This week, CIOInfluence presents the latest IT Insights Weekly from July 08 to July 12, 2024. Stay informed about the evolving IT industry with updates, news, and trends spanning critical domains like cloud computing, data management, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.
Discover our curated selection of top articles from our experts and gain exclusive insights from industry leaders. Plus, find out about upcoming global IT events you won’t want to miss.”
Top IT Headlines This Week: Don’t Miss Out!
Cloud Breakthroughs
NetApp, a leading intelligent data infrastructure company, has unveiled new features designed for strategic cloud workloads, including GenAI and VMware. These enhancements aim to reduce resources and risks for managing complex hybrid multicloud environments.
Key updates include:
- Automated planning, provisioning, and management of cloud resources.
- Enhances GenAI workflows by integrating proprietary data with foundational models.
- Streamlines RAG-enabled workflows using proprietary data.
- Boosts scalability and performance for high-powered workloads.
- Expands disaster recovery services for VMware workloads.
Cloudera, the only true hybrid platform for data, analytics, and AI, today announced two new offerings for Cloudera Observability Premium designed to simplify and automate platform administration. These premium tier features provide a single source of observability across all cloud-based and on-premises data centers, even for the most secure enterprises.
Cloudera’s two new solutions in its Cloudera Observability suite include:
- Cloudera Observability Premium On-Premises allows customers with highly secure networks to run observability entirely within their data centers. This solution ensures optimal monitoring, troubleshooting, financial governance, data observability, and automated actions, even in air-gapped configurations.
- Cloudera Observability Premium for Public Cloud Data Hub extends all the advanced premium capabilities to public cloud users, including real-time monitoring, advanced financial governance, automated actions, and data observability.
What’s New in the Data Domain
Dasera, a leader in data security posture management (DSPM), has released its 2024 report on data risk management, revealing a stark contrast between perceived and actual data security. Despite record-breaking data breaches, 63% of organizations believe their security measures are effective.
Key Findings:
- Top Threats: Data breaches, ransomware, insider threats, and misconfigurations.
- Compliance Efforts: 72% use audits, legal teams, and compliance software.
- Perceived Effectiveness: 63% believe their strategies are effective.
- Data Tools: 27% use data cataloging; 60% have role-based access control.
- Industry Insights: IT and Financial Services show high confidence; Government and Healthcare face unique challenges.
Digital Realty, the leading global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions, announced the acquisition of a highly connected colocation data center in the Slough Trading Estate for $200 million. The acquisition marks the company’s entry into the west London submarket and complements existing colocation capabilities in the City and Docklands.
“This expansion into Slough is a significant step for Digital Realty, reinforcing our commitment to supporting digital transformation in the UK and across Europe. As the UK solidifies its position as Europe’s premier technology hub, this acquisition enhances our ability to support customers as they grow and scale, further establishing our presence in this vital market.” – Séamus Dunne, Managing Director, Digital Realty in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland
Latest in Cybersecurity
NetSecurity, a leader in endpoint security solutions, has appointed industry veteran Mike Hayes as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, focusing on expanding in the U.S. government and private sectors. Olivia Lassiter joins as Sales Executive, targeting private sector engagements. Both will promote NetSecurity’s flagship technology, ThreatResponder.
“Mr. Hayes’ career transcends military and civilian accomplishments, showcasing exceptional leadership and strategic foresight. His proven ability to secure major government contracts, propel organizational growth, and navigate complex security and intelligence programs has cemented his reputation as a revered expert in the field. We are pleased to have Mike onboard,” said Inno Eroraha, Founder and CEO of NetSecurity.
ThreatConnect, a leader in Threat Intelligence Operations (TI Ops) and Cyber Risk Quantification (CRQ), has acquired Polarity. Polarity improves security analyst workflows by integrating contextual data from over 200 sources without switching context.
News in short:
- Polarity’s machine vision, OCR, and federated search streamline threat detection and response.
- Provides SOC, incident response, and threat-hunting teams with seamless access to contextual data.
- Combining ThreatConnect’s platform with Polarity boosts analyst efficiency and decision-making.
- Offers unique threat data feeds, insights from ThreatConnect’s AI engine, and advanced security automation.
Recommended: IT Staff Top Picks
#1 How Can Modern Day CIOs Measure the ROI of their AI Initiatives
This article on “how modern-day CIOs can measure the ROI of their AI initiatives” redefines the traditional work model, and its profound impact across various sectors becomes evident, enhancing business operations with human-like reasoning and decision-making capabilities. It highlights the complexities of this transformation, examining whether AI will replace human workers and highlighting ethical concerns like job displacement.
Effective strategies for measuring AI’s ROI are outlined, emphasizing the importance of aligning AI initiatives with broader business objectives, capturing quantitative metrics, and continuously evaluating and iterating AI projects. The article concludes by highlighting top tool providers for measuring AI ROI and the critical role of ROI measurement in validating AI’s value and driving strategic decisions.
