stc Group, Red Sea Global Sign Strategic Partnership to Drive Digital Success of RSG Destinations

stc group has entered this agreement to drive digital and technical development in mega projects within Saudi Arabia  - SPA
stc group has entered this agreement to drive digital and technical development in mega projects within Saudi Arabia - SPA
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stc Group, Red Sea Global Sign Strategic Partnership to Drive Digital Success of RSG Destinations

stc group has entered this agreement to drive digital and technical development in mega projects within Saudi Arabia  - SPA
stc group has entered this agreement to drive digital and technical development in mega projects within Saudi Arabia - SPA

stc group, an engine of digital transformation, has signed a strategic partnership with Red Sea Global (RSG), marking a significant milestone. This agreement aims to facilitate digital transformation and empower tourist destinations along the Red Sea coast by adopting state-of-the-art communication technologies and digital services, focusing on seamless and sustained connectivity services.
stc group has entered this agreement to drive digital and technical development in mega projects within Saudi Arabia by priming the connectivity services to all existing and prospective sites in the Red Sea area to revolutionize the region's tourism experience, according to SPA.

"As a key player in the digital transformation of the Kingdom, we are pleased to continue our support by partnering with The Red Sea destination, one of the largest national initiatives. We recognize the significance of this project for the country and are committed to leveraging our expertise to develop it further”, said stc group CEO Olayan bin Mohammed Alwetaid.

Under this agreement, stc group will offer advanced connectivity services The Red Sea and AMAALA destinations by delivering tailored solutions solutions with potential expansion into newly developed areas. These services will ensure seamless and uninterrupted connectivity for both destinations.

stc will provide advanced communications solutions, including fixed and mobile services with 5G technologies and connectivity through the group's data centers.

The collaboration between stc group and RSG goes beyond just providing connectivity. Together, the companies have developed Smart Services to enhance the digital guest experience, including smart EV charging, VMS (smart gates), a Marine security command center, RSG booking engine, and RSG contact center. Additionally, stc customers will benefit from automatic WiFi offloading.



Microsoft Revamps AI Copilot with New Voice, Reasoning Capabilities

Copilot logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)
Copilot logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)
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Microsoft Revamps AI Copilot with New Voice, Reasoning Capabilities

Copilot logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)
Copilot logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)

Microsoft has given its consumer Copilot, an artificial intelligence assistant, a more amiable voice in its latest update, with the chatbot also capable of analyzing web pages for interested users as they browse.

The US software maker now has "an entire army" of creative directors - among them psychologists, novelists and comedians - finessing the tone and style of Copilot to distinguish it, Mustafa Suleyman, chief executive of Microsoft AI, told Reuters in an interview.

In one demonstration of the updated Copilot, a consumer asked what housewarming gift to buy at a grocery store for a friend who did not drink wine. After some back-and-forth, Copilot said aloud: "Italian (olive) oils are the hot stuff right now. Tuscan's my go-to. Super peppery."

The feature rollout, starting Tuesday, is one of the first that Suleyman has overseen since Microsoft created his division in March to focus on consumer products and technology research.

Long identified with business software, Microsoft has had a much harder road in the consumer realm. Its Bing search engine, for instance, is still dwarfed by Google.

Suleyman is hoping for a bigger splash with Copilot, which launched last year in a crowded field of AI chatbots, including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.

Copilot's newly fashioned voice capabilities make it seem much more of an active listener, giving verbal cues like "cool" and "huh," Suleyman said.

Underlying the product are Microsoft AI, or "MAI," models, plus a technology suite from partner OpenAI, Suleyman said.

Suleyman added that consumers who spend $20 monthly for Copilot Pro can start testing a "Think Deeper" feature that reasons through choices, like whether to move to one city or another.

He said an additional test feature for paying subscribers, Copilot Vision, amounts to "digital pointing" - the ability for users to talk to AI about what they see in a Microsoft Edge browser. Consumers have to opt in, and the content they view will not be saved or used to train AI, Microsoft said.

These updates represent "glimmers" of AI that can be an "ever-present confidant, in your corner," Suleyman said. It's a vision he articulated as CEO of Inflection AI, whose top talent Microsoft poached in a closely watched deal this year.

Suleyman said that eventually, Copilot will learn context from consumers' Word documents, Windows desktops, even their gaming consoles if they grant permission.

Asked what Bill Gates, Microsoft's co-founder, thinks of the company's AI efforts, Suleyman said Gates was excited.

"He's always asking me about when Copilot can read and parse his emails. It's one of his favorite ones," Suleyman said. "We're on the case."