TechTarget News - Week of Apr 26, 2020
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Australia’s CovidSafe app debuts, source codes to follow
Australia’s contact tracing app has been downloaded more than 1.1 million times, even as privacy concerns linger on
Mon Apr 27, 2020
IR35 off-payroll rules have ‘never worked satisfactorily’, rules Finance Bill Sub-Committee
An inquiry into the government’s plans to extend the IR35 reforms to the private sector concludes that the roll-out should be delayed because the entire off-payroll legislation is flawed and in need of a revamp
Mon Apr 27, 2020
How Vonage is riding the e-commerce wave in Asia
The surge in online sales across Asia has boosted demand for cloud-based communications services as more e-commerce players look to integrate text messaging, voice and video into customer engagement platforms
Mon Apr 27, 2020
GP Connect to enable patient information sharing in Covid-19 outbreak
Past and present medical details will be shared across primary care during the emergency period
Mon Apr 27, 2020
UK tech companies launch online safety body
Online Safety Tech Industry Association unites 14 technology companies to drive conversation and policy around online safeguarding
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Funding released to support winners of coronavirus technology challenge
To help support the most vulnerable during the pandemic, NHSX and its partners are testing a range of digital solutions submitted as part of fast-track technology competition
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Acquia releases Drupal 9 migration tools
Many Drupal users didn't migrate from versions 7 to 8. Now that 9 is out in beta, Acquia offers a sandbox and assessment tools to move Drupal users into the more secure version 9.
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Easter holidays and supply issues reverse some March gains
Research from Context has found that the growth rates experienced by the channel in March took a hit at the start of April
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Potential near £70bn boost to British economy from gigabit broadband
Research shows that delivering ‘Gigabit Britain’ could provide over £50bn gross value added to the economy in five years, growing to £68.8bn in 2030, but suppliers warn that more must be done to turn broadband ambition into reality
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Microsoft patches .gif file vulnerability in Teams
Vulnerability could have enabled cyber criminals to use a malicious .gif file to scrape user data and take over Teams accounts
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Pandemic changes enterprise storage buying plans
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing some IT organizations to delay or push up their 2020 enterprise data storage purchases, while others continue with business as usual.
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Julian Assange extradition hearing postponed amid coronavirus lockdown
Julian Assange’s lawyers say they have been unable to communicate or share legal documents with the WikiLeaks founder to enable them to prepare a defence in time for a planned extradition hearing in May
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Softcat backing charity battling coronavirus-induced food poverty
Reseller Softcat is urging the rest of the channel to get behind a campaign aimed at helping to feed people who are struggling with hunger because of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Zero-day flaw in Sophos XG Firewall exploited in attacks
Sophos released an emergency patch over the weekend for its XG firewalls after threat actors exploited a zero-day SQL vulnerability in the products to steal customer data.
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Elastic expands data management efforts to workplace search
Elastic previewed a new search service that brings enterprise and software-as-a-service data sources together to help users find relevant data, where it resides.
Mon Apr 27, 2020
IT compliance-as-code tool makes Kubernetes security inroads
Open Policy Agent has turned heads among IT shops for Kubernetes compliance as code, and its commercial backer looks to capitalize on that momentum with new enterprise features.
