Category: ITProNews

ITProNews

Schneider Electric Unveils Rack Mounted Cooling Solution

Schneider Electric has announced the release of the Uniflair Rack Mounted Cooling Solution, specifically aimed at edge computing and micro data centers.

The solution is aimed at freeing up floor space by using the bottom of an IT rack. This makes it ideal for applications, such as on-premise processing, where space is at a premium.

“Simply put, our new vendor-neutral, rack mounted cooling solution is right-sized for edge micro data centers and provides the right answer for cooling today’s critical edge technology,” said Maurizio Frizziero, Director of Cooling, Schneider Electric. “It offers more cooling in less space and simplifies management and maintenance, making it ideal for industries like retail, finance, health care, light manufacturing, and education.”

As 5G technology boosts edge computing, on or near-premise data processing will become far more important for a variety of technologies, such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, self-driving cars and more. Solutions such as Uniflair will become an increasingly critical component, helping ensure the success of those technologies.

March 11, 2020
Coronavirus: IDC Forecasts IT Spending Will Take a Hit

International Data Corporation (IDC) is projecting the coronavirus outbreak will have a significant impact on IT spending during 2020.

According to the report, the IDC sees hardware spending taking the biggest hit during the first half of the year, with software and services also being impacted. Pessimistically, IT spending growth could drop to as low as 1%, as opposed to the more than 4% growth originally projected.

“The situation is extremely fluid,” said Stephen Minton, vice president in IDC’s Customer Insights & Analysis group. “Our monthly data and surveys are clearly pointing in one direction, but it’s still early to understand the full impact of the coronavirus crisis across all sectors of the economy. We are using scenario models to illustrate that forecasts have a wider range than usual, and the downside risks in those models seem to be increasing every day. But the duration of the crisis remains a big unknown and will go a long way in determining overall market growth for the year as a whole.”

“The pessimistic scenario is not a worst-case scenario,” added Minton. “Things are moving so quickly that we need to constantly recalibrate our assumptions and expectations, but the pessimistic scenario reflects an IT market in which weaker economic growth translates into weaker business and consumer spending across all technologies over the next few quarters. Things could get worse, but hopefully not.”

March 11, 2020
Fight For Bronze: IBM Disputes Google Cloud Is Third Cloud Vendor

While Amazon and Microsoft are the undisputed first and second U.S. cloud vendors, IBM is disputing that Google is the company sitting in third place.

When Google reported its Q4 earnings, it also revealed Google Cloud’s earnings for the first time, coming it at $8.9 billion for 2019. In contrast, when IBM reported its Q4 results, its cloud business generated $6.8 billion, $21 billion for the year. On paper, that would seem to put it well ahead of Google Cloud, yet it consistently ranks fifth place. According to Bloomberg, Gartner analyst Ed Anderson says Google is still in third place.

“What IBM calls cloud is different to what Amazon and Google call cloud,” said Anderson. As Bloomberg highlights, “all companies have their own unique definition of cloud, and analysts like Anderson employ a process called ‘cloud washing’ to try to weed out the numbers that go beyond traditional descriptions.”

“You can see this posturing with IBM,” Anderson continued. “They are really nervous about reporting a number that is too small and nervous about reporting a number that is too big that no one will believe.”

IBM has been in the news recently, with critics wanting to see more results from the company’s cloud efforts. IBM is widely seen as having been too slow to react to the rise of cloud computing, relying on its legacy systems instead. This has seen it fall far behind Amazon and Microsoft.

Padding the numbers by playing fast and loose with the definition of cloud computing, however, may not be the best way to improve investor confidence.

March 10, 2020
Coronavirus: Apple and Amazon Latest to Recommend Telecommuting

Apple and Amazon are among the latest companies to recommend their employees work from home due to the growing threat of the coronavirus.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) warns “the threat of a pandemic has become very real,” governments and companies are scrambling to contain the spread. Major events, such as SXSW, have been cancelled, while others, such as WWDC, hang in the balance. In addition to those measures, multiple companies have implemented work-from-home policies, in some cases voluntary and others mandatory. Microsoft, Twitter and Google have all recommended at least some of their employees—especially those in heavily impacted regions—work from home.

