles, provide deeper insights into behavior, and enhance the performance of AI agents within Agentforce by improving response accuracy. IDC’s Hayley Sutherland highlighted that vectorization of this content enables retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), enhancing the use of large language models (LLMs) to generate more effective and context-aware responses. 2. 50 New Data Connectors Salesforce has expanded its connector library with 50 new options, raising the total to 200. This helps businesses integrate diverse data sources, facilitating improved personalization and decision-making. These connectors are also critical for feeding data to AI agents, enabling them to generate more accurate insights. 3. Sub-second Data Layer for Real-time Responses A new sub-second data layer has been rolled out, allowing enterprises to ingest, unify, analyze, and act on data in real time. This layer powers Einstein Personalization, enabling instant AI-driven recommendations and analytics. It’s especially important for the low-latency needs of Agentforce’s autonomous AI agents, ensuring faster, more accurate customer interactions. 4. Governance and Security Enhancements Salesforce has introduced AI tagging and classification features for unstructured data, automating labeling and organization to ensure secure access. Policy-based governance will offer granular control over data access based on tags, metadata, and user attributes. Additionally, customer-managed encryption keys ensure data security, while the newly available private connect feature allows secure data sharing between Data Cloud and public cloud environments. 5. Data Cloud One and Hybrid Search Data Cloud One, a new feature, will allow enterprises to connect multiple Salesforce accounts across different departments or regions into a single instance, simplifying data management. The hybrid search feature, which combines vector and keyword search, is designed to improve the speed and accuracy of finding industry-specific information. Other updates include Tableau Semantics, which helps organize data based on its meaning, and a new data community platform to foster collaboration among data professionals. These updates reflect Salesforce’s commitment to enhancing data-driven decision-making and delivering powerful AI capabilities for enterprises. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

Read More
September 19, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce
Chatbot-less AI-ifying
19Sep

Chatbot-less AI-ifying

AI-ify Your Product Without Adding a Chatbot: Inspiration from Top AI Use Cases Artificial intelligence doesn’t always need to look like a chatbot. Some of the most innovative implementations of AI have created intuitive user experiences (UX) without relying on traditional conversational interfaces. Here are seven standout patterns from leading companies and startups that demonstrate how AI can elevate your product in ways that feel natural and empowering for users. These are just a preview of the 24 trending AI-UX patterns featured in the “Trending AI-UX Patterns” ebook by AIverse—perfect for borrowing (or expensing to your company). Pattern 1: Linear Back-and-Forth (Classic Chat) While chat interfaces revolutionized access to AI, this pattern is just the beginning. Think of ChatGPT—its conversational simplicity opened the door to powerful LLMs for non-tech audiences. But beyond basic chat, consider integrating generative UI commands or API-based functionality into your product to transform linear data access into something seamless and engaging. Pattern 2: Non-Linear Conversations Inspired by Subform, this pattern mirrors how humans think—connecting ideas in a web, not a straight line. Non-linear exploration allows users to navigate through information like dots on a map, offering a flexible, intuitive flow. For example, imagine an AI that surfaces related ideas or actions based on user input—ideal for creative tools or brainstorming apps. Pattern 3: Context Bundling Why stop at simple text input when you can bundle context visually? Figma’s dual-tone matrix simplifies tone adjustments for text by letting users drag across a 2D grid. It eliminates the need for complex prompts while maintaining control over customization. Think of ways to integrate pre-bundled prompts directly into your UI to create an intuitive, visually driven experience. Pattern 4: Living Documents Tools like Elicit bring AI into familiar interfaces like spreadsheets by enhancing workflows without disrupting them. Elicit’s bulk data extraction uses subtle animations and transparency—highlighting “low confidence” answers for clarity. This hybrid approach integrates AI in a way that feels natural and predictable, making it a great choice for data-heavy tools or reporting systems. Pattern 5: Work With Me One of the most human-centered AI patterns comes from Granola, which uses meeting summaries based on your rough notes. Instead of overwhelming users with full transcriptions, it creates concise, actionable insights, perfectly blending human oversight with AI-powered efficiency. This pattern exemplifies the “human-in-the-loop” trend, ensuring collaboration between the user and AI. Pattern 6: Highlight and Curate Take inspiration from Lex’s “@lex” comment feature, which allows users to highlight and comment directly in the flow of their work—no app switching or disruption required. By building on familiar text-interaction patterns, this approach integrates AI subtly, offering suggestions or enhancements without breaking the user’s autonomy. Pattern 7: Invisible AI (Agentive UX) AI can work quietly in the background until needed, as demonstrated by Ford’s lane assist. This feature seamlessly takes control during critical moments (e.g., steering) and hands it back to the user effortlessly. Visual, auditory, and haptic feedback make the transition intuitive and reassuring. This “agentive” pattern is perfect for products where AI acts as a silent partner, ready to assist only when necessary. Tectonic Conclusions These patterns prove that AI can elevate your product without resorting to a chatbot. Whether through non-linear exploration, visual bundling, or seamless agentive experiences, the key is to integrate AI in a way that feels intuitive, empowering, and aligned with user needs. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