Mon Apr 27, 2020
Scottish Tech Army seeks out IT experts to combat Covid-19
Tech workers who find themselves out of work are being asked to volunteer their time to help build digital technology to support coronavirus efforts
Tue Apr 28, 2020
APAC edge computing market set to grow
China and Japan will account for the lion’s share of Asia-Pacific’s edge computing market as more organisations in the region look to streamline processes and improve productivity
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Covid-19 will decimate fintechs, but those that survive will prosper
The coronavirus will wipe out some fintechs, but those that get through it will share in the next growth phase of the industry's development
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Adtran initiates software-defined access network project, advances the smart home experience
Partnerships with Orange and Plume will evaluate and test SDN-based programming for next-gen fibre access networks, and boost customer experience management of Wi-Fi-enabled services
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Confidence of UK startups rocked by coronavirus
Firms worry how to keep sales up and secure investment during pandemic
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Black Rose Lucy ransomware now posing as FBI porn warning
A new strain of Russian-developed ransomware impersonates US federal law enforcement to force payment, says Check Point
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Met Police assessing evidence of potential perjury in Post Office IT trials
Force examines information about evidence given in court by Fujitsu staff on the Horizon IT system before deciding whether to investigate further
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Almost half of security pros being redeployed during pandemic
Close to half of cyber security professionals say they have been taken off some or all of their security duties to focus attention elsewhere during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic
Tue Apr 28, 2020
IBM celebrates quantum cloud fourth anniversary with coding challenge
IBM has set four tasks for programmers to try out on its cloud-based quantum computer, in a bid to widen quantum coding skills
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Chancellor hopes Bounce Back Loan scheme will deliver funds to small firms
Small businesses have so far faced a challenge in getting hold of funds during the coronavirus crisis, but a fresh scheme coming in next week should ease those problems
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Rubrik Forward virtual show poses audience engagement test
Tech events such as Rubrik Forward have gone virtual due to COVID-19, and the challenge is to make them as engaging as live ones. Experts say they must be more than just webinars.
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Under the spotlight, video apps rush to strengthen security
Most popular videoconferencing applications now meet Mozilla’s minimum security standards, with fierce competition and public pressure driving rapid improvement
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Ericsson scores further 5G RAN win with True Corporation Thailand
Thai comms operator engages the Swedish technology provider to enable smooth, fast and cost-effective 5G network evolution in three regions
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Worcestershire County Council turns to low code in coronavirus response effort
The county council of Worcestershire is using the OutSystems low-code platform to develop five apps to support internal staff and external volunteers during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic
Tue Apr 28, 2020
AWS expands beyond edge connectivity in Italy with datacentre region opening
Amazon Web Services says opening a datacentre region in Covid-19-hit Italy indicates its commitment to delivering cloud services to communities that need them most
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Sigma Computing adds new no-code tools to analytics platform
Sigma Computing added a no-code data modeling tool to its suite along with prebuilt dashboard templates aimed at introducing new users to business intelligence.
Tue Apr 28, 2020
NHSX on track for May launch of Covid-19 contact-tracing app but challenges remain
Leading UK scientific experts assure MPs that much-anticipated application will be ready for launch in May but concede that challenges exist on achieving meaningful uptake
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Rapid7 picks up DivvyCloud
Security player moves to add more cloud visibility to its armoury and respond to customer demand for greater protection and visibility in hosted environments
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Actian Avalanche Real-Time Connected Data Warehouse adds integration
Actian is expanding its Cloud Data Warehouse with data integration capabilities to enable users to onboard and search data from both cloud and on-premises data sources.
Tue Apr 28, 2020
Bugcrowd launches 'classic' penetration testing service
The crowdsourcing security company launched the Bugcrowd Classic Pen Test service to offer enterprises a more cost-effective and efficient way to test their cybersecurity posture.
Tue Apr 28, 2020
How telemedicine, SD-WAN helped two firms get back to work
COVID-19 is forcing companies to rethink their workplaces. Medical companies TrialCard and Vohra have turned to SD-WAN and telemedicine, respectively, to keep employees productive.
