The term Artificial Intelligence (AI) was coined by an American computer scientist John McCarthy in 1956 at the Dartmouth Conference. It is widely being used today and the term includes robotic process automation as well as actual robotics within its ambit.

Artificial intelligence is when machines simulate human intelligence processes such as learning, reasoning and self-correction. This has brought in breakthrough results as machines can now play games, understand verbal commands, drive cars etc. just like humans or maybe even better.

AI has evolved with time and both simple as well as sophisticated machines rule the picture today. However, what needs to be realized is that it is of four major types and it is important to understand all of them for clarity. Here we have discussed them in detail.

• Type I – Reactive Machines
This is the most basic form of AI. It is purely reactive as well as looks & acts at a situation on the basis of what it sees. It doesn’t have the ability to form memories nor can it use past experiences to take a decision in the present. It specializes in only one task that it has been programmed to perform. Examples of this type of AI include IBM’s Deep Blue chess playing computer that beat international grandmaster Garry Kasparov in late 1990s. Also Google’s AlphaGo which subjugated human expert players belongs to this category.

• Type II – Limited Memory
This type of AI system is a bit more advanced than reactive machines. It uses both pre-programmed knowledge and observations made over the time. This AI keeps a check on things happening within the environment and tweak itself accordingly. Thus it uses past experiences to take proper decisions and execute the actions accordingly. Most common example of this type is self-driving cars. It may also include personal digital assistants and chatbots.

• Type III – Theory Of Mind
Theory of mind AI represents highly sophisticated technology. It gathers a thorough understanding of people and things within an environment. With the capacity to understand thoughts and emotions this type of AI understands human feelings, intentions, motives etc. and operates accordingly.

• Type IV – Self- Awareness
They are the future of technology. Such type of AI can form representations and are aware of themselves. They can also predict the feelings of others around them and form inferences on that basis. These super intelligent machines have a sense of self consciousness.

Where Can AI Be Applied?

• Healthcare
• Business
• Education
• Finance
• Law

• Manufacturing
Artificial intelligence is the science of making intelligent machines and has encompassed itself in various aspects of information technology these days. It has been able to solve complex human problems and the day is not far when it will surpass human intelligence.

For more information, contact Centex Technologies at (972) 375 - 9654.

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Nowadays, businesses are increasingly collecting a large amount of information from their customers to create a database, which is further being used to form valuable inferences. However, accumulation of data, also poses a risk of data loss.

No matter what the size of a company is, data loss can have a serious impact on their credibility. It can be caused due to many reasons but ultimately breaks the company’s coffers at the end as data loss can prove to be costly. So it is important to take a serious note over implementing prevention systems to minimize the risk of information loss.

However, to take steps in preventing the loss of information, it is important to understand the causes of data loss. Here we have listed some common ways in which businesses lose their valuable data:

• Changing Advanced Settings – Every computer has an “advanced settings” feature for some reason which employees from non-IT background might not know about completely. Sometimes they unknowingly change the advanced settings with an intention to modify & fix their laptop or computer. In an attempt to do so, they often end up booting the device leading to a data loss. So, it is best to consult the IT department in case a technical glitch arises rather than diving into something one doesn’t have knowledge about.
• Failing To Backup Data – Imagine your business being exposed to a cyber-attack, natural disaster or theft etc., apart from losing other physical resources, the greatest loss is that of the data you had collected over the past. Backing up data minimizes the risk of complete data loss. So it is important to store data at a location from where it can easily be recovered. Also keep a third backup, just in case your backup file becomes corrupted.
• Hardware Failures – Machines might face technical breakdown. However, in this process, business lose their valuable data, exposing the company to data loss threat. There can be any kind of technical glitch, from a mechanical error in the hard drive, failure of flash memory due to data writing error, power supply malfunction or something as simple as dropping down the device, there can be a myriad of things that can lead to the loss of company’s valuable data. Companies however, can opt for alternatives such as storing their data on cloud.
• Not Following Security Protocols – Even though employees are being cognized about security measures, they still have a lax attitude towards it. Despite repeated warnings, some employees might click on email attachments sent by unknown senders opening up the doors for cyber criminals. Also, use of easily guessable passwords is a problem.  All this might result in a data loss.
• Ransomware – Ransomware is the most common way in which hackers steal your private and confidential information. They launch a ransomware attack and encrypt the data which businesses can retrieve only if the ransom is paid. In case it is not paid within the given time frame, then the company loses all its valuable data. Sometimes, businesses are not able to recover the data even after paying for the ransom amount.

