Lifeboat Foundation

Why IBM should take a serious look at acquiring Robotic Process Automation vendor Blue Prism.

LONDON & MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Blue Prism, the pioneering developer of enterprise Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software, today announced its debut on AIM of the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The first developer of software robots to trade on the public markets, Blue Prism, working closely with its global network of partners, grew 35% last year and has deployments with more than 74 customers, including a number of the world’s largest banks, insurers, utilities, healthcare, telecommunications, service providers and other regulated industries. The initial public offering (IPO) will allow Blue Prism to support its global growth plans and enhance its profile within the RPA marketplace.

“Today’s milestone follows a successful year for the company, and marks a shift in acceptance for software robots as a mainstream choice for the enterprise digital workforce,” said Alastair Bathgate, co-founder and CEO of Blue Prism. “Software robots have been deployed successfully and strategically by large, blue chip organizations that have derived tremendous value from this new solution to the labor market, it’s not science fiction.”

CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -
Remotely piloted aircraft don’t fly themselves as autonomous super machines. They also don’t require only a single pilot and sensor operator to function.

The RPA enterprise of MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers is maintained or operated by Airmen from more than 30 Air Force career fields, each one playing a key role in supporting every combat air patrol. The patrols enable combatant commanders access to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities at all times.

A combat air patrol is essentially having an aircraft in the air, providing joint combatant commanders with dominant ISR and real-time munitions capability. Today, the RPA enterprise flies a total of 60 CAPs in a 24-hour period requiring thousands of Airmen from pilots and sensor operators to maintainers, intelligence personnel and weather forecasters.

Continue reading “Piecing the puzzle together, RPAs provide crucial combat air patrol capabilities” »

Nice concept; however, given the recent warnings for 2016; I hope that IDC and others are not overwhelmed as well as able to meet their client’s expectations. My concern is expectations by policy holders as well as leaders operating in a mode of false sense of security and ignoring warnings that they would have focused on closely without the insurance.

New report offers insight into some of the tools and models available today to help insurers expand into this emerging market, balance their risk portfolios, and maintain a positive outlook

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., March 15, 2016 – Increased digitization and interconnectivity have catapulted the risk of cyber threats as one of the top global perils of 2016 and beyond. To combat this risk, many companies will look to insurance as a critical risk management technique that complements improved cyber security measures. IDC Financial Insights outlines the tremendous opportunities for insurers to capitalize on this largely untapped market in a new report, Perspective: Cyber Insurance — Can Technology Help Insurers Overcome Their Skepticism? (Doc #EMEA41044816), and emphasizes some of the tools and models that can help insurers effectively penetrate the emerging market while balancing their risk portfolios.

Pseudo-Particles for Error-Free Quantum Computing meet the team and their write up who made it happen through

S. M. Albrecht,

A. P. Higginbotham,

Continue reading “Exponential protection of zero modes in Majorana islands” »

Beam me up Scotty. Alright, now that we got that out of the way, let’s get to the hard facts. German scientists have developed a way to transport information across a physical distance instantly. No one is jumping the gun quite yet, but it seriously looks as if scientists have discovered how to teleport.

Humans May Soon BE Able TO Teleport

It’s crazy that headline even exists, but one shouldn’t complain. In technical terms, the process known as quantum teleportation has been known for quite some time. To teleport in the quantum level is nothing new, but to teleport in the classical world, well, that’s just fascinating. Of course, teleportation in the classical world is done using uniquely entangled laser beams. By using spinning, polarizing plates, scientists have proven that laser beams can thus be entangled. In the study, the team used information of a specific laser direction and transmitted it. What came out on the other end was an instant transmission of the laser beam at a short distance.

The mysterious region has reportedly claimed more than 8,000 people since 1851.

Automated online advice platforms, the so-called robo advisors, have long implied the use of algorithms eliminates conflicts of interest. It’s a premise that’s gained traction with both consumers and regulators. But a new report by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority casts doubt on their ability to do just that.

With robo advisors like Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, Betterment and Wealthfront now managing billions of dollars worth of client assets, FINRA investigated these online advice providers. The regulator released a report Tuesday that evaluated several key service areas including governance and supervision, the suitability of recommendations, conflicts of interest, customer risk profiles and portfolio rebalancing.

FINRA found that while digital advice will likely play an increasingly important role in wealth management, investors should be aware that conflicts of interest can exist even in providers powered by algorithms. Specifically, the advice consumers receive depends largely on the digital advice provider’s investment approach and the underlying assumptions used.

Continue reading “Turns Out Robots Don’t Offer Conflict-Free Advice Either” »