Dell EMC, in concert with Intel, has opened five ’AI experience zone’ facilities across Asia Pacific and Japan that aim to showcase the business benefits of artificial intelligence technologies.
The experience zones - operational in Australia (Sydney), India (Bangalore), Korea (Seoul), and Singapore, with the Japan (Tokyo) facility opening in June - will offer education on commencing, identifying and implementing an AI project.
The zones will provide hands-on access to data science tools, AI experts and solutions demonstrations, and techniques to enable digital transformation strategies.
According to Dell Technologies’ Digital Transformation Index, AI is amongst the top spending priorities for business leaders in the APJ region.
One in two leaders plans to invest in AI in the next one to three years as part of their digital strategy. However, 95 per cent of companies are still experiencing transformation roadblocks, one of which is lack of in-house skill sets and expertise.
“The timely adoption of AI will create new opportunities that will deliver concrete business advantages across all industries and business functions,” said Dell EMC APJ vice-president infrastructure solutions group, Chris Kelly.
“Companies looking to thrive in a data drive era need to understand that investments in AI are no longer optional – they are business critical. Whilst complex in nature, it is imperative that companies quickly start moving from theoretical AI strategies to practical deployments to stay ahead of the curve.”
A recent IDC report shows that worldwide spending on AI systems is forecast to reach $35.8 billion in 2019, an increase of 44 per cent over the amount spent in 2018.
“The APJ region is building intelligent organisations powered by data, with AI technology woven into their digital fabric,” said Dell EMC APJ chief technology officer, high performance computing and artificial intelligence, Andrew Underwood.
“The Dell EMC AI Experience Zones provide a unique space where customers and our partners can explore, test out, and learn about the different physical and virtual components that make up an AI ecosystem.
"This initiative is the focal point of our commitment to fostering knowledge sharing between CIOs, our ready team of technology experts, and industry partners to accelerate AI adoption and innovation for the region.”
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