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Microsoft has announced it will invest $5 billion in research, products and services for the Internet of Things (IoT) over the next four years. The investment will be made into IoT operating systems, cloud services for managing and controlling those operating systems, analysis tools to make use of the data from IoT, and business applications. In more practical terms, this means making Windows 10 more IoT aware, and developing Azure further.   The announcement of the investment follows a few days after Microsoft announced it was reorganizing internally, splitting the Windows and Devices Group and reshuffling elsewhere to: "focus on the intelligent cloud and the intelligent edge ," according to CEO Satya Nadella. Making Windows 10 more IoT aware is already underway, with Windows 10 IoT Core and Enterprise already available, and work already announced on making it easier to integrate Windows 10 IoT and Azure IoT. Azure IoT is also getting new services and options...

India’s first blockchain network has gone live. After years of announcements and pilot projects, the country has finally implemented a solution for blockchain operations.  The blockchain-based network is developed by three platforms that offer trade Trade Receivables Discounting Systems (TReDS) - Receivables Exchange of India, A.TReDS, and M1xchange. These platforms are using blockchain in enterprise financial segment. Receivable financing is considered as the most efficient trade finance mechanisms for small businesses. Blockchain can help in this sector to provide a common platform that is not controlled by any financial institution. The security and confidentiality promise to reduce frauds around receivable financing. The blockchain network is built on Hyperledger Fabric that does not rely on cryptocurrency to operate. Kalyan Basu, CEO of TReDS said, “Our clients are particularly sensitive about their sourcing inputs, and we absolutely could not broadcast any o...

At 18, Accenture Strategy makes most offers BCG, Amazon make second highest offers of 14 each 125 firms participated for placements 'Dream job' applications rise from 110 last year to 176 out of over 400 batch As against 7 last year, this year 6 students opted out of placements for own ventures Placements for the 2018 batch of the postgraduate programme in management (PGP) at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) concluded, with consulting and e-commerce majors emerging as top recruiters. Accenture Strategy made 18 offers, followed by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Amazon with 14 each. Last year, Amazon was the top recruiter, with 18 offers. IIM-A now follows a cluster-based placement process. Companies across sectors are invited in 'cohorts', spread into different days during the weeks. This year, entities from multiple domains participated across the three clusters in final placements, with students being placed across 23 cohort...

If you think you have to live in California to score perks like free lunch, unlimited vacation and a dog-friendly office, think again! Midwest companies in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota and Missouri have hopped on the benefits bandwagon to give Silicon Valley businesses a run for their money. Calling all job seekers in the Heartland, here are 11 midwest companies offering Silicon Valley-style perks to employees. Luckily for you, each of these businesses is hiring right now. Get the benefits you deserve by applying today! Total Quality Logistics (TQL)  Perks & Benefits:  TQL offers adoption assistance, remote work, tuition reimbursement, paid job training, legal assistance, identity theft protection, gym reimbursement (a free gym at HQ), and more. TQL also offers its employees access to hundreds of exclusive discounts at some of their favorite local and national merchants. TQL offers a free Kids Club program where employees dependent children receive annua...

If there's one downside to powerful computers, it's that they're too damn big.  Luckily, that's about to change. At least, if IBM has anything to say about it.  March 19 is the first day of  IBM Think 2018 , the company's flagship conference, where the company will unveil what it claims is the world's smallest computer. They're not kidding: It's literally smaller than a grain of salt.  But don't let the size fool you: This sucker has the computing power of the x86 chip from 1990. Okay, so that's not great compared to what we have today, but cut it some slack — you need a microscope to see it.  The computer will cost less than ten cents to manufacture, and will also pack "several hundred thousand transistors," according to the company. These will allow it to "monitor, analyze, communicate, and even act on data."  Left: 64 motherboards with two tiny computers in the top-left corner. Right: The tiny computer, mounte...