Monopolies Know Best: The Amazon Method Involves a Better Status Page
December 13, 2021
Here’s the fix for the Amazon AWS outage: An updated status page. “Amazon Web Services Explains Outage and Will Make It Easier to Track Future Ones” reports:
A major Amazon Web Services outage on Tuesday started after network devices got overloaded, the company said on Friday [December 10, 2021] . Amazon ran into issues updating the public and taking support inquiries, and now will revamp those systems.
Several questions arise:
- How are those two pizza technical methods working out?
- What about automatic regional load balancing and redundancy?
- What is up with replicating the mainframe single point of failure in a cloudy world?
Neither the write up nor Amazon have answers. I have a thought, however. Monopolies see efficiency arising from:
- Streamlining by shifting human intermediated work to smart software which sort of works until it does not.
- Talking about technical prowess via marketing centric content and letting the engineering sort of muddle along until it eventually, if ever, catches up to the Mad Ave prose, PowerPoints, and rah rah speeches at bespoke conferences
- Cutting costs where one can; for example, robust network devices and infrastructure.
The AT&T approach is a goner, but it seems to be back, just in the form of Baby Bell thinking applied to an online bookstore which dabbles in national security systems and methods, selling third party products with mysterious origins, and promoting audio books to those who have cancelled the service due to endless email promotions.
Yep, outstanding, just from Wall Street’s point of view. From my vantage point, another sign of deep seated issues. What outfit is up next? Google, Microsoft, or some back office provider of which most humans have never heard?
The new and improved approach to an AT&T type business is just juicy with wonderfulness. Two pizzas. Yummy.
Stephen E Arnold, December 13, 2021
Rising Cyber Crimes Mean High Prevention Costs
December 13, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic forced organizations to institute remote work. Many organizations were not prepared, because they lacked secure networks and other necessary security measures to prevent cyber crimes. It is not surprising when Read Write explains in “Lessons Learned From The Skyrocketing Cost Of Cyber Crime” are loss of revenue, obvious preventable issues, and that cyber security and cyber crimes are burgeoning industries.
The pandemic spurred a rise in cyber crime, especially in ransomware, phishing, malware, island hopping, and hyper-targeted nation state attacks. (Does spreading of misinformation count as a cyber crime?). Cloud computing company Iomart recorded that data breaches rose by 273% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to 2019. Cyber crime cost the US an estimated $3.5 billion and the UK $1.8 billion, but it could be more as many crimes are unnoticed.
The cost of cyber crimes are projected to rise exponentially and cause more economic damage than natural disasters. It is important that organizations take preventative measures:
“With all the realistic threats that lurk in the digital space, it’s imperative for companies to deploy best practices in cybersecurity to protect their data and other digital assets. Plus, companies need to do everything they can to avoid the burdensome financial costs associated with cybercrime. While we can’t always prevent cyber attacks, we can learn from them and apply tangible steps to protect ourselves and our businesses.”
Good cyber security practices include implementing and enforcing identification, robust encryption policies, strong data hygiene, patch management programs, using blockchain and crypto currency solutions, and use traditional measures like firewalls, antivirus software, and anti-spyware.
Whitney Grace, December 13, 2021
Amazon: Engendering Excitement and Questions about Failover and Reliability
December 8, 2021
Amazon’s big-bang conference is mostly a memory. I don’t think the conference announcements or the praise sung by the choir of Amazon faithful can top this story: “Amazon Packages Pile Up after AWS Outage Spawns Delivery Havoc.” The agility of the two-pizza method and the super duper automatic redundancy, failover ingenuity did not work. What’s affected? Just the foundation business of the online bookstore.
The write up states:
Three delivery service partners said an Amazon.com Inc. app used to communicate with delivery drivers is down. Vans that were supposed to be on the road delivering packages are sitting idle with no communication from the company, the person said. Amazon Flex drivers, independent delivery people who carry parcels in their own cars, can’t log into Amazon’s app to get assignments, said another person. The problems come amid Amazon’s critical holiday shopping season when the e-commerce giant can ill afford delays that could potentially create lasting log-jams.
Personally I don’t care too much about my deliver of household cleaner. I do worry that Amazon’s assurances for the existing GovCloud and the newly minted GovCloud West may suffer a similar meltdown. A failure to provide me with three bottles of Krud Kutter are tiny compared with fouling up top secret messaging and secured processes.
