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Ericsson, the telecommunication giant experimenting on developing the next-gen automated network infrastructure
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Ericsson, the multinational networking and telecommunications company which has been shaping the future of mobile broadband internet communications through its continuous technology leadership, is now in the act of experimenting with a host of machine learning and predictive intelligence algorithms to develop the next-gen automated network infrastructure.
The age of 5G is very much at hand. For service providers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and the networking hardware and software vendors supplying them, it means preparing next-gen networks with the tools required to adapt to a new set of data, device, and connectivity challenges.
Cisco and Nokia, the Software-defined networking companies are building more autonomous networks infused with machine learning and predictive analytics. But it is likely that any telecommunications giant is exploring network-based artificial intelligence (AI) in as many fascinating ways as Ericsson.
Across autonomous infrastructure, managed services, and even virtual assistants deployed in customer and field scenarios, Ericsson is embedding machine learning algorithms and data-driven AI in its entire end-to-end telecommunications pipeline. PCMag spoke to Ulrika Jagare, Ericsson’s Director of Analytics and Machine Intelligence, about the company’s years of R&D efforts and how she envisions Ericsson’s intelligent networks analysing and evolving to scale along with 5G.
“We’re looking at and exploring a lot of different potentials AI scenarios, mainly using network data,” said Jagare. “In managed networks, this means combining machine intelligence at the edge, from the base station to the Internet of Things. We’ve come up with a lot of different cases we want to try out in 2018.”
Feeding Data to Autonomous Networks
Much like Google and other Silicon Valley tech giants, Ericsson has spent the last several years rewriting how its software works with AI. Jagare said Ericsson’s network infrastructure has been overhauled to help combine its vast network data with machine intelligence. This is not only to feed the machine learning algorithms more data but to prepare the infrastructure for high-performance edge computing.
“We’re investing a lot in infrastructure. We’re building up a globally distributed pipeline to make sure we can get hold of data in a smarter way, but also with the option to compute the data locally if needed,” said Jagare. “We need to make sure we can deliver services with high speed and quality without having to drag everything to a central point. So that’s where the edge comes into play.”
Creating this kind of end-to-end data pipeline isn’t easy. Through initiatives like the 5G Transformer Project, Ericsson is working with local operators applying machine learning to create smarter networks. Jagare said the company has done one successful trial with a European operator over the last 10 months, applying what she described as “the first advanced machine learning algorithm for load balancing in the network.”
Companies like Cisco have launched similar pilots, like working with Vodafone in Ireland using ML algorithms to process network data and identify predictive traffic patterns. Jagare said the idea is to start with these small-scale pilots with local operators to show the value of AI-enhanced telco infrastructure.
“It’s a big challenge, but we have a lot of experience working with and correlating network data in localized sectors,” said Jagare. “Most research is happening in the lab because of the complexity of self-learning networks. I was talking to one of our major customers in the U.S. recently and they were impressed with how far we’ve been able to go with getting algorithms running on live networks.”
Voice Assistants and Digital Twins
Ultimately the goal is to create self-learning, self-healing networks. In the meantime, Ericsson is also experimenting with voice assistants and natural language processing (NLP) to help technicians who are in the field fixing physical infrastructure.
Jagare said Ericsson is equipping technicians with a mobile app a la Google Assistant or Cortana to decrease time spent on site visits. One of the first use cases is focused on troubleshooting. Using open-source machine learning and NLP frameworks, Ericsson lets the voice assistant soak up an entire product knowledge base of vast document libraries and technical manuals, then speak back to the technician in natural language to answer queries. The app can also perform image recognition and computer vision through the smartphone camera.
“We’re reducing the number of site visits [through automation] but we want to make sure that when we do visit a site, it’s done as efficiently as possible. So if a virtual assistant is assisting the technician on a field operation, it can act as a service layer; an application on the phone using natural language processing and image recognition to aid the worker. If it detects from an image that there’s a problem, it can tell the technician to ‘fix it in this place’ and so on,” said Jagare.”
The AI can also create digital twins, be it of a particular base station or a virtualized view of the entire network. At the moment these assistive capabilities are only available to site technicians via smartphone, but Ericsson is testing out other applications in its lab. Jagare said a “natural step” would be to make virtual assistants and digital twin schematics available through hands-free augmented reality glasses. Manufacturers like Boeing and GE are already doing this.
Using all the network data combined with machine intelligence, Jagare said Ericsson aims to predict and prevent network problems before they happen, ultimately turning predominately to remote fixes in place of human technicians.
“The other service perspective we’re working on is a managed services solution called Intelligent Site. We’re trying to combine user data and algorithms to detect deviations and patterns,” said Jagare. “Not only with network data, but incorporating things like weather and other data types to help profile each site.”
The 5G Evolution
5G will usher in a new era of telecommunications where everything from AR/VR headsets to self-driving cars will be connecting and interacting with network infrastructure. Ericsson’s focus on machine intelligence, Jagare explained, is meant to tackle the complexity wrought by a new generation of IoT devices while allowing for the flexibility to evolve naturally, as devices and experiences do.