#2 What CIOs and IT Leaders Need to Know About Spatial Computing?
This article elaborates on the rise of spatial computing, which includes augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). It outlines the market growth expected to reach $620 billion by 2032 and emphasizes the need for businesses to adapt to these changes.
Readers will learn about the core technologies behind spatial computing and their applications in industries such as retail, healthcare, and manufacturing. It also discusses challenges, including virtual air rights and workforce needs. It highlights innovations from companies Apple, AWS, Meta, and Microsoft. This overview is crucial for CIOs and IT leaders aiming to drive innovation and efficiency in a competitive landscape.
IT Voices of the Week
#1 Brian McHenry Global Head of Cloud Security Engineering at Check Point Software Technologies
Brian McHenry, focuses on several key topics related to cloud security and AI integration:
- Discusses Check Point’s approach to enhancing security through the CloudGuard portfolio, emphasizing prevention as a core strategy.
- Addresses the challenges organizations face with tool sprawl in multi-cloud environments.
- Outlines critical components for effective product strategy in cybersecurity, including cloud-agnostic capabilities, AI deployment for risk prioritization, and user-friendly interfaces that demonstrate business value through risk reduction metrics.
- Additionally, Brian reflects on Check Point’s role in shaping the future of cloud security through innovation. He highlights initiatives that use AI to improve detection rates and enhance the overall security operations experience.
#2 Hao Yang, VP and Head of AI at Splunk
In the interview with Dr. Hao Yang, Vice President and Head of AI at Splunk, he highlights Splunk’s strategic focus on integrating AI to accelerate routine tasks and enable faster insights from data, enhancing operational efficiency and driving better business outcomes for their customers.
He talks about how Splunk’s AI-driven features, such as AI Assistants in Observability Cloud and Enterprise Security, streamline detection and investigative processes. These innovations not only improve workflows but also deliver tangible benefits in terms of cost and time savings.
Get complete insights: CIO Influence Interview with Hao Yang, VP and Head of AI at Splunk
#3 Kelly Ahuja, CEO, Versa Networks
Kelly discusses Versa’s strategic evolution from a small team to a global player in digital transformation, driven by innovations in AI, Cloud, hybrid work, and IoT. Chats about the significance of Versa’s partnership with Tata Communications in enhancing SASE solutions, aligning with broader strategies in cloud computing and cybersecurity.
Addressing the challenges and opportunities of Versa’s dual approach (on-premises and cloud-based operations), Kelly stresses the importance of unified policy enforcement and zero trust security for hybrid work environments. This approach ensures consistent security measures across remote and on-premises settings, simplified through automation and comprehensive visibility.
Link to the Q&A: CIO Influence Interview with Kelly Ahuja, CEO, Versa Networks
Current IT Buzzwords
SaaS Sprawl – SaaS sprawl denotes the unmanaged proliferation of SaaS applications within an organization, leading to higher expenses, security risks, and challenges in data management and organization.
Hyperautomation – Hyperautomation is automating all possible processes within an organization.
Explainable AI –Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) is a set of tools and frameworks that enables human users to understand and trust the outcomes and outputs generated by machine learning algorithms.
Dark Data – According to Gartner, dark data refers to the information assets organizations collect, process and store during regular business activities but generally fail to use for other purposes, such as analytics, business relationships and direct monetizing.
Federated Learning – Federated learning enables AI models to be trained without exposing or handling your data, thereby unlocking information to fuel new AI applications.
Weekly Brand Shoutout by CIO Influence
Akamai is a pioneer in digital experience management and cybersecurity services. The company is renowned for its content delivery network (CDN) solutions, which ensure secure and reliable delivery of content across various digital platforms. Akamai’s services are crucial in optimizing web performance and cloud security and providing edge technology solutions to enterprises worldwide.
CEO – Tom Leighton
Recent Partnership – Akamai has collaborated with P3M Works to integrate high-level professional services in project delivery, cybersecurity, and digital transformation.
Latest Launch Announcement – Release of Akamai Guardicore, an innovative approach to micro-segmentation that enhances security within data centers and cloud environments.
Event Alert: What’s Coming Up
- Black Tech Week
Date: July 16-18, 2024
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
This event takes place at the Aronoff Center for the Arts and focuses on celebrating Black innovation and culture, providing a platform for networking, learning, and showcasing technological achievements
- Harnessing Business Opportunities with AI-Powered XR: Transforming the Future of Enterprise
Date: 25th July 2024
This webinar delves into the transformative impact of AI-powered XR across diverse industries, showcasing innovative solutions that elevate productivity, optimize operations, and deliver immersive customer experiences. Participants will glean valuable insights into the practical applications of AI and XR within sectors including retail, healthcare, education, and manufacturing.
[To share your insights with us as part of editorial or sponsored content, please write to psen@itechseries.com]