Read More
September 19, 2024in Artificial Intelligence, Data
Cross Cloud Zero-Copy Data
15Sep

Cross Cloud Zero-Copy Data

Simplifying Secure Data Access Across Clouds In today’s data-driven world, secure and prompt access to information is crucial. However, with critical analytics data spread across various cloud vendors, achieving this expediency can be challenging. Cross-cloud zero-copy data sharing doesn’t have to be complex. By leveraging your Autonomous Database, you can swiftly establish secure data sharing with your Salesforce CRM Data Stream in just seconds. This guide will walk you through the straightforward process of connecting your Salesforce CRM data to your Autonomous Database using the Salesforce CRM data connector type. Requirements for Salesforce Integration To connect Salesforce CRM data with your Autonomous Database, you’ll need the following: 1. Confirm Data Stream Configuration On the Data Streams Dashboard, verify the Data Stream Name, Data Connector Type, and Data Stream Status. 2. Set Up Your Autonomous Database Create Your Credentials: sqlCopy codeBEGIN DBMS_CLOUD.CREATE_CREDENTIAL( credential_name => ‘<your credential name>’, username => ‘<your salesforce log-in id>’, password => ‘<your salesforce password>’); END; / Create Your Database Link: sqlCopy codeBEGIN DBMS_CLOUD_ADMIN.CREATE_DATABASE_LINK( db_link_name => ‘<your database link name>’, hostname => ‘<your host>.my.salesforce.com’, port => ‘19937’, service_name => ‘salesforce’, ssl_server_cert_dn => NULL, credential_name => ‘<your credential name>’, gateway_params => JSON_OBJECT( ‘db_type’ value ‘salesforce’, ‘security_token’ value ‘<your security token>’)); END; / 3. Check Connectivity Details The HETEROGENEOUS_CONNECTIVITY_INFO view provides information on credential and database link requirements for external databases. For example: sqlCopy codeSELECT database_type, required_port, sample_usage FROM heterogeneous_connectivity_info WHERE database_type = ‘salesforce’; 4. Demonstration: Connecting to Salesforce Data Follow these steps to connect to your Salesforce CRM organization using the Salesforce Data Cloud Sales synthetic data in the Account_Home Data Stream: 5. Set Up Connectivity Using DBMS_CLOUD.CREATE_CREDENTIAL, create the necessary credentials to connect to Salesforce. Then, use DBMS_CLOUD_ADMIN.CREATE_DATABASE_LINK to establish the database link. Once configured, execute the SELECT statement against the ACCOUNT data to verify successful connection. 6. Utilize Zero-Copy Data Sharing With zero-copy data access to the Salesforce CRM Data Lake ACCOUNT object, you can: Conclusion As demonstrated, secure and efficient cross-cloud zero-copy data access can be straightforward. By following these simple steps, you can bypass cumbersome ETL operations and gain immediate, secure access to your Salesforce CRM data. This approach eliminates the overhead of complex data pipelines and provides you with real-time access to critical business data. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

Read More
September 15, 2024in Salesforce Data Cloud
Acceptable AI Use Policies
14Sep

Acceptable AI Use Policies

With great power comes—when it comes to generative AI—significant security and compliance risks. Discover how AI acceptable use policies can safeguard your organization while leveraging this transformative technology. AI has become integral across various industries, driving digital operations and organizational infrastructure. However, its widespread adoption brings substantial risks, particularly concerning cybersecurity. A crucial aspect of managing these risks and ensuring the security of sensitive data is implementing an AI acceptable use policy. This policy defines how an organization handles AI risks and sets guidelines for AI system usage. Why an AI Acceptable Use Policy Matters Generative AI systems and large language models are potent tools capable of processing and analyzing data at unprecedented speeds. Yet, this power comes with risks. The same features that enhance AI efficiency can be misused for malicious purposes, such as generating phishing content, creating malware, producing deepfakes, or automating cyberattacks. An AI acceptable use policy is essential for several reasons: Crafting an Effective AI Acceptable Use Policy An AI acceptable use policy should be tailored to your organization’s needs and context. Here’s a general guide for creating one: Essential Elements of an AI Acceptable Use Policy A robust AI acceptable use policy should include: An AI acceptable use policy is not just a document but a dynamic framework guiding safe and responsible AI use within an organization. By developing and enforcing this policy, organizations can harness AI’s power while mitigating its risks to cybersecurity and data integrity, balancing innovation with risk management as AI continues to evolve and integrate into our digital landscapes. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more

