by  Jack Oakley

SoftServe’s Machine Learning Division Drives Innovation and Success

clock-icon-white  5 min read

After I joined SoftServe in the summer of 2020, I was incredibly inspired by all the ways our technical community worked to aid clients with the fundamentals of Google Cloud. Not only did they work on items ranging from migrating workloads to data analysis and application modernization, but our technical teams enabled and encouraged clients to push the boundaries of what technology could achieve for them.

While inspired, I wasn’t surprised as SoftServe has been at the forefront of technology services for the past 28 years. With a dedicated Research & Development team, along with a history within Education—including our own university—our aligned Centers of Excellence have no end to continued learning and the pursuit of success. All of this is done with one thought in mind: How do we help our clients deliver excellence to their customers?

The past twelve months of being a team member have felt like a rocketship, with both ups and downs. We’ve won customers, and we’ve lost customers, but this is part of what allows SoftServe to continuously build on our successes and succeeding where we’ve failed before.

This is similar to machine learning in that if everything was successful all of the time, I would think that not only would it not be much fun, but without this adversity and need for improvement, our technology leaders wouldn’t have developed market-defining products.

The Background on Machine Learning

This leads me to the reason I wrote this blog: Machine Learning. Hopefully, readers understand how machine learning works: you set a machine to review data with a specific purpose, and then an action is initiated, and results are generated.

It’s similar to my Pixel phone—I will ask it to show me pictures that include my puppy in them, and instantly I have all the puppy pictures in one place, without me even needing to tag or sort them. Simple.

Machine Learning + Human Expertise

But is it as simple as it seems? Our partner Google Cloud has developed some incredible technology such as VisionAI from my example. It democratized the machine learning concept for the masses. However, there are still complexities to consider—such as ensuring you have the right data, the right algorithm(s), and the right outcome expectations—to make this technology successful for your organization. A human element is still needed, and that’s why SoftServe has been investing in this area since 2013 to make Machine Learning successful.

In partnership with our colleagues at Google Cloud, one of the most successful examples of our work is developing and implementing a machine learning solution for the Mesquite Independent School District (MISD). This solution helped create tailored learning programs for their students, driving greater success for students, teachers, and staff. You can find out more about this work from the stakeholders and leaders involved on our Ask SME About: Tailored Learning page.

2020 Google Cloud Specialization Partner of the Award - Machine Learning

The AI/ML work we conducted with MISD and our efforts with other customers across APAC, EMEA & North America led SoftServe to stand out from other partners to win the coveted Google Cloud Specialization Partner of the Year - Machine Learning award. This is both an incredible achievement and the first award we’ve won specifically recognizing our talents in the machine learning space. It’s also the second Google Cloud award we’ve won in the last twelve months after winning Google Cloud’s Business Application Platform Emerging Partner of the year for both EMEA and the Americas.

One person who has been instrumental in developing SoftServe’s AI/ML capabilities is Iurii Milovanov, who leads our AI/ML Center of Excellence. He shared that he is “incredibly proud and honored to receive this award from Google Cloud on behalf of the team.” He went on to say that “this outstanding recognition showcases the unprecedented synergy that comes when SoftServe—in strategic alignment with Google's Cloud AI ecosystem—applies deep expertise and a client-centered approach to AI & ML challenges. Our joint effort has helped eliminate the technology gap for many customers across the globe and accelerate their pace of innovation.

The Next Steps in the Machine Learning Journey

One of the most compelling aspects of client conversations about machine learning is that despite there being a variety of current experiences and exposure, the common thread is always, “we need to do this.” Reducing operational costs and unlocking additional insights to achieve their business goals is often the decision-making factor.

This is part of why Iurii and the team developed an AI Rapid Assessment workshop. Clients can uncover where they are on this journey, and SoftServe experts will provide guidance, enablement, and insight into how they can get started or do more with Google Cloud technology. If your team and business could benefit from attending this workshop, then let’s talk.

Winning awards is not why we do our work—our driving force is helping clients achieve excellence. Gaining an award for “doing our job” is a wonderful bonus, though. I’m excited for what the future holds for SoftServe, and I look forward to seeing how we use Machine Learning to supercharge our client’s business.