Middleware Consulting International

San Sebastian, March 24th, 2023. Fundación Ikerbasque, the Basque Foundation for Science in the Basque Country of Spain, and IBM today presented details of how they are partnering to further establish the Basque Country as a leading technology hub. This includes the adoption of quantum computing through the launch of the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center, which will provide Qiskit Runtime services from a 127-qubit IBM Quantum System One located in San Sebastian and managed by IBM.

IBM and IkerBasque share a common mission on the role of quantum computing as a key element of the Basque Country Government’s Ikur 2030 vision for quantum technologies. This initiative aims to advance quantum research, build a quantum workforce, promote economic development, and provide the necessary quantum computing infrastructure to achieve those goals. The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center will promote the use of advanced technology across all the Basque Country Government and the General Deputations (Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa), further elevating research institutions by expanding international research collaborations, performing world-class fundamental scientific research, and increasing the quantum-trained talent in the region.

To achieve these goals, the new IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center will focus on collaborations in crucial areas such as materials research, to develop a world-class, leading quantum ecosystem in Southern Europe that will leverage the strengths of its provinces to drive the advancement of science and technology.

This IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center will provide computational infrastructure for researchers from Ikerbasque Foundation and its partners to help researchers meet these goals. Researchers will be able to run quantum programs to explore complex problems, including the modeling of new materials and how quantum computing can be used as part of broader sustainability efforts. The IBM Qiskit Runtime services made available via this collaboration will leverage an IBM Quantum System One to be deployed at the Ikerbasque building located in San Sebastian (Guipuzkoa – Spain). This new center represents a further step in promoting technology development in the region to expand the horizons of computation.

IBM and Ikerbasque will also collaborate to develop workforce programs aimed at building and establishing world-class talent in the Basque Country. The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center programs will drive internal and external awareness, education, and skill building through the development of immersive and integrated learning programs.

“It is very risky to say what the future of quantum computers will bring us. Nobody knows for sure. What we do know for sure is that the Basque Country must be prepared for the future. It is essential to be in a good starting position for when the situation requires it. Euskadi joins today, a select group of IBM Quantum Computational Centers. We will actively collaborate with this Network and we will contribute all our knowledge to continue developing this technology. IBM’s commitment to the Basque Country reflects a new recognition of our science, technology and innovation system. The Basque Country believes in science and invests in it. We do so, convinced that our welfare will come through progress, through scientific advances,” assured the President of the Basque Country Government, Mr. Iñigo Urkullu.

“The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center is further proof of our commitment in building open communities of innovation to tackle the most challenging problems of our time,” said Dr. Darío Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of Research, IBM. “This partnership will bring to bear the full scope of IBM’s quantum technologies to The Basque Country’s world-class scientific and industrial communities. We are proud to be working with the Government of The Basque Country, as well as private sector and academic partners, to take innovation in Spain to the next level.”

The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center is the second such IBM Quantum Computational Center to be announced in Europe. Ikerbasque will join the more than 200 members of the IBM Quantum Network, a global community of Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, academic institutions, and research labs working to advance quantum computing and explore practical applications. These leading institutions have access to IBM’s Quantum-as-a-Service computing resources. Since 2016, IBM has deployed over 60 quantum computers for external use. There are now more than 20 quantum computing systems, including the 433-qubit IBM Osprey processor.

T-Systems will now have the ability to provide its customers with cloud access to IBM’s quantum systems, including multiple quantum computers powered by the 127-qubit IBM Eagle processor. Quantum computing aims to enable calculations that are beyond the means of even the world’s most advanced classical supercomputers.  This announcement sees the Deutsche Telekom IT subsidiary embark on the path to providing access to this technology, as well as insights on how it can be applicable to its customers’ businesses. In addition, T-Systems will offer dedicated quantum know-how and training.

Customers will have access to T-Systems quantum services tailored to their needs, in a set of different customizable packages. These range from one-day introductory sessions, through to business case proofs-of-concept over several months. The use of IBM Quantum computational resources over the cloud — including Qiskit Runtime, which allows for the optimization and efficient execution of workloads on quantum systems at scale — together with T-Systems’ services, will lower the barrier to quantum computing. This will allow T-Systems to develop and test customers’ use-cases and prepare them for a future with quantum computing. T-Systems aims to host its own quantum infrastructure in the future, assisted by IBM.

