Business mergers and Acquisition, SAP, Microsoft - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: Project Brainwave

Explanation:
In a bid to make artificial intelligence more accessible all-round, Microsoft has kicked off a new project which delivers real-time AI via the cloud.

It is utilizing some nifty technology from Intel.

Project Brainwave is described by Microsoft as a deep learning acceleration platform which employs Intel’s Stratix 10 FPGA (field programmable gate array) hardware accelerator to run AI.

This is through the cloud and still deliver near-instant results.

The system is capable of processing and transmitting data with ‘ultra-low latency’, delivering results as fast as that data comes in, and so effectively operating in real-time.

And that’s a clear boon for the sort of applications that need this, from digital assistants through to the likes of autonomous driving.

The system has already shown that Intel’s Stratix 10 tech can exceed 39 Teraflops in terms of performance on a single request.

Microsoft engineer Doug Burger notes that at that level of performance, the Brainwave architecture sustains execution of over 130,000 compute operations per cycle.

It is driven by one macro-instruction being issued each 10 cycles.

Running on Stratix 10, Project Brainwave thus achieves unprecedented levels of demonstrated real-time AI performance on extremely challenging models.

And further gains are expected as Microsoft hones the system over the next year or so.

Project Brainwave supports deep learning frameworks including Microsoft’s own Cognitive Toolkit and Google’s Tensorflow, and the firm is planning to bring it to Azure customers as well.

Powerful real-time AI processing capabilities on tap will be another major string to Azure’s bow.

ANSWER: Dubai

Explanation:
Dubai has become the first city in the world to have its own Microsoft font.

The font will have typeface both in Latin and Arabic script.

It will be made available in 23 languages - Afrikaans, Arabic, Basque, Britannic, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Norwegian, Farsi, Portuguese, Sami, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish and Urdu.

The Microsoft font was launched by the Crown Prince of Dubai Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The font will be used by UAE’s government bodies and also by 100 million Office 365 users around the world.

UAE has launched the ‘Dubai Font’ in line with its vision of becoming a regional and global leader in innovation.

The country views the launch as a part of its continuous efforts to be ranked first in the digital world.

The country expects the new font and its unique specifications to become popular online and in smart technologies across the world.

The launch of new font is expected to boost the emirate’s competitiveness in smart technology.

Dubai: Know More

• Dubai is the largest city in UAE.
• It has the world’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa.
• Dubai has been taking a series of initiatives to broaden its appeal by investing in technology and culture.
• Dubai will play host to the six-month Expo 2020 under the themes of sustainability and mobility.

ANSWER: Andhra Pradesh

Explanation:
Government of Andhra has entered into an agreement with technology giant Microsoft to use Microsoft Azure Stack for AP government state data centre.

The chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella signed an MoU during an event called ‘Microsoft Future Decoded’ in Mumbai on 22nd Feb 2017.

Under the MoU, Microsoft Azure Stack for the first time in the world will be used to migrate live applications currently hosted in Hyderabad State Data Centre (SDC) to Vizag data centre.

Government of India helped erstwhile Andhra Pradesh to build a state data centre in Hyderabad with the funding of INR 400 crore.

However, after bifurcation of the state into residual Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, both the states have bifurcated servers and data but they are using the same data centre in Hyderabad.

As per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, AP has 10 years rights on the data centre but state is gradually planning to move all applications hosted in Hyderabad SDC to Vizag and Vijayawada data centres.

The US-based company has tested this Microsoft Azure Stack in its lab but it has not been physically delivered or commercially used anywhere in the world.

For the first time, Microsoft is doing proof of concept (POC) with Government of Andhra Pradesh to prove its capability.

Currently more than 340 applications of Andhra Pradesh including eSeva, MeeSeva, Core Dash Board are running in Hyderabad SDC.

Under the PoC agreement, state will migrate 15 applications to Vizag data centre.

To migrate, part of the applications will be taken to cloud and from cloud it will be transmitted onto the Azure Stack.

In this process, live applications will move from Hyderabad to Vizag.

Once the box is with government Microsoft will not have access to the data but they will have access to data in the cloud.

The security of the data and application at this stage resides with the Microsoft.

What is Azure Stack?