Now Apple and Amazon have joined their ranks. Amazon has specifically asked employees in New Jersey and New York to work from home, as New York has one of the biggest concentrations of confirmed cases. Apple has taken it a step further, giving employees at most of its global offices the opportunity to work from home.

Long before the coronavirus was a concern, some estimates projected 60% of office workers telecommuting by 2022. As the virus continues to spread, telecommuting may very well become the new norm long before that.

March 10, 2020
Not So Fast: Amazon Likely to Win Defense Contract Lawsuit

U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Patricia Campbell-Smith says Amazon is likely to win its lawsuit challenging Microsoft’s win of a coveted Pentagon contract.

Last year Microsoft surprised Amazon, and industry insiders alike, by securing the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud (JEDI) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), worth some $10 billion. Many believed Amazon was all but guaranteed to win the contract, given its long history of working on sensitive projects for the government. In addition, at the time the contract was awarded, Amazon was the only company to have the coveted Impact Level 6 security clearance, although Microsoft was awarded it shortly thereafter.

Amazon almost immediately launched a lawsuit to overturn the contract award, claiming improper interference by President Trump, who allegedly told then-Defense Secretary James Mattis to “screw Amazon.” Amazon was successful in getting a temporary injunction, preventing Microsoft from beginning work on the contract, which was slated to begin February 13.

According to U.S. News & World Report, although she did not address Trump’s comments, “Campbell-Smith wrote Amazon ‘is likely to succeed on the merits of its argument that the DOD improperly evaluated’ a Microsoft price scenario. She added Amazon is likely to show that Microsoft’s scenario was not ‘technically feasible’ as the Pentagon assessed.”

Given that Microsoft is already counting on a halo effect from winning the contract, having the Pentagon’s decision overturned would be a big loss for the company.

March 10, 2020
Microsoft Exchange Vulnerability Being Actively Exploited

Cybersecurity firm Volexity is warning that a serious security vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange is being actively exploited by bad actors.

The vulnerability in question was addressed as part of Patch Tuesday on February 11, 2020. The cumulative update and service pack “addressed a remote code execution vulnerability found in Microsoft Exchange 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019. The vulnerability was discovered by an anonymous security researcher and reported to Microsoft by way of Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative. Two weeks after the security updates were released, the Zero Day Initiative published a blog post providing more details on the vulnerability.”

Since the Zero Day Initiative published its post, Volexity has witnessed advanced persistent threat (APT) actors exploiting this vulnerability in the wild. In an interview with Forbes’ Zack Doffman, Volexity said that “all the cases we’ve seen so far have been based out of China—multiple different Chinese-based APTs.”

Volexity concluded by saying that “the latest Microsoft Exchange ECP vulnerability has provided attackers with another opportunity to break into organizations where they may previously have been unsuccessful. Staying current with patches is the best defense for an organization. Fortunately, this vulnerability does require a compromised credential to exploit and, as a result, will stave off widespread automated exploitation such as those that often deploy cryptocurrency miners or ransomware. However, more motivated attackers now have a way to compromise a critical piece of the IT infrastructure if it is not updated. If you have not already, apply these security updates immediately and look for signs of compromise.”

As Volexity highlights, the best defense is to make sure Exchange is patched with the latest security updates and keep installations current.

March 10, 2020
Verizon Partners With Pacific Northwest National Laboratory On 5G

Verizon Business and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are teaming up to deliver 5G applications.

The PNNL tackles some of the world’s biggest challenges, including energy efficiency, scientific discovery and national security. To aid in that goal, Verizon will be deploying its 5G Ultra Wideband at the PNNL’s Richmond, Washington facility. Together, the organizations will develop 5G applications for use in everything, ranging from first responders to chemistry to earth sciences research.

Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband promises speeds measured in gigabits rather than megabits, along with sub-millisecond lag. That performance will open a world of new possibilities for PNNL, as it researches artificial intelligence, machine learning, AR/VR and more.

“With Verizon, we plan to explore how cybersecurity will underpin 5G for critical infrastructure and how 5G will drive transformation in the protection of endpoint devices, advancement of artificial intelligence, the science behind autonomous systems and related internet of things applications,” said Scott Godwin, general manager of Corporate Partnerships & Alliances at PNNL. “This partnership fits squarely with PNNL’s commitment to explore the capability of new science and technology to further safety and security worldwide.”

“Our 5G Ultra Wideband network is built to support transformational innovations and solutions across all industries,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “There’s no doubt 5G’s increased data bandwidth and super-low lag will help play a critical role in evolving response connectivity and mission operations for first responders. We’ve seen exciting use cases come out of our 5G First Responder Lab and are thrilled to see the new applications that will arise from our work with PNNL.”

March 9, 2020
Google Cloud Announces Unveils Machine Images, Simplifies Backups

Google Cloud has unveiled machine images, a new kind of Compute Engine resource that will make backup workflows much easier.

Machine images have a number of significant advantages over standard images. A standard image only captures a single drive, with all its various apps and resources. While that works perfectly fine for duplicating a single disk, it can be an unwieldy solution for backing up entire machines.

According to Google Cloud, machine images are far more comprehensive and can contain multiple disks, as well as everything required to create a new instance of that machine. A machine image would include instance properties, data for all attached disks, instance metadata and permissions.

“Backing up an instance requires more than just disk data. To recreate an instance you need instance properties like the machine type, network tags, labels, and more,” writes Ari Liberman Product Manager, Google Compute Engine. “Capturing this information is easier with machine images. When you create a machine image from an instance, it stores the instance information and disk data into a single resource. When it comes time to restore the instance, all you need to do is provide the machine image and a new instance name. Machine images can be created whether the source instance is running or stopped.”

Customers can begin working with machine images immediately via the “the Cloud Console, gcloud or the API.”

March 9, 2020
Robinhood Experiences Third Outage in Two Weeks

For the third time in two weeks, the Robinhood trading app has experienced a major outage during a heavy trading day.

Monday morning Robinhood notified its customers via Twitter that trading was down and the company was investigating the issue.

Trading is currently down on Robinhood and we’re investigating the issue. We’re focused on getting back up and running as soon as possible and we’ll update the status page with the latest https://status.robinhood.com.

— Robinhood Help (@AskRobinhood) 3/9/2020

An hour later, approximately 10:30 AM, the company informed users it had partially restored services.

Trading has been partially restored on Robinhood and our team is working to get our platform fully back up and running. We’ll update the status page with the latest: https://status.robinhood.com

— Robinhood Help (@AskRobinhood) 3/9/2020

Shortly after 1:00 PM, the company had restored most functionality, except fractional equities.

Trading on Robinhood has been functional for new orders with the exception of fractional equities since at least 10:25 AM ET. We’ll continue to update our status page with the latest https://status.robinhood.com.

— Robinhood Help (@AskRobinhood) 3/9/20)

The company has already faced threats of class-action lawsuits and loss of customers as a result of the previous outages. Customers have complained that they have lost out on some of the biggest trading days, in some cases costing them thousands of dollars.

Robinhood is going to need to demonstrate they can solve their issues once and for all if they hope to keep existing customers, let alone continue growing.

March 9, 2020
Google Cloud Focusing on Telecom Industry

In its ongoing efforts to gain cloud market share, Google Cloud has launched a version of its platform specifically aimed at the telecom industry.

Google Cloud is currently a distant third in the U.S. cloud industry, with a mere 4% of the market. CEO Thomas Kurian has set the goal of becoming at least the second largest U.S. cloud vendor within five years. One way the company is working to grow its market share is by appealing to specific industries. The company had previously released Google Cloud Anthos for Retail in an attempt to capitalize on retailers’ aversion to using a cloud solution from Amazon, one of their biggest competitors.