Accelerating progress towards tomorrow’s solutions

Quantum computing is a rapidly emerging technology that harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that today’s most powerful supercomputers cannot practically solve.

By integrating quantum computing into their portfolio, T-Systems aims to further leverage their leadership position in advisory, cloud services and digital solutions beyond the local markets in key focus industries. The ultimate goal is to provide clients with a seamless experience, incorporated into their cloud landscape, as they look to uncover the potential of quantum computing for their businesses.

“Quantum computing will be central to tomorrow’s IT landscape. We are combining quantum and classical computing in a seamless and scalable customer experience.” states Adel Al-Saleh, Deutsche Telekom board member and Chief Executive of T-Systems. “Taking these first decisive steps will lower the access barrier to quantum computing.” IBM has an established track record in quantum computing leadership. The company offers the world’s largest fleet of quantum computers, accessible over the cloud. Al-Saleh continues: “In IBM, we have a trusted partner to deliver this future technology. It is a perfect match for our industry focus and expertise.”

“Organizations around the world are beginning to explore how quantum computing will impact their industry and business. By partnering with T-Systems as a cloud provider, we will be able to offer access to quantum technology to an even broader ecosystem. Our team at IBM is excited to support T-Systems’ and their customers’ exploration of, and aspirations for quantum applications for their business operations,” says Scott Crowder, Vice President, IBM Quantum Adoption and Business Development.

LONDON, 8 March 2023. The EY organization (EY) and IBM today announce a global collaboration to focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) solutions that aim to help organizations accelerate business transformation with value-led sustainability. EY and IBM teams will pursue innovative offerings that help integrate sustainability with business strategy, support the operationalization of their programs with speed and scale, and transform how value is created for their business, their stakeholders, their people and the planet.

EY teams bring extensive experience advising organizations on sustainability strategies and transformation, while IBM offers innovative technology capabilities, and a portfolio of software to measure, deliver and report against sustainability goals. Both industry leaders are working to address the enormous complexities of ESG data by bringing deep understanding of emerging data standards.

EY and IBM teams plan to provide offerings orchestrated with leading technologies such as hyperscaler public cloud or ERP systems-of-record. To meet client preferences across diverse hybrid IT landscapes, collaborative offerings are planned to include:

• Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions accounting and management
• ESG Managed Services
• EY Sustainable Enterprise Asset Management (SEAM) tool for scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon capture, analysis and decision support

This collaboration is expected to leverage the EY organization’s leading Climate Change and Sustainability Services and Technology Consulting practices, along with IBM’s software including the IBM Envizi ESG Suite, IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite, IBM Maximo Application Suite, IBM TRIRIGA Application Suite, IBM Turbonomic Application Resource Management (ARM)  and IBM Supply Chain Intelligence Suite, to create a set of frameworks and accelerators to help companies operationalize decarbonization action plans at the asset level.

EY and IBM teams are already collaborating in many ways to deliver value-led sustainability, including:

• EY SEAM tool, leveraging IBM Maximo Application Suite, helps organizations capture and calculate carbon emissions data, report it according to regulations and set targets to drive action. The tool can be used on any public cloud to support organizations in asset- heavy industries such as civil infrastructure, telecom, energy, mobility and manufacturing.
• EY Sustainable Travel Approval Tool (STAT), developed in collaboration with IBM Consulting, is designed to encourage employees to book more sustainable travel choices and support an organizations’ carbon ambition by providing users with greater visibility to both the financial and carbon footprint impact of business travel. Since its launch within the EY organization across 41 markets, the tool has considerably cut one-day travel down from 18% to 3% of total trips, and increased train rail bookings to 36% compared to 10% in FY19, in countries where train rail is a viable option.

Steve Varley, EY Global Vice Chair – Sustainability, says:

“In order for organizations to address an ever-evolving set of ESG challenges, solutions must be delivered and deployable at a faster pace than ever before. The value of this deepened and longstanding alliance is in how it leverages the consulting and technology capabilities of both EY and IBM teams, to be at the forefront of how clients plan and accelerate their ESG journey and build trust with their most critical stakeholders.”

Kareem Yusuf, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Product Management & Growth, IBM Software, says:

“A global energy crisis, rising costs and new regulations are among the ongoing and increasing challenges organizations face as they act to deliver upon their sustainability goals while still balancing revenue, risk and driving shareholder returns. IBM’s expanded collaboration with EY is a critical step forward in helping our joint clients accelerate their most pressing sustainability and business objectives.”

