Microsoft: We Can Do Smart Software Just Like Google
November 13, 2015
I read “Microsoft Open-Sources DMTK, a Distributed Machine Learning Library.” I was not surprised. The folks in Redmond have had some serious Google envy for more than 15 years. After Google made some of its smart software available as open source, I assumed that Microsoft would want to do the me-too thing as well.
According to the write up:
Microsoft today announced the release of a new open-source machine learning toolkit that goes by the name DMTK. The toolkit contains a framework for training models on multiple servers, a topic modeling algorithm, and a word-embedding algorithm for natural language processing. It’s all out on GitHub under an MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) license. Using these tools, developers can handle machine learning at scale with fewer servers.
If I were teaching at a university, I would have to decide whether to embrace the Google or the company that provides SharePoint. I would be torn. Do I side with the Hatfields or the McCoys?
The write up points out that Facebook released a few of its smart software toys as part of its Torch program.
The idea is that developers can use these nifty new tools to create smart applications. I look forward to more systems like LinkedIn’s. These can determine how much spam to send me about people who are looking for work or who want to thought leaders. Useful stuff. Good for students to use as they make their way to the booming world of smart dust and slow going self driving autos.
Keep in mind that Microsoft can transform your business with SharePoint. Now that’s a software galaxy in need of some refurbishment. Perhaps the Facebook or Google smart software libraries can help?
Stephen E Arnold, November 13, 2015