Now Google has launched Anthos for Telecom, “an open hybrid and multi-cloud application platform offering telecommunications companies the flexibility to modernize existing applications, build new ones, and securely run them on-premises and across multiple clouds.”

Anthos is based on open source technology and includes “Kubernetes, Istio, and Knative,” enabling “consistency between on-premises and cloud environments and helps accelerate application development.”

With Google’s latest addition to its cloud offerings, its obviously working to close the gap with its bigger competitors. Whether it will help the company meet Kurian’s goal remains to be seen.

March 9, 2020
Google Cloud and AT&T Partner For Network Edge 5G Computing

Google Cloud and AT&T have announced a partnership between the two companies to help enterprises take advantage of 5G and edge computing.

Edge computing moves processes closer to where data is being collected and used, rather than sending it to a data center for processing. Thanks to 5G, edge computing stands to usher in a whole new era of on or near-premise computing, significantly speeding up the speed and latency of critical and intensive operations.

The partnership will allow Google Cloud to deliver technologies and capabilities to companies using AT&T’s 5G network. These technologies include artificial intelligence, machine learning, data and analytics, Kubernetes and more.

“We are delighted to work with AT&T, a 5G leader, to help enterprises and the industry harness the potential of 5G,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. “Our co-innovation with AT&T aims to bring a multitude of 5G and Edge Computing solutions to address a diversity of use cases, driving real business value in industries like retail, manufacturing, gaming and more. We are deeply committed to helping drive positive business outcomes for enterprises by working with AT&T on 5G.”

“We’re working with Google Cloud to deliver the next generation of cloud services,” said Mo Katibeh, EVP and CMO, AT&T Business. “Combining AT&T’s network edge, including 5G, with Google Cloud’s edge compute technologies can unlock the cloud’s true potential. This work is bringing us closer to a reality where cloud and edge technologies give businesses the tools to create a whole new world of experiences for their customers.”

The announcement is another in a string of wins for Google Cloud as it works to take on AWS and Microsoft.

March 6, 2020
Coronavirus: Apple, Netflix and Others Pull Out of SXSW Conference

Apple and Netflix are among the latest companies to pull out of the South by Southwest Conference scheduled for March 13 in Austin, Texas.

As fears about the spread of the coronavirus continue to mount, with more infections and deaths being reported in the U.S., companies are increasingly pulling out of or cancelling conferences. SXSW has already had a number of high-profile companies cancel their plans to attend, including Amazon, Facebook and Twitter.

According to Bloomberg, Apple has announced it’s cancelling its plans to attend despite its intentions to debut three new Apple TV+ programs. Similarly, Netflix planned on unveiling a feature film and four documentaries. CNN has also cancelled its plans to attend.

As Bloomberg points out, with Apple’s WWDC scheduled for June, the company will soon have to make a decision about whether to proceed or change to a virtual conference as Google did with its Google Cloud Next conference.

March 6, 2020
GitHub Poaches Leading DevOps Researcher From Google Cloud

In the ongoing battle between Microsoft and Google, the former’s GitHub has hired Dr. Nicole Forsgren away from Google Cloud.

Forsgren made the announcement on her website, saying she would be GitHub’s new VP of Research & Strategy. Forsgren was previously co-founder and CEO of DORA before it was acquired by Google. She is also the writer of the award-winning book Accelerate. Now Forsgren is taking her expertise in DevOps to GitHub.

“Looking to the future, there are more and different questions I want to ask, and this move is the perfect opportunity for that,” writes Forsgren. “At GitHub, I will expand and continue investigating developer happiness and productivity while also helping the industry get better, and there’s no better place to ask these questions because GitHub is truly at the heart of software development for so many communities. Here, I can bring the research closer to the tools that we use and build on the foundation of knowledge that exists while asking different questions, from different angles, and surfacing different insights. I am excited to continue talking with and learning from developers, testers, IT ops, infosec, and executives to understand their work; working with tools teams across the ecosystem to understand their challenges and what they see so we can help make things better; nerding out with researchers and makers across the industry and academia so we can partner to find interesting questions (and ways to ask and frame and think about those questions), supporting each other and collaborating on solutions.”