This work builds on the EY organization and IBM’s ongoing collaboration including the recent launch of Talent Center of Excellence and the EY-IBM Center of Excellence for Financial Services.

NEW YORK, March 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — IBM and Cohesity today announced a new collaboration to address the critical need organizations have for increased data security and resiliency in hybrid cloud environments. Combining data protection, cyber resilience, and data management capabilities from both companies, IBM will launch its new IBM Storage Defender solution which will include Cohesity’s data protection as an integral part of the offering. IBM Storage Defender is being designed to leverage AI and event monitoring across multiple storage platforms through a single pane of glass to help protect organizations’ data layer from risks like ransomware, human error, and sabotage. Additionally, it will feature cyber vault and clean room features with automated recovery functions to help companies restore business-critical data in hours or minutes from what used to take days.

The most recent Cost of a Data Breach Report released by IBM Security revealed costlier and higher-impact data breaches than ever before, with the global average cost of a data breach reaching an all-time high of $4.35 million for studied organizations and increasing nearly 13% over the last two years of the report.1 The report also showcased hybrid cloud environments as the most prevalent (45%) infrastructure amongst organizations studied. Averaging $3.8 million in breach costs, businesses that adopted a hybrid cloud model observed lower breach costs compared to businesses with a solely public or private cloud model, which experienced $5.02 million and $4.24 million on average respectively.

IBM Storage Defender is being architected to give clients the ability to rapidly find their most recent clean copy of data. It is IBM’s first offering to bring together multiple IBM and third-party solutions unifying primary, secondary replication, and backup management. Leveraging advanced storage capabilities, such as IBM Storage FlashSystem Safeguarded Copy for logical air gap, can help companies recover their most mission critical data within hours in the event of an attack. The first of such ecosystem integrations, Cohesity brings world class virtual machine protection managed in the hybrid cloud. Cohesity on-premises cluster managed with a cloud-based control plane supports a multi-vendor strategy optimized for data recovery to improve business continuity.

IBM Storage Defender will include:

• IBM Storage Protect (formerly IBM Spectrum Protect): comprehensive data resilience for physical file servers, virtual environments, and a wide range of applications (including SaaS-based workloads), where organizations can scale up to manage billions of objects per backup server.
• IBM Storage FlashSystem: a cyber-resilient, all-flash and hybrid storage platform for performance and capacity-intensive workloads.
• IBM Storage Fusion: container-native storage and data orchestration for Red Hat OpenShift for modern and next generation applications.
• Cohesity DataProtect: comprehensive protection for both traditional and modern data sources on a multicloud platform. Cohesity DataProtect is engineered so that clients can instantly recover at scale, across environments. Cohesity DataProtect positions clients to copy and store data in multiple locations in onsite or offsite servers, or in multiple clouds. This helps to ensure that an up to date and accurate copy of data is available in case of cyber security breach or disaster – whether naturally occurring or through human error.

“Data protection solutions like IBM Storage Defender are designed to support the deployment diversity, virtualization, containerization, and self-service that are among the requirements of the modern data center,” said Phil Goodwin, Research Vice President, IDC. “Together, IBM and Cohesity are combining their capabilities to build a foundation to reduce data fragmentation, maximize availability, and improve business resiliency for companies’ hybrid cloud environments.”

By integrating Cohesity with IBM Storage Defender, IBM clients gain new modern scale out architecture secured-by-design, as well as easy SaaS-based cyber vaulting capabilities. IBM Storage Defender will allow companies to take advantage of their existing IBM investments while significantly simplifying operations and reducing operating expenses.

“Protecting against ransomware and other forms of malware requires a layered approach to data resiliency that involves early detection, automated protection, and rapid recovery,” said Denis Kennelly, General Manager, IBM Storage. “Fighting sophisticated threats to data is a team sport. When we looked at the overall market, we were impressed by the Cohesity platform and team’s differentiated focus on scalability, simplicity, and security. By integrating our leading software-defined technologies, I am excited to bring essential cyber resiliency capabilities to IBM clients. Cyberattacks are on the rise, but data can be protected and restored when you are prepared.”

