Welcome to this week’s “Ten IT, Cloud and Cybersecurity News Updates” edition by CIO Influence. In this roundup, we bring you the latest developments from the tech giants during the week. These updates offer valuable insights into the evolving digital landscape, from cybersecurity measures to technological innovations.
Oracle’s $8 Billion Investment Hints Cloud and AI Surge in Japan
Oracle has disclosed plans to invest approximately $8 billion in ten years toward expanding its cloud computing and AI infrastructure in Japan. The initiative makes OCI available throughout the country while reinforcing local operations and support teams to realize Japan’s digital sovereignty requirements. Toshimitsu Misawa, a key executive at Oracle Japan, underscored that the company is committed to helping customers and partners in their cloud journey while achieving compliance with regulatory demands.
The investment will, therefore, enhance the level of support for customers running on Oracle’s public cloud regions in Tokyo and Osaka, thus enabling an easy transition of mission-critical workloads toward Oracle Cloud. Besides, Oracle also offers various services and products that provide customers with dedicated, hybrid, public, and multi-cloud choices, enabling them to have more control and flexibility in deploying their cloud solutions.a
AMD Introduces Expanded AI PC Lineup Improves Professional Computing
The AMD Ryzen PRO 8040 Series for laptops and mobile workstations and the AMD Ryzen PRO 8000 Series for desktop computers, which come bundled with an announcement of new products, aimed to meet the needs of business users by expanding the commercial mobile and desktop AI PC lineup. Equipped with AI capabilities, these processors rely on CPU, GPU, and dedicated on-chip neural processing units (NPUs) to give users up to 16 dedicated NPU TOPS and up to 39 total system TOPS.
Such AI processing power enables it to perform these jobs: collaboration, content creation, and data analytics. Additionally, AMD PRO technologies provide enterprise-grade manageability, security features, and stability to streamline IT operations and ensure chip-to-cloud defense against advanced attacks. OEM partners, including HP, Lenovo, and Microsoft, launch new systems powered by these processors, extending further AI readiness and heightened productivity for business users.
NetApp and Google Cloud Collaboration Offers Adaptive Cloud Data Storage Solutions
NetApp, known for its smart solutions for data infrastructure, has a clear growth path in building a partnership with Google Cloud to enable organizations to use their data for generative AI and hybrid cloud workloads. They will further embed the Flex service level in this collaboration with Google Cloud NetApp Volumes, empowering the users to fine-tune storage and performance that suit their particular cloud workload needs. The new Flex service level will offer improved scalability and flexibility to cover various applications, including AI.
The general availability of this service level is slated for Q2 2024, with support from 15 Google Cloud regions; further plans are in place to extend it by year-end. They also preview their GenAI toolkit, with a reference architecture, to accelerate retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) operations on the Google Cloud Vertex AI platform. This toolkit ensures smooth, secure, and automated workflows between data stored within NetApp Volumes and the Google Cloud Vertex AI platform.
Intel Develops Largest Neuromorphic System for Sustainable AI Evolution
Intel has introduced the world’s largest neuromorphic system, christened “Hala Point,” in a bid to advance brain-inspired artificial intelligence (AI) research and address challenges of AI efficiency and sustainability. While powered by Intel’s Loihi 2 processor, this platform is a significant leap from the Pohoiki Springs system that operates more than 10 times greater capacity in neurons and some 12 times improved throughput. Hala Point comes with a new Flex service level for Google Cloud NetApp Volumes, enabling customers to fine-tune what they use more and pay less for only that. It offers four service levels, including Flex, which supports highly available storage volumes scalable from one GiB to 100TiB.
“Working with Hala Point improves our Sandia team’s capability to solve computational and scientific modeling problems. Conducting research with a system of this size will allow us to keep pace with AI’s evolution in fields ranging from commercial to defense to basic science.” – Craig Vineyard, Hala Point team lead at Sandia National Laboratories
Siemens Spearheads Innovation with the Launch of Top-Tier R&D Hub for AI and Data Analytics
The initial stage of the Siemens Technology Center (STC) near Munich is now opened with an investment worth €100 million. The base of the STC headquarters lies in Germany, with the German headquarters. With approximately 450 employees, the company is one of the largest global research hubs of Siemens, being the largest of the twelve, and will continue its expansion for space across the location with the Technical University of Munich.
This is for an innovation in data analytics and AI, combined with around 28,000 professionals from various organizations. The new line of research is even stronger as Peter Körte, Siemens’ Chief Technology Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, emphasizes the need for collaboration. With this, the STC supports Siemens’ global Research and Innovation Ecosystem, showing the company’s commitment to core technology development that supports sustainable industrial development.