You can design a preventive strategy to overcome these problems and lessen the risk of data loss. For more information, contact Centex Technologies at (972) 375 – 9654.

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A number of inter- connected devices coordinated together to perform a certain task are referred to as a botnet. They are generally used for malicious purposes such as stealing data, spamming, launching a ransomware or a distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS) etc.

Often used with a negative connotation, the word botnet is a combination of two words – Robot and Network i.e. a network of robots used to commit crime.

The cybercriminals who control them are known as bot herders or bot masters. They are widely launching botnet attacks for stealing cryptocurrencies and money from digital wallets, disrupting functions of IoT devices, defrauding advertisers etc. This is indeed worrisome and a serious threat to security systems.

How Do Botnets Work?

• Bot masters try to bring under their command as many infected devices or bots as possible to make a bigger botnet. This is done to amplify the impact of attack and to create an operational disruption. So the size of botnet matters a lot.
• They then use bots to completely obstruct a certain website by overloading it. Such an attack is also called DDoS attack.
• Generally designed to infect millions of devices, bot masters infect botnets into computers through a Trojan horse virus. It is injected into the user’s system when he/she clicks on a website or pop up containing malware or a malicious email attachment.
• Once the virus is injected into a user’s system, botnets then gain access to their computers, steal the information and commit cybercrimes.
• They are difficult to detect and most of the times, user might not be able to figure out that their device is under the influence of a botnet.
• Some botnets can also propagate the infection on their own, thus bringing more devices under control by infecting them.

Structure Of Botnet
There are two main forms of botnet structures.
Client-Server Model: In this structure, one main server controls the transmission of information from each client and is best for taking & maintaining complete control over the botnet. A special software is used to establish the command and control servers in order to send instructions to each client device.
Peer-to-Peer: This P2P model uses an interconnected structure. Unlike client-server model that relies on a centralized C & C server, in a peer-to-peer structure every device functions both as a client as well as server.
Names Of Some Botnets

• Zeus
• Windigo
• Koobface
• Kovter
• Flashback
• Sefnit
• ASProx
• Conficker etc.

With the increasing trend of IoT devices, it has become easier to launch a botnet attack. So, it is important to understand the working and implications of a botnet and ways in which a botnet works to prevent falling prey to such an attack.

For more information, contact Centex Technologies at (972) 375 – 9654.

There are millions of mobile apps available on the app store. However, there are certain reasons why some apps gain high popularity, become a fad and have over million users whereas some are not able to get even thousand downloads. So, it is important to analyze what makes a mobile app a hit or a failure. Here we have listed certain potential reasons due to which a mobile app generally fails.

• Poorly Researched Market & Audience

The biggest reason why a mobile app does not qualify to enter the list of most popular/downloaded apps is lack of research. This has two main causes, either failing to specify your target market altogether and marketing your app to wrong set of people or not being able to understand what your target market actually wants. Although, market research is a time taking task but it is definitely worth. It helps you channelize your efforts in the right direction.

• Lack Of Originality

App stores are already full of similar apps. So why would a user download an app created by you?
They would do so only if it has some feature which other apps don’t have. Your app should have a unique value proposition that differentiates it from others and also optimizes the user experience. Users always welcome new, innovative and useful app ideas.

• Ignoring Platforms

It is important to develop apps both for android and iOS devices. While doing app developer should keep in mind how a user interacts with different devices.

• Poor User Experience

If your app faces performance issues, takes longer time to load and has features that are difficult to access then it is definitely something to worry about. People usually uninstall an app that is not able to offer a compelling user experience.

• Improper Mobile App Testing

The biggest blunder that you can do is to launch your app without testing. It is important to test it so that all the bugs can be removed beforehand, because if you don’t, then you yourself give users a reason to uninstall your app. Hundreds of things can go wrong and the app might just crash. So it is always advisable to test the app before launching it on app stores.

An attractive yet user friendly app goes a long way. So it is a prudent decision to hire a professional app developer who understands the intricate details and possess knowledge as well as skill to develop an optimized mobile app.

To know more about mobile application development, contact Centex Technologies at (972) 375 – 9654.