A client’s data is a uniquely valuable resource and can be a significant competitive advantage. But with more data, the more complex it is to manage. With rapidly increasing ransomware and other cyber threats, data is more valuable than ever. The combination of IBM and Cohesity brings a transformational, yet radically simple approach to cyber resilient data security and management. This includes the ability to manage everything in one place, leveraging a zero trust approach built to help detect, protect, and rapidly recover from ransomware attacks, and using built-in, AI-powered decision-making to facilitate action.

“We have deep respect for IBM’s brand and reputation in the market. Cohesity’s technology leadership position in data security and management, combined with IBM’s impressive storage portfolio, forward-looking vision, global reach, and client intimacy will allow clients to benefit from the best of Cohesity and IBM brought together,” said Sanjay Poonen, CEO and President, Cohesity. “We’re honored and pleased to work with IBM to help organizations strengthen their cyber resilience in the face of evolving sophisticated adversaries, and look forward to building the relationship to benefit many clients across the world.”

IBM plans to make the new IBM Storage Defender solution available in the second calendar quarter of 2023 beginning with IBM Storage Protect and Cohesity DataProtect. IBM Storage Defender will be sold and supported by IBM as well as through authorized IBM Business Partners.

February 23, 2023 — As part of the Post-Quantum Telco Network Taskforce, GSMA has published, with contributions from members IBM, Vodafone, and others, the Post Quantum Telco Network Impact Assessment: an in-depth analysis of the quantum security threats facing the telecommunications industry and a detailed, step by step list of potential solutions to prepare for these threats.

The report, which debuted ahead of GSMA’s annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, maps out a clear path for telco organizations to work across their ecosystems to protect data from cybercriminals acting today to tap into the potential power of future quantum computers. It includes:

A telco-specific assessment of the business risk of quantum cyber threats, including four of the highest impact attack types: store now, decrypt later; code signing and digital signatures; rewriting history; and key management attacks.
Discussion of standardization for hardware and software changes, such as SIM cards, public key infrastructure, digital certificates and CPE devices.
Specific approaches to quantum-safe algorithms and risk assessment frameworks, including code-based, lattice-based, hash-based, multivariate-based, and hybrid approaches.
Timelines of several government plans that have been launched to implement quantum-safe encryption (Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the UK and the U.S.).
Examples of quantum-safe applications to several telco domains, including devices, 5G networks, SIMs, Operating systems, ERP, infrastructure and the cloud.
According to the report, it is widely considered that by 2032 there will be completion of a large fault-tolerant quantum computer capable of running crypto-analytic algorithms that could threaten current cryptographic approaches.

The advent of such technology requires immediate preparation, as some forms of attack may be retrospective (e.g. “store now, decrypt later”). Motivated bad actors may be harvesting and storing data now in order to decrypt it once certain quantum computing capabilities become available. As stated in the report, such actors may do this to “undermine the security of data with long-lived confidentiality needs, such as corporate IP, state secrets or individual bio-data.”

To learn more about these issues and what can be done today to protect against future quantum attacks, download the Post Quantum Telco Network Impact Assessment.

IBM has spent years building a global team of cryptography experts to develop quantum-safe schemes and preparation plans. Just in the last year, IBM not only contributed to the development of three of the four algorithms chosen in 2022 by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for post-quantum cryptography standardization; the team also deployed the industry’s first quantum-safe system, IBM z16; launched a suite of IBM Quantum Safe services; and was an initial member of the GSMA Post-Quantum Telco Network Taskforce.

ARMONK, N.Y., Feb. 22, 2023 — IBM Security today released its annual X-Force Threat Intelligence Index finding that although ransomware’s share of incidents declined only slightly (4 percentage points) from 2021 to 2022, defenders were more successful detecting and preventing ransomware. Despite this, attackers continued to innovate with the report showing the average time to complete a ransomware attack dropped from 2 months down to less than 4 days.

According to the 2023 report, the deployment of backdoors, which allow remote access to systems, emerged as the top action by attackers last year. About 67% of those backdoor cases related to ransomware attempts, where defenders were able to detect the backdoor before ransomware was deployed. The uptick in backdoor deployments can be partially attributed to their high market value. X-Force observed threat actors selling existing backdoor access for as much as $10,000, compared to stolen credit card data, which can sell for less than $10 today.

“The shift towards detection and response has allowed defenders to disrupt adversaries earlier in the attack chain – tempering ransomware’s progression in the short term,” said Charles Henderson, Head of IBM Security X-Force. “But it’s only a matter of time before today’s backdoor problem becomes tomorrow’s ransomware crisis. Attackers always find new ways to evade detection. Good defense is no longer enough. To break free from the never-ending rat race with attackers, businesses must drive a proactive, threat-driven security strategy.”