Google Cloud Launches Skills-Based Interview Accelerator for Hiring Allies
The move was inspired by the surging demand for skills in AI and cybersecurity, with nearly 200,000 job postings in the past year. A recent research paper put about 3 million new jobs under these categories through 2028. These dynamic, hands-on courses equip learners with industry-recognized credentials, supported by generative AI tools for practical skill validation.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, Rackspace, Jack Henry, and Purdue Global will use the certificates for talent identification in line with President Biden’s Executive Order on AI. In addition, this program also provides free training to educational institutions, government, and non-profit workforce development programs worldwide. This initiative underscores the commitment of Google Cloud to readying people to take up careers in sectors that are growing fast enough, even as rendering support to organizations in their quest for digital transformation.
F5.5G Introduces All-Optical Premium Computing Network
Huawei Analyst Summit “Building F5.5G All-Optical Target Network, and Ushering in 10 Gbps UBB Intelligent Era” Forum: Together, we can build F5.5G all-optical topological home and industry intelligence and usher in the era of intelligent 10 Gbps UBB. Bob Chen, the President of Huawei Optical Business Product Line, pointed out the need for a high-quality computing bearer network like the F5.5G all-optical premium computing network. It guarantees the availability of unlimited computing power with uptime reaching 99.99999% and latency of 1 ms at any time, facilitating 10 Gbps ubiquitous access for interconnecting intelligence between industries.
The F5.5G network comprises three key components:
- 3D-mesh backbone computing network for efficient interconnection between intelligent computing data centers.
- One-hop metro computing network for minimal latency and efficient service transmission.
- 10 Gbps intelligent access network for ultra-broadband connectivity and localized service experiences.
An intelligent management and control platform ensures efficient network operation and maintenance. Industry representatives emphasized scenario-specific applications and experience upgrades, fostering cooperation and embracing development opportunities in the F5.5G optical industry for the 10 Gbps UBB intelligent era.
DOCOMO, NTT, NEC, Fujitsu Collaborate on 6G Tech, Achieving Blazing 100 Gbps Transmission
NTT DOCOMO, NTT, NEC, and Fujitsu jointly announced the successful development of a groundbreaking wireless device capable of ultra-high-speed 100 Gbps transmissions in the 100 GHz and 300 GHz sub-terahertz bands, marking a significant step towards the anticipated 6G era. Through collaborative R&D efforts since 2021, the companies achieved 100 Gbps data rates over distances of up to 100 meters, surpassing current 5G networks by approximately 20 times. DOCOMO engineered the transmission equipment, while NTT focused on the 300 GHz band and developed wideband mixers.
NEC contributed a multi-element active phased array antenna for the 100 GHz bands, and Fujitsu achieved world-leading power efficiency in signal amplification. The development addresses the increasing demand for high-capacity wireless communication in the 6G era, leveraging the sub-terahertz band’s abundant bandwidth. Ongoing R&D efforts will continue to advance sub-terahertz telecommunications and contribute to 6G standardization.
Tech Giants Rally for Europe’s Digital Competitiveness: Urgent Policy Actions Needed
Five major technology companies have urged European policymakers to prioritize Europe’s digital competitiveness. Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia, and Vodafone emphasized the need for a robust Digital Single Market, increased investment in digital connectivity, and streamlined regulations.
They highlighted five key policy actions:
- Accelerating Digital Single Market Development
- Incentivizing advanced connectivity investment
- Differentiating regulations for B2B and consumer technologies
- Fostering a favorable environment for trusted companies and
- Preparing for the quantum and AI era
Blue Mantis Promotes Enhances Executive Team Leadership
Digital strategy and service provider Blue Mantis is announcing changes in its executive leadership. Jay Pasteris has been promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company, which previously held the title of Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). This development reflects Blue Mantis’s avowed commitment to sustainable growth and market dominance on a bigger scale. Gary Yu, the Vice President of Information Technology, has been appointed as the Deputy CIO and VP. One of the appointed VPs of Security, Jay Martin, was previously known as the Practice Lead of Security.
Josh Dinneen, the CEO of Blue Mantis, congratulated Jay Pasteris, calling him one of the key drivers that led to increased growth in the company. Dinneen believes that each of the new executives, whose respective roles they now fill, would take along their expertise, leadership, and commitment to push Blue Mantis to its next level of success. Jay Pasteris, who now oversees all business operations from end to end, from data, IT, organizational risk management, and HR functions, will further nurture a world-class talent pool across multiple regions. Gary Yu’s promotion recognizes the immense contributions made toward technological development and operational excellence in days of internal IT operations and global risk and compliance now fall. As the VP of Security, Jay Martin will further crank up Blue Mantis’s presence in the world of cybersecurity and collaborate with Yu and other teams to ensure it meets internal security and cyber resilience standards.
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