Author: Nick Farrell

Data centre colocation outfit Equinix has unveiled plans to turn a tired old paint factory in Slough into a cutting-edge data centre complex.

The blueprints feature a data hall, plush office spaces, and all the behind-the-scenes gubbins needed to keep the digital show on the road.

Equinix is going green in a big way. They’re decking out the new digs with all sorts of eco-friendly kit, from water-saving cooling towers to energy-sipping lights. And they’re not just saving the planet; they’re giving it a makeover, promising to boost the site’s biodiversity by at least 10 per cent with green roofs, native plants, and homes for our feathered and furry friends. Read more…

GenAI fuelled Oracle’s infrastructure revenue in its most recent quarter, and more profit is likely.

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison told listeners on the company’s quarterly earnings call that Oracle was bringing GenAI to a wide range of industries – highlighting a digital assistant for ambulatory clinic systems and the technology’s work in aligning Albania’s laws with the European Union’s to speed up the country’s EU entrance.

“Oracle’s Gen 2 AI infrastructure business is booming. That’s become pretty clear to everybody,” he said, Read more…

It does not matter that Broadcom seems to have hacked off the channel with its VMware plans. Its CEO, Hock Tan, has declared that its VMware business is poised for a meteoric rise.

For those who came in late, Broadcom redid its channel policy to focus primarily on large channel partners. Tan has expectations of double-digit growth.

“We’re not just selling; we’re revolutionising the way our customers use private clouds,” Tan proclaimed as he unveiled his strategy to use VMware’s untapped potential. With a focus on upselling to 2,000 strategic customers, Tan’s vision is clear: to transform on-prem datacentres into powerhouses of efficiency and innovation. Read more…

STFC’s Hartree Centre is teaming up with the Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust to give a futuristic twist on healthcare by bringing in Artificial Intelligence.

The collaboration is a step towards realising the potential of advanced digital technologies in NHS healthcare, which can elevate the quality and effectiveness of patient care and contribute to healthier lives.

The announcement closely follows Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt’s budget announcement of £3.4 billion in funding to support digital transformation in the NHS as part of more comprehensive plans to boost productivity. Read more…

AWS has scrapped its data fees for customers who want to jump ship to a rival cloud service.

The EU’s Data Act forced the company to make the U-turn, which came into force in January and bans cloud providers from ripping off customers who want to switch.

Amazon’s announcement barely mentions the EU law, only saying that its move “follows the direction set by the European Data Act.”

Most AWS customers – the company says “over 90 per cent” – already get a free ride to move data to a competitor, as they get 100GB of free egress per month, and 1TB out of Amazon CloudFront. Read more…

Air IT has gobbled up another rival firm.

The Nottingham-based outfit has invested in SCS Technologies, a Lincoln-based company that provides IT support to small and medium-sized businesses.

This is the 12th takeover by Air-IT since 2020, following its swoop on Yorkshire’s Vital Technology Group last year.

Air-IT boss James Steventon said the deal will boost his firm’s services and profits.

He said SCS was a great team that knew their stuff and shared Air IT’s passion for delivering top-notch service and Microsoft products. Read more…

HP has given its partner programme a major makeover with new perks and tracks for its top sellers and a new AI training course co-designed with Nvidia.

The tech giant has launched Synergy and Power, two new tracks that will give partners access to more products and services.

Power track is for the big guns, who can earn the titles of Power Elite and Global Power Elite. These partners will be rewarded for making big bucks and having the best skills. Read more…

According to a new Dell’Oro Group report, the SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) market has boomed as more firms switch to online and remote work.

The report reveals that the SASE market smashed the $8 billion mark in 2023, growing by a whopping 31 per cent to $8.4 billion. For those not in the know, SASE is a cutting-edge technology that combines network and security services in the cloud, making it easier and safer for businesses to operate online.