Read More
September 14, 2024in Generative AI
guide to RAG
30Aug

Tectonic Guide to Rag Part 2

The first notable change in the field of language models is the significant expansion of context window sizes and a reduction in token costs. For instance, Anthropic’s largest model, Claude, has a context window exceeding 200,000 tokens, while recent reports indicate that Gemini’s context window can reach up to 10 million tokens. Under such circumstances, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) may no longer be necessary for many tasks, as all required data can be accommodated within the expanded context window. Several financial and analytical projects have already demonstrated that tasks can be solved without needing a vector database as intermediate storage. This trend of reducing token costs and increasing context window sizes is likely to continue, potentially decreasing the need for external mechanisms in LLMs, although they are still relevant for the time being. If the context window remains insufficient, methods for summarization and context compression have been introduced. LangChain, for example, offers a class called ConversationSummaryMemory to address this challenge. pythonCopy codellm = OpenAI(temperature=0) conversation_with_summary = ConversationChain( llm=llm, memory=ConversationSummaryMemory(llm=OpenAI()), verbose=True ) conversation_with_summary.predict(input=”Hi, what’s up?”) Knowledge Graphs As the volume of data continues to grow, navigating through it efficiently becomes increasingly critical. In certain cases, understanding the structure and attributes of data is essential for effective use. For example, if the data source is a company’s wiki, an LLM might not recognize a phone number unless the structure or metadata indicates that it’s the company’s contact information. Humans can infer meaning from conventions, such as the subdirectory “Company Information,” but standard RAG may miss such connections. This challenge can be addressed by Knowledge Graphs, also known as Knowledge Maps, which provide both raw data and metadata that illustrates how different entities are interconnected. This method is referred to as Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation (GraphRAG). Graphs are excellent for representing and managing structured, interconnected information. Unlike vector databases, they excel at capturing complex relationships and attributes among diverse data types. Creating a Knowledge Graph The process of creating a knowledge graph typically involves collecting and structuring data, which requires expertise in both the subject matter and graph modeling. However, LLMs can automate a significant portion of this process by analyzing textual data, identifying entities, and recognizing their relationships, which can then be represented in a graph structure. In many cases, an ensemble of vector databases and knowledge graphs can improve accuracy, as discussed previously. For example, search functionality might combine keyword search through a regular database (e.g., Elasticsearch) and graph-based queries. LangChain can also assist in extracting structured data from entities, as demonstrated in this code example: pythonCopy codedocuments = parse_and_load_data_from_wiki_including_metadata() graph_store = NebulaGraphStore( space_name=”Company Wiki”, tags=[“entity”] ) storage_context = StorageContext.from_defaults(graph_store=graph_store) index = KnowledgeGraphIndex.from_documents( documents, max_triplets_per_chunk=2, space_name=space_name, tags=[“entity”] ) query_engine = index.as_query_engine() response = query_engine.query(“Tell me more about our Company”) Here, searching is conducted based on attributes and related entities, instead of similar vectors. If set up correctly, metadata from the company’s wiki, such as its phone number, would be accessible through the graph. Access Control One challenge with this system is that data access may not be uniform. For instance, in a wiki, access could depend on roles and permissions. Similar issues exist in vector databases, leading to the need for access management mechanisms such as Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC), and Relationship-Based Access Control (ReBAC). These access control methods function by evaluating paths between users and resources within graphs, such as in systems like Active Directory. To ensure the integrity of data during the ingestion phase, metadata related to permissions must be preserved in both the knowledge graph and vector database. Some commercial vector databases already have this functionality built in. Ingestion and Parsing Data needs to be ingested into both graphs and vector databases, but for graphs, formatting is especially critical since it reflects the data’s structure and serves as metadata. One particular challenge is handling complex formats like PDFs, which can contain diverse elements like tables, images, and text. Extracting structured data from such formats can be difficult, and while frameworks like LLama Parse exist, they are not always foolproof. In some cases, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) may be more effective than parsing. Enhancing Answer Quality Several new approaches are emerging to improve the quality of LLM-generated answers: While these advancements in knowledge graphs, access control, and retrieval mechanisms are promising, challenges remain, particularly around data formatting and parsing. However, these methods continue to evolve, enhancing LLM capabilities and efficiency. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Alphabet Soup of Cloud Terminology As with any technology, the cloud brings its own alphabet soup of terms. This insight will hopefully help you navigate Read more