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Australian researchers tap cloud to save the Tasmanian devil
Researchers at the University of Sydney are using Amazon Web Services to speed up genomics research in one of Australia’s wildlife conservation programmes
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Google chief suggests post-coronavirus cloud boost
Google’s GCP platform has seen increased demand during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, and the company’s CEO believes economic recovery may lead to fewer on-premise datacentres
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Zoom chooses Oracle IaaS as core cloud infrastructure provider
Zoom has chosen Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to deliver its online video meetings service as usage has spiked due to the Covid-19 coronavirus public health crisis
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Nokia closes capacity and customer experience tech deal with Bharti Airtel
Third-largest telco in the world’s second-largest telecoms market takes up Nokia Single Radio Access Network to enhance capacity and improve 5G readiness
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Nordic CIO interview: Stefan Olowsson, Swedish Social Insurance Agency
Stefan Olowsson, CIO at Sweden’s Försäkringskassan, helps to ensure social security payments run smoothly, which is a balancing act of innovation, data security and reliable delivery
Wed Apr 29, 2020
IT Priorities 2020: SD-WAN soars as collaboration and communications no longer on back burner
At the start of the year, networking professionals looked likely to invest in monitoring, converged architectures and WAN technologies, while unified communications was in decline and collaboration of minimal interest
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Coronavirus: Call for extension to European payment security standard deadline
Payment processors across Europe want more time to meet the SCA payment security standard
Wed Apr 29, 2020
SCC looks to ease lockdown with thermal imaging tech
Channel player sets up mobile thermal imaging at Bournemouth Airport as it looks for more verticals to adopt the technology
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Retail must weigh up high street versus online investments after coronavirus lockdown
Larger retailers that have a significant online presence will need to decide whether to innovate on the web or on the high street
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Coronavirus: Startups raise £663m during lockdown
Investment is significantly higher than at the same time last year, but it is concentrated in very few hands as the total number of deals declines
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Coronavirus: Cash use plummets during UK lockdown
Consumers are switching to digital payment methods amid the current global pandemic crisis
Wed Apr 29, 2020
SolarWinds exposes pressure of digital transformation on customers
It might sound great to break down the siloes and let the data flow – but for users already stretched, digitisation is causing some headaches, according to SolarWinds
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure adds new AMD EPYC instances
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure has boosted its support for mission-critical workloads with new options based on AMD's second-generation EPYC processors.
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Rubrik ramps up backup speed and test/dev clones for Oracle
Rubrik Andes 5.2 doesn't add any groundbreaking features, but it focused on using backup capabilities to enhance test/dev and improving backup speed for large datasets.
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Coronavirus: GCHQ gets access to NHS data to beef up security
Health secretary gave GCHQ emergency powers to obtain information relating to the security of its networks and IT systems at the beginning of April, it has emerged
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Privacy International puts Palantir in the dock for NHS data analysis work
Civil liberties campaigner questions role of US data analytics specialist in health service’s data work in battle against Covid-19
Wed Apr 29, 2020
IMDA to issue 5G spectrum to Singtel and StarHub-M1 venture
Singapore’s telco regulator will award 5G spectrum to major operators whose proposals have exceeded its requirements in some cases
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Clumio backup adds Microsoft 365 protection
Clumio takes aim at the 'vulnerable' area of software as a service. Its backup for Microsoft 365 includes security features and assorted restore options.
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Infovista claims SD-WAN implementation game changer with transparent hybrid technology
Application-aware SD-WAN technology provider introduces additional capabilities to ‘dramatically’ simplify migration and hasten transition to software-defined networking
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Red Hat OpenShift to inject IBM Kubernetes management IP
IBM and Red Hat have begun to blend both business priorities and software code, including a forthcoming multi-cluster Kubernetes management tool for OpenShift users.
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Node.js 14 delivers more enterprise-friendly features
Node.js 14 is now available with new features aimed at the demands of enterprise developers, who have increasingly adopted the server-side runtime environment for JavaScript.
Wed Apr 29, 2020
NetApp acquires VDI vendor CloudJumper
NetApp looks to edge its way deeper into virtual desktop infrastructure territory with its acquisition of CloudJumper.
