Author: Nick Farrell

SCC provides help to Cambridge University Hospitals

Posted on April 21, 2020 by - News

SCC has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) launch a free national PPE training website amid the on-going COVID-19 outbreak.

CUH needed to quickly provide critical training on how to correctly put on and remove Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to protect them from contracting and spreading the virus. A new website was built prior to lockdown measures being implemented in the UK, hosted locally.

The website is a resource for the whole of the NHS on the practical aspects of PPE, developed in collaboration with experts in infectious diseases at CUH. To launch the website as quickly as possible, CUH asked SCC for support in architecting and deploying the infrastructure required to host this website in AWS.

Microsoft’s ‘Planetary Computer’ switched on

Posted on April 20, 2020 by - News

Software King of the World, Microsoft, has been showing off its latest sustainability initiative.

Dubbed Planetary Computer, the project is an expansion on the vendor’s current AI For Earth initiative, which sees environmental organisations around the world use artificial intelligence to create solutions to environmental challenges.

Microsoft president Brad Smith gave specific examples of how the platform will work in a blog post, stating that it will provide searchable satellite imagery, machine learning tools and user-contributed data about forest boundaries, as well as leveraging predictive models to estimate global carbon stocks and inform decisions about land use that impacts the ability to address climate change.

CompTIA moves exam testing online

Posted on April 20, 2020 by - News

CompTIA has launched an “anytime, anywhere” online testing option for its certification exams that is supported by computer-based player Pearson VUE.

CompTIA  CEO Todd Thibodeaux said “Current and prospective IT professionals, students, career changers and others whose plans have been put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic can resume their studies and schedule their exams with the full confidence that we’re here when they’re ready to take their test. They will do so on a platform that delivers a rich user experience and robust security protection, all from the privacy and security of their home.”

Appian helps automate coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Posted on April 17, 2020 by - News

Appian has released an application built on its Low-Code Automation Platform to support accredited lenders across the UK to manage the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) applications from businesses, as well as the anticipated Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS).

The new loan application can automate and check eligibility, process and verify required supporting documents, and make lending decisions faster. Using Appian, lenders can quickly deploy advanced automation features, including RPA and AI-powered intelligent document processing.

Quantum appoints new global channel boss

Posted on April 17, 2020 by - News

Quantum has announced the appointment of James Mundle as its new global channel chief as the storage provider firm looks to continue expanding its channel partner program.

Mundle will be responsible for Quantum’s global partner strategy, programmes and execution and will be the company’s executive advocate for its worldwide channel partners.

Quantum chief revenue officer Elizabeth King said: “James brings a wealth of experience to Quantum, including success developing unique solutions bundles for partners, enhanced partner compensation models, partner contribution analytics, and innovative approaches to channel programs that have had a real impact on the market. He will play a pivotal role as we continue to enhance the Quantum Alliance Program and extend our leadership delivering compelling and innovative solutions that address the challenges of explosive video and unstructured data growth.”

Verizon gets some BlueJeans

Posted on April 17, 2020 by - News

Verizon has written a cheque  for BlueJeans Network for less than $500 million as it looks to tap into the new-found popularity of video-conferencing apps.

BlueJeans has about 15,000 enterprise clients and counts Facebook and Standard Chartered (STAN.L) among its major customers.

BlueJeans co-founder and Executive Chairman Krish Ramakrishnan said the deal was negotiated during the last three months mainly using the company’s video-conferencing tool.

“This is the new norm”, he said, referring to how the deal was clinched in a virtual setup that also included the use of e-signatures.

Small businesses worried about effects of prolonged remote work

Posted on April 16, 2020 by - News

A survey says that 20 percent of small businesses are worried about the prospect of working remotely for months.

The survey, by Hitachi Capital Business Finance, found small businesses were more likely to consider the prospect of working from home indefinitely a major challenge than larger businesses.

Thirty pe cent say their tech set up is holding them back – half of these concerned they may have to close their business until the virus is under control

Small businesses are twice as likely as large to have concerns about their business’ survival during the coronavirus period.

Dell improves partner schemes

Posted on April 16, 2020 by - News

In a bid to improve life for its channel during the coronavirus box shifter Dell  is looking at the financial support it can offer partners.

Writing in her bog Joyce Mullen, president of global channel, embedded and edge solutions said that Covid-19 has changed “the way we work, the way we interact, and the way we approach public health. But it hasn’t changed our commitment to our partners. We have our partners’ backs. We always have, and always will. That’s why we’ve been working on ways we can continue to support our partners – so they can continue to support their customers – during this unpredictable time.”