Data has a huge potential if the right value is derived from it. Big data is the voluminous repository of data which is used to form inferences. It is a relatively new concept.

It is a wide field and encompasses a number of terms in itself. Here we have listed certain terms which are used in tandem with big data that one must know to gain a detailed insight over this subject of study.

• Algorithm – It refers to a mathematical formula that is generally used to analyze data. It is usually run by a software.

• Data Lake – Huge source of information in its raw form is known as Data Lake. This information is used to form inferences.

• Data Mining – The process of delving into available information to derive meaningful insights is known as data mining. Experts use a variety of statistical techniques, machine learning algorithms, sophisticated software’s meant for data analysis to generate significant conclusions.

• Distributed File System – It is not possible to store large volume of data on a single system as it is complex, costly and infeasible. So, it is generally stored across various storage devices. This mechanism of storing data on multiple devices is known as distributed file system.

• ETL – It is an acronym which means extract, transform & load. It is a three step process which is used while ingesting information over big data systems in a structured manner. First of all, raw data is extracted, then it is converted into a meaningful form. Finally, it is loaded onto the system for use.

• Hadoop – It is a programming framework. Hadoop enables storage and processing of huge chunks of data.

• Data Scientist – They are people who are experts in analyzing data and are well versed with science, statistics, mathematics and other data analysis techniques.

• Data Cleansing - There might be certain sets of information which are incorrect. Data cleaning is the process of removing incorrect or irrelevant information from the database. This is done to maintain the quality of data as it is further used for analysis.

• Dark Data – This is that kind of data which is there in the company’s data repository but has never been put to use.

• NoSQL- It is a database system which means ‘Not Only SQL’. It is designed to handle large volumes of unstructured data without any schema.

• IoT – Internet of Things is the growing trend these days. Since so many devices are connected to the network, large amount of data is collected through them which can be used for further analysis.

To know more about big data, contact Centex Technologies at (972) 375 - 9654.

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KILLEEN, Texas – March 15, 2018 – Centex Technologies is pleased to announce our achievement of the Silver Small and Midmarket Cloud Solutions competency as part of the Microsoft Partner Network Program.

In this era, where we are progressing towards a technological boom, businesses too are aggressively moving towards automating their processes. Modern business process automation tools have significantly transformed the operations and fostered better integration of processes. This is often done to minimize the effort and channelize it in a better and useful way. From simple tasks to complex processes, businesses might just automate their operations to save time, effort & operating costs as well as reduce the redundancy. Let’s just go through some benefits process automation has for businesses –

• Better Quality – It involves technology aided devices to perform the tasks which ensure better quality of work by minimizing chances of error. Since every action is identically performed, the results are often very reliable and accurate.

• Consistency – Since the processes have been automated, there exists a certain level of consistency in the way a product or service is delivered to the customer.

• Time Saving – Much before business process automation was ingrained into our systems, business operations & tasks were performed by employees manually. This increased the risk of error and also took more time. Automation has reduced the human effort with repetitive tasks being done by machines. This adds value to the business by properly channelizing the abilities of their employees into creative and cognitive tasks.

• Efficiency – When business processes are automated then employees are able to perform better even with less resources. It ensures that the systems run smoothly and the business is able to leverage maximum benefits out of it.

• Reduced Costs – A task when done manually follows a slow pace and often costs more than what it does when automated. It significantly reduces the operating costs and minimizes wastage.

• Streamlined Operations - Also known as Workflow automation, it has enabled businesses to streamline their processes. They have been able to optimize their workflow by eliminating unnecessary tasks.

• Accountability – It enables business owners to prepare a database and find out who is responsible for what task. They can even held people accountable in case an issue arises.

• Customer Satisfaction – People are able to get reliable and consistent results which in turn increases their level of satisfaction.

Factors That Should Be Considered While Choosing Which Processes To Automate –

• Employee Involvement
• Level Of Complexity
• Volume ( In Terms Of Task/ Operation)
• Possibility Of Standardization
• Availability Of Technology
• Cost Involved

Business Processes Which Can Be Automated -

• Operation Management
• Project Management
• Customer Support
• Communication
• Purchase Order Management
• Job Applicant Tracking etc.

Business process automation is a strategic decision taken to improve the productivity. To know more about business process automation, contact Centex Technologies at (972) 375 - 9654.