NetApp to Help Companies Address Challenges Related to AI Adoption
The ongoing shift to new smart city ecosystems that equip tech-savvy citizens with easy access to information using intelligent services and applications has become the hallmark of future urbanism. With the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a big game changer in the global economy, the UAE remains keen on capitalizing on the opportunity for the region to become a key player in the global agenda, as advancements in AI is set to contribute up to 13.6 per cent GDP in the UAE by 2030.
The launch of the UAE’s first Artificial Intelligence strategy by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and the launch of the pilot phase of the five-year plan for Smart Cities and Artificial Intelligence (2018 – 2022) by the Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities in Abu Dhabi reflect the government’s keenness on capitalizing on the opportunities presented by AI.
Advances in AI, particularly deep learning, is key to an organization’s transformation in modern digital economy. With increased education and awareness levels about its real business potential, many regional businesses will be able to completely harness the technology’s capabilities. The key differentiator of success in AI adoption is an organization’s approach to data. NetApp – the data authority for hybrid cloud – will participate at GITEX Technology Week 2018 to help regional organizations address key challenges related to AI adoption and will demonstrate the real business impact of the technology.
The role of data in the emerging world of deep learning and artificial intelligence is extremely key, especially in training deep learning systems in financial services and reducing false inferences. Healthcare is another important area of focus in terms of AI adoption in the Middle East. The introduction of a new policy to govern the use and implementation of AI in healthcare by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health is a recent example. Yet, the control over distributed data stores that ensures the availability of complete, current, and accessible data for AI projects remain a challenge in the region. This is where the expertise of organizations such as NetApp becomes extremely relevant.
In response to the growing market demand for advanced AI solutions, NetApp will showcase NetApp ONTAP AI proven architecture, powered by NVIDIA DGX supercomputers and NetApp AFF A800 cloud-connected all-flash storage to simplify, accelerate, and scale the data pipeline across edge, core and cloud for deep learning deployments and to help customers harness the real business capabilities of AI. The company is currently working with several government organizations in the Middle East to transform smart city concepts into reality.
“NetApp ONTAP AI enables businesses to create a seamless data pipeline that spans from the edge to the core to the cloud by leveraging the NetApp Data Fabric. It eliminates performance bottlenecks to enable secure, uninterrupted access to data from multiple sources and data formats with its massive processing power and capacity. Powered by NVIDIA DGX-1 servers and NetApp cloud-connected storage system, ONTAP AI is an architecture that enables customers to manage and protect data with a single set of tools regardless of where the data resides. ONTAP allows businesses to move their data freely to wherever it is needed and simplifies AI deployments. It also ensures that GPU’s are maximally utilized so that customers are leveraging the full power of their investment,” said the company in a statement.