Bringing Forsgren onboard is a big win for Microsoft and GitHub. The talent, experience and expertise she brings will likely result in significant improvements to the developer community.

March 5, 2020
Adobe Creative Cloud and Gmail Integration Announced

Adobe and Google Cloud have announced an integration between Adobe’s Creative Cloud and Gmail to make it easier to share and collaborate on projects.

Adobe recognizes that, while newer methods of collaboration may be gaining in popularity, email remains one of the most popular forms of business communication, with some 1.5 billion active users worldwide. Gmail is one of the most popular email platforms, making integration between the two services a natural fit.

“We’ve now launched the Adobe Creative Cloud for Gmail Add-on on the G Suite Marketplace,” writes Minson Chen in a company blog post. “Now you can search for your Creative Cloud Assets and attach public links to Synced files, Libraries, and Mobile creations without leaving Gmail. You can also save any attachments received in Gmail directly to Creative Cloud in a few clicks.”

The add-on is designed to work directly within Gmail, letting users add files from their Creative Cloud to their emails.

“The Adobe Creative Cloud for Gmail Add-on lets you bring content stored in Creative Cloud directly into your Gmail messages so you can easily share files or assets created in applications like XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightroom,” adds Chen.

“Sharing Creative Cloud assets with your team just got much easier. The add-on is readily available from the Gmail compose window. Just look for the Creative Cloud icon at the bottom of the message. Clicking it launches the add-on’s file browser where you can search and find assets to insert into your message as thumbnails that dynamically link to your Creative Cloud files.”

The add-on also makes it easy to save attachments received via Gmail directly to a user’s Creative Cloud. Overall, this feature should be a welcome addition for Adobe users and make collaboration considerably easier and more streamlined.

March 5, 2020
Intel’s CSME Bug Is ‘Unfixable’

Intel has been struggling to fix security flaws in its processors, with researchers warning the current flaw is “unfixable.”

Security firm Positive Technologies has discovered that one of the most recent issues is far more severe than previously thought. The vulnerability impacts the ROM of the Converged Security and Management Engine (CSME). The CSME is a subsystem chipset that is part of Intel’s Active Management Technology (AMT), and allows remote out-of-band management, useful for business and enterprise, but largely unnecessary for the consumer market.

According to Positive Technologies, the latest discovery has chilling ramifications:

“By exploiting vulnerability CVE-2019-0090, a local attacker could extract the chipset key stored on the PCH microchip and obtain access to data encrypted with the key,” reads the report. “Worse still, it is impossible to detect such a key breach. With the chipset key, attackers can decrypt data stored on a target computer and even forge its Enhanced Privacy ID (EPID) attestation, or in other words, pass off an attacker computer as the victim’s computer. EPID is used in DRM, financial transactions, and attestation of IoT devices.”

While Intel is recommending impacted users contact their motherboard manufacturer for a BIOS update, Positive Technologies is warning that will not fix the underlying issue.

“Since it is impossible to fully fix the vulnerability by modifying the chipset ROM, Positive Technologies experts recommend disabling Intel CSME based encryption of data storage devices or considering migration to tenth-generation or later Intel CPUs. In this context, retrospective detection of infrastructure compromise with the help of traffic analysis systems such as PT Network Attack Discovery becomes just as important.”

This is just the latest in a number of serious issues Intel has had with its recent chipsets, and could make offerings from AMD and ARM an increasingly appealing alternative.

March 5, 2020
Google Cloud Replaces AWS As MLB’s Cloud Provider

In its efforts to gain ground against AWS and Microsoft, Google has signed a multi-year deal to become Major League Baseball’s cloud provider.