The IBM Security X-Force Threat Intelligence Index tracks new and existing trends and attack patterns – pulling from billions of datapoints from network and endpoint devices, incident response engagements and other sources.

Some of the key findings in the 2023 report include:

• Extortion: Threat Actors Go-to Method. The most common impact from cyberattacks in 2022 was extortion, which was primarily achieved through ransomware or business email compromise attacks. Europe was the most targeted region for this method, representing 44% of extortion cases observed, as threat actors sought to exploit geopolitical tensions.
• Cybercriminals Weaponize Email Conversations. Thread hijacking saw a significant rise in 2022, with attackers using compromised email accounts to reply within ongoing conversations posing as the original participant. X-Force observed the rate of monthly attempts increase by 100% compared to 2021 data.
• Legacy Exploits Still Doing the Job. The proportion of known exploits relative to vulnerabilities declined 10 percentage points from 2018 to 2022, due to the fact that the number of vulnerabilities hit another record high in 2022. The findings indicate that legacy exploits enabled older malware infections such as WannaCry and Conficker to continue to exist and spread.

Extortion Pressure Applied (Unevenly)
Cybercriminals often target the most vulnerable industries, businesses, and regions with extortion schemes, applying high psychological pressure to force victims to pay. Manufacturing was the most extorted industry in 2022, and it was the most attacked industry for the second consecutive year. Manufacturing organizations are an attractive target for extortion, given their extremely low tolerance for down time.

Ransomware is a well-known method of extortion, but threat actors are always exploring new ways to extort victims. One of the latest tactics involves making stolen data more accessible to downstream victims. By bringing customers and business partners into the mix, operators increase pressure on the breached organization. Threat actors will continue experimenting with downstream victim notifications to increase the potential costs and psychological impact of an intrusion – making it critical that businesses have a customized incident response plan that also considers the impact of an attack on downstream victims.

Thread Hijacking on the Rise
Email thread hijacking activity surged last year, with monthly attempts by threat actors doubling compared to 2021 data. Over the year, X-Force found that attackers used this tactic to deliver Emotet, Qakbot, and IcedID, malicious software that often results in ransomware infections.

With phishing being the leading cause of cyberattacks last year, and thread hijacking’s sharp rise, it’s clear that attackers are exploiting the trust placed in email. Businesses should make employees aware of thread hijacking to help reduce the risk of them falling victim.

Mind the Gap: Exploit “R&D” Lagging Vulnerabilities
The ratio of known exploits to vulnerabilities has been declining over the last few years, down 10 percentage points since 2018. Cybercriminals already have access to more than 78,000 known exploits, making it easier to exploit older, unpatched vulnerabilities. Even after 5 years, vulnerabilities leading to WannaCry infections remain a significant threat. X-Force recently reported an 800% increase in WannaCry ransomware traffic within MSS telemetry data since April 2022. The continued use of older exploits highlights the need for organizations to refine and mature vulnerability management programs, including better understanding their attack surface and risk-based prioritization of patches.

Additional findings from the 2023 report include:

• Phishers “Give Up” on Credit Card Data. The number of cybercriminals targeting credit card information in phishing kits dropped 52% in one year, indicating that attackers are prioritizing personally identifiable information such as names, emails, and home addresses, which can be sold for a higher price on the dark web or used to conduct further operations.
• North America Felt Brunt of Energy Attacks. Energy held its spot as the 4th most attacked industry last year, as global forces continue to affect an already tumultuous global energy trade. North American energy organizations accounted for 46% of all energy attacks observed last year, a 25% increase from 2021 levels.
• Asia Tops the Target List. Accounting for nearly one-third of all attacks that X-Force responded to in 2022, Asia saw more cyberattacks than any other region. Manufacturing accounted for nearly half of all cases observed in Asia last year.

ARMONK, N.Y., Feb. 14, 2023 — Job seekers, students, and career changers around the world want to pursue roles related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) across different industries, but say they are not familiar with career options. At the same time, online training and digital credentials are emerging as a recognized pathway to opportunity as respondents plan to seek new jobs in the year ahead.

