In a changing environment, innovation is not only welcome, it’s indispensable. Agriculture no longer relies solely on empirical knowledge passed down from generation to generation. Today, fields are monitored from the sky by drones, tractors drive themselves, and sensors alert us to critical moisture or nutrient levels.

Recognizing this transformation, Microsoft has relaunched its FarmBeats for Students program , an educational initiative that seeks to train the next generation of technologically savvy farmers.

The goal is to bring precision agriculture to young people without prior technical experience through free kits containing environmental sensors, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI).

The FarmBeats update includes a curriculum adaptable to any classroom, designed in collaboration with agricultural educators and aligned with international academic standards.

Students can build environmental monitoring systems and apply AI tools to analyze soil moisture or detect nutritional deficiencies in crops , facing real-world problems such as drought, frost, or pests.

This hands-on approach enables them to make decisions based on real-time data, just as farmers around the world are already doing by adopting technologies such as digital twins , machine automation , predictive analytics platforms , and cloud-connected sensors .

These tools not only optimize agricultural yields , but also enable more efficient and sustainable resource management.

The challenge now is to prepare future professionals in the field to operate in this new ecosystem.

It’s no longer enough to know how to sow or harvest; you need skills in data science, programming, electronics, and AI , as well as an innovative mindset.

FarmBeats is, in this sense, a seed that Microsoft is planting today to harvest a more resilient and inclusive future in the agricultural sector.

The program is emerging as a key tool for democratizing access to technology in rural areas and promoting more sustainable, smart, and competitive agriculture.

Comment and follow us on X:  @GrupoT21

El cargo FarmBeats: Technology that grows the future apareció primero en T21.

Querétaro, known for its thriving manufacturing industry, is becoming an epicenter of Mexico’s digital economy , as data centers for technology giants such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) , Google , and Microsoft have decided to establish themselves in this state .

In an interview with T21 , Carlos Salgado , Undersecretary of Information Technology for the Querétaro government, stressed that as part of this transformation, the state has 12 other companies that operate multiple data centers , positioning the entity as one of the main hubs outside the United States and Canada, comparable only to cities like Santiago, Chile, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

“This is creating a very interesting industry around data centers, and our universities are developing graduates in that industry,” he emphasized.

The rise of various digital services, the use of virtual tools, as well as data processing and storage, driven by  nearshoring  (relocation of production lines),  has increased the demand for data centers in Mexico , which is why it is projected to build 73 facilities of this type by 2029, according to estimates by the  Mexican Association of Data Centers (MEXDC) .

The state official emphasized that educational institutions are adapting their programs to train professionals in key areas such as programming, data analysis, big data, and cybersecurity, to respond to the needs of a rapidly evolving market. To accelerate this training, a program has been launched in collaboration with the European Union.

“We are launching a new program through the European Union to accelerate this training, because universities sometimes take a long time to adapt their programs,” Salgado explained.

This effort seeks to generate specific technical skills that support not only the technology industry but also sectors such as aerospace and automotive.

Querétaro’s geographic location is part of the state’s success in attracting technology sector investment in recent years. It is centrally located and has connections to Mexico City, Guadalajara, León, and Aguascalientes, benefiting from its position as a strategic logistics hub.

This advantage facilitates both connectivity for data centers and the development of other industries, since in addition to technology, Querétaro stands out in industries such as the automotive industry, with several companies supplying auto parts, and the aerospace industry, with firms such as Bombardier , Safran , and Embraer .

A distinctive element is that “I believe we are the only state that has an aeronautical university within the airport,” he emphasized, while pointing out that they are seeking certification as the first air terminal “with a spaceport license from which suborbital flights can take off.”

The state government invests heavily in an ecosystem of innovation and technological development, which has made Querétaro an attractive destination for foreign investment, attracting capital from countries such as Germany, Korea, Spain, Canada, and the United States.

To diversify its economy and reduce dependence on tariff-laden industries, Querétaro is promoting entrepreneurship and startups in services and technology.

According to Mexico’s Ministry of Economy , Amazon will invest five billion dollars in Querétaro to develop a digital data center region.

This amount will represent a contribution of $10 billion to Mexico’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the next 15 years, starting in 2025, and the creation of more than 7,000 jobs annually.

At the national level, according to a report by the consulting firm Mordor Intelligence , the data center market in Mexico is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 10.5% between 2021 and 2026, reaching a value of $1.5 billion .

Comment and follow us on X: @Eliseosfield / @GrupoT21

El cargo Data centers boost the digital economy in Querétaro apareció primero en T21.

Airlines in Mexico have been affected due to the global failure of the security services provided by CrowdStrike to Microsoft systems , after what was mentioned to be a defective update, since this situation has impacted their reservation systems.

Viva Aerobus reported that the fall has an impact on documentation for domestic flights , although most of these are operating, however, it stated that there will be some delays in them.

Through his social networks, he specified that he canceled his international flights scheduled for this Friday with departure 00:01 at 4:59 p.m.

“At the moment we are unable to make changes to reservations and process refunds. Once the systems are established, we will inform you what the procedure to follow will be to obtain the support you require,” he said.

Derived from the same problem, he stated that he will temporarily not be able to sell tickets. “We hope that in the next few hours all operations and sales will be restored in all our channels,” he said.

For its part, Volaris mentioned that its reservation system is operating intermittently.

Likewise, through their networks, the Mexico City International Airport ( AICM) and the Central North Airport Groups (OMA),  the Pacific and the Southeast (Asur) asked travelers to be aware of the information they generate. airlines about flight status.

Mara Lezama, governor of Quintana Roo, revealed the damages that the Cancun Airport belonging to Asur has registered.

Aeroméxico reported that so far it operates normally and without any cancellations. However, it is monitoring customers who are affected by the connections they have with other airlines.

Meanwhile, the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) stated that this failure did not cause any impact on the radars and air navigation systems in Mexico, due to the use of its own tools and systems that are protected against external interference. .

Through the Mexican Airspace Navigation Services (Seneam), the respective security protocols remain activated, in support of all commercial airlines whose national and international flights may have been affected.

“Some airlines have problems in their systems due to the drop in Microsoft services globally, which is why they ask travelers to take precautions and go to airports nationwide in advance for the documentation process, check -in and boarding,” he mentioned.

Both the SICT and the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) took measures to expedite the dispatch of flights, due to failures in the computer systems.

Who is CrowdStrike?

According to its website, CrowdStrike defines itself as a cybersecurity company that protects and enables the people, processes and technologies that power modern businesses.

Their systems protect their customers’ most critical risk areas (endpoints and cloud workloads, identity and data) from today’s adversities and also stop breaches.

Its Falcon platform leverages real-time attack indicators, threat intelligence on evolving adversary techniques , and rich enterprise-wide telemetry to deliver hyper-precise detections, automated protection and remediation, elite threat hunting, and observability. priority of vulnerabilities.

Comment and follow us on X:  @GrupoT21

El cargo MICROSOFT FAILURE AFFECTS OPERATIONS OF MEXICAN AIRLINES apareció primero en T21.