To ease the pressure on cash flow Dell is being particularly flexible with marketing and business development funds.

Partners can apply, between 13 April to 20 June, for a one-time up-front cash payout for up to 50 percent of current partner MDF/BDF balances for use towards future marketing activities. Partners can apply for this at any time between April 13 – June 20. The deadline for the expiration of any unspent funds that was meant to run out between March and July has been pushed back to 24 July.

Consumer electronics could suffer supply chain issues for a long time

Posted on April 16, 2020 by - News

Consumer electronics could suffer from supply chain problems for a long time due to the rapid shut down of China’s manufacturing during the Corona Virus outbreak.

GlobalData’s report, COVID-19 Impact on Consumer Electronics – Thematic Research, notes when COVID-19 broke out in China, the country was quick to slow down its production, eventually ceasing all manufacturing as the country went into lockdown. This had a drastic effect on supply chains across the world, as many industries, including the consumer electronic sector, are heavily reliant on components that are manufactured in China and could no longer access these resources, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

nChain entangles CREA

Posted on April 15, 2020 by - News

Rusty chain - Wikimedia CommonsBlockchain outfit nChain has bought CREA, a European software development and implementation firm with expertise in Bitcoin and IT security.

The acquisition creates one of the largest Bitcoin development teams in the world, with a headcount of over 120, it’s claimed

nChain and CREA previously worked together on several BitcoinSV infrastructure projects, which form the basis for nChain’s proprietary blockchain solutions. These products allow organisations to implement secure data storage, “auditability” and payments solutions that can scale on the order of millions of transactions per day.

Intel announces medicine to relieve partners coronavirus pain

Posted on April 15, 2020 by - News

Intel has announced new measures to help its channel partner network during the coronavirus pandemic.

The tech giant said the relief package will provide partners with ways to lower business costs, deal with supply chain issues, as well as maintain their tier in the Intel Technology Provider programme.

Chipzilla has already committed $50 million in pandemic response efforts, focused on accelerating access to tech, speeding scientific research and ensuring access to online learning for students.

SecureAge opens shop in UK

Posted on April 15, 2020 by - News

Singapore security outfit SecureAge Technologies is expanding into the UK .

The Singapore-based company – the preferred data security partner for the Singapore government and military – claims it provides 100 percent, transparent file-level encryption to protect all information at rest, in use and in motion.

Even if a home worker goes ‘rogue’ or a laptop is lost or stolen and the username and password compromised, SecureAge claims it ensures that it is still not possible to access or exfiltrate data.

Cohesity appoints new sales director

Posted on April 14, 2020 by - News

Cohesity has announced the appointment of Andrew Fitzgerald as its new sales director for Western Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.

The move is part of the data management outfit’s cunning plan to boost growth in the regions.

Fitzgerald will be based in the UK and lead the company’s business development strategy across the European and African markets and push its modern data management capabilities to partners.

He has over 30 years of IT solution sales experience across significant enterprise IT businesses, including Palo Alto Networks, NetApp, IBM, Sun Microsystems and Hitachi Data Systems. Cohesity said the addition of Fitzgerald’s expertise would help the firm expand in both the Western European and African markets.

COVID-19 outbreak will kill a third of Midlands and Northern businesses

Posted on April 14, 2020 by - News

One third of firms in the Midlands and Northern England could go bust because of the COVID-19 epidemic, according to Durham University Business School.

The institution said many businesses are not set up to see their supply chains decimated.

The university said that it assessed over 1.7 million companies in 99 sectors, across 29 geographic regions, finding that 29 percent are at “high risk” of collapse.

Professor Kiran Fernandes said: “Most companies in our region had never experienced such an external shock and were not prepared with mitigation strategies for their complex global supply chains.

Worldwide chip sales decimated by coronavirus

Posted on April 14, 2020 by - News

Coronavirus has killed off any hope of a 12.5 percent growth forecast, according to Gartner bean counters.

Now after shuffling their tarot cards, the augers at Big G think that worldwide semiconductor revenue is forecast to decline by 0.9 percent during 2020 due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Expected revenue has been slashed from the previous quarter’s forecast by $55 billion, falling from $470 billion to $415 billion, according to Gartner. This represents an overall decline in year-on-year revenues against 2019 figures.