These were some of the global findings from a new study that IBM unveiled today. The study*, administered by Morning Consult and commissioned by IBM, is based on more than 14,000 interviews of students, people seeking new jobs, and people seeking to change careers, located across 13 countries. Respondents also cited concerns that career options may not be available to them. These findings contrast with market data that employers are investing in the reskilling of their current workforce to keep pace with rapid advances in technology and stay relevant in the modern, digital economy.

“Technology training can have a transformational effect on a person’s life,” said Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM Chief Impact Officer. “There are many misconceptions about what’s needed to pursue a rewarding and lucrative career in today’s rapidly advancing workplace. This is why we must raise awareness of the breadth of science and technology roles that exist across industries. Together with our IBM SkillsBuild partners, we’re highlighting the many pathways that exist for underrepresented communities to pursue futures in tech.”

To help tackle these misconceptions and bring STEM education closer to historically underrepresented communities in the field, IBM is announcing today 45 new educational partners around the world. These IBM SkillsBuild collaborations across social service, economic development, and vocational organizations, as well as government agencies, and universities, will make free online learning widely available, with clear pathways to employment. Many of these organizations focus on specific communities that are underrepresented in technology and will help skill women, including mothers returning to the workforce, ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, and refugees. [Full list of collaborations below]

Study Shows Misconceptions and Opportunities in Tech and Beyond

The IBM / Morning Consult study revealed perceptions from interviewed students, career changers, and job seekers who are interested in a role in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM):

Misconceptions around STEM training: it’s too expensive, learners don’t know where to start, and don’t know enough about digital credentials.

• 61% of respondents think they are not qualified to work in a STEM job because they don’t have the right academic degrees
• 40% of students say the greatest barrier to professional or technical skill development is that they don’t know where to start
• 60% of respondents worry that digital credentials may be costly to obtain
• Being able to continue to work while earning a credential is particularly important to career changers

Learners and workers around the world are planning to make a change, with about 60% of respondents looking for a new job in the next 12 months.

• 61% of students and career changers are actively looking for a new job now or plan to within the next year
• More than 80% of all respondents have plans to build their skills in the next two years
• At least 90% are confident they can develop skills or learn something new from an online program

Awareness of options around different STEM roles across industries is low, and many are concerned these careers won’t pay enough. 

• 50% of respondents are interested in pursuing a STEM-related job
• 64% of career changers are not familiar with STEM jobs
• Many respondents are unsure of which careers are considered to be a STEM job
• 62% of respondents share concerns that they won’t be able to find a STEM job that pays enough to support themselves or their family

Respondents are optimistic that roles in STEM fields across sectors will increase in the future, and that digital credentials are a good way to supplement traditional education and increase career opportunities.

• 66% of all respondents think that STEM jobs across industries will increase over the next decade
• 86% of those respondents who have earned a digital credential agree that it helped them achieve career goals
• 75% of all respondents agree that digital credentials are a good way to supplement traditional education
• Increased career opportunities and qualifications were the top reasons why respondents across the globe said they wanted to earn digital credentials

45 New Collaborations Around the World  
Through a holistic approach to investing in the future of work, IBM is supporting learners and helping tackle their misconceptions about technology and STEM careers. IBM SkillsBuild is bringing free technology training available to learners all over the world, with a focus on underrepresented communities in tech. Online training, like the courses offered by IBM SkillsBuild, is most effective when it is delivered collaboratively with local partners. Community experts enrich course content through project-based learning and connect learners with real career opportunities. To this end, today IBM SkillsBuild is proud to announce 45 new and expanded collaborations around the world:

• Brazil: Inteli; Mastertech
• China: University of Petroleum
• Costa Rica: Asociación Costarricense de Iniciativas de Desarrollo (CINDE)
• Czech Republic: Czechitas
• France:  CY Cergy Paris Université; Social Builder
• India: GSHEC-Goa State Higher Education Council; Gurukul Kangri University-Haridwar; Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women; ISA – International Solar Alliance; KRIES – Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society; KSDC- Karnataka Skill Development Corporation; National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT); OSDA – Odisha Skill Development Authority; RV College of Engineering; Sister Nivedita University-Kolkata; Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation
• Indonesia: PT Kinema Systrans
• Japan: Freelance Association Japan FAJ
• Malaysia: EduNxt Global Sdn Bhd University
• New Zealand: Yoobee Colleges Limited
• Qatar: Community College of Qatar
• South Africa: Innovolution Educational Programmes; Nelson Mandela University; Sefako Makgatho University of Health Sciences;  WeThinkCode_, YiEDI
• Sweden: New to Sweden, Young Scientists
• Taiwan: Gap of Learning & Field (GOLF)
• United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi University; University of Wollongong in Dubai; Zayed University
• United States: CompTIA; Digital Promise; Franklin Apprenticeships; HDG University;  ITExperience; Junior Achievement of Arizona; Mom Relaunch; RISE — The Mom Project; The Wond’ry at Vanderbilt University; Transition Overwatch; University of the Cumberlands