Read More
August 30, 2024in Data
Unlocking Enterprise AI Success
26Aug

Unlocking Enterprise AI Success

Companies are diving into artificial intelligence. Unlocking enterprise AI success depends on four main factors. Tectonic is here to help you address each. Trust is Important-Trust is Everything Data is everything—it’s reshaping business models and steering the world through health and economic challenges. But data alone isn’t enough; in fact, it can be worse than useless—it’s a risk unless it’s trustworthy. The solution lies in a data trust strategy: one that maximizes data’s potential to create value while minimizing the risks associated with it. Data Trust is Declining, Not Improving Do you believe your company is making its data and data practices more trustworthy? If so, you’re in line with most business leaders. However, there’s a disconnect: consumers don’t share this belief. While 55% of business leaders think consumers trust them with data more than they did two years ago, only 21% of consumers report increased trust in how companies use their data. In fact, 28% say their trust has decreased, and a staggering 76% of global consumers view sharing their data with companies as a “necessary evil.” For companies that manage to build trust in their data, the benefits are substantial. Yet, only 37% of companies with a formal data valuation process involve privacy teams. Integrating privacy is just one aspect of building data trust, but companies that do so are already more than twice as likely as their peers to report returns on investment from key data-driven initiatives, such as developing new products and services, enhancing workforce effectiveness, and optimizing business operations. To truly excel, companies need to create an ongoing system that continually transforms raw information into trusted, business-critical data. Data is the Backbone-Data is the Key Data leaks, as shown below, are a major factor on data trust and quality. As bad as leaked data is to security, data availability is to being a data-driven organization. Extortionist Attack on Costa Rican Government Agencies In an unprecedented event in April 2022, the extortionist group Conti launched a cyberattack on Costa Rican government agencies, demanding a million ransom. The attack crippled much of the country’s IT infrastructure, leading to a declared state of emergency. Lapsus$ Attacks on Okta, Nvidia, Microsoft, Samsung, and Other Companies The Lapsus$ group targeted several major IT companies in 2022, including Okta, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Samsung. Earlier in the year, Okta, known for its account and access management solutions—including multi-factor authentication—was breached. Attack on Swissport International Swissport International, a Swiss provider of air cargo and ground handling services operating at 310 airports across 50 countries, was hit by ransomware. The attack caused numerous flight delays and resulted in the theft of 1.6 TB of data, highlighting the severe consequences of such breaches on global logistics. Attack on Vodafone Portugal Vodafone Portugal, a major telecommunications operator, suffered a cyberattack that disrupted services nationwide, affecting 4G and 5G networks, SMS messaging, and TV services. With over 4 million cellular subscribers and 3.4 million internet users, the impact was widespread across Portugal. Data Leak of Indonesian Citizens In a massive breach, an archive containing data on 105 million Indonesian citizens—about 40% of the country’s population—was put up for sale on a dark web forum. The data, believed to have been stolen from the “General Election Commission,” included full names, birth dates, and other personal information. The Critical Importance of Accurate Data There’s no shortage of maxims emphasizing how data has become one of the most vital resources for businesses and organizations. At Tectonic, we agree that the best decisions are driven by accurate and relevant data. However, we also caution that simply having more data doesn’t necessarily lead to better decision-making. In fact, we argue that data accuracy is far more important than data abundance. Making decisions based on incorrect or irrelevant data is often worse than having too little of the right data. This is why accurate data is crucial, and we’ll explore this concept further in the following sections. Accurate data is information that truly reflects reality or another source of truth. It can be tested against facts or evidence to verify that it represents something as it actually is, such as a person’s contact details or a location’s coordinates. Accuracy is often confused with precision, but they are distinct concepts. Precision refers to how consistent or varied values are relative to one another, typically measured against some other variable. Thus, data can be accurate, precise, both, or neither. Another key factor in data accuracy is the time elapsed between when data is produced and when it is collected and used. The shorter this time frame, the more likely the data is to be accurate. As modern businesses integrate data into more aspects of their operations, they stand to gain significant competitive advantages if done correctly. However, this also means there’s more at stake if the data is inaccurate. The following points will highlight why accurate data is critical to various facets of your company. Ease and speed of access Access speeds are measured in bytes per second (Bps). Slower devices operate in thousands of Bps (kBps), while faster devices can reach millions of Bps (MBps). For example, a hard drive can read and write data at speeds of 300MBps, which is 5,000 times faster than a floppy disk! Fast data refers to data in motion, streaming into applications and computing environments from countless endpoints—ranging from mobile devices and sensor networks to financial transactions, stock tick feeds, logs, retail systems, and telco call routing and authorization systems. Improving data access speeds can significantly enhance operational efficiency by providing timely and accurate data to stakeholders throughout an organization. This can streamline business processes, reduce costs, and boost productivity. However, data access is not just about retrieving information. It plays a crucial role in ensuring data integrity, security, and regulatory compliance. Effective data access strategies help organizations safeguard sensitive information from unauthorized access while making it readily available to those who are authorized. Additionally, the accuracy and availability of data are essential to prevent data silos

Read More
August 26, 2024in Salesforce
Generative AI Replaces Legacy Systems
29Jul

Securing AI for Efficiency and Building Customer Trust

As businesses increasingly adopt AI to enhance automation, decision-making, customer support, and growth, they face crucial security and privacy considerations. The Salesforce Platform, with its integrated Einstein Trust Layer, enables organizations to leverage AI securely by ensuring robust data protection, privacy compliance, transparent AI functionality, strict access controls, and detailed audit trails. Why Secure AI Workflows Matter AI technology empowers systems to mimic human-like behaviors, such as learning and problem-solving, through advanced algorithms and large datasets that leverage machine learning. As the volume of data grows, securing sensitive information used in AI systems becomes more challenging. A recent Salesforce study found that 68% of Analytics and IT teams expect data volumes to increase over the next 12 months, underscoring the need for secure AI implementations. AI for Business: Predictive and Generative Models In business, AI depends on trusted data to provide actionable recommendations. Two primary types of AI models support various business functions: Addressing Key LLM Risks Salesforce’s Einstein Trust Layer addresses common risks associated with large language models (LLMs) and offers guidance for secure Generative AI deployment. This includes ensuring data security, managing access, and maintaining transparency and accountability in AI-driven decisions. Leveraging AI to Boost Efficiency Businesses gain a competitive edge with AI by improving efficiency and customer experience through: Four Strategies for Secure AI Implementation To ensure data protection in AI workflows, businesses should consider: The Einstein Trust Layer: Protecting AI-Driven Data The Einstein Trust Layer in Salesforce safeguards generative AI data by providing: Salesforce’s Einstein Trust Layer addresses the security and privacy challenges of adopting AI in business, offering reliable data security, privacy protection, transparent AI operations, and robust access controls. Through this secure approach, businesses can maximize AI benefits while safeguarding customer trust and meeting compliance requirements. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

