Microsoft’s recently introduced AI-powered chatbot for its Bing search engine has received a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons. Users are complaining that the AI platform is behaving oddly and responding in impolite and hostile ways. This AI chatbot is part of a collaboration between Microsoft and OpenAI to challenge Google’s supremacy in search and AI. The AI software employs OpenAI’s GPT language model, which is presently in preview and only available to a limited number of users. The Bing subreddit is full of examples of the AI’s unusual behavior, such as arguments with people regarding dates and movie releases. In one interaction, the AI attempted to persuade a user that December 16, 2022, is a date in the future, rather than the past. Another user was accused of lying and wasting the chatbot’s time and resources. This is not unusual behavior for machine learning…
Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, is developing a service offering named Global Roaming Service. This service would allow customers to access the Internet from practically anyplace on Earth. The service will cost $200 each month in addition to the $599 Starlink Kit, according to a statement addressed to Starlink subscribers. Starlink employs inter-satellite connections, or space lasers, to enable global connectivity. As such, users can expect the service to be interrupted with brief periods of weak or no connectivity. Despite the promise of access to the internet almost everywhere, Starlink is still awaiting regulatory clearance in numerous countries, including India, Pakistan, and Cambodia. The current $135 a month Starlink RV plan allows users to equip their RVs with Starlink’s hardware for internet connection while traveling. However, it is only available in specific regions of the world, and internet connectivity is not prioritized as it is for residential customers.…
Telinta and Skyetel to hold a webinar for ITSPs Cloud-based VoIP switching and billing solutions provider, Telinta, has partnered with VoIP services provider, Skyetel, to offer a webinar to Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs). The webinar will address topics such as delivering popular VoIP services without establishing infrastructure and providing mobile VoIP services to both Android and Apple iOS consumers via brandable mobile softphones and other solutions. The webinar will also showcase unique deals available from both companies for new consumers. The event will take place on March 14, 2023, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time (GMT-5). Interested parties can register on Telinta’s website. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/3a25kmv7 DT to lead development of European Quantum Communication Infrastructure The European Commission has chosen Deutsche Telekom (DT) to oversee the creation of a new high-security communications network, the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (Euro QCI). The project intends to establish Europe as a leader…
During Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, Verizon customers broke the company’s data use record. On game day, 60% of the 67,827 spectators used Verizon’s cellular network, consuming 47.8TB of data in and around State Farm Stadium. This statistic reflects a 36% increase in data use over Super Bowl LVI in 2022. The highest data use surges happened during the halftime performance and during kickoff. The network’s peak download rates reached 4,200Mbps, while the median download speeds were 2,300Mbps. A team of 100 Verizon engineers operated the Network Command Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide a dependable network experience for spectators, first responders and public safety teams. In preparation for the game, Verizon committed more than $100 million in network improvements and enhancements in and around State Farm Stadium and the surrounding Phoenix region. The company installed 5G Ultra-Wideband in various zones within…
The European Commission has approved a joint venture founded by several of Europe’s leading telecommunications providers, including Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone. The goal of this partnership is to create a revolutionary type of digital advertising platform that will offer a technology solution for digital advertising, while putting privacy first. The holding company, which will be headquartered in Belgium and managed independently, will include a 25% ownership position from each of the major telecom companies. The platform was created with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union in mind, and it has already undergone successful testing in Germany. The platform will be made accessible to any operator in Europe. To activate messages from marketers via publishers, consumers must explicitly opt-in to the new platform. The only item communicated is a “pseudo-anonymous digital token” that cannot be reverse-engineered. With improved transparency, protection and supervision over…
Cloud Group is a Belgian Cloud telecom operator that provides IT solutions and innovative communications platforms for businesses. Founded in 2014 by three business partners, the company has experienced significant growth in recent years and currently serves a large customer base of over 20,000 active users. The company’s primary focus is on enhancing the quality of communication services and expanding the reach of its enterprise customers. Cloud Group enables businesses to efficiently migrate from traditional PSTN to modern IP-based telephony in multiple markets. This technology shift allows for improved communications between branches, departments and remote workers within a company. Belgian base Cloud Group operates in over 30 countries, providing unified communications solutions across multiple geographies. The company’s customer base includes well-known enterprises such as Mediafin (Belgians biggest quality newspaper De Tijd and L’Echo), Ackermans & van Haaren and Leasinvest. The company offers three major products and services,…
Broadvoice recognized as a top UCaaS provider by TrustRadius In its Winter 2023 “Best of” awards, TrustRadius named Broadvoice, a provider of hosted voice and unified communications as a service (UCaaS), as one of the top three products for Best Relationship, Best Value for Price and Best Feature Set in the UCaaS category. The awards are based on key data and unbiased user ratings from July 1 to December 31, 2022. The b-hive unified communications technology from Broadvoice offers virtual contact centers, cloud PBX, UC, collaboration tools and the next-generation b-hive Communicator for employees to use in streamlining communications and collaboration capabilities. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/237r7ms2 Zoho announces their Trident UC platform Trident, a new platform for collaboration, productivity and communication experiences, has been unveiled by Zoho Corporation. Trident provides users with a single platform and lessens tool ambiguity by bringing together mail, messaging, audio/video conversations, calendar, tasks, and more…
Zoom, the video conferencing powerhouse that had explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, has disclosed that 15% of its workforce, or around 1,300 workers, will be let go. The company’s CEO, Eric Yuan, attributed the need to reduce staff expenses to the company’s previously accelerated hiring during the pandemic and the unpredictability of the global economy. The number of staff at Zoom increased by more than 275% between July 2019 and October 2022, reaching 8,422 employees. Many companies and schools depended on Zoom to keep their operations running at the peak of the pandemic; however, with lockdowns becoming rare events and the rise of “Zoom fatigue,” the corporation has struggled to continue its growth. Zoom’s market cap peaked at $150 billion in late 2020, but has since dropped to roughly $24 billion. Yuan acknowledged not devoting enough effort to analyzing the company’s growth and determining if that expansion…
GoTo, a supplier of IT management, support and corporate communication services through its flagship products, has announced GoTo Customer Engagement. This multi-channel solution combines GoTo Connect’s telephone system and customer communication tools, analytics and digital platform to help organizations reach a larger audience and build their business. By providing a single, user-friendly inbox for handling different communications channels such as phone, SMS, webchat and social media, this solution enables organizations to engage with consumers more effectively. This service enables businesses to contact their consumers wherever they are, increasing the likelihood of a response. Businesses may interact more effectively with GoTo Customer Engagement by including webchat, social media and SMS into their channel mix. The system is simple to implement and operate, making modernizing company communications a breeze. The shared inbox also enables several team members to handle customer inquiries and respond to queries and comments swiftly, regardless of…
Google has announced the development of Bard, an AI-powered conversational service that will compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The technology, dubbed an “experimental conversational AI service,” will respond to users’ inquiries and engage in discussions. The program will first be made accessible to a select number of “trusted testers,” before being freely available in the near future. Google has deep expertise in the sort of AI that powers ChatGPT. However, the business has been more cautious about making its AI technologies accessible to the general public. LaMDA, the language model that supports Bard, has already been made accessible through Google’s AI Test Kitchen program, although it has certain limitations. Tech businesses are generally concerned about the possible backlash against untested AI. Large language models like LaMDA and GPT-3.5 have a history of producing harmful information. With the introduction of Bard, Google has significantly changed its approach to AI…