Google Cloud continues to be a distant third-place in the U.S. cloud market, behind leader AWS and second-place Microsoft. Despite its current standing, Google Cloud’s CEO Thomas Kurian has committed to becoming at least the second-place provider within five years. In its efforts to reach its goal, the company has recently completed an internal shakeup, cutting a number of jobs to better streamline its focus.

Now the company has secured a multi-year deal to become MLB’s Official Cloud and Cloud Data and Analytics partner, replacing AWS as MLB’s provider. The deal also includes running Statcast on Google Cloud. Statcast is an automated tool to help the MLB analyze player abilities and movement. MLB will also use Google Ad Manager and Dynamic Ad Insertion in its ads business.

“Every season we work to apply emerging technology to engage and support our fans, clubs and broadcasters in new and exciting ways,” said Jason Gaedtke, MLB’s Chief Technology Officer. “MLB has enjoyed a strong partnership with Google based on Google Ad Manager’s live ad delivery with MLB.tv as well as YouTube’s strong fan engagement during exclusive live games. We are excited to strengthen this partnership by consolidating MLB infrastructure on Google Cloud and incorporating Google’s world-class machine learning technology to provide personalized and immersive fan experiences. We couldn’t have picked a better technology partner across ad delivery, streaming, cloud computing and machine learning.”

“MLB, which has led the sporting world in the use of data since the early 1990s, has shown the sports industry and sporting fans globally what’s possible when you combine data with human performance,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. “We’re looking forward to working with MLB to usher in a new era of innovation in sport, and together we can have a substantial impact on the game, giving the next generation of fans a different way to experience America’s favorite pastime.”

This contract is a big win for Google as it touts its cloud abilities. According, to Google’s statement, “MLB’s migration to Google Cloud has already resulted in an exponential improvement in analytics and decision making, enabling MLB to provide teams with a unified data plane to enable accelerated decision making.”

The company will likely be able to leverage that positive feedback to capture even more market share.

March 4, 2020
Coronavirus: Google Cloud Next Reimagined As Digital Conference

Google has announced it is cancelling its biggest conference of the year over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

Google made the announcement in a blog post, in which it highlighted its commitment to following guidance from the CDC and WHO. As a result, the company is planning on reimagining the event as a digital conference.

“We are transforming the event into Google Cloud Next ’20: Digital Connect, a free, global, digital-first, multi-day event connecting our attendees to Next ’20 content and each other through streamed keynotes, breakout sessions, interactive learning and digital ‘ask an expert’ sessions with Google teams.

“Innovation is in Google’s DNA and we are leveraging this strength to bring you an immersive and inspiring event this year without the risk of travel.”

The company plans on holding the conference over the same dates, April 6-8. In the meantime, Google will continue to provide updates as the plans develop.

March 3, 2020
Foxconn Expects to Reach Full Production by End of March

Foxconn is informing investors that it plans to “reach full seasonal capacity by the end of March.”

Foxconn is one of the biggest electronic manufacturers, and the primary maker of Apple’s iPhone. The company has been dealing with restrictions the Chinese government has imposed on travel and business, leading to its factories in China to be shut down. Three weeks ago the company received permission to reopen its Zhengzhou factory, although it was only at 10% capacity initially.

According to the presentation (PDF) to investors, Foxconn is focused primarily on the safety of its employees, and it continues to comply with governments’ guidelines and requirements regarding the reopening of its factories.

“As of today, the production resumption has reached 50% of seasonal required

capacity,” reads the document. “Based on the current schedule, we shall be able to reach full seasonal capacity by the end of March.

“There are still plenty uncertainties which we can not quantify the potential impact on the full year. However, AI, semiconductor and 5G are still critical catalysts for the long-term. Therefore, we believe some demands will be pushed out to later of this year.”

The coronavirus has already led to Apple, Microsoft and many other companies issuing updated guidance, as the virus continues to spread and impact a variety of industries.

March 3, 2020
Robinhood Experience Second Major Outage

For the second day in a row, the Robinhood trading app experienced a major outage, leaving users frustrated and angry.

