Improve Microservices With These New Load Balancing Strategies
Load balancing in a microservices setup is tricky yet crucial because it
directly influences the system availability and performance level. To ensure
that no single instance gets overloaded with user requests and to maintain
operation even when one instance experiences issues, it is vital to distribute
end-user requests among various service instances. This involves utilizing
service discovery to pinpoint cases of dynamic load balancing to adjust to
load changes and implementing fault-tolerant health checks for monitoring and
redirecting traffic away from malfunctioned instances to maintain system
stability. These tactics work together to guarantee a solid and efficient
microservices setup. ... With distributed caching, intelligent load balancing,
and event-driven system designs, microservices outperform today’s monolithic
architectures in performance, scalability, and resilience qualities. The
latter is much more efficient relative to the utilization of resources and
response times since individual components can be scaled as needed. However,
one must remember that the type of performance improvements introduced here
means higher complexity. Implementation of the same is a complex process that
needs to be monitored and optimized repeatedly.
Achieving Net Zero: The Role Of Sustainable Design In Tech Sector
With an increasing focus on radical climate actions, environmentally
responsible product design emerges as a vital tactic to achieving the net
zero. According to the latest research more than two-thirds of organisations
have reduced their carbon emissions as a result of the implementation of
sustainable product design strategies. ... For businesses seeking to enhance
sustainability it is essential to adopt a holistic approach. This means not
only focusing on specific products but also examining the entire life cycle
from design and packaging to end of life. It is crucial for all tech
businesses to consider how sustainability can be maintained even after
products and services have been purchased. Thus, enhancing product
repairability is another key tactic to boost sustainability. Given that
electronic waste contributes to 70% of all toxic waste and only about 12% of
all e-waste is recycled properly right now, any action individual consumers
can take to repair or recycle their old tech responsibility is a step toward a
cleaner future. By integrating design features such as keyboard-free battery
connectors and providing instructional repair videos, companies can make it
easier for customers to repair their products, extending their lifespan and
ultimately reducing waste.
How to Maximize DevOps Efficiency with Platform Engineering
Platform engineering can also go awry when the solutions an organization
offers are difficult to deploy. In theory, deploying a solution should be as
simple as clicking a button or deploying a script. But buggy deployment tools,
as well as issues related to inconsistent software environments, might mean
that DevOps engineers have to spend time debugging and fixing flawed platform
engineering offerings — or ask the IT team to do it. In that case, a solution
that was supposed to save time and simplify collaboration ends up doing the
opposite. Along similar lines, platform engineering delivers little value when
the solutions don't consistently align with the organization's governance and
security policies. This tends to be an issue in cases where different teams
implement different solutions and each team follows its own policies, instead
of adhering to organization-wide rules. (It can also happen because the
organization simply lacks clear and consistent security policies.) If the
environments and toolchains that DevOps teams launch through platform
engineering are insecure or inconsistently configured, they hamper
collaboration and fail to streamline software delivery processes.
How banks can supercharge technology speed and productivity
Banks that want to increase technology productivity typically must change how
engineering and business teams work together. Getting from an idea for a new
customer feature to the start of coding has historically taken three to six
months. First, business and product teams write a business case, secure
funding, get leadership buy-in, and write requirements. Most engineers are
fast at producing code once the requirements are clear, but when they must
wait six months before they even write the first line, productivity stalls.
Taking a page from digital-native companies, a number of top-performing banks
have created joint teams of product managers and engineers. Each integrated
team operates as a mini-business, with product managers functioning as
mini-CEOs who help their teams work together toward quarterly objectives and
key results (OKRs). With everyone collaborating in this manner, there is less
need for time-consuming handoff tasks such as creating formal requirements and
change requests. This way of working also unlocks greater product development
speed and enables much greater responsiveness to customer needs. While most
financial institutions already manage their digital and mobile teams in this
product-centric way, many still use a traditional project-centric approach for
the majority of their teams.
Choosing AI: the 7 categories cybersecurity decision-makers need to understand
As cybersecurity professionals, we want to avoid the missteps of the last era
of digital innovation, in which large companies developed web architecture and
product stacks that dramatically centralized the apparatus of function across
most sectors of the global economy. The era of online platforms underwritten
by just a few interlinked developer and technology infrastructure firms showed
us that centralized innovation often restricts the potential for
personalization for end users, which limits the benefits. ... It’s true that a
CISO might want AI systems that reduce options and make their practice easier,
so long as the outputs being used are trustworthy. But if the current state of
development is sufficient that we should be wary of analytic products, it’s
also enough for us to be downright distrustful of products that generate,
extrapolate preferences, or find consensus. At present, these product styles
are promising but entirely insufficient to mitigate the risks involved in
adopting such unproven technology. By contrast, CISOs should think seriously
about adopting AI systems that facilitate information exchange and
understanding, and even about those that play a direct role in executing
decisions.