Read More
July 29, 2024in Data, Generative AI, Laws, Salesforce, Technology
Leeds and Other Heatmap Solutions
28Jul

Leeds and Other Heatmap Solutions

With over 80% of people shopping online – and the numbers are bound to rise – it’s important to know how your would-be customers behave on your website: where they click, how they scroll, and what motivates them to take specific actions. Heatmap analytics does it, allowing you to dominate CRO and UX through effective behavior data interpretation. This insight will look at Leeds and Other Heatmap Solutions. Powered by heatmap software and heatmap tools, heatmap analytics can help you convert customers at scale by optimizing their on-site and mobile experience. Make no mistake: the quality of user behavior tracking can make a difference between a closed sale and a bounce. Leads Heatmap Software is an innovative tool that transforms complex lead data into easy-to-understand, color-coded heatmaps within Salesforce CRM. This solution uses advanced data visualization techniques, enabling users to quickly identify high-potential leads. Interactive Heatmaps Leverage dynamic, real-time heatmaps to visualize lead density and quality, making it easier to pinpoint high-potential areas. Real-Time Updates Stay up-to-date with the latest information as heatmaps automatically refresh with new leads or changes to existing data, ensuring you always have the most current view. Enhanced Analytics Dive deeper into lead behavior and trends with comprehensive analytics tools that provide detailed reports and predictive insights. Detailed Lead Profiles Access in-depth lead profiles directly from the heatmap, including contact details, engagement history, and quick shortcuts for a complete view of each lead. Online Chat Integration Interact with leads instantly using integrated online chat, facilitating immediate and personalized communication. All website pages have a purpose, whether that purpose is to drive further clicks, qualify visitors, provide a solution, or even a mix of all of those things. Heatmaps and recorded user sessions allow you to see if your page is serving that purpose or going against it. What Is a Heatmap? Generally speaking, heatmaps are graphical representations of data that highlight value with color. On a website heatmap, the most popular areas are showcased in red (hot) and the least popular are in blue (cold). The colors range on a scale from red to blue. Heatmaps are an excellent method of collecting user behavior data and converting it into a deep analysis of how visitors engage with your website pages. It can analyze: That information will help you identify user trends and key into what should be optimized to up engagement. Setting up website heatmapping software is a great start to refining your website design process and understanding your users. When to Use Heatmaps The truth is that heatmaps can actually be invaluable when testing and optimizing user experiences and conversion opportunities. There are many times you should be using them. Redesigning Your Website Updating, or even upgrading, your website isn’t just a task on your to do list. Careful thought, attention, and creativity should be put into the revamp if you want it to be worth the time and resources. Heatmaps can help with studying your current design to identify what your visitors are engaging with and what they’re ignoring. You’ll be tapped into what makes your visitors tick so that you can build a site meant specifically for your unique audience. Analyzing Webpage Conversions Trying to figure out why certain pages aren’t converting the way you thought they would? Use a heatmap. You’ll be able to identify exactly what’s attracting attention and deduce why. The same goes for buttons and pages that are showing a higher rate of conversion than anticipated. By keying into the design, copy, and other elements that are working for you, you’ll know exactly how to optimize your under-performing webpages. Testing New Updates As your business grows and you develop new ideas, naturally you’ll want to test them. A/B testing allows you to measure and analyze visitor response to a project or design, but you can take it a step further with heatmapping. Leverage the data graph by examining exactly what captures your visitors’ attention. At the end of the testing period, you may be able to pull designs or elements that received high levels of engagement from the page that didn’t perform as well into the successful one. How To Analyze Visually Using the color-coded visualizations, you can read your webpage for engagement levels and attention “hot spots.” Where the map reads red, that’s where visitors are showing the highest points of interactivity. Blue reflects low numbers. You can spot design issues or opportunities to move buttons, forms, and the like with a visual read. Data Points Reviewing raw data tables will give you more specific insights into your page’s performance. You can examine HTML elements and pixel locations of clicks to really understand what’s drawing people in. You can even filter your clicks and views in order of popularity with certain software. This takes the guessing out of your redesign and testing efforts. Tableau has instant, real-time reporting in place for users looking for actionable insights. With smart dashboards and a drag and drop interface, navigating the product is easy. Their cloud storage means omni-channel data access from anywhere. You can perform ad hoc analyses whenever it’s convenient for you. You can also share your reports with anyone to boost business impact. With built in A/B testing and consolidated heatmaps, Freshmarketer puts in the extra effort to plot out visitor interactions. Recorded in real time, you can analyze heatmaps based by device, which the software automatically detects. Offering scrollmaps and click maps, Freshmarketer strives to “go beyond traditional heatmaps.” Looker offers similar services to the other software options listed, but they also supply a unique security management feature to protect your data. Also partnered with Google Cloud, you’ll have access to reporting from anywhere in the world. Primarily a data analysis solution, you’ll have access to other data intelligence and visualization features as well. Hotjar is one of the most popular website analytics software suites, offering free heatmaps for desktop, mobile, and tablet within its basic subscription plan. You can create heatmaps and synergize them with other free features like user session recordings, surveys, and