• A data centre basically has three important components - server, applications and storage.
• The hardware for all three components are different and they are controlled by software also knows as controller.
• For migration of the data centre from one location to other, generally private companies put on-premise data centre into the cloud and then to different location or it remains in the cloud.
• However, governments are highly conscious of data security because they deal with personal data of citizens.
• So, they usually avoid going to cloud and prefer data to be within their boundaries.
• Microsoft Azure Stack which encompasses three key components of the data centre - application, server, and the storage - into one physical box and delivers to the client, ensures 100% control over the box.
• Technically, it is a cloud software that is binding the entire stack together in one environment.

ANSWER: EY

Explanation:
Global leader in advisory services EY and Microsoft on 24th Jan 2017 announced partnership for innovative high-performance intelligence and analytics advisory.

These services will address the requirements of various industry sectors.

This includes financial, life sciences, retail, consumer and packaged goods and government and public sector.

The services will be powered by Microsoft's comprehensive digital and cloud technologies, including:

• Azure Analysis Services,
• Machine Learning,
• Microsoft Power BI and
• Microsoft Cortana Intelligence Suite.

EY's cross-sector advisory experience and the power of Microsoft's data intelligence and analytics offerings will benefit the industry,

Cortana: Know More

• Developer: Microsoft
• Initial release: April 2, 2014
• Operating system: Windows, iOS, Android, Xbox OS
• Available in 8 Languages.
• Type: Intelligent personal assistant
• License: Proprietary

ANSWER: Sriram Rajamani

Explanation:
Microsoft announced the appointment of Sriram Rajamani as the new MD of the India lab.

• He will spreadhead Microsoft India from the Bengaluru office replacing Chandu Thekkath who has been MD of the lab for two years.
• Prior to joining the India lab, Rajamani headed the Software Productivity Tools group within the Microsoft Redmond Research Lab.

ANSWER: Anant Maheshwari

Explanation:
Microsoft India has appointed Anant Maheshwari as the president succeeding Bhaskar Pramanik as Chairman, Microsoft India effective January 1 in 2017.

• Pramanik will retire from the company in March 2017.
• Maheshwari will be joining Microsoft from Honeywell where he was the President of India.
• Previously, he was also MD of Honeywell Automation India and aims for a mobile first, cloud first world.
• He has also worked for McKinsey & Company.

ANSWER: Project Shiksha

Explanation:
Microsoft has equipped more than 7.7 lakh government school teachers with IT skills across 12 states in India under Project Shiksha programme launched in 2003.

• The Microsoft India Citizenship Report 2015-2016 highlights the attainments of Microsoft citizenship initiatives including Project Shiksha, Project Saksham, Project Jyoti and YouthSpark.
• Project Saksham has reached out to 81 central/state universities through 24 states training 3800 faculty members since 2011.
• Project Jyoti helped to establish over 1700 enterprises by youth in the country.
• Microsoft is also running digital literacy initiative under the YouthSpark programme for marginalised communities with critical focus on young girls and women.

ANSWER: Microsoft

Explanation:
A new partnership between Microsoft and Boeing have been formed for AI enthusiasts.

• Boeing’s digital aviation can be centralised on Azure and analysis of large sets of data from many sources.
• Cortana’s intelligence suite can help airline operators work through inventory more efficiently.
• Smart scheduling is the aim of the partnership.

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
NYSE listed technology firm Synnex Corporation has acquired Bengaluru based BPO firm Minacs for USD 420 million in a deal underlining consolidation in the business process management space.

• Buyout also showcases the efforts in the BPM sector to gravitate towards higher end services and capabilities like analytics
• PE firms CX Partners and Capital Square Partners which purchased Minaca from the Aditya Birla Group are exiting the firm.
• This acquisition is Synnex’s second biggest in India.
• In 2013, it had acquired BPO firm IBM Daksh for USD 505 million.

ANSWER: Forever 21

Explanation:
Kumar Mangalam Birla led Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail has acquired Indian business of international clothing brand “Forever 21” from Diana Retail Pvt Ltd, the US based company’s local franchise partner for over INR 175 crore or USD 26 million.

• Transaction involved acquisition of the Forever 21 Undertaking of Diana Retail from July 1 through business transfer agreement and not share transfer.
• Consideration for acquisition is USD 26 million
• Forever 21 will form part of the Madura Fashion & Lifestyle division
• Forever 21 is among the fastest growing fashion retailers in the world with a network of more than 700 stores worldwide.