Concentration of online in the capable hands of a few technology behemoths makes sense to some MBAs. Efficiency, scale, better service, yada yada. The reality is reported in the start Detroit News’ story: Havoc. Marketing and conference talks are just easier and more exciting than maintaining a hugely complex system which is getting more difficult for some to believe in good, old Saint Bezos.
Seasons Greetings and Happy New Year!
Stephen E Arnold, December 8, 2021
Competition: Who Wants It? Not Monopolies or Legacy Software Outfits
December 3, 2021
Legacy software companies were once the toast of the tech industry, but now they set the standards and procedures followed by everyone. They have been in power so long they do not like to give it up to newer competition. The Irish Times shares the opinions of the competition: “Tech Groups Say SAP, Oracle, And Microsoft Are Unfair Digital ‘Gatekeepers.’”
Tech groups in the European Union have dubbed Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, and other legacy software companies “gatekeepers” that prevent competition. The tech groups sent a letter to the EU via Bloomberg News about the Digital Markets Act. They argue that the act “falls short” of addressing software providers “unfair” licensing practices. The legacy companies are locking customers in and self-preferring themselves when they offer cloud services.
The current Digital Markets Act currently deals more with big US companies:
“The Digital Markets Act currently focuses on anti-competitive behaviors by social media and online marketplace companies like Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook; Alphabet’s Google and Amazon. com. While that has prompted criticism that European lawmakers are targeting US-based companies, some parliamentarians are trying to broaden the rules to include more companies like software providers.
The groups seeking the inclusion of software platforms represent more than 2,500 chief innovation officers and almost 700 businesses organizations in the four EU countries, including L’Oreal, Zalando and Volkswagen.”
One would think that the new Digital Markets Act would address every tech company as a blanket law instead of focusing on a specific few. The EU should draft a law that blocks all gatekeeping practices and opens the market for competition. Legacy software companies do have a lot of money and clout, but that does not mean they write the law.
Whitney Grace, December 3, 2021
What Could Possibly Go Wrong: Direct Connections to MSFT SQL Servers?
December 3, 2021
One can now connect Google Data Studio directly to MSSQL servers with a new beta version. Previously, this feat required the use of either Microsoft’s Power BI or Big Query. Reporter Christian Lauer over at CodeX frames this move as an incursion in, “Google Attacks Microsoft Power BI.” He writes:
“Maybe many of you have been waiting for this. Google Data Studio now also offers a connector to MSSQL servers — at least in the beta version. But you can already use it without any problems. For me this is a milestone and a direct attack on Microsoft Power BI. Because now Data Studio is again a bit closer to the top solutions like Power BI and Qlik or Tableau. In addition, you no longer have to use MS products or load the data into a data warehouse beforehand if they come from Microsoft servers. The advantage for Google’s solution is of course that Data Studio is free of charge. … Many companies have MSSQL databases, now the widely used and free Data Studio from Google also offers a built in connector for it. Often the right and better way would be to make the data available via a Data Warehouse or Data Lake. But especially for smaller companies with only a handful of MSSQL databases, this direct way via Data Studio is probably the most efficient.”
The write-up describes the straightforward process for connecting to an MSSQL database via Google Data Studio, complete with a screenshot. For more information, he sends us to Studio’s Help file, “How to Connect to Microsoft SQL Server.” We wonder, though, whether Microsoft would agree this development amounts to an “attack.” The company may barely notice the change. Cyber criminals? We will have to wait and see.
Cynthia Murrell, December 3, 2021
Xooglers Can Define Evil and Want a Judge to Validate Their Definition
December 2, 2021
I read “Google: Former Employees Sue Tech Giant for Allegedly Breaching Don’t Be Evil Pledge.” Nope, not a joke. When I first heard a real live Google spout this phrase to me at a search conference in 1999 in Boston, I thought the shy, perspiring billionaire to be was pulling my leg. I still think that the don’t be evil thing—alleged crafted by Paul Buchheit and Amit Patel — was a high school science club thing. Companies run by anyone but the Googlers had to be evil. The Googlers were a force for good. Right?
Now three employees, assisted by a mini-flock of legal eagles, want to make the company pay big bucks for pitching the don’t be evil line for years. The phrase found its way into assorted company information outputs. I thought I saw it on a Google booth tchotchke shortly after my interaction with the Google billionaire to be in Boston.