Read More
July 28, 2024in Google Analytics
Implementing Salesforce Education Cloud
25Jul

Implementing Salesforce Education Cloud

Client OverviewThe client is a leading educational institution offering a wide array of programs, from undergraduate degrees to continuing education. With around 15,000 students and a global alumni network of over 50,000, they are dedicated to delivering a holistic educational experience while nurturing lifelong relationships with their alumni. ChallengesBefore implementing Salesforce Education Cloud, the client faced several large challenges: ObjectivesThe institution sought to achieve the following with Salesforce Education Cloud: Solution: Salesforce Education Expertise Strategy and Planning Design and Wireframing Development Testing Deployment Results: Before and After Aspect Before After Data Management Fragmented across multiple systems Centralized in Salesforce Education Cloud Communication Disjointed communication processes Streamlined internal and external channels Alumni Engagement Outdated tools for managing alumni relationships Modern tools for enhanced engagement Before and after Salesforce Education Cloud Quantifiable OutcomesWith Salesforce Education Cloud, the client achieved: Implementing Salesforce Education CloudBy implementing Salesforce Education Cloud, the Salesforce partner delivered a transformative solution that surpassed the institution’s objectives. The integration of centralized data, enhanced communication processes, and modern alumni management tools led to: These impressive results highlight Tectonic’s commitment to providing expert Salesforce solutions that aid education clients achieve their strategic goals. Contact us today. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

Read More
July 25, 2024in Data, Salesforce Education Cloud, Salesforce Implementation Services
Confidential AI Computing in Health
15Jul

Confidential AI Computing in Health

Accelerating Healthcare AI Development with Confidential Computing Can confidential computing accelerate the development of clinical algorithms by creating a secure, collaborative environment for data stewards and AI developers? The potential of AI to transform healthcare is immense. However, data privacy concerns and high costs often slow down AI advancements in this sector, even as other industries experience rapid progress in algorithm development. Confidential computing has emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges, offering secure data handling during AI projects. Although its use in healthcare was previously limited to research, recent collaborations are bringing it to the forefront of clinical AI development. In 2020, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Center for Digital Health Innovation (CDHI), along with Fortanix, Intel, and Microsoft Azure, formed a partnership to create a privacy-preserving confidential computing platform. This collaboration, which later evolved into BeeKeeperAI, aimed to accelerate clinical algorithm development by providing a secure, zero-trust environment for healthcare data and intellectual property (IP), while facilitating streamlined workflows and collaboration. Mary Beth Chalk, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of BeeKeeperAI, shared insights with Healthtech Analytics on how confidential computing can address common hurdles in clinical AI development and how stakeholders can leverage this technology in real-world applications. Overcoming Challenges in Clinical AI Development Chalk highlighted the significant barriers that hinder AI development in healthcare: privacy, security, time, and cost. These challenges often prevent effective collaboration between the two key parties involved: data stewards, who manage patient data and privacy, and algorithm developers, who work to create healthcare AI solutions. Even when these parties belong to the same organization, workflows often remain inefficient and fragmented. Before BeeKeeperAI spun out of UCSF, the team realized how time-consuming and costly the process of algorithm development was. Regulatory approvals, data access agreements, and other administrative tasks could take months to complete, delaying projects that could be finished in a matter of weeks. Chalk noted, “It was taking nine months to 18 months just to get approvals for what was essentially a two-month computing project.” This delay and inefficiency are unsustainable in a fast-moving technology environment, especially given that software innovation outpaces the development of medical devices or drugs. Confidential computing can address this challenge by helping clinical algorithm developers “move at the speed of software.” By offering encryption protection for data and IP during computation, confidential computing ensures privacy and security at every stage of the development process. Confidential Computing: A New Frontier in Healthcare AI Confidential computing protects sensitive data not only at rest and in transit but also during computation, which sets it apart from other privacy technologies like federated learning. With federated learning, data and IP are protected during storage and transmission but remain exposed during computation. This exposure raises significant privacy concerns during AI development. In contrast, confidential computing ensures end-to-end encrypted protection, safeguarding both data and intellectual property throughout the entire process. This enables stakeholders to collaborate securely while maintaining privacy and data sovereignty. Chalk emphasized that with confidential computing, stakeholders can ensure that patient privacy is protected and intellectual property remains secure, even when multiple parties are involved in the development process. As a result, confidential computing becomes an enabling core competency that facilitates faster and more efficient clinical AI development. Streamlining Clinical AI Development with Confidential Computing Confidential computing environments provide a secure, automated platform that facilitates the development process, reducing the need for manual intervention. Chalk described healthcare AI development as a “well-worn goat path,” where multiple stakeholders know the steps required but are often bogged down by time-consuming administrative tasks. BeeKeeperAI’s platform streamlines this process by allowing AI developers to upload project protocols, which are then shared with data stewards. The data steward can determine if they have the necessary clinical data and curate it according to the AI developer’s specifications. This secure collaboration is built on automated workflows, but because the data and algorithms remain encrypted, privacy is never compromised. The BeeKeeperAI platform enables a collaborative, familiar interface for developers and data stewards, allowing them to work together in a secure environment. The software does not require extensive expertise in confidential computing, as BeeKeeperAI manages the infrastructure and ensures that the data never leaves the control of the data steward. Real-World Applications of Confidential Computing Confidential computing has the potential to revolutionize healthcare AI development, particularly by improving the precision of disease detection, predicting disease trajectories, and enabling personalized treatment recommendations. Chalk emphasized that the real promise of AI in healthcare lies in precision medicine—the ability to tailor interventions to individual patients, especially those on the “tails” of the bell curve who may respond differently to treatment. For instance, confidential computing can facilitate research into precision medicine by enabling AI developers to analyze patient data securely, without risking exposure of sensitive personal information. Chalk explained, “With confidential computing, I can drill into those tails and see what was unique about those patients without exposing their identities.” Currently, real-world data access remains a significant challenge for clinical AI development, especially as research moves from synthetic or de-identified data to high-quality, real-world clinical data. Chalk noted that for clinical AI to demonstrate efficacy, improve outcomes, or enhance safety, it must operate on real-world data. However, accessing this data while ensuring privacy has been a major obstacle for AI teams. Confidential computing can help bridge this “data cliff” by providing a secure environment for researchers to access and utilize real-world data without compromising privacy. Conclusion While the use of confidential computing in healthcare is still evolving, its potential is vast. By offering secure data handling throughout the development process, confidential computing enables AI developers and data stewards to collaborate more efficiently, overcome regulatory hurdles, and accelerate clinical AI advancements. This technology could help realize the promise of precision medicine, making personalized healthcare interventions safer, more effective, and more widely available. Chalk highlighted that many healthcare and life sciences organizations are exploring confidential computing use cases, particularly in neurology, oncology, mental health, and rare diseases—fields that require the use of