How GraphRAG Enhances LLM Accuracy and Powers Better Decision-Making
GraphRAG’s key benefit is its remarkable ability to improve LLMs’ accuracy and
long-term reasoning capabilities. This is crucial because more accurate LLMs
can automate increasingly complex and nuanced tasks and provide insights that
fuel better decision-making. Additionally, higher-performing LLMs can be
applied to a broader range of use cases, including those within sensitive
industries that require a very high level of accuracy, such as healthcare and
finance. That being said, human oversight is necessary as GraphRAG progresses.
It’s vital that each answer or piece of information the technology produces is
verifiable, and its reasoning can be traced back manually through the graph if
necessary. In today’s world, success hinges on an enterprise’s ability to
understand and properly leverage its data. But most organizations are swimming
in hundreds of thousands of tables of data with little insight into what’s
actually going on. This can lead to poor decision-making and technical debt if
not addressed. Knowledge graphs are critical for helping enterprises make
sense of their data, and when combined with RAG, the possibilities are
endless. GraphRAG is propelling the next wave of generative AI, and
organizations who understand this will be at the forefront of innovation.
Why Banks Should Rethink ‘Every Company is a Software Company’
Refocusing on core strengths can yield substantial benefits. For example, by
enhancing customer experience through personalized financial advice, banks can
deepen customer loyalty and foster long-term relationships. Improving risk
assessment processes can lead to more accurate lending decisions and better
management of financial exposures. Ensuring rigorous regulatory compliance is
not only crucial for avoiding costly penalties but also for preserving a
strong reputation in the market. Outsourcing software and AI development to
specialized providers is a strategic opportunity that can offer significant
benefits. By partnering with technology firms, banks can tap into cutting-edge
advancements without bearing the heavy burden of developing and maintaining
them themselves. ... AI is a powerful ally, enabling financial institutions to
streamline operations, innovate faster, and stay ahead in an ever-evolving
market. To achieve sustainable success, however, these institutions need to
rethink their approach to software and AI investments. By focusing on core
competencies and leveraging specialized providers for technological needs,
these institutions can optimize their operations and achieve the results
they’re looking for.
Steps Organizations Can Take to Improve Cyber Resilience
Protecting endpoints will become increasingly important as more
internet-enabled devices – like laptops, smartphones, IoT hardware, tablets,
etc. – hit the market. Endpoint protection is also essential for companies
that embrace remote or hybrid work. By securing every possible endpoint,
organizations address a common attack plane for cyberattackers. One of the
fastest paths to endpoint protection is to invest in purpose-built solutions
that go beyond basic antivirus software. To get ahead of cybersecurity
threats, teams need real-time monitoring and threat detection capabilities.
... Cybersecurity teams should implement DNS filtering to prevent users from
accessing websites that are known for hosting malicious activity. Technology
solutions specifically designed for DNS filtering can also evaluate requests
in real time between devices and websites before determining whether to allow
the connection. Additionally, they can evaluate overall traffic patterns and
user behaviors, helping IT leaders make more informed decisions about how to
boost web security practices across the organization. ... Achieving cyber
resilience is an ongoing process. The digital landscape changes constantly,
and the best way to keep up is to make cybersecurity a focal point of everyday
operations.
The future of super apps: Decentralisation and security in a new digital ecosystem
Decentralised super apps could redefine public utility by providing essential
services without private platform fees, making them accessible and affordable.
This approach would serve the public interest by enabling fairer,
community-driven access to essential services. For example, a decentralised
grocery delivery service might allow local vendors to reach consumers without
relying on platforms like Blinkit or Zepto, potentially lowering costs and
supporting local businesses. As blockchain technology progresses,
decentralised finance (DeFi) can also be integrated into super apps, allowing
users to manage transactions securely and privately. ... Despite the
potential, the path to decentralised super apps comes with challenges.
Building a secure, decentralised platform requires sophisticated blockchain
infrastructure, a high level of trust, and user education. Blockchain
technology is still evolving, and decentralised applications (dApps) often
face issues with scalability, user adoption, and regulatory scrutiny. For
instance, certain countries have strict data privacy laws that could either
facilitate or hinder the adoption of decentralised super apps depending on the
regulatory stance towards blockchain.
Digital Transformation in Banking: Don't Let Technology Steal Your Brand
A clear, purpose-driven brand that communicates empathy, reliability, and
transparency is essential to winning and retaining customer trust. Banks that
invest in branding as part of their digital transformation connect with
customers on a deeper level, creating bonds that withstand market fluctuations
and competitive pressures. ... The focus on digital transformation has
intensified competition among banks to adopt the latest technologies. While
technology is essential for operational efficiency and customer convenience,
it’s not the core of a bank’s identity. A bank’s brand is built on values like
trust, reliability, and customer service—values that technology should
reinforce, not replace. Banks need to keep a clear sight of their purpose: to
serve customers’ financial well-being, empower their dreams, and create trust
in every interaction. ... It’s tempting to jump on the latest tech trends to
stay competitive, but each technological investment should reflect the bank’s
brand values and serve customer needs. For instance, mobile banking apps,
digital wallets, and AI-based financial planning tools all present
opportunities to deepen brand connections.
Quote for the day:
“The final test of a leader is that he
leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on.” --
Walter Lippmann
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