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Couchbase automates cloud-native database management
New version of NoSQL database vendor Couchbase's Autonomous Operator brings more management to cluster administrators for automated cloud-native database deployments.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Red Hat-VMware rivalry intensifies with OpenShift virtualisation
New virtualisation features in OpenShift point to an emerging Kubernetes platform war between Red Hat and VMware
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Coronavirus: Young employees struggle with remote working
Communications tools identified as key pain point and hindering productivity for young UK workers
Thu Apr 30, 2020
GPs embrace virtual consultations to navigate Covid-19 outbreak
The majority of GPs across England are now operating with video meetings and more virtual services are being developed
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Microsoft results points to new uses for Teams after coronavirus
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, says he looks forward to new working practices emerging post-Covid-19, with collaboration seamlessly fitting in with tools for remote working
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Channel needs to get creative to solve remote working problems
The channel is being urged to get into a position to help solve customer remote working challenges
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Coronavirus: Print channel appeals for more vendor support
Research from Quocirca reveals that the print channel is having to cope with the pandemic and the challenges of moving to a “new normal”
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Olive Communications steps up support for Teams
Comms specialist is making its suite of services available to firms looking for help in adding more flexibility to their existing infrastructure
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Mobile banking customers at risk from new EventBot trojan
Customers of Barclays, HSBC, Santander and many other banks should be alert to a dangerous new trojan
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Can maths plot a path for policy-makers through the UK coronavirus lockdown?
Initial findings from a new study suggests that working from home could enable the UK to manage the coronavirus infection rate
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Stark digital divide in US internet speed amid Covid-19 crisis
Over a fifth of connections in lower income brackets in the US do not have ‘acceptable’ internet performance for work and school during the coronavirus lockdown, but ISPs’ expansion of available bandwidth for these communities noticeably improves online speed
Thu Apr 30, 2020
UK government secures Microsoft Azure discounts for public sector
Procurement chiefs at the Crown Commercial Service have secured an addendum to a long-standing Microsoft preferential pricing deal that now includes Azure public cloud services
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Big Blue weaves Red Hat OpenShift into the IBM Cloud
With versions available on its Z and Power servers, IBM's delivery of Red Hat OpenShift for the IBM Cloud underlines the strategic importance of the cloud orchestration platform.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Critical SaltStack vulnerability affects thousands of datacentres
Critical vulnerabilities in the Salt remote task and configuration framework enable hackers to take control of cloud servers and must be patched right away
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Coronavirus: UKCloud and VMware join forces to meet public sector demand for remote desktops
Public sector-focused IaaS provider UKCloud forges closer ties with VMware to meet the public sector demand for “government-grade” remote desktop technology
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Vast Data flash storage zeroes in on enterprises
Vast Data engineers improve storage services for cloud backup and encryption as the all-flash startup moves to target mainstream Windows and MacOS shops.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Igneous Systems enhances DataDiscover with global search
Igneous Systems' upgrades to DataDiscover and DataFlow address unstructured data growth by allowing customers with massive data sets to see everything they have and move it anywhere.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Users demand improvements to Microsoft Teams calendar
Users must sometimes toggle between Microsoft Teams and Outlook to get work done because of features missing from the calendar in Teams.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Celonis process mining edges toward autonomous enterprise
The Celonis process mining platform now has Operational Applications for accounts payable and supply chain that allow companies to take automated actions on processes.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Red Hat lays out OpenShift Container Storage, Ceph roadmaps
Red Hat's newly unveiled storage roadmaps for OpenShift and Ceph add data deduplication to reduce data footprint and snapshot-based mirroring for disaster recovery.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Nvidia finalizes Mellanox deal to boost AI products
The Nvidia acquisition of Mellanox will improve its GPU and AI infrastructure products, but it's not likely to give the company a significant edge in the competitive AI market.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Live conferences shift to virtual events, yield surprising results
Digital events can't replace live conference experiences, but organizers who quickly shifted to virtual event platforms report surprising benefits and expect to use them long-term.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Caringo ships cheaper, denser Swarm object storage servers
Caringo's dense new Swarm Server Appliances on Supermicro hardware offer a starting raw capacity of 168 TB in a single rack unit and lower prices over its prior Dell-based models.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Security is central in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS release
Canonical released its Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Linux distribution, emphasizing a holistic approach to security -- from hardware to applications.
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Zoom could have far fewer users than previously reported
Zoom clarified its tally of 300 million participants counts users multiple times in some cases. The company also fixed a blog post that wrongly referred to participants as 'users.'