“From a technology and 5G perspective, automation and machine intelligence can help us take the functionality to the next level, but also helps us realize a selective push toward different technology choices,” said Jagare. “It’s not about data scientists driving this. In the future, we will probably have more self-learning software in our networks than not.”
Ericsson is putting intelligence algorithms to work in base stations and broadband networks, both on the edge and as-a-service. As a result, Jagare said the company has seen 25 percent performance improvements in core system optimization to help lower overall system management costs.
She said the idea is to continue expanding these self-optimizing network features and then feed that learning back into development. Ultimately, however, Ericsson knows that machine learning algorithms will then start to learn on their own. As 5G networks create new challenges and opportunities that telcos haven’t even fathomed yet, AI conceivably offers a way for networks to keep pace.
“It’s up to the algorithm to learn and optimise itself from base station to base station. Depending on the traffic patterns and user behaviour with people using different apps in different ways, we can adjust the cells connected to that site throughout the network,” said Jagare. “It’s a holistic, data-enabled approach. We can’t be too specific. We have to think about these needs and solutions to prepare for what’s coming, but we’ve only started scratching the surface. That’s how we try to embrace AI.”
Source: pcmag.com
Source: European Gaming Media and Events
A partnership between game developer Turbo Games and iGaming solution provider and aggregator Slotegrator began in November 2022 via the APIgrator game integration solution. Since then, the collaboration has been developing successfully — and now it’s time to analyze what made it successful.
Turbo Games has noticed how the new technologies spreading throughout the industry can work for the good of brand transparency and player loyalty: “We can already see how blockchain technology has made it possible to make betting checks more accessible to players. All you need is a blockchain-hash and a decoder service. We think we will continue to move in this direction. Many traditional online casinos do not offer the possibility to check the bet. Sooner or later we all have to come to this. Perhaps the development of artificial intelligence will help here, because we are already seeing its involvement in all spheres of human life.”
Turbo Games specializes in provably fair games. Provable fairness is a concept where players can verify their wins or losses using blockchain technology — the outcome of the game is dictated by a smart contract and is absolutely random, barring the possibility of any human involvement. Using cryptographic hashing algorithms, the gambling site and the player’s device both generate seeds (random strings of numbers). Players receive a key that allows them to check the results; if the results are the same as the game round they witnessed, it proves that there was no foul play.
According to statistics from Turbo Games, the audience for provably fair games is mostly between 18 and 25 years old. However, there are also players aged 35-40 who prefer traditional games but would like to try something new, and have turned their attention to provably fair games.
There are good odds that the technology of provably fair games will become more popular, if not even commonplace, because it gives players a feeling of transparency and proves that the business is trustworthy without the need to search through dozens of reviews. Whereas many innovations in iGaming simply add entertainment, provable fairness addresses security concerns and reassures players that they’re not being exploited, which is invaluable.
Provably fair games are beneficial for both players and online casinos. Vadim Potapenko, Head of Sales at Turbo Games, comments: “It often happens that the users are not satisfied with the result, because gambling is not only about big wins, but also possible losses. By allowing them to check the fairness of a bet, we make life easier for platforms and players. Of course, this allows us to communicate with partners and users that we work honestly and that’s why they should trust our games.”
Ayvar Gabidullin, Business Development Manager at Slotegrator, adds that “this type of game is now becoming more and more popular and has great potential for both players and game providers in the future. On the part of the player, the advantage is that the player can always be sure that his game is fair and he can independently check any of his bets. And for the game provider, this also simplifies the process of implementing casino games, since now it will not be necessary to obtain the appropriate certificates from independent laboratories before launching new games, they can immediately enter the market with these games and where anyone can check the result and make sure that that there is no cheating with players. Many game providers are starting to look towards this type of game. And as far as I see, many operators are starting to think about adding these games.”
What do players in 2023 need? The iGaming industry is all about reputation and trust. Players have a huge number of platforms to choose from, making them pickier and pickier. There’s an abundance of forums where players leave reviews, so if players view a brand as untrustworthy, there are plenty of places they can share their opinion. Provable fairness not only stops that from happening, it provides evidence to the contrary, giving players something else to talk about.
Slotegrator also recommends investing time and effort into localization and creating an effective and detailed marketing strategy — before trying provably fair technology players need to get to the platform, and there is no acquisition without marketing.
ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
More information: https://slotegrator.pro/
ABOUT TURBO GAMES
Turbo Games — a provably fair games provider that belongs to Turbo Stars company — has an ambitious goal to establish widespread recognition throughout the iGaming world. Even though it is young, the company consists of professionals who have been working on the brand for over five years and are even planning to introduce a new brand for a wider audience soon.
Turbo Games also works in Europe, India, and South Africa, where the company sees the most potential and expects the same “hype” as in Brazil.
The portfolio of Turbo Games consists of 21 titles, including well-known games like Mines, Crash X, DoubleRoll, Hi-Lo, and Plinko. The studio releases a game every month. However, not all games are developed from scratch. Wicket Blast and Spin Strike, the last two releases, are based on cricket and the Indian Premier League. Crash X remains the most popular fast game in the Turbo Games portfolio, and the studio reports that crash games enjoy stable levels of popularity. Overall, the main focus of the brand is provably fair games.
