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Despite the buzz, artificial intelligence (AI) might not be finding as much traction as propo - nents had hoped and expected, say analysts at Computer Economics. “On the surface, it seems most companies do not understand the use cases that would lead them to invest heavily in AI,” said the research firm. “But the story is more complicated than it first appears.”   AI, as defined by Computer Economics, is not a single technology but several closely grouped technologies that allow a system to absorb, analyze and learn from data in order to make a recommendation or take an action. These technologies include rules-based reasoning, machine learning, speech recog- nition, natural language process- ing and facial/object recognition, among other capabilities. So far, some of these technol- ogies still are searching for use cases, said CE. According to the firm’s surveys, only about 13 percent of responding business- es reported that they have adopt- ed any type of AI solution. “Outside of digital assistance and search, for example, natural language processing is not yet finding widespread business applications,” said CE analysts. Machine learning is another example of a technology CE points to that needs more use cases. “In many companies, ML isn’t fully trusted in comparison to human experience and intuition,” said the research firm. Much the same can be said for facial recognition, which also has been slow to take off and find business applications or has met with controversy for reasons of privacy. The good news is investment is rising. This year, 27 percent of survey respondents indicated that they are investing in new AI capabilities, a small increase from 2019 when the investment rate was 24 percent. “Some forms of AI are so ubiquitous we don’t even think of them as AI anymore, like the rules that move elevators in skyscrapers,” said Tom Dunlap, director of research for Computer Economics. “But when it comes to the more sophisticated types of AI, use cases are still rare. We expect that when more early adopters show success, adoption will expand quickly.” Veeam Acquires Kubernetes Firm Backup solution provider Veeam Software has acquired Kasten, a leader in Kubernetes backup and disaster recovery, in a cash and stock trans- action valued at $150 million. Veeam executives believe the shift to Kuber- netes creates a massive opportunity for the future of data protection, and the acquisition reinforces its commitment to support customers’ business trans- formation to future-ready architectures. According to 451 Research, nearly three-quarters of organiza- tions are currently using or planning to use Kuber- netes within the next two years.  With this new acquisition, Veeam will integrate Kasten into its Cloud Data Management platform for modern data protection and the simplification of data management for enterprises. Containers are a critical component of DevOps-led infrastructure and application modernization, said Veeam executives, and Kubernetes has emerged as the dominant container orchestration platform – creating a significant opportunity for a single data protec- tion platform that includes virtual, physical, cloud and Kubernetes environments. With the Kasten K10 Data Management Platform, Veeam will now be able to offer enterprise operations teams an easy-to-use, scalable and secure system for Kubernetes backup and application mobility with operational simplicity, said the company. “The enterprise landscape is shifting as applica- tions rapidly transition from monoliths to containers and microservices,” said Niraj Tolia, CEO at Kasten. “With Kubernetes at the core of this infrastructural shift, Kasten’s innovation in Kubernetes-native data management combined with Veeam’s expertise in backup, both on-premises and in multi-cloud environments, will significantly advance the state of modern data management.” While the Kasten K10 platform will continue to be available independently, it will also be integrated into Veeam Backup & Replication to offer a comprehen- sive data management solution. Kasten will operate as a separate Kubernetes Business Unit (BU) within Veeam. Veeam’s commitment to the Kubernetes community will also continue through the contribu- tion to Open Source and other community projects that Kasten has supported, including the Kubernetes Storage Special Interest Group and the Data Protec- tion Working Group in Kubernetes, which aim to improve storage operations and promote data protec- tion support for the Kubernetes user base. AI Hype and Hope EMERGENT How has COVID-19 impacted during the past 3 months, ba Source: Baird, June 2020 Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Investment Rate Trend Source: Computer Economic 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Zoom Phone Dialpad GoTo Connect/ Jive Vonage M Greatly Decelerated Slightly Decelerated Neutral Slightly Acc xisting relationship with vendor Source: IDG Percent of Organizations Adoption Rate Investment Rate 6% 8% 0% 42% 13% 13% 8% 8% 29% 42% 13% 13% 19% 44% 50% 6% 12% 24% 53% 2018 2019 2020 38% 38% 10% 11% 2% 39% 26% 9% 18% 13% 24% 13% 27% 13% 0% 8 CHANNEL VISION | September - October, 2020