Through collaborations like these, IBM continues to progress towards its commitment to skill 30 million people globally by 2030.

*Methodology: This study was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of IBM from November 2 – December 20, 2022. The study was conducted among a sample of 4,926 Students, 4,629 Job Seekers, and 4,628 Career Changers in 13 countries (Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, UAE, UK, and the US).

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2023 — IBM  and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center today announce a collaboration to use IBM’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology to discover new insights in NASA’s massive trove of Earth and geospatial science data. The joint work will apply AI foundation model technology to NASA’s Earth-observing satellite data for the first time.

Foundation models are types of AI models that are trained on a broad set of unlabeled data, can be used for different tasks, and can apply information about one situation to another. These models have rapidly advanced the field of natural language processing (NLP) technology over the last five years, and IBM is pioneering applications of foundation models beyond language.

Earth observations that allow scientists to study and monitor our planet are being gathered at unprecedented rates and volume. New and innovative approaches are required to extract knowledge from these vast data resources. The goal of this work is to provide an easier way for researchers to analyze and draw insights from these large datasets. IBM’s foundation model technology has the potential to speed up the discovery and analysis of these data in order to quickly advance the scientific understanding of Earth and response to climate-related issues.

IBM and NASA plan to develop several new technologies to extract insights from Earth observations. One project will train an IBM geospatial intelligence foundation model on NASA’s Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) dataset, a record of land cover and land use changes captured by Earth-orbiting satellites. By analyzing petabytes of satellite data to identify changes in the geographic footprint of phenomena such as natural disasters, cyclical crop yields, and wildlife habitats, this foundation model technology will help researchers provide critical analysis of our planet’s environmental systems.

Another output from this collaboration is expected to be an easily searchable corpus of Earth science literature. IBM has developed an NLP model trained on nearly 300,000 Earth science journal articles to organize the literature and make it easier to discover new knowledge. Containing one of the largest AI workloads trained on Red Hat’s OpenShift software to date, the fully trained model uses PrimeQA, IBM’s open-source multilingual question-answering system. Beyond providing a resource to researchers, the new language model for Earth science could be infused into NASA’s scientific data management and stewardship processes.

“The beauty of foundation models is they can potentially be used for many downstream applications,” said Rahul Ramachandran, senior research scientist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “Building these foundation models cannot be tackled by small teams,” he added. “You need teams across different organizations to bring their different perspectives, resources, and skill sets.”

“Foundation models have proven successful in natural language processing, and it’s time to expand that to new domains and modalities important for business and society,” said Raghu Ganti, principal researcher at IBM. “Applying foundation models to geospatial, event-sequence, time-series, and other non-language factors within Earth science data could make enormously valuable insights and information suddenly available to a much wider group of researchers, businesses, and citizens. Ultimately, it could facilitate a larger number of people working on some of our most pressing climate issues.”

Other potential IBM-NASA joint projects in this agreement include constructing a foundation model for weather and climate prediction using MERRA-2, a dataset of atmospheric observations. This collaboration is part of NASA’s Open-Source Science Initiative, a commitment to building an inclusive, transparent, and collaborative open science community over the next decade.

Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice, and represent goals and objectives only.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, January 18, 2023 – Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in collaboration with IBM (NYSE: IBM) formally launched an AI Center of Excellence on Tuesday, January 17, as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week’s World Future Energy Summit. The Center aims to advance collaboration to improve the adoption of AI technology and help drive sustainability. The Center will develop carbon neutral solutions to existing energy supplies, combat climate change, and further natural language processing (NLP) for Arabic dialects.

Experts from IBM and MBZUAI plan to focus on decarbonization, with advanced research into climate change mitigation and adaptation. Joint research teams will work on the development of foundational AI models, which could help inform the deployment of clean and renewable energy in the electrification of multiple sectors across the economy. This approach will set the stage for use of carbon neutral solutions while also enabling adaptation and resiliency.