More information: https://turbogames.io/
Looking to take your career to the next level in the games industry? Then, Nordic Game Talents is the place to be! Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.
From Oct 27-29, the online and interactive event is dedicated to recruitment and career building in the creative & games industry within the Nordic region. The event empowers participants to be part of a bigger community and motivates them to explore new paths in achieving their career goals.
Hiring creative & games studios – Supercell, Funcom, Panzerdog, Tactile Games, Gamecan, Fingersoft, Dazzle Rocks, Redhill Games to name a few from the Nordic region will be participating in the event. These studios will share information on their latest projects, work culture and what it takes to be part of their team. The individual games associations from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia will share insights through live sessions on the booming games industry in their respective countries. Career development topics pertinent to job seekers like – How to have a successful first interview, Creative Portfolio reviews will also be discussed.
Experienced game industry professionals and individuals beginning their careers from around the world are welcome to join the event. One-to-one interviews with the hiring studios can be scheduled through the event platform. A great opportunity to get to know the studios and network with game professionals from around the world.
Participating in the event
As a job seeker attending Nordic Game Talents, take a few minutes to fill out a simple registration form. After filling the registration form you will receive a link to the online event platform – PINE, to join the event on 27th October. Participants joining Nordic Game Talents will also receive a free-of-charge pass to the Nordic Game Conference.
To view the complete agenda, please click here and to learn more about the event please visit Games Job Fair
About Games Factory Talents
A Helsinki-based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games & creative industry. Our services include direct recruitment, organizing game job fairs and managing a community of game industry professionals through our GameDev Talent Board.
To learn more about Games Factory Talents visit – Games Factory Talents
810 THE SPREAD
Cumulus Media Launches 810 THE SPREAD, the Bay Area’s First Sports Station Focused on Sports Betting
Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has launched the Bay Area’s first Sports radio station focused on sports betting, 810 THE SPREAD. The new station brings sports and sports betting news, information, and insights to the burgeoning and underserved sports betting audience in San Francisco. 810 THE SPREAD will deliver behind-the-book perspectives from experts in a highly entertaining and engaging format. 810 THE SPREAD goes live today on the legendary 810am frequency that has been the 80-year home of historic Talk Radio KGO-AM. Cumulus San Francisco also launched the station’s new website at www.810thespread.com. Kevin Graham, Program Director of Cumulus’ sister sports stations KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT, adds Program Director duties for 810 THE SPREAD.
Larry Blumhagen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco, said: “810 THE SPREAD joins our sports brands KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT for a trifecta of dynamic sports content across four signals and streaming everywhere. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to serving the Bay Area’s passionate sports fans in an incomparable way.”
Blumhagen added: “This is a bittersweet day for us, as it’s hard to say goodbye to the legendary KGO, which has been a part of listeners’ lives for so many years. We want to thank all the people who have been a part of KGO’s historic run these many years – and the listeners who loyally tuned in to the station. Times change, and we must change with them.”
Kevin Graham, Program Director, 810 THE SPREAD, said: “810 THE SPREAD will be the Bay Area’s best bet for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts, and we are pleased to introduce sports-betting radio to our community. The station will feature a lineup of expert personalities that deliver unique sports talk and sports betting insights that entertain, inform, and engage, along with Cal Football and Basketball as well as select professional and college sports play-by-play events. While 810 THE SPREAD will feature specific gambling information, we believe our entertaining presentation will make it a favorite for all Bay area sports fans and a perfect complement to the legendary KNBR and KTCT. With its addition, it truly shows Cumulus’ commitment to the Bay area as ‘The Sports Leader’!”
The weekday programming lineup for 810 THE SPREAD includes:
6am-9am – Bet QL Daily – The must-consume show for sports fans and betting fans alike. Hosted by Joe Ostrowski, Joe Giglio, and Erin Hawksworth.
9am-12pm – Jim Rome - Aggressive, informed sports opinions, rapid-fire dialogue, and plenty of sports smack. As one of the most prolific sports talk hosts in America, Rome draws massive tune-in with legions of fans known as clones, who live for Rome’s take on the day’s largest issues in sports.
12pm-4pm – You Better You Bet – Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley have you covered for the best bets on the biggest matchups, the latest line movement and updates in the futures market. We’ll have up-to-the-minute coverage of backdoor covers and bad beats, and the cheers and tears that come with them. It’s sports betting conversation like you’ve never heard before.
4pm-8pm – Bet MGM Tonight – Live sports betting updates for all the night’s games as they happen – plus live “look-ins” for Major League Baseball games in progress. Get the latest scores, sides, totals, props, parlays, futures, and much more with hosts Quinton Mayo, Trysta Krick, and Ryan Horvat.
8pm-12 Midnight – CBS Sports Radio
BetQL Network programming is provided by Cumulus Media’s Westwood One through a partnership with Audacy.
For more information or to stream 810 THE SPREAD, visit: http://www.810thespread.com.
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