Read More
July 15, 2024in Data, Technology
Autodesk Enhancements with Einstein 1
09Jul

Autodesk Enhancements with Einstein 1

Autodesk Enhances Customer Service and Agent Productivity with Salesforce AI Integration Autodesk, a leader in 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software, has strengthened its partnership with Salesforce by incorporating Salesforce AI technology into its service agent workflow. This integration aims to boost agent productivity and enhance customer satisfaction. Autodesk Enhancements with Einstein 1. Impact of Salesforce Integration By leveraging Salesforce’s CRM, trusted AI, and data solutions, Autodesk has unified data access and developed an AI-powered self-service application. This initiative aims to foster deeper customer relationships and enhance employee productivity. The integration with Salesforce is transforming Autodesk’s customer engagement and agent workflow efficiency. Key Benefits for Autodesk Accelerating Self-Service: Autodesk uses the Einstein 1 Platform, which employs AI to create actionable data and streamline processes. This has enabled the development of a comprehensive, intuitive service cloud application for Autodesk’s team. At the conclusion of customer-agent interactions, Einstein for Service generates AI-powered case summaries, reducing the time agents spend summarizing chats by 63%. Creating Frictionless Experiences: MuleSoft has been pivotal in advancing Autodesk’s automation strategy by providing integrated and unified data access across cloud solutions. This has allowed Autodesk to modernize, simplify, and connect existing SaaS applications, resulting in smoother operations. Minimizing Disruption: Salesforce Professional Services provides real-time, 24/7 monitoring, equipping Autodesk with tools to identify and resolve potential performance issues before they affect customers. Salesforce also enhances data access monitoring, leading to a 30% reduction in ongoing maintenance. Customer Perspective Prakash Kota, SVP and CIO of Autodesk, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership: “We are thrilled to partner with Salesforce as Autodesk continues to innovate, grow, and scale with the customer at the center of our business. Our teams are excited to put generative AI to work across the enterprise, enhancing the productivity of our service agents. Saving time on tasks enables our employees to focus on higher-value work.” This partnership underscores Autodesk’s commitment to customer-centric innovation and operational efficiency, leveraging Salesforce’s advanced technologies to drive continued growth and customer satisfaction. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

Read More
July 9, 2024in Einstein 1 Platform, Generative AI, Mulesoft, Salesforce, Salesforce Einstein
The AI Tech Stack
15Jun