How could “real” attorneys, hired by the ultimate science club, use the phrase don’t be evil in corporate outputs? Easy. Lawyers, once housed in trailers, a kilometer from the “real” office were nuisances to be tolerated. The “good” lawyers mostly did what they were supposed to do and rolled with the sci-club.
The write up reports:
The trio had raised concerns at town halls and other forums inside Google about the company potentially selling cloud technology to immigration authorities in the United States, which at the time were engaging in detention tactics considered inhumane by activists.
This appears to be an example of evil.
Perhaps there will be some existential moments in this matter. Google will have to offer an example of being good. Who will decide? A lawyer. Hopefully a member of the high school science club and a person who understands that saying something doesn’t mean anything when money is involved in Silicon Valley.
Stephen E Arnold, December 2, 2021
Amazon: The Online Bookstore Does FinTech
December 1, 2021
Several years ago, I did a series of reports about Amazon’s push into a data marketplace. That technology is chugging along, but it appeals to the back office crowd. “Goldman Sachs Unveils Amazon Backed Cloud Service for Wall Street Trading Firms” makes clear that the back office is an important part of the Bezos bulldozer’s post-Jeff itinerary. Instead of teaming with US government agencies, the online bookstore has connected with everyone’s favorite financial institution to create a fintech cloud.
The write up reports:
The bank is opening up access to its trove of market data and software tools to hedge funds and asset managers in an offering designed with Amazon’s cloud division.
Like other Amazon back office services, many Amazon watchers will yawn. The excite swirls around Black Friday deals and Amazon’s alleged manipulation of its product search results.
How long has the online bookstore been working with the estimable Wall Street eminence? The answer is more than a decade.
Worth watching because the back office in the world of finance is possibly more lucrative than selling Amazon Basics T shirts.
Stephen E Arnold, December xx, 2021
An Impossible Dream? Where Is the Windmill?
December 1, 2021
Cyberattacks are only growing in frequency, sophistication, and ROI for hackers. We know most companies need to do a better job at protecting themselves, but what will make the difference? Perhaps the problem lies in the gaps between departments. Network World suggests “3 Steps to Better Collaboration Between Networking and Security Pros.” IT Research firm Enterprise Management Associates finds many companies recognize the need for these departments to work more closely but are having trouble effectively bringing them together. The article identifies four key challenges: separate data silos, skill and knowledge differences between the teams, architectural complexity and, surprise, lack of funding. Writer Shamus McGillicuddy suggests three solutions. The first is to create common data repositories:
“The first priority is to establish a shared data repository that both teams can rely on for a common view of the network. In many companies, security teams are constantly requesting data from the network team when conducting investigations. If that’s the case, the network team should identify the data that security teams frequently request and establish repositories that are accessible to them. … network teams and security teams should centralize packet-capture infrastructure as much as possible so that both teams have a common record of raw traffic data.”
The catch—this change may require updates to data stores, which means spending some dough. Then there is the issue of training staff to better understand each other. McGillicuddy suggests it is up to management, not the teams themselves, to identify the necessary know-how:
“Leadership should recognize how skills gaps are undermine NetSecOps partnerships and lead from the top to close those gaps. Also, network infrastructure professionals are usually quite knowledgeable about network security concepts. They can bring that to bear as much as possible to find common ground with the security team.”
Again, companies must be willing to allocate funds to this endeavor. Finally, architecture should be simplified. The write-up stresses:
“If complexity is getting in the way, the network team should kill complexity and modernize legacy architecture as much as possible. One option is to adopt automation solutions that abstract complexity. And as they move into new environments like the cloud and work-from-anywhere, they should design for simplicity as much as possible.”
This step might be the most costly of the three, especially if legacy systems must be overhauled. All told, companies can be looking at a significant investment to establish harmony between their networking and security departments. The alternative, though, may be to risk a much more costly (and embarrassing) data breach in the future.
Cynthia Murrell, December 1, 2021
Forgotten IBM Watson? Despite Quantum Supremacy, IBM Loves Its AI Too
December 1, 2021
IBM continues to upgrade Watson; this time it is new natural language processing software. IBM’s Newsroom details the upgrade: “IBM To Add New Natural Language Processing Enhancements To Watson Discovery.” The enhancements will assist industries elevate customer care, accelerate business processes by discovering insights and synthesizing information.