The AI Center of Excellence will also work to improve NLP for Arabic dialects, making AI more accessible and flexible for Arabic speakers. Improving NLP capabilities in Arabic dialects will help to address civic, social, and business challenges, while providing real-life applications such as personalised customer care, AI-powered assistants, improved search, and fraud detection, to name a few.

“The only way to Net Zero is through disruptive technologies and innovations that fundamentally re-program our energy production and consumption — harnessing big data to help drive more effective decision making and problem solving. In line with the vision of our leadership to benefit from the most advanced technological innovations, we are delighted to launch the Center of Excellence. This partnership between MBZUAI and IBM underscores the commitment of both organizations to develop AI solutions that work for the benefit of humanity,” said H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, President-Designate for COP28, and Chairman of MBZUAI.

“IBM’s collaboration with MBZUAI will leverage AI to address some of the most pressing issues of our time including sustainability and net zero strategies,” said Arvind Krishna, IBM Chairman and CEO. “The new Center of Excellence will also develop local digital skills and attract leading researchers that will help deliver the UAE’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031.”

The deployment and use of clean energy solutions is one of the main pillars of the UAE’s model of addressing the challenge of climate change and reducing GHG emissions, in line with UAE Net Zero 2050 strategic initiative. The AI Center of Excellence plans to leverage the talents of IBM researchers with expertise in data science, machine learning and NLP, in collaboration with MBZUAI faculty and students. The teams will work together towards the advancement of both fundamental and applied research objectives.

Through IBM SkillsBuild platform, IBM will provide MBZUAI students and faculty with access to IBM tools, software, courseware and cloud accounts for teaching, learning, and non-commercial research. In addition, MBZUAI will have access to curated AI curricula, lectures, labs, industry use cases, design-thinking sessions, and an AI Practitioner certification.

Vatican City, January 9, 2023 – Tomorrow at an event organized and hosted by the Pontifical Academy for Life, IBM (NYSE: IBM) will reaffirm its commitment to the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a pledge signed in 2020 by the Pontifical Academy for Life, FAO, IBM, Microsoft and the Italian Ministry of Innovation to champion ethical approaches to the design, development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI).

The event is focused on welcoming to the Call new members representing the Muslim and Jewish faiths, thereby bringing together the three Abrahamic religions to shine a brighter global spotlight on and advance ethical approaches to AI technologies.

A live-stream of the event, kicking off at 9:00AM GMT on January 10, can be accessed here.

“That the Abrahamic monotheistic religions have all come together to reflect and act on the implications of the rapidly advancing frontiers of science and technology, as exemplified by artificial intelligence, is of historical importance,” said Darío Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of Research, IBM. “IBM is an institution that has been responsibly advancing such frontiers for over a century, and we believe it will be the quest of all of society, and of all our institutions, including religious ones, to reason through the moral and ethical implications of great scientific and technological advances. We are proud to reaffirm our commitment to the Rome Call for AI Ethics, and we look forward to realizing its vision in partnership with all its signatories and allies.”

Created, organized and hosted by the Vatican’s RenAIssance Foundation, the United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel’s Commission for Interfaith Relations, the event will also feature representatives from FAO, Microsoft, the Foreign Affairs of Spain, the Politecnico of Turin (Italy)-CENTAI Institute, Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, and LUISS Guido Carli University of Rome (Italy). Following the activities, the delegation will meet with the Pontiff Pope Francis who plans to renew his interest in the ethical development of AI.

Tomorrow’s gathering will follow the recent launch of a new university network, facilitated in part by IBM, designed to assist higher education institutions in operationalizing principles of the Call in their curricula. The initiative was formally mobilized in October 2022 via the Global University Summit on the Rome Call for AI Ethics, an event that successfully brought together 42 institutions spanning 5 continents and was hosted by the IBM-Notre Dame Tech Ethics Lab and co-organized by Notre Dame, the Pontifical Academy for Life and IBM.

For more than a century, IBM has worked to earn the trust of business and society by ushering powerful new technologies into the world responsibly and with clear purpose. IBM’s multidisciplinary, multidimensional approach to AI ethics is guided by core principles grounded in commitments to Trust and Transparency and applied throughout its entire business operation – from its products and services to its research, policy and partnership efforts.