The AI Tech Stack

The AI tech stack integrates various tools, libraries, and solutions to enable applications with generative AI capabilities, such as image and text generation. Key components of the AI stack include programming languages, model providers, large language model (LLM) frameworks, vector databases, operational databases, monitoring and evaluation tools, and deployment solutions. The infrastructure of the AI tech stack leverages both parametric knowledge from foundational models and non-parametric knowledge from information sources (PDFs, databases, search engines) to perform generative AI functions like text and image generation, text summarization, and LLM-powered chat interfaces. This insight explores each component of the AI tech stack, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of generative AI applications, including the tools and technologies used to develop them. For those with a technical background, this Tectonic insight includes familiar tools and introduces new players within the AI ecosystem. For those without a technical background, the article serves as a guide to understanding the AI stack, emphasizing its importance across business roles and departments. Content Overview: The AI layer is a vital part of the modern application tech stack, integrating across various layers to enhance software applications. This layer brings intelligence to the stack through capabilities such as data visualization, generative AI (image and text generation), predictive analysis (behavior and trends), and process automation and optimization. In the backend layer, responsible for orchestrating user requests, the AI layer introduces techniques like semantic routing, which allocates user requests based on the meaning and intent of the tasks, leveraging LLMs. As the AI layer becomes more effective, it also reduces the roles and responsibilities of the application and data layers, potentially blurring the boundaries between them. Nevertheless, the AI stack is becoming a cornerstone of software development. Components of the AI Stack in the Generative AI Landscape: The emphasis on model providers over specific models highlights the importance of a provider’s ability to update models, offer support, and engage with the community, making switching models as simple as changing a name in the code. Programming Languages Programming languages are crucial in shaping the AI stack, influencing the selection of other components and ultimately determining the development of AI applications. The choice of a programming language is especially important for modern AI applications, where security, latency, and maintainability are critical factors. Among the options for AI application development, Python, JavaScript, and TypeScript (a superset of JavaScript) are the primary choices. Python holds a significant market share among data scientists, machine learning, and AI engineers, largely due to its extensive library support, including TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Scikit-learn. Python’s readable syntax and flexibility, accommodating both simple scripts and full applications with an object-oriented approach, contribute to its popularity. According to the February 2024 update on the PYPL (PopularitY of Programming Language) Index, Python leads with a 28.11% share, reflecting a growth trend of +0.6% over the previous year. The PYPL Index tracks the popularity of programming languages based on the frequency of tutorial searches on Google, indicating broader usage and interest. JavaScript, with an 8.57% share in the PYPL Index, has traditionally dominated web application development and is now increasingly used in the AI domain. This is facilitated by libraries and frameworks that integrate AI functionalities into web environments, enabling web developers to leverage AI infrastructure directly. Notable AI frameworks like LlamaIndex and LangChain offer implementations in both Python and JavaScript/TypeScript. The GitHub 2023 State of Open Source report highlights JavaScript’s dominance among developers, with Python showing a 22.5% year-over-year increase in usage on the platform. This growth reflects Python’s versatility in applications ranging from web development to data-driven systems and machine learning. The programming language component of the AI stack is more established and predictable compared to other components, with Python and JavaScript/TypeScript solidifying their positions among software engineers, web developers, data scientists, and AI engineers. Model Providers Model providers are a pivotal component of the AI stack, offering access to powerful large language models (LLMs) and other AI models. These providers, ranging from small organizations to large corporations, make available various types of models, including embedding models, fine-tuned models, and foundational models, for integration into generative AI applications. The AI landscape features a wide array of models that support capabilities like predictive analytics, image generation, and text completion. These models can be broadly classified into closed-source and open-source categories. Closed-Source Models have privatized internal configurations, architectures, and algorithms, which are not shared with the model consumers. Key information about the training processes and data is withheld, limiting the extent to which users can modify the model’s behavior. Access to these models is typically provided through an API or a web interface. Examples of closed-source models include: Open-Source Models offer a different approach, with varying levels of openness regarding their internal architecture, training data, weights, and parameters. These models foster collaboration and transparency in the AI community. The levels of open-source models include: Open-source models democratize access to advanced AI technology, reducing the entry barriers for developers to experiment with niche use cases. Examples of open-source models include: Open-Source vs. Closed-Source Large Language Models (LLMs) AI engineers and machine learning practitioners often face the critical decision of whether to use open- or closed-source LLMs in their AI stacks. This choice significantly impacts the development process, scalability, ethical considerations, and the application’s utility and commercial flexibility. Key Considerations for Selecting LLMs and Their Providers Resource Availability The decision between open- and closed-source models often hinges on the availability of compute resources and team expertise. Closed-source model providers simplify the development, training, and management of LLMs, albeit at the cost of potentially using consumer data for training or relinquishing control of private data access. Utilizing closed-source models allows teams to focus on other aspects of the stack, such as user interface design and data integrity. In contrast, open-source models offer more control and privacy but require significant resources to fine-tune, maintain, and deploy. Project Requirements The scale and technical requirements of a project are crucial in deciding whether to use open-

Read More
June 15, 2024in Generative AI

Subscribe to our mailing list. Join our mail list to receive our newsletter

We'll keep you up to date with our latest news, insights, free resources, and much more.
Don't worry, we won't spam you.
gettectonic.com