Companies are using more NLP software to review their data and its varying formats. AI allows companies to discover insights, save research time, and help employees make more fact-driven decisions. Customization for different industries is a key determinant in the Watson Discovery upgrade:
“The new planned features that IBM announced today are designed to make it easier for Watson Discovery users to quickly customize the underlying NLP models on the unique language of their business. Stemming from NLP advancements developed by IBM Research, business users can train Watson Discovery to help read, understand and surface more precise insights from large sets of complex, industry-specific documents even if they don’t have significant data science skills.”
Among the new features are: advanced NLP customization capabilities, automatic text pattern detection, and pre-trained document structure understanding. NLP will change how the law, financial, insurance, and other industries conduct business.
While NLP upgrades are relatively new, but they will eventually become industry standards as the software becomes cheaper and more ingrained. NLP might actually become mandatory to combat inaccuracy and poor business practices.
Whitney Grace, December 1, 2021
What Company Is the Leader in Search Powered by Artificial Intelligence? One Answer May Surprise You. It Did Me.
November 30, 2021
Give up? The answer is Lucidworks, “the leader in AI-powered search.” You can get the gull story from Unite.ai and the article “Will Hayes, CEO of Lucidworks – Interview Series.” What’s “AI”? I don’t know, and the answer is not provided from @IAmWillHayes’ comments. What’s “search”? I don’t know because no specific definition is provided. (Search is a blanket word, covering everything from the open source Lucene in policeware solutions to whiz-bang, patented real time methods for time series data from Trendalyze. And we must not forget the generous offerings of “search” for eDiscovery, product supplier data, chemical structures, streaming video files, code libraries, and mysterious content like the interesting information in encrypted Signal and Telegram interactions. Search at Lucidworks is different it seems.
I noted this statement:
Lucidworks takes mission-critical business problems and solves them with search.
I assume that Lucidworks is disconnected from Dassault Systèmes search based applications approach. There is a 2011 book titled “Search Based Applications: At the Confluence of Search and Database Technologies.” The author is Dr. Gregory Grefenstette with assistance from Laura Wilber. The Lucidworks’ assertion struck me as one more example of marketing hoo hah disconnected from what came before. At least, the Dassault technology was original, not a recycling of open source software.
Here’s another statement offered as an original insight:
Lucidworks offers products and applications for commerce, customer service, and the workplace that use AI and machine learning to solve search. Fusion, our flagship product, uses AI extensively through every stage of enriching data—during ingest and at query time, for understanding user intent, and personalizing results that match that intent.
I want to point out that the Paris-based firm Polyspot used almost the exact same language (both French and English) to describe the company’s approach to information access. Here’s what Bloomberg says about the now repositioned company:
PolySpot SAS develops and publishes enterprise software. The Company’s products offer search and information access solutions designed to improve business and ensure that companies can access the data they need, regardless of their structure, format or origin. PolySpot markets its products internationally.
Dis Yogi Berra or Yogi Bear say: “It’s déjà vu all over again.” I go with the cartoon bear. The aphorism applies to Lucidworks in my opinion.
Lucidworks also does chatbots, fits into the connected experience cloud (CXC), and compounds “value.” Okay. The company, according to @IAmWillHayes, is “leader in next-generation search solutions and we have an exciting roadmap of cloud products coming in the near future.”
I wonder what outfits like Algolia, Coveo, Sphinx Search, and even the heroic X1 think about this assertion. What will Google’s revolving door search experts make of Lucidworks’ bold assertion? What about the crafty laborers in AWS search vineyards who watch the competitors gun for the Bezos bulldozer? What about the innovators working on the somewhat frightening IBM search solution? Maybe Microsoft will just pull a “Fast Search” and buy Lucidworks to beef up its incredible array of finding systems?
My hunch is that Lucidworks has to deal with its backers who want their money back plus some upside. Mix in the harsh market realities of many options, some free or low cost, and others bundled with purpose built solutions like Voyager Labs’ software and what do you get?
I am not sure about your answer. My answer is, “Recycling marketing lingo, ideas, and assertions which are decades old?” Will AI, machine learning, and CXC pull a rabbit from the search magician’s hat?
Maybe. But the investors who have injected more than $200 million into the company may want more than a magic show. And what is “search” and “AI” anyway? Solr with a new outfit from Amazon?
Stephen E Arnold, November 30, 2021
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