Thu Apr 30, 2020
Cyber security skills courses go online during pandemic
The government is turning to online learning to find the next generation of cyber security talent
Fri May 1, 2020
HMCTS deploys video platform for remote hearings during Covid-19
Magistrates’ and crown courts will use platform to conduct remote criminal hearings during the coronavirus pandemic
Fri May 1, 2020
Veritas increases number and depth of support for top partners
Data protection and management player is looking to help more partners get to the top tier of its programme
Fri May 1, 2020
Amazon commits to reinvesting $4bn of projected second-quarter profit into coronavirus response
Online retail giant Amazon sees revenue surge, but profits drop during first quarter of 2020 following surge in reinvestment to ready its business for Covid-19-induced uptick in consumer demand for online orders
Fri May 1, 2020
Subpostmasters receive their ‘inadequate’ damages over Horizon IT scandal
Subpostmasters who had their lives ruined by the Post Office’s faulty IT system have received their damages after a High Court victory
Fri May 1, 2020
Pre-owned device values stay strong amidst coronavirus pandemic
More than half a billion dollars returned to US consumers in Q1 2020 as used and new mobile device markets stabilise after Covid-19 disruption
Fri May 1, 2020
Partners need to protect customers from cyber attack during Covid-19
Managed service player ECS says remote workforces are vulnerable to attackers during lockdown, and partners need to step up to protect them
Fri May 1, 2020
Global contact-tracing apps take divergent routes to beat Covid-19
Telecoms will play a key role in controlling the coronavirus through contact-tracing apps that can mitigate its spread. But that will only be the case if population masses actually use the apps – and that’s not guaranteed for a variety of reasons
Fri May 1, 2020
Coronavirus gives cloud service providers short-term boost
The move to hosted tools has helped drive record sales of cloud infrastructure services in the first quarter of 2020, but the big migration projects have been put on hold
Fri May 1, 2020
U.S. set $20M contract to gig work call center Liveops
Liveops Inc., a gig work pioneer, has been hired by the U.S. Small Business Administration to take calls from businesses seeking relief under the CARES Act.
Fri May 1, 2020
5G on the ropes as Covid-19 set to land $51bn blow on global mobile services industry
Research predicts mobile revenue will drop 4.1% worldwide because of pandemic, with European operators taking a particular heavy hit
Fri May 1, 2020
Treasury gives Gov.uk Verify 18-month reprieve due to coronavirus
The government's troubled digital identity system was due to end funding in April 2020 but surge in use due to Universal Credit applications has brought a temporary reprieve
Fri May 1, 2020
NCSC tackles unconscious bias in security terminology
The terms whitelisting and blacklisting are out at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre
Fri May 1, 2020
University of Oxford embarks on cloud-fuelled AI research push with AWS
University collaborates with Amazon Web Services to accelerate the pace of technology innovation in a range of artificial intelligence-related fields with the help of cloud
Fri May 1, 2020
Shade ransomware decryptor released with 750,000 keys
Kaspersky Lab released a decryptor tool after operators behind the ransomware variant announced a shutdown of operations and issued an apology for any harm caused.
Fri May 1, 2020
AtScale 2020.2 adds new self-service, cloud capabilities
The latest platform update from AtScale features new self-service analytics tools and the ability to run natively on the platforms of all three major cloud service providers.
Fri May 1, 2020
Red Hat Enterprise Linux still central to Red Hat's strategy
While it may be overshadowed by OpenShift and Kubernetes, Red Hat Summit attendees were reminded that Red Hat Enterprise Linux still has a strategic role to play.
Fri May 1, 2020
NetApp acquisition: CloudJumper expands partner portfolios
NetApp's buyout of virtual desktop infrastructure player CloudJumper is poised to bring new channel partners into the NetApp fold; other news from the week.
Fri May 1, 2020
SBA bans RPA for PPP loan applications after bots clog system
After a deluge of Paycheck Protection Program loan applications overwhelmed the SBA's electronic loan transfer system, the agency said it would no longer accept loans filed by RPA systems.
Fri May 1, 2020
Conversational AI to help with high demands in contact centers
Replicant and Nuance Communications have announced tools aimed at curbing the influx of calls during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has limited the number of customer service reps.