Dell’Oro Group top expert Mauricio Sanchez said: “SASE is the future of cybersecurity, as it offers a complete and flexible solution for the digital age. The market growth shows that businesses trust SASE to protect them from hackers and cyber threats.” Read more…

Tillo has written a cheque for Jigsaw Business Solutions, a firm that runs gift card schemes for big-name brands like ASOS, Costa and Hotels.com.

The move will shake up the rewards and incentives scene as Tillo aims to boost its growth and innovation with digital gift cards.

The deal is a game-changer for Tillo, as it marks a new phase of expanding its skills and services to stay ahead of the global gift card game. It teams up Tillo’s cutting-edge tech and customer focus with Jigsaw’s wealth of know-how in managing full-on gift card programmes, making Tillo’s offer even more attractive for current and future customers. Read more…

Cybersecurity behemoth CrowdStrike has splashed the cash on a new security start-up and ramped up its revenue forecast after smashing its quarterly earnings.

The company’s shares rocketed by 25 per cent, to £291.56 a pop, in late Tuesday trading as investors cheered the stellar results and upbeat guidance.

CrowdStrike also revealed it has bagged Flow Security, a cutting-edge Israeli firm launched in 2021. The price tag of the deal was kept under wraps. Read more…

Technology leaders need channel partners to help them manage the complexity and data explosion of their multi-cloud and cloud-native environments, a new survey has found.

Security outfit Dynatrace announced the findings of an independent global survey of 1,300 CTOs, CIOs, and other technology leaders in large organisations. This shows a growing need for channel partners to help their customers tackle the complexity of modern cloud technology stacks.

Organisations are continuing to embrace multi-cloud environments and cloud-native architectures to achieve the speed, scalability, and agility needed to keep up with the rapid pace of digital innovation. Read more…

Cloudy security outfit Barracuda Networks has announced a massive boost to its global partner programme.

The Barracuda Success Programme, launched last December, aims to increase partner profits and skills by offering them more discounts, rebates, training and tools.

The company claims the programme has three main benefits for partners and distributors:

• More money in their pockets. Barracuda offers new and improved compensation models, including generous discounts and rebates for top-tier partners and more opportunities to sell their products and services.
• More customers in their books. Barracuda is helping partners and distributors grow their businesses by giving them better support and incentives to recruit and retain new customers and secure their networks.
• More knowledge. Barracuda provides access to four new partner technical certification courses and more technical resources, such as the Barracuda Email Threat Scanner, which helps partners identify and stop email attacks.

Read more…

Wesley de Graaf has landed a top job at Workspace 365 after starting with the company at one of the lowest runs of the ladder.

The Dutch company, which has 60 staff and a UK base in Manchester, offers a one-stop shop for online needs, from apps to documents.

De Graaf started as a technical support intern in 2014, but he soon climbed the ladder to become head of product, leading a team of 27 whizzkids.

Now he’s been promoted to chief product officer, taking charge of the whole team and the future of Workspace 365. It’s his first time in the c-suite. Read more…

HPE boss Antonio Neri has admitted that the tech giant is struggling as customers are slow to buy their networking gear.

He said the sales slump was worse than expected and warned that the problem would continue until 2024.

The confession came after HPE reported disappointing results for the year’s first quarter, with revenues down to $6.8 billion – well below the $7.07 billion analysts had predicted.

HPE shares dived four per cent to $14.65 after the news. Read more…

Danish IT powerhouse Conscia has splashed out on buying ITGL, a British digital transformation expert and Cisco Gold Partner, in a deal that could shake up the UK and Ireland market.

The move will give  ITGL’s customers access to top-notch cyber security and managed service solutions, Conscia said.

ITGL, which has offices in Portsmouth and Oxford, employs 70 staff who offer collaboration, networking, and cyber security skills to clients across the UK and Ireland.

Conscia said it will use ITGL’s strong presence in the public sector and its know-how in the finance, law, and retail sectors to boost its efforts to help clients with complex network, data centre, cloud, IoT, and mobility needs. Read more…