Robinhood went down Monday, leaving users unable to cash in on the stock market’s massive rally. Users turned to Reddit and Twitter to express their outrage over the app’s outage which, in some cases, had cost users money. Some users were threatening lawsuits, while others expressed hesitation to trust the app again.

The trading app seemed to be back up and running Monday evening, only to go back down again Tuesday. All services except Market Data and Corporate Actions were experiencing a major outage, with Email Support experiencing degraded performance.

In a tweet, the company said it was trying to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Our systems are currently experiencing downtime. We’re determined to restore full functionality as soon as possible. We’ll be sharing updates here and on status.robinhood.com.

—Robinhood Help (@AskRobinHood) 3/3/20

Shortly before noon, the company announced that functionality had been fully restored and again apologized for the issues.

Robinhood is now fully restored. We know this has been frustrating and we will work diligently to provide the level of service you deserve.

—Robinhood Help (@AskRobinHood) 3/3/20

The company has said it may provide some form of compensation on a case-by-case basis, according to Bloomberg. The bigger issue for the company is the loss of trust it has experienced as a result of its missteps.

March 3, 2020
Huawei Making Its Own Chips to Bypass U.S. Ban

Huawei is turning to its own chip-making abilities in an effort to bypass a ban cutting off its access to U.S. technology.

The U.S. has alleged that Huawei maintains backdoors in its network equipment, backdoors that are reserved for law enforcement use. As a result, officials have claimed Huawei represents a clear security risk, and that its equipment could be used by Beijing to spy on companies and governments around the world. In fact, Huawei has been accused of basically being an arm of the Chinese government.

In an effort to slow Huawei’s dominance, the U.S. banned the company and prohibited U.S. firms from doing business with it without special license. That has yet to slow its growth, however, as the company continues to be one of the dominant network equipment providers.

Huawei is stepping up its efforts to bypass the U.S. ban. According to Bloomberg, the company is turning to its own chip-making capabilities, selling as many as 50,000 network base stations in the fourth quarter, base stations that are completely free of U.S. chips or technology. Ultimately, the company would prefer to go back to using U.S. chips, but it may soon be too late.

“It’s still our intention to return to using U.S. technology,” Tim Danks, U.S. executive in charge of partner relations, told Bloomberg. Danks did, however, acknowledge that the longer Huawei uses its own chips, the harder it will be to go back to U.S. chips. This is likely a result of the natural decisions, dependencies and forks in the road that come with any development cycle.

Either way, the ongoing battle between the U.S. and Huawei shows no sign of abating.

March 2, 2020
Microsoft Teams Gets Outlook Integration and More

Microsoft just announced a bevy of new features for Microsoft Teams, bringing Outlook integration, targeted communication, new files experience and more.

Microsoft is currently battling Slack for dominance in the corporate messaging space. Slack has recently netted some high-profile customers, driven in part by companies who compete with Microsoft not wanting to be dependent on their software. On the other hand, Microsoft has at least double Slack’s user base and touts Teams’ deep integration with the rest of their software as a key advantage.

With this latest round of updates, that integration is front-and-center, starting with Outlook.

“Teams is the hub for getting work done with your team—but we know that that is not the only way people communicate,” writes Marissa Salazar. “We have built this new integration between Outlook and Teams to make it easy to collaborate no matter where the conversation is taking place. The user can move an email conversation from Outlook, including attachments, into a Teams chat or channel conversation by clicking on the ‘Share to Teams’ in Outlook. They can also share a conversation from Teams to an Outlook email by clicking on the more options (‘…’) icon in a conversation.”

The update also brings targeted communication, allowing team members to use @mentions to send communication to everyone assigned to a particular tag. The update also rolls out the new SharePoint-based file experience to all users. Another interesting feature is live captions in Teams meetings, which should help “those who are deaf or hard of hearing, have different levels of language proficiency, or are connecting from loud locations.”

All-in-all, the February update includes a number of significant improvements that are sure to help Microsoft continue gaining new users.

Image Credit: